Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biocontrol potential varies with changes in biofuel–crop plant communities and landscape perenniality

We examined the potential local‐ and landscape‐level impacts of different biofuel production systems on biocontrol, an important service provided by arthropod natural enemies. Specifically, we sampled natural enemies with sweep nets and measured predation of sentinel pest eggs in stands of corn, switchgrass and mixed prairie in Michigan and Wisconsin (total n=40 for natural enemy sampling, n=60 for egg predation), relating them to crop type, forb cover and diversity, and the composition and heterogeneity of the surrounding landscape. Grasslands with intermediate levels of forb cover and flower diversity supported two‐orders of magnitude more natural enemy biomass, fourfold more natural enemy families, and threefold greater rates of egg predation than corn. Data suggest this was in part due to a general increase in biomass, richness and predation in perennial grasslands compared with corn, combined with a positive effect of intermediate levels of forb cover and flower diversity. Specifically, natural enemy biomass and family richness showed hump‐shaped relationships to forb cover that peaked in sites with 5–25% forbs, while egg predation increased with floral diversity. At the landscape scale, both natural‐enemy biomass and egg predation increased with the area of forest in the landscape, and egg predation almost doubled as the area of herbaceous, perennial habitats within 1.5 km of study sites increased. Our results suggest that floristically diverse, perennial grasslands support diverse and abundant predator communities that contribute to natural pest suppression. In addition, large‐scale production of biofuel crops could positively or negatively affect biocontrol services in agricultural landscapes through associated changes in the area of perennial habitats. Biofuel landscapes that incorporate perennial grasslands could support a variety of beneficial organisms and ecosystem services in addition to producing biomass.
Evolution of the observed Lyα luminosity function from z = 6.5 to z = 7.7: evidence for the epoch of reionization?

Aims. Lyα emitters (LAEs) can be detected out to very high redshifts during the epoch of reionization. The evolution of the LAE luminosity function with redshift is a direct probe of the Lyα transmission of the intergalactic medium (IGM), and therefore of the IGM neutral-hydrogen fraction. Measuring the Lyα luminosity function (LF) of Lyα emitters at redshift z = 7.7 therefore allows us to constrain the ionizing state of the Universe at this redshift. Methods. We observed three 7. 5 × 7. 5 fields with the HAWK-I instrument at the VLT with a narrow band filter centred at 1.06 μm and targeting Lyα emitters at redshift z ∼ 7.7. The fields were chosen for the availability of multiwavelength data. One field is a galaxy cluster, the Bullet Cluster, which allowed us to use gravitational amplification to probe luminosities that are fainter than in the field. The two other fields are subareas of the GOODS Chandra Deep Field South and CFHTLS-D4 deep field. We selected z = 7.7 LAE candidates from a variety of colour criteria, in particular from the absence of detection in the optical bands. Results. We do not find any LAE candidates at z = 7.7 in ∼2.4 × 104 Mpc3 down to a narrow band AB magnitude of ∼26, which allows us to infer robust constraints on the Lyα LAE luminosity function at this redshift. Conclusions. The predicted mean number of objects at z = 6.5, derived from somewhat different luminosity functions of Hu et al. (2010, ApJ, 725, 394), Ouchi et al. (2010, ApJ, 723, 869), and Kashikawa et al. (2011, ApJ, 734, 119) are 2.5, 13.7, and 11.6, respectively. Depending on which of these luminosity functions we refer to, we exclude a scenario with no evolution from z = 6.5 to z = 7.7 at 85% confidence without requiring a strong change in the IGM Lyα transmission, or at 99% confidence with a significant quenching of the IGM Lyα transmission, possibly from a strong increase in the high neutral-hydrogen fraction between these two redshifts.
Lower Fasting Serum Triglyceride Levels on Admission are Associated with Increased Risks of 30-Day and 1-Year Mortality in Patients with Ischemic Stroke

Objective: This study was to assess the 30-day and 1-year mortality associated with serum triglyceride levels on admission for patients with acute ischemic stroke using the Taiwan Stroke registry (TSR) data. Patients and methods: From the TSR database, we identified 45931 acute ischemic stroke patients from April 2006 to April 2014 and stratified them into 3 groups by the serum triglyceride level measured on admission: <150 mg/dL, 150 mg/dL -199 mg/dL, and ≥ 200 mg/dL. They were prospectively followed to measure the 30-day and 1- year mortality after acute ischemic stroke. Result: The mortality rate after acute ischemic stroke decreased as the triglyceride level increased. The 30-day mortality rate was 2.3-fold greater in patients with triglyceride levels 200 mg/dL (1.62 vs.0.72 per 1000 person-days), with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.25 (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.06-1.46). The 1-year mortality rate was also greater in patients with lower triglyceride levels than in patients with higher levels (0.47 vs. 0.22 per 1000 person-days), with an adjusted HR of 1.21 (95% CI=1.09-1.34). Compared to patients with triglyceride levels >200 mg/dL, those with triglyceride levels <150 mg/dL had 2.2% lower 30-day survival rate and 6.3% lower 1-year survival rate after acute ischemic stroke. Conclusion: Acute ischemic stroke patients with lower fasting serum triglyceride levels on admission are at a higher risk of both 30-day mortality and 1-year mortality.
Poromechanics: from Linear to Nonlinear Poroelasticity and Poroviscoelasticity

