Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microbial and Plant Community Structure Across a Primary Succession Gradient

The formation of the organic layer within Scandinavian forest soil started about 10000 yr ago, following the retreat of the continental ice sheet. Since then the land has been slowly rising in northern Europe and uplift still occurs on the coast of the Bothnian Bay at a rate of about 0.6-0.9 m per 100 yr. Four, 300 m long, successional gradients were studied from the shoreline to a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) stand with a fully developed humus layer of a few centimetres' thickness. The plantless shoreline was followed by small foredunes and dunes, characterized by Agrostis stolonifera and Leymus arenarius, respectively, and the deflation basin characterized by lichens and sparse Festuca ovina and Deschampsia flexuosa. The study sites situated in Scots pine stands of about 25 and 40 yr age were characterized by sparse dwarf shrubs, lichens and bryophytes. The amount of organic matter in soil increased along the gradient. When the microbial biomass, estimated as indicative phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), was calculated on the organic matter basis, the total microbial biomass as well the amount of bacterial PLFAs decreased from the earlier stages of succession towards the pine forest. The ratio of fungal to bacterial PLFAs increased along the succession. The bacterial community structure in the shore soil was different to that in the dune soil or in forested zones. On the plantless shore the microbial community was almost completely described by PLFAs indicative of Gram-negative bacteria. In addition to these bacterial PLFAs, dunes were characterized by PLFAs indicative of actinomycetes. Thus, the fungal part of the microbial community seemed to respond most to the accumulation of organic matter and increasing C/N ratio, while the bacterial biomass and bacterial community structure seemed also to reflect the composition of the vegetation and the varying quality of the organic matter.
Event-based Controller Design for Networked Control Systems with Time-varying Random Delays

This paper is concerned with a controller design method for Networked Control Systems (NCSs) with time-varying random delays. The proposed controller is an event-based controller and is able to effectively save the network bandwidth and energy resources of the system in comparison with common control schemes while guaranteeing the stability of the system. The proposed controller switches between two main triggering schemes: event-triggered control scheme and self-triggered control scheme. The stability issue in this combinatorial method is also considered. The validity of the proposed algorithm is confirmed via simulation results and the results are well compared with results from exerting event-triggered and self-triggered control individually.
Patterns of distribution and association of freshwater fish in New Zealand

Abstract Presence‐absence data for New Zealand's freshwater fish fauna were analysed for evidence of species interactions and of links with land‐use and geological patterns. Co‐occurrence patterns differed between site and regional levels. Native and exotic species had overlapping geographical distributions but tended to be segregated at the site level. Species‐area curves were developed for lotic and lentic sites which explained a small portion of the variation. Regressions involving land‐use and geological variables accounted for more variation. New Zealand catchments appeared to be under‐saturated with species compared to northern temperate catchments. Analysis of co‐occurrence patterns, where distributions overlapped, indicated relatively more negative associations between native andexotic species than among either group of species. The presence‐absence patterns of several native species were related to land use and geological factors. The conclusion from these analyses was that both land‐use changes .
Habitat partitioning and the influence of benthic topography and oceanography on the distribution of fin and minke whales in the Bay of Fundy, Canada

We collected data on the distribution of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in the Bay of Fundy, Canada from a whale-watching vessel during commercial tours between July and September 2002. A single observer recorded the positions, species, numbers and surface activity of whales encountered during boat tours. We controlled for biased search effort by calculating sightings rates for both species in cells measuring 2′ latitude by 2′ longitude throughout the study area. Sightings rates were calculated by dividing the number of sightings of fin and minke whales in each cell by the number of visits by the tour boat to that cell. We used generalized additive models and generalized linear models to examine the influence of benthic topography on whale distribution patterns. Models showed a non-linear relationship for minke whale sighting rates with increasing benthic slopes and a linear relationship for minke and fin whale sightings rates with increasing water depth. Sightings of minkes were concentrated in areas subject to tidal wakes near the northern tips of Grand Manan and Campobello Island. Fin whales were also found off the northern tip of Grand Manan but sighting rates for this species were highest in areas with less benthic sloping topography adjacent to the relatively deep Owen Basin. Foraging was recorded during 87% of all whale encounters and our results indicate that whale distribution in this area is likely to be influenced by depth, bottom topography and fine scale oceanographic features that facilitate foraging.
Identification of Damage Modes In Glass/Polyolefin Composites By Using Principal Component Analysis On Acoustic Emission Data

