Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mobilizing farmers to stop land degradation: A different discourse from Burundi

Stopping land degradation is one of the biggest challenges worldwide and particularly in Burundi, with its unprecedented rates of soil loss and growing food insecurity. This article proposes a different discourse on how to engage people in stopping land degradation, and presents results and lessons learned from a bottom‐up inclusive approach implemented since 2014 in Burundi: the integrated farm planning (PIP) approach. The PIP approach aims to build a solid foundation for sustainable change toward enhanced food production and good land stewardship, based on three foundation principles (motivation, stewardship, and resilience) and three guiding principles (empowerment, integration, and collaboration). This article is based on two studies undertaken in 2018: an impact study among 202 households and a qualitative study using the most significant change methodology with 30 households. Findings from both studies provide initial support that the PIP approach generates considerable changes at household, farm, and village level. Based on a vision and a plan for their farm, motivated PIP households are currently investing in the resilience of their farms and applying a diversity of conservation practices, while in all PIP villages concrete collective action is undertaken for sustainable land stewardship. Given its rapid upscaling in Burundi and the potential of the PIP approach to mobilize farmers for motivated action, the article concludes with a reflection on the core elements of a different discourse to stop land degradation.
Artefacto Explosivo Improvisado: landmines and rebel expertise in Colombian warfare

ABSTRACT In Colombia, almost all antipersonnel mines are improvised. Crafted with ordinary materials, improvised mines are inexpensive and cannot be easily sensed by metal detectors. Their Spanish technical name is Artefacto Explosivo Improvisado. In this article, I purposefully maintain the name to emphasize the material, technical, and political nuances I observed during my eighteen-months of fieldwork with landmine survivors, demining experts, and guerrilla soldiers in rural Colombia. Here, artefacto explosivo improvisado is not only an empirical object, a deadly explosive device, it is also a conceptual tool through which I reflect on the “thing” to which it refers (i.e. the improvised landmines), as well as on the historical and material practices that make it possible and that are made possible by it (i.e. the asymmetrical war in Colombia and what I later frame as “rebel expertise”). Through this concept I analyze the fragile, ephemeral, and recalcitrant nature of the improvised landmines, highlighting the material, economic, and temporal peculiarities of war contamination in Colombia. I also use the words artefacto explosivo improvisado to consider the guerrillas’ material culture and the bodily practices and technical knowledge of explosivistas – those who design, assemble, and install improvised landmines. Highlighting their ingenuity and creativity, I frame their know-how as “rebel expertise. ” That is, an embodied, local, and irregular knowledge that confronts the technocratic, standardized, and external expertise of humanitarian demining. Throughout the article, I confront the inseparability of improvised landmines and the technical and military actions that brought them into existence.
MODELLING OF NATURAL FIRE OCCURRENCES: A CASE OF SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract. In contemporary literature there have been growing concerns regarding preservations of natural ecosystems. Given the global growth in awareness of global warming, the need for natural fire prediction models has grown rapidly. Using South Africa as a case study, we evaluate the potential of integrating several natural fire prediction models and geographical information system (GIS) platforms. Initially, natural fire prone regions in South Africa were spatially demarcated basing on municipal historical data records. Thereafter, the natural fire prediction models were applied/tested in parallel to identify the best prediction models that give optimum results in predicting natural fires. The models were assessed for accuracy using historical data. Preliminary results reveal locations in the North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo province had the highest recorded potential for natural fires. In conclusion, the work demonstrates huge potential of prediction models in informing the likelihood of natural fire outbreaks. Lastly, the work recommends the adoption of natural fire prediction models and the subsequent formulation and use of relevant future natural fire mitigation policies and techniques to avert disasters in time.
Depression and HIV transmission risk among methamphetamine-using men who have sex with men