Due to the impact on productivity and oil in place estimates, reliable modeling of rock behavior is essential in reservoir engineering. This paper examines several aspects of rock poroelastic behavior within the framework of Biot's mechanics of fluid saturated porous solids. Constitutive laws of linear and nonlinear poroelasticity are first determined from a fundamental stress decomposition, which allows to clearly connect linear and nonlinear models. Concept of effective stress and rock compressibility are considered. Linear incremental stress-strain relations are derived from the proposed nonlinear constitutive law by defining tangent elastic properties. These characteristics are naturally functions of strains and pore pressure, but explicit expressions as functions of stresses and pore pressure are established herein. Experiments performed on a reservoir sandstone illustrate these points. A constitutive law of poroviscoelasticity is finally presented and applied to experimental data obtained on clay.
Dynamic k Neighbor Selection for Collaborative Filtering

Collaborative filtering is a commonly used method to reduce information overload. It is widely used in recommendation systems due to its simplicity. In traditional collaborative filtering, recommendations are produced based on similarities among users/items. In this approach, the most correlated k neighbors are determined, and a prediction is computed for each user/item by utilizing this neighborhood. During recommendation process, a predefined k value as a number of neighbors is used for prediction processes. In this paper, we analyze the effect of selecting different k values for each user or item. For this purpose, we generate a model that determines k values for each user or item at the off-line time. Empirical outcomes show that using the dynamic k values during the k -nn algorithm leads to more favorable recommendations compared to a constant k value.
Industrial Cluster as Business Strategy to Improve Rural Economy in Malaysia

South East Asia has played a major role in the world-economy now, and The ASEAN states have become a major focus for international capitalism, with a population of over 300 millions and some of the higher per capita incomes in the Third World, they have market potential; possibilities for investment given low labour costs and comparative political stability; strategic position between the Indian and Pacific oceans; and the 'openness' of the economies to trade, foreign investment and the activities of multinational corporations. However, the welfare of the community in Southeast Asia is still not over and the poverty rate is still relatively high. One way this is applied at the time of industrial clusters in small and medium enterprises in the village. Small and medium enterprises in the village have a great opportunity to be promoted, but this time the company in this village received less attention and they are not serious in handling the various parties involved. An industry cluster is different from the classic definition of industry sectors because it represents the entire value chain of a broadly defined industry from suppliers to end products, including supporting services and specialized infrastructure. Cluster industries are geographically concentrated and inter-connected by the flow of goods and services, which is stronger than the flow linking them to the rest of the economy. Clusters include both high and low-value added employment. The purpose of this paper is to explain and analyse apllied industrial clusters in the Tumpat rural community, Kelantan, Malaysia. The Industries involved in this project are the traditional cake and industrial catfish industries. There were 17 participants joining this programme and working together with rural industry. The concept of industrial clusters in this project is developing industries related with developing primary industries, which are aimed at supporting the industry to advance the economy in the community. The industrial clusters created for catfish industry are pellet industry, catfish crackers industry, catfish breeder, etc. From the traditional cake industry, the industrial clusters created are pineapple jam industry, printing industry, peanut farming, cake industry hub, etc. If the main business and their industrial clusters grow, the community welfare is also increased. The limitations of the industrial clusters project are financial problem (lack capital business), entrepreneur motivation, lack of interest among the rural community, lack of strategic management, marketing, and finance management knowledge and also lack of networking.
Study on the suspended particulate matter of a Mediterranean artificial lake (Sos Canales Lake) using Stable Isotope Analysis of carbon and nitrogen

Stable isotope analysis of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) was used to study the nature and origin of the suspended particulate matter (SPM) in a small Mediterranean reservoir, Lake Sos Canales (SC). The δ13 C and δ15 N isotopic ratios, physical-chemical parameters, nutrients and phytoplankton were analyzed ca. monthly over a hydrological year on the vertical profile at two stations (lacustrine and riverine). SPM quantity and composition were related to the hydrological annual dynamic. In Mediterranean reservoirs, water-level fluctuation is one of the most important stressors, largely dependent on the strong seasonality of climate and water exploitation for human uses. Mediterranean reservoirs show different phases during a hydrological year, alternating empty and low water level (summer–autumn), re-filling (winter–spring) and high water (spring–summer) phases. Isotopic ratios of C and N were similar on the vertical profile and at the two stations during the low water phase, but differed during the re-filling and high water phases. Significant correlations were found between δ15 N and water level, and between δ13 C and temperature in the surface layer at the lacustrine station. An unusual δ13 C distribution along the water column during the re-filling phase was interpreted on the basis of phytoplankton species composition, mainly due by Gymnodinium uberrimum .
Parallel and Distributed Immersive Real-Time Simulation of Large-Scale Networks

