Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oil palm monoculture induces drastic erosion of an Amazonian forest mammal fauna

Oil palm monoculture comprises one of the most financially attractive land-use options in tropical forests, but cropland suitability overlaps the distribution of many highly threatened vertebrate species. We investigated how forest mammals respond to a landscape mosaic, including mature oil palm plantations and primary forest patches in Eastern Amazonia. Using both line-transect censuses (LTC) and camera-trapping (CT), we quantified the general patterns of mammal community structure and attempted to identify both species life-history traits and the environmental and spatial covariates that govern species intolerance to oil palm monoculture. Considering mammal species richness, abundance, and species composition, oil palm plantations were consistently depauperate compared to the adjacent primary forest, but responses differed between functional groups. The degree of forest habitat dependency was a leading trait, determining compositional dissimilarities across habitats. Considering both the LTC and CT data, distance from the forest-plantation interface had a significant effect on mammal assemblages within each habitat type. Approximately 87% of all species detected within oil palm were never farther than 1300 m from the forest edge. Our study clearly reinforces the notion that conventional oil palm plantations are extremely hostile to native tropical forest biodiversity, which does not bode well given prospects for oil palm expansion in both aging and new Amazonian deforestation frontiers.
Effect of Neuraminidase on Lymphoid Cells

After neuraminidase treatment the electrophoretic mobility of mouse lymphocytes (B and T cells) and thymocytes was reduced to a similar value, . a diminution of about 40%, 60%, and 40%, respectively. Thus B and T cells and thymocytes may have a common surface charge after removal of sialic acid. The percentage of cells binding anti‐thymocyte serum was not changed; thus sialic acid does not seem to be an important part of the specific antigen of lymphoid cells. Similar amounts of sialic acid were released from B and T Ceils, whereas less than half of this was released from the thymocytes. Thus, whereas thymocytes are characterized by their low electrophoretic mobility and low sialic acid release and T cells by high electrophoretic mobility and high sialic acid release, B‐cells in contrast show a low electrophoretic mobility and high sialic acid release.
Performance prediction using supply chain uncertainty modelling

This paper presents a new quantitative method and a holistic approach to assess the impact of supply chain uncertainty on customer delivery performance. We adopt system theory, Multi Criterion Decision Making (MCDM) theory – Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Theory of Constraints (TOC) as the underpinning theoretical frameworks for this new method. Some 72 UK companies have verified this method and we call this – the Supply Chain Uncertainty Impact Assessment (SCUIA) method. Some 66 types of supply chain uncertainty are assessed. This method involves three levels of assessment, namely: (1) relative percentage occurrences of each supply chain uncertainty, (2) relative upstream and downstream impact of each supply chain uncertainty and (3) relative likelihood of each underlying causes of supply chain uncertainty. The findings show that underlying causes of supply chain uncertainty with higher likelihood of occurrences do not necessarily result in greater impact on the downstream delivery performance in the supply chain. It can be concluded that decision makers should not use the likelihood of occurrence or impact criteria in isolation when devising solutions to tackle supply chain uncertainty, but to tackle those underlying causes of supply chain uncertainty that have both greater impact and higher likelihood of occurrence.
A comparison and evaluation of the predictions of relational and conjunctive accounts of hippocampal function

Relational and conjunctive memory theory each postulate that the hippocampus participates in the formation of long‐term memory representations comprised of associations between multiple elements. The goals of the current work were to clarify and contrast these theories by outlining the nature of the representations that are spared vs. impaired following hippocampal damage according to each theoretical perspective. Relational theory predicts that hippocampal lesions will impair performance on tasks that require the formation of new long‐term representations in which distinct elements must be regarded in relation to all other elements. Representations that remain intact despite hippocampal damage include separate representations of distinct individual elements or multiple stimuli fused into a static “blend” such as several elements viewed from one vantage point. Additionally, the relational account predicts that rapid incidental online processing of the relations can be achieved through structures other than the hippocampus, but this information will not be stored. In contrast, conjunctive theory predicts that hippocampal damage will impair the rapid formation of unitary representations that contain features of elements and their relative relationships bound in an inflexible manner. Deficits in the rapid formation of these conjunctive representations result in impaired performance on tasks that require rapid incidental stimulus binding. However, intact formation of conjunctive representations can occur over multiple trials in the service of problem solving. Using these theoretical frameworks, recent findings from the human and nonhuman animal literature are reexamined in order to determine whether one theory better accounts for current findings. We discuss empirical studies that serve as “critical experiments” in addressing the relational vs. conjunctive debate, and find that the predictions of relational theory are supported by existing findings over those from the conjunctive account. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Properties of a flavoprotein sulfhydryl oxidase from rat seminal vesicle secretion.

