Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Borboletas do Parque Metropolitano de Pituaçu, Salvador, Bahia, Brasil

O Parque Metropolitano de Pituaçu (PMP) representa uma das poucas unidades de conservação presentes na cidade de Salvador, representando um importante refúgio para a fauna e flora associada ou não a ambientes urbanos. Neste sentido, o presente estudo representa a primeira tentativa de fornecer dados sobre a fauna de borboletas associadas a remanescentes urbanos em Salvador. As amostragens foram realizadas entre novembro de 2002 a abril de 2003 durante três dias consecutivos de cada mês, utilizando os métodos de captura com rede entomológica e armadilha de frutos fermentados. Foram capturadas um total de 319 indivíduos pertencentes a 70 espécies após um esforço de coleta de 324 horas, onde família mais representativa em termos de riqueza de espécies foi Nymphalidae. Embora nossos resultados apontem que a fauna do PMP capturada durante nosso estudo é constituída em grande parte por espécies generalistas, vale ressaltar que esta área representa um dos poucos remanescentes florestais urbanos protegidos na cidade de Salvador. Sugerimos assim, que seja realizado o manejo, a partir do plantio de espécies vegetais nativas que sirvam como recurso alimentar para lagartas e adultos de borboletas e a recuperação de áreas abertas como medidas para a manutenção da comunidade de borboletas do PMP.
An Improved Lightweight PUF–PKI Digital Certificate Authentication Scheme for the Internet of Things

Prosanta and Biplab presented a lightweight two-factor authentication scheme for the Internet of Things (IoT) devices based on the physical unclonable function (PUF). Their presented scheme was based on the fuzzy extractor and analyzed various security reasonings, such as mutual authentication, session key agreement, privacy and protection against impersonation, message tampering, and replay attacks. In this article, we present sufficient security analysis to demonstrate that the scheme has various security and privacy issues in its setup and authentication phases. We propose a highly secure and robust authentication protocol based on a public key infrastructure (PKI) digital certificate based on two certificate authorities (CAs) for cloud IoT systems. The proposed authentication method is verified and validated using the Tamarin prover and supported with a detailed security and performance analysis discussion. The scheme security and privacy attributes are compared with other IoT authentication schemes. The analysis has proved that the proposed authentication scheme is more secure and highly reliable as compared to the Prosanta and Biplab authentication scheme.
Computing the Noise Temperature Increase Caused by Pointing DSS 13 at the Center of the Moon

The Moon radiates energy at microwave wavelengths and, as a result, an antenna pointed at or near the Moon will experience an increase in receiver noise temperature that needs to be accounted for in telecommunications link calculations or in any radio science or ranging activities. This article computes the noise-temperature increases caused by pointing the Deep Space Station 13 (DSS 13) beam-waveguide antenna at the center of the Moon at 2.295-GHz (S-band), 8.45-GHz (X-band), and 32-GHz (Ka-band) frequencies and compares them to the measured values.
Can sea snakes slither through seascape structure? Comparative phylogeography and population genetics of Hydrophis group sea snakes in Australia and Southeast Asia

Pleistocene sea level changes substantially shaped the biogeography of northern Australia and the Indo-Malayan Archipelago (IMA). For co-distributed species, their phylogeographic and population genetic patterns are expected to be concomitant with geological transformations of the Pleistocene. However, species-specific ecologies and life history traits may also be influential in generating patterns which depart from simple expectations arising from biogeographic features. Thus, comparative population genetic studies, which use taxa that reduces variation in taxonomy and geography, may refine our understanding of how biogeographic elements shape the populations of co-occurring species. Here, we sampled two sea snake species, Hydrophis curtus and H . elegans , throughout their known ranges in the IMA and northern Australia. These sea snakes have similar life history strategies and ecologies as well as overlapping distributions across the Torres Strait, a well-known biogeographic feature. We analysed two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fragments and 10 microsatellite loci using traditional population genetic approaches and used Bayesian clustering methods to examine species- specific phylogenetic relationships, genetic diversities, and population genetic structures. For both species, we found a consistent lack of significant genetic variation among sampling sites across the Gulf of Carpentaria (GOC) and the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Similarly, Bayesian clustering showed no to weak genetic partitioning across the historical Torres Strait land bridge. Both species sampled in Australia displayed population expansion signatures in tests using mtDNA and microsatellite markers. We conclude that the phylogeographic and population genetic patterns of these sea snake species do not align with the Torres Strait land bridge. This lack of population genetic structure departs from previous findings on Aipysurus sea snakes and may be linked to the association of Hydrophis species to soft sediment habitats typically found across northern Australia. These divergent patterns between the sea snake groups present the importance of considering taxon-specific attributes in formulating conservation strategies.
Unintended Consequences of "Mandatory" Flood Insurance

