Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetically based population divergence of Silene latifolia from two climate regions

Background: Plants in hot and dry climates often flower earlier, make thicker leaves, and produce fewer flowers than conspecifics from relatively wet, cool climates. Silene latifolia, a dioecious, short-lived, flowering perennial, grows in both of these climates in Europe. Question: Is variation in traits seen among populations with divergent climates a result of genetic changes in response to local environmental conditions, differences in the degree of sexual dimorphism, or phenotypic plasticity? Hypothesis: Traits will differ between populations in a common garden as a result of genetic divergence, and exhibit a pattern of variation that is congruent with adaptation to climate. Methods: Morphological and phenological measurements were taken during two flowering seasons on plants growing in Croatia (relatively wet and cool) and Spain (hot and dry). Seeds from both regions were grown to flowering in the greenhouse and several traits were measured. Results: Significant divergence in traits existed between Croatia and Spain that persisted in the common garden (greenhouse), indicating that populations in these two regions likely represent different ecotypes. Plants from Spain flowered earlier in the field, made thicker leaves, and produced fewer flowers than plants from Croatia. Plants from Spain also showed greater sexual dimorphism than those from Croatia.
A new Bactrocera species in Benin among mango fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) species

Introduction . Tephritidae have a major economic importance in the tropical areas. In Benin, we had only very little information available on the mango fruit fly species, except the demonstration of their damage. We therefore carried out the first investigations in Northern Benin during the mango season in 2005. Our objectives were to study fluctuations of tephritid populations in orchards and to assess mango fruit fly infestations and mango losses due to tephritid species. Materials and methods . Experiments were carried out in the Parakou area (Borgou department, Northern Benin). Fruit fly males were captured on mango trees, in two different orchards, with parapheromone traps. To sample and characterize fruit fly species involved in mango infestations, fruits of 17 cultivars were collected in mango orchards from February to June 2005; then, they were brought to the laboratory for emerging species identification. To assess the loss of fruits, sampling of different mango cultivars was achieved in the same orchards. Infested fruits were counted and eliminated; potentially infested fruits were dissected. Results and discussion . Among eight mango fruit fly species found in Benin, four can be considered as species of economic significance: Ceratitis cosyra , C. quinaria, C. silvestrii and Bactrocera invadens. During the dry season, C. cosyra was the most abundant, whereas B. invadens was the most numerous during the rainy season (abiotic factor), in phenological accordance with the ripening of the different mango varieties (biotic factor). From and after mid-May, B. invadens was found more frequently than C. cosyra in the traps and from emergence of infested mangos. Loss averages varied globally from 12% at the beginning of April to 50% in June. Conclusions . Most of the tephritid species found on mangos during our experiments had already been observed previously in other West African countries except B. invadens , an invasive species lately described. Ecological and behavioral studies will be necessary in order to plan and to apply optimal methods for controlling this new pest of major economic importance in West Africa.
Formation of exomoons: a solar system perspective

Satellite formation is a natural by-product of planet formation. With the discovery of numerous extrasolar planets, it is likely that moons of extrasolar planets (exomoons) will soon be discovered. Some of the most promising techniques can yield both the mass and radius of the moon. Here, I review recent ideas about the formation of moons in our Solar System, and discuss the prospects of extrapolating these theories to predict the sizes of moons that may be discovered around extrasolar planets. It seems likely that planet-planet collisions could create satellites around rocky or icy planets which are large enough to be detected by currently available techniques. Detectable exomoons around gas giants may be able to form by co-accretion or capture, but determining the upper limit on likely moon masses at gas giant planets requires more detailed, modern simulations of these processes.
DESIGN, FABRICATION AND TEST OF PARABOLIC CYLINDER REFLECTOR AND HORN FOR INCREASING THE GAIN OF VLASOV ANTENNA

This paper proposes two methods for increasing the Gain of Vlasov Antenna. The first method, using a Parabolic Cylinder Reflector, results in a 7 dB increase in the Gain. The second method, constructing a Horn on the aperture, increases the Gain by about 5 dB. The results were checked using a prototype antenna and there was a close agreement.
Coefficient of standardized total tract digestibility of phosphorus in oilseed meals and distillers dried grains in growing-finishing pigs

