pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Permanent trawl fishery closures in the Mediterranean Sea: An effective management strategy?

Since June 2010 the Italian government prohibited the trawling activity within three nautical miles from the coast or within the 50 m isobath. This decision was expected to have a great impact on trawl fishing activities, but at the moment no real assessment of the effects on catches and possible ecological implications has been undertaken. In order to fill this gap, an assessment on the North Western Adriatic Sea coast has been performed. Landings per Unit of Effort (kilograms per boat per day) for each trawling fleet segment have been analysed, by comparing on a monthly basis the before (2007-2009) and after ban (2011-2013) period. The comparison was carried out considering total landings and the six main species targeted inside the three miles area (sand smelt, cuttlefish, red mullet, sole, turbot, and mantis shrimp). Within a general reduction of total landings, a differential effect based on the analysed metiers was detected, with small trawlers being more negatively affected than the large and rapido ones, which showed, for some species, positive impacts. From an ecological point of view, though, no positive overall effects were detected, probably due to the fact that the adopted measure is not sufficient to reduce the overexploitation.  In any case, all this is affecting the structure of the small-scale fishery in the area, since small trawlers are changing métier, moving towards the artisanal fishery, with deep impacts on the very coastal area that the trawling ban was designated to protect, compromising all possible benefit
Geographical variation in the heterogeneity of mutualistic networks

Plant–animal mutualistic networks are characterized by highly heterogeneous degree distributions. The majority of species interact with few partner species, while a small number are highly connected to form network hubs that are proposed to play an important role in community stability. It has not been investigated, however, if or how the degree distributions vary among types of mutualisms or communities, or between plants and animals in the same network. Here, we evaluate the degree distributions of pollination and seed-dispersal networks, which are two major types of mutualistic networks that have often been discussed in parallel, using an index based on Pielou\u27s evenness. Among 56 pollination networks we found strong negative correlation of the heterogeneity between plants and animals, and geographical shifts of network hubs from plants in temperate regions to animals in the tropics. For 28 seed-dispersal networks, by contrast, the correlation was positive, and there is no comparable geographical pattern. These results may be explained by evolution towards specialization in the presence of context-dependent costs that occur if plants share the animal species as interaction partner. How the identity of network hubs affects the stability and resilience of the community is an important question for future studies
Degenerate p-type conductivity in wide-gap LaCuOS1–xSex (x = 0–1) epitaxial films

Epitaxial films of LaCuOS1–xSex (x = 0–1) solid solution were grown on MgO (001) substrates and their electrical and optical properties were examined. Sharp emission due to room-temperature exciton with binding energy of ~50 meV is observed for all x values. Hall mobility becomes large with an increase in the Se content and it reaches 8.0 cm2V–1s–1 in LaCuOSe, a comparable value to that of p-type GaN:Mg. Doping of Mg2+ ions at La3+ sites enhances a hole concentration up to 2.2×1020 cm–3, while maintaining the Hall mobility as large as 4.0 cm2V–1s–1. Consequently, a degenerate p-type electrical conduction with a conductivity of 140 S cm–1 was achieved
Anionic living polymerization of useful monomers that can provide intermolecular chemical links

Anionic living polymerization of four new monomers that serve as intermolecular chemical links between polymer chains are described, along with the wide applications of the resultant polymer alloys. Examples of the first monomer include three tertiary aminostyrenes. The corresponding poly(tertiary aminostyrene)s (PtAS) having a desired molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution were prepared. Crosslinked films of PtAS with p, p'-bis(chloromethyl)azobenzene (CAB) were prepared by quaternization. Photochemical isomerization of CAB incorporated in PtAS was investigated. The second monomer discussed is N-isopropyl-N-trimethylsilyl-4-vinylbenzylamine (ISBA). ISBA was anionically polymerized and subsequent deprotection of the trimethylsilyl protecting group produced poly (N-isopropyl-4-vinylbenzylamine) (PIBA) with a secondary amino group. The non-thrombogenic behavior of the corresponding poly (aminostyrene)-graft-oligopeptide graft copolymers was evaluated. The third monomer, (4-vinylphenyl)dimethylvinylsilane (VS), contains a silylvinyl group. To carry out a
	chemoselective polymerization of the styryl group of VS, a systematic study on anionic polymerization was carried out. Lithographic characterization shows the resultant polymer (PVS) acting as a negative working resist. Three (PVS-graft-polyisoprene)-block-polystyrene block-graft copolymers were prepared by a “grafting onto” process. The fourth monomer discussed is p-butoxystyrene. The deprotection of the tert-butyl protecting group from the corresponding polymer produces poly (p-hydroxystyrene) (PHSt). Two polystyrene-block-[PHSt-graft-poly (ethylene oxide)]-block-polystyrene block-graft copolymers were prepared by a “grafting from” process. Benzene-cast films formed clear and specific lamellar structures in which poly (ethylene oxide) is not crystallized
Modulation of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake by estrogen receptor agonists and antagonists

