Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Landscape Patterns in Rainforest Phylogenetic Signal: Isolated Islands of Refugia or Structured Continental Distributions?

Objectives Identify patterns of change in species distributions, diversity, concentrations of evolutionary history, and assembly of Australian rainforests. Methods We used the distribution records of all known rainforest woody species in Australia across their full continental extent. These were analysed using measures of species richness, phylogenetic diversity (PD), phylogenetic endemism (PE) and phylogenetic structure (net relatedness index; NRI). Phylogenetic structure was assessed using both continental and regional species pools. To test the influence of growth-form, freestanding and climbing plants were analysed independently, and in combination. Results Species richness decreased along two generally orthogonal continental axes, corresponding with wet to seasonally dry and tropical to temperate habitats. The PE analyses identified four main areas of substantially restricted phylogenetic diversity, including parts of Cape York, Wet Tropics, Border Ranges, and Tasmania. The continental pool NRI results showed evenness (species less related than expected by chance) in groups of grid cells in coastally aligned areas of species rich tropical and sub-tropical rainforest, and in low diversity moist forest areas in the south-east of the Great Dividing Range and in Tasmania. Monsoon and drier vine forests, and moist forests inland from upland refugia showed phylogenetic clustering, reflecting lower diversity and more relatedness. Signals for evenness in Tasmania and clustering in northern monsoon forests weakened in analyses using regional species pools. For climbing plants, values for NRI by grid cell showed strong spatial structuring, with high diversity and PE concentrated in moist tropical and subtropical regions. Conclusions/Significance Concentrations of rainforest evolutionary history (phylo-diversity) were patchily distributed within a continuum of species distributions. Contrasting with previous concepts of rainforest community distribution, our findings of continuous distributions and continental connectivity have significant implications for interpreting rainforest evolutionary history and current day ecological processes, and for managing rainforest diversity in changing circumstances.
The Challenges of the Modes of Agrippa

Abstract The standard “gladiatorial” interpretation of the Modes of Agrippa has undergone several recent attacks. Scholars have criticized it because it seems to portray the skeptic as a dogmatist about logical support and because it does not treat all five Modes as part of the system. Although some have attempted to patch up the standard interpretation to address these issues, I raise a further problem: The gladiatorial interpretation cannot make sense of the skeptic using the Modes on herself, to suspend her own judgment. In light of these problems, I propose a fresh interpretation: The Agrippan Modes should be understood, not as arguments (or argument forms), but as types of dialectical challenge that the skeptic can use in an endless inquiry into any dogmatic position.
The effect of ONCE Renal on minerals and electrolytes in predialysis patients with chronic kidney disease

Background Malnutrition is one common adverse consequence in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), and most patients have a lower-than-normal dietary energy intake. The present study was undertaken to examine whether orally administered ONCE Renal formula (ORF) supplement would improve energy intake without minerals and electrolytes disturbances in predialysis patients with CKD. Methods All eligible nondiabetic patients with CKD received ORF supplement for 1 week. Nutrition markers, renal function, and minerals and electrolytes were evaluated before and after supplementing. All patients kept a 3-day food record and were interviewed by a registered dietitian. Results A total of 29 patients with mean age 64.9±13.3 years were included. Mean estimated glomerular filtration rate was 37.7±12.1 mL/min/1.73 m2. A significant increase was observed in amount of energy, fat, fiber, calcium, and magnesium intake after 1 week of ORF supplement. Moreover, in comparison with baseline values, the patients displayed decreased dietary protein intake and blood urea nitrogen and increased serum magnesium. However, no significant change was found in renal function, nutritional markers (body weight, prealbumin, albumin, and protein equivalence of total nitrogen appearance), serum calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and bicarbonate. Conclusion In patients with CKD, ingestion of ORF was well tolerated and had a positive effect with an increase in dietary energy, fat, and fiber intake, as well as a decreased dietary protein intake. No mineral or electrolyte abnormalities were observed during the study.
Strictly correlated electrons in density-functional theory: A general formulation with applications to spherical densities

We reformulate the strong-interaction limit of electronic density functional theory in terms of a classical problem with a degenerate minimum. This allows us to clarify many aspects of this limit, and to write a general solution, which is explicitly calculated for spherical densities. We then compare our results with previous approximate solutions and discuss the implications for density functional theory.
Pronoun preferences of children in a language without typical third-person pronouns

