Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impacts of breeder loss on social structure, reproduction and population growth in a social canid.

The importance of individuals to the dynamics of populations may depend on reproductive status, especially for species with complex social structure. Loss of reproductive individuals in socially complex species could disproportionately affect population dynamics by destabilizing social structure and reducing population growth. Alternatively, compensatory mechanisms such as rapid replacement of breeders may result in little disruption. The impact of breeder loss on the population dynamics of social species remains poorly understood. We evaluated the effect of breeder loss on social stability, recruitment and population growth of grey wolves (Canis lupus) in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska using a 26-year dataset of 387 radiocollared wolves. Harvest of breeding wolves is a highly contentious conservation and management issue worldwide, with unknown population-level consequences. Breeder loss preceded 77% of cases (n = 53) of pack dissolution from 1986 to 2012. Packs were more likely to dissolve if a female or both breeders were lost and pack size was small. Harvest of breeders increased the probability of pack dissolution, likely because the timing of harvest coincided with the breeding season of wolves. Rates of denning and successful recruitment were uniformly high for packs that did not experience breeder loss; however, packs that lost breeders exhibited lower denning and recruitment rates. Breeder mortality and pack dissolution had no significant effects on immediate or longer term population dynamics. Our results indicate the importance of breeding individuals is context dependent. The impact of breeder loss on social group persistence, reproduction and population growth may be greatest when average group sizes are small and mortality occurs during the breeding season. This study highlights the importance of reproductive individuals in maintaining group cohesion in social species, but at the population level socially complex species may be resilient to disruption and harvest through strong compensatory mechanisms.
Event Mining Through Clustering

Abstract Traditional document clustering algorithms consider text-based features such as unique word count, concept count, etc. to cluster documents. Meanwhile, event mining is the extraction of specific events, their related sub-events, and the associated semantic relations from documents. This work discusses an approach to event mining through clustering. The Universal Networking Language (UNL)-based subgraph, a semantic representation of the document, is used as the input for clustering. Our research focuses on exploring the use of three different feature sets for event clustering and comparing the approaches used for specific event mining. In our previous work, the clustering algorithm used UNL-based event semantics to represent event context for clustering. However, this approach resulted in different events with similar semantics being clustered together. Hence, instead of considering only UNL event semantics, we considered assigning additional weights to similarity between event contexts with event-related attributes such as time, place, and persons. Although we get specific events in a single cluster, sub-events related to the specific events are not necessarily in a single cluster. Therefore, to improve our cluster efficiency, connective terms between two sentences and their representation as UNL subgraphs were also considered for similarity determination. By combining UNL semantics, event-specific arguments similarity, and connective term concepts between sentences, we were able to obtain clusters for specific events and their sub-events. We have used 112 000 Tamil documents from the Forum for Information Retrieval Evaluation data corpus and achieved good results. We have also compared our approach with the previous state-of-the-art approach for Router-RCV1 corpus and achieved 30% improvements in precision.
Variability, trends, and drivers of regional fluctuations in Australian fire activity

Throughout the world fire regimes are determined by climate, vegetation, and anthropogenic factors, and they have great spatial and temporal variability. The availability of high‐quality satellite data has revolutionized fire monitoring, allowing for a more consistent and comprehensive evaluation of temporal and spatial patterns. Here we utilize a satellite based “active fire” (AF) product to statistically analyze 2001–2015 variability and trends in Australian fire activity and link this to precipitation and large‐scale atmospheric structures (namely, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)) known to have potential for predicting fire activity in different regions. It is found that Australian fire activity is decreasing (during summer (December–February)) or stable, with high temporal and spatial variability. Eastern New South Wales (NSW) has the strongest decreasing trend (to the 1% confidence level), especially during the winter (JJA) season. Other significantly decreasing areas are Victoria/NSW, Tasmania, and South‐east Queensland. These decreasing fire regions are relatively highly populated, so we suggest that the declining trends are due to improved fire management, reducing the size and duration of bush fires. Almost half of all Australian AFs occur during spring (September–November). We show that there is considerable potential throughout Australia for a skillful forecast for future season fire activity based on current and previous precipitation activity, ENSO phase, and to a lesser degree, the IOD phase. This is highly variable, depending on location, e.g., the IOD phase is for more indicative of fire activity in southwest Western Australia than for Queensland.
Evaluation of the incidence and risk factors associated with persistent frequency in interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and the efficacy of antimuscarinic treatment

