Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lessons from integrating behaviour and resource selection: activity‐specific responses of African wild dogs to roads

Understanding how anthropogenic features affect species' abilities to move within landscapes is essential to conservation planning and requires accurate assessment of resource selection for movement by focal species. Yet, the extent to which an individual's behavioural state (e.g. foraging, resting, commuting) influences resource selection has largely been ignored. Recent advances in Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking technology can fill this gap by associating distinct behavioural states with location data. We investigated the role of behaviour in determining the responses of an endangered species of carnivore, the African wild dog Lycaon pictus, to one of the most widespread forms of landscape alteration globally: road systems. We collected high‐resolution GPS and activity data from 13 wild dogs in northern Botswana over a 2‐year period. We employed a step selection framework to measure resource selection across three behavioural states identified from activity data (high‐speed running, resting and travelling) and across a gradient of habitats and seasons, and compared these outputs to a full model that did not parse for behaviour. The response of wild dogs to roads varied markedly with both the behavioural and the landscape contexts in which roads were encountered. Specifically, wild dogs selected roads when travelling, ignored roads when high‐speed running and avoided roads when resting. This distinction was not evident when all movement data were considered together in the full model. When travelling, selection for roads increased in denser vegetative environments, suggesting that roads may enhance movement for this species. Our findings indicate that including behavioural information in resource selection models is critical to understanding wildlife responses to landscape features and suggest that successful application of resource selection analyses to conservation planning requires explicit examination of the behavioural contexts in which movement occurs. Thus, behaviour‐specific step selection functions offer a powerful tool for identifying resource selection patterns for animal behaviours of conservation significance.
Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation regulates cognitive deficit in the stroke rats by non-neuronal cholinergic system

Background: Cholinergic neuroprotein plays a vital role in the cognitive improvement. The release and uptake of acetylcholine (Ach) is mediated by the organic cation transporters (OCT) and choline high-affinity transporter (CHT) which is named as non-neuronal cholinergic system (NNCS). This study was to investigate the effect of transcutaneous vasgus nerve stimulation (tVNS) on the cognitive deficit after stroke via cholinergic release and uptake. Methods: Seventy SPF adult male Sprague-Dawley were randomly divided into seven groups: Sham cerebral ischemia and perfusion (I/R), I/R, I/R+tVNS, I/R+hemicholinium-3 (HEM), I/R+HEM+tVNS, I/R+omeprazole (OME), I/R+OME+tVNS. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) induced I/R model was evaluated and assessed by neurological score and modified neurological severity score (mNSS). Drugs intervention, tVNS and Morris water maze test for cognitive assessment were performed from Day 3 to Day 7. HEM and OME was the antagonist of CHT1 and OCT1 respectively. Infarct volume was analyzed by triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. The choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), carnitine acetyltransferase (CarAT), organic cation transporters 1 (OCT1) and high-affinity choline transporter 1 (CHT1) in the hippocampus were analyzed by QPCR and Western blot. Results: After I/R model induced by MCAO successfully, rats had higher neurological score and mNSS as well as the lower mRNA and protein expressions of ChAT, CarAT, OCT1 and CHT1. It was found that tVNS reversed the damage induced by MCAO, and also evaluated the ChAT, CarAT, OCT1 and CHT1. After the inhibitor of OCT1 and CHT1 involved, tVNS was not able to promote the expressions of ChAT and CarAT as well as improve the cognitive function. Conclusions: This finding suggested tVNS had potential to facilitate the cognitive deficit after stroke and its mechanism may have closely related with Ach release and uptake via NNCS.
Evaluation of the association between AT1R1166C polymorphism and the incidence of cad and CAC score in the Iranian population

Most of the physiological effects of Ag II are mediated by the angiotensin II type 1 receptor. Polymorphisms of the AT1R gene can affect the function of this receptor and subsequent atherogenic activity. In this study we investigated the correlation between AT1R A1166C polymorphism and coronary artery calcification (CAC), a marker of the coronary artery burden. Fifty CAD patients and fifty healthy individuals fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria entered this study. CAC was determined in the left main coronary artery (LMCA), left coronary artery (LCA), right coronary artery (RCA) and CX by CT-angiography and a blood sample was taken at this time. DNA extracted from whole blood leuko- cytes was analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment-length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. There were no significant differences in genotype and allele frequencies between the CAD and control groups. The mean calcium score was compared in genotypes and alleles and no significant difference was seen. In addition, the frequency of genotypes and alleles was not significantly different in the calcium score groups (low 400). An analysis was performed separately in males and females and no significant correlation was found. According to our results, no association was found between AT1R1166C polymorphism and the incidence of CAD and CAC score in our study population.
Target amplicon exome-sequencing identifies promising diagnosis and prognostic markers involved in RTK-RAS and PI3K-AKT signaling as central oncopathways in primary central nervous system lymphoma

