Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Catchments catch all: long‐term population history of a giant springtail from the southeast Australian highlands — a multigene approach

Phylogeography can reveal evolutionary processes driving natural genetic‐geographical patterns in biota, providing an empirical framework for optimizing conservation strategies. The long‐term population history of a rotting‐log‐adapted giant springtail (Collembola) from montane southeast Australia was inferred via joint analysis of mitochondrial and multiple nuclear gene genealogies. Contemporary populations were identified using multilocus nuclear genotype clustering. Very fine‐scale sampling combined with nested clade and coalescent‐based analyses of sequences from mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I and three unlinked nuclear loci uncovered marked population structure, deep molecular divergences, and abrupt phylogeographical breaks over distances on the order of tens of kilometres or less. Despite adaptations that confer low mobility, rare long‐distance gene flow was implicated: novel computer simulations that jointly modelled stochasticity inherent in coalescent processes and that of DNA sequence evolution showed that incomplete lineage sorting alone was unable to explain the observed spatial‐genetic patterns. Impacts of Pleistocene or earlier climatic cycles were detected on multiple timescales, and at least three putative moist forest refuges were identified. Water catchment divisions predict phylogeographical patterning and present‐day population structure with high precision, and may serve as an excellent surrogate for biodiversity indication in sedentary arthropods from topographically heterogeneous montane temperate forests.
Dissemination of an Evidence-based Program to Reduce Fear of Falling, South Carolina, 2006-2009

Introduction Falls among older adults are a serious public health issue, and fear of falling can limit mobility, which in turn increases fall risk. A Matter of Balance/Volunteer Lay Leader Model is an evidence-based program designed to address fear of falling. The objective of this study was to describe implementation, dissemination, and outcomes of this program in 3 regions of South Carolina with a predominantly African American and largely underserved population. Methods We developed partnerships throughout the state, organized master and lay leader trainings, and documented numbers of lay leaders, programs offered, demographic characteristics of participants, program fidelity, and attendance. Outcome measures were self-reported confidence to prevent and manage falls and a quantitative measure of functional mobility. Both measures were assessed at baseline and after program completion. Results Older adults (N = 235) attended 18 classes at 16 sites. Barriers to implementation were program teams' limited familiarity with the concept of evidence-based programs and the importance of adhering to program content. Facilitators were state-level leadership and a history of state, regional, and local groups collaborating successfully on other projects. Outcomes indicated greater confidence in managing falls and carrying out activities of daily living. Mobility improved significantly, suggesting a reduced risk for falls. Conclusion Evidence-based programs such as A Matter of Balance/Volunteer Lay Leader Model can be successfully disseminated in underserved areas. Outcomes indicate that participation in fall prevention programs can benefit groups of predominantly African American older adults.
Pollination benefits are maximized at intermediate nutrient levels

Yield production in flowering crops depends on both nutrient availability and pollination, but their relative roles and potential interactions are poorly understood. We measured pollination benefits to yield in sunflower, combining a gradient in insect pollination (0, 25, 50, 100%) with a continuous gradient in nitrogen (N) fertilization (from 0 to 150 kg N ha−1) in an experiment under realistic soil field conditions. We found that pollination benefits to yield were maximized at intermediate levels of N availability, bolstering yield by approximately 25% compared with complete pollinator exclusion. Interestingly, we found little decrease in yield when insect visits were reduced by 50%, indicating that the incremental contribution of pollination by insects to yield is greater when the baseline pollination service provision is very low. Our findings provide strong evidence for interactive, nonlinear effects of pollination and resource availability on seed production. Our results support ecological intensification as a promising strategy for sustainable management of agroecosystems. In particular, we found optimal level of pollination to potentially compensate for lower N applications.
Enhancing the Supply Chain Management performance using Information Technology: some evidence from UAE companies

