Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An EEG-based neural decoding approach for investigating statistical learning between modalities

Statistical learning (SL) is the human ability to extract statistical regularities from the environment. Most of the previous studies on SL have focused on the regularity extraction mechanisms taking place within sensory modalities but there is little evidence that statistical regularities can be learnt across different modalities. To test whether SL is a domain-general or modality-speciﬁc mechanism (Frost et al., 2015), we conducted two experiments in which participants where exposed with a stream of visual and auditory non-meaningful stimuli whereas they performed an oddball detection task. Stimuli were grouped into unimodal ( VV or AA ) or crossmodal ( VA or AV ) pairs and the only cue to identify a pair was a higher transitional probability between the paired elements. In Experiment 1 (15 participants), we measured learning using a 2AFC task and gathered the participants conﬁdence on their answers. We found that only the unimodal transitional probabilities could be explicitly reported above chance level. In Experiment 2 (2 participants) we used electroencephalography (EEG) to obtain neurophysiological measures of learning. We investigated event-related potentials (ERPs) and used neural decoding with the temporal generalization method to investigate stimulus preparation. In general, our results favor the hypothesis that SL is a domain-speciﬁc system tuned to work within but not between sensory modalities.
Modelling vegetation understory cover using LiDAR metrics

Forest understory vegetation is an important feature of wildlife habitat among other things. Predicting and mapping understory is a critical need for forest management and conservation planning, but it has proved difficult. LiDAR has the potential to generate remotely sensed forest understory structure data, yet this potential has to be fully validated. Our objective was to examine the capacity of LiDAR point cloud data to predict forest understory cover. We modeled ground-based observations of understory structure in three vertical strata (0.5 m to < 1.5 m, 1.5 m to < 2.5 m, 2.5 m to < 3.5 m) as a function of a variety of LiDAR metrics using both mixed-effects and Random Forest models. We compared four understory LiDAR metrics designed to control for the spatial heterogeneity of sampling density. The four metrics were highly correlated and they all produced high values of variance explained in mixed-effects models. The top-ranked model used a voxel-based understory metric along with vertical stratum (Akaike weight = 1, explained variance = 87%, SMAPE=15.6%). We found evidence of occlusion of LiDAR pulses in the lowest stratum but no evidence that the occlusion influenced the predictability of understory structure. The Random Forest model results were consistent with those of the mixed-effects models, in that all four understory LiDAR metrics were identified as important, along with vertical stratum. The Random Forest model explained 74.4% of the variance, but had a lower cross-validation error of 12.9%. Based on these results, we conclude that the best approach to predict understory structure is using the mixed-effects model with the voxel-based understory LiDAR metric along with vertical stratum, but that other understory LiDAR metrics (fractional cover, normalized cover and leaf area density) would still be effective in mixed-effects and Random Forest modelling approaches.
Confirming the phylogenetic position of the genus Muscodor and the description of a new Muscodor species

It has been suggested that the genus Muscodor should be rejected, while many new species recently introduced are based on chemical profiles of volatile organic compounds and insufficient phylogenetic analyses. The ITS rRNA gene was used for identification of Muscodor species, but has limitations. A four-locus (ITS rRNA, 28S rRNA, RPB2 and TUB1 gene) combined phylogenetic tree has been reconstructed in the current study to confirm that the genus Muscodor is phylogenetically distinct from other closely related genera. A new Muscodor species named Muscodor yunnanensis is described based on phylogenetic analyses and culture characteristics.
Healthy ageing men have normal reproductive function but display germline-specific molecular changes

Children of older fathers have higher risk for certain diseases. Nevertheless, how ageing specifically affects male germ cells is so far not completely understood. In a cohort of 197 healthy men (18-84 years), we found that semen and reproductive parameters remained normal over six decades. Along with an age-dependent increase in telomere length in sperm (r=0.41, p>0.001), we found accelerated DNA fragmentation, more prominent after the sixth decate of life, and with around 60% of men older than 66 showing abnormal levels of DNA breaks. At the epigenetic level, by whole genome bisulfite sequencing we identified 236 sperm-specific differentially methylated regions between the youngest and oldest group, affecting mostly regions associated with homeobox genes and nervous system development. Therefore, we propose that during ageing, male germ cells are affected by an intrinsic and specific ageing process, distinguishable from the soma. These age-dependent changes might have consequences for fertility and offspring of older men.
A 20-year experiment on the effects of deer and hare on eastern hemlock regeneration

