Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contrasting effects of human settlement on the interaction among sympatric apex carnivores

In the face of a growing human footprint, understanding interactions among threatened large carnivores is fundamental to effectively mitigating anthropogenic threats and managing species. Using data from a large-scale camera trap survey, we investigated the effects of environmental and anthropogenic variables on the interspecific interaction of a carnivore guild comprising of tiger, leopard and dhole in Bhutan. We demonstrate the complex effects of human settlement density on large carnivore interactions. Specifically, we demonstrate that leopard–dhole co-occupancy probability was higher in areas with higher human settlement density. The opposite was true for tiger–leopard co-occupancy probability, but it was positively affected by large prey (gaur) abundance. These findings suggest that multi-carnivore communities across land-use gradients are spatially structured and mediated also by human presence and/or the availability of natural prey. Our findings show that space-use patterns are driven by a combination of the behavioural mechanism of each species and its interactions with competing species. The duality of the effect of settlement density on species interactions suggests that the benefits of exploiting anthropogenic environments are a trade-off between ecological opportunity (food subsidies or easy prey) and the risk of escalating conflict with humans.
Pushing the Level of Abstraction of Digital System Design: A Survey on How to Program FPGAs

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are spatial architectures with a heterogeneous reconfigurable fabric. They are state-of-the-art for prototyping, telecommunications, embedded, and an emerging alternative for cloud-scale acceleration. However, FPGA adoption found limitations in their programmability and required knowledge. Therefore, researchers focused on FPGA abstractions and automation tools. Here, we survey three leading digital design abstractions: Hardware Description Languages (HDLs), High-Level Synthesis (HLS) tools, and Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs). We review these abstraction solutions, provide a timeline, and propose a taxonomy for each abstraction trend: programming models for HDLs; Intellectual Property (IP)-based or System-based toolchains for HLS; application, architecture, and infrastructure domains for DSLs.
Functional Comparison between Endogenous and Synthetic Notch Systems

The Notch pathway converts receptor-ligand interactions at the cell surface into a transcriptional response in the receiver cell. In recent years, synthetic Notch systems (SynNotch) that respond to different inputs and transduce different transcriptional responses have been engineered. One class of synNotch systems uses antibody-antigen interactions at the cell surface to induce the proteolytic cleavage cascade of the endogenous Notch autoregulatory core and the consequent release of a synNotch intracellular domain (ICD), converting surface antigen detection into a cellular response. However, whereas the activation of endogenous Notch requires ubiquitylation and subsequent endocytosis of the ligand ICD, these synNotch systems do not seem to have such a requirement because the synNotch ligands completely lack an ICD. This observation raises questions about existing models for the Notch activation mechanism. Here, we test how different structural and biochemical factors affect the dependence of endogenous and synthetic Notch activation on ligand ICD. We compare the behavior of antibody-antigen synNotch (aa-synNotch) to that of endogenous Notch, and to a synNotch system that uses induced FKBP-FRB dimerization with rapamycin (ff-synNotch), which still requires a ligand ICD. We found that differences in receptor-ligand affinity, in the identity of the transmembrane domain, or in the presence or absence of extracellular EGF repeats cannot explain the differences in ligand ICD requirement that distinguishes aa-synNotch from endogenous Notch or ff-synNotch. These findings suggest that the aa-SynNotch systems bypass the ligand ICD requirement because antigen-antibody pairs are able to promote other adhesive cell-cell interactions that provide the mechanical tension needed for ligand activation.
Environmental Observations in Knowledge Graphs

The notion of Linked Open Science rests on the assump-tion that Linked Data principles contribute to science and scientiﬁc data management in several distinct ways (e.g., by adding rich semantics to improve retrieval and reuse of data). This begs the question of the right level of granularity for such semantic enrichment. On the one extreme of the spectrum, one may provide semantic annotations on the level of entire datasets to improve retrieval while leaving the actual data un-touched. On the other end, one may semantically describe every single datum, such as a particular observation leading to data that supports reasoning, automated conﬂation, and so on, while, at the same time, dra-matically increasing the size of data, including redundancy. This paper reports on our experience in modeling heterogeneous environmental data using a semantically-enabled observation framework, namely the SOSA ontology and its extensions to handle observation collections. We discuss diﬀerent means of using these observation collections and compare their pros and cons in terms of data size and ease of querying.
Signatures of mRNA Alternative Polyadenylation in Arabidopsis Leaf Development

