Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of tDCS Over the Right Inferior Parietal Lobule on Mind-Wandering Propensity

Mind-wandering is associated with switching our attention to internally directed thoughts and is by definition an intrinsic, self-generated cognitive function. Interestingly, previous research showed that it may be possible to modulate its propensity externally, with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting different regions in the default mode and executive control networks (ECNs). However, these studies used highly heterogeneous montages (targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the right inferior parietal lobule (IPL), or both concurrently), often showed contradicting results, and in many cases failed to replicate. Our study aimed to establish whether tDCS of the default mode network (DMN), via targeting the right IPL alone, could modulate mind-wandering propensity using a within-subjects double-blind, counterbalanced design. Participants completed sustained attention to response task (SART) interspersed with thought-probes to capture their subjective reports of mind-wandering before and after receiving anodal, cathodal, or sham tDCS over the right IPL (with the reference over the left cheek). We found evidence for the lack of an effect of stimulation on subjective reports of mind-wandering (JZS-BF01 = 5.19), as well as on performance on the SART task (errors (JZS-BF01 = 6.79) and reaction time (JZS-BF01 = 5.94). Overall, we failed to replicate previous reports of successful modulations of mind-wandering propensity with tDCS over the IPL, instead of providing evidence in support of the lack of an effect. This and other recent unsuccessful replications call into question whether it is indeed possible to externally modulate spontaneous or self-generated cognitive processes.
STRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF A BENTHIC MARINE MICROBIAL MAT

Vertically stratified microbial communities of phototrophic bacteria in the upper intertidal zones of the North Sea island of Mellum were investigated. Growth and population dynamics of the cyanobacterial mat were followed over three successive years. It was concluded that the initial colonization of the sandy sediments was by the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria. In well-established mats, however, the dominant organism was Microcoleus chthonoplastes. The observed succession of cyanobacteria during mat development is correlated with nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen fixation is necessary in this low-nutrient environment to ensure colonization by mat-constructing cyanobacteria. Under certain conditions, a red layer of purple sulfur bacteria developed underneath the cyanobacterial mat in which Chromatium and Thiocapsa spp. dominated, but Thiopedia and Ectothiorhodospira spp. have also been observed. Measurements of light penetrating the cyanobacterial mat indicated that sufficient light is available for the photosynthetic growth of purple sulfur bacteria. Profiles of oxygen, sulfide and redox potential within the microbial mat were measured using microelectrodes. Maximum oxygen concentrations, measured at a depth of 0.7 mm, reached levels more than twice the normal air saturation. Dissolved sulfide was not detected by the microelectrodes. Determination of acid-distilled sulfide, however, revealed appreciable amounts of bound sulfide in the mat. Redox profiles measured in the mat led to the conclusion that the upper 10 mm of the sedimentary sequence is in a relatively oxidized state.
Realism and Relevance of Ecological Models Used in Chemical Risk Assessment

Ecological models have been developed and used in management of renewable natural resources, conservation biology, and assessments of ecological risks posed by toxic chemicals and other stressors. Because few models have been developed specifically for use in assessing chemical risks, this study examines the realism and relevance of a wide range of ecological models from the perspective of assessing toxicological risks posed by chemicals. Model realism is evaluated relative to the degree of structural and functional description of the actual (i.e., real-world) ecological entities or systems that is believed necessary for reliable estimation and management of risk. Relevance refers to the usefulness of model outputs in addressing the ecological impacts of interest in either generic or site-specific assessment of risks posed by toxic chemicals. A model becomes increasingly relevant the more closely its outputs correspond to the endpoints of the risk analysis. In addition to the relatively few models (e.g., CASM, IFEM, AQUATOX) that have been designed specifically for ecological risk assessment, we identify several models developed in support of basic research that might be adapted for realistic and relevant risk estimation. Population, ecosystem, and landscape models describe ecological phenomena from different perspectives. Associated with each perspective and resulting modeling approach are hypotheses concerning simplifying assumptions that facilitate the specification of model structure in relation to the ecological topic of interest. The structurally complex system models (e.g., AQUATOX, CASM) attempt to explicitly represent the many biotic and abiotic processes and interactions that are believed to influence the production dynamics of aquatic populations included in the models. Future efforts in ecological risk assessment modeling should focus on identifying the necessary model complexity required to achieve sufficiently accurate and precise estimates of risk, as defined by the needs of risk management and risk-based decision making. Evaluations of model realism, endpoint relevance, flexibility, ease of use, and other characteristics may help to guide model users in their choice of specific models for further development and application to continuing challenges in assessing ecological risks. Clear definition of specific model capabilities and corresponding risk assessment endpoints can help to ensure that applications of existing ecological models to chemical risk assessments are appropriately customized to the needs of environmental risk assessors, managers, and decision-makers.
Apochromic populations of Dactylorhiza incarnata s.l. (Orchidaceae): diversity and systematic significance as revealed by allozyme markers and morphology