We document that the quasi-mandatory U.S. flood insurance program reduces mortgage lending along both the extensive and intensive margins. We measure flood insurance mandates using FEMA flood maps, focusing on the discreet updates to these maps that can be made exogenous to true underlying flood risk. Reductions in lending are most pronounced for low-income and low-FICO borrowers, implying that the effects are at least partially driven by the added financial burden of insurance. Our results are also stronger among non-local or more-distant banks, who have a diminished ability to monitor local borrower adherence to complicated insurance mandates. Overall, our findings speak to the unintended consequences of (well-intentioned) regulation. They also speak to the importance of factoring in affordability and enforcement feasibility when introducing mandatory standards.
Millimeter Wave FMCW RADARs for Perception, Recognition and Localization in Automotive Applications: A Survey

MmWave (millimeter wave) Frequency Modulated Continuous Waves (FMCW) RADARs are sensors based on frequency-modulated electromagnetic which see their environment in 3D at a long-range. The recent introduction of millimeter-wave RADARs with frequencies from 60 GHz to 300 GHz has broadened their potential applications thanks to their improved accuracy in angle, range, and velocity. MmWave FMCW RADARs have better resolution and accuracy than narrowband and ultra-wideband (UWB) RADARs. In comparison with cameras and LiDARs, they possess several strong advantages such as long-range perception, robustness to lightning, and weather conditions while being cheaper. However, their noisy and lower-density outputs even compared to other technologies of RADARs, and their ability to measure the targets’ velocities require specific algorithms tailored for them. Working principles of mmWave FMCW RADARs are presented as well as the separate ways to represent data and their applications. This paper describes algorithms and applications adapted or developed for these sensors in automotive applications. Finally, current challenges and directions for future works are presented.
Selecting the Right Knowledge Management Tools: Software Trends and Key Evaluation Criteria

AbstrAct In this chapter, we update earlier research on the state of the art Knowledge Management (KM) tools and present key evaluation criteria that can be used by organizations to select the applications that best meet their specific KM needs. We briefly describe tools currently available in the software industry to support different aspects of knowledge management and offer a framework for understanding how these tools are clustered based on the functionality they support.
Effect of substrate material on crosstalk in mixed analog/digital integrated circuit

As the level of integration increases in ICs, the combination of analog and digital functions on the same silicon substrate has become increasingly common. One of the most difficult problems in mixing analog and digital functions is crosstalk through the common substrate. Although there has been some analysis of the crosstalk problem in the literature, there has been relatively little discussion of the effect of different kinds of substrate material on crosstalk. In this paper we discuss crosstalk results obtained in a CMOS process with different epi thicknesses (including no epi), bonded wafer silicon-on-insulator, and junction isolated p-wells and n-wells. The results show that is possible to obtain crosstalk reduction of 10 times or more compared to traditional CMOS epi substrates, thereby enabling circuits to be built with higher levels of integration and better performance. <<ETX>>
Cerebral Glutamate Regulation and Receptor Changes in Perioperative Neuroinflammation and Cognitive Dysfunction

Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and is intricately linked to learning and memory. Its activity depends on the expression of AMPA and NMDA receptors and excitatory amino transporters on neurons and glial cells. Glutamate transporters prevent the excess accumulation of glutamate in synapses, which can lead to aberrant synaptic signaling, excitotoxicity, or cell death. Neuroinflammation can occur acutely after surgical trauma and contributes to the development of perioperative neurocognitive disorders, which are characterized by impairment in multiple cognitive domains. In this review, we aim to examine how glutamate handling and glutamatergic function are affected by neuroinflammation and their contribution to cognitive impairment. We will first summarize the current data regarding glutamate in neurotransmission, its receptors, and their regulation and trafficking. We will then examine the impact of inflammation on glutamate handling and neurotransmission, focusing on changes in glial cells and the effect of cytokines. Finally, we will discuss these changes in the context of perioperative neuroinflammation and the implications they have for perioperative neurocognitive disorders.
Role of fluids on deformation in mid-crustal shear zones, Raft River Mountains, Utah

