Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Management, the Endangered Species Act, and the Institutional Challanges of New Age Environmental Protection

As Professor Sax points out in his thoughtful paper,l the Endangered Species Act (ESA)2 has been in many respects at the leading edge of environmental law for the last few years. From its humble beginnings as an uncontroversial expression of concern for charismatic species, the ESA has metamorphosed into a lightning rod for conflict and a case study in political experimentation. That should be no surprise because the ESA, for better or worse, is at the center of our efforts to resolve the most difficult question in environmental policy: how much room should we leave for nature? Related questions that have proven nearly as daunting include who should decide what protective actions we take and how we should distribute the costs of those actions. In recent years, the ESA has become a focal point for broad societal debates over such fundamental issues as the limits of regulatory power over private property;3 the respective roles of local, state, and federal governments in environmental protection;4 and the extent to which individual citizens should be able to influence environmental policy.s
Geometric-Invariant Image Watermarking by Object-Oriented Embedding

Summary Traditional digital watermarking techniques often treat the image as a set of pixels rather than a set of objects. Under these schemes, the resistance to geometrical attacks is a difficult problem because the image pixels are sensitive to geometrical distortions. Once the watermarked image is altered by geometrical operations, pixels are disturbed and the recovery is difficult especially when the blind watermarking is a must. In this paper, we propose a simple watermarking scheme which is blind-detectable, computational-efficient, and robust against geometrical attacks and signal processing, in addition, the embedding capacity is reasonable. The proposed object-oriented watermarking scheme is based on the assumption that even the malicious attackers would not destroy the user-attentive objects (the so-called principal objects) in the images too much, so embedding watermark in these objects are more robust to geometrical alternations or signal processing than in the whole image. We extract segments contained in the principal object, and embed watermarks in one of the extracted segments. Experiments show promising results. This fact encourages us to do further researches on object-oriented watermarking which analyzes the host images from the viewpoints of human vision
Iron triggers colony formation in Phaeocystis antarctica : connecting molecular mechanisms with iron biogeochemistry

Abstract. Phaeocystis antarctica is an important phytoplankter of the Ross Sea where it dominates the early season bloom after sea ice retreat and is a major contributor to carbon export. The factors that influence Phaeocystis colony formation and the resultant Ross Sea bloom initiation have been of great scientific interest, yet there is little known about the underlying mechanisms responsible for these phenomena. Here, we present laboratory and field studies on Phaeocystis antarctica grown under multiple iron conditions using a coupled proteomic and transcriptomic approach. P. antarctica had a lower iron limitation threshold than a Ross Sea diatom Chaetoceros sp. , and at increased iron nutrition (> 120 pM Fe') a shift from flagellate cells to a majority of colonial cells in P. antarctica was observed, implying a role for iron as a trigger for colony formation. Proteome analysis revealed an extensive and coordinated shift in proteome structure linked to iron availability and life cycle transitions with 327 and 436 proteins significantly different between low and high iron in strains 1871 and 1374, respectively. The enzymes flavodoxin and plastocyanin that can functionally replace iron metalloenzymes were observed at low iron treatments consistent with cellular iron sparing strategies, with plastocyanin being more dynamic in range. The numerous isoforms of the putative iron-starvation induced protein ISIP group (ISIP2A and ISIP3) had abundance patterns coincided with that of either low or high iron (and coincident flagellate or the colonial cell types in strain 1871), implying that there may be specific iron acquisition systems for each life cycle type. The proteome analysis also revealed numerous structural proteins associated with each cell type: within flagellate cells actin and tubulin from flagella and haptonema structures as well as a suite of calcium-binding proteins with EF domains were observed. In the colony-dominated samples a variety of structural proteins were observed that are also often found in multicellular organisms including spondins, lectins, fibrillins, and glycoproteins with von Willebrand domains. A large number of proteins of unknown function were identified that became abundant at either high and low iron availability. These results were compared to the first metaproteomic analysis of a Ross Sea Phaeocystis bloom to connect the mechanistic information to the in situ ecology and biogeochemistry. Proteins associated with both flagellate and colonial cells were observed in the bloom sample consistent with the need for both cell types within a growing bloom. Bacterial iron storage and B 12 biosynthesis proteins were also observed consistent with chemical synergies within the colony microbiome to cope with the biogeochemical conditions. Together these responses reveal a complex, highly coordinated effort by P. antarctica to regulate its phenotype at the molecular level in response to iron and provide a window into the biology, ecology, and biogeochemistry of this group.
MMW FM-CW ground-based SAR

This paper presents the design of two ground based synthetic aperture radar (GB-SAR) systems working at 94 and 300 GHz respectively. Frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FM-CW) technique is used for both systems, being described in the first section. Afterwards the first design at 94GHz is presented, explaining its geometry of exploration and describing the architecture of the W-band radar setup. Regarding the integrated receiver system, two models of low noise (LNA) and medium power amplifiers are disclosed, presenting noise figure and S parameters curves comprising frequencies between 75 and 110 GHz (W-band). Finally the second radar setup working at 300GHz is presented, depicting the hardware block diagram and explaining the main performance parameters of the system.
The relationship between toxoplasmosis and different types of human tumors.

