Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sudden Widespread Distribution of Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Shandong Province, China

ABSTRACT In Shandong Province, China, the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), was first detected in Qingdao in 2007. The pest is composed of 2 genetic strains or types based on analyses of the mitochondrial DNA gene, mtCOI. These are known as “the Greenhouse strain” and “the Lupin strain”, hereafter referred to as “WFTG” and “WFT-L”, respectively. To investigate the status and pathways of spread of this alien species in its new environment, we collected 78 samples of thrips from various plants in all of the 17 counties of Shandong Province during May–Jul, 2011. In total we made 16 collections of western flower thrips in 12 counties, and we analyzed the mtCOI gene of each of these samples. Most individuals (98.6%) in these 16 collections belonged to the WFT-G type and 3 (1.4%) belonged to WFT-L type. The results demonstrated that F. occidentalis has—without being noticed—become widespread in Shandong Province, and the main type is WFT-G. Field surveys coupled with genetic analyses proved to be helpful in revealing the invasion process including the invasion pathways or mechanisms, and such analyses may help in identifying approaches and options for prevention and management of the pest.
Magnetopause Compressibility at Saturn with Internal Drivers

We use magnetopause crossings of the Cassini spacecraft to study the response of Saturn's magnetosphere to changes in external and internal drivers. We explain how solar wind pressure can be corrected to account for the local variability in internal plasma particle pressure. The physics‐based method is applied to perform the most robust estimation of magnetopause compressibility at Saturn to date, using 7 years' worth of magnetometer data from the Cassini mission and accounting for variable internal drivers—particle pressure and azimuthal ring current. The concept of magnetopause compressibility is generalized to quantitatively account for its detailed variation with respect to the position of the magnetopause. An analytical fit is provided to map the compressibility index to values of the stand‐off distance. In particular, the procedure shows that the Kronian system appears to behave similarly to that of Jupiter when expanded outwards and more like the Earth's magnetopause when compressed.
Drone audition listening from the sky estimates multiple sound source positions by integrating sound source localization and data association

Drone audition, drone's auditory capabilities for a multi-rotor helicopter (hereinafter, drone), has been developed to improve real-world tasks, e.g. search-and-rescue tasks, by compensating for the weakness of visual capabilities due to darkness and occlusion. Most of current implementations of robot audition focus on a single sound source. This paper focuses on the estimation of multiple sound source positions from acoustic signals captured by a drone equipped with a microphone array. Due to ego-noise such as rotor and airflow noise around the drone, the estimation of the sound source position is obscured and prone to error. In particular, in case of multiple sound sources, data association between localization information and sound sources is critical to the performance of such estimation. To cope with uncertainty in data association, we extend Global Nearest Neighbor (GNN) to exploit sound source features (GNN-c) because drone audition needs real-time or least latency. The resulting system demonstrates that it can estimate multiple sound source positions with an accuracy of about 3 m. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Lethal and non-lethal effects of trawling on the benthic invertebrate food web

The pulse trawl is presented as an alternative for the traditional tickler chain beam trawl. The beam trawl has a direct lethal effect on the benthic community, which is much less for the pulse trawl. However, the pulse trawl, due to its electrical field has non-lethal effects on the benthic community. The existence of such non-lethal effects have been demonstrated for different organisms and most often involve a short period of inactivity. Such a period of inactivity may have consequences at the population level as it may limit feeding. Yet the population dynamical consequences, nor food web level consequences, have been studied in experimental or field settings. To study non-lethal and lethal effects of trawling on the benthic community a model was developed which is based on a trait-based characterization of the food web. This model describes the equilibrium dynamics of predators, filter feeders and deposit feeders. The model includes direct mortality as a function of fishing mortality and a non-lethal effect, which was incorporated as a decrease of the maximum food intake rate. This approach was based on experiments with electric pulse and benthic invertebrates. We conducted a comparative analysis of lethal and non-lethal impact of trawling on the equilibrium dynamics of the benthic food web. Only lethal effects represent a tickler chain beam trawl and a combination of lethal and non-lethal effect represents a pulse trawl. We first studied the effects of lethal and non-lethal impacts on the food web separately. We then studied the trade-off between lethal and non-lethal effects for a given total impact on the community. This approach shows how much non-lethal impact is required to compensate for a decrease in lethal effects of trawling. The study shows that lethal effects need to be replaced by non-lethal effects with similar strength in order to maintain the effect of fishing intensity on the food web. Such strong non-lethal effects are unlikely to occur in the field based on experiments assessing the impact of electricity on benthic macro-invertebrates and trawling intensity. In other words, the combined non-lethal and lethal effects of the pulse trawl are unlikely to have a similar effect on the macro-invertebrate benthic community compared to the lethal effects of the traditional trawl.
Midterm Results of Quality of Life after Surgical Treatment of Tibial Plateau Fractures of Type Moore V

