Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamics and Structure of a Native Pieris Population in the Presence of a Non-Native, Toxic Larval Host Plant

ABSTRACT. There have been reports of butterflies that oviposit on non-native plants that do not support the development of the larvae, and the fitness cost of this behavior has been estimated in one such case. However, the long-term consequences of this fitness cost for the population dynamics of such butterflies have not been studied. Here we report changes over 40 years in a population of Pieris macdunnoughii (Lepidoptera, Pieridae; formerly Pieris napi macdunnoughii Remington), which oviposits on a lethal, non-native plant, Thlaspi arvense (Brassicaceae), as well as on suitable native hosts. Mark-release-recapture (MRR) studies conducted at four intervals over 40 years showed no significant trends across years in population structure or dynamics, including estimated population density and temporal changes in the number of newly emerged individuals within a year. The estimated daily residence rate differed between the sexes. However, male estimated daily residence rate showed no significant change across years. Female residence rate was higher in the 2000s than in 1971; data were insufficient to calculate a residence rate in 1972. The average flight distance of female dispersants changed across years, but not as expected based on potential flight distance and with no clear pattern. Our detailed observations on female flights at a local scale showed that flight segments varied among different habitat types defined by aridity. Thus, although we see habitat effects on behavior, we did not detect any significant changes in P. macdunnoughii population dynamics and large-scale structure across four decades, a century after the plant's introduction.
Investigating the Relationship between Intellectual Capital and Audit Quality Based on China Audit Market

Audit quality is often considered as the probability that auditors can detect and report misstatements of clients’ financial reporting, and enhance the credibility of stakeholders on disclosed information. Hence, the importance of intellectual capital can be tracked to the audit quality of accounting firms with knowledge-intensive feature. This paper discusses a more comprehensive perspective of intellectual capital in auditing area, with the opinion that all of the four components will have critical impact on audit quality. Not only human capital and spiritual capital including such as knowledge, skills, expertise, ethics, moral and values etc., but also the rules, systems, norms within the firm and the relationship characteristics of the firm with its clients are all closely related to audit quality. This paper introduces a more complete conceptual framework of intellectual capital on the basis of exploring the factors mentioned in previous studies and discusses the influencing factors of intellectual capital on audit quality, and finally puts forward some suggestions on the structure of intellectual capital, the internal management of accounting firms and industry supervision based on China's audit market.
DynamicVAE: Decoupling Reconstruction Error and Disentangled Representation Learning

This paper challenges the common assumption that the weight $\beta$, in $\beta$-VAE, should be larger than $1$ in order to effectively disentangle latent factors. We demonstrate that $\beta$-VAE, with $\beta < 1$, can not only attain good disentanglement but also significantly improve reconstruction accuracy via dynamic control. The paper removes the inherent trade-off between reconstruction accuracy and disentanglement for $\beta$-VAE. Existing methods, such as $\beta$-VAE and FactorVAE, assign a large weight to the KL-divergence term in the objective function, leading to high reconstruction errors for the sake of better disentanglement. To mitigate this problem, a ControlVAE has recently been developed that dynamically tunes the KL-divergence weight in an attempt to control the trade-off to more a favorable point. However, ControlVAE fails to eliminate the conflict between the need for a large $\beta$ (for disentanglement) and the need for a small $\beta$. Instead, we propose DynamicVAE that maintains a different $\beta$ at different stages of training, thereby decoupling disentanglement and reconstruction accuracy. In order to evolve the weight, $\beta$, along a trajectory that enables such decoupling, DynamicVAE leverages a modified incremental PI (proportional-integral) controller, and employs a moving average as well as a hybrid annealing method to evolve the value of KL-divergence smoothly in a tightly controlled fashion. We theoretically prove the stability of the proposed approach. Evaluation results on three benchmark datasets demonstrate that DynamicVAE significantly improves the reconstruction accuracy while achieving disentanglement comparable to the best of existing methods. The results verify that our method can separate disentangled representation learning and reconstruction, removing the inherent tension between the two.
HOW DIVERSE CAN YOU GET?