Network researchers need to embrace the challenge of designing the next-generation highperformance networking and software infrastructures that address the growing demand of distributed applications. These applications, particularly those potential "game changers" or "killer apps", such as voice-over-IP (VoIP) and peer-to-peer (P2P) applications surfaced in recent years, will significantly influence the way people conduct business and go about their daily lives. These distributed applications also include platforms that facilitate large-scale scientific experimentation through remote control and visualization. Many large-scale science applications—such as those in the field of astronomy, astrophysics, climate and environmental science, material science, particle physics, and social science—depend on the availability of high-performance facilities and advanced experimental instruments. Extreme networking capabilities together with effective high-end middleware infrastructures are of great importance to interconnecting these applications, computing resources and experimental facilities. "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. " The success of advancing critical technologies, to a large extent, depends on the available tools that can help effectively prototype, test, and analyze new designs and new ideas. Traditionally, network research has relied on a variety of tools. Physical network testbeds, such as WAIL (Barford and Landweber, 2003) and PlanetLab (Peterson et al., 2002), provide physical network connectivity; these testbeds are designed specifically for studying network protocols and services under real network conditions. However, the network condition of these testbeds is by and large constrained by the physical setup of the system and therefore inflexible for network researchers to explore a wide spectrum of the design space. To allow more flexibility, some of these testbeds, such as EmuLab (White et al., 2002) and VINI (Bavier et al., 2006), also offer emulation capabilities by modulating network traffic according to configuration and traffic condition of the target network. Physical and emulation testbeds currently are the mainstream for experimental networking research, primarily due to their capability of achieving desirable realism and accuracy. These testbeds, however, are costly to build. Due to limited resources available, conducting prolonged large-scale experiments on these platforms is difficult. Another solution is to use analytical models. Although analytical models are capable of bringing us important insight to the system design, dealing with a system as complex as the global network requires significantly simplified assumptions to be made to keep the models tractable. These simplified assumptions often 12
Construction of a cDNA Library of Vitis pseudoreticulata Native to China Inoculated with Uncinula necator and the Analysis of Potential Defence-related Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs)

Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) constitute a rapid and informative strategy for studying the gene expression profiles of specific stages of annual and perennial plant species. In the study undertaken for this report, a cDNA library was constructed from the young leaves of Chinese wild Vitis pseudoreticulata inoculated with Uncinula necator (Schwein.) Burrill. The leaves were harvested at various times after inoculation for total RNA extraction, which was used to generate ESTs. In our study, 107 cDNA clones were sequenced from either the 5’ or 3’ end of the cDNAs. Of these, 60 unigenes (56.1%) were functionally characterised by the BLASTX matches to known-function proteins, and 20 unigenes (18.7%) matched significantly with proteins with unknown function in the public databases. The remaining 27 unigenes (25.2%) failed to show significant homology to any proteins in the public databases, suggesting that they represented novel sequences. Some functional genes identified from the cDNA library and their potential with plant defence system is discussed.
Formation of Biogenic Amines in Chicken Meat Stored under Modified Atmosphere

