Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The straight and narrow path: the evolution of straight-line dispersal at a cane toad invasion front

At the edge of a biological invasion, evolutionary processes (spatial sorting, natural selection) often drive increases in dispersal. Although numerous traits influence an individual's displacement (e.g. speed, stamina), one of the most important is path straightness. A straight (i.e. highly correlated) path strongly enhances overall dispersal rate relative to time and energetic cost. Thus, we predict that, if path straightness has a genetic basis, organisms in the invasion vanguard will exhibit straighter paths than those following behind. Our studies on invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina) in tropical Australia clearly support this prediction. Radio-tracking of field-collected toads at a single site showed that path straightness steadily decreased over the first 10 years post-invasion. Consistent with an evolved (genetic) basis to that behavioural shift, path straightness of toads reared under common garden conditions varied according to the location of their parents' origin. Offspring produced by toads from the invasion vanguard followed straighter paths than did those produced by parents from long-established populations. At the individual level, offspring exhibited similar path straightness to their parents. The dramatic acceleration of the cane toad invasion through tropical Australia has been driven, in part, by the evolution of a behavioural tendency towards dispersing in a straight line.
Validation tests for transmission line matrix method in EMC calculations

Transmission line matrix (TLM) method algorithm is validated against exact analytical solutions for a typical EMC problem. The two test problems chosen for this purpose are the determination of fields inside a PEC resonator excited by a pulsed source distribution and the determination of the radiated fields from an aperture on the wall of the resonator. Almost perfect agreement was obtained between the TLM solutions and corresponding analytical results both in time and frequency domains. Results show that TLM can be used in an efficient way in addressing SE calculations and can also be applied to the calculation of EM fields in similar complex EM problem environments.
On the Relationship between Brain Laterality and Language Proficiency in L2: A Replication Study

The present paper attempted to investigate whether there is any significant relationship between participants' brain laterality and L2 proficiency level. To carry out the experiment, 30 participants administered in the present study. Fifteen of them did not have any English language learning experience and were at the start of language learning, while the rest had attended L2 learning classes for about 2 years in a popular English language center, located in Bandar-e Anzali, Iran. Finally, the researchers concluded that the activity of the right hemisphere went up by the increase in language proficiency among bilinguals. Thereupon, the result of the paper was at variance with Albert and Obler's (1978) early work on hemispheric differentiation, which indicated that bilinguals were less hemispheric dominant than monolinguals.
Trajectory Stability and Factors Affecting Trajectories Over Time of the Longitudinal Age-Related Change in Physical Performance Among Older People

This study used community-based cohort data to explore the trajectory stability (tracking coefficient or stability coefficient) and its influencing factors on the longitudinal age-related change in physical performance among older populations. An integrated statistical method with generalized estimating equations was applied to study trajectory stability. The study particularly demonstrated a mixed representation regarding the significant trajectories of intact and reduced physical performance over time. It is important to note that the trajectory stability of reduced physical performance was higher in females (odds ratio [OR] = 7.76; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.04–11.93) than in males (OR = 5.65; 95% CI: 4.09–7.79). However, for intact physical performance, the coefficient was 3.52 (95% CI: 2.76–4.48) in males and 2.55 (95% CI: 1.91–3.41) in females. There are further gender differences based on the influence of demographic, psychological, lifestyle, and biological variables in relation to the trajectories of physical performance. The authors conclude that an understanding of trajectory stability, as well as the factors affecting these trajectories in physical performance, is essential to the development of prevention programs tailored to maintaining functional ability or preventing the loss of physical function among older people.
Short-term lower leg growth in asthmatic children treated with inhaled beta2-agonists

Background: Knemometry studies of growth suppressive effects of inhaled glucocorticoids in children with asthma usually allow participating children to use concomitant inhaled β2-agonists. Systemic β2-agonists, however, have been found to suppress growth hormone secretion and this has caused concern about a possible confounding effect of inhaled β2-agonists on results of growth studies of exogenous glucocorticoids. Aim: The study evaluated whether inhaled salbutamol adversely affects short-term growth. Subjects and methods: Fifteen children aged 6–12 years with mild asthma were enrolled in a single-blind, randomized crossover study with two 2-week treatment periods and a 1-week run-in. During the active period treatment dry powder salbutamol (Ventoline Diskhaler®) 200 µg was inhaled three times a day. During the comparative period no treatment was given. Knemometry of the right lower leg was performed on the first and the last day of each period. Results: Mean lower leg growth rates (SEM) during no-treatment and salbutamol periods were 0.35 (0.06) and 0.42 (0.07) mm per week, respectively (P = 0.35, t = −0.98, 95% CI: 0.25–0.93 mm per week). Conclusions: Inhaled salbutamol 200 µg three times daily does not suppress short-term growth in asthmatic children. Inhaled β2-agonists in equipotent doses and regimens can be safely used in short-term knemometric growth studies of exogenous glucocorticoids without any risk of confounding the results.
Social Media, Professional Media and Mobilisation in Contemporary Britain: Explaining the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Citizens’ Movement 38 Degrees