This study was conducted to determine the coefficient of total tract standardized digestibility (CTTSD) of phosphorus (P) in oilseed meals and distillers dried grains (DDG) fed to growing-finishing pigs. Twelve barrows (initial bodyweight (BW) standard deviation, 52.25 +/- 2.57 kg) were allocated individually to metabolism cages. The experimental design was a 12 x 8 incomplete Latin square with 12 dietary treatments and eight replication periods. The diets were formulated individually with dehulled soybean meal produced in Korea (SBM-KD), soybean meal produced in India (SBM-I), soybean meal produced in Korea (SBM-K), corn high-protein distiller dried grains (HPDDGs), tapioca distillers dried grains (TDDG), canola meal (CAM), corn germ meal (CGM), copra meal (CM), palm kernel meal (PKM), sesame meal (SM), perilla meal (PM), and a P-free diet. Intake of P was highest in SM and PM. Excretion of P was reduced in y ascending order as HPDDG, TDDG and CGM; SBM-K; and SM and PM. The CTTAD of P was higher in CGM than SBM-K, TDDG, SM and PM. HPDDG and CGM showed greater CTTSD of P than SBM-K, CAM and PM. Digestible concentration of P on CTTSD (CTTSD-P) of P was greater in PM and CAM than the others except for SBM-KD. In summary, PM could be utilized as an alternative feedstuff to SBM, but its usage is regarded only as a source of P. In addition, the results of the current study would provide valuable information for formulating pig feed with precise P utilization in ingredients using mixed diets
Properties of the electroweak vacuum versus the QCD-vacuum in strong magnetic fields

In strongly magnetized backgrounds, electrically charged vector bosons can condense. When considering the ρ–meson sector of QCD, this results in the existence of a superconducting state with Abrikosov vortices. As a next order effect, also the neutral mesons condense and one expects the resulting lattice to be a mix of neutral and charged condensates, opening a possibility to the existence of a superfluid property. We will show how the detailed structure of the vacuum can be calculated and which implications it has on the nature of the exotic superconducting state.
Space Division Multiple Access Technology for Free Space Optical Communication

Keywords: Free space optical communications; Optical switching devices; Fiber array; Space division multiplexing access. Abstract. This project about how to implement space division multiplexing access technology in free space optical communication is presented. It works in fixed beams switching mode and consists of optical lens based on fiber array of focal plane and optical matrix switch. Based on angle, by setting up the gateway of optical switch, optical matrix switch actualizes the tracking receiving of user's beam and multi-beam directional transmission and continuous tracking. At the same time, Optical lens designed with big field of view by ZEMAX. The feasibility and performance of the coupling of lens was simulated study. It validates the qualitative feasibility of the technology.
New Trends in the Dietary Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of idiopathic disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. The major types of IBD are ulcerative colitis (CU), Crohn’s disease (CD) and the macroscopic colitis. IBD is characterized by a chronic inflammatory condition caused by inappropriate immune response. Both CD and CU are a major and growing health problem in developed countries. The exact cause of IBD is unknown. It has been suggested that interactions between genetic, immunological and environmental factors are associated with the development of IBD. The main symptoms of UC and CD include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, general weakness and loss of appetite. These symptoms lead to progressive loss of body weight and marasmus-type protein-energy malnutrition. The aim of the Piel. Zdr. Publ. 2016, 6, 2, 149–158 DOI: 10.17219/pzp/61571 PRACE POGLĄDOWE © Copyright by Wroclaw Medical University
Browse preference of captive black rhinos at Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage, Zimbabwe

Captive black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) were offered five species of woody plant in ‘cafeteria’ trials, for the animals to show any dietary preferences. Six out of seven rhinos were mother-reared, half of them wild born the others captive born. The seventh rhino was hand-reared and this one consumed significantly less browse than did the mother-reared animals. Combretum hereroense, Acacia nilotica and Albizia amara were significantly more preferred than Acacia karroo and Peltophorum africanum. The last named had the highest tannin levels, soluble insoluble, and fibre-bound, which probably accounted for its low preference. No correlations were found between browse preference and crude protein, calcium and sodium.
Precalculated phase equilibrium models for geophysical properties of the crust and mantle as a function of composition

The use of phase equilibrium calculations to compute physical properties of rocks has become commonplace in geophysical modeling. Typically, the phase equilibrium calculations are used to construct two‐dimensional tables of rock properties as a function of pressure and temperature. We document a computer program that can be used to assemble a three‐dimensional table that accounts for compositional variations from such two‐dimensional tables. A user‐selected interpolation scheme is used to recover data from the tables as continuous function of its independent variables. We illustrate the utility of the program using two examples. The first explores the effect of water content of an average continental crust composition. As water content is the primary parameter controlling the amount of melt and/or low‐density fluid present in the crust, this model provides a basis for assessing the impact of fluids on the geophysical properties of the crust. In the second example, we model the mantle composition as a mixture between harzburgitic and basaltic end‐members. We show that for purposes of seismic velocity calculations, the continuum model is well approximated by interpolation from a table in which the compositional variable is sampled at 10% intervals. The tables for both examples are provided electronically as ready‐to‐use geophysical tools.
Impact of climate change on plant phenology in Mediterranean ecosystems

