Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Convergent Vessel Diameter–Stem Diameter Scaling across Five Clades of New and Old World Eudicots from Desert to Rain Forest

Premise of research. Variation in average xylem vessel diameter across species has important functional consequences, but the causes of this variation remain unclear. Average vessel diameter is known to scale with stem size within and across species. Vessel diameter also seems to differ between clades and across environments, with dryland plants having narrower, more cavitation-resistant vessels. As a result, it is not clear to what extent phylogenetic affinity and environment are associated with differences in the vessel diameter–stem size relationship. Methodology. With linear models and correlations, we explored the influence of environment and phylogeny on the vessel diameter–stem diameter relationship in a molecular phylogenetic context across 83 species in four families spanning desert to rain forest in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Madagascar. Pivotal results. Mean species vessel diameter was strongly predicted by trunk diameter (slope ∼0.33), and this slope was not affected by either phylogenetic affinity or environment. Clades differed only slightly in mean vessel diameter when controlling for stem size, and there was no tendency for plants of moist environments to have wider vessels. Of four climate indexes, only the temperature index contributed to explaining vessel diameter, although very weakly. Conclusions. Our results are congruent with models suggesting that natural selection should maximize vessel conductivity while minimizing cavitation risk via vessel taper in the context of conductive path length. Because neither environment nor phylogeny contributed to explaining vessel diameter–stem diameter scaling across species, our results appear congruent with the notion that selection favoring cavitation resistance via narrow vessels should lead to shorter statures independently of ancestry or habitat. The repeated finding of narrow vessels in dryland plants might therefore reflect the smaller average stem size of plants in drylands rather than the plants having vessels that are narrow for their stem diameters.
Women, Islam and Modernity: Single Women, Sexuality and Reproductive Health in Contemporary Indonesia

Introduction 1. Cultural Constructions of Sexuality and Gender 2. Maiden Bodies - Inscriptions of Femininity and Desire 3. Premarital Relationships and Contemporary Courtship Practices 4. Indigenous Sexual Scripts and Social Transition 5. Women's Health and Maiden Identities 6. Reproductive Rights for Single Women Conclusion
Narcissism and Romantic Relationship: The Mediating Role of Perception Discrepancy

The main purposes of this research are: a) to examine whether people's narcissism is related to their partners' relationship satisfaction and b) whether the link between narcissism and partner's satisfaction can be explained by the discrepancy in narcissists' perception about various aspects of their relationship. 150 (75 pairs romantic partner) university students from different universities in Hong Kong were conveniently invited to complete a password-protected online questionnaire. Their levels of narcissism, perception discrepancies for positive events and negative events, relationship satisfaction, and self-esteem were measured. It was found that narcissists have more times of romantic relationship and short relationship duration. Narcissists' partners were found less satisfied with their relationship. Bootstrapping mediation analysis controlling for self-esteem, age, and education background indicated that perception discrepancies for positive events mediated the relationship between narcissism and partner's relationship satisfaction while perception discrepancies for negative events did not. The current findings show that narcissists possessed large perception discrepancies in evaluating their own feelings and their partners'. Such discrepancies help explain why people's narcissism reduces the relationship satisfaction of their partners. The implications for personality and social psychology research and practice are discussed.
Isolation and Characterization of Dermal Lymphatic and Blood Endothelial Cells Reveal Stable and Functionally Specialized Cell Lineages

A plexus of lymphatic vessels guides interstitial fluid, passenger leukocytes, and tumor cells toward regional lymph nodes. Microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) of lymph channels (LECs) are difficult to distinguish from those of blood vessels (BECs) because both express a similar set of markers, such as CD31, CD34, podocalyxin, von Willebrand factor (vWF), etc. Analysis of the specific properties of LECs was hampered so far by lack of tools to isolate LECs. Recently, the 38-kD mucoprotein podoplanin was found to be expressed by microvascular LECs but not BECs in vivo. Here we isolated for the first time podoplanin+ LECs and podoplanin− BECs from dermal cell suspensions by multicolor flow cytometry. Both EC types were propagated and stably expressed VE-cadherin, CD31, and vWF. Molecules selectively displayed by LECs in vivo, i.e., podoplanin, the hyaluronate receptor LYVE-1, and the vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF)-C receptor, fms-like tyrosine kinase 4 (Flt-4)/VEGFR-3, were strongly expressed by expanded LECs, but not BECs. Conversely, BECs but not LECs expressed VEGF-C. LECs as well as BECs formed junctional contacts with similar molecular composition and ultrastructural features. Nevertheless, the two EC types assembled in vitro in vascular tubes in a strictly homotypic fashion. This EC specialization extends to the secretion of biologically relevant chemotactic factors: LECs, but not BECs, constitutively secrete the CC chemokine receptor (CCR)7 ligand secondary lymphoid tissue chemokine (SLC)/CCL21 at their basal side, while both subsets, upon activation, release macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-3α/CCL20 apically. These results demonstrate that LECs and BECs constitute stable and specialized EC lineages equipped with the potential to navigate leukocytes and, perhaps also, tumor cells into and out of the tissues.
COEVOLUTION BETWEEN HISPANIOLAN CROSSBILLS AND PINE: DOES MORE TIME ALLOW FOR GREATER PHENOTYPIC ESCALATION AT LOWER LATITUDE?

