Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Colony-Level Variation in Pollen Collection and Foraging Preferences among Wild-Caught Bumble Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

ABSTRACT Given that many pollinators have exhibited dramatic declines related to habitat destruction, an improved understanding of pollinator resource collection across human-altered landscapes is essential to conservation efforts. Despite the importance of bumble bees (Bombus spp.) as global pollinators, little is known regarding how pollen collection patterns vary between individuals, colonies, and landscapes. In this study, Vosnesensky bumble bees (Bombus vosnesenskii Radoszkowski) were collected from a range of human-altered and natural landscapes in northern California. Extensive vegetation surveys and Geographic Information System (GIS)-based habitat classifications were conducted at each site, bees were genotyped to identify colony mates, and pollen loads were examined to identify visited plants. In contrast to predictions based on strong competitive interactions, pollen load composition was significantly more similar for bees captured in a shared study region compared with bees throughout the research area but was not significantly more similar for colony mates. Preference analyses revealed that pollen loads were not composed of the most abundant plant species per study region. The majority of ranked pollen preference lists were significantly correlated for pairwise comparisons of colony mates and individuals within a study region, whereas the majority of pairwise comparisons of ranked pollen preference lists between individuals located at separate study regions were uncorrelated. Results suggest that pollen load composition and foraging preferences are similar for bees throughout a shared landscape regardless of colony membership. The importance of native plant species in pollen collection is illustrated through preference analyses, and we suggest prioritization of specific rare native plant species for enhanced bumble bee pollen collection.
Investigation of glial cells in semithin sections. III. Transformation of subependymal cells into glial cells, as shown by radioautography after 3H‐thymidine injection into the lateral ventricle of the brain of young rats

Strong labeling of the cells in the subependymal layer was produced by stereotaxic injection of 5 μCi of 3H‐thymidine into the left lateral ventricle of the brain of one and a quarter month old rats weighing about 100 gm. These animals were sacrificed by glutaraldehyde perfusion from two hours to 21 days later. Blocks of corpus callosum with adjacent subependymal and ependymal layers were excised from the injected and non‐injected sides, and embedded in Epon; 0.5 μ thick sections were radioautographed and stained with toluidine blue.
Alterations in chondrocyte cytoskeletal architecture during phenotypic modulation by retinoic acid and dihydrocytochalasin B-induced reexpression

The differentiated phenotype of rabbit articular chondrocytes was modulated in primary culture by treatment with 1 microgram/ml retinoic acid (RA) and reexpressed in secondary culture by treatment with the microfilament-disruptive drug dihydrocytochalasin B (DHCB) in the absence of RA. Because the effective dose of DHCB (3 microM) did not elicit detectable cell rounding or retraction, the nature and extent of microfilament modification responsible for induction of reexpression was evaluated. The network of microfilament stress fibers detected with rhodamine-labeled phalloidin in primary control chondrocytes was altered by RA to a "cobblestone" pattern of circularly oriented fibers at the cell periphery. Subsequent treatment with DHCB resulted in rapid changes in this pattern before overt reexpression. Stress fibers decreased in number and were reoriented. Parallel arrays of long fibers that traversed the cell were evident, in addition to fiber fragments and focal condensations of staining. Immunofluorescent staining of intermediate filaments revealed a marked decrease in complexity and intensity during RA treatment but no change during reexpression. An extended microtubular architecture was present throughout the study. These results clearly identify microfilaments as the principal affected cytoskeletal element and demonstrate that their modification, rather than complete disruption, is sufficient for reexpression. The specificity of DHCB and the reorientation of these filaments before reexpression of the differentiated phenotype suggests a causative role in the mechanism of reexpression.
Preliminary survey of lamb losses (black loss) in Highland sheep flocks