This paper studies female board representation in 534 public corporations in four Nordic countries during 2001-2008. We explore how the heterogeneity of male directors correlates with the appointments of female directors. Considering the diversity dimensions of age, gender and nationality, our results indicate that Nordic corporations choose to “minimize” overall board diversity. We find a “crowding–out” effect between different dimensions of diversity. We argue that this effect partly explains the low proportion of female directors in Nordic firms, and that the mandatory gender quota in Norway may come at the price of lower diversity in other respects. JEL-codes: G30, G38, J16, L22, M16, M52
Pulmonary Tuberculosis among HIV/AIDS Patients: Chest X-ray Characteristics

Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) constitute the main burden of infectious disease worldwide. Infection with HIV increases an individual’s risk to 20-fold of developing active TB. Chest X-ray (CXR) is one of the important tools used in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis among people living with HIV/AIDS. The spectrum of radiological findings varies according to HIV status and immunological status. This review designed to identify the common CXR findings encountered in pulmonary TB-HIV coinfection. The electronic search was in three main databases PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were conducted using the search term: “Chest X-ray/radiological features/ Findings/ characteristics, pulmonary TB and HIV/AIDS co-infection”. Typical radiological finding was found to be closely related to the immunological status, where the atypical presentations were commonly reported in PTB-HIV confection. It could be included that interpretation of CXR in areas with a high prevalence of HIV-related TB necessitates interpreters to be provided with HIV status and the degree of immunosuppression.
Cognitive dissonance and political polarization' An experimental approach

According to the theory of cognitive dissonance, the act of voting in and of itself could contribute to political polarization. This would show itself as a decreased willingness to adjust political attitudes towards well-liked candidates after receiving information that paints them in a bad light. A similar effect should occur for not so well-liked candidates after receiving positive information on them. This hypothesis was tested using an experiment where 412 subjects were randomly assigned to vote and non-vote conditions. OLS regression results show that voting subjects adjust their political attitude significantly less compared to non-voting subjects after receiving negative information on their most preferred candidate. However, this effect was not present for subjects on the political right. Similarly, voting subjects also adjusted their political attitude less compared to non-voting subjects after reading positive information on their least preferred candidate. The findings of this thesis improve the validity of similar empirical findings, while also improving the robustness of the finding that casting a vote affects political attitudes.
Review of 5G Massive MIMO Wireless Technology and Wireless Applications

: - The scope of this paper is to compare technologies changes that have decided the evolution and growth of communication technologies. The telecommunication evolution from first to upcoming fifth generation communication network is descried along with the uses cases of fastest growing Device to Device technology and Internet of Things. By using 5G libraries which are freely available and LTE toolbox, we construct end to end simulation model by using Matlab 2016 b. Here we are planning to check performance of some variables like data rate, delay from one end to another end and ratio of delivery of data. Then study the 5G technology and feature scope of 5G technology.
Peritumoral (pseudo)cystic meningioma in a cat Peritumoraal (pseudo)cysteus meningeoom bij een kat

Meningioma is the most commonly reported primary brain tumor in cats (Troxel et al., 2003; Troxel et al., 2004; Tomek et al., 2006). Feline meningiomas are considered benign, slow-growing, mostly solitary tumors arising from the arachnoid cells of the meninges (Cameron et al., 2015). In cats, the most common locations are the tela choroidea of the third ventricle and the supratentorial meninges (Troxel et al., 2003). Multiple meningiomas are not uncommon in cats and have been reported in 10% of cats diagnosed with intracranial neoplasia, and in 17.2% of cats diagnosed with intracranial meningioma (Troxel et al., 2003; Forterre et al., 2007). The most common neurological signs are behavioral changes, ataxia and seizures, although some cats do not show any neurological signs. Nonspecific clinical signs of lethargy and anorexia are commonly present (Troxel et al., 2003; Cameron et al., 2015). Magnetic resonance BSTRACT
Bioconversion of waste paper into soil conditioner and its effect on plants growth and microbial population of the soil

