Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Remnant American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) Near the Historical Western Range Limit in Southwestern Tennessee

ABSTRACT The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was once widespread in eastern North America and an ecologically important hardwood tree of deciduous forest communities prior to its near-eradication by chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica). Remnant populations occur across much of its historical range, especially in older forests of the Appalachians and northeastern U.S. However, broad swaths of the southwestern portion of the species' historical range remain poorly documented, potentially limiting the representation of genetic variation important for local adaptation in restoration efforts. Ongoing discovery and life-history characterization efforts for remnant C. dentata remains a priority to better understand the distribution and ecological status of this once important species, while identifying potential genetic sources of locally adapted or blight resistant trees. Here, we report the discovery of 22 C. dentata at four sites in southwestern Tennessee, adding novel observations that extend the range of known extant occurrences to the extreme western edge of the historical distribution in Fayette County. These observations include potentially reproductive individuals that should be revisited to assess reproductive and blight status, and that should be evaluated for current germplasm collection and restoration efforts.
Municipal Bond Trading and Political Scandals

We study municipal bond trading activity before, during, and after announcements of government officials’ misconduct. Using a sample of over 39,000,000 bond trades from January 2006 to December 2013 in nearly 500,000 bonds, we find that spreads are higher on initial news announcement, indictment announcement, and trial verdict announcement days than other trading days. Spreads remain elevated for 5 trading days following these announcements. We also find that large bond trades account for the majority of price discovery on announcement days. Overall, our results establish a link between government officials’ misconduct and municipal bond markets. TOPIC: Financial crises and financial market history Key Findings • This article examines how municipal bond traders react to news regarding potential wrongdoing by government officials. • We examine news announcements regarding the misconduct of state officials and the effect that might have on municipal bond trading. We find that when there is a news announcement related to the misconduct or wrongdoing of a government official, the average municipal bond trade size increases. • We find that municipal bond spreads increase on news related to potential miscount of state officials. • We find that price discovery in municipal bonds occurs more in larger-size trades when news related to potential miscount of state officials is revealed.
Clinical and Epidemiological Study of Supernumerary Teeth in Patients from Plovdiv Region

Abstract Abnormalities in the number of teeth are conditions that occur predominantly in childhood. Therefore, monitoring the prevalence and early diagnosis is very important for the timely and appropriate therapeutic approach. The aim of the study was to investigate the incidence of supernumerary teeth in patients from the city of Plovdiv. Methods and equipment: 1,000 dental patients were studied. Data were collected from patients seeking medical attention at the Faculty of Dental Medicine in Plovdiv. We used clinical, X-ray and statistical methods for investigation. Results: A 1.1% prevalence of supernumerary teeth (ST) was observed in the studied patients. A statistically significant difference was found between the presence of ST in the permanent and mixed dentition, with a 3% relative proportion of ST in the mixed and 0.62% in the permanent dentition (p < 0.05). The relative proportion of ST in the maxilla was 90.9%, and in the mandible – 9.1%. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was found in the distribution of ST by jaws. In our study, a higher frequency of mesiodens and distomolar (1.08% and 0.22%, respectively) was found in males, and a decreasing relative proportion from the midline to distally in females (mesiodens – 0.56%, paramolar – 0.19%, distomolar – 0.19%). Conclusion: Supernumerary teeth are a relatively rare dental abnormality in the Bulgarian population. Its distribution by sex and morphology corresponds to the prevalence in Caucasians and populations of southern countries.
Impediments in cluster development: the case of Târnave valley

