Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Synoptic Revision of the Malagasy Endemic Euphorbia pervilleana Group

Abstract The non-succulent, leafy species of Euphorbia from Madagascar have received considerably less attention from taxonomists than the succulent Euphorbia species. The lack of a recent synthetic taxonomic treatment for this group makes it almost impossible to accurately name these species. As part of an ongoing revision of the genus in Madagascar, Euphorbia randrianjohanyi and Euphorbia rauhii, two new species closely allied to the Malagasy endemic E. pervilleana are described, and a key to these three species is provided. This group is distinguished by echinate 1–2-locular capsules. It is closely related to other Malagasy species such as E. tetraptera, which possesses 2-locular capsules with four wings. The three species are dioecious and their deciduous leaves can make some specimens difficult to distinguish; however they can be separated by their allopatric distribution, the length of interglandular appendages, the shape and size of the leaves, as well as by fruit features. They all occur in the central and southern part of the island.
Amount of downed woody debris and its prediction using stand characteristics in boreal and mixedwood forests of Ontario, Canada

We analyzed data on downed woody debris (DWD) from 435 permanent sample plots in boreal and mixedwood forests of Ontario seeking empirical relationships to predict DWD quantity from stand attributes. In each permanent sample plot, data were collected along three transects, including diameter, tree species, and degree of decomposition of DWD pieces with diameter greater than or equal to 7.5 cm at the point of intersection with the transect. Amounts of DWD in sample plots ranged from 0.7 to 402.7 m3·ha–1 and from 0.1 to 103.4 t·ha–1. Mean DWD values were 65.4 m3·ha–1 and 15.9 t·ha–1 in softwood- and 61.9 m3·ha–1 and 16.5 t·ha–1 in hardwood-dominated plots. Our analysis revealed no relationship between DWD and stand age, site index, or stocking for plots dominated by black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP), eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.), sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), and red oak (Quercus rubra L.) and weak relationships for plots dominated by jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), red pine (Pinus.
19 Translational Control in Development

Development requires the coordinated expression of selected genes at specific times and in specific cells. Such regulated expression controls the establishment of embryonic axes, the existence of stem cells, and the specification of individual cell fates. Translational control has a key role in this regulation. It is particularly important during early embryogenesis and in the germ line, where transcription is typically quiescent; there, control of translation and mRNA stability are the primary ways to regulate patterns of protein synthesis. Yet, translational regulation continues throughout development and in somatic tissues. In this chapter, we view translational control from a developmental perspective. We discuss four major interfaces at which developmental biology meets molecular regulatory mechanisms: molecular switches, gradients, combinatorial control, and networks. These areas were chosen because they bear on fundamental processes of development. We emphasize instances in which sequence-specific regulatory factors control particular mRNAs, and we do not cover the role of general translation factors (e.g., eIF4E and eIF2α) on growth and differentiation (Chapter 4). MECHANISMS OF TRANSLATIONAL CONTROL: A PRIMER Translation is a multistep process and can be divided into three phases: initiation, elongation, and termination. In principle, translational control can be exerted in any of these phases. We focus in this chapter on initiation, which appears to be the most common point of control during development. Translational initiation involves more than 20 proteins, multiple biochemical complexes, and a series of separable steps (Chapter 4). A complex containing eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) (cap-binding protein) and eIF4G is crucial. At.
DNA fingerprinting of tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) and their respective egg masses using PCR – restriction fragment profiling