Rat seminal vesicle secretion is a rich source of a flavoprotein oxidase that acts upon sulfhydryl compounds. The enzyme was obtained in homogeneous form as previously described [Ostrowski, M. C. , Kistler, W. S. , & Williams-Ashman, H. G. (1979) Biochem. Biophy. Res. Commun. 87, 171-176] and characterized with respect to prosthetic group, size, reaction stoichiometry, and substrate specificity. On the basis of its behavior during zone sedimentation, gel filtration, and electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, it appears to be a monomeric enzyme of about 66 000 daltons. Acid denaturation liberates 1 mol of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) per mol of enzyme. The reaction catalyzed was shown to be 2RSH + O2 leads to H2O2. Superoxide formation could be demonstrated. Unlike many flavoprotein oxidases, the enzyme failed to form a bleached complex with sulfite. The enzyme accepts a variety of small sulfhydryl compounds as substrates, including glutathione, cysteine, dithiothreitol, and 2-mercaptoethanol. Michaelis-Menten kinetics were obtained with these substrates providing disulfide contamination was initially eliminated by treating thiols with borohydride. The KM for glutathione was 4.4 mM with a Vmax estimated as 660 mumol per min per mg of protein. The enzyme was capable of markedly enhancing the rate of renaturation of fully reduced ribonuclease. The physiological function of the enzyme is not yet clear, though several possibilities are discussed.
Turbulent premixed flames on fractal-grid-generated turbulence

A space-filling, low blockage fractal grid is used as a novel turbulence generator in a premixed turbulent flame stabilized by a rod. The study compares the flame behaviour with a fractal grid to the behaviour when a standard square mesh grid with the same effective mesh size and solidity as the fractal grid is used. The isothermal gas flow turbulence characteristics, including mean flow velocity and rms of velocity fluctuations and Taylor length, were evaluated from hot-wire measurements. The behaviour of the flames was assessed with direct chemiluminescence emission from the flame and high-speed OH-laser-induced fluorescence. The characteristics of the two flames are considered in terms of turbulent flame thickness, local flame curvature and turbulent flame speed. It is found that, for the same flow rate and stoichiometry and at the same distance downstream of the location of the grid, fractal-grid-generated turbulence leads to a more turbulent flame with enhanced burning rate and increased flame surface area.
Glucose utilization rates regulate intake levels of artificial sweeteners

• Much remains to be determined regarding the physiological signals and brain systems that mediate the attribution of greater reward to sugars compared to artificial sweeteners. • We show that disruption of glucose utilization in mice produces an enduring inhibitory effect on artificial sweetener intake. • Consistently, hungry mice shifted their preferences away from artificial sweeteners and in favour of glucose after experiencing glucose in a hungry state. • Disrupting glucose oxidation suppressed dorsal striatum dopamine efflux during sugar intake. • Glucose oxidation controls intake levels of sweet tastants by modulating extracellular dopamine levels in dorsal striatum.
Autophagy Is Pro-Senescence When Seen in Close-Up, but Anti-Senescence in Long-Shot