Abstract Background Methamphetamine use is associated with disproportionate risk of HIV infection and increased risk of depression among sexual minority men. The purpose of the study was to estimate the association between clinical depression diagnoses and sexual risk-taking among cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) who use methamphetamine. Method From March 2014 through January 2016, 286 MSM who use methamphetamine but were not seeking treatment for methamphetamine use disorder were enrolled to participate in a technology-based randomized controlled trial to reduce methamphetamine use and HIV sexual risk behaviors; participants were assessed for major depressive episodes (MDE) and persistent depressive disorder (PDD) at baseline. Multivariate clustered zero-inflated negative binomial regression analyses of condomless anal intercourse (n = 282; 1,248 visits) estimated the association between this baseline diagnostic result and engagement in sexual risk-taking over time. Results Participants predominantly identified as nonwhite (80%), averaged 42 years of age, and reported a HIV prevalence rate of 46%. Engagement in sexual risk-taking consistently demonstrated a positive curvilinear relationship with clinical depression severity, such that, for example, participants without clinical depression (59% of the sample; coef. = 1.16) and those with MDE (36% of the sample; coef. = 1.45) both demonstrated elevated rates of condomless anal sex with anonymous partners relative to participants with PDD (5% of the sample; analytical reference category; both coef. p < 0.05). Data also demonstrated a trend (p = 0.053) of reduced sexual risk-taking with main partners among participants diagnosed with MDE (coef. = −0.94). Conclusions Methamphetamine use among participants in this study inverted the functional form of the relationship between depression and sexual risk among MSM observed in prior studies. Whereas low-grade depression has been associated with increased sexual risk-taking in prior samples of MSM, methamphetamine upends this relationship, such that the greatest engagement in sexual risk-taking occurred among those diagnosed with MDE at baseline. Additional research is warranted to clarify how methamphetamine influences sexual risk-taking among MSM with/without comorbid depression.
The Impact of Virtualisation Techniques on Power System Control Networks

Virtualisation is a concept successfully applied to IT systems. In this work, we analyse how virtualisation approaches, such as edge computing, brokerage and software-defined networking, can be applied in the area of electricity grid management and control systems. Power system information and communications technology is currently subject to significant changes. Networked power grid components including renewable energy units, electric vehicles and heat pumps need to be integrated into grid management systems. We studied how virtualisation techniques can support system operators in increasing an energy and communication system’s dependability and situational awareness, and how manual (mostly field-level) configuration and engineering efforts can be reduced. Starting from a working hypothesis, three concrete use-cases were implemented and the performance enhancements were benchmarked to allow for well-informed answers to the questions above. We took a close look at application-protocol-independent redundancy, grid-based routing and online system integrity control. In these study cases, we found significant improvements could be achieved with virtualisation in terms of reduced engineering effort, better system management and simplification in high-level system architecture, since implementation details are hidden by the virtualisation approach.
Development of an Efficient Real-time PCR Assay to Accurately Quantify Resistant Gene Analogue Expression in Taro (Colocasia esculenta)

Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott. ), an important tropical tuber crop with high nutritive, and medicinal potential, is ranked fourteen among the most consumed vegetable worldwide. Leaf blight caused by Phytophthora colocasiae, is one of the most destructive diseases of taro which leads to severe yield loss up to 50%. The objective of this study was to standardize the quantification of RGA (resistant gene analogues) expression in resistant and susceptible taro varieties. For isolating the taro RGAs, PCR-based strategy with degenerate primers was used and the obtained sequences showed similarity with other RGA sequences in the NCBI database, which categorised them into the NBS-LRR class of gene family. The conserved domain search has proved the presence of Nucleotide Binding-ARC domain in all the sequences. RGA specific primer was designed based on sequence information, which is the first report in taro. The expression of RGAs in Muktakeshi and Sree Kiran genotypes was determined by the SYBR green PCR assay with actin as reference gene. The target gene was up-regulated during the course of infection in both the resistant and susceptible varieties, but the difference was that the hike in expression upon pathogenwas found earlier in resistant variety than the susceptible variety and the level of expression (fold change) was also more in the resistant variety. The found results should be used as a good start point for further studies such as candidate gene mapping for taro leaf blight.
Human Physiological Work Capacity

Foreword J. S. Weiner Preface, 1. Introduction 2. Sampling and population studies 3. Methods for the measurement of physical fitness, working capacity and activity patterns 4. Climate, season and local geography 5. Socio-economic status and working capacity and activity patterns 4. climate, season and local geography 5. Socio-economic status and working capacity 6. Working capacity and constitution 7. The physical working capacity of the athlete 8. The growth of working capacity 9. Age and working capacity 10. Epilogue References' Index.
Microbiological pools of soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus under exotic tree plantations in the degraded grasslands of Iran.

