Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Earthworm Invasion as the Driving Force Behind Plant Invasion and Community Change in Northeastern North American Forests

Abstract: Identification of factors that drive changes in plant community structure and contribute to decline and endangerment of native plant species is essential to the development of appropriate management strategies. Introduced species are assumed to be driving causes of shifts in native plant communities, but unequivocal evidence supporting this view is frequently lacking. We measured native vegetation, non‐native earthworm biomass, and leaf‐litter volume in 15 forests in the presence and absence of 3 non‐native plant species (Microstegium vimineum, Alliaria petiolata, Berberis thunbergii) to assess the general impact of non‐native plant and earthworm invasions on native plant communities in northeastern United States. Non‐native plant cover was positively correlated with total native plant cover and non‐native earthworm biomass. Earthworm biomass was negatively associated with cover of native woody and most herbaceous plants and with litter volume. Graminoid cover was positively associated with non‐native earthworm biomass and non‐native plant cover. These earthworm‐associated responses were detected at all sites despite differences in earthworm species and abundance, composition of the native plant community, identity of invasive plant species, and geographic region. These patterns suggest earthworm invasion, rather than non‐native plant invasion, is the driving force behind changes in forest plant communities in northeastern North America, including declines in native plant species, and earthworm invasions appear to facilitate plant invasions in these forests. Thus, a focus on management of invasive plant species may be insufficient to protect northeastern forest understory species.
Big data integration with business processes: a literature review

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of the integration of business process management (BPM), business process re-engineering (BPR) and business process innovation (BPI) with big data. It focusses on synthesizing research published in the period 2006-2016 to establish both what the authors know and do not know about this topic, identifying areas for future research. Design/methodology/approach The research is based on a review of 49 published papers on big data, BPM, BPR and BPI in the top journals in the field 2006-2016. Findings In this paper, the authors have identified the most influential works based on citations and PageRank methods. Through network analysis the authors identify four major clusters that provide potential opportunities for future investigation. Practical implications It is important for practitioners to be aware of the benefits of big data, BPM, BPR and BPI integration. This paper provides valuable insights for practitioners. Originality/value This paper is based on a comprehensive literature review, which gives big data researchers the opportunity to understand business processes in depth. In addition, highlighting many gaps in the current literature and developing an agenda for future research, will save time and effort for readers looking to research topics within big data and business processes.
Effects of arginine on intestinal epithelial cell integrity and nutrient uptake

Abstract Arginine is a multifaceted amino acid that is critical to the normal physiology of the gastrointestinal tract. Oral arginine administration has been shown to improve mucosal recovery following intestinal injury. The present study investigated the influence of extracellular arginine concentrations on epithelial cell barrier regulation and nutrition uptake by porcine small intestinal epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2). The results show that reducing arginine concentration from 0·7 to 0·2 mm did not affect the transepithelial electrical resistance value, tight-junction proteins (claudin-1, occludin, E-cadherin), phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (p-ERK) and mucin-1 expression. Furthermore, reducing arginine concentration stimulated greater expression of cationic amino acid transporter (CAT1), excitatory amino acid transporter (EAAT3) and alanine/serine/cysteine transporter (ASCT1) mRNA by IPEC-J2 cells, which was verified by elevated efficiency of amino acid uptake. Glucose consumption by IPEC-J2 cells treated with 0·2 mm-arginine remained at the same physiological level to guarantee energy supply and to maintain the cell barrier. This experiment implied that reducing arginine concentration is feasible in IPEC-J2 cells guaranteed by nutrient uptake and cell barrier function.
Explaining Urban Social Disorder and Violence: An Empirical Study of Event Data from Asian and Sub-Saharan African Cities

By 2050, two thirds of the world's population will live in cities, and the greatest growth in urban populations will take place in the least developed countries. This presents many governments with considerable challenges related to urban governance and the provision of services and opportunities to a burgeoning urban population. In the current article, we use a new event dataset on city-level urban social disorder, drawing upon prominent theories in the conflict literature. The dataset spans the 1960–2009 period, covering 55 major cities in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa and includes data on nonviolent actions such as demonstrations and strikes and violent political actions like riots, terrorism, and armed conflict. We find that urban social disorder is associated in particular with low economic growth rates and hybrid democratic regimes, while level of development, economic inequality, large youth bulges, and economic globalization do not seem to affect levels of urban social disorder.
Innovation Management in the Hospitality Industry: Different Strategies for Achieving Success

The importance of innovation as the key driver of sustained success has been well documented in the marketing and hospitality literature. In the past decade, several studies have investigated the success factors associated with service innovations. Few of these studies, however, have dealt with hospitality innovations. Hospitality firms develop innovations with specific objectives and goals in mind and have several approaches to measure performance accordingly. However, no research in hospitality innovation has addressed the question of whether hospitality firms should have different approaches depending on their objectives for the individual innovation projects. This study obtained data on 185 hospitality innovations and identified three performance dimensions: market performance, financial performance, employee and customer relationship enhancement. Of the 23 potential success determinants, 12 were found to be drivers of performance.
Determinants and Effects of Research Partnerships in China's Emerging Market

