Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do Epigeal Termite Mounds Increase the Diversity of Plant Habitats in a Tropical Rain Forest in Peninsular Malaysia?

The extent to which environmental heterogeneity can account for tree species coexistence in diverse ecosystems, such as tropical rainforests, is hotly debated, although the importance of spatial variability in contributing to species co-existence is well recognized. Termites contribute to the micro-topographical and nutrient spatial heterogeneity of tropical forests. We therefore investigated whether epigeal termite mounds could contribute to the coexistence of plant species within a 50 ha plot at Pasoh Forest Reserve, Malaysia. Overall, stem density was significantly higher on mounds than in their immediate surroundings, but tree species diversity was significantly lower. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that location on or off mounds significantly influenced species distribution when stems were characterized by basal area. Like studies of termite mounds in other ecosystems, our results suggest that epigeal termite mounds provide a specific microhabitat for the enhanced growth and survival of certain species in these species-rich tropical forests. However, the extent to which epigeal termite mounds facilitate species coexistence warrants further investigation.
Russian anthropogenic black carbon: Emission reconstruction and Arctic black carbon simulation

Development of reliable source emission inventories is particularly needed to advance the understanding of the origin of Arctic haze using chemical transport modeling. This study develops a regional anthropogenic black carbon (BC) emission inventory for the Russian Federation, the largest country by land area in the Arctic Council. Activity data from combination of local Russia information and international resources, emission factors based on either Russian documents or adjusted values for local conditions, and other emission source data are used to approximate the BC emissions. Emissions are gridded at a resolution of 0.1° × 0.1° and developed into a monthly temporal profile. Total anthropogenic BC emission of Russia in 2010 is estimated to be around 224 Gg. Gas flaring, a commonly ignored black carbon source, contributes a significant fraction of 36.2% to Russia's total anthropogenic BC emissions. Other sectors, i.e., residential, transportation, industry, and power plants, contribute 25.0%, 20.3%, 13.1%, and 5.4%, respectively. Three major BC hot spot regions are identified: the European part of Russia, the southern central part of Russia where human population densities are relatively high, and the Urals Federal District where Russia's major oil and gas fields are located but with sparse human population. BC simulations are conducted using the hemispheric version of Community Multi‐scale Air Quality Model with emission inputs from a global emission database EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research)‐HTAPv2 (Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution) and EDGAR‐HTAPv2 with its Russian part replaced by the newly developed Russian BC emissions, respectively. The simulation using the new Russian BC emission inventory could improve 30–65% of absorption aerosol optical depth measured at the AERONET sites in Russia throughout the whole year as compared to that using the default HTAPv2 emissions. At the four ground monitoring sites (Zeppelin, Barrow, Alert, and Tiksi) in the Arctic Circle, surface BC simulations are improved the most during the Arctic haze periods (October–March). The poor performance of Arctic BC simulations in previous studies may be partly ascribed to the Russian BC emissions built on out‐of‐date and/or missing information, which could result in biases to both emission rates and the spatial distribution of emissions. This study highlights that the impact of Russian emissions on the Arctic haze has likely been underestimated, and its role in the Arctic climate system needs to be reassessed. The Russian black carbon emission source data generated in this study can be obtained via http://abci.ornl. gov/download.shtml or http://acs.engr. utk.edu/Data.php.
Combining ability and heritability of selected rice varieties for grain quality traits.

This study was conducted to determine the combining ability and heritability of rice grain quality traits. Some grain quality traits such as grain length, grain width, milled grain length, milled grain width, length to width ratio, milled rice recovery, head rice recovery, amylose and gel consistency were analyzed using a full diallel mating design in Malaysian rice varieties. This study was commenced by crossing the selected rice varieties based on a full diallel mating design. The F1 was harvested at the end of the season. In the following season, the crossed, reciprocal and parental lines were planted in randomly complete block design with three replications. Analysis of variance indicated that genotypes were significantly different for all traits evaluated except for milled rice recovery. Mean square values for general combining ability were significant for the evaluated grain quality traits which indicated the importance of additive gene effects in inheritance of these traits. The specific combining ability effects were significant for several populations derived from crosses involving MR 263, MR 267, MRQ 74, Q 85 and MRQ 76. Reciprocal effects were significant for eight combinations for grain quality traits. Broad sense heritability showed that the AMYL and GC had the lowest value. The GL showed moderate value while GW, MGL, MGW, LW and HRR were the highest. The narrow sense heritability for grain physical properties was higher than grain chemical properties. The highest heritability was observed for LW, MGL, HRR, MGW, GW and GL.
Development and content validation of a questionnaire to assess moral distress among social workers in long-term care facilities

