Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antipredator responses to alarm pheromone in groups of young and/or old thrips larvae

Many prey species suffer from different predators in the course of their ontogeny. Hence, the alarm signal a small prey individual sends can have a different meaning than the signal a large prey individual sends, both for small and for large receivers. Larvae of Western Flower Thrips face predators that attack only small larvae, or predators that attack small larvae and large larvae. Furthermore, thrips larvae release a two‐component alarm pheromone, which varies in composition with larval age. Here, we study whether their response to alarm pheromone varies with composition of the pheromone. First, we confirmed that large and small larvae respond when nearby larvae of both sizes were prodded with a brush to induce alarm pheromone excretion. Subsequently, we tested whether thrips larvae of a given size respond differentially to alarm pheromone excreted by a small or large companion larva. We analyzed two types of behavior used in direct defense against a predator and one type of escape response. Only small (not large) larvae attempted to escape more frequently in response to excretions from a large larva. This difference in response could have been due to the alarm pheromone or to the companion larva in the vicinity. We subsequently tested for, but did not find, an effect of size of the companion larva on the behavior of the test larva when exposed to synthetic pheromone mimicking that of a large larva. Finally, we tested how pheromone composition affects antipredator behavior by exposing thrips larvae to synthetic pheromones differing in amount and ratio of the two components. Only for small larvae, we found significant changes in escape behavior with pheromone amount, and a trend with the ratio. Overall, we conclude that small thrips larvae respond differentially to alarm pheromones excreted by small and large larvae and that this differential response is due to differences in pheromone quantity and possibly also quality. Our results suggest that responses to alarm signals can vary with the chemical composition of those alarm signals.
Blood glucose and lipid reducing activities of the oral administration of aqueous leaf extract of Moringa oleifera in Wistar rats

The effect of the repeated administration of Moringa oleifera on blood glucose and serum lipid profile was investigated in male Wistar rats. Dry leaf powder of Moringa oleifera was extracted with water and lyophilized. Twenty four Wistar rats with body weight of 86.2 ± 4.43 g were grouped equally into four (A-D) and distilled water, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight of extract were orally administered once daily for 56 days groups respectively. The body weights of rats were reduced (p<0.05) at high doses of the extract, while the blood glucose decreased (p<0.05) at all the doses. All the lipid profile parameters and atherogenic index were reduced (p<0.05) in rats administered the extract, except the high density lipoprotein cholesterol. From the foregoing, the aqueous leaf extract of Moringa oleifera has blood glucose and lipid reducing activities, and body weight maintenance capabilities. Keywords: Moringa oleifera , glucose, lipid, reducing, body weight maintenance
Imaging and monitoring with Virtual Sources on a synthetic 3D dataset from the Middle East

The Virtual Source (VS) method enables imaging and monitoring below complex and changing overburden. In this study, we apply it to synthetic elastic dataset acquired in deviated observation wells below a 3D model with extremely heterogeneous overburden typical of Middle East fields. Shallow heterogeneity contains both random and regular components in the form of a stack of non-producing layers. While conventional VSP acquisition barely shows any coherent arrivals, the Virtual Source survey reveals high-quality target reflections from producing horizons at depth. Kirchhoff migration of these data perfectly retrieves a simulated time-lapse anomaly.
AXIAL SKELETAL MALFORMATIONS INDUCED BY SODIUM VALPROATE AND THE ROLE OF FOLIC ACID IN THEIR PREVENTION IN ALBINO RAT

The antiepileptic drug sodium va/proate (NaVP) is a widely used mood stabilizer and seizure controlling drug. Prospective and retrospective studies have suggested that the use of sodium valproate as an antiepileptic drug during pregnancy may be related to the increased incidence of the malformations of the cardiovascular and urogenital systems (Nau et aI., 1981a; Robert and Guibaud, 1982; Kock et aI., 1983; Mastroiacovo et aI., 1983 and Winter et al., 1987).
Do pictures help to memorize? The influence of item presentation and executive functions on everyday memory in older adults

Abstract Ageing is associated with a declining memory performance. This phenomenon has been extensively investigated in different laboratory settings, while the transferability from laboratory findings to everyday life situations is rather unclear. In fact, everyday life situations have been found to enhance as well as impair older adults’ memory performance. The present study deals with the question which kind of factors influence memory performance of older adults during everyday life situations. Therefore, participants (70.16 ± 5.8 years) were exposed to a supermarket scenario. Their task was to collect previously presented objects in a specified order while objects were either presented as words or pictures in correct or randomized order. Additionally, participants performed the Stroop test, Trail making test and Bochumer Matrizen test, in order to determine a possible predictability of the performance of these tasks and everyday life performance. Results showed that older adults had more problems to memorize items in the more challenging (randomized item presentation) task but presentation via pictures could offset this effect.
Use of Sentinel-2 for forest classification in Mediterranean environments