Apochromic forms of the Eurasian Dactylorhiza incarnata s.l. were studied in northern Europe to reveal their genetic (allozyme) and morphological diversity and to assess their systematic significance. The study included eight localities with sympatric populations of plants with anthocyanin-pigmented and apochromic flowers. Parallel samples of the two morphs were taken from each locality. Genetic variation was only found at the allozyme loci pgd, pgi and ugpp. Statistically significant differences in allele frequencies between the two colour morphs were found in two localities and demonstrate that the occurrence of apochromic individuals in D. incarnata s.l. is not always because of spontaneous mutation. At least in some localities the apochromic plants form distinct breeding groups (but local populations of different colour morphs may also be composed of several more or less distinct breeding groups). Based on molecular and morphometric data, it is proposed that the apochromic study populations from calcareous fens should be referred to D. incarnata var. ochroleuca, whereas the apochromic study populations from non-calcareous fens are better treated as aberrant local populations of var. incarnata s.l. Possible evolutionary patterns and processes are discussed and guidelines for identification of var. ochroleuca from morphological features are given. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 159, 396–407.
Generative adversarial network for bidirectional mappings between synthetic and real facial image

Currently, image-to-image translation tasks have been extensively investigated by Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) 1 and Neural Style2 . However, the model of the GAN can easily lead to network collapse, making the generation process free and uncontrollable. Neural Style is more dependent on the selection of features layers and loss weights. Therefore, these may cause the network model to fail to produce deterministic results we wanted, and applications are very limited. To resolve these problems, we propose an improved transfer model based on CycleGAN and an image preprocessing method for the particularity of training datasets. In this paper, we convert the synthetic face images generated by simulator into more realistic face images. Besides, this process is reversible. Depending on your tasks and goals, you can choose from synthetic images to real images or from real images to synthetic images. This is valuable and challenging in computer vision and computer graphics. In the results, we compare our model with the most recent GAN models from qualitatively and quantitatively. We demonstrate the state-of-the-art effectiveness of the proposed method for generating high-quality images. You can see more results and discussion of our model on this website https://github.com/qiqi7788/dataset-and-result.
A pothole detection method based on 3D point cloud segmentation

Road potholes affect comfort, safety, traffic condition and vehicle stability. Accurately detecting these potholes is vital for assessing the degree of pavement distress and developing road maintenance plan accordingly. This paper proposes a simple and effective pothole detection method based on 3D point cloud segmentation. Using binocular stereo vision to acquire 3D point clouds, fitting the pavement plane and then eliminating it from the 3D point clouds of road scene, we could roughly extract the pothole. K-means clustering and region growing algorithms were adopted to extract the potholes precisely. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method has a very good segmentation effect on scenes involving plane and target object.
New Record of Juvenile Sigmops gracilis (Pisces: Gonostomatidae) from Jeju Island, Korea, Revealed by DNA Barcoding

A juvenile of the slender fangjaw, Sigmops gracilis Gunther, 1878 (Stomiiformes: Gonostomatidae) was collected from Jeju Island, Korea, and identified by DNA barcoding. This species is characterized by its large curved mouth and the presence of 11 dorsal fin rays and 28 anal fin rays. During the juvenile stage, the species is distinguished from other gonostomatid species by the position of the origin of the dorsal fin, which is located at the 7th-8th ray of the anal fin. The Korean name “Sol-ni-ael-tung-i” is proposed for this species.
EGCG Suppresses Melanoma Tumor Angiogenesis and Growth without Affecting Angiogenesis and VEGF Expression in the Heart and Skeletal Muscles in Mice

