Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do riparian reserves support dung beetle biodiversity and ecosystem services in oil palm-dominated tropical landscapes?

Agricultural expansion and intensification are major threats to global biodiversity, ecological functions, and ecosystem services. The rapid expansion of oil palm in forested tropical landscapes is of particular concern given their high biodiversity. Identifying management approaches that maintain native species and associated ecological processes within oil palm plantations is therefore a priority. Riparian reserves are strips of forest retained alongside rivers in cultivated areas, primarily for their positive hydrological impact. However, they can also support a range of forest-dependent species or ecosystem services. We surveyed communities of dung beetles and measured dung removal activity in an oil palm-dominated landscape in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. The species richness, diversity, and functional group richness of dung beetles in riparian reserves were significantly higher than in oil palm, but lower than in adjacent logged forests. The community composition of the riparian reserves was more similar to logged forest than oil palm. Despite the pronounced differences in biodiversity, we did not find significant differences in dung removal rates among land uses. We also found no evidence that riparian reserves enhance dung removal rates within surrounding oil palm. These results contrast previous studies showing positive relationships between dung beetle species richness and dung removal in tropical forests. We found weak but significant positive relationships between riparian reserve width and dung beetle diversity, and between reserve vegetation complexity and dung beetle abundance, suggesting that these features may increase the conservation value of riparian reserves. Synthesis and applications: The similarity between riparian reserves and logged forest demonstrates that retaining riparian reserves increases biodiversity within oil palm landscapes. However, the lack of correlation between dung beetle community characteristics and dung removal highlights the need for further research into spatial variation in biodiversity–ecosystem function relationships and how the results of such studies are affected by methodological choices.
Structural–functional dissection and characterization of yield-contributing traits originating from a group 7 chromosome of the wheatgrass species Thinopyrum ponticum after transfer into durum wheat

For the first time, using chromosome engineering of durum wheat, the underlying genetic determinants of a yield-improving segment from Thinopyrum ponticum (7AgL) were dissected. Three durum wheat–Th. ponticum near-isogenic recombinant lines (NIRLs), with distal portions of their 7AL arm (fractional lengths 0.77, 0.72, and 0.60) replaced by alien chromatin, were field-tested for two seasons under rainfed conditions. Yield traits and other agronomic characteristics of the main shoot and whole plant were measured. Loci for seed number per ear and per spikelet were detected in the proximal 7AgL segment (0.60–0.72). Loci determining considerable increases of flag leaf width and area, productive tiller number per plant, biomass per plant, and grain yield per plant were located in the distally adjacent 0.72–0.77 7AgL segment, while in the most distal portion (0.77–1.00) genetic effects on spikelet number per ear were identified. Contrary to previous reports, trials with the bread wheat T4 translocation line, carrying on 7DL a sizeable 7AgL segment of which those present in the durum wheat-Th. ponticum NIRLs represent fractions, gave no yield advantage. The hypothesis that ABA might be a factor contributing to the 7AgL effects was tested by analysing endogenous ABA contents of the NIRLs and their responses to exogenous ABA application. The 7AgL yield-related loci were shown to be ABA-independent. This study highlights the value of wheat–alien recombinant lines for dissecting the genetic and physiological basis of complex traits present in wild germplasm, and provides a basis for their targeted exploitation in wheat breeding.
Prevalence and Correlates of Obesity in Schoolchildren from the City of Bursa,Turkey

Background and objectives: The prevalence of childhood obesity has been dramatically increasing worldwide. This study was performed to examine the prevalence and etiological factors of obesity in children aged 6−12 years and to investigate the relative contribution of exogenous factors with respect to sociodemographic data. Methods: A total of 5368 children aged 6−12 years in eight urban elementary schools located in Bursa, the fourth largest city of Turkey, were included in this cross−sectional study. A dietary record for three days and a questionnaire for the assessment of socio−economic and demographic parameters were completed by the parents at home. The height and weight of the children were measured and relative weight and body mass index (BMI) were calculated. Results: The prevalence of overweight, obesity and severe obesity according to BMI were 12.4%, 7.8% and 2.2%, respectively. The female/male ratio among obese children was 1.24. Eighty percent of obese children had one or both parents obese. Age, gender, presence of obesity in parents, higher educational level of the parents, consumption of soft beverages such as soda and juice, physical activity level and higher income of the family were found as the contributing factors to obesity. Conclusion: The prevalence of obesity is increasing in Turkey in parallel to the trend in many countries. There are consistent and predictable sociodemographic parameters that are associated with or may impose a risk factor for obesity. Identification of these risk factors will provide areas to target in the prevention and management of this common problem. Conflict of interest:None declared.
Gradient-Domain Image Reconstruction Framework with Intensity-Range and Base-Structure Constraints

