Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Analysis of Economic Growth in India

This dissertation is an empirical study of economic growth in India over the period of 1960-2004. The objective of the first chapter is to provide robust and reproducible period-wise growth estimates for India. Detailed growth accounting shows that without accounting for human capital, total factor productivity (TFP) differences over time account for 48% to 69% of the output variation. If we include the role of education, TFP growth accounts for 35% to 70% of the total GDP growth between 1960 and 2004. Starting from a modest rate in the 1960s, productivity growth dipped and became negative in the 1970s. This productivity growth rate began accelerating during the 1980s and it grew at an average rate of around 3% in the 1990s. Chapter 2 calculates a large set of productivity growth estimates using the Annual Survey of Industries data. The results show that even though the net-value-added for all registered manufacturing grew at around 4.4% per year, the average yearly TFP growth rate was only 2.2%. In the sub-period of 1991-1997, input growth jumped but TFP growth became negative. But after 1998, the trend is reversed and output grows because of positive and large TFP growth in spite of the moderating input growth. Production function estimates show that in gross output the share of materials is 0.6, much larger than the capital and the labor shares. “Public corporations” experienced significant TFP growth after the reforms. The last chapter provides an explanation for the sluggish performance of Indian manufacturing before the reforms. The interaction of quantitative restriction policies and inflexible labor laws distorted the allocation of resources between intermediate inputs and labor inputs. Moreover, the combination of high inflation and the unavailability of credit exacerbated this factor distortion and lowered productivity growth further. Using panel data on Indian industries, this chapter finds underutilization of materials compared to labor until recently. The productivity growth is negatively related to labor growth and positively related to materials growth. Real wages and labor productivity are negatively related to materials inflation and this relationship breaks down after the capital market reforms in the 1990s.
Modeling and optimization of motion for inchworm-inspired magnetically driven soft robot

Abstract At present, the research of soft crawling robot pays more attention to the material manufacturing, but neglects the robot modeling. The high degree of freedom of the soft crawling robot makes it more difficult to establish its motion model and analyzes its motion performance. The centimeter-level wireless driven soft crawling robot has great advantages and application scenarios in narrow space exploration. Therefore, this paper proposed a soft robot driven by magnetism to crawling inchworm. By studying the crawling behavior of inchworm and the characteristics of flexible materials driven by magnetism, the structure of the soft robot was designed and the motion model of inchworm was established. The motion model is analyzed and simulated, the structure size of the robot is optimized, and the effectiveness of the model is verified by experiments. The robot’s crawling motion is realized by coupling the structure of the robot’s torso and legs with the flexible magnetic film. Driven by the alternating magnetic field, the maximum motion speed of the robot is 28.24 mm/s. At the same time, the robot can also move in narrow space such as pipes, which can satisfy the centimeter-level space detection and ensure the high efficiency, providing a new idea for narrow space detection.
THE FLORA OF PULAU SEMAKAU: A PROJECT SEMAKAU CHECKLIST

S. Teo, R. K. H. Yeo, K. Y. Chong, Y. F. Chung, L. Neo, and H. T. W. Tan Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore, 6 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117546, Republic of Singapore (*Corresponding authors: ronyeo@gmail.com, dbsttw@nus.edu.sg)
The effects of anthropogenic disturbance and seasonality on the ant communities of Lang Tengah Island

Anthropogenic disturbances and seasonal changes significantly impact diversity and community composition of ants, but their effects are often intertwined. We investigated these drivers on Lang Tengah Island, a location with a pronounced monsoon season and three resorts that close during this period. We surveyed four sites, two disturbed and two undisturbed, before and after the monsoon season, using pitfall traps to sample epigaeic ant communities. Undisturbed habitats had higher species diversity, but both habitats (undisturbed and disturbed sites) have a high proportion of ants with characteristics of being encroached by generalist and invasive/tramp ant species. Post-monsoon sampling yielded an increase in species richness and diversity. Seasonal changes, such as monsoonal rains, can temporarily alter ant interactions and resource distribution, potentially maintaining diversity. Future studies should validate these findings for ant communities under similar pressures, using ant composition and functional roles for conservation and management purposes.
Effect of Soil Moisture and Forms of Phosphorus Fertilizers on Corn Production under Sandy Calcareous Soil

Corn is one of the main cereal crops in the world. Most of agricultural expansion in the world is confined in the desert where shortage of water and unfavorable soil properties and nutrients deficiencies are the most constrains facing any agricultural project proposed for such areas. These soils need a high efficient irrigation and fertilization system for maximizing the production and sustain both the environment and resources available. Using split randomized complete plot design with four replications a field experiment was conducted out to study the effect of soil moisture and form of P fertilizer on uptake of P by corn plant as well as the yield production of corn under the effect of these treatments. Keeping the soil moisture at 125% of field capacity significantly (p<0.05) increased the total uptake of P in the 60-days old corn plants from 9.38 to 10.16 kg P fed . 1 Forms of P fertilizers had a little effect on P concentrations in corn plants.Increasing the amount of irrigation water increased the grain and straw yield of corn
IMF deposition ceRNA network analysis and functional study of HIF1a in yak