This study presents comprehension data from 6–7-and 8–10-year-old children as well as adults on the acceptability of null vs overt anaphoric forms (the demonstrative hura ‘that’ and the quasipronoun bera ‘(s)he, him-/herself’) in Basque, a language without true third-person pronouns. In an acceptability judgement task, a developmental change occurred in the preference for hura (Experiment 1): 6–7-year-olds showed a preference for the null pronoun in both topic-shift and topic-continuity contexts, while 8–10-year-olds, like adults, preferred hura in topic-shift contexts and null pronouns in topic-continuity contexts. However, no developmental shift was observed in the preference for bera (Experiment 2): unlike adults, neither 6–7 nor 8–10-year-old children selected bera over null pronouns in topic-shift contexts. They instead showed a general preference for null pronouns, an indication of tolerance for ambiguity – a pattern which differs from prior studies in other null-subject languages, where ambiguous pronouns declined with age. The results reveal a different developmental pattern for hura and bera, which may be explained by the more rigid (syntactic) constraints operating on hura in comparison to bera in antecedent choice.
Default Probability

A probability may be colled “default” if it is neither derived from preestablished probabilities nor bosed on considerations of frequency or symmetry. Default probabilities presumably arise through reasoning based on causality ond similarity. This article advances o model of default probobility based on o feoturol approach to similarity. The accuracy of the model is assessed by comparing its predictions to the probabilities provided by undergraduates asked to reason about mommols.
Parenting in Youth Sport: From Research to Practice

Let's read! We will often find out this sentence everywhere. When still being a kid, mom used to order us to always read, so did the teacher. Some books are fully read in a week and we need the obligation to support reading. What about now? Do you still love reading? Is reading only for you who have obligation? Absolutely not! We here offer you a new book enPDFd parenting in youth sport from research to practice to read.
Health and nutrition education in primary schools in Crete: 10 years' follow-up of serum lipids, physical activity and macronutrient intake

The current study is a 4-year follow-up after the 6-year-long health and nutrition intervention programme applied in the primary schools of Crete. The aim of the current work was to identify whether the benefits obtained in certain health indices at the end of the intervention period were also present 4 years later. From a representative population of 441 pupils (250 from the intervention schools and 191 from the control schools), biochemical, dietary and physical activity data were obtained at baseline, at the end of the intervention period and after intervention (academic years 1992–1993, 1997–1998 and 2001–2002, respectively). The findings of the current study revealed that the favourable changes in serum lipids observed at the end of the intervention period were maintained from baseline to after intervention for total cholesterol (−24·3 (SE 1·65) V. −9·70 (SE 2·03) mg/dl; P=0·001), LDL-cholesterol (−18·6 (SE 1·41) V. −2·49 (SE 1·75) mg/dl; P<0·001), HDL-cholesterol (−8·34 (SE 0·75) V. −9·60 (SE 1·10) mg/dl; P=0·014) and total cholesterol:HDL-cholestrol ratio (0·31 (SE 0·06) V. 0·04 (SE 0·05); P=0·001). Similar favourable changes for the intervention group were observed in leisure-time physical activities (38·3 (SE 11·7) V. −13·2 (SE 10·9) min/week; P=0·038) and BMI (6·05 (SE 0·18) V. 6·67 (SE 0·21) kg/m2; P=0·014), whereas no changes were observed in the fitness and dietary indices examined. The findings of the current study are encouraging, indicating maintenance of the favourable changes observed in serum lipids, BMI and physical activity 4 years after the programme had ended
Plant Species Indicators of Physical Environment in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands

ABSTRACT Plant taxa identified in 90 U.S. Great Lakes coastal emergent wetlands were evaluated as indicators of physical environment. Canonical correspondence analysis using the 40 most common taxa showed that water depth and tussock height explained the greatest amount of species-environment interaction among ten environmental factors measured as continuous variables (water depth, tussock height, latitude, longitude, and six ground cover categories). Indicator species analysis was used to identify species-environment interactions with categorical variables of soil type (sand, silt, clay, organic) and hydrogeomorphic type (Open-Coast Wetlands, River-Influenced Wetlands, Protected Wetlands). Of the 169 taxa that occurred in a minimum of four study sites and ten plots, 48 were hydrogeomorphic indicators and 90 were soil indicators. Most indicators of Protected Wetlands were bog and fen species which were also organic soil indicators. Protected Wetlands had significantly greater average coefficient of conservatism (C) values than did Open-Coast Wetlands and River-Influenced Wetlands, but average C values did not differ significantly by soil type. Open-Coast and River-Influenced hydrogeomorphic types tended to have sand or silt soils. Clay soils were found primarily in areas with Quaternary glaciolacustrine deposits or clay-rich tills. A fuller understanding of how the physical environment influences plant species distribution will improve our ability to detect the response of wetland vegetation to anthropogenic activities.
Development of High Pressure Xe Scintillation Proportional Counter for Experiments in "Low-Background" Physics

Characteristics of a scintillation proportional counter with WLS fiber optics readout is described. The possibility of detection of the proportional scintillation signal produced by the single electron of primary ionization is shown. The counter can be applied for the experiments in "low--background" physics which require a low energy threshold.
G12/13 and Gq mediate S1P2-induced inhibition of Rac and migration in vascular smooth muscle in a manner dependent on Rho but not Rho kinase.

