Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trophic Niche Differentiation in Rodents and Marsupials Revealed by Stable Isotopes

Tropical rainforests support the greatest diversity of small mammals in the world, yet we have little understanding about the mechanisms that promote the coexistence of species. Diet partitioning can favor coexistence by lessening competition, and interspecific differences in body size and habitat use are usually proposed to be associated with trophic divergence. However, the use of classic dietary methods (e.g. stomach contents) is challenging in small mammals, particularly in community-level studies, thus we used stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) to infer about trophic niche. We investigated i) how trophic niche is partitioned among rodent and marsupial species in three Atlantic forest sites and ii) if interspecific body size and locomotor habit inequalities can constitute mechanisms underlying the isotopic niche partitioning. We found that rodents occupied a broad isotopic niche space with species distributed in different trophic levels and relying on diverse basal carbon sources (C3 and C4 plants). Surprisingly, on the other hand, marsupials showed a narrow isotopic niche, both in δ13C and δ15N dimensions, which is partially overlapped with rodents, contradicting their description as omnivores and generalists proposed classic dietary studies. Although body mass differences did not explained the divergence in isotopic values among species, groups of species with different locomotor habit presented clear differences in the position of the isotopic niche space, indicating that the use of different forest strata can favor trophic niche partitioning in small mammals communities. We suggest that anthropogenic impacts, such as habitat modification (logging, harvesting), can simplify the vertical structure of ecosystems and collapse the diversity of basal resources, which might affect negatively small mammals communities in Atlantic forests.
The role of expectations as determinants of satisfaction in an outpatient care setting

This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact ecommons@luc.edu. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Although the road to completing my doctorate has been a long one, the commitment of my advisor, committee, family, and friends have never waivered. I have been fortunate to have Dr. Scott Tindale as my advisor. His support and guidance on more than one occasion gave me the motivation to continue on this journey. Thanks to Dr. Dr. Anne Sutter who always took a keen interest in my topic and stretched my thinking in new directions. My immediate family, to whom this dissertation is dedicated to, has been a constant source of love, concern, and support all these years. To my husband David, thank you for your unwavering faith in me and your unconditional love for me and the kids. To my children, Abby and Josh, your smiles and reassuring hugs helped me on the most challenging days. With many weekends away from them, they always were committed to me completing my dissertation, and waited for me with open arms and warm smiles, while asking. " are you done yet? " To my parents, Aloysia and Dale, thank you for teaching me to never give up on my goals. Their love for me has helped me in ways they will never know. They taught me that I could do anything, and that nothing important is ever easy. A lesson I hope to pass on to my children. Thanks to Linda and Barry Brien for prayers and the many candles lit for me to keep me going, and to Betsy Brien for her encouragement and overall positive attitude. To my second family, my dear friends, my work friends and trusted colleagues, special thanks to Maureen Genois, and Wendy Willis for their friendship. Each of you are important to me and have been there for me in very different but important ways. For your friendship and support, I iv am forever grateful. Thanks to Joan Mollohan, my boss and friend for her words of encouragement, support, and time off when I needed it. Thanks to Meryll Sartin for helping with data collection. Thanks to Marion Stafford for support in proof reading. Thanks to the Human Resources Leadership Team, the OMC …
A SURVEY ON MULTIMODAL CONTENT BASED VID- EO RETRIEVAL

In recent years, the multimedia storage grows and the cost for storing multimedia data is cheaper. So there is huge number of videos available in the video repositories. It is difficult to retrieve the relevant videos from large video repository as per user interest. It is urgently required to make the unstructured multimedia data accessible and searchable with great ease and flexibility. This paper offers an overview of the different existing techniques in multimodal content based video retrieval and different approaches to search with in long videos.
The drivers of happiness inequality Suggestions for promoting social cohesion

The goal of this paper is to identify and quantify the contribution of a set of covariates in affecting levels and over time changes of happiness inequality. We make use of a recent methodology that allows decomposing the overall change in happiness inequality into composition and coefficient effects of each covariate. We focus on the increase in happiness inequality observed in Germany between 1991 and 2007 in the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) database, deriving the following findings. First, trends in happiness inequality are mainly driven by composition effects, while coefficient effects are negligible. Second, among composition effects, education has an inequality-reducing impact, while changes in labour market conditions and demographic composition contribute to explain the rise in happiness inequality. Third, the increase in income inequality cannot be considered as a driver of the increase in happiness inequality. A clear cut policy implication of our paper is that policies enhancing education and labour market performance are crucial to reduce happiness inequality and the potential social tensions arising from it.
Extending the use of evacuation simulators to support counter terrorism: using models of human behaviour to coordinate emergency responses to Improvised Explosive Devices

