Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
When do canary parents respond to nestling signals of need?

Parent birds at the nest face a brood of nestlings that are jostling, gaping, calling and posturing. Recent empirical work on food distribution among the brood has demonstrated a strong effect of close proximity to the parent in determining the amount of food allocated to each chick. Chick position in the size hierarchy and level of chick food deprivation have previously been shown separately to influence chick proximity to the feeding parent, but it is not clear how these two factors interact. Experiments on canaries, described here, aimed first to investigate the interaction of size and hunger on chick proximity to the feeding parent and, second, to discover whether parents responded to any other chick behaviours when distributing food within the brood. Manipulations of levels of food deprivation with respect to chick size indicated that although size had the strongest effect on chick proximity to the parent, hunger level could also play a part. When chick position in the nest was controlled experimentally, parents responded to other cues when allocating food. It is suggested that the broad food distribution patterns of the parents are influenced by size-dependent chick behaviours, such as proximity to the parent. Within these broad patterns parents respond to short-term fluctuations in chick hunger as signalled by the posturing and calling behaviours of the chick.
Investigating the environmental behavior of business and accounting university students

The purpose of this study is to explore the underlying dimensions of environmental behavior (EB) and examine how environmental education (EE) and ecological sensitivity (ES) motivate the EB of Business Administration and Accounting students (BAS). ,A questionnaire survey was conducted and a sample of 190 BAS was randomly selected from the departments of Business Administration and Accounting and Finance at the University of West Attica (UNIWA), Greece. ,The analysis was structured upon four underlying components under the EB of the sample: information seeking, recycling, green consuming and active participation. A positive relationship between EB and EE was revealed, while EB and ES were moderately interrelated. An important result was the hesitation of students to convert EE and ES to active participation and green consuming behavior, thus reaffirming similar results from other studies. ,The findings should be further developed using larger samples among other higher education institutions. Future research could be extended to students who reside at sub-urban or rural regions or students who are educated upon diverse academic disciplines. The basket of questions can be enriched with issues of immediate concern among future business executives such as the “ethical” role of accountants or the value creation for local societies. ,The significance of this study lies on associating students’ EB with formal EE with personality characteristics such as ES. Educational policy-makers can enrich the curricula of BAS with environmentally oriented courses and teaching methods that can increase the active participation of students.
Programación de mantenimiento preventivo usando algoritmos genéticos

En un sistema de mantenimiento preventivo programado por tiempo, se plantea la necesidad de optimizar el uso de los recursos del area de mantenimiento, para buscar un equilibrio a lo largo del periodo de planificacion. El problema se refiere a la secuenciacion de tareas en la que se requiere determinar la semana inicial del programa de mantenimiento para cada una de las actividades en las maquinas. Se propone un algoritmo genetico que tiene como funcion objetivo minimizar el maximo tiempo de mantenimiento semanal, de tal manera que cumpla con las condiciones de la programacion establecida en cuanto a duraciones y frecuencias. Se consigue un programa eficiente y equilibrado que mejora significativamente el uso de los recursos. Para futuros trabajos, se sugiere aplicar otras tecnicas inteligentes para la solucion del problema y formularlo teniendo en cuenta otras condiciones, como los diferentes tipos de mantenimiento o la minimizacion de las paradas frecuentes de los equipos.
Variation in acid phosphatase activity among progeny from controlled crosses in the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor.

The variation in acid phosphatase activity among the monokaryotic F1 progeny from two different synthesized dikaryotic cultures of the ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete Laccaria bicolor was examined. The progeny of one of the dikaryons showed variation in acid phosphatase activity up to 10 times that of the lowest value. The progeny of the other dikaryon were much less variable, showing differences of up to 5 times the lowest value. Both sets of monokaryotic progeny showed distributions indicative of polygenic inheritance for acid phosphatase activity in this fungus. Key words: ectomycorrhizae, genetics, monokaryon, acid phosphatase, Laccaria bicolor.
Unique Protein Determinants of the Subtype-selective Ligand Responses of the Estrogen Receptors (ERα and ERβ) at AP-1 Sites*

The two subtypes of human estrogen receptor, α (hERα) and β (hERβ), regulate transcription at an AP-1 response element differently in response to estradiol and the anti-estrogens tamoxifen and raloxifene. To better understand the protein determinants of these differences, chimeric and deletional mutants of the N-terminal domain and the F region of ERα and ERβ were made and tested in transient transfection assays at the classical estrogen response element (ERE) site as well as at an AP-1 site. Although the same regions on each receptor subtype appeared to be primarily responsible for estradiol activation at an ERE and in HeLa cells, major differences between ERα and ERβ mutants were seen in the estrogen and anti-estrogen responses at an AP-1 site. This differential ligand response maps to the N-terminal domain and the F region. These results suggest that different estrogenic and anti-estrogenic ligands use different mechanisms of activation and inhibition at the AP-1 site. In contrast to previous studies, this work also shows that many of subtype-specific responses are not transferred to the other subtype by swapping the N-terminal domain of the receptor. This implies that there are other unique surfaces presented by each subtype outside of the N-terminal domain, and these surfaces can play a role in subtype-selective signaling. Together, these data suggest a complex interface between ligand, response element, and receptor that underlies ligand activation in estrogen signaling pathways.
A Comparative study of copy-move forgery detection methods

