Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Geographical Distribution and Floral Traits on Species Richness of Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) Visiting Echium Species (Boraginaceae) of the Canary Islands

Echium (Boraginaceae) is one of the largest evolutionary radiations in the Canary Islands and exhibits considerable variation in geographical distribution patterns and floral characters. Flower visitors are mainly bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). We investigated factors determining the level of generalization for pollination in 20 endemic and one introduced species of Echium in the archipelago. For each Echium species, we analyzed variation in species richness of bee visitors in relation to geographical distribution of the plants (area and altitude), floral traits (morphology and color), and sampling effort (observation time and number of study populations). Geographical distribution range was the only good predictor of species richness of bees. In our study, widespread species of Echium were visited by a larger fraction of Echium‐visiting bee taxa than were rare species. Thus, plant commonness per se may act as a strong attractant of bees. Alternatively, if widespread species interact with different flower visitor faunas across their distribution range, they can accumulate flower visitor taxa across populations. The influence of floral traits on the level of generalization appeared to be negligible in the Canarian Echium species. However, floral traits cannot be completely dismissed because of the confounding effect of phylogeny. The introduced E. plantagineum was more widespread in the Canary Islands than any of the congeneric endemic species. Further, it had larger flowers and attracted most of the Echium‐visiting bee taxa. This species may become a serious competitor for pollinators for the endemic Echium species.
Economic Growth and Carbon Dioxide Emissions in East African Countries: A Pooled Mean Group Approach

In recent years, due to factors such as increases in greenhouse gas (GHG) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, global warming and climate changes has become a major threat for all countries. However, contrary to the deep-seated belief that human impact on the environment is negative and progressive, recent empirical research shows that certain types of pollutants follow an inverted-U shape or Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC), as income grows. The EKC hypothesis postulates that environmental degradation (pollution) increases up to a certain level, as income goes up; after that, it decreases. Thus, using the EKC hypothesis as a theoretical framework and applying Pooled Mean Group (PMG) approach, this paper examines the nexus between CO2 emissions, economic growth, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and total population. The study uses panel data of 12 East African countries over the period 1981–2016. Our empirical result shows that there exists a monotonically increasing relationship between CO2 emissions and economic growth both in the short-run and long-run, contrary to what is claimed by the EKC hypothesis. Moreover, per capita CO2 emissions increase positively with respect to FDI and total population in the long-run. The result of the study also reports the existence of unidirectional causalities running from per capita GDP, FDI and total population to per capita CO2 emissions in the long-run, while unidirectional short-run causalities was observed from GDP and FDI to CO2 emissions, without any feedback effects. Therefore, these unidirectional causalities imply that CO2 emission reduction or abatement measures can be implemented without having any adverse effect on the real output growth or economic growth, in East Africa.
14 YEARS OF OBSERVATIONS OF ATMOSPHERIC PARTICLE FORMATION IN HYYTIÄLÄ, FINLAND

Research on new particle formation in the atmosphere has been very active during the last two decades. This phenomenon has been observed in various environments around the world, both in rural and urban areas as well as close to sea level and at higher altitudes (Kulmala et al., 2004). In all the different environments, the occurance of new particle formation seems to be controlled by various factors, such as the origin of air masses (polluted vs. clean), concentration of precursor vapors and pre-existing aerosols, meteorological parameters and solar radiation. Understanding the temporal variation of the new particle formation and e.g. quantifying its climatic effects requires long-term continuous measurements. One of the longest and most comprehensive data sets of atmospheric aerosol properties is available from the University of Helsinki SMEAR II station in Hyytiälä, Finland (Hari and Kulmala, 2005).
The development of tactile social interactions in Corydoras aeneus larvae

Many social animals acquire social behaviours during development, and social experience during development can be vital for acquiring necessary social behaviours in adulthood. We investigated the development of a distinctive tactile interaction behaviour in Bronze Cory catfish, in which adults interact with one another tactilely during foraging and during group responses to threats. We found that larvae respond to applied tactile stimulation with a flight response significantly less often as larvae matured. This habituation to tactile stimulation is consistent with developing appropriate adult social behaviour. We also found that social exposure affects the larval response to tactile interactions with conspecifics, and that isolation in early life leads to a greater likelihood of responding to tactile interactions with conspecifics with a flight response. This suggests that social exposure is important for developing social tactile interaction behaviour and underscores the particular importance of early experience in social development.
Design and Analysis of a Hybrid PV-PEMFC System with MPPT Controller for a Three-Phase Grid-Connected System

