Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Crown traits of coniferous trees and their relation to shade tolerance can differ with leaf type: a biophysical demonstration using computed tomography scanning data

Plant light interception and shade tolerance are intrinsically related in that they involve structural, morphological and physiological adaptations to manage light capture for photosynthetic utilization, in order to sustain survival, development and reproduction. At the scale of small-size trees, crown traits related to structural geometry of branching pattern and space occupancy through phyllotaxis can be accurately evaluated in 3D, using computed tomography (CT) scanning data. We demonstrate this by scrutinizing the crowns of 15 potted miniature conifers of different species or varieties, classified in two groups based on leaf type (10 needlelike, 5 scalelike); we also test whether mean values of crown traits measured from CT scanning data and correlations with a shade tolerance index (STI) differ between groups. Seven crown traits, including fractal dimensions (FD1: smaller scales, FD2: larger scales) and leaf areas, were evaluated for all 15 miniature conifers; an average silhouette-to-total-area ratio was also calculated for each of the 10 needlelike-leaf conifers. Between-group differences in mean values are significant (P < 0.05) for STI, FD1, FD2, and the average leaf area displayed (ĀD). Between-group differences in sign and strength of correlations are observed. For example, the correlation between STI and FD1 is negative and significant (P < 0.10) for the needlelike-leaf group, but is positive and significant (P < 0.05) for the miniature conifers with scalelike leaves, which had lower STI and higher FD1 on average in our study; the positive correlation between STI and ĀD is significant (P < 0.05) for the scalelike-leaf group, and very moderate for the needlelike-leaf one. A contrasting physical attachment of the leaves to branches may explain part of the between-group differences. Our findings open new avenues for the understanding of fundamental plant growth processes; the information gained could be included in a multi-scale approach to tree crown modeling.
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS AND GROUP PROCESSES Going Green to Be Seen : Status , Reputation , and Conspicuous Conservation

Why do people purchase proenvironmental “green” products? We argue that buying such products can be construed as altruistic, since green products often cost more and are of lower quality than their conventional counterparts, but green goods benefit the environment for everyone. Because biologists have observed that altruism might function as a “costly signal” associated with status, we examined in 3 experiments how status motives influenced desire for green products. Activating status motives led people to choose green products over more luxurious nongreen products. Supporting the notion that altruism signals one’s willingness and ability to incur costs for others’ benefit, status motives increased desire for green products when shopping in public (but not private) and when green products cost more (but not less) than nongreen products. Findings suggest that status competition can be used to promote proenvironmental behavior.
New markers for tracking endoderm induction and hepatocyte differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells

The efficient generation of hepatocytes from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) requires the induction of a proper endoderm population, broadly characterized by the expression of the cell surface marker CXCR4. Strategies to identify and isolate endoderm subpopulations predisposed to the liver fate do not exist. In this study, we generated mouse monoclonal antibodies against human embryonic stem cell-derived definitive endoderm with the goal of identifying cell surface markers that can be used to track the development of this germ layer and its specification to a hepatic fate. Through this approach, we identified two endoderm-specific antibodies, HDE1 and HDE2, which stain different stages of endoderm development and distinct derivative cell types. HDE1 marks a definitive endoderm population with high hepatic potential, whereas staining of HDE2 tracks with developing hepatocyte progenitors and hepatocytes. When used in combination, the staining patterns of these antibodies enable one to optimize endoderm induction and hepatic specification from any hPSC line. Highlighted article: Two new endoderm-specific cell surface antibodies, HDE1 and HDE2, identify and isolate liver-fated endoderm subpopulations with high specificity in differentiating human embryonic stem cells.
Electro-convulsive therapy practices in the community

Background. Controlled studies have demonstrated that variations in electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) technique impacts on efficacy and cognitive side effects. However, there is little information on the extent of variation in how ECT is practiced in community settings in the United States. Methods. A survey of practice patterns was conducted at ECT facilities in the greater New York City metropolitan area. Results. The 59 facilities varied considerably in many aspects of ECT practice, often clearly departing from the standards in the field. The more intensive the form of ECT used at facilities, the less likely was cognitive status assessed following the treatment course. Conclusion. There is marked variability in the nature of ECT practices in community settings. The extent to which this variability impacts on the benefits and risks of ECT needs to be examined.
Effects of pH, Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, and Flow Rate on Phosphorus Release Processes at the Sediment and Water Interface in Storm Sewer