This paper focuses on the use of principal component analysis to classify different fracture signals from background noises. PCA is a method used to simplify high order data sets to lower dimension for a simpler analysis. Tensile tests carried out on glass fiber reinforced polyolefin composites and acoustic emissions recorded from these tests. The aim of this study is to classify the acoustic emission signal using PCA. To reduce the multi linearity among AE parameters (such as peak amplitude, ring-down count, etc) and extract the significant AE parameters, correlation analysis utilized. The experimental results show the successful separation of experimental fracture mode signals from the background noise.
BIOMARKER STUDIES FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF CADMIUM

Mussels are widely used in both, f ield and laboratory experiments as sensitive markers of trace metal or organic substances contamination. For the assessment of degree of contamination, the use of biomarkers is a promising approach and allows detection of early biological changes, which may result in long term biological disturbances. Among them lysosomal membrane stability is considered as a very reliable biomarker of general stress in animals exposed to contaminants. In the present study the sublethal effect of cadmium chloride (CdCl2) on the haemocytelysosomal membrane stability of the most common edible bivalve Pernaviridis is evaluated by neutral red retention (NRR) assay. The mussels were exposed to various concentrations (0.01, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.4 ppm) of CdCl2 for a period of 21 days. Haemocytes were collected from the mussels and destabilization of lysosomes was quantif ied for 5th, 15th and 21st day of exposure. Similarly the frequency of micronuclei formation was also noted in the dosed mussels. Exposure of mussel to Cadmium Chloride resulted in reduction in NR retention time, indicating lysosomal membrane destabilization in the haemocytes. Lysosomes showed reduced capability to retain neutral red compared to controls and the observed effects were found be dose dependent with concentration of the heavy metal. On exposure of CdCl2 the frequency of micronuclei (MN) found to increase with the increase in concentrations of heavy metal for an exposure period of 5th, 15th and 21st day. From the results it can be concluded that the NRR assay and MN test could be used as effective bio-monitoring tool to evaluate aquatic heavy metal pollution especially in mussels considering their value as an edible commodity.
Polyhalogenated Monoterpenes from Plocamium cartilagineum from the Portuguese Coast

Examination of the red alga Plocamium cartilagineum (L.) Dixon collected at two locations along the Portuguese coast yielded two new acyclic polyhalogenated monoterpenes, (3Z,7E)-5,8-dibromo-2,6-dichloro-2,6-dimethylocta-3,7-dien-1-al (2) and (E)-3,8-dibromo-2,7-dichloro-2,6-dimethyloct-5-ene (3), and the known compounds 1, 4−6, and 8. The structures were established by spectral methods.
Edge-aware inpainting with oriented (bi)harmonic interpolation

This short paper describes a simple approach to inpainting of small regions that may contain edges or other simple structure. Inpainting is commonly required in visual eﬀect, both in order to remove ﬁducial markers that are commonly added for camera tracking purposes, and to paint out other small undesired objects. A body of sophisticated research on this subject has appeared over the last decade. However, few existing methods are suitable for motion-coherent inpainting of ﬁlm or video. Our approach can propagate edges on the boundary into the interior of a spot in a temporally coherent way. The approach is also simple, requiring only the solution of sparse linear systems.
Cyber incidents, security measures and (cid:12)nancial returns: Empirical evidence from Dutch (cid:12)rms

We employ unique survey data on ICT use and administrative tax record data on Dutch (cid:12)rms to understand how cybersecurity investments relate to the probability of cyber incidents and (cid:12)rm pro(cid:12)tability. This dataset allows us to control for (cid:12)rm size, industry
Oil Spill Trajectory and Fate Modelling at the Bahamas Caribbean: Theoretical Framework

This paper briefly summaries the oil spill trajectory and fate modelling concepts at the Bahamas Caribbean. As the dependency on offshore drilling to extract oil and natural gas continues in areas such as the outer continental shelf, transportation through vessels and pipelines is critical to ensure the consistent delivery of petroleum. Meanwhile, oil exploration in the marine environments will continue have significant impacts associated with accidental discharge of oil on the environment and human health. Whilst new technologies in locating, extracting and exporting oil have reduced environmental impacts, a number of models have been developed to simulate weathering processes and forecast the fate of oil once spilled. Likewise, trajectory modelling using GNOME and IDIOS model tools were significantly important in defining the future occurrence of oil spill and address environmental impacts. To achieve this, an adequate knowledge and behaviour of the oil with respect to varied situations was considered in this framework. Assessment at the end of every significant oil spill usually done to ascertain the level of impact caused to socio-economic parameters especially the vulnerable marine species.
Genetic and phenotypic relationships between weevil (Pissodes strobi) resistance and height growth in spruce populations of British Columbia

