Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early effects of rodent post‐dispersal seed predation on the outcome of the plant–seed disperser interaction

We analysed two potential effects of post-dispersal seed predation on recruitment of the wild olive tree (Olea europaea var. sylvestris), a Mediterranean bird-dispersed tree: (a) the limitation of abundance and distribution of seedlings after dispersal, and (b) the selection of certain seed characteristics of the recruited plants. An observational approach was used to compare seed rain among microhabitats, and how it was affected by seed predation. The relation of microhabitat, scrub density, and seed size with predation risk was explored by a field experiment. Seed density ranged from 0 seeds/m2 in open places to 93.2 seeds/m2 under O. europaea. The overall predation rate was low, as shown in the observational approach (35%). The mean percentage of predation in the experimental approach was 51%, ranging across microhabitats between 28% and 88%. It was higher in dense scrub patches (67%) than in sparse ones (33%), and lower for large seeds (42%) than for medium and small ones (57% and 55%, respectively). Finally, seed density near seed depots did not increase their probability of being detected by rodents or the predation rate. Although predation rates were low, wild olive seeds could be frequently found by rodents due to their spatial ubiquity and local abundance. Together with the efficient foraging strategy of predators (92% of experimental seed depots were found), this allowed a widespread post-dispersal predation, but it did not modify the relative distribution of seeds among microhabitats. Thus, in our study, the seed dispersal pattern of the wild olive tree was not reshaped by post-dispersal predation, because (1) rodents did not alter significantly its initial spatial distribution and (2) mice did not seem to limit the number of recruits. Finally, our results indicate that, as a consequence of seed size preferences of rodents, large seeds have a higher probability to survive post-dispersal predation. Thus, seed size may be a key trait to determine the identity of the future recruits in the wild olive tree, at least affecting the characteristics of the seeds that reach the soil seed bank.
Antenna selection algorithms for MEA transmission systems

The use of multiple element antennas (MEA) at the transmitter and receiver offers a possibility to substantially increase the throughput of a fading channel. Recent publications show that for a moderate number of transmit/receive subchannels, the outage throughput of MEA transceivers improves substantially when a big set of transmit or/and receive antennas is available to select a suitable subset of antennas which is subject to channel realisation. Optimal subset selection is, however, numerically intensive and hardly feasible for a big number of antennas and a moderate number of subchannels. In this contribution, we present a suboptimal selection algorithm which yields an important complexity reduction and may enable a real-time selection. Numerical results suggest that such a sub-optimal selection yields a negligible loss compared to the optimal strategy in the case of frequency flat channel. A possible extension for frequency selective channels is also indicated.
Pitfalls in the Recognition and Diagnosis of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) is a type of child abuse in which the perpetrator intentionally causes illness in an offspring. It remains a challenge to determine the actual medical course in MSBP. Here, we report two cases of MSBP. The pediatric patients were diagnosed with chronic organic diseases at other hospitals. Their symptoms persisted and were eventually referred to our hospital. The patients were not considered as MSBP at the time of admission. However, a series of evaluation by an interdisciplinary team led to the detection of the incompatibilities of the medical courses in the earlier period with the patients’ condition. The patients were diagnosed with MSBP. Careful evaluation of patient’s history is important in the diagnosis of MSBP
Instantons in c = 0 CSFT

Following the recent work of [17] we discuss the emergence of D-brane instanton solutions in c = 0 noncritical string theory. Our emphasis is on finding the D-instanton effects in a field theoretic setting. Using the framework of single matrix collective field theory (CSFT) we exhibit the appearance of such solutions. Some subtle issues regarding the form of the field theory equations, the comparison with string equations and the importance of a finite N exclusion principle are also discussed.
User Acceptance of Telemedicine by Health Care Workers A Case of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