The effects of pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and flow rate on the phosphorus (P) release processes at the sediment and water interface in rainwater pipes were investigated. The sampling was conducted in a residential storm sewer of North Li Shi Road in Xi Cheng District of Beijing on August 3, 2011. The release rate of P increased with the increase of pH from 8 to 10. High temperature is favorable for the release of P. The concentration of total phosphorus (TP) in the overlying water increased as the concentration of DO decreased. With the increase of flow rate from 0.7 m s−1 to 1.1 m s−1, the concentration of TP in the overlying water increased and then tends to be stable. Among all the factors examined in the present study, the flow rate is the primary influence factor on P release. The cumulative amount of P release increased with the process of pipeline runoff in the rainfall events with high intensities and shorter durations. Feasible measures such as best management practices and low-impact development can be conducted to control the P release on urban sediments by slowing down the flow rate.
Public attitudes in Australia towards the claim that addiction is a (brain) disease.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS We investigated the Australian public's understandings of addiction to alcohol and heroin and the factors predicting support for the idea that these types of addiction are 'diseases' and specifically 'brain diseases'. DESIGN AND METHODS Data were collected as part of the 2012 Queensland Social Survey, a computer-assisted telephone interview of 1263 residents of Queensland, Australia. Participants were presented with scenarios of two addicted persons, one who was addicted to heroin and the other addicted to alcohol. Participants were asked a series of questions about different definitions and causes of addiction for both characters. RESULTS Over half of the respondents thought that addiction is a disease (alcohol: 67%, heroin: 53%), but fewer (alcohol: 34%, heroin: 33%) believed that addiction is a brain disease. Belief that addiction has biological causes predicted agreement that addiction is a disease [alcohol: odds ratio (OR) = 3.05 (2.15-4.31), heroin: OR = 3.99 (2.82-5.65)] and a brain disease [alcohol: OR = 4.97 (3.42-7.22), heroin: OR = 14.12 (9.23-21.61)]. Women were more likely than men to agree that addiction is a disease [alcohol: OR = 1.79 (1.35-2.38), heroin: OR = 1.40 (1.09-1.81)] as were those 35 years of age and older [alcohol: OR = 2.25 (1.50-3.40), heroin: OR = 1.50 (1.01-2.24)]. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS There is more public support for the idea that addiction is a 'disease' than for the more specific claim that it is a 'brain disease'. Support for a biological aetiology of addiction predicted higher levels of agreement with both disease concepts.
Students' Intentions to Persist in, Versus Dropout of High School: What Self-determined Motivation Tells Us about It?

Article History: Received 13.08. 2012 Received in revised form 03.03. 2013 Accepted 15.03. 2013 Available online 05.08. 2013 High school dropout represents an important problem that affects thousands of students each year, and has obvious psychological, economical, and social ramifications. One factor in a student's decision to dropout of school may be motivation. Teachers play important role in helping students develop motivational resources through the provision of autonomy-supportive classrooms. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of behavioral regulation and competence to students’ intention to persist in, versus drop out of, high school. The authors argue more selfdetermined forms motivations could positively predict the intention of students to persist in, versus drop out of, high school. The subjects were 318 Iranian 9th grade students. All subjects completed academic self–regulation questionnaire, perceived competence scale and intention to persist in high school questionnaire. The results of regression analysis showed that more self-determined forms of behavioral regulation predict the intention of students to persist in high school. The results indicated students’ intentions to persist in high school increase with more self-determined forms of behavioral regulation and more perceived competence in classroom. The results also yielded an interesting finding that identified regulation did not predict students’ dropout intention. With respect to intention to persist in high school, these results highlight the importance of taking into account the fostering of perceived competence and more self-determined forms of behavioral regulation. © 2013 IOJES. All rights reserved
Cancer Stem Cell Immunology: Key to Understanding Tumorigenesis and Tumor Immune Escape?

Cancer stem cell (CSC) biology and tumor immunology have shaped our understanding of tumorigenesis. However, we still do not fully understand why tumors can be contained but not eliminated by the immune system and whether rare CSCs are required for tumor propagation. Long latency or recurrence periods have been described for most tumors. Conceptually, this requires a subset of malignant cells which is capable of initiating tumors, but is neither eliminated by immune cells nor able to grow straight into overt tumors. These criteria would be fulfilled by CSCs. Stem cells are pluripotent, immune-privileged, and long-living, but depend on specialized niches. Thus, latent tumors may be maintained by a niche-constrained reservoir of long-living CSCs that are exempt from immunosurveillance while niche-independent and more immunogenic daughter cells are constantly eliminated. The small subpopulation of CSCs is often held responsible for tumor initiation, metastasis, and recurrence. Experimentally, this hypothesis was supported by the observation that only this subset can propagate tumors in non-obese diabetic/scid mice, which lack T and B cells. Yet, the concept was challenged when an unexpectedly large proportion of melanoma cells were found to be capable of seeding complex tumors in mice which further lack NK cells. Moreover, the link between stem cell-like properties and tumorigenicity was not sustained in these highly immunodeficient animals. In humans, however, tumor-propagating cells must also escape from immune-mediated destruction. The ability to persist and to initiate neoplastic growth in the presence of immunosurveillance – which would be lost in a maximally immunodeficient animal model – could hence be a decisive criterion for CSCs. Consequently, integrating scientific insight from stem cell biology and tumor immunology to build a new concept of “CSC immunology” may help to reconcile the outlined contradictions and to improve our understanding of tumorigenesis.
What Kind of Commodity Is News