The objective of this paper is to investigate Supply Chain Management (SCM) performance of selected companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) countries upon successful implementation of Information Technology (IT) applications. By carrying out an in-depth qualitative analysis, the paper seeks to evaluate how IT can enhance the SCM performance from a practitioner perspective. The survey results have indicated that respondents are aware that adopting IT does not necessarily translate to immediate benefits. Companies in UAE will, therefore, need to ‘educate’ their senior managers on using IT systems to streamline their supply chain operations, reduce cycle time and improve supply chain visibility. While most respondents have implemented IT systems for transactional processing, more can be done to implement more advanced IT systems for better planning and decision-making.
Effect of clavulanic acid on minimal inhibitory concentrations of 16 antimicrobial agents tested against Legionella pneumophila

A total of 15 Legionella pneumophilia isolated were tested against 16 antimicrobial agents used singly and in combination with clavulanic acid. When combined with clavulanic acid, 4 of the 16 antimicrobial agents produced no enhanced effect. However, the minimal inhibitory concentrations of 12 of the antimicrobial agents were reduced by one-half to one-third when in combination with clavulanic acid. These reductions reflected only a one-dilution decrease, however, in the original minimal inhibitory concentrations. Thus, clavulanic acid combinations appear to be only nominally effective beta-lactamase inhibitors against L. pneumophilia.
Principal Component Analysis on the Theory of Corporate Cash Holdings for Korean Chaebol Firms

Abstract This study conducted empirical tests on contemporary finance theories for corporate cash holdings, such as trade-off, pecking order, and agency theory. There is ongoing debate on the possibility of excess cash savings by domestic firms, including chaebols in the Korean capital markets. Thus, it may be worthy to identify any financial characteristics based on each aforementioned theory as an extension of previous studies on similar subjects. Two primary hypotheses were postulated and tested, and the following empirical results were obtained. First, principal component analysis (PCA) provides evidence that nine out of the twenty explanatory variables showed a significant influence on the level of corporate cash holdings, such as cash conversion cycle in trade-off theory and leverage in pecking order theory. Second, the chaebol firms that decreased cash holdings after global financial turmoil may be affected by financial factors that include investment opportunities and foreign ownership according to the PCA. The results may reinforce the outcomes derived from previous research on corporate cash holdings. Based on the robust results, large firms in advanced or emerging capital markets could approach the optimal level of the cash reserves. 요 약
Methylation of the g -Catenin Gene Is Associated With Poor Prognosis of Renal Cell Carcinoma

Purpose: g -Catenin is a cell adhesion protein, and its functional loss is associated with tumor invasion and metastasis. We hypothesize that (1) promoter CpG methylation regulates the expression and function of the g -catenin gene in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and (2) methylation of the g -catenin gene is associated with poor prognosis of RCC. To test these hypotheses, we analyzed the CpG methylation status of the g -catenin gene and its correlation with clinical outcome in RCC. Experimental Design: Genomic DNA and total RNA were extracted from three renal cancer cell lines (A498, Caki-1, and Caki-2) and 54 RCC tissue samples with their corresponding normal kidney tissue samples. Expression of g -catenin gene was analyzed by reverse transcription-PCR and immunostaining. Promoter methylation was analyzed by two different methylation-specific PCR (MSP-A and MSP-B), and the results were verified by DNA sequencing. Results: The demethylating agent (5-aza-2 V -deoxycyti-dine) increased levels of mRNA transcript of the g -catenin gene in three renal cancer cell lines. g -Catenin mRNA and protein expression were significantly reduced in RCC samples compared with normal kidney samples, respectively ( P < 0.05). MSP-A and MSP-B bands were detected in 45 of 54 (83.3%) and 49 of 54 (90.7%) RCC samples, respectively. In normal kidney, weak products of MSP-A and MSP-B were detected in 5 of 54 (9.3%) and 6 of 54 (11.1%) samples, respectively. Likewise, both MSP-A and MSP-B ratios were significantly higher in RCC samples compared with normal kidney samples, respectively ( P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that the MSP-B ratio was a powerful and independent predictor superior to nuclear grade and Robson stage with respect to survival and disease progression ( P = 0.029 and 0.0071, respectively). No mutations in the NH 2 -terminal region of g -catenin were found in this study. by could conventional some limitations to predict precise that promoter CpG methylation of g -catenin can be an independent and superior predictor for survival and disease progression.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DEMOGRAPHICS VARIABLES, EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVENESS, MOTIVATION, AND JOB SATISFACTION

