Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distribution and forage use of exotic bumblebees in South Island, New Zealand

The rapid decline in bumblebee populations within Europe has been linked to habitat loss through agricultural intensification, and a consequential reduction in the availability of preferred forage plants. The successful introduction of four European Bombus species to the South Island of New Zealand from England (in 1885 and 1906) provides an opportunity to determine how important different forage plants (also introduced from the U.K.) are to two severely threatened European bumblebee species (Bombus ruderatus and B. subterraneus). In January 2003 we conducted a survey of bumblebee populations across 70 sites in the central and southern South Island, recording which plant species were being used as pollen and nectar sources for each Bombus species. All four bumblebee species showed a clear preference for plants of European origin. Only B. terrestris, the most polylectic species, was recorded feeding on native plant species. The longer-tongued bumblebees, B. hortorum, B. ruderatus, and B. subterraneus, foraged predominantly on just two plant species; Trifolium pratense for both nectar and pollen, and Echium vulgare for nectar. These plant species are now declining in abundance in the U.K. Our results provide support for the hypothesis that the loss of flower-rich meadows, particularly those containing populations of Fabaceae species with long corollae, is responsible for the decline of bumblebee species across Europe. Comparison with earlier bumblebee surveys suggests that long-tongued bumblebees may also be in decline in New Zealand, particularly B. subterraneus which is now very localised and scarce.
An investigation of the relationship between workplace practices and firm performance: evidence from hotel industry, China

Sustainable success and firm performance (FP) in the hotel industry highly depends on customer loyalty and workplace practices. However, the role of information technology (IT) in workplace practice's effectiveness and FP is not much investigated. The objective of the present study is to investigate the relationship between workplace practices [low transaction cost (LTC), tangible and intangible service (TIS), and customer oriented approach (COA)] and FP in the hotel industry, China, and mediating role of IT. Through convenience sampling technique, out of 280, 192 workers returned complete and properly filled questionnaires. Partial least squares, structural equation modelling approach is used. The findings confirm that workplace practices (LTC, TIS, and COA) have a significant relationship with FP and IT partially mediates this relationship. Importance-performance matrix analysis highlights the 'COA' as a most important practice to enhance the FP. Limitations and future research directions are discussed in the last section of the study.
Effects of the South American Psychoactive Beverage Ayahuasca on Regional Brain Electrical Activity in Humans: A Functional Neuroimaging Study Using Low-Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography

Ayahuasca, a South American psychotropic plant tea obtained from Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis, combines monoamine oxidase-inhibiting β-carboline alkaloids with N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a psychedelic agent showing 5-HT2A agonist activity. In a clinical research setting, ayahuasca has demonstrated a combined stimulatory and psychedelic effect profile, as measured by subjective effect self-assessment instruments and dose-dependent changes in spontaneous brain electrical activity, which parallel the time course of subjective effects. In the present study, the spatial distribution of ayahuasca-induced changes in brain electrical activity was investigated by means of low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA). Electroencephalography recordings were obtained from 18 volunteers after the administration of a dose of encapsulated freeze-dried ayahuasca containing 0.85 mg DMT/kg body weight and placebo. The intracerebral power density distribution was computed with LORETA from spectrally analyzed data, and subjective effects were measured by means of the Hallucinogen Rating Scale (HRS). Statistically significant differences compared to placebo were observed for LORETA power 60 and 90 min after dosing, together with increases in all six scales of the HRS. Ayahuasca decreased power density in the alpha-2, delta, theta and beta-1 frequency bands. Power decreases in the delta, alpha-2 and beta-1 bands were found predominantly over the temporo-parieto-occipital junction, whereas theta power was reduced in the temporomedial cortex and in frontomedial regions. The present results suggest the involvement of unimodal and heteromodal association cortex and limbic structures in the psychological effects elicited by ayahuasca.
International Guillain‐Barré Syndrome Outcome Study: protocol of a prospective observational cohort study on clinical and biological predictors of disease course and outcome in Guillain‐Barré syndrome

Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute polyradiculoneuropathy with a highly variable clinical presentation, course, and outcome. The factors that determine the clinical variation of GBS are poorly understood which complicates the care and treatment of individual patients. The protocol of the ongoing International GBS Outcome Study (IGOS), a prospective, observational, multicenter cohort study that aims to identify the clinical and biological determinants and predictors of disease onset, subtype, course and outcome of GBS is presented here. Patients fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for GBS, regardless of age, disease severity, variant forms, or treatment, can participate if included within 2 weeks after onset of weakness. Information about demography, preceding infections, clinical features, diagnostic findings, treatment, course, and outcome is collected. In addition, cerebrospinal fluid and serial blood samples for serum and DNA is collected at standard time points. The original aim was to include at least 1,000 patients with a follow‐up of 1–3 years. Data are collected via a web‐based data entry system and stored anonymously. IGOS started in May 2012 and by January 2017 included more than 1,400 participants from 143 active centers in 19 countries across 5 continents. The IGOS data/biobank is available for research projects conducted by expertise groups focusing on specific topics including epidemiology, diagnostic criteria, clinimetrics, electrophysiology, antecedent events, antibodies, genetics, prognostic modeling, treatment effects, and long‐term outcome of GBS. The IGOS will help to standardize the international collection of data and biosamples for future research of GBS.
A constitutive model for quasicrystal plasticity