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of two modified atmospheres with a different combination of gases on selected groups of microorganisms and on concentrations of biogenic amines (BAs) in samples of poultry breast muscle. The samples were packaged under modified atmosphere A (75% O2 a 25% CO2) or B (75% N2 and 25% CO2) and stored at temperatures from +2 to +4 °C for 14 days. During the storage period, O 2 concentrations in modified atmosphere A (MA A) decreased from the initial 74.8 ± 0.3% to 55.9 ± 6.6% at the end of the storage period. In all samples, counts of psychrotrophic bacteria counts, Brochothrix thermosphacta, lactic acid bacteria and coliform microorganism were determined. The tests were made on the packaging day, and then after three, nine and fourteen days of storage. At the end of the storage period, higher numbers of psychrotrophic bacteria (6.5 ± 0.7 log10 cfu·g -1 ), Brochothrix thermosphacta (4.8 ± 0.3 log 10 cfu·g-1) and lactic acid bacteria (1.7 ± 0.4 log 10 cfu·g-1) were found on samples packaged under MA A. Samples packaged under modified atmosphere B on the other hand contained higher numbers of coliform bacteria (4.1 ± 0.6 log 10 cfu·g-1) at the end of the storage period. In addition to microbiological indicators, concentrations of biogenic amines (putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermine, spermidine and β-phenylethylamine) were also determined. In fresh samples and after three days of storage, only spermine and spermidine were found. After 9 and 14 days, also other BAs were detected. The biogenic amine totals at the end of the storage period was 60.0 ± 13.2 mg·kg -1 in samples packaged under MA A and 129.0 ± 41.3 mg·kg -1 in samples packaged under MA B. The most abundantly represented biogenic amines in samples packaged under MA A were putrescine and spermine (49.7 and 24.8%, respectively, at the end of the storage period), and putrescine and cadaverine in samples packaged under MA B (47.0 and 32.9 %, respectively, at the end of the storage period). Poultry meat, shelf-life, microbiological quality, amines, HPLC Poultry is a highly perishable food and the time it takes to deteriorate varies from 4 to 10 days after slaughtering, in spite of having been stored under chill systems (Phillips 1996). Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) has become widespread (Susiluoto et al. 2003) in recent years to increase the shelf life of fresh chicken meat and chicken products. Various combinations of gases are used, and combinations of O 2 , CO 2 and N 2 are among the most frequent ones. Most of the gases used for food packaging exhibit various degrees of bacteriostatic or bactericidal effects. Shelf life of meat packaged under modified atmosphere is decisively influenced by its initial microbial contamination, the appropriateness of gas mixture used and strict cold chain compliance (Jeremiah and Gibson 2001; Farber 1991). Other gases may also be used for MAP, for instance argon (Ar) or carbon monoxide
Under which conditions does retention harvesting support ground beetles of boreal forests

Forestry is currently undergoing a paradigm shift from the clear-cut, even-age timber-production model toward a model that is based on spatially and temporally complex natural disturbances and structures, i.e., the disturbance-based management model. This model involves a variety of logging methods, high level of green-tree retention, better consideration of legacy elements, and modifications of density, age, and species structure of harvested forests. Many characteristics of this model have been studied using boreal ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae). These studies are mostly short term (up to 10 years after logging) and have been conducted at spatial scales of within or between stands. Compared to “classic” clear-cutting, modifications of it – green-tree retention and decreasing clear-cut size – positively affect closed-forest species and attenuate the increase of canopy-closure generalists and openhabitat species. Assuming a relatively even tree removal, thresholds in carabid response occur at 40-50% retention (trees/ha), below which closed-canopy specialists start to quickly decrease, and at 20-30%, below which open-habitat specialists drastically increase. Selective logging in principle creates gaps of up to ca. r = 5 m by removal of single trees and does not significantly affect forest carabids, assuming >60% retention. However, >0.1-ha clear-cut gaps (ca. r > 10 m) may face rapid changes in species composition: the larger the gap, the larger the change. Forest carabids also generally benefit from retention of patches of subdominant species and wet bogs, and increased downed dead wood. Notable knowledge gaps in carabid research in the boreal region exist particularly on large-scale responses of carabids to forestry, especially specific responses of arboreal species, and carabid responses to forestry in rare habitat types such as groves, pine heaths, and along forest streams. Long-term studies would be extremely valuable now, considering the many rapid global-scale climate and land-use changes.
Storage capacity of ultrametric committee machines

The problem of computing the storage capacity of a feed-forward network, with L hidden layers, N inputs, and K units in the first hidden layer, is analyzed using techniques from statistical mechanics. We found that the storage capacity strongly depends on the network architecture αˆc∼(logK)1−1/2L? > and that the number of units K limits the number of possible hidden layers L through the relationship 2L − 1 < 2log K.
Heavy Metals, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. in Feeds, Reused Water, Wastewater and Manure from Swine Farms: A Case Report

The levels of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. , heavy metal contamination in feeds, wastewater and manure in swine farms containing more than 1,000 sows per farm were studied. There were high levels of contamination of E. coli in the dry swine manure and fi nal wastewater, but low levels in the raw water and reused water. Salmonella had contaminated the raw water, reused water and fi nal wastewater. E. coli was found in decreasing levels from high to low in the fattening feed, sow feed and nursery feed. Salmonella serogroup E was mainly found in raw water, while serogroups B and E were found in the swine manure. Signifi cant levels of Cd and Pb were found in the swine manure, while high levels of Zn and Cu were found in the nursery and fattening feeds used on the swine farms. There were positive correlation coeffi cients among Zn, Cu and Pb levels, while Zn and Pb levels correlated with E. coli and total bacterial count levels in the fi nal wastewater. This study revealed that animal feeds and water used on farms must be obtained from reliable sources and it is highly recommended that regularly monitoring and assessment is undertaken to ensure the health safety of pig production and pork quality and to address environmental concerns.