Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Family matters: kin selection and the evolution of conspecific brood parasitism.

Almost a half century ago, waterfowl biologists noticed a strange phenomenon common in many duck populations: nests containing eggs laid by multiple females but tended by a single female or, for some nests, not tended at all (1–3). At the time, interest focused on the management implications and population consequences of the so-called “dump nests,” which were often less successful than typical nests. Two key papers published in the early 1980s (4, 5) dramatically shifted the focus of inquiry to understanding the adaptive basis of these puzzling nests, which we now consider as examples of conspecific brood parasitism (CBP). Conspecific parasitism is enigmatic from an evolutionary perspective, because it is not immediately clear why individuals should provide costly parental care to the offspring of strangers. By documenting CBP in over fifty species of birds, Yom Tov (4) showed that it was too common and taxonomically widespread to be dismissed merely as a reproductive error, and he outlined several adaptive hypotheses. Building on this work, Andersson (5) added a new theoretical perspective by considering brood parasitism in the context of game theory and alternative reproductive tactics (6). He also highlighted the importance of considering the behavior of the individuals (hosts) who receive the parasitic eggs. Clearly, a full understanding of CBP would require analysis of the fitness consequences to all participants in the game–hosts as well as parasites (7).
Barriers to the Implementation of Human Resource Information Systems

Organization success mostly depends on the effective utilization of its valuable human resources. Now-a-days, human resources are treated as strategic assets need to achieve sustained competitive advantage and outperform the rivals. Organizations than ever are increasingly adopting HRIS (as comparatively new technology in HRM) for ensuring the effective utilization of their human resources. But many challenging issues keep the organizations lag behind to enjoy the benefits of this technology. Here, the authors tried to explore those hurdles based on the responses of human resource (HR) executives from some companies operating in Bangladesh. The research found management reluctance; employee privacy issues, organizational internal resistance, and conversion cost are the most potential that impede the effective implementation of HRIS. Finally, some measurable actions required to improve the effective execution of this technology are suggested.
Last Planner® System Is the Gateway to Lean Behaviors

Participation in LPS teaches-by-doing such foundational behaviors as collaboration, transparency, long-term and short-term planning, making work ready, making clear commitments, reliable promising, accountability and metrics – all in a clear, living example of the colorful, visual workplace. LPS teaches teams the entire process of Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) and PDCA becomes woven into trust-building, because using LPS (Planning) builds trust due to the making and keeping of reliable promises across siloed companies and through behaving (Doing) in predictable, transparent and monitored (Checked) ways and learning (Acting/Adjusting) together. Three main sets of behaviors related to or promoted by the LPS were identified: building social networks, addressing multiple needs in a dynamic environment, and treating construction projects as production systems. As a contribution, examples from construction projects implementing LPS are presented and linked to behaviors that emerge from LPS implementation. Examples illustrating the three behaviors reveal different instances in which these behaviors materialized and might have served as “a-ha! ” moments for the teams involved.
Character distribution and phylogeny of the dissorophid temnospondyls

Abstract. The phylogeny of the largely Permian temnospondyl group Dissorophidae is analyzed for the first time. Although hampered by poor preservation and incompleteness of finds, new data add substantially to our knowledge of the group. An analysis of 25 taxa and 70 characters gave the following results. (1) The Dissorophidae and Trematopidae each form monophyletic groups that are more closely related to one another than either of them is to amphibamids. Olsoniformes and Amphibamidae are each defined by clear-cut autapomorphies, making it unlikely that amphibamids are dwarfed dissorophids or olsoniforms. (2) Ecolsonia nests with Fedexia at the base of the Trematopidae. (3) The Dissorophidae falls into two major clades, the Dissorophinae sensu stricto (Dissorophus, Broiliellus) and the Cacopinae (Cacops, Kamacops, Zygosaurus). The Cacopinae is much better supported than the Dissorophinae. Platyhystrix and Aspidosaurus form successive sister taxa of all other dissorophids. Incompletely known dissorophids were found to nest as follows: (a) Brevidorsum, the Admiral Taxon and Rio Arriba Taxon at the base of the Cacopinae and (b) Conjunctio multidens forms an unresolved trichotomy with dissorophines and cacopines. The significance of osteoderms in dissorophid phylogeny is found to be much smaller than hitherto considered. doi: 10.1002/mmng.201200010
Double Liability at Early American Banks

Limited liability is a defining feature of the modern corporation, but it was not always so. By the early 1850s about one-half of all states imposed double liability on bank shareholders. This paper shows that double liability was adopted as deposits increased relative to banknotes and in conjunction with free banking; that double liability was associated with more concentrated bank shareholdings, but had little effect on share liquidity; that it increased the price of bank debt; and, that a regulatory change toward greater shareholder liability increased bank leverage ratios. In forcing bank shareholders to have more “skin in the game,” double liability changed bank investor, creditor and managerial behaviors.
Autonomy of Imagery and Production of Original Verbal Images

