Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social ageing: exploring the drivers of late-life changes in social behaviour in mammals

Social interactions help group-living organisms cope with socio-environmental challenges and are central to survival and reproductive success. Recent research has shown that social behaviour and relationships can change across the lifespan, a phenomenon referred to as ‘social ageing’. Given the importance of social integration for health and well-being, age-dependent changes in social behaviour can modulate how fitness changes with age and may be an important source of unexplained variation in individual patterns of senescence. However, integrating social behaviour into ageing research requires a deeper understanding of the causes and consequences of age-based changes in social behaviour. Here, we provide an overview of the drivers of late-life changes in sociality. We suggest that explanations for social ageing can be categorized into three groups: changes in sociality that (a) occur as a result of senescence; (b) result from adaptations to ameliorate the negative effects of senescence; and/or (c) result from positive effects of age and demographic changes. Quantifying the relative contribution of these processes to late-life changes in sociality will allow us to move towards a more holistic understanding of how and why these patterns emerge and will provide important insights into the potential for social ageing to delay or accelerate other patterns of senescence.
An Equity Analysis of Applying for Welfare: TANF Application and Denial Reasons by Household and County Characteristics

The number of families receiving public cash assistance has decreased since welfare reform and the establishment of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in 1996, with only a few short-lived increases. The early decline was related to caseload exits; the recent decline is attributed to fewer eligible families participating. Using New Jersey TANF data from 2018, we conduct an equity analysis of TANF applications, denials, and the reasons for such denials. Multilevel and multinomial models examine risk factors that may impede access by identity or geography. Findings reveal statistically significant relationships between household characteristics and application outcomes, but no county-level variables were significant. Applicants with prior TANF receipt were less likely to be denied. Noncitizens, applicants with prior sanctions, and those over the TANF time limit were more likely to be denied. We discuss differences in access by race and ethnicity, along with policy implications, in the context of need.
A feedback control principle common to several biological and engineered systems

Feedback control is used by many distributed systems to optimize behaviour. Traditional feedback control algorithms spend significant resources to constantly sense and stabilize a continuous control variable of interest, such as vehicle speed for implementing cruise control, or body temperature for maintaining homeostasis. By contrast, discrete-event feedback (e.g. a server acknowledging when data are successfully transmitted, or a brief antennal interaction when an ant returns to the nest after successful foraging) can reduce costs associated with monitoring a continuous variable; however, optimizing behaviour in this setting requires alternative strategies. Here, we studied parallels between discrete-event feedback control strategies in biological and engineered systems. We found that two common engineering rules—additive-increase, upon positive feedback, and multiplicative-decrease, upon negative feedback, and multiplicative-increase multiplicative-decrease—are used by diverse biological systems, including for regulating foraging by harvester ant colonies, for maintaining cell-size homeostasis, and for synaptic learning and adaptation in neural circuits. These rules support several goals of these systems, including optimizing efficiency (i.e. using all available resources); splitting resources fairly among cooperating agents, or conversely, acquiring resources quickly among competing agents; and minimizing the latency of responses, especially when conditions change. We hypothesize that theoretical frameworks from distributed computing may offer new ways to analyse adaptation behaviour of biology systems, and in return, biological strategies may inspire new algorithms for discrete-event feedback control in engineering.
Can we shift belief in the ‘Law of Small Numbers’?

‘Sample size neglect’ is a tendency to underestimate how the variability of mean estimates changes with sample size. We studied 100 participants, from science or social science backgrounds, to test whether a training task showing different-sized samples of data points (the ‘beeswarm’ task) can help overcome this bias. Ability to judge if two samples came from the same population improved with training, and 38% of participants reported that they had learned to wait for larger samples before making a response. Before and after training, participants completed a 12-item estimation quiz, including items testing sample size neglect (S-items). Bonus payments were given for correct responses. The quiz confirmed sample size neglect: 20% of participants scored zero on S-items, and only two participants achieved more than 4/6 items correct. Performance on the quiz did not improve after training, regardless of how much learning had occurred on the beeswarm task. Error patterns on the quiz were generally consistent with expectation, though there were some intriguing exceptions that could not readily be explained by sample size neglect. We suggest that training with simulated data might need to be accompanied by explicit instruction to be effective in counteracting sample size neglect more generally.
‘A landmark in psychiatric progress’? The role of evidence in the rise and fall of insulin coma therapy

This paper examines the evidence behind the use and decline of insulin coma therapy as a treatment for schizophrenia and how this was viewed by the psychiatric profession. The paper demonstrates that, from the time of its introduction, there was considerable debate regarding the evidence for insulin treatment, and scepticism about its purported benefits. The randomized trials conducted in the 1950s were the result, rather than the origins, of this debate. Although insulin treatment was subsequently abandoned, it was still regarded as a historic moment in the modernization of psychiatry. Then, as now, evidence does not speak for itself, and insulin continued to be incorporated into the story of psychiatric progress even after it was shown to be ineffective.
Comparative Study of the Components and Anti-Fatigue Effect of Schisandra chinensis Polysaccharides from China and Russia