Digital media continue to reshape political activism in unexpected ways. Within a period of a few years, the internet-enabled UK citizens’ movement 38 Degrees has amassed a membership of 3 million and now sits alongside similar entities such as America’s MoveOn, Australia’s GetUp! and the transnational movement Avaaz. In this article, we contribute to current thinking about digital media and mobilisation by addressing some of the limitations of existing research on these movements and on digital activism more generally. We show how 38 Degrees’ digital network repertoires coexist interdependently with its strategy of gaining professional news media coverage. We explain how the oscillations between choreographic leadership and member influence and between digital media horizontalism and elite media-centric work constitute the space of interdependencies in which 38 Degrees acts. These delicately balanced relations can quickly dissolve and be replaced by simpler relations of dependence on professional media. Yet despite its fragility, we theorise about how 38 Degrees may boost individuals’ political efficacy, irrespective of the outcome of individual campaigns. Our conceptual framework can be used to guide research on similar movements.
Identification of multidimensional stimuli containing speech cues and the effects of training.

The purpose of this study was to determine how listeners with normal hearing make use of cues from multiple, independent stimulus dimensions when classifying synthesized stimuli containing acoustic cues found in speech. Listeners classified synthesized stimuli that differed on three independent and discriminable dimensions. The three dimensions of the stimuli included: (1) the fricative spectrum center frequency; (2) the slope of the frequency transition; and (3) the duration of the temporal gap. Each of the three dimensions could take on one of three possible values. Twenty-seven stimuli were synthesized using all possible combinations of the values on the three dimensions. Multidimensional scaling of paired-comparison similarity judgments confirmed the existence of three perceptual dimensions. Listeners were then trained to classify three exemplar stimuli as "circle," "triangle," and "square," respectively. Following this training, subjects classified all 27 stimuli as "circle," "triangle," and "square. " From this it was determined how each listener's attention was distributed among the dimensions. Results indicated the listeners did not pay equal attention to the three stimulus dimensions. In addition, it was demonstrated that it was possible to train a listener to attend to a dimension that was not previously used to classify the stimuli.
The Credit Economy and the Economic Rationality of Science

Theories of scientific rationality typically pertain to belief. This paper argues that we should expand our focus to include motivations as well as belief. An economic model is used to evaluate whether science is best served by scientists motivated only by truth, only by credit, or by both truth and credit. In many, but not all, situations scientists motivated by both truth and credit should be judged as the most rational scientists. Understanding rational scientific behavior has long been a central interest in philosophy of science. Almost all the varied approaches to this problem share an assumption of passive individualism. There is a single scientist. The scientist is entertaining several theories which are all live alternatives. Evidence arrives that might relate to some of those theories, either by confirming, disconfirming, falsifying, or otherwise testing one or more of them. Philosophy of science has focused most of its attention on determining how individual scientists should respond to evidence. Less attention has been paid to the more active part of science: where scientists choose what evidence to seek out. Almost none is given to the other aspects of a scientist’s life: hiring, grant writing, publication, and so on. ∗My thanks for helpful comments from anonymous reviewer, Liam Kofi Bright, Remco Heesen, Simon Huttegger, Philip Kitcher, Brian Skyrms, Katie Steele, Wei Wang and audiences at Columbia University, Australian National University, CLMPS in Helsinki, University of California Irvine, SEP in Hamilton, Tsinghua University, and Vanderbilt.
Using a Multiple-Case Studies Design to Investigate the Information-Seeking Behavior of Arts Administrators

The case study method, and in particular the multiple–case studies design, offers LIS researchers a proven tool for achieving a deep understanding of a specific phenomenon—-for example, the information-seeking behavior of a particular user group. Although the case study method has been dismissed by critics who question the rigor of the approach, numerous studies over the past twenty years have demonstrated that the case study method can be used successfully to probe beneath the surface of a situation and to provide a rich context for understanding the phenomena under study. This article summarizes the application of the multiple–case studies design, in which a literal and theoretical replication strategy is used to identify consistent patterns of behavior and to uncover new and/or divergent themes. The motivation behind arts administrators' decisions to seek information is investigated using this approach and examples are given of sample selection, data collection, and analysis. Specific issues associated with the case study method are identified and practical steps used to address them are suggested.
A study of emotional intelligence and frustration tolerance among adolescent

