Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Habitat Type and the Presence of an Invasive Wetland Plant (Phalaris arundinacea) on Capture Rates of Sympatric Rare and Common Gartersnake Species (Thamnophis butleri and Thamnophis sirtalis)

Abstract Research that investigates the impact of invasive plants on reptiles, particularly snakes, is sparse. Butler's Gartersnake (Thamnophis butleri) is a rare snake, endemic to the upper midwestern United States. Little research has focused on the habitat selection of this snake, which is often sympatric with the Common Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis). The highly invasive wetland grass Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass [RCG]) has become established or dominant throughout much of the geographic distributions of these snakes. The impacts of this invasive grass on the habitat selection of T. butleri and T. sirtalis have not previously been examined. During 2 yr of drift fence surveys at three survey sites and five habitats sampled in southeastern Wisconsin, we captured 243 adult T. butleri and 311 adult T. sirtalis. Thamnophis sirtalis was found more often in RCG than T. butleri, which appeared to have more specific habitat needs and most often occurred in upland habitats, particularly grassland, rather than wetlands. These findings have important regulatory and conservation implications for the globally rare T. butleri. For example, our data support the importance of upland habitat protection as part of conservation strategies for T. butleri. In addition, management of wetland habitat for this species must consider the impact of RCG and direct habitat restoration strategies accordingly.
Isolation of β-sitosterol and evaluation of antidiabetic activity of Aristolochia indica in alloxan-induced diabetic mice with a reference to in-vitro antioxidant activity

Stigmast-5-en-3β-ol (β-sitosterol) was isolated from the chloroform extract of the aerial parts ofAristolochia indica (CEAI). The structure and relative configuration of Stigmast-5-en-3β-ol (β-sitosterol) was determined by spectroscopic methods (1H- and 13C-NMR, IR, and MS). CEAI was found to produce good antidiabetic activity in treated mice. It reversed the weight loss of diabetic mice and restored to normal blood sugar level. The efficacy of the extract was compared with standard drug, Glibenclamide (10 mg/kg p.o.) in diabetic mice. CEAI also showed significant antioxidant activity in the level of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and superoxide radicals with IC50 value being 7.325 and 8.498 µg/ml, respectively. The anti-hyperglycemic effect of the extract might be due to an increase in peripheral glucose consumption as well as protection against oxidative damaged in alloxanised diabetes. Key words: Aristolochia indica, antioxidant, antidiabetic activity, alloxan, glibenclamide, diabetes, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide anion radical, β-sitosterol.
Exploiting Sparsity in SDP Relaxation for Harmonic Balance Method

In general, harmonic balance problems are extremely nonconvex and difficult to solve. A convex relaxation in the form of semidefinite programming has attracted a lot of attention recently, as it finds a global solution with high accuracy without the need for initial values. However, the computational cost of solving large-scale optimization poses a major challenge for the application in many real-world practical cases. This work proposes a heuristic optimization approach to find the Fourier coefficients of harmonic balance problems. The structural sparsity in the Harmonic Balance problem is exploited to improve numerical tractability and efficiency at the cost of adding smaller-sized semidefinite constraints in the problem formulation. After exploiting sparsity, the simulation results show that the size of the largest semidefinite constraint and the number of decision variables are greatly reduced. In addition, the computation speed shows an improvement rate of 3 or 7.5 times for larger instance problems and a reduction in memory occupation. Moreover, the proposed formulation can also solve nonlinear circuits with nonpolynomial nonlinearities with high accuracy.
Collaborative Localization Sensor for Mobile Robots in Feature-Free Environments

Localization for mobile robots has been vastly researched in recent years. However, most solutions remain dependant on the working environment by either extracting information from or installing additional sensors into the environment. An innovative localization sensor is proposed in this work, aiming at providing pose estimation for ground mobile robots while reducing the dependency of the pose estimation on the working environment. The localization approach works under a collaborative scheme where multiple instances of the sensor take relative distance and angular measurements towards each other in order to estimate their respective pose. A mathematical model is derived for the collaborative pose estimation process and two instances of the proposed sensor are implemented and tested with a stationary and a moving landmark to validate the approach.
Knowledge production from an African perspective: International information flows and intellectual property⋆

