Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modifications sélectives du régime des Vipères (Reptilia : Viperidae) lors de la croissance

L'etude du regime des Viperes europeenes, dans des conditions semi-naturelles, montre que chez six d'entrelles nouveau-nes se nourrissent essentiellement ou exclusivement de petits Lezards, la dependance vis a vis de ce type de proie etant d'autant plus accentuee et de plus longue duree que les nouveau-nes sont de plus petite taille. Au contraire, les subadultes et les adultes, a partir d'une taille voisine de 40 cm, cessent completement d'attaquer les Lezards, petits ou grands, leur regime etant compose essentiellement par des Micromammiferes. Le fait que les adultes cessent de se nourrir de Lezards repond certainement a une pression de selection imperieuse. En effet, dans la nature la biomasse des populations de Viperes est presque toujours tres superieure a celle des populations de Lezards, qui sont pourtant indispensables a l'alimentation des nouveau-nes. Un partage des ressources alimentaires est donc necessaire et, lorsqu'elles deviennent capables d'ingerer des petits Mammiferes, les Viperes cessent d'attaquer les Lezards. Deux autres especes ont cependant resolu ce probleme par d'autres methodes. Chez Vipera latastei monticola, une reduction importante de la taille retablit un rapport normal entre la biomasse des Viperes et celle des Lezards, seules proies disponibles dans les biotopes tres particuliers ou survit cette sous-espece. Chez V. ursinii, la consommation d'Orthopteres fournit aux jeunes une abondance de proies a leur taille et les adultes peuvent continuer a consommer des Lezards, tout en leur adjoignant des Micromammiferes.
Termite eating and food sharing by male chimpanzees in the Budongo Forest, Uganda

Food-sharing is an habitual, if infrequent, aspect of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes Blumenbach) life. Both animal and plant foods are shared; the extent to which they are seems to depend on their rarity, accessibility and divisibility. The majority of food sharing is by older individuals, usually mother to offspring. Sharing of food between adults is generally confined to the division of mammalian prey by males. Such food is preferentially shared with cycling females and other adult males. Termites are a resource which is difficult to obtain, requiring skilled tool use. In terms of food sharing, they are analogous to hard-shelled nuts: individually, effectively indivisible, but collectively they have the potentially to be shared. The consumption of both nuts and social insects is female biased. Shelled nuts are most often shared by mothers with their infants and the only reported instances of termite-sharing is likewise between mothers and offspring. Chimpanzees in the Budongo Forest have not previously been reported to prey on termites. This paper provided the first positive account of such behaviour, and in particular, describes an observation of food-sharing between adult males, with termites as the shared resource.
The influence of labelling on symbolic understanding and dual representation in autism spectrum condition

Abstract Background and aims Children with autism spectrum condition often have specific difficulties understanding that pictorial symbols refer to real-world objects in the environment. We investigated the influence of labelling on the symbolic understanding and dual representation of children with autism spectrum condition. Methods Children with autism spectrum condition and typically developing children were shown four coloured photographs of objects that had different functions across four separate trials. The participants were given either a novel label alongside a description of the object’s function or a description of the object’s function without a label. Children were then given 30 seconds to interact with an array of stimuli (pictures and objects) in a mapping test and in a generalisation test for each trial. This exploration phase allowed for spontaneous word–picture–referent mapping through free-play, providing an implicit measure of symbolic understanding. Results We found no significant difference in word–picture–referent mapping between groups and conditions. Both groups more often performed the described action on the target object in the exploration phase regardless of condition. Conclusions and implications Our results suggest that a spontaneous measure of symbolic understanding (such as free-play) may reveal competencies in word–picture–referent mapping in autism spectrum condition.
α- and β-Adrenergic Pathways Differentially Regulate Cell Type–Specific Apoptosis in Rat Cardiac Myocytes

