Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE STATUS OF INSECT ALPHA TAXONOMY IN PUERTO RICO AFTER THE SCIENTIFIC SURVEY

HE PURPOSE of this paper is to summarize the status of alpha taxonomy in Puerto Rico. The approximate number of species now T known in each Order is given in TABLE 1. These figures are compared with Wolcott’s in The Insects of Puerto Ricol as his information includes that given in the entomological volumes of the Scientific Survey of port0 Rico and the Virgin Islands ( S S ) . The Virgin Islands were not included in this study. For the small Orders most of the papers cited are those that can be of help, even to the non-specialist, with the identification of local species. These are monographs, revision of local, Caribbean or even North American taxa, in which keys, lists, etc., can be of assistance to the researcher. Unfortunately there are not many such papers and of these most lack keys. For large Orders, such as Hymenoptera, Diptera and Coleoptera, because of the large number of publications, mostly with a few local records and new species, comparative notes about all the listed species are not provided. A brief but incomplete summary of the present status of the large Orders is included.
A Unified Sparsification Approach for Matching Problems in Graphs of Bounded Neighborhood Independence

The neighborhood independence number of a graph G, denoted by β = β(G), is the size of the largest independent set in the neighborhood of any vertex. Graphs with bounded neighborhood independence, already for constant β, constitute a wide family of possibly dense graphs, including line graphs, unit-disk graphs, claw-free graphs and graphs of bounded growth, which has been well-studied in the area of distributed computing. In ICALP'19, Assadi and Solomon [8] showed that, for any n-vertex graph G, a maximal matching can be computed in O(n log n · β) time in the classic sequential setting. This result shows that, surprisingly, for almost the entire regime of parameter β, a maximal matching can be computed much faster than reading the entire input. The algorithm of [8], however, is inherently sequential and centralized. Moreover, a maximal matching provides a 2-approximate (maximum) matching, and the question of whether a better-than-2-approximate matching can be computed in sublinear time remained open. In this work we propose a unified and surprisingly simple approach for producing (1+ε)-approximate matchings, for arbitrarily small ε >0. Specifically, set Δ = O(β/ε log 1/ε) and let GΔ be a random subgraph of G that includes, for each vertex v ∈ G, Δ random edges incident on it. We show that, with high probability, GΔ is a (1+ε)-matching sparsifier for G, i.e., the maximum matching size of GΔ is within a factor of 1+ε from that of G. One can then work on the sparsifier GΔ rather than on the original graph G. Since GΔ can be implemented efficiently in various settings, this approach is of broad applicability; some concrete implications are: A (1+ε)-approximate matching can be computed in the classic sequential setting in O(n/ · β ε2 · log 1/ε) time, shaving a log n factor from the runtime of [8] (for any constant ε), and more importantly achieving an approximation factor of 1+ε rather than 2. For constant ε, our runtime is tight, matching a lower bound of Ω(n · β) due to [5,8]. GΔ can be computed in a single communication round in distributed networks. Consequently, a (1+ε)-approximate matching can be computed in (β/ε log 1/ε)O (1/ε),+, O(1/ ε 2),·, log*n [[L: We changed β/ε2 to β/ε here. ]] communications rounds, which reduces to O(log* n) rounds when β and ε are constants; the previous (deterministic) algorithm by Barenboim and Oren [16,17] requires a similar number of rounds but its approximation factor is 2+ε. Our sparsifier also provides a rare example of an algorithm achieving a sublinear message complexity. A (1+ε)-approximate matching can be dynamically maintained with update time O(β/ε3 log 1/ε); the previous (deterministic) algorithm by Barenboim and Maimon [14] achieves approximation factor 2 with a higher (by a factor of √n/β, for constant ε) update time of O(√β n).
Classification of Noisy Epileptic EEG Signals Using Fortified Long Short-term Memory Network