The Eastern Cape province of South Africa is one of the poorest provinces in the country with vast rural areas. A telemedicine system was implemented in the province in order to improve health care services. Despite large investments from the National Department of Health, only a third of telemedicine sites in the province are operational. Technology problems, such as unreliable electricity supply and low bandwidth, was identified as barriers to the successful implementation of telemedicine in South Africa, but these issues have since been addressed. Nevertheless, the uptake of telemedicine remains poor. One of the documented barriers to the successful implementation of telemedicine is user acceptance by health care workers. This study made use of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to identify the factors that influence the user acceptance of telemedicine among health care workers in a developing country such as South Africa. The study used a quantitative survey approach. A questionnaire was distributed to all the hospitals and clinics around the province where telemedicine had been implemented. The results were analyzed using SPSS 20 and the conclusions drawn from the results were presented to five experts in the field of telemedicine and Information Systems. In general, the attitude of the health care workers was positive towards telemedicine, although the present usage of the system was low. Health care workers, especially those in the rural areas, perceived the telemedicine system to be useful to improve the quality of health care services they provide. The perceived ease of use of the telemedicine system was influenced by both the educational qualification and area in which the health care workers worked. Those that did not complete high school and worked in rural areas were apprehensive about using the telemedicine system. However, the majority of the health care workers indicated that they did plan to make use of the telemedicine system in the future. Interventions focused on education should be specific for rural or urban areas. In rural areas education should focus on computer literacy skills and how to use the telemedicine system, while in urban areas the awareness of the telemedicine should be increased.
Glucocorticoid impairs cell-cell communication by autophagy-mediated degradation of connexin 43 in osteocytes

Osteocytes comprising over 90% of the bone cell population are highly susceptible to the adverse effects of glucocorticoids (GC) administration. Here we observed that Dexamethasone (Dex) induces a robust cytoskeleton rearrangement and decreases Cx43 protein expression in osteocyte-like MLO-Y4 cells. Using a Dmp1Cre-mT/mG osteocyte ex vivo culture system, we found significant shortening of dendritic processes in primary osteocytes following Dex administration. Loss of dendritic processes is a consequence of reduced Cx43 connectivity upon Dex induced autophagy in both RFP-GFP-LC3B transfected MLO-Y4 cells and primary calvarial osteocytes from LC3GFP transgenic mice. Upon the induction of autophagy by Dex, Cx43 was internalized into autophagosome/autolysosomes and degraded by autophagy. The degradation was attenuated following lysosomal inhibition using chloroquine (CLQ) and suppression of autophagy by Atg5 silencing. Inhibition Akt-mTORC1 signaling by Dex induces autophagy subsequently resulting in Cx43 degradation. Activation of Akt phosphorylation by IGF-1 attenuated Dex induced autophagy and degradation of Cx43. Together, we demonstrated that GC impair osteocyte cell-cell connectivity via autophagy mediated degradation of Cx43 through inhibition of the Akt-mTORC1 signaling. This may account for the deleterious effect of GC-induced bone loss.
Dynamics and initial experiments of bionic undulating fish fin

The undulating fin propulsion mode belongs to one of MPF (median and/or paired fin). This propulsion mode has great potential and bright prospect because of the remarkable advantages including capable of producing vector thrust, smaller disturbance to ambient flow field, as well as tending to transplant to underwater robots. In this paper, we will introduce a novel bionic propulsor which is called bionic undulating fish fin because its design is derived from the imitation to the structure and function of the undulating fin of aquatic animals. A simplified computational model to analyze the dynamics of the bionic propulsor is also proposed, and the dynamic model of the bionic propulsor including six components of forces and moments is derived theoretically. In addition, the basic relationships between the dynamics of the bionic propulsor with the undulating parameters and geometric parameters of fin surface as well as the velocity induced by its carrier are studied by simulation. At last, the validity of the analytic method presented by the paper and the rationality of its relevant conclusions are verified through conducting the thrust and moment testing to the bionic propulsor.
Revisiting the Asset Substitution Effect in a Contingent-Claims Analysis Setting

This article develops a contingent-claims model in which both the volatility and the return of the firm cash flows are altered by equityholders decisions. Our results contrast with the literature previously based on a reduction of asset substitution to a pure risk-shifting problem. We find larger agency costs and lower optimal leverages. Moreover we show that covenants that prevent equityholders from switching to an activity with high volatility and low return are highly value enhancing when the agency problem is severe. Our model highlights the tradeoff between ex-post inefficient behavior of equityholders and inefficient covenant restrictions. JEL Classification: G12, G32, G33.
Empirical Evidence for a New Class of Personality Disorder: The Safety-Oriented Personality Style or Phobicentric Psychopathology (SOPS/PCP) and Impact on Personality Psychology