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) of pre-mRNA is an important co-transcriptional mechanism that modulates gene expression, leading to transcriptomic and functional diversities. The role of APA in Arabidopsis leaf development, however, remains elusive. We applied a poly(A)-tag sequencing (PAT-seq) technique to characterize APA-mediated regulation events in cotyledon and in five stages of true leaf development. Over 60% APA was identified in genes expressed in leaves, consistent with the results in previous publications. However, a reduced APA level was detected in younger leaves, reaching 44% in the 18th true leaf. Importantly, we also found that >70% of the poly(A) site usages were altered in the second true leaf relative to the cotyledon. Compared with the cotyledon, more genes in the second true leaf tended to use the distal site of 3′UTR, but this was not found in pairwise comparison among other true leaves. In addition, a significant APA gene was found to be decreased in a pairwise comparison among true leaves, including differentially expressed genes. The APA genes identified herein were associated with specific biological processes, including metabolic and cellular processes and response to stimuli and hormones. These results provide a new insight into the regulation of Arabidopsis leaf development through APA.
Preparation and Modification of High-Performance Polychlorotrifluoroethylene Through Physical Blending

Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) is one of the earliest developed and commercialized fluoropolymers and has been used in high-frequency communication, anti-corrosion, and medical packaging fields. However, relatively poor processability and mechanical performances resulting from high molecular regularity and crystallinity limited its broader applications. Herein, the pristine PCTFE was physically modified by blending with its pyrolysis products (FCO). It was demonstrated that the addition of FCO accelerated the molecular relaxation and retarded the crystallization process of PCTFE, leading to the distinct improvement of processability and mechanical performances. When 10% FCO was loaded, the equilibrium torque was decreased by 20%; the elongation at break and impact strength were enhanced by 3.6 and 10.6 times in comparison to those of PCTFE. Additionally, because of the good compatibility of the components, the blend also maintained ultralow dielectric constant/loss, good transparency, and high water-vapor barrier performances. Accordingly, this work paved an effective route to prepare high-performance PCTFE materials, which may play an important role in high-frequency communication field.
The Role of Rare Avian Species for Spatial Resilience of Shifting Biomes in the Great Plains of North America

Human activity causes biome shifts that alter biodiversity and spatial resilience patterns. Rare species, often considered vulnerable to change and endangered, can be a critical element of resilience by providing adaptive capacity in response to disturbances. However, little is known about changes in rarity patterns of communities once a biome transitions into a novel spatial regime. We used time series modeling to identify rare avian species in an expanding terrestrial (southern) spatial regime in the North American Great Plains and another (northern) regime that will become encroached by the southern regime in the near future. In this time-explicit approach, presumably rare species show stochastic dynamics in relative abundance – this is because they occur only rarely throughout the study period, may largely be absent but show occasional abundance peaks or show a combination of these patterns. We specifically assessed how stochastic/rare species of the northern spatial regime influence aspects of ecological resilience once it has been encroached by the southern regime. Using 47 years (1968–2014) of breeding bird survey data and a space-for-time substitution, we found that the overall contribution of stochastic/rare species to the avian community of the southern regime was low. Also, none of these species were of conservation concern, suggesting limited need for revised species conservation action in the novel spatial regime. From a systemic perspective, our results preliminarily suggest that stochastic/rare species only marginally contribute to resilience in a new spatial regime after fundamental ecological changes have occurred.
Genetic Regulation of Vertebrate Forebrain Development by Homeobox Genes

Forebrain development in vertebrates is regulated by transcription factors encoded by homeobox, bHLH and forkhead gene families throughout the progressive and overlapping stages of neural induction and patterning, regional specification and generation of neurons and glia from central nervous system (CNS) progenitor cells. Moreover, cell fate decisions, differentiation and migration of these committed CNS progenitors are controlled by the gene regulatory networks that are regulated by various homeodomain-containing transcription factors, including but not limited to those of the Pax (paired), Nkx, Otx (orthodenticle), Gsx/Gsh (genetic screened), and Dlx (distal-less) homeobox gene families. This comprehensive review outlines the integral role of key homeobox transcription factors and their target genes on forebrain development, focused primarily on the telencephalon. Furthermore, links of these transcription factors to human diseases, such as neurodevelopmental disorders and brain tumors are provided.
WearSkill: personalized and interchangeable input with wearables for users with motor impairments

We introduce WearSkill, a web application that implements personalized and interchangeable input for wearable computing. We outline functional and quality requirements for WearSkill and present the engineering details of its implementation using web technology. We emphasize the interchangeability of input modalities with various wearables, e.g., touch input on a smart ring vs. mid-air gestures of the hand wearing a smartwatch vs. voice input detected by the microphone from a pair of smartglasses, towards personalized input for users with various motor abilities. Our findings, from a study involving twenty-one people with motor impairments, show that WearSkill can provide accurate recommendations for personalized input modalities that match 85.3% with users' own preferences.
Role of Anions in the Synthesis and Crystal Growth of Selected Semiconductors