Background—The apoptosis of cardiac myocytes may play a role in the development of heart failure. Norepinephrine is one of the factors activated in heart failure and can induce myocardial cell apoptosis in culture. However, it is unknown if α- and β-adrenergic pathways coordinately or differentially regulate apoptosis and if this apoptotic pathway uses common or cell type–specific apoptotic signals. Methods and Results—We stimulated cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes with an α1-adrenergic agonist (PE, phenylephrine), a β-adrenergic agonist (isoproterenol [Iso]) or a membrane-permeable cAMP analogue (8-Br-cAMP) in serum-free conditions for 48 hours. Iso and 8-Br-cAMP markedly increased the number of TUNEL-positive cells (%TUNEL-positive nuclei >40%) compared with saline stimulation (<10%). DNA fragmentation was also confirmed by ladder formation in agarose gels. Apoptotic myocytes were characterized by cell shrinkage and nuclear condensation, consistent with morphological features of apoptosis. The Iso.
Analisis Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Continuance Intention pada Penggunaan Mobile Payment dengan Metode Structural Equation Modeling

Saat ini, pengguna mobile payment di Indonesia semakin bertambah dari tahun ke tahun. Hadirnya teknologi yang baru ini menghasilkan perspektif yang berbeda dari laki-laki maupun perempuan. Permasalahan yang ditemukan adalah apakah mobile payment platform berpengaruh pada continuance intention terhadap penggunaan layanan mobile payment berdasarkan model riset yang dibuat oleh Z. Shao, L. Zhang, X. Li dan Y. Guo. Berdasarkan model riset terdapat variabel moderasi gender dan variabel mediasi perceived risk. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan hubungan struktural pengaruh mobile payment platform terhadap penggunaan mobile payment dengan pertimbangan pengaruh variabel moderasi gender dan variabel mediasi perceived risk berdasarkan model riset, mendapatkan cara peningkatan variabel terukur pada model riset, (mobile payment platform, trust in the platform, gender dan perceived risk) yang bisa mempengaruhi penggunaan mobile payment serta mendapatkan variabel lain dalam model riset yang bisa mempengaruhi penggunaan mobile payment. Metode analisis yang digunakan adalah Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), dimana metode ini cocok untuk menampilkan korelasi dari tiap variabel yang diuji. Dalam pengambilan data, kuesioner diberikan kepada 1000 responden dengan gender yang berbeda. Dari hasil analisis diperoleh faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi kepercayaan pengguna terhadap continuance intention pada layanan mobile payment di Indonesia secara signifikan, yakni reputation dengan nilai 8,72 pada perempuan dan 4,32 pada laki-laki, security dengan nilai 4,35 pada perempuan dan 2,82 pada laki-laki. Diharapkan dengan adanya penelitian ini dapat membantu perusahaan penyedia layanan mobile payment dalam mengidentifikasi faktor yang dapat dijadikan pertimbangan dalam pengembangan layanan mobile payment di masa mendatang.
On the use of the coefficient of variation to quantify and compare trait variation

Meaningful comparison of variation in quantitative trait requires controlling for both the dimension of the varying entity and the dimension of the factor generating variation. Although the coefficient of variation (CV; standard deviation divided by the mean) is often used to measure and compare variation of quantitative traits, it only accounts for the dimension of the former, and its use for comparing variation may sometimes be inappropriate. Here, we discuss the use of the CV to compare measures of evolvability and phenotypic plasticity, two variational properties of quantitative traits. Using a dimensional analysis, we show that contrary to evolvability, phenotypic plasticity cannot be meaningfully compared across traits and environments by mean‐scaling trait variation. We further emphasize the need of remaining cognizant of the dimensions of the traits and the relationship between mean and standard deviation when comparing CVs, even when the scales on which traits are expressed allow meaningful calculation of the CV.
The Association of Dietary Polyphenol Intake with the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study