Melanoma is a highly malignant cancer with a potent capacity to metastasize distantly and has a higher mortality. There is no effective therapy for high risk melanoma patients to prevent relapse or distant metastasis. Therefore effective chemoprevention strategies are needed. The present study mainly evaluates the effects of EGCG on melanoma angiogenesis, growth, and capillary density (CD) in the heart and skeletal muscles of mice. 5 x 10^5 B16F10 cells were inoculated into the right proximal dorsal of the back in the eight week old male mice (n=12). Then, 6 mice received EGCG at 50-100 mg/kg/d in drinking water for 4 weeks and 6 control mice received drinking water only. Tumor size was monitored using dial calipers. At the end of the experiment, blood samples, tumors, hearts, and limb muscles were collected and measured for VEGF expression using ELISA and capillary density (CD) using CD31 immunohistochemistry. Compared to the control, EGCG treatment significantly reduced tumor weight (2.9±0.5 vs. 5.9±1.1 g; P<0.01; n=6), melanoma CD (117±9 vs. 167±23; P<0.01), and melanoma VEGF expression (32±1.5 vs. 42±2 pg/mg; P < 0.01), respectively. Also EGCG had no effects on body weight, heart weight, angiogenesis or VEGF expression in the heart and skeletal muscle of mice. EGCG (20-50 � g/ml) significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, VEGF expression, and the activation of HIF-1� and NFB in cultured B16F10 cells, respectively. These findings support the hypothesis that EGCG, a major green tea polyphenol, directly targets tumor cells and tumor vasculature, thereby inhibiting tumor growth, proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of melanoma, and that the down- regulation of VEGF expression by EGCG is associated with the inhibition of HIF-1� and NFB activation. EGCG has great potential as a chemopreventive agent because it has no effect on angiogenesis in normal tissue and has low toxicity.
Investigation of correlation analysis and relationships between grain yield and other quantitative traits in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Understanding the relationships between chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) yield and yield components is critical to utilizing these relationships effectively and thus developing desirable varieties. This research was done in order to investigate the correlation analysis and relationships between grain yield and other quantitative traits with three chickpea cultivars (Filip-84-48-c, Ilc-482 and Arman) and three sowing date (March 6, 21 and April 4). A 3 x 3 factorial experiment in randomized complete block design (RCBD) format with three replications was conducted in the research field of the Azad University of Kermanshah, during 2006. The results showed that both sowing date and cultivar had significant effects on grain yield and yield components of chickpea. Early planting chickpea produced the highest plant height, distance of first pod from the earth surface, number of sub branch, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per plant, 100-seed weight, grain yield, biological yield and harvest index. The sowing done on March 6 had the highest while April 4 had the lowest grain yield. There were significant differences between cultivars of grain yield. The highest grain yield belonged to Arman with 1067.1 kg/ha. Results showed that number of seeds per plant (r = 0.846**), number of pods per plant (r = 0.827**), plant height (r = 0/813**) and biological yield (r = 0.798**) had the highest positive correlation with grain yield. The results of path coefficient analysis revealed that number of seeds per plant had high and positive direct effects (0.76) on seed yield, but number of pods per plant was an important constituent (0.41).
Identification of a Compound That Inhibits the Growth of Gram-Negative Bacteria by Blocking BamA–BamD Interaction

The demand for novel antibiotics is imperative for drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria which causes diverse intractable infection disease in clinic. Here, a comprehensive screening was implemented to identify potential agents that disrupt the assembly of β-barrel outer-membrane proteins (OMPs) in the outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria. The assembly of OMPs requires ubiquitous β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM). Among the five protein subunits in BAM, the interaction between BamA and BamD is essential for the function of this complex. We first established a yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) system to confirm the interaction between BamA and BamD, and then screened agents that specifically disrupt this interaction. From this screen, we identified a compound IMB-H4 that specially blocks BamA–BamD interaction and selectively inhibits the growth of Escherichia coli and other Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, our results suggest that IMB-H4 disrupts BamA–BamD interaction by binding to BamA. Strikingly, E. coli cells having been treated with IMB-H4 showed impaired OM integrity and decreased the abundance of OMPs. Therefore, an antibacterial agent was identified successfully using Y2H system, and this compound likely blocks the assembly of OMPs by targeting BamA–BamD interaction in Gram-negative bacteria.
Kin cohesiveness and possible inbreeding in the mouthbrooding tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron (Pisces Cichlidae)

Four microsatellite markers were used to study genetic variation among individuals of the mouthbrooding tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron (Rüppel 1852) caught in separate but adjacent shoals. A comparison was also made with fish from six other localities. Populations originating from riverine environments appear to be panmictic, while samples from open waters such as lagoons showed highly significant heterozygote deficiencies. For instance, at the 33‐allele locus SMEL4, 32 homozygous individuals were observed among the 82 individuals from the same lagoon location instead of only five homozygotes expected if random mating occurred. A further assessment of the genetic similarity of individuals within each shoal, validated by robust permutation techniques requiring no precise knowledge of gene frequencies, showed that related individuals tend to aggregate, and suggested that mating occurs preferentially within small groups of kin. Cichlids are often presented as a group of fish where microallopatric speciation takes place. The possible link between kin aggregation, inbreeding and shoaling behaviour we propose here may have important consequences for our understanding of the mechanisms involved in this fast speciation process.
Road diseases detection method based on probability superposition convolutional neural network