When mammalian cells and animals face a variety of internal or external stresses, they need to make homeostatic changes so as to cope with various stresses. To this end, mammalian cells are equipped with two critical stress responses, autophagy and cellular senescence. Autophagy and cellular senescence share a number of stimuli including telomere shortening, DNA damage, oncogenic stress and oxidative stress, suggesting their intimate relationship. Autophagy is originally thought to suppress cellular senescence by removing damaged macromolecules or organelles, yet recent studies also indicated that autophagy promotes cellular senescence by facilitating the synthesis of senescence-associated secretory proteins. These seemingly opposite roles of autophagy may reflect a complex picture of autophagic regulation on cellular senescence, including different types of autophagy or a unique spatiotemporal activation of autophagy. Thus, a better understanding of autophagy process will lead us to not only elucidate the conundrum how autophagy plays dual roles in the regulation of cellular senescence but also helps the development of new therapeutic strategies for many human diseases associated with cellular senescence. We address the pro-senescence and anti-senescence roles of autophagy while focusing on the potential mechanistic aspects of this complex relationship between autophagy and cellular senescence.
T-cell dependent immunoselection

In a recent issue of Nature, two groups describe the process of cancer immunoediting whereby an individual is protected from cancer though the elimination and immunogenic modification of cancer cells. Matsushita and colleagues1 use whole-exon sequencing of chemically induced mouse sarcomas to obtain evidence for T cell-mediated immunoselection. The authors characterized mutations in immunodeficient mice and thereby elegantly identified a tumor rejection antigen. Further it was demonstrated that T cell-dependent immunoselection is a crucial mechanism underlying the outgrowth of tumor cells. This exciting study was published alongside a study from DuPage et al.,2 demonstrating that immunosurveillance and immunoediting can occur in an oncogene-driven endogenous tumor model provided that the tumors carry strong neo-antigens that are not present in the host. DuPage and colleagues showed that loss of tumor antigen expression or presentation on Class I MHC molecules was necessary and sufficient for immunoediting to occur. These exciting animal studies highlight the importance of tumor-specific (mutated) antigens and illustrate the importance of T cells in the immunoselection process. Such approaches may facilitate the development of individualized cancer immunotherapies directed against patient-specific mutated tumor antigens. This is intriguing since only a few commonly shared mutated T-cell antigens have been described, e.g., mutated BRAF3,4 and RAS.5 Much focus has been recently on the constitutively activating V600E BRAF mutation in melanoma due to the approval of a specific BRAF inhibitor (vemurafenib) to treat BRAFV600E-positive melanoma.6 A few years ago, both spontaneous CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell responses was described against the V600E mutation in melanoma patients.3,4 These responses were mutation specific as the corresponding epitopes derived from wild type BRAF were not recognized by the T cells. Even more noteworthy, however, was the observation that in two of the patients carrying BRAFV600E-positive primary tumors, the V600E mutation could not be detected in any of the evolving metastases.3 The expression of mutant BRAF is important for the maintenance of the malignant phenotype. Thus, the loss of BRAFV600E during disease development suggested an active immunoselection of melanoma cells with a wild type BRAF genotype.3 A similar observation was made in another study describing HLA-A2-restricted T-cell responses against the V600E mutation in melanoma patients.7 Although these clinical observations only are of anecdotal character, they suggest that the loss of the mutated BRAF genotype during the progression from primary to metastatic disease in melanoma patients exhibiting BRAFV600E-specific T-cell responses is caused by an active immunoselection of non-mutated melanoma by the host, especially in light of the recent publication in Nature. Taken together, these findings underline the potential of truly tumor-specific antigens for cancer immunotherapy.
Website trust evaluation as cognitive information processing and the moderating role of situational involvement and e-commerce knowledge