The renewable energy sources (RES) are stochastic in nature and requires an energy storage system to reduce power fluctuations. In this work, a three-phase grid connected hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) is designed with solar PV and fuel cell.Anew radial basis function network (RBFN) based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller strategy is designed for fuel cell and a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is used for solar PV to extract the maximum power at different PEMFC temperatures and solar irradiation levels. In addition to this, a high step-up DC-DC boost converter (HSBC) is designed for fuel cell in order to provide high step-up voltage. The proposed hybrid energy system is designed by considering a 1.26kW proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with HSBC and a 950W solar PV system with conventional boost converter. The proposed system is simulated in MATLAB/Simulink platform to analyse the performance of the system.
Phenotypic, ITS phylogenetic and pathogenic analyses of Pyllosticta Multicorniculata associated with needle blight symptoms of balsam fir in Canada

Phyllosticta multicorniculata Bissett & Palm causes needle blight on Abies balsamea (L) Mill. in eastern Canada. The disease symptoms are similar to those provoked by Phyllosticta abietis Bissett & Palm on Abies grandis Lindl. in the U.S.A. Preliminary study based on rDNA ITS sequence data analysis, revealed that P. multicorniculata formed distinct but closely-related clade with other sister mitosporic Phyllosticta and teleomorphic Guignardia and Botryosphaeria taxa. However, the phylogenetic position of the fungus is still doubtful which demand further and more advanced molecular investigation. This is the first report of a microconidial stage in P. multicorniculata and, for the first time, description of the developing mucilaginous appendages in macroconidia. This study contributes in disease diagnostics and gives new information on distribution of the disease in Canada.
Development of a PCR assay to detect Fusarium poae in wheat

Random amplified polymorphic DNA assays were carried out on a range of isolates of F. poae to identify markers common to all isolates. Two fragments were isolated, cloned and used to probe Southern blots of DNA from F. poae and isolates from a range of wheat seed and stem base pathogens. One fragment, which hybridized preferentially to DNA of F. poae was partially sequenced and two pairs of primers (Fp8 F/R and Fp82 F/R) were generated for use in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Amplification of target DNA occurred following PCR of all isolates of F. poae but not from any of a range of other fungal species associated with diseases of cereal ears and seed. The primer pair Fp82 F/R was used to detect F. poae in extracts from wheat seed samples contaminated with Fusarium species. This system offers the potential to determine the presence of F. poae in wheat and avoid problems commonly associated with conventional diagnosis of the disease and isolation of the pathogen.
Efficient and Fast Hardware Architectures for SIKE Round 2 on FPGA

New primes were proposed for Supersingular Isogeny Key Encapsulation (SIKE) in NIST standardization process of Round 2 after further cryptanalysis research showed that the security levels of the initial primes chosen were over-estimated [1,3]. In this paper, we develop a highly optimized F p Montgomery multiplication algorithm and architecture that further utilizes the special form of SIKE prime compared to previous implementations available in the literature. We then implement SIKE for all Round 2 NIST security levels (SIKEp434 for NIST security level 1, SIKEp503 for NIST security level 2, SIKEp610 for NIST security level 3, and SIKEp751 for NIST security level 5) on Xilinx Virtex 7 using the proposed multiplier. Our best implementation (NIST security level 1) runs 29% faster and occupies 30% less hardware resources in comparison to the leading counterpart available in the literature [13] and implementations for other security levels achieved similar improvement.
Development of a mechanistic model of intake, chewing and digestion in cattle in connection with updated feed units