Abstract Many years after the fall of communism, the Romanian wine industry has been still struggling to overcome lot of challenges such as erratic weather, unfair competition, lack of investments or the need for a clear vision of the future path of growth. The industry has reached eventually a level of maturity although there is still much to be done in terms of, among others, network-oriented management skills and the acknowledgement of the importance of the role of location for upgrading competitive advantages. Cluster development initiatives have become lately an important direction of economic policy, building on earlier macroeconomic stabilization efforts, opening up markets and reducing business costs. Companies that operate within a cluster, as opposed to those that are not integrated in such agglomerations, benefit from externalities thanks to their location, have better access to specialized suppliers, technological improvements and skilled labor, as well as direct connections to specialized knowledge flows. Is cluster formation and development a driver for the revival of the Romanian wine industry? What are the impediments that delay further progress? To answer these questions, a qualitative research was conducted with support of statistical data collected mainly from the Global Competitiveness Report, the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the National Institute of Statistics, and the International Organization of Vine and Wine. The paper focuses on the case of the vine and wine region of the Târnave Valley to understand the impediments for cluster development.
Iron phosphate precipitation in Murashige and Skoog media

Murashige and Skoog revised medium, a standard plant tissue culture medium, precipitated on keeping because iron was ineffectively chelated. Most of the precipitate formed after two days and analysis indicated that it was predominantly iron phosphate. It was found that, after precipitation, the supernatant medium had lost c. 45% of its original iron, 20% zinc and 13% phosphate. The following modifications prevented precipitation: lowering the pH to below 3.2, increasing to 3 the molar ratio of EDTA:Fe or preparing the stock solution of FeEDTA with inadequate heating. Most of these modifications had a deleterious effect on the growth and greening of Ocimum basilicum suspension cultures. However, when an increase in the molar ratio of EDTA:Fe was achieved by reducing the iron concentration to one-third, there was no inhibitory effect on growth or greening of these suspension cultures.
A G → A substitution in an HNF I binding site in the human α-fetoprotein gene is associated with hereditary persistence of α-fetoprotein (HPAFP)

A family displaying hereditary persistence of alpha-fetoprotein (HPAFP) in adult life was detected in an antenatal screening programme for spina bifida. RFLP linkage analysis shows that the trait is linked with the albumin-AFP locus. The molecular mechanism responsible for the post-natal repression of the AFP gene is unknown. We wished to determine the molecular mechanism underlying HPAFP in this family. Sequence analysis of the 5'-flanking sequences of their gene revealed a GA substitution at position -119 associated with the trait. This substitution occurs in a potential HNF I binding site, and increases the similarity of the sequence to a consensus HNF I recognition site. In a competitive gel retardation assay the mutant sequence binds HNF I alpha more tightly than the wild type sequence. Furthermore, 5'-flanking sequences of the human AFP gene containing the G-->A substitution direct a higher level of CAT expression in transfected human hepatoma cells than the wild type sequences. We conclude that the G-->A substitution at position -119 of the AFP gene is the mutation causing HPAFP in this family. These results highlight the importance of this HNF I binding site in the developmental regulation of the AFP gene.
A Critical Point Theorem for Perturbed Functionals and Low Perturbations of Differential and Nonlocal Systems

Abstract In this paper we establish a new critical point theorem for a class of perturbed differentiable functionals without satisfying the Palais–Smale condition. We prove the existence of at least one critical point to such functionals, provided that the perturbation is sufficiently small. The main abstract result of this paper is applied both to perturbed nonhomogeneous equations in Orlicz–Sobolev spaces and to nonlocal problems in fractional Sobolev spaces.
Genetic Differences in the Early Development and Growth of Sympatric Sockeye Salmon and Kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka), and their Hybrids

Anadromous (sockeye salmon) and nonanadromous (kokanee) Oncorhynchus nerka spawn sympatrically yet appear genetically distinct in a number of rivers in British Columbia. To investigate whether genetic differences are maintained by selection against -hybrid" progeny, we raised pure and reciprocal crosses of Shuswap River sockeye and kokanee under controlled hatchery conditions. Sockeye eggs were larger and survived slightly better than kokanee eggs, regardless of male type, both to the eyed egg stage and as young fry. We observed no differences in survival among cross types during the remainder of the 460 d study. Rate of yolk absorption was similar in pure sockeye and pure kokanee alevins, but significantly faster in alevins sired by sockeye than those sired by kokanee. This indicates a male genetic effect which compensates for the difference in egg size. Hybrid alevins developed differently because egg size is mismatched with the male genotype. Growth rates of fry were significantly more variable within .
Karush-Kuhn-Tucker optimality conditions for a class of robust optimization problems with an interval-valued objective function