INTRODUCTION Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan that may disrupt the traditional cell barriers against cancer, allowing the accumulation of oncogenic mutations over time. Our research aimed to explore the relationship between T. gondii infection and tumor development. METHODOLOGY The anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies were tested for156 patients with tumors (51 with breast cancer, 20 with hepatoma, 20 with larynx carcinoma, 20 with squamous cell carcinoma of bone, 16 with lymphoma, 13 with brain tumor, 4 with bladder cancer and 12 with benign uterine tumor) and 90 healthy controls by using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Tissue specimens were collected from T. gondii seropositive cases for histological and immunohistochemistry (IHC) examinations. RESULTS The seroprevalence of human toxoplasmosis in the Sharkia Governorate, Egypt is significantly correlated with various types of tumors: breast cancer in 49 subjects (96.1%), and squamous cell carcinoma of bone in 16 subjects (80%). It was also present in nine cases of brain tumors. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG was detected in seven cases of liver tumors and one-quarter of bladder cancer. The anti- Toxoplasma IgM was present in three patients with benign uterine tumors, one patient with a bone tumor and two patients with breast cancer. Toxoplasma cysts were detected in immunostained brain sections. CONCLUSION The correlation between T. gondii infection and tumors was established by this study indicating a significant emerging role of human toxoplasmosis in the etiology or existence of particular types of tumors.
Virtual sensing for gearbox condition monitoring based on extreme learning machine

Gearbox, as a critical component to convert speed and torque to maintain machinery normal operation in the industrial processes, has been received and still needs considerable attentions to ensure its reliable operation. Direct sensing and indirect sensing techniques are widely used for gearbox condition monitoring and fault diagnosis, but both have Pros and Cons. To bridge their gaps and enhance the performance of early fault diagnosis, this paper presents a new virtual sensing technique based on extreme learning machine (ELM) for gearbox degradation status estimation. By fusing the features extracted from indirect sensing measurements (e.g. in-process vibration measurement), ELM based virtual sensing model could infer the gearbox condition which was usually directly indicated by the direct sensing measurements (e.g. offline oil debris mass (ODM)). Different state-of-the-art dimension reduction techniques have been investigated for feature selection and fusion including principal component analysis (PCA) and its kernel version, locality preserving projection (LPP) method. The effectiveness of the presented virtual sensing technique is experimentally validated by the sensing measurements from a spiral bevel gear test rig. The experimental results show that the estimated gearbox condition by the virtual sensing model based on ELM and kernel PCA well follows the trend of truth data and presents the better performance over the support vector regression based virtual sensing scheme.
Prevalence of smoking among male secondary school students in Arar City, Saudi Arabia

Introduction Tobacco is one of the leading preventable cause of death worldwide. Tobacco consumption among teenagers is a major public health problem, especially in developing countries. Younger smokers are more liable to smoking complications. The objectives were to evaluate the prevalence of smoking among male secondary school students in the Northern Borders region, KSA. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Arar city. Four schools were chosen randomly from 21 secondary schools. A total of 240 students responded to the pre-designed questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions on demographic factors, smoking behavior and knowledge about smoking hazards. Results Prevalence of current smoking among male secondary school students is 40.8%. Cigarette smoking was the most common type (67.3%) followed by Shish smoking (22.4%). Few students (2.1%) reported other forms of smoking, example (Hashish). Of the studied group, 39.8% smoke on a daily basis with 29.6% of them smoke more than five cigarettes per day. Conclusion Smoking is a prevalent habit among teenagers. Special concern should be directed to smoking cessation campaigns with behavioral, legal and economic interventions.
Students’ Experiences and Perceptions of Interprofessional Supervision on Placement