Recent proposals have updated systems of feed units of energy, protein, structure and rumen fill. However, consistency between the largely independently built units has not been checked, even though energy, structure and fill values of feedstuffs are linked throughout feeding in ruminants. The target of this work was to build a mechanistic model to ensure consistency across equations related to intake, mastication, fill value of feeds and diets, digestion of organic matter and transit times. The first step was to build a large database of published results on digestion, intake and chewing in cattle. This database was studied by meta-analyses to calculate more than 100 empirical regressions; about half of these equations were used to build the new French systems of net energy and metabolisable protein. The other equations were mainly related to mastication (per day or kg dry matter intake, DMI), as well as the sizes and adjacent flows of 12 compartments inside the rumen: neutral detergent fibre (NDF), degradable (D) or not (U), in large or small particles; protein, soluble (S) or D and U; starch, S or D; water; volatile fatty acids; and microbes. The rumen digesta load (RL) was closely linked with the forage NDF intake, but in this dataset, there was no maximum RL, so it does not seem to limit DMI. Close relationships were observed between long-forage intake (NDFI, % of liveweight) and dietary forage NDF (%DM) and between mastication (min/day) and dietary index of mastication (min/kg DMI). Unlike RL, each of these two relationships exhibited obvious asymptotic maximum values for the duration of mastication per day (~1000 min/day) and for the level intake of NDF from long forages (1.35% of liveweight). In these two equations, the slope represented the level of DMI. The two equations were added to the other structural equations. It is therefore possible to use a mechanistic model with 12 compartments to consistently integrate aspects dealing with fill, chewing, DMI and energy value of rations in cattle.
Rural Workforce in India: Analysis of Growth and Changing Structure based on Census Data

s of all GIDR Working Papers are available on the Institute’s website. Working Paper No 121 onwards can be downloaded from the site. All rights are reserved. This publication may be used with proper citation and due acknowledgement to the author(s) and the Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad. © Gujarat Institute of Development Research First Published February 2019
Abscisic acid and indole‐3‐butyric acid regulation of maturation and accumulation of storage proteins in somatic embryos of interior spruce

The ontogenetic course followed by somatic embryos of interior spruce is highly dependent on the media concentration of abscisic acid (ABA). Little or no organized development occurs in the absence of ABA and as the level of ABA is increased, a range of embryo types is produced. “Shooty embryo” structures predominate in many callus lines at low levels of ABA (1-10 μM), while 10-20 μM ABA promotes the formation of bipolar embryos that germinate precociously. When ABA is increased to 30-40 μM, precocious germination is inhibited and opaque cotyledonary embryos characteristic of their zygotic counterparts are formed which enter a period of quiescence. Only “mature” somatic embryos contain significant amounts of storage proteins and the level to which these proteins accumulate is dependent on the concentration of ABA. Indole-butyric acid (IBA) included with ABA increases the number of mature embryos. Root elongation, which was used as a measure of embryo quality, was never observed from shooty embryo Structures and was 2-3 fold higher in mature embryos compared to those that germinated precociously.
A Systematic Method for Integrating Reactor and Extractive Distillation Considering the Variation of Reactor Parameters

A systematic method is proposed to integrate reactor and extractive distillation, and identify the optimal solvent, solvent to feed ratio and extractive distillation sequence. The relation among reactor parameters, the reactor effluent and the feed of extractive distillation is deduced, and the energy consumption of distillation is evaluated based on the marginal minimum vapour rate. Based on this, the influence of the reactor’s operating parameters is analyzed, and the optimal extractive distillation sequence and the optimal reactor parameters are identified. Furthermore, the energy consumption is evaluated to target the optimal solvent to feed ratio. A case is studied to illustrate the application of the proposed method.
Fine resolution distribution modelling of endemics in Majella National Park, Central Italy

Abstract Majella National Park in central Italy is known to be an endemic-rich area, but distributions of its endemics have not been comprehensively studied. Endemics with 10 or more records and spatial uncertainties at <5 km were extracted from the Central-Apennine floristic geodatabase and the MNP Seed Index. Nine environmental predictor layers were prepared at 90 and 30 m resolution. A stepwise Maximum Entropy (Maxent) model was generated per endemic to achieve the most parsimonious result at an area under the curve > 0.8. Arctic-alpine elevation, edaphic barrens and low open-vegetation, individually or in pairs, were found to be predictive for endemics. Forty-eight endemics, 10 of which exclusive, were recorded and Maxent-predicted for the Majella massif. Subsets of 38 endemics were recorded on other mountains in proportion to their arctic-alpine area, thus conforming to the Island Theory. Maxent confirmed its strengths also at fine resolutions and, in addition, showed to be robust across predictor layers at both resolutions. A linear species-area relationship appeared superior to the Maxent model in predicting the number of endemics per arctic-alpine “island”. Our findings suggest the need for a proactive management of the botanical biodiversity contained in the alpine and montane barrens and low-open vegetation.
Cohort-based approach to understanding the roles of generation and serial intervals in shaping epidemiological dynamics

