Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High Levels of Gene Flow in the California Vole (Microtus californicus) are Consistent Across Spatial Scales

ABSTRACT. Gene flow links the genetic and demographic structures of species. Despite the fact that similar genetic and demographic patterns shape both local population structure and regional phylogeography, the 2 levels of population connectivity are rarely studied simultaneously. Here, we studied gene flow in the California vole (Microtus californicus), a small-bodied rodent with limited vagility but high local abundance. Within a 4.86-km2 preserve in central California, genetic diversity in 6 microsatellite s was high, and Bayesian methods indicated a single genetic cluster. However, individual-based genetic analysis detected a clear signal for isolation-by-distance (IBD) and fine-scale population structure. Mitochondrial cytochrome b sequencing revealed 11 unique haplotypes from the one local area where we sequenced 62 individuals. Phylogeographic analysis of these individuals combined with those sampled from the northern geographic range of the species (the range of the species spans western North America from southern Oregon to northern Mexico and is centered geographically within the state of California) again indicated a lack of structure but a signal for IBD. Palterns of gene flow thus are consistent across spatial scales: while dispersal of the California vole is limited across geographic distance, there is nonetheless considerable movement across the landscape. We conclude that in this species, high local population abundances overcome the potential genetic and demographic effects of limited dispersal.
Passive linear time-varying systems: State-space realizations, stability in feedback, and controller synthesis

In this paper we consider linear time-varying passive systems. We state various theorems, which rely on the state-space matrices of the system, that identify when a linear-time varying system is purely passive, input strictly passive, output strictly passive, or input-state strictly passive which is a nonstandard notion of passivity defined in this paper. Two of our theorems resemble the Kalman-Yakubovich- Popov Lemma, one applicable to time-varying systems with a feedthrough matrix and the other for linear time-varying systems without one. The negative feedback interconnection of various systems is considered. We show that an output strictly passive system negatively interconnected with an input-state strictly passive system is globally asymptotically stable. We also show that both linear time-varying input-state and output strictly passive systems when connected in negative feedback with a sector bounded, memoryless nonlinearity are also globally asymptotically stable. The optimal design of a time-varying output strictly passive controller is also considered. We present an example: the position and velocity control of a time-varying mass controlled via a dynamic time-varying compensator and a sector bounded, memoryless nonlinearity.
Aerobic performance in brothers, dizygotic and monozygotic twins.

Forty-two brothers, 66 dizygotic twins of both sexes and 106 monozygotic twins of both sexes, 16 to 34 yr of age, took part in this study that was designed to investigate the effect of heredity in aerobic performance. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), maximal heart rate (HR max), maximal ventilation, and maximal oxygen pulse were obtained from a progressive ergocycle test to exhaustion. Total work output in a 90-min maximal ergocycle test was also determined in the twins. Fat-free weight was estimated from body density measurements obtained through underwater weighing. Aerobic performance scores were adjusted for age (brothers), and age and sex (dizygotic and monozygotic twins) by regression procedures. Dizygotic twins and brothers of same sibship exhibited about the same level of resemblance for all variables or were only slightly different, with the exception of HR max. Monozygotic pairs were generally more alike than the other sibs, as suggested by the intra-class coefficients. Twin data were used to compute the genetic effects. The within-pair estimate of genetic variance revealed that it was significant (P less than or equal to 0.05) for all variables except VO2 max X kg-1 fat-free weight X min-1. In the case of HR max, the among-pairs component estimate had to be used, and it also proved significant (P less than or equal to 0.01). The size of the genetic effect was computed from three different methods, and it reached about 40% for VO2 max X kg-1 X min-1, 50% for HR max, 60% for maximal oxygen pulse and maximal ventilation, and 70% for 90-min work output X kg-1. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Leptin messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) content in the human placenta at term: relationship to levels of leptin in cord blood and placental weight

During fetal life ,placental tissue represents an additional source of leptin for the mother and conceptus. It has been suggested that feto-placental production of leptin may be involved in placental and fetal growth regulation. The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between leptin mRNA expression in the placenta and the concentrations of leptin in cord blood. A total of 30 healthy ,pregnant women who gave birth to healthy neonates were included in the study. Maternal blood (obtained from the cubital vein) and umbilical cord blood were drawn immediately after birth. Serum leptin concentration was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and serum insulin concentration was measured by radioimmunoassay. Leptin mRNA was measured in placental tissue by a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The estimated mean leptin mRNA expression in placenta was 4.65 ± 1.83 pg mRNA/μg DNA. Leptin mRNA correlated with cord serum leptin concentrations (r = 0.3691 ,p = 0.045). Placental weight correlated with placental leptin mRNA (r = 0.3686 ,p = 0.045). The mean leptin concentration in cord serum at birth was slightly lower (3.1 ± 1.9 ng/ml) than that found in maternal serum (3.9 ± 1.2 ng/ml). A positive correlation was observed between cord and maternal serum leptin levels (r = 0.58 ,p = 0.001). The mean insulin concentration in maternal serum was not significantly higher than that in umbilical serum: 22.2 ± 17.8 μIU/ml vs. 6.9 ± 3.6 μIU/ml; r = 0.069 ,p = 0.71). Neither maternal nor umbilical insulin concentrations correlated with leptin concentration in cord or maternal peripheral serum.
A comparative study of maximum-power-point trackers for photovoltaic panels using switching-frequency modulation scheme