Abstract In this article, we study the nonlinear and nonsmooth interval-valued optimization problems in the face of data uncertainty, which are called interval-valued robust optimization problems (IVROPs). We introduce the concept of nondominated solutions for the IVROP. If the interval-valued objective function f and constraint functions g i {g}_{i} are nonsmooth on Banach space E, we establish a nonsmooth and robust Karush-Kuhn-Tucker optimality theorem.
Obstructive sleep apnea, cardiac arrhythmias and continuous positive airway pressure therapy: one-year follow-up

Abstract Background Cardiac arrhythmias represent one of the consequences of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The gold standard of moderate–severe symptomatic OSA treatment is positive pressure therapy [continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)]. The use of CPAP in patients with cardiac arrhythmias and OSA may contribute to the maintenance of sinus rhythm. Aim To assess the effects of the CPAP therapy in addition to pharmacological and/or ablative interventions in maintaining the sinus rhythm in patients with cardiac arrhythmias and moderate–severe OSA. Materials and methods Patients diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmias [atrial fibrillation (AF)/flutter] and high pretest OSA suspicion (at least two items out of the following: snoring, witnessed apneas, obesity and excessive daytime sleepiness), performed a cardiorespiratory polygraphy (nasal flowmetry, pulse oximetry, thoracoabdominal movements, snoring and body position) for positive diagnosis and OSA severity assessment. Patients with moderate–severe OSA underwent CPAP titration with consecutive therapy indication (CPAP therapy plus pharmacological and/or ablative intervention). At 1 year, patients who used CPAP (group A) and those without CPAP (group B) were re-evaluated for the presence or absence of cardiac arrhythmias. Results Sixty-three patients with AF/flutter and high pretest suspicion of OSA performed cardiorespiratory polygraphy. Sixty patients (39 men) were diagnosed with OSA, out of which 40 (26 men) had moderate–severe OSA (apnea–hypopnea index, AHI ≥ 15/h) and underwent CPAP titration. At 1 year of follow-up, 17 patients (42.5%) were found adherent to the CPAP therapy (group A) and 23 (57.5%) did not use CPAP (group B). The two groups were similar in terms of age, body mass index, daytime sleepiness (assessed by Epworth Sleepiness Scale) and oxygen desaturation index, and statistically significant differences were recorded for the values of AHI and the time spent below SaO2 <90% (t90%), statistically significant higher (p < 0.01, respectively p < 0.04) in group A compared to group B. At 1 year, in group A, more patients had sinus rhythm compared to those with AF/flutter (13, respectively 4). In group B, 8 patients were in sinus rhythm and 15 with AF/flutter. Conclusions The CPAP therapy added to standard therapy (pharmacological therapy and/or ablative procedures) in patients with moderate–severe OSA and installed cardiovascular disease (arrhythmias) has a favourable effect on maintaining the sinus rhythm at 1 year of follow-up.
Parasites delay worker reproduction in bumblebees - consequences for eusociality

