Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Testing the standard neutral model of biodiversity in lake communities

Hubbell's (2001) neutral model describes how local communities are structured if population dynamics are statistically identical among species in a constant, possibly patchy, environment with random speciation. Tests of this model have been restricted largely to terrestrial communities. Here we tested the fit of this neutral model to fish, zooplankton and phytoplankton species-abundance distributions from 30 well-studied lake communities varying widely in lake size and productivity. We measured the fit of the communities to the neutral model in three ways. All but two zooplankton (7 of 9) and all but three fish (9 of 12) communities were consistent with all three measures of fit. However, all nine phytoplankton communities did not fit the neutral model by at least one measure. This result for phytoplankton communities represents to date the most consistent failure of the standard neutral model to predict the shape of species-abundance distributions.
Diabetes and Deteriorating Lung Function Based on Spirometry: A Narrative Review

Background: Many pulmonary dysfunctions are noted in both type 1 and 2 diabetes. This dysfunction can be mechanical in terms of muscle tone or strength, functional in terms of diffusion capacity or gaseous exchange and chemical with regards to mediators. Many hypothesis or mechanisms were proposed and changed along the course of time to support the issue. The studies have shown an increased evidence of lung dysfunction changes in diabetes, both at a time or during the course of time. So the lung complications should also be considered among micro vascular complications to actively search for a better prognosis. Aim: To study the association of diabetes and lung function based on spirometry. Materials and methods: We identified all studies in English Language that evaluated the association of diabetes mellitus and lung function using keywords like “diabetes, lung volume, lung function, diabetes micro angiopathy, spirometry” across various published research articles using Google Scholar Data Base. Conclusion: From our narrative review, a conclusion was made that both varieties of diabetes, type 2 and type1 have reduced lung functions as reviewed by spirometry not only due to adverse events like pneumonia but also due to the extensive period of consequence of diabetes which may be because of micro angiopathy or diminished elastic recoil capability of lungs.
Organizational Support, Participation in Organizational Decision-Making, Organizational Politics, and Perceived Social Status among Faculty Members: The Mediating Effects of Status Seeking Styles

The aim of this study was to examine a psychosocial model of predicting perceived social status among faculty members. To this end, 135 faculty members in one of the state universities in Tehran, Iran, were recruited through convenient sampling. We used Perceived Organizational Support Scale (POSS), Perceptions of Organizational Politics Scale (POPS), Participation in Organizational Decisions Making Scale (PODMS), and Dominance and Prestige Scale (DPS) to collect data. Findings showed that 40% of participants believed that social status of academic careers has decreased in Iran since they have entered into their jobs. Perceived organizational support, perceived organizational politics, and participation in decision-making were associated with perceived social status directly and indirectly by the mediating role of prestige-based status-seeking style. The link between perceived organizational politics and perceived social status were negative, but there were positive associations between other factors in model and perceived social status. Then, we might conclude that perceived social status is determined by the quality of organizational support, political atmosphere in organization, participation in organizational decision-making, and prestige-based status-seeking styles. Faculty members with prestige-based status-seeking style had better feelings toward their job as a high social status job, which may facilitate their self- actualization
A Meta-Analysis of Special Education Teachers’ Burnout

This meta-analysis verifies associations between three dimensions of special education teachers’ (SET) burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) and student-, teacher-, and school-related variables. Altogether, 28 peer-reviewed English articles and 13 dissertations (total sample of teachers = 6,623) published between 1983 and December 2018 were analyzed. The degree of correlation effect sizes between special education teachers’ burnout and its related variables was extensive. Results revealed distinct relations by each burnout dimension: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment and student-, teacher-, and school-related variables. Student age (Fisher’s Z = .316) was significantly associated with SET depersonalization. Self-efficacy (Fisher’s Z = −0.390, emotional exhaustion; −0.321, depersonalization; 0.633, personal accomplishment), stress (0.366, emotional exhaustion; 0.340, depersonalization; −0.110 personal accomplishment), and support from school personnel (−0.119, emotional exhaustion; −0.140, depersonalization; 0.172, personal accomplishment) were also significantly related to each burnout dimension. Support programs to relieve SET burnout must consider these variables.
Real-time pose tracking of 3D targets by photo-model-based stereo-vision