This paper synthesizes major leadership paradigms for the purpose of identifying possible ways of influencing Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCBs) to improve the functioning of organizations. The leadership paradigms were extended to old and modern categories to provide for systematic understanding of their antecedents and potential influence patterns. The leadership approaches reported to have positive relationships with organizational citizenship behaviors include transformational leadership, charismatic leadership, and ethical leadership paradigms. We have found many modern leadership paradigms not to have been empirically investigated for possible relationships with OCB. This paper therefore discusses the dynamics and potentials for researches within the realms of the leadership paradigms and the OCB field.
Company characteristics as determinants of Internet financial reporting in emerging markets: the case of Egypt

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to examine the Internet financial reporting (IFR) practice by listed companies in Egypt as one of the emerging markets (EMs) and investigate empirically some company characteristics as determinants of such practice. Methodology/approach – Using a 39-item index, content analysis of websites was performed for 88 of the most active Egyptian listed companies on the Egyptian Stock Exchange (EGX). Further, the article employs statistical analysis to test the association between six company characteristics (independent variables) and the extent of the IFR (including three dependent variables). Findings – Among the sampled companies, only 57 have accessible websites and 45 provide financial information in their websites. The results of univariate analysis, which were verified by multivariate linear regression, show that some company characteristics (e.g. size, profitability, foreign listing and ownership structure) are significantly positively associated with the IFR, while legal form is significantly negatively associated. Research limitations and implications – The scope of this study is limited to a relatively small sample of Egyptian listed companies and they may not represent all of the possible listed companies. It would be interesting to duplicate this study in other EM countries which have many similarities to the Egyptian environment. Originality/value – This investigation concerned a country with an EM – Egypt. Few articles have provided insight into the IFR practices of listed companies in Egypt as one of the EM. Unlike previous studies conducted in Egypt, the current study provides evidence regarding two company characteristics, for the first time in Egypt, namely ‘ownership structure’ and ‘legal form’ as explanatory variables of the extent of IFR by listed companies in EGX.
The role of learning style in choosing one's therapeutic orientation

Abstract The motives of the beginning psychotherapist for choosing his or her orientation are an underresearched issue in psychotherapy training. This study focuses on the role of personality-based factors, specifically the epistemological preferences of the therapist that Kolb (1984) has termed “learning style” (LS). The aim of the present study was to explore possible associations between psychology students’ developing LSs and their choice of psychotherapeutic orientation (psychodynamic [PDT] vs. cognitive–behavioural [CBT]). Students in a psychologist's program (N=175) took the Learning Style Inventory in their third semester and, before their formal choice, in their seventh semester. Besides a common trend toward radicalization or purification of their LS, the average PDT student tended to stick to the “feel and watch” style from the third semester to the seventh, whereas the CBT student tended to move toward “think and do. ” A cluster analysis revealed that the average movement among the CBT students was the result of the forces in two different subgroups, one toward “think” (and, more weakly, “watch”), the other toward “do” (and, more weakly, “feel”).
Spinal and cranial hypertrophic neuropathy in multiple sclerosis

Two patients with multiple sclerosis developed symptomatic chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy with massive spinal or cranial nerve hypertrophy revealed by neuroimaging. Sural nerve biopsy in one showed only moderate demyelination, axonal loss, and onion‐bulb formation, illustrating dichotomy between severe proximal and milder distal nerve involvement. Patients with coexistent central and peripheral demyelination usually are symptomatic from dysfunction at one site or the other, but not from both. Our patients showed minimal response to steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, or azathioprine. These cases suggest that the mechanism of disease in symptomatic central and peripheral demyelination may differ from that of disease in only one region, and that optimal therapy in this situation must be explored further. Muscle Nerve, 2005
Albumin Permeation of New Vessels Is Increased in Diabetic Rats