The aim of current research is to evaluate soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus pools, and selected physico-chemical soil properties in a plantation area with 20-year-old exotic tree ( Picea abies and Pinus nigra ) species. The study area is degraded grassland of Fandogloo Region, Ardabil Province, Iran. Soil samples were collected at three depths such as 0–15cm, 15–30cm, 20–30cm, and 30–50 cm, and characterized with respect to bulk density, electrical conductivity (EC), pH, texture, organic carbon, total nitrogen, and available phosphorous. The results showed that afforested stands significantly affected on soil characteristics due to piles of soil microbiology. The soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) and available phosphorus (P) were significantly different among the various stands and depths. The minimum amount of soil carbon sequestration in the degraded grassland was 21.40 Mg ha -1 , which had significantly different from afforested stands. The Pinus nigra had high significant difference in the amount of TN (2.52 Mg ha -1 ) from the other stands and degraded grassland (1.75Mg ha -1 ). The amount of available phosphorus of forest stands compared to degraded grassland did not show a significant increase, while a significant decrease of phosphorus was seen in the mixed Picea abies - Pinus nigra stand (42.07 kg ha -1 ) than the degraded grassland (49.27 kg ha -1 ). The soil surface layer (0-15 cm) had the minimum SOC, TN, and P than the other lower layers which it could be due to high consumption rate in the primary stages of growth to develop biomass. There was a significant positive correlation between the SOC and TN in the all afforested stands. In general, the afforestation with exotic coniferous species in the degraded grassland improved the SOC and TN, but available phosphorus was no significant increase, meanwhile, it shows a decreasing trend in the study area. Finally, this study illustrated that afforestation with exotic coniferous species in degraded grasslands have a positive impact on surface soil properties and the planting of these species might be useful in soil reclamation projects in the semi-humid regions.
In Situ Synchrotron X-ray Study of the Mechanical Properties of Pure Mg Produced by Powder Metallurgy

In this study, in situ synchrotron X-ray experiments with wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) detectors were performed on two pure magnesium materials produced by powder metallurgy. According to SAXS analysis, each of the two materials has a porosity of less than 0.5%. Line broadening analysis was performed on diffraction patterns collected by WAXS to analyze the dislocation evolution during material deformation. In both materials, -type dislocation activities dominate the tensile deformation. The influence of grain size and texture on the different tensile behaviors of these two materials is also discussed.
Human ribosome biogenesis and the regulation of the tumour suppressor p53

Ribosome production is an energetically expensive and, therefore, highly regulated process. Defects in ribosome biogenesis lead to genetic diseases called Ribosomopathies, such as Dyskeratosis Congenita (DC), and mutations in ribosomal proteins and ribosome biogenesis factors are linked to multiple types of cancer. During ribosome biogenesis, the ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) are processed and modified, and defects in ribosome biogenesis lead to the activation of p53. This project aimed to investigate the functions of Dyskerin, mutated in X-linked DC, in human ribosome biogenesis and p53 regulation, and to explore the link between ribosome production and p53 homeostasis. Dyskerin is an rRNA pseudouridine synthase and required for telomere maintenance. There is some debate as to whether DC is the result of telomere maintenance or ribosome biogenesis defects. It is shown here that human Dyskerin is required for the production of both LSU and SSU, and knockdown of Dyskerin leads to p53 activation via inhibition of MDM2 via the 5S RNP, an LSU assembly intermediate which accumulates after ribosome biogenesis defects. My data indicate that p53 activation, due to defects in ribosome biogenesis, may contribute to the clinical symptoms seen in patients suffering with DC. In addition, it is shown that defects in early or late stages of SSU or LSU biogenesis, result in activation of p53 via the 5S RNP-MDM2 pathway, and that p53 is induced in less than 12 hours after ribosome biogenesis defects. SSU defects do not cause any obvious defects in LSU production, but they result in inhibition of export of the pre-LSU in the cytoplasm, suggesting that p53 activation after SSU defects is probably due to defects in pre-LSU export. Finally, there are evidence that RPS27a or RPL40, two ribosomal proteins produced as ubiquitin-fusion precursors in the cell, might be novel regulators of the 5S RNP-MDM2 pathway. In conclusion, this work shows the importance of ribosome biogenesis in the regulation of p53 for the development of Ribosomopathies and cancer.
AN INTERSPECIFIC CROSS IN CUCURBITA (C. LUNDELLIANA BAILEY × C. MOSCHATA DUCH)

