Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Associations between wasp communities and forest structure: Do strong local patterns hold across landscapes?

Forest structure and habitat complexity have been used extensively to predict the distribution and abundance of insect assemblages in forest ecosystems.We tested empirically derived predictions of strong, consis- tent relationships between wasp assemblages and habitat complexity, using both field assessments and vegetation indices from remote sensing as measures of habitat complexity. Wasp samples from 26 paired 'high and low' complexity sites in two forests approximately 70 km apart, were compared with normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVIs) derived from multispectral videography of the survey sites.We describe a strong unequivocal link between habitat complexity and wasp communities, the patterns holding over coarse and fine landscape scales. NDVIs were also excellent predictors of habitat complexity and hence wasp community patterns. Sites with greater NDVIs consistently supported a greater abundance and species richness, and a different composition of wasps to sites with low NDVIs. Using vegetation indices from remote sensing to gauge habitat complexity has significant potential for ecosystem modelling and rapid biodiversity assessment.
A Novel Hybrid-Jump-Based Sampling Method for Complex Social Networks

With the rapid development of the Internet, social media is affecting and changing people’s lives. The research of network community structure based on a large number of complex network data sets is increasingly popular. Due to the large scale of existing social network data and privacy issues, it is hard to analyze the entire network data directly. Therefore, a reliable and effective network sampling method is very important for the actual estimation of online social networks attributes. Existing network sampling methods like metropolis–hasting random walk (MHRW) can obtain unbiased sample sets from relatively large-scale social networks such as Facebook and describe the key features of the original network. Moreover, MHRW uses a proposed distribution function for sampling control, which can guarantee a well-balanced nature of resulting Markov chain. However, MHRW has the defect of partial graph over entry. In this paper, we proposed a new hybrid jump (HJ) sample by introducing an HJ strategy into MHRW during the sampling progress. First, we use a breadth-first search to obtain a data set without repeated node quickly from a list of jump nodes. Moreover, we adopted uniform sample (UNI) to get the average degree of the original network. Then, a 3-D average degree distribution model is designed to determine the optimal value of the jump parameter in HJ. Finally, we set the condition to execute the HJ strategy in each step of sampling progress. The experimental results demonstrate the performance of HJ is better than the other representation sampling methods both in strong-tie networks and weak-tie networks.
Marine protein hydrolysates: their present and future perspectives in food chemistry – a review

Marine protein hydrolysates are usually prepared by the enzymatic digestion of different proteases at controlled pH and temperature. The important biological activities of biologically potential peptides and essential amino acids have been scientifically proved. Now, marine bio-diversity can be considered in the utilization of protein hydrolysates, which can provide nutritional benefits and play a significant role as functional ingredients for food industries. This manuscript reviews the preparation, purification and bioavailability of various marine based protein hydrolysates and bioactive peptides using recent technology tools. Fractionated peptides with biological activities have potential use in major health issues and as functional ingredients for food processing.
FACTORS AFFECTING RESISTANCE OF MONENSIN-RESISTANT AND SENSITIVE STRAINS OF Bacteroides ruminicola

Monensin-resistant strains of the rumen bacterium, Bacteroides ruminicola, were selected by stepwise adaptation to media containing 10 μg of monensin/mL. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of monensin and lasalocid were from 16 to 64 times greater in resistant strains and were greatly influenced by potassium concentrations in the medium. Key words: Monensin, lasalocid, rumen bacteria, potassium
Effects of sowing date on the growth and yield of winter oil-seed rape (Brassica napus)

Summary Results are reported from experiments carried out in three seasons in an environment with mild winters and early springs in which the date of sowing of winter oil-seed rape was varied from early September to early December. Consistently high seed yields were achieved in the late sowings and, in two of the three seasons, delaying sowing beyond early September resulted in significant yield increases. The pattern of dry-matter accumulation and changes in leaf area index were affected to a large extent by sowing date, but no significant effect on total dry-matter production at final harvest was found. Numbers of axillary inflorescences per plant and, in two of the experiments, numbers of fertile pods/m2, were reduced by late sowing, but large increases in numbers of seed per pod were found in each experiment. Mean weight per seed was reduced when sowing was delayed but there was no consistent effect on oil content. Differences were found between cultivars in the extent to which delayed sowing produced increased yields. It is suggested that early spring growth, delayed flowering and reduced reflexion of radiation during flowering were important factors leading to the high yields achieved by late sowings. No interactions were found between sowing date and plant population density for any yield component in one experiment.
Desórdenes en el espectro de la neuropatía auditiva (DENA)

