Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reevaluating the Species Status of the Southern Ghost Pipe, Monotropa brittonii (Ericaceae)

Abstract Relationships among members of Ericaceae subfamily Monotropoideae have been difficult to resolve due to reduction and convergent evolution in these parasitic plants. All species in this subfamily are fully mycoheterotrophic, meaning they obtain nutrients by parasitizing fungi rather than through photosynthesis. Here, we examine relationships and host specificity in one of the most widespread species in this subfamily, Monotropa uniflora. We use several lines of evidence to investigate whether there is support for recognizing a segregate, M. brittonii, as distinct. Based on molecular and morphological analysis of Monotropa collected throughout its range in the United States, we find two distinct lineages, one of which corresponds morphologically and geographically to Small's M. brittonii. We identified several morphological characters that differ between the two species. We also observed a high degree of fungal host specificity in M. brittonii, which appears to parasitize almost exclusively Lactifluus subgenus Lactariopsis section Albati. Additionally, M. brittonii was primarily collected from Florida scrub, which are xeric, shrub-dominated habitats that differ substantially from the mesic forests where M. uniflora typically occurs. Based on these molecular, morphological, and ecological differences, we support recognition of M. brittonii as distinct from M. uniflora.
Meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of our middle level students in the online environment

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic and transition to online learning brings new challenges in meeting the unique social and emotional needs of young adolescents. Furthermore, the pandemic has exposed and exacerbated deep inequities in our society. The crisis highlights the growing racial and economic disparities that occur when students do not have the online tools they need. These marginalized groups include children living in poverty, children with limited or no Internet access, homeless children, English Language Learners (ELLs), children receiving special education services, and traumatized youth. We offer recommendations and strategies to build community, connections, and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies.
IDIAP RESEARCH REPOR T

October 2001Andrew C. Morris, Bernhard Obermaier & Gert PfurtschellerAbstractEEG recordings provide an important means of brain-computer communication, but theirclassiﬁcation accuracy is limited by unforeseeable variations in the signal due to artefacts orrecogniser-subject feedback. A number of techniques were recently developed to address arelated problem of recogniser robustness to uncontrollable signal variation which also occurs inautomatic speech recognition (ASR). In this article we consider how some of the provedadvantages of the “multi-stream combination” and “tandem” approaches in HMM/ANN hybridbased ASR can possibly be applied to improve the performance of EEG recognition.Keywords: EEG, multi-stream classiﬁcation, robust recognitionAcknowledgements: This work was supported by the EC/OFES (European Community / SwissFederal Ofﬁce for Education and Science) RESPITE project (REcognition of Speech by PartialInformation TEchniques).
Economics of risk and uncertainty of alternative water exchange and aeration rates in semi-intensive shrimp culture systems

Reducing water exchange in shrimp aquaculture to minimize discharge of pollutants is a search for sustainability. In desert regions, like most of northwest Mexico, low water exchange must be complemented with artificial aeration to compensate for low levels of oxygen in warm and highly saline water. The economic yield of a low-water-exchange production system is compared against yield from a tlipical water-escii;:nge-n.ithout-aeration system for Penaetrs vannamei culture. The difference between two systems is centered on pumping and aeration rates for a 100 ha semi-intensive farm in northwest Mexico. A bioeconolnic model i\. as built to compare the systems. Risk anal! siz :s adopted to account for uncertainty of seed price, shrimp growth rate, survival rate. and shrimp prices. The typical system was slightly more profitable than the low-water-exchange, aerated system. The latter used less electricity than the former in all of the three mortality-rate scenarios. However, the difference in profitability is so small that for practical purposes both production systems provide similar economic yield. For a typical system, the probability -' reaching a positive net present value (NPV) is high, therefore under the assumed risks, a 100 ha semi-intensive shrimp farm in northwest Mexico is a good investment choice.
Cervical Cancer Prognosis and Diagnosis Using Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy

Abstract Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has been used as an adjunct to colposcopy for cervical cancer diagnosis for many years, Currently, the template match method is employed for EIS measurements analysis, where the measured EIS spectra are compared with the templates generated from three-dimensional finite element (FE) models of cancerous and non-cancerous cervical tissue, and the matches between the measured EIS spectra and the templates are then used to derive a score that indicates the association strength of the measured EIS to the High-Grade Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (HG CIN). These FE models can be viewed as the computational versions of the associated physical tissue models. In this paper, the problem is revisited with an objective to develop a new method for EIS data analysis that might reveal the relationship between the change in the tissue structure due to disease and the change in the measured spectrum. This could provide us with important information to understand the histopathological mechanism that underpins the EIS-based HG CIN diagnostic decision making and the prognostic value of EIS for cervical cancer diagnosis. A further objective is to develop an alternative EIS data processing method for HG CIN detection that does not rely on physical models of tissues so as to facilitate extending the EIS technique to new medical diagnostic applications where the template spectra are not available. An EIS data-driven method was developed in this paper to achieve the above objectives, where the EIS data analysis for cervical cancer diagnosis and prognosis were formulated as the classification problems and a Cole model-based spectrum curve fitting approach was proposed to extract features from EIS readings for classification. Machine learning techniques were then used to build classification models with the selected features for cervical cancer diagnosis and evaluation of the prognostic value of the measured EIS. The interpretable classification models were developed with real EIS data sets, which enable us to associate the changes in the observed EIS and the risk of being HG CIN or developing HG CIN with the changes in tissue structure due to disease. The developed classification models were used for HG CIN detection and evaluation of the prognostic value of EIS and the results demonstrated the effectiveness of the developed method. The method developed is of long-term benefit for EIS–based cervical cancer diagnosis and, in conjunction with standard colposcopy, there is the potential for the developed method to provide a more effective and efficient patient management strategy for clinic practice.
2004 IEEE International Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control 50 th Anniversary Joint Conference and Exhibition

We expect that approximately 60 different vendors, covering a wide range of current cutting-edge technology, will participate in the exhibit area. The exhibit area will also be the location of the session coffee breaks and an exhibitors’ reception. With an expected attendance of 1,200 scientists and technologists, 60 international vendors from many parts of the world, and extended hours for viewing the exhibits and interaction between vendors and attendees, we believe that the exhibit area will be a significant part of the overall conference experience. The exhibit hall is a duty-free port in Canada. We have obtained the necessary permits to enable United States vendors to ship their equipment to a forwarding address in the US which in turn will forward all exhibit material directly to the Conference center. This allows you to send your equipment to the exhibition without problems associated with customs paperwork or carnets.
Acquisition of Mathematical and Linguistic Skills in Children With Learning Difficulties

Comorbid learning difficulties in linguistic and mathematical skills often emerge in primary school age. The cause of coinciding of both learning difficulties during children’s development spanning pre- and primary-school age is not yet well understood. To address this research gap, we used data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS; n = 301) of four groups of children which were categorized according to their skill levels in pre-school age: children with learning difficulties isolated in linguistic skills (LD), children with learning difficulties isolated in mathematical skills (MD), children with learning difficulties combined in linguistic and mathematical skills (MD/LD), and children with typical development in both skills (TA). Computing univariate and repeated measures ANCOVAs we compared the mathematical and linguistic development of the four groups of children (LD, MD, LD/MD, and TA) spanning age four to ten. Results reveal a partial catch-up in linguistic skills (lexical, grammatical) for children with LD. In contrast, children with MD did not overcome their mathematical competence gap in comparison with TA and LD. Moreover, children with MD showed a decrease in grammatical skills during transition in primary school. Further, children with MD/LD displayed the weakest performance in linguistic and mathematical skills during pre- and primary-school age in general. However, after controlling for working memory, initial performance differences between the groups decreased in favor of MD/LD. The relation between linguistic skills and mathematical skills in persisting learning difficulties as well as the specific role of working memory are discussed.
Gene Flow from Wild to Managed Colonies in the Stingless Bee Scaptotrigona Mexicana and an Update on its Mating Frequency

Abstract Researchers have hypothesized that wild stingless bee colonies are a repository of genes for managed populations via the mating of managed virgin queens with males from wild colonies. We tested this hypothesis with the stingless bee, Scaptotrigona mexicana, a culturally important species in the study region. Each of ten colonies were split into two colonies and placed in a meliponary, which resulted in ten queen-right mother colonies and ten queenless daughter colonies. We allowed daughter colonies to produce gynes, which then naturally mated with males of unknown origins. Six months later, five third-instar larvae from each colony were genotyped at six microsatellite loci. Four new alleles (12% of 33 alleles) were found in daughter colonies that were not present in any other mother colony. The Fst index showed no overall significant differences between mother and daughter colonies, indicating that they belonged to the same population despite the new alleles. Interestingly, nine queens were estimated to be polyandrous, with an average mating frequency of 1.3, unlike previous reports for this species. These results have implications for the fitness of managed stingless bee colonies and suggest that a better understanding of how gene flow is affected by human management practices would be beneficial.
Discharge measurements using a HTS-SQUID based amplifier system