This paper presents a novel unified gradient-domain image reconstruction framework with intensity-range constraint and base-structure constraint. The existing method for manipulating base structures and detailed textures are classifiable into two major approaches: i) gradient-domain and ii) layer-decomposition. To generate detail-preserving and artifact-free output images, we combine the benefits of the two approaches into the proposed framework by introducing the intensity-range constraint and the base-structure constraint. To preserve details of the input image, the proposed method takes advantage of reconstructing the output image in the gradient domain, while the output intensity is guaranteed to lie within the specified intensity range, e.g. 0-to-255, by the intensity-range constraint. In addition, the reconstructed image lies close to the base structure by the base-structure constraint, which is effective for restraining artifacts. Experimental results show that the proposed framework is effective for various applications such as tone mapping, seamless image cloning, detail enhancement, and image restoration.
Historical Isolation of the Galápagos Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa darwini) despite Strong Flight Capability and Ecological Amplitude

Colonization across the Galápagos Islands by the carpenter bee (Xylocopa darwini) was reconstructed based on distribution of mitochondrial haplotypes (cytochrome oxidase II (COII) sequences) and haplotype lineages. A total of 12 haplotypes were found in 118 individuals of X. darwini. Distributional, phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses suggest early colonization of most islands followed by historical isolation in two main groups: eastern and central-western islands. Evidence of recurrent inter-island colonization of haplotypes is largely lacking, despite strong flight capability and ecological amplitude of the species. Recent palaeogeographic data suggest that several of the current islands were connected in the past and thus the isolation pattern may have been even more pronounced. A contrast analysis was also carried out on 10 animal groups of the Galápagos Islands, and on haplotype colonization of seven animal and plant species from several oceanic archipelagos (the Galápagos, Azores, Canary Islands). New colonization metrics on the number of potential vs. inferred colonization events revealed that the Galápagos carpenter bee shows one of the most significant examples of geographic isolation.
IL-17+ Regulatory T Cells in the Microenvironments of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer

Foxp3+CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) cells inhibit immune responses and temper inflammation. IL-17+CD4+ T (Th17) cells mediate inflammation of autoimmune diseases. A small population of IL-17+Foxp3+CD4+ T cells has been observed in peripheral blood in healthy human beings. However, the biology of IL-17+Foxp3+CD4+ T cells remains poorly understood in humans. We investigated their phenotype, cytokine profile, generation, and pathological relevance in patients with ulcerative colitis. We observed that high levels of IL-17+Foxp3+CD4+ T cells were selectively accumulated in the colitic microenvironment and associated colon carcinoma. The phenotype and cytokine profile of IL-17+Foxp3+CD4+ T cells was overlapping with Th17 and Treg cells. Myeloid APCs, IL-2, and TGF-β are essential for their induction from memory CCR6+ T cells or Treg cells. IL-17+Foxp3+CD4+ T cells functionally suppressed T cell activation and stimulated inflammatory cytokine production in the colitic tissues. Our data indicate that IL-17+Foxp3+ cells may be “inflammatory” Treg cells in the pathological microenvironments. These cells may contribute to the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis through inducing inflammatory cytokines and inhibiting local T cell immunity, and in turn may mechanistically link human chronic inflammation to tumor development. Our data therefore challenge commonly held beliefs of the anti-inflammatory role of Treg cells and suggest a more complex Treg cell biology, at least in the context of human chronic inflammation and associated carcinoma.
Species‐Level Heritability Reaffirmed: A Comment on “On the Heritability of Geographic Range Sizes”

For many current issues in macroevolution and macroecology, it is important to know to what degree the attributes of species are shared among closely related lineages, a concept sometimes referred to as species‐level heritability. Recently, Webb and Gaston proposed a new method for analyzing the heritability of geographic range size and concluded that range size is not heritable in Cretaceous gastropods (data from Jablonski) and modern birds (their data). Here we show that Webb and Gaston’s method is flawed in that it implicitly assumes that range sizes are uniformly distributed. When range size distributions show their characteristic strong right skew, Webb and Gaston’s method spuriously tends to find that range sizes of closely related pairs of species are more dissimilar than the random expectation. A reanalysis of Jablonski’s data finds range size to be robustly and strongly heritable in Cretaceous gastropods and less strongly but still significantly heritable in present‐day birds.
Dental and Periodontal Status and Risk for Progression of Carotid Atherosclerosis: The Inflammation and Carotid Artery Risk for Atherosclerosis Study Dental Substudy