125I-bovine serum albumin (BSA) permeation of the vasculature of 3-wk-old granulation tissue (induced by subcutaneous implantation of polyester fabric) formed in the diabetic milieu was assessed in female BB/W, spontaneously diabetic rats and in male, Sprague-Dawley rats with streptozocin-induced diabetes as well as in corresponding nondiabetic controls. Albumin permeation of new granulation tissue vessels was markedly increased in both groups of diabetic animals relative to that of nondiabetic controls, while albumin permeation of vessels in most other tissues did not differ for controls and diabetics. These observations indicate that the functional integrity of new vessels formed in the diabetic milieu is impaired: (1) to a greater extent than that of older vessels formed before induction of diabetes and (2) relative to new vessels in nondiabetics. The implication of these observations is that molecular constituents of vessels synthesized in the diabetic milieu are quantitatively and/or qualitatively abnormal and/or their incorporation into vessels is defective.
Comparison of Clinical Features in a Population of Basic Military Trainees Versus the General Department of Defense Beneficiary Population Presenting With Influenza.

INTRODUCTION Upper respiratory tract infection (URI) is a well-documented cause of morbidity, extra expense, and lost training time among basic military trainees (BMTs). The goal of this study was to characterize the clinical presentation of influenza in the BMT population and to better understand how this presentation differs from that of the general Department of Defense (DoD) beneficiary population (non-BMTs). MATERIALS AND METHODS Clinical and demographic data were collected in a prospective study that enrolled DoD beneficiaries presenting to medical treatment facilities in San Antonio, Texas, with URI symptoms between January 2005 and March 2011. Vital signs and symptom duration were collected at the time of enrollment along with basic demographic information. RESULTS Among 4,448 participants enrolled, 466 (10.5%) tested positive for influenza: 198 of 3,103 BMTs (6.4%) vs. 268 of 1,345 non-BMTs (20%) (p < 0.01); 412 of 466 had complete data for nine symptom-related variables. BMTs were more likely to be Caucasian males and younger than non-BMTs. BMTs had a higher temperature at the time of presentation (101.5°F vs. 100.5°F, p < 0.01). BMTs presented less frequently than non-BMTs with chills (79.7% vs. 94.4%, p < 0.01), malaise (62.1% vs. 87.0%, p < 0.01), nausea (30.2% vs. 43.0%, p < 0.01), and vomiting (12.1% vs. 21.7%, p = 0.01). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that BMTs were less likely to have the four symptoms compared to non-BMTs even after controlling for gender and age (chills: odds ratio [OR] = 0.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.1-0.6, p < 0.01; malaise: OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.3-0.8, p < 0.01; nausea: OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.3-0.8, p < 0.01; vomiting: OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.2-0.8, p < 0.01). Although there was no difference in the frequency of subjective fever between the two groups, reported duration of fever was significantly shorter in BMTs than non-BMTs: median of 1 day (range 0-10) vs. 2 days (range 0-8) (p < 0.01). BMTs presented with a composite symptom index mean of 6.2 (standard deviation = 1.4) symptoms, whereas non-BMTs presented with a mean of 6.9 (standard deviation = 1.3) symptoms (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The pretest probability of a BMT presenting with URI symptoms having influenza is significantly lower than that for the general DoD beneficiary population. BMTs with influenza presented sooner, with higher fever, and with fewer overall symptoms than the general DoD beneficiary population. These differences are likely attributable to early reporting and response bias and less likely attributed to age. Military efforts to identify BMTs with suspected influenza infection early and to refer them for treatment promptly are efficacious.
The Cost of Supermajority Target Shareholder Approval: Mergers versus Tender Offers