Software simulations have been widely used to model evacuations from fire but very few have been used to analyse a wider range of hazards, including terrorist attacks. The following pages describe how one group of evacuation simulations has been extended to support the risk assessments that drive counter terrorism. Two key areas are discussed; changes in the human response to the detonation of improvised explosive devices and the modelling of coordinated attack scenarios. These two issues create significant differences between the use of simulators to model ‘conventional’ evacuations and those that can be used to mitigate the effects of terrorist attacks.
Randomness and Pseudorandomness in Secure and Robust Communications Invited Paper

| Randomness plays a crucial role in enabling secure and robust communications over the internet. However , the harnessing and use of randomness from physical processes is not an easy problem. Because of this, pseudo-randomness is substituted for randomness in many cases. In this survey paper we examine the use (and sometimes misuse) of pseudorandomness in achieving security (secrecy, identiication, authentication, etc.) and robustness (error detection, error correction, routing, etc.) in modern electronic communication systems. Our main conclusions are: 1. Diierent objectives require diierent types of pseudoran-domness. Using the wrong type of pseudorandomness can be catastrophic. 2. Physical randomness has to be tested and processed in a nontrivial manner before it can be utilized.
An Improved Model for Recognizing Disfluencies in Conversational Speech

This paper presents a novel metadata extraction (MDE) system for automatically detecting edited words, fillers, and self-interruption points in conversational speech. Our edit word detection sub-system combines a Tree Adjoining Grammar (TAG) noisy channel model, a statistical syntactic language model, and a MaxEnt reranker. Hand-built, deterministic rules are used to detect fillers. Self-interruption points are explicitly determined by detected fillers and edited words. We have evaluated our system for these three tasks on two types of input: manually annotated words and automatically recognized speech-to-text tokens. In all six cases, our system has improved the state-of-the-art, as measured in a recent blind evaluation.
The soft X-ray spectrum of PG1211+143

Abstract The narrow line QSO PG1211+143 has been a focus of recent attempts to understand the soft excess in AGN, while the 2001 XMM-Newton observation of this luminous AGN also provided evidence for a massive and energetic outflow. Here we consider a physical link between the energetic outflow and the variable soft excess.
Prayer and Subjective Well-Being: The Moderating Role of Religious Support

We examined the associations of different types of prayer with subjective well-being—with a religious support as a potential moderator—in a sample of Korean adults. In a cross-sectional study, 468 participants completed measures of five prayer types (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication, and reception prayer), subjective well-being, and religious support. After controlling for background variables, the thanksgiving prayers had positive associations and supplication prayers had negative associations with subjective well-being. In examining the potential moderating role of religious support, the current findings showed that religious support strengthened the relationship between reception prayer and subjective well-being, especially among individuals who perceived moderate and high levels of religious support. These findings indicate differential associations between prayer type and well-being in Korean adults.
Photo displays and intergenerational relationships in the family home

In this paper we describe a design-orientated field study in which we deploy a novel digital display device to explore the potential integration of teenage and family photo displays at home, as well as the value of situated photo display technologies for intergenerational expression. This exploration is deemed timely given the contemporary take-up of digital capture devices by teenagers and the unprecedented volume of photographic content that teens generate. Findings support integration and the display of photos on a standalone device, as well as demonstrating the interventional efficacy of the design as a resource for provoking reflection on the research subject. We also draw upon the theoretical concept of Dialogism to understand how our design mediates intergenerational relationships and interaction aesthetics relating to the notion of 'constructive conflict'.
Effects of Activity Participation of the Elderly on Quality of Life

Quality of life (QOL) and personality were examined in 2 groups of elderly subjects with and without activity participation (AP). A survey was conducted with 321 elderly subjects over 65 years of age using a 24-item questionnaire regarding personality and depressive inclination and the visual analogue scale-happiness to measure QOL. The AP group was involved in 5 types of activity: community center activity course, learning and lecture participation, club activity, elderly manpower service activity and other activities. The QOL of the AP group was significantly higher than the non-AP group as expected. The perceptual difference between the 2 groups obtained by the correspondence and cluster analyses was that although the elderly of the AP group were satisfied and not bored with their current life, this trend was not clear for the non-AP group. Among the 5 activity types, other activities, characterized as activities adhered to by participants over a long period, showed the highest QOL compared with the 4 other types. In conclusion, the AP of the elderly should be encouraged, and continuing AP might be an important factor in improving QOL of the elderly.
Semantic Versus Syntactic Cutting Planes