Purpose To investigate the incidence and risk factors associated with persistent urinary frequency, and to evaluate the efficacy of antimuscarinic treatment. Materials and Methods Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) patients complaining of persistent urinary frequency despite improved pain were evaluated. Before initial conventional treatment, each patient completed a voiding diary and symptom questionnaires. After conventional treatment, patients were divided according to the presence of pain and frequency. Improved pain was defined as lesser than 3 points in visual analogue scale, and persistent urinary frequency as >10 times/d. Risk factors for persistent frequency were identified through multivariate analysis. The efficacy of antimuscarinic treatment was assessed by the mean change of frequency. Results Of 171 IC/BPS patients treated with conventional therapy, 132 had improved pain after 3 months, but 72 had persistent frequency (72 of 132, 54.5%). Patients with persistent frequency had lower voided volume (p=0.008), lower maximal flow rate (p<0.001), lower maximal bladder capacity (p=0.003), and more frequent micturition (p<0.001) at baseline compared to those with improved frequency. Patients who took antimuscarinic agents showed slightly decreased urinary frequency, from 14.6 times/d to 13.5 times/d (p=0.438) after 3 months of medication. No patients showed more than a 20% decrease in frequency with antimuscarinics. Conclusions About half of the patients with IC/BPS showed persistent frequency, with poor voiding function identified as a risk factor; antimuscarinic treatment was not effective in these patients.
Locally adaptive multiscale contrast optimization

We describe a method for automatically and adaptively boosting the visibility of local features in an image. A log intensity image is first decomposed into a set of subbands at multiple scales and orientations. Operating successively from coarse frequency bands to fine, the coefficients of each subband are adjusted so as to move their locally averaged amplitudes toward a target value using a gamma operation. Target values are chosen to fall linearly over scale, consistent with a scale-invariant spectral model. To avoid enlarging the range of image intensity values, in those locations where the local mean is near the minimal or maximal values of the image and the local contrast is being boosted significantly, the local mean is moved toward the global mean. Finally, a spatial mask is applied in the pixel domain to ensure that the enhancements are applied only in the vicinity of image features. The resulting image appears to be both sharper and of higher contrast.
Clinical relevance of sensitization to lupine in peanut‐sensitized adults

Background: The use of lupine in food has been increasing during the last decade and allergic reactions to lupine have been reported, especially in peanut‐allergic patients. The frequency and the degree of cross‐reactivity to other legumes are not known. The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency of sensitization to lupine, and in addition to pea and soy, and its clinical relevance, in peanut‐sensitized patients. Furthermore, to determine the eliciting dose (ED) for lupine using double‐blind placebo‐controlled food challenges (DBPCFC).
Optimal strategies for throwing accurately

The accuracy of throwing in games and sports is governed by how errors in planning and initial conditions are propagated by the dynamics of the projectile. In the simplest setting, the projectile path is typically described by a deterministic parabolic trajectory which has the potential to amplify noisy launch conditions. By analysing how parabolic trajectories propagate errors, we show how to devise optimal strategies for a throwing task demanding accuracy. Our calculations explain observed speed–accuracy trade-offs, preferred throwing style of overarm versus underarm, and strategies for games such as dart throwing, despite having left out most biological complexities. As our criteria for optimal performance depend on the target location, shape and the level of uncertainty in planning, they also naturally suggest an iterative scheme to learn throwing strategies by trial and error.
Reproductive Strategy and Dynamics of the Endangered Himalayan Fish Schizothorax richardsonii in Kumaun Himalayan Snow-fed Rivers, Uttarakhand, India

: Schizothorax richardsonii , an endangered fish in Uttarakhand's Himalayan rivers, is economically and ecologically vital but increasingly vulnerable. Gonadosomatic Index (GSI) reveals spawning biology, while maturity stages indicate reproductive health. The study assessed females (60-780 g, 17-44 cm) and males (52-278 g, 17-26 cm), with GSI ranging from 0.305 to 9.69 and 0.18 to 9.70 in both sexes. Maximum GSI was recorded from August to October (primary breeding) and a slight peak from late February to April (secondary breeding). Six maturity stages were identified which are based on ova morphology and its frequency distribution, including ova diameter (0.6 – 2.5 mm), ova radius (0.32-1.29 mm), ova area (0.33 – 4.53 mm²), and ova perimeter (2.09 – 8.08 mm), observed annually in various months, highlighting sexually dimorphic traits during breeding and challenges in differentiation outside the breeding season. These findings aid in the sustainable management of S. richardsonii in hilly regions.
Effects of diaphragm plication on pulmonary function and cardiopulmonary exercise parameters.

