Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A succession of theories: purging redundancy from disturbance theory

The topics of succession and post‐disturbance ecosystem recovery have a long and convoluted history. There is extensive redundancy within this body of theory, which has resulted in confusion, and the links among theories have not been adequately drawn. This review aims to distil the unique ideas from the array of theory related to ecosystem change in response to disturbance. This will help to reduce redundancy, and improve communication and understanding between researchers. We first outline the broad range of concepts that have developed over the past century to describe community change in response to disturbance. The body of work spans overlapping succession concepts presented by Clements in 1916, Egler in 1954, and Connell and Slatyer in 1977. Other theories describing community change include state and transition models, biological legacy theory, and the application of functional traits to predict responses to disturbance. Second, we identify areas of overlap of these theories, in addition to highlighting the conceptual and taxonomic limitations of each. In aligning each of these theories with one another, the limited scope and relative inflexibility of some theories becomes apparent, and redundancy becomes explicit. We identify a set of unique concepts to describe the range of mechanisms driving ecosystem responses to disturbance. We present a schematic model of our proposed synthesis which brings together the range of unique mechanisms that were identified in our review. The model describes five main mechanisms of transition away from a post‐disturbance community: (i) pulse events with rapid state shifts; (ii) stochastic community drift; (iii) facilitation; (iv) competition; and (v) the influence of the initial composition of a post‐disturbance community. In addition, stabilising processes such as biological legacies, inhibition or continuing disturbance may prevent a transition between community types. Integrating these six mechanisms with the functional trait approach is likely to improve the predictive capacity of disturbance theory. Finally, we complement our discussion of theory with a case study which emphasises that many post‐disturbance theories apply simultaneously to the same ecosystem. Using the well‐studied mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forests of south‐eastern Australia, we illustrate phenomena that align with six of the theories described in our model of rationalised disturbance theory. We encourage further work to improve our schematic model, increase coverage of disturbance‐related theory, and to show how the model may link to, or integrate with, other domains of ecological theory.
MIGRAINE IN ADOLESCENTS: ASSOCIATION WITH SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND FAMILY HISTORY

Bigal and colleagues found a relationship between migraine prevalence and low household income, stating that the relationship “mandates a search for environmental risk factors associated with low income which increase the 1-year period prevalence of migraine. ”1 The authors plan to investigate “nutrition, emotional and physical stress, and treatment patterns” as possible risk factors. Recent reports emphasize the close …
Measuring Social Capital at the Individual Level: Personal Social Capital, Values and Psychological Distress.

It is proposed that social capital, a societal‐level construct, can be measured at the individual level. This ‘personal social capital’ is a psychological construct defined as a logically linked sequence of social behaviours: community participation, social support and trust in others. Individuals who have more personal social capital will participate in their communities more and have more social support, greater trust in others and less psychological distress than those with less. It was also predicted that social values would influence levels of personal social capital, indirectly influencing distress. Structural equations modelling revealed that, within the construct of personal social capital, the strongest predictor of distress was community trust. Harmony values also directly predicted distress, while security values had an indirect effect via reduced community participation, social support and community trust.
Validity of noscapine and papaverine metabolites as markers of heroin misuse in the context of diamorphine treatment. A survey of urine samples from non‐substance misusing patients prescribed diamorphine

Background: The use of prescribed injectable diamorphine (pharmaceutical heroin) as a treatment for heroin dependence remains controversial. The detection of urinary morphine and 6‐monoacetylmorphine as indicators of street heroin misuse is confounded in patients prescribed diamorphine and there is no alternative biomarker in routine use. A previous paper reported on the gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis of over 1000 urine samples from patients of a substance misuse service, and concluded that the detection of papaverine and noscapine metabolites was likely to provide a reasonably sensitive and highly specific means of identifying the use of street heroin in patients prescribed diamorphine. Aims: In this study the potential for the parenteral administration of pharmaceutical diamorphine to give rise to the detection of these putative markers of street heroin in urine is examined. Design: Over a 15‐month period, 57 patients from seven hospices in the UK provided pre‐ and post‐diamorphine infusion samples. Samples were analysed by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry using the previously described procedure. Findings: No sample was positive for any of the previously identified markers of street heroin use, that is meconine, desmethylmeconine, hydroxypapaverine, and dihydroxypapaverine. When combined with the results from a pilot study the overall specificity approaches 100% with sensitivity of 56%. Conclusions: These findings support the previously indicated high degree of specificity of noscapine and papaverine metabolites for street heroin misuse. While the sensitivity of such testing is less than that of morphine for heroin misuse, we believe that the detection of these markers offers the best currently available means of objectively determining heroin misuse in patients prescribed diamorphine.
Postgraduate student perceptions of the transition into postgraduate study