THE sustainability of British sheep farming is dependent on the sale of lambs to provide income. The percentage of lambs reared is affected by losses at different stages in the sheep year cycle. Contributory factors for neonatal and perinatal lamb mortality in sheep are well researched (Haughey 1991, Binns and others 2002, Nowak and Poindron 2006, Dwyer and others 2016) and major causes of subsequent postnatal losses in lowland and upland flocks are well known. For some, reduction of losses can be achieved through appropriate management and preventive health strategies. In the hills, the extensive nature of the production system, combined with comparative remoteness and inaccessibility, makes both quantifying losses and identifying potential causes more challenging. This hampers our ability to determine how such losses can be reduced. In the period 2010–2013, annual lamb mortality estimates for Scottish, less-favoured area, hill, breeding flocks varied from 7 per cent to 17 per cent. These estimates were derived from purebred Blackface and Cheviot flocks (Anon 2013, 2015; number of flocks was less than 30). The preliminary investigation aimed to explore the level of losses experienced by a wider population of sheep farmers in the Highlands and Islands areas of Scotland. There were two components: first, a questionnaire survey and, second, a more detailed study of five holdings. A brief one-page questionnaire was sent to sheep-producing clients from six SAC Consulting Farm and Rural Business Services (FRBS) Highland offices in April 2011. For the 2011 lambing season, it requested the number of ewes—scanned in …
Where to? Remote Memory for Spatial Relations and Landmark Identity in Former Taxi Drivers with Alzheimer's Disease and Encephalitis

Recent research suggests that the hippocampus is not needed for the maintenance and recovery of extensively used environments learned long ago. Instead, a network of neo-cortical regions differentially supports memory for location-navigation knowledge and visual appearance of well-known places. In this study, we present a patient, S. B. , who was diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease long after retiring from his 40 years as a taxi driver in downtown Toronto, a place that he has visited rarely, if ever, in the last decade. His performance was compared to that of two other retired taxi drivers, L. R. , who developed encephalitis after retirement, and I. L. , who is without neurological illness, and a group of eight healthy control participants who were never taxi drivers but all of whom worked or lived in downtown Toronto until at least 10 years ago. Despite S. B. 's widespread atrophy, which has affected mainly his hippocampus and part of his occipitotemporal cortex, he performed at least as well as all other participants on remote memory tests of spatial location and mental navigation between well-known Toronto landmarks. Unlike the comparison populations, however, he was unable to discriminate between the appearances of landmarks that he had visited frequently in his many years as a taxi driver from unknown buildings. This profound deficit extended to famous world landmarks but not to famous faces and does not appear to be semantic in nature. These findings add further support to the claim that the hippocampus is not necessary for mental navigation of old environments and suggest that expertise is not sufficient to protect against landmark agnosia.
Research-Based Implementation of Peer Instruction: A Literature Review

Peer instruction is an evidence-based pedagogy that has been extensively studied in various science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. In this essay, the authors review and summarize the research literature on the effectiveness and intricacies of implementation of peer instruction. A research-based how-to guide and suggestions for future research investigations are provided.
Interleukin-22 Mediates Early Host Defense against Rhizomucor pusilluscan Pathogens

Background In recent years, the fungal infectious disease zygomycosis has increased in incidence worldwide, especially among the immunodeficient population. Despite the rates of zygomycosis-related death and deformation being very high, the mechanism(s) by which the fungal pathogens cause these severe manifestations remain unknown. Methods Using the associated Rhizomucor variabilis species, which can selectively induce cutaneous zygomycosis in otherwise healthy individuals, we investigated the host mechanisms of infection-related responses, including cytokine and chemokine expression as well as contributions of particular T cell subsets. siRNA specifically targeting IL-22,IL-17 and IFN-γ were used to down-regulate expression of those molecules. Results In mouse models of infection, IL-22 was implicated in development of Rhizomucor spp. -induced skin lesions. In cultured human peripheral blood monocytes, R. pusilluscan, which is often found in immunodeficient patients, induced the production of IL-22, while R. variabilis did not. Moreover, Rhizomucor spp. -induced secretion of Il-22 from CCR6+CCR4+CCR10+ cells was down-regulated by knockdown of IL-22 related signaling receptors, RORC and ARH. Conclusion Our data strongly suggest that avoidance of IL-22 may be one mechanism by which mucor species produce morbidity and mortality in infected individuals.
Mineralogical characterization of the thrusted manganese ore above the Blackridge Thrust Fault, Kalahari Manganese Field: The footprint of the Mukulu Enrichment