OBJECTIVES Paralysis of the diaphragm is an uncommon condition, which may result in dyspnoea on excertion and in orthopnea. In patients who have symptoms, the paralysed diaphragm is often plicated to prevent its paradoxical movement on inspiration. This procedure brings relief to many patients, but the mechanism for this improvement is not well understood. METHODS Nine symptomatic patients who underwent plication of a unilateral paralysed hemidiaphragm were prospectively evaluated. All patients underwent pulmonary function tests and cardiopulmonary exercise tests before surgery and repeated them after surgery. RESULTS Patients with hemidiaphragm paralysis before surgery were found to have lower tidal volumes at any given ventilation rate during exercise than normal subjects. A clear and consistent change was found in the manner in which patients increased their ventilation during exercise after surgery. All patients showed an increase in tidal volume for a given ventilation rate, which was significant. The plication procedure reduced the respiratory rate for any exercise level in all patients, and this effect was more pronounced during exercise. CONCLUSIONS In patients with hemidiaphragm paralysis who underwent a diaphragm plication exercise, tidal volumes increased and the ventilatory frequency decreased. Despite this improvement, maximal exercise capacity remained unaltered.
Reproductive Biology of Two Sympatric Species of Polyalthia (Annonaceae) in Sri Lanka. II. Breeding Systems and Population Genetic Structure

The breeding systems of two sympatric species, Polyalthia coffeoides and Polyalthia korinti (Annonaceae), are assessed using a range of approaches, including controlled pollination experiments and analysis of intersimple sequence repeat markers within and between populations. Natural (open) pollination resulted in similar levels of fruit formation as artificial cross‐pollination, suggesting that pollinator availability is not a limiting factor in reproduction. Both species possess facultatively xenogamous breeding systems, with 33%–36% fruit formation in artificially crossed experiments and 17%–19% fruit formation following geitonogamy. Reduced fruit set following geitonogamy suggests partial self‐incompatibility; this is supported by index of self‐incompatibility values of ca. 0.5 in both species. Analysis of population genetic structure supports the hypothesis of a mixed but largely xenogamous mating system. Genetic diversity within populations was estimated to be ca. 80% and 66% of total genetic diversity for P. coffeoides and P. korinti, respectively. The levels of gene flow between populations were moderate ( \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $$Nm=2.033$$ \end{document} for P. coffeoides and 0.970 for P. korinti), and genetic identity (I) values between populations within species were high. This possibly reflects the fragmentation of a previously more extensive population, correlated with the historical deforestation associated with crop cultivation and irrigation in Sri Lanka.
Estimating spatial patterns of rainfall interception from remotely sensed vegetation indices and spectral mixture analysis

Rainfall interception by vegetation is an important factor in the water balance. Consequently, rainfall interception should also be an important factor in models simulating processes such as evaporation, transpiration, surface runoff, soil erosion, and crop growth. In practice, however, it is difficult to make quantitative assessments of the spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall interception loss at the catchment level, for instance, and to make these values available as model input. In this paper, we present a novel method using earth observation images to estimate local quantitative values of rainfall interception loss. Leaf Area Index (LAI) and fractional vegetation cover per grid cell are important process variables for rainfall interception. These two variables are estimated from images using spectral vegetation indices and using spectral mixture analysis, respectively. Relations between canopy storage capacity and LAI exist for several plant species and vegetation types, but limited data are found on crops, and more research is needed in this field. The new method is explained and illustrated for a study area in southern France with a variety of land‐cover types. It is found to be a valuable and practical approach to quantitatively assess spatial patterns of interception loss for given rainfall events.
Use of Staged Molecular Analysis to Determine Causes of Unexplained Central Nervous System Infections

No agent is implicated in most central nervous system (CNS) infections. To investigate cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients with CNS infections of unknown cause in 1 hospital in Taiwan, we used a staged molecular approach, incorporating techniques including multiplex MassTag PCR, 16S rRNA PCR, DNA microarray, and high-throughput pyrosequencing. We determined the infectious agent for 31 (24%) of 131 previously negative samples. Candidate pathogens were identified for 25 (27%) of 94 unexplained meningitis cases and 6 (16%) of 37 unexplained encephalitis cases. Epstein-Barr virus (18 infections) accounted for most of the identified agents in unexplained meningitis cases, followed by Escherichia coli (5), enterovirus (2), human herpesvirus 2 (1), and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Herpesviruses were identified in samples from patients with unexplained encephalitis cases, including varicella-zoster virus (3 infections), human herpesvirus 1 (2), and cytomegalovirus (1). Our study confirms the power of multiplex MassTag PCR as a rapid diagnostic tool for identifying pathogens causing unexplained CNS infections.
Differences in excitatory transmission between thalamic and cortical afferents to single spiny efferent neurons of rat dorsal striatum