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière) is a shade-tolerant, slow-growing tree once common in forests across the Great Lakes region. It was heavily exploited in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and now experiences limited regeneration across much of its range. This failure to regenerate has been ascribed to poor seedbed conditions, insufficient canopy openings, warmer climate, and browsing by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780)) or snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus Erxleben, 1777). To test whether deer or hare limit hemlock regeneration, we studied >2000 hemlock seedlings inside and adjacent to experimental deer exclosures at 59 sites randomly distributed across hemlock and hemlock-component stands in northern Wisconsin and the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States. We monitored local deer and hare abundance, seedling growth, and seedling survival for 20 years. Two First Nations reservations showed lower deer density and greater survival and growth of unprotected seedlings than three national forests of the United States. Cohorts of hemlock seedlings protected from deer survived at a rate four times higher than those exposed to deer (59.3% vs. 15.0%) and shared a combined height 5.2 times greater. Hare densities significantly affected seedling survival only within exclosures. This extensive, long-term study identifies deer as the primary factor constraining hemlock regeneration in the region.
Are Scientific Models of Life Testable? A Lesson from Simpson’s Paradox

We address the need for a model by considering two competing theories regarding the origin of life: (i) the Metabolism First theory, and (ii) the RNA World theory. We discuss two interrelated points, namely: (i) Models are valuable tools for understanding both the processes and intricacies of origin-of-life issues, and (ii) Insights from models also help us to evaluate the core objection to origin-of-life theories, called “the inefficiency objection”, which is commonly raised by proponents of both the Metabolism First theory and the RNA World theory against each other. We use Simpson’s Paradox (SP) as a tool for challenging this objection. We will use models in various senses, ranging from taking them as representations of reality to treating them as theories/accounts that provide heuristics for probing reality. In this paper, we will frequently use models and theories interchangeably. Additionally, we investigate Conway’s Game of Life and contrast it with our SP-based approach to emergence-of-life issues. Finally, we discuss some of the consequences of our view. A scientific model is testable in three senses: (i) a logical sense, (ii) a nomological sense, and (iii) a current technological sense. The SP-based model is testable in the first two senses but it is not feasible to test it using current technology.
Release of Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) ( Neruoptera : Chrysopidae) as a Biological Control Agent against Tetranychid Mites, Tetranychus urticae (Koch), on Phaseolus vulgaris L. Plantations under Semi Field Conditions.

This study was outlined to evaluate the effect of releases second larval instar of Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) at different predators: prey ratios (P:p) to control tetranychid mites on the kidney bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L. plants under semi field conditions during summer 2016. The results revealed that the effective control of Tetranychus urticae Koch was realized after six days from introducing C.carnea larvae when the P: p ratio was 1:10 or 1:20, while at higher ratios (1:40 and1: 50), the tetranychid mites numbers decreased after 12 days from the release. The results assured that the numbers of kidney bean tetranychid mites decreased after 6 days from release by 100 and 86.6% at 1:10 and 1:20 P: p ratios, respectively.While the larvae of C.carnea which released after nine days the percentage redaction of T.urticae was100,100, 93.3,90.2 % and 84.7 days with P:p releases of 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:40 and1:50 , respectively. The obtained results showed that the number of tetranychid mites remained zero for a period of 12 days after the release. Regression analysis demonstrated a strong negative relationship between P:p ratios and reduction percentage of the Kidney bean tetranychid mites.
The complete mitochondrial genome of Ilyonectria sp. (Hypocreales: Hypocreomycetidae)

Abstract In the present study, we presented the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Ilyonectria sp. The complete mitogenome of Ilypnectria sp. was composed of circular DNA molecules, with a total length of 34, 584 bp. The base composition of this mitogenome is as follows: A (35.31%), T (35.92%), G (15.93%), and C (12.83%). The mitogenome contains 18 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNA), and 25 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. The taxonomic status of the Ilyonectria sp. mitogenome exhibits a closest relationship with Ilyonectria destructans.
The complete chloroplast genome of coffee tree, Coffea arabica L. ‘Typica’ (Rubiaceae)

Abstract We presented complete chloroplast genome of Coffea arabica L. 'Typica' which is 155,187 bp long and has four subregions: 85,159 bp of large single copy (LSC) and 18,135 bp of small single copy (SSC) regions are separated by 25,946 bp of inverted repeat (IR) regions including 131 genes (86 protein-coding genes, eight rRNAs, and 37 tRNAs). The overall GC content of the chloroplast genome is 37.4% and those in the LSC, SSC, and IR regions are 35.4%, 31.3%, and 43.0%, respectively. Interestingly, almost most of sequence variations identified against five coffee chloroplast genomes are insertions and deletions.
The complete mitochondrial genome of a leaf roller, Eudemis lucina (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Abstract The leaf roller, Eudemis lucina, is a potential pest of Quercus in East Asia. In this study, we described the complete mitochondrial genome of this species by high-throughput sequencing. The mitochondrial genome is found to be a circular molecule of 16,056 bp in length, which consisted of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a non-coding control region (A + T-rich region). The A + T content is 80.5% for the whole mitogenome. All PCGs are initiated by ATN codons, except for COI which is initiated by the CGA codon. Eight PCGs use a typical stop codon of TAA, whereas the remaining PCGs use incomplete stop codon of T–– or TA–. The non-coding control region is 1013 bp and located between s-rRNA and Met-tRNA.
Human trajectory prediction for automatic guided vehicle with recurrent neural network