In the design and development of high voltage insulation systems, partial discharge measurements are often used for system characterization and evaluation. The aim of this work was to investigate the SQUID sensor as an amplifier in a high voltage environment. An HTS SQUID amplifier has been developed and tested under laboratory conditions. Different SQUIDs and a number of different input configurations have been investigated. Preliminary data indicate that the system has a performance similar to a commercial system used as reference. However, calculations and simulations show that the new method has potential for further improvement.
Impact of Legislation on Antibiotic Use and Awareness of Beekeepers

Abstract Legislation plays a key role in regulating beekeeping practices and biosecurity measures, but different countries present conflicting legislative frameworks in terms of allowing antibiotic use. Currently the EU and the UK only permit antibiotics under the cascade principle, but while the UK considers the application in cases of European Foulbrood, the EU strongly discourages antibiotic use. In the US, antibiotics are registered for honeybees and their treatments are regularly authorised. This study relied on an international survey to assess the current use of antibiotics and general awareness among beekeepers, within the three legislative contexts. The results showed a similar use of antibiotics in all three geographical areas, regardless of the legislative context. General use and awareness indicated that the EU and US would likely benefit from national inspectors. Furthermore, even though beekeepers were somewhat aware of the various risks associated with improper antibiotic use, they would likely benefit from targeted training on the matter.
Human Lung Mast Cells Impair Corticosteroid Responsiveness in Human Airway Smooth Muscle Cells

The mechanisms underlying corticosteroid insensitivity in severe asthma have not been elucidated although some indirect clinical evidence points toward a role of mast cells. Here, we tested the hypothesis that mast cells can drive corticosteroid insensitivity in airway smooth muscle cells, a key player in asthma pathogenesis. Conditioned media from resting or FcεR1-activated human lung mast cells were incubated with serum-deprived ASM cells (1:4 dilution, 24 h) to determine their impact on the anti-inflammatory action of fluticasone on ASM cell chemokine expression induced by TNFα (10 ng/ml). Conditioned media from FcεR1-activated mast cells (but not that from non-activated mast cells or control media) significantly reduced the ability of 100 nM fluticasone to suppress ASM TNFα-dependent CCL5 and CXCL10 production at both mRNA and protein levels. In contrast, fluticasone inhibition of CXCL-8 production by TNFα was still preserved in the presence of activated mast cell conditioned media. Transcriptomic analysis validated by individual qPCR assays revealed that activated mast cell conditioned media dramatically reduced the number of anti-inflammatory genes induced by fluticasone in ASM cells. Our study demonstrates for the first time that conditioned media from FcεR1-activated mast cells blunt the anti-inflammatory action of corticosteroids in ASM cells by altering their transactivation properties. Because infiltration of mast cells within the ASM bundles is a defining feature of asthma, mast cell-derived mediators may contribute to the glucocorticoid insensitivity present in severe asthma.
Energy Systems and Sustainability: Power for a Sustainable Future (2nd ed.)

The only text to provide a fresh, contemporary perspective on energy and sustainability for an undergraduate audience Includes extensive coverage of both fossil fuels and nuclear power, but in the context of an increasing use of renewable energy Boxes throughout the text present clear explanations of the technologies, underlying physics, and more advanced topics New to this edition International comparisons of key energy statistics now include India and China in addition to the UK, USA, France, and Denmark, giving a truly global perspective Increased coverage of the 'peak oil' debate and the environmental implications of China's increasing energy use Significantly revised and expanded exploration of the sustainability of fossil fuel use, with new material on carbon capture and storage, the social cost of carbon, hybrid electric cars, and prospects for a hydrogen economy Start-of-chapter overviews and end-of-chapter reviews aid navigation and consolidation of information Appendix of US units How can we provide clean, safe, sustainable energy supplies for the world despite rising population levels and increasing economic development? Today, energy and sustainability are of primary concern and form the focus of this book and its companion volume, Renewable Energy. Interdisciplinary in its approach and global in its perspective, this book provides a contemporary exploration of the economic, social, environmental, and policy issues raised by current systems of energy use, as well as describing their key physical and engineering features. The historical evolution of the world's energy systems, the principles underlying their use, and their present status and future prospects are analysed, while emphasizing the important issue of sustainability. Beginning with a survey of basic energy concepts, the book describes the magnitude and patterns of human energy needs at various levels. Focus then turns to an overview of the fossil and nuclear-fuelled energy that, together with hydroelectric power and traditional biofuels, supply most of the world's commercial energy needs. Sections on economics describes the basic methods by which the monetary costs of energy are calculated, and discuss the issue of 'external' costs of energy production. The concluding chapters consider the sustainabliity problems associated with both fossil and nuclear fuel use, and ways in which they might be ameliorated by various technological and social developments. This is done in the context of a rising use of renewable energy. · Extensive coverage of the important concepts and issues underpinning modern energy production and its future prospects · Adopts an interdisciplinary approach making the text readable by engineer and policy maker alike
AI-Based Prediction and Prevention of Psychological and Behavioral Changes in Ex-COVID-19 Patients

