Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
USING TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IN SCIENCE: METHODS AND APPLICATIONS

Advocates of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) have promoted its use in scientific research, impact assessment, and ecological understanding. While several examples illustrate the utility of applying TEK in these contexts, wider application of TEK- derived information remains elusive. In part, this is due to continued inertia in favor of established scientific practices and the need to describe TEK in Western scientific terms. In part, it is also due to the difficulty of accessing TEK, which is rarely written down and must in most cases be documented as a project on its own prior to its incorporation into another scientific undertaking. This formidable practical obstacle is exacerbated by the need to use social science methods to gather biological data, so that TEK research and application becomes a multidisciplinary undertaking. By examining case studies involving bowhead whales, beluga whales, and herring, this paper describes some of the benefits of using TEK in scientific and management contexts. It also reviews some of the methods that are available to do so, including semi-directive interviews, questionnaires, facilitated workshops, and collaborative field projects.
Online Purchasing of Simple Retail Goods: The Impact of e-Service Quality as Provided by Electronic Commerce Functionalities

This paper explores the impact of e-service quality, Web site information quality and Web site quality on customer satisfaction with the purchasing process as it relates to product life cycle. Two variables are proposed to assess e-service quality: e-commerce (EC) functionalities available on the Web site and the confirmation of the customer's expectations of those EC functionalities. The proposed research model is tested with data collected from 111 purchasing experiences involving simple goods. Analysis of the results shows that customer satisfaction is positively impacted by each of its determinants. In turn, customer intent to repurchase on the Web site is positively influenced by customer satisfaction. Moreover, this paper highlights several implications that could help B2C Web sites improve their e-service quality.
In vivo comparison between the effects of chemically modified hydrophilic and anodically oxidized titanium surfaces on initial bone healing

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of physical and chemical surface factors on in vivo bone responses by comparing chemically modified hydrophilic sandblasted, large-grit, acid-etched (modSLA) and anodically oxidized hydrophobic implant surfaces. Methods Five modSLA implants and five anodized implants were inserted into the tibiae of five New Zealand white rabbits (one implant for each tibia). The characteristics of each surface were determined using field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy before the installation. The experimental animals were sacrificed after 1 week of healing and histologic slides were prepared from the implant-tibial bone blocks removed from the animals. Histomorphometric analyses were performed on the light microscopic images, and bone-to-implant contact (BIC) and bone area (BA) ratios were measured. Nonparametric comparison tests were applied to find any significant differences (P<0.05) between the modSLA and anodized surfaces. Results The roughness of the anodized surface was 1.22 ± 0.17 µm in Sa, which was within the optimal range of 1.0-2.0 µm for a bone response. The modSLA surface was significantly rougher at 2.53 ± 0.07 µm in Sa. However, the modSLA implant had significantly higher BIC than the anodized implant (P=0.02). Furthermore, BA ratios did not significantly differ between the two implants, although the anodized implant had a higher mean value of BA (P>0.05). Conclusions Within the limitations of this study, the hydrophilicity of the modSLA surface may have a stronger effect on in vivo bone healing than optimal surface roughness and surface chemistry of the anodized surface. Graphical Abstract
Relationship between minimal residual disease measured by multiparametric flow cytometry prior to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and outcome in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Background The presence of minimal residual disease detected by polymerase chain reaction techniques prior to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has proven to be an independent prognostic factor for poor outcome in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Design and Methods The aim of this study was to ascertain whether the presence of minimal residual disease detected by multiparametric flow cytometry prior to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is related to outcome in children acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Minimal residual disease was quantified by multiparametric flow cytometry at a median of 10 days prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in 31 children (age range, 10 months to 16 years) with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Thirteen patients were transplanted in first remission. Stem cell donors were HLA-identical siblings in 8 cases and matched unrelated donors in 23. Twenty-six children received a total body irradiation-containing conditioning regimen. According to the level of minimal residual disease, patients were divided into two groups: minimal residual disease-positive (≥0.01%) (n=10) and minimal residual disease-negative (<0.01%) (n=21). Results Estimated event-free survival rates at 2 years for the minimal residual disease-negative and -positive subgroups were 74% and 20%, respectively (P=0.004) and overall survival rates were 80% and 20%, respectively (P=0.005). Bivariate analysis identified pre-transplant minimal residual disease as the only significant factor for relapse and also for death (P<0.01). Conclusions The presence of minimal residual disease measured by multiparametric flow cytometry identified a group of patients with a 9.5-fold higher risk of relapse and a 3.2-fold higher risk of death than those without minimal residual disease. This study supports the strong relationship between pre-transplantation minimal residual disease measured by multiparametric flow cytometry and outcome following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and concur with the results of previous studies using polymerase chain reaction techniques.
Characterization of H5N1 Influenza Virus Variants with Hemagglutinin Mutations Isolated from Patients