Nowadays, robots have been utilized to perform a wide variety of tasks instead of humans, in which those equipped with hand-eye cameras have been proved to be useful in factories for handling metal parts. However, there have been di ﬃ culties for robots with vision sensors like cameras to detect a target objects’ 3D pose accurately, especially in the case that the target object is unique and the shape is arbitrary, and further, the object is moving. Visual servoing to moving target may enable the robot to pursue an animal to catch it. Aiming at achieving identiﬁcation ability of a unique object, this paper utilized our previous study concerning photo-model-based object recognition. Based on the study, this paper applies the photo-model-based pose estimation method to video-rate stereo-vision position and orientation (pose) tracking, and it has been applied to an arbitrary-shaped moving target. To conﬁrm the abilities of the proposed stereo-vision-based method to pursue an arbitrary target, real-time 3D pose estimation experiment to track the relative pose between a moving target and hand-eye robot have been conducted. The real-time experimental results show the proposed system can recognize the designated arbitrary-shaped target and track its pose in real-time.
INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS’ PROTECTION INTENTIONS TO USE FOOD HYGIENE CUES IN THE CHOICE OF DESTINATION LOCAL RESTAURANTS

This study examines international tourists’ protection intentions to utilize food safety cues in the choice of destination local restaurant, reducing the risk of contracting a foodborne illness. A survey was conducted of 398 first-time foreign travellers to Malaysia. The results driven by Exploratory Factor Analysis reveals that food safety indicators comprised three dimensions: visual food safety cues, information food safety cues, and the level of restaurant patronage. Cluster analysis confirmed that protection intention to use different food hygiene cues differs across tourists’ subgroups of gender, age, nationality, level of income, level of education, travel purpose, and trip arrangement.
β-Adrenergic Receptors, Diet-induced Thermogenesis, and Obesity*

There is increased awareness that energy expenditure is an important component of weight control and that its dysregulation promotes obesity. This minireview will examine the role of energy expenditure in regulating fat stores, the underlying mitochondrial basis for energy expenditure, and implications of this for potential mechanisms of adaptive thermogenesis and then discuss, in detail, recent evidence regarding the important role of (cid:1) -adrenergic recep- tors in diet-induced thermogenesis and prevention of diet-induced obesity.
Reproductive rates of wild and captive Vancouver Island marmots (Marmota vancouverensis)

I evaluated reproductive rates of the critically endangered Vancouver Island marmot (Marmota vancouverensis Swarth, 1911) using data from captive and wild populations over the 1980-2004 period. Results were similar to those reported for other alpine-dwelling marmots, including the closely related Marmota caligata (Eschscholtz, 1829) and Marmota olympus (Merriam, 1898). Most females in captivity first bred at age 3 or 4 (Tbreed = 4.3 years, SD = 1.15, n = 9), an age not significantly different from that observed in the wild (Tbreed = 3.6 years, SD = 1.2, n = 16). Numbers of pups weaned per litter were similar in captivity (Npups = 3.0, SD = 1.4, n = 25) and in the wild (Npups =3 .4, SD =1 .1,n = 58). Females were capable of weaning pups in consecutive years (46.4%, n = 13) but often skipped 1 year (39.3%, n = 11) or 2 years (14.3%, n = 4) between litters. Two-year-old females weaned pups in- frequently (Pbreed = 0.09, n = 43) and older females were far more likely to breed (Pbreed = 0.40, n = 200); in neither case were significant captive-wild differences found. The oldest breeding female was 10 years old, but sample sizes for marmots older than 8 years were small and maximum breeding age may be underestimated. Between-litter intervals in captivity (Tbetween = 1.4 years, SD = 0.7, n = 11) were significantly shorter than in the wild (Tbetween = 1.9 years, SD = 0.7, n = 17). Sex ratios of weaned pups did not differ from 1:1 in the wild (female/male = 1.04) but were significantly skewed towards males in captivity (female/male = 0.56). I conclude that reproductive performance in Vancouver Island marmots is limited both by body condition and social constraints.
Daily and seasonal rhythms of serum glucose concentrations in Holstein cows

