Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants of terrestrial arthropod community composition at Cape Hallett, Antarctica

The distribution and abundance of free-living arthropods from soil and under stones were surveyed at the Cape Hallett ice-free area (ASPA No. 106), North Victoria Land, Antarctica. A total of 327 samples from 67 plots yielded 11 species of arthropods comprised of three Collembola: Cryptopygus cisantarcticus, Friesea grisea and Isotoma klovstadi and eight mites: Coccorhagidia gressitti, Eupodes wisei, Maudheimia petronia, Nanorchestes sp. , Stereotydeus belli, S. punctatus, Tydeus setsukoae and T. wadei. Arthropods were absent from areas occupied by the large Adélie penguin colony. There was some distinction among arthropod communities of different habitats, with water and a lichen species (indicative of scree slope habitats) ranking as significant community predictors alongside spatial variables in a Canonical Correspondence Analysis. Recent changes to the management plan for ASPA No. 106 may need to be revisited as the recommended campsite is close to the area of greatest arthropod diversity.
Accurate Heartbeat Detection on Ballistocardiogram Accelerometric Traces

This article presents an automated procedure for acquisition and analysis of BallistoCardioGraphy (BCG) traces. A triaxial accelerometer and a microcontroller unit are used to record heart-induced recoil forces generated from a lying subject. The problem of BCG J-peak annotation is split into two subtasks: candidates extraction, based on a detection signal, and actual annotation, guided by subject-specific search windows. Such a procedure is derived from an automatic calibration, which is carried out with no need of concurrent ElectroCardioGram (ECG) or user intervention. The algorithm also implements postannotation checks for refinement of annotation, which effectively reduces the number of missed J-peaks. The impact of each algorithm phase is analyzed, assessing statistical significance of each step; finally, performance is optimized in a data-driven fashion. Results show that the proposed methodology is able to achieve high sensitivity and precision (the median score is 98.9% and 98.1%, respectively) in J-peak detection. The quality of J-peaks timing annotation is further demonstrated by a very low discrepancy between BCG and ECG heart rate (HR) estimates. Overall population, the standard deviation of such error was found to be approximately 6.56 ms, whereas the mean absolute error was just 4.7 ms (i.e., ≈ 1.18; Ts, where Ts = 4 ms is the sampling period). Such scores, indeed, improve over recent related literature.
Different tolerances of symbiotic and nonsymbiotic ant-plant networks to species extinctions

The knowledge of the mechanisms that shape biodiversity–stability relationships is essential to understand ecological and evolutionary dynamics of interacting species. However, most studies focus only on species loss and ignore the loss of interactions. In this study, I evaluated the topological structure of two different ant-plant networks: symbiotic (ants and myrmecophytes) and nonsymbiotic (ants and plants with extrafloral nectaries). Moreover, I also evaluated in both networks the tolerance to plant and ant species extinction using a new approach. For this, I used models based on simulations of cumulative removals of species from the network at random. Both networks were fundamentally different in the interaction and extinction patterns. The symbiotic network was more specialized and less robust to species extinction. On the other hand, the nonsymbiotic network tends to be functionally redundant and more robust to species extinction. The difference for food resource utilization and ant nesting in both ant-plant interactions can explain the observed pattern. In short, I contributed in this manner to our understanding of the biodiversity maintenance and coevolutionary processes in facultative and obligate mutualisms.
Mitochondrial DNA-based genetic evaluation of autochthonous cattle breeds in Croatia

Genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship of three Croatian autochthonous cattle breeds was analyzed using a sequence of the mtDNA D-loop region. Among Busha, Istrian, and Slavonian Syrmian Podolian cattle 146 unrelated animals were tested. The sequencing of 780 base pairs of the mtDNA D-loop region revealed 39 polymorphic sites representing 28 different haplotypes. The highest numbers of haplo - types were observed in the Busha population and the lowest in the population of Slavonian Syrmian Podolian cattle, while the highest level of sequence diversity within a population was observed in the Istrian cattle. Our results indicate a high level of mtDNA diversity in the populations of Busha and Istrian cattle and a low level of preserved diversity in the population of Slavonian Syrmian Podolian cattle. The sequence analysis showed substantial subdivision between the breeds ( F ST = 0.1434), and a large fraction of variation within the breeds. Although the dominant haplotypes are classified as the T3 haplogroup, some of the haplotypes are classified as the rarer T2 and T5 haplogroups. Genetic information based on mtDNA typing has a great importance for the future conservation management and preservation of genetic diversity in autochthonous cattle breeds.
Variability in Candidate Genes Revealed Associations with Meat Traits in the Piemontese Cattle Breed