Applying the elaboration likelihood model to the initial website trust formation context, this study investigated the cognitive process in which consumers evaluate an unfamiliar website and form website trust. Specifically, it examined consumers' cognitive process of various website design and content factors in the formation of website trust, and the influence of two specific consumer characteristics – situational involvement and e-commerce knowledge – on the cognitive processing. Results from an experiment revealed that the level of e-commerce knowledge was significantly related to the extent of cognitive processing during website trust formation. Also, consumers with a low level of situational involvement and e-commerce knowledge tended to place more focus on website design factors, which are peripheral cues, than did those with a high level of involvement and knowledge. In addition, this study found that consumers with higher levels of involvement were more likely to seek and actively process trust-inducing arguments.
Relationship of gastroscopic features to histological findings in gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection in a general population sample.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM Various gastroscopic features may be interpreted as signs of gastritis, but the significance of such features in relation to histomorphology is uncertain. The aim of this study was to determine how macroscopic findings were related to histomorphological changes and the presence of Helicobacter pylori in the gastric mucosa, in a sample of the general population. SUBJECTS AND METHODS 488 adult individuals, randomly selected from a general population, were screened with gastroscopy and biopsy. The macroscopic features recorded were erythema (diffuse, spotty, linear), erosions, absence of rugae in the gastric corpus, and presence of visible vessels. Gastritis was classified microscopically according to the Sydney system. The presence of H. pylori was determined histologically and using the urease test on fresh biopsy specimens. RESULTS The sensitivity and specificity of absence of rugae for moderate to severe atrophic gastritis in the gastric corpus were 67 % and 85 %, respectively. Corresponding values for severe atrophy were 90 % and 84 %. The sensitivity and specificity of the presence of visible vessels for moderate to severe atrophy in the corpus were 48 % and 87 %, and for severe atrophy the values were 80 % and 87 %, respectively. Considering the antrum, the sensitivity and specificity of the presence of visible vessels for moderate to severe atrophy was 14 % and 91 %, respectively. With regard to chronic inflammation (moderate to severe in the corpus or antrum), none of the features, alone or in combination, showed a sensitivity of more than 56 %. No endoscopic features (alone or in combination) showed a sensitivity of more than 57 % for H. pylori infection. CONCLUSIONS Except for the absence of rugae and visible vessels in the gastric corpus, macroscopic features as observed during gastroscopy are of very limited value in the evaluation of whether or not gastritis or H. pylori infection are present. This is in accordance with most previous studies in patient populations, and it must be emphasized that the diagnosis of gastritis should be based on histological examination of the gastric mucosa.
Evaluating ConceptGrid: An Authoring System for Natural Language Responses

Using natural language as a way for students to interact with an ITS has many advantages. However, creating the intelligence with which the tutor evaluates a student’s natural language input is challenging. We describe a system, ConceptGrid, that allows non-programmers to create the instruction for checking natural language input. Three tutor authors used the system to develop answer templates for conceptual-based questions in statistics. Results indicate ConceptGrid is a viable system for non-programmers to use to allow students to use natural language to interact with a tutor.
Attenuation of vascular endothelial dysfunction by testosterone receptor blockade after trauma and hemorrhagic shock.

HYPOTHESIS The salutary effects of the testosterone receptor antagonist flutamide on the depressed immune and cardiovascular functions after hemorrhage and resuscitation are related to improved endothelial cell function, which can subsequently lead to an increase in organ blood flow, oxygen delivery, and tissue oxygen consumption. DESIGN, INTERVENTIONS, AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Male adult rats underwent a 5-cm midline laparotomy (ie, trauma) and were bled to and maintained at a mean systemic arterial pressure of 40 mm Hg until 40% maximal blood-out volume was returned in the form of Ringer lactate). The animals were then resuscitated with 4 times the total volume of shed blood with Ringer lactate for 60 minutes. Flutamide (25 mg/kg) or an equivalent volume of the vehicle propanediol was injected subcutaneously 15 minutes before the end of resuscitation. At 20 hours after resuscitation, aortic rings (approximately 2.5 mm in length) were isolated and mounted in an organ chamber. Dose responses for an endothelium-dependent vasodilator (acetylcholine chloride) and endothelium-independent vasodilator (nitroglycerine) were determined. Organ blood flow was measured using strontium 85-labeled microspheres. Total hemoglobin and oxygen content in the femoral artery and portal, hepatic, and renal veins were determined. Oxygen delivery and consumption in liver, small intestine, and kidneys were calculated. RESULTS Administration of flutamide after trauma-hemorrhage attenuated the depressed endothelial function. Furthermore, flutamide treatment restored the reduced blood flow and oxygen delivery and consumption in all organs tested after trauma-hemorrhage and resuscitation. CONCLUSION Flutamide appears to be a useful adjunct for improving vascular endothelial function and regional hemodynamics after trauma-hemorrhage and resuscitation.
When Do Ego Threats Lead to Self-Regulation Failure? Negative Consequences of Defensive High Self-Esteem