In every sphere of life whether it is education, academic or personal, adolescents feel lots of obstacles on the way of their goals in life. Sometimes they are able to deal with them rationally but sometimes they deal with it emotionally. In case if they are incapable to deal with these obstacles they get frustrated. To cope up with frustration the adolescents need to be emotionally intelligent that means they should have flexibility, optimist thought and skilled to control impulses. The present study attempted to correlate frustration tolerance with emotional intelligence. A total of 120 adolescents were selected from Jaipur city in the age group of 1219 years of age. Out of 120 adolescents, 60 were girls and 60 were boys. For data collection Emotional intelligence scale and Frustration tolerance tool was used. A positive correlation was found between emotional intelligence and frustration tolerance of adolescents. Girls were found to have high emotional intelligence as well as frustration tolerance as compared to boys. A significant difference was found in emotional intelligence and frustration tolerance at different age. Adolescents of 12-15 years have high emotional intelligence and frustration tolerance than adolescents of 16-19 years.
The Effect Of Leadership Style, Job Satisfaction And Employee-Supervisor Relationship On Job Performance And Organizational Commitment

Although organizational commitment and job performance are essential for the survival of an organization, yet scanty attention is paid to simultaneous investigation of these variables. This study set to investigate the influence of supervisor-employee relationship, perceived leadership style, and job satisfaction on organizational commitment and job performance. Two hundred and fifty-five employees of media employees are conveniently sampled with ages ranging from 20 to 57 years with a mean of 34.29 years. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was employed to test the working hypotheses. Stepwise regression analysis reveals three steps in the prediction of organizational commitment and job performance respectively. With the third steps showing that job satisfaction (β = 0.53; p < .001); supervisor-subordinate relationship (β = 0.41; p < .001) and laissez-faire leadership styles (β = 0.38; p < .001) as predicting organizational commitment with 49.7% variance is explained; while with job performance, 34.8% of variance explained the variables of working experience (β = -0.54; p < .001); education (β = 0.31; p < .01) and transformational leadership styles (β = -0.22; p < .05). This finding has implications for employee retention, performance management and incentive strategy.
Tissue reactions to epoxy-crosslinked porcine heart valves post-treated with detergents or a dicarboxylic acid.

Calcification limits the long-term durability of xenograft glutaraldehyde (GA)-crosslinked heart valves. Previously, a study in rats showed that epoxy-crosslinked heart valves reduced lymphocyte reactions to the same extent as the GA-crosslinked control and induced a similar foreign-body response and calcification reaction. The present study was aimed at reducing the occurrence of calcification of epoxy-crosslinked tissue. Two modifications were carried out and their influence on cellular reactions and the extent of calcification after 8 weeks' implantation in weanling rats was evaluated. First, epoxy-crosslinked valves were post-treated with two detergents to remove cellular elements, phospholipids and small soluble proteins, known to act as nucleation sites for calcification. The second approach was to study the effect of the impaired balance between negatively and positively charged amino acids by an additional crosslinking step with a dicarboxylic acid. The detergent treatment resulted in a washed-out appearance of especially the cusp tissue. With the dicarboxylic acid, both the cusps and the walls had a limited washed-out appearance. The wall also demonstrated some detachment of the subendothelium. After implantation, both detergent and dicarboxylic acid post-treatment histologically resulted in reduced calcification at the edges of cusps and walls. However, total amounts of calcification, measured by atomic emission spectroscopy, were not significantly reduced. Data concerning the presence of lymphocytes varied slightly, but were in the same range as the GA-crosslinked control, i.e., clearly reduced compared with a noncrosslinked control. It is concluded that both the double detergent and the dicarboxylic acid post-treatment of epoxy-crosslinked heart valve tissue do not represent a sound alternative in the fabrication of heart valve bioprostheses.
Living Donor Kidney Transplantation: The Effects of Donor Age and Gender on Short- and Long-Term Outcomes

Background. The influence of donor age and sex on acute rejection episodes and short- and long-term graft survival in living donor (LD) kidney transplantation has not been well characterized. Methods. This prospective cohort study includes 739 first time LD transplantations with median follow-up time of 55.1 months. Death censored graft survival according to donor age and sex was compared with Kaplan–Meier plots. Cox regression was performed to estimate the association between different risk factors and graft survival and acute rejection episodes. Results. Graft survival was not affected by donor age above 50 years as long as these recipients did not experience an early acute rejection episode. Acute rejection episodes increased in recipients of grafts from donors ≥65 years (P=0.009). Donor age ≥65, recipient age less than 50 years, human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR matching, and female donor gender were risk factors for early acute rejection episodes. In multivariate analysis donor age ≥65 years was a risk factor for graft loss in all time periods after transplantation. During the first 5 years after transplantation a steroid resistant rejection episode was an additional risk factor. More than 5 years after transplantation male donor gender was the only additional risk factor for graft loss. Conclusion. These results support the continued use of older male and female living donors who meet carefully constructed medical criteria and who are highly motivated to donate. Furthermore, donor age seems to be a more important predictor of graft loss than donor sex.
The impact of breastfeeding on the health of HIV-positive mothers and their children in sub-Saharan Africa.

