Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE EVOLUTIONARY RESPONSE OF PREDATORS TO DANGEROUS PREY: HOTSPOTS AND COLDSPOTS IN THE GEOGRAPHIC MOSAIC OF COEVOLUTION BETWEEN GARTER SNAKES AND NEWTS

Abstract The “geographic mosaic” approach to understanding coevolution is predicated on the existence of variable selection across the landscape of an interaction between species. A range of ecological factors, from differences in resource availability to differences in community composition, can generate such a mosaic of selection among populations, and thereby differences in the strength of coevolution. The result is a mixture of hotspots, where reciprocal selection is strong, and coldspots, where reciprocal selection is weak or absent, throughout the ranges of species. Population subdivision further provides the opportunity for nonadaptive forces, including gene flow, drift, and metapopulation dynamics, to influence the coevolutionary interaction between species. Some predicted results of this geographic mosaic of coevolution include maladapted or mismatched phenotypes, maintenance of high levels of polymorphism, and prevention of stable equilibrium trait combinations. To evaluate the potential for the geographic mosaic to influence predator-prey coevolution, we investigated the geographic pattern of genetically determined TTX resistance in the garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis over much of the range of its ecological interaction with toxic newts of genus Taricha. We assayed TTX resistance in over 2900 garter snakes representing 333 families from 40 populations throughout western North America. Our results provide dramatic evidence that geographic structure is an important component in coevolutionary interactions between predators and prey. Resistance levels vary substantially (over three orders of magnitude) among populations and over short distances. The spatial array of variation is consistent with two areas of intense evolutionary response by predators (“hotspots”) surrounded by clines of decreasing resistance. Some general predictions of the geographic mosaic process are supported, including clinal variation in phenotypes, polymorphism in some populations, and divergent outcomes of the interaction between predator and prey. Conversely, our data provide little support for one of the major predictions, mismatched values of interacting traits. Two lines of evidence suggest selection is paramount in determining population variation in resistance. First, phylogenetic information indicates that two hotspots of TTX resistance have evolved independently. Second, in the one region that TTX levels in prey have been quantified, resistance and toxicity levels match almost perfectly over a wide phenotypic and geographic range. However, these results do not preclude the role the nonadaptive forces in generating the overall geographic mosaic of TTX resistance. Much work remains to fill in the geographic pattern of variation among prey populations and, just as importantly, to explore the variation in the ecology of the interaction that occurs within populations.
Aging Sensory Systems and Perception

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A Level Set Formulation for the 3D Incompressible Euler Equations

which implies that the topology of the vorticity vector field must be very simple. Even local existence of the Clebsch representation is only guaranteed at points where the vorticity does not vanish. It has been shown (Graham-Henyey [17]) that in general (1.3) can not hold around a point with zero vorticity. For more discussion on the properties of classical Clebsch variables and its various generalizations, see Constantin [12], Graham-Henyey [17], Marsden-Weinstein [24] and related references therein.
Using precision teaching strategies and tactics to increase essential skill fluency

The area for this thesis was the application of Precision Teaching (PT) to the teaching of essential skills to various populations—university undergraduates, high school adolescents, and primary school children. Chapter 1 of this thesis begins with a brief overview describing problems that exist within the educational system, and how we might intervene to raise the performances of all learners by using PT’s systems and strategies. Paper 1 was a small n study (conducted over 10 weeks) aimed at improving the rate of reading high frequency English words in a group (n = 5) of children struggling with reading. This was compared to a small comparison group that underwent Treatment as Usual (TAU; n = 2). Although the engagement time of the PT group was brief (M = 12 minutes per week), all the children showed significant gains in their accurate reading fluency. In Paper 2 we applied these same principles to teach statistics to undergraduates (Intervention, n = 24; TAU, n = 31). Results showed that the PT group performed significantly better at post-test in comparison to TAU. In addition the PT group performed better on their weekly module content tests. Paper 3 was conducted to increase maths performance, comparing the intervention group (n = 19) with a control group (n = 10). All the PT children performed significantly better on three of the four outcome measures of essential skill maths fluency (d = 1.25-1.67)—one of which measures had not been practiced providing some initial support for contingency adduction. In Paper 4 we used a simple flashcard intervention to increase recall of second-language vocabulary. The intervention spanned four weeks and took only 15 minutes per week for each child, yet the intervention group (n = 79) performed significantly better then the WLC group (n = 16) at post-test (d = 1.54). Both Papers 3 & 4 report data showing significant increase in the RCI measures and a low NNT. In all four papers Standard Celeration Charts were used to monitor learner’s improvement
The effect of tracheostomy on outcome in intensive care unit patients