This research work focused on bioconversion of waste paper into soil conditioner and its effect on plants growth and soil microbial population. The effects were studied for 21 days and the number of seeds germinated and their height were measured at 3 days interval. Percentage (%) seed germination across the samples was 100 %. The height of the plants in soil treated with composted waste paper ranged between 80±0.98 mm and 643± 1.76 mm that of control soil ranged between 70±1.98 mm and 503±1.67 mm. The result for the microbial analysis revealed a total bacterial count range from 4.0± 1.01 to 6.9±1.03 x105 cfu/g for soil samples treated with composted waste paper and 5.0±0.78 to 6.1±1.29 x105 cfu/g for control. The results also revealed a total of eight bacterial genera and they include; Bacillus sp, Pseudomonas sp, E.coli, Micrcoccus sp, Staphylococuss sp, Proteus sp, Enterobacter sp, Klebsiella sp respectively. Total fungal count ranged from 1.5±0.97 to 2.9±0.92 x 105 cfu/g for soil samples treated with composted waste paper. A total of five fungal genera were isolated and they included Aspergillus sp, Penicillium sp, Mucor sp, Rhizopus sp, and Sacharomyces sp respectively. The most prevalent bacterium across the sample was Bacillus sp with 33.33 % while the most prevalent fungus across the sample was Penicillium sp with 41.67 %.
Carnivores in the southwest of the province of Buenos Aires: ecology and conflicts with farmers

The key role that wild carnivores play in ecosystems is threatened by human persecution and habitat alteration worldwide. The SW region of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is a region strongly modified by the spread of agriculture and where, in the last years, there has been an increase in carnivore predation on livestock. The simultaneous study of the ecology of carnivores and of their conflicts with ranching activities is essential to find solution that can minimize the impact of these species on the regional economy while maintaining their ecological role. We deployed camera traps in the Buenos Aires counties of Villarino and Patagones to study the factors affecting the distribution of the four most common species (puma, Puma concolor; Geoffroy’s cat, Leopardus geoffroyi; Pampas fox, Pseudalopex gymnocercus; Molina’s hog-nosed skunk, Conepatus chinga). Semi-structured interviews to local ranchers and participative workshops were carried out to analyze human-carnivore conflicts. From 2008 to 2015, we surveyed 49 camera trap sites and characterized the study area through 12 variables related to anthropogenic alterations and to landscape composition and fragmentation. We also completed 193 interviews and four workshops. For the interviews we used a questionnaire focused on collecting information on socio-economic aspects of ranchers and ranch management, while in the workshops we searched for a common agreement on the relevance of the potential factors affecting human-carnivore conflicts. The application of Generalized Linear Models to camera trapping data indicated that the use of habitat by carnivores in the region is affected by the alterations of natural habitats. The Pampas fox and skunk were the species with greater adaptability, whereas the puma and Geoffroy’s cat appeared to be more sensitive to ecosystem modifications. Pumas avoided intensively modified sites and preferred natural patches. Losses on livestock by pumas and Pampas foxes during the previous year were reported by 47% and 55% of respondents, respectively, and 93% of ranchers considered carnivores as detrimental to regional production. Workshop participants identified a possible increase in conflicts associated to the decrease in human presence in ranchlands. Although illegal hunting of carnivores appears to be the most common response to conflicts, ranchers showed interest and motivation to explore mitigation measures. The comprehension of the socio-economic dynamics occurring in the SW of Buenos Aires is extremely urgent for conflict mitigation. Nevertheless, long term solutions will require the engagement of local communities and different government institutions.
Lde Chironomidae (Diptera) da planície arvas de Chironomidae (Diptera) da planície arvas de Chironomidae (Diptera) da planície arvas de Chironomidae (Diptera) da planície de inundaçãodo alto

