Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Landscape Pattern on Insect Species Density within Urban Green Spaces in Beijing, China

Urban green space is an important refuge of biodiversity in urban areas. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the relationship between the landscape pattern of green spaces and biodiversity to mitigate the negative effects of urbanization. In this study, we collected insects from 45 green patches in Beijing during July 2012 using suction sampling. The green patches were dominated by managed lawns, mixed with scattered trees and shrubs. We examined the effects of landscape pattern on insect species density using hierarchical partitioning analysis and partial least squares regression. The results of the hierarchical partitioning analysis indicated that five explanatory variables, i.e., patch area (with 19.9% independent effects), connectivity (13.9%), distance to nearest patch (13.8%), diversity for patch types (11.0%), and patch shape (8.3%), significantly contributed to insect species density. With the partial least squares regression model, we found species density was negatively related to patch area, shape, connectivity, diversity for patch types and proportion of impervious surface at the significance level of p < 0.05 and positively related to proportion of vegetated land. Regression tree analysis further showed that the highest species density was found in green patches with an area <500 m2. Our results indicated that improvement in habitat quality, such as patch area and connectivity that are typically thought to be important for conservation, did not actually increase species density. However, increasing compactness (low-edge) of patch shape and landscape composition did have the expected effect. Therefore, it is recommended that the composition of the surrounding landscape should be considered simultaneously with planned improvements in local habitat quality.
Fluctuations and criticality in quantum paraelectrics

The temperature dependence of the static dielectric susceptibility of a system with strongly coupled fluctuating dipoles is calculated within a self-consistent mean fluctuation field approximation. Results are qualitatively in good agreement with a quantum paraelectric SrTiO3 in the low temperature regime. We identify this system as a gapped quantum paraelectric and suggest a possible experimental realization of a quantum critical paraelectric through the application of hydrostatic pressure or doping by impurity.
Patient-specific factors in the proximity of the inferior alveolar nerve to the tooth apex

Objectives: To evaluate whether age and gender differences are predictive factors for inferior alveolar nerve position with respect to mandibular first molar roots. Study Design: Cone-beam computed tomography scans [0.2-mm3 voxel size; n = 200 (100 males, 100 females)] of patients aged 15–65 years showing mandibular first and second molars were included in this study. Patients with pathoses that might affect inferior alveolar nerve position, including second molar and/or first premolar extraction, were excluded. Fourteen measurements (mm) were taken from the inferior alveolar nerve to the mesial and distal root apices. Subjects were grouped by age and gender. Data were analysed using two-way analyses of variance with post hoc Bonferroni corrections. Results: The distance from the inferior alveolar nerve to the root apices was smaller in females than males, regardless of age (p < 0.01). Distal roots were closer to the nerve than mesial roots in both genders (p < 0.05). Total buccolingual mandibular length (at 3-mm apical level) was shorter in females than males (p < 0.01) but mean buccolingual mandibular width at the level of the inferior alveolar canal did not differ. Nerve–root apex distances were significantly shorter in males and females aged 16–25 and 56–65 years than in other age groups (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The distance between inferior alveolar nerve and mandibular first molar roots depends upon the age and gender: it is shorter in females than in males and in subjects aged 16–25 years and >55 years than in other age groups. Key words:Age, cone-beam computed tomography, inferior alveolar nerve, root apex, gender.
Being Alone Together: From Solidarity to Solitude in Urban Anthropology

The characteristic urban experience of solitude challenges traditional anthropological theories of urban life. This article surveys urban theories that treat solitude primarily as loneliness, anomie, and social disorder. It then challenges these theoretical perspectives with ethnographic cases of gay identities and "being alone together," drawn from fieldwork in New Delhi, India. I develop a heuristic concept of "social solitude" in contrast to "solidarity," and examine the political and philosophical consequences of focusing on solitude as an urban way of life and an expression of sexuality. I discuss representations of solitude in modernist literature and conclude with a reading of Deleuze.
A SIMD vectorizing compiler for digital signal processing algorithms

