Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Title Evidence for multiple-insecticide resistance in urban Aedes albopictus populations in southern China Permalink

Background: Aedes albopictus (Skuse) is an invasive mosquito that has become an important vector of chikungunya, dengue and Zika viruses. In the absence of specific antiviral therapy or a vaccine, vector management is the sole method available for reducing Aedes-induced disease morbidity. Determining the resistance status of Ae. albopictus to insecticides and exploring the resistance mechanisms is essential for future vector control planning. Methods: Aedes albopictus larvae and pupae were sampled from six sites (two sites each from urban, suburban and rural) in Guangzhou. The resistance bioassays were conducted against Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti): deltamethrin, propoxur and malathion for larvae; and deltamethrin, DDT, propoxur and malathion for adults. P450 monooxygenase (P450s), glutathione S-transferase (GSTs) and carboxylesterase (COEs) activities of adult mosquitoes were measured. Mutations at the knockdown resistance (kdr) gene were analyzed, and the association between kdr mutations and phenotypic resistance was tested. Results: Adult bioassays revealed varied susceptibility against DDT, deltamethrin and propoxur in the six Ae. albopictus populations. Significantly lower mortality rates were found in urban populations than suburban and rural populations. Urban mosquito populations showed resistance against DDT, deltamethrin and propoxur, while one rural population was resistant to DDT. All populations tested were susceptible to malathion. Larval bioassays results indicated that all populations of Ae. albopictus were sensitive to the larvicide Bti and malathion. Resistance to deltamethrin and propoxur was common in larval populations. The F1534S and F1534 L mutations were found to be significantly associated with deltamethrin resistance. Biochemical assays indicated elevated detoxification enzyme activities in the field mosquito populations. Conclusions: Aedes albopictus populations in Guangzhou, especially in urban areas, have developed resistance to the commonly used insecticides, primarily DDT and deltamethrin. This finding calls for resistance management and developing counter measures to mitigate the spread of resistance.
Preparation of Magnetic Hybrid Microspheres with Well-Defined Yolk-Shell Structure

A facile and efficient route was reported to prepare a kind of yolk-shell magnetic hybrid microspheres by suspension polymerization and calcinations method. The morphology, structure, and composition of the magnetic microspheres were characterized by FTIR, XRD, TEM, SEM, and TGA analysis. The vibrating-sample magnetometry (VSM) results clearly showed that the magnetic particles were superparamagnetic with saturation magnetization of 32.82 emu/g which makes the microcomposites easily controlled by an external magnetic field. The results revealed that the magnetic hybrid microspheres might have important applications in magnetic bioseparation and drug delivery.
The Relationship between R&D Spending and the Earnings Management of Japanese Electronics Companies : A case of earnings management through real management activity

Japanese companies have been prohibited from using accrual manipulat ion for R&D since 1999; however, many Japanese companies had not used accrual manipulat ion even before 1999. Many companies (more than 90%) had expensed all of R&D spending when it occurred because of tax benef its, despite the fact that they could have used accrual manipulat ion of R&D spending based on the exist ing accounting rules. Therefore, Japanese f irms would seem to have, in general, used real manipulat ion to (A) increase or decrease R&D spending, and/or (B) to change the content of R&D to gain target results within the short-term. 1 Professor o f Account ing, Graduate School o f Management, Graduate School o f Economics Kyoto Universi ty 2 Assoc ia te Professor , Graduate School o f Heal th Care Sc iences, J ike i ins t i tu te Using the f inancial data from 1980 to 2006 of Japanese electronics companies, this paper shows two kinds of evidence that managers adjusted the amount of R&D spending for all periods according to their expected income and that since 2000 they have tr ied to shorten the term in which the benef it of their R&D spending was realized to improve short-term performance. To determine the amount and/or the content of R&D spending for the purpose of gaining a short-term benef it can result in the loss of opportunit ies to gain greater long-term benef its.
FACTORS INFLUENCING INVESTMENT DECISIONS IN CAPITAL MARKET: A STUDY OF INDIVIDUAL INVESTORS IN NIGERIA

The study seeks to determine the main factors influencing investment decisions of investors and how these factors are related to the investors’ socio-economic characteristics in the Nigerian Capital Market. The study covers individual investors using convenient sampling method to obtain information from 297 respondents through a modified questionnaire developed by Al-Tamimi (2005). Independent t- test, Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc tests were employed. The results indicate that the five most influencing factors on investment decisions of investors in Nigeria are past performance of the company’s stock, expected stock split/capital increases/bonus, dividend policy, expected corporate earnings and get-rich-quick. Also, the five least influencing factors include religions, rumors, loyalty to the company’s products/services, opinions of members of the family and expected losses in other investments. The study finds that the socio-economic characteristics of investors (age, gender, marital status and educational qualifications) statistically and significantly influenced the investment decisions of investors in Nigeria. With regard to the past performance of the company’s stock as an assessing factor, groups of investors statistically differed in factor assessment, as segments of a group considered the factor as the most important/unimportant. Since the identified most influencing factors are usually classified as wealth maximising factors, the study recommends that the investment climate and the market environment be made friendly and conducive to attract investors by creatively developing programmes and policies that impact on investors’ decisions in order to maximise the value of the firms and enhance the wealth of the investors. The market players should re-organise the market and implement accommodating policies which will eliminate fraud and resolve the leadership crisis in the market.
Diel Variations in Survey Catch Rates and Survey Catchability of Spiny Dogfish and their Pelagic Prey in the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem

