Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of a Genomic Resource and Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping of Male Calling Traits in the Lesser Wax Moth, Achroia grisella

In the study of sexual selection among insects, the Lesser Waxmoth, Achroia grisella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), has been one of the more intensively studied species over the past 20 years. Studies have focused on how the male calling song functions in pair formation and on the quantitative genetics of male song characters and female preference for the song. Recent QTL studies have attempted to elucidate the genetic architecture of male song and female preference traits using AFLP markers. We continued these QTL studies using SNP markers derived from an EST library that allowed us to measure both DNA sequence variation and map loci with respect to the lepidopteran genome. We report that the level of sequence variation within A. grisella is typical among other Lepidoptera that have been examined, and that comparison with the Bombyx mori genome shows that macrosynteny is conserved. Our QTL map shows that a QTL for a male song trait, pulse-pair rate, is situated on the Z chromosome, a prediction for sexually selected traits in Lepidoptera. Our findings will be useful for future studies of genetic architecture of this model species and may help identify the genetics associated with the evolution of its novel acoustic communication.
Competitive Coevolution through Evolutionary Complexification

Two major goals in machine learning are the discovery and improvement of solutions to complex problems. In this paper, we argue that complexification, i.e. the incremental elaboration of solutions through adding new structure, achieves both these goals. We demonstrate the power of complexification through the NeuroEvolution of Augmenting Topologies (NEAT) method, which evolves increasingly complex neural network architectures. NEAT is applied to an open-ended coevolutionary robot duel domain where robot controllers compete head to head. Because the robot duel domain supports a wide range of strategies, and because coevolution benefits from an escalating arms race, it serves as a suitable testbed for studying complexification. When compared to the evolution of networks with fixed structure, complexifying evolution discovers significantly more sophisticated strategies. The results suggest that in order to discover and improve complex solutions, evolution, and search in general, should be allowed to complexify as well as optimize.
Vector-Based in Vivo RNA Interference: Dose- and Time-Dependent Suppression of Transgene Expression

RNA interference (RNAi) induced by delivery of a small-interfering RNA (siRNA)-expressing vector was characterized in mice. siRNA-expressing plasmid DNA (pDNA) was injected by a hydrodynamics-based procedure along with pDNA encoding an exogenous target luciferase gene. A comparative study showed that stem-loop-type siRNA-expressing pDNA was superior, in terms of the transgene suppressive efficacy, to the tandem-type in the liver following systemic delivery of these pDNAs. Transgene suppression occurred in the liver, kidney, and lung as well as muscle. The degree of suppression was dependent on the dose of siRNA-expressing pDNA and the time at which transgene expression was determined following simultaneous injection of siRNA-expressing and target pDNAs. A reduction in transgene expression became apparent at 1 day after injection, whereas a lower degree of inhibition was obtained before this, as early as 6 h even in mice treated with an excess of siRNA-expressing pDNA. These results suggest that delivery of siRNA-expressing pDNA requires a period of time for induction of RNAi. A study of sequential injections revealed that prior injection of siRNA-expressing pDNA produced a significant suppression for at least 1 day, which disappeared within 4 days. Confocal microscopic studies indicated that the localization of the cells with successful delivery of transgene was different between primary and secondary hydrodynamics-based injections, accounting for the less effective inhibition following the sequential injections. Taken together, these results demonstrate that vector-based in vivo RNAi is a dose- and time-dependent process and offers the possibility of suppressing endogenous targets in a variety of somatic cells.
A low-complexity spectrum sensing technique for cognitive radios based on correlation of intra-segment decimated vectors

Efficient spectrum sensing plays a vital role in opportunistic and dynamic spectrum access for cognitive radios. Several spectrum sensing algorithms based on energy detection, matched filtering and autocorrelation based feature detection have therefore been proposed in the literature. All these algorithms tend to have higher complexity for achieving better sensing performance, which requires higher computing power and/or more sensing time. Moreover they are not flexible enough to dynamically trade complexity with sensing performance. In this paper, we present a novel low-complexity spectrum sensing technique based on correlation of intra-segment decimated vectors. The primary signal to be detected is sampled at a particular frequency, and digitized samples are segmented and decimated by suitable decimation index. The means of resulting vectors are correlated to detect the presence of the signal. MATLAB simulations of the proposed technique have been carried out to validate the proposed technique. Single-tone and Multi-tone signal at a 25MHz IF frequency and ATSC DTV (in UHF) signal and PAL-B Analog TV (in VHF) signal are down-converted to 25MHz IF frequency, and used to validate the proposed detection technique. Not only the proposed scheme is found to able to detect the presence of a signal effectively, but also the complexity of the proposed scheme is only nearly 1/10th of the complexity (for vector length n = 10) of the simplest of the existing correlation based technique.
An economical mechanism for multicasting of content among servers of Hybrid CDN-P2P networks

