Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Scales of Dispersal and the Biogeography of Marine Predator‐Prey Interactions

Striking differences in the dispersal of coexisting species have fascinated marine ecologists for decades. Despite widespread attention to the impact of dispersal on individual species dynamics, its role in species interactions has received comparatively little attention. Here, we approach the issue by combining analyses of simple heuristic predator‐prey models with different dispersal patterns and data from several predator‐prey systems from the Pacific coasts of North and South America. In agreement with model predictions, differences in predator dispersal generated characteristic biogeographic patterns. Predators lacking pelagic larvae tracked geographic variation in prey recruitment but not prey abundance. Prey recruitment rate alone explained more than 80% of the biogeographic variation in predator abundance. In contrast, predators with broadcasting larvae were uncorrelated with prey recruitment or adult prey abundance. Our findings reconcile perplexing results from previous studies and suggest that simple models can capture some of the complexity of life‐history diversity in marine communities.
On the predictability of talk attendance at academic conferences

This paper focuses on the prediction of real-world talk attendances at academic conferences with respect to different influence factors. We study and discuss the predictability of talk attendances using real-world face-to-face contact data and user interests extracted from the users' previous publications. For our experiments, we apply RFID-tracked talk attendance information captured at the ACM Conference on Hypertext and Hypermedia 2011. We find that contact and similarity networks achieve comparable results, and that combining these networks helps to a limited extent to improve the prediction quality.
Characterization of ypa1 and ypa2, the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Orthologs of the Peptidyl Proyl Isomerases That Activate PP2A, Reveals a Role for Ypa2p in the Regulation of Cytokinesis

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe septation initiation network (SIN) regulates cytokinesis. Cdc7p is the first kinase in the core SIN; we have screened genetically for SIN regulators by isolating cold-sensitive suppressors of cdc7-24. Our screen yielded a mutant in SPAC1782.05, one of the two fission yeast orthologs of mammalian phosphotyrosyl phosphatase activator. We have characterized this gene and its ortholog SPAC4F10.04, which we have named ypa2 and ypa1, respectively. We find that Ypa2p is the major form of protein phosphatase type 2A activator in S. pombe. A double ypa1–Δ ypa2–Δ null mutant is inviable, indicating that the two gene products have at least one essential overlapping function. Individually, the ypa1 and ypa2 genes are essential for survival only at low temperatures. The ypa2–Δ mutant divides at a reduced cell size and displays aberrant cell morphology and cytokinesis. Genetic analysis implicates Ypa2p as an inhibitor of the septation initiation network. We also isolated a cold-sensitive allele of ppa2, the major protein phosphatase type 2A catalytic subunit, implicating this enzyme as a regulator of the septation initiation network.
The emerging field of mobile health

Mobile technologies can transform clinical research and health care worldwide—and save money. The surge in computing power and mobile connectivity have fashioned a foundation for mobile health (mHealth) technologies that can transform the mode and quality of clinical research and health care on a global scale. Unimpeded by geographical boundaries, smartphone-linked wearable sensors, point-of-need diagnostic devices, and medical-grade imaging, all built around real-time data streams and supported by automated clinical decision–support tools, will enable care and enhance our understanding of physiological variability. However, the path to mHealth incorporation into clinical care is fraught with challenges. We currently lack high-quality evidence that supports the adoption of many new technologies and have financial, regulatory, and security hurdles to overcome. Fortunately, sweeping efforts are under way to establish the true capabilities and value of the evolving mHealth field.
Effect of Nanophyetus salmincola and Bacterial Co-Infection on Mortality of Juvenile Chinook Salmon.