Producción CientíficaCa2+ uptake by mitochondria is a key element in the control ofcellular Ca2+ homeostasis and
Ca2+-dependent phenomena. It has been known for many years that this Ca2+ uptake is mediated by
the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter, a specific Ca2+ channel ofthe inner mitochondrial membrane. We
have shown previously that this channel is strongly activated by a series ofnatural phytoestrogenic
flavonoids. We show here that several agonists and antagonists of estrogen receptors (ERs) also
modulate the activity ofthe uniporter.2015-09-1
Temperature dependence of soil respiration modulated by thresholds in soil water availability across European shrubland ecosystems

Soil respiration (SR) is a major component of the global carbon cycle and plays a fundamental role in ecosystem feedback to climate change. Empirical modelling is an essential tool for predicting ecosystem responses to environmental change, and also provides important data for calibrating and corroborating process-based models. In this study, we evaluated the performance of three empirical temperature–SR response functions (exponential, Lloyd–Taylor and Gaussian) at seven shrublands located within three climatic regions (Atlantic, Mediterranean and Continental) across Europe. We investigated the performance of SR models by including interaction between soil moisture and soil temperature. We found that the best fit for the temperature functions depended on the site specific climatic conditions. Including soil moisture, we identified thresholds in the three different response functions that improved the model fit in all cases. The direct soil moisture effect on SR, however, was weak at the annual time scale. We conclude that the exponential soil temperature function may only be a good predictor for SR in a narrow temperature range, and that extrapolating predictions for future climate based on this function should be treated with caution as modelled outputs may underestimate SR. The addition of soil moisture thresholds improved the model fit at all sites, but had a far greater ecological significance in the wet Atlantic shrubland where a fundamental change in the soil CO2 efflux would likely have an impact on the whole carbon budget
Postural alignment in standing: A repeatability study

Interpretation of any postural changes over time relies on the knowledge that the person's perception of comfortable erect posture remains sufficiently constant. This study measured the repeatability of sagittal spinal alignment during one day, and the degree of variability in that alignment measured subsequently four, eight and 12 days, and 16 and 24 months later. Normal women, pregnant women and women with low back pain, in the age range of 15 to 34 years, were included in the study. Spinal curvature was determined using a clinometer, while an electro-goniometer attached to callipers determined the degree of pelvic tilt. Results demonstrated that on any one day, a consistent postural alignment is assumed (in terms of spinal curvature and pelvic inclination) when an individual is asked to stand comfortably erect. In addition, in the normal, symptom-free, young adult subject, the perception of posture, and therefore postural alignment remains constant for at least two years
Ovaries and female phenotype in a girl with 46,XY karyotype and mutations in the CBX2 gene

A girl with a prenatal 46,XY karyotype was born with a completely normal female phenotype, including uterus and histologically normal ovaries. In mice with a similar phenotype, the ablation of M33, an ortholog of Drosophila Polycomb, causes male-to-female sex reversal. The analysis of the human homolog of M33, Chromobox homolog 2 (CBX2), in this girl revealed loss-of-function mutations that allowed us, by placing CBX2 upstream of SRY, to add an additional component to the still incomplete cascade of human sex development
Haploinsufficiency of ARID1B, a member of the SWI/SNF-a chromatin-remodeling complex, is a frequent cause of intellectual disability

Intellectual disability (ID) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous common condition that remains etiologically unresolved in the majority of cases. Although several hundred diseased genes have been identified in X-linked, autosomal-recessive, or syndromic types of ID, the establishment of an etiological basis remains a difficult task in unspecific, sporadic cases. Just recently, de novo mutations in SYNGAP1, STXBP1, MEF2C, and GRIN2B were reported as relatively common causes of ID in such individuals. On the basis of a patient with severe ID and a 2.5 Mb microdeletion including ARID1B in chromosomal region 6q25, we performed mutational analysis in 887 unselected patients with unexplained ID. In this cohort, we found eight (0.9%) additional de novo nonsense or frameshift mutations predicted to cause haploinsufficiency. Our findings indicate that haploinsufficiency of ARID1B, a member of the SWI/SNF-A chromatin-remodeling complex, is a common cause of ID, and they add to the growing evidence that chromatin-remodeling defects are an important contributor to neurodevelopmental disorders
Training spiking neural networks to associate spatio-temporal input-output spike patterns