U.S. news organizations, both print and broadcast, are moving from practices in which “professional” journalists define what is newsworthy toward letting the market decide. The trend has generated much debate, but little from a theoretical perspective. This article seeks to provide some conceptual tools for thinking about how news will fare as a market-driven product. The analysis concludes that those who argue that market forces will improve journalism have not carefully examined the nature of news with market theory—microeconomics. In fact, microeconomic theory suggests that commodities like news are likely to engender opportunism on the part of news organizations.
Employment effect of innovation: microdata evidence from Bangladesh and Pakistan

The analysis of the impact of innovation on employment growth is an important topic for policy makers, because (un)employment is an important social topic, and the effects of innovation on employment are often poorly understood. Despite the significant importance of this relationship, very few studies on this topic for developing countries are yet available compared with developed ones. This paper contributes to this scanty literature by investigating the employment effect of innovation for two South Asian developing countries: Bangladesh and Pakistan. We further analyze whether this relationship shows country-specific and industry-specific differences. Finally, we investigate whether complementarity between process and product innovation exists or which effect (displacement or compensation) of one particular innovation type dominates the other, in order to influence employment. One of the striking findings of our analysis is that both product and process innovation spur employment in this region as a whole, regardless of low-tech and high-tech industries, even after controlling for a number of firm-specific characteristics. Moreover, although both innovation types also have significantly positive impacts on employment growth of all Bangladeshi and of all Pakistani firms separately, they are important factors for employment growth of only high-tech Bangladeshi firms and of only low-tech Pakistani firms. Moreover, we observe a strong complementarity between both innovation types in order to stimulate employment. Contrary to the most previous studies, we witness an insignificantly negative effect of labour cost on employment change, perhaps owing to the availability of labour force to hire at cheaper rates compared with developed countries. We notice that some of the innovation determinants exert different influences across industries and across both countries. The same is the case for the determinants of employment growth.
The enigmatic phenomenon of loneliness

Much has been said and written on loneliness, which is a common human phenomenon that belongs to everyday existence, but few attempts have been made to capture the phenomenon and its existential meaning without reducing its complexity. This paper addresses the question: What is loneliness, what is its essence? The study practiced a phenomenological approach, called Reflective Lifeworld Research. Twenty-six interviews were analysed for meaning with the aim of describing an essential structure for the phenomenon, showing what loneliness is. The analysis shows that the phenomenon of loneliness stands out in meaning as “figure” against a “background” of fellowship, connectedness and context. One is lonely when important others are not there, because either one has rejected them or they have chosen to be rejected and left the person behind, feeling lonely. One can reject others in favour of another kind of connectedness. Such loneliness is restful and pleasant. It involves the lack of tangible context that other present people can offer, yet a context is not missing—in this instance there is a relationship to and one is part of something else such as nature or animal fellowship. Involuntary loneliness on the other hand involves a lack of context and connectedness. To be involuntarily lonely and not belonging to anyone is to lack participation in the world. To not be. Loneliness as a phenomenon is further characterized as transcending the present situation containing loneliness. One can feel lonely even if there are many people around, or one can be completely alone without feeling lonely. Loneliness can disappear with a sense of belonging, when one connects with someone who is miles away.
Advocacy among parents of children with autism

The purpose of this study was to examine the determinants of advocacy among parents of children with autism. Existing research related to parental involvement in the autism community has been largely qualitative and/or without a theoretical basis. This study utilized the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to predict and explain parents’ intentions to communicate with school staff and to attend autism advocacy event based on their attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control. Respondents included 86 parents of children enrolled in the Delaware Autism Program (DAP), a highly specialized program dedicated exclusively to educating those on the autism spectrum. The survey was available between March 25, 2013 and June 1, 2013; 19 parents returned paper surveys while 67 completed an online version. A multiple regression analysis revealed that past behavior, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control predicted communication and attendance intentions. Attitude was an additional predictor of intention to attend an event. A paired t-test revealed that parents are more likely to communicate about their child than they are to attend an event to benefit the larger autism community. Pearson correlations revealed additional relationships, including a relationship between past advocacy experience and current attitudes toward advocacy. This study adds to autism research, advocacy research, and research expanding applications of the TPB.
The Seasonal Affective Disorder: The Seasons versus the Length of Night