The freshwater trematode Nanophyetus salmincola has been demonstrated to impair salmonid immune function and resistance to the marine pathogen Vibrio anguillarum, potentially resulting in ocean mortality. We examined whether infection by the parasite N. salmincola similarly increases mortality of juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha when they are exposed to the freshwater pathogens Flavobacterium columnare or Aeromonas salmonicida, two bacteria that juvenile salmonids might encounter during their migration to the marine environment. We used a two-part experimental design where juvenile Chinook Salmon were first infected with N. salmincola through cohabitation with infected freshwater snails, Juga spp. , and then challenged with either F. columnare or A. salmonicida. Cumulative percent mortality from F. columnare infection was higher in N. salmincola-parasitized fish than in nonparasitized fish. In contrast, cumulative percent mortality from A. salmonicida infection did not differ between N. salmincola-parasitized and nonparasitized groups. No mortalities were observed in the N. salmincola-parasitized-only and control groups from either challenge. Our study demonstrates that a relatively high mean intensity (>200 metacercariae per posterior kidney) of encysted N. salmincola metacercariae can alter the outcomes of bacterial infection in juvenile Chinook Salmon, which might have implications for disease in wild fish populations.
Affecting Factors and Recent Improvements of the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) for Remotely Sensing Foliar, Canopy and Ecosystemic Radiation-Use Efficiencies

Accurately assessing terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP) is crucial for characterizing the climate-carbon cycle. Remotely sensing the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) across vegetation functional types and spatiotemporal scales has received increasing attention for monitoring photosynthetic performance and simulating GPP over the last two decades. The factors confounding PRI variation, especially on long timescales, however, require the improvement of PRI understanding to generalize its use for estimating carbon uptake. In this review, we summarize the most recent publications that have reported the factors affecting PRI variation across diurnal and seasonal scales at foliar, canopy and ecosystemic levels; synthesize the reported correlations between PRI and ecophysiological variables, particularly with radiation-use efficiency (RUE) and net carbon uptake; and analyze the improvements in PRI implementation. Long-term variation of PRI could be attributed to changes in the size of constitutive pigment pools instead of xanthophyll de-epoxidation, which controls the facultative short-term changes in PRI. Structural changes at canopy and ecosystemic levels can also affect PRI variation. Our review of the scientific literature on PRI suggests that PRI is a good proxy of photosynthetic efficiency at different spatial and temporal scales. Correcting PRI by decreasing the influence of physical or physiological factors on PRI greatly strengthens the relationships between PRI and RUE and GPP. Combining PRI with solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) and optical indices for green biomass offers additional prospects.
The effect of chronic variable stress on bowel habit and adrenal function in rats

Background and Aim: Increased colonic motility is a well‐known stress response and corticotropin releasing hormone plays an important role in this response, but sequential change of bowel habit and adrenal function during chronic stress has not been reported. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of chronic stress on bowel habit and adrenal function.
Combined corticosteroid and antiviral treatment for Bell palsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

CONTEXT New evidence has emerged regarding the use of corticosteroids and antiviral agents in Bell palsy. OBJECTIVE To estimate the association of corticosteroids and antiviral agents with the risk of unsatisfactory facial recovery in patients with Bell palsy. DATA SOURCES The search included MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, PsychInfo, CINAHL, Web of Science, PAPERSFIRST, PROCEEDINGSFIRST, and PROQUEST to identify studies up to March 1, 2009. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials comparing treatment with either corticosteroids or antiviral agents with a control and measuring at least 1 of the following outcomes: unsatisfactory facial recovery (> or = 4 months), unsatisfactory short-term recovery (6 weeks to < 4 months), synkinesis and autonomic dysfunction, or adverse effects. Two reviewers extracted data on study characteristics, methods, and outcomes. Disagreement was resolved by consensus. RESULTS Eighteen trials involving 2786 patients were eligible. Regression analysis identified a synergistic effect when corticosteroids and antiviral agents were administered in combination compared with alone (odds ratio for interaction term, 0.54 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.35-0.83]; P = .004). Meta-analysis using a random-effects model showed corticosteroids alone were associated with a reduced risk of unsatisfactory recovery (relative risk [RR], 0.69 [95% CI, 0.55-0.87]; P = .001) (number needed to treat to benefit 1 person, 11 [95% CI, 8-25]), a reduced risk of synkinesis and autonomic dysfunction (RR, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.36-0.65]; P < .001) (number needed to treat to benefit 1 person, 7 [95% CI, 6-10]), and no increase in adverse effects. Antiviral agents alone were not associated with a reduced risk of unsatisfactory recovery (RR, 1.14 [95% CI, 0.80-1.62]; P = .48). When combined with antiviral agents, corticosteroids were associated with greater benefit (RR, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.29-0.79]; P = .004) than antiviral agents alone. When combined with corticosteroids, antiviral agents were associated with greater risk reduction of borderline significance compared with corticosteroids alone (RR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.56-1.00]; P = .05). CONCLUSIONS In Bell palsy, corticosteroids are associated with a reduced risk of unsatisfactory recovery. Antiviral agents, when administered with corticosteroids, may be associated with additional benefit.
Tidal flat nematode responses to hypoxia and subsequent macrofauna-mediated alterations of sediment properties