Short vector SIMD instructions on recent microprocessors, such as SSE on Pentium III and 4, speed up code but are a major challenge to software developers. We present a compiler that automatically generates C code enhanced with short vector instructions for digital signal processing (DSP) transforms, such as the fast Fourier transform (FFT). The input to our compiler is a concise mathematical description of a DSP algorithm in the language SPL. SPL is used in the SPIRAL system (http://wwwece.cmu.edu/~spira/) to generate highly optimized architecture adapted implementations of DSP transforms. Interfacing our compiler with SPIRAL yields speed-ups of more than a factor of 2 in several important cases including the FFT and the discrete cosine transform (DCT) used in the JPEG compression standard. For the FFT our automatically generated code is competitive with the hand-coded Intel Math Kernel Library.
Epidemiology of Non-Canine Bite and Sting Injuries Treated in U.S. Emergency Departments, 2001–2004

Objectives. This study was conducted to estimate the burden of non-canine-related bite and sting injuries in the U.S.; describe the affected population, injury severity, and bite or sting source; and provide considerations for prevention strategies. Methods. Data were from the 2001 through 2004 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP) (a stratified probability sample of U.S. hospitals). Records included information about age, body part affected, cause, diagnosis, disposition, and gender. Narrative descriptions were coded for the source of the bite or sting. Results. Between 2001 and 2004, an estimated 3.6 million people were treated in emergency departments for injuries related to non-canine bites and stings. Results detail the reported sources of the bite or sting, and examine sources by gender and age group. Common sources included bees (162,000 cases annually), spiders (123,000 cases annually), and cats (66,000 cases annually). Female adults were more likely than male adults to be treated for cat bites. Although rare, of the known venomous snakebites, more than half (58.4%) of the patients were hospitalized. Conclusions. Our results demonstrate the public health burden of non-canine-related bite and sting injuries. More than 900,000 people were treated in emergency departments annually for non-canine bite or sting injuries, or roughly 1.7 injuries per minute. Treatment consumes substantial health-care resources. While preventing these injuries should be the first line of defense, resources could be conserved by educating the public about immediate first aid and when warning signs and symptoms indicate the need for professional or emergency care.
Terms of use : Click here Scandal Potential : How Political Context and News Congestion Affect the President ' s Vulnerability to Media Scandal

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Can’t We Pick our Own Groups? The Influence of Group Selection Method on Group Dynamics and Outcomes

In today’s business world, the ability to work efficiently and effectively with others in a group is a mandatory skill. Many employers rank “ability to work with a group” as one of the most important attributes for business school graduates to possess. Therefore, it is important for instructors to understand the factors that influence group dynamics and outcomes and students’ attitudes toward group experiences. The objective of this research is to test whether the method of group member assignment (i.e., random or self-selected) affects the nature of group dynamics and outcomes, and students’ attitudes toward the group experience. The results indicate that the method of group member assignment does influence group dynamics, attitudes toward the group experience, and group outcomes.
New MDS codes with small sub-packetization and near-optimal repair bandwidth

An $(n, M)$ vector code $\mathcal{C} \subseteq \mathbb{F}^n$ is a collection of $M$ codewords where $n$ elements (from the field $\mathbb{F}$) in each of the codewords are referred to as code blocks. Assuming that $\mathbb{F} \cong \mathbb{B}^{\ell}$, the code blocks are treated as $\ell$-length vectors over the base field $\mathbb{B}$. Equivalently, the code is said to have the sub-packetization level $\ell$. This paper addresses the problem of constructing MDS vector codes which enable exact reconstruction of each code block by downloading small amount of information from the remaining code blocks. The repair bandwidth of a code measures the information flow from the remaining code blocks during the reconstruction of a single code block. This problem naturally arises in the context of distributed storage systems as the node repair problem [4]. Assuming that $M = |\mathbb{B}|^{k\ell}$, the repair bandwidth of an MDS vector code is lower bounded by $\big(\frac{n - 1}{n - k}\big)\cdot \ell$ symbols (over the base field $\mathbb{B}$) which is also referred to as the cut-set bound [4]. For all values of $n$ and $k$, the MDS vector codes that attain the cut-set bound with the sub-packetization level $\ell = (n-k)^{\lceil{{n}/{(n-k)}}\rceil}$ are known in the literature [23, 35]. This paper presents a construction for MDS vector codes which simultaneously ensures both small repair bandwidth and small sub-packetization level. The obtained codes have the smallest possible sub-packetization level $\ell = O(n - k)$ for an MDS vector code and the repair bandwidth which is at most twice the cut-set bound. The paper then generalizes this code construction so that the repair bandwidth of the obtained codes approach the cut-set bound at the cost of increased sub-packetization level. The constructions presented in this paper give MDS vector codes which are linear over the base field $\mathbb{B}$.
Performance bounds for high rate linear codes over partial-response channels