High self-esteem (HSE) is increasingly recognized as heterogeneous. By measuring subtypes of HSE, the present research reevaluates the finding that HSE individuals show poor self-regulation following ego threat (Baumeister, Heatherton, & Tice, 1993). In Experiment 1, participants with HSE showed poor self-regulation after ego threat only if they also were defensive (high in self-presentation bias). In Experiment 2, two measures—self-presentation bias and implicit self-esteem—were used to subtype HSE individuals as defensive. Both operationalizations of defensive HSE predicted poor self-regulation after ego threat. The results indicate that (a) only defensive HSE individuals are prone to self-regulation failure following ego threat and (b) measures of self-presentation bias and implicit self-esteem can both be used to detect defensiveness.
Knowledge Sharing Ambidexterity in Long-Term Interorganizational Relationships

Although past research has investigated the impact of exploration and exploitation on firm performance, there is limited research on these effects in interorganizational relationships. We examine whether the boundary condition for ambidextrous learning can be extended from firms to long-term interorganizational relationships. Specifically, we focus on a particular aspect of learning---namely, explorative and exploitative knowledge sharing---and examine its impact on the performance of long-term relationships. We also theorize how ambidextrous management of the relationship and ontological commitment to span the syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic knowledge boundaries between partners enable knowledge sharing. Our theoretical predictions are tested using data collected from both account managers at customer firms responsible for the relationship with a leading supply chain vendor and account managers at the vendor firm responsible for relationships with customers. The findings suggest that both exploratory and exploitative knowledge sharing lead to relationship performance gains, that such sharing is enabled by the ambidextrous management of the relationship, and that such sharing is facilitated by ontological commitment. Interesting differences in the enablers and consequences of both forms of knowledge sharing are detected between customers and the vendor.
Chronic lability of arterial pressure produced by destruction of A2 catecholaminergic neurons in rat brainstem.

SUMMARY The cardiovascular effects of electrolytic lesions of the A2 group of catecholaminergic neurons of the dorsal medulla were analyzed in chronically instrumented rats. A2 lesions resulted after 24 hours, in an enduring increase in lability (variability) and augmented reactivity of the arterial pressure during spontaneous or elicited behaviors, without a change in the average arterial pressure. Heart rate and its variability were unchanged. A2 lesions almost abolished the bradycardia elicited by acutely elevating arterial pressure with phenylephrine, but not the hypotension elicited under anesthesia by carotid sinus stretch. Lability of arterial pressure could not be attributed to damage to cardiovagal neurons. Vagal blockade with atropine or methylatropine did not alter the mean or variability of the arterial pressure. Lability of arterial pressure was produced only by damage to A2 neurons and not by lesions in the area postrema or by transection of commissural fibers of the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS). Moreover, the magnitude of lability was correlated directly with the amount of damage to A2. A2 lesions resulted in a reduction of dopamine-/3-hydroxylase activity to 60% of control in the NTS. We conclude that destruction of A2 neurons produces persistent lability and exaggerated reactivity of arterial pressure as a consequence of partial removal of the noradrenergic innervation of the NTS. The results suggest that noradrenergic neurons of A2 serve to modulate baroreceptor reflexes in NTS. The observation that lability of arterial pressure can occur in the absence of changes of average arterial pressure suggests distinctive anatomical networks subserving phasic and tonic control of the arterial pressure in the brainstem. Circ Res 46: 842-853, 1980