Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Response of insect parasitism to elevation depends on host and parasitoid life-history strategies

How global warming will affect insect parasitoids and their role as natural enemies of insect pests is difficult to assess within a short period of time. Considering that elevation gradients can be used as analogues for global warming, we carried out meta-analyses of 27 correlations between parasitoid richness and elevation and 140 correlations between parasitism rate and elevation in natural and semi-natural environments. We also explored various covariates that may explain the observed responses. Both parasitism rates and parasitoid species richness significantly decreased with increasing elevation. The decrease was greater for ectoparasitoids and parasitoids of ectophagous insects than for endoparasitoids and parasitoids of endophagous hosts, possibly because these latter are better protected from adverse and extreme climatic conditions occurring at higher elevations. Although our results suggest an increase of parasitism with increasing temperature, other factors regulating herbivorous insects have to be considered before concluding that climate warming will lead to a decrease in pest density.
Position Fingerprint-Based Beam Selection in Millimeter Wave Heterogeneous Networks

The traditional beam selection algorithms determine the optimal beam direction by feeding back the perfect channel state information (CSI) in a millimeter wave (mmWave) massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) system. Popular beam selection algorithms mostly focus on the methods of feedback and exhaustive search. In order to reduce the extra computational complexity coming from the redundant feedback and exhaustive search, a position fingerprint (PFP)-based mmWave multi-cell beam selection scheme is proposed in this paper. In the proposed scheme, the best beam identity (ID) and the strongest interference beam IDs from adjacent cells of each fingerprint spot are stored in a fingerprint database (FPDB), then the optimal beam and the strongest interference beams can be determined by matching the current PFP of the user equipment (UE) with the PFP in the FPDB instead of exhaustive search, and the orthogonal codes are also allocated to the optimal beam and the strongest interference beams. Simulation results show that the proposed PFP-based beam selection scheme can reduce the computational complexity and inter-cell interference and produce less feedback, and the system sum-rate for the mmWave heterogeneous networks is also improved.
Direction of arrival estimation in multipath environments using ICA and wavelet array denoising

In this paper, a new Direction of Arrival (DOA) estimation method is proposed with uniform linear array when both uncorrelated and coherent sources are present. After denoising the received data by wavelet transform, first the DOAs of uncorrelated signals are estimated using Independent Component Analysis (ICA). Afterwards, the information of uncorrelated signals is eliminated and a new matrix is constructed based on covariance differencing. Then, the DOAs of coherent signals can be resolved by performing the Forward-Backward Spatial Smoothing (FBSS) technique on the new matrix. The proposed method has high accuracy and good performance. The simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Complexity of Power Draws for Load Disaggregation

Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) is a technology offering methods to identify appliances in homes based on their consumption characteristics and the total household demand. Recently, many different novel NILM approaches were introduced, tested on real-world data and evaluated with a common evaluation metric. However, the fair comparison between different NILM approaches even with the usage of the same evaluation metric is nearly impossible due to incomplete or missing problem definitions. Each NILM approach typically is evaluated under different test scenarios. Test results are thus influenced by the considered appliances, the number of used appliances, the device type representing the appliance and the preprocessing stages denoising the consumption data. This paper introduces a novel complexity measure of aggregated consumption data providing an assessment of the problem complexity affected by the used appliances, the appliance characteristics and the appliance usage over time. We test our load disaggregation complexity on different real-world datasets and with a state-of-the-art NILM approach. The introduced disaggregation complexity measure is able to classify the disaggregation problem based on the used appliance set and the considered measurement noise.
MapReduce Based Parallel Neural Networks in Enabling Large Scale Machine Learning

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been widely used in pattern recognition and classification applications. However, ANNs are notably slow in computation especially when the size of data is large. Nowadays, big data has received a momentum from both industry and academia. To fulfill the potentials of ANNs for big data applications, the computation process must be speeded up. For this purpose, this paper parallelizes neural networks based on MapReduce, which has become a major computing model to facilitate data intensive applications. Three data intensive scenarios are considered in the parallelization process in terms of the volume of classification data, the size of the training data, and the number of neurons in the neural network. The performance of the parallelized neural networks is evaluated in an experimental MapReduce computer cluster from the aspects of accuracy in classification and efficiency in computation.
Staged Competence Learning in Developmental Robotics

Developmental psychology has long recognized the presence of stages in human cognitive development, although the underlying causes and processes are still an open question and subject to much debate. This article draws inspiration from psychology and describes an approach towards developmental growth for robotics that utilizes natural constraints in a general learning mechanism. The method, summarized as Lift-Constraint, Act, Saturate (LCAS), is applicable to all levels of control and behavior, and can be implemented in any robotic configuration. An implementation based on sensory-motor learning in early infancy is described and the results from experiments are presented and discussed.
Radiocarbon and Stable Carbon Isotopes of Labile and Inert Organic Carbon in the Critical Zone Observatory in Illinois, USA