90 college students (31 men and 59 women) were categorized as moderately autonomous, less autonomous (less highly controlled) and non-autonomous (highly controlled) imagers according to the Gordon Test of Visual Imagery Control. Moderately autonomous imagers produced significantly more original verbal images than less autonomous and non-autonomous imagers with less autonomous imagers scoring higher than non-autonomous imagers as measured by Onomatopoeia and Images. There were no significant sex main effects or interaction of autonomy of imagery level × sex.
Price Discovery Function of Large Trades and the Cross-Section of Expected Stock Returns

The price discovery function measures the private information revealed in prices through trades. As informed traders prefer large trades, the price discovery function of large trades (VECIN), estimated from a vector error correction model of cointegrated price series of large and small trades, measures the extent of information asymmetry between traders. VECIN has a strong impact on future stock returns, and its power to predict stock returns is stronger than any of the well-known return predictors we have considered. A VECIN spread portfolio of NYSE/Amex stocks that goes long in the top VECIN quintile and short in the bottom VECIN quintile earns a Fama-French (1993) risk-adjusted return of 0.99% per month. Adding the VECIN spread portfolio to the Fama-French three factors triples the Sharpe ratio of the ex-post tangency portfolio from 0.24 to 0.71. Further tests suggest that mispricing cannot fully explain the strong pricing impact of VECIN.
Triple antibiotic combination therapy may improve but not resolve granuloma annulare

Granuloma annulare is a fairly common entity yet lacks reliable treatment options especially when multiple lesions or dissemination exists. A recent case series suggests that a regimen of three oral antibiotics may prove to be an effective treatment. Our objective is to evaluate the efficacy of once monthly triple antibiotic therapy for granuloma annulare. We conducted an open‐label prospective study of subjects with at least five lesions of granuloma annulare who received once monthly rifampin, ofloxacin, and minocycline for 6 months. Improvement was measured with a novel objective Granuloma Annulare Severity Index (GASI) scoring system. Twenty‐one subjects enrolled. Ten subjects (48%) achieved at least a 50% reduction in their GASI, including three subjects (14%) who reached 75% improvement and one subject (5%) whose skin cleared. Six subjects (29%) had no change or worsening of their granuloma annulare. Median GASI scores decreased significantly by 15 points (p < 0.01), although the clinical significance of this result is unclear. As this was a small open‐label study without a control group, we cannot determine if the results simply reflect the natural course of the disease. The GASI is not a validated assessment tool. Once monthly triple antibiotic use may improve but not clear granuloma annulare over 6 months. Randomized trials may be warranted to further assess this therapy.
“Green” or maturing? Environmental sustainability in marketing and business development amongst construction majors

Perhaps international construction majors are “green” or maturing their green credentials and credibility. Thus, to what extent are major international contractors addressing environmental sustainability? The degree to which this is happening could be reasonably expected to be evident in marketing strategies and business development practices. Three possible options are examined: i) regulatory compliance, ii) alignment with best practice, iii) technical and service development to levels yielding competitive advantage. Four international construction majors are examined at several levels: a) amongst personnel with direct marketing and business development responsibilities, b) amongst other key functions that hold indirect marketing and business development roles in these respects, and c) the extent of effective vertical and cross-functional interfaces with marketing and business development. An inductive and qualitative case-based methodology and methods using semi-structured interviews was applied. The research found that international contracting majors are responders and followers to market drivers rather than proactive developers of technologies and services for injection into their projects to the benefit of clients and society. At a detailed level, marketing and business development proclaimed the “green” policies and practices, but these were largely framed around compliance and best practice rather than proactive development. This finding was supported in the hierarchy and cross-functionally with the result that the construction majors, which are leaders in the sector, have yet to add value in terms of environmental sustainability. In sum, they are “green” rather than maturing their green credentials and credibility.
The Impacts of Telecommunications Infrastructure and Institutional Quality on Trade Efficiency in Africa

One of the dominant issues for Information Systems (IS) researchers in developing countries is to determine the impact of Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure expansion on socio-economic development. Generating sustained socio-economic development in Africa depends largely on the ability of nations to make profitable investments and accumulate capital, which could be achieved through efficient ICT-enabled trade flows. Trade supports employment creation and improves national income levels, revenue generation, consumer price reductions and government spending. It is a key driver of African poverty alleviation, growth, economic maturity and human development. Previous research, in particular Bankole et al. [(2013a). The impact of information and communications technology infrastructure and complementary factors on intra-African trade. Information Technology for Development] identified the significant and positive effect of telecommunication infrastructure and institutional quality (IQ) on intra-African trade flows. As part of the ongoing research discourse on ICT for Development, the current article explores the impacts of telecommunications infrastructure and IQ on trade efficiency in Africa, using archival data from 28 African countries. We employed partial least squares analysis, data envelopment analysis and regression splines to analyze data. Our results suggest that IQ coupled with telecommunication infrastructure enhance efficiencies in intra-African trade flows.
New Empirical Evidences on the Linkages between Governance and Growth