Abstract Polymerase chain reaction and subsequent restriction fragment profiling analysis were used to associate collected tabanid egg masses with their respective species of adult horse flies and deer flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) in Manitoba, Canada. The ribosomal DNA (rDNA) intergenic spacer between the 28S and 18S ribosomal RNA genes was used successfully to differentiate 34 species of adult tabanids representing five genera: Atylotus (1 sp.), Chrysops (10 spp.), Haematopota (1 sp.), Hybomitra (17 spp.), and Tabanus (5 spp.). rDNA was a suitable molecular target for identifying tabanid species because of the high level of interspecific variation when comparing fragment profiles among different species, and the corresponding minimal intraspecific variation among individuals of the same species. Restriction fragment profiles from 56 field-collected tabanid egg masses were compared with those previously obtained from adults of known species. Egg masses of five species were identified: Hybomitra lasiophthalma (Macquart), Hybomitra nitidifrons nuda (McDunnough), Chrysops aestuans van der Wulp, Chrysops excitans Walker, and Chrysops mitis Osten Sacken. We also provide physical descriptions of these tabanid egg masses along with pictures. Résumé La réaction en chaîne de la polymérase et l'analyse subséquente des profils des fragments de restriction nous ont servi à associer des masses d'oeufs de tabanidés récoltées en nature aux espèces correspondantes de taons et de mouches à chevreuil (Diptera: Tabanidae) au Manitoba, Canada. L'analyse de l'espace intergénétique ADNr des gènes 28S et 18S codant pour l'ARNr nous ont permis de distinguer avec succès 34 espèces des taons adultes appartenant à cinq genres (Atylotus (1 spp.), Chrysops (10 spp.), Haematopota (1 sp.), Hybomitra (17 spp.), et Tabanus (5 spp.)). L'ADNr est une bonne cible moléculaire pour l'identification des especès de taons parce qu'il y a un degré considérable de variation interspécifique entre les profils des fragments des différentes espèces et parce que la variation intraspécifique entre les indivus de la même espèce est minimale. Les profils des fragments de restriction des masses des oeufs de 56 espèces récoltées en nature ont ensuite été comparés avec ceux de masses d'oeufs de femelles identifiées à l'espèce. Les masses d'oeufs de cinq espèces ont été identifiées comme appartenant à Hybomitra lasiophthalma (Macquart), Hybomitra nitidifrons nuda (McDunnough), Chrysops aestuans van der Wulp, Chrysops excitans Walker et Chrysops mitis Osten Sacken. On trouvera la description et des photographies de ces masses d'oeufs. [Traduit par la Rédaction]
An Early Reading Assessment Battery for Multilingual Learners in Malaysia

The aim of the study was to develop a new comprehensive reading assessment battery for multi-ethnic and multilingual learners in Malaysia. Using this assessment battery, we examined the reliability, validity, and dimensionality of the factors associated with reading difficulties/disabilities in the Malay language, a highly transparent alphabetic orthography. In order to further evaluate the reading assessment battery, we compared results from the assessment battery with those obtained from the Malaysian national screening instrument. In the study, 866 Grade 1 children from multi-ethnic and multilingual backgrounds from 11 government primary schools participated. The reading assessment battery comprised 13 assessments, namely, reading comprehension, spelling, listening comprehension, letter name knowledge, letter name fluency, rapid automatized naming, word reading accuracy, word reading efficiency, oral reading fluency, expressive vocabulary, receptive vocabulary, elision, and phonological memory. High reliability and validity were found for the assessments. An exploratory factor analysis yielded three main constructs: phonological-decoding, sublexical-fluency, and vocabulary-memory. Phonological-decoding was found to be the most reliable construct that distinguished between at-risk and non-at-risk children. Identifying these underlying factors will be useful for detecting children at-risk for developing reading difficulties in the Malay language. In addition, these results highlight the importance of including a range of reading and reading-related measures for the early diagnosis of reading difficulties in this highly transparent orthography.
Culture and Student Achievement: The Intertwined Roles of Patience and Risk-Taking

Patience and risk-taking – two cultural traits that steer intertemporal decision-making – are fundamental to human capital investment decisions. To understand how they contribute to international differences in student achievement, we combine PISA tests with the Global Preference Survey. We find that opposing effects of patience (positive) and risk-taking (negative) together account for two-thirds of the cross-country variation in student achievement. In an identification strategy addressing unobserved residence-country features, we find similar results when assigning migrant students their country-of-origin cultural traits in models with residence-country fixed effects. Associations of culture with family and school inputs suggest that both may act as channels.
Memory Tagging: Minimalist Synchronization for Scalable Concurrent Data Structures