Spatially-explicit information on forest composition provides valuable information to fulfil scientific, ecological and management objectives and to monitor multiple changes in forest ecosystems. The recently developed Sentinel-2 (S2) satellite imagery holds great potential for improving the classification of forest types at medium-large scales due to the concurrent availability of multispectral bands with high spatial resolution and quick revisit time. In this study, we tested the ability of S2 for forest type mapping in a Mediterranean environment. Three operational S2 images covering different phenological periods (winter, spring, summer) were processed and analyzed. Ten 10 m and 20 m bands available from S2 and four vegetation indices (VIs) were used to evaluate the ability of S2 to discriminate forest categories (conifer, broadleaved and mixed forests) and four forest types (beech forests; mixed spruce-fir forests; chestnut forests; mixed oak forests). We found that a single S2 image acquired in summer cannot discriminate neither the considered forest categories nor the forest types and therefore multitemporal images collected at different phenological periods are required. The best configuration yielded an accuracy > 83% in all considered forest types. We conclude that S2 can represent an effective option for repeated forest monitoring and mapping.
The Feldstein-Horioka relation in Turkey: an ARDL Bounds testing approach

The degree of integration to the international capital markets is a crucial issue for the economic policy implementations in developing countries. A major determinant of the degree of international capital mobility is the saving-investment association. The degree of capital mobility through the domestic saving-investment interaction is first analysed by Feldstein and Horioka (1980) in a sample of OECD countries and 1960-1974 period. The empirical results of the paper supporting the dependency of domestic investments on the domestic savings are not consistent with the high capital mobility in OECD countries. This conflict is defined in the related literature as “Feldstein-Horioka Puzzle”. In this study the validity of Feldstein-Horioka puzzle for Turkey is investigated by means of World Development Indicators (WDI) annual data from 1968 to 2008 and Pesaran et al. (2001) cointegration method.
The Influence of FDI on Energy Consumption in Developing and Developed Countries : A Dynamic Panel Data Approach

Although FDI is a source of financing in both developed and developing countries, it is also known as a source of innovation that could reduce the demand for energy. Thus, recent studies have started to focus on isolating the effect of FDI on energy consumption in the host country. However, the debate so far is inconclusive. The main objective of this study is to measure the effect of FDI on renewable and non-renewable energy consumption in 85 developed and developing countries from 2002 to 2014, employing a dynamic panel data method. The study demonstrated that FDI reduces energy consumption in developed countries but has no effect on energy consumption in developing countries. The study confirmed that the openness index and energy prices also explain energy consumption within developed countries.
Limit order book, anonymity and market liquidity: evidence from the Sydney Futures Exchange

This study examines the impact of the removal of broker mnemonics on the Sydney Futures Exchange. Early research finds that a decrease in transparency reduces liquidity in the market, whereas more recent research finds that reduced transparency improves market quality. Results of the present study indicate an improvement in liquidity after the removal of broker mnemonics. There is a significant increase in quoted depth and trading volume, and a significant decrease in quoted spreads in the 90 day Bank Accepted Bill, 3 year Treasury Bond and 10 year Treasury Bond Futures. This improvement in liquidity is robust to the length of the event window around the structural change and trading in a control market.
Plant Attributes that Drive Dispersal and Establishment Limitation in Tropical Agricultural Landscapes

Factors that influence tropical-forest regeneration have been of interest across the tropics. We tested the degree of dispersal and establishment limitation of pioneer and non-pioneer tree species with different dispersal modes and seed sizes, using data on both seed fall and seedling establishment in primary forest, secondary forest, and pasture excluded from livestock. The study took place in a lowland tropical rain forest in southeastern Mexico. To calculate dispersal and establishment limitation, we used a density-weighted index that considers: (1) whether a seed or seedling of a given species has arrived in the sample area; and (2) the fraction of seeds or seedlings contributed by a given species relative to the total number of seeds or seedlings arriving at a sampling station. Dispersal limitation of non-pioneer species and animal-dispersed species decreased with succession. The secondary forest had less dispersal limitation for wind-dispersed pioneers than pasture, resulting in a dense aggregation of species with seeds dispersed by wind. Overall, establishment limitation differed between animal-dispersed and wind-dispersed species in the primary forest, and was negatively correlated with seed size. The low capacity of most species to arrive, germinate, and establish as seedlings in pastures slows succession back to forest. To overcome barriers to natural succession in pastures, transplanting seedlings of non-pioneer species is suggested because most of them show high dispersal and establishment limitation.
Title Evaluation of phenotype stability and ecological risk of a genetically engineered alga in open pond production Permalink