To investigate possible daily and seasonal rhythms of serum glucose concentrations in lactating dairy cows, every three hours blood samples were taken sequentially over 27h. Twelve cows were used, six in their first lactations (Group A) and six in their third lactations (Group B), during winter, spring, summer and autumn 2002. Animals were in a commercial farm in Argentina, and were on an alfalfa-based grazing system, with two milkings per day. Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein, centrifuged, and analyzed for serum glucose concentrations with an autoanalyzer. The existence of a periodic pattern was verified with a Fourier analysis. Circadian rhythms were observed with frequency near 0.279 rad/h. The mesor and amplitude values were higher in winter. The acrophases for different seasons are similar. The highest levels of glucose were found at 4h (winter), 20h (spring), 6h (summer) and 10h (autumn). In conclusion, when animals are in natural conditions, it is possible detect daily rhythms in the serum glucose concentration.
Natural variation in morphology of larval amphibians: Phenotypic plasticity in nature?

Phenotypic plasticity has been studied intensively in experimental settings but infrequently in nature, and therefore the relevance of experimental findings is poorly known. This is especially true for morphological plasticity in amphibian larvae induced by predators and competitors. This paper describes a seven-year survey of head and tail shape in eight species of anuran and newt larvae in northern Switzerland, involving 6824 individual larvae and 59 ponds. I tested relationships between geometric measures of size and shape and five habitat gradients: pond permanence, cover by forest canopy and aquatic vegetation, and the densities of predators and competitors. Responses to competitors and predators were often similar to those reported in experiments. High competitor density was associated with small size and a large head in newt larvae, a long or deep head/body in anuran larvae, and a short or shallow tail in newts and some tadpoles. High predator density was correlated with a deep tail fin and tail muscle in many species. In anurans, the change in shape between low- and high-predator ponds in nature closely paralleled the plastic response to nonlethal predators in mesocosm experiments. The survey revealed many previously undescribed relationships between morphology and the other habitat features. Several species had relatively large tails in ponds that were shaded or thickly vegetated. Associations between year-to-year changes in shape and habitat within ponds implicated phenotypic plasticity rather than genetic population divergence, at least in anurans. These results inspire confidence in the relevance of experiments and highlight many new patterns that will merit further study.
Global and Domestic Financial Cycles: Variations on a Theme

We compare and contrast two prominent notions of financial cycles: a domestic variant, which focuses on how financial conditions within individual economies lead to boom-bust cycles there; and a global variant, which highlights how global financial conditions affect individual economies. The two notions share a common analytical basis - the "procyclicality" of the financial system. Yet a number of distinguishing features stand out. These include differences in: (i) the underlying components - financial asset prices and capital flows for the global financial cycle (GFCy) versus credit and property prices for the domestic financial cycle (DFC); (ii) their empirical properties - the GFCy has a shorter duration and is primarily linked with traditional business cycles, while the DFC has a longer duration and is predominantly linked with medium-term business cycles; and (iii) the policy focus - "dilemma versus trilemma" for the GFCy, "lean versus clean" for the DFC. Despite these differences, the two cycles tend to come together around crises. Finally, we show that traditional GFCy measures mainly reflect developments in advanced economies and that a simple alternative measure is much more relevant for emerging market economies.
Variability in the Reproductive Characteristics of Local Populations of an Intertidal Gastropod, Nerita japonica(Dunker)