The concentration of intramuscular fat (IMF) is a crucial determinant of yak meat quality. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate IMF in yak remain largely elusive. In our study, we conducted transcriptome sequencing on the longissimus dorsi muscle tissues of yaks with varying IMF contents. We then filtered differentially expressed genes (DEGs), microRNAs (DEMs), and long non-coding RNAs (DELs) to elucidate potential regulatory pathways of adipogenesis in yaks. Overall, our research sheds light on an array of potential mRNAs and noncoding RNAs implicated in IMF deposition and elaborates on the role of HIF1α in yaks. These findings contribute valuable insights that can serve as a guide for further research into the molecular mechanisms governing IMF deposition.
Origami-Based Decoupling Clutch Achieves Energy-Efficient Legged Robots

Legged robots are capable of achieving energy-efficiency by introducing elastic elements in parallel with the actuators during the stance phase. However, the parallel elastic actuation results in a coupling motion between the parallel spring and the flexion movement of the leg mechanism during the swing phase. This coupling hinders the dexterity of joint movement and increases energy consumption which degrades the energy-efficiency of legged robots. In this letter, we present an origami-based decoupling clutch for energy-efficient legged robots. The decoupling mechanism is realized by a Kresling-based clutch that switches the connection between the parallel spring and the robotic leg without additional control effort. During stance, the parallel spring and the leg are engaged to reduce the torque requirements. Furthermore, the leg can achieve unobstructed movement when the spring is disengaged during the swing phase. Subsequently, we design a single-leg prototype to validate the enhancement of energy-efficiency. Experimental results demonstrate that the robot with the proposed origami-based decoupling clutch can reduce the required knee flexion torque and energy consumption by 37.6% and 31%, respectively, of what is required for the robot without the clutch.
Brain–computer interface treatment for gait rehabilitation in stroke patients

The use of Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCI) as rehabilitation tools for chronically ill neurological patients has become more widespread. BCIs combined with other techniques allow the user to restore neurological function by inducing neuroplasticity through real-time detection of motor-imagery (MI) as patients perform therapy tasks. Twenty-five stroke patients with gait disability were recruited for this study. Participants performed 25 sessions with the MI-BCI and assessment visits to track functional changes during the therapy. The results of this study demonstrated a clinically significant increase in walking speed of 0.19 m/s, 95%CI [0.13–0.25], p < 0.001. Patients also reduced spasticity and improved their range of motion and muscle contraction. The BCI treatment was effective in promoting long-lasting functional improvements in the gait speed of chronic stroke survivors. Patients have more movements in the lower limb; therefore, they can walk better and safer. This functional improvement can be explained by improved neuroplasticity in the central nervous system.
Why Not Narrowband

• The interfaces between the rocks above and below these layers created high acoustic impedance boundaries that reflect a good percentage of the down-going and/or up-going seismic energy. • The layers can be highly absorptive, attenuating high and mid frequencies and only passing low frequencies. • In salt provinces, as well as absorbing seismic energy, the movement of salt through the overlying rock layers creates complex geologic formations that require very sophisticated 3D imaging techniques to allow an accurate interpretation of potential hydrocarbon traps.
A Study of Estimation of AP Position for Improvement of Indoor Positioning Performances

With the recent expansion of 3G and 4G networks and great popularity of smartphones, location-based applications in various smartphones have drawn great attention. At the same time, indoor positioning technology has emerged as well. There have been studies on the conventional indoor positioning techniques focusing on the triangulation technique which uses indoor WiFi signals. However, this triangulation technique is only available in the area where three or more mobile AP signals can be detected. This study examines the effect on positioning performances when new AP is added. It has also attempted to investigate the accuracy of AP position by localization algorithm and changes in the positioning results. The WLAN-based positioning system uses the RSSI of Access Point(AP). The RSSI tends to decline over distance. (1) After setting a mathematical attenuation formula, the distance between a mobile user and wireless AP is estimated, and the estimation is used in positioning algorithm to locate the user. In conventional indoor positioning systems, it is assumed that there already exist a database which is called 'Radio Map,' the information of reference AP in which location is basically known for indoor positioning. (2) In a system in which positions are estimated by a user, it is generally supposed that an administrator server is delivered to the radio map by a user. If the position is estimated in the server, it is assumed that the radio map on the environment in which a user is currently positioned in the server is saved and used. (3) This kind of radio map makes it possible to classify the received signals at positioning. Then, it is used in positioning after estimating the distance up to AP position, which is recorded on the radio map. In conventional positioning systems, however, there was no other methods except for the method to add AP positions to the radio map in the administrator even though the other AP except for the AP saved in the radio map is detected. According to previous studies, when a lot of APs were used in the same space, improved results were obtained. In actual system configuration, radio map was provided and managed by an administrator, not by a user. Therefore, it was difficult to use AP additionally until the revised radio map was provided by the administrator. (4) This study investigates a method to localize unknown APs, not reference APs using WLAN-based indoor positioning algorithm and improve positioning accuracy by securing added AP position information.
Reading the landscape: citywide social assessment of New York City parks and natural areas in 2013-2014