Hybrid CDN-P2P architecture, benefits from the advantages of both CDNs and P2P networks. In this novel architecture the content is delivered either by Client-Server or P2P approach. A key challenge in these systems is the strategy, used for multicasting the content from distribution servers to the edge servers. In this, article supposing existence of a Replica Placement mechanism, a multicasting tree construction problem in this domain is presented formally. It is proved that the problem is NP-Hard, and an economic heuristic solution to the problem is proposed. The performance of the solution is studied and proved that the solution is a two approximate and its time complexity belongs to O(n3). The experimental results clearly show that the solution produces applicable and near optimal results.
A breakthrough in Speech emotion recognition using Deep Retinal Convolution Neural Networks

Speech emotion recognition (SER) is to study the formation and change of speaker's emotional state from the speech signal perspective, so as to make the interaction between human and computer more intelligent. SER is a challenging task that has encountered the problem of less training data and low prediction accuracy. Here we propose a data augmentation algorithm based on the imaging principle of the retina and convex lens, to acquire the different sizes of spectrogram and increase the amount of training data by changing the distance between the spectrogram and the convex lens. Meanwhile, with the help of deep learning to get the high-level features, we propose the Deep Retinal Convolution Neural Networks (DRCNNs) for SER and achieve the average accuracy over 99%. The experimental results indicate that DRCNNs outperforms the previous studies in terms of both the number of emotions and the accuracy of recognition. Predictably, our results will dramatically improve human-computer interaction.
Infection with Mycobacterium microti in Animals in France

ABSTRACT We describe here 35 animal cases of tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium microti in France (2002–2014). Recently, molecular tools that overcome the difficulty of confirming infection by this potentially zoonotic agent have revealed an increasing number of cases, suggesting that its prevalence may have been underestimated.
Direct-pNFS: scalable, transparent, and versatile access to parallel file systems

Grid computations require global access to massive data stores. To meet this need, the GridNFS project aims to provide scalable, high-performance, transparent, and secure wide-area data management as well as a scalable and agile name space. While parallel file systems give high I/O throughput, they are highly specialized, have limited operating system and hardware platform support, and often lack strong security mechanisms. Remote data access tools such as NFS and GridFTP overcome some of these limitations, but fail to provide universal, transparent, and scalable remote data access. As part of GridNFS, this paper introduces Direct-pNFS, which builds on the NFSv4.1 protocol to meet a key challenge in accessing remote parallel file systems: high-performance and scalable data access without sacrificing transparency, security, orportability. Experiments with Direct-pNFS demonstrate I/O throughput that equals or out performs the exported parallel file system across a range of workloads.
Identification of MISO nonlinear systems via the semiparametric approach

In this paper we examine a class of multiple-input, single-output (MISO) nonlinear systems of the block-oriented structure. In particular, we focus on MISO Hammerstein systems being the cascade connection of a multivariate nonlinearity with a linear dynamical subsystem. In order to alleviate an apparent curse of dimensionality occurring in the problem of estimating the nonlinearity, we propose to a semi-parametric strategy for identification of the nonlinear system. This is carried out by projecting the d-dimensional input signal onto one dimensional subset which, in turn, is mapped by a univariate nonparametric function to an internal unobserved signal of the system. Such a parsimonious representation allows us to overcome the curse of dimensionality as the accuracy of our identification algorithms is independent of d. We identify the system via the semi-parametric version of the least-squares. The statistical accuracy of the resulting estimates is obtained via the theory of M- estimation. These theoretical findings are verified in numerous simulation studies.
Data analysis tools for uncertainty quantification of inverse problems

We present exploratory data analysis methods to assess inversion estimates using examples based on ℓ2- and ℓ1-regularization. These methods can be used to reveal the presence of systematic errors such as bias and discretization effects, or to validate assumptions made on the statistical model used in the analysis. The methods include bounds on the performance of randomized estimators of a large matrix, confidence intervals and bounds for the bias, resampling methods for model validation and construction of training sets of functions with controlled local regularity.
Highly efficient multistandard RFIDs enabling passive wireless sensing

This paper presents a highly efficient analog multistandard frontend for passive sensor-enabled RFID transponders. The CMOS only frontend is implemented in a 0.13 µm CMOS technology. The measured overall RF-to-DC power conversion efficiency of the analog frontend for a DC output power of 10 µW is about 7% and the maximum efficiency is about 15% at UHF. An implemented sensor interface consumes 1.4 µA at 1V supply. This interface contains an ultra low-power successive approximation ADC that uses the capacitive charge redistribution technique for its integrated DAC.
Impact Evaluation on Cultural Tourism Resources Development Based on a Multi-index Integrated Entropy Weight Method