Chironomidae larvae (Diptera) from the upper Parana river floodplain: distribution and composition in different environments and hydrological periods. The present study had the aim to identify possible differences in the community structure of Chironomidae larvae in four different environments of the upper Parana river floodplain with different characteristics and to analyze the influence of abiotic factors and variations in the hydrometric level of the community. Samplings were carried out in March and September, 2003. Four samplings were taken from each of the 12 collecting points: three for biological analysis and one for sediment analysis. Biological contents were washed with the aid of a system with 2.0; 1.0 and 0.2 mm sieves. Chironomidae larvae were identified to the genus level. A total of 1478 Chironomidae larvae were observed, from 19 genera. Polypedilum, Tanytarsus and Chironomus were registered in all environments. The highest values of density and diversity of Chironomidae were registered in low water periods, specially in lentic environments. The variation of density, dominance and diversity of Chironomidae between the two periods was influenced mainly by the hydrological cycle and by the dissolved oxygen, while the spatial variation was associated with the type of sediment, organic matter percentage and the presence or absence of aquatic macrophytes.
Assessment of Outdoor Bioaerosols In Megacity Istanbul-Turkey and Its Relation with Tobacco Smoke

Biological substances in the aerosols have important impacts on public health and include bacteria, fungi, etc. that they can be toxigenic, allergenic and/or infectious. These substances can be originated from either natural sources such as evaporated sea spray, windborne pollen, dust, and other geothermal eruptions or from anthropogenic sources, like various industrial and man-made processes. One of the usual and daily man-made processes is tobacco smoke. To investigate the outdoor microbial activity and effect of tobacco smoke on outdoor air, culturable microbial activity, and diversity were measured in smoking and non-smoking outdoor sites. Meteorological variables (wind, temperature, humidity etc.) were also evaluated on the outdoor microbial activity. Outdoor air samples collected with manual aerosol samplers in Florya, Istanbul (Turkey) during three months in the winter of 2015-16. Average microorganism concentrations were varied 33-200 CFU/m3 and 2-120 CFU/m3 for smoking area and non-smoking area, respectively. The most dominant species were bacillus, staphylococcus and mold.
Prevalence rate of cytomegalovirus infection in individuals with and without systemic lupus erythematosus

Background: The role of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in triggering or exacerbating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains a subject of debate. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence rate of CMV infection between individuals with and without SLE. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study recruited 52 consecutive patients with SLE (based on the criteria determined by the Systemic Lupus Collaborating Clinics, 2012) and 52 healthy subjects. The exclusion criteria were immunodeficiency and other background diseases. CMV infection was assessed according to serology (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Immunoglobulin G (IgG) was positive in all participants. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) was positive in eight SLE patients (15.4%) and none of the controls (p = 0.003). The PCR was positive in four SLE patients (7.7%) and none of the controls (p = 0.041). IgM level was not related to age, gender, literacy, marital status, family history, SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI), or duration of the disease (p > 0.05). Conclusion: According to this study, CMV infection was higher in SLE patients but was not related to the type of organ involvement, type of immunosuppressive drug, or SLEDAI.
Dissection of QTLs in Two Years for Important Agronomic Traits in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

QTL for nine important agronomic traits including plant height, heading time, yield and yield components were investigated in two years (1999-2000) by using a population of 241 RIL population derived from an elite hybrid cross of “Zhenshan 97 × Minghui 63”. Results showed that the tremendous transgressive segregations for nine traits were observed in the population and the frequencies of these traits were approximately normally distributed. A total of 64 QTL distributed on 11 rice chromosomes except the forth one were detected in 1999 and 2000, including 45 and 35 QTL in 1999 and 2000, respectively, and 16 QTL were both found in two years. The contributions of QTL in 2000 were 2.83%-14.99%, which were lower than those in 1999. Different environments could affect QTL expressing, but differential expression of two-year QTL was not completely resulted from QTL×environment(QE) interactions, maybe it was the common results of lower heredity, lower genetic effects of QTL and QE interactions. In addition, eight significant QE interactions were identified, but their genetic effects were obviously lower than those of related QTL.
A miRNA screen procedure identifies garz as an essential factor in adult glia functions and validates Drosophila as a beneficial 3Rs model to study glial functions and GBF1 biology

