Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
When morphology and molecules tell us different stories: a case-in-point with Leptodon corsicus, a new and unique endemic moss species from Corsica

Abstract Leptodon corsicus (Neckeraceae) is described as the first endemic moss species from Corsica. It strikingly differs from the other species of the genus by the lack of a dense and pinnate to bipinnate mode of branching; about 10 times smaller shoots that do not inroll upon drying; the lack of paraphyllia; and few, occasional small pseudoparaphyllia. Due to its small size and several leaf characters, L. corsicus shares at first glance more similarities with Homalia webbiana and Neckera besseri than with Leptodon. Yet, phylogenetic analysis of chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences unambiguously shows that L. corsicus is deeply nested within L. smithii. The numerous morphological characters that distinguish L. corsicus from L. smithii cannot be attributed to plasticity. Consequently, we interpret the phylogenetic position of L. corsicus as the result of a recent speciation process, involving mutations at one or a few coding loci or differences in gene expression, which have tremendous consequences for phenotypic appearance, and retention of ancestral polymorphism in the non-coding sequences used for phylogenetic reconstruction. Such an explanation might also apply to other species of mosses, which exhibit a striking morphology, and yet share identical non-coding sequences with the common species they derive from. The notion of species in mosses is discussed in this context.
Continuous cardiac output monitoring : Really continuous ?

associated with NRT in the critically ill. As highlighted previously, nicotine activates a7nAchR and can therefore attenuate the innate immune response, resulting in immune paralysis. As the major causes of death in the NRT group were pneumonia (n 5 4) and sepsis (n 5 3), this suggests that these patients were more susceptible to infections than were the control group, where two patients died of sepsis and none of other infections. Thus, the absence of increased mortality after NRT in non-critically ill patients in earlier trials may be explained by the fact that these patients were at a much lower risk of acquiring a concomitant infection than intensive care unit patients. Unfortunately, Drs. Lee and Afessa do not mention the prevalence of infections in the NRT and the control groups, nor do they provide data on the amount or concentration of nicotine administered to the patients. This information would certainly help us evaluate the possible role of the cholinergic antiinflammatory pathway in increased mortality found in these patients. The authors have not disclosed any potential conflicts of interest.
Fitting of Finite Mixture Distributions to Motor Insurance Claims Sattayatham, P. and T. Talangtam

Problem statement: The modeling of claims is an important task of act u ries. Our problem is in modelling the actual motor insurance claim d ata set. In this study, we show that the actual mo tor insurance claim can be fitted by a finite mixture model. Approach: Firstly, we analyse the actual data set and then we choose the finite mixture Lognormal distributions as our model. The estimated parameters of the model are obtained from the EM al gorithm. Then, we use the K-S and A-D test for showing how well the finite mixture Lognormal distr butions fit the actual data set. We also mention the bootstrap technique in estimating the parameter s. Results: From the tests, we found that the finite mixture lognormal distributions fit the actual data set with significant level 0.10. Conclusion: The finite mixture Lognormal distributions can be fitte d to motor insurance claims and this fitting is bet ter when the number of components (k) are increase.
Grains of Nontraditional Crops as Sources of Retrograded Resistant Starch

The content of retrograded resistant starch of the RS3 type was determined in six plant species and their accessions. Besides sorghum and foxtail millet, plant genotypes were cultivated in Piešťany locality in the year 2003. There were significant differences in RS3 and total starch content in analysed crops and their accessions. Chickpea and buckwheat had the highest average content of RS3, 5.2% and 3.8%, respectively. Millet and foxtail millet contained less RS3, 2.9% and 2.8%, respectively. Millet was rich in total starch. The lowest amounts of RS3 were detected in sorghum (1.6%) and amaranth (1.2%). The lowest variation in the RS3 content was detected within the set of millet accessions and the highest within amaranths.
EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE OF ATMOSPHERIC SHEAR EFFECTS ON AERODYNAMICS AND NOISE GENERATION

Using experimental data acquired during a wind turbine meas urement campaign, it is shown that amplitude modulation of aerodynamic noise can be generated by the rota ting blades in conjunction with the atmospheric wind shear. As an attempt to alleviate this phenomenon, a con trol strategy is designed in form of a cyclic pitch of the blades. As a side effect, it is shown that it is also poss ible to reduce fatigue load on the blade using this cyclic pitch. The main goal is to reduce both amplitude m odulation and fatigue load without compromising the energy harvested from the wind. A simulation tool hat can model the different aerodynamic and aeroacoustic aspects of the study is presented. Parameters cont olling the cyclic pitch are optimized in order to reduce amplitude modulation and/or fatigue load to a mini um. It is shown that such a minimum can be found and that benefit may be achieved if such a strategy is to b e implemented on an actual wind turbine, though at the expense of an increased wear and tear of the pitc control system.
Interactive comment on “ Probing the past 30 year phenology trend of US deciduous forests ”