There has been a significant amount of research on hardware and software support for efficient concurrent data structures; yet, the question of how to build correct, simple, and scalable data structures has not yet been definitively settled. In this paper, we revisit this question from a minimalist perspective, and ask: what is the smallest amount of synchronization required for correct and efficient concurrent search data structures, and how could this minimal synchronization support be provided in hardware? To address these questions, we introduce memory tagging, a simple hardware mechanism which enables the programmer to "tag" a dynamic set of memory locations, at cache-line granularity, and later validate whether the memory has been concurrently modified, with the possibility of updating one of the underlying locations atomically if validation succeeds. We provide several examples showing that this mechanism can enable fast and arguably simple concurrent data structure designs, such as lists, binary search trees, balanced search trees, range queries, and Software Transactional Memory (STM) implementations. We provide an implementation of memory tags in the Graphite multi-core simulator, showing that the mechanism can be implemented entirely at the level of L1 cache, and that it can enable non-trivial speedups versus existing implementations of the above data structures.
BARIUM: RATIONALE FOR A NEW ORAL REFERENCE DOSE

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an established oral reference dose (RfD) value for Ba of 0.07 mg Ba/kg/d based on a 1984 investigation that reported hypertension. In this study, the toxicological data for Ba has been reevaluated and a revised oral RfD is proposed. The toxicokinetic, acute, and chronic toxicity, carcinogenicity, and reproductive animal studies as well as epidemiological and occupational health human studies for Ba exposure were reviewed for applicability to an oral RfD. The available human studies have some utility but suffer from either a small population size, a short exposure regimen, or difficulties in identifying definitive Ba exposure in the study population. As a result, the available long-term animal studies were found to be more appropriate for the RfD derivation. A dose-response assessment of no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) and lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (LOAEL) values determined that kidney effects are the most sensitive endpoint for adverse health effects related to chronic soluble Ba ingestion in mammals. The most complete animal studies were conducted by the National Toxicology Program (NTP, 1994) and the lowest species NOAELs were 75 mg Ba/kg/d in male mice and 60 mg Ba/kg/d or male rats. The male rats were identified to be the most sensitive population tested and their NOAEL value was selected for extrapolation to an oral RfD. Application of overall uncertainty factors to the lowest NOAEL value from a chronic animal study of either 90 (based on an approach proposed by Dourson, 1994) or the generally accepted 100 results in an oral RfD of 0.66 mg Ba/kg/d or 0.6 mg Ba/kg/d, respectively. It is proposed to use the more conservative value of 0.6 mg Ba/kg/d. This reassessment results in nearly an order of magnitude increase in the U.S. EPA oral RfD for Ba.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS FOR “REBELS WITHOUT A TERRITORY. AN ANALYSIS OF NON- TERRITORIAL CONFLICTS IN THE WORLD, 1970-1997”. January 20, 2012

“Rebels Without a Territory. An Analysis of Non-territorial Conflicts in the World, 1970-1997” mentions a number of additional results that were not included in the paper due to space limitations. Appendix A includes the list of nonterritorial conflicts included in the statistical analysis (Table A1). Besides, Table A2 shows the predicted value of territorial and non-territorial conflicts for different levels of state capacity (GDP per capita). Finally, Figure A1 reproduces the inverted U-shaped relationship between state capacity and the onset of non-territorial conflicts. In Appendix B we replicate the most important findings of the paper. Firstly, we check whether the results hold if the dependent variable for the multinomial analysis uses the list of civil wars compiled by Sambanis (2004) instead of the one by Fearon and Laitin (2003). Secondly, we check whether the results are robust to the use of different measures of GDP per capita and regime type. Thirdly, we explore whether different ways to model time dependence alter the results. Fourthly, we test whether there is some influential case within the list of countries with non-territorial conflicts. Finally, we try alternative estimation techniques. Table B1 describes the set of replication models. In general, the inverted U-shape relationship between GDP per capita and the onset of a non-territorial conflict is very robust to alternative measures of civil war, GDP and model specifications. To the contrary, the positive effect of democracy on the prospect of non-territorial violence onset varies with the use of different measures of regime type, as well as on the inclusion of particular cases.
Testosterone metabolism as a possible biomarker of exposure of fish to nonylphenol