Background and Purpose— Dental and periodontal disease are potentially involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We investigated whether dental and periodontal status is associated with the presence and future progression of carotid stenosis. Methods— We randomly selected 411 of 1268 participants from the prospective Inflammation and Carotid Artery Risk for Atherosclerosis Study and evaluated dental and periodontal status and oral hygiene at baseline measuring three World Health Organization-validated indices: DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth), SLI (Silness-Löe Index), and CPITN (community periodontal index for treatment needs), respectively. The degree of carotid stenosis was measured by duplex ultrasound at baseline and after median 7.5 months (range=6 to 9 months) to identify patients with progressive carotid stenosis. Results— DMFT (P<0.01), SLI (P=0.048), CPITN (P=0.007), and edentulousness (P=0.007) were associated with the baseline degree of carotid stenosis. Atherosclerosis progression was observed in 48 of 411 patients (11.7%). DMFT (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=1.11, 95% CI=1.01 to 1.22, P=0.032) and SLI (adjusted OR=1.77, 95% CI=1.09 to 2.79, P=0.021), but not CPITN (adjusted OR=1.51, 95% CI=0.89 to 2.45, P=0.16) were significant predictors of disease progression, irrespective of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and the baseline degree of stenosis. Edentulous patients had a significantly increased risk for disease progression as compared with patients with teeth (adjusted OR=2.10, 95% CI=1.06 to 4.16, P=0.33). Conclusion— Dental status, oral hygiene, and particularly tooth loss are associated with the degree of carotid stenosis and predict future progression of the disease.
Morphological Distinction of Three Ammonia Phylotypes Occurring Along European Coasts

The high morphological variability observed in the genus Ammonia, together with its global distribution, led to the description of a plethora of species, subspecies, and varieties. Until now, many researchers used a limited number of (morpho-)species, and considered the numerous varieties as ecophenotypes. Recently, molecular studies show that these putative ecophenotypes are, in reality, well-separated genetically and should rather be considered as separate species. This study aims to investigate the morphological characteristics of three phylotypes (T1, T2, and T6) belonging to the genus Ammonia, encountered along European coasts. For this purpose, Ammonia specimens were sampled at 22 locations between 2014 and 2016 and were imaged using an environmental SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope). For 96 specimens, images of the spiral, umbilical, and peripheral sides were obtained and pore features were investigated using 1000x magnified images of the penultimate chamber on the spiral side. Sixty-one morphometric parameters were measured for each individual. To assign specimens to their respective phylotypes, we employed molecular analyses using SSU (Small Sub-Unit) rDNA fragments. A multivariate approach (Factorial Analysis of Mixed Data, FAMD), allowing the joint analysis of quantitative and qualitative measurements, was used to determine the most reliable morphometric parameters to discriminate the three phylotypes. Our results show that the use of only two morphological characteristics is sufficient to differentiate the three pseudocryptic species: the raised or flush character of the sutures on the central part of the spiral side and the mean pore diameter. These two criteria, which can be observed with a standard stereomicroscope, provide an efficient method to discriminate T1, T2, and T6 with at least 90% accuracy. We consider that there is still insufficient information to reliably assign previously defined formal scientific names to the three phylotypes, and therefore we recommend the continued use of phylotype designations T1, T2, and T6. Our results make it possible to study the distribution of these three pseudocryptic species (T1, T2, and T6) on the basis of stereomicroscope examination alone, which means these species can also be more easily recognized in dead/fossil assemblages. Among other things, this will allow verification in sediment cores of the putative recent introduction in European coastal areas of T6, which is often considered an exotic species originating from East Asia.
The role of students ' self-beliefs , motivation and attitudes in predicting mathematics achievement : A multilevel analysis of the Programme for International Student Assessment data

Non-cognitive factors have been considered as particularly important aspects in shaping students’ academic achievement. The current study aimed to examine a number of these factors in relation to the prediction of mathematics achievement among a representative sample of students in Greece. The sample consisted of 5,125 15-year-old students who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012. The study considered the extent to which students’ mathematics self-beliefs, motivation towards mathematics and attitudes towards school contributed to the prediction of their mathematics achievement. Multilevel modelling assessed both individual and school level variation, revealing that students’ mathematics self-efficacy, anxiety, self-concept, instrumental motivation and attitudes towards school were statistically significant predictors of their mathematics achievement, even after controlling for their gender and school socio-economic status (SES). Moreover, students were found to differ in the levels of their self-beliefs, motivation and attitudes based on their gender.
Enjoying Sad Music: Paradox or Parallel Processes?