In the last years an increasing number of associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in candidate genes and production traits have been reported in beef cattle, but very often the results were not validated and few studies considered breeds homozygous for the allele responsible for the muscular hypertrophy. Therefore, we analysed the variability of 19 previously reported SNPs in 12 genes (GH, GHR, GDF8, GHRL, IGF2, LEP, LEPR, MYF5, NPY, POMC, UCP2, UCP3) in the hypertrophic Piemontese breed and investigated the effects of the observed polymorphisms on growth and conformation. Fourteen SNPs were polymorphic and a significant linkage disequilibrium was observed between SNPs in GHR, LEP and NPY genes, for which both single-SNP and haplotype effects were estimated. Negligible effects on the investigated traits were observed for GHRL, MYF5, NPY, POMC, UCP2 and UCP3 genes. The GHR gene significantly affected daily gain and its effect was further increased when haplotypes were considered. The C allele at LEP-1 and LEP-2 had moderate negative effects on the considered traits, whereas the C allele at LEP-3 mostly had positive effects; haplotypes in the LEP gene showed weaker but favourable associations with all the traits. The C allele at IGF2 and LEPR had favourable effects on daily gain and negative effects on meat conformation traits. The associations observed for GHR and LEP were consistent with those of previous studies, providing additional evidence of their usefulness as markers. Practical aspects of the applications to the breeding programme of the Piemontese breed need to be examined.
An Adaptive Fault Current Limiting Control for MMC and Its Application in DC Grid

This paper proposes an adaptive fault current limiting control (AFCLC) for modular multilevel converters (MMC). Without introducing extra current limiting devices, this control scheme enables fast fault current suppression during DC faults. The AFCLC will be triggered automatically once DC faults occur. By adaptively reducing the output DC voltages of MMCs, the fault current can be suppressed. Compared with the existing current limiting methods, the proposed AFCLC has a better performance on fault current limiting, since it only depends on the real-time operating condition and no fault detection delay is imposed. Firstly, the principle of the proposed AFCLC together with the mathematical analysis is disclosed. Then, the sensitivity analysis of the impact of key control parameters on the current limiting effect is investigated. Finally, the effectiveness of AFCLC is demonstrated in a four-terminal HVDC grid test model. The simulation results show that the proposed AFCLC can reduce the interrupted current and energy absorption of a DCCB from 10.39 kA and 38.24 MJ to 4.62 kA and 8.32 MJ, respectively. The simulation results also prove that the AFCLC will not affect the accuracy of the DC fault detection algorithms under DC faults.
High Fault-Resistance Tolerable Traveling Wave Protection for Multi-Terminal VSC-HVDC

To deal with the high-resistance fault identification problem in multi-terminal VSC-HVDC, this paper proposes a high fault-resistance tolerable traveling wave protection. First, the non-unified characteristic of traveling wave front between internal and external faults is revealed, which makes the high-resistance fault identification difficult. Then, the traveling wave propagation regarding the reflection and refraction process at the remote end is investigated for the difference, and the distinctive current reduction phenomenon during the interval of two incident traveling waves under internal fault with resistance is discovered. Moreover, the current reduction phenomenon would become more significant with the increase of fault resistance. Based on this phenomenon, the high fault-resistance tolerable traveling wave protection is proposed, which could identify the high-resistance fault accurately with single-end measurement and is insensitive to fault resistance. The feasibility and robustness of the proposed protection are validated in a four-terminal VSC-HVDC.
STATISTICAL MODEL FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAIZE KERNEL ORIENTATION AND SEED LEAF AZIMUTH