A constitutive model for quasicrystal plastic deformation is presented. The constitutive description incorporates an order parameter that accounts for deformation-induced disordering and thermally activated reordering. An evolution equation for the order parameter constitutes part of the model. Model predictions, such as the calculated dislocation density evolution and the attendant stress? strain behaviour, are compared with experimental data. A good accord between the calculations and the experiment gives us the confidence that the model captures the salient features of quasicrystal plasticity.
Floral abundance and resource quality influence pollinator choice

Pollinator declines caused by forage habitat loss threaten insect pollination services. Pollinating insects depend on adequate floral resources, and their ability to track these resources. Variability of these resources and the effect on insect foraging choice is poorly understood. We record patterns of visitation to six wildflower species and test the hypotheses that: pollinators preferentially visit the most rewarding flowers; nectar diurnal variations affect foraging preferences; pollinators respond most strongly to nectar rewards. Nectar volume and sugar concentration were negatively correlated within plant species over time of day where greater concentration and lower volume was evident in the afternoon, but this did not correspond to pollinator visitation. Both floral abundance and nectar quality (total sugar per inflorescence) positively affect insect visitation. For some foragers, the positive effects of high‐quality rewards were only evident when floral abundance was high (>50 inflorescences per patch), perhaps reflecting the low probability of pollinators detecting scarce rewards. Pollen quality (total protein per inflorescence) was negatively related to visitation of Apis mellifera and Bombus pascuorum. Fewer pollinators visiting flowers of higher pollen quality could reflect plant allocation trade‐offs or the presence of secondary metabolites in pollen, meaning pollen foraging is likely affected by factors other than protein concentration. Nectar rather than pollen appeared to be the main driver of floral choice by insects in this system. Conservation schemes for bees in farmland or gardens might benefit from ensuring that rewarding plant species are present at high density and/or are aggregated in space.
Cutaneous Malignancies Presenting as Superficial Ulcers

Epidermal skin cancers are the most common cancers in humans. Epidermal skin cancers present a unique opportunity for effective intervention with both early detection and primary prevention. They are amenable to clinical diagnosis by simple visual inspection and to pathologic diagnosis by minimally invasive biopsy. Our objective is to show that the cutaneous malignancies are common in our environment and frequently present as superficial ulcer. This is a 4-year retrospective histopathological analysis of cutaneous malignancies diagnosed between January 2006 and December 2009 in the Department of Pathology, Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa State. The specimens were fixed in 10% buffered formalin, processed in paraffin wax and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. The slides were studied and the lesions were characterized by two consultant pathologists who were blinded and they agreed on the diagnosis. Twenty-one cases were reviewed in this analysis. The age range was between 20-79 years old with the mean age of 59.5 years old. The male to female ratio was 1.1:1. The peak age of distribution was in the fourth decade. In this review, the most common malignancy was squamous cell carcinoma; followed by malignant melanoma and basal cell carcinoma. The lower extremity was the commonest site with 11 (52.2%) cases; this was followed by the head and neck region with 7 (33.1%) cases, while one (4.7%) case with each presented in the anterior chest wall, elbow and at an unspecified site. Cutaneous malignancies are common in our environment; and the early sign is that of chronic non-healing ulcer. So there is need for high index of suspicion on the part of the Clinicians and Pathologists. Early identification of high-risk lesions can allow for more rapid therapeutic intervention, reducing the likelihood of metastasis and death.
Vitamin K and bone Mini-review

1 National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Clinical Physiology (IFC), Pisa, Italy 2 Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy 3 “Ospedale N.S. di Bonaria”, S. Gavino Monreale, Italy 4 Department of Medicine, Medical Clinic 1, University of Padova, Padova, Italy 5 Nephrology and Dialysis Unit, “San Carlo Borromeo” Hospital, Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences “Luigi Sacco”, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Active molecular iodine photochemistry in the Arctic

