Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Maintenance of Sex, Clonal Dynamics, and Host‐Parasite Coevolution in a Mixed Population of Sexual and Asexual Snails

Sexual populations should be vulnerable to invasion and replacement by ecologically similar asexual females because asexual lineages have higher per capita growth rates. However, as asexual genotypes become common, they may also become disproportionately infected by parasites. The Red Queen hypothesis postulates that high infection rates in the common asexual clones could periodically favor the genetically diverse sexual individuals and promote the short‐term coexistence of sexual and asexual populations. Testing this idea requires comparison of competing sexual and asexual lineages that are attacked by natural parasites. To date no such data have been available. Here, we report on long‐term dynamics and parasite coevolution in a “mixed” (sexual and asexual) population of snails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum). We found that, within 7–10 years, the most common clones were almost completely replaced by initially rare clones in two different habitats, while sexuals persisted throughout the study period. The common clones, which were initially more resistant to infection, also became more susceptible to infection by sympatric (but not allopatric) parasites over the course of the study. These results are consistent with the Red Queen hypothesis and show that the coevolutionary dynamics predicted by the theory may also favor sexual reproduction in natural populations.
The association of spirituality, religiosity, depression, anxiety, and drug use among persons undergoing methadone maintenance therapy

THE ASSOCIATION OF SPIRITUALITY, RELIGIOSITY, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND DRUG USE AMONG PERSONS UNDERGOING METHADONE MAINTENANCE THERAPY Linda B. Piacentine, M.S., R.N. , ACNP-BC Marquette University, 2010 The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimated 22.2 million (9.1 %) of Americans ages 12 and older abused or were dependent on an illicit substance or alcohol in 2005. Substance abuse often leads to addiction, and is damaging to the health of persons, families, and society. Using Neuman’s System Model as the conceptual framework, it was proposed that addiction weakens person’s defenses with resultant loss of health. The person with addiction often also suffers from anxiety, depression, or both, increasing the risk for continued substance abuse and its concomitant negative consequences, such as loss of employment, poor finances, damaged relationships, and diminished spirituality. Spirituality is a factor in addiction that is poorly understood and warrants further exploration. The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of spirituality religiosity, depression, and anxiety among persons addicted to opioids. A descriptive and cross-sectional correlational design was used to determine the association of spiritual well-being (SWB), religiosity, depression, anxiety, continued drug use, and drug use consequences during methadone maintenance therapy. Participants (n=108) completed questionnaires regarding SWB, religious background and behavior, anxiety, depression, and drug use consequences. Spiritual histories were obtained from participants’ medical records. The majority of participants were white with a mean age of 34.8, had been in methadone therapy for an average of 3.1 years and 50% were male. Correlations were examined among the study variables and a regression model examined associations with negative consequences of drug use. The SWB scale mean (86.7) was not significantly different than the mean found in similar groups (85.7, t(107)=0.624, p=0.534). Spiritual well-being had a significant inverse correlation to both the depression (r=-0.47, p<0.01) and anxiety (r=-0.46, p<0.01) measures. Although spiritual well-being did not correlate with the negative consequences of drug use, existential well-being had a significant inverse correlation (r=-.022, p<0.05). Spirituality, religiosity, anxiety and depression accounted for 20.3% of the variance in negative drug use consequences (R2=0.203, F(4,103)=6.57, p<. 001). Results demonstrate that spirituality, religiosity, depression, anxiety, and negative drug use consequences are interrelated in the person with addiction. Further understanding of spirituality in addiction is needed in order to provide spiritual care.
Examination of systematic mislocation of South Sandwich Islands earthquakes using station pairs