We develop union bounds for high-rate linear codes used for partial-response equalized channels with additive white Gaussian noise. The bounds assume uniform interleaving and are based on an approximation which is valid for high-rate linear codes. Furthermore, the derivation of the bounds assumes that maximum-likelihood decoding is employed. One particular application of the present setting is the computation of bounds for magnetic recording systems using turbo codes. The results can be considered as a generalization of the results of M. Oberg and P.H. Siegel (see Proc. Allerton Conf. Communications, Control and Computing, Sept. 1998) which develops the union bound for the dicode channel; however, our approach is completely different. We present several examples of the bounds developed together with the simulation results.
The Great Division

When information flow fails, when Democrats and Republicans do not talk to each other, when Israelis and Palestinians do not talk to each other, and when North Koreans and South Koreans do not talk to each other, mis-perceptions, biases and fake news arise. In this paper we present an in-depth study of political polarization and social division using Twitter data and Monte Carlo simulations. First, we study at the aggregate level people's inclination to retweet within their own ideological circle. Introducing the concept of cocoon ratio, we show that Donald Trump's followers are 2.56 more likely to retweet a fellow Trump follower than to retweet a Hillary Clinton follower. Second, going down to the individual level, we show that the tendency of retweeting exclusively within one's ideological circle is stronger for women than for men and that such tendency weakens as one's social capital grows. Third, we use a one-dimensional Ising model to simulate how a society with high cocoon ratios could end up becoming completely divided. We conclude with a discussion of our findings with respect to fake news.
Media Change and the Political Effects of Television: Americanization of the Political Culture?

The analysis presented in this article tests some presumptions about a possible Americanization of the political culture in Germany due to changes of the media system. It is based on public opinion trends and a representative survey of 6,000 respondents. Multivariate analyses show that high attention to information in all mass media strengthens or even improves German citizens' interest in politics and their feeling to be capable of understanding politics. Newspaper reading and radio listening are more beneficial in this respect than television viewing. At the same time, television viewing reinforces negative political stereotypes or even reduces political trust. This effect can be mainly attributed to the use of TV information programs, whereas attention to newspaper information is not associated with negative political effects. There is a mainstreaming of the political views of population segments with high and low political competence. The results seem to correspond to the changes in coverage and style of German political television programs.
5‐HT receptors as novel targets for optimizing pigmentary responses in dorsal skin melanophores of frog, Hoplobatrachus tigerinus

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Biochemical identification of 5‐HT has revealed similar projection patterns across vertebrates. In CNS, 5‐HT regulates major physiological functions but its peripheral functions are still emerging. The pharmacology of 5‐HT is mediated by a diverse range of receptors that trigger different responses. Interestingly, 5‐HT receptors have been detected in pigment cells indicating their role in skin pigmentation. Hence, we investigated the role of this monoaminergic system in amphibian pigment cells, melanophores, to further our understanding of its role in pigmentation biology together with its evolutionary significance.
Highlighting the contrasts, downplaying the divergences: insertion and visibility tactics of Brazilians in Portugal

Abstract The article analyses the insertion and visibility strategies adapted by Brazilians in Portugal, giving a ‘privileged’ voice to Brazilian association leaders and key informants tied to these organizations. The findings presented are the result of twenty-three in-depth interviews with representatives of sixteen associations, as well as information gathered through informal conversations with association members and volunteers, and through participant observation. The paper sets out to scrutinize two key questions. How do Brazilians perceive group differentiation and stereotyping, and how do these variables impede insertion and acceptance on the part of Portuguese society? What integration and visibility tactics are adapted by Brazilian collective organizations in order to facilitate community insertion?
Weak Convergence and Optimal Proposals for Monte Carlo Algorithms

Metropolis-Hastings Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms and other popular MCMC algorithms induce a Markov chain which has the target distribution as its stationary distribution. Optimal scaling refers to the need to tune the parameters of the proposal kernel in order to ensure the Markov chain obtained from the algorithm converges as fast as possible to stationarity. Theoretical results for optimal scaling are obtained by approximating high dimensional algorithm trajectories by diﬀusions
Does the Liberalization of Trade Advance Gender Equality in Schooling and Health?