This study aims to explore the determinants and relative contributions of different types of research partnerships among Chinese firms. Using a large sample of innovating firms, it is found here that factors that determine the needs of the firms for external research and development (R&D) resources and the ability to utilize the knowledge learned through partnerships (i.e., firm size, industrial sectors, internal R&D intensity, and foreign competition) are major antecedents for research partnerships in China. In addition, these factors are found to have different effects on three different types of research partnerships, which, in turn, have different effects on product innovation and patent innovation.
Ischemic Cholangiopathy After Controlled Donation After Cardiac Death Liver Transplantation: A Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE To conduct a meta-analysis to enhance understanding of the risks of biliary complications, particularly ischemic cholangiopathy (IC), after donation after cardiac death (DCD) compared with donation after brain death (DBD) liver transplantation. BACKGROUND Biliary complications after liver transplantation have profound health and economic implications which merit further investigation. METHODS The MEDLINE (1950–2009), EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched and supplemented by review of conference proceedings and publication bibliographies. All original single institution studies reporting outcomes for DCD and DBD liver transplant recipients were considered. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) based on random effects models were calculated. RESULTS Eleven publications, all retrospective cohort studies, involving 489 DCD and 4455 DBD recipients, were included. Donation after cardiac death recipients had a 2.4 times increased odds of biliary complications (95% CI= 1.8–3.4) and a 10.8 times increased odds of IC (95% CI = 4.8–24.2). Ischemic cholangiopathy was present in 16% of DCD compared with 3% of DBD recipients. Donation after cardiac death recipients also experienced higher odds of 1-year patient mortality (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.04–2.5) and graft failure (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.5–2.8). CONCLUSIONS Donation after cardiac death liver transplantation is marred by inferior outcomes including higher rates of biliary complications and IC as well as increased mortality and graft failure. Despite current federal mandates to increase DCD donation, these serious complications translate into poor outcomes for individuals and increased healthcare costs. These risks should be considered in decisions regarding the utilization of these grafts.
FHL2 mediates dexamethasone‐induced mesenchymal cell differentiation into osteoblasts by activating Wnt/β‐catenin signaling‐dependent Runx2 expression

The differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into osteoblasts is a crucial step in bone formation. However, the mechanisms involved in the early stages of osteogenic differentiation are not well understood. In this study, we identified FHL2, a member of the LIM‐only subclass of the LIM protein superfamily, that is up‐regulated during early osteoblast differentiation induced by dexamethasone in murine and human MSCs. Gain‐of‐function studies showed that FHL2 promotes the expression of the osteoblast transcription factor Runx2, alkaline phosphatase, type I collagen, as well as in vitro extracellular matrix mineralization in murine and human mesenchymal cells. Knocking down FHL2 using sh‐RNA reduces basal and dexamethasone‐induced osteoblast marker gene expression in MSCs. We demonstrate that FHL2 interacts with β‐catenin, a key player involved in bone formation induced by Wnt signaling. FHL2‐β‐catenin interaction potentiates β‐catenin nuclear translocation and TCF/LEF transcription, resulting in increased Runx2 and alkaline phosphatase expression, which was inhibited by the Wnt inhibitor DKK1. Reduction of Runx2 transcriptional activity using a mutant Runx2 results in inhibition of FHL2‐induced alkaline phosphatase expression in MSCs. These findings reveal that FHL2 acts as an endogenous activator of mesenchymal cell differentiation into osteoblasts and mediates osteogenic differentiation induced by dexamethasone in MSCs through activation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling‐dependent Runx2 expression. — Hamidouche, Z. , Haÿ, E. , Vaudin, P., Charbord, P., Schüle, R. , Marie, P. J., and Fromigue, O. FHL2 mediates dexamethasone‐induced mesenchymal cell differentiation into osteoblasts by activating Wnt/β‐catenin signaling‐dependent Runx2 expression. FASEB J. 22, 3813–3822 (2008)
Brain structural damage in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2. A voxel‐based morphometry study

Voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) enables an unbiased in‐vivo whole‐brain quantitative analysis of differences in gray matter (GM), white matter (WM) and cerebro‐spinal fluid (CSF) volumes. We assessed with VBM 20 spinocerebellar ataxia Type 2 (SCA2) patients with mild or moderate cerebellar deficit and 20 age and sex‐matched healthy controls. SCA2 patients showed a significant (P < 0.05 corrected for multiple comparison) symmetric loss of GM in the cerebellar vermis and hemispheres sparing lobules I,II, Crus II,VII, and X, and of the WM in the peridentate region, middle cerebellar peduncles, dorsal pons, and cerebral peduncles. The CSF volume was increased in the posterior cranial fossa. No GM, WM or CSF volume changes were observed in the supratentorial compartment. A mild (P < 0.05, >0.01) correlation was observed between the GM and WM loss and severity of the neurological deficit. In SCA2 patients with mild to moderate cerebellar deficit, GM and WM volume loss and CSF volume increase are confined to the posterior cranial fossa. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society
Chinese Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adolescents’ Awareness of Thematic and Taxonomic Relations Among Ordinary Concepts Represented by Pictures and Written Words

Inspired by a previous study of Korean deaf and hard of hearing adolescents, the researchers conducted a priming task of living-nonliving categorization with a sample of Chinese deaf and hard of hearing adolescents. The sample in this study had significantly lower accuracy levels for the thematically related items than for the taxonomically related items and significantly larger differences in reaction times than a group of hearing adolescents when stimuli were changed from pictures to written words. However, they were not significantly different from the hearing adolescents in their performance with the taxonomically related written words. Furthermore, unlike the hearing adolescents, they did not have significantly different reaction times as the result of changes in positions of stimulus presentations.
RCS modeling and measurements for automotive radar applications in the W band

This paper describes a reliable methodology for radar cross section (RCS) measurement of complex small and large targets in the W band. The backscattering behavior of a small car model was measured in an anechoic chamber along with various automotive related targets in a wide gymnasium. Experimental performance in the anechoic chamber is compared to the simulation results. Our simulation model is based on deterministic scattering centers, determined by high frequency approaches, like the physical optics (PO) and the physical theory of diffraction (PTD). Nevertheless, simulations of realistic large objects are both time consuming and difficult to implement. The proposed measurement configuration enables the extraction of non-predetermined scattering points for large object modeling which will significantly decrease the simulation time for road scenarios in radar applications.
Food intake patterns of marathon runners.

A group of marathon runners (290 males, 54 females, mean age 39.7 +/- 0.7 years) who participated in the Los Angeles Marathon recorded their food and fluid intake throughout a 3-day period, with the time of day denoted for each entry. Investigators coded each subject's food intake according to six time periods: 5:00-8:59 a.m., 9:00-10:59 a.m., 11:00 a.m.-1:59 p.m. , 2:00-3:59 p.m. , 4:00-7:59 p.m. , and 8:00 p.m. -4:59 a.m. The average intake of the runners consisted of 314 +/- 6 g (52.3%) carbohydrates, 83.2 +/- 2.0 g (30.7%) fat, and 99.7 +/- 2.3 g (16.5%) protein. Time periods for breakfast (13.7%), lunch (23.8%), and supper (34.0%) accounted for 71.5% of total caloric intake, with snack time periods contributing 28.5%. Breakfast calories were 68.9 +/- 0.9% carbohydrate and 20.4 +/- 0.7% fat in contrast to supper calories, which were 47.7 +/- 0.8% and 31.8 +/- 0.6%, respectively. A sizable proportion of the daily caloric intake of recreational marathon runners is contributed by snacks and food intake after 4:00 p.m.
Developing oligodendrocytes express functional GABAB receptors that stimulate cell proliferation and migration

GABAB receptors (GABABRs) are involved in early events during neuronal development. The presence of GABABRs in developing oligodendrocytes has not been established. Using immunofluorescent co‐localization, we have identified GABABR proteins in O4 marker‐positive oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) in 4‐day‐old mouse brain periventricular white matter. In culture, OPCs, differentiated oligodendrocytes (DOs) and type 2 astrocytes (ASTs) express both the GABAB1abcdf and GABAB2 subunits of the GABABR. Using semiquantitative PCR analysis with GABABR isoform‐selective primers we found that the expression level of GABAB1abd was substantially higher in OPCs or ASTs than in DOs. In contrast, the GABAB2 isoform showed a similar level of expression in OPCs and DOs, and a significantly higher level in ASTs. This indicates that the expression of GABAB1 and GABAB2 subunits are under independent control during oligodendroglial development. Activation of GABABRs using the selective agonist baclofen demonstrated that these receptors are functionally active and negatively coupled to adenylyl cyclase. Manipulation of GABABR activity had no effect on OPC migration in a conventional agarose drop assay, whereas baclofen significantly increased OPC migration in a more sensitive transwell microchamber‐based assay. Exposure of cultured OPCs to baclofen increased their proliferation, providing evidence for a functional role of GABABRs in oligodendrocyte development. The presence of GABABRs in developing oligodendrocytes provides a new mechanism for neuronal–glial interactions during development and may offer a novel target for promoting remyelination following white matter injury.
Forms of government and spending on common municipal functions: a longitudinal approach