Genetically engineered (GE) algae offer the promise of producing food, fuel, and other valuable products with reduced requirements for land and fresh water. While the gains in productivity measured in GE terrestrial crops are predicted to be mirrored in GE algae, the stability of phenotypes and ecological risks posed by GE algae in large-scale outdoor cultivation remain unknown. Here, we describe the first US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-sanctioned experiment aimed at understanding how GE algae perform in outdoor cultivation. Acutodesmus dimorphus was genetically engineered by the addition of two genes, one for enhanced fatty acid biosynthesis, and one for recombinant green fluorescence protein (GFP) expression; both the genes and their associated phenotypes were maintained during fifty days of outdoor cultivation. We also observed that while the GE algae dispersed from the cultivation ponds, colonization of the trap ponds by the GE strain declined rapidly with increasing distance from the source cultivation ponds. In contrast, many species of indigenous algae were found in every trap pond within a few days of starting the experiment. When inoculated in water from five local lakes, the GE algae's effect on biodiversity, species composition, and biomass of native algae was indiscernible from those of the wild-type (wt) progenitor algae, and neither the GE nor wt algae were able to outcompete native strains. We conclude that GE algae can be successfully cultivated outdoors while maintaining GE traits, and that for the specific GE algal strain tested here they did not outcompete or adversely impact native algae populations when grown in water taken from local lakes. This study provides an initial evaluation of GE algae in outdoor cultivation and a framework to evaluate GE algae risks associated with outdoor GE algae production.
The Association Between Documentation of Koplik Spots and Laboratory Diagnosis of Measles and Other Rash Diseases in a National Measles Surveillance Program in Japan

Koplik spots are considered a disease-specific sign for measles, although comprehensive virological studies have not been conducted to date. In Japan, a national survey of 3023 measles and measles-suspected cases was conducted between 2009 and 2014 using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) to detect various rash/fever-associated viruses. Koplik spots were observed in 717 of 3023 cases (23.7%). Among these, the measles virus was detected in 202 cases (28.2%), while the rubella virus was detected in 125 cases (17.4%). Other viruses were detected in 51 cases having the spots (7.1%). In some of the cases with spots, two or three viruses, such as the rubella virus, parvovirus, and human herpesvirus type 6 were also detected. The sensitivity and specificity of Koplik spots as a diagnostic marker for measles were 48 and 80%, respectively. The results suggested that Koplik spots might appear not only in measles but also in other viral infections, such as rubella, as a clinical sign.
Deflection of light and time delay in closed Einstein-Straus solution

We investigate strong lensing by a spherically symmetric mass distribution in the framework of the Einstein-Straus solution with a positive cosmological constant and concentrate on the case of a spatially closed Universe (k=+1). We develop a method based on integration of differential equations in order to make possible the computation of light deflection and time delay. By applying our results to the lensed quasar sloan digital sky survey (SDSS) J1004+4112, we find that the bending of light and the time delay depend on wether the present value of the scale factor a0 is or is not much smaller than a value close to 9.1×1026 m. Beyond this value, the results are almost the same as for the spatially flat Universe. Moreover, it turns out that a positive cosmological constant attenuates the light bending in agreement with Rindler and Ishak’s finding.
Co-simulation Framework for Power Distribution System Analysis with Humans in the Loop

Recent developments in the area of power generation have led to an increased penetration of storage and distributed energy resources (DER) in power distribution systems. As a result, new and enhanced energy management systems will be necessary as the deployment of DERs, as well as the need to control loads, continues to increase in the coming years. Advanced management systems are especially important to achieve resilient power delivery during emergency situations. During a blackout for example, a section of a distribution feeder could island to operate as a microgrid to ensure critical services such as water, food, and medical care remain online. The development of such management systems will also require the ability to integrate human behavior models with power flow simulators, as technological advances lead to more customer-owned devices with the potential to be used to balance the power flow of a feeder. This thesis describes a co-simulation framework that combines a bottom-up residential load generator, a load aggregator for realtime (RT) residential demand response (DR), a utility-scale battery controller, and
Design of compact microstrip lowpass filter with ultra-wide stopband

A new microstrip lowpass filter with compact size and an ultra-wide stopband is proposed. To achieve compact size and ultra-wide band rejection, both triangular patch resonators and radial patch resonators are introduced in the filter. To reduce the circuit size of the filter further, meander transmission lines are also adopted in the design. A demonstration filter with 3 dB cutoff frequency at 1 GHz has been designed, fabricated and measured. Results indicate that the proposed filter can suppress the sixteenth harmonic response referred to a suppression degree of 15 dB. Furthermore, the proposed filter exhibits a small size of 0.111 λg×0.091 λg, where λg is the guided wavelength at 1 GHz.
Modeling mass‐dependent flow regime transitions to predict the stopping and depositional behavior of snow avalanches