In this paper, we compare the strength of the semantic and syntactic version of the cutting planes proof system. First, we show that the lower bound technique of Pudlak applies also to semantic cutting planes: the proof system has feasible interpolation via monotone real circuits, which gives an exponential lower bound on lengths of semantic cutting planes refutations. Second, we show that semantic refutations are stronger than syntactic ones. In particular, we give a formula for which any refutation in syntactic cutting planes requires exponential length, while there is a polynomial length refutation in semantic cutting planes. In other words, syntactic cutting planes does not p-simulate semantic cutting planes. We also give two incompatible integer inequalities which require exponential length refutation in syntactic cutting planes. Finally, we pose the following problem, which arises in connection with semantic inference of arity larger than two: can every multivariate non-decreasing real function be expressed as a composition of non-decreasing real functions in two variables?
cacy of amoxycillin versus amoxycillin / clavulanate in acute exacerbations of chronic pulmonary obstructive disease in primary care

1Primary Care Centre Jaume I, Tarragona, Spain; 2Primary Care Centre Santa Eugènia de Berga, Spain; 3Primary Care Centre Manlleu, Spain; 4Primary Care Centre La Marina, Barcelona, Spain; 5Primary Care Centre Valls, Spain; 6Primary Care Centre Maragall, Barcelona, Spain; 7Pneumology Department. Institut Clínic del Tòrax (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Spain
Normally Hyperbolic Invariant Laminations and diffusive behaviour for the generalized Arnold example away from resonances

In this paper we study existence of Normally Hyperbolic Invariant Laminations (NHIL) for a nearly integrable system given by the product of the pendulum and the rotator perturbed with a small coupling between the two. This example was introduced by Arnold. Using a {\it separatrix map}, introduced in a low dimensional case by Zaslavskii-Filonenko and studied in a multidimensional case by Treschev and Piftankin, for an open class of trigonometric perturbations we prove that NHIL do exist. Moreover, using a second order expansion for the separatrix map from [GKZ], we prove that the system restricted to this NHIL is a skew product of nearly integrable cylinder maps. Application of the results from [CK] about random iteration of such skew products show that in the proper $\varepsilon$-dependent time scale the push forward of a Bernoulli measure supported on this NHIL weakly converges to an Ito diffusion process on the line as $\varepsilon$ tends to zero.
The draft genome of MD-2 pineapple using hybrid error correction of long reads

The introduction of the elite pineapple variety, MD-2, has caused a significant market shift in the pineapple industry. Better productivity, overall increased in fruit quality and taste, resilience to chilled storage and resistance to internal browning are among the key advantages of the MD-2 as compared with its previous predecessor, the Smooth Cayenne. Here, we present the genome sequence of the MD-2 pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. ) by using the hybrid sequencing technology from two highly reputable platforms, i.e. the PacBio long sequencing reads and the accurate Illumina short reads. Our draft genome achieved 99.6% genome coverage with 27,017 predicted protein-coding genes while 45.21% of the genome was identified as repetitive elements. Furthermore, differential expression of ripening RNASeq library of pineapple fruits revealed ethylene-related transcripts, believed to be involved in regulating the process of non-climacteric pineapple fruit ripening. The MD-2 pineapple draft genome serves as an example of how a complex heterozygous genome is amenable to whole genome sequencing by using a hybrid technology that is both economical and accurate. The genome will make genomic applications more feasible as a medium to understand complex biological processes specific to pineapple.
Familial aggregation of polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis: genetic and T cell repertoire analysis.