Recent work suggests that machine and deep learning models are prone to EEG artifacts and have staggering performance drops when used to classify EEG signals rich of noise. This particularly affects real-time performance of EEG monitoring systems such as brain-computer interfaces, thus rendering their applications in uncontrolled environments useless. These limitations have motivated efforts to develop fortification layers that leverage manifold learning in the lower dimensions to possibly improve the performance and the robustness of any deep learning model by separating off-manifold data points from the dense probability mass. The present study aimed to show that the fortification layer can learn the latent structure of an EEG dataset and that this can help increase the robustness of the classifier when tested on the same dataset contaminated with varying noise. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed model, different artifacts were synthesized with low bandpass filters to mimic biological and Gaussian white additive noise. Results showed that the EEG signals used in this study followed the manifold assumption, and that the fortification layers learnt the lower discriminative structure from the raw denoised EEG signals. However, this did not significantly increase the robustness of the model to the noise.
A missing data approach to validate nonlinear PCA

Many biological processes behave in a nonlinear way. Observations over time usually show a curved trajectory in the data space. To understand the dynamics of biological processes we have to identify and analyze the time trajectory. This can be done by using a nonlinear extension of principal component analysis (PCA) which provides a noise-reduced description of the curved data structure. To avoid over-fitting a careful control of the model complexity is required for which we need a strategy to validate unsupervised nonlinear methods [1].
Platelet Measurements and Type 2 Diabetes: Investigations in Two Population-Based Cohorts

Type 2 diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Given the contribution of platelets to atherothrombosis—which in turn is a major contributor to cardiac events, there may be cause to consider platelet function in management of diabetes. Despite the large body of research concerning the role of platelets in cardiovascular complications of type 2 diabetes, evidence from population-based studies of platelet aggregation in diabetes is limited. Mean Platelet Volume (MPV), a cell trait partially associated with markers of platelet activity, is more commonly available. We investigated the association of metabolic syndrome and diabetes with platelet aggregation to three physiological agonists, ADP, collagen, and epinephrine, in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort. We further examined the relationship between MPV measured with Beckman Coulter LH750 instruments and self-reported diabetes as well as MPV and diabetes medication in the UK BioBank cohort, performing the largest such analysis to date. Increased platelet aggregation associated with prevalent diabetes was observed for low concentration epinephrine (0.1 μM) alone and only in analyses of participants stratified either by male sex and/or having metabolic syndrome. Other agonists and concentrations were not significant for prevalent diabetes, or in opposite direction to the main hypothesis (i.e., they showed lower platelet aggregation associated with diabetes). After a median of 18.1 years follow-up, no platelet aggregation trait was associated with increased risk of diabetes (n = 344 cases). As expected, increased MPV was significantly associated with diabetes (β = 0.0976; P = 8.62 × 10−33). Interestingly, sex-stratified analyses indicated the association of MPV with diabetes is markedly stronger in males (β = 0.1232; P = 1.00 × 10−31) than females (β = 0.0514; P = 7.37 × 10−5). Among diabetes medications increased MPV was associated with Insulin (β = 0.1341; P = 1.38 × 10−11) and decreased MPV with both Metformin (β = 0.0763; P = 1.99 × 10−6) as well as the sulphonylureas (β = 0.0559; P = 0.0034). Each drug showed the same direction of effect in both sexes, however, the association with MPV was nearly twice as great or more in women compared to men. In conclusion, platelet function as measured by aggregation to ADP, collagen, or epinephrine does not appear to be consistently associated with diabetes, however, MPV is robustly associated suggesting future work may focus on how MPV segments pre-diabetics and diabetics for risk prediction.
Bacterial Communities of the Canola Rhizosphere: Network Analysis Reveals a Core Bacterium Shaping Microbial Interactions

