Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metabolic profile and oxidative status in goats during the peripartum period

The aim of this study was to monitor the metabolic profile and oxidative status in goats during the peripartum period. A blood sample was taken from 10 Red Syrian goats on days −21, −3, +1, +14, and +28 from delivery. Samples were assayed for glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities, and reactive oxygen metabolites, insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I, free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4), leptin, urea, non-esterified fatty acids, triglycerides, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, globulin, calcium and inorganic phosphorus concentrations. Blood glutathione peroxidase activity decreased during the postpartum period and its values were significantly (P < 0.05) lower on days 14 and 28 postpartum. Albumin levels were significantly (P < 0.05) lower on days −3, 1 and 28 from delivery compared with day −21. Plasma urea levels significantly (P < 0.001) decreased starting from day −3 from delivery. No effect of time from delivery was noted on reactive oxygen metabolites, non-esterified fatty acids, triglycerides, cholesterol, total protein, calcium and inorganic phosphorus, insulin and leptin concentrations and superoxide dismutase activity. Plasma concentrations of fT3 were significantly (P < 0.01) higher on days 14 and 28 compared with days −21, −3 and 1 from delivery. Plasma levels of fT4 were significantly (P < 0.01) lower on days −3 and 1 from delivery. Plasma insulin-like growth factor-I values slowly decreased during the postpartum period and its values were significantly (P < 0.05) lower on day 28. This study indicates that goats experienced moderate oxidative stress during the peripartum period.
Evolution of alarm cues: a test of the kin selection hypothesis

The evolution of alarm signals has puzzled evolutionary ecologists for decades. This is particularly true for alarm cues (‘Schreckstoff’) which are present in many fishes. They are passively released through injuries and signal the presence of a predator. Although the benefits for conspecific receivers are obvious (they can adjust their behavior to avoid predation), those for the senders are not which is, however, a necessary requirement for the evolution of alarm signals. Several hypotheses relying on potential direct benefits for the senders have been suggested. Alarm cues might attract secondary predators which in turn might increase the escape probability of the sender. A primary immune enhancing role was suggested as well. An alternative explanation is based on Hamilton’s inclusive fitness theory stating that individuals can indirectly increase their fitness by increasing the survival of genetically related individuals (‘kin selection theory’). If related individuals preferentially benefit from alarm signals, for instance by being more receptive to kin-alarm cues, senders could increase their inclusive fitness. Here, we investigate whether individuals of the cichlid fish Pelvicachromis taeniatus respond differentially to alarm cues derived from kin and non-kin. P. taeniatus possesses alarm cues and is known to adjust its behavior when exposed to alarm cues. We measured the change in activity after the addition of alarm cues (derived from kin- and non-kin) relative to a control treatment. Reduced activity is a widespread behavioral adaptation to reduce predation risk in prey organisms. Fish of the alarm cue treatments significantly reduced their activity relative to control fish. However, fish did not respond differentially to alarm cues derived from kin and non-kin suggesting that potential inclusive fitness benefits are not mediated by responses specific to individual alarm cues. We discuss alternative mechanisms such as kin shoaling and mating preferences potentially leading to kin-biased alarm cue perception.
Response to Frutiger & Schib (1993) ‘Limitations of FST hemispheres in lotic benthos research’

SUMMARY 1 This response to the paper of Frutiger & Schib (1993) focuses on substantial errors that are relevant to the interpretation of results and deficiencies in their study design. I include some reanalysis of the original data of Schib (1991), which formed the basis of Frutiger & Schib's paper. 2 The paper of Frutiger & Schib (1993) is flawed because of their sampling strategy (sequence of measurements, depth stratification, and the long duration of the study in relation to temporal changes in the insect populations), the selection of study sites (one lake outlet, one river disturbed by bathers), the mixing of single-species and multiple-species units in the analysis, the pooling of data and its analysis, the omission of essential information given by Schib (1991), and the generation of doubtful arguments. Their approach and interpretation places FST hemispheres at an unreasonable disadvantage in a debate about the relative utility of hemispheres and propeller-type current meters and consistently discriminates against the general role hydraulics play in the micro-distribution of the eight insect taxa that were studied. 3 Despite the deficiencies of their study, my reanalysis of the original data of Schib (1991) provides significant models of insect abundance in relation to hemisphere density for six of the eight insect taxa, with r2 values between 0.62 and 0.86 for five of them.
Analytical Estimation of Radiation Mode Radar Cross Section (RCS) of Phased Arrays