ABSTRACT A change in viral hemagglutinin (HA) receptor binding specificity from α2,3- to α2,6-linked sialic acid is necessary for highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) virus subtype H5N1 to become pandemic. However, details of the human-adaptive change in the H5N1 virus remain unknown. Our database search of H5N1 clade 2.2. 1 viruses circulating in Egypt identified multiple HA mutations that had been selected in infected patients. Using reverse genetics, we found that increases in both human receptor specificity and the HA pH threshold for membrane fusion were necessary to facilitate replication of the virus variants in human airway epithelia. Furthermore, variants with enhanced replication in human cells had decreased HA stability, apparently to compensate for the changes in viral receptor specificity and membrane fusion activity. Our findings showed that H5N1 viruses could rapidly adapt to growth in the human airway microenvironment by altering their HA properties in infected patients and provided new insights into the human-adaptive mechanisms of AI viruses. IMPORTANCE Circulation between bird and human hosts may allow H5N1 viruses to acquire amino acid changes that increase fitness for human infections. However, human-adaptive changes in H5N1 viruses have not been adequately investigated. In this study, we found that multiple HA mutations were actually selected in H5N1-infected patients and that H5N1 variants with some of these HA mutations had increased human-type receptor specificity and increased HA membrane fusion activity, both of which are advantageous for viral replication in human airway epithelia. Furthermore, HA mutants selected during viral replication in patients were likely to have less HA stability, apparently as a compensatory mechanism. These results begin to clarify the picture of the H5N1 human-adaptive mechanism. Circulation between bird and human hosts may allow H5N1 viruses to acquire amino acid changes that increase fitness for human infections. However, human-adaptive changes in H5N1 viruses have not been adequately investigated. In this study, we found that multiple HA mutations were actually selected in H5N1-infected patients and that H5N1 variants with some of these HA mutations had increased human-type receptor specificity and increased HA membrane fusion activity, both of which are advantageous for viral replication in human airway epithelia. Furthermore, HA mutants selected during viral replication in patients were likely to have less HA stability, apparently as a compensatory mechanism. These results begin to clarify the picture of the H5N1 human-adaptive mechanism.
Clinical, Functional and Health-Related Quality of Life Correlates of Clinically Significant Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Objectives To identify clinical, functional and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) correlates of clinically significant symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods Three-hundred-and-eighty-one patients fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology and/or the Leroy and Medsger criteria for SSc were assessed for visceral involvement, disability and HRQoL (assessed by SF-36). Clinically significant symptoms of anxiety and depression were evaluated with the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HAD) (defined cut-off≥8). Results 9.2% the patients had limited SSc, 50.5% limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc), and 40.3% diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc). Overall, 40.4% and 58.8% of the patients had clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively. Compared to patients without clinically significant symptoms of depression, patients with clinically significant symptoms of depression had poorer health status, HRQoL mental and physical component, and greater global disability, hand disability and aesthetic impairment. Compared to patients without clinically significant symptoms of anxiety, patients with clinically significant symptoms of anxiety had poorer SF-36 mental and physical component scores. On multivariable analysis, excluding mental component score of SF-36, variables independently associated with clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety were global disability and physical component of SF-36, plus female gender for clinically significant symptoms of anxiety only. Remarkably, patients with and without clinically significant psychiatric symptoms were comparable for all disease-related clinical features assessed. Conclusion High levels of clinically significant symptoms of anxiety and depression are observed among SSc patients. Clinically significant psychiatric symptoms are rather associated with increased disability and altered HRQoL, than with disease-specific organ manifestations.
Urban Productivity and Factor Growth in the Late Nineteenth Century