To assess the role of macrofauna-mediated sediment changes on nematode community recovery, we examined the temporal development of macrobenthos, nematode communities and sed- iment properties following hypoxia in 16 m 2 replicated plots over a 6 mo period. Hypoxia drastically changed nematode community composition (i.e. reduced diversity and abundances of all dominant ne- matodes, except Odontophora spp.), but complete mortality, as was the case for the macrobenthos, did not occur. Macrofauna diversity recovered slowly, but community composition approached that of con- trol communities after several months. In contrast, nematode diversity recovered to control values within 1 mo but, subsequently, decreased again; hence, no clear convergence towards the control community composition was apparent. This diversity decline and lack of community recovery was mainly attributed to abundance overshoots of the epistrate feeding nematodes Chromadora spp. , Dap- tonema spp. and Ptycholaimellus ponticus in the treatments, which dominated the treatment commu- nity after 2 mo. Nematode community reassembling was strongly related to the coupled macroben- thos-environmental temporal development. The dynamics of 2 sediment characteristics, which were both mediated by the colonizing macrobenthos, are presented as possible determinant factors for this relationship: (1) low nematode post-settlement resuspension resulting from stable sediments at early macrofauna recovery stages and (2) enhanced nematode reproduction and settlement success in a dense microphytobenthos mat in relation to the temporal variation in macrobenthos grazing pressure and bioturbation. In conclusion, the strong relationships between macrobenthos recovery, environ- mental development and nematode community development after hypoxia highlight the importance of macrobenthos-sediment interactions in the recovery and structuring of nematode communities.
Keplerian frequency of uniformly rotating neutron stars and strange stars

Aims. We calculate Keplerian (mass shedding) configurations of rigidly rotating neutron stars and strange stars with crusts. We check the validity of the empirical formula for Keplerian frequency, f K , proposed by Lattimer & Prakash, f K (M) = C (M/M ⊙ ) 1/2 (R/10 km) -3/2 , where M is the (gravitational) mass of the Keplerian configuration, R is the (circumferential) radius of the non-rotating configuration of the same gravitational mass, and C = 1.04 kHz. Methods. Numerical calculations are performed using precise 2D codes based on the multi-domain spectral methods. We use a representative set of equations of state (EOSs) of neutron stars and quark stars. Results. We show that the empirical formula for f K (M) holds within a few percent for neutron stars with realistic EOSs, provided 0.5 M ⊙ < M < 0.9 M stat max , where M stat max ) is the maximum allowable mass of non-rotating neutron stars for an EOS, and C = C NS = 1.08 kHz. Similar precision is obtained for strange stars with 0.5 M ⊙ < M < 0.9 M stat max . For maximal crust masses we obtain C ss = 1.15 kHz, and the value of C ss is not very sensitive to the crust mass. All our Cs are significantly larger than the analytic value from the relativistic Roche model, C Roche = 1.00 kHz. For 0.5 M ⊙ < M < 0.9 M stat max , the equatorial radius of the Keplerian configuration of mass M, R K (M), is, to a very good approximation, proportional to the radius of the non-rotating star of the same mass, R K (M) = a R(M), with α NS ≈ α ss ≈ 1.44. The value of α ss is very weakly dependent on the mass of the crust of the strange star. Both a values are smaller than the analytic value α Roche = 1.5 from the relativistic Roche model.
High-Density Lipoproteins and the Immune System