Fl, F2, and backcross-progenies derived from an interspecific cross between Cucurbita lundelliana and C. maxima were analyzed by using the hybrid index method of ANDERSON . The results suggest that C. lundelliana is dominant for most characters . There is a good deal of sterility, particularly in the backcross to C . maxima . It appears feasible, however, to transfer such characters as powdery mildew resistance, perennial habit, solid placenta, etc . from C. lundelliana to C. maxima by conventional plantbreeding techniques. The mean pollen fertility for the F 1, F 2 and backcross to C. lundelliana was respectively 17 . 6 %, 28.4 % and 5 . 2 % ; for the backcross to C . maxima, 65.9% . 1 . INTRODUCTION Cucurbita lundelliana BAILEY, a wild gourd, indigenous to Central America, hybridizes readily with the five cultivated species of Cucurbita, C. pepo L . , C. mixta PANG. , C. moschata POIR . , C. maxima DUCH. , and C. ficifolia BOUCHE (WHITAKER, 7). Equipped with this information studies were made for the purpose of seeking to understand the relationships between the cultivated species and the wild species, C . lundelliana . The results of crossing C. lundelliana and C . moschata were reported in detail (WHITAKER, 7). The results of a similar study of progenies derived from a cross between C. lundelliana and C . maxima is reported herein . 273 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS Plants of C. lundelliana were described in previous publications (WHITAKER, 6, 7) . The perennial vines are vigorous, trailing, with slender runners, and deeply lobed, greyish-green leaves . The fruits are small, oval, and green, with white stripes (Fig . 1) . As the pollen parent in these crosses, the cultivar `Banana' was used . It is a typical cultivar of the "Banana group" of C. maxima (Fig . 1) . The vines are vigorous, sprawling annuals, which produce several large, edible fruits per vine . The leaves are large, green, unlobed, and more or less heartshaped . The chief characteristics of each parent are summarized in Table 1 . TABLE 1 . CHIEF CHARACTERISTICS OF Cucurbita lundelliana AND C. maxima
Soft List Decoding of Polar Codes

Soft-output (SO) decoding is proposed for the Logarithmic Successive Cancellation List (Log-SCL) polar decoder for the first time, by exploiting the left-to-right propagation of the Belief Propagation (BP) decoder, which opens new avenues for its employment in powerful turbo-receivers. In the case of decoding a half-rate polar code having a block length of 1024 bits, the proposed soft list polar decoder achieves a 1.5 dB Block Error Ratio (BLER) performance gain, <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$50\%$</tex-math></inline-formula> latency improvement and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$26\%$</tex-math></inline-formula> complexity reduction, compared to the state-of-the-art SO Soft Cancellation (SCAN) polar decoder in a polar-coded Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) system. Furthermore, we conceive a Memory-Efficient (ME) soft list polar decoder, which requires only <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$16\%$</tex-math></inline-formula> of the soft list polar decoder's memory, at the cost of slightly increased latency and complexity.
Wild Vanilla planifolia and its relatives in the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula: Systematic analyses with ISSR and ITS

