Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alien Species vs. Native Species: From Community Ecology to Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics

The establishment and spread of exotic species is a contemporary major concern. Alien species may become invasive in their new habitat, leading to both/either environmental and/or economic impacts. I briefly reviewed the literature in the last decade about the relationship of exotic species and native communities. I identified that professionals usually approach the subject in two main points of view: (1) researchers tend to point out the impacts of alien species on entire communities, evaluating if the relationship is positive, negative or neutral; (2) they focus on the eco-evolutionary processes involved in the introductions, the dynamics of invasion, and individual study cases. When evaluating the response of introductions to entire communities, evidence seems to be ambiguous and may support positive, negative or neutral relationship, especially depending on the scale approached. The unique eco-evolutionary pathways of each introduction may be a great shortcoming in the searching for generalities. On the other hand, advances have been made in understanding the dynamics of invasion on different lineages through a more selective/individualized approach. I suggest that the dynamics of invasion might be studied through a perspective in which different eco-evolutionary processes, levels of organization (from gene to entire communities), the history of the organism(s) and time are taken into account. Individual cases might be compared in attempt to understand how the relationship exotic and native works and in the search for generalities.
The Prognosis of IVF in Poor Responders Depending on the Bologna Criteria: A Large Sample Retrospective Study from China

Objective. To analyze the treatment outcomes of patients who accepted IVF/ICSI-ET, diagnosed POR according to Bologna criteria. Study Design. Retrospective cohort study of one reproductive medical center, from 1st Jan., 2009, to 31st Dec., 2014. All patients fulfilled the Bologna criteria and accept IVF/ICSI-ET treatment with stimulation cycle. The main outcome measures were clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR). Results. There were 5770 eligible cycles included in this study. The incidence of POR was 10.3% (6286/62194). The overall CPR was 18.7%, IR was 11.6%, LBR/ET was 11.5%, and LBR/OPU was 8.3%. The cycle cancellation for no available oocyte or embryo was 4.9% and 18.6%, respectively. The subgroup of younger POR patients got highest CPR and LBR/ET, which decreased while increasing maternal age. Within three attempts, the patients got similar CPR and LBR. Conclusion. In conclusion, our study supports the Bologna criteria that defined women with poor IVF outcomes. But those younger than 42 years old with the first 3 attempts of IVF could got acceptable CPR and LBR.
Communication Complexities of XOR functions

We call $F:\{0, 1\}^n\times \{0, 1\}^n\to\{0, 1\}$ a symmetric XOR function if for a function $S:\{0, 1, . , n\}\to\{0, 1\}$, $F(x, y)=S(|x\oplus y|)$, for any $x, y\in\{0, 1\}^n$, where $|x\oplus y|$ is the Hamming weight of the bit-wise XOR of $x$ and $y$. We show that for any such function, (a) the deterministic communication complexity is always $\Theta(n)$ except for four simple functions that have a constant complexity, and (b) up to a polylog factor, the error-bounded randomized and quantum communication complexities are $\Theta(r_0+r_1)$, where $r_0$ and $r_1$ are the minimum integers such that $r_0, r_1\leq n/2$ and $S(k)=S(k+2)$ for all $k\in[r_0, n-r_1)$.
Diagnosing state-of-the-art object proposal methods

Object proposal has become a popular paradigm to replace exhaustive sliding window search in current top-performing methods in PASCAL VOC and ImageNet. Recently, Hosang et al. conduct the first unified study of existing methods' in terms of various image-level degradations. On the other hand, the vital question "what object-level characteristics really affect existing methods' performance? " is not yet answered. Inspired by Hoiem et al.'s work in categorical object detection, this paper conducts the first meta-analysis of various object-level characteristics' impact on state-of-the-art object proposal methods. Specifically, we examine the effects of object size, aspect ratio, iconic view, color contrast, shape regularity and texture. We also analyse existing methods' localization accuracy and latency for various PASCAL VOC object classes. Our study reveals the limitations of existing methods in terms of non-iconic view, small object size, low color contrast, shape regularity etc. Based on our observations, lessons are also learned and shared with respect to the selection of existing object proposal technologies as well as the design of the future ones.
Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis for the General Surgical Patient: Where Do We Stand?

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a frequent complication in surgical patients, with the potential for long-term disability or fatal outcome. The rationale behind routine use of thromboprophylaxis can be summarized in three points: (1) VTE is frequent in certain surgical populations, (2) VTE may be fatal, (3) thromboprophylaxis is highly effective and safe. In addition to these clinical benefits it has the potential for lowering overall treatment costs by preventing diagnostic procedures and delayed discharge or readmission due to thromboembolism. Surgical patients tend to have more than one risk factor for VTE, and in view of the fact that the effect of that risk is cumulative, it is important to stratify the risk to tailor an adequate prophylaxis strategy. There is consensus that heparins are both effective and safe in preventing VTE in surgical patients. Evidence-based local strategies should be available locally to clinicians and adhered to in order to maximize outcomes. Guidelines are intended to assist surgeons in making decisions in regard to DVT prophylaxis when performing surgical procedures.
Redirecting lentiviral vectors by insertion of integrin‐tageting peptides into envelope proteins