The thrusted manganese ore above the Blackridge Thrust Fault is a predominantly unstudied ore‐type and as such, there is an urgent need to petrographically characterize it. A total of 80 samples were collected from the thrusted lower manganese ore bed of six boreholes on Mukulu in the north of the Kalahari Manganese Field. Each sample underwent a range of optical and electron petrographic analyses in order to effectively characterize three dominant stages of alteration, namely Stages 1, 2 and 3. Similar to the hydrothermally‐altered Wessels‐type manganese ore, braunite II is the predominant mineral phase present during Stage 1 alteration, and alters to bixbyite with increasing proximity to normal faults at the onset of Stage 2 alteration. The final stage of alteration is exhibited by the development of hausmannite and jacobsite adjacent to the ferruginised zone at the normal fault plane. Apatite precipitation, in abundances previously undocumented in the Kalahari Manganese Field, is a hallmark feature of the newly identified Mukulu Enrichment. This supergene‐related enrichment process contributed to the significant abundance of arsenic‐bearing apatite in the ore, whilst residually enriching the ore‐hosted Fe and Mn oxides.
Targeting 6-Phosphofructo-2-Kinase (PFKFB3) as a Therapeutic Strategy against Cancer

In human cancers, loss of PTEN, stabilization of hypoxia inducible factor-1α, and activation of Ras and AKT converge to increase the activity of a key regulator of glycolysis, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase (PFKFB3). This enzyme synthesizes fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (F26BP), which is an activator of 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase, a key step of glycolysis. Previously, a weak competitive inhibitor of PFKFB3, 3-(3-pyridinyl)-1-(4-pyridinyl)-2-propen-1-one (3PO), was found to reduce the glucose metabolism and proliferation of cancer cells. We have synthesized 73 derivatives of 3PO and screened each compound for activity against recombinant PFKFB3. One small molecule, 1-(4-pyridinyl)-3-(2-quinolinyl)-2-propen-1-one (PFK15), was selected for further preclinical evaluation of its pharmacokinetic, antimetabolic, and antineoplastic properties in vitro and in vivo. We found that PFK15 causes a rapid induction of apoptosis in transformed cells, has adequate pharmacokinetic properties, suppresses the glucose uptake and growth of Lewis lung carcinomas in syngeneic mice, and yields antitumor effects in three human xenograft models of cancer in athymic mice that are comparable to U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved chemotherapeutic agents. As a result of this study, a synthetic derivative and formulation of PFK15 has undergone investigational new drug (IND)-enabling toxicology and safety studies. A phase I clinical trial of its efficacy in advanced cancer patients will initiate in 2013 and we anticipate that this new class of antimetabolic agents will yield acceptable therapeutic indices and prove to be synergistic with agents that disrupt neoplastic signaling. Mol Cancer Ther; 12(8); 1461–70. ©2013 AACR.
Nongeneralizability of Tsallis Entropy by means of Kolmogorov-Nagumo averages under pseudo-additivity

As additivity is a characteristic property of the classical information measure, Shannon entropy, pseudo-additivity is a characteristic property of Tsallis entropy. Renyi generalized Shannon entropy by means of Kolmogorov-Nagumo averages, by imposing additivity as a constraint.In this paper we show that there exists no generalization for Tsallis entropy, by means of Kolmogorov-Nagumo averages, which preserves the pseudo-additivity.
Development of Measurement Instrument for Sustainable Agricultural Management