This study analyses whether reformed cities (council-manager form) spend less than unreformed cities (mayor-council and commission forms) by examining per capita spending on common municipal functions of a panel of 504 American cities with populations over 50,000 during 1980-2000. Unlike most previous studies, the study employs a fixed effects model of the pooled cross-sectional time-series research design to better capture changing effects of municipal structure on spending level. Findings in the study indicate that per capita spending on common municipal functions in reformed cities is not statistically different from unreformed cities. However, when the two narrowest common municipal functions (police and fire) are examined, spending in council-manager cities is significantly less than in the non-council-manager cities for the police function, but not significant for the fire function. The findings suggest further detailed studies should be conducted considering population size, functional scope (responsibilities), forms of municipal government (e.g. newly emerging hybrid structure cities), region, metro status, and other variables for a better understanding of the effects of municipal structure on the level of spending. Furthermore, a more elaborated conceptual approach should be developed to better capture the factors affecting municipal spending level.
The effect of time-varying risk on the profitability of contrarian investment strategies in a thinly traded market: a Kalman filter approach

On face value studies documenting contrarian profits challenge the efficient markets paradigm. However most of them assume that systematic risk is constant when in reality it varies (Ross, 1989) especially in emerging markets (Aggarwal et al., 1999). The study in the first instance investigates whether there are long-term contrarian profits in a thinly traded market, and whether such profits can be rationalized by time variation in risk using a Kalman Filtering approach. The results indicate that failing to incorporate time variation in risk may lead to biased conclusions and present false evidence against the Efficient Market Hypothesis.
Entrepreneurship as a Mobility Process

We advance a theory of how organizational characteristics, in particular the structure of opportunity within organizations, shape the decision to become an entrepreneur. Established organizations play an important yet understudied role in the entrepreneurial process, because they shape the environment within which individuals may choose to enter self-employment. Yet, despite the fact that sociologists have long recognized that inequality within organizations plays an important role in career attainment and mobility, we lack an understanding of how it shapes the pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities. We develop a formal model in which entrepreneurial choice is driven by differences in the arrival rate of various types of advancement opportunities. Entrepreneurship then arises as a result of matching processes between workers and employers, as well as the features of opportunity structures in paid employment. Analyses using Danish census data provide support for empirical implications derived from the model.
A fast approach for evaluating reliability indices of radial distribution systems

This paper presents a fast approach for the reliability assessment of complex radial distribution systems. In this technique, using the shortest path from any node to the system energy source, the type and location of protection/isolating device of each load point and each component are identified. Then, based on the type and respective location of the devices to each other, reliability evaluation is performed. Following a fault on the system the affected loads are restored by identifying a loop created by closing a normally open tie switch (NOTS) and the nearest disconnecting/sectionalising switch to the opened protection/isolating device. The proposed algorithm has been tested on a number of the reliability test systems and the results presented show the effectiveness and applicability, as well as reduced running-time of the new approach.
Party groups and committee negotiations in the European Parliament: outside attention and the anticipation of plenary conflict

ABSTRACT We study the relationship of the European Parliament's (EP) standing committees and party groups. According to recent studies, committees are the centre of EP policy-making, while party groups enable the transmission of policy positions from specialists to generalists through the mechanism of ‘perceived preference coherence’ (Ringe 2010: 25). We argue that this view underestimates the importance of party groups during the committee stage, if there is outside attention to committee negotiations, or if specialists expect conflict at the plenary stage. Under these conditions, committee members use the party groups to pre-empt the anticipated risk of plenary conflict in an effort to protect their reputation and legislative goals. Finding intra-party co-ordination at the committee stage is important, since the rise of early legislative agreements diminishes the formal relevance of the plenary in EP policy-making. The study of intra-party co-ordination also speaks to a growing scholarly interest in informal European governance.
Community perceptions and responses to climate variability and change in the Himalayas

Himalayan communities live in marginal environments. They are dependent on ecosystem services and thus highly exposed to climate variability and change. This study aimed to help understand how mountain communities perceive change, how change impacts their livelihoods, and how they respond to change. Forty focus group discussions and 144 in-depth interviews at the household level were conducted in 20 villages in northwest India and across Nepal. Perceptions of change were compared with actual climate records where available. Respondents considered rainfall patterns to be less predictable and had experienced an overall reduction in water availability, severely affecting their harvests. Increased temperatures were also reported, particularly at higher elevations. People responded to the changing conditions with a wide range of coping and adaptation mechanisms. However, many of these mechanisms will not be sustainable in view of the likely magnitude of future climate change, and they are also restricted to social groups with appropriate assets. The poor, lower caste families, women, and other marginalized groups are particularly vulnerable and less able to adapt. Targeted efforts are required to move from coping to adapting and to avoid inequalities between social groups increasing due to the different adaptive capacities.