Workers in eusocial insects usually tend the brood of the queen and so achieve representation in the next generation through aiding relatives to reproduce. However, workers of some eusocial species, such as bumblebees, are capable of reproductive activity even in the presence of the queen (in queen-right colonies), and worker reproduction is associated with aggressive behaviors and egg cannibalism, both of which reduce colony efficiency. Thus, factors that affect worker ovarian development, a precondition for reproduction, can influence social harmony and colony productivity. Parasites are a ubiquitous and important part of the biotic environment of all organisms. Here we show that parasites play an important role in the reproductive physiology of worker bumblebees in queen-right colonies of Bombus terrestris, affecting the pattern and timing of ovarian development and oviposition. Workers from colonies parasitized with the intestinal trypanosome Crithidia bombi had less developed ovaries than workers of the same age from unparasitized colonies. In addition, parasitized colonies were smaller than unparasitized colonies for about the first half of colony development. This generated further demographic effects such that workers were on average younger in parasitized than in unparasitized colonies around the time of the onset of worker oviposition, and worker oviposition occurred significantly later in parasitized colonies. Workers in parasitized colonies therefore had lower individual reproductive potential and were cooperative for a larger proportion of the colony cycle than those in unparasitized colonies. In this system, where transmission of the parasite between years probably occurs only in infested, young queens, this effect may represent an adaptation on the part of the parasite to ensure its successful passage through the winter. Parasites, by reducing the cost of worker cooperation, may facilitate queen control over her worker force and play an important role in moderating the social organization of eusocial insect colonies. [Behav Ecol 1991;2:242-248]
Smart contracts - the new form of the legal agreements

Abstract Today we are witnesses an explosion of online business, developed on the internet – a special environment that requires own resources and tools and it is governed by specific rules. In this context, a new type of technology has been developed – the distributed ledger system, which allowed the creation of a new form of the agreement - the smart contracts. Smart contract is the next step forward in the process of digitalized contracts, after using the PDF documents with electronic signatures, and it favors the businesses to be carried out completely automatically, without the need for human intervention, and to gain greater efficiency and reduction in costs. This paper will try to provide the answers to several questions, such as: what is a smart contract? ; how smart contract will be used? ; how smart contract will be enforced? ; etc. Moreover, it will be emphasized the advantages of smart contract and the new developments such as “Ricardian” contracts representing more efficient and transparent agreements that can be drafted and enforced on platform. Most important issue of this paper consists in analysis of legal framework of smart contracts using the basic principles of contract law combined with blockchain regulations, taking into account changing the paradigm from “code is law” to “law is code”.
Rough Trade: Animal Welfare in the Global Wildlife Trade

Wildlife trade is a big and burgeoning business, but its welfare impacts have not been studied comprehensively. We review the animal welfare impacts of the wildlife trade as they were reported in the literature between 2006 and 2011. Rarely was the term welfare mentioned, evidence of welfare impact documented, or welfare improvement recommended. Literature focused on mammals and on animals killed on site, for luxury goods or food, and for traditional medicine. Welfare impacts may be underreported, particularly in international, illegal, and wild-caught trade and trade in reptiles. Greater attention should perhaps be paid to the welfare of animals traded alive and in larger numbers (e.g., birds, reptiles, amphibians) and to those—including mammals—potentially subject to greater impacts through live use (e.g., as pets). More evidence-based research is needed. Animal welfare should be integrated with wider issues; collaboration between conservationists and welfarists and the development of health and welfare levers to influence trade offer benefits to both people and wildlife.
The Co-Movements Between Crude Oil Price and Internet Concerns: Causality Analysis in the Frequency Domain

Abstract With the boom of web technology, Internet concerns (IC) have become emerging drivers of crude oil price. This paper makes the first attempt to measure the frequency-varying co-movements between crude oil price and IC in five domains (i.e., fundamentals, supply-demand, crisis, war and weather) by using the frequency causality test method. Based on the monthly Brent spot price and search volumes (SVs) captured by Google Trends from January 2004 to September 2019, new and complementary insights regarding the co-movements between crude oil price and IC are obtained. 1) The co-movements between crude oil price and the IC of supply-demand, war, and weather support a neutral hypothesis at all frequencies due to the characteristics (low value or volatility) of these IC data. 2) There is a unidirectional causal relationship between crude oil price and the IC of fundamentals, running from the latter to the former at low frequencies (long-term). 3) There is a feedback relationship between crude oil price and the IC of crisis, with the IC of crisis driving crude oil price at medium and low frequencies (mid- and long-term) and crude oil price causing the IC of crisis to change permanently. The conclusions of this paper provide important implications for both oil market economists and investors.
Assessing Interviewer Performance in Approaching Reissued Initial Nonrespondents