This study aimed to explore perceptions and experiences of Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Therapy students regarding interprofessional supervision during an interprofessional rural schools placement. Eight participants were recruited to participate in three semi-structured, one-to-one interviews conducted by phone before, during, and after the placement. The interviews were transcribed verbatim for subsequent thematic analysis. Our findings indicate that whilst participants valued the interprofessional peer supervision afforded by interprofessional placements, they entered interprofessional placements with misguided assumptions and expectations regarding interprofessional supervision from supervisors. This appeared to contribute to their largely negative perceptions of interprofessional supervision resulting in the devaluing of interprofessional supervision now and possibly in the future. This exploratory study presents a unique insight into the limitations of interprofessional supervision, and the critical need for interprofessional supervisor training and student preparation before placements. Follow-up research is required to expand on these findings so the limitations are addressed. This may enable interprofessional supervisors to provide better learning experiences, increasing students’ acceptance and appreciation of interprofessional supervision.
The Effects of High Fidelity Simulation on Nursing Students' Perceptions and Self-Efficacy of Obstetric Skills

Introduction: Simulation fills the gap between theory and practice as a method of student-centered learning and performance assessment. Simulation-based learning is a commonly used teaching tool that provides opportunities for students to learn and apply theoretical principles of nursing care in a safe environment. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nursing students’ perception of obstetric high fidelity simulation and its effects on their knowledge, skills, and critical thinking. Method: A descriptive, and correlational study design was utilized. Convenience sampling was conducted among junior level baccalaureate nursing students who were enrolled in a maternal child health nursing course at a large public university. The simulation experiences included nine different scenarios that highlighted critical obstetric concepts. Three instruments were used to gather data: (a) a demographic survey, (b) the Simulation Evaluation Form, and (c) the Simulation Design Scale. Student feedback also was assessed through qualitative open-ended questions. There were three simulation sessions. One hundredtwenty students participated in the simulation training as observers with the following response rates for each session: I (80.5 %), II (75.9 %), III (66.6 %). The response rate for the simulation participants was 100 % (36/36) for all sessions. The collected data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software and the level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: The majority of the participants were female (79.7 %) and the mean age was 23.6 years. The findings indicated that simulation activities improved students’ perception of learning. There was a positivie correlation between the amount of simulation a student had experienced and the perception of simulation. The qualitative analysis of open ended questions revealed five themes: satisfaction, skills/knowledge, confidence/critical thinking, cooperation/communication, and fidelity Conclusion: The findings of the study indicated that respondents felt positive about high fidelity simulation experience. Further research is needed to identify components of simulation effectiveness with a larger sample size.
Holistic Environmental Impact Assessment : Hybridisation of Life Cycle Assessment and Quantitative Risk Assessment

Global and local environmental impacts of products or services can sometimes be in conflict with one another. Therefore, the importance of considering both impacts in environmental management must be recognised. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is useful in evaluating global impacts while quantitative risk assessment (QRA) is effective in local impact assessments. The benefits of combining LCA and QRA in this regard have been recognised. Advantages and disadvantages of different hybridisation approaches were critically examined in this paper. There seems to be no single best approach and a method needs to be carefully selected depending on the type of application. © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Peer-review under responsibility of the International Scientific Committee of the Conference “22nd CIRP conference on Life Cycle
Impact of CAP Pillar II Payments on Agricultural Productivity

The impact of agricultural subsidies on productivity has long been discussed in the literature without any clear conclusions. Many studies attempted to shed light on the topic by using various methods and data (mostly relying on geographically limited farm-level data). Depending on the model specification, statistical method and data source mixed results are reported. This study aims at estimating the impact of common agricultural policy Pillar II payments on agricultural productivity by using NUTS-2 level data for the years 2007-2013 for the EU member state countries. We use a rather novel approach by simultaneously estimating a CES production function with productivity coefficients linked to the Pillar II payments. We use 4 categories of Pillar II payments (i.e. human capital, physical capital, agro-environmental and rural development) to explain the total factor productivity in agricultural sector. Our results suggest that regions receiving higher Pillar II payments for physical capital investments, human capital development or agro-environmental measures increase productivity. On the other hand, payments related to rural development do not have significant impact on productivity. The results do not change among the member states, date of access to the EU (i.e. old or new member states), spatial characteristics (i.e. being in the south, north or east) or size of the countries (i.e. big or small economies).
Phenol and cresol mixture degradation by Aspergillus awamori strain: biochemical and kinetic substrate interactions

The mixture of phenol and 4-methylphenol (p-cresol) effect on the growth behavior and degradation capacity of Aspergillus awamori strain was investigated. The phenol hydroxylase activity modulation depending on substrates included in the media was established. The enzyme hydroxylation of benzene-1,4-diol (hydroquinone) or 4-methylbenzene-1,2-diol (p-methylcatechol) goes better compared with phenol or p-cresol substrates used in the enzyme assay. The mathematical models describing the single substrate as well as the mutual influence of phenol and p-cresol mixture were developed on the bases of Haldane kinetics. The interaction coefficients (Iph/cr, Icr/ph) indicated the degree to which phenol affects the biodegradation of cresol and vice versa were estimated.
Framework for Evaluation of Enterprise Software in IT Service Management of Small and Medium Enterprises