[1] One of the most robust observations for the inner core rotation is that the differential PKP BC-DF traveltimes from South Sandwich Islands (SSI) earthquakes to College, Alaska (and some other stations in Alaska), have increased systematically over the past 50 years. The time shift in the differential time residuals is some 0.3 s over 30 years. This temporal change is thought to result from a shift of the inner core structure from a superrotation of the inner core. However, the observation has been hotly debated and has been suggested to be an artifact of systematic earthquake mislocation. Here we examine this issue using three mutually independent approaches, with a goal to quantify the amount of the systematic mislocation, if any. All three approaches involve differencing data between north stations at a similar azimuth as the SSI-Alaska azimuth and south stations at nearly the opposite azimuth. Mislocation along this azimuth has greatest impact on the PKP differential times. In approach 1, we examine how the double difference of P traveltimes between a north station and a south station changes with time. Because the differential apparent slowness between the P traveltimes of the pairs is 8 to 16 times that of the differential BC-DF times, mislocation would cause a time shift in the double difference an order of magnitude larger than that of BC-DF times. In approach 2, we compare directly difference in P arrival times between two SSI events that are close by and between a north and a south stations, which avoids using earthquake locations and Earth models entirely. In approach 3, we compare PKP traveltime residuals between a group of north and south stations. Because PKP traveltimes are generally not used for location in earthquake bulletins, they provide an independent data set to check earthquake location errors. The results from approaches 1 and 2, both of which use P data, are generally consistent. The mislocation is up to 3.6 ± 4.2 km (one standard deviation), explaining less than 10% of the observed COL temporal change. The results from approach 3 using PKP data show a larger mislocation but with a larger error (14.4 ± 10.8 km over 30 years). It can explain about 30% ± 22% of the observed COL temporal change. Therefore innercore superrotation is still the best explanation for the observed temporal change in the differential traveltimes.
Cluster and cluster galaxy evolution history from IR to X-ray observations of the young cluster RX J1257.2+4738 at z = 0.866

Context. The cosmic time around the z ~ 1 redshift range appears crucial in the cluster and galaxy evolution, since it is probably the epoch of the first mature galaxy clusters. Our knowledge of the properties of the galaxy populations in these clusters is limited because only a handful of z ~ 1 clusters are presently known. Aims. In this framework, we report the discovery of a z ~ 0.87 cluster and study its properties at various wavelengths. Methods. We gathered X-ray and optical data (imaging and spectroscopy), and near and far infrared data (imaging) in order to confirm the cluster nature of our candidate, to determine its dynamical state, and to give insight on its galaxy population evolution. Results. Our candidate structure appears to be a massive z ~ 0.87 dynamically young cluster with an atypically high X-ray temperature as compared to its X-ray luminosity. It exhibits a significant percentage (~90%) of galaxies that are also detected in the 24 m band. Conclusions. The cluster RXJ1257.2+4738 appears to be still in the process of collapsing. Its relatively high temperature is probably the consequence of significant energy input into the intracluster medium besides the regular gravitational infall contribution. A significant part of its galaxies are red objects that are probably dusty with on-going star formation.
Agenda-Based User Simulation for Bootstrapping a POMDP Dialogue System

This paper investigates the problem of bootstrapping a statistical dialogue manager without access to training data and proposes a new probabilistic agenda-based method for simulating user behaviour. In experiments with a statistical POMDP dialogue system, the simulator was realistic enough to successfully test the prototype system and train a dialogue policy. An extensive study with human subjects showed that the learned policy was highly competitive, with task completion rates above 90%.
Pharmacologic inhibitors of IκB kinase suppress growth and migration of mammary carcinosarcoma cells in vitro and prevent osteolytic bone metastasis in vivo