Images hold a major influential power, as evidence or as a medium to convey messages. An image is worth a thousand words and is used extensively in this era for digital communications. Hence, their tampering can cause major losses, which is why their manipulations techniques have grown sophisticated over time. Copy-move forgery is a technique, wherein an area of an image is replicated to another area of the image. The paper reviews state of the art copy-move forgery detection (CMFD)methods listing the approach and limitations of various techniques with the help of a table for better readability.
A Humidity-induced Convective Throughflow Ventilation System Benefits Annona squamosa L. Explants and Coconut Calloid

A simple apparatus is described for generating pressurized throughflow ventilation in plant tissue culture vessels. No pumps or gas-cylinders are required and the flow is driven by humidity-induced diffusion across microporous membranes. In the experiments described, pressurized flows of sterile humidified air were supplied at rates of up to 1 ml min-1and these had beneficial effects on leaf survival and production inAnnonacuttings and on calloid form in coconut. Ethylene (ethene) was removed more quickly from the pressure-flow ventilated culture vessels (t50, 0.4–0.7 h) than from those aerated by diffusion through conventional polypropylene membranes (t50, 1.6–2.4 h). InAnnonacuttings leaf production was greatly increased and ethylene-induced leaf fall considerably delayed when cultured with the forced as opposed to diffusion-based ventilation of the vessels. With throughflow ventilation, coconut calloid was more convoluted than under wholly diffusive aeration and had a smooth distinct epidermal surface and clearly defined sub-epidermal meristematic nodules. It resembled freshly initiated calloid from which regeneration of plantlets via somatic embryogenesis can be obtained. Under wholly diffusive aeration, calloid developed a rough, relatively undifferentiated surface, more haustorial (i.e. cotyledonary) in appearance, and characteristic of cultures where regeneration potential has been lost. It is suggested that other benefits of the pressurized throughflow ventilation may be the removal of volatiles such as ethanol and acetaldehyde, the removal of excess carbon dioxide at night and its improved supply during the day, and sustained oxygen concentrations at levels close to atmospheric both night and day.
One-tailed asymptotic inferences for the relative risk: A comparison of 63 inference methods

Abstract Two-tailed asymptotic inferences for the ratio R=p 2/ p 1 of two independent proportions have been well covered in the published literature. However, not very much has been written about one-tailed asymptotic inferences. This paper evaluates 63 different methods for realizing such inferences (hypothesis tests and confidence intervals). In general it is noted that: (a) the one-tailed inferences require at least 80 observations per sample, compared to the 40 observations necessary for two-tailed inferences; (b) the traditional methods do not perform well; (c) the methods selected for each case are not always the same; and (d) the optimal method is the ‘approximate adjusted score’ method (ZA1 in this paper), which is not always reliable, or ‘Peskun´s score’ method (ZP0 in theis paper), which is always reliable but is very conservative. The two selected methods provide an confidence interval that is obtained through an explicit formula.
Stem Cells and Vascular Regenerative Medicine

Vascular applications in regenerative medicine include blood vessel substitutes and vasculogenesis in ischemic or engineered tissues. For these repair processes to be successful, there is a need for a stable supply of endothelial and smooth muscle cells. For blood vessel substitutes, the immediate goal is to enable blood flow, but vasoactivity is necessary for long term success. In engineered vessels, it is thought that endothelial cells will serve as an anti-thrombogenic lumenal layer, while smooth muscle cells contribute to vessel contractility. In other clinical applications, what is needed is not a vessel substitute but the promotion of new vessel formation (vasculogenesis). A simplified account of vasculogenesis is that endothelial cells assemble to form vessel-like structures that can then be stabilized by smooth muscle cells. Overall, the need for new vasculature to transfer oxygen and nutrients is important to reperfuse not only ischemic tissue in vivo, but also dense, structurally complex engineered tissue. The impact of these vascular therapies, however, is limited in part by the low yield and inadequate in vitro proliferation potential of primary endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Thus, there is a need to address the cell sourcing issue for vascular cell-based therapies, potentially using stem cells.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Changing climates, changing forests: A western North American perspective

