Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The ecology and evolution of tooth wear in red deer and moose

Differences in body size and diet type (browsergrazer continuum) have formed functional traits of ruminants, including tooth design. Grazers and mixed-feeders eat a more fibrous diet than browsers, which arguably increase tooth wear. Tooth wear has also been suggested to increase with body size. Moreover, for species with large distribution ranges, different populations may be exposed to very different ecological factors affecting diet and thus tooth wear rates. Therefore, evolutionary history and contemporary ecological conditions, both operating through diet, may be important for patterns of tooth wear. Here, we compare inter- and intraspecific rates of tooth wear in multiple populations of one large browser (moose Alces alces ) and one mixed-feeder (red deer Cervus elaphus ) covering the main distribution range of each species in Norway. We found that the mixedfeeding red deer wore teeth faster than the larger and browsing moose, suggesting that feeding-type was more important than body size for patterns of wear. There was substantial spatial variation in tooth wear rates, but the inter-specific difference in wear was consistent. Molar wear rates, but not incisors wear rates, in the browser were less variable between populations than in the mixed-feeder. There was no close link between incisor and molar wear rates at the population level. Our findings are consistent with the view that both evolution related to diet type and current ecological conditions (being proxies for within-species variation in diet quality) are important for patterns of tooth wear.
CHANGES IN PLASMA MEMBRANE FLUIDITY OF IMMORTAL RODENT CELLS INDUCED BY ANTICANCER DRUGS DOXORUBICIN, ACLARUBICIN AND MITOXANTRONE

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of three structurally different anticancer drugs—the pro‐oxidative anthracyclines doxorubicin (DOX) and aclarubicin (ACL), and antioxidative anthraquinone mitoxantrone (MTX) on the fluidity of plasma membrane of immortalized rodent fibroblasts using fluorescence spectroscopy and electron spin resonance (ESR) techniques. Two kinds of fluorescent probes (TMA‐DPH and 12‐AS) and spin labels (5‐DS and methyl‐12‐DS) were used to monitor fluidity in the hydrophobic core and in the polar headgroup region of the lipid bilayer. Immortalized hamster B14 and NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblasts were exposed to DOX, ACL and MTX. We demonstrate that these drugs influence predominantly the hydrophobic core of the lipid bilayer, inducing significant decrease in its fluidity at low concentrations (2–5μm). A decreased membrane fluidity at the surface of the lipid bilayer was observed only at a higher concentration (20μm) of the drugs, which indicates that DOX, ACL and MTX intercalate mainly into the hydrophobic core of the membrane, thereby perturbing its structure.
Factors associated with staff perceptions towards inclusive education in Singapore

In this study, we sought to examine the perceptions of teachers and other school professionals towards the inclusion of secondary school students with special educational needs (SEN), and the associated factors. The Sentiments, Attitudes and Concerns about Inclusive Education Revised scale (SACIE-R) was completed by 131 teachers and school professionals from two mainstream secondary schools in Singapore. The findings revealed an overall neutral attitude towards inclusion. Together, confidence in teaching students with SEN, the level of training SEN support, as well as experience teaching students with SEN account for a large proportion of the variance in ratings of inclusive perceptions. Further analyses revealed that confidence in teaching or supporting students with SEN was found to be a significant predictor of inclusive perceptions. The findings suggest that schools seeking to engage in inclusive practices should focus on ways to develop the confidence of personnel to support students with SEN. Professional development and mentorship were suggested as possible avenues.
Maternal Age, Psychological Maturity, Parenting Cognitions, and Mother–Infant Interaction

In the context of the trend toward delayed childbearing, the aim of this study was to examine relations among maternal age and the quality of maternal interactive behavior at 7 months assessed using sensitivity and mind-mindedness, while also considering whether age effects were attributable to psychological maturity and parenting cognitions. Participants were 150 Australian mothers (mean age 33-years) and their firstborn infants who were participating in a prospective study of parenthood. Path analysis showed maternal age had both direct and indirect associations with maternal interactive behavior. Older mothers made more mind-related comments to their infants. They were also more sensitive; however, this effect was indirect and explained by greater psychological maturity (hardiness) and a more internal locus of control with regard to parenting. Results suggest that older maternal age may confer some benefits in terms of responsive parenting in infancy.
Novel modal approach for kinematics of multisection continuum arms