The midterm restriction of the quality of life should be evaluated and correlated with the objective radiological results in patients with the special tibial plateau fracture of type Moore V. From 2003 to 2012, 36 patients with 38 fractures were registered in a retrospective cohort study. Injury mechanism, surgical treatment, complication rate, and radiological results after a mean follow-up of 37 months and the quality of life (NRS, IKDC-form, and EQ-5D-score) after 68 months were analyzed. There were 27 men and 9 women (mean age 50.8 years) in 30 cases with high impact injury. External fixator was used in 24 cases primarily, single plate fixation was used in 12 cases, and double plate fixation was used in 25 cases. All early complication (21%) could be cured. Mean NRS was 4.53, IKDC-score was 50.46, and the EQ-5D was 7.47. The quality of life was quoted to 44% of the output value before the injury. Osteoarthritis was seen in 36 cases; severe in 19 cases and 4 requiring endoprostheses. Loss of reduction and deviation of axis were seen in 13 and 3 patients, respectively. The tibial plateau of type Moore V is a severe injury resulting in the midterm reduction of the quality of life. There is a correlation of subjective and objective results.
Fetal growth and the condition of pregnant northern fur seals off western North America from 1958 to 1972

Annual estimates of the condition of pregnant northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) and the size of their fetuses were determined from over 2600 samples collected in the North Pacific from 1958 to 1972. A condition index related the observed mass of pregnant females (adjusted for fetal mass) to their predicted mass (calculated from body length). It showed that females carrying male fetuses were in poorer condition than those carrying female fetuses. It also showed that the mean condition of pregnant females improved from 1958 to 1964, but dropped sharply in 1965. Body condition remained poor until 1972, when it plunged again. Fetal mass declined throughout the 1960s, unlike body length, which changed very little. It is suggested that fetal growth, particularly mass, is a sensitive indicator of feeding conditions during the last trimester of pregnancy while pregnant females are in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea. It is further speculated that the condition index for adults reflects overall feeding con.
Variability of the female genital system morphology and of sperm storage in terrestrial isopods (Isopoda, Oniscidea)

Abstract In females of Isopoda Oniscidea, the genital system displays a remarkable variability of its morphological and functional organization as possible adaptation to different strategies of sperm storage. In all the oniscidean species, the sperm received from the male during mating are temporarily stored in the bursa copulatrix, a chitinous pouch of the oviduct. In 27 of the 32 species we studied, the sperm that remain in the bursa copulatrix after the fertilization of eggs of the first oviposition are transferred into the seminal receptacle, where they can be stored for a variable time. In these species, the seminal receptacle is a small kidney-shaped cup, localized at the insertion of the oviduct into the ovary. Only in two species of the genus Trichoniscus, in which the oviduct is very short, is the bursa copulatrix modified to form a large lateral diverticle. Instead, in three species of the family Halophilosciidae, Halophiloscia couchii, Halophiloscia hirsuta and Stenophiloscia glarearum, the ovary is consistently shorter, while the seminal receptacle is greater; after mating, both seminal receptacle and ovary appear completely filled with sperm. Finally, in two species of the family Tylidae, Tylos europaeus and Helleria brevicornis, the female genital system lacks specialized structures for sperm storage, and every oviposition requires a mating for the eggs fertilization. The authors present some hypotheses to explain the variability of the female genital system morphology and the sperm storage strategies.
Three-Dimensional Visualization

Most species live in interaction with other species. For example, perhaps one species preys on another species, like foxes and rabbits. Below is a system of rate of change equations intended to predict future populations of rabbits and foxes over time, where R is the population (in hundreds or thousands, for example) of rabbits at any time t and F is the population of foxes at any time t (in years).
The Application of Deep Reinforcement Learning to Distributed Spectrum Access in Dynamic Heterogeneous Environments With Partial Observations

This papera1 investigates deep reinforcement learning (DRL) based on a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) for Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) under partial observations, referred to as a Deep Recurrent Q-Network (DRQN). Specifically, we consider a scenario with multiple independent channels and multiple heterogeneous Primary Users (PUs). Two key challenges in our problem formulation are that we assume our DRQN node does not have any prior knowledge of the other nodes’ behavior patterns and attempts to predict the future channel state based on previous observations. The goal of the DRQN is to learn a channel access strategy with a low collision rate but a high channel utilization rate. With proper definitions of the state, action and rewards, our extensive simulation results show that a DRQN-based approach can handle a variety of communication environments including dynamic environments. Further, our results show that the DRQN node is also able to cope with multi-rate and multi-agent scenarios. Importantly, we show the following benefits of using recurrent neural networks in DSA: (i) the ability to learn the optimal strategy in different environments under partial observations; (ii) robustness to imperfect observations and (iii) the ability to utilize multiple channels, and (iv) robustness in the presence of multiple agents.1A parton of this work was presented at MILCOM 2018 in [1].
Herpes-like virus infections in hatchery-reared bivalve larvae in Europe: specific viral DNA detection by PCR