Desórdenes en el espectro de la neuropatía auditiva (DENA) es el término más aceptado en la actualidad para definir la antes llamada neuropatía auditiva o desincronía auditiva. Su prevalencia es difícil de estimar debido a sus múltiples etiologías (hiperbilirrubinemia, enfermedades infecciosas, neuropatías sensoriomotoras, hereditarias y/o isquémico-hipóxicas). Clínicamente se manifiesta con alteraciones auditivas y comunicativas variables, desde una discapacidad leve o sin ella, hasta la sordera funcional profunda, que puede ser fluctuante o permanente. En los métodos diagnósticos no se evidencian los potenciales auditivos del tallo cerebral o se notan marcadamente anormales, y hay presencia de emisiones otoacústicas o de microfónicos cocleares. Para el tratamiento inicial de los desórdenes en el espectro de la neuropatía auditiva se sugiere hacer amplificación con audífonos en los casos leves, reservando el implante coclear para los estados más severos. El objetivo del artículo es hacer una revisión de la literatura acerca de los desórdenes en el espectro de la neuropatía auditiva.
Basal detachment of the epidermis using dispase : tissue spatial organization and fate of integrin α6β4 and hemidesmosomes

Abstract Dispase has been utilized to produce basal detachment of the epidermis of human skin biopsies and to study the consequences induced afterwards during incubations of the detached tissue. Spatial reorganization of the epidermis is observed under these conditions and is characterized by disappearance of the typical basal keratinocyte layer. Immunofluorescent labelings reveal upward migration of several cells exhibiting the basal phenotype between suprabasal differentiating keratinocytes and demonstrate progressive intracellular expression of hemidesmosomal components: the integrin α6β4 and two plaque components, the 230-kDa bullous pemphigoid antigen and HD1, a 500-kDa protein. Using electron microscopy and immunogold techniques, we demonstrate that the hemidesmosome-containing basal membrane domains enter the cell cytoplasm after detachment of the epidermal tissue. Partial recycling of internalized hemidesmosomal components is also suggested. Our findings illustrate the processing of released hemidesmosomes in detached basal keratinocytes and suggest some heterogeneity between basal cells migrating towards a suprabasal position and those remaining in the basal layer. These results suggest that the dispase-detached epidermis is a self-remodeling tissue in which basal keratinocytes' and tissue's polarities observed in the anchored epidermis are progressively changing.
Determination of selenium content in dates of some cultivars grown in Saudi Arabia.

The concentrations of selenium in the flesh of ten date cultivars collected from different regions of Saudi Arabia were analysed using an ultraviolet/ visible spectrophotometer. The amount of selenium was found to be in the range between 1.48 and 2.96 μg/g in the ten varieties studied. The cultivar Sillaj from Al-Kharj (south-west region of Saudi Arabia) was found to contain the highest concentration of selenium (2.96 μg/g). The lowest content of selenium (1.48 μg/g) was observed in the cultivar Muneef from Riyadh region. The content of selenium in dates was compared with data for selenium content of other fruits, nuts and vegetables.
Effects of singing on copulation success and egg production in brown-headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater

We examined the relationship between singing and reproductive success in cowbirds. We amassed data from 17 captive flocks (164 males, 167 females) that we have studied over 4 years. For each flock, we conducted extensive observations on social interactions as the birds competed, courted, and reproduced. We collected and incubated all eggs laid during the breeding season and performed parentage analyses on the 7 flocks with the highest levels of egg production. Finally, we measured males’ song quality in playback tests. Here, we assessed what aspects of singing were associated with 1) copulation success and 2) offspring production. Results differed for these 2 measures of reproductive success because of high variance in egg production within and across groups. The overall amount of songs males directed to females, a measure of courtship persistence, was the one variable strongly associated with males’ copulation success. For offspring production, there was significant between-flock variability that was more pronounced than the within-group variability. The one variable that was found to be strongly associated with eggs laid within and across groups was the amount of countersinging males produced; a measure of male‐male singing competition. Song attractiveness did not predict any unique variance in either measure of reproductive success. The relationship between female egg production and male competition suggests that females may be trading off current versus future reproduction based on the opportunities available in groups to evaluate males’ competitive abilities.Key words:birdsong, cowbird, egg production, reproductive success, social behavior. [Behav Ecol]
A novel non‐invasive tool for disease surveillance of free‐ranging whales and its relevance to conservation programs