In a previous work (Mohemmed et al., Method for training a spiking neuron to associate input–output spike trains) [1] we have proposed a supervised learning algorithm based on temporal coding to train a spiking neuron to associate input spatiotemporal spike patterns to desired output spike patterns. The algorithm is based on the conversion of spike trains into analogue signals and the application of the Widrow–Hoff learning rule. In this paper we present a mathematical formulation of the proposed learning rule. Furthermore, we extend the application of the algorithm to train a SNN consisting of multiple spiking neurons to perform spatiotemporal pattern classification and we show that the accuracy of classification is improved significantly over a single spiking neuron. We also investigate a number of possibilities to map the temporal output of the trained spiking neuron into a class label. Potential applications for motor control in neuro-rehabilitation and neuro-prosthetics are discussed as a future work
Characterization of wavelength interleaving in radio-over-fiber systems employing WDM/SCM

A radio-over-fiber (RoF) distribution system incorporating both sub-carrier multiplexing and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technologies is presented. This signal is directly modulated onto three high-speed lasers. Bragg filters are employed at the receiver base station in order to both demultiplex the required optical channel, and ensure that the detected signal is single side band (in order to overcome dispersion limitations of the link). System spectral efficiency is optimised by wavelength interleaving. The channel spacing between the WDM channels is varied and the system performance for different values of channel spacing and spectral efficiencies is investigated. The results show that wavelength interleaving is a reliable technique that could be used to increase the spectral efficiency of RoF systems
Simple vs. sophisticated approaches for patent prior-art search

Patent prior-art search is concerned with finding all filed patents relevant to a given patent application. We report a comparison between two search approaches representing the state-of-the-art in patent prior-art search. The first approach uses simple and straightforward  information retrieval (IR) techniques, while the second uses much more sophisticated techniques which try to model the steps taken by a patent examiner in patent search. Experiments show that the retrieval effectiveness using both techniques is statistically indistinguishable when patent applications contain some initial citations. However, the advanced search technique is statistically better when no initial citations are provided. Our findings suggest that less time and effort can be exerted by applying simple IR approaches when initial citations are provided
Opportunities and challenges of using ion-selective electrodes in environmental monitoring and wearable sensors

Great opportunities exist for Ion-Selective Electrodes (ISEs) in the fields of environmental monitoring and of wearable applications for example as the sensing part in wireless networks.  In this review special attention is given to the recent results obtained with Solid Contact Ion-Selective Electrodes and Solid Contact Reference Electrodes.  Their combination as disposable sensing platform may offer the best solution to eliminate issues commonly experienced with ISEs and lead in a short term to their commercialization.  Future research will likely focus on the miniaturization of the current devices and on the further development of non conventional potentiometric methods, e.g., controlled potential thin-layer coulometry
Accepting splicing systems with permitting and forbidding words

Abstract: In this paper we propose a generalization of the accepting splicingsystems introduced in Mitrana et al.   (Theor Comput Sci 411:2414?2422,2010). More precisely, the input word is accepted as soon as a   permittingword is obtained provided that no forbidding word has been obtained sofar, otherwise it is   rejected. Note that in the new variant of acceptingsplicing system the input word is rejected if either   no permitting word isever generated (like in Mitrana et al. in Theor Comput Sci 411:2414?2422,2010) or a   forbidding word has been generated and no permitting wordhad been generated before. We investigate the   computational power ofthe new variants of accepting splicing systems and the interrelationshipsamong   them. We show that the new condition strictly increases thecomputational power of accepting splicing   systems. Although there areregular languages that cannot be accepted by any of the splicing   systemsconsidered here, the new variants can accept non-regular and even non-context-free languages, a   situation that is not very common in the case of(extended) finite splicing systems without additional   restrictions. We alsoshow that the smallest class of languages out of the four classes definedby   accepting splicing systems is strictly included in the class of context-free languages. Solutions to a   few decidability problems are immediatelyderived from the proof of this result
Short Communication: DEA based auctions

In this paper we introduce a simulation framework which we use to numerically evaluate the Hybrid DEA - Second Score Auction. In a procurement setting, the winner of the Hybrid auction by design receives payment at the most equal to the second score auction. It is therefore superior to the traditional second score scheme from the point of view of a principal interested in acquiring an item at the minimum price without losing in quality. For a set of parameters we quantify the size of the improvements. We show in particular that the improvement depends intimately on the regularity imposed on the underlying cost function. In the least structured case of a variable returns to scale technology, the hybrid auction only improved the outcome for a small percentage of cases. However, for those few cases the improvement introduced by the hybrid auction is signicant. For other technologies with constant returns to scale, the gains are considerably higher and payments are lowered in a large percentage of cases. In the simulations, we furthermore calculate the eect of the number of the participating agents, the concavity of the principal value functions, and the number of quality dimensions.
Isobaric first-principles molecular dynamics of liquid water with nonlocal van der Waals interactions