Kamstra et al. (2003, 2011) offer measures of the prevalence of the seasonal affective disorder based on the hours of night and the medical incidence of the disorder in the North American population. Simpler measures are constructed by Kliger et al. (2012) using variables based upon the four seasons. Applying correlation analysis and factor analysis, we find these two sets of measures are empirical substitutes. We suggest researchers use the simpler seasonal mood variables of Kliger et al. rather than the more complicated measures of Kamstra et al. when examining the influence of the seasonal affective disorder on asset prices.
Macho Nachos The Implicit Effects of Gendered Food Packaging on Preferences for Healthy and Unhealthy Foods

The present studies examine how culturally held stereotypes about gender (that women eat more healthfully than men) implicitly influence food preferences. In Study 1, priming masculinity led both male and female participants to prefer unhealthy foods, while priming femininity led both male and female participants to prefer healthy foods. Study 2 extended these effects to gendered food packaging. When the packaging and healthiness of the food were gender schema congruent (i.e., feminine packaging for a healthy food, masculine packaging for an unhealthy food) both male and female participants rated the product as more attractive, said that they would be more likely to purchase it, and even rated it as tasting better compared to when the product was stereotype incongruent. In Study 3, packaging that explicitly appealed to gender stereotypes (''The muffin for real men'') reversed the schema congruity effect, but only among participants who scored high in psychological reactance.
Leprosy trends at a tertiary care hospital in Mumbai, India, from 2008 to 2015

Background Leprosy remains an important cause of preventable disabilities. After the advent of multidrug therapy, new leprosy cases have come down dramatically. Despite this achievement, India, which contributes 60% of the global leprosy burden, faces some challenges to eliminate the disease, including active transmission in the community and delayed diagnosis of leprosy patients. Objectives The objectives of the study were 1) to determine sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of newly diagnosed adults and children (less than 15 years) with leprosy and their trends over time (2008–2015) and 2) to describe the profile of surgical procedures among leprosy patients registered for reconstructive surgeries during 2006–2015. Design Retrospective descriptive study was conducted involving a record review of new patients with leprosy registered in Vimala Dermatological Centre, Mumbai. Results A total of 578 new leprosy cases were registered in the hospital during 2008–2015. There has been a steady increase in the trend of child cases (less than 15 years) registered in the facility (from 3% in 2008 to 18% in 2015), x 2=12.11, p<0.01. The majority of the patients (68%) were migrants of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Conclusions Targeting children and migrants and ensuring early diagnosis and treatment initiation are essential components for leprosy elimination in an urban metropolis in India.
Crucial role of TrkB ligands in the survival and phenotypic differentiation of developing locus coeruleus noradrenergic neurons

The role of glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and neurotrophins in the development of locus coeruleus noradrenergic neurons was evaluated. We found that two neurotrophic factors previously reported to prevent the degeneration of lesioned adult central noradrenergic neurons, GDNF and neurotrophin 3 (NT3), do not play significant roles in the prenatal development of locus coeruleus noradrenergic neurons, as demonstrated by: (1) the lack of alterations in double Gdnf/Nt3 null mutant mice; and (2) the lack of survival-promoting effects of GDNF and/or NT3 in rat E13.5 primary cultures. In contrast, null mutant mice for TrkB, the tyrosine kinase receptor for brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin 4, displayed a clear loss of locus coeruleus noradrenergic neurons. In accordance with this, treatment of rat E13.5 primary cultures with TrkB ligands prevented the early loss of noradrenergic neurons and maintained their survival for up to 6 days in vitro. Moreover, an additional 5-10-fold increase in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase positive noradrenergic neurons was detected after 12 hours in culture. This second effect of TrkB ligands involved neither proliferation nor survival, because the number of BrdU- or TUNEL-positive noradrenergic neurons did not change and the effect was elicited by delayed administration of either factor. Because TrkB ligands increased the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells expressing Phox2a, a paired homeodomain protein required for the development of locus coeruleus noradrenergic neurons, but did not affect the number of Phox2a-positive tyrosine hydroxylase-negative cells, our results suggest that the second effect of TrkB ligands may involve promoting or inducing a noradrenergic phenotype. In summary, our findings suggest that, unlike NT3 and GDNF, TrkB ligands are required and sufficient to promote the development of central noradrenergic neurons.