Abstract Crossbills (Aves: Loxia) and several conifers have coevolved in predator–prey arms races over the last 10,000 years. However, the extent to which coevolutionary arms races have contributed to the adaptive radiation of crossbills or to any other adaptive radiation is largely unknown. Here we extend our previous studies of geographically structured coevolution by considering a crossbill–conifer interaction that has persisted for a much longer time period and involves a conifer with more variable annual seed production. We examined geographic variation in the cone and seed traits of two sister species of pines, Pinus occidentalis and P. cubensis, on the islands of Hispaniola and Cuba, respectively. We also compared the Hispaniolan crossbill (Loxia megaplaga) to its sister taxa the North American white-winged crossbill (Loxia leucoptera leucoptera). The Hispaniolan crossbill is endemic to Hispaniola whereas Cuba lacks crossbills. In addition and in contrast to previous studies, the variation in selection experienced by these pines due to crossbills is not confounded by the occurrence of selection by tree squirrels (Tamiasciurus and Sciurus). As predicted if P. occidentalis has evolved defenses in response to selection exerted by crossbills, cones of P. occidentalis have scales that are 53% thicker than those of P. cubensis. Cones of P. occidentalis, but not P. cubensis, also have well-developed spines, a known defense against vertebrate seed predators. Consistent with patterns of divergence seen in crossbills coevolving locally with other conifers, the Hispaniolan crossbill has evolved a bill that is 25% deeper than the white-winged crossbill. Together with phylogenetic analyses, our results suggest that predator–prey coevolution between Hispaniolan crossbills and P. occidentalis over approximately 600,000 years has caused substantial morphological evolution in both the crossbill and pine. This also indicates that cone crop fluctuations do not prevent crossbills and conifers from coevolving. Furthermore, because the traits at the phenotypic interface of the interaction apparently remain the same over at least several hundred thousand years, divergence as a result of coevolution is greater at lower latitude where crossbill–conifer interactions have been less interrupted by Pleistocene events.
Minimum Number of Generations Required for Convergence of Genetic Algorithms

Genetic Algorithms (GAs) have been applied to a wide range of optimization problems, however a great deal of time and effort is required to calibrate the GA parameters to ensure that the best possible solutions are located. It is proposed that there exists a minimum number of GA generations before the members of a population will converge to a solution for a given optimization problem. This property would be useful in the calibration of a GA, as if there is a constant number of generations to solve the problem, the best population size can be determined using the desired number of function evaluations divided by the minimum number of generations. The hypothesis is tested for two versions of a test function; a commonly used separable test function, and a version of the function with epistatic interactions introduced between decision variables. Different problem sizes and convergence criteria are also considered. Two different relationships are identified. For the case where epistatic interactions are introduced into the test function the hypothesis is validated, as a constant number of generations before convergence is identified, and this increases with the size of the problem. However, for the case with no interactions between decision variables, the smallest population size produced the best results, regardless of problem size or convergence criteria.
Recipe1M: A Dataset for Learning Cross-Modal Embeddings for Cooking Recipes and Food Images

In this paper, we introduce Recipe1M+, a new large-scale, structured corpus of over one million cooking recipes and 13 million food images. As the largest publicly available collection of recipe data, Recipe1M+ affords the ability to train high-capacity modelson aligned, multimodal data. Using these data, we train a neural network to learn a joint embedding of recipes and images that yields impressive results on an image-recipe retrieval task. Moreover, we demonstrate that regularization via the addition of a high-level classification objective both improves retrieval performance to rival that of humans and enables semantic vector arithmetic. We postulate that these embeddings will provide a basis for further exploration of the Recipe1M+ dataset and food and cooking in general. Code, data and models are publicly available.
The childless by choice in perception of young adults

Voluntary childlessness is getting increasingly more attention of researchers of different disciplines (e.g. Callan 1983, Kalus 2002, Mynarska 2009, 2011, Slany 2002). This is a topic taken up in studies of different perspectives: demographic, sociological, economic and psychological . This paper is devoted to presenting the results of own research, which were aimed at seeking answers to the question: how are voluntarily childless couples perceived? The research was conducted on a group of 186 young adults, using the scenario method developed basing on the method by C. Lampman and Dowling-Guyer used in studies at the
Control-theoretic design of the LMS and the sign algorithms in nonstationary environments