Abstract Fluids are commonly invoked as the primary cause for weakening of detachment shear zones. However, fluid-related mechanisms such as pressure-solution, reaction-enhanced ductility, reaction softening and precipitation of phyllosilicates are not fully understood. Fluid-facilitated reaction and mass transport cause rheological weakening and strain localization, eventually leading to departure from failure laws derived in laboratory experiments. This study focuses on the Miocene Raft River detachment shear zone in northwestern Utah. The shear zone is localized in the Proterozoic Elba Quartzite, which unconformably overlies the Archaean basement, and consists of an alternating sequence of quartzite and muscovite-quartzite schist. In this study, we characterize fluid-related microstructures to constrain conditions that promoted brittle failure in a plastically deforming shear zone. Thin-section analyses reveal the presence of healed microcracks, transgranular fluid inclusion planes and grain boundary fluid inclusion clusters. Healed microcracks occur in three sets, one sub-perpendicular to the mylonitic foliation, and a set of two conjugate microcracks oriented at ∼40–60° to the mylonitic foliation. Healed microfractures are filled with quartz, which has a distinct fabric, suggesting that microcracks healed while the shear zone was still at conditions favourable for quartz crystal plasticity. Transgranular fluid inclusion planes also occur in three sets, similar in orientation to the healed microfractures. Fluid inclusions commonly decorate grain and subgrain boundaries as inter- and intragranular clusters. Our results document ductile overprint of brittle microstructures, suggesting that, during exhumation, the Raft River detachment shear zone crossed the brittle–ductile transition repeatedly, providing pathways for fluids to permeate through this shear zone.
Accurate Reactive Power Sharing Strategy for Droop-based Islanded AC Microgrids

In islanded AC microgrids, the mismatched impedances of the interfacing feeders between the inverters and the load bus cause poor reactive power-sharing when the conventional frequency and voltage droop control technique is employed. Such operation endangers the whole microgrid reliability as it may lead to overloading certain inverters and, consequently, triggering protection relays and causing cascaded failure in the microgrid. Thus, this paper proposes an accurate reactive power sharing strategy that considers the mismatched feeder impedances in islanded AC microgrids. It is based on optimal tuning of the virtual complex impedance for each inverter. The proposed strategy has several advantages. it has a physical meaning as it establishes an explicit relationship between the mismatched values of the actual resistive-inductive feeders and the assigned values for the proposed optimal virtual complex impedance for each inverter. Third, there is no need for prior knowledge in the design stage about the actual feeder impedances as they are estimated online from the available measurements. Lastly, the proposed control is reliable and fault-tolerant which copes with sudden failure in some inverters and with the communication disruptions/delays as it ensures accurate reactive sharing even under the primary controller. Simulation and experimental verification results are presented to validate the performance of the proposed technique.
Cross cultural comparison: the introduction of new technology with postgraduate students in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom

Universities in the United Kingdom are developing collaborations with partners in the East often resulting in academic staff, with little understanding of Eastern cultures, imposing Western designed Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) and lacking consideration of the learning styles and educational experiences of Eastern students. Nottingham Trent University (NTU) delivers a Professional Doctorate course collaboratively with Hong Kong College of Technology (HKCT). As part of the delivery NTU’s VLE is used and accessed by students in Hong Kong. Initially engagement with the VLE by HKCT students was almost non-existent. A recent visit to HKCT with the intention of engaging the students more thoroughly in the VLE revealed disengagement, not in the notion of using the VLE for learning but in the unconsciously ethno-centric bias of the design of course materials and use of the development of the VLE by academic staff. This paper presents interim findings of a research project to develop evidence-informed practice that will encourage HKCT students to engage more effectively with the material to enable a greater use of online learning, a deeper level of learning and a faster pace of progression. A literature search revealed no specific guidance to academics in relation to this area of practice. Hofstede (1985) opened the debate and stimulated dialogue about cultural differences and the need for culture to be acknowledged in teaching and learning.
Dietary total antioxidant capacity and its association with renal function and kidney stones: Results of a RaNCD cohort study