With the development of tourism industry, the impacts of tourism have been drawing increasingly attention. It has become an important and essential work to evaluate the impact of cultural tourism resources development. However, the conventional evaluation methods have some limitation on weight determination due to their one-sidedness. In this paper, we propose an integrated entropy weighted method to evaluate the impact of cultural tourism resources development by considering both objective and subjective weights. The proposed method is utilized to determine the optimization of design schemes which has the lowest impact on a certain development project. The experimental result on the case study shows that the proposed method can reduce the subjective preferences by the decision-makers effectively. It enhances the method's feasibility, rationality and effectiveness to estimate the impacts of cultural tourism resources development.
Regulators of aerobic and anaerobic respiration in Bacillus subtilis

Two Bacillus subtilis genes, designated resD and resE, encode proteins that are similar to those of two-component signal transduction systems and play a regulatory role in respiration. The overlapping resD-resE genes are transcribed during vegetative growth from a very weak promoter directly upstream of resD. They are also part of a larger operon that includes three upstream genes, resABC (formerly orfX14, -15, and -16), the expression of which is strongly induced postexponentially. ResD is required for the expression of the following genes: resA, ctaA (required for heme A synthesis), and the petCBD operon (encoding subunits of the cytochrome bf complex). The resABC genes are essential genes which encode products with similarity to cytochrome c biogenesis proteins. resD null mutations are more deleterious to the cell than those of resE. resD mutant phenotypes, directly related to respiratory function, include streptomycin resistance, lack of production of aa3 or caa3 terminal oxidases, acid accumulation when grown with glucose as a carbon source, and loss of ability to grow anaerobically on a medium containing nitrate. A resD mutation also affected sporulation, carbon source utilization, and Pho regulon regulation. The data presented here support an activation role for ResD, and to a lesser extent ResE, in global regulation of aerobic and anaerobic respiration i B.subtilis.
Twitter, Millennials, and Nursing Education Research

AIMThis article reports the use of Twitter as an intervention delivery method in a multisite experimental nursing research study. BACKGROUNDA form of social networking, Twitter is considered a useful means of communication, particularly with millennials. This method was chosen based on current literature exploring the characteristics of millennial students. METHODAhern’s Model of Adolescent Resilience served as the theoretical framework. Participants were 70 junior-level baccalaureate nursing students, ages 19‐23, at two state-supported universities. RESULTSTwitter was found to be a convenient, cost-effective, and enjoyable means of intervention delivery for the researcher. Participants in the experimental and control groups expressed positive feelings about the use of Twitter. CONCLUSIONThe findings contribute to future efforts to use social media in nursing research and education to increase faculty-student engagement, promote critical reflection, provide social support, reinforce course content, and increase the sense of community.
Evaluating Behaviorally-Motivated Policy: Experimental Evidence from the Lightbulb Market

Imperfect information and inattention to energy costs are important potential motivations for energy efficiency standards and subsidies. We evaluate these motivations in the lightbulb market using a theoretical model and two randomized experiments. We derive welfare effects as functions of reduced-form sufficient statistics capturing economic and psychological parameters, which we estimate using a novel within-subject information disclosure experiment. The main results suggest that moderate subsidies for energy-efficient lightbulbs may increase welfare, but informational and attentional biases alone do not justify a ban on incandescent lightbulbs. Our results and techniques generate broader methodological insights into welfare analysis with misoptimizing consumers. (JEL D12, D83, H21, H31, L67, Q41, Q48)
Listening to parents: The challenges of parenting kindergarten-aged children who are anxious

The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of the experience of parenting kindergarten-aged children who are anxious. Twenty-three in-depth interviews were conducted with parents of kindergarten-aged children who expressed interest in a parent-focused early intervention program for child anxiety offered in a local elementary school. Key concerns of the parents included their children’s separation anxiety, social anxiety, and oppositional behaviour. The child’s anxiety was identified as a stressor on the child, the parent, and the family. Parents utilized a range of parenting responses although they tended to be reactive and did not have a consistent strategy for managing the anxiety. A salient parenting struggle was whether or not to push the child to face challenging situations although there were few descriptions of overprotection or overcontrol. The findings suggest greater attention be given to the strengths of parents of children who are anxious and the ways in which parents may be a positive factor in mitigating the effects of child anxiety. Implications for intervention are discussed.
Upregulation of Fas-Fas-L (CD95/CD95L)-mediated epithelial apoptosis--a putative role in pouchitis?