ABSTRACT Objective: Despite the significance of ethical issues faced by social workers, research on moral distress among social workers has been extremely limited. The aim of the current study is to describe the development and content validation of a unique questionnaire to measure moral distress among social workers in long-term care facilities for older adults in Israel. Methods: The construction of the questionnaire was based on a secondary analysis of a qualitative study that addressed the moral dilemma of social workers in nursing homes in Israel. A content validation included review and evaluation by two experts, a cognitive interview with a nursing home social worker, and three focus groups of experts and the target population. Results: The initial questionnaire consisted of 25 items. After the content validation process the questionnaire in its final version, consisted of 17 items and included two scales, measuring the frequency of morally loaded events and the intensity of distress that followed them. Conclusions: We believe that the questionnaire can contribute by broadening and deepening ethics discourse and research, with regard to social workers’ obligation dilemmas and conflicts.
Group parent-child interaction therapy: A randomized control trial for the treatment of conduct problems in young children.

OBJECTIVE Although efficacious interventions exist for childhood conduct problems, a majority of families in need of services do not receive them. To address problems of treatment access and adherence, innovative adaptations of current interventions are needed. This randomized control trial investigated the relative efficacy of a novel format of parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), a treatment for young children with conduct problems. METHOD Eighty-one families with 3- to 6-year-old children (71.6% boys, 85.2% White) with diagnoses of oppositional defiant or conduct disorder were randomized to individual PCIT (n = 42) or the novel format, Group PCIT. Parents completed standardized measures of children's conduct problems, parenting stress, and social support at intake, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up. Therapist ratings, parent attendance, and homework completion provided measures of treatment adherence. Throughout treatment, parenting skills were assessed using the Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System. RESULTS Parents in both group and individual PCIT reported significant improvements from intake to posttreatment and follow-up in their children's conduct problems and adaptive functioning, as well as significant decreases in parenting stress. Parents in both treatment conditions also showed significant improvements in their parenting skills. There were no interactions between time and treatment format. Contrary to expectation, parents in Group PCIT did not experience greater social support or treatment adherence. CONCLUSIONS Group PCIT was not inferior to individual PCIT and may be a valuable format to reach more families in need of services. Future work should explore the efficiency and sustainability of Group PCIT in community settings. (PsycINFO Database Record
Comparison between incremental and thrice‐weekly haemodialysis: Systematic review and meta‐analysis

Incremental haemodialysis (HD) regimen has recently gained attention. However, its efficacy and safety, compared with conventional thrice‐weekly HD, are controversial and previous research results are not convincing. We sought to conduct a meta‐analysis to evaluate the benefits and limitations of incremental HD regimen in patients with end‐stage renal disease.
The short‐term effects of aflibercept on the size of choroidal neovascularization lesion in treatment‐resistant neovascular age‐related macular degeneration as determined by spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography

To evaluate the changes in the size of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) lesion using spectral domain‐optical coherence tomography (SD‐OCT) in patients with treatment‐resistant neovascular age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) who were switched from ranibizumab to aflibercept.
Smaller, Scale-Free Gene Networks Increase Quantitative Trait Heritability and Result in Faster Population Recovery

One of the goals of biology is to bridge levels of organization. Recent technological advances are enabling us to span from genetic sequence to traits, and then from traits to ecological dynamics. The quantitative genetics parameter heritability describes how quickly a trait can evolve, and in turn describes how quickly a population can recover from an environmental change. Here I propose that we can link the details of the genetic architecture of a quantitative trait—i.e., the number of underlying genes and their relationships in a network—to population recovery rates by way of heritability. I test this hypothesis using a set of agent-based models in which individuals possess one of two network topologies or a linear genotype-phenotype map, 16–256 genes underlying the trait, and a variety of mutation and recombination rates and degrees of environmental change. I find that the network architectures introduce extensive directional epistasis that systematically hides and reveals additive genetic variance and affects heritability: network size, topology, and recombination explain 81% of the variance in average heritability in a stable environment. Network size and topology, the width of the fitness function, pre-change additive variance, and certain interactions account for ∼75% of the variance in population recovery times after a sudden environmental change. These results suggest that not only the amount of additive variance, but importantly the number of loci across which it is distributed, is important in regulating the rate at which a trait can evolve and populations can recover. Taken in conjunction with previous research focused on differences in degree of network connectivity, these results provide a set of theoretical expectations and testable hypotheses for biologists working to span levels of organization from the genotype to the phenotype, and from the phenotype to the environment.
Comparing the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with uncontrolled and partially controlled asthma