The accurate prediction of the pedestrian trajectory is necessary to endow automatic guided vehicle with the capabilities to adjust velocity and path dynamically for the navigation in real pedestrian scenes. For this purpose, this study presents a social conscious prediction model considering two main factors that affect the pedestrians’ walking in the crowd – relative distance and moving direction. To form an effective model, the authors’ conscious pooling layer is added to the Long Shot Term Memory network (LTSM) model to build the relationship between pedestrians, learning the current position m and movement trend. The experiments are conducted to compare the proposed model with the previous state-of-the-art model on several public datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed model predicts pedestrian trajectories more accurately.
The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Lycium ruthenicum (Solanaceae), a traditional medicinal plant in China

Abstract Lycium ruthenicum, Known as a traditional medicinal plant in China, is distributed in the arid and semiarid areas of northwest China. In this study, we assembled the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of L. ruthenicum using data from high-throughput Illumina sequencing. The L. ruthenicum cp genome is 154,979 bp in size and includes two inverted repeat regions of 25,395 bp each, which is separated by a large single copy region of 85,984 bp and a small single copy region of 18,205 bp. A total of 132 genes were predicted, including 37 tRNA, 8 rRNA, and 86 protein-coding genes. In addition, 9 PCG genes possess a single intron, 74 PCG genes no intron, and 3 other genes harbor two introns. 6 tRNA genes harbor a single intron. Phylogenetic analysis placed L. ruthenicum within the Solanaceae.
First record of a specimen of the shortbill spearfish Tetrapturus angustirostris Tanaka, 1915 in the Pacific coast of Mexico

The shortbill spearfish Tetrapturus angustirostris Tanaka, 1915 is a widespread tropical and temperate species but is relatively rare, with very few published or cataloged records in museums and fish collections. We reported for the first time a specimen of T. angustirostris from the Pacific coast of Mexico, including meristic, morphometric and molecular data, which was caught in the vicinity of Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico, in November 2015.
Immune protection role and disease prevention in common carp, Cyprinus carpio (Actinopterygii, Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae) against a heterotrophic Gram-negative bacteria, Aeromonas hydrophila due to spirulina, Arthrospira platensis supplement.

An eight-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of the fish meal, soybean meal and squid meal were replaced by spirulina on growth, survival, immune protection and disease prevention in Cyprinus carpio against Aeromonas hydrophila infection. Six different experimental diets were prepared which includes a control diet (D1) and 5 different composition (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25%) of spirulina Arthrospira platensis diets (D2 to D6) where spirulina replaced the fish meal, soya meal and squid meal. The cumulative mortality was calculated as 27, 19, 14 and 11% in the fish groups received 10, 15, 20 and 25% spirulina respectively; and significantly (p < 0.05) high mortality (92%) was noticed against the pathogen in the fish fed control diet. The immunological assays namely, phagocytic, respiratory burst and complement activities were significantly (p < 0.05) increased in the individual fed 15, 20 and 25% spirulina diets between 2 and 4 weeks of post-challenge. The lysozyme activity was enhanced significantly (p < 0.05) in fish fed all the spirulina diet compositions throughout the experiment. Overall, the findings suggested that the inclusion of spirulina at the dosage between 15 and 25% in the diet enhanced the growth, survival and defense response in C. carpio significantly (p < 0.05), which ultimately lead to disease resistance and defense protection against A. hydrophila infection.
Rapid establishment of teat order and allonursing in wild boar
 (Sus scrofa)

Transfer of milk is the fundamental common characteristic of mammalian reproduction, but species differ considerably with respect to nursing strategies. The consequences of teat orders and allonursing have been studied intensively in domestic pigs. However, whether similar nursing strategies also exist in wild boar, the ancestor of domestic pigs is so far not known. The occurrence of allonursing in wild boar is only described anecdotally, and the question whether a teat order is established has not yet been investigated. Studying suckling behaviour of 29 piglets from six primiparous wild boar females in a semi‐natural environment we found a surprisingly fast development of a rigid teat order among littermates, which established within 2.2 hr after birth. This suggests strong fitness benefits of this phenomenon that may ultimately explain the evolution and maintenance of this trait. We further found a strong synchrony of oestrus and delivery among the females of a group, as well as the occurrence of allonursing. By determining the amount of allonursing for the first time quantitatively, we demonstrate the importance of this trait and its presumably pivotal role for juvenile survival under truly natural conditions.
The complete chloroplast genome of Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Presl., a unique economic plant to China