Schisandra chinensis Bail. polysaccharides from China (CSP) and Russia (RSP) were separated by DEAE-52 cellulose column chromatography. The content of neutral polysaccharide was determined by the phenol concentrated sulfuric acid method, the content of acid polysaccharide by the hydroxybiphenyl method, and the monosaccharide composition and molecular weight arrangement of CSP and RSP by 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) pre-column derivatization HPLC. The effects of CSP and RSP on the exercise endurance of mice were compared by the forelimb grip strength test, rota-rod test and weight-bearing swimming. The results showed that one neutral polysaccharide and three acidic polysaccharides could be eluted from a DEAE-52 cellulose column from CSP and RSP, respectively. The content of acidic and neutral polysaccharides in RSP was higher than that in CSP, and the anti-fatigue effect of RSP was more significant than that of CSP.
Applying Interactive Technology to Construct a Popular-Science Teaching Aid System for Protecting Cetaceans along Sea Coasts

ABSTRACT Wang, C. -M. and Chen, I-T. , 2022. Applying interactive technology to construct a popular-science teaching aid system for protecting cetaceans along sea coasts. Journal of Coastal Research, 38(2), 389–413. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Cetaceans, such as whales and dolphins, are often found stranded at sea coasts. Teaching the public to rescue such endangered animals in emergency cases is important for educational learning of environmental conservation. Based on the interactive technology, a teaching aid system for popular-science cetacean rescue education is proposed. After a review of related literature, theories of interactive design, tangible interfacing, and science communication are adopted to derive the principles for designing the system. Accordingly, a dolphin model and a series of graphics were designed to construct the teaching aid scheme of the system in the form of a five-level game with a smart phone or pad as the tangible interface. Implemented by a pseudo-code algorithm, the game-play process is designed according to a rule of “Three Musts and Four Nos” advocated by a cetacean conservation society, including the five operation steps of rescue requesting, cetacean identification, holding upright, moisturizing, and recording. The system was exhibited in a public space to invite visitors to play the game. A questionnaire was conducted to collect 124 users' opinions, which were then analyzed, using the software packages of SPSS and AMOS, to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed system with the aim of cetacean rescue education, leading to the following findings: (1) the interactive popular-science teaching aid provided by the proposed system helps spread cetacean conservation concepts; (2) the interactive game-play process provided by the system teaches correct scientific knowledge; (3) the teaching aid of the system in the form of interactive game holds users' attention; (4) the users enjoyed operating the interactive teaching aid system and wanted to know more about the issue of cetacean rescues; and (5) the interactive popular-science teaching content cannot build some of the users’ confidence to face real cetacean rescue situations.
Spatiotemporal Patterns of Leymus arenarius Nebkhas during Early Primary Succession on the Sub-Arctic Coastal Sand Plains of Iceland

ABSTRACT Greipsson, S. , 2022. Spatiotemporal patterns of Leymus arenarius nebkhas during early primary succession on the subArctic coastal sand plains of Iceland. Journal of Coastal Research, 38(2), 269–278. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. A spatiotemporal analysis of phytogenic mounds (nebkhas) of the pioneer dune building grass Leymus arenarius was assessed during primary succession on three coastal sand plains in Iceland. Extensive sand plains were formed on the study sites due to catastrophic glacial river floods associated with sub-glacial volcanic activities. Present and past spatial patterns of Leymus-nebkhas were examined by the use of satellite images and high resolution aerial photographs and confirmation through field work. The colonization patterns of the nebkhas were studied from the initial phases and up to a maximum period of 54 years on the sand plains Skeidararsandur, Myrdalssandur, and Skogarsandur. The hypothesis was that nebkhas would be clustered and nonrandom in early phases of the primary succession but would have random configurations at later stages. Average density of nebkhas was low within 10 years of colonization on Skeidararsandur (0.55–0.67 dunes ha–1) and the spatial configuration was found to be highly nonrandom (clumped). Following the initial colonization of L. arenarius, the increase of nebkha density with time followed a similar nonrandom pattern on Myrdalssandur with final average density of 6.12 nebkha ha–1. On Skogarsandur, the spatial configuration of nebkhas was random with final average density of 7.08 nebkha ha–1. Nonlinear cubic polynomial regression analysis showed a very strong relationship (R2 = 0.989) for the average density of nebkha for 60 years on Skogarsandur. On the coastal sand plains, the spatial configuration of nebkha was observed to progress with time from nonrandom towards random distribution. This study supports the view of deterministic spatiotemporal pattern of nebkhas during early primary succession on the coastal sand plains. The nebkha density was most likely a function of sand drift on the plains, significantly decreasing (R2 = 0.93) away from the sand source of the glacier river Jökulsa on Skogarsandur. The results are discussed in relation to ecological restoration.
An Overview of Vertebrate Faunal Diversity in Sri Lankan Mangroves