SUMMARY In this study we investigated the effect of nonylphenol on the in vitro hepatic metabolic pathways of testosterone and the possible use of these enzyme activities as biomarkers for estrogenicity in fish. Liver microsomes from immature female rainbow trout injected intraperitoneally with 4-NP and 4n-NP (50 mg/Kg body weight) were incubated with 14C-testosterone in order to investigate the effects of NP on testosterone oxidation and glucuronidation. The major products of oxidation were identified as 6β-hydroxytestosterone, 16β-hydroxytestosterone and androstenedione. An apparent decrease in 6β-hydroxylase activity was observed for 4-NP and 4n-NP treated groups but this effect was shown to be not significant (p < 0.05) due to the variability of this activity. Similarly, no significant effect of NP treatment was observed for 16β-hydroxylation, 17-dehydrogenation and glucuronidation. Because the hepatic cytochrome P450 system and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase are regulated by hormones and testosterone biotransformation show a sexual dimorphism in fish, this experiment must be repeated in male before apply testosterone metabolism as a biomarker of NP exposure.
Players’ On-Court Movements and Contextual Variables in Badminton World Championship

This study aimed to analyze the elite badminton players’ on-court movements related to contextual variables (game, round, and match status). A total of 18 matches of the Jakarta 2015 World Championship (1,273 points and 5,710 play actions) were examined by univariate and bivariate analyses. Significant differences were found when comparing the players’ on-court movements related to game, round, and match status (p < 0.05). All movements were executed more frequently in game 2, with the exception of diagonal large backward left (DLBL), diagonal short backward left (DSBL), diagonal short backward right (DSBR), and longitudinal short backward (LSB). The results obtained related to the round showed that longitudinal large backward (LLB) was the most frequent footwork in R1/16 and R1/2, diagonal short forward left (DSFL) was the most frequent one for R1/4, and transversal short right (TSR) was the most used movement for the final round. According to match status, no movement (NM) was the most common situation before hitting the shuttlecock at any moment during the match. This study shows how contextual variables modulate the elite players’ on-court movements. This information could be valuable for coaches and players, allowing them to better understand the players’ behavior in a competition, which could be used to design more specific training tasks and prepare match strategies in order to improve the players’ performance in competitions.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF POPULATION FLUCTUATIONS OF MICROTUS OCHROGASTER AND M. PENNSYLVANICUS IN THREE HABITATS IN EAST-CENTRAL ILLINOIS

Abstract Populations of 2 species of arvicoline rodents, the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) and meadow vole (M. pennsylvanicus), were monitored monthly in alfalfa, bluegrass, and tallgrass prairie habitats in east-central Illinois from 1972 through 1997. Alfalfa provides very high-quality preferred food and poor vegetative cover for both vole species, whereas bluegrass provides intermediate food and vegetative cover. Preferred food resources were very low, especially for M. ochrogaster, and vegetative cover was very dense in tallgrass prairie. Maximum and mean population densities of M. ochrogaster were highest in alfalfa, intermediate in bluegrass, and lowest in tallgrass prairie. Populations of M. ochrogaster displayed synchronous 3- to 4-year multiannual cycles in all 3 habitats. Cycles were most pronounced in alfalfa, less pronounced in bluegrass, and barely discernible in tallgrass prairie. Food availability seems more important than vegetative cover for the success of M. ochrogaster. Densities of M. pennsylvanicus generally were very low in bluegrass and alfalfa habitats, both of which contained an abundance of preferred food plants. When M. pennsylvanicus was present in abundance in these 2 habitats, populations displayed annual or erratic fluctuations. Densities of M. pennsylvanicus were much higher in tallgrass prairie than in the other 2 habitats. Although vegetative cover seems more important than food availability for the success of M. pennsylvanicus, no evidence existed for population cycles in tallgrass prairie. We found no synchrony among population fluctuations of the 2 species of voles in the 3 habitats.
Biased Programmers? Or Biased Data? A Field Experiment in Operationalizing AI Ethics