West (2012) found many researchers to hold the view that not much adjustment is required when going into postgraduate study, however recent literature has suggested that this is not the case (West, 2012). The article presented here confirms the latter, with evidence taken from focus group discussions with postgraduate students. The findings indicate that students experience difficulties with the transition into postgraduate study. These difficulties relate to their external commitments and with the university course itself. The findings revealed that there is much that can be done within the university to aid students in their postgraduate transition. Furthermore there is much that can be learned from conducting focus groups on student perceptions. It is hoped the findings presented in this article can contribute to further discussions into the difficulties experienced in postgraduate transition.
Chemicals on plant surfaces as a heretofore unrecognized, but ecologically informative, class for investigations into plant defence

Plants produce and utilize a great diversity of chemicals for a variety of physiological and ecological purposes. Many of these chemicals defend plants against herbivores, pathogens and competitors. The location of these chemicals varies within the plant, some are located entirely within plant tissues, others exist in the air‐ (or water‐) space around plants, and still others are secreted onto plant surfaces as exudates. I argue herein that the location of a given defensive chemical has profound implications for its ecological function; specifically, I focus on the characteristics of chemical defences secreted onto plant surfaces. Drawing from a broad literature encompassing ecology, evolution, taxonomy and physiology, I found that these external chemical defences (ECDs) are common and widespread in plants and algae; hundreds of examples have been detailed, yet they are not delineated as a separate class from internal chemical defences (ICDs). I propose a novel typology for ECDs and, using existing literature, explore the ecological consequences of the hypothesized unique characteristics of ECDs. The axis of total or proportional investment in ECDs versus ICDs should be considered as one axis of investment by a plant, in the same way as quantitative versus qualitative chemical defences or induced versus constitutive defences is considered. The ease of manipulating ECDs in many plant systems presents a powerful tool to help test plant defence theory (e.g. optimal defence). The framework outlined here integrates various disciplines of botany and ecology and suggests a need for further examinations of exudates in a variety of contexts, as well as recognition of the effects of within‐plant localization of defences.
PARK9-LINKED PARKINSONISM IN EASTERN ASIA: MUTATION DETECTION IN ATP13A2 AND CLINICAL PHENOTYPE

PARK9, a form of autosomal recessive parkinsonism, or Kufor-Rakeb syndrome (KRS), is characterized by subacute or slowly progressive, juvenile-onset, levodopa-responsive parkinsonism, pyramidal signs, dementia, and supranuclear gaze palsy.1–5 Recently, ATP13A2 was identified as the causative gene for PARK9 in Chilean and Jordanian families.4 This gene contains 29 exons encoding a lysosomal type 5 P-type ATPase. Six mutations have been reported in only five probands so far.4,5 Here, we describe a Japanese patient with KRS with a novel mutation who developed early onset parkinsonism, dementia, and other features. We also describe PET findings of PARK9 -linked parkinsonism. ### Methods. Haplotype analysis was conducted in 117 (mainly Japanese) patients with early onset (≤50, 26.8 ± 11.7 years, mean ± SD) parkinsonism. Among them, 14 patients had dementia. Patients who exhibited homozygosity on PARK9 locus by haplotype analysis underwent direct sequencing for all 29 exons (e-Methods on the Neurology ® Web site at www.neurology.org); the remaining patients underwent direct sequencing for exons 13, 16, and 26, in which mutations …
Morphological evolution of the mammalian jaw adductor complex

The evolution of the mammalian jaw during the transition from non‐mammalian synapsids to crown mammals is a key event in vertebrate history and characterised by the gradual reduction of its individual bones into a single element and the concomitant transformation of the jaw joint and its incorporation into the middle ear complex. This osteological transformation is accompanied by a rearrangement and modification of the jaw adductor musculature, which is thought to have allowed the evolution of a more‐efficient masticatory system in comparison to the plesiomorphic synapsid condition. While osteological characters relating to this transition are well documented in the fossil record, the exact arrangement and modifications of the individual adductor muscles during the cynodont–mammaliaform transition have been debated for nearly a century.
Noncontact Meibography Detects Changes in Meibomian Glands in the Aging Process in a Normal Population and Patients with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