In 2001, the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (NYC Parks) Natural Resources Group created the Forever Wild Program to protect nearly 9,000 acres of forests, wetlands, and meadows citywide. Although these areas were set aside over a decade ago, we have little systematic evidence about how park visitors view, use, and value parks with these resources. In 2013, an interdisciplinary team of scientists and natural resource managers at the New York City Urban Field Station embarked on a study to investigate the social dimensions and value of public green space in New York City. This study, a Citywide Social Assessment of New York City Parks and Natural Areas, explores approximately 9,000 acres of New York City parks in an effort to better understand the social meaning of these green spaces. Better understanding how urban parks are used and valued can provide insight into how all parks can best serve visitors in a rapidly changing environment.
A Comparison of Inter-Site, Intra-Site, Intra-Sample and Instrument Variability in Environmental Magnetic Data: An Example Based on the Gwendraeth Estuary, South Wales, U.K.

Abstract Environmental magnetic data are now routinely used to investigate compositional variability of rocks, sediments and soils. Data from samples taken in the Gwendraeth Estuary, South Wales, U.K., demonstrate levels of intra-site and intra-sample variability in magnetic properties could be significant in field settings that show relatively limited inter-site variability. Care must be taken in both sampling at individual field sites and also in sub-sampling field samples within the laboratory prior to analysis. In contrast, duplicate measurements on individual samples show relatively low levels of instrument variability with the equipment used in this study.
Evaluation of biological remains from excavations at Crossgates Farm, Seamer, N. Yorkshire (site code: CG96)

Summary Five samples of sediment from an enclosure boundary ditch tentatively dated to the RomanoBritish period, revealed by excavations at Crossgates Farm, Seamer, N. Yorkshire, were submitted for an evaluation of their bioarchaeological remains. Two samples were selected for analysis. Rather small amounts of plant material were recovered: some charcoal, charred stem/root fragments and a few charred cereals; a few small bones (amphibian, shrew, fish) were also noted. The present material probably warrants no further analysis, though future excavations should include bulk-sampling and analysis of layers likely to give similar or larger concentrations of biological remains.
Is Autophagy a Prerequisite for Steroidogenesis in Leydig Cells?

Abstract We investigated the involvement of autophagy with steroidogenesis in testicular Leydig cells. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-stimulated T production in Leydig cells was not remarkably altered in the presence of an autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA). Although pretreatment with 3-MA demonstrated a tendency to decrease hCG-induced T production, the differences were significant only at a higher time point of 24 h following hCG. Microtubule associated protein light chain 3 (LC3)-II was detectable in the control cells in all the experiments. The hCG-induced increase in steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and cytochrome P450 side chain cleave (P450scc) protein levels were not significantly altered by 3-MA. Leydig cells isolated from immature rat testes 12 h following hCG treatment showed relatively increased levels of LC3-II protein compared to the control group. Furthermore, LC3-II levels shown in these cells reached almost the identical to those from normal adult testes. However, LC3-II protein levels were almost comparable or even slightly lower than the controls at 48 h following hCG. Expression of StAR and P450scc was upregulated at both 12 and 48 h after hCG. We also used MA-10 cells, the mouse Leydig cell line, in this experiment. When dibutyryl cyclic-AMP was treated with MA-10 cells, P4 levels were significantly increased in the cell culture medium. However, P4 levels tended to decrease in the presence of 3-MA, but the difference was not statistically significant. This was consistent with the results of the rat Leydig cell experiments. Together, we believe that although autophagy participates in steroidogenesis and enhances steroidogenic efficacy of Leydig cells, it may not be a decisive cellular process for steroidogenesis, specifically in the mature Leydig cells.
Vertical ductile thinning and its contribution to the exhumation of high-pressure rocks: the Cycladic blueschist unit in the Aegean