A novel analytical method has been proposed to compute radiation mode RCS of phased arrays. The array RCS is computed by tracing the path of an impinging EM signal as it travels through the array system. The scattered field contribution from each component of array and its feed network is expressed in terms of the reflection and transmission coefficients. The individual contributions are then coherently superimposed to arrive at total array RCS. The proposed method can be used to obtain the radiation mode RCS of any conventional phased array or low profile patch array with high impedance surface (HIS)-based substrate or superstrate. Results are shown for dipole array with parallel feed network, corporate-fed patch array with conventional metallic ground plane and HIS-based hybrid ground plane. This approach is applicable for estimation and control of radiation mode RCS of any type of phased array.
Effects of degree of fatness in broilers on other carcass characteristics: Relationship between fatness and the stability of meat and adipose tissue1

1. Three trials were carried out to compare the effects of different degrees of fatness in broilers and of dietary a‐tocopherol (AT) concentrations on the stability of meat and adipose tissue at 5 to 9 weeks of age. 2. In spite of higher concentrations of AT in carcass fat, the meat and abdominal fat of lean broilers were less stable than those of obese birds, apparently due to an increase in the unsaturation of their carcass fat. 3. Dietary AT improved significantly the stability of meat and adipose tissue, irrespective of the degree of fatness. However, the difference in the stability of these tissues between obese and lean broilers remained apparent even with 60 mg AT/kg of the diet. 4. A linear relationship was observed between dietary AT and the stability of adipose tissue, whereas the relationship between AT intake and meat stability was logarithmic.
The influence of vegetation pattern on the grazing of heather moorland by red deer and sheep. I: The location of animals on grass/heather mosaics

1. A study site comprising six 2.5 ha plots of heather (Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull) moorland which could be viewed from afar was created in NE Scotland. Each plot contained 20% by area of Agrostis/Festuca grassland, distributed in either one large, four medium or 12 small patches. 2. The plots were grazed by groups of sheep or red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) in series of 10-day periods; in each period the activities and locations of all individuals were recorded at 30 min intervals during daylight hours on several days. In one experiment in early summer sheep and deer were compared at equivalent stocking rates, and in a second experiment in late summer sheep were compared at two stocking rates. 3. Sheep grazed for longer than deer (53% cf. 37% of daylight time), both species spending more time grazing in the late afternoon and evening than earlier in the day. 4. Typical group size (groups being defined as animals within 30 m of others) was greater in sheep than deer. Sheep were seen in smaller groups when the grass patch number increased, but in deer group size was unaffected by vegetation pattern. 5. The distribution of grass patches significantly affected the grazing time spent on heather by sheep but not by deer. In plots with one large grass patch sheep foraged on heather for only 9% of their grazing time (cf. 40% for deer), but in plots with 12 small grass patches the proportions of grazing time spent on heather were 43% for sheep and 48% for deer. 6. On the heather the densities of grazing sheep and deer were higher in a zone 0-5 m from the edge of grass patches than further away, and densities were higher at the edge of large patches than at the edge of small patches. This may damage heather at the patch edge leading to the spread of grass patches. 7. A simple ratio of grass:heather in a moorland may not be a good predictor of heather utilization because increased fragmentation of the available sass encourages grazers, and sheep in particular, to graze heather more.
Design and Optimization of a Diffuser for a Horizontal Axis Hydrokinetic Turbine using Computational Fluid Dynamics based Surrogate Modelling

Fossil fuels have remained at the backbone of the global energy portfolio. With the growth in the number of factories, population, and urbanization; the burden on fossil fuels has also been increasing. Most importantly, fossil fuels have been causing damage to the global climate since industrialization. The stated issues can only be resolved by shifting to environment friendly alternate energy options. The horizontal axis hydrokinetic turbine is considered as a viable option for renewable energy production. The aim of this project is the design and optimization of a diffuser for horizontal axis hydrokinetic turbine using computational fluid dynamics based surrogate modeling. The two-dimensional flat plate airfoil is used as a benchmark and flow around the airfoil is simulated using Ansys Fluent. Later, computational fluid dynamics analyses are carried out for baseline diffuser generated from the flat plate airfoil. The performance of this diffuser was optimized by achieving an optimum curved profile at the internal surface of the diffuser. The response surface methodology is used as a tool for optimization. A maximum velocity augmentation of 31.70% is achieved with the optimum diffuser.
Bordered pit and ray morphology involvement in elm resistance to Ophiostoma novo-ulmi.