Purpose The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between daily consumption of total polyphenol and its subclasses and the incidence of diabetes. Materials and Methods Eligible adults (n=6,547) were chosen from among participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) with an average follow-up of 3.0±1.6 years. Dietary intakes were evaluated using a valid and reliable semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Biochemical variables and anthropometrics were evaluated at baseline and follow-up examinations. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in relation to total intake of polyphenol and its subclasses (flavonoids, phenolic acids, stilbenes, and lignans). Results This study was conducted on 2,882 men and 3,665 women, aged 41.3±14.6 and 39.0±13.4 years, respectively. The number of participants with the new-onset T2DM was 253. Mean intake of total polyphenol was 346±245 mg/1000 kcal. Risk of type 2 diabetes decreased from quartiles 1 to 4 for total polyphenols (HR: 1.00, 0.37, 0.61, 0.50, Ptrend<0.01), phenolic acids (HR: 1.00, 0.57, 0.49, 0.45, Ptrend<0.01), and lignans (HR: 1.00, 0.67, 0.61, 0.60, Ptrend<0.01), whereas non-significant results were found for flavonoids and stilbenes. This study suggests an inverse association between total intake of polyphenols, phenolic acids, and lignin, and the risk of T2DM. Conclusion These results emphasize the potential protective role of polyphenol rich food groups (especially fruits and vegetables) in the prevention of T2DM.
Clearcutting and burning of northern spruce‐fir forests: implications for small mammal communities

1. This study was designed to test the hypotheses that (i) abundance and related demographic parameters of small mammal populations would decline after clearcutting of northern spruce-fir forest, and (ii) prescribed burning, following clearcutting, an approach to emulating natural disturbance, would enhance the species richness and diversity of the small mammal community relative to unharvested and clearcut forests. 2. Intensive live-trapping of small mammal populations was conducted in replicated forest (uncut), clearcut and clearcut-burned sites from 1988 to 1992 in west-central British Columbia, Canada. 3. Mean abundance of southern red-backed voles Clethrionomys gapperi was significantly higher on forest sites (11·74 ha–1) than on clearcut (0·60 ha–1) or clearcut-burned (0·02 ha–1) sites. Mean numbers of deer mice Peromyscus maniculatus were significantly higher on the clearcut-burned sites (16·88 ha–1) than on forest sites (9·04 ha–1). Demographic parameters of reproduction, survival and body weight of deer mice were similar across all sites. 4. The long-tailed vole Microtus longicaudus had a strong annual fluctuation in abundance, particularly on clearcut sites (14·04 ha–1), where there were significantly more animals than on either forest (1·53 ha–1) or clearcut-burned (2·67 ha–1) sites. Meadow voles M. pennsylvanicus were relatively uncommon but occurred more often on clearcut and clearcut-burned sites than on forest sites. 5. The north-western chipmunk Tamias amoenus occurred at significantly higher numbers on clearcut (4·16 ha–1) and clearcut-burned (3·88 ha–1) sites than on forest sites, where it was rarely captured. Shrews Sorex spp. were at similar numbers across forest, clearcut and clearcut-burned sites. Weasels Mustela spp. were captured more often on clearcut and clearcut-burned sites than on forest sites. A rare species, the western jumping mouse Zapus princeps, was captured on clearcut and clearcut-burned sites only. 6. Mean species richness of small mammals was significantly higher on clearcut sites (3·51) than on forest (2·73) or clearcut-burned (2·72) sites. Species diversity was similar over all sites. Although species composition was altered by clearcutting, abundance of all species, except C. gapperi, was the same or higher than that in uncut forest. 7. Prescribed burning of clearcuts may not be necessary to mimic natural disturbance regimes. Clearcutting of northern spruce-fir forest may provide diverse habitats for small mammals through different stages of succession (along with old growth forest) much as wildfires formerly did.
A NEW BOUND FOR EUCLIDEAN STEINER MINIMAL TREES

Let X denote a finite set of points in the (Euclidean) plane. A minimum spanning tree for X , denoted by M ( X ) , is a connected network of Line segments joining various pairs of points of X so that the sum of the lengths of the line segments, called the length of M ( X ) , is as small as possible. We denote this minimum possible total length by LM(X). It may happen for a set X that by embedding X in a suitable larger set Y , L M ( Y ) is actually less than LM(X) . For example, if X consists of the three vertices of an equilateral triangle and Y consists of X together with the centroid of the triangle, then an easy calculation shows that
Aquaplanets as a Framework for Examination of Aerosol Effects