This paper uncovers a series of empirical facts regarding the sources of U.S. urban growth in the 1880s. We use a large theoretical literature to provide motivations for a number of potential sources of growth, particularly those based on geographical proximity externalities. These sources are characterised and linked to empirical proxies. Then we estimate the covariation of these empirical proxies with the growth rate in output, capital and labor respectively. We find that traditional (neoclassical), several geographic externality, and socio-political factors all covary significantly with aggregate growth, though in very specific ways. For example, the size of a city (a measure of the degree of urbanization) is uncorrelated with output growth, positively correlated with labor growth, and negatively correlated with capital growth. No one extant theory of growth accounts simultaneously for all the phenomena that we observe.
Extraction of left ventricular contours from left ventriculograms by means of a neural edge detector

We propose a method for extracting the left ventricular (LV) contours from left ventriculograms by means of a neural edge detector (NED) in order to extract the contours which accord with those traced by a cardiologist. The NED is a supervised edge detector based on a modified multilayer neural network, and is trained by use of a modified back-propagation algorithm. The NED can acquire the function of a desired edge detector through training with a set of input images and the desired edges obtained from the contours traced by a cardiologist. The proposed contour-extraction method consists of 1) detection of "subjective edges" by use of the NED; 2) extraction of rough contours by use of low-pass filtering and edge enhancement; and 3) a contour-tracing method based on the contour candidates synthesized from the edges detected by the NED and the rough contours. Through experiments, it was shown that the proposed method was able to extract the contours in agreement with those traced by an experienced cardiologist, i.e., we achieved an average contour error of 6.2% for left ventriculograms at end-diastole and an average difference between the ejection fractions obtained from the manually traced contours and those obtained from the computer-extracted contours of 4.1%.
Computation of a homogeneous coordinate time series for European GPS stations by reprocessing of the weekly EPN solutions

Weekly coordinate time series for the all EPN (European Permanent GPS Network) stations for the period of observations beginning from GPS week 834 was obtained by a reprocessing of the official EPN solutions. Comparison of this series with EPN Central Bureau (EPN CB) and the previous IAA two-year solution for selected EPN stations obtained by reprocessing of the original observations is performed. Results of comparison show that new solution based on fiducial-free strategy is most likely free of seasonal errors. Now the new IAA EPN solution is being computed regularly (on availability of the official EPNsolution) and is available to any interested group.
A Generalized Representation for selected Functional Size Measurement Methods

The management of software cost, development effort and project planning are key aspects of software development. Functional size measurement (FSM) has been proposed as a tool for these management requirements. Function Point Analysis (FPA) can be considered as the first FSM method published. Based on FPA, other methods have been proposed as improvements and alternatives that differ in their respective views on functional size. FPA is an intuitive approach without theoretical foundation, and without a measurement model. It is therefore unclear, what FPA actually measures and what the differences between the FSM methods are. We use an axiomatic approach based on measurement theory to develop a model for existing FSM methods. In this paper, we propose a model as a generalized representation for a set of methods: IFPUG FPA, Mark II FPA, and FFP. This view can be used as a basis for the analysis of FSM methods and for a discussion of their differences.
Social protection, private transfers, and poverty

This paper was prepared as a background document for the World Bank's Poverty Assessment for Guatemala. Its main objective is to assess the effectiveness of the social protection in reducing poverty and vulnerability using the techniques of benefit incidence and cost-benefit analysis. However, such an assessment can only be partial, as social protection is only one of the arrangements used in Guatemala to manage social risks. Other social risk management arrangements, such as private transfers, help poor and/or vulnerable households to cope with destitution or adverse events, while private insurance or credit markets help those households that have access to these instruments mitigate the risks that they face. Thus, we also analyze private transfers and estimate the extent of the coverage of and access to private insurance and credit markets in Guatemala.
Digital Signature Generation using Fingerprint , Password and Smart Card

In a digital signature scheme, the security of the private key is of vital importance. If the private key is ever compromised, it can be used to sign forge documents. The conventional method of secure private key storage is through password-based encryption. However, user-chosen passwords have very low entropy, which may be exploited by an attacker to launch password-guessing attacks. In order to increase the security of a digital signature scheme, we propose a novel method that uses fingerprint, password and smart card to dynamically generate a private key for digital signatures. The scheme is sufficiently robust to generate a constant key and is tolerant to errors generated in the fingerprint pattern at the time of key generation. Our proposed algorithm is capable of generating key lengths that can meet the current security requirements of public key algorithms used for digital signatures and is more secure than traditional password-based method of protecting a private key. Key-Words: Biometrics, Cryptography, Image processing
Application of Virtualization and Software Defined Network in Satellite Network