This paper presents a new three dimensional (3D) kinematic model based on mode shape functions (MSF) for multisection continuum arms. It solves the singularity problems associated with previous models and introduces a novel approach for intuitively deriving exact, singularity-free MSFs, thus avoiding mode switching schemes and simplifying error models. The model is able to simulate spatial bending, pure elongation/contraction, and introduces inverse orientation kinematics for the first time to multisection continuum arms. Also, it carefully accounts for physical constraints in the joint space to provide enhanced insight into practical mechanics, and produces correct results for both forward and inverse kinematics. The model is validated through simulations, based on a prototype continuum robotic arm. Proposed approach is applicable to a broad spectrum of continuum robotic arm designs.
Collective Behavior of Networks with Linear (VLSI) Integrate-and-Fire Neurons

We analyze in detail the statistical properties of the spike emission process of a canonical integrate-and-fire neuron, with a linear integrator and a lower bound for the depolarization, as often used in VLSI implementations (Mead, 1989). The spike statistics of such neurons appear to be qualitatively similar to conventional (exponential) integrate-and-fire neurons, which exhibit a wide variety of characteristics observed in cortical recordings. We also show that, contrary to current opinion, the dynamics of a network composed of such neurons has two stable fixed points, even in the purely excitatory network, corresponding to two different states of reverberating activity. The analytical results are compared with numerical simulations and are found to be in good agreement.
Fair Value Accounting and Managerial Discretion

We analyse the extent to which managers exercise discretion under fair value accounting and the value relevance of these disclosures. Utilising a sample of firms that apply the UK fair value pension accounting standard, (FRS-17), we examine the main determinants of the assumptions managers use to arrive at pension scheme valuation. Despite little variation in the underlying economic inputs, differences in stated assumptions across companies, auditors and actuaries are significant. Managers display considerable variation in conservatism when implementing fair value accounting and this variation is related to scheme-specific characteristics, such as asset allocation and pension solvency. Although the disclosed amounts are found to be value relevant, the observed inconsistency in reporting across firms brings into question the efficacy of fair value accounting for assessing corporate risk.
Adolescent Predictors of Early Adult Adjustment

Adjustment, particularly in adulthood, is a vague concept discussed among researchers. Most often researchers only consider lack of involvement in problem behavior as criteria for positive adjustment. Furthermore, it is unclear what factors influence the likelihood of adjustment and the influence of race on these factors is unknown. The current study proposed a composite of male adult adjustment that considers what the Wellness Model terms the “wholeness” of an individual. In addition, adolescent predictors of adult adjustment and the influence of race on factors influencing adjustment were examined in a longitudinal sample of 481 males. Results revealed 4 profiles of adjustment: 1 profile that included individuals who were overall adjusted, 2 profiles that included individuals who were moderately adjusted, and 1 profile of individuals who were maladjusted. The majority of the sample was identified as adjusted in that they were financially responsible, did not have psychological problems, engaged in little to no acts of delinquency, and acknowledged at least adequate social support. Note, however, that these individuals did engage in some substance use. The smallest profile of individuals was those who were maladjusted in that they engaged in excessive delinquency, used both drugs and drank alcohol heavily, and lacked a positive support system. However these individuals were also absent of psychological problems and were financially responsible. Findings also uncovered predictors of adjustment, such that high levels of depression, physical punishment, and poor relationships with peers were associated with only moderate levels of adjustment regardless of race. Furthermore, racial differences in predictors of adjustment were found. Anxiety and parent/child communication were associated with only moderate adjustment for African American but not Caucasian males. In contrast, mother’s arrest and peer delinquency were associated with only moderate adjustment
Character Not Charisma is the Critical Measure of Leadership Excellence

The leadership crisis in ethics in many organizations partially stems from the crisis in character of our leaders. The character of the leader is grounded on such core values as integrity, trust, truth and human dignity, which influence the leader's vision, ethics and behaviour. The moral literacy of the leader and the essentials of an ethical culture are connected to his/her character and not to his/her charismatic personality. The quest for leadership excellence is based more on character than charisma. The leader is also empowered through his/her character to serve as a mentor.
Helping the Marginalised or Supporting the Elite? Affirmative Action as a Tool for Increasing Access to Higher Education for Ethnic Roma

Among the many arguments against affirmative action discussed in the academic literature, there is one stating that affirmative action fails to target the most marginalised members of a disadvantaged group, and instead it supports the group's most affluent members whose socio-economic position may be comparable to that of the mainstream population. The goal of this article is to test this statement on the case of ethnic Roma in higher education, based on the socio-economic data on Roma students collected by Roma Education Fund. The findings reveal that although Roma students come from better-off environments than the mainstream Roma communities, at the same time they come from more disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds compared to the mainstream students, and even to the mainstream population. In line with these findings, the author argues that even when affirmative action does not target the most marginalised members of Roma communities, it has a great potential in forming a critical mass of Romani intellectuals armed with the necessary knowledge to become outspoken public advocates for their group's cause, to contradict negative stereotypes associated to their group by giving the example of their own professional path, and to constitute a valuable social capital for their less fortunate peers.
Response to Body Rotation and Tendency to Mystical Experience