Exome-sequencing for somatic mutation detection and copy number variation analysis are effective and valid methods for evaluating human cancers in current molecular medicine. We conducted target amplicon exome-sequencing analyses using PCR target enrichment and next-generation sequencing on Ion Proton semiconductor sequencers. Twenty-seven primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) specimens and their corresponding noncancerous tissues were used for multiplex PCR amplification to obtain targeted coverages of the entire coding regions of 409 cancer-related genes. The average of the total numbers of somatic mutations including single-nucleotide variations and insertion/deletion mutations in each specimen was 13.3. Of these, the average of the ratios of nonsynonymous substitutions in each specimen was 74.8%. The most frequent mutations in 27 specimens were in PIM1, MYD88, CD79B, DST, IRF4, ERBB3, MYH11, DCC, and KMT2D. Furthermore, somatic mutations of MYH11 were related to poor prognoses in PCNSL patients. Copy number variations were also duplicated and/or deleted from deep-sequencing in segmental genomic islands. In addition to these prognostic marker candidates, analysis of RTK-RAS-MAPK signaling and the PTEN-PI3K-AKT proapoptotic pathway showed that somatic activations and aberrations, respectively, may be involved in a promising central oncopathway harboring mTOR, c-Myc, FOXO1, and p53. This study provides a foundation for molecular targeted therapies based on genome diagnostics and prognosis in PCNSL.
Management of Incidental Findings in Clinical Genomic Sequencing Studies

Whole-genome approaches, which are replacing targeted tests in research and clinical practice, increase the chances of ‘incidental findings’ (IFs) – that is, those unrelated to the reason for the test. IFs raise several challenging questions, such as are researchers obliged to disclose IFs, and does this change if the researcher is also a clinician? How can the clinical significance of IFs be determined, and what significance level should determine disclosure? Could family members be tested to help to clarify significance, and if so, how? What should happen if adult-onset risks are found in children or prenatally? No consensus currently exists about disclosing IFs from research, or about how participants can be helped to make decisions about and give consent (not) to receive them. We recommend that as more research studies that use genome-wide tests are launched, longitudinal empirical work be conducted to explore participants' experiences and inform best practice for consent and, where relevant, feedback.
Reversal Effect of Doxorubicin on Arteether Resistance in Rodent Malaria Parasite Plasmodium vinckei

Artemisinin based combination therapies may effectively reverse the resistance in malaria parasite by reversal agents. Here, we are first time showing arteether (ART) drug resistance reversal in Plasmodium vinckei by using Doxorubicin (DOXO). We hypothesized that oxidative stress catabolism may interfere with DOXO, resulting increased the efficacy of ART. We show the synergetic effect of DOXO with ART by complete suppression of parasitemia till day 10 post treatment. In addition, results also showed higher Activity Enhancement Index (AEI) of ART. These studies propose the possibility of ART drug combination that may be helpful in reducing the chance of resistance development.
Carbonate Melts and Carbonatites

Carbonatites are familiar to students of petrology as rare igneous rocks formed predominantly of carbonate, whose only modern expression is a single active volcano that erupts strongly alkaline carbonate lavas with no direct match in Earth’s geological record (see Lengai movie in the electronic version of this chapter or on the MSA RiMG website). Based on their Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data, stable isotopic compositions, noble gases, and experimental phase equilibria, they are derived from the mantle, showing almost no sign of contamination by the crust. As liquids, carbonate melts have remarkable physical properties, which set them apart from the alkaline silicate melts with which they are often temporally associated. They show very high solubilities of many elements considered rare in silicate magmas, and they have the highest known melt capacities for dissolving water and other volatile species like halogens at crustal pressures. They are highly efficient transport agents of carbon from the mantle to the crust, remaining mobile over extraordinary ranges of temperature, and their very low viscosity should enhance connectivity along grain boundaries in the mantle where they are implicated in geochemical enrichment processes related to metasomatism. Most carbonatites have unambiguous origins in the mantle and the limit to their depth is not known, but the likelihood that they may exist in the lower mantle (Kaminsky et al. 2009, 2012; Stoppa et al. 2009) needs to be appraised since they may exert a fundamental control on the mobility and long-term storage of deep carbon in Earth. Ultimately the stability of carbonate melt is an extension of the stability of carbonate minerals (Hazen et al. 2013a,b) subject critically to the mantle oxidation state (Luth 1993; Frost and McCammon 2008); carbonate-melts have also been predicted in the oceanic low-velocity zone and deep mantle (Hauri et al. 1993 …
Undermining Intrinsic Motivation