The ideal methods for the preparation of semiconductors should be reproducible and possess the ability to control the morphology of the particles with monodispersity yields. Apart from that, it is also crucial to synthesize a large quantity of desired materials with good control of size, shape, morphology, crystallinity, composition, and surface chemistry at a reasonably low production cost. Metal oxides and chalcogenides with various morphologies and crystal structures have been obtained using different anion metal precursors (and/or different sulfur sources for chalcogenides in particular) through typical synthesis methods. Generally, spherical particles are obtained as it is thermodynamically favorable. However, by changing the anion precursor salts, the morphology of a semiconductor is influenced. Therefore, precursors having different anions show some effects on the final forms of a semiconductor. This review compiled and discussed the effects of anions (NO3 −, Cl−, SO4 2-, CH3COO−, CH(CH3)O−, etc.) and different sources of S2- on the morphology and crystal structure of selected metal oxides and chalcogenides respectively.
Green Credit Policy and Corporate Stock Price Crash Risk: Evidence From China

Using the promulgation of Green Credit Guidelines in China as the research setting, this paper exploits a quasi-natural experiment to examine the impact of green credit policy on the stock price crash risk of heavy-polluting firms. The results show that green credit policy significantly increases the risk of stock price crash of heavy-polluting firms. Such impact is transmitted through increased financial constraints and reduced information transparency. In addition, we find that the impact of green credit policy on the stock price crash risk is more pronounced in firms with weak external governance and a small size. Our findings provide policy implications for mitigating corporate risks and promoting corporate sustainability.
Early Post-Vaccination Gene Signatures Correlate With the Magnitude and Function of Vaccine-Induced HIV Envelope-Specific Plasma Antibodies in Infant Rhesus Macaques

A better understanding of the impact of early innate immune responses after vaccine priming on vaccine-elicited adaptive immune responses could inform rational design for effective HIV vaccines. The current study compared the whole blood molecular immune signatures of a 3M-052-SE adjuvanted HIV Env protein vaccine to a regimen combining the adjuvanted Env protein with simultaneous administration of a modified Vaccinia Ankara vector expressing HIV Env in infant rhesus macaques at days 0, 1, and 3 post vaccine prime. Both vaccines induced a rapid innate response, evident by elevated inflammatory plasma cytokines and altered gene expression. We identified 25 differentially-expressed genes (DEG) on day 1 compared to day 0 in the HIV protein vaccine group. In contrast, in the group that received both the Env protein and the MVA-Env vaccine only two DEG were identified, implying that the MVA-Env modified the innate response to the adjuvanted protein vaccine. By day 3, only three DEG maintained altered expression, indicative of the transient nature of the innate response. The DEG represented immune pathways associated with complement activation, type I interferon and interleukin signaling, pathogen sensing, and induction of adaptive immunity. DEG expression on day 1 was correlated to Env-specific antibody responses, in particular antibody-dependent cytotoxicity responses at week 34, and Env-specific follicular T helper cells. Results from network analysis supported the interaction of DEG and their proteins in B cell activation. These results emphasize that vaccine-induced HIV-specific antibody responses can be optimized through the modulation of the innate response to the vaccine prime.
Minimal Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic (mPBPK) Metamodeling of Target Engagement in Skin Informs Anti-IL17A Drug Development in Psoriasis

The pharmacologic effect(s) of biotherapeutics directed against soluble targets are driven by the magnitude and duration of free target suppression at the tissue site(s) of action. Interleukin (IL)-17A is an inflammatory cytokine that plays a key role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. In this work, clinical trial data from two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting IL-17A for treatment of psoriasis (secukinumab and ixekizumab) were analyzed simultaneously to quantitatively predict their target engagement (TE) profiles in psoriatic skin. First, a model-based meta-analysis (MBMA) for clinical responses was conducted separately for each drug based on dose. Next, a minimal physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (mPBPK) model was built to assess skin site IL-17A target engagement for ixekizumab and secukinumab simultaneously. The mPBPK model captured the observed drug PK, serum total IL-17A, and skin drug concentration-time profiles reasonably well across the different dosage regimens investigated. The developed mPBPK model was then used to predict the average TE (i.e., free IL-17A suppression) in skin achieved over a 12-weeks treatment period for each drug following their respective regimens and subsequently assess the TE-efficacy response relationship. It was predicted that secukinumab achieved 98.6% average TE in the skin at 300 mg q4w SC while ixekizumab achieved 99.9% average TE under 160 mg (loading) followed by 80 mg q2w SC. While direct quantification of free IL-17A levels at the site of action is technically challenging, integrated mPBPK-MBMA approaches offer quantitative predictions of free IL-17A levels at the site of action to facilitate future drug development via IL-17A suppression in psoriasis.
Geotechnical engineering educational modules demonstrating measurement and regulation of soil moisture