The integration network of terrestrial and satellite is becoming a new trend in the development of network applications in the future. Software defined network and virtualization is becoming a hot research topic and application of the ground network. It is necessary to study the application of software defined network and virtualization in satellite applications. This paper discusses the software defined networking and network virtualization in satellite network application system architecture. Software defined satellite network will separate the control plane and data plane of satellite network and can on the whole manage and configure the satellite network resources from the whole network so as to realize the optimization of satellite network. The system architecture is described and the design scheme of virtual satellite network is shown. In this paper, the design principle of the satellite OpenFlow switch and controller, the realization methods of network function virtualization and the controller are described in detail. Based on this kind of system architecture, the global dynamic load balancing, routing and resource scheduling algorithms are designed, and the performance analysis and simulation of network delay and throughput are carried out.
Exchange Rates and the Current Account

This paper develops a model of exchange rate determination that integrates the roles of relative prices, expectations, and the assets markets, and emphasizes the relationship between the behavior of the exchange rate and the current account. In its orientation, it draws on and extends recent work, particularly by Pentti Kouri (1975; 1976), most closely related to this paper, and also by Jacob Frenkel and Carlos Rodriguez, Robert Flood, Charles Wilson
Professional development for youth workers

Issue Editors' Notes (Pam Garza, Lynne M. Borden, Kirk A. Astroth). Executive Summary.1. Professional development in the youth development field: Issues, trends, opportunities, and challenges (Jane Quinn) This chapter sets the context for the rest of the volume and provides a brief history of professional development in the youth development field.2. Getting down to business: Defining competencies for entry-level youth workers (Kirk A. Astroth, Pam Garza, Barbara Taylor) The authors describe the National Collaboration for Youth's development and endorsement of front-line worker competencies and discuss implications for the field.3. Achieve Boston: A citywide innovation in professional development (Moacir Barbosa, Ellen S. Gannett, Jude Goldman, Samantha Wechsler, Gil G. Noam) The authors explain how this citywide initiative has been able to coordinate intermediaries and training opportunities for youth workers.4. The intermediary role in youth worker professional development: Successes and challenges (Elaine Johnson, Fran Rothstein, Jennifer Gajdosik) The chapter explores the role of youth development training intermediaries and their successes and challenges in providing high-quality services.5. Professional development in national organizations: Insights from Girls Incorporated (Heather Johnston Nicholson, Susan Houchin, Brenda Stegall) Girls Incorporated takes a comprehensive approach to professional development for youth development workers.6. Professionalizing youth development: The role of higher education (Lynne M. Borden, Deborah L. Craig, Francisco A. Villarruel) Two case studies are highlighted-a community college and an online master's and certificate program-to explore the role of colleges and universities in professional development.7. Reflections on the road not (yet) taken: How a centralized public strategy can help youth work focus on youth (Karen J. Pittman) The author explores how the definition of youth work in the United Kingdom pushes far beyond the youth work field in the United States.Index.
Surface micromachined mechanisms and micromotors

Electric micromotors are sub-millimeter sized actuators capable of unrestrained motion in at least one degree of freedom. Polysilicon surface micromachining using heavily phosphorus-doped LPCVD polysilicon for the structural material, LPCVD silicon nitride for the electrical isolation and deposited silicon dioxide for the sacrificial material has formed the fabrication technology base for the development of these micromotors. Two polysilicon surface micromachining processes, referred to here as the center-pin and flange, have been demonstrated for the fabrication of passive mechanisms and micromotors. Passive mechanisms such as gear trains, cranks and manipulators have been implemented on silicon. Reported operational micromotors have been of the rotary variable-capacitance salient-pole and harmonic (or wobble) side-drive designs. These micromotors are capable of motive torques in the 10 pN m order of magnitude range. Preliminary progress has been made in studying the operational, friction and wear characteristics of these micromechanical devices. Typical operational voltages have been as low as 37 V and 26 V across 1.5 mu m air gap salient-pole and harmonic micromotors. These excitations correspond to electric field intensities above 10(8) Vm-1 in the micromotor air gaps. Salient-pole and wobble micromotors have been reported to operate at speeds as high as 15000 rpm and 700 rpm, respectively. Micromotor lifetimes of at least many millions of cycles over a period of several days have been reported.
Bayesian methods for hierarchical models: are ecologists making a Faustian bargain?

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