The paper is overall well written though a bit lengthy. I do appreciate the details the authors give on methodological aspects, and the multiple checks (against ground observation and remote sensing data) they present to corroborate their results, but probably some of this material would better be placed in the supplementary material section (see my specific comments). As a formal comment, notice that the “Results” section is more a mixture of results and discussion, while the “Conclusion and discussion” section is rather a “conclusion”. I suggest the authors to rename the sections accordingly.
Novel Covers As Literary Art

Literary art is a translation, interpretation, transmutation of literary text from language system to another signs system. It is a perception product, interpretation and translation of its original works, not to be duplication but as a form of work of art. This research is intended to reveal Novel covers system of representation. The aim is to find out whether it represents the novel values or not as a literary art. In doing so, this research used qualitative method with Negeri van Oranje and Ayah covers as primary data. The data are chosen using purposive sampling with two basic standards: popularity and Myers design standards. Using representation theory and semiotic as tools of analysis, the research then finds that Negeri van Oranje and Ayah covers have two aspects of presentation: novel content values or theme and marketing aspect. It is presented using two elements: textual and visual. The marketing aspect mostly uses texts elements and the novel content uses visual elements. They are using symbolic signs to build future reader impression and perception of the novel. The symbolic signs and concept are constructed to represent the novel content messages or values. Text features explain the visual features, and the visual features express the text features. Covers have different representation system from the novel but it is not an independent system. In conclusion, not every novel cover can be literary art but Negeri van Oranje and Ayah novel covers can be included as literary art. Keywords: Literary arts, Novel Cover, Representation
Airborne profiling of aerosol hygroscopic and optical properties in the planetary boundary layer

Aerosol particles experience hygroscopic growth at enhanced relative humidity (RH), which leads to changes in their optical properties. We developed the white-light humidified optical particle spectrometer (WHOPS), a new instrument to investigate the particles’ hygroscopic growth. Here we present a detailed technical description and characterization of the WHOPS in laboratory and field experiments. The WHOPS consists of a differential mobility analyzer, a humidifier/bypass and a white-light aerosol spectrometer (WELAS) connected in series to provide fast measurements of particle hygroscopicity at subsaturated RH and optical properties on airborne platforms. The WELAS employs a white-light source to minimize ambiguities in the optical particle sizing. In contrast to other hygroscopicity instruments, the WHOPS retrieves information of relatively large particles (i.e., diameter D > 280 nm), therefore investigating the more optically relevant size ranges.
The Sources of Financing Constraints

In order to identify the relevant sources of firms' financing constraints, we ask what financial rictions matter for corporate policies. To that end, we build, solve, and estimate a range of dynamic models of corporate investment and financing, embedding a host of financial frictions. We focus on limited enforcement, moral hazard, and tradeoff models. All models share a common technology, but differ in the friction generating financing constraints. Using panel data on Compustat firms for the period 1980-2015 and a more recent dataset on private firms from Orbis, we determine which features of the observed data allow to distinguish among the models, and we assess which model performs best at rationalizing observed corporate investment and financing policies across various samples. Our tests, based on empirical policy function benchmarks, favor trade-off models for larger Compustat firms, limited commitment models for smaller firms, and moral hazard models for private firms. Our estimates point to significant financing constraints due to agency frictions.
Scaling Laws of Ion Acceleration in Ultrathin Foils Driven by Laser Radiation Pressure

Scaling laws of ion acceleration in ultrathin foils driven by radiation pressure of intense laser pulses are investigated by theoretical analysis and two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Considering the instabilities are inevitable during laser plasma interaction, the maximum energy of ions should have two contributions: the bulk acceleration driven by radiation pressure and the sheath acceleration in the moving foil reference induced by hot electrons. A theoretical model is proposed to quantitatively explain the results that the cutoff energy and energy spread are larger than the predictions of "light sail" model, observed in simulations and experiments for a large range of laser and target parameters. Scaling laws derived from this model and supported by the simulation results are verified by the previous experiments.
Sheffield Economic Research Paper Series SERP Number : 2003004

The relationship between exports and economic growth has been analysed by a number of recent empirical studies. This paper re-examines the sources of growth for the period 19712001 for India. It builds upon Feders model to investigate empirically the relationship between export growth and GDP growth (the export led growth hypothesis), using recent data from the Reserve Bank of India, and by focusing on GDP growth and GDP growth net of exports. We investigate the following hypotheses: i) whether exports and GDP are cointegrated using both the Engle-Granger and the Johansen approach, ii) whether export growth Granger causes GDP growth, iii) and whether export growth Granger causes investment. Finally, a VAR is constructed and impulse response functions (IRFs) are employed to investigate the effects of macroeconomic shocks.
Structure of naturally hydrated ferrihydrite revealed through neutron diffraction and first-principles modeling