The rhizosphere hosts a complex web of prokaryotes interacting with one another that may modulate crucial functions related to plant growth and health. Identifying the key factors structuring the prokaryotic community of the plant rhizosphere is a necessary step toward the enhancement of plant production and crop yield with beneficial associative microorganisms. We used a long-term field experiment conducted at three locations in the Canadian prairies to verify that: (1) the level of cropping system diversity influences the α- and β-diversity of the prokaryotic community of canola (Brassica napus) rhizosphere; (2) the canola rhizosphere community has a stable prokaryotic core; and (3) some highly connected taxa of this community fit the description of hub-taxa. We sampled the rhizosphere of canola grown in monoculture, in a 2-phase rotation (canola-wheat), in a 3-phase rotation (pea-barley-canola), and in a highly diversified 6-phase rotation, five and eight years after cropping system establishment. We detected only one core bacterial Amplicon Sequence Variant (ASV) in the prokaryotic component of the microbiota of canola rhizosphere, a hub taxon identified as cf. Pseudarthrobacter sp. This ASV was also the only hub taxon found in the networks of interactions present in both years and at all three sites. We highlight a cohort of bacteria and archaea that were always connected with the core taxon in the network analyses.
A Framework for Effective Bt Maize IRM Programs: Incorporation of Lessons Learned From Busseola fusca Resistance Development

Bt maize is genetically engineered to express insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. Bt maize is used extensively by South African farmers to reduce yield losses caused by lepidopteran larvae. Starting in the 2004/2005 season, severe Busseola fusca-associated damage to Cry1Ab-expressing Bt maize was noted by South African farmers. The unsatisfactory pest control was eventually attributed to the development of insect resistance to the Cry1Ab protein in the Bt maize hybrids. An assessment of the historical events surrounding the development of resistance by B. fusca showed that there was room for improvement both in the insect resistance management (IRM) strategy selected and the implementation of the strategy. With the recent arrival of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in Africa, it is important to have IRM programs that are appropriate for all of the pests that constitute the maize lepidopteran pest complex. After the identification of shortcomings in the IRM programs implemented in South Africa, a framework is proposed for effective Bt maize IRM programs. The IRM framework integrates pre-marketing research, post-marketing monitoring, and two-level remedial action plans (RAPs). The core of the framework is a regulator-approved IRM strategy that is based on comprehensive pre-marketing research and serves to guide stakeholders during the post-marketing phase. The framework will assist technology developers and regulators, especially those with nascent regulatory systems, to select and implement IRM strategies that facilitate sustainable pest management.
Mining of Gene Modules and Identification of Key Genes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma based on Gene Co-expression Network Analysis

About 80% of liver cancer cases were hepatocellular carcinoma. To explore the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma, a bioinformatics algorithm based on gene co-expression network analysis was used to study the gene expression data of hepatocellular carcinoma in this paper. The Pearson correlation analysis was used to construct the 2538 genes into a gene co-expression network, and the eigenvector algorithms was used to divide genes into 9 modules. The correlation analysis between gene modules and clinical indicators results showed that the RNA localization (GO: 0006403) related genes changed in four modules. The cell cycle and mitosis processes were related to event module, tRNA transport and multi-organism transport processes were related to T module, Organic biosynthetic process was related to N module and viral transcription process was related to M module. Furthermore, the Disgenet database results showed that 6 key genes was related to liver cancer, such as CASP2, HCFC1, ILF3, NAA40, NCOA6 and SENP1. Among them, the expression of CASP2, ILF3, NAA40 and NCOA6 were negatively correlated with the survival prognosis. Thus, these identified genes may play important roles in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma and sever as potential biomarker for future diagnosis.
Why People Don’t Use Facebook Anymore? An Investigation Into the Relationship Between the Big Five Personality Traits and the Motivation to Leave Facebook

This study linked the big five personality traits with motivational factors to leave Facebook based on a survey of 218 former Facebook users. The big five were related with eight main factors retrieved from existing literature. Results showed that neuroticism was positively related to addiction, banality, peer pressure, and privacy while conscientiousness was negatively related to peer pressure, addiction, annoyance, and emergence of new platforms. Openness was positively related with banality but negatively with addiction and peer pressure. Theoretical and practical interpretations are also discussed.
Gray‐tailed voles do not move to avoid exposure to the insecticide Guthion® 2S