Generation intervals and serial intervals are critical quantities for characterizing outbreak dynamics. Generation intervals characterize the time between infection and transmission, while serial intervals characterize the time between the onset of symptoms in a chain of transmission. They are often used interchangeably, leading to misunderstanding of how these intervals link the epidemic growth rate r and the reproduction number R. Generation intervals provide a mechanistic link between r and R but are harder to measure via contact tracing. While serial intervals are easier to measure from contact tracing, recent studies suggest that the two intervals give different estimates of R from r. We present a general framework for characterizing epidemiological delays based on cohorts (i.e., a group of individuals that share the same event time, such as symptom onset) and show that forward-looking serial intervals, which correctly link R with r, are not the same as "intrinsic" serial intervals, but instead change with r. We provide a heuristic method for addressing potential biases that can arise from not accounting for changes in serial intervals across cohorts and apply the method to estimating R for the COVID-19 outbreak in China using serial-interval data --- our analysis shows that using incorrectly defined serial intervals can severely bias estimates. This study demonstrates the importance of early epidemiological investigation through contact tracing and provides a rationale for reassessing generation intervals, serial intervals, and R estimates, for COVID-19.
Incubation routine, body mass regulation and egg neglect in the Blue Petrel Halobaena caerulea

The incubation routine and mass changes of male and female Blue Petrel Halobaena caerulea were studied at the Kerguelen Islands to investigate factors influencing the durations of incubation stints and foraging trips at sea and the factors determining nest desertion and return to the nest. The body mass at the start of an incubation shift and also when the bird was relieved varied throughout the incubation period, whereas the mass when birds deserted the nest was stable. Birds deserted the nest when their mass decreased to threshold, independent of the duration of the fast. Temporary egg neglect was observed in successful as well as in unsuccessful breeding attempts, but it increased the risk of breeding failure. The net and daily massgained at sea during the second part of the incubation period were higher than during the first part, suggesting an increase in food availability. During the first part, the mass gained at sea and time spent foraging were inversely related to the mass of the bird before it left the burrow, whereas a similar relationship did not occur thereafter. The results suggest the occurrence of a fixed mass threshold when birds decide to leave the nest if not relieved by their partner. The mass when a bird left its nest inffuenced the time spent foraging or mass gained when food was scarce. Although decision rules to leave the nest or return from the sea are related to body condition. the possibility of neglecting the eggs temporarily enables Blue Petrels to regulate the trade-off between risks of breeding failure and risks of an increase in adult mortality. A model for behavioural decision to stop incubating or stop feeding, based on a variable set point, is proposed.
Adverse effects of COVID-19-related lockdown on pain, physical activity and psychological well-being in people with chronic pain

Countries across the world imposed lockdown restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been proposed that lockdown conditions, including social and physical distancing measures, may disproportionately impact those living with chronic pain and require rapid adaptation to treatment and care strategies. Using an online methodology, we investigated how lockdown restrictions in the United Kingdom impacted individuals with chronic pain (N = 431) relative to a healthy control group (N = 88). Data were collected during the most stringent period of lockdown in the United Kingdom (mid-April to early-May 2020). In accordance with the fear-avoidance model, we hypothesised lockdown-related increases in pain and psychological distress, which would be mediated by levels of pain catastrophising. Responses indicated that people with chronic pain perceived increased pain severity, compared to their estimation of typical pain levels prior to lockdown (p < .001). They were also more adversely affected by lockdown conditions compared to pain-free individuals, demonstrating greater self-perceived increases in anxiety and depressed mood, increased loneliness and reduced levels of physical exercise (p ⩽ .001). Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that pain catastrophising was an important factor relating to the extent of self-perceived increases in pain severity during lockdown (β = .27, p < .001) and also mediated the relationship between decreased mood and pain. Perceived decreases in levels of physical exercise also related to perceptions of increased pain (β = .15, p < .001). Interestingly, levels of pain intensity (measured at two time points at pre and during lockdown) in a subgroup (N = 85) did not demonstrate a significant change. However, individuals in this subgroup still reported self-perceived pain increases during lockdown, which were also predicted by baseline levels of pain catastrophising. Overall, the findings indicate that people with chronic pain suffer adverse effects of lockdown including self-perceived increases in their pain. Remote pain management provision to target reduction of pain catastrophising and increase health behaviours including physical activity could be beneficial for this vulnerable population.