Purpose: To examine, using our novel technique of noncontact meibography, morphological changes in meibomian glands associated with aging and sex in a normal population and in patients with obstructive meibomian gland dysfunction (oMGD) and seborrheic meibomian gland dysfunction (sMGD). Participants: Two hundred thirty-six healthy volunteers [M:F, 114:122; mean age (range), 41.2 ± 23.1 (4-98) years] and patients with oMGD or sMGD. Methods: Lid margin and ocular surface were examined by slit lamp. The meibomian glands were observed with noncontact meibography and scored using meiboscore. Partial or complete loss of meibomian glands was scored for each eyelid from grade 0 (no loss of meibomian glands) to grade 3 (lost area more than two thirds total area of meibomian glands). Results: Significant positive correlations were noted between age and meiboscore in total subjects (R = 0.428; P < 0.0001), in men (R = 0.462; P < 0.0001), and in women (R = 0.418; P < 0.0001). There was a significant positive correlation between age and score of lid margin abnormalities (R = 0.538; P < 0.0001). Meiboscore was significantly correlated with the score of lid margin abnormalities (R = 0.359; P < 0.0001). In oMGD, changes in meibomian glands such as dropout and shortening were observed. In sMGD, no change in meibomian glands was detected. Conclusions: Changes in meibomian glands increased with age in a normal population. In oMGD, morphologic changes in meibomian glands were observed. In sMGD, no morphologic changes in meibomian glands were detected.
Managing biological control services through multi‐trophic trait interactions: review and guidelines for implementation at local and landscape scales

Ecological studies are increasingly moving towards trait‐based approaches, as the evidence mounts that functions, as opposed to taxonomy, drive ecosystem service delivery. Among ecosystem services, biological control has been somewhat overlooked in functional ecological studies. This is surprising given that, over recent decades, much of biological control research has been focused on identifying the multiple characteristics (traits) of species that influence trophic interactions. These traits are especially well developed for interactions between arthropods and flowers – important for biological control, as floral resources can provide natural enemies with nutritional supplements, which can dramatically increase biological control efficiency. Traits that underpin the biological control potential of a community and that drive the response of arthropods to environmental filters, from local to landscape‐level conditions, are also emerging from recent empirical studies. We present an overview of the traits that have been identified to (i) drive trophic interactions, especially between plants and biological control agents through determining access to floral resources and enhancing longevity and fecundity of natural enemies, (ii) affect the biological control services provided by arthropods, and (iii) limit the response of arthropods to environmental filters, ranging from local management practices to landscape‐level simplification. We use this review as a platform to outline opportunities and guidelines for future trait‐based studies focused on the enhancement of biological control services.
Cognitive impairment and structural brain damage in benign multiple sclerosis

Objective: Although in benign multiple sclerosis (BMS) locomotor disability is absent or only minimal, subclinical cognitive impairment seems to occur in many cases. Diffusion tensor (DT) MRI enables us to quantify the extent of “actual” tissue damage, which goes undetected when using conventional MRI. Against this background, we investigated the extent of structural brain damage underlying cognitive dysfunction in BMS, with the ultimate aim to move a first step toward a more reliable definition of this disease phenotype. Methods: Conventional and DT MRI scans of the brain were acquired from 62 BMS patients. Thirty-six secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) patients and 19 healthy subjects served as controls. In BMS patients, neuropsychological tests exploring memory, attention, and frontal lobe functions were administered. Normalized brain volume (NBV), mean diffusivity (MD), and fractional anisotropy (FA) of the normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) and MD of the gray matter (GM) were computed. Results: Twelve BMS patients (19%) fulfilled predefined criteria for cognitive impairment. BMS patients had abnormal MD and FA values from both NAWM and GM. Whereas BMS patients without cognitive impairment had lower T2 LV (p = 0.03), higher NBV (p = 0.006), and lower average GM MD (p = 0.03) than SPMS patients, BMS patients with cognitive impairment did not significantly differ from SPMS patients for any MRI-derived metric. Conclusions: In benign multiple sclerosis (BMS), cognitive dysfunction is associated with severe structural brain damage, which resembles that of patients with a much more disabling disease course. A reliable definition of BMS should, therefore, include the preservation of cognitive functioning as an additional requisite. GLOSSARY: BMS = benign multiple sclerosis; DT = diffusion tensor; EDSS = Expanded Disability Status Scale; FA = fractional anisotropy; FDR = false discovery rate; FOV = field of view; GM = gray matter; LV = lesion volume; MD = mean diffusivity; MP-RAGE = magnetization-prepared rapid-acquisition gradient echo; MS = multiple sclerosis; NAWM = normal-appearing white matter; NBV = normalized volume; PASAT = Paced Auditory Serial Attention Test–3" Version; PGSE = pulsed-gradient echo-planar; ROCF = Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure; SPMS = secondary progressive multiple sclerosis; TE = echo time; TR = repetition time; WM = white matter.
Analysis of photodynamic therapy applied to skin disorders by a topical photosensitizer