This paper investigates current trends in knowledge production and the impact that they have on the international flow of information. Three directions of information flow (North–South, South–North and South–South) are investigated from an African perspective. A moral rather than a legal view is taken of intellectual property. The authors’ concern is that the balance between the public good and private interests has been disturbed. It is premised that there are general moral principles that can serve as a basis for decisions on North–South, South–North and South–South information flows. Three ethical pillars serve as a basis for reflection on current information flows. These are: social justice, human rights, and the concept of the common good. Current developments in scholarly publishing and intellectual property rights that affect the North–South information flow are examined, and responses to the growing imbalance between rights holders and authors, such as the open access movement, are considered. These developments also affect South–North information flows, where both exploitation and neglect of Africa's knowledge resources need to be countered. Lastly, South–South information flows between African countries are considered.
Microsatellite marker analysis reveals the events of the introduction and spread of cultivated mulberry in the Indian subcontinent

The secret art of silk culture along with mulberry seeds is presumed to have spread from China to other parts of the world including India through the famous Silk Road. In this study, we investigated a set of 36 important mulberry genotypes (designated as ‘breeders’ collection’) of historical importance that have been frequently used in Indian crop improvement programmes over the last five decades. This study is the first to employ a large number of microsatellite markers (140 screened; 70 used for profiling) to elucidate the diversity, structure and breeding history of mulberry. The cluster and STRUCTURE analysis corroborated with the known genetic relationships and origin. The groupings by STRUCTURE (k= 4) confirm parallel breeding efforts undertaken in the eastern, southern and northern regions of the country. The cultivar ‘Mysore Local’ shares a common parent with ‘Berhampore Local’, and this supports the historical records of its introduction from eastern India to the Kingdom of Mysore by the erstwhile ruler Tippu Sultan. The popular variety ‘Kanva-2’ shared a common male parent with the Japanese variety ‘Kousen’, supporting the contribution of exotic progenitors in Indian cultivars. The findings of this study will be useful in formulating new strategies for mulberry improvement and reveals the historical events of the introduction and spread of cultivated mulberry in the Indian subcontinent.
Enhanced Interference Coordination and Radio Resource Management for 5G Advanced Ultra-dense RAN

Ultra-densification of radio access network (RAN) is necessary to handle ever-increasing mobile data traffic even after starting of 5G services. Dense reuse of the same radio resource produces severe interference. Furthermore, when extremely high frequency band like mmWave band is utilized, the radio link may be frequently blocked by obstacles placed between transmitter and receiver according to user movement. To realize highly reliable communications in such a severe radio link environment, an enhanced interference coordination (eIC) and radio resource management (RRM) needs to be introduced. In this paper, we will present the concept of an eIC and RRM for 5G advanced ultra-dense RAN using distributed MIMO, which integrates a classification of user-equipments (UEs) into inner-cell and cell-edge groups, UE clustering, cluster-antenna association, distributed MIMO cooperative transmission & reception (CTR), and scheduling. Then, we will present some preliminary results obtained by numerical computation.
An Individual’s Chosen Retirement Age: When is the Economically Feasible Retirement Age Chosen over the Anchor Provided by Known Others?

Abstract Do individuals make rational, well-planned retirement age decisions? Evidence is not conclusive; some decisions seem to be quite reasonable, while others, including the long-term trends generated by these decisions, seem irrational. In order to be able to predict and influence these important decisions, the process leading up to making them needs to be better understood. The process an individual uses to make a retirement decision may be influenced by a rational allocation of money, time, and effort, as suggested by a utility-maximizing Household Production approach. Alternately, the decision process may be strongly influenced by an anchor, defined by the retirement ages chosen by friends, neighbors, relatives, and colleagues, as suggested by Anchoring and Prospect Theory. Studies investigating anchoring and risk-seeking or risk-aversion behavior, which results when a target is seen as a loss or a gain from the anchor, have found that individuals make irrational decisions under many different circumstances. A set of retirement decision propositions, which hypothesize that the heuristic of Anchoring and the resulting cognitive biases described by Prospect Theory will influence the chosen retirement age, are developed in this paper. Retirement information provided by the employer is a possible moderator that may reduce the influence of the anchor on the retirement decision; a set of moderator hypotheses are also developed in this paper. Propositions strongly supported by existing research predict that, unless sufficient information regarding retirement issues is used by an individual, he or she is likely to choose an inappropriate retirement age.
Metabolomic approaches for the identification of metabolic pathways in Trypanosoma brucei