This paper will examine the possible effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation in Preschool to College students and argue that extrinsic rewards undermine intrinsic motivation. The Overjustification hypothesis by self-perception theory, as well as the cognitive evaluation theory (CET) will be discussed, including some of the benefits of self-motivation for learning. Various studies will be explored to show that extrinsic rewards reduce intrinsic motivation. Results suggest that students that are offered an extrinsic goal subsequently show less intrinsic interest and demonstrate poorer conceptual learning and performance in the long term. Alternately, students that are regulated by intrinsic motivations experience positive consequences at school. This paper will conclude on the note that intrinsic motivation plays a pivotal role in learning, and that teachers and other social agents can help promote intrinsic goals to motivate conceptual learning and performance, even when students hold a stronger extrinsic goal orientation. Finally, various factors that can enhance and develop intrinsic motivation will be discussed, and suggestions will be provided for further research on this topic.
SEMANTIC ENRICHMENT OF INDOOR MOBILE LASER SCANNER POINT CLOUDS AND TRAJECTORIES

State-of-the-art indoor mobile laser scanners allow the user to map challenging environments such as multi-story buildings and staircases while continuously walking through the environment. The trajectory of the laser scanner gives insights about indoor spaces and topological relations between them. Thus, analyzing the point cloud and the trajectory can automate the process of labeling them with information about the spaces such as floors, staircases, and rooms. In this research, the point cloud is analyzed with the help of the scanner trajectory to automate the labeling process. Analyzing the scanner trajectory as a standalone dataset is used to identify the staircases and to separate the floors. Also, it is used to infer the indoor spaces by analyzing the operator behavior during the scanning process. By processing the point cloud with the trajectory, the doors which are traversed by the trajectory are identified, and the spaces are labeled by transferring the labels from the annotated trajectory to the point cloud. The labels include floors, staircases, doorways, and rooms.
Tropospheric jet response to Antarctic ozone depletion: An update with Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative (CCMI) models

The Southern Hemisphere (SH) zonal-mean circulation change in response to Antarctic ozone depletion is re-visited by examining a set of the latest model simulations archived for the Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative (CCMI) project. All models reasonably well reproduce Antarctic ozone depletion in the late 20th century. The related SH-summer circulation changes, such as a poleward intensification of westerly jet and a poleward expansion of the Hadley cell, are also well captured. All experiments exhibit quantitatively the same multi-model mean trend, irrespective of whether the ocean is coupled or prescribed. Results are also quantitatively similar to those derived from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) high-top model simulations in which the stratospheric ozone is mostly prescribed with monthly- and zonally-averaged values. These results suggest that the ozone-hole-induced SH-summer circulation changes are robust across the models irrespective of the specific chemistry-atmosphere-ocean coupling.
Mobile App Evolution Analysis Based on User Reviews

The user reviews of mobile apps are important assets that reflect the users’ needs and complaints about particular apps regarding features, usability, and designs. From investigating the content of such reviews, the app developers can acquire useful information guiding the future maintenance and evolution work. Previous studies on opinion mining in mobile app reviews have provided various approaches to eliciting such critical information. A particular update of an app can provide changes to the app that result in users’ reversed opinions, as well as, specific new complaints or praises. However, limited studies focus on eliciting the user opinions regarding a particular mobile app update, or the impact the update imposes. In this paper, we propose a method for systematically studying and analyzing the evolution of the users’ opinions taking into consideration a set of mobile app updates. For doing so, we compare the topics appearing in the users’ reviews before and after the updates. We also validate the method with an experiment on an existing mobile app.
Agent-Aided 3D Symbiotic Space

In this paper, we propose 3D space which is based on concept of real and digital spaces symbiosis. Recently, collaborative work environments which are using Augmented Reality have been expected to realize effective collaborative works. However, these environments have some limitations. One limitations is restricted availability of devices, and another limitation is low usability. Because of these limitations, it is difficult to utilize these environments, for general users. To break these limitations, we propose the construction scheme of 3D symbiotic space. Collaborative work environments based on 3D symbiotic space enable users to do collaborative works intuitively as if virtual spaces united with the real space. First, we present fundamental technologies for 3D symbiotic space. Next, we show the design and implementation of the agent-aided collaborative work environments based on 3D symbiotic space. Finally, we confirm feasibility of 3D symbiotic space with experimental results.
Genetic Basis of Variation for Fiber Quality and Quality Related Biochemical Traits in Bt and non-Bt Colored Cotton