ABSTRACT We applied the high temperature pyrolysis-combustion technique to partition the total soil organic carbon (SOC) into labile and inert carbon pools for accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dating and stable carbon isotope (δ13C), SOC, and carbonate carbon (CC) content analyses to examine SOC variability at a Critical Zone Observatory site in Illinois, USA. The AMS 14C dates of labile and inert carbon in the top 1.55 m overlap except in the Bt horizon. Below 1.55 m the labile carbon is younger by 8000–14,800 years. The SOC content decreases from 3.61% to 0.12% and CC content increases from 0% to 19.16% at this depth. Results indicate that SOC production exceeds its loss in the weathering zone causing a continuous turnover of both SOC pools. A small amount of modern SOC infiltrates into deeper sediment below 1.55 m, making the labile carbon pool much younger. Their difference of AMS 14C contents, ΔF14C, reveals 3−5% more modern carbon in the labile SOC pools except in the Bt horizon, further quantifying that <3−5% modern carbon with potential pollutants is translocated into the unweathered sediments. The δ13C reveals the sources for SOC cycling dynamics in both carbon pools at this site.
Relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and psoriasis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease for which no specific reason has been found although various reasons have been suggested. Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacterium, which is essentially considered the cause of acute and chronic gastritis. Recently, several reports have suggested that H pylori could play a role in triggering psoriasis. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between H pylori seropositivity and psoriasis. DESIGN AND SETTINGS This was a case-control study performed on patients with psoriasis vulgaris and healthy individuals in Fatemiye Hospital (referral center for the treatment of skin diseases), Semnan, Iran, during April 2011 to April 2012. METHODS A case-control study including 61 patients with psoriasis vulgaris (case group) and 61 healthy individuals (control group) without any known gastrointestinal complications were enrolled. All cases were tested for H pylori infection with serology (immunoglobulin G [IgG] anti-H pylori) using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. RESULTS Ten (16.4%) of the psoriatic patients and 8 (13%) of the control groups had an H pylori seropositive test result; the average of IgG serum level was 17.3 IU/ML in psoriatic patients and 16.1 IU/ML in the control group. The difference of serum level between the 2 groups was not meaningful (P=.302). CONCLUSIONS Our finding indicated that there was neither a significant relationship between psoriasis and the serum level of IgG anti-H pylori, nor a significant relationship between psoriasis severity and the serum level of IgG anti-H pylori. Further studies should be designed to find out whether infection with H pylori is one of the reasons causing or aggravating psoriasis.
Genomic and Post-Translational Modification Analysis of Leucine-Rich-Repeat Receptor-Like Kinases in Brassica rapa

Among several receptor-like kinases (RLKs), leucine-rich-repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) are a major group of genes that play crucial roles in growth, development and stress responses in plant systems. Given that they have several functional roles, it is important to investigate their roles in Brassica rapa. In the present study, 303 LRR-RLKs were identified in the genome of B. rapa and comparative phylogenetic analysis of 1213 combined LRR-RLKs of B. rapa, Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa and Populus trichocarpa helped us to categorize the gene family into 15 subfamilies based on their sequence and structural similarities. The chromosome localizations of 293 genes allowed the prediction of duplicates, and motif conservation and intron/exon patterns showed differences among the B. rapa LRR-RLK (BrLRR-RLK) genes. Additionally, computational function annotation and expression analysis was used to predict their possible functional roles in the plant system. Biochemical results for 11 selected genes showed variations in phosphorylation activity. Interestingly, BrBAK1 showed strong auto-phosphorylation and trans-phosphorylation on its tyrosine and threonine residues compared with AtBAK1 in previous studies. The AtBAK1 receptor kinase is involved in plant growth and development, plant innate immunity, and programmed cell death, and our results suggest that BrBAK1 might also be involved in the same functions. Another interesting result was that BrBAK1, BrBRI1, BrPEPR1 and BrPEPR2 showed activity with both anti-phosphotyrosine and anti-phosphothreonine antibodies, indicating that they might have dual-specificity kinase activity. This study provides comprehensive results for the BrLRR-RLKs, revealing expansion of the gene family through gene duplications, structural similarities and variations among the genes, and potential functional roles according to gene ontology, transcriptome profiling and biochemical analysis.
Influenza A virus M2 ion channel protein: a structure-function analysis