The feedback structure of the LMS (least mean squared) algorithm proposed by B. Widrow et al. (Proc. IEEE, vol.64, p.1151-62, Aug. 1976) is reexamined from a control system design viewpoint. The minimization of the misadjustments due to gradient noise and lag can then be recast as the disturbance rejection and tracking problems in control. A frequency-domain approach to the latter problems that has the advantages of transparency, ease of computation, and generality compared with the time-domain approach previously used is presented. With the same set of assumptions of white input and a Markovian plant, it is shown that the optimum step size obtained by the present approach is identical to that obtained by Widrow. Applying the same approach, the optimum step size of a simplified version of the LMS algorithm-the sign algorithm-is derived for the case when the plant is slowly varying and the input signals are Gaussian. >
RACK1 is a negative regulator of ABA responses in Arabidopsis

Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1 (RACK1) is viewed as a versatile scaffold protein in mammals. The protein sequence of RACK1 is highly conserved in eukaryotes. However, the function of RACK1 in plants remains poorly understood. Accumulating evidence suggested that RACK1 may be involved in hormone responses, but the precise role of RACK1 in any hormone signalling pathway remains elusive. Molecular and genetic evidence that Arabidopsis RACK1 is a negative regulator of ABA responses is provided here. It is shown that three RACK1 genes act redundantly to regulate ABA responses in seed germination, cotyledon greening and root growth, because rack1a single and double mutants are hypersensitive to ABA in each of these processes. On the other hand, plants overexpressing RACK1A displayed ABA insensitivity. Consistent with their proposed roles in seed germination and early seedling development, all three RACK1 genes were expressed in imbibed, germinating and germinated seeds. It was found that the ABA-responsive marker genes, RD29B and RAB18, were up-regulated in rack1a mutants. Furthermore, the expression of all three RACK1 genes themselves was down-regulated by ABA. Consistent with the view that RACK1 negatively regulates ABA responses, rack1a mutants lose water significantly more slowly from the rosettes and are hypersensitive to high concentrations of NaCl during seed germination. In addition, the expression of some putative RACK1-interacting, ABA-, or abiotic stress-regulated genes was mis-regulated in rack1a rack1b double mutants in response to ABA. Taken together, these findings provide compelling evidence that RACK1 is a critical, negative regulator of ABA responses.
El Niño–southern oscillation events and associated European winter precipitation anomalies

The winter precipitation anomalies in the European area have been analysed over the period 1900–98 based on the El Niño–Southern oscillation (ENSO) state. A set of winter and autumn ENSO events is first selected using the Sea‐Surface temperature (SST) data of the Niño 3 region, with the constraint that the ENSO event is well developed during the winter and autumn of study, and that it is an extreme event. Cold and warm ENSO events and periods that can be regarded as normal are selected. For the selected winter ENSO events and for the winter following the selected autumn ENSO events, composites of European winter precipitation anomalies have been obtained and compared with each other. A study of the consistency among events of the relationship between ENSO and precipitation anomalies was also carried out. The analysis of the winter precipitation anomalies based on the selected winter ENSO events shows the existence, for the European area and during La Niña events, of a statistically significant precipitation anomaly pattern with positive precipitation anomalies north of the British Isles and in the Scandinavian area and negative anomalies in southern Europe, resembling the precipitation pattern associated with the positive phase of the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO). Particularly, for the southwestern area of the Iberian Peninsula, the negative anomaly reaches 20% of the winter average precipitation. The consistency analysis shows that this precipitation pattern is not the result of a few major events, but rather that it is stable and qualitatively similar to that found during the positive phase of the NAO. A non‐linear response to ENSO is found in the eastern Mediterranean area: negative precipitation anomalies are found, having similar amplitude anomalies, both during El Niño and La Niña events. The analysis of the precipitation anomalies for the winter following the selected autumn ENSO events shows very similar results to those found for the previous analysis, thus suggesting the existence of a potential source of seasonal forecasting of European precipitation. An analysis of the sensitivity of the precipitation anomalies to the strength of the ENSO events shows that, when the strength of the ENSO increases, the magnitude of the rainfall anomalies does not change, but the area influenced and the coherence between events do increase slightly. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society
Clinical Effects of Laser Acupuncture plus Chinese Cupping on the Pain and Plasma Cortisol Levels in Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Lower Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives Chronic nonspecific lower back pain (LBP) is a common disease. Insufficient data is currently available to conclusively confirm the analgesic effects of laser acupuncture on LBP. This study evaluated the effectiveness of laser acupuncture plus Chinese cupping in LBP treatment. Methods Patients with chronic nonspecific LBP were enrolled for a randomized controlled trial and assigned to the laser acupuncture group (laser acupuncture plus Chinese cupping) and control group (sham laser plus Chinese cupping). Laser acupuncture (808 nm; 40 mW; 20 Hz; 15 J/cm2) and Chinese cupping were applied on the Weizhong (BL40) and Ashi acupoints for 5 consecutive days. Plasma cortisol levels were assessed before and after the 5-day treatment session. The visual analog scale (VAS) scores were recorded at baseline and throughout the 5-day treatment session. Results After the treatment session, the plasma cortisol levels and VAS scores decreased significantly in both groups. In the laser acupuncture group, the VAS scores decreased significantly on days 4 and 5, and an enhanced reduction in VAS scores was observed. Conclusion Laser acupuncture plus Chinese cupping at the Weizhong (BL40) and Ashi acupoints effectively reduced pain and inflammation in chronic nonspecific LBP. This therapy could be a suitable option for LBP treatment in clinical settings.
Super-leading logarithms in non-global observables in QCD: fixed order calculation