Although information systems play a critical role in organizational performance their contribution to environmental performance in agriculture has not been fully investigated because there is a lack of suitable measurement criteria that can inform on the environmental performance contribution of information systems. Currently available measurement criteria form a foundation on which additional more relevant criteria are identified. This paper details the development of an instrument to measure the information systems contribution to a sustainable agricultural management system. We used a qualitative methodology, allowing the exploration of themes and items to emerge during the research process. Scale validity was evaluated and tested for internal validity, external validity, and reliability using a pilot study. The final result of the research is an instrument with 41 items and 8 constructs and illustrates a contemporary approach to instrument development.
Localization of wideband signals using least-squares and total least-squares approaches

In this paper, we introduce a new focusing technique for localization of wideband signals. Relaxing the unitary assumption for the focusing matrices, we formulate the least-square (LS) and the total least-square (TLS) coherent signal-subspace methods. The TLS is an alternative to the conventional LS and uses the fact that errors can exist both in the focusing location matrix as well as in the estimated location matrix at a given frequency bin. To prevent the focusing loss, we use a class of focusing matrices that are constant under multiplication by their Hermitian transpose. The class of unitary matrices comports with this property. We then develop a new focusing technique based on a modification to the TLS (MTLS). It is shown that the computational complexity of the new technique is significantly lower than that for the rotational signal subspace method (RSS). The focusing gain of the new technique is also larger than the focusing gain of the RSS algorithm. The simulation study shows that, compared with the RSS, the new algorithm has a smaller resolution signal to-noise ratio (SNR).
Paraglacial coasts responses to glacier retreat and associated shifts in river floodplains over decadal timescales (1966–2016), Kongsfjorden, Svalbard

The aim of this paper is to quantify and map the impact of the post‐Little Ice Age climate change on the coastal evolution on three glacier catchments in the Kongsfjorden area in Svalbard. Climatic data at Ny‐Ålesund indicate an increase in the annual mean air temperature of +4 °C from 1969 to 2016 and an increase in precipitation. On the northern coast of the Brøgger Peninsula, the Austre Lovénbreen, Midtre Lovénbreen, and Vestre Lovénbreen glaciers have experienced a net retreat in response to changing meteorological conditions. Because of this retreat, the glaciers have disclosed a large area of 7 km2 composed of terrigenous sediments. These sediments are transported by runoff and created coastal sandur deltas. Channel network behavior has been studied using the computation of the active floodplain width by photointerpretation, which decreased in average from 1966 to 2010. This demonstrated a contraction of the active braided belt and a decrease in the number of braided channels. A photointerpretation analysis combined with acquisition of dGPS data during field work shows a mean shoreline progradation of +0.16 m a−1 from 1966 to 2016, with a maximal advance of +82 m seaward. Since 1966, coastal progradation has decreased in time with higher mean values at the beginning of the studied period and an erosional trend from 1990. The sublittoral area was studied using analog side scan sonar in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2017. Three prodeltas were identified and underwent a huge extension from 2009 to 2017. In the light of this knowledge, our main conclusion is that, by retreating, glaciers have an impact on the sediment availability and on the capacity of the fluvial system to effectively transport sediment to the shoreline. These two factors control the overall coastal evolution by regulating the sediment supply to the coastal area. The coastal zones that were fed with sediments by runoff have experienced a coastal progradation, and those that lost this supply have undergone a coastal recession. Due to the contraction of proglacial floodplains, current progradation concerns restricted coastal areas.
Distributed Optimization for Non-Strongly Convex Regularizers

We develop primal-dual algorithms for distributed training of linear models in the Spark framework. We present the ProxCoCoA+ method which represents a generalization of the CoCoA+ algorithm and extends it to the case of general strongly convex regularizers. A primal-dual convergence rate analysis is provided along with an experimental evaluation of the algorithm on the problem of elastic net regularized logistic regression. We also develop the PrimalCoCoA+ method, a method that allows certain non-strongly convex regularizers to be trained in the ProxCoCoA+ theoretical framework; the algorithm works under the assumption that this regularizers are linearly separable and box constrained. This allows for primal-dual convergence rates for L1 regularized models, which are, to the best of our knowledge, the first of their kind; we also evaluate the practical efficiency of this method in the case of L1 regularized logistic on two real world datasets. Finally, we experimentally explore and prove the validity of ProxCoCoA+ Wild and PrimalCoCoA+ Wild, two new optimization methods that combine distributed and parallel optimization techniques and achieve significant speed-ups with respect to their non-wild variants.
ON MODAL LOGICS BETWEEN K×K×K AND S5× S5× S5