With the rapidly changing needs of the construction industry and higher education, Conceive—Design—Implement—Operate (CDIO) educational framework is essential in delivering basics and practical aspects to undergraduate students. This study presents an attempt to explore the use of hardware and software applications for geotechnical engineering education. An example for development of hardware (Arduino UNO) and software applications (Mobile applications) for estimating soil moisture and its regulation is presented. The study provides a new learning environment, where students from civil engineering (major) can work hand to hand with that from electronics (minor) to develop applications for soil moisture measurement. A collaborative workshop is proposed and executed. The workshop includes basic concepts related to hardware (Time domain reflectometry [TDR] probe, Arduino UNO, and Water flow measurement) and software (LabVIEW and Android studio programming platforms) followed by project implementation in a group of 5–6 students. Satisfaction and comprehension were found to increase significantly for subjects (electronics and optics) to students of civil engineering background. The adopted tools represent economical means for application in conventional classrooms as well as laboratories for undergraduate students with a civil engineering background. This integration of the digital and physical world is an attempt at approaching soil mechanics mathematics from technology and arts from a scientific perspective. The examples presented in this study can be useful for developing open‐source laboratories within the framework of the undergraduate curriculum in civil engineering.
New Porcine Model of Arteriovenous Fistula Documents Increased Coronary Blood Flow at the Cost of Brain Perfusion

Background: Arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) represent a low resistant circuit. It is known that their opening leads to decreased systemic vascular resistance, increased cardiac output and other hemodynamic changes. Possible competition of AVF and perfusion of other organs has been observed before, however the specific impact of AVF has not been elucidated yet. Previous animal models studied long-term changes associated with a surgically created high flow AVF. The aim of this study was to create a simple AVF model for the analysis of acute hemodynamic changes. Methods: Domestic female pigs weighing 62.6 ± 5.2 kg were used. All the experiments were held under general anesthesia. The AVF was created using high-diameter ECMO cannulas inserted into femoral artery and vein. Continuous hemodynamic monitoring was performed throughout the protocol. Near-infrared spectroscopy sensors, flow probes and flow wires were inserted to study brain and heart perfusion. Results: AVF blood flow was 2.1 ± 0.5 L/min, which represented around 23% of cardiac output. We observed increase in cardiac output (from 7.02 ± 2.35 L/min to 9.19 ± 2.99 L/min, p = 0.0001) driven dominantly by increased heart rate, increased pulmonary artery pressure, and associated right ventricular work. Coronary artery flow velocity rose. On the contrary, carotid artery flow and brain and muscle tissue oxygenation measured by NIRS decreased significantly. Conclusions: Our new non-surgical AVF model is reproducible and demonstrated an acute decrease of brain and muscle perfusion.
Running Lean Startup in the Classroom: From Idea to Experiment in 1 Week

Entrepreneurship education is increasingly shifting from learning about entrepreneurship to developing entrepreneurial skills. One skill all entrepreneurship students need to develop is the ability to assess whether or not there is a market for their new product or service. Recent popular trade books like Eric Ries’s Lean Startup and Ash Maurya’s Running Lean provide insights into how to capture validated learning to determine what people really want. This experiential classroom exercise allows entrepreneurship students ranging from undergraduates to executive MBA candidates to go through an entire cycle of Ries’s build-measure-learn” framework that is central to the lean startup. This exercise consists of five modules—customer persona, value proposition canvas, experiment map, minimum viable product, and running the experiment—that can be completed over five lecture sessions. Students learn how to “run lean,” determine the market for a new product or service, and apply these skills later in new ventures or established firms.
New concepts in poultry nutrition

SUMMARY The great evolution of the Brazilian poultry industry, the consequent increased production of waste and the requirements imposed by the European Union concerning the control of the excretion of pollutants result in the search for new concepts of animal nutrition. Among these concepts, we can mention the use of ideal protein, the injection of nutrients in the egg, the animal nutrition based on phases and supplementation of additives such as prebiotics, probiotics, enzymes, herbal extracts and organic minerals in the diets of birds. Several studies have been conducted to prove the effectiveness of these practices of nutrition and many of them conclude that the application of nutritional strategies have significant potential to reduce nutrient excretion by broiler chickens, and have also the advantage of reducing the production costs. Keywords : nutrition, poultry, strategy. INTRODUCAO O Brasil tem se destacado mundialmente pela sua forte producao no setor agropecuario e, no bojo do agronegocio, o ramo da avicultura foi o mais evoluido nos ultimos anos. Hoje, o Pais se encontra na posicao de terceiro maior produtor de carne de frango no mundo e o maior exportador. O crescimento na producao de aves do Brasil tem sido constante, e isso pode ser comprovado ja no limiar deste ano, com um aumento de 8,76% na producao de janeiro, em relacao ao mesmo periodo do ano passado (AVISITE, 2011). Dentre as areas responsaveis por esse avanco, destaca-se o melhoramento