The NF-κB signaling pathway is known to play an important role in the regulation of osteoclastic bone resorption and cancer cell growth. Previous studies have shown that genetic inactivation of IκB kinase (IKK), a key component of NF-κB signaling, inhibits osteoclastogenesis, but the effects of pharmacologic IKK inhibitors on osteolytic bone metastasis are unknown. Here, we studied the effects of the IKK inhibitors celastrol, BMS-345541, parthenolide, and wedelolactone on the proliferation and migration of W256 cells in vitro and osteolytic bone destruction in vivo. All compounds tested inhibited the growth and induced apoptosis of W256 cells as evidenced by caspase-3 activation and nuclear morphology. Celastrol, BMS-345541, and parthenolide abolished IL1β and tumor necrosis factor α–induced IκB phosphorylation and prevented nuclear translocation of NF-κB and DNA binding. Celastrol and parthenolide but not BMS-345541 prevented the activation of both IKKα and IKKβ, and celastrol inhibited IKKα/β activation by preventing the phosphorylation of TAK1, a key receptor–associated factor upstream of IKK. Celastrol and parthenolide markedly reduced the mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 and urinary plasminogen activator, and inhibited W256 migration. Administration of celastrol or parthenolide at a dose of 1 mg/kg/day suppressed trabecular bone loss and reduced the number and size of osteolytic bone lesions following W256 injection in rats. Histomorphometric analysis showed that both compounds decreased osteoclast number and inhibited bone resorption. In conclusion, pharmacologic inhibitors of IKK are effective in preventing osteolytic bone metastasis in this model and might represent a promising class of agents to the prevention and treatment of metastatic bone disease associated with breast cancer. [Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(8):2339–47]
Labour Turnover, Wage Structure, and Natural Unemployment

A firm may reduce its turnover and the entailed turnover costs by raising wages. A rise in unemployment reduces turnover and turnover costs in a similar way. The interaction of these effects leads – in presence of perfectly flexible wages – to a stable equilibrium in the labor market which clears the market but accidentally. Unemployment increases with increases in labor mobility. Wage differentials arise between perfectly identical workers working in different firms that face different turnover costs.
Accommodating Immigrant Women's Preferences for Female Health Care Providers.

OBJECTIVE To investigate obstetricians' perspectives of the importance, effect, and challenges of providing intrapartum care to immigrant women who request a female obstetrician. METHODS A focused ethnography was conducted at a large teaching hospital, which serves a high proportion of immigrant clientele (predominantly North or East African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian) in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Data collection comprised single, semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of 20 obstetric health care providers (10 resident and 10 staff obstetricians). Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were managed with Quirkos and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS A total of 13 female and seven male physicians were interviewed. Physicians recognized the validity of immigrant women's preference and requests for female health care providers and expressed sympathy for them. However, they were also resistant and expressed several concerns about accommodating these requests, including fear of perpetuating and exacerbating gender inequalities in medicine, the extent to which patient decision-making was coercion-free, the ability of the health system to meet the demands, and implications for training and quality of care. CONCLUSION Although physicians were sympathetic to immigrant women's requests for female obstetricians, they placed greater value on maintaining gender equity both within the medical profession and in wider society and resisted accommodating gender-of-health-care-provider requests. Our qualitative study suggests a need for greater research to inform policy that meets the professional and personal values of both physicians and patients.
CELL TO CELL INTERACTION IN T H E IMMUNE RESPONSE I. HEMOLYSIN-FoRMING CELLS IN NEONATALLY THYMECTOMIZED MICE RECONSTITUTED WITH THYMUS OR

Neonatal thymectomy depresses the immune response of conventional and germfree mice to sheep erythrocytes (1, 2). The capacity to produce 19S hemolysin-forming cells develops later after thymectomy at birth and the number attained at the height of the response is approximately 1 logt0 lower than in normal mice (1, 3). Thoracic duct cell output studies indicate that the number of recirculating small lymphocytes may be as low as 1% of normal (3). In addition, the thoracic duct cell population of neonatally thymectomized mice is markedly deficient in cells capable of transferring adoptively, to heavily irradiated mice, immunological responsiveness to sheep erythrocytes (3). Studies with tritiated thymidine-labeUng techniques (4, 5) indicate that some lymphocytes may leave the thymus and eventually appear in those areas of the lymph nodes and spleen known to be the site of traffic of recirculating small lymphocytes (6). The evidence obtained from the labeling and thymectomy experiments support the concept that the thymus may be the original source of some of these recirculating cells (7). Further support for this would be obtained if it could be shown that, under certain experimental conditions, thymus lymphocytes behaved and functioned exactly as thoracic duct lymphocytes.
Defining and Exploiting Network Topologies in Human Networks