Strong genetic differences were demonstrated for both resistance to white pine weevil (Pissodes strobi (Peck)) attack and juvenile height growth in an open-pollinated progeny test of interior spruce. This test was a large (139 families), 10-year-old test in south central British Columbia with 8 years of accumulated weevil attack. Individual-tree heritability for genetic resistance was >0.4. Strong differences among families for this resistance was shown by a coefficient of variation of 46%. Besides strong family effects, the source of origin of parent trees, as indicated by biogeoclimatic zone, was a significant effect in the model. Individual-tree heritability was also high for juvenile height growth (>0.5). Although there is a significant positive phenotypic correlation (rP = 0.11) between leader growth and weevil attack (the weevils preferring longer leaders), there is a strong negative genetic correlation (rA = n0.61) indicating that inherently faster growing families have higher levels of genetic resistance. This high and favorable negative genetic correlation is accompanied by a positive environmental correlation of the same magnitude (rE = 0.46), indicating that environmental effects, which make longer leaders more attractive to the weevils, are independent of the fact that more vigorous families are more likely to have effective resistance to weevil attack.
Effects of soil texture and precipitation on above-ground net primary productivity and vegetation structure across the Central Grassland region of the United States

A potentially important organizing principle in arid and semi-arid systems is the inverse-texture hypothesis which predicts that plant communities on coarse-textured soils should have higher above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP) than communities on fine-textured soils; the reverse is pre- dicted to occur in humid regions. Our objectives were: (1) to test predictions from the inverse-texture hypothesis across a regional precipitation gradient, and (2) to evaluate changes in community composition and basal cover on coarse- and fine- textured soils across this gradient to determine how these structural parameters may affect ANPP. Sites were located along a precipitation gradient through the Central Grassland region of the United States: mean annual precipitation ranges from 311 mm/y to 711 mm/y, whereas mean annual tempera- ture ranges from 9 ? C to 11 ? C. For both coarse- and fine-textured sites in 1993 and 1994, August - July precipitation in the year of the study explained greater than 92% of the variability in ANPP. Soil texture did not explain a significant proportion of the variability in ANPP. However, soil texture did affect the proportion of ANPP contributed by different functional types. Forbs and shrubs made up a larger proportion of total ANPP on coarse- com- pared to fine-textured sites. Shrubs contributed more to ANPP at the drier end of the gradient. Basal cover of live vegetation was not significantly related to precipitation and was similar for both soil textures. Our results revealed that across a re-
A Study on the Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Desmodium Triquetrum

The human body has several mechanisms to counteract oxidative stress by producing antioxidants, either naturally produced , or externally supplied through foods or supplements.These antioxidants act as free radical scavengers by preventing and repairing damages caused by the pro-oxidants such as Reactive Oxide Species (ROS) and therefore can enhance the immune defense and lower the risk of degenerative and other stress diseases.The present study ascertained whether the leaf extract of Desmodium triquterum could have the free radical scavenging properties.Ethyl acetate extract of Desmodium triquetrum shows more percentage of free radical inhibition than methanol extract. In DPPH, hydroxyl and superoxide radical scavenging assays, the superoxide radical scavenging assay shows highest percentage of inhibition than others in the order of Superoxide> hydroxyl > DPPH respectively.Thus leaf extract of Desmodium triquetrum has significant free radical scavenging activity.
A REVISION OF TRICHOGLOSSUS HAEMATODUS AND OF THE AUSTRALIAN PLATYCERCINE PARROTS

SUMMARY. 1A complete taxonomic revision of the loriine parrots of the Trichoglossus haematodus superspecics and of the Australian platycercine parrots with distribution maps and checklist is given. 2Two new subspecies, Trichoglossus haematodus berauensis and Platycercus adscitus mackaiesis, are described. The invalidity of twenty-one others is established or confirmed. 3A type locality for Platycercus icterotis xanthogenys is designated. 4The chain of forms Platycercus e. elegant, fleurjeuensis, adelaidae + subadelaidae, and flaveolus is a ring-species, flaveolus overlapping with e. elegans without interbreeding but hybridizing with adelaidae. 5Where Barnardius zonarius and B. barnardi meet (in the Flinders Ranges) there appears to be a belt of hybridization. 6The nearest relative of Purpureicephalus spurius (southwestern Australia), already recognized as a relict species, is suggested to be “Eunymphicus”cornutus of New Caledonia, also a relict, which is made congeneric with it. 7The validity of the genus Barnardius is confirmed, of Northiella denied. Neophema is retained in the platycercines.
Does the gastrointestinal tract serve as the infectious route of Aeromonas hydrophila in crucian carp (Carassius carassius)