Significance We report here the first measurements of molecular iodine (I2) in the Arctic atmosphere and iodide (I−) in the Arctic snowpack. Although iodine chemistry is expected to have significant impacts on Arctic atmospheric ozone destruction and new particle production, sparse measurements of atmospheric iodine have limited our ability to examine sources and impacts. We show, through sunlit and artificially irradiated snowpack experiments, that the coastal Arctic snowpack is capable of photochemical production and release of I2 to the boundary layer. This is supported by enrichment of the snowpack in I− compared with that expected from sea spray influence alone. Through photochemical modeling, we demonstrate that, at observed I2 levels, snowpack production can have a significant impact on Arctic atmospheric chemistry. During springtime, the Arctic atmospheric boundary layer undergoes frequent rapid depletions in ozone and gaseous elemental mercury due to reactions with halogen atoms, influencing atmospheric composition and pollutant fate. Although bromine chemistry has been shown to initiate ozone depletion events, and it has long been hypothesized that iodine chemistry may contribute, no previous measurements of molecular iodine (I2) have been reported in the Arctic. Iodine chemistry also contributes to atmospheric new particle formation and therefore cloud properties and radiative forcing. Here we present Arctic atmospheric I2 and snowpack iodide (I−) measurements, which were conducted near Utqiaġvik, AK, in February 2014. Using chemical ionization mass spectrometry, I2 was observed in the atmosphere at mole ratios of 0.3–1.0 ppt, and in the snowpack interstitial air at mole ratios up to 22 ppt under natural sunlit conditions and up to 35 ppt when the snowpack surface was artificially irradiated, suggesting a photochemical production mechanism. Further, snow meltwater I− measurements showed enrichments of up to ∼1,900 times above the seawater ratio of I−/Na+, consistent with iodine activation and recycling. Modeling shows that observed I2 levels are able to significantly increase ozone depletion rates, while also producing iodine monoxide (IO) at levels recently observed in the Arctic. These results emphasize the significance of iodine chemistry and the role of snowpack photochemistry in Arctic atmospheric composition, and imply that I2 is likely a dominant source of iodine atoms in the Arctic.
Alternative mRNA Splicing in the Pathogenesis of Obesity

Alternative mRNA splicing is an important mechanism in expansion of proteome diversity by production of multiple protein isoforms. However, emerging evidence indicates that only a limited number of annotated protein isoforms by alternative splicing are detected, and the coding sequence of alternative splice variants usually is only slightly different from that of the canonical sequence. Nevertheless, mis-splicing is associated with a large array of human diseases. Previous reviews mainly focused on hereditary and somatic mutations in cis-acting RNA sequence elements and trans-acting splicing factors. The importance of environmental perturbations contributed to mis-splicing is not assessed. As significant changes in exon skipping and splicing factors expression levels are observed with diet-induced obesity, this review focuses on several well-known alternatively spliced metabolic factors and discusses recent advances in the regulation of the expressions of splice variants under the pathophysiological conditions of obesity. The potential of targeting the alternative mRNA mis-splicing for obesity-associated diseases therapies will also be discussed.
Understanding collaborative language learning in novice-level foreign language classrooms: perceptions of teachers and students

ABSTRACT This study explored the congruence and disparities among three groups of foreign language (Chinese, French, and German) students’ and teachers’ perceptions of collaborative/cooperative language learning (CLL) strategies in novice-level classroom contexts. A total of 168 participants from a university in the USA took part in this mixed-method study. The quantitative findings from a 10-item CLL questionnaire suggested that while the students’ and teachers’ perceptions of CLL strategies were generally consistent and positive, some disparities emerged in terms of their perceptions towards pair work, 3–6 as a group work, interview, and role playing. The qualitative findings from interviews and classroom observations provided some possible explanations to the differences discovered. The quantitative findings also revealed that foreign language type was not a factor differentiating students’ and teachers’ perceptions of CLL strategies. Some practical implications are provided for the effective implementation of CLL strategies in novice-level foreign language classrooms.
Speech Rate Normalization and Phonemic Boundary Perception in Cochlear-Implant Users.

Purpose Normal-hearing (NH) listeners rate normalize, temporarily remapping phonemic category boundaries to account for a talker's speech rate. It is unknown if adults who use auditory prostheses called cochlear implants (CI) can rate normalize, as CIs transmit degraded speech signals to the auditory nerve. Ineffective adjustment to rate information could explain some of the variability in this population's speech perception outcomes. Method Phonemes with manipulated voice-onset-time (VOT) durations were embedded in sentences with different speech rates. Twenty-three CI and 29 NH participants performed a phoneme identification task. NH participants heard the same unprocessed stimuli as the CI participants or stimuli degraded by a sine vocoder, simulating aspects of CI processing. Results CI participants showed larger rate normalization effects (6.6 ms) than the NH participants (3.7 ms) and had shallower (less reliable) category boundary slopes. NH participants showed similarly shallow slopes when presented acoustically degraded vocoded signals, but an equal or smaller rate effect in response to reductions in available spectral and temporal information. Conclusion CI participants can rate normalize, despite their degraded speech input, and show a larger rate effect compared to NH participants. CI participants may particularly rely on rate normalization to better maintain perceptual constancy of the speech signal.
Integrative Single‐Cell Transcriptomics Reveals Molecular Networks Defining Neuronal Maturation During Postnatal Neurogenesis