The contribution of vertical ductile thinning to the exhumation of high-pressure rocks is evaluated by estimating finite strain in 75 exhumed high-pressure rocks of the Cycladic blueschist unit in the Aegean Sea, Greece, and western Turkey. Strain data indicate heterogeneous deformation; principal stretches are 1.24–5.03 for SX, 0.63–2.53 for SY and 0.10–0.81 for SZ, with a tensor average of SX:SY:SZ=1.52:1.28:0.51. A 1D numerical model, which integrates velocity gradients along a vertical flow path with a steady-state orogen, is used to estimate the contribution of ductile thinning of the overburden of the high-pressure rocks to exhumation. Using a strain-rate law that is proportional to depth, averaged results show that ductile flow contributed c. 20% to exhumation. A major implication is that the vertical strain in the exhumed rocks is an overestimate of the contribution that ductile flow makes to the total exhumation. A proportional strain-rate law that scales linearly with depth implies that material points rising towards the surface move quickly out of the more rapidly deforming part of the orogen. Therefore, very large vertical strains >90% in deeply exhumed rocks are needed for vertical ductile thinning to be a major exhumation process.
Data report: trace element geochemistry of oceanic crust formed at superfast-spreading ridge, Hole 1256D 1

This data report presents the bulk rock trace element compositions analyzed by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry of the crustal rocks recovered during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 309/312. The analyzed samples represent a subset of shipboard samples and a subset of samples collected and shared by a group of shipboard scientists.
Phenylacetyl-/Trolox- Amides: Synthesis, Sigma-1, HDAC-6, and Antioxidant Activities

In search of novel multi-mechanistic approaches for treating Alzheimer’s disease (AD), we have embarked on synthesizing single small molecules for probing contributory roles of the following combined disease targets: sigma-1 (σ-1), class IIb histone deacetylase-6 (HDAC-6), and oxidative stress (OS). Herein, we report the synthesis and partial evaluation of 20 amides (i.e., phenylacetic and Trolox or 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid derivatives). Target compounds were conveniently synthesized via amidation by either directly reacting acyl chlorides with amines or condensing acids with amines in the presence of coupling agents 1-[bis(dimethylamino)methylene]-1H-1,2,3-triazolo [4,5-b] pyridinium 3-oxide hexafluorophosphate (HATU) or 1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI). Overall, this project afforded compound 8 as a promising lead with σ-1 affinity (Ki = 2.1 μM), HDAC-6 (IC50 = 17 nM), and antioxidant (1.92 Trolox antioxidant equivalents or TEs) activities for optimization in ensuing structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies.
La jachère agroforestière (arborée ou arbustive) en Afrique tropicale

Avec l'augmentation de la population en Afrique tropicale, les jacheres naturelles sont soumises a une forte pression agricole et sylvopastorale, et ne remplissent plus leur role de restauration de la fertilite physico-chimique ou biologique des sols. Une des solutions peut etre d'introduire l'arbre dans la jachere. Dans cette synthese, deux types de jacheres ligneuses ameliorees sont distingues : les jacheres arbustives de courte duree (1 a 2 ans) constituees d'arbustes a croissance rapide fixateurs d'azote et installees essentiellement en vue d'ameliorer la production des cultures annuelles, et les jacheres arborees de moyenne duree (4 a 6 ans) ou de longue duree (10 a 15 ans) installees a la fois pour rehabiliter un sol degrade et pour obtenir diverses productions des arbres. Les aspects etudies sont les suivants : les processus et changements d'etat du sol au cours du cycle jachere agroforestiere-culture ; la production de biomasse des jacheres forestieres ; le bilan mineral de la jachere forestiere ; les modifications des caracteristiques chimiques du sol (matiere organique, caracteristiques minerales) par la jachere agroforestiere ; l'amelioration de la porosite du sol en surface ; l'effet sur la macrofaune invertebree du sol ; la remise en culture apres jachere ligneuse (comportement des cultures, influence du brulis, developpement des adventices et des nematodes) ; la place de la jachere agroforestiere dans les systemes de production (aspects techniques et socio-economiques)
The complete chloroplast genome of Geum longifolium (Maxim.) Smedmark 2006 (Rosaceae: Colurieae) and its phylogenomic implications

Abstract Geum longifolium (Maxim.) Smedmark 2006 belongs to the family Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae, tribe Colurieae. Geum longifolium is endemic to China and its whole herb is used in Chinese medicine. Here, the first complete chloroplast (cp) genome of G. longifolium was assembled and annotated based on genome skimming, and its phylogenetic position was investigated using phylogenomic evidence. The cp genome size of G. longifolium was 155,884 bp with the total GC content of 36.7%. Its cp genome presented a typical tetrad structure, composed of a large single copy (LSC) region (85,338 bp), a small single copy (SSC) region (18,358 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (26,094 bp). The cp genome encoded 129 genes, including 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that G. longifolium was sister to G. elatum Wall. ex G.Don 1832 in current taxa sampling. This study can enrich the chloroplast genomic resource of Geum and lay the foundation for future phylogenetic studies on Geum.