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) plays a major role in vasodilation and in the reduction of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, inflammation, apoptosis, thrombosis, and infection; however, HDL is now less functional in these roles under certain conditions. This paper focuses on HDL, its anti-inflammation behavior, and the mechanisms by which HDL interacts with components of the innate and adaptive immune systems. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and proteomic studies have elucidated important molecules involved in the interaction between HDL and the immune system. An understanding of these mechanisms is expected to be useful for the prevention and treatment of chronic inflammation due to metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis, or various autoimmune diseases.
Personal Information Management: The Case for an Evolutionary Approach

This review paper argues that users of personal information management systems have three particularly pressing requirements, for which current systems do not fully cater: (i) To combat information overload, as the volume of information increases. (ii) To ease context switching, in particular, for users who face frequent interrupts in their work. (iii) To be supported in information integration, across a variety of applications. To meet these requirements, four broad technological approaches should be adopted in an incremental fashion: (i) The deployment of a unified file system to manage all information objects, including files, emails and webpage URLs. (ii) The use of tags to categorize information; implemented in a way which is backward-compatible with existing hierarchical file systems. (iii) The use of context to aid information retrieval; built upon existing file andtaggingsystemsratherthancreatingaparallelcontextmanagementsystem. (iv)Thedeployment of semantic technologies, coupled with the harvesting of all useful metadata.
A Forensic Laboratory Tests the Berkeley Microfabricated Capillary Array Electrophoresis Device *

Abstract: Miniaturization of capillary electrophoresis onto a microchip for forensic short tandem repeat analysis is the initial step in the process of producing a fully integrated and automated analysis system. A prototype of the Berkeley microfabricated capillary array electrophoresis device was installed at the Virginia Department of Forensic Science for testing. Instrument performance was verified by PowerPlex® 16 System profiling of single source, sensitivity series, mixture, and casework samples. Mock sexual assault samples were successfully analyzed using the PowerPlex® Y System. Resolution was assessed using the TH01, CSF1PO, TPOX, and Amelogenin loci and demonstrated to be comparable with commercial systems along with the instrument precision. Successful replacement of the Hjerten capillary coating method with a dynamic coating polymer was performed. The accurate and rapid typing of forensic samples demonstrates the successful technology transfer of this device into a practitioner laboratory and its potential for advancing high‐throughput forensic typing.
The “Pathological Gambling and Epidemiology” (PAGE) study program: design and fieldwork

The German federal states initiated the “Pathological Gambling and Epidemiology” (PAGE) program to evaluate the public health relevance of pathological gambling. The aim of PAGE was to estimate the prevalence of pathological gambling and cover the heterogenic presentation in the population with respect to comorbid substance use and mental disorders, risk and protective factors, course aspects, treatment utilization, triggering and maintenance factors of remission, and biological markers. This paper describes the methodological details of the study and reports basic prevalence data. Two sampling frames (landline and mobile telephone numbers) were used to generate a random sample from the general population consisting of 15,023 individuals (ages 14 to 64) completing a telephone interview. Additionally, high‐risk populations have been approached in gambling locations, via media announcements, outpatient addiction services, debt counselors, probation assistants, self‐help groups and specialized inpatient treatment facilities. The assessment included two steps: (1) a diagnostic interview comprising the gambling section of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) for case finding; (2) an in‐depth clinical interview with participants reporting gambling problems. The in‐depth clinical interview was completed by 594 participants, who were recruited from the general or high‐risk populations. The program provides a rich epidemiological database which is available as a scientific use file. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Markovian Fusion Approach to Robust Unsupervised Change Detection in Remotely Sensed Imagery