Abstract Cinnamomum camphora (Lauraceae) Presl. is a unique economic plant to China. The complete chloroplast (cp) genome was sequenced and assembled by using Illumina paired-end reads data. The circular cp genome is 152,729 bp in size, including a pair of inverted repeat (IRs) regions of 20,074 bp, a large single copy (LSC) region of 93,688 bp and a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,893 bp. The genome contains 127 unique genes, including 83 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 36 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and 8 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs). Besides, 19 genes possess a single intron, while another three genes (ycf3, rps12, and clpP) have a couple of introns. The GC content of entire C. camphora cp genome, LSC, SSC, and IR regions are 39.2, 38.0, 33.9, and 44.4%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated coding sequences of cp PCGs showed that C. camphora and Cinnamomum verum are closely related with each other within the genus of cinnamomum.
Development of a novel HPTLC-based method for the simultaneous quantification of clinically relevant lipids from cells and tissue extracts

Lipids such as cholesterol, triglycerides, and fatty acids play important roles in the regulation of cellular metabolism and cellular signaling pathways and, as a consequence, in the development of various diseases. It is therefore important to understand how their metabolism is regulated to better define the components involved in the development of various human diseases. In the present work, we described the development and validation of an HPTLC method allowing the separation and quantification of free cholesterol, cholesteryl esters, non-esterified fatty acids, and triglycerides. This method will be of interest as the quantification of these lipids in one single assay is difficult to perform.
Dose-dependent effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation on spike timing in awake nonhuman primates

Transcranial alternating current stimulation increases neural spike entrainment and burstiness in the awake primate brain. Weak extracellular electric fields can influence spike timing in neural networks. Approaches to noninvasively impose these fields on the brain have high therapeutic potential in neurology and psychiatry. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (TACS) is hypothesized to affect spike timing and cause neural entrainment. However, the conditions under which these effects occur in vivo are unknown. Here, we recorded single-unit activity in the neocortex in awake nonhuman primates during TACS and found dose-dependent neural entrainment to the stimulation waveform. Cluster analysis of changes in interspike intervals identified two main types of neural responses to TACS—increased burstiness and phase entrainment. Our results uncover key mechanisms of TACS and show that the stimulation affects spike timing in the awake primate brain at intensities feasible in humans. Thus, novel TACS protocols tailored to ongoing brain activity may be a tool to normalize spike timing in maladaptive brain networks and neurological disease.
Impact of purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) extract as antioxidant and antimicrobial agent on overall quality and shelf life of Greek-style yoghurt

This study investigated the effect of purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) leaves extract on Greek-style yogurt. Purslane extract showed higher antioxidant values and antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli ATCC25922; Salmonella typhimurium ATCC14028. The fortified of Geek-style yogurt with lyophilized purslane extract 2.2g/L (S1) and 4.4g/L (S2) significantly increased the antioxidant capacity. Greek-style yogurt made with 4.4g/L lyophilized purslane extract received the highest antioxidant capacity and lowest sensory acceptability comparing with control and low dosage of lyophilized purslane extract. DPPH scavenging activity % of S1 and S2 samples had no obvious change during storage period, while, FRAP values were decreased in all treatments after 14 days of storage.The treatment of Geek-style yogurt fortified with 2.2 g/L lyophilized purslane extract was the most preference in sensory acceptability. This study recommended that the increasing of shelf life and antioxidant capacity and stability of all-natural Greek-style yogurt, a dosage of lyophilized purslane extract 2.2g/L should be incorporated. Moreover, the P. oleracea could be used in functional foods as it has some bioactive components.
A task-based design methodology for robotic exoskeletons

Introduction This study is aimed at developing a task-based methodology for the design of robotic exoskeletons. This is in contrast to prevailing research efforts, which attempt to mimic the human limb, where each human joint is given an exoskeleton counter-joint. Rather, we present an alternative systematic design approach for the design of exoskeletons that can follow the complex three-dimensional motions of the human body independent of anatomical measures and landmarks. With this approach, it is not necessary to know the geometry of the targeted limb but rather to have a description of its motion at the point of attachment. Methods The desired trajectory of the targeted limb has been collected through a motion capture system from a healthy subject. Then, an approximate dimensional synthesis has been employed to specify the size of the mechanism and its location with respect to the limb, while generating the desired trajectory. The procedure for this method, from motion capture to kinematic synthesis to mechanism selection and optimization, is validated with an illustrative example. Results The proposed method resulted an exoskeleton which follows the desired trajectory of the human limb without any need of aligning its joint to the corresponding human joints. Conclusion A method to design lower mobility exoskeletons for specific sets of human motion is presented; the approach result an exoskeleton with lesser actuation system while generating complex 3D limb motions, which in turn results a lighter exoskeletons. It also avoids a need to align each robotic joint axis with its human counterpart.