Ferrihydrite, with a ‘‘two-line’’ x-ray diffraction pattern (2L-Fh), is the most amorphous of the iron oxides and is ubiquitous in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. It also plays a central role in the regulation and metabolism of iron in bacteria, algae, higher plants, and animals, including humans. In this study, we present a single-phase model for ferrihydrite that unifies existing analytical data while adhering to fundamental chemical principles. The primary particle is small (20–50 A) and has a dynamic and variably hydrated surface, which negates long-range order; collectively, these features have hampered complete characterization and frustrated our understanding of the mineral's reactivity and chemical/biochemical function. Near and intermediate range neutron diffraction (NIMROD) and first-principles density functional theory (DFT) were employed in this study to generate and interpret high-resolution data of naturally hydrated, synthetic 2L-Fh at standard temperature. The structural optimization overcomes transgressions of coordination chemistry inherent within previously proposed structures, to produce a robust and unambiguous single-phase model.
A Review of Automatic Malaria Parasites Detection and Segmentation in Microscopic Images

Background: Malaria is a leading cause of death and disease in many developing countries, where young children and pregnant women are the most affected groups. In 2012, there were an esti- mated 207 million cases of malaria, which caused approximately 627 000 malaria deaths. Around 80% of malaria cases occur in Africa, where the lack of access to malaria diagnosis is largely due to a shortage of expertise, being the shortage of equipment the secondary factor. This lack of expertise for malaria diagnosis frequently results on the increase of false positives, since prescription of medication is based only on symptoms. Thus, there is an urgent need of new tools that can facilitate the rapid and easy diagnosis of malaria, especially in areas with limited access to quality healthcare services. Methods: Various image processing and analysis approaches already proposed on the literature for the detection and segmentation of malaria para- sites in blood smear microscopic images were collected and reviewed. This timely review aims to support the increasing interest in the development of low cost tools that can facilitate the rapid and easy diagnosis of malaria, especially in areas with limited access to quality healthcare services. Results: Malaria parasites detection and segmentation techniques in mi- croscopic images are, in general, still in need of improvement and further testing. Most of the methodologies reviewed in this work were tested with a limited number of images, and more studies with significantly larger datasets for the evalua- tion of the proposed approaches are needed. Despite promising results reported during the past years, the great majority of the computer-aided methods found on the literature for malaria diagnosis are based on images acquired under well con- trolled conditions and with proper microscopic equipment. However, one should take into account that 80% of malaria cases occur in Africa, where this type of equipment is scarce or even nonexistent in common healthcare facilities. Conclu- sion: This work collects and reviews various image processing and analysis approaches already proposed on the literature for the detection and segmentation of malaria parasites in blood smear microscopic images. This timely review aims to support the increasing interest in the development of image processing-based systems to be used in rural areas of develop- ing countries, which might be the next future trend in malaria computer-aided diagnosis.
Full-Scale Evaluation of In Situ Cometabolic Degradation of Trichloroethylene in Groundwater through Toluene Injection

Groundwater contaminated with 500−1200 μg/L trichloroethylene (TCE) was treated in situ over a 410-day period by cometabolic biodegradation through injection of 7−13.4 mg/L toluene, oxygen, and hydrogen peroxide in groundwater circulated between two contaminated aquifers through two treatment wells located 10 m apart. One well pumped contaminated groundwater from the 8 m thick upper aquifer to the 5 m thick lower aquifer, while the other pumped contaminated water from the lower to the upper aquifers using flow rates of 25−38 L/min, effecting groundwater circulation between them. Following 18 days of periodic toluene injection to develop an active biological population, continuous pulses of toluene were added. Over 312 days, an average 87 ± 8% TCE removal was obtained in the upper aquifer with each pass through the treatment well. In the lower aquifer, removals were 83 ± 16% over the last 79 days when peroxide addition was reduced. Treatment reduced TCE in the regional groundwater plumes from about 1000 μg.
THE EFFECTS OF A NEW PLANT MIXTURE ON LIPID LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME

The metabolic syndrome describes a condition characterized by the presence of coexisting traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance and obesity, in addition to non-traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors such as inflammatory processes and abnormalities of the blood coagulation system (Cefalu et al., 2008). It is an important pathological entity, associated with the risks for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality. Prevention and treatment are therefore of great importance (Grundy et al., 2004). Overall mortality in Serbia, compared to the other countries in the region, is among the highest and more than 60% higher than in the EU (European Mortality Database, WHO, 2009) (Strategy, Ministry of Health of Republic of Serbia, 2009). Diseases of the circulatory system and ischemic heart disease are the leading causes of mortality in the Serbian population. Lifestyle changes, in combination with natural supplements, could improve these worrying statistical data.
Warming, but not enhanced CO2 concentration, quantitatively and qualitatively affects phytoplankton biomass

We investigated the impacts of predicted ocean acidification and future warming on the quantity and nutritional quality of a natural phytoplankton autumn bloom in a mesocosm experiment. Since the effects of CO2-enrichment and temperature have usually been studied independently, we were also interested in the interactive effects of both aspects of climate change. Therefore, we used a factorial design with 2 temperature and 2 acidification levels in a mesocosm experiment with a Baltic Sea phytoplankton community. Our results show a significant time- dependent influence of warming on phytoplankton carbon, chlorophyll a, and particulate organic carbon. Phytoplankton carbon, for instance, decreased by more than half with increasing temper- ature at bloom time. Additionally, elemental carbon to phosphorus ratios (C:P) increased signifi- cantly, by approximately 5 to 8%, due to warming. Impacts of CO2 or synergetic effects of warm- ing and acidification could not be detected. We suggest that stronger grazing pressure induced by temperature was responsible for the significant decline in phytoplankton biomass. Our results suggest that the biological effects of warming on Baltic Sea phytoplankton are considerable and will likely have fundamental consequences for trophic transfer in the pelagic food web.
Bio-inspired Pressure Sensing for Active Yaw Control of Underwater Vehicles

A towed underwater vehicle equipped with a bio-inspired artificial lateral line (ALL) was constructed and tested with the goal of active detection and correction of the vehicle's yaw angle. Preliminary experiments demonstrate that a low number of sensors are sufficient to enable the discrimination between different orientations, and that a basic proportional controller is capable of keeping the vehicle aligned with the direction of flow. We propose that a model based controller could be developed to improve system response. Toward this, we derive a vehicle model based on a first-order 3D Rankine Source Panel Method, which is shown to be competent in estimating the pressure field in the region of interest during motion at constant angles, and during execution of dynamic maneuvers. To solve the inverse problem of estimating the vehicle orientation given specific pressure measurements, an Unscented Kalman Filter is developed around the model. It is shown to provide a close estimation of the vehicle state using experimentally collected pressure measurements. This demonstrates that an artificial lateral line is a promising technology for dynamically mediating the angle of a body relative to the oncoming flow. Thesis Supervisor: Michael S. Triantafyllou Title: Professor of Mechanical and Ocean Engineering
R T ] 2 0 M ay 2 01 3 GEOMETRIC STRUCTURE AND THE LOCAL LANGLANDS CONJECTURE

We prove that a strengthened form of the local Langlands conjecture is valid throughout the principal series of any connected split reductive p-adic group. The method of proof is to establish the presence of a very simple geometric structure, in both the smooth dual and the Langlands parameters. We prove that this geometric structure is present, in the same way, for the general linear group, including all of its inner forms. With these results as evidence, we give a detailed formulation of a general geometric structure conjecture.
National Centre of Competence in Research Financial Valuation and Risk Management Working Paper No . 194 Are stock markets really like beauty contests ?

The goal of this paper is to assess, for the first time, the empirical impact of "Keynes’ beauty contest", or "higher order beliefs", on asset price volatility. The paper shows that heterogeneous expectations induce higher order beliefs and that heterogeneous expectation asset pricing models theoretically generate more volatility than rational expectation models. The paper also explains how, with some assumptions on the distribution of public and private information, a model with higher order beliefs can be empirically estimated. The model is then applied to annual data of the American stock market. The results show that a model with higher order beliefs generates a level of volatility in line with the price volatility observed on the market.
IBD – Impact of Colonic pH, Onset of Action and other Factors in Modern Therapeutic Approach

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an idiopathic disease. The current treatment methods are based on various conventional dosage forms. Treatment method includes corticosteroids, 5-ASA compounds, Immunosuppressant monoclonal antibodies etc. In recent years the IBD therapy go through great transformation in treatment methods. The novel drug delivery and colon targeted drug delivery systems are widely prescribed by the physicians around the world. Mesacol, cosacol are the few marketed widely prescribed brands worldwide. This review mainly focuses on the modern IBD treatment methods. The review also recommends the clinicians to understand the crucial parameters such as drug release mechanism, various drawbacks of the drug candidates used in the treatment of IBD, importance of onset of action and characteristics of various polymers in designing colon targeted drug delivery system to treat IBD.