Why do biased algorithmic predictions arise, and what interventions can prevent them? We examine this topic with a field experiment about using machine learning to predict human capital. We randomly assign approximately 400 AI engineers to develop software under different experimental conditions to predict standardized test scores of OECD residents. We then assess the resulting predictive algorithms using the realized test performances, and through randomized audit-like manipulations of algorithmic inputs. We also used the diversity of our subject population to measure whether demographically non-traditional engineers were more likely to notice and reduce algorithmic bias, and whether algorithmic prediction errors are correlated within programmer demographic groups. This document describes our experimental design and motivation; the full results of our experiment are available at https://ssrn.com/abstract=3615404.
Effect of graded level of fat supplementation on the growth performance in the rabbits

Fifty Soviet Chinchilla kits (28 d old) were fed diets supplemented with 0,2,4,6 and 8 % palmolein oil up to 84th day of age. Live weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) increased linearly and significantly (P<0.05) with fat supplementation. Highest body weight and best feed conversion ratio was recorded (2287 g and 2.98) with 8 % fat supplementation. Per cent increases in daily gain and FCR were 4.04 and 0.98 with each per cent addition of palmolein oil. Significant (P<0.05) improvement was observed for digestibility of crude protein, ether extract whereas the digestibility of crude fibre decreased with fat supplementation. Carcass composition of rabbit revealed no change with palmolein oil supplementation. Cost: benefit ratio was highest (0.33) with 2 % fat supplementation
Effects of dietary exposure to insecticide Raid on the survival, growth and inhibition of metabolic processes in Wistar rats

This study was aimed at determining the effects of an insecticide, ‘Raid’ contained in feed on the survival, growth and activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glutathione reductase (GR), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, as well as the effects on glutathione content (GSH), lipid peroxidation (LPO) and utilization of basal energy in Wistar rats. The results indicate that mortality was observed at higher concentrations of the pesticide. Mean total body weight of rats fed 430 µg/g Raid was not significantly different from controls (p > 0.05). Significant effects of insecticide Raid on survival and growth were observed with concentration of 961 µg/g compared to control (p < 0.05) after 10 days. Alkaline phosphatase in serum and lipid peroxidation in the liver tissue significantly increased whereas glutathione contents, glutathione reductase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities were significantly decreased in the liver tissue, while there was substantial residual glucose level, in both plasma and liver. Increases in ALP and LPO suggest that Raid induced hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress in animals and effect on glucose utilization suggests liver functions may have been impaired in the insecticide-fed rats, resulting in abnormal uptake of glucose. Key words: Raid®, alkaline phosphatase, lipid peroxidation, antioxidants, glucose utilization.
Mitochondria-targeted amyloid: Relevance to neurotoxicity and Alzheimer's disease

Most neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), have been identified as multifactorial diseases characterized by a progressive decline in physiological functions. Impairment of the mitochondrial respiratory chain has been extensively described in relation to AD. It has been reported that the amyloid species Aβ1-42 may be implicated in mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to cell death. Using the SK-N-AS human neuroblastoma cell line, confocal microscopy and immuno-electron microscopy the mitochondrial targeting of exogenous Aβ1-42 was investigated. The type of Aβ1-42 present in the mitochondrial fraction of Aβ1-42-treated neuronal cells was examined by immunoblot analysis. The direct toxic effect of Aβ1-42 on SK-N-AS cells and isolated rat brain mitochondria was investigated. Using human cell lines of various tissue origin and diverse self-aggregating peptides the specificity of the toxic effect Aβ1-42 was evaluated. To further demonstrate the specificity of the phenomena observed, the steroidal caprospinol, a compound shown to bind to A 1-42 and protect neuronal cells against A 142 –induced neurotoxicity was used. When applied on neuronal cells, Aβ1-42 is taken up by the cells and targeted to mitochondria in a time-dependent manner. A 1-42 has deleterious effects on SK-N-AS cells and on isolated rat brain mitochondria in part by directly