The main objective of this study was to identify differential anatomical features between Ulmus pumila L. and Ulmus minor Mill. clones resistant to Dutch elm disease and U. minor clones susceptible to Dutch elm disease, with a focus on the intervascular pits and medullary rays. Resistant elms showed lower mean values than susceptible elms for pit membrane diameter, pit aperture area, pit membrane abundance per vessel-wall area, ray width, and ray tangential area. A principal component analysis of the parameters measured revealed slight differentiation between species but clearly grouped U. minor clones according to their susceptibility group. In comparison with susceptible elms, the pit structure observed in resistant elms may limit passive fungal spread within the sapflow, lower the probability of fungal cells passively reaching pit membranes, and reduce the vulnerability of the xylem to cavitation. Similarly, the ray structure observed in the resistant elms is likely to reduce the amount of easily acces.
Leader humility and employee organizational deviance: the role of sense of power and organizational identification

The authors examined the relationship between leader humility and employee organizational deviance. They also tested the mediating effects of personal sense of power and the moderating effects of organizational identification on this relationship. ,The authors tested their hypotheses using a sample of 186 employees from an information technology (IT) enterprise in China. They used hierarchical regression and bootstrapping analyses to test for direct and indirect relationships. ,Sense of power mediated the effect of leader humility on organizational deviance and organizational identification moderated the effect of sense of power on organizational deviance. In addition, organizational identification mediated the indirect effect of leader humility on organizational deviance via sense of power. Thus, employees who demonstrate high organizational identification may not conduct organizational deviant behavior, even if they have a high sense of power. ,Organizations should explore and practice effective leader humility. Selection and training programs should be developed to choose humble leaders and teach them how to exhibit moderate humility. ,The authors contribute to the literature by revealing the negative effects of leader humility in Chinese culture. They find support for their hypotheses that employee sense of power mediates the relationship between leader humility and employee organizational deviance and that this relationship is weaker when employee organizational identification is higher. This clarifies how and why leader humility stimulates employee organizational deviance.
Whole-Lake Fertilization Experiments in Coastal British Columbia Lakes: Empirical Relationships between Nutrient Inputs and Phytoplankton Biomass and Production

Seventeen warm monomictic coastal lakes in British Columbia were studied from 1980 to 1983. Inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus were applied to 13 of the lakes in some or all years of the study. In the untreated condition, lakes were ultraoligotrophic with low concentrations of nutrients (1.0–4.1 μg total P-L−1 at spring overturn), of average summer chlorophyll (0.49–2.57 μg∙L−1), and of average daily primary production (3.0–10.5 mg C∙m−3∙d−1). The lakes' oligotrophic condition is sustained by their low residence time (0.2–7.3 yr) and by low nutrient inputs from the generally steep granitic drainage basins. The lakes respond predictably to nitrogen and phosphorus additions and are generally phosphorus limited, as shown by the significant positive relationships between average summer chlorophyll and total phosphorus at spring overturn (r = 0.81) in unfertilized lakes, between average summer chlorophyll and phosphorus load from fertilizer (r2 = 0.62) in fertilized lakes, by the high average particulate C:N:P .
Variation problems for curves

If people do not believe that mathematics is simple, it is only because they do not realize how complicated life is. —John von Neumann (1903-1957) Interpolation is widely used in image analysis, trajectory planning and statistical inference attracting a lot of attention in theoretical studies and applications. This thesis is concerned with some variational curves used in interpolation problems. The curves investigated in this thesis include Riemannian cubics, Riemannian cubics in tension, elastica, relative geodesics and generalised cubic de Casteljau curves. This thesis contributes in two ways: applications of variational curves, and methods to study variational curves. From the perspective of applications, Riemannian cubics as critical curves of the total squared accelerations are well understood yet hard to compute. On the other hand, replacing line segments by geodesics, the classical de Casteljau algorithm has been generalised to the Riemannian setting since 1980’s. The properties of the generalised de Casteljau curves are still mysterious even though the de Casteljau curves are easy to generate. Chapter 2 finds a relationship between Riemannian cubics and curves constructed by the generalised cubic de Casteljau algorithm by analysing differences between the two classes of curves. Chapter 3 focuses on the application of relative geodesics in image registration. Given a connected finite-dimensional Lie group G with a closed subgroup H, images in the homogeneous space G/H are represented by smooth curves. Given two curves f1, f2 in G/H, relative geodesics are defined to be critical curves of the total energy of curves in G that can transform one curve to the other. Chapter 3 formulates the Euler-Lagrange equation that relative geodesics follow and discusses some cases including where f1 and f2 are geodesics, f1 and f2 are curves on S2 with G = SO(3) and H = SO(2), and finally where f1 and f2 are constant speed curves. From the perspective of theory, left Lie reduction is a technique to study variational curves in Lie groups introduced by Noakes [2003]; Noakes and Popiel [2006]; Popiel and Noakes [2007b]. Chapter 4 generalises this technique to investigate variational curves in homogeneous space G/H with the help of results about Riemannian submersions. Much attention is paid to Riemannian cubics, Riemannian cubics in tension and elastica in the case where G/H is a Riemannian symmetric space. Note that the manifold SPD(n) of all n × n symmetric positive-definite matrices is neither a Lie group with respect to the standard matrix multiplication nor a symmet-
Frequency Control of Power System with Renewable Power Sources by HVDC Interconnection Line and Battery Considering Energy Balancing