Invertebrate glia performs most of the key functions controlled by mammalian glia in the nervous system and provides an ideal model for genetic studies of glial functions. To study the influence of adult glial cells in ageing we have performed a genetic screen in Drosophila using a collection of transgenic lines providing conditional expression of micro-RNAs (miRNAs). Here, we describe a methodological algorithm to identify and rank genes that are candidate to be targeted by miRNAs that shorten lifespan when expressed in adult glia. We have used four different databases for miRNA target prediction in Drosophila but find little agreement between them, overall. However, top candidate gene analysis shows potential to identify essential genes involved in adult glial functions. One example from our top candidates’ analysis is gartenzwerg ( garz). We establish that garz is necessary in many glial cell types, that it affects motor behaviour and, at the sub-cellular level, is responsible for defects in cellular membranes, autophagy and mitochondria quality control. We also verify the remarkable conservation of functions between garz and its mammalian orthologue, GBF1, validating the use of Drosophila as an alternative 3Rs-beneficial model to knock-out mice for studying the biology of GBF1, potentially involved in human neurodegenerative diseases.
Pengaruh Oversampling pada Klasifikasi Hipertensi dengan Algoritma Naïve Bayes, Decision Tree, dan Artificial Neural Network (ANN)

Oversampling is a technique to balance the number of data records for each class by generating data with a small number of records in a class, so that the amount is balanced with data with a class with a large number of records. Oversampling in this study is applied to hypertension dataset where hypertensive class has a small number of records when compared to the number of records for non-hypertensive classes. This study aims to evaluate the effect of oversampling on the classification of hypertension dataset consisting of hypertensive and non-hypertensive classes by utilizing the Naïve Bayes, Decision Tree
Preparation and Safety Evaluation of Topical Simvastatin Loaded NLCs for Vitiligo

Purpose: Vitiligo is a long-term common autoimmune disease in which growing patches of skin lose their color. There is no FDA-approved treatment for vitiligo. However, recent studies have demonstrated an immunosuppressive effect on vitiligo lesions in mouse models by simvastatin. A topical formulation was prepared containing simvastatin-loaded nano lipid carriers (simNLCs) for vitiligo treatment followed by evaluating their physicochemical characteristics and clinical safety. Methods: Both the lipid phase and the aqueous phase were heated to 75°C separately, and then simvastatin was dispersed in the lipid phase added to the aqueous phase. The mixture was homogenized for 1 minute, then for Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLC) formation, the emulsion was sonicated using a probe sonicator. The simNLCs produced were evaluated for drug entrapment, particle size and morphology, zeta potential, polydispersity index, viscosity, drug content, in vitro drug release, in vivo skin safety test, and long-term stability studies. Results: Dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry techniques proved the formation of a stable formulation containing spherical particles with nanoscale size. The drug entrapment efficiency and the drug-loading capacity were determined to be 99.27% and 3.9%, respectively. Human safety results indicated that adding simvastatin to lipid nanoparticles did not cause any changes to skin biophysical parameters. Conclusion: The preparation method of simNLC developed in this study is a suitable method, and the nanoparticles fabricated were safe with acceptable long-term stability and drug entrapment.
Integration of European Simulation Chambers for Investigating Atmospheric Processes. Towards 2020 and beyond

Project objectives (max 100 words) This project aims at providing new insights into fundamental processes involved in the formation and fate of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) formed as a result of the reactivity of volatile organic compounds (VOC) emitted by organic waste products (OWP) with photo-oxidants (O3 and OH). In this context, our objectives were to: (1) identify the VOC emissions from an urban OWP: the green waste (GW-OWP); (2) elucidate the mechanisms of production and degradation of these VOCs; (3) quantify the SOA formation potential.