Abstract This study examines the potential uncertainty in survey biomass estimates of Spiny Dogfish Squalus acanthias in the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem (NES LME). Diel catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) estimates are examined from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center bottom trawl surveys conducted during autumn (1963–2009) and spring (1968–2009). Influential environmental variables on survey catchability are identified for Spiny Dogfish life history stages and five pelagic prey species: Butterfish Peprilus triacanthus, Atlantic Herring Clupea harengus, shortfin squid Illex spp. , longfin squid Doryteuthis spp. , and Atlantic Mackerel Scomber scombrus. Daytime survey catchability was significantly higher than nighttime catchability for most species during autumn and for mature male Spiny Dogfish, shortfin squid, and longfin squid during spring in the NES LME. For most stages and species examined, breakpoint analyses identified significant increases in CPUE in the morning, peak CPUE during the day, and significant declines in CPUE in the late afternoon. Seasonal probabilities of daytime catch were largely driven by solar zenith angle for most species, with stronger trends identified during autumn. Unadjusted CPUE estimates appear to overestimate absolute abundance, with adjustments resulting in reductions in absolute abundance ranging from 41% for Spiny Dogfish to 91% for shortfin and longfin squids. These findings have important implications for Spiny Dogfish regarding estimates of population consumption of key pelagic prey species and their ecological footprint within the NES LME.
Development of an application for the generation of robot trajectories based on learning by demonstration techniques Final Master Thesis

The need of designing and implementing software to prepare robots for the execution of new tasks implies an expensive cost that requires specific hardware, software and knowledge. Learning by demonstration is a paradigm for enabling robots to autonomously perform new tasks learning from previous demonstrations. This project focuses on how to facilitate the learning of new tasks by robots through demonstrations performed by humans. In order to accomplish this goal, this thesis considers two subproblems: imitation and correspondence. Three different algorithms are used in order to solve both subproblems, in addition to a reinforcement learning to improve the final solution through new demonstrations. Moreover, a methodology is proposed to perform experimentation using these algorithms, including a final discussion over their performance and future work.
Spleen histology in the female Ohrid trout, Salmo letnica (Kar.) (Teleostei, Salmonidae) during the reproductive cycle

The Ohrid trout is an endemic autochthonous species dating from the Tertiary period with an unique ecologi- cal and commercial value. We still lack the basic knowledge of normal histology of many visceral organs in this species, including the spleen. To tackle this limitation, the investigation was focused on a histological description of the spleen and the influence of the breeding cycle on some aspects of the spleen (the relative volumes of the red and white pulp). Ex- amination by light microscopy showed the same basic structural features of the salmonid spleen: red and white pulp with randomly distributed melanomacrophage centers, surrounded by a fibrous capsule. White pulp comprises about 35-40% of the volume of the parenchyma, 2-fold less than red pulp. During the breeding cycle, we observed a significant increase of white pulp and decrease of red pulp in the spawning stage compared to earlier stages. After spawning, the relative volumes of white and red pulp exhibit a tendency to decrease and increase, respectively. Based on correlations between the amount of white and red pulp and the ovary somatic ratio, we assumed there could be a connection between the sex steroid status and the pulp content in the spleen.
MOLE : Mimetic Operators Library Enhanced The Open-Source Library for Solving Partial Differential Equations using Mimetic Methods

MOLE is a high quality (C++ & MATLAB) library that implements highorder mimetic methods to solve 1D, 2D, and 3D partial differential equations. It provides discrete analogs of the most common vector calculus operators: Gradient, Divergence, Laplacian and Curl. These operators (matrices) act on staggered grids (uniform and nonuniform) and they satisfy local and global conservation laws. The mathematics is based on the work of [Corbino and Castillo 2017, to be published]. However, the user may find useful previous publications such as [Castillo and Grone 2003], in which similar operators are derived using a matrix analysis approach.
High-ozone layers in the middle and upper troposphere above Central Europe: Potential import from the stratosphere along the subtropical jet stream