Waqas Malik, Muhammad Shahzad Asghar Shah, Muhammad Ali Abid, Ghulam Qanmber, Etrat Noor, Abdul Qayyum, Chengzhen Liang, Sandui Guo and Rui Zhang Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China Genomics Lab, Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan For correspondence: zhangrui@caas.cn; Tel: 86-10-82106127 Abstract
Adversarially Occluded Samples for Person Re-identification

Person re-identification (ReID) is the task of retrieving particular persons across different cameras. Despite its great progress in recent years, it is still confronted with challenges like pose variation, occlusion, and similar appearance among different persons. The large gap between training and testing performance with existing models implies the insufficiency of generalization. Considering this fact, we propose to augment the variation of training data by introducing Adversarially Occluded Samples. These special samples are both a) meaningful in that they resemble real-scene occlusions, and b) effective in that they are tough for the original model and thus provide the momentum to jump out of local optimum. We mine these samples based on a trained ReID model and with the help of network visualization techniques. Extensive experiments show that the proposed samples help the model discover new discriminative clues on the body and generalize much better at test time. Our strategy makes significant improvement over strong baselines on three large-scale ReID datasets, Market1501, CUHK03 and DukeMTMC-reID.
Conceptual site or project models for sustainability assessment

This paper explores adaptation of basic contaminated land risk management methodologies to sustainable regeneration and remediation: For a sustainability effect to be manifest there needs to be a “pressure” of some kind, a “receptor” that can be affected by that pressure; and, crucially, a mechanism through which the pressure influences the receptor. All three: pressure, mechanism and receptor need to be present and linked for a sustainability effect to exist – i.e. a sustainability linkage; A relatively straight forward conceptual model of sustainability can be described on a site specific basis (site conceptual model) using sustainability linkages These can be evaluated for their importance (significance) in a consistent way Not all effects will be large enough to cause a noticeable benefit or harm and thresholds can often be described A conceptual site model for sustainability can assist design, option appraisal, verification and valuation for regeneration projects. A site conceptual model of sustainability can facilitate better project design and improve overall project value by explicitly linking the different services a project is intended to provide to a vision of sustainability, and identifying opportunities for additional services and synergies between services. A case study has been used to illustrate these ideas based on a simple brownfield regeneration / remediation project for a risk management and revegetation.
Alterations of spontaneous brain activity in patients with asthma using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation : a resting-state fMRI study

Objective: Many previous studies demonstrated that the hypoxia led to the abnormal spontaneous brain activity, whereas the intrinsic brain activity changes in asthma patients remain unknown. The study aimed to evaluate the alterations of spontaneous brain activity in asthma patients using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method and its relationships with clinical features. Methods: A total of 27 patienits with asthma (17 males and 10 females) and 27 healthy controls (HCs) (17 males and 10 females) closely matched in age, sex, and education underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. The ALFF method was applied to assess spontaneous brain activity changes. Patients with asthma were distinguished from HCs by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The relationships between the mean ALFF signal values in many brain regions and clinical features in asthma patients were calculated by pearson correlation analysis. Results: Compared with HCs, the asthma patients had significantly lower ALFF in the bilateral cerebellum anterior lobe/brainstem/thalamus/putamen/posterior cingulate cortex/middle cingulate cortex/lingual gyrus (BA 18, 19, 23, 30) and left middle occipital gyrus (BA 18); In contract, the asthma patients showed higher ALFF values in the left cerebellum posterior lobe, left middle temporal gyrus (BA 20, 37), right middle temporal gyrus (BA 20, 21), left superior temporal gyrus (BA 53) and bilateral superior frontal gyrus/precentral gyrus (BA 4, 6, 8, 9). However, no relationship was found between the mean ALFF signal values of the different brain areas and the clinical manifestations in asthma patients. Conclusion: We demonstrated that asthma patients had abnormal spontaneous activities in many brain regions related to respiratory control and emotion control function, which might provide some useful informations to explain the neural mechanisms of clinical features including hypoxia, dyspnea and depression in asthma patients.
Concept Landscapes: Aggregating Concept Maps for Analysis

This article presents concept landscapes - a novel way of investigating the state and development of knowledge structures in groups of persons using concept maps. Instead of focusing on the assessment and evaluation of single maps, the data of many persons is aggregated, and data mining approaches are used in analysis. New insights into the "shared" knowledge of groups of learners are possible in this way. Electronic collection of concept maps makes it feasible to aggregate the data of a large group of persons, which in turn favors a data mining approach to analysis. The educational theories underlying the approach, the definition of concept landscapes, and accompanying analysis methods are presented. Cluster analysis and Pathfinder networks are used on the aggregated data, allowing new insights into the structural configuration of learners' knowledge. Two real-world research projects serve as case studies for experimental results. The data structures and analysis methods necessary for working with concept landscapes have been implemented in the freely available GNU R package CoMaTo.