The COVID-19 pandemic has adverse consequences on human psychology and behavior long after initial recovery from the virus. These COVID-19 health sequelae, if undetected and left untreated, may lead to more enduring mental health problems, and put vulnerable individuals at risk of developing more serious psychopathologies. Therefore, an early distinction of such vulnerable individuals from those who are more resilient is important to undertake timely preventive interventions. The main aim of this article is to present a comprehensive multimodal conceptual approach for addressing these potential psychological and behavioral mental health changes using state-of-the-art tools and means of artificial intelligence (AI). Mental health COVID-19 recovery programs at post-COVID clinics based on AI prediction and prevention strategies may significantly improve the global mental health of ex-COVID-19 patients. Most COVID-19 recovery programs currently involve specialists such as pulmonologists, cardiologists, and neurologists, but there is a lack of psychiatrist care. The focus of this article is on new tools which can enhance the current limited psychiatrist resources and capabilities in coping with the upcoming challenges related to widespread mental health disorders. Patients affected by COVID-19 are more vulnerable to psychological and behavioral changes than non-COVID populations and therefore they deserve careful clinical psychological screening in post-COVID clinics. However, despite significant advances in research, the pace of progress in prevention of psychiatric disorders in these patients is still insufficient. Current approaches for the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders largely rely on clinical rating scales, as well as self-rating questionnaires that are inadequate for comprehensive assessment of ex-COVID-19 patients’ susceptibility to mental health deterioration. These limitations can presumably be overcome by applying state-of-the-art AI-based tools in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of psychiatric disorders in acute phase of disease to prevent more chronic psychiatric consequences.
Mixed Measurement Form System Base on State Estimation on SCADA/PMU

The state estimation based on the synchronous phasor measuring unit (PMU) is the wide-area measurement system (WAMS) of important technical support, It is great to real-time monitoring of large area power grid control direction and provides advanced information technology platform. it provides advanced information technology platform for real-time monitoring of large area power grid and control direction, but the current wide-area measurement system less point, difficult to direct the system state estimation. This paper proposes a method based on PMU and SCADA mixed measurement state estimation. The simulation results show that this method has a higher convergence speed, And from the topology of the network structure of the restrictions.
INFLUENCE ON STRENGTH OF COMPRESSION PANEL OF STIFFENER SECTION, SPACING AND WELDED CONNECTION.

Tests have been carried out on 33 stiffened panels. In the first group, a range of plate panel width to thickness ratios of 20-35 was used to establish the limit at which the effect of plate buckling on overall strength became discernible, thereby establishing the relevant figure as a little over 30. In the second group, the higher residual stresses induced in the plate panels by continuous as opposed to intermittent welding had no more deleterious an effect than that of the discontinuity and decrease of rigidity of the stiffener/plate connection caused by intermittent welding. The final group of tests was carried out to ascertain the validity of the merrison interim design and workmanship rules in relation to collapse caused by the torsional failure of stiffeners. The rules were found to give correct or slightly conservative estimates of carrying capacity in all cases, except possibly for slender panels stiffened by bulb flats. /TRRL/
Individual Differences and Automation Choice in Simulated Driving

Automated driving systems have the potential to lower driver workload, but may also induce fatigue and loss of situation awareness. This study investigated individual differences in fatigue response to automation that is under the driver's control. Of particular interest was the driver's choice of whether or not to use an automation option. The study included the Driver Stress Inventory (DSI), which assesses five personality traits that may control vulnerability to stress and fatigue: Aggression, Dislike of Driving, Fatigue Proneness, Hazard Monitoring, and Thrill Seeking. Participants were assigned to one of two experimental conditions, Automation Optional (AO) or Non-Automation (NA), and then performed a 35-minute simulated drive. Availability of automation failed to protect the driver from fatigue and distress; drivers in the AO condition actually showed poorer response times to a sudden traffic event. Individuals who chose to use automation in the AO condition showed higher levels of distress. DSI Fatigue-Proneness predicted higher levels of fatigue and stress, especially in automation-users. Thus, some individuals are especially prone to automation-induced fatigue, so that system designs should accommodate individual vulnerabilities.