Recently, introduction of renewable energy sources like wind power generation and photovoltaic power generation has been increasing from the viewpoint of environmental problems. However, renewable energy power supplies have unstable output due to the influence of weather conditions such as wind speed variations, which may cause fluctuations of voltage and frequency in the power system. This paper proposes fuzzy PD based virtual inertia control system to decrease frequency fluctuations in power system caused by fluctuating output of renewable energy sources. The proposed new method is based on the coordinated control of HVDC interconnection line and battery, and energy balancing control is also incorporated in it. Finally, it is concluded that the proposed system is very effective for suppressing the frequency fluctuations of the power system due to the large-scale wind power generation and solar power generation and also for keeping the energy balancing in the HVDC transmission line.
Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase in the australian freshwater shrimp (Paratya australiensis) by profenofos

Profenofos induced significant inhibitory effects on the AChE activity of Paratya australiensis ranging from >40% inhibition at sublethal concentrations of 0.1 to 1.0 μg/L to >80% inhibition at lethal concentrations of ≥10 μg/L. Sublethal chronic exposure (21 d) at a concentration of 0.15 μg/L caused persistent reduction in AChE activity of up to 60%, whereas recovery of AChE activity to normal levels from a 24-h exposure to 0.1 μg/L profenofos required less than 9 d. Shrimp were exposed to 0.1 μg/L profenofos for 24 h and then allowed a period of recovery in pesticide-free water; at the end of this treatment the AChE activity of affected shrimp approached control level. Subsequent 24-h exposures with intermittent stay in pesticide-free water for the same duration as the initial recovery phase resulted in greater inhibition in AChE activity as compared to the initial 24-h exposure. Furthermore, the AChE activity of shrimp at the end of the recovery phases remained significantly depressed.
GENRE PREDICTION FOR MUSIC RECOMMENDATION USING MACHINE LEARNING

Music applications are one of the most used applications in the world. Consumers can hear the song they like but difficult for them to find songs from the vast number of songs list. The flow of this paper is to increase the efficiency of music recommendation in terms of the genre based on the decision-tree which helps the users to get the music according to their preferences. This model uses age and gender as an input set and genre as output. The model will predict the genre according to age and gender and the decision tree helps to reduce the complexity of the model.
Ecological Significance of Crown Functional Traits Across Size Classes and Disturbance Environments in Eight Pioneer Species in a Sri Lankan Rain Forest

Information on tree crown characteristics has been used in forestry to assess tree and ecosystem health and productivity. Although there are well known differences in crown functional traits between light-demanding pioneer species and later successional species, data is limited usually to regeneration phases. Further, information on variation between species within the pioneer guild is needed in order to select pioneer species for facilitation of reforestation, more shade demanding species, and for monitoring and evaluation of such efforts. In this study we assessed three crown functional characteristics—crown surface area, crown volume, and live crown ratio—in eight pioneer species commonly found in the tropical rain forests of Sri Lanka: Alstonia macrophylla Wallich ex G. Don, Dillenia triquetra (Rottb.) Gilg, Macaranga indica Wight, Macaranga peltata (Roxb.) Muell, Melastoma malabathricum L. , Schumacheria castaneifolia Vahl, Trema orientalis (L.) Blume, and Wendlandia bicuspidata Wight & Arn. We modeled the influence of species, tree size, and environmental factors on these crown functional traits in seedling, sapling, and larger tree size classes using generalized linear models. We found that the disturbance environment was only influential at the larger tree size class. For smaller size classes, the majority of the variation in crown characteristics was explained by tree size characteristics. In larger trees, among the three functional traits, live crown ratio showed the strongest relationship with the disturbance environment and crown surface area and crown volume had higher correlation with tree height and diameter. While crown characteristics were influenced by species irrespective of size class, in the larger trees species varied in their relationship between tree crown functional traits and the disturbance environment. In larger trees, four species—M. indica, D. triquetra, S. castaneifolia, and W. bicuspidata, which are more commonly found in small gaps—had stronger relationships between crown surface area, live crown ratio and canopy openness than T. orientalis and M. peltata, which are more commonly found in large canopy openings, and A. macrophylla and M. malabathricum, two generalist species. The small gap specialists may develop deeper crowns to overcome the short duration of direct light in small gaps and more efficiently utilize lateral light which is a larger fraction of total light in these environments compared to large canopy openings. The differences among species must be considered in selecting pioneers for reforestation efforts and designing silvicultural treatments. We recommend a step wise introduction of species starting with the more high light restricted and generalist pioneers followed by the small gap restricted species and finally the late successional species.