A group of 60 university students, 30 men and 30 women, completed Hood's Mysticism Scale, Research Form D (M Scale) and performed a motor skills task following body rotation. Subjects with the strongest tendency to mystical experience exhibited least destability, although only for the women was the association statistically significant. Women as a group scored higher on the M Scale and performed better in the motor skills task.
Multi-Version Range Concurrency Control in Deuteronomy

The Deuteronomy transactional key value store executes millions of serializable transactions/second by exploiting multi-version timestamp order concurrency control. However, it has not supported range operations, only individual record operations (e.g., create, read, update, delete). In this paper, we enhance our multi-version timestamp order technique to handle range concurrency and prevent phantoms. Importantly, we maintain high performance while respecting the clean separation of duties required by Deuteronomy, where a transaction component performs purely logical concurrency control (including range support), while a data component performs data storage and management duties. Like the rest of the Deuteronomy stack, our range technique manages concurrency information in a latch-free manner. With our range enhancement, Deuteronomy can reach scan speeds of nearly 250 million records/s (more than 27 GB/s) on modern hardware, while providing serializable isolation complete with phantom prevention.
O papel das variáveis extralinguísticas idade e sexo no desenvolvimento da coda silábica

PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of extralinguistic factors in the acquisition process of the post-vocalic segments /N, L, S, R/. METHODS: The research involved 170 subjects with ages between 1:2 and 3:10 years, within normal phonological development, monolingual speakers of Brazilian Portuguese. The data collected from these subjects were 3026 lexical items originated from AQUIFONO and INIFONO databanks. The roles of extralinguistic and linguistic variables in coda acquisition were investigated, however, in this article, only the results of the variables age and sex were explored. Statistical analysis used the VARBRUL package. RESULTS: Both extralinguistic factors analyzed were relevant to the process of normal phonological acquisition. Age played a statistically favorable role in the acquisition process of all phonemes in both coda positions. There was an increase in the correct production of phonemes with age, however this growth was not linear. The first productions of the rhyme VC with /L/ in final coda occurred at 1:2, while the complete mastery of all four segments licensed in coda position was gradual, and was attained in stages extended until 3:8. Among the variables considered, sex was the second most selected by the statistical program, showing significant statistical differences for the variable sex in the acquisition of codas with medial /N/, /L/ e /S/ and the final coda with /L/. CONCLUSION: It was found a higher probability of correct use of the coda as age increased, but regressions in its use were observed, which should be seen as a normal stage of the development. Regarding sex, there was a tendency for male subjects to present higher phonological precision, however, this does not mean they present different acquisition stages when compared with female subjects.
The Effect of Advertising Awareness on Brand Equity in Social Media

Social media is a phenomenon that has drawn a lot of attention both to companies and individuals interacting on the networking landscape. Social media has changed the traditional communication between brands and consumers and enabled consumer to make positive as well as negative influence on brand equity. Therefore, it is important for companies to know, how to manage communicate in social media seeking to build brand equity by building the brand awareness and positive image for brand. The essence of this study is to research how a company can seize the moment of using social media networks to create brand equity and also explore its challenges to draw the attention of those companies venturing into social media networks to increase brand awareness and brand image. In recent days, internet advertising has taken new forms which have more advantages over the traditional mediums like print media, TV and radio. Marketing communication is becoming precise, personal, interesting, interactive and social. Awareness which include both of recall and recognition become the first step for any move toward a successful market strategy. The Main purpose of this study is to show the role of awareness at social media on the brand equity throw advertising awareness, the conceptual model illustrates the impact of advertising awareness on brand equity and its dimensions. In order to accomplish the objectives proposed, a model reflecting the effect of advertising awareness on brand equity, the model is tested by structural equations modeling and the sample is 273 students, the finding show that advertising awareness has an effect on both brand awareness and brand image. Also advertising awareness has effects on brand equity. The study finding can be used by mobiles market to increasing brand equity.
Harnessing homophily to improve climate change education