Road diseases detection plays an important role in road maintenance. It’s the basis for promoting the healthy development of transportation infrastructure. In this paper, we focus on the method of automatic road diseases detection based on digital image, present a road diseases identification algorithm based on probability superposition edge detection network. Based on the original probability map, we add the probability generated by special disease features. The results of experiment show that the accuracy of this algorithm is significantly higher than the traditional method, especially for the recognition of special diseases.
Ecology and Distribution of the Isopod Genus Idotea in the Baltic Sea: Key Species in a Changing Environment

ABSTRACT Marine isopods of the genus Idotea [I. balthica (Pallas, 1772), I. chelipes (Pallas, 1766), and I. granulosa Rathke, 1843] are common meso-grazers that enter deep into the Baltic Sea and here appear to live at their physiological limit, determined by salinity and temperature tolerance. We review available data on distribution and community ecology to assess the functional role of Idotea in the Baltic Sea and how global change may affect essential ecological interactions. Data from the last 150 years suggest an on-going shift southward for I. chelipes and I. granulosa that may be caused by a changing climate. Several studies report local extinctions and mass abundances, which may be caused by a changing food web from over-fishing and eutrophication. The three species of Idotea have clear habitat segregation in the Baltic Sea, where salinity, temperature and vegetation are the main dimensions. Idotea spp. have a central role as grazers and in communities dominated by the perennial macrophytes Fucus spp. and Zostera marina and attain impressive feeding rates on a range of epiphytes/filamentous algae (top-down effect). Idotea can have both a direct negative grazing effect on macrophytes but also an indirect positive effect by removing epiphytes. The relative role of nutritional value and chemical defence for food preference is yet unclear for Idotea. Baltic idoteids are also important prey for several fish (bottom-up effect) and fish predation may have increased following over-fishing of piscivorous fish. It is concluded that Idotea is a key taxon in the Baltic Sea food web, where guilds often contain few dominant species. Changes in population dynamics of Idotea, as a function of human generated global change, may have large-scale consequences for ecosystem functions in a future Baltic Sea, e.g. the extent of vegetation cover in the coastal zone.
Blood volume in the African migratory locust

The blood volumes of locusts were determined by the 14C-carboxyl inulin dilution technique. In each of the last two larval instars the blood volume was low at first, increased sharply at midstage, and remained high until after ecdysis, when it suddenly decreased. In the young adult the blood volume was low until the 8th day, when a gradual rise became evident.Mature locusts generally possessed higher blood volumes than the immature adults. No sign of a diurnal change in blood volume was detected.The isotope gradually disappeared from the blood and became concentrated in the fat body and gonads. No evidence of excretion or metabolism of the 14C-carboxyl inulin was obtained.
Deep learning based system to electric distribution network inspection

In this paper, the authors discuss the results of the IA based on deep learning to improve the productivity of preventive thermographic inspections of the electrical network when compared to manual methods of analysis. The goal of this process is to use computer to capture and recognize images of hot spots from the distribution powergrid network during car’s inspection deslocation. In order to that, a special vehicle was assembled. Initially the vehicle was equipped with eight cameras to proceed inspection in both side of the road and covers the front view as well. This solution results in the capability to inspect hundreds of miles of power distribution lines without the need to stop the vehicle and without the need for a human operator.
ANNUAL SURVIVAL AND POPULATION ESTIMATES OF MOUNTAIN PLOVERS IN SOUTHERN PHILLIPS COUNTY, MONTANA

Information about the demography of declining species is especially relevant to their conservation and future recovery. Knowledge of survival rates and population size can be used to assess long-term viability and population trends, both of which are of interest to conservation biologists. We used capture–recapture techniques to study the demography of Mountain Plovers (Charadrius montanus Townsend) in southern Phillips County, Montana, USA, in 1995–2000. We used the robust design to estimate annual survival (ϕ), conditional capture (p and r) and recapture (c) probabilities, and the annual population size (N) in the presence of temporary emigration. The results support age-specific differences in annual survival that are a function of juvenile body mass and are correlated with the area occupied by prairie dogs. Body mass had a positive effect on juvenile survival; the slope coefficient for the additive effect of body mass on juvenile survival was 0.77 (95% ci = 0.25, 1.28) on a logit scale. A measure of p.