SUMMARY Hand-planted plots of across-row-oriented corn seeds (Zeamays L.) produce highly structured leaf canopies and have shown significant yield advantage over randomly planted plots in prior studies. For further investigation of the phenomenon by simulation, the objective of this study was to develop a probabilistic model for the correlation between seed orientation and initial plant orientation. In greenhouse trials, the azimuthal orientation of kernels of four different hybrids was recorded at planting. At collar setting of the seed leaf, the orientation of the seed leaf was determined and the angular data subjected to the analytical methods of circular statistics. The results indicate that the correlation between seed azimuth and seed leaf azimuth can be described by a von Mises distribution. The probabilistic seed to seed leaf azimuth model described herein may be implemented in simulation models to investigate the effect of canopy architecture, canopy closure and light interception efficiency of corn under conditions of seed oriented planting.
Role of Sampling Design When Predicting Spatially Dependent Ecological Data With Remote Sensing

Remote sensing opens opportunities to assess spatial patterns on ecological data for a wide range of ecosystems. This information can be used to more effectively design sampling strategies for fieldwork, either to capture the maximum spatial dependence related to the ecological data or to completely avoid it. The sampling design and the autocorrelation observed in the field will determine whether there is a need to use a spatial model to predict ecological data accurately. In this article, we show the effects of different sampling designs on predictions of a plant trait, as an example of an ecological variable, using a set of simulated hyperspectral data with an increasing range of spatial autocorrelation. Our findings show that when the sample is designed to estimate population parameters such as mean and variance, a random design is appropriate even where there is strong spatial autocorrelation. However, in remote sensing applications, the aim is usually to predict characteristics of unsampled locations using spectral information. In this case, regular sampling is a more appropriated design. Sampling based on close pairs of points and clustered over a regular design may improve the accuracy of the training model, but this design generalizes poorly. The use of spatially explicit models improves the prediction accuracy significantly in landscapes with strong spatial dependence. However, such models have low generalization capacities to extrapolate to other landscapes with different spatial patterns. When the combination of design and size results in sample distances similar to the range of the spatial dependence in the field, it increases predictions uncertainty.
A Survey of Computational Intelligence Techniques for Air-Conditioners Energy Management

Effective design of air-conditioner (AC) management system has the potential to reduce the cost of electricity consumption and help users to participate in demand response (DR) program as interruptible loads. However, optimizing the operation of AC is complex and, as a potential solution, computational intelligence (CI) techniques based model predictive algorithms are being explored in the literature. This article aims to provide an overview of the CI techniques that are established in addressing relevant and timely open problems of AC management for residential buildings. To do so, first, we provide a brief background on different DR mechanisms and AC management systems. Second, a review of recent advances in CI-based model prediction and optimal control techniques of AC systems for DR management is presented. The discussion reveals that the interest in CI techniques with adaptive learning algorithms is increasing due to their ability to adjust in varying conditions. Then, we provide a brief description of a testbed, which is used for testing various newly developed CI-based AC management techniques in a residential setting. Finally, key issues related to the coordination of a large number of AC systems, modeling accuracy, and computational tractability are highlighted along with their challenges and future research directions.
Antimicrobials for foodborne pathogen reduction in organic and natural poultry production