Background: Percutaneous dilatation tracheostomy (PDT) is increasingly being used in the intensive care unit (ICU), and has probably increased the number of procedures performed. The primary aim of this study was to document the short‐ and long‐term outcome of patients with a tracheostomy performed during an ICU stay.
Organizing Hidden-Web Databases by Clustering Visible Web Documents

In this paper we address the problem of organizing hidden-Web databases. Given a heterogeneous set of Web forms that serve as entry points to hidden-Web databases, our goal is to cluster the forms according to the database domains to which they belong. We propose a new clustering approach that models Web forms as a set of hyperlinked objects and considers visible information in the form context - both within and in the neighborhood of forms - as the basis for similarity comparison. Since the clustering is performed over features that can be automatically extracted, the process is scalable. In addition, because it uses a rich set of metadata, our approach is able to handle a wide range of forms, including content-rich forms that contain multiple attributes, as well as simple keyword-based search interfaces. An experimental evaluation over real Web data shows that our strategy generates high-quality clusters - measured both in terms of entropy and F-measure. This indicates that our approach provides an effective and general solution to the problem of organizing hidden-Web databases.
Dorsal Radial Glia Generate Olfactory Bulb Interneurons in the Postnatal Murine Brain

During embryogenesis, dorsal radial glia generate pyramidal cell neurons but not interneurons, and are thought to degenerate or transform into astrocytes in the postnatal brain. Ventral radial glia, in contrast, retract their processes to form GFAP+ subventricular zone (SVZ) astrocytes that continue to generate interneurons into adulthood. We sought to fate map dorsal radial glia by codelivering an adenovirus expressing Cre recombinase and a lentivirus expressing dsRedExpress to the dorsal cortical surface of ROSA26R-YFP mice. Whereas the adenovirus is retrogradely transported to the cell body, the VSV-G (vesicular stomatitis virus G) pseudotyped lentivirus is not and allows us to control for viral diffusion from the site of infection. We found that dorsal radial glia give rise to gray and white matter astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. In addition, the dorsal radial glia fate map to astrocytes lining the dorsal aspect of the SVZ that persist at least 8 weeks postnatally. Finally, we found that dorsal radial glial-derived cells generate granule cell and periglomerular interneurons in the olfactory bulb and continue to form interneuronal precursors into adulthood.
Locus of control and adjustment to vision loss among people with Age Related Macular Degeneration

Locus of Control and Adjustment to Vision Loss among People with Age Related Macular Degeneration By Delinda Stinnette M.A., College of Mount Saint Joseph, 1999 B.A., College of Mount Saint Joseph, 1993 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology Walden University November 2009
Approximate dynamic programming methods for an inventory allocation problem under uncertainty

We propose two approximate dynamic programming methods to optimize the distribution operations of a company manufacturing a certain product at multiple production plants and shipping it to different customer locations for sale. We begin by formulating the problem as a dynamic program. Our first approximate dynamic programming method uses a linear approximation of the value function and computes the parameters of this approximation by using the linear programming representation of the dynamic program. Our second method relaxes the constraints that link the decisions for different production plants. Consequently, the dynamic program decomposes by the production plants. Computational experiments show that the proposed methods are computationally attractive, and in particular, the second method performs significantly better than standard benchmarks. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2006
Tetherin Antagonism by HIV-1 Group M Nef Proteins