We used the gray‐tailed vole, Microtus canicaudus, as an experimental model species to test an assumption of the quotient method that nontarget wildlife do not move out of a contaminated area to avoid exposure to potentially harmful agricultural chemicals. In May 1997, we placed voles into 12 0.2‐ha enclosures planted with a mixture of pasture grasses. In late July, we applied 1.5 kg/ha of the insecticide Guthiont 2S (azinphos‐methyl), in three treatments; full spray (all of the habitat sprayed with Guthion 2S), half spray (one half of the habitat sprayed with Guthion 2S and one half sprayed with water), and a control (all of the habitat sprayed with water). Five replicates were used for the half spray and control, and two replicates were used for the full spray. We radio‐tracked 44 female and three male voles before and after the spray treatment. None of the 47 animals moved out of their established home ranges after treatment and no animals moved from the contaminated to uncontaminated areas. Additionally, no biologically meaningful differences occurred in home range size, mean maximum distance moved, or average distance between two successive radio locations. Reproducing adult voles were relatively sedentary and did not leave their established home ranges in response to insecticide exposure. These results suggest that small mammals are not likely to reduce exposure by moving from the contaminated area, which supports the assumption of the quotient method that exposure of small mammals is a function of the spray application. However, behavioral responses such as avoidance of contamination may be specific to the chemical, species, and habitat.
Dissecting the Role of Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMP) and Integrin αvβ3 in Angiogenesis In vitro: Absence of Hemopexin C Domain Bioactivity, but Membrane-Type 1-MMP and αvβ3 Are Critical

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and its hemopexin C domain autolytic fragment (also called PEX) have been proposed to be crucial for angiogenesis. Here, we have investigated the dependency of in vitro angiogenesis on MMP-mediated extracellular proteolysis and integrin αvβ3–mediated cell adhesion in a three-dimensional collagen I model. The hydroxamate-based synthetic inhibitors BB94, CT1399, and CT1847 inhibited endothelial cell invasion, as did neutralizing anti–membrane-type 1-MMP (MT1-MMP) antibodies and tissue inhibitor of MMP (TIMP)-2 and TIMP-3 but not TIMP-1. This confirmed the pivotal importance of MT1-MMP over other MMPs in this model. Invasion was also inhibited by a nonpeptidic antagonist of integrin αvβ3, EMD 361276. Although PEX strongly inhibited pro-MMP-2 activation, when contaminating lipopolysaccharide was neutralized, PEX neither affected angiogenesis nor bound integrin αvβ3. Moreover, no specific binding of pro-MMP-2 to integrin αvβ3 was found, whereas only one out of four independently prepared enzymatically active MMP-2 preparations could bind integrin αvβ3, and this in a PEX-independent manner. Likewise, integrin αvβ3–expressing cells did not bind MMP-2-coated surfaces. Hence, these findings show that endothelial cell invasion of collagen I gels is MT1-MMP and αvβ3- dependent but MMP-2 independent and does not support a role for PEX in αvβ3 integrin binding or in modulating angiogenesis in this system.
Growth rate effects on correlations among ring width, wood density, and mean tracheid length in Norway spruce (Picea abies)

The main hypothesis tested in this paper is whether heavy thinnings affect the correlations among ring width, wood density, and mean tracheid length. Within-tree correlations were calculated between time series of yearly measurements. Among-tree correlations were computed (1) between averages over a growing period and (2) year by year. Correlations were analyzed on 20 fast-grown and 20 slow-grown Norway spruces (Picea abies (L.) Karst. ) from an even-aged, plantation-grown stand near Rendeux, Belgian Ardennes. In the within-tree approach, fast-grown spruces showed a stronger negative correlation between ring width and fiber length. In among-tree approach 1, the widely held negative correlation between ring width and wood density vanished when the spruce growth rate was above 2.2 cm/year in circumference. Among-tree approach 2 demonstrated that the magnitude and sign of the correlations also depended on the year; a few years showed a significant correlation between ring width and wood density for the fast-grown Norway spruces, whereas the correlation was systematically negative and significant on many years for the slow-grown spruces. This study may explain part of the contradictory results reported in the literature concerning hypotheses similar to ours.
Dead and alive parasites: sexual ornaments signal resistance in the male fish, Rutilus rutilus