:The reproductive characteristics of an intertidal gastropod,Nerita japonica(Dunker),were inves tigated among eight local populations occurring in different intertidal habitats of Amakusa Shimoshima Is land,western Kyushu,Japan.There was significant variation in the morphometry of egg capsules and em bryos between rocky shore and stony shore populations of N.japonica,with the rocky shore populations having larger capsule sizes than stony shore populations.In five out of eight populations,fecundity(number of embryos in an egg capsule)increased significantly with an increase in egg capsule size and decreased with mean embryo size.The data showed for the first time that fecundity and egg capsule size,but not embryo size,are related to adult body size among local populations of N.japonica. The present study demonstrates that body size and reproductive characteristics of N.japonica may vary markedly over even small geographic distances.Such variability in the basic traits of a species must have important implications for their life his tory Strategy.
Tooth coronal index biomarker for age estimation using digital panoramic radiography- A retrospective study

Background: A study was carried out to analyze the efficacy and practical application for age estimation using digital panoramic radiograph to exploit image analysis to obtain metric measurement of morphologic parameters of permanent right and left mandibular 1st molar and 2nd premolar. Aim: To know the significance of tooth coronal index with age and to select a tooth which is reliable for prediction of actual age. Objective: To compare original age with the estimated age of right and left mandibular 1st molar and 2nd premolar. Materials and Methods: The OPG of 100 subjects aged 20-50 years were selected for the study. The crown height and coronal pulp cavity height were measured of right and left quadrants of 1st molar and 2nd premolar and tooth coronal index was calculated and actual age compared with tooth coronal index of each tooth. Statistical Analysis Used: Pearson correlation co-efficient was used to find the significance of the relationship between age and tooth coronal index. Regression analysis was used for predicting age using tooth coronal index for right and left 1st molar and 2nd premolar. Results: Results revealed that there is no significant correlation between the estimated age and actual age and this study reveals that right mandibular 1st molar has more accuracy them other selected teeth. Conclusion: Tooth coronal index has the potential to estimate age of an individual on dental radiographs. Keywords: Age estimation, panoramic radiograph, Tooth coronal index, Pulp cavity height, Pulp/tooth ratio.
Demography of the meadow vole along a simple habitat gradient

A population of meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) was monitored by livetrapping in five different habitat types in eastern Massachusetts for 5 years. An index of grass cover was estimated for each habitat type, and the relationship between population statistics and grass cover was examined. Numbers of voles and survival rates increased rapidly with increasing grass cover until an asymptote was reached. Other population statistics were unrelated to the gradient. Grass cover appears to represent a predictive measure of environmental suitability. The ability to select simple habitat gradients representing suitability should facilitate demographic comparisons of habitat use by sympatric generalists and specialists.
Physiology and anatomy : a homeostatic approach

"Physiology and Anatomy: A Homeostatic Approach" provides a modern approach to understanding how the human body functions in health and disease. Based on systems, the text uses homeostatic principles as a unique guiding concept throughout all the chapters. The format and content of this second edition facilitate the learning of human physiology by providing a framework for learning that takes the reader through 'basic' structure and function to more complex issues of clinical disorder and health care practice.
Predator‐induced morphological defences as by‐products of prey behaviour: a review and prospectus

Predator-induced morphological defences (PIMDs) are ubiquitous. Many PIMDs may be mediated by prey behaviour rather than directly cued by predators. A survey of 92 studies indicated 40 that quantified prey behaviour, all of which document positive associations between defence production and activity reduction. Thus, PIMDs are associated with changes in prey activity, which could have caused the morphological change. We propose two possible mechanisms: 1) decreased activity reduces feeding rate, resulting in lower growth and morphological change; and 2) activity reduction conserves energy, which is reallocated for growth, subsequently changing morphology. Resource availability also causes similar morphological change to predator presence, suggesting confounding effects of resources and predators with current methodology. Future studies should estimate food ingestion, assimilation efficiency, and growth rate in the presence and absence of predators, crossing predator presence with resource levels. Not all PIMDs will be behaviourally-mediated, but consideration of causal linkages between prey behaviour and PIMDs is warranted.
Role of thymus on prognosis of myasthenia gravis in Turkish population