Trypanosoma brucei is a parasitic protozoan that can cause human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) and Nagana in cattle. Human African trypanosomiasis is deadly when left untreated, and thus there is an urgent need to develop new drugs against this disease. As trypanosomes are early diverged eukaryotes, it is anticipated that studying their metabolism can identify novel drug targets. The main drug currently in use against the late encephalitic stage, Eflornithine, was shown to inhibit an essential pathway in trypanosomes (Yarlett and Bacchi, 1989). In this Thesis three approaches were used to apply metabolomic and proteomic techniques for protein function identification and to investigate metabolic pathways. The genome of T. brucei has been published (Berriman et al., 2005) and data is available via databases, such as TriTrypDB, a database dedicated to the trypanosomatids (Aslett et al., 2009). An estimated 40% of the identified genes in this organism are annotated with an unknown or putative function. In 2006, Saito et al. developed a systematic method to ascertain enzyme function based on an in vitro assay, in combination with metabolite profiling. This approach was successfully applied in several other studies. Here, I investigate the use of this method for its application in a high throughput approach for unknown enzyme identification in trypanosomes. Seven putative identified enzymes were randomly selected from TriTrypDB, cloned and expressed in E. coli and a function could be attributed to at least one of the enzymes. Furthermore, the amino acid metabolism in trypanosomes was investigated; using stable isotope labelling combined with metabolomics. The flux of labelled compounds could be traced through the organism showing the active metabolic pathways of L-methionine, L-proline and L-arginine in T. brucei. Two T. b. brucei strains used in this study, GVR35 and 427, cause different forms of infections in their mammalian host. GVR35 causes a chronic infection and invades the central nervous system (CNS) with varying parasitemia in mice, whereas infection with strain 427 presents an acute form with high parasitaemia, causing high mortality, without invading the CNS. What causes this difference in the progression of infection? Secreted or excreted proteins from the parasites, referred to as the secretome, have been described as being important factor for virulence and avoiding the host immune response (Geiger et al., 2010) and Garzon et al. (2006) showed that excreted/secreted proteins can inhibit the maturation of dentritic cells and stop them from inducing a lymphocytic allogenic response. Significant differences in proteins secreted from these two strains are discussed; although the results are preliminary.
Neuroprotective Effects of Rutin Against Hydrogen Peroxide Induced Oxidative Stress in Cerebral Glioma Cell Line

Rutin has potential protective effects on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induced oxidative stress on BMG-1 cerebral glioma cell. The study was carried out to investigate the neuroprotective effects of rutin againstBMG-1 cerebral glioma cell in vitro. In vitro cytotoxicity assay, Oxidative Stress Mediated Apoptosis, Determination of Oxidative Stress Indices by DCFH-DA, Effect of rutin on Extent of Lipid Peroxidation and Total GSH Levels Measurement was carried out on BMG-1 cerebral glioma cell by standard procedures. Rutin was showing very less toxicity, it reached IC50 value approximately equal to 200 µM in 24 hours treatment, decreases the distorted morphology of the BMG-1 cells, Significant reduction of apoptotic bodies, Oxidative Stress, Lipid Peroxidation Levels and significantly increases the levels of glutathione. The present study indicates the rutin may be effective in both prevention and treatment of brain and neurodegenerative disorders in which free radical processes are involved.
POTENTIAL PASTURE PRODUCTION IN THE UPLANDS OF WALES

Resown S23 perennial ryegrass pastures showed considerably greater response to the application of fertilizer N (0·1075 kg N/ha per year = 0–960 Ib N/ac) at 305 m O.D. than the native Festuca ovina/Agrostis tenuis and Molinia caerulea dominant communities on identical brown earth and peaty gley soils. Ryegrass DM production during 1967–70 increased with N application rates up to 538 kg N/ha per year (480 Ib N/ac) on the acid-brown earth, while on the extremely N-deficient gley soil yield responses were recorded up to 1075 kg N/ha (960 Ib N/ac). Percentage N recovery by ryegrass, bowever, although improved by grazing and re circulation, was less than under lowland conditions and the response to N during the growing season was also lower, exceeding 20 kg DM/kg N from applications in May, June and July only. The recovery of N by Festuca/Agrostis and Molinia in 1968–70 ranged from 3% and 2% at 938 kg N/ha to 14% and 9% at 117 kg N/ba per year, respectively. The respective maximum average DM yields recorded were 29 t/ha and 2.2 t/ha from the native communities and 70 t/ha and 62 t/ha from the corresponding resown pastures (2610, 1950, 6250 and 5520 Ib/ac). The results are discussed in relation to the strategy of land improvement in upland areas.
Population densities of curassows, guans, and chachalacas (Cracidae): Effects of body size, habitat, season, and hunting