Optical treatment of pathological tissues comprises techniques like Low Intensity Laser Treatment (LILT) or Photodynamic Therapy (PDT). PDT consists on the inoculation of a photosensitizer in the tissue, which tends to be accumulated in cancerous cells, and on the posterior optical radiation of the area. The photosensitizer, that can be topical or systemic, is excited and cell necrosis is provoked. The collateral harmful effects of other destructive techniques, like radiotherapy or chemotherapy, are avoided with PDT. PDT can also be used as a complementary technique of conventional excisional surgical operations. The application of PDT to skin disorders is straightforward due to the fact that it is an external and accessible tissue. In this work, we analyze the application of PDT to several skin pathologies and the results obtained, by means of mainly the usage of MetvixR as a topical photosensitizer and with an optical source in the range of 635 nm. The analysis includes a predictive model of the PDT process, based on an optical propagation equation and a photosensitizer degradation approach that provides an estimation of tissue destruction.
Real Options and Incremental Search in Pharmaceutical R&D Project Portfolio Management

This paper investigates the role of real options reasoning in R&D project portfolio management and investment decisions of pharmaceutical firms. We analyse a unique dataset that integrates information on initiation and termination of clinical trials at the level of specific medical indications. Consistent with existing literature, we find a positive relationship between market size and firm entry in clinical trials. We also show that the option value of R&D investments, as proxied by the scope of R&D projects, affects the selection of target markets. Moreover, high-risk research areas attract more entry, in line with the predictions of real options theory. However, we also find that more flexibility in project duration and delayed project discontinuation attract higher rates of entry. Departures from pure real options reasoning are motivated by the presence of incremental learning in pharmaceutical R&D.
Medical decision-making capacity in mild cognitive impairment

Objective: To investigate longitudinal change in the medical decision-making capacity (MDC) of patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) under different consent standards. Methods: Eighty-eight healthy older controls and 116 patients with MCI were administered the Capacity to Consent to Treatment Instrument at baseline and at 1 to 3 (mean = 1.7) annual follow-up visits thereafter. Covariate-adjusted random coefficient regressions were used to examine differences in MDC trajectories across MCI and control participants, as well as to investigate the impact of conversion to Alzheimer disease on MCI patients’ MDC trajectories. Results: At baseline, MCI patients performed significantly below controls only on the three clinically relevant standards of appreciation, reasoning, and understanding. Compared with controls, MCI patients experienced significant declines over time on understanding but not on any other consent standard. Conversion affected both the elevation (a decrease in performance) and slope (acceleration in subsequent rate of decline) of MCI patients’ MDC trajectories on understanding. A trend emerged for conversion to be associated with a performance decrease on reasoning in the MCI group. Conclusions: Medical decision-making capacity (MDC) decline in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a relatively slow but detectable process. Over a 3-year period, patients with amnestic MCI show progressive decline in the ability to understand consent information. This decline accelerates after conversion to Alzheimer disease (AD), reflecting increasing vulnerability to decisional impairment. Clinicians and researchers working with MCI patients should give particular attention to the informed consent process when conversion to AD is suspected or confirmed.
Effect of the pre-operative condition on melatonin and its relationship with cytokines

Recent work indicates that stress and anxiety may lead to dysfunction of the immune system, including the secretion of cytokines, and the relationship between melatonin and cytokines. The present study has determined the association between melatonin and some cytokines in the stressful conditions that exist before surgery. Thirty patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy (a surgical method to remove of kidney stone) were selected. Blood samples were taken from the same subjects just before surgery (treated as “cases”) and one month after it (“controls”). Serum levels of melatonin and the cytokines IL-4, IFN-γ, and TNF-α were measured by ELISA. There were significant differences between cases and controls in mean levels of melatonin and cytokines, and significant correlations were observed between melatonin and IL-4 in controls and between melatonin and IFN-γ in cases. It is concluded that stressful conditions such as exist before surgical operations may cause alteration in melatonin levels and its association with immune factors.
Mechanosensation Dynamically Coordinates Polar Growth and Cell Wall Assembly to Promote Cell Survival

How growing cells cope with size expansion while ensuring mechanical integrity is not known. In walled cells, such as those of microbes and plants, growth and viability are both supported by a thin and rigid encasing cell wall (CW). We deciphered the dynamic mechanisms controlling wall surface assembly during cell growth, using a novel sub-resolution microscopy approach to monitor CW thickness in live rod-shaped fission yeast cells. We found that polar cell growth yielded wall thinning, and that thickness negatively influenced growth. Thickness at growing tips exhibited oscillating behavior with thickening phases followed by thinning phases, indicative of a delayed feedback promoting thickness homeostasis. This feedback was mediated by mechanosensing through the cell wall integrity pathway, which probes strain in the wall to adjust synthase localization and activity to surface growth. Mutants defective in thickness homeostasis lysed by rupturing the wall demonstrating its essential role for walled cell survival.