ABSTRACT Fernando, E. ; Wickramasinghe, D. , and Fernando, V.K. , 2022. An overview of vertebrate faunal diversity in Sri Lankan mangroves. Journal of Coastal Research, 38(2), 429–448. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Sri Lanka is rich in floral and faunal communities. The mangrove forests found within the island are particularly important, being crucial habitats for endemic and globally threatened vertebrates. However, a comprehensive overview of the island's vertebrates known to utilise mangrove habitats has not yet been studied. This review uses available publications to categorise Sri Lankan vertebrates inhabiting mangroves according to the five vertebrate groups: ichthyofauna, amphibians, reptiles, avifauna, and mammals; 440 different species were subsequently categorised. A number of caveats have been addressed, and this review has given improved insight into the scale of diversity the island's mangrove habitats hold. This study will form the baseline for further mangrove vertebrate research, particularly in species groups where quantitative evidence and conservation statuses currently lacks.
Prospect for new guidance in the design of FRP : support to the implementation and further development of the Eurocode

Over the last twenty years, many innovative solutions have confirmed the usefulness of composite structures realized with FRPs (Fibre Reinforced Polymer or Plastic). The need of European standards for use of fibre-reinforced polymer composites in civil engineering was justified in 2007 in the JRC Report EUR 22864 EN. The new European technical rules will be developed using the existing organization of CEN/TC250. The present report has been worked out in the frame of CEN/TC250/WG4 activities. The report encompasses: • Part I, which introduces the policy framework and the CEN/TC250 initiative • Part II, which gives a prospect for CEN guidance for the design and verification of composite structures realized with FRPs The report presents scientific and technical background intended to stimulate debate and serves as a basis for further work to achieve a harmonized European view on the design and verification of such structures. This has been the main impulse to include the work item of the Fibre Reinforced Polymer Structures in the Mandate M/515 with high priority.
Comparison of the compressible $\mu (I)$ class of models and non-local models with the discrete element method for steady fully developed flow of cohesionless granular materials through a vertical channel

Abstract The flow of granular materials through a vertical channel is examined using the discrete element method (DEM) and the recent continuum models of Henann & Kamrin (Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, vol. 110, 2013, pp. 6730–6735), Barker et al. (Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A, vol. 473, 2017, p. 20160846), Schaeffer et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 874, 2019, pp. 926–951) and Dsouza & Nott (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 888, 2020, p. R3). The channel is bounded by walls separated by a distance $2 \, W$ in the $x$-direction. For the DEM, periodic boundary conditions are used in the $z$- and $y$- (vertical) directions with no exit at the bottom of the channel. The governing equations reduce to ordinary differential equations in the $x$-direction. There is a plug layer near the centre and a shear layer near the wall, as observed in experiments. There is a decrease in the solids fraction $\phi$ in the shear layer, except for the models of Barker et al. and Henann & Kamrin. A modification of the latter gives more realistic $\phi$ profiles. The thickness of the shear layer depends on $2\,W$ and the bulk solids fraction $\bar {\phi }$. For all the models, solutions could not be obtained for some parameter values. An example is the negative fluidity in the model of Henann & Kamrin. The model of Dsouza & Nott predicts much higher normal stresses, possibly because of large contributions from the non-local terms. None of the models specify a complete set of boundary conditions (b.c.). The DEM results suggest that the slip velocity and the wall friction b.c. lead to a slip length and an angle of wall friction that are independent of $2\,W$. The models are based on extensions of the equations for slow, rate-independent flow. A model that includes collisional effects, such as kinetic theory, should be combined with the present models. A preliminary analysis of the kinetic theory model of Berzi et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 885, 2020, p. A27), shows that it may have undesirable feature.
The investigation of pre-service special education teachers’ treatment integrity in the use of response prompting strategies

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine pre-service teachers’ treatment integrity (TI) in the use of constant time delay (CTD) and simultaneous prompting (SP) while teaching discrete and chained behaviours. A descriptive research design was used. A total of 28 pre-service special education teachers (16 females and 12 males), whose ages ranged from 20 to35 years, participated in the study. The data were collected by applying four different observation and self-assessment checklists to video recordings. A descriptive analysis was conducted. The findings reveal that pre-service teachers implemented CTD and SP in discrete behaviours with higher TI than the CTD and SP in chained behaviours. Recommendations for future research and practice are provided.
Analysis of Film Blowing with Flow-enhanced Crystallization