Under experimental challenges, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of fish has been proposed as an infectious route of several pathogenic bacteria. Is this also the case for diseased fishponds? A field research was conducted to verify this hypothesis. A crucian carp (Carassius carassius) reared fishpond with motile Aeromonas septicaemia outbreak was sampled in this study. A total of 62 strains of Aeromonas hydrophila were isolated and identified. The clonal relationship among these strains was determined by sequencing the gyrB gene, ERIC-PCR, RAPD-PCR, and the presence of seven virulence genes. Strains with identical genotypes were further confirmed as the same clone by multilocus sequence typing analysis. Experimental infection assays were also conducted in zebrafish (Danio rerio). The results show that the same clone strains identical to those in the blood of diseased fish existed in the intestinal digesta of diseased and uninfected fish. Regardless of their origins, all these strains were highly pathogenic to zebrafish. The result indicates that pathogenic strains of A. hydrophila had existed in the GI tract of fish before the infection occurred. This increases our knowledge on infectious route of A. hydrophila in crucian carp.
Preprocessing effects on speech intelligibility in reverberation using mixed natural and electroacoustical sounds

This study evaluates a preprocessing approach for reducing reverberation effects when listeners hear both sounds from a talker and from a loudspeaker. Steady-state suppression, as described by Arai et al. [Proc. Autumn Meet. Acoust. Soc. Jpn. , 2001; Acoust. Sci. Tech., 23, 229-232, 2002], was used as the preprocessing approach which suppressed steady-state portions of a speech signal before it is radiated from loudspeakers. We simulated two different halls in which public address systems were installed. Stimuli for a syllable identification test were prepared by convolving unprocessed and steady-state suppressed signals with calculated impulse responses, and were presented to 20 young adults with normal hearing. Results showed that a loudspeaker gain affected the performance of steady-state suppression. Results also showed that the effect of the mixture of sounds from a loudspeaker and from a talker on the performance of steady-state suppression was negligible when a direct-to-reverberation ratio is high at a talker microphone. The mixture of natural and electroacoustical sounds makes the study of steady-state suppression more realistic and tests its robustness.
EFFECT OF POCKET GOPHERS ON ASPEN REGENERATION

Abstract The decline of aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the western United States is well known but the role that pocket gophers (Thomomys spp.) may play in that decline is not known. We investigated the effects of pocket gophers on aspen regeneration in Utah through a series of 4 treatments comprised of baited and fenced plots. The treatments were control (no treatment), baited (pocket gopher removal), fenced (ungulate exclusion), and fenced and baited combined. Fencing reduced browsing rates and increased the height and growth of aspen suckers but did not affect their density. Pocket gopher removal had no effect. Aspen suckers on control plots were the only ones that showed no increase in growth between spring and fall. Overall, these results indicate that the effect of pocket gophers on aspen regeneration is minimal compared to the effects of browsing by ungulates and livestock.
The implications of the asymmetric price rigidity for the monetary policy in an open economy: A cross-country evidence

In this paper we build a microfounded general equilibrium sticky price model of a small open economy and analyze the optimal monetary policy assuming asymmetric price rigidity. We find that the optimal monetary policy rule is to adjust the interest rate in response to exogenous exchange rate, supply and demand shocks with positive coefficients and that deflationary shocks should be accompanied by a smaller adjustment in the interest rate than inflationary ones of the same size since prices are more sticky downwards. We test the predictions of our model for a set of developed countries. We find that the exchange rate plays a significant role in determining the monetary policy in most countries and we find some evidence of the asymmetry which is in line with our model. JEL classification: E31; E52; E58; F41
Relationships Between Concentrations of Sedimentary Variables and Trophic State in Florida Lakes

Midlake sediment samples from 97 Florida lakes were analyzed for organic matter (LOI 550 °C), carbonate (LOI 550–990 °C), total C, N, and P, and pigment (SCDU665) content. We used simple correlation and multiple regression to examine relationships between concentrations of selected sediment constituents, or their ratios, and trophic state (Carlson's TSI) of the overlying waters. Simple concentrations of sediment variables are poor predictors of TSI. The best simple correlation relates N per gram of organic matter to TSI–Chl a but explains only 27% of the variance in trophic state. The best multiple regression model incorporates five independent sediment variables and accounts for 43% of the variance in TSI–Chl a. Reasons for the poor relationships include (1) interlake variation in the dilution of organic matter and pigments by allochthonous inorganics, (2) variation among lakes in the diagenesis of surface sediments, (3) differential contributions of insoluble, large particulate, inorganic P, and (4) fai.
THE BIOLOGY OF CANADIAN WEEDS. 54. Crepis tectorum L.

Narrow-leaved hawk’s-beard (Crepis tectorum L.) occurs across most of Canada but is particularly abundant in the parkland zone of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a serious weed in forage crop fields and has been increasing rapidly in many areas. This account is a summary of the most recent biological information on C. tectorum, including previously unpublished data.