ABSTRACT Although Nef is the viral gene product used by most simian immunodeficiency viruses to overcome restriction by tetherin, this activity was acquired by the Vpu protein of HIV-1 group M due to the absence of sequences in human tetherin that confer susceptibility to Nef. Thus, it is widely accepted that HIV-1 group M uses Vpu instead of Nef to counteract tetherin. Challenging this paradigm, we identified Nef alleles of HIV-1 group M isolates with significant activity against human tetherin. These Nef proteins promoted virus release and tetherin downmodulation from the cell surface and, in the context of vpu-deleted HIV-1 recombinants, enhanced virus replication and resistance to antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). Further analysis revealed that the Vpu proteins from several of these viruses lack antitetherin activity, suggesting that under certain circumstances, HIV-1 group M Nef may acquire the ability to counteract tetherin to compensate for the loss of this function by Vpu. These observations illustrate the remarkable plasticity of HIV-1 in overcoming restriction by tetherin and challenge the prevailing view that all HIV-1 group M isolates use Vpu to counteract tetherin. IMPORTANCE Most viruses of HIV-1 group M, the main group of HIV-1 responsible for the global AIDS pandemic, use their Vpu proteins to overcome restriction by tetherin (BST-2 or CD317), which is a transmembrane protein that inhibits virus release from infected cells. Here we show that the Nef proteins of certain HIV-1 group M isolates can acquire the ability to counteract tetherin. These results challenge the current paradigm that HIV-1 group M exclusively uses Vpu to counteract tetherin and underscore the importance of tetherin antagonism for efficient viral replication.
Communication training for paid caregivers of people with traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Communication impairments are common following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and affect the ability of a person with TBI to have successful conversations. Ylvisaker, Sellers and Edelman (1998) argue that training to improve the communication skills of an everyday support person would impact on the functioning of a person with TBI. Paid caregivers are often involved to support people with TBI, however, little attention has been focused directly on improving their interaction skills. Therefore, this thesis describes a study conducted to investigate the effect of a communication training program on improving the conversational interactions between paid caregivers and people with TBI. Participants were 10 paid caregivers randomly selected and allocated to either a control or training group. Treatment comprised a 17 hour program (across 6 weeks) that combined collaboration and elaboration conversational strategies (Ylvisaker et al., 1998) with discourse activities (Togher, McDonald, Code, & Grant, 2004). Two conversational interactions (i.e. structured and casual conversations) were videotaped pretraining, posttraining and at 6 months followup. The conversations were rated by two independent judges. In addition, focused interviews were conducted pre and posttraining to explore the experiences of trained paid caregivers. Training for paid caregivers improved their structured conversational interactions with people with TBI. Independent raters perceived these interactions to be more appropriate, more rewarding and more interesting compared to a control group. Trained paid caregivers made greater improvements in their ability Communication Training for Paid Caregivers of People with TBI v to acknowledge and reveal the competence of a person with TBI. Improvements were maintained for six months. No significant changes were found for the casual conversational interactions. Findings from the focused interviews revealed that trained paid caregivers reported improvements in their knowledge of effective communicative strategies. This perceived improvement led to interactions reported as more enjoyable and successful and less frustrating. Trained paid caregivers also perceived increased confidence and ability to self-regulate their use of strategies when communicating with people with TBI. Aspects of the training program that were felt to promote or hinder learning were also identified. The findings from this study highlight the importance of training and educating paid caregivers to improve their communication skills. Training can have a significant impact on interactions that involve both paid caregivers and a person with TBI. Communication Training for Paid Caregivers of People with TBI vi
Focal Cortical Dysplasia of Taylor's Balloon Cell Type: A Clinicopathological Entity with Characteristic Neuroimaging and Histopathological Features, and Favorable Postsurgical Outcome

Summary: Background and Purpose: Focal cortical dysplasia of Taylor's balloon‐cell type (FCD‐BC) are a frequent cause of pharmacoresistant epilepsy in young patients. In order to characterize FCD‐BC, we coupled MRI and histopathology, and analyzed the clinical outcome following epilepsy surgery.
Neuropsychological mechanisms of falls in older adults

Falls, a common cause of injury among older adults, have become increasingly prevalent. As the world’s population ages, the increase in—and the prevalence of—falls among older people makes this a serious and compelling societal and healthcare issue. Physical weakness is a critical predictor in falling. While considerable research has examined this relationship, comprehensive reviews of neuropsychological predictors of falls have been lacking. In this paper, we examine and discuss current studies of the neuropsychological predictors of falls in older adults, as related to sporting and non-sporting contexts. By integrating the existing evidence, we propose that brain aging is an important precursor of the increased risk of falls in older adults. Brain aging disrupts the neural integrity of motor outputs and reduces neuropsychological abilities. Older adults may shift from unconscious movement control to more conscious or attentive motor control. Increased understanding of the causes of falls will afford opportunities to reduce their incidence, reduce consequent injuries, improve overall well-being and quality of life, and possibly to prolong life.
Increased left ventricular mass as a predictor of sudden cardiac death: is it time to put it to the test?

With an annual incidence of 250 000 to 300 000 in the US, sudden cardiac death (SCD) is among the leading causes of death worldwide.1,2 The availability of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) makes SCD a preventable condition, but the burden lies on investigators and clinicians to identify the highest risk group for ICD implantation efficiently. There is increasing recognition that current risk-stratification methodology, largely reliant on measurement of the left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF), is inadequate and requires significant enhancement.2–4 It is likely that additional variables can be considered both independently and in combination with the EF to improve the process of clinical SCD risk prediction.4,5 Although currently not used for prediction of SCD risk, LV hypertrophy (LVH) has significant potential for enhancing risk stratification algorithms. The association between LVH on the 12-lead ECG and overall mortality was first reported from the Framingham cohort.6 Since then, several studies have validated the link between LVH and overall mortality but few have reported an independent association with SCD.7 Recent findings from the Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study (Oregon SUDS) confirmed the LVH–SCD association in the community, also showing that LVH and severe LV systolic dysfunction are independent predictors of SCD that may contribute to risk through distinct mechanistic pathways.8 This review will discuss studies that have linked LVH and SCD, compare LVH and LVEF as predictors of SCD, discuss the mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmogenesis in LVH, recap how regression of LVH reduces mortality, and discuss the potential role of LVH in risk stratification for SCD. For the purpose of this review, LVH is defined as hypertrophy of the LV distinct from the syndrome of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, a condition that is largely familial and known to impart a …
Ventilatory constraints during exercise in patients with chronic heart failure.