This study is aimed at establishing that the Safety-Oriented Personality Style (SOPS) or Phobicentric Psychopathology (PCP) is an actual mental disorder representing a disproportionate, self-focused pattern of reacting to ordinary fear-anxiety situations. SOPS/PCP is most similar to Neuroticism in the widely accepted Big 5 model. The presentation of personality within a dimensional structure is in contradistinction to that of the lately criticized category-based Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). Nonetheless contrasting both Big 5 and DSM, a neuro-biological theory provided the SOPS/PCP construct with etiological capability to empirically explain progress of the condition from normal to dysfunctional functioning, thus linking it with day-to-day emotional life. From a sample of 406 adults, who participated in confirming respectively that SOPS/PCP is present outside the clinical setting and is a real-world empirical condition, 100 individuals were randomly selected to examine the reliability and validity of the SOPS/PCP Individual Questionnaire (SOPSIQ). The results confirmed SOPS/PCP is an actual mental disorder, which is absent in some people and supported all the hypotheses in relation to the research objectives. In rivalry with three prominent formulations of personality, DSM, Big 5 and Interpersonal Relatedness & Self-Definition (IR), which is related to Contemporary Integrative Interpersonal Theory (CIIT), that of SOPS/PCP is presented as aspiring to be a more accurate elucidation of personality. Implications discussed also include suggesting DSM’s new categorical-dimensional platform is fatally flawed and questioning the investigative legitimacy of both the Big 5 and IR/CIIT. Among other ideas, it is suggested that SOPS/PCP might provide Big 5 with a presumptive etiological base; and that the behavior-to-theory approach of SOPS/PCP would be more research-friendly than the theory-to-behavior orientation prevalent in personality research. By describing personality functioning and its supporting theory as emotion-rooted this study recommends such a perspective makes it more practical to reliably define, track and eventually treat personality disorders.
A mathematics for medicine: The Network Effect

The theory of medicine and its complement systems biology are intended to explain the workings of the large number of mutually interdependent complex physiologic networks in the human body and to apply that understanding to maintaining the functions for which nature designed them. Therefore, when what had originally been made as a simplifying assumption or a working hypothesis becomes foundational to understanding the operation of physiologic networks it is in the best interests of science to replace or at least update that assumption. The replacement process requires, among other things, an evaluation of how the new hypothesis affects modern day understanding of medical science. This paper identifies linear dynamics and Normal statistics as being such arcane assumptions and explores some implications of their retirement. Specifically we explore replacing Normal with fractal statistics and examine how the latter are related to non-linear dynamics and chaos theory. The observed ubiquity of inverse power laws in physiology entails the need for a new calculus, one that describes the dynamics of fractional phenomena and captures the fractal properties of the statistics of physiological time series. We identify these properties as a necessary consequence of the complexity resulting from the network dynamics and refer to them collectively as The Network Effect.
Computational Analysis of siRNA Recognition by the Ago2 PAZ Domain and Identification of the Determinants of RNA-Induced Gene Silencing

RNA interference (RNAi) is a highly specialized process of protein-siRNA interaction that results in the regulation of gene expression and cleavage of target mRNA. The PAZ domain of the Argonaute proteins binds to the 3' end of siRNA, and during RNAi the attaching end of the siRNA switches between binding and release from its binding pocket. This biphasic interaction of the 3' end of siRNA with the PAZ domain is essential for RNAi activity; however, it remains unclear whether stronger or weaker binding with PAZ domain will facilitate or hinder the overall RNAi process. Here we report the correlation between the binding of modified siRNA 3' overhang analogues and their in vivo RNAi efficacy. We found that higher RNAi efficacy was associated with the parameters of lower Ki value, lower total intermolecular energy, lower free energy, higher hydrogen bonding, smaller total surface of interaction and fewer van der Waals interactions. Electrostatic interaction was a minor contributor to compounds recognition, underscoring the presence of phosphate groups in the modified analogues. Thus, compounds with lower binding affinity are associated with better gene silencing. Lower binding strength along with the smaller interaction surface, higher hydrogen bonding and fewer van der Waals interactions were among the markers for favorable RNAi activity. Within the measured parameters, the interaction surface, van der Waals interactions and inhibition constant showed a statistically significant correlation with measured RNAi efficacy. The considerations provided in this report will be helpful in the design of new compounds with better gene silencing ability.
Authority Versus Loyalty: Social Incentives and Modes of Governance

This paper examines the eects of social ties on governance. Social ties are per se neutral and merely act as incentive bridges that transmit incentives between individuals. Whether such transmission of incentives improves or undermines governance depends on the particular incentives transmitted. We demonstrate this through a delegated monitoring model where the supervisor is friends with the agent and cares about social recog- nition. Two basic modes of governance emerge, authority and loyalty, which dier in whether they encourage or discourage social ties. This dichotomy reconciles opposing views on the eect of social ties on governance, and pro- vides new perspectives on family …rms, gray directors, business networks, and organizational culture.
The Evolutionary Cost of Learning