Periodic losses in oyster hatcheries are regularly reported in Europe. Herpes-like virus infections seem to play a key role. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to investigate the presence of herpes-like virus DNA in larval samples belonging to different bivalve species from different geographical origins. Seventeen samples of the 81 analysed appeared positive for the herpes-like virus DNA by PCR. These results confirm previous data indicating that herpes-like virus infections occur in commercial French hatcheries. Polymerase chain reaction positive results were also obtained for bivalve larval samples originating from Spain and the UK. The number of virus DNA positive samples depended on the primer pair used. The primer pair C2/C6 appears well adapted for herpes-like virus DNA detection because of processing ease and great sensitivity. Positive samples were observed in four bivalve species: Crassostrea gigas, Ostrea edulis, Ruditapes decussatus and Ruditapes philippinarum. Herpes-like virus DNA detection is reported in larval R. decussatus for the first time. Many samples in which viral DNA was detected by PCR correspond to larval batches presenting mortalities. Herpes-like viruses may be one of the causative agents of mortalities observed in bivalve hatcheries.
Synthesis of deuterium labelled 4'-hydroxydiclofenac

Diclofenac is a potentially useful substrate for the study of drug-drug interactions caused by modulation of the activity of specific isoforms of cytochrome P450. The synthesis of a deuterium labelled version of its principal human metabolite, 4′-hydroxydiclofenac, for use as an internal standard in LC-MS-MS studies, is described. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dynamic VNF Forwarding Graph Extension Algorithms

This paper proposes a set of algorithms to extend initially deployed Virtualized Network Functions Forwarding Graphs (VNF-FG or Service Function Chains - SFCs) previously requested and acquired by tenants. The latter are likely to request extension of their already acquired, deployed, and running dedicated slices to embed additional networking functions to handle for instance new application flows requiring additional classification, authentication, authorization, processing, traffic steering, etc. The tenants (or end-user service providers) are also likely to introduce gradually their services as needs arise and as their consumer base and profiles evolve. Increasing traffic load often will also require extension of the service graphs and chaining such as introducing additional load balancers and servers, new security functions, and simply new VNFs related to new tenant services. The related service graph extension problem is addressed first through an ILP algorithm that serves as a reference for performance comparisons with a set of proposed heuristic algorithms. A heuristic directly inspired by and based on the ILP and the proposed alternative approaches are shown to scale much better than the ILP while providing good solutions. The solutions include an adaptation of an eigendecomposition approach that provides very good performance for highly connected graphs. The problem is also cast into the well know Steiner Tree search problem whose complexity and performance are formally characterized in the literature. The Steiner based algorithm is shown to provide the best overall tradeoff (in rejection rate, complexity, and quality) with performance closest to optimal.
The professionalization of Airbnb in Madrid: far from a collaborative economy

ABSTRACT ‘Claudia’ is neither a real name nor an owner who puts a room at the service of the collaborative economy. It is a pseudonym used by a transnational company which manages short-rentals apartments: 211 Airbnb listings in Madrid, 138 of which are in the city centre. This paper's main arguments are based on the fact that Madrid city centre is experiencing a process of airbnbisation which is driven by professional actors specialized in the short-term rental business. The analysis of this model includes an in-depth examination of the professionalization, concentration and monopolization of Airbnb in Madrid, from a temporal and territorial perspective. The paper concludes that Airbnb in Madrid is dominated by professional actors specialized in the business of renting apartments as short-term rentals, who mainly operate within the city's Central District, and whose activity does not comply with the principles of the sharing economy. This model has more to do with traditional forms of accommodation than with new hospitality models based on the sharing economy principles, and generates negative impacts on the economic sustainability of the city and its inhabitants.
Ontogenic variation in response of Brassica campestris L. to cadmium toxicity