OBJECTIVE Several reports of familial aggregation of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) have been described although detailed genetic and immunological studies are scarce. Our aims were to investigate the influence of HLA-DRB1 alleles and to analyze the phenotype and T cell receptor (TCR) usage of circulating T lymphocytes in a familial case of GCA and PMR. METHODS HLA-DRB1 typing was carried out using polymerase chain reaction amplification with specific primers. The study of the circulating T cell repertoire was performed by staining with specific monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry analysis. RESULTS Patient 1 developed GCA at the age of 71, four years prior to the diagnosis of PMR in her older brother. The HLA-DRB1 typing of Patient 1 was DRB1*04 (DRB1*0401)/DRB1*12 and in Patient 2 was DRB1*07/DRB1*12. In our patient population, GCA was associated with an increased frequency of HLA-DRB1*04 compared with PMR patients. Regarding T cell phenotype, the brother with active PMR had a higher expression of surface markers indicating activation in both T cell subsets (CD25 and HLA-DR). The sister with GCA showed a pronounced decrease of CD4+/CD45RA+ T cells with respect to her brother with PMR. Both patients carried a significant depletion of CD28 in both subsets, specially within the CD8+ T cell compartment. The BV gene usage differed from one patient to the other. T cell expansions were identified in both patients but the specificities were different. CONCLUSION We describe an association of GCA and PMR between two first degree relatives with significant genetic and immunologic differences. Our results suggest that the pathogenic mechanisms leading to the development of GCA and PMR are probably multifactorial, and both genetic and environmental factors may contribute to the development of these diseases.
Interviewing in Matching Markets ∗

Interviewing decisions shape labor market outcomes. This paper proposes a framework for interviewing in a many-to-one matching market where firms and graduating students have capacity constraints on the number of interviews. While intuition suggests that relaxing interviewing constraints should improve the market’s operation, this is not always the case. As participants are strategic in their interviewing decisions, interviewing constraints carry subtle implications for aggregate surplus, employment, and the distribution of welfare. We relate the insights obtained to various features of matching markets. First, firms frequently pass over even stellar candidates at the market’s interviewing stage and as a result, some highly-skilled students may “fall through the cracks. ” Second, relaxing students’ interviewing constraints benefits all firms and only the best students, but it adversely impacts the lower-ranked students. Third, this increase in students’ capacities improves the social surplus but may decrease the number of matched agents. This may be undesirable if a social planner cares about the number of matched agents along with or as compared to, the social surplus. Fourth, in some cases a higher-ranked student may be worse off than a lower-ranked student due to firms’ interviewing constraints. We show how credible signaling can ameliorate such inefficiencies. Lastly, interviewing in the presence of a low capacity acts as a sorting mechanism and an increase in the students’ interviewing capacity may even lead to a decrease in social welfare due to reduced sorting.
The selective metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptor agonist MGS0028 reverses psychomotor abnormalities and recognition memory deficits in mice lacking the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide

Previous studies suggest that metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptors are involved in psychiatric disorders. In this study, we examined the effects of the selective metabotropic glutamate 2/3 (mGlu2/3) receptor agonist MGS0028 on behavioral abnormalities in mice lacking the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), an experimental model of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. We found that PACAP-deficient mice showed impairments in the novel object recognition test and these impairments were improved by MGS0028 (0.1 mg/kg). Similarly, MGS0028 improved hyperactivity and jumping behaviors, but did not reverse increased immobility times in the forced swim test in PACAP-deficient mice. These results suggest that MGS0028 may be a potential, novel treatment for psychiatric disorders.
The role of natural image statistics in visual memory and recognition

Recent years have seen a resurgent interest in eye movements during natural scene viewing. Aspects of eye movements that are driven by low-level image properties are of particular interest due to their applicability to biologically motivated artificial vision and surveillance systems. In this paper, we report an experiment in which we recorded observers’ eye movements while they viewed calibrated greyscale images of natural scenes. Immediately after viewing each image, observers were shown a test patch and asked to indicate if they believed it was part of the image they had just seen. The test patch was either randomly selected from a different image from the same database or, unbeknownst to the observer, selected from one of the fixations on the image just viewed. We find that several low-level image properties differed significantly relative to the observers’ ability to successfully designate test patches. The goal of the paper was to measure the image properties that facilitate visual memory in a non-cognitive natural setting to test the theory that VSTM and VLTM are implemented iconically rather than as encoded sensory information. Results indicate that the VSTM/VLTM model we tested may need to be re-evaluated since memory for the noncognitive patches used was shown to survive eye movements.
Bandwidth Extension Method Based on Spectral Envelope Estimation

In current communication system, high quality audio signal is supposed to be provided with low bit rate and low computational complexity. This paper proposed a novel audio coding bandwidth extension method, which can improve decoded audio quality with increasing only a few coding bits per frame and a little computational complexity. This method calculate high-frequency synthesis filter by using codebook mapping method, and transmit only quantified gain corrections in high-frequency part of multiplexing coding bit stream. The preliminary test show that this method can provide comparable audio quality with lower bit consumption and computational complexity compared to the high frequency regeneration of AMR-WB+.