The numbers of potentially pathogenic microorganisms that have been isolated from stranded cetaceans in the last three decades underscore the urgent need for methods of detection of microorganisms that might cause significant disease and increase the likelihood of population declines. We have designed and implemented two non‐invasive techniques for the collection of exhaled breath condensate (blow) from free‐ranging whales and demonstrated their suitability for the detection of respiratory bacteria. We successfully collected 22 individual blow samples from eight cetacean species. Using well‐established molecular techniques we detected three bacterial genera (Haemophilus, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus). Haemophilus spp. was detected in fin whale Balaenoptera physalus, sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus, humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae and gray whale Eschrichtius robustus blows, while unidentified β‐hemolytic streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus were detected in gray whale and blue whale Balaenoptera musculus blows. The detection limit of the test was determined as 1 CFU mL−1. None of the identified bacteria were found in environmental (control) samples, suggesting that their presence in the blows was genuine and not due to inadvertent contamination. While the population‐level relevance of these bacteria is as yet unclear and it is possible that they are commensal microorganisms, S. aureus has been identified previously as a high‐risk pathogen to cetacean health, and streptococci have increasingly been associated with cetacean mortality events. We suggest that future cetacean monitoring programs of vulnerable or threatened species include blow sampling as a means to determine the prevalence of the respiratory bacteria in the populations and monitor spatiotemporal fluctuations as indicators of changes in cetacean health.
Empirical Study on Acceptance Level of Mobile Transaction Due To Privacy Invasion

Issue of privacy invasion is alarming nowadays. Many mobiles users in Malaysia received unsolicited phone calls and text messages in marketing various kinds of products and services without knowing the reliability of information sources. Reliability of mobile transaction thus seems to become questionable with the privacy issues arose in the market. In this research study, the main focus is to identify acceptance level of consumers in mobile transaction due to the issue of privacy invasion as complaints are arising. In order to achieve this objective, online survey had been conducted in context of Malaysia. A total of 377 of respondents are selected through snowball sampling in participating the questionnaire survey which representing the interest of population. For the data analysis, Statistical Package of Social Schemes (SPSS) version 20.0 Software and Partial Least Squares regression (PLS) version beta were deployed in computing statistical data.
Charitable Estate Planning as Visualized Autobiography

This first ever functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analysis of charitable bequest decision making found increased activation in the precuneus and lingual gyrus of the brain compared to charitable giving and volunteering decisions. Greater lingual gyrus activation was also associated with increased propensity to make a charitable bequest. Previous studies have shown that activation of these brain regions is related to taking an outside perspective of one’s self, recalling the recent death of a loved one, and recalling vivid autobiographical memories across one’s life. We propose that bequest decision making is analogous to visualizing the final chapter in one’s autobiography and that fund-raisers may do well to emphasize donors’ autobiographical connections with the charity. Due to inherent mortality salience, people may resist creating this final chapter but, once engaged, may seek to leave an enduring legacy.
Cognitive Functions in Recipients of Liver Transplantation: Prospective Comparative Study

Background: cognitive control refers to the ability to regulate, coordinate, and sequence thoughts/actions in accordance with the current task goals. It comprises a set of components including task switching, updating and response inhibition and coordinating multiple simultaneous operations. The fronto parietal network has been suggested as a neural basis for cognitive control. Liver transplantation is one of the most dynamic fields in modern medicine and is a lifesaving option for patients with end stage liver disease. Since the first successful transplantation in 1967, liver transplantation has been performed in many centers worldwide saving thousands of liver failure patients. Aim of the Work: based on that, our study aimed to assess cognitive functions, depression, and anxiety in patients with end stage liver disease before and after liver transplantation, then compare between both. Patients and Methods: the study involved convenience sample of 44 recipients with ESLD prepared for liver transplant, 30 of which completed the study and 14 cases dropped out. Results: all data were recorded and statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Science SPSS- 20th version. The results were tabulated, grouped and statistically analyzed using the suitable statistical parameters. For description analysis. Conclusion: more liver impairment as estimated by Child Pugh score and MELD score associated with more impairment in cognitive tasks. In the current study the presence or absence of hepatic encephalopathy had no relation to cognitive function.
Density-dependent hoarding by rodents contributes to large variation in seed mass of the woodland herb Symplocarpus renifolius

We analyzed effects of seed-hoarding by rodents on the variation in seed mass and seed success for a perennial forest undergrowth plant — Symplocarpus renifolius Schott ex Miquel — in Hokkaido, northern Japan. Although density of rodents differed greatly between seasons, more rodents were always captured in mesic Sasa sp. patches with dense foliage than in wet Lysichiton sp. patches. In the season with fewer rodents, they cached seeds close to the original places irrespective of vegetation, while in the season with abundant rodents, they transported seeds further and cached seeds disproportionately in Lysichiton patches. Seeds missed by rodents were larger than seeds that were eaten or that survived. Sasa patches are more suitable for seedlings to establish and a size advantage was observed there, but even small seeds could establish in Lysichiton patches, although seedling success was lower. We concluded that maternal plants of Symplocarpus renifolius increase their reproductive success by having small t.
Effects of pre-emulsifying fat/oil on meat batter stability, texture and microstructure