The paper is concerned with problems arising in the process of management of enterprise software integration for better fitting to business needs through evaluation its performance and user’s satisfaction. The method assumed to be used on the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to substitute expensive and high human recourse demanded methods. The paper describes the enterprise software evaluation method which was tested in three SMEs. The method and findings of this work can certainly be useful for SMEs that need to evaluate their enterprise software to clarify how it suits to their business processes and what the end-users experiences in working process.
Early representatives of the belemnite genus Belemnella (Cephalopoda) from the uppermost Campanian–Lower Maastrichtian of the Middle Vistula River section, central Poland

Representatives of the belemnite genus Belemnella from the uppermost Campanian and lowermost Maastrichtian of the Middle Vistula River Valley section (central Poland) have been studied, using the species concept proposed by Schulz in 1979. Results have been compared to a recently proposed new interpretation of the genus Belemnella based on artificial neural networks, as put forward by Remin in 2007 and 2012. In the interval studied, four taxa have been recognised: Bln . longissima , Bln . inflata , Bln . obtusa and Bln . vistulensis , the last-named being a senior synonym of Bln . pseudobtusa . Three additional forms have been left in open nomenclature: Bln. cf. lanceolata, Bln. ex gr. lanceolata/inflata and Belemnella sp. Based on their documented vertical ranges, three Belemnella standard zones, as originally distinguished in the Kronsmoor section by Schulz (1979), northern Germany, have been defined, in ascending order: the Bln . lanceolata , Bln . vistulensis and Bln . obtusa zones. The bases of the lanceolata and obtusa zones in the Middle Vistula River Valley section can be directly correlated with the same zones at Kronsmoor, and appear to be isochronous within limits of stratigraphic resolution. The base of the vistulensis Zone ( Bln . vistulensis according to the species concept of Schulz in 1979), however, is probably diachronous, being older in the Middle Vistula section. Although Schulz’s and Remin’s species concepts differ quite considerably, they do result in similar stratigraphic subdivisions of the Kronsmoor and Middle Vistula River sections.
Do magnetic fields enhance turbulence at low magnetic Reynolds number

Imposing a magnetic field on a turbulent flow of electrically conducting fluid incurs the Joule effect. A current paradigm is that the corresponding dissipation increases with the intensity of the magnetic field, and as a result turbulent fluctuations are all the more damped as the magnetic field is strong. While this idea finds apparent support in the phenomenology of decaying turbulence, measurements of turbulence in duct flows and other, more complex configurations have produced seemingly contradicting results. The root of the controversy is that magnetic fields promote sufficient scale-dependent anisotropy to profoundly reorganise the structure of turbulence, so their net effect cannot be understood in terms of the additional dissipation only. Here we show that when turbulence is forced in a magnetic field that acts on turbulence itself rather than on the mechanisms that generate it, the field promotes large, nearly 2D structures capturing sufficient energy to offset the loss due to Joule dissipation, with the net effect of increasing the intensity of turbulent fluctuations. This change of paradigm potentially carries important consequences for systems as diverse as the liquid cores of planets, accretion disks and a wide range of metallurgical and nuclear engineering applications.
Real-time EEG signal processing based on TI’s TMS320C6713 DSK

As one of the most powerful DSP products of Texas Instruments, the TMS320C6x DSPs have been used in a variety of areas in industries for real-time signal processing applications (e.g., communication, radar system, hearing aid etc.), and in research agencies for developing advanced algorithms and prototyping of a DSP system for specific applications. In education, the C6x DSPs were also widely used as a tool for bridging the gap between the digital signal processing theory and practical applications. The hardware-based laboratories have been successfully integrated into the digital signal processing course at many universities. However, most labs were designed only for very common signal processing problems such as the FIR/IIR filter design, FFT and so on. In this paper, a system for real-time EEG (electroencephalograph) signal acquisition, processing and presentation was proposed and will be implemented with the Texas Instrument’s TMS320C6713 DSK being used as the hardware platform. As a practical application of C6713 DSK in biomedical signal processing, this project is designed as a complement of the current DSP laboratories of the Digital Signal Processors course for senior level undergraduates/graduates in Biomedical Engineering Technology Program (BMET) at the university. After the completion of the project, students are expected to be able to understand the scheme of a real world DSP system, process EEG signals for specific applications and gain the experience in processing the real world signals. In addition, this project is also intended for preparing the motivated high level students for future career in biomedical signal processing areas.