Although fundamental to the planetary radiative balance, aerosol impacts are highly uncertain in climate simulations because of the uneven distribution of aerosol sources and the complex interactions with radiation and clouds that are difficult to represent in climate models. This study proposes that aquaplanet configurations represent an idealized framework to investigate aerosol effects. As a simple demonstration, a series of aquaplanet simulations with the Community Atmosphere Model version 6 shows that the spatial distribution of aerosol emissions changes the aerosol effective radiative forcing even with unchanged total emissions. Some statistical properties of the simulations are presented to show that relatively short model integrations yield robust results. Much of the aerosol effect is shown to arise from aerosol‐cloud interactions, especially through rapid adjustments associated with the aerosol lifetime effect that alter the cloud optical thickness.
Synchrony in marine growth among Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations

More synchronous growth was observed between close, than more distantly separated populations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), during both the first and the second year at sea. The marine growth of seven Norwegian popula- tions, located between 608N and 708N, were correlated with sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the Barents Sea, the Nor- wegian Sea, and the North Sea, and it was found that growth correlated best with the water temperatures in the area located closest to their home river. Growth was also compared with three broad-scale climate indices (North Atlantic Os- cillation (NAO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, and subpolar gyre), with the strongest relationship occurring with the NAO index. However, SSTs explained more of the variability than the climatic indices did. Growth increment for the first year, but not the second year, was higher for southern than northern populations, mainly because of later smolt migration to sea in the north, and hence, a shorter growth season. For multi-sea-winter fish, all populations except one had a negative trend in growth with years for both the first and the second year at sea. For the second year at sea, this was most pro- nounced after the beginning of the 1980s. This is in accordance with the negative trend in pre-fishery abundance of adult salmon during the same period. Resume´ : On observe plus de croissance synchronisee entre les populations adjacentes que plus eloignees chez le saumon atlantique (Salmo salar), tant durant la premiere que la seconde annee en mer. Nous avons mis en correlation la croissance en mer de sept populations norvegiennes, etablies entre 608 Ne t 708N, et les temperatures de surface de la mer (SST) dans la mer de Barents, la mer de Norvege et la mer du Nord; la croissance est le mieux correlee avec les temperatures des si- tes situes le plus pres de leur riviere natale. Nous avons aussi comparela croissance avec trois indices climatiques a grande echelle (l'oscillation nord-atlantique (NAO), l'oscillation atlantique multidecennale et le tourbillon subpolaire) et la relation la plus forte s'etablit avec l'indice NAO. Cependant, les SST expliquent une plus grande partie de la variabilite ´ que les indices climatiques. L'increment de la croissance pour la premiere annee, mais non pour la seconde, est plus eleve ´ pour les populations du sud que pour celles du nord, surtout a cause de la migration plus tardive des saumoneaux vers la mer dans le nord et ainsi, de la periode de croissance plus courte. Chez les poissons qui passent plusieurs hivers en mer, toutes les populations, sauf une, affichent une tendance negative de la croissance en fonction des annees, tant pour la pre- miere que pour la deuxieme annee en mer. Pour la deuxieme annee en mer, la tendance est plus prononcee apresl e debut des annees 1980. Cela concorde avec la tendance negative dans l'abondance des saumons adultes pendant la meme pe ´- riode. (Traduit par la Redaction)
TOTP Based Authentication Using QR Code For Gateway Entry System

In today’s scenario, there are various ways the attackers can gain access to secure information and use it for their own benefit. In this paper, we aim to improve the gateway entry system by providing more security. This system involves the use of TOTP (Time-Based One-Time Password) with QR (Quick Response) code. A QR code is a 2D matrix barcode where a large amount of information can be stored in a compact manner. TOTP is a temporary password that is active for a short duration of time. For every 30 seconds, an OTP is generated. A QR code is generated which contains the TOTP. The QR code is scanned and the server checks the TOTP generated on the server-side. If this TOTP matches with the TOTP in the QR code then the user is allowed to enter. This method increases the security of the system and prevents unauthorized access.
Structure, Acidity, and Redox Aspects of VOx/ZrO2/SiO2 Catalysts for the n-Butane Oxidative Dehydrogenation