Abstract In mammalian hippocampus, new neurons are continuously produced from neural stem cells throughout life. This postnatal neurogenesis may contribute to information processing critical for cognition, adaptation, learning, and memory, and is implicated in numerous neurological disorders. During neurogenesis, the immature neuron stage defined by doublecortin (DCX) expression is the most sensitive to regulation by extrinsic factors. However, little is known about the dynamic biology within this critical interval that drives maturation and confers susceptibility to regulatory signals. This study aims to test the hypothesis that DCX‐expressing immature neurons progress through developmental stages via activity of specific transcriptional networks. Using single‐cell RNA‐seq combined with a novel integrative bioinformatics approach, we discovered that individual immature neurons can be classified into distinct developmental subgroups based on characteristic gene expression profiles and subgroup‐specific markers. Comparisons between immature and more mature subgroups revealed novel pathways involved in neuronal maturation. Genes enriched in less mature cells shared significant overlap with genes implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, while genes positively associated with neuronal maturation were enriched for autism‐related gene sets. Our study thus discovers molecular signatures of individual immature neurons and unveils potential novel targets for therapeutic approaches to treat neurodevelopmental and neurological diseases.
Does Distance still Matter in Intra-European Partnerships? An Analysis of R&D Cooperation in Biotechnology

The objective of this article is to evaluate the influence of several dimensions of distance on the choice of partners for R&D cooperation. The empirical study is based on a sample of 1.502 agreements signed by European firms operating in biotechnology. The results show that distance still matters in intra-European cooperation. In particular, administrative, geographic, economic and technological distance appears to play a key role, whereas cultural distance does not seem to influence the choice of partners.
The effects of corporate social disclosure on firm performance: empirical evidence from Bangladesh

Purpose: This study examines the influence of corporate social disclosure on firm performance within the context of Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach: This study develops hypotheses with the light of legitimacy and signalling theory using top 200 firms listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange, Bangladesh. Corporate social disclosure (CSD) data are based on the period from 2011 to 2013, and the firm performance (FP) is based on the respective following year 2012 to 2014. A corporate social disclosure index (CSDI) including three categories (long-term, short-term and general disclosure) is constructed to measure the extent of social disclosures in annual reports. Firm performance is measured based on three indicators including Return on Asset (ROA), Market Capitalization, and Tobin Q. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) and Two Stage Least Square (2SLS) are used in analysing the data. Findings: It is found that there is a significant relationship between corporate social disclosure and the following year's firm performance for every performance indicator. It is also found that long-term disclosure plays a key role in influencing the firm performance. Originality/ value: CSD is country-specific and, hence, the effects of corporate social disclosure on firm performance can vary from country to country. This study enhances understating of such relationship as it considers within the context of a developing country. The finding of this study is robust as every indicator of firm performance is found to be related positively to firm performance.
Isolation and characterization of intestinal stem cells based on surface marker combinations and colony-formation assay.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Identification of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) has relied heavily on the use of transgenic reporters in mice, but this approach is limited by mosaic expression patterns and difficult to directly apply to human tissues. We sought to identify reliable surface markers of ISCs and establish a robust functional assay to characterize ISCs from mouse and human tissues. METHODS We used immunohistochemistry, real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) to analyze intestinal epithelial cells isolated from mouse and human intestinal tissues. We compared different combinations of surface markers among ISCs isolated based on expression of Lgr5-green fluorescent protein. We developed a culture protocol to facilitate the identification of functional ISCs from mice and then tested the assay with human intestinal crypts and putative ISCs. RESULTS CD44(+)CD24(lo)CD166(+) cells, isolated by FACS from mouse small intestine and colon, expressed high levels of stem cell-associated genes. Transit-amplifying cells and progenitor cells were then excluded based on expression of GRP78 or c-Kit. CD44(+)CD24(lo)CD166(+) GRP78(lo/-) putative stem cells from mouse small intestine included Lgr5-GFP(hi) and Lgr5-GFP(med/lo) cells. Incubation of these cells with the GSK inhibitor CHIR99021 and the E-cadherin stabilizer Thiazovivin resulted in colony formation by 25% to 30% of single-sorted ISCs. CONCLUSIONS We developed a culture protocol to identify putative ISCs from mouse and human tissues based on cell surface markers. CD44(+)CD24(lo)CD166(+), GRP78(lo/-), and c-Kit(-) facilitated identification of putative stem cells from the mouse small intestine and colon, respectively. CD44(+)CD24(-/lo)CD166(+) also identified putative human ISCs. These findings will facilitate functional studies of mouse and human ISCs.