OBJECTIVE We assessed the impact of breastfeeding by women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 on their morbidity and risk of mortality and on the mortality of their children. METHODS We analysed longitudinal data from two previous randomized clinical trials of mother-to-child transmission of HIV conducted between April 2000 and March 2003 in the Republic of Malawi, Africa. Mothers infected with HIV, and their newborns, were enrolled at the time of their child's birth; they then returned for follow-up visits when the child was aged 1 week, 6-8 weeks and then 3, 6, 9, 15, 18, 21 and 24 months. Patterns of breastfeeding (classified as exclusive, mixed or no breastfeeding), maternal morbidity and mortality, and mortality among their children were assessed at each visit. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the association between breastfeeding and maternal and infant outcomes. FINDINGS A total of 2000 women infected with HIV were enrolled in the original studies. During the 2 years after birth, 44 (2.2%) mothers and 310 (15.5%) children died. (Multiple births were excluded.) The median duration of breastfeeding was 18 months (interquartile range (IQR)=9.0-22.5), exclusive breastfeeding 2 months (IQR=2-3) and mixed feeding 12 months (IQR=6-18). Breastfeeding patterns were not significantly associated with maternal mortality or morbidity after adjusting for maternal viral load and other covariates. Breastfeeding was associated with reduced mortality among infants and children: the adjusted hazard ratio for overall breastfeeding was 0.44 (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.28-0.70), for mixed feeding 0.45 (95% CI=0.28-0.71) and for exclusive breastfeeding 0.40 (95% CI=0.22-0.72). These protective effects were seen both in infants who were infected with HIV and those who were not. CONCLUSION Breastfeeding by women infected with HIV was not associated with mortality or morbidity; it was associated with highly significant reductions in mortality among their children.
The iCoCooN: Integration of Cobweb Charts with Parallel Coordinates for Visual Analysis of DCE-MRI Modeling Variations

Efficacy of radiotherapy treatment depends on the specific characteristics of tumorous tissues. For the determination of these characteristics, clinical practice uses Dynamic Contrast Enhanced (DCE) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). DCE-MRI data is acquired and modeled using pharmacokinetic modeling, to derive per voxel a set of parameters, indicative of tissue properties. Different pharmacokinetic modeling approaches make different assumptions, resulting in parameters with different distributions. A priori, it is not known whether there are significant differences between modeling assumptions and which assumption is best to apply. Therefore, clinical researchers need to know at least how different choices in modeling affect the resulting pharmacokinetic parameters and also where parameter variations appear. In this paper, we introduce iCoCooN: a visualization application for the exploration and analysis of model-induced variations in pharmacokinetic parameters. We designed a visual representation, the Cocoon, by integrating perpendicularly Parallel Coordinate Plots (PCPs) with Cobweb Charts (CCs). PCPs display the variations in each parameter between modeling choices, while CCs present the relations in a whole parameter set for each modeling choice. The Cocoon is equipped with interactive features to support the exploration of all data aspects in a single combined view. Additionally, interactive brushing allows to link the observations from the Cocoon to the anatomy. We conducted evaluations with experts and also general users. The clinical experts judged that the Cocoon in combination with its features facilitates the exploration of all significant information and, especially, enables them to find anatomical correspondences. The results of the evaluation with general users indicate that the Cocoon produces more accurate results compared to independent multiples.
Prostacyclin therapies for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension

Prostacyclin and its analogues (prostanoids) are potent vasodilators and possess antithrombotic, antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory properties. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with vasoconstriction, thrombosis and proliferation, and the lack of endogenous prostacyclin may considerably contribute to this condition. This supports a strong rationale for prostanoid use as therapy for this disease. The first experiences of prostanoid therapy in PH patients were published in 1980. Epoprostenol, a synthetic analogue of prostacyclin, and the chemically stable analogues iloprost, beraprost and treprostinil were tested in randomised controlled trials. The biological actions are mainly mediated by activation of specific receptors of the target cells; however, new data suggest effects on additional intracellular pathways. In the USA and some European countries, intravenous infusion of epoprostenol and treprostinil, as well as subcutaneous infusion of treprostinil and inhalation of iloprost, have been approved for therapy of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Iloprost infusion and beraprost tablets have been approved in few other countries. Ongoing clinical studies investigate oral treprostinil, inhaled treprostinil and the combination of inhaled iloprost and sildenafil in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Combination of other targeted therapies with prostanoids appears to be effective and safe. After 25 yrs of continued knowledge, prostanoids remain a mainstay in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.