A comparative study of the maximum power point trackers using a switching-frequency modulation scheme (SFMS) for photovoltaic panels is presented. Some commonly used dc/dc converters, which are applied for the power conversion stage of those trackers, will be examined. Method of locating the maximum power point (MPP) is based on injecting a small-signal sinusoidal perturbation into the switching frequency of the converter and comparing the ac component and the average value of the panel's terminal voltage. Apart from not requiring sophisticated computation of the panel power, this SFMS does not approximate the panel characteristics and can globally locate the MPP under wide insolation conditions. Tracking capability of the converters under investigation will be compared, using a 10-W solar panel with a controlled experimental setup. Theoretical predictions will be verified with experimental results. Operating characteristics at steady state and in large-signal change of the insolation (incident solar radiation) level will be studied.
Diffusion tensor MRI in rat models of invasive and well‐demarcated brain tumors

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and its metrics, such as mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA), have been used to detect the extent of brain tumors and understand tumor growth and its influence on the surrounding tissue. However, there are conflicting reports on how DTI metrics can be used for tumor diagnosis. The physiological interpretation of these metrics in terms of tumor growth is also not clear. The objective of this study was to investigate the DTI parameters in two rat brain tumor models (9L and F98) with different patterns of aggressiveness by longitudinal monitoring of tumor growth and comparing the DTI parameters of these two tumor models. In addition to the standard DTI metrics, MD and FA, we measured other metrics representing diffusion tensor shape, such as linear and planar anisotropy coefficients (CL and CP), and orientational coherence measured by lattice index (LI), to characterize the two tumor models. The 9L tumor had higher FA, CL, and LI than the F98 tumor. F98 had a larger difference in anisotropies between tumor and peritumor regions than 9L. From the eigenvalues, it was found that the increase in CL and trace of the 9L tumor was due to an increase in the primary eigenvalue, whereas the increase in CP in the peritumor region was due to an increase in both primary and secondary eigenvalues and a decrease in tertiary eigenvalue. Our results indicate that shape‐oriented anisotropy measures, such as CL and CP, and orientational coherence measures, such as LI, can provide useful information in differentiating these two tumor models and also differentiating tumor from peritumoral regions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Customer-Supplier Relationships in Supply Chain Management: A Small Manufacturing Enterprise (SME) Perspective

Abstract Customer-supplier relationship (CSR) is deemed vital in supply chain management (SCM) processes; well researched, received, understood and practised in large corporations. Sadly, SME’s face a major challenge of benefiting from the concept. This is an exploratory study followed by observations from purposively selected SMEs manufacturing firms. This paper discusses the significance and impact of the relationship in a SCM operation and its success towards the attainment of ‘Just in Time’ (JIT) production in the small manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) sector. Literature reveals that SMEs do not have the negotiating power over their suppliers due to orders being on a smaller scale than those of large entities, and as a result it is difficult to operate a JIT system. Some measures which are significant to product quality and cost effectiveness must be put in place before the implementation of JIT in order to attain a successful SCM operation.
No evidence for short or long term morbidity after increased titer measles vaccination in Sudan.

BACKGROUND Increased mortality rates have been reported after high titer measles [>10(5.0) plaque-forming units (PFU)] vaccination in several large studies in the developing world. An increased titer measles vaccine study conducted in Sudan included a prolonged prospective evaluation of childhood morbidity after vaccination. METHODS Five hundred ten children (170 per group) were randomized to receive 1 of 3 regimens at 5 and 9 months of age: (1) meningococcal vaccine, then standard titer (50% tissue culture-infective dose, 103.8) Schwarz measles vaccine; (2) increased titer (10(4.7) PFU) Edmonston-Zagreb measles vaccine followed by meningococcal vaccine; and (3) increased titer (10(4.7) PFU) Connaught vaccine followed by standard titer Schwarz measles vaccine. RESULTS Health workers collected information at 31,582 semi-monthly and monthly visits during 5 years. No increase in infant mortality was observed, but the statistical power was limited. There were 13, 13 and 10 deaths in the Schwarz, Edmonston-Zagreb and Connaught groups, respectively. There were no differences in duration or incidence of illness between groups at any time during the 5-year follow-up, with comparisons stratified by age and sex. Statistical power for each pairwise comparison was good, with at least 80% power to detect a difference of 1 day per month of illness and a 12% difference in the proportion of visits with an illness recorded. CONCLUSIONS We were unable to document increased morbidity in recipients of the increased titer measles vaccines used in this study. These data do not support the hypothesis that increased mortality after increased titer vaccine exposure is the result of increased and cumulative morbidity.
A Color-Based Model to Determine the Age of Documents for Forensic Purposes