AIMS The lysophospholipid mediator sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) activates G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to induce potent inhibition of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced Rac activation and, thereby, chemotaxis in rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We explored the heterotrimeric G protein and the downstream mechanism that mediated S1P inhibition of Rac and cell migration in VSMCs. METHODS AND RESULTS S1P inhibition of PDGF-induced cell migration and Rac activation in VSMCs was abolished by the selective S1P(2) receptor antagonist JTE-013. The C-terminal peptides of Galpha subunits (Galpha-CTs) act as specific inhibitors of respective G protein-GPCR coupling. Adenovirus-mediated expression of Galpha(12)-CT, Galpha(13)-CT, and Galpha(q)-CT, but not that of Galpha(s)-CT or LacZ or pertussis toxin treatment, abrogated S1P inhibition of PDGF-induced Rac activation and migration, indicating that both G(12/13) and G(q) classes are necessary for the S1P inhibition. The expression of Galpha(q)-CT as well as Galpha(12)-CT and Galpha(13)-CT also abolished S1P-induced Rho stimulation. C3 toxin, but not a Rho kinase inhibitor or a dominant negative form of Rho kinase, abolished S1P inhibition of PDGF-induced Rac activation and cell migration. The angiotensin II receptor AT(1), which robustly couples to G(q), did not mediate either Rho activation or inhibition of PDGF-induced Rac activation or migration, suggesting that activation of G(q) alone was not sufficient for Rho activation and resultant Rac inhibition. However, the AT(1) receptor fused to Galpha(12) was able to induce not only Rho stimulation but also inhibition of PDGF-induced Rac activation and migration. Phospholipase C inhibition did not affect S1P-induced Rho activation, and protein kinase C activation by a phorbol ester did not mimic S1P action, suggesting that S1P inhibition of migration or Rac was not dependent on the phospholipase C pathway. CONCLUSION These observations together suggest that S1P(2) mediates inhibition of Rac and migration through the coordinated action of G(12/13) and G(q) for Rho activation in VSMCs.
Torque-Stiffness-Controlled Dynamic Walking: Analysis of the Behaviors of Bipeds with Both Adaptable Joint Torque and Joint Stiffness

This article presents a general paradigm, torque-stiffness-controlled dynamic walking, to analyze the behaviors of bipeds with both adaptable joint torque and joint stiffness. A bioinspired control method with central pattern generators (CPGs) is applied to realize limb coordination and smooth walking pattern transitions. To better illustrate the proposed paradigm, we show the respective effects of joint torque and joint stiffness on walking performance and motion control in both a four-link simulated model and a robot prototype. This study may develop a new solution for the motion control of bipedal robots with adaptable joint stiffness and provide insights into the principles of efficient and adaptive human walking.
THE USE OF FACEBOOK GROUP DISCUSSION TO IMPROVE READING STRATEGIES: An Action Research

The rapid development of technology influence people’s life in many aspects including the process of teaching and learning in university, school etc. Some social medias are popular in society, one of them is Facebook. This social networking can be used for any purposes Such as interacting, marketing, publishing, learning etc. The study aims to prove whether Facebook’s group discussion can be effectively used to improve reading strategies which are normally developed through classroom interaction. It is an action research design involving one group consisting of 37 students randomly sampled out from a population of 198 students. A plan-act-observe-reflect design of the study will be carried out in two cycles. Each cycle involves pretest, treatment and post test. Cycle 1 is undertaken to see if there is a significant difference between the pretest and post test upon treatment. The indicator of success of the treatment is that the post test outscores the pretest. If it does, then Cycle 2 will be conducted to convince the results. If the two cycles show an increase in the mean scores, it can be claimed that the method is effective. In other words, Facebook’s group discussion can be effectively used to improve reading strategies. Key words : Facebook group discussion, reading skill
PM2.5 Chemical Compositions and Aerosol Optical Properties in Beijing during the Late Fall

Daily PM2.5 mass concentrations and chemical compositions together with the aerosol optical properties were measured from 8–28 November 2011 in Beijing. PM2.5 mass concentration varied from 15.6–237.5 μg∙m−3 and showed a mean value of 111.2 ± 73.4 μg∙m−3. Organic matter, NH4NO3 and (NH4)2SO4 were the major constituents of PM2.5, accounting for 39.4%, 15.4%, and 14.9% of the total mass, respectively, while fine soil, chloride salt, and elemental carbon together accounted for 27.7%. Daily scattering and absorption coefficients (σsc and σap) were in the range of 31.1–667 Mm−1 and 8.24–158.0 Mm−1, with mean values of 270 ± 200 Mm−1 and 74.3 ± 43.4 Mm−1. Significant increases in σsc and σap were observed during the pollution accumulation episodes. The revised IMPROVE algorithm was applied to estimate the extinction coefficient (bext). On average, organic matter was the largest contributor, accounting for 44.6% of bext, while (NH4)2SO4, NH4NO3, elemental carbon, and fine soil accounted for 16.3% 18.0%, 18.6%, and 2.34% of bext, respectively. Nevertheless, the contributions of (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3 were significantly higher during the heavy pollution periods than those on clean days. Typical pollution episodes were also explored, and it has been characterized that secondary formation of inorganic compounds is more important than carbonaceous pollution for visibility impairment in Beijing.
Glial Cell Involvement in Early Alzheimer's Disease