A structure-function analysis of the influenza A virus M2 ion channel protein was performed. The M2 protein of human influenza virus A/Udorn/72 and mutants containing changes on one face of the putative alpha helix of the M2 transmembrane (TM) domain, several of which lead to amantadine resistance when found in virus, were expressed in oocytes of Xenopus laevis. The membrane currents of oocytes expressing mutant M2 ion channels were measured at both normal and low pH, and the amantadine-resistant mutant containing the change of alanine at residue 30 to threonine was found to have a significantly attenuated low pH activation response. The specific activity of the channel current of the amantadine-resistant mutants was investigated by measuring the membrane current of individual oocytes followed by quantification of the amount of M2 protein expressed in these single oocytes by immunoblotting analysis. The data indicate that changing residues on this face of the putative alpha helix of the M2 TM domain alters properties of the M2 ion channel. Some of the M2 proteins containing changes in the TM domain were found to be modified by addition of an N-linked carbohydrate chain at an asparagine residue that is membrane proximal and which is not modified in the wild-type M2 protein. These N-linked carbohydrate chains were further modified by addition of polylactosaminoglycan. A glycosylated M2 mutant protein (M2 + V, A30T) exhibited an ion channel activity with a voltage-activated, time-dependent kinetic component. Prevention of carbohydrate addition did not affect the altered channel activity. The ability of the M2 protein to tolerate deletions in the TM domain was examined by expressing three mutants (del29-31, del28-31, and del27-31) containing deletions of three, four, and five residues in the TM domain. No ion channel activity was detected from expression of M2 del29-31 and del27-31, whereas expression of M2 del28-31 resulted in an ion channel activity that was activated by hyperpolarization (and not low pH) and was resistant to amantadine block. Examination of the oligomeric form of M2 del28-31 indicated that the oligomer is different from wild-type M2, and the data were consistent with M2 del28-31 forming a pentamer.
Viable Computer Systems : A Cybernetic Approach to Autonomic Computing

Autonomic Computing has the potential to deliver self-managing systems, based upon the principles of the human autonomic nervous system. Since its inception, significant advancement has been made in realising the objectives of the genre; however, scope for progression still exists. The authors present innovative research, applying a cybernetic approach to the development of Autonomic Computing systems. The basis of this research is a settheory oriented, atomically-derived, emergent model. This reflects first-stage, functional, decomposition of Beer's recursive Viable System Model (VSM). Although the scope of the existing VSM is that of human organizations, our research has provided a context-shift towards the field of Autonomic computing. The model provides integrated management of all elements promoting each sub-system as an autonomous whole within a closed meta-boundary. By endorsing autonomy versus governance, our research presents a formalism that can be used to represent selfaware systems, seeking inherent learning and control through communicative system-environment interplay.
Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β, NF-κB Signaling, and Tumorigenesis of Human Osteosarcoma

Background Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), a serine/threonine protein kinase, may function as a tumor suppressor or an oncogene, depending on the tumor type. We sought to determine the biological function of GSK-3β in osteosarcoma, a rare pediatric cancer for which the identification of new therapeutic targets is urgent. Methods We used cell viability assays, colony formation assays, and apoptosis assays to analyze the effects of altered GSK-3β expression in U2OS, MG63, SAOS2, U2OS/MTX300, and ZOS osteosarcoma cell lines. Nude mice (n = 5–8 mice per group) were injected with U2OS/MTX300, and ZOS cells to assess the role of GSK-3β in osteosarcoma growth in vivo and to evaluate the effects of inhibitors and/or anticancer drugs on tumor growth. We used an antibody array, polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and a luciferase reporter assay to establish the effect of GSK-3β inhibition on the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. Immunochemistry was performed on primary tumor specimens from osteosarcoma patients (n = 74) to determine the relationship of GSK-3β activity with overall survival. Results Osteosarcoma cells with low levels of inactive p-Ser9-GSK-3β formed colonies in vitro and tumors in vivo more readily than cells with higher levels and cells in which GSK-3β had been silenced formed fewer colonies and smaller tumors than parental cells. Silencing or pharmacological inhibition of GSK-3β resulted in apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells. Inhibition of GSK-3β resulted in inhibition of the NF-κB pathway and reduction of NF-κB-mediated transcription. Combination treatments with GSK-3β inhibitors, NF-κB inhibitors, and chemotherapy drugs increased the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs in vitro and in vivo. Patients whose osteosarcoma specimens had hyperactive GSK-3β, and nuclear NF-κB had a shorter median overall survival time (49.2 months) compared with patients whose tumors had inactive GSK-3β and NF-κB (109.2 months). Conclusion GSK-3β activity may promote osteosarcoma tumor growth, and therapeutic targeting of the GSK-3β and/or NF-κB pathways may be an effective way to enhance the therapeutic activity of anticancer drugs against osteosarcoma.
Somatic generation of hybrid antibody H chain genes in transgenic mice via interchromosomal gene conversion