Super-leading logarithmic terms have previously been observed in non-global QCD observables. In this paper we re-calculate the first super-leading contribution to the `gaps between jets' cross-section using a diagrammatic fixed order approach. We calculate for the first time the super-leading contribution at fifth order in αs.
The transition to parenthood : a prospective study of parental mental health, family relationships and infant development

The transition to parenthood involves psychological and social adjustments for men and women, with evidence of possible declines in mental health and close relationships. This thesis examined the relationship between parents’ mental health (depression, anxiety, PTSD), the parent-infant relationship, couple’s relationship and infant development. The five articles in this thesis were part of a prospective multi-method investigation of first-time parents. Parents completed questionnaires in late pregnancy, 3 months and 15 months postpartum (Article 3 & 4), detailed observations of parent-infant interactions 3 months postpartum (CARE-index; Article 4), in-depth interviews (Birmingham Interview of Maternal Mental Health) 5 months postpartum (Article 1 and 2), and infant development (Bayley Scales III) was examined at 17 months postpartum (Article 5). Results showed that a proportion of men and women suffered from poor mental health. Mental health problems were more common in pregnancy than postpartum. Women experienced worse mental health than men, but few other gender or within couple differences were found (Articles 2 & 3). A relatively high rate of poor parent-infant interactions was found (Article 4) and many parents reported feelings of anger towards their infant (Articles 1 & 2). Parents’ perceptions of their infant’s characteristics were important for the parent-infant relationship (Article 3) and infant’s cognitive, language and motor development (Article 5). Additionally, women’s postpartum PTSD and prenatal depression were associated with poor infant development (Article 5). Men’s mental health was associated with poor interaction with their infants (Article 4), negative perceptions of the father-infant and couple’s relationship (Article 3). These findings suggest that both men and women should be included in early mental health and family relationship interventions. However, the small low-risk sample limits generalizability of results. Future research would benefit from exploring the links between parental, infant and family relationship variables further, over time in larger more representative samples.
Neurocognitive Changes after Sustained Ketamine Administration in Children with Chronic Pain

Introduction Ketamine has received attention recently as an agent for chronic pain. There are concerns, however, regarding the neurocognitive changes patients might experience after ketamine exposure. Methods This prospective, uncontrolled study describes the neurocognitive functioning of 11 children with chronic pain before and after 2 weeks of daily oral ketamine exposure. Neurocognitive assessment was performed at baseline, Week 2, and Week 14. We hypothesized that there would be declines in neurocognitive scores at either Week 2 or Week 14. Results No decline in neurocognitive function was detected in the children investigated. Mean scores for tests measuring executive function and memory were improved at Weeks 2 and 14 compared to baseline. Discussion This study did not detect any decline in neurocognitive scores in a small number of children exposed to 2 weeks of oral ketamine therapy. Randomized, controlled studies of the neurocognitive effects of ketamine in children are recommended to further investigate these preliminary findings.
Agnostic Pointwise-Competitive Selective Classification

A pointwise competitive classifier from class F is required to classify identically to the best classifier in hindsight from F. For noisy, agnostic settings we present a strategy for learning pointwise-competitive classifiers from a finite training sample provided that the classifier can abstain from prediction at a certain region of its choice. For some interesting hypothesis classes and families of distributions, the measure of this rejected region is shown to be diminishing at rate β1 ċ O((polylog(m) ċ log(1/δ)/m)beta;2/2), with high probability, where m is the sample size, δ is the standard confidence parameter, and β1, β2 are smoothness parameters of a Bernstein type condition of the associated excess loss class (related to F and the 0/1 loss). Exact implementation of the proposed learning strategy is dependent on an ERM oracle that is hard to compute in the agnostic case. We thus consider a heuristic approximation procedure that is based on SVMs, and show empirically that this algorithm consistently outperforms a traditional rejection mechanism based on distance from decision boundary.