The Earth’s mean surface air temperature has warmed by ~1C over the last 100 years and is projected to increase at a faster rate in the future, accompanied by changes in precipitation patterns and increases in the occurrence of extreme weather events. In western North America, projected increases in mean annual temperatures range from ~1−3.5C by the 2050s, and while projected changes in precipitation patterns are more complex to model, more frequent and severe droughts are expected in many areas. For long-lived tree species, because of their relatively slow rates of migration, climate change will likely result in a mismatch between the climate that trees are currently adapted to and the climate that trees will experience in the future. Individual trees or populations exposed to climate conditions outside their climatic niches will be maladapted, resulting in compromised productivity and increased vulnerability to disturbance, specifically insects and pathogens. In western North America, as elsewhere, several recent assessments have concluded forests are being affected by climate change, and will become increasingly vulnerable to mortality as a result of the direct and indirect effects of climate change. Droughts associated with higher temperatures may accelerate levels of tree mortality, for example, as elevated temperatures increase metabolic rates without increasing photosynthesis rates, thus compromising a tree’s ability to create defenses against insects and pathogens. As a result, distributions of the climatic niches of some tree species in western North America are predicted to change by up to 200% during this century based on bioclimate envelope modeling. We discuss the science of climate change, the implications of predicted climatic changes to forest ecosystems in western North America, and the essential roles of forest managers and researchers in addressing climate change.
Differences in the Structure and Gas Exchange Physiology of Juvenile and Adult Leaves in Metrosideros excelsa

In many plant species, ontogeny is characterized by the production of different leaf forms, but the functional significance of this phenomenon is unclear. In Metrosideros excelsa (Myrtaceae), vegetative phase change is characterized by a transition from glabrous juvenile foliage to adult leaves that possess a dense pubescence on their abaxial surface. We examined the changes to anatomical and physiological leaf characteristics that accompany phase change in this species. There was no consistent change to δ13C during ontogeny in M. excelsa, indicating that the ratio of intercellular to ambient CO2 remained relatively constant. Rates of photosynthesis were lower in adult versus juvenile foliage, apparently because of a reduction in resources invested toward carbon gain. The stomatal conductance to water vapor tended to decline as the development of pubescence progressed but increased in fully pubescent adult leaves. The stomatal limitation to photosynthetic carbon gain (Ls) exceeded 40% in juvenile and transition leaves but was less than 30% in adult leaves. During vegetative phase change in M. excelsa, the control of water loss appears to shift from a physiological to a physical basis, possibly associated with a reallocation of leaf resources away from photosynthesis.
Computing the Stationary Distribution of Queueing Systems with Random Resource Requirements via Fast Fourier Transform

Queueing systems with random resource requirements, in which an arriving customer, in addition to a server, demands a random amount of resources from a shared resource pool, have proved useful to analyze wireless communication networks. The stationary distributions of such queuing systems are expressed in terms of truncated convolution powers of the cumulative distribution function of the resource requirements. Discretization of the cumulative distribution function and the application of the fast Fourier transform are a traditional way of calculating convolutions. We suggest finding truncated convolution powers of the cumulative distribution functions by calculating the convolution powers of the truncated cumulative distribution functions via fast Fourier transform. This radically decreases computational complexity. We introduce the concept of resource load and investigate the accuracy of the proposed method at low and high resource loads. It is shown that the proposed method makes it possible to quickly and accurately calculate truncated convolution powers required for the analysis of queuing systems with random resource requirements.
Sexual dimorphism, diet and aspects of reproduction of the western keeled snake, Pythonodipsas carinata (Serpentes: Colubridae)

BRANCH, W.R. , R. SHINE, P.S. HARLOW and J.K. WEBB. 1997. Sexual dimorphism, diet and aspects of reproduction of the western keeled snake, Pythonodipsas carinata (Serpentes: Colubridae). Afr. J. Herpetol. 46(2): 89–97. Examination and dissection of museum specimens provided original data on morphology, sexual dimorphism, feeding habits and reproductive biology of the rare western keeled snake (Pythonodipsas carinata) from Namibia and Angola. This small, slender snake is nocturnal. Females mature at a larger size (47–51 cm snout-vent length. SVL) than males (29–31 cm SVL), and attain considerably larger maximum sizes (to 77 cm SVL). At the same body length, males have significantly longer tails than females. Relative to SVL, analysis of covariance detected no significant differences between the sexes in head length, head width, body width, or head shape (i.e., width relative to length, or relative eye size). All prey items were vertebrates, with lizards comprising 67 % of the diet, rodents 25 %, birds 4 %, .
Multi-Agent Cooperation for an Active Perception Based on Driving Behavior: Application in a Car-Following Behavior