Abstract Rapeseed (Brassica campestris L.) cv Pusa Gold plants, exposed to different cadmium (Cd) levels (0, 25, 50 and 100 mg kg−1 soil) in greenhouse, pot culture experiment, were analyzed with reference to distribution of metal, accumulation of biomass and the degree of growth stage Cd-sensitivity. A significant maximum decrease in plant biomass was observed at Cd-exposed flowering stage followed by pre-flowering and post-flowering stages. Activities of enzymatic antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR) differentially increased; while, the concentrations of non-enzymatic antioxidants such as ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) drastically decreased in plants exposed to Cd at various growth stages. However, the concentrations of GSH and AsA decreased maximally in plant groups exposed to Cd at their flowering stage. The maximum Cd-accumulation occurred in roots followed by leaves and stem. Various Cd levels inhibited also the contents of plant nutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K) and sulfur (S) in leaves. The present endeavor hence concludes the existence of close relationships among growth parameters, Cd-sensitivity of phenological stages of the crop and the components of antioxidant system in rapeseed plants exposed at various growth stages.
GENETIC STRUCTURE OF ATLANTIC STURGEON POPULATIONS BASED ON MITOCHONDRIAL DNA CONTROL REGION SEQUENCES

Abstract The Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus has a latitudinally broad distribution along the east coast of North America, with extant populations occurring from the Saint Lawrence River to rivers in southern Georgia. This species once supported intensive caviar-based fisheries that resulted in overharvest and sharply reduced population abundances; presently, directed commercial fishing for Atlantic sturgeon is banned in U.S. waters. We sequenced a 203-base-pair section of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of 322 Atlantic sturgeon specimens from 11 river systems across their range to elucidate their stock structure. We found a pronounced latitudinal cline in the number of composite mtDNA haplotypes and in haplotypic diversity, which increased from north to south, from previously glaciated and subsequently recolonized systems to the portion of their range unglaciated during the Pleistocene. The observed number of haplotypes per population ranged from 1 haplotype in each of the .
A HIGH GAIN DUAL BAND RECTENNA FOR RF ENERGY HARVESTING APPLICATIONS

In this article, a high gain dual band rectenna is proposed for energy harvesting applications. A dual band antenna is designed and optimized to operate at 3.5 GHz and 5.8 GHz frequency bands. The antenna is based on a multilayer substrate structure excited by aperture-coupling feed. In order to achieve a maximum gain of the antenna in both bands, a rectangular cell optimized by genetic algorithms is etched on the radiating element (patch). This antenna was simulated and fabricated, and the results show a good agreement in both bands (3.5 and 5.8 GHz) with a high gain of 10.2 dBi and 8.92 dBi for the first and second bands, respectively. A dual-band rectifier is also designed and studied to harvest the radio frequency energy absorbed by the antenna to DC energy at these frequency bands (3.5 GHz and 5.8 GHz). This rectifier shows a good performance in terms of conversion efficiency which achieves 44% in the first band and 29% in the second band. As a result, an output voltage of 656.88 mV for a low input power of 0 dBm is observed when the rectifier operates at both bands.
An estimate of the potential economic impacts of climate change on Egypt’s agriculture: a multi-market model approach

ABSTRACT Quantifying the economic effects of climate change is a crucial step for planning adaptation in developing countries. For Egypt, global warming has put it among the most vulnerable countries. Wherefore, this study assesses the economy-wide impacts of climate change on Egyptian agriculture using multimarket model. The results show that in the worst-case scenario (Lower yields and higher water demand), the agricultural production will decrease by a range of 10 to 18% for commodity. Besides, more agricultural labors could lose their jobs. It is also found that there will be a rise in both consumer prices (by 7% to 24%) and producer prices (by 12% to 22%) for all commodities. Furthermore, value-added and agricultural income will fall by 29% and 12% respectively, compared to baseline. In conclusion, it is necessary to put in place measures and effort to address these potential risks in the next few years. Accordingly, the study recommends the following: Firstly, efficient use of water resources to reduce the demand for irrigation water. Secondly, more drought, heat, and salinity adaptive varieties are required. The development of these varieties is critical to increasing productivity under more high-temperature conditions or to the maintenance of the same levels of current crop yields.
Rapid Viscoelastic Deformation Slows Marine Ice Sheet Instability at Pine Island Glacier

The ice sheets of the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) are vulnerable to the marine ice sheet instability (MISI), which could cause irreversible collapse and raise sea levels by over a meter. The uncertain timing and scale of this collapse depend on the complex interaction between ice, ocean, and bedrock dynamics. The mantle beneath the ASE is likely less viscous (∼1018 Pa s) than the Earth's average mantle (∼1021 Pa s). Here we show that an effective equilibrium between Pine Island Glacier's retreat and the response of a weak viscoelastic mantle can reduce ice mass lost by almost 30% over 150 years. Other components of solid Earth response—purely elastic deformations and geoid perturbations—provide less stability than the viscoelastic response alone. Uncertainties in mantle rheology, topography, and basal melt affect how much stability we expect, if any. Our study indicates the importance of considering viscoelastic uplift during the rapid retreat associated with MISI.