We examined the degree of ventilatory constraint in patients with a history of chronic heart failure (CHF; n = 11; mean +/- SE age, 62 +/- 4 years; cardiac index [CI], 2.0 +/- 0.1; and ejection fraction [EF], 24 +/- 2%) and in control subjects (CTLS; n = 8; age, 61 +/- 5 years; CI, 2.6 +/- 0.3) by plotting the tidal flow-volume responses to graded exercise in relationship to the maximal flow-volume envelope (MFVL). Inspiratory capacity (IC) maneuvers were performed to follow changes in end-expiratory lung volume (EELV) during exercise, and the degree of expiratory flow limitation was assessed as the percent of the tidal volume (VT) that met or exceeded the expiratory boundary of the MFVL. CHF patients had significantly (p < 0.05) reduced baseline pulmonary function (FVC, 76 +/- 4%; FEV(1), 78 +/- 4% predicted) relative to CTLS (FVC, 99 +/- 4%; FEV(1), 102 +/- 4% predicted). At peak exercise, oxygen consumption (VO(2)) and minute ventilation (V(E)) were lower in CHF patients than in CTLS (VO(2), 17 +/- 2 vs 32 +/- 2 mL/kg/min; VE, 56 +/- 4 vs 82 +/- 6 L/min, respectively), whereas VE/carbon dioxide output was higher (42 +/- 4 vs 29 +/- 5). In CTLS, EELV initially decreased with light exercise, but increased as VE and expiratory flow limitation increased. In contrast, the EELV in patients with CHF remained near residual volume (RV) throughout exercise, despite increasing flow limitation. At peak exercise, IC averaged 91 +/- 3% and 79 +/- 4% (p < 0.05) of the FVC in CHF patients and CTLS, respectively, and flow limitation was present over > 45% of the VT in CHF patients vs < 25% in CTLS (despite the higher VE in CTLS). The least fit and most symptomatic CHF patients demonstrated the lowest EELV, the greatest degree of flow limitation, and a limited response to increased inspired carbon dioxide during exercise, all consistent with VE constraint. We conclude that patients with CHF commonly breathe near RV during exertion and experience expiratory flow limitation. This results in VE constraint and may contribute to exertional intolerance.
A Positive-Evidence Model for Rhythmical Beat Induction

The Normalized Positive (NPOS) model is a rule-based model that predicts downbeat location and pattern complexity in rhythmical patterns. Though derived from several existing models, the NPOS model is particularly effective at making correct predictions while at the same time having low complexity. In this paper, the details of the model are explored and a comparison is made to existing models. Several datasets are used to examine the complexity predictions of the model. Special attention is paid to the model’s ability to account for the effects of musical experience on beat induction.
Neural correlates of an early attentional capture by positive distractor words

Exogenous or automatic attention to emotional distractors has been observed for emotional scenes and faces. In the language domain, however, automatic attention capture by emotional words has been scarcely investigated. In the current event-related potentials study we explored distractor effects elicited by positive, negative and neutral words in a concurrent but distinct target distractor paradigm. Specifically, participants performed a digit categorization task in which task-irrelevant words were flanked by numbers. The results of both temporo-spatial principal component and source location analyses revealed the existence of early distractor effects that were specifically triggered by positive words. At the scalp level, task-irrelevant positive compared to neutral and negative words elicited larger amplitudes in an anterior negative component that peaked around 120 ms. Also, at the voxel level, positive distractor words increased activity in orbitofrontal regions compared to negative words. These results suggest that positive distractor words quickly and automatically capture attentional resources diverting them from the task where attention was voluntarily directed.
Correlates of Adolescent Achievement Motivation：Socioeconomic Status, Maternal Expectations and Emotional Support,and Adolescent Self-Esteem

A sample of 578 adolescents responded to self-report questionnaires. Results showed that parental education levels and occupation and adolescent perceptions of their socioeconomic status were positively related to maternal expectations. Adolescent perceptions of their socioeconomic status were related to maternal emotional support and adolescent self-esteem. Adolescent achievement motives were positively related to parental education levels and adolescent perceptions of their socioeconomic status. Maternal expectations/emotional support and adolescent perceptions of their socioeconomic status were positively related to adolescent achievement motivation. Maternal expectations played a mediating role between parental educational levels and adolescent perceptions of their socioeconomic status and adolescent achievement motives. Maternal emotional support and adolescent self-esteem played mediating roles between adolescent perceptions of their socioeconomic status and achievement motives.