ABSTRACT Perception is presented as a predominant concern in the functioning of a driving system, where it is necessary to understand how the information, events, and actions of each influence the state of the environment and the objectives of the driver, immediately and in the near future. In this context, we present in this paper a driving model composed of five layers which ensure the autonomy and road safety of a driver agent, in particular, we are interested in this article in the concept of perception which is translated by the first three layers of our driving model, which are: visual perception, comprehension and projection, where the execution of these three layers is based on the driving behavior adopted by the driver agent, which is in our case the car-following driving behavior. Furthermore, we present in this paper two simulation scenarios, the first one is realized based on urban area conditions, and the second one is conducted by using Next Generation SIMulation (NGSIM) dataset of a highway in Los Angeles, California. In this context, the experimental results present the effectiveness of our driving model based on the imitation of human behavior and according to reducing the duration of perception.
How search engines disseminate information about COVID-19 and why they should do better

Access to accurate and up-to-date information is essential for individual and collective decision making, especially at times of emergency. On February 26, 2020, two weeks before the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the COVID-19’s emergency a “pandemic,” we systematically collected and analyzed search results for the term “coronavirus” in three languages from six search engines. We found that different search engines prioritize specific categories of information sources, such as government-related websites or alternative media. We also observed that source ranking within the same search engine is subjected to randomization, which can result in unequal access to information among users.
Intensification of the Atlantic Multidecadal Variability Since 1870: Implications and Possible Causes

The Atlantic multidecadal variability (AMV) acts as a key source of multidecadal variability and plays an important role in climate change in many regions of the Northern Hemisphere, resulting in great social and economic impacts. This paper shows that, since the late 19th century, the AMV has experienced a significant increasing trend. The AMV intensified at a rate of 0.0040°C per decade from 1870 to 2014, which is statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. The AMV teleconnects the amplified signal from the North Atlantic across the Eurasian continent to North America through a circumglobal teleconnection pattern, which further intensifies the regional climate variability and climate extremes in North Africa, Europe, East Asia, and North America. Results from the single‐forcing and all‐but‐one‐forcing experiments of the Community Earth System Model, version 1, indicate that anthropogenic aerosol emissions have played a more important role in the AMV intensification compared to other external forcings, especially during the period from the 1900s to 1990s.
Ozone (O3) ambient levels as a secondary airborne precursor in Fahaheel urban area, the State of Kuwait

Two years of continuous monitoring data over two time‐spans (2004–2005 and 2014–2015) were used to investigate the relationship between ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (NOX ≈ NO + NO2) in Fahaheel urban area (Kuwait). Their relationship was used to understand their chemical reactions and the NO2 and O3 concentration ratio to gain an insight into the sources of total atmospheric oxides (OX = O3 + NO2) levels. A Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) model was developed to detect likely point sources around the monitoring station and quantify their contribution to the overall air pollution load. Hourly diurnal variations in O3 ground level concentrations during weekends showed a slight increase in O3 levels. In addition, it was observed that overall hourly average O3 concentration reached higher levels during weekdays and weekends in 2004–2005 compared to 2014–2015. The concentration of photochemical oxidants (e.g., O3 and NO2) can be decreased by controlling the emissions of their precursors; NOX and VOCs. The net effect of NOX emissions on O3 concentrations was negative with a weak exponential decline correlation between NOX and O3, indicating Fahaheel urban area's VOC‐sensitive characteristics. For all years considered, the slopes of the linear OX–NOX relationships were higher during daytime compared to night‐time, showing that NO2 oxidations were dominant during daytime and that O3 net production was high. The study also showed the high NOX oxidation level and the possible presence of O3 net production. The slopes during night‐time indicated that NO2 consumption exceeded its formation rate. During day and night‐time, the NO2/NOX ratio was found to decline significantly as newly emitted NOX increased, supporting the area's VOC‐sensitive nature. By setting up a CMB model around the Fahaheel receptor point, it was revealed that downstream petroleum facilities have been the major contributor to pollutants environmental load over the years.
Determination of odour detection thresholds for acetic acid and ethyl acetate in ice wine

Abstract Collectively acetic acid and ethyl acetate are responsible for ‘volatile acidity’ (VA) in wine. The detection limit or threshold for these compounds is well documented in table wine but not for ice wine. Knowledge of the ice wine thresholds is important for understanding perception limits and setting legal standards, particularly for a product with high intrinsic concentrations. Thresholds were determined for each compound using seventeen subjects and an ascending series of paired comparison tests, consisting of five concentrations. The detection threshold, the concentration at which there is 75% correct detection, was determined using least-squares linear regression. The correlation coefficients for the linear regressions for acetic acid and ethyl acetate were r = 0.996 (p < 0.001) and r = 0.972 (p < 0.001), respectively. The thresholds for acetic acid and ethyl acetate were 3.185 and 0.198 g/l, respectively. The threshold for acetic acid was approximately three times that found in table wines, but was relatively unchanged for ethyl acetate. This work supports the need for the legal limit for VA to be higher in ice wine, but also suggests that the legal requirements for the two compounds should be specified independently, not together.