Abstract There is evidence to support the hypothesis that dietary antioxidants have shown protective effects against chronic kidney disease (CKD). The purpose of this study was to determine the association between the dietary total antioxidant capacity (DTAC), renal function, and development of CKD and kidney stones in Ravansar Non‐Communicable Diseases (RaNCD) cohort study, Kermanshah, Iran. This cross‐sectional study was conducted using the recruitment baseline data of the RaNCD cohort study on 9,777 individuals aged 35–65 years. Food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was performed to assess diet. DTAC scores were calculated using the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of selected foods. Renal function was assessed by the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine concentration. Prevalent CKD was based on an eGFR less than <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2. Incidence of kidney stones was also assessed by self‐reporting. Out of 9,777 participants, 1,747 subjects (eGFR: 18.50 ml/min per 1.73 m2; 95% confidence interval (CI): 17.72–19.30) had CKD. The mean DTAC score in this study was 0.24 ± 0.16 µmol TE/100 g (micromole of Trolox Equivalents). We showed a significant trend for eGFR across quartiles of DTAC, i.e., participants in the fourth quartile had a higher glomerular filtration rate (GFR) than those in the first one (DTAC Q4 vs Q1 = 82.20 versus 72.20 ml/min per 1.73 m2, p < .001). Another finding is that high DTAC scores were not associated with having kidney stones after adjusting for confounders. We revealed that higher DTAC scores have positive effects on the renal function. Interestingly, our findings showed that a high DTAC score had nonsignificant correlation with odds of kidney stones.
Adaptive Wave Reconstruction Through Regulated-BMFLC for Transparency-Enhanced Telerobotics Over Delayed Networks

Bilateral telerobotic systems have attracted a great deal of interest during the last two decades. The major challenges in this field are the transparency and stability of remote force rendering, which are affected by network delays causing asynchrony between the actions and the corresponding reactions. In addition, the overactivation of stabilizers further degrades the fidelity of the rendered force field. In this article, a real-time frequency-based delay compensation approach is proposed to maximize transparency while reducing the activation of the stabilization layer. The algorithm uses a regulated bound-limited multiple Fourier linear combiner to extract the dominant frequency of force waves. The estimated weights are used in conjunction with the relatively phase-lead harmonic kernels to reconstruct the signal and generate a compensated wave to reduce the effect of the delay. The reconstructed force will then pass through a modulated time-domain passivity controller to guarantee the stability of the system. We will show that the proposed technique will reduce the force-tracking error by 40% and the activation of the stabilizer by 79%. It is shown, for the first time, that through the utilization of online adaptive frequency-based prediction, the asynchrony between transmitted waves through delayednetworks can be significantly mitigated while stability can be guaranteed with less activation of the stabilization layer.
Bone Marrow Niches of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells

The mammalian hematopoietic system is remarkably efficient in meeting an organism’s vital needs, yet is highly sensitive and exquisitely regulated. Much of the organismal control over hematopoiesis comes from the regulation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) by specific microenvironments called niches in bone marrow (BM), where HSCs reside. The experimental studies of the last two decades using the most sophisticated and advanced techniques have provided important data on the identity of the niche cells controlling HSCs functions and some mechanisms underlying niche-HSC interactions. In this review we discuss various aspects of organization and functioning of the HSC cell niche in bone marrow. In particular, we review the anatomy of BM niches, various cell types composing the niche, niches for more differentiated cells, metabolism of HSCs in relation to the niche, niche aging, leukemic transformation of the niche, and the current state of HSC niche modeling in vitro.
Gender-Based Long-Term Outcomes After Revascularization for Three-Vessel Coronary Disease: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis of a Large Cohort

Objective To investigate the impact of gender on long-term outcomes after revascularization in patients with three-vessel disease (TVD), a severe and challenging subtype of coronary artery disease. Methods This was a single center retrospective cohort study. A total of 3776 patients with TVD who underwent revascularization between 2013 and 2018 were analyzed and were divided into the female group (n = 1039, 27.5%) and the male group (n = 2737, 72.5%). We performed a 1:2 propensity score matching (PSM) to balance the baseline characteristics, and a total of 1506 (504 matched pairs) patients were created after undertaking PSM. The primary outcome was the frequency of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) including all-cause death, myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, stroke, and readmission for angina pectoris or heart failure. The secondary outcome was the incidence of all-cause death. Results Through 2.4-year follow-up, no significant differences in MACCE (25.8% vs 27.5%, p = 0.279) and all-cause death (2.1% vs 2.2%, p = 0.888) were observed between the two cohorts. Similar results as with the early detection were obtained in propensity-matched patients. Multivariable analysis revealed that female gender (hazard ratio 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.88–1.17, p = 0.820) was not an independent predictor of MACCE but percutaneous coronary intervention (compared with coronary artery bypass graft surgery), hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, left main trunk involvement and left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40% were independently associated with a higher MACCE rate in these patients. Conclusion For patients with TVD after coronary revascularization, there were no gender-based differences in the long-term outcomes and female gender was not an independent predictor of MACCE.