We investigate the structural properties of liquid water at near ambient\ud
   conditions using first-principles molecular dynamics simulations based\ud
   on a semilocal density functional augmented with nonlocal van der Waals\ud
   interactions. The adopted scheme offers the advantage of simulating\ud
   liquid water at essentially the same computational cost of standard\ud
   semilocal functionals. Applied to the water dimer and to ice I-h, we\ud
   find that the hydrogen-bond energy is only slightly enhanced compared to\ud
   a standard semilocal functional. We simulate liquid water through\ud
   molecular dynamics in the N pH statistical ensemble allowing for\ud
   fluctuations of the system density. The structure of the liquid departs\ud
   from that found with a semilocal functional leading to more compact\ud
   structural arrangements. This indicates that the directionality of the\ud
   hydrogen-bond interaction has a diminished role as compared to the\ud
   overall attractions, as expected when dispersion interactions are\ud
   accounted for. This is substantiated through a detailed analysis\ud
   comprising the study of the partial radial distribution functions,\ud
   various local order indices, the hydrogen-bond network, and the\ud
   selfdiffusion coefficient. The explicit treatment of the van der Waals\ud
   interactions leads to an overall improved description of liquid water
Ultra-low-frequency self-oscillation of photocurrent in InxGa1–xAs/Al0.15Ga0.85As multiple-quantum-well p–i–n diodes

We report an observation of ultra-low-frequency self-oscillation of photocurrent in InxGa1–xAs/Al0.15Ga0.85As multiple-quantum-well p–i–n diodes. The photocurrent intensity shows self-oscillations with a characteristic frequency of ~0.1  Hz at low temperatures under reverse bias voltages. The photocurrent self-oscillation depends on applied bias voltage, temperature, illumination power, and indium content of quantum-well layers. These dependences indicate that the photocurrent self-oscillation is attributed to photogenerated carriers trapped in localized centers within InxGa1–xAs quantum-well regions
Nanotechnology, society and environment

Nanotechnology talk is moving out of its comfort zone of scientific discourse. As new products go to market and national and international organizations roll out public\ud
engagement programs on nanotechnology to discuss environmental and health issues, various sectors of the public are beginning to discuss what all the fuss is about. Non-Governmental Organizations have long since reacted; however, now the social sciences have begun to study the cultural phenomenon of nanotechnology, thus extending\ud
discourses and opening out nanotechnology to whole new social dimensions. We report here on these social dimensions and their new constructed imaginings, each of which is evident in the ways in which discourses around nanotechnology intersects with the economy, ecology, health, governance, and imagined futures. We conclude that there needs to be more than just an ‘environmental, legal and social implications’, or ‘ELSI’, sideshow within nanotechnology. The collective public imaginings of nanotechnology include tangles of science and science fiction, local enterprise and global transformation,\ud
all looking forward towards a sustainable future, while looking back on past debates about science and nature. Nanotechnology is already very much embedded in the social\ud
fabric of our life and times
Intermodal exchange stations in the city of Madrid

The City of Madrid is putting into operation Intermodal Exchange Stations (IESs) to make connections between urban and suburban transportation modes easier for users of public transportation. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the actual effects that the implementation of IESs in the City of Madrid has on the affected stakeholders: users, public transportation operators, infrastructure managers, the government, the abutters and other citizens. We develop a methodology intended to help assess the welfare gains and losses for each stakeholder. Then we apply this methodology to the case study of the Avenida de América IES in the city of Madrid. We found that it is indeed possible to arrive at win–win solutions for the funding of urban transportation infrastructure, as long as the cost-benefit ratio of the project is high enough. Commuters save travel time. Bus companies diminish their costs of operation. The abutters gain in quality of life. The private operator of the infrastructure makes a fair profit. And the government is able to promote these infrastructure facilities without spending more of its scarce budgetary resources
A moisture-absorbing and abrasion resistant transparent coating on polystyrene

A common phenomenon concerning cold surfaces which are subjected to a warmer, more humid atmosphere is condensation in the form of water droplets (fogging) or even ice crystals (icing). Thus, a previously transparent object becomes opaque because light is scattered by the droplets or crystals. This may impair the usability of that object. We developed an anti-fogging/icing coating which overcomes the problem of fogging and icing by being able to absorb the condensing water and preventing it from crystallizing. The coating consists of poly(1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) crosslinked by UV light using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Benzophenone (BP) is used to attach PVP to the surface of the polystyrene (PS) substrate. At temperatures as low as −60°C, the PVP coating can absorb up to 70 wt% of water and still inhibit its crystallization. However, at surface temperatures of around −18°C, opacity is only observable at 150 wt% of absorbed water and higher. An increasing coating thickness as well as a decreasing crosslink density improves the anti-fogging/icing effect because the coating can absorb more water. The abrasion resistance of the coating is impaired by a decreasing crosslink density