Abstract Antimicrobials currently used in the conventional poultry industry include physical, chemical, and biological hurdles. However, there is a need for natural and organic antimicrobials to make the food safe and to retain its natural taste and texture. Potential natural or organic antimicrobials include bacteriophages, bacteriocins, antibody therapy, vaccination, and the use of natural plant compounds such as essential oils. Genomic methods applied to Salmonella responses to multiple interventions may offer opportunities to optimize combinations that are the most effective.
Polymorphism of the p53 Codon 72 and the Risk of HPV Associated with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Epidemiological studies have evaluated the associations between polymorphisms of p53 codon 72 and HPV associated with OSCC susceptibility, but the results remain inconclusive. We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis the association between polymorphisms of p53 codon 72 and HPV associated with OSCC risk. PubMed, Embase, Medline, and ISI Web of Science databases were used to collect data. Twelve studies including 2307 cases and 2405 controls were used to investigate the association of polymorphisms of p53 codon 72 and OSCC risk. Our results suggested that there was no association between p53 codon 72 gene polymorphism and OSCC risk (OR=1.71, 95%CI=0.95-1.14, Pheterogeneity=0.000. for Pro allele vs. Arg allele; OR=1.08, 95%CI=0.85-1.37, Pheterogeneity=0.227 for Pro/Pro vs. Arg/Arg; OR=1.11, 95%CI=0.85-1.45, Pheterogeneity=0.044 for Pro/Pro vs. Arg/Arg and Arg/Pro; OR=1.11, 95%CI=0.85-1.45, Pheterogeneity=0.000 for Pro/Pro and Arg/Pro vs. Arg/Arg), even when we separately investigated sub-group analysis among Asian and non-Asian. Furthermore, the results of this metaanalysis also showed that p53 codon 72 polymorphism wasn’t associated with HPVs-related oral cancer (OR=1.28, 95%CI=0.87-1.88, Pheterogeneity=0.105 for Pro allele vs. Arg allele; OR=1.47, 95%CI=0.83-2.60, Pheterogeneity=0.249 for Pro/Pro vs. Arg/Arg; OR=1.08, 95%CI=0.68-1.72, Pheterogeneity=0.000 for Arg/Arg vs Arg/Pro; OR=1.52, 95%CI=0.70-3.31, Pheterogeneity=0.091 for Pro/Pro vs Arg/Pro and Arg/Arg, OR=1.12, 95%CI=0.74-1.70, Pheterogeneity=0.061 for Pro/Pro and Arg/Pro vs. Arg/Arg). Overall, this meta-analysis suggested that there was no significant association of p53 codon 72 polymorphism with OSCC risk, and p53 codon 72 also wasn’t a risk factor for HPVs-related oral cancer. Further research is needed to assess possible gene–gene or gene-environment-lifestyle interactions on periodontal disease.
SDMA Grouping Based on Unsupervised Learning for Multi-User MIMO Systems

—In this study, we investigate a spatial division mul- tiple access (SDMA) grouping scheme to maximize the total data rate of a multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU- MIMO) system. Initially, we partition the set of mobile stations (MSs) into subsets according to their spatial compatibility. We explore diﬀerent clustering algorithms, comparing them in terms of computational complexity and capability to partition MSs properly. In the following, we schedule MSs from the diﬀerent subsets to build the SDMA group. Since we consider a scenario with a massive arrange of antenna elements and that operates on the mmWave scenario, we employ a hybrid beamforming scheme and analyze its behavior in terms of the total data rate. The analog and digital precoders exploit the channel informa- tion obtained from clustering and scheduling, respectively. The simulation results indicate that a proper partition of MSs into clusters can take advantage of the spatial compatibility eﬀectively and reduce the multi-user (MU) interference. The hierarchical clustering (HC) enhances the total data rate 25% compared with the baseline approach, while the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) increases the total data rate 20% .
CYTOKINE GENE POLYMORPHISMS IN IRANIAN PATIENTS WITH BETA-THALASSEMIA MAJOR

Background: β-thalassemia as a hereditary disease is defined as defective synthesis of β-globin chains, resulting in erythropoiesis abnormalities and severe anemia. Different studies have shown that cytokines and cytokine gene polymorphisms play a major role in the pathogenesis of β-thalassemia. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the promoter region or other regulatory sequences of cytokine genes lead to overall production of cytokines. Objective: To analyze the genetic profile of Th1 and Th2 cytokines in Iranian patients with β-thalassemia major. Methods: Allelic and genotype frequencies of cytokine genes were determined in 30 thalassemia patients and 40 healthy subjects using PCR-SSP assay. Allele and genotype frequencies were calculated and compared with those of normal controls. Results: The results of our study show a significant decrease in A allele at position UTR 5644 IFN-γ, G alleles at position -238 TNF-α and 166 IL-2, and C allele at position -590 IL-4. TGFβ haplotype TG/TG increased whereas TGF-β haplotype CG/CG and IL-10 haplotype GCC/ACC decreased significantly in all patients. Conclusion: Data of this investigation suggest that variations among cytokine gene polymorphisms may contribute to the disease susceptibility. A finding which needs to be fairly clarified in other ethnic groups.
Algal toxins—Initiators of avian botulism?