The Cooperative Extension Service (Extension) in the United States is well positioned to educate the public, particularly farmers and foresters, about climate change and to encourage responsible adoption of adaptation and mitigation strategies. However, the climate change attitudes and perceptions of Extension professionals have limited Extension’s involvement. A survey of Extension professionals (n = 2758) in eight southern states found several statistically significant factors correlating to different attitudes and perceptions about climate change, such as demographics and program area. Willingness to engage with climate change-related programs varies with climate change perceptions, program area, and perceptions of institutional support. This assessment explores the extent to which the climate change issue suggests different needs among Extension professionals – needs that could be addressed by diverse professional development programs. We discuss these results in the context of homophily and provide recommendations to improve climate change education.
What multi‐method data tell us about construct validity

Structural equation modelling of multi‐method data has become a popular method to examine construct validity and to control for random and systematic measurement error in personality measures. I review the essential assumptions underlying causal models of multi‐method data and their implications for estimating the validity of personality measures. The main conclusions are that causal models of multi‐method data can be used to obtain quantitative estimates of the amount of valid variance in measures of personality dispositions, but that it is more difficult to determine the validity of personality measures of act frequencies and situation‐specific dispositions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of Pneumococcal Vaccination on Morbidity and Mortality of Geriatric Patients: A Case-Controlled Study

Background: Infections due to Streptococcus pneumoniae are the major cause of adult community-acquired pneumonia, especially in elderly persons with chronic medical conditions. Despite their well-documented efficacy against bacteraemic disease and deaths in the elderly population, pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines are still very much underused. Objective: A retrospective, case-controlled study was performed to investigate the impact of vaccination with a polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine, together with other risk factors, on the incidence of pneumonia and deaths in patients in a long-stay geriatric hospital. Methods: Subjects were 1,077 residents in a long-stay geriatric hospital in Vienna, Austria, including 359 patients diagnosed as having pneumonia during the period from July 1996 to October 1998 and 718 control subjects. Two controls resident in the hospital during the same time period were matched for each case according to demographic characteristics, chronic illness, and duration of stay in the geriatric ward. The vaccination status was established for all subjects. A logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the efficacy of vaccination and the impact of other cofactors on disease and death. Results: In cases and controls, 514 (47.7%) had received a pneumococcal vaccine within 2 years prior to the study. There were no differences in demographic characteristics, underlying medical conditions, or duration of stay in the hospital between vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients. In patients diagnosed with pneumonia, 66% were unvaccinated. Logistic regression analysis showed that vaccination significantly decreased the risk of pneumonia (odds ratio 0.279; p < 0.0001). Of the cofactors tested, only gender (lower risk in males) and diabetes mellitus (higher risk) had any impact on disease risk and vaccine efficacy. There appeared to be a highly significant effect of vaccination, reducing the risk of all deaths (odds ratio 0.269; p < 0.0001) and deaths due to pneumonia (odds ratio 0.331; p < 0.0001). Conclusion: This study showed that vaccination with a polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine is effective in all groups of geriatric subjects and has a consequential value for health and well-being of elderly institutionalized patients.
FASTING IN ELECTIVE SURGICAL PATIENTS: COMPARISON AMONG THE TIME PRESCRIBED, PERFORMED AND RECOMMENDED ON PERIOPERATIVE CARE PROTOCOLS

Background: Prolonged preoperative fasting may impair nutritional status of the patient and their recovery. In contrast, some studies show that fasting abbreviation can improve the response to trauma and decrease the length of hospital stay. Aim: Investigate whether the prescribed perioperative fasting time and practiced by patients is in compliance with current multimodal protocols and identify the main factors associated. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 65 patients undergoing elective surgery of the digestive tract or abdominal wall. We investigated the fasting time in the perioperative period, hunger and thirst reports, physical status, diabetes diagnosis, type of surgery and anesthesia. Results: The patients were between 19 and 87 years, mostly female (73.8%). The most performed procedure was cholecystectomy (47.69%) and general anesthesia the most used (89.23%). The most common approach was to start fasting from midnight for liquids and solids, and most of the patients received grade II (64.6%) to the physical state. The real fasting average time was 16 h (9.5-41.58) was higher than prescribed (11 h, 6.58 -26.75). The patients submitted to surgery in the afternoon were in more fasting time than those who did in the morning (p<0.001). The intensity of hunger and thirst increased in postoperative fasting period (p=0.010 and 0.027). The average period of postoperative fasting was 18.25 h (3.33-91.83) and only 23.07% restarted feeding on the same day. Conclusion: Patients were fasted for prolonged time, higher even than the prescribed time and intensity of the signs of discomfort such as hunger and thirst increased over time. To better recovery and the patient's well-being, it is necessary to establish a preoperative fasting abbreviation protocol.