OBJECTIVE: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease that may cause a disorder in transmission at the neuromuscular junction. Antibodies directed against acetylcholine receptors are responsible. The thymus is the place that that production of these antibodies mainly occurs. The thymus gland abnormalities and abnormal production of these antibodies are associated with MG. Consequently, thymectomy is a common treatment for MG. The nature of the disease makes it difficult to plan prospective, controlled trials; therefore, there is no current consensus among clinicians on a single algorithm of treatment, and the approach is frequently based on the observations and experiences of experts. The contributions to the literature largely consist of retrospective studies examining an approach to treatment and the effects of thymectomy on prognosis. In this retrospective study, evaluation of Turkish patients with myasthenia gravis was carried out for the importance of thymectomy and effects on prognosis. METHODS: In this study, 93 patients with myasthenia gravis whose followed up at Neuromuscular outpatient clinic between 1998–2018 were evaluated retrospectively. Type of disease, antibody status, treatment, thymectomy, thymus pathology and prognosis were assessed. RESULTS: Thymectomy had been a positive effect on the prognosis of the disease independent of the duration of disease and thymic pathology. The best results had been obtained with early thymectomy with short disease duration, younger age and patients with thymic hyperplasia. Success of therapy was limited with thymoma. With advanced age need for thymectomy was decreased. CONCLUSION: In the present study, evaluation of 93 patients with myasthenia gravis was done retrospectively and it was concluded that thymectomy had a positive effect on prognosis, especially in young patients when performed as early as possible. The most successful results were obtained in cases with thymic hyperplasia.
Consistency and Functional Significance of Morphological Differences Between Wild-Caught and Domestic Haplochromis Squamipinnis (Pisces, Cichlidae)

In its natural habitat adult Haplochromis squamipinnis (a species endemic to Lakes George and Edward) is a piscivorous predator. However, in tanks it easily survives on all kinds of food. The premaxillae of specimens kept in tanks differ from those of wild-caught specimens in the following aspects: 1) shorter length of the ascending arm, 2) larger angle between ascending and dentigerous arm, 3) a symphyseal articulation facet is generally present. The changes are epigenetic and probably related to the way of feeding. Comparison of the premaxillae of wild- and tank-specimens of H. squamipinnis, with the premaxillae of biting and sucking cichlids (as distinguished by BAREL, 1983), suggest that the changes in tank-specimens increase the biting force. This is probably related with frequent sand-digging for food. The implications of such epigenetic changes for taxonomy and morphology are discussed.
Photoinhibition and D1 protein degradation in mesophyll and agranal bundle sheath thylakoids of maize.

Susceptibility of photosystem II complex (PSII) to photoinhibition and degradation of D1 protein has been described in the chloroplasts of C3 plants but so far, the PSII turnover has not been characterised in any C4 plant, which contains two types of chloroplasts differing biochemically and structurally. In maize (Zea mays L. Oleńka), chloroplasts located in mesophyll (M) develop grana, while bundle sheath (BS) chloroplasts are agranal. In this paper, we report the D1 protein phosphorylation, damage and proteolysis in mesophyll as well as in agranal bundle sheath thylakoids of maize plants. Photoinhibitory treatment (1800 μmol photons m-2 s-1) of isolated thylakoids led to donor side inhibition of PSII electron transport and then to damage of reaction centre in both M and BS thylakoids. Rate of D1 degradation rate was faster in BS than in M thylakoids, and the addition of ATP to incubation medium delayed D1 degradation in both types of thylakoids. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the proteases belonging to FtsH and Deg families were present but their amounts significantly differed in M and BS thylakoids. Protease inhibitor studies revealed that serine- and metallo-proteases were involved in degradation of D1 protein. Apparent existence of D1 degradation cycle and the presence of proteolytic enzymes responsible for this process in BS thylakoids confirm that PSII plays an important role in agranal membranes, and when damaged, D1 can be rapidly degraded to enable PSII repair and restoration in these membranes.