Summary The effects of pre-emulsified beef fat and canola oil (CO) (25%) with Tween 80 (T-80) or sodium caseinate (SC) were studied in beef meat batters prepared at three protein levels (9%, 12% and 15%). Raising meat protein level to 15% resulted in low emulsion stability of products prepared with CO. Using pre-emulsified beef fat with Tween 80 (BF-T80) showed significantly higher fat and water losses at all protein levels. There were no differences in fat and water losses between pre-emulsified beef fat and CO when SC was used at the 9% and 12% protein levels compared to the controls (non pre-emulsification). Light microscopy revealed fat globule coalescence in the CO meat batters prepared with 15% protein and BF-T8 treatments, as well as formation of fat channels and more protein aggregation; both resulted in lower emulsion stability. Using SC to emulsify fat/oil produced a finer dispersion of fat globules compared to all the other treatments.
Editorial

Perhaps faster than ever before, tourists’ tastes and habits are changing and developing. If destinations and organizations in tourism aim for meeting, optimizing, and creating demands, they need to understand and anticipate their (prospective) customers’ behaviour thoroughly. Accordingly, consumer behaviour issues are the key for the underpinning of all marketing and management activity in tourism. Hence, over the years, various models have been developed to identify behavioural patterns and describe in simplified form the relationship of the factors that influence tourists’ behaviour (Swarbrooke and Horner, 1999). Most models can be divided into four stages: market stimuli and message exposure, information search and evaluation, decision and product purchase, and post consumption evaluation. These models are mainly based on theories developed for product purchase, however, by its nature, tourism involves the provision of a service, rather than the production and sale of a product. Therefore, the intangible nature of a service affects the consumer during the decision, purchase and consumption processes in a different way to product purchasing. The fact that a holiday cannot be sampled in advance, and is not replaceable or exchangeable, makes the decision on tourism purchase and consumption a high risk task. In this regard Seaton (1994) stated that tourism involves the commitment of a large sum of money to something, that:
Investigating thermal acclimation effects before and after a Cold shock in Drosophila melanogaster using behavioural assays

Acclimation to environmental change can impose both costs and benefits to organisms. In this study we explored to what extent locomotor behaviour of Drosophila melanogaster is influenced by developmental temperature and adult temperature in both the laboratory and the field. Following development at 15, 25, or 31 °C, adult flies were tested for locomotor activity at all developmental temperatures in the laboratory before and after exposure to a cold shock and in the field for their ability to locate resources after a cold shock. Both test (15, 25, and 31 °C) and developmental temperatures strongly affected locomoter activity, with flies developed at 25 °C having the highest activity at all three test temperatures before the cold shock. After the cold shock flies developed at 15 °C had higher activity compared with flies developed at 25 and 31 °C when tested at 15 and 25 °C, and flies developed at 25 °C had the highest activity when tested at 31 °C. Furthermore, flies developed at 31 °C showed longer recovery times following the cold shock at test temperatures of 15 and 25 °C. However, flies acclimated at 15 °C during development did not recover faster at 15 and 25 °C compared with flies developed at 25 °C. There were no significant correlations between recovery time and locomotor activity at any of the test temperatures. Flies developed at 15 °C and exposed to a cold shock before release in the field were much more successful in locating a resource at low field temperatures compared with flies developed at 25 and 31 °C. Our results provide support for both the beneficial acclimation hypothesis and the optimal developmental temperature hypothesis, but the results are highly context dependent and change with the temperature experienced by the individual during its lifetime.
Energy Management Strategy for a Series Hybrid Electric Vehicle Using Improved Deep Q-network Learning Algorithm with Prioritized Replay

On the basis of previous deep Q-network (DQN) based energy management strategy (EMS), two aspects of efforts are explored to improve it for more efficient and stable training and performances in this paper. First, the architecture of original DQN is changed in order to learn separately from the value of current driving/vehicle states and advantages of EMSs under current states; a duplicated network is adopted for Q-value calculation. Second, prioritized replay is introduced for more efficient data utilization during training of DQN based EMS. Simulation results show that the convergence of improved DQN based EMS is faster and higher reward can be achieved compared with original DQN based EMS. Simulation on China typical urban driving cycle for the series hybrid electric vehicle indicates that the fuel economy performance of improved DQN (6.07L/100km) is 8.4% higher than DP based EMS, exceeding original DQN based EMS (6.24L/100km) by about 3%.
Book reviews: Pierre Bourdieu Political Interventions: Social Science and Political Action, Verso: London, 2008, 400 pp: 978-1844671908 £19.99 (pbk)

Andrew W. Neal is a lecturer in politics and international relations at the University of Edinburgh. He is interested in the politics of security, critical methodologies, continental philosophy and constitutional law. He is the editor (with Michael Dillon) of Foucault on Politics, Security and War (Palgrave, 2008), and author of Exceptionalism and the Politics of Counter-Terrorism: Liberty, Security and the War on Terror (Routledge, 2009).