The Hamilton and Zuk hypothesis proposed that male sexual ornaments could signal resistance against local co-evolving parasites. We examined the ornamentation – the breeding tubercles – of roach from five populations in relation to (a) parasite load (intensity/prevalence; five species), (b) host resistance (proportion of dead parasites; two species), (c) immune function (spleen size) and (d) somatic condition. The gill endo-parasite Rhipidocotyle campanula was locally the most prevalent and abundant among the five parasite species studied. Ornamentation correlated positively with the proportion of dead R. campanula, but not with the other parameters or the other parasite species. This suggests that ornamentation may signal a male’s ability to eliminate local parasites as expected by the hypothesis. Furthermore, we propose that the proportion of dead parasites in a host may provide a useful measure of its resistance, since it might be a species-specific, direct, long-term measure of host immunological response.
Veluticeps fasciculata sp. nov. (Gloeophyllaceae, Basidiomycota), a close relative to V. berkeleyi

A new brown-rot fungal species, Veluticeps fasciculata , is described from southern China. It is characterized by perennial effused basidiocarps with smooth or tuberculose hymenophore, nodose-septate generative hyphae, fasciculate cystidia (as hyphal pegs in hymenophore) and relatively small basidiospores. It occurs on wood of Cunninghamia and Cryptomeria . Although similar to Veluticeps berkeleyi , morphological and molecular (ITS rDNA sequences) data show that V . fasciculata is a distinct species. Complete description and illustrations are provided for the V . fasciculata . In addition, V. fimbriata is reported from China for the first time.
Monocrotophos: Toxicity Evaluation and Respiratory Responses of Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus)

Static rencval bioassay method was used to determine the 96 hr LC 50 of monocrotophos on Cyprinus carpio . Oxygen consumption and behavioral responses were recorded at lethal and at two sublethal (1/10 th and 1/15 th ) concentrations. Oxygen consumption responses were concentration dependent. The data indicated maximum decrease in oxygen consumption at lethal exposure (86.4 µg/L) over control on 4 th day followed by 2 nd , 3 rd , 1 st days. At 1/10 th of lethal concentration (8.64 µg/ L) continuous decrease on 1 st , 10 th and 20 th day but decrease was reduced on 30 th day. Similar variations were observed at 1/15 th of lethal exposure (5.76 µg/ L) from day 1 to day 10. The decrease continued on 30 th day which was witnessed to be very less amongst all. Behavioral responses were significant in lethal exposures due to intoxication. Fish showed hyper excitation, erratic swimming, jumping, and lethargy due to low breathing frequency followed by muscular rigidity and abundant mucous secretion over the gills.
Efficient Concurrent Range Queries in B+-trees using RCU-HTM

In this work, we exploit RCU-HTM, a synchronization mechanism that combines Read-Copy-Update (RCU) and Hardware Transactional Memory (HTM) to support linearizable and highly efficient range queries in a concurrent B+-tree. Range queries in our B+-tree start with an asynchronized traversal and then perform a horizontal scan of leaf nodes, by following sibling pointers, using hardware transactions. Despite its simplicity, our RCU-HTM based B+-tree with range query support greatly outperforms state-of-the-art map data structures for range queries in several execution scenarios.
A LOCAL Constant Approximation Factor Algorithm for Minimum Dominating Set of Certain Planar Graphs

In this paper, we present a randomized LOCAL constant approximation factor algorithm for minimum dominating set (MDS) problem and minimum total dominating set (MTDS) problem in graphs. The approximation factor of this algorithm for planar graphs with no 4-cycles is 18 and 9 for MDS and MTDS problems, respectively.