We prove that every n-modal logic between K and S5 is undecidable, whenever n ≥ 3. We also show that each of these logics is non-finitely axiomatizable, lacks the product finite model property, and there is no algorithm deciding whether a finite frame validates the logic. These results answer several questions of Gabbay and Shehtman. The proofs combine the modal logic technique of Yankov–Fine frame formulas with algebraic logic results of Halmos, Johnson and Monk, and give a reduction of the (undecidable) representation problem of finite relation algebras.
The Veblen functions for computability theorists

Abstract We study the computability-theoretic complexity and proof-theoretic strength of the following statements: (1) “If is a well-ordering, then so is ”, and (2) “If is a well-ordering, then so is φ(α, )”, where ∝ is a fixed computable ordinal and φ represents the two-placed Veblen function. For the former statement, we show that ω iterations of the Turing jump are necessary in the proof and that the statement is equivalent to over RCA0. To prove the latter statement we need to use ωα iterations of the Turing jump, and we show that the statement is equivalent to . Our proofs are purely computability-theoretic. We also give a new proof of a result of Friedman: the statement “if is a well-ordering, then so is φ(, 0)” is equivalent to ATR0 over RCA0.
Effects of caffeine and stress on biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in healthy men and women with a family history of hypertension.

The connection between caffeine and its potentially detrimental effects on blood markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are controversial. Most studies have focused on cholesterol as a putative mediator of the caffeine-CVD relationship. Other blood markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen have been understudied. We examined the effects of caffeine and psychological stress on these CVD markers in healthy, young men and women with a confirmed family history of hypertension. A total of 52 normotensive, healthy adults (26 men and 26 women) aged 18-29 years (21.4 ± 0.3) participated in a laboratory session to examine stress reactivity following caffeine consumption. All participants had normal cholesterol levels. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate, serum cortisol and CRP and plasma fibrinogen were collected. Men and women administered caffeine displayed an additional increase in systolic BP and cortisol response to the stressor (p < 0.05). Stress interacted with caffeine and sex to alter cortisol, fibrinogen and systolic BP but not CRP levels. These results may shed light on sex-specific pathways that associate caffeine with CVD.
Small airway function improvement after smoking cessation in smokers without airway obstruction.

OBJECTIVE Studying smokers with normal spirometry requires monitoring tools of the peripheral lung. A validated multiple breath washout technique was used to assess possible recovery of smoking-induced small airway malfunction in acinar and conductive lung zones. METHODS Eighty-seven smokers with a smoking history of at least 10 pack-years but absence of spirometric airflow obstruction were invited for assessment of lung function and small airway function at baseline and after 1 wk, 3 mo, 6 mo, and 12 mo of smoking cessation. A control group of 16 persistent smokers was studied at the same time intervals. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Of the 87 smokers, 66, 32, 28, and 21% successfully ceased smoking for 1 wk, 3 mo, 6 mo, and 12 mo, respectively. Lung function parameters remained essentially unaffected by smoking cessation. Ventilation heterogeneity showed transient improvements after 1 wk in the acinar lung compartment with a return to baseline afterwards. By contrast, there were persistent improvements in the conductive airway compartment; for example, smokers who successfully quit smoking for 12 mo (n=18) showed a 30 and 42% reduction of conductive airways abnormality after 1 wk and 1 yr, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Smokers with early signs of small airway malfunction who successfully quit smoking show sustained improvements of conductive airway malfunction. In contrast, acinar airway malfunction quickly returns to baseline after a transient improvement.