Two link models are used to generate a social proximity network topology, used to support delay tolerant networking in human networks. It is shown how the link models produce graphs with fundamentally different properties, though based on the same underlying social mobility data. These properties influence how messages are routed, among other global attributes. Network design must consider link models as a fundamental aspect of the architecture.
Role of context on the perception of syllable composition by French and English listeners as a function of their dominant language

Des travaux experimentaux sur le francais et l’anglais ont deja apporte de nombreuses reponses a propos de la facon dont pourrait fonctionner l’ambisyllabicite et la syllabation. Meme si leurs conclusions se contredisent souvent les unes les autres, celles-ci fournissent un bon point de depart pour l’etude de l’ambisyllabicite en anglais et la comparaison des strategies de syllabation adoptees par les locuteurs anglophones et francophones natifs, meme si celles-ci peuvent etre etoffees, par exemple en apportant plus de precisions concernant la perception de la composition de la syllabe par les locuteurs-auditeurs bilingues. Des etudes ont suggere que la perception de la syllabation depend des caracteristiques de la langue premiere (L1, langue maternelle) des auditeurs. Ici, je suggere qu’il est plus fiable de considerer l’influence de la “langue dominante” (la langue dominante d’un bilingue pouvant alterner de la L1 a la L2 apres une forte et longue exposition a la L2). Via une experience pilote de perception auditive en 3 etapes, le present article cherche a comparer la perception de la syllabe selon qu’elle est presentee isolement ou en contexte de mot entier, que les auditeurs sont francophones ou anglophones natifs monolingues, bilingues francais-anglais ou bilingues anglais-francais.
Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership: Casting Light or Shadow, 3rd edition, by Craig E. Johnson

The moral decay in corporate America reached a “tipping point” when scandals of unethical behavior about Enron and Arthur Anderson contributed to the surfacing of an elaborate list of unethical behaviors across public, private, nonprofit, and faith-based organizations. Philosophers, theologians, academicians, and others have devoted their lives to exploring the intellectual and emotional process of decision making and the systematic study of ethics and principles of right or wrong. Most currently, the complexity of unethical practices has been amplified by a global recession further straining traditional decisions and challenging ethical behaviors. Craig Johnson’s third edition of this incredibly well written text improves on earlier versions while still covering the complexity of ethics with a very readable voice, reachable content, and contemporary examples ripped out of current headlines. He appropriately begins the book by posing a leadership challenge and by clarifying the problem in context of fallen leaders. This brief section provides a synthesis of the chapters and then transitions to defining major concepts that emerge throughout the book. As with previous volumes, the book is very well organized. Although the subject matter of every chapter is relatively complex, the layout and flow of sections clearly progress to tell a story and culminate with application of content to end-of-chapter case studies and discussion questions. Some chapters go as far as to explicitly clarify implications and applications and offer self-reflection assessments. Chapter 1 begins by challenging the discomfort of considering and addressing the dark side and destructive behaviors of leadership. Johnson grounds the premise of this chapter in Jungian psychology and the work of Parker Palmer, which focuses on the responsibility of the consciousness and the inner self as having potential to cast light or shadow in moral and immoral leaders. A number of authors have joined this understanding and recognize that leaders garner power through positions or resources and have the conscious opportunity to cast light or cover followers in darkness. Chapter 2 builds on the premise of the first chapter by explaining why leaders cast shadows instead of light and what is required
GPs' responses to adolescents presenting with psychological difficulties: a conceptual model of fixers, future planners, and collaborators.