ABSTRACT Objective: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an important therapeutic approach in asthmatic patients. Lack of asthma control is associated with high morbidity, poor health outcomes, and decrease in quality of life (QOL). However, there is no clear information about the effectiveness of PR in patients with differing levels of asthma control. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of PR in patients with uncontrolled and partially controlled asthma. Methods: Before undergoing an 8-week outpatient PR program, patients were classified according to the asthma control test (ACT) as having partially controlled asthma or uncontrolled asthma. Changes in asthma control, exercise capacity, dyspnea perception, pulmonary function tests, arterial blood gas analysis, QOL, and psychological symptoms before and after PR were compared between groups. Results: A total of 49 patients, 21 of whom were in partially controlled and the rest 28 were in uncontrolled asthma, participated in the study. After PR, asthma control perceived dyspnea, exercise capacity, QOL, anxiety, and depression significantly improved in both groups (p < 0.05). When the two groups were compared in terms of the benefits of PR, the improvement in ACT score was significantly greater in patients with uncontrolled asthma than in partially controlled asthma (p < 0.001), whereas the improvements in other parameters were similar between groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Improvement in asthma control is greater in patients with uncontrolled asthma than in patients with partially controlled asthma after PR. Therefore, patients with uncontrolled asthma, in particular, should be given opportunities to benefit from PR programs.
Relationship between Activity in Human Primary Motor Cortex during Action Observation and the Mirror Neuron System

The attenuation of the beta cortical oscillations during action observation has been interpreted as evidence of a mirror neuron system (MNS) in humans. Here we investigated the modulation of beta cortical oscillations with the viewpoint of an observed action. We asked subjects to observe videos of an actor making a variety of arm movements. We show that when subjects were observing arm movements there was a significant modulation of beta oscillations overlying left and right sensorimotor cortices. This pattern of attenuation was driven by the side of the screen on which the observed movement occurred and not by the hand that was observed moving. These results are discussed in terms of the firing patterns of mirror neurons in F5 which have been reported to have similar properties.
Prey Selection by an Apex Predator: The Importance of Sampling Uncertainty

The impact of predation on prey populations has long been a focus of ecologists, but a firm understanding of the factors influencing prey selection, a key predictor of that impact, remains elusive. High levels of variability observed in prey selection may reflect true differences in the ecology of different communities but might also reflect a failure to deal adequately with uncertainties in the underlying data. Indeed, our review showed that less than 10% of studies of European wolf predation accounted for sampling uncertainty. Here, we relate annual variability in wolf diet to prey availability and examine temporal patterns in prey selection; in particular, we identify how considering uncertainty alters conclusions regarding prey selection. Over nine years, we collected 1,974 wolf scats and conducted drive censuses of ungulates in Alpe di Catenaia, Italy. We bootstrapped scat and census data within years to construct confidence intervals around estimates of prey use, availability and selection. Wolf diet was dominated by boar (61.5±3.90 [SE] % of biomass eaten) and roe deer (33.7±3.61%). Temporal patterns of prey densities revealed that the proportion of roe deer in wolf diet peaked when boar densities were low, not when roe deer densities were highest. Considering only the two dominant prey types, Manly's standardized selection index using all data across years indicated selection for boar (mean = 0.73±0.023). However, sampling error resulted in wide confidence intervals around estimates of prey selection. Thus, despite considerable variation in yearly estimates, confidence intervals for all years overlapped. Failing to consider such uncertainty could lead erroneously to the assumption of differences in prey selection among years. This study highlights the importance of considering temporal variation in relative prey availability and accounting for sampling uncertainty when interpreting the results of dietary studies.
Surviving the next economic crisis: corporate entrepreneurship strategies in Thai automotive SMEs

This paper examines the antecedents to corporate entrepreneurship (CE) in Thailand’s auto-parts manufacturing industry in the post Asian financial crisis era using a mixed-method approach. There is a lack of research on CE strategies of SMEs in response to the Asian financial crisis in developing Asian countries. This paper presents a model based on existing CE theory where organizational strategy, culture and the environment impact on CE and organizational performance. Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze data collected from 220 chief executives/deputy chief executives who participated in this research. The results suggest that environmental and organizational factors impact on CE which in turn influences firm performance in terms of both financial and non-financial aspects. Significantly, non-financial performance was found to influence financial outcomes. This paper demonstrates that CE is important not only for wealth creation but also for efficient processes and operations, all of which reflect on overall performance. As there is a dearth of empirical research in this area, this paper makes a useful contribution to knowledge by highlighting the CE initiatives of Thai SMEs to survive future crisis and stiff competition in the Asian region.
Impact of a New York City Supportive Housing Program on Housing Stability and Preventable Health Care among Homeless Families