Specific very dry high-ozone layers, starting roughly two days after the onset of high-pressure periods during the warm season, have been reproducibly observed in the middle and upper troposphere with the ozone lidar in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany). These episodes, previously not understood, were recently analysed based on extending backward simulations with the FLEXPART particle dispersion model to as many as twenty days and on jet-stream analyses including calculations with the LAGRANTO transport model. In all six cases analysed the model results indicate ozone import from the stratosphere on an extremely long path along the subtropical jet stream over the Pacific Ocean, Asia and, in part, all the way back to the Atlantic Ocean. The analysis suggests that stratospheric influence is the most important factor for the increase in ozone and is related to rather shallow transfer of air from the stratosphere into the upper- and mid-tropospheric air streams observed with the lidar. Contributions from the boundary layers of East Asia and North America are just occasionally present, in one case documented by a very dense aerosol plume from the Asian deserts. The considerable vertical and temporal extent of many of these layers and peak ozone mixing ratios between 80 and 150 ppb suggest that the observations are related to an important mechanism for stratosphere-to-troposphere transport (STT) and also confirm the model predictions of pronounced and persistent STT along the subtropical jet stream.
Vertically Related Markets of Collective Licensing of Differentiated Copyrights with Indirect Network Effects

This paper presents a theory of vertically interrelated markets of identical fixed size under implementation of positive indirect network effects. By introducing two Salop circles, a two-sided market model is provided, where intermediaries of differentiated copyrights for intellectual property, like performing rights organizations or publishers, compete as oligopsonists for owners of the intellectual property and as oligopolists for the users of their blanket licenses. We demonstrate, that an increase in competition benefits either license users or copyright owners or harms both groups. Moreover, if license users gain from an increased market entry, the owners of the intellectual property have to incur losses and vice versa.
Opportunistic feeding by dabs within areas of trawl disturbance: possible implications for increased survival

As demersal fishinq qears are towed across the Sea since 1945 has reduced the population size of seabed they dig up or damage infaina. Dab Limanda limanda L. are known to aggregate in areas disturbed by trawls. We demonstrate that dab alter their diet and increase their food ~ n t a k e when feeding In these areas. Although dabs are frequently caught in large numbers as part of the by-catch of commercial flatfish fisheries, and a large proportion of these die, they remaln the most abundant flatfish species in the North Sea. Fisheries have selectively removed species that prey upon or compete with dab. Furthermore, fishing activity increases feedlng opportunities for dabs. These factors may have contributed to the observcd increase in the abundance of dab in the North Sea. predatory fish species such as cod Gadus nlorhua L. which feed on dab (Daan et al. 1990, Greenstreet & Hall 1996). Eutrophication through anthropogenic activities has led to an increase in the abundance of the brittlestar Amphiura spp. in the North Sea (Duineveld et al. 1987, Lindley et al. 1995), which are an important component in the diet of dab (Duineveld & van Noort 1986). In undisturbed sediments Amphiura spp. are positioned with their oral discs buried within the sediment while their arms protrude from the sediment surface. Under these circumstances, dab graze the ex
Reptiles of Sardinia: updating the knowledge on their distribution

Sardinia shows a clear lack of herpetological data due to an evident paucity of herpetological surveys. This gap of knowledge is worthy of attention, since Sardinia hosts a rich herpetofauna with a large proportion of endemic species, and distribution data are crucial for targeting conservation efforts. In this paper we provide new distribution data for Sardinian reptiles, with the aim of updating our knowledge on their specific distribution. Data were opportunistically recorded during ten years of field research in Sardinia, carried out in more than twenty campaigns from April 1999 to June 2009. All the eighteen reptile species belonging to the Sardinian fauna were recorded. A total amount of 293 faunistic data were collected from 178 different localities covering the entire study area. Within this dataset, 137 faunistic data fall outside known species’ ranges as reported in the Atlas of Italian amphibians and reptiles. In conclusion, data presented here produced a remarkable increase of knowledge on Sardinian reptiles distribution compare to that reported in the last available syntheses. Nevertheless, it should be evidenced that, notwithstanding the present updating, the knowledge of Sardinian reptiles’ distribution is probably still far from being exhaustive. Thus, further investigations are strongly required for obtaining a complete picture and identifying conservation priorities in terms of isolated species/populations and areas of high diversity and endemicity.
Mixing in classical novae: a 2-D sensitivity study