BACKGROUND Psychological difficulties are common in adolescents yet are not often addressed by GPs. Anxiety and uncertainty about professional practice, with a reluctance to medicalise distress, have been found among GPs. GP involvement in this clinical area has been shown to be influenced by how GPs respond to the challenges of the clinical consultation, how they view young people and their perception of their health needs, and a GP's knowledge framework. AIM To explore the relationship between the above three influences to develop an overarching conceptual model. DESIGN AND SETTING Qualitative study based in 18 practices in the north east of England. The practices recruited included rural, urban, and mixed populations of patients predominantly living in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. METHOD Theoretical sampling was used to guide recruitment of GP participants continuing until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were analysed using the constant comparative method of grounded theory and situational analysis. RESULTS In total 19 GPs were recruited: 10 were female, the age range was 29-59 years, with a modal range of 40-49 years. Three levels of analysis were undertaken. This study presents the final stage of analysis. GP 'enactment of role' was found to be the key to explaining the relationship between the three influencing factors. Three role archetypes were supported by the data: 'fixers', 'future planners', and 'collaborators'. CONCLUSION The role of GPs in managing adolescent psychological difficulties is unclear. Policy advocates a direct role but this is unsupported by education and service delivery. GPs adopt their own position along a continuum, resulting in different educational needs. Better preparation for GPs is required with exploration of new, more collaborative models of care for troubled adolescents.
Identification of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus intermedius and Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. hyicus isolates from veterinary clinical specimens

Coagulase-positive isolates of Staphylococcus intermedius from dogs and coagulase-positive isolates of Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. hyicus from a pig and cows were identified initially by a simplified scheme which can be readily performed in a routine diagnostic laboratory. Characters tested in the scheme included coagulase activity, colony pigment, and aerobic acid production from maltose. The identity of these isolates was confirmed by deoxyribonucleic acid-deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization experiments. The strains of S. hyicus subsp. hyicus isolated from porcine sources were positive for protein A, whereas the strains recovered from bovine mastitic milk were negative for protein A.
Independent and Divisible Task Scheduling on Heterogeneous Star-shaped Platforms with Limited Memory

In this paper, we consider the problem of allocating and scheduling a collection of independent, equal-sized tasks on heterogeneous star-shaped platforms. We also address the same problem for divisible tasks. For both cases, we take memory constraints into account. We prove strong NP-completeness results for different objective functions, namely makespan minimization and throughput maximization, on simple star-shaped platforms. We propose an approximation algorithm based on the unconstrained version (with unlimited memory) of the problem. We introduce several heuristics, which are evaluated and compared through extensive simulations. An unexpected conclusion drawn from these experiments is that classical scheduling heuristics that try to greedily minimize the completion time of each task are outperformed by the simple heuristic that consists in assigning the task to the available processor that has the smallest communication time, regardless of computation power (hence a "bandwidth-centric" distribution).
Mitigating Spam Using Spatio-Temporal Reputation

Abstract : In this paper we present Preventive Spatio-Temporal Aggregation (PRESTA), a reputation model that combines spatial and temporal features to produce values that are behavior predictive and useful in partial-knowledge situations. To evaluate its effectiveness, we applied PRESTA in the domain of spam detection. Studying the temporal properties of IP blacklists, we found that 25% of IP addresses once listed on a blacklist were re-listed within 10 days. Further, during our evaluation period over 45% of IPs de-listed were re-listed. By using the IP address assignment hierarchy to define spatial groupings and leveraging these temporal statistics, PRESTA produces reputation values that correctly classify up to 50% of spam email not identified by blacklists alone, while maintaining low false-positive rates. When used in conjunction with blacklists, an average of 93% of spam emails are identified, and we find the system is consistent in maintaining this blockage rate even during periods of decreased blacklist performance. PRESTA spam filtering can be employed as an intermediate filter (perhaps in-network) prior to context-based analysis. Further, our spam detection system is scalable; computation can occur in near real-time and over 500,000 emails can be scored an hour.