ABSTRACT Understanding the factors that determine population densities is critical for conserving viable populations of threatened species. Half of the 50 species in the family Cracidae have experienced population declines. We conducted a literature review to explore the relations of population densities of cracids with body size, habitat, season, and hunting. We compiled 103 density data points for 27 species in 37 localities from Mexico to Argentina. There was no correlation between body mass and density. The larger cracines tended to have lower densities than penelopines, but densities in both subfamilies spanned a similar range of values. Intraspecific and interspecific densities varied among sites over 2 orders of magnitude (1–100 birds km−2). Some cracids exhibited plasticity in habitat use, with variable densities among habitats. There is evidence that some species performed local movements related to seasonality in rainfall or resource availability, leading to aggregations around water sources during the dry season or around seasonally abundant food sources. Hunting had a negative effect on population densities, but in some cases low to moderate hunting did not cause a decrease in density in comparison to nonhunted sites. Despite having similar ecologies, densities of cracid species are very variable, and each population seems to respond idiosyncratically to local factors, which requires care if data are extrapolated across populations or species. Future studies that aim to characterize cracid populations for conservation purposes should take into account possible intraspecific density variations related to seasonality, local movements, and habitat heterogeneity.
On the Design of B5G Multi-Beam LEO Satellite Internet of Things

In this paper, we design a multi-beam low earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet of things (IoT) for beyond fifth-generation (B5G) wireless networks. Rather than time division multiple access (TDMA), a new non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) scheme is adopted to support massive IoT over a very wide range. In order to reduce the power consumption of multi-beam satellite, a spot beam design algorithm is proposed with the goal of minimizing the total power consumption subject to quality-of-service (QoS) requirements. Furthermore, considering high computational complexity of spot beam design in the context of massive IoT, a simple multi-beam design algorithm is provided. Finally, simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms over conventional ones.
IN THE MISTLETOE TRISTERIX (LORANTHACEAE): THE INFLUENCE OF POLLINATORS, DISPERSERS, AND HOSTS 1

Phylogenies can provide valuable information on biotic and abiotic factors associated with speciation. We examined species relationships in Tristerix (Loranthaceae), a genus of 11 species with an Andean distribution from Colombia to Chile. A previous classification divided Tristerix into subgenera Tristerix (two species) and Metastachys (nine species). We tested this classification by generating a molecular phylogeny of the genus using nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS and chloroplast atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer and trnL-F regions. All partitions generally gave congruent trees, thus a combined analysis was conducted. Tristerix was composed of a northern clade (six species) and a southern clade (four species). Tristerix verticillatus and T. penduliflorus (Metastachys) were strongly supported as members of the (southern) subgenus Tristerix clade. Speciation appears to be correlated with the emergence of matorral and cloud forest biomes and is driven by interactions with pollinators and seed dispersers. Tristerix aphyllus is sister to T. corymbosus of the matorral, not to neighboring temperate forest populations, thus rendering the latter species paraphyletic. This ecological speciation event may have occurred in sympatry. Tristerix provides excellent examples of how, during the orography of the Andes, many dynamic and interacting ecological factors have influenced their speciation.
Short Communication Molecular characterization of African orthobunyaviruses

The genus Orthobunyavirus is composed of segmented, negative-sense RNA viruses that are responsible for mild to severe human diseases. To date, no molecular studies of bunyaviruses in the genus Orthobunyavirus from central Africa have been reported, and their classification relies on serological testing. Four new primer pairs for RT-PCR amplification and sequencing of the complete genomic small (S) RNA segments of 10 orthobunyaviruses isolated from the Central African Republic and pertaining to five different serogroups have been designed and evaluated. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these 10 viruses belong to the Bunyamwera serogroup. The S segment sequences differ from those of the Bunyamwera virus reference strain by 5–15% at the nucleotide level, and both overlapping reading frames, encoding the nucleocapsid (N) and non-structural (NS) proteins, were evident in sequenced genomes. This study should improve diagnosis and surveillance of African bunyaviruses.
Sex biases in parasitism of newly emerged damselflies

Abstract There are several examples of sex-biased parasitism of invertebrate hosts. Sex biases in parasitism could be explained by differences between males and females either in exposure to or susceptibility to parasites. Our results show that for the common spreadwing damselfly, Lestes disjunctus, there was a female bias in mean intensity of parasitism by larval Arrenurus pollictus mites for newly emerged individuals sampled over emergence periods in both 2002 and 2003. This bias could not be explained by host body size and timing of emergence, factors thought to influence exposure of host larvae to larval mites. We suggest a novel explanation for sex-biased parasitism based on differences in developmental trajectories of larval male and female hosts, which should influence frequency of contact by larval mites. This explanation may help explain female-biased parasitism in other lestid damselflies, which should be exaggerated for early emerging species with compressed emergence periods. Further work is needed to test this novel explanation and determine whether it is applicable to other invertebrate host–parasite associations where parasites first come into contact with immature stages of hosts.