Using a 2013 Delaware law that reduces the authorization threshold for two-step tender-offers from 90% to 50%, we investigate whether variation in the required level of shareholder support affects acquisition outcomes. We find that lower authorization requirements increase the use of tender offers relative to mergers for Delaware targets. Though the new law removes target shareholders’ right to vote on certain deals, they do not appear to be harmed by the change. Indeed, Delaware targets received greater acquisition premiums and target cumulative abnormal returns after the passage of the new law relative to target firms incorporated in another state. Our results suggest that the supply of equity is not perfectly elastic and caution that supermajority approval requirements can increase the risk of shareholder holdup and lead to inefficient choice of deal structure.
Outcomes of delayed total hip arthroplasty in patients with a previous ipsilateral acetabular fracture

Post-traumatic arthritis of the hip can develop in 12–57% of patients after an acetabular fracture. Once it develops, salvage treatment options include arthroplasty or arthrodesis. Delayed total hip arthroplasty (THA) has been shown to be a viable treatment option to decrease pain, improve stability and increase functional outcomes. Using cemented designs, earlier long-term studies reported satisfactory functional outcomes of delayed THA used to treat previously failed acetabular fractures. However, high aseptic loosening rates were also observed. Recent advances in cementless acetabular designs have shown comparable functional outcomes and loosening rates compared to those undergoing THA for non-traumatic arthritis. However, even with improvements in functional and radiographic outcomes, unique complications are commonly encountered in patients with previous acetabular fractures, including heterotopic bone around the hip, increased operative times and blood loss, aseptic loosening, sciatic nerve injury and dislocation. The outcomes and complications of delayed THA in patients with previous acetabular fracture will be reviewed.
Effects of intramuscular injections of folic acid during lactation on folates in serum and milk and performance of sows and piglets.

In order to determine the effect of folic acid on serum and milk folates in lactating sows as well as on serum folates and growth rate of the piglets, sows (n = 25) received either saline or 15 mg folic acid i.m. each week from d 2 after parturition to weaning, 26 d later. Blood samples were drawn from all sows at 110 d of gestation and every week during lactation. Milk samples were taken at d 7 and 21 of lactation. Piglets were weighed and blood samples were collected weekly during lactation. Serum folates of sows increased during lactation. The rate of increase was more pronounced (P less than .0002) after folic acid injections. Milk folates concentrations decreased (P less than .0007) from d 7 to 21 of lactation but were higher (P less than .0001) in treated sows (11.8 +/- .7 ng/ml) than in control sows (7.9 +/- .4 ng/ml). Serum folates of piglets in control litters increased from 55.0 +/- 2.2 ng/ml at 2 d of age to a peak value of 86.3 +/- 3.1 ng/ml 2 wk later, and then gradually decreased. In piglets from treated dams, the time response curve was similar to that of the controls, but values were about 15% higher (P less than .01). The growth rate of piglets until 8 wk of age was not changed (P greater than .47) by folic acid injection of sows. More studies are needed to evaluate the practical importance of changes in folates status in establishing the folic acid requirements of lactating sows.
In Vitro Activity of Caspofungin against Candida albicans Biofilms

ABSTRACT Most manifestations of candidiasis are associated with biofilm formation on biological or inanimate surfaces. Candida albicans biofilms are recalcitrant to treatment with conventional antifungal therapies. Here we report on the activity of caspofungin, a new semisynthetic echinocandin, against C. albicans biofilms. Caspofungin displayed potent in vitro activity against sessile C. albicans cells within biofilms, with MICs at which 50% of the sessile cells were inhibited well within the drug's therapeutic range. Scanning electron microscopy and confocal scanning laser microscopy were used to visualize the effects of caspofungin on preformed C. albicans biofilms, and the results indicated that caspofungin affected the cellular morphology and the metabolic status of cells within the biofilms. The coating of biomaterials with caspofungin had an inhibitory effect on subsequent biofilm development by C. albicans. Together these findings indicate that caspofungin displays potent activity against C. albicans biofilms in vitro and merits further investigation for the treatment of biofilm-associated infections.