Let us know how access to this document benefits you. Abstract Glial cells, the resident immune cells of the brain, are important for brain health; they perform critical protective functions following brain injury, during nervous system development, and to support general neuronal activity. Following brain injury, glia quickly respond by cleaning up neuronal and synaptic debris. In addition to their role as the cleaning cell of the brain, recent research has shown that during development, glia also shape and fine-tune neural connections by eliminating weak synapses fated for removal. However, whether glial cells also continue to remodel synaptic architecture in the adult brain is unclear. Moreover, synaptic loss is an early hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but whether glial cells play a role in this pathophysiology remains mysterious. In this study, we investigate the role of glial cells in AD-related synaptic loss using a Drosophila melanogaster model of AD. Specifically, we will explore the role of the glial engulfment receptor Draper, which is essential for glial clearance of neuronal debris after injury, and evaluate its effect on synaptic loss in the AD fly model. For these studies, we will use immunohistochemistry and western blotting techniques, as well as the power of Drosophila genetics. Through this project, the effects of amyloid beta on synaptic molecule expression are assessed and the contribution of the glial engulfment receptor Draper upon amyloid-beta induced synaptic changes are identified.
Exploring Theories of Human Behavior in Housing Research

Abstract The purpose of this study was to review theories used in housing research over the time period from 1989 through 1999. Articles published in Housing and Society, Environment and Behavior, and Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal were examined. Of the 115 articles identified, 73% cited theory. Thirty-four theories were reviewed in this research. Theory plays an essential role in housing research as it guides the development of research questions, selection of methodologies, and interpretation of results. Most importantly, the utilization of theory is necessary for the advancement of knowledge in housing.
Molecular Switch from L-Type Cav1.3 to Cav1.2 Ca2+ Channel Signaling Underlies Long-Term Psychostimulant-Induced Behavioral and Molecular Plasticity

L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC)-activated signaling cascades contribute significantly to psychostimulant-induced locomotor sensitization; however, the precise contribution of the two brain-specific subunits Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 remains mostly unknown. In this study, by using amphetamine and cocaine locomotor sensitization in mutant mice expressing dihydropyridine (DHP)-insensitive Cav1.2 LTCCs (Cav1.2DHP−/−), we find that, as opposed to a previously identified role of the Cav1.3 subunit of LTCCs in development of sensitization, the Cav1.2 subunit mediates expression of amphetamine and cocaine sensitization when examined after a 14 d drug-free period. Molecular studies to further elucidate the role of Cav1.2 versus Cav1.3 LTCCs in activating signaling pathways in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of drug-naive versus drug-preexposed mice examined 14 d later revealed that an acute amphetamine and cocaine challenge in drug-naive mice increases Ser133 cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation in the NAc via Cav1.3 channels and via a dopamine D1-dependent mechanism, independent of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway, an important mediator of psychostimulant-induced plasticity. In contrast, in amphetamine- and cocaine-preexposed mice, an amphetamine or cocaine challenge no longer activates CREB unless Cav1.2 LTCCs are blocked. This Cav1.2-dependent blunting of CREB activation that underlies expression of locomotor sensitization occurs only after extended drug-free periods and involves recruitment of D1 receptors and the ERK pathway. Thus, our results demonstrate that specific LTCC subunits are required for the development (Cav1.3) versus expression (Cav1.2) of psychostimulant sensitization and that subunit-specific signaling pathways recruited by psychostimulants underlies long-term drug-induced behavioral responses.
Examining the Determinants of Police Department Online Transparency

This study draws on the economic principle of supply and demand to examine police department online transparency. A sample of 350 department websites was evaluated using a 26-point index. To explain variation among the resultant transparency scores, several hypotheses are tested in order to identify the determinants of agency openness. Six hypotheses are driven by the notion that public demand—in the form of federally led organizational reform, legislation mandating data dissemination, and the presence of independent, civilian oversight—will correlate with increased transparency. Three others predict that ‘supply’ indicators, characteristics reflective of departmental openness, including the use of community policing strategies, the pursuit of agency accreditation, and voluntary participation in a longitudinal research study, will be positively correlated with openness. Results from several multiple regression models show support for three of nine hypotheses, with broad implications for both theory and public policy.