Background: Vanilla planifolia , a threatened species, is distributed naturally in semi-deciduous and evergreen rain forests of southeastern Mexico and parts of Central America. In the wild, it is difficult to diagnose from another sympatric Vanilla species, and individuals with reproductive structures are usually required. Questions: Can ISSR discriminate wild individuals of Vanilla planifolia from other sympatric species of the genus? Can phylogenetic analyses of ITS recover the monophyly of V. planifolia and help identify Vanilla species? Studied species: The vanilla ( V. planifolia ), the second-most important economically spice in the world. Study site and years of study: Plant material was collected during 2014 in the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula. Methods: We analyzed 88 wild individuals of several Vanilla species. Individuals of five species of Vanilla reported for the region were used as reference. 84 ISSR loci were analyzed using three clustering methods. A phylogenetic inference using ITS was performed. Results: ISSR markers clearly discriminate wild Vanilla planifolia , finding definite genetic structure within the species. The three clustering methods identified genetic relationships with congruent patterns. Five groups were found and they corresponded with the species studied. Phylogenetic inference of ITS sequences supported the monophyly of the Vanilla and the resulting cladograms were coherent with the clustering pattern observed in the ISSR studies. Conclusions: Both ISSR and ITS analyses are able to identify V. planifolia . Molecular data suggest the presence of V. pompona and a new species of Vanilla in the Yucatan Peninsula.
Hormonal activation of genes through nongenomic pathways by estrogen and structurally diverse estrogenic compounds

Hormonal Activation of Genes through Nongenomic Pathways by Estrogen and Structurally Diverse Estrogenic Compounds. (May 2005) Xiangrong Li, B.S., Wuhan University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Stephen H. Safe Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) is hormonally regulated in rodents, and increased expression of LDHA is observed during mammary gland tumorigenesis. The mechanisms of hormonal regulation of LDHA were investigated in breast cancer cells using a series of deletion and mutant reporter constructs derived from the rat LDHA gene promoter. Results of transient transfection studies showed that the -92 to -37 region of the LDHA promoter was important for basal and estrogen-induced transactivation, and mutation of the consensus CRE motif (-48/-41) within this region resulted in significant loss of basal activity and hormone-responsiveness. Gel mobility shift assays using nuclear extracts from MCF-7 cells indicated that CREB family proteins interacted with the CRE. Studies with kinase inhibitors showed that estrogeninduced activation of this CRE was dependent on protein kinase C, and these data show that LDHA is induced through a nongenomic (extranuclear) pathway of estrogen action. Estrogen activates several nongenomic pathways in MCF-7 cells, and this study investigated the effects of structurally diverse estrogenic compounds on activation of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase C (PKC), protein kinase A (PKA), and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV). Activation of kinases was determined by specific substrate phosphorylation and transactivation assays that were diagnostic for individual kinases. The compounds investigated in this study include E2, diethylstilbestrol (DES), the phytoestrogen resveratrol, and the following synthetic xenoestrogens: bisphenol-A (BPA), nonylphenol, octylphenol, endosulfan, kepone, 2,2-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)-1,1,1trichloroethane (HPTE), and 2',3',4',5'-tetrachloro-4-biphenylol (HO-PCB-Cl4). With the
A Research Agenda for Climate Change Communication and Public Opinion: The Role of Scientific Consensus Messaging and Beyond

ABSTRACT That climate change has been accelerated by human activity is supported by a near-universal consensus of climate scientists. In this paper, we review many of the studies that have been done on the impact of communicating the scientific consensus to the general public. We discuss ongoing debates about these studies, but more importantly, we highlight complementary areas that we believe should define future research. We emphasize how a focus on processing motivations, context, and message variations may help resolve some of the debates about when scientific consensus messaging works. We then discuss ways to expand this research agenda by examining support for a broader range of outcomes across a wider range of populations, particularly those most vulnerable to the immediate impacts of climate change. Our goal is to provide a blueprint for expanding the work on climate change communication for scientific consensus messaging and beyond.