Detecting the age of a document is an important subject for forensic purposes. As the paper ages, its color changes depending on a number of factors such as its original color, storage conditions, environment temperature, humidity, etc. In Brazil, documents such and birth and wedding certificates during the second half of the 20th century used standardized preprinted forms. This paper proposes a model for determining the age of such documents based on the color components of the background of its scanned image.
Nonlinear temporal interactions in click-evoked otoacoustic emissions

Click-evoked otoacoustic emissions (CEOAEs) may be reduced in amplitude by the presentation of “suppressor” clicks that either closely lead or follow the stimulus (“test”) clicks. This “click suppression” represents nonlinear temporal interaction between the test and suppressor clicks and/or the CEOAEs they evoke. Such suppression has not previously been studied in detail and the mechanisms giving rise to it are not understood. In particular, it is unclear whether click suppression may simply reflect the compressive nonlinearity of the CEOAE level function. It is also unclear whether the larger magnitude “rate suppression” observed in CEOAEs measured using streams of clicks at very high rates may be explained by a simple additive accumulation of click suppression. The present study addresses these questions by detailed measurement of this suppression phenomenon in 20 normal adult ears, and establishes that: 1. Maximum suppression is generally obtained for suppressors presented up to 4 ms in advance of test clicks, contrary to expectation. 2. Suppression by suppressors that lead test clicks does not simply reflect CEOAE level function nonlinearity. It may, instead, arise from disturbance of the generator elements from their resting state prior to generation of the CEOAE. 3. Suppression by following suppressors behaves markedly differently from that by leading suppressors, and appears more closely related to level function nonlinearity. 4. Contrary to previous suggestions, suppression for both leading and following suppressors is insensitive to polarities of test and suppressor clicks. 5. Suppression does not accumulate in a simple, additive manner as has previously been suggested. Consequently, a more complex mechanism underpins the greater magnitude of rate suppression. The parametric characterisation of click suppression presented may form the basis of models to explain this little-studied phenomenon. Further studies using tone bursts instead of clicks are recommended to help determine whether single-channel models are appropriate.
Egg mass, position in the laying sequence, and brood size in relation to Canada goose reproductive success

-To better understand the effects of egg mass and position in the laying sequence on reproductive success of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis), I determined the fate of eggs, marked embryos near hatching, and recaptured goslings near fledging. Hatching success did not correlate with egg mass and position in the laying sequence. The probability of recapturing marked goslings near fledging was not associated with relative egg mass or position in the laying sequence. These results suggest that egg mass and position in the laying sequence have no short-term implications for the fitness of the chick produced. A reduced survival rate of goslings in larger broods in one year suggests that brood size could be a factor limiting clutch size in Canada Geese. Received 17 Mar. 1986, accepted 16 Mar. 1987. Hatching and fledging success in Anserinae can be reduced by extrinsic (environmental) factors such as predation (Vermeer 1970, Cooper 1978), climate (Cooper 1978), and intraspecific competition (Ewaschuk and Boag 1972). Intrinsic factors such as egg size, egg quality, and position in the laying sequence have been shown to correlate with hatching and fledging success in some nidicolous species (Parsons 1970, Murton et al. 1974, Howe 1976, O'Connor 1979, Rofstad and Sandvik 1985) but in contrast, little is known regarding these factors for nidifugous species. Brood size also influences fledging success in some nidifugous species (Safriel 1975, Andersson and Eriksson 1982), but not in others (Heusmann 1972, Glasgow 1977, Clawson et al. 1979, Rohwer 1985). Here, I examine the effects of egg size and position in the laying sequence on hatching and fledging success of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis). I address the following questions: (1) Are hatching and fledging success related to egg mass at laying and position in the laying sequence? (2) Does brood size at hatching correlate with brood size near fledging? STUDY AREA AND METHODS The study was carried out in 1983 and 1984 near Brooks, Alberta (50? 35'N, 11 154'W). From late March to early May each year, I searched for nests daily at Gleddie Lake. In six other reservoirs nearby, I searched for nests every 2 to 4 days. Nearly all nests had I or 2 eggs when found, although some had 3. When more than 1 egg was found in a nest, the degree of staining of eggs was used to assess the order of laying (Cooper 1978). Subsequent I Dept. Zoology, Univ. Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada. (Present address: 447, Rang 8, Saint-Sylvere, Quebec GOZ I HO, Canada.)
Output-feedback tracking of stochastic nonlinear systems using homogeneous domination approach