Enjoyment of negative emotions in music is seen by many as a paradox. This article argues that the paradox exists because it is difficult to view the process that generates enjoyment as being part of the same system that also generates the subjective negative feeling. Compensation theories explain the paradox as the compensation of a negative emotion by the concomitant presence of one or more positive emotions. But compensation brings us no closer to explaining the paradox because it does not explain how experiencing sadness itself is enjoyed. The solution proposed is that an emotion is determined by three critical processes—labeled motivational action tendency (MAT), subjective feeling (SF) and Appraisal. For many emotions the MAT and SF processes are coupled in valence. For example, happiness has positive MAT and positive SF, annoyance has negative MAT and negative SF. However, it is argued that in an aesthetic context, such as listening to music, emotion processes can become decoupled. The decoupling is controlled by the Appraisal process, which can assess if the context of the sadness is real-life (where coupling occurs) or aesthetic (where decoupling can occur). In an aesthetic context sadness retains its negative SF but the aversive, negative MAT is inhibited, leaving sadness to still be experienced as a negative valanced emotion, while contributing to the overall positive MAT. Individual differences, mood and previous experiences mediate the degree to which the aversive aspects of MAT are inhibited according to this Parallel Processing Hypothesis (PPH). The reason for hesitancy in considering or testing PPH, as well as the preponderance of research on sadness at the exclusion of other negative emotions, are discussed.
Anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha blockade in the treatment of juvenile spondylarthropathy.

OBJECTIVE Persistent inflammation refractory to standard antirheumatic therapy in children with juvenile spondylarthropathy (SpA) leads to morbidity and reduced quality of life. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of synovitis and enthesitis. This study was undertaken to examine the impact of anti-TNFalpha agents on juvenile SpA that is refractory to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and corticosteroids. METHODS Ten juvenile SpA patients with a mean +/- SEM age of 15.0 +/- 0.7 years and disease duration of 4.4 +/- 0.8 years, all of whom were HLA-B27 positive, were followed up for 1 year after initiation of either infliximab (n = 8) or etanercept (n = 2). Outcomes examined were within-subject differences in the tender entheseal count (TEC) and active joint count (AJC), markers of inflammation, functional assessments (Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire [C-HAQ] score), and requirements for antirheumatic drugs. RESULTS At baseline, all patients exhibited active arthritis and enthesitis that were resistant to NSAIDs (n = 10), methotrexate (n = 6), sulfasalazine (n = 8), corticosteroids (oral n = 6, intravenous pulse n = 3, and intraarticular n = 6), and bisphosphonates (n = 2). In 2 patients, sulfasalazine (n = 2), corticosteroids (n = 1), and bisphosphonates (n = 1) were stopped after initiation of the anti-TNFalpha agent. In all patients, the arthritis and enthesitis significantly improved as evidenced by remission of the TEC and AJC by 6 months that was sustained during the 1-year followup, markers of inflammation and C-HAQ scores normalized, and there was a reduction in requirements for antirheumatic drugs (reduced dosage or discontinuation of NSAIDs n = 10, methotrexate n = 5, sulfasalazine n = 6, corticosteroids n = 4, and bisphosphonates n = 1). CONCLUSION Anti-TNFalpha therapy is a potential novel treatment for refractory juvenile SpA. Further prospective studies are required to examine the effectiveness and long-term outcomes of anti-TNFalpha therapy in this cohort.
Exploring the Perception of Center of Mass changes for VR Avatars

Populating Virtual Environments with animated virtual characters often involves retargeting motions to 3D body models with differing shapes. A user’s avatar, for example, should move in a way that is consistent with their model’s body shape in order to maintain the sense of presence. We present a set of perception experiments to explore how motions captured from actors with various body mass indices (BMI) are perceived, when they are retargeted to characters with different BMIs. We also explored the perceptual effects of retargeting average and physics-based motions. To explore the latter, we devised a physics-based controller framework that utilizes motion, target body weight, and height as inputs to generate retargeted motions. Despite the controller generating varied motions for various body shapes, average motions consistently outperformed the controller-generated motions in terms of naturalness. Overall, this work highlights an anthropometric based physics controller and a novel approach for perceptual evaluation of human motion retargeting for virtual characters.
Financial education, investor protection and international portfolio diversi(cid:133)cation

This paper investigates the e⁄ect of (cid:133)nancial education on foreign portfolio investment. We show that higher investor (cid:133)nancial education fosters international diversi(cid:133)cation, and that its role is particularly pronounced where information problems and monitoring costs are likely to be more severe, that is, in countries where protection of minority shareholders(cid:146)rights is weaker. We interpret this evidence as supportive of the conjecture that (cid:133)nancial education lessens the informational constraints binding foreign investors.
Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome: Models, Theories, and Therapies

Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (LNS) is a rare X-linked disorder caused by mutations in HPRT1, an important enzyme in the purine salvage pathway. Symptoms of LNS include dystonia, gout, intellectual disability, and self-mutilation. Despite having been characterized over 50 years ago, it remains unclear precisely how deficits in hypoxanthine and guanine recycling can lead to such a profound neurological phenotype. Several studies have proposed different hypotheses regarding the etiology of this disease, and several treatments have been tried in patients, though none have led to a satisfactory explanation of the disease. New technologies such as next-generation sequencing, optogenetics, genome editing, and induced pluripotent stem cells provide a unique opportunity to map the precise sequential pathways leading from genotype to phenotype.