Plant phenology is strongly controlled by climate and has consequently become one of the most reliable bioindicators of ongoing climate change. We used a dataset of more than 200 000 records for six phenological events of 29 perennial plant species monitored from 1943 to 2003 for a comprehensive assessment of plant phenological responses to climate change in the Mediterranean region. Temperature, precipitation and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) were studied together during a complete annual cycle before phenological events to determine their relative importance and potential seasonal carry‐over effects. Warm and dry springs under a positive phase of NAO advance flowering, leaf unfolding and fruiting dates and lengthen the growing season. Spatial variability of dates (range among sites) was also reduced during warm and dry years, especially for spring events. Climate during previous weeks to phenophases occurrence had the greatest impact on plants, although all events were also affected by climate conditions several months before. Immediate along with delayed climate effects suggest dual triggers in plant phenology. Climatic models accounted for more than 80% of variability in flowering and leaf unfolding dates, and in length of the growing season, but for lower proportions in fruiting and leaf falling. Most part of year‐to‐year changes in dates was accounted for temperature, while precipitation and NAO accounted for <10% of dates' variability. In the case of flowering, insect‐pollinated species were better modelled by climate than wind‐pollinated species. Differences in temporal responses of plant phenology to recent climate change are due to differences in the sensitivity to climate among events and species. Spring events are changing more than autumn events as they are more sensitive to climate and are also undergoing the greatest alterations of climate relative to other seasons. In conclusion, climate change has shifted plant phenology in the Mediterranean region.
Overweight and obesity are associated with decreased magnesium intake in people with asthma

Asthma is a serious health problem that is more prevalent among low-income persons. The risk of asthma and the severity of its symptoms may be increased by the low dietary intake of magnesium and other nutrients that protect against asthma, coupled with the high energy intakes that result in overweight and obesity. This study compared people with asthma to healthy controls, and showed that total body magnesium stores decreased with increasing weight, as measured by body mass index (BMI). Replacing low-magnesium foods with high-magnesium foods may be a practical, low-cost way to help reduce the risk of obesity and low magnesium status in people with asthma, especially in at-risk, low-income groups.
Effects of dust deposition on iron cycle in the surface Mediterranean Sea: results from a mesocosm seeding experiment.

Abstract. Soil dust deposition is recognized as a major source of iron to the open ocean at global and regional scales. However, the processes that control the speciation and cycle of iron in the surface ocean after dust deposition are poorly documented mainly due to the logistical difficulties to investigate in-situ, natural dust events. The development of clean mesocosms in the frame of the DUNE project (a DUst experiment in a low Nutrient low chlorophyll Ecosystem) was a unique opportunity to investigate these processes at the unexplored scale of one dust deposition event. During the DUNE-1-P mesocosm seeding experiment, iron stocks (dissolved and particulate concentrations in the water column) and fluxes (export of particulate iron in sediment traps) were followed during 8 days after an artificial dust seeding mimicking a wet deposition of 10 g m−2. The addition of dust at the surface of the mesocosms was immediately followed by a decrease of dissolved iron [dFe] concentration in the 0–10 m water column. This decrease was likely due to dFe scavenging on settling dust particles and mineral organic aggregates. The scavenging ratio of dissolved iron on dust particles averaged 0.37 ± 0.12 nmol mg−1. Batch dissolution experiments conducted in parallel to the mesocosm experiment showed a increase (up to 600%) in dust iron dissolution capacity in dust-fertilized waters compared to control conditions. This study gives evidences of complex and unexpected effects of dust deposition on surface ocean biogeochemistry: (1) large dust deposition events may be a sink for surface ocean dissolved iron and (2) successive dust deposition events may induce different biogeochemical responses in the surface ocean.
Self-organizing maps: applications to synoptic climatology

Self organizing maps (SOMs) are used to locate archetypal points that describe the multi-dimensional distribution function of a gridded sea level pressure data set for the northeast United States. These points —nodes on the SOM—identify the primary features of the synoptic-scale circulation over the region. In effect, the nodes represent a non-linear distribution of overlapping, non-discreet, circulation types. The circulation patterns are readily visualized in a 2-dimensional array (the SOM) that places similar types adjacent to one another and very different types far apart in the SOM space. The SOM is used to describe synoptic circulation changes over time, and to relate the circulation to January station precipitation data (for State College, Pennsylvania) in the center of the domain. The paper focuses on the methodology; however, the analysis suggests that circulation systems that promote precipitation have decreased over the last 40 yr—although January precipita- tion at State College has actually increased. Further analysis with the SOM indicates that this is due to a change in precipitation characteristics of the synoptic-scale circulation features, rather than to their frequency of occurrence.
"An emerging European public sphere? Theoretical clarifications and empirical indicators"