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of a New York City supportive housing program on housing stability and preventable emergency department (ED) visits/hospitalizations among heads of homeless families with mental and physical health conditions or substance use disorders. DATA SOURCES Multiple administrative data from New York City and New York State for 966 heads of families eligible for the program during 2007-12. STUDY DESIGN We captured housing events and health care service utilization during 2 years prior to the first program eligibility date (baseline) and 2 years postbaseline. We performed sequence analysis to measure housing stability and compared housing stability and preventable ED visits and hospitalizations between program participants (treatment group) and eligible applicants not placed in the program (comparison group) via marginal structural modeling. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS We matched electronically collected data. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Eighty-seven percent of supportive housing tenants experienced housing stability in 2 years postbaseline. Compared with unstably housed heads of families in the comparison group, those in the treatment group were 0.60 times as likely to make preventable ED visits postbaseline (95% CI = 0.38, 0.96). CONCLUSIONS Supportive housing placement was associated with improved housing stability and reduced preventable health care visits among homeless families.
Strength of Elastomers. A Perspective

Abstract The strength and extensibility of an elastomer depend on its overall viscoelastic properties, as reflected in the time and temperature dependence of stress-strain curves, and also on those discrete processes, including crack formation and growth, that culminate in high-speed crack propagation. The discrete processes determine the lifetime of a specimen; the viscoelastic characteristics affect the dependence of stress on deformation. The interplay between these effects causes strength and extensibility to depend strongly on test conditions. An elastomeric network composed solely of highly mobile chains is very weak indeed and fractures at a low elongation. This characteristic differs diametrically from that expected of an idealized network of mobile chains. If such a network were stretched, stress concentrations and unbalanced forces at the molecular level, which can result from short chains, entanglements, and network imperfections, would be vitiated rapidly by stress-biased segmental diffusion, .
754例Ⅰ期-Ⅲa期可手术切除非小细胞肺癌患者EGFR和KRAS基因突变状态及其临床意义

背景与目的 表皮生长因子受体（epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR）和KRAS基因是非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC）重要的分子靶点，但目前研究主要集中在晚期NSCLC组织和血浆标本的EGFR检测，早期NSCLC组织样本中EGFR和KRAS突变特征尚不清楚。 本研究将探讨Ⅰ期-Ⅲa期NSCLC EGFR和KRAS基因突变与相关临床病理特征的关系。 方法 采用突变扩增系统（amplification refractory mutation system, ARMS）PCR方法检测北京协和医院病理科提供的754例Ⅰ期-Ⅲa期NSCLC组织样本的EGFR和KRAS基因突变状况，分析基因突变率及其与临床病理特征的关系。 结果 EGFR和KRAS基因热点突变的突变率分别为34. 5%和13. 1%，其中有3例样本具有EGFR和KRAS基因的双突变。 EGFR基因在女性中的突变率高于男性（39.5% vs 29.4%, P=0.076），在腺癌中的突变率（38.7%）高于鳞癌、腺鳞癌、大细胞癌（P < 0.01），但仍明显低于其他研究报道的亚裔晚期腺癌突变率（-50%）。 KRAS基因突变在男性中的突变率高于女性（16.6% vs 9%, P=0.048），且在腺癌中的突变率也高于其他类型，但差异不显著（P=0.268）。 与KRAS基因突变阳性组相比，EGFR基因突变阳性组在年龄分布上有年轻化的趋势（P=0.031, 5），在性别分布上有显著性差异（P < 0.01）。 结论 Ⅰ期-Ⅲa期NSCLC EGFR基因突变率较晚期患者低，且EGFR和KRAS基因双突变的发生率为0. 9%。
Multi-touch gestures in multimodal systems interaction among preschool children

Multi-touch gesture interactions have grown in popularity since the emergence of various types of tablets and smart phones. This simple and natural type of interaction has attracted users from all ages. Children are among the regular users who interact with multi-touch gestures; they learn to interact with touch screens even before they can speak. Additionally, children are also introduced with multi-touch technology for learning purposes in preschool. However, children face difficulties in accurately performing core multi-touch gestures (zoom-in, zoom-out, and rotate), as they are more accustomed to performing simple gesture like tapping. Thus, this paper proposes a conceptual framework on multi-touch gestures in multimodal systems interaction for preschool children aged 4–6 years from a Malaysian context. A semi-structured interview was conducted among ten preschool teachers in the Peninsular Malaysia through a telephone call. Three difficulty factors were identified, which are the ergonomics, the need for practical guidance, and the children's limited motor and cognitive skills. These results prove that the potential of multimodal interaction is a relevant solution in early childhood education at a preschool or kindergarten level.