By using data from 145 jurisdictions, for the time span 2002-2009, the present paper supports the thesis of a positive and significant correlation between governance’ quality and economic growth. In order to achieve this outcome, the elements of governance reported by Worldwide Governance Indicators World Bank’ project are considered and a global indicator in a principal components analysis framework is constructed. Based on this estimator, we identify a clear pattern of the benefic impact of “good governance” on growth, by involving a GMM-System estimation. This pattern appears robust to the check for governance endogeneity and to the changes in the estimation methodology.
Blockade of VEGFR 2 and Not VEGFR 1 Can Limit Diet-Induced Fat Tissue Expansion : Role of Local versus Bone Marrow-Derived Endothelial Cells

Background: We investigated if new vessel formation in fat involves the contribution of local tissue-derived endothelial cells (i.e., angiogenesis) or bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs, i.e. vasculogenesis) and if antiangiogenic treatment by blockade of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors can prevent diet-induced obesity (DIO). Methodology/Principal Findings: We performed restorative bone marrow transplantation into wild-type mice using transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) constitutively (driven by b-actin promoter) or selectively in endothelial cells (under Tie2 promoter activation) as donors. The presence of donor BMDCs in recipient mice was investigated in fat tissue vessels after DIO using in vivo and ex vivo fluorescence microscopy. We investigated the roles of VEGF receptors 1 and 2 (VEGFR1/VEGFR2) by inducing DIO in mice and treating them with blocking monoclonal antibodies. We found only marginal (less than 1%) incorporation of BMDCs in fat vessels during DIO. When angiogenesis was inhibited by blocking VEGFR2 in mice with DIO, treated mice had significantly lower body weights than control animals. In contrast, blocking VEGFR1 had no discernable effect on the weight gain during DIO. Conclusions/Significance: Formation of new vessels in fat tissues during DIO is largely due to angiogenesis rather than de novo vasculogenesis. Antiangiogenic treatment by blockade of VEGFR2 but not VEGFR1 may limit adipose tissue expansion. Citation: Tam J, Duda DG, Perentes JY, Quadri RS, Fukumura D, et al. (2009) Blockade of VEGFR2 and Not VEGFR1 Can Limit Diet-Induced Fat Tissue Expansion: Role of Local versus Bone Marrow-Derived Endothelial Cells. PLoS ONE 4(3): e4974. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0004974 Editor: Thorkild I. A. Sorensen, Institute of Preventive Medicine, Denmark Received December 23, 2008; Accepted February 19, 2009; Published March 31, 2009 Copyright: 2009 Tam et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This study was partially supported by National Institutes of Health grants P01CA80124, R01CA96915, R01CA115767, R01CA85140, and R01CA126642. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: dai@steele.mgh. harvard.edu (DF); jain@steele.mgh. harvard.edu (RKJ) . These authors contributed equally to this work.
Efficacy of a far erythemogenic dose of narrow‐band ultraviolet B phototherapy in chronic plaque‐type psoriasis

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of far erythemogenic dose of narrow‐band ultraviolet B (NB‐UVB; starting dose at 35% minimal erythematous dose [MED]) on clinical response by measuring the severity, extent of disease and the changes in quality of life. Fifty patients with chronic plaque‐type psoriasis were enrolled. Therapy was held for 3 days a week. The severity of the disease was assessed based on the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores. The percentage improvement of PASI at 30 sessions was 68.99%. The improvement in DLQI scores at 30 sessions was 79.67%. Pearson correlation coefficients showed that PASI scores were not correlated with DLQI scores at the beginning of treatment (P = 0.330, r = 0.14), but after the 30th session of NB‐UVB therapy improvements in quality of life were correlated (P < 0.05, r = 0.399). Therefore, far erythemogenic dose of NB‐UVB is considered to be effective treatment for plaque‐type psoriasis in our patients. However, we cannot confirm that it is safer than higher MED starting dose in term of cumulative UV irradiation.
The Internet and International Marketing