We have constructed lines of mice with transgenes containing an antibody heavy (H) chain variable region (VHDJH) gene and various amounts of natural immunoglobulin (Ig) and plasmid flanking DNA. In these lines, recombination of the transgene and the endogenous Igh locus takes place in B cells, leading to the expression of functional H chains partially encoded by the transgenic VHDJH gene. Here, we demonstrate that the transgenic VHDJH gene, and various amounts of flanking sequence are recombined with Igh locus DNA via interchromosomal gene conversion. The structures of the resulting "hybrid" transgene-Igh H chain loci are consistent with the 3' end of the conversion occurring in regions of sequence identity, and the 5' end taking place between regions of little or no homology. This mode of antibody transgene recombination with the Igh locus is fundamentally different from the previously reported "trans H chain class switching" that results in reciprocal translocations. In contrast, this recombination resembles events previously observed in mammalian tissue culture cells between adjacent homologous chromosomal sequences, or transfected DNA and a homologous chromosomal target. Our data indicate that this recombination takes place at a low frequency, and that the frequency is influenced by both the length and extent of homology between the transgene and the Igh locus, but is not greatly affected by transgene copy number. This recombination pathway provides a novel approach for the subtle alteration of the clonal composition of the mouse B cell compartment in vivo using VH genes with defined structures and functions.
Comparison of Oestrus ovis Metabolic and Somatic Antigens for the Immunodiagnosis of the Zoonotic Myasis Oestrosis by Immunoenzymatic Probes

Control of zoonosis implies reduction of infected animal hosts, and the first measure consists of a suitable and accurate detection test. An experimental study for determining the most appropriate antigen (metabolic or somatic) to be used in the detection of the oestrosis (Oestrus ovis) zoonotic myasis by means of immunoenzymatic probes was carried out. A flock of 23 uninfected goats was maintained under field conditions to allow their infection in Sassari (Sardinia, Italy). Caprine were bled monthly and serum samples processed by means of an iELISA. After comparing these results to the chronobiology of O. ovis, we proved that the IgG humoral response against the metabolic antigens increased only during the period of real risk of infestation (when adults fly, from May to September), whereas the absorbances against the somatic products were positive from the beginning of the study (in January, prior to infection). We concluded that the excretory/secretory products are most useful andsuitable for the immunodiagnosis of oestrosis in goats, because a direct relation between the development of O. ovis and the IgG humoral response is possible, allowing a more accurate diagnostic.
The Benefits of Music Instruction on Processing Speed, Verbal Fluency, and Cognitive Control in Aging

The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of active music instruction in piano compared with music listening instruction on executive function in healthy older adults (ages 60-85). Seventy adults were matched by age, education, and estimated intelligence in two 16-week training groups: group piano instruction (GPI) and music listening instruction (MLI). Participants completed a battery of cognitive assessments pre- and post-instruction to examine processing speed, verbal fluency, planning, and cognitive control. Forty-six participants (24 in GPI, 22 in MLI) completed the study. Results of a series of repeated measures ANOVAs reveal no significant group differences on measures of executive function as both groups demonstrated an increase in scores. To further examine the effects of training on specific cognitive abilities, separate analyses of paired t-tests for each independent group indicate significantly enhanced processing speed, verbal fluency, and cognitive control for GPI participants. These results suggest the importance of active music making in community music programs. Older adults represent a large target group for increased participation in music education initiatives. Adults are interested in developing musical skills with opportunities for aesthetic experiences, group socialization, and cognitive maintenance (Jutras, 2006). While many studies detail the effects of music instruction on cognitive abilities in young children, few examine the effects of musical training on cognitive abilities in older adults. Can music-making offer cognitive benefits to older adults? The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of active versus passive music instruction on cognitive abilities in older adults and to evaluate specific cognitive transfer stemming from musical training programs. Successful aging has been described as, “one’s potential to arrive at a level of physical, social, and psychological well-being in old age that is pleasing to both self and others” (Gibson, 1995, p.279). One common barrier to successful aging is decreased performance in cognitive abilities, such as executive function and working memory tasks due to age-related cognitive decline (Salthouse, 1994; Wecker, Kramer, Hallam, & Delis, 2005). Specifically, aging has been associated with decreased processing speed, limited working memory capacity, and decreased performance on inhibitory tasks. Decreases in processing speed have been attributed to cognitive slowing (Salthouse, 1996). In addition, control processes may account for limited working memory capacity as research has suggested that older adults have difficulty ignoring irrelevant information. Many cognitive interventions, designed to mitigate age-related deficits, demonstrated only shortterm success with little potential for transfer or fail to be replicated outside a laboratory setting (Lustig, Shah,