Abstract An analysis of the transient film blowing process is presented based on the two-phase Giesekus/rigid rod model for flow-enhanced crystallization described in Part 1 [1]. Linearized frequency analysis has been used to explore the effects of system disturbances on the process. Results show that perturbations related to heat transfer and inflation pressure are more significant than the effects of film thickness (die swell). In addition, crystallinity is shown to have a consistent stabilizing effect on the system, with more crystallinity dampening the perturbations. Stability diagrams for each material show relatively wide regions of convergence in the blow-up ratio (BUR) – draw ratio space, however, at higher BURs (≥ ~ 4) the system becomes unstable for all DRs.
Concanavalin A-induced autoimmune hepatitis model in mice: Mechanisms and future outlook

Abstract The concanavalin A (Con A)-induced liver injury mouse model is a typical animal model focusing on T cell-dependent hepatic damage in the field of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). However, the underlying mechanism of hepatic dysfunction due to cell activation or signaling pathways triggered by Con A has not been fully clarified. Therefore, the controversy on this model remains in the academic community. In this article, we first summarized the merit and demerit of this contentious model from the perspectives of cell dysfunction, microcirculation disturbance, involved signaling pathways, as well as the properties of Con A. Then, we summed up the scientific implications of the model in elucidating the pathogenesis of AIH, and the shortcomings of this model were also summarized to elucidate the pathogenesis and application prospect of this classical liver injury mouse model in the study of AIH.
Simplicity of indecomposable set-theoretic solutions of the Yang–Baxter equation

Abstract This paper aims to deepen the theory of bijective non-degenerate set-theoretic solutions of the Yang–Baxter equation, not necessarily involutive, by means of q-cycle sets. We entirely focus on the finite indecomposable ones, among which we especially study the class of simple solutions. In particular, we provide a group-theoretic characterization of these solutions, including their permutation groups. Finally, we deal with some open questions.
Yellow–green color polymorphism in males of a pea aphid clone and its genetic pattern

Although most aphid species living on leaves have a green body color, little is known regarding the biosynthetic pathways of green pigments. We found that a clone of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) produced both green‐ and yellow‐colored males. The females of this clone were green in color, while 8.4% of the males produced were yellow. To date, yellow body color has been reported only in a single mutant clone in A. pisum. To explore the genetic pattern of yellow body color, green or yellow males were mated with green females of the same clone. The hatchability of the eggs sired by yellow males (26.2%) was less than half that of the eggs sired by green males (79.0%). The hatched foundresses of both groups were all green, with no yellow foundresses. Because aphids have an XX‐XO sex determination system, color polymorphism in males suggests that male body color may be governed by an X‐linked locus. If females possess heterozygosity at the putative locus, they can produce alternative phenotypes in males. The small proportion of yellow males and absence of yellow foundresses imply that the allele responsible for yellow body color has a deleterious effect. The present study suggests that this clone could be used to elucidate the biosynthetic pathways and underlying genetics of green pigments in aphids.
Eribulin normalizes pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts by simulating TGFβ inhibition

Less than 11% of pancreatic cancer patients survive 5-years post-diagnosis. The unique biology of pancreatic cancer includes a significant expansion of its desmoplastic tumor microenvironment, wherein cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and their self-produced extracellular matrix are key components. CAF functions are both tumor-supportive and tumor-suppressive, while normal fibroblastic cells are solely tumor-suppressive. Knowing that CAF-eliminating drugs are ineffective and can accelerate cancer progression, therapies that “normalize” CAF function are highly pursued. Eribulin is a well-tolerated anti-microtubule drug used to treat a plethora of neoplasias, including advanced/metastatic cancers. Importantly, eribulin can inhibit epithelial to mesenchymal transition via a mechanism akin to blocking pathways induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ). Notably, canonical TGFβ signaling also plays a pivotal role in CAF activation, which is necessary for the development and maintenance of desmoplasia. Hence, we hypothesized that eribulin could modulate, and perhaps “normalize” CAF function. To test this premise, we used a well-established in vivo-mimetic fibroblastic cell-derived extracellular matrix (CDM) system and gauged the effects of eribulin on human pancreatic CAFs and cancer cells. The pathophysiologic cell-culturing system was also used to query eribulin effects on CDM-regulated cancer cell survival and invasive spread. Results demonstrated that intact CDMs modestly restricted eribulin from obstructing cancer cell growth. Nonetheless, eribulin-treated CAFs generated CDMs that limited cancer cell survival under nutritional stress, similar to reported tumor-suppressive CDMs generated by TGFβ-deficient CAFs. Data from this study support the central proposed premise and suggest that eribulin could be used as a CAF-normalizing drug.