The most common methodology to carry out an automatic unsupervised change detection in remotely sensed imagery is to find the best global threshold in the histogram of the so-called difference image. The unsupervised nature of the change detection process, however, makes it nontrivial to find the most appropriate thresholding algorithm for a given difference image, because the best global threshold depends on its statistical peculiarities, which are often unknown. In this letter, a solution to this issue based on the fusion of an ensemble of different thresholding algorithms through a Markov random field framework is proposed. Experiments conducted on a set of five real remote sensing images acquired by different sensors and referring to different kinds of changes show the high robustness of the proposed unsupervised change detection approach
Animation with Threshold Textures

We present a method for frame coherent texturing and hatching of 3D models with a discrete set of colors. Our technique is inspired by various artistic styles that use a limited set of colors to convey surface shape and texture. In previous research discrete color shading was produced by modifying smooth shading with a threshold function. We extend this approach and specify threshold values with an image or a procedural texture. Texture values and mapping coordinates are adapted to surface orientation and scale. Aliasing artifacts are eliminated by the modified filtering technique. The threshold texturing approach enables an animator to control local shading and to display surface roughness and curvature with a limited set of colors.
Drug Resistance Prevalence in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infected Pediatric Populations in Honduras and El Salvador During 1989–2009

Background: Emergence of viral resistance is a major obstacle for antiretroviral treatment (ART) effectiveness. Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) variants and drug-resistance mutations were identified in naive and antiretroviral drug-experienced children with virologic failure, in Honduras and El Salvador. Methods: Dried blood spots (DBS) from 80 individuals (54 from Honduras, 26 from El Salvador) infected during their childhood between 1989 and 2009 were collected in 2009. The HIV pol region was amplified and sequenced to identify antiretroviral-resistant mutations according to the 2009 International AIDS Society. The genotypic drug resistance interpretation was performed using the Stanford algorithm. HIV-1 variants were characterized by phylogenetic analysis and subtyping tools. Results: HIV-1 protease and reverse transcription sequences were obtained from DBS specimens in 71 and 66 patients, respectively, of the 80 patients. All children were native Central Americans carrying subtype B, with a mean age of 9 years, most were male (65%), perinatally infected (96%), with moderate/severe AIDS symptoms (70%), and receiving first line ART at the time of sequencing (65%). Diagnostic delay was frequently observed. Infected children from Honduras presented longer ART experience and clinical outcomes, and more frequent severe symptoms. Resistant variants infected 1 of 11 naive children from El Salvador but none of the perinatally infected naive children from Honduras. Resistance was higher among ART-exposed individuals in both countries and similar for protease inhibitors (16%), nucleoside reverse transcription inhibitors (44%–52%), and nonnucleoside reverse-transcription inhibitors (66.7%). One in 10 pretreated children in each country was infected with resistant viruses to the 3 drug families. Conclusions: Our data support the need for continued surveillance of resistance patterns using DBS at national levels among naive and pretreated children to optimize the ART regimens.
An Analysis of Forward Pruning

Several early game-playing computer programs used forward pruning (i.e., the practice of deliberately ignoring nodes that are believed unlikely to affect a game tree's minimax value), but this technique did not seem to result in good decision-making. The poor performance of forward pruning presents a major puzzle for AI research on game playing, because some version of forward pruning seems to be "what people do," and the best chess-playing programs still do not play as well as the best humans. As a step toward deeper understanding of forward pruning, we have set up models of forward pruning on two different kinds of game trees, and used these models to investigate how forward pruning affects the probability of choosing the correct move. In our studies, forward pruning did better than minimaxing when there was a high correlation among the minimax values of sibling nodes in a game tree. This result suggests that forward pruning may possibly be a useful decision-making technique in certain kinds of games. In particular, we believe that bridge may be such a game.