An outbreak of avian botulism in Whitewater Lake, Manitoba, Canada was associated with reducing sediments. But any linkage between sediments and botulism was only indirect; Clostridium botulinum was not observed in the sediments. The source of the C. botulinum was unclear but carcasses that overwintered appeared to perpetuate the outbreak. The algal toxins anatoxin‐a and microcystin‐LR were present (17≤mg/L) when many birds were moulting and unable to fly, likely making them more sensitive to botulism. The sediment anoxia released phosphorus into lakewater so that concentrations increased from about 73 to 470 mg/L and enhanced growth of Microcystis and Aphanizomenon. Wind resuspension of sediments resulted in areas with more algal biomass and associated algal toxins. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Environ Toxicol 15: 558–567, 2000
Anemia and Incident End-Stage Kidney Disease.

Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression can be a cause and potentially a consequence of anemia. Previous studies suggesting that anemia is associated with CKD progression have not utilized methodologic approaches to address time-dependent confounding. Methods We evaluated the association of anemia (defined using World Health Organization criteria of hemoglobin <12 g/dL in women and <13 g/dL in men) with incident ESRD and all-cause death in individuals with CKD using data from the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Study. Marginal structural models were used to account for time-dependent confounding. Results Among 3919 participants, 1859 (47.4%) had anemia at baseline. Over median follow up of 7.8 years, we observed 1,010 ESRD events and 994 deaths. In multivariable analyses, individuals with anemia had higher risk for ESRD compared to those without (HR 1.62, 95% CI 1.24-2.11). In stratified analyses, the increased risk for incident ESRD with anemia was observed in males (HR 2.15, 95% CI: 1.53-3.02) but not females (HR 1.20, 95% CI 0.82-1.78. The association between anemia and ESRD was significant among all racial/ethnic groups except non-Hispanic blacks (non-Hispanic white, HR 2.16, 95% CI 1.53-3.06; Hispanic, HR 1.92, 1.04-3.51; others, HR 2.94; 95% CI 1.16-7.44; non-Hispanic black, HR 1.39; 95% CI 0.95-2.02). There was no association between anemia and all-cause death. Conclusions In this cohort, anemia was independently associated with increased risk for incident ESRD. Future work is needed to evaluate the mechanisms by which anemia leads to CKD progression as well as the impact of novel therapeutic agents to treat anemia.
Rice Yield Estimation Based on an NPP Model With a Changing Harvest Index

Paddy rice is one of the most widely planted crops in Asia. Yield estimation of paddy rice is crucial to food security. Gross primary productivity or net primary productivity (NPP) models are some of the most commonly used methods for crop yield estimation as they have a theoretical basis and are simple to use. The harvest index (HI) of paddy rice, one of the input parameters in yield estimation models, has been increasingly used with the improvement of paddy rice cultivars over the past four decades. However, in many previous researches, this parameter was arbitrarily determined to fit the observed yield data values, without considering its changing trend. In the present study, we developed an NPP-based rice yield estimation model with HI being a changing parameter. The accuracy of the proposed method is tested over the Jiangsu Province, Southeast China. The results showed that the rice HI increases linearly in study area. Compared with yield estimation with a fixed HI, yield estimations using a changing HI are greatly improved, with the average estimation accuracy greater than 96%, and the relative errors within ±5%. The results proved that the NPP-based yield estimation model with a changing HI can be a promising alternative for rice yield estimation.
A review of the genus Platecrizotes Ferrière (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) with the description of a new species from India

The genus Platecrizotes Ferriere (1934) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is reviewed, and a new species, P. keralensis is described from India. Affinities of the new species with the other known species are discussed and a key to the world species is also provided.