ZrOx/SiO2 and VOx/ZrOx/SiO2 catalysts (5 wt %–25 wt % Zr, 4 wt % V) were prepared by grafting zirconium and vanadium alkoxides on Aerosil 380. All samples were characterized by temperature programmed reduction, N2 physisorption, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and ammonia adsorption microcalorimetry. Tetragonal ZrO2 and zircon (ZrSiO4) were present at 25 wt % Zr, but only amorphous zirconia overlayer existed for lower loadings. At lower Zr loadings (5 wt %–10 wt % Zr), exposed silica surface leads to V2O5 crystallites and isolated VO4 species, although V reducibility behavior changes, from being similar to VOx/SiO2 (5 wt % Zr) to showing VOx/ZrO2 behavior at 10 wt % Zr, and a diminished total amount of reducible V. Highly acidic ZrO2 sites are covered by the vanadium grafting, forming weaker sites (60–100 kJ/mol NH3 adsorption strength). Catalytic conversion and selectivity for the oxidative dehydrogenation of n-butane (673 K, n-C4/O2 = 2.2) over VOx/ZrOx/SiO2 show that 1,3-butadiene is favored over cis-2-butene and trans-2-butene, although there is some selectivity to the 2-butenes when VOx/ZrO2 behavior is evident. At low Zr loadings, butadiene formed during reaction acts as the diene species in a Diels–Alder reaction and gives rise to a cyclic compound that undergoes further dehydrogenation to produce benzaldehyde.
Optical stimulation of neural tissue

Electrical stimulation has been used for decades in devices such as pacemakers, cochlear implants and more recently for deep brain and retinal stimulation and electroceutical treatment of disease. However, current spread from the electrodes limits the precision of neural activation, leading to a low quality therapeutic outcome or undesired side-effects. Alternative methods of neural stimulation such as optical stimulation offer the potential to deliver higher spatial resolution of neural activation. Direct optical stimulation is possible with infrared light, while visible light can be used to activate neurons if the neural tissue is genetically modified with a light sensitive ion channel. Experimentally, both methods have resulted in highly precise stimulation with little spread of activation at least in the cochlea, each with advantages and disadvantages. Infrared neural stimulation does not require modification of the neural tissue, but has very high power requirements. Optogenetics can achieve precision of activation with lower power, but only in conjunction with targeted insertion of a light sensitive ion channel into the nervous system via gene therapy. This review will examine the advantages and limitations of optical stimulation of neural tissue, using the cochlea as an exemplary model and recent developments for retinal and deep brain stimulation.
Positive affect and mindfulness as predictors of resilience amongst women leaders in higher education institutions

Orientation: Psychological resources are the factors that appear to have a significant impact on how leaders adapt to adversity and remain resilient. Positive affect and mindfulness are the psychological resources that positively relate to the levels of resilience of women leaders in higher education institutions. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of positive affect and mindfulness on the levels of resilience of women leaders in higher education institutions in South Africa. Motivation for the study: Identifying the internal resources women leaders use to facilitate resilience will allow higher education institutions to prioritise these resources in leadership support programmes to assist these women leaders. Research approach/design and method: A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data in a purposive sample of n = 255 women leaders in four South African higher education institutions. Pearson’s correlation analyses, multiple regression analyses and mediation analysis were used to analyse the data. Main findings: Findings indicated that positive affect and mindfulness were found to be significant predictors of resilience. Additionally, mindfulness was found to be a partial mediator in the relationship between positive affect and resilience. Practical/managerial implications: Higher education institutions can assist women leaders by investing in psychological resources such as mindfulness and positive affect to enhance the levels of resilience. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the limited research on the role of internal resources to enhance resilience in a workplace setting and more specifically amongst women leaders.