Is the Internet just another marketing channel like direct mail or home shopping? Or will it revolutionize global marketing? Will large multinationals lose the advantages of size, while small start-ups leverage the technology and become big players internationally? The authors discuss the different opportunities and challenges that the Internet offers to large and small companies worldwide. They examine the impact on global markets and new product development, the advantages of an intranet for large corporations, and the need for foreign government support and cooperation.
Pitavastatin compared with atorvastatin in primary hypercholesterolemia or combined dyslipidemia

Abstract Aims: To demonstrate the equivalence of pitavastatin compared with the most commonly used doses of atorvastatin in the reduction of LDL-C in primary hypercholesterolemia or combined dyslipidemia. Secondary objectives included the comparison of pitavastatin against the most commonly used doses of atorvastatin in achieving National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP ATP) III and European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) LDL-C goals, changes in other lipid parameters and safety. Method: An 18-to 20-week, prospective, randomized, double-blind,double-dummy, controlled trial assessing noninferiority of presumed equipotent doses of pitavastatin and atorvastatin in 821 patients with primary hypercholesterolemia or combined dyslipidemia. After a 6- to 8-week dietary lead-in period, randomized patients received one of four treatment regimens for 12 weeks. Two groups received pitavastatin (2 mg/day) or atorvastatin (10 mg/day) and two groups received pitavastatin (2 mg/day) or atorvastatin (10 mg/day) for 4 weeks followed by forced titration to pitavastatin (4 mg/day) or atorvastatin (20 mg/day). Results: The primary efficacy analysis showed pitavastatin was comparable to atorvastatin in percent change of LDL-C from baseline to endpoint (week 12 or last observation carried forward). The majority of patients achieved NCEP and EAS LDL-C goals at all doses, and more patients reached NCEP targets at the higher doses (pitavastatin: 78%; atorvastatin: 71%) than at the lower doses (pitavastatin: 57%; atorvastatin: 66%). There were some interesting differences between treatments in the other lipid parameters but none were statistically significant. Adverse event profiles were similar in all groups, with no apparent dose-related adverse events. Conclusion: Pitavastatin is equivalent to atorvastatin in reducing LDL-C in primary hypercholesterolemia or combined dyslipidemia, in both the lower-dose (pitavastatin 2 mgvs atorvastatin 10 mg) and higher-dose (pitavastatin 4 mg vs atorvastatin 20 mg) comparisons. Pitavastatin can be considered an effective, first-line therapy for these patients and offers an alternative, simple treatment regimen in the long-term care of primary hypercholesterolemia and combined dyslipidemia.
Success and residential affiliation as determinants of team cohesiveness.

Abstract The influence of success and residential affiliation on the postseason cohesiveness of college intramural basketball teams was determined. In addition, whether or not an initial difference existed in the cohesiveness among basketball teams organized from three different residential organizations was investigated. Over 1,200 male college students, members of 144 basketball teams, completed a pre- and post-season questionnaire which assessed nine different aspects of cohesiveness. Three residential organizations and three levels of success were the independent variables. The preseason cohesiveness levels were analyzed by univariate and a multivariate one-way analysis of variance. Covarying out the preseason differences between the teams, the postseason data were analyzed by both a univariate and multivariate two factor (3 × 3) analysis of covariance. Results indicated that fraternity teams were initially more cohesive than teams from either men's residence halls or men's independent associations. P.
Increased Striatal and Reduced Prefrontal Cerebral Blood Flow in Clinical High Risk for Psychosis

Increased striatal dopaminergic activity and decreased prefrontal functioning have been reported in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis. Abnormal metabolic rate might affect resting-state cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the respective regions. Here, we examined if striatal and prefrontal rCBF differ between patients with CHR, first-episode psychosis (FEP), chronic schizophrenia-spectrum disorder (SZ) and controls. Two cohorts with a total of 122 participants were included and analyzed separately: 32 patients with SZ and 31 healthy controls (HC) from the University Hospital of Psychiatry, and 59 patients from the Bern Early Recognition and Intervention Center (29 with CHR, 12 with FEP, and 18 clinical controls [CC]). Ultra-high risk criteria were assessed with the Structured Interview for Psychosis-Risk Syndromes, basic symptom criteria with the Schizophrenia Proneness Instrument. rCBF was measured with pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling 3T-Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Striatal rCBF was significantly increased and prefrontal rCBF significantly decreased in the SZ group compared to HC group and in the CHR and FEP groups compared to CC group. Striatal rCBF correlated significantly with positive symptom scores in SZ and CHR. An inverse correlation between striatal and frontal rCBF was found in controls (HC, CC), but not in patient groups (SZ, FEP, CHR). This is the first study to demonstrate increased neuronal activity within the striatum, but reduced prefrontal activity in patients with CHR, FEP, and SZ compared to the respective controls. Our results indicate that alterations in striatal and prefrontal rCBF are reflecting metabolic abnormalities preceding the onset of frank psychosis.