Abstract Nonresponse is a repeatedly reported concern in survey research. In this article, we investigate the technique of reissuing nonrespondents to another interviewer and attempting to convert them into respondents, using data of Rounds 7 and 8 of the European Social Survey (ESS) in Belgium. The results show no marked differences between respondents interviewed by the more and the less successful interviewers, indicating that the latter are not more successful in persuading more reluctant respondents to participate. Sample units that were unsuccessfully approached in the initial phase by an interviewer with a high response rate are more difficult to convert during the reissue phase. Sample units that were unsuccessfully approached in the initial phase by an interviewer with a low response rate are easier to convert during the reissue phase.
A Semantic Analysis of the Notion of Consultative Democracy: Xieshang Minzhu (协商民主) in the Chinese Official Political Discourses

Abstract Chinese politics are characterized by the complex issues of a large population and centralized political powers, which offers a distinct political model from the Western models. However, the last two decades have witnessed a sharp collision between Chinese and Western political thinking. In response, domestic authors have increasingly focused on the indigenization (bentuhua 本土化) of Chinese political theories and, therefore, defend the concept of politics with Chinese characteristics. In this article, the authors focus on the discourse of “deliberative democracy” within the Chinese language, namely, Xieshang minzhu 协商 民主. In the current literature, almost no scholarly discussions have explored the semantics of the notion of Xieshang minzhu within Chinese politics. This article engages with this issue, both as a subject and a methodology, to better understand the political language that has been used in the official discourses in China Official propaganda mainly includes five of China’s most authoritative official media (newspapers): People’s Daily (Renmin ribao 人民 日报), Guangming Daily (Guangming ribao 光明 日报), Xinhua Daily(Xinhua ribao 新华 日报), China Comment (Banyutan 半月谈), Qiushi (Qiushi 求是, formerly known as Red Flag (Hongqi 红旗)), Xi Jinping’s series of important speech databases and official documents on the subject of Xieshang or Xieshang minzhu in the Party-Building Database. by 1) establishing a textual corpus by collecting relevant data into the Chinese and English groups through keywords; 2) conducting a statistical analysis based on the Word Cloud and Diagram analyses; and 3) using Word2Vec to calculate the relationship among other sub-keywords. The purpose of this contribution is to differentiate Xieshang minzhu as adopted by Chinese official discourses embedded in the logic of political reforms from the Western discourses. The semantic analysis presented here also serves as a methodology that systematically develops a conceptual model of xieshang, which further clarifies the misconceptions and errors in the existing literature. The authors also provide an outline of the polysemic notion of deliberative democracy, which not only exists within an authoritarian regime but is also present in other forms and other languages (such as Chinese). This serves to further maintain the legitimacy of the “socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics. ”
Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Control Approach for a Single Inverted Pendulum System

The inverted pendulum is an under-actuated and nonlinear system, which is also unstable. It is a single-input double-output system, where only one output is directly actuated. This paper investigates a single intelligent control system using an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) to stabilize the inverted pendulum system while tracking the desired position. The non-linear inverted pendulum system was modelled and built using MATLAB Simulink. An adaptive neuro-fuzzy logic controller was implemented and its performance was compared with a Sugeno-fuzzy inference system in both simulation and real experiment. The ANFIS controller could reach its desired new destination in 1.5 s and could stabilize the entire system in 2.2 s in the simulation, while in the experiment it took 1.7 s to reach stability. Results from the simulation and experiment showed that ANFIS had better performance compared to the Sugeno-fuzzy controller as it provided faster and smoother response and much less steady-state error.