This paper tries to make sense of the empirical and theoretical literature by asking two questions: What do we know empirically about a Europe public sphere? How can we make sense of the empirical findings in light of the theoretical debate on a European public sphere? I concentrate on media reporting on European issues as an-albeit problematic-proxy for the (non-)existence of a European public sphere. The short answer to the first question is somewhat paradoxical: the available evidence suggests that the overall salience of European themes is still low, but that similar meaning structures and frames of reference prevail in media reporting about Europe. The short answer to the second question is that a European public sphere emerges out of the interconnectedness of and mutual exchanges between various national public spheres. An ideal typically European sphere would then emerge if and when the same (European) themes are discussed at the same time at similar levels of attention across national public spheres, and media; if and when similar frames of reference, meaning structures, and patterns of interpretation are used across national public spheres and media; if and when a transnational community of communication emerges in which speakers and listeners recognize each other as legitimate participants in a common discourse.
Does Corporate Social Responsibility Affect Firms' Performance?

In the last two decades in the OECD countries there have been a raising development of firms certified as Social Responsible (CSR is the acronym of Corporate Social Responsibility). This kind of certification is assigned by private companies that guarantee that the behaviour of a certain firms environmentally and sociologically correct. Some papers (among other Preston and O'Bannon, 1997; Waddock and Graves, 1997; McWilliams and Sieger, 2001; Ullman, 1985) tried to verify if there exists a link between Social Responsibility certification and firms' performance. Their results are ambiguous and do not show a common path. This ambiguity depends mainly on the static nature of their analyses and on problem if performance is affected more by certification costs or by increasing sales due to a reputation effect. Our work would like to verify, after a review of literature, by using panel data, if some performance indicators can be affected by the firms' social responsible behaviour and their certifications. The novelty of our analysis comes from its dynamic aspect and from the building of a CSR index that intersects two of the three main international indices (Domini 400 Social Index, Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, FTSE4Good Index), in order to be objective and to have a representative sample. The main results seem to support the idea that the CSR firms are the more virtuous, having better performances in the long run: they bear some initial costs but obtain higher sales and profits due to several causes: reputation effect, a reduction of long rin costs, increasing social responsible demand.
IMPROVING PERFORMANCE OF RANDOMIZED SIGNATURE SORT USING HASHING AND BITWISE OPERATORS

Research done in the area of integer sorting has considerably improved the lower bound and achieved with comparison sorting i.e. to [1] for a deterministic algorithms or to for a radix sort algorithm in space that depends only on the number of input integers. Andersson et al. [2] presented signature sort in the expected linear time and space which gives very bad performance than traditional quick sort. It is well known that integers in the range [1, c] can be sorted in time using radix sorting. Integers in any range [1, ] can be sorted in time [1]. However, these algorithms use words of extra memory. We present a simple and stable variant of signature sort for integer sorting, which works in time and uses only words of extra memory. In this we are trying to improve the performance of the signature sort by implementing differently and comparing its performance against traditional sorting algorithms and to see the effect of register size on the algorithm.
Numerical and theoretical treatment of grounding line movement and ice shelf buttressing in marine ice sheets

[1] Understanding the dynamics of marine ice sheets is integral to studying the evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet in both the short and long terms. An important component of the dynamics, grounding line migration, has proved difficult to represent in numerical models, and most successful attempts have made use of techniques that are only readily applicable to flow line models. However, to capture the stress transmission involved in another important component, the buttressing of a marine ice sheet by its ice shelf, the transverse direction must also be resolved. We introduce a model that solves the time-dependent shelfy stream equations and makes use of mesh adaption techniques to overcome the difficulties typically associated with the numerics of grounding line migration. We compare the model output with a recent benchmark for flow line models and show that our model yields an accurate solution while using far less resources than would be required without mesh adaption. We also show that the mesh adapting techniques extend to two horizontal dimensions. Experiments are carried out to determine how both ice shelf buttressing and ice rises affect the marine instability predicted for an ice sheet on a foredeepened bed. We find that buttressing is not always sufficient to stabilize such a sheet but collapse of the grounded portion is still greatly delayed. We also find that the effect of an ice rise is similar to that of narrowing the ice shelf.