This paper assesses the empirical relationship between the liberalization of international trade and the economic status of women. Although historically globalization is not generally linked to the advancement of women, several recent country studies find export led growth in middle and low income countries is associated with improvements in women’s employment opportunities. Does intercountry empirical evidence confirm this association across a wider range of countries, and suggest the mechanisms by which it operates? Measures of wages for men and women are an unreliable basis for study of gender inequality in many low income countries, and thus schooling and health are analyzed here as indicators of productivity and welfare and gender gaps. For a sample of 70 countries observed at five year intervals from 1965 to 1980, tariff, quota, and foreign exchange restrictions are found to be inversely associated with trade, and with the levels of education and health, especially for women. Natural resource exports, although providing foreign exchange for imports, appear to reduce investments in schooling and health, and delay the equalization of these human capital investments between men and women. Liberalization of trade policy is consequently linked in the cross section to increased trade, to greater accumulation of human capital, and to increased gender equality.
Macrophage Inhibitory Cytokine-1 H6D Polymorphism, Prostate Cancer Risk, and Survival

Macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1), a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, is important in regulating inflammation. Inflammation of the prostate has been suggested to favor tumor development. A recent study (JNCI 2004, 96:1248-1254) found marginal evidence of an association between the presence of the mature MIC-1 protein nonsynonymous polymorphism H6D C-to-G (rs1058587) with reduced prostate cancer risk [odds ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.69-0.99]. We tested this in a population-based study of 819 cases and 731 controls from Australia and found a similar, yet not significant, odds ratio of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.7-1.04; P = 0.11). We also tested the potential association between the H6D variant and disease-specific survival in 640 cases followed-up for an average of 8.2 years. We found that cases carrying the H6D G allele had an increased risk of death from prostate cancer than cases carrying two copies of the C allele (hazard ratio, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.06-2.78; P = 0.03). Our data suggest that the H6D variant in MIC-1 might play a role in prostate cancer, but it is difficult to explain how a variant can be associated with lower risk of developing prostate cancer but more aggressive growth if cancer develops. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(6):1223–5)
Family Conflict and Violent Electronic Media Use in School-Aged Children

Using a national sample of children aged 6 to 12 (N = 1,075), this study examined the relative merits of 3 theoretical perspectives on the relation between family conflict and children's use of electronic media (television and electronic games with violent content): (a) the family context hypothesis, whereby family conflict is positively related to violent electronic media use because family tensions will be reflected in children's interest in media with violent content; (b) the reaction hypothesis, whereby family conflict is positively related to nonviolent media use because children seek out nonviolent media content as a reaction against conflict in their family environment; and (c) the escape hypothesis, whereby family conflict is positively related to total electronic media use because children use media to escape family conflict regardless of content. Results supported the family context hypothesis. There was no support for the reaction and escape hypotheses.
A Two-Gene Expression Ratio of Homeobox 13 and Interleukin-17B Receptor for Prediction of Recurrence and Survival in Women Receiving Adjuvant Tamoxifen

Purpose: In the adjuvant treatment of estrogen receptor (ER)–positive breast cancer, additional markers are needed to identify women at high risk for recurrence. Experimental Design: We examined the association between the ratio of the homeobox 13 (HOXB13) to interleukin-17B receptor (IL-17BR) expression and the clinical outcomes of relapse and survival in women with ER-positive breast cancer enrolled onto a North Central Cancer Treatment Group adjuvant tamoxifen trial (NCCTG 89-30-52). Results: Tumor blocks were obtained from 211 of 256 eligible patients, and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR profiles for HOXB13 and IL-17BR were obtained from 206 patients. The cut point for the two-gene log 2(expression ratio) that best discriminated clinical outcome (recurrence and survival) was selected and identified women with significantly worse relapse-free survival (RFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS), independent of standard prognostic markers. The cut point differed as a function of nodal status [node negative (59th percentile) versus node positive (90th percentile)]. In the node-positive cohort (n = 86), the HOXB13/IL-17BR ratio was not associated with relapse or survival. In contrast, in the node-negative cohort (n = 130), a high HOXB13/IL-17BR ratio was associated with significantly worse RFS [hazard ratio (HR), 1.98; P = 0.031], DFS (HR, 2.03; P = 0.015), and OS (HR, 2.4; P = 0.014), independent of standard prognostic markers. Conclusion: A high HOXB13/IL-17BR expression ratio is associated with increased relapse and death in patients with resected node-negative, ER-positive breast cancer treated with tamoxifen and may identify patients in whom alternative therapies should be studied.