INTRODUCTION Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) remains the gold standard for patients with refractory ulcerative colitis. Pouchitis causes considerable morbidity in 40% of patients with IPAA. This study examined the role of increased epithelial apoptosis in the etiology of pouchitis. METHODS Following ethical approval pouch biopsies taken from patients with a history of pouchitis were compared with age-matched controls from patients who were pouchitis free. Apoptosis was detected immunohistochemically using a monoclonal antibody (M30) and terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase (TDT)-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin end labeling (TUNEL). Villous atrophy was assessed histologically and correlated with levels of apoptosis. Epithelial Fas-ligand (L) was also assessed immunohistochemically. RESULTS A significant increase in TUNEL staining was seen at the epithelial but not at the lamina propria level for known pouchitis patients versus controls (0.091 vs 0.035; P < 0.01). Similarly, epithelial M30 immunoreactivity (0.225 vs 0.082; P < 0.05) and villous atrophy (0.035 vs 0.10; P < 0.05) were significantly increased in pouches with previous pouchitis when compared with normal pouches. Upregulation of Fas-L expression was characteristic of this epithelium. Mononuclear cells were strongly positive for Fas-L. Increased epithelial levels of apoptosis correlated with increased levels of villous atrophy. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest a role for elevated Fas-Fas-L (CD95-CD95L)-mediated epithelial apoptosis in the etiology of pouchitis. Increased levels of villous atrophy may result from increased apoptosis and thereby predispose to infection by otherwise apathogenic organisms.
Social Power and Attitude Strength Over the Life Course

Past findings indicate that middle-aged adults in the United States tend to be more resistant to attitude change than younger and older adults, but little is known about why this is so. The authors propose that midlife adults’ disproportionate occupation of high-power social roles (which call for resoluteness) may partly explain their heightened resistance to persuasion. Using nationally representative data sets, the article first documents that in various domains the possession of social power peaks in midlife. It next documents that middle-aged adults place a high value on resoluteness, which suggests that they have internalized powerful role norms. Next, it shows that directly activating the concept of social power increases the perceived value of resoluteness. Finally, it demonstrates that the possession of powerful social roles partially mediates the relationship between age and resistance to persuasion. This work is the first to uncover a mechanism responsible for changes in attitude strength over the adult life course.
Land Grabbing and the Axis of Political Conflicts: Insights from Southwest Cameroon

Large-scale land acquisition (LSLA) by foreign interests is a major driver of agrarian change in the productive regions of Africa. Rural communities across Southwest Cameroon are experiencing a range of political conflicts resulting from LSLA, in which commercial interests are threatening local land-use practices and access to land. This paper shows that the struggle to maintain or redefine livelihoods generates tension between inward competition for and outward contestation of claims to land. In Nguti Subdivision, the scene of protests against a particular agribusiness company, there is continued debate over ideas about, interests in, and perceptions of land and tenure. The authors show how top-down land acquisition marginalises land users, leading to conflicts within communities and with the companies involved, and conclude that for an agro-project to succeed and avoid major conflicts, dominance by elite interests must give way to a more inclusive process.
Racial differences in the expression of cell cycle–regulatory proteins in breast carcinoma

African‐American (AA) women are more likely to be diagnosed with an advanced stage of breast carcinoma than are white women. After adjustment for disease stage, many studies indicate that tumors in AA women are more likely than tumors in white women are to exhibit a high level of cell proliferation and features of poor prognosis. The purpose of the current study was to compare tumor characteristics and cell cycle alterations in AA women and white women that might affect the aggressiveness of breast carcinoma.
WALDIO: Eliminating the Filesystem Journaling in Resolving the Journaling of Journal Anomaly

This work is dedicated to resolve the Journaling of Journal Anomaly in Android IO stack. We orchestrate SQLite and EXT4 filesystem so that SQLite's file-backed journaling activity can dispense with the expensive filesystem intervention, the journaling, without compromising the file integrity under unexpected filesystem failure. In storing the logs, we exploit the direct IO to suppress the filesystem interference. This work consists of three key ingredients: (i) Preallocation with Explicit Journaling, (ii) Header Embedding, and (iii) Group Synchronization. Preallocation with Explicit Journaling eliminates the filesystem journaling properly protecting the file meta-data against the unexpected system crash. We redesign the SQLite B-tree structure with Header Embedding to make it direct IO compatible and block IO friendly. With Group Synch, we minimize the synchronization overhead of direct IO and make the SQLite operation NAND Flash friendly. Combining the three technical ingredients, we develop a new journal mode in SQLite, the WALDIO. We implement it on the commercially available smartphone. WALDIO mode achieves 5.1× performance (insert/sec) against WAL mode which is the fastest journaling mode in SQLite. It yields 2.7× performance (inserts/ sec) against the LS-MVBT, the fastest SQLite journaling mode known to public. WALDIO mode achieves 7.4× performance (insert/sec) against WAL mode when it is relieved from the overhead of explicitly synchronizing individual log-commit operations. WALDIO mode reduces the IO volume to 1/6 compared against the WAL mode.