Traits that are acquired by members of an evolving population during their lifetime, through adaptive processes such as learning, can become genetically speciied in later generations. Thus there is a change in the level of learning in the population over evolutionary time. This paper explores the idea that as well as the beneets to be gained from learning, there may also be costs to be paid for the ability to learn. It is these costs that supply the selection pressure for the genetic assimilation of acquired traits. Two models are presented that attempt to illustrate this assertion. The rst uses Kauuman's NK tness landscapes to show the eeect that both explicit and implicit costs have on the assimilation of learnt traits. A characteristic`hump' is observed in the graph of the level of plasticity in the population showing that learning is rst selected for and then against as evolution progresses. The second model is a practical example in which neural network controllers are evolved for a small mobile robot. Results from this experiment also show the hump. Abstract Traits that are acquired by members of an evolving population during their lifetime, through adap-tive processes such as learning, can become genetically speciied in later generations. Thus there is a change in the level of learning in the population over evolutionary time. This paper explores the idea that as well as the beneets to be gained from learning, there may also be costs to be paid for the ability to learn. It is these costs that supply the selection pressure for the genetic assimilation of acquired traits. Two models are presented that attempt to illustrate this assertion. The rst uses Kauuman's NK tness landscapes to show the effect that both explicit and implicit costs have on the assimilation of learnt traits. A characteris-tic`hump' is observed in the graph of the level of plasticity in the population showing that learning is rst selected for and then against as evolution progresses. The second model is a practical example in which neural network controllers are evolved for a small mobile robot. Results from this experiment also show the hump.
Rational Asset Price Movements Without News

This paper argues that an important part of movements in asset prices may be caused by neither external news nor irrationality, but the by revelation of information by the trading process itself. Two models are developed that illustrate this general idea. One model is based on investor uncertainty about the quality of other investors' information: the other is based on widespread dispersion of information and small costs to trading. The analysis is used to suggest a possible rational explanation of the October 1987 crash.
Mülteci Öğrencilerin Eğitim Sorunları, Eğitim ve Din Eğitiminden Beklentileri: Eskişehir Örneği

Multecilik olgusu, ulkenin ic, sosyal ve egitim politikasinda degisikligi gerekli kilar. Bu calismada, Eskisehir’e goc eden lise donemindeki ogrencilerin buradaki egitim sureclerine iliskin algilarinin, yasadiklari sorunlarin, egitim ve din egitiminden beklentilerinin tespit edilmesi amaclanmistir. Karma yontemin benimsendigi bu calismada Eskisehir'de devlet okullarinda egitim alan 83 siginmaci ogrenci ile bu ogrencilere egitim veren 42 ogretmenin konuya iliskin gorusleri, yari yapilandirilmis gorusme formlari ve anketler araciligiyla toplanmistir. Elde edilen veriler kategorik icerik analizi ile temalandirilmis, ilgili basliklar altinda ogrenci ve ogretmen gorusleri birlikte sunulmustur. Calismada ogrencilerin dil bilmemelerinin, sosyal hayatlarinda ve okul sureclerinde en temel uyum problemi oldugu, bunun farkli sorunlara neden olabildigi tespit edilmistir. Ogrencilerin din egitimine iliskin algilarinin okul turune gore farklilik gosterdigi gorulmustur
TVD and ENO Applications to Supersonic Flows in 2 D – Initial Study

Abstract—In this work, first part of this study, the high resolution numerical schemes of Lax and Wendroff, of Yee, Warming and Harten, of Yee, and of Harten and Osher are applied to the solution of the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations in twodimensions. With the exception of the Lax and Wendroff and of the Yee schemes, which are symmetrical ones, all others are flux difference splitting algorithms. All schemes are second order accurate in space and first order accurate in time. The Euler and Navier-Stokes equations, written in a conservative and integral form, are solved, according to a finite volume and structured formulations. A spatially variable time step procedure is employed aiming to accelerate the convergence of the numerical schemes to the steady state condition. It has proved excellent gains in terms of convergence acceleration as reported by Maciel. The physical problems of the supersonic shock reflection at the wall and the supersonic flow along a compression corner are solved, in the inviscid case. For the viscous case, the supersonic flow along a compression corner is solved. In the inviscid case, an implicit formulation is employed to marching in time, whereas in the viscous case, a time splitting approach is used. The results have demonstrated that the Yee, Warming and Harten algorithm has presented the best solution in the inviscid shock reflection problem; the Harten and Osher algorithm, in its ENO version, and the Lax and Wendroff TVD algorithm, in its Van Leer variant, have yielded the best solutions in the inviscid compression corner problem; and the Lax and Wendroff TVD algorithm, in its Minmod1 variant, has presented the best solution in the viscous compression corner problem.