[1] How terrain, snow cover properties, and release conditions combine to determine avalanche speed and runout remains the central problem in avalanche science. Here we report on efforts to understand how surface roughness, snow properties, and internal mass fluxes control the generation of granular fluctuation energy within the basal shear layers of dense flowing snow avalanches, and the subsequent influence on avalanche speed and deposition patterns. For this purpose we augment the depth-averaged equations of motion to account for the generation of the kinetic energy associated with the particle fluctuations, and dissipation of this energy by collisional and frictional material interactions. Using high-resolution laser scans of the preevent snow cover and postevent deposits from two avalanches released at the Swiss Vallee de la Sionne observation station, we compare measured and calculated deposition heights. The model captures flow velocities and deposition heights without ad hoc adjustments of the constitutive parameters according to avalanche size. The model parameters are separated into a terrain and other pure material (snow) parameters. The investigations reveal how release conditions and snow entrainment influence the internal mass distribution, and control flow regime transitions between the fluidized regime (head) and plug regime (tail). The comparison between the measured and calculated velocities and deposition heights demonstrates why standard Voellmy-type submodels are suitable for many practical mitigation problems, but also why they are limited to cases where the calibrated parameters, already accounting for terrain, snow cover properties, avalanche size, and mass intake, are known.
UNDERSTANDING THE KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EMBEDDED BUSINESS MODEL FOR THE BASE OF THE PYRAMID MARKETS

The objective of this article is to understand the significance and key characteristics of the socially embedded business model to achieve the socio-economic success at the base of the pyramid (BoP). The qualitative multi-case based analysis is applied for data collection and analysis. The sampling involves the field interaction with the four social enterprises targeting the energy and healthcare needs of the BoP segment in India. The findings involve conceptualizing the framework comprising the key focus areas and the underlying strategic actions required for an embedded business model across the BoP markets. The key focus areas include the focus on local capacity building, non-traditional partnerships and grass-root learning based ecosystem for business model innovation. The positive socio-economic impact of these focus areas require the understanding, evaluation and fitment of the corresponding strategic actions. The strategic actions linked to the local capacity building involve designing the social marketing campaigns, enabling the brick-n-mortar presence and engaging the local individuals for last-mile connectivity and reach. The strategic actions linked to the non-traditional partnerships involve collaborating with knowledge institutions, government institutions and social enterprises operating at the grassroot level. Finally, the key strategic actions linked to the grassroot learning ecosystem involve building the community level engagement, conducting field-pilots and prototyping.
Transparency and Monetary Policy Effectiveness

This article analyses the effects of economic transparency on the optimal monetary policy in an economy affected by demand shocks. In an environment of imperfect common knowledge, demand shocks create a trade-off between stabilising the price level and stabilising the output gap. The monetary policy implemented by the central bank tends, on the one hand, to offset demand shocks but, on the other hand, to distort the economy because of its mistaken view of the fundamental state of the economy. Transparency is optimal as long as the central bank does not weight the stabilisation of the output gap too heavily in its objective function.
PRELIMINARY STUDY ON ACOUSTICAL AND PHYSICAL CHARACHTERISTICS OF KENAF (HIBISCUS CANNABINUS) USING NATURAL RUBBER AS BINDER

Natural fibres are significantly used as reinforcements for the manufacture of low-costing and lightweight polymer composites; other advantages include innoxious to human, easily obtain, and have a higher capacity of biodegradability. Therefore, researchers divert their attentions to find sustainable and eco-friendly materials such as natural fibres to be an alternative sound absorber. This paper discusses the use of natural fibre from the Kenaf fibre (Hibiscus Cannabinus), that eligible as acoustic materials to control the unwanted sounds. This selected natural fibre is famous among the South East Asia countries and has a wide plantation. Sound absorption properties of this natural fibre have been investigated. During the processing stage, Kenaf fibres are treated with alkaline treatment 2% individually and bind with various percentages of natural rubber (latex). The thickness of each sample is kept constant at 50mm only. Their acoustic performance was evaluated by using an impedance tube instrument. Moreover, empirical model which proposed by Delany-Bazley are used to support the normal incidence sound absorption result. The result shows that Kenaf reach the maximum absorption coefficient value towards low frequency with fibre samples bind with natural rubber whereas fibres without the binder reach at high frequency range of 4000 Hz and above. The physical characteristics of the Kenaf fibres such as density, porosity and flow resistivity were also been tested. All the results demonstrate that, this selected natural fibre is a promising light and environment-friendly sound absorption material.