This paper studies the output tracking problem for a class of stochastic nonlinear systems via output-feedback control. Unlike most of the existing results where only state-feedback control is considered for output tracking, we allow unmeasurable states exist in this paper. Based on the homogeneous domination technique, an output tracking controller is designed, which can ensure that the tracking error converges to an arbitrarily small neighborhood of zero while keeping all the states of the closed-loop system bounded in probability. Finally, a simulation example is given to illustrate the efficiency of the tracking controller.
Reading comprehension of ambiguous sentences by school‐age children with autism spectrum disorder

Weak central coherence (processing details over gist), poor oral language abilities, poor suppression, semantic interference, and poor comprehension monitoring have all been implicated to affect reading comprehension in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study viewed the contributions of different supporting skills as a collective set of skills necessary for context integration—a multi‐component view—to examine individual differences in reading comprehension in school‐age children (8–14 years) with ASD (n = 23) and typically developing control peers (n = 23). Participants completed a written ambiguous sentence comprehension task in which participants had to integrate context to determine the correct homonym meaning via picture selection. Both comprehension products (i.e., offline representations after reading) and processes (i.e., online processing during reading) were evaluated. Results indicated that children with ASD, similar to their TD peers, integrated the context to access the correct homonym meanings while reading. However, after reading the sentences, when participants were asked to select the meanings, both groups experienced semantic interference between the two meanings. This semantic interference hindered the children with ASD's sentence representation to a greater degree than their peers. Individual differences in age/development, word recognition, vocabulary breadth (i.e., number of words in the lexicon), and vocabulary depth (i.e., knowledge of the homonym meanings) contributed to sentence comprehension in both children with ASD and their peers. Together, this evidence supports a multi‐component view, and that helping children with ASD develop vocabulary depth may have cascading effects on their reading comprehension. Autism Res 2017, 10: 2002–2022. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
CONTROLLED SYNTHESIS OF ALUMINA NANOPOWDERS USING SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS FOR CERAMICS APPLICATIONS

Alumina is the most widely used oxide ceramic material. It exists in many metastable forms which lead upon severe thermal treatment towards the thermodynamically stable phase alpha. Sintering of alumina generally takes part in a minimum of two stages: i) phase transition(s) towards the stable phase alpha and ii) densification of this phase alpha. The former step(s), linked to transition phase(s) is (are) strongly dependent on the crystallinity of the initial powders. Using this parameter, it is therefore possible to optimise the sintering properties, in particular to lower the transition temperature. Such effect has been studied for aluminas elaborated in suband supercritical fluid media. This work highlights the possibilities to obtain, according to the nature of the fluid, different kind of transition aluminas: boehmite AlO(OH) or amorphous Al2O3. Sintering these powders led both to alpha-alumina but with different microstructures and densities. We could also observe a significant shift towards lower temperature for the gamma-Al2O3→alpha-Al2O3 transition in the case of amorphous alumina compare to the boehmite one. The transfer to this know-how to the design of core-shell nanoparticles with alumina as a shell is investigated to develop nanostructured ceramics for telecommunications.
Strategic design under uncertain evaluations: structural analysis of design‐build auctions

I investigate firms' competition over price and product design under uncertain design evaluations in the context of Design-Build (DB) auctions. Reviewers' design evaluations contain uncertainty from a bidder's perspective, leading luck to curtail differences in firms' chances of winning. I model bidders' behavior and derive semiparametric identification of the model primitives. Uncertain evaluations worsen the expected price of design quality, and exacerbate an auctioneer's uncertainty in auction outcomes. A simple adjustment in the auction mechanism may completely shut down the impact of uncertain evaluations on bidding incentives, restoring efficient allocations of projects.
Early-Stage Engagement: Applying Big Data Analytics on Collaborative Learning Environment for Measuring Learners' Engagement Rate

Computer-supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) is a pedagogical strategy associated with how learners construct knowledge with a group by computer-based learning system. In recent years, most of the computer-based learning systems record the interaction log of each learner when developing course assignments. However, the recorded data is facing a challenge to expose the learners behaviors during the course and to design a computer-supported collaborative learning activity. To address those challenges in this paper, a novel collaborative programming tool called Software Project Development and Insight Learning Environment (SPDI Learning Environment) is described. The SPDI Learning environment allows learners of computer science to develop course assignments collaboratively. Besides, it allows instructors to investigate the learners behaviors by associating a web-based integrated development environment (IDE) with Big Data analysis pipeline and Visualization Dashboard. In addition to collect real data from courses, we designed learning activities to help teachers to engage the field of CSCL and Learning Analytics.