The striatum is crucially involved in motor and cognitive function, and receives significant glutamate input from the cortex and thalamus. The corticostriatal pathway arises from diverse regions of the cortex and is thought to provide information to the basal ganglia from which motor actions are selected and modified. The thalamostriatal pathway arises from specific thalamic nuclei and is involved in attention and possibly strategy switching. Despite these fundamental functional differences, direct comparisons of the properties of these pathways are lacking. N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors at synapses powerfully affect postsynaptic processing, and incorporation of different NR2 subunits into NMDA receptors has profound effects on the pharmacological and biophysical properties of the receptor. Utilization of different NMDA receptors at thalamostriatal and corticostriatal synapses could allow for afferent‐specific differences in information processing. We used a novel rat brain slice preparation preserving corticostriatal and thalamostriatal pathways to medium spiny neurons to examine the properties of NMDA receptor‐mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) recorded using the whole‐cell, patch‐clamp technique. Within the same neuron, the NMDA/non‐NMDA ratio is greater for excitatory responses evoked from the thalamostriatal pathway than for those evoked from the corticostriatal pathway. In addition, reversal potentials and decay kinetics of the NMDA receptor‐mediated EPSCs suggest that the thalamostriatal synapse is more distant on the dendritic arbor. Finally, results obtained with antagonists specific for NR2B‐containing NMDA receptors imply that NMDA receptors at corticostriatal synapses contain more NR2B subunits. These synapse‐specific differences in NMDA receptor content and pharmacology provide potential differential sites of action for NMDA receptor subtype‐specific antagonists proposed for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
Synthesis of New 2,5-Di-substituted 1,3,4-Oxadiazoles Bearing 2,6-Di-tert-butylphenol Moieties and Evaluation of Their Antioxidant Activity

Eleven new 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-(5-aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)phenols 5a–k were synthesized by reacting aryl hydrazides with 3,5-di-tert butyl 4-hydroxybenzoic acid in the presence of phosphorus oxychloride. The resulting compounds were characterized based on their IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and HRMS data. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazide (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were used to test the antioxidant properties of the compounds. Compounds 5f and 5j exhibited significant free-radical scavenging ability in both assays.
p120‐catenin is necessary for neuroprotection induced by CDK5 silencing in models of Alzheimer's disease

Cyclin‐dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) plays important roles in synaptic function. Its unregulated over‐activation has been, however, associated with neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. Our previous studies revealed that CDK5 silencing ameliorates tauopathy and spatial memory impairment in the 3xTgAD mouse model. However, how CDK5 targeting affects synaptic adhesion proteins, such as those involved in the cadherin/catenin system, during learning and memory processes is not completely understood. In this study, we detected reduced expression of p120 catenin (p120 ctn), N‐cadherin, and β‐catenin in the brain of human Alzheimer's disease patients, in addition to a reduced PSD95 and GluN2B protein levels in a 3xTgAD mouse model. Such decrease in synaptic proteins was recovered by CDK5 silencing in mice leading to a better learning and memory performance. Additionally, CDK5 inhibition or knockout increased p120 ctn levels. Moreover, in a glutamate‐induced excitotoxicity model, CDK5 silencing‐induced neuroprotection depended on p120 ctn. Together, those findings suggest that p120 ctn plays an important role in the neuronal dysfunction of Alzheimer's disease models and contributes to CDK5 silencing‐induced neuroprotection and improvement of memory function.
Antioxidant vitamins and minerals in prevention of cancers: lessons from the SU.VI.MAX study

A voluminous body of epidemiological research concerning the potential role of antioxidant nutrients in the prevention of cancers has accumulated over the past few decades. However, results of large recent intervention trials do not support a preventive effect against cancer for supplementation with antioxidant nutrients. Seemingly contradictory results between observational studies and randomised trials can be explained by the fact that doses used in clinical trials were much higher than the highest levels attained by the usual dietary intake which, in observational studies, were found to be associated with the lowest risk of cancer. Recently, the Supplementation en Vitamines et Mine´raux Antioxydants (SU.VI.MAX) study, a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled primary prevention trial, tested the efficacy of supplementation with a combination of antioxidant vitamins and minerals, at nutritional doses, in reducing the cancer incidence in a general population not selected for risk factors. After 7·5 years, low-dose antioxidant supplementation lowered the total cancer incidence in men only. This may be explained by a lower baseline status of certain antioxidants in men compared to women. Finally, the effect of antioxidant supplementation on the incidence of cancer could depend on baseline antioxidant status (which differs from gender and/or nutritional status) and the health status of subjects (healthy v. cancer high-risk subjects). Antioxidant supplementation may have a beneficial effect upon cancer incidence only in healthy subjects who are not exposed to cancer risk and who have a particularly low baseline status. High doses of antioxidant supplementation may be deleterious in subjects in whom the initial phase of cancer development has already started, and they could be ineffective in well-nourished subjects with adequate antioxidant status.