Context. Classical novae are explosive phenomena that take place in stellar binary systems. They are powered by mass transfer from a low-mass, main sequence star onto a white dwarf. The material piles up under degenerate conditions and a thermonuclear runaway ensues. The energy released by the suite of nuclear processes operating at the envelope heats the material up to peak temperatures of ∼(1−4) × 10 8 K. During these events, about 10 −4 −10 −5 M� , enriched in CNO and other intermediate-mass elements, are ejected into the interstellar medium. To account for the gross observational properties of classical novae (in particular, a metallicity enhancement in the ejecta above solar values), numerical models assume mixing between the (solar-like) material transferred from the companion and the outermost layers (CO- or ONe-rich) of the underlying white dwarf. Aims. The nature of the mixing mechanism that operates at the core-envelope interface has puzzled stellar modelers for about 40 years. Here we investigate the role of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities as a natural mechanism for self-enrichment of the accreted envelope with core material. Methods. The feasibility of this mechanism is studied by means of the multidimensional code FLASH. Here, we present a series of 9 numerical simulations perfomed in two dimensions aimed at testing the possible influence of the initial perturbation (duration, strength, location, and size), the resolution adopted, or the size of the computational domain on the results. Results. We show that results do not depend substantially on the specific choice of these parameters, demonstrating that KelvinHelmholtz instabilities can naturally lead to self-enrichment of the accreted envelope with core material, at levels that agree with observations.
Stability of a Class of Stochastic Nonlinear Systems with Markovian Switching

This paper investigates the stability of a class of stochastic nonlinear systems with Markovian switching via output-feedback. Based on the backstepping design method and homogeneous domination technique, an output-feedback controller is constructed to guarantee that the closed-loop system has a unique solution and is almost surely asymptotically stable. The efficiency of the output-feedback controller is demonstrated by a simulation example.
A Spatial Difference-in-Differences Approach To Studying the Effect of Greening Vacant Land on Property Values

This article details the use of a spatial difference-in-differences approach for measuring the effect of a vacant land greening program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on nearby property values. Vacant land is a ubiquitous problem in U.S. cities, and many have recently begun to explore greening programs as an interim management strategy for vacant lots, in the hopes they will reduce the negative influence of vacancy and help to spur neighborhood development. The methods used here draw on previous approaches to modeling effects of greening on property values but expand on them to explore means of incorporating spatial relationships and allowing for spatial nonstationarity, in which the process being modeled changes across space. Spatial methods were used not only to derive data and choose appropriate observations but also to compare global and local versions of the analysis to assess spatial patterns and differences in outcomes across the study area, ultimately showing that, although greening vacant land increases surrounding property values, it does not do so uniformly across urban neighborhoods.
Transformation of logwood combustion emissions in a smog chamber: formationof secondary organic aerosol and changes in the primary organic aerosol upondaytime and nighttime aging

Abstract. Organic aerosols (OA) derived from small-scale wood combustion emissions are not well represented by current emissions inventories and models, although they contribute substantially to the atmospheric particulate matter (PM) levels. In this work, a 29 m3 smog chamber in the ILMARI facility of the University of Eastern Finland was utilized to investigate the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from a small-scale modern masonry heater commonly used in northern Europe. Emissions were oxidatively aged in the smog chamber for a variety of dark (i.e., O3 and NO3) and UV (i.e., OH) conditions, with OH concentration levels of (0.5–5) × 106 molecules cm−3, achieving equivalent atmospheric aging of up to 18 h. An aerosol mass spectrometer characterized the direct OA emissions and the SOA formed from the combustion of three wood species (birch, beech and spruce) using two ignition processes (fast ignition with a VOC-to-NOx ratio of 3 and slow ignition with a ratio of 5). Dark and UV aging increased the SOA mass fraction with average SOA productions 2.0 times the initial OA mass loadings. SOA enhancement was found to be higher for the slow ignition compared with fast ignition conditions. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was used to separate SOA, primary organic aerosol (POA) and their subgroups from the total OA mass spectra. PMF analysis identified two POA and three SOA factors that correlated with the three major oxidizers: ozone, the nitrate radical and the OH radical. Organonitrates (ONs) were observed to be emitted directly from the wood combustion and additionally formed during oxidation via NO3 radicals (dark aging), suggesting small-scale wood combustion may be a significant ON source. POA was oxidized after the ozone addition, forming aged POA, and after 7 h of aging more than 75 % of the original POA was transformed. This process may involve evaporation and homogeneous gas-phase oxidation as well as heterogeneous oxidation of particulate organic matter. The results generally prove that logwood burning emissions are the subject of intensive chemical processing in the atmosphere, and the timescale for these transformations is relatively short, i.e., hours.
Populist Fiscal Policy

Political economy explanations for fiscal profligacy are dominated by models of bargaining among organized interest groups over group-specific targeted benefits financed by generalized taxation. These models predict that governments consisting of a coalition of political parties spend more than single-party regimes. This paper presents an alternative model-that of populist pressure on political parties to spend more on the general public good, financed by costly income taxation-and obtains the opposite prediction. According to this model, public spending and taxes are lower under coalition governments that can win elections more cheaply. Indeed, in order to win elections, coalition partners need to satisfy a smaller share of swing voters than does a single-party government that enjoys narrower support from its core constituency. A coalition government therefore spends less on the public good to capture the share of the swing vote necessary for re-election. Using data from more than 70 countries during the period 1970-2006, the paper provides robust supporting evidence for this alternative model.