Targeting gene therapy vectors that can home in on desired cell and tissue types in vivo comprise the ultimate gene delivery system. We have previously developed targeting lentiviral vectors by pseudotyping vectors with modified Sindbis virus envelope proteins. The envelope protein contains the Fc‐binding region of protein A (ZZ domain), so the virus can be conjugated with antibodies. The conjugated antibody mediates specific transduction of the cells and tissues expressing the target antigens, both in vitro and in vivo. However, more stable conjugation of targeting molecules would be optimal for use in immunocompetent animals, as well as in humans.
Systematic Evaluation of Pancreas Allograft Quality, Outcomes and Geographic Variation in Utilization

Pancreas allograft acceptance is markedly more selective than other solid organs. The number of pancreata recovered is insufficient to meet the demand for pancreas transplants (PTx), particularly for patients awaiting simultaneous kidney‐pancreas (SPK) transplant. Development of a pancreas donor risk index (PDRI) to identify factors associated with an increased risk of allograft failure in the context of SPK, pancreas after kidney (PAK) or pancreas transplant alone (PTA), and to assess variation in allograft utilization by geography and center volume was undertaken. Retrospective analysis of all PTx performed from 2000 to 2006 (n = 9401) was performed using Cox regression controlling for donor and recipient characteristics. Ten donor variables and one transplant factor (ischemia time) were subsequently combined into the PDRI. Increased PDRI was associated with a significant, graded reduction in 1‐year pancreas graft survival. Recipients of PTAs or PAKs whose organs came from donors with an elevated PDRI (1.57–2.11) experienced a lower rate of 1‐year graft survival (77%) compared with SPK transplant recipients (88%). Pancreas allograft acceptance varied significantly by region particularly for PAK/PTA transplants (p < 0.0001). This analysis demonstrates the potential value of the PDRI to inform organ acceptance and potentially improve the utilization of higher risk organs in appropriate clinical settings.
Willing to play the game: How at‐risk students persist in school

A qualitative case study of 17 high-school students identified as at risk for dropping out, this research develops a grounded theory describing the process of students' persistence and the support they received from teachers and school administrators. Three interactive factors appear critical to persistence: (a) goal orientation—students' belief they will benefit from graduating, (b) willingness to play the game—students' willingness to follow school rules, and (c) meaningful connections—relationships with teachers who believed students could graduate and provided support and caring. All three factors were present for students who stayed through the school year whereas one or more was absent from the experiences of the students who left school before graduation. The research provides further support for the role of schools in supporting students' persistence and has implications for how schools support students who are struggling to stay in school. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 599–611, 2006.
Biophysical measurement of brain tumor cohesion

An advantage of using 3D multicellular spheres to study tumor biology is that they better approximate the interactions encountered by cells in vivo. Our previous studies have shown that the process of spheroid formation is governed by the same thermodynamic principles driving the formation of liquid droplets. This liquid‐like behavior enables us to measure a key property influencing tumor behavior, namely, intercellular cohesion. We have developed a method, tissue surface tensiometry (TST), to measure the cohesivity, expressible as surface tension (σ), of tissue aggregates under physiologic conditions. This study utilizes TST to measure the cohesivity of 3 widely used malignant astrocytoma cell lines of different in vitro invasive potentials. We compare invasiveness with aggregate cohesivity and with the expression of N‐cadherin, a key mediator of cell‐cell cohesion in neural tissues. We show that the cell lines exhibit liquid‐like behavior since they form spheroids whose surface tension is both force‐ and volume‐independent; that aggregates from each cell line have a distinct surface tension that correlates with their in vitro invasive capacity; that dexamethasone (Dex), a widely used therapeutic agent for the treatment of tumor‐related cerebral edema, increases aggregate cohesivity and decreases invasiveness; that dexamethasone treatment decreases invasion in a dose‐dependent manner but only when cells are in direct contact with one another; and that dex‐mediated decreased invasiveness correlates with increased aggregate cohesivity as measured by TST but not with N‐cadherin expression or function. Our results demonstrate that for these cell lines, cohesivity is an excellent predictor of in vitro invasiveness. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Insecticidal activity of raw ethanolic extracts from Magnolia dealbata Zucc on a tephritid pest

Ethanolic extracts from Magnolia dealbata (Zucc.) (Magnoliaceae); leaves, bark, seeds, sarcotesta and flowers were evaluated for insecticidal activity against adults of the Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae). Using feeding bioassays composed from sugar-extract mixtures, only the extract from sarcotesta indicated insecticidal activity against the flies. The extracts from the other four plant tissues (leaves, bark, seeds and flowers) did not manifest any biological activity. The most effective extract was obtained from oven-dried sarcotesta, whereas extracts from fresh sarcotesta were inactive. Our results suggest that M. dealbata sarcotesta contains secondary metabolites with insecticidal activity against A. ludens adults. These metabolites are as potent as natural pyrethins and represent a potential substance for controlling this type of pest.
Towards gravitational wave asteroseismology

We present new results for pulsating neutron stars. We have calculated the eigenfrequencies of the modes that one would expect to be the most important gravitational wave sources: the fundamental fluid f mode, the first pressure p mode and the first gravitational wave w mode, for twelve realistic equations of state. From these numerical data we have inferred a set of 'empirical relations' between the mode frequencies and the parameters of the star (the radius R and the mass M). Some of these relations prove to be surprisingly robust, and we show how they can be used to extract the details of the star from observed modes. The results indicate that, should the various pulsation modes be detected by the new generation of gravitational wave detectors that come online in a few years, the mass and the radius of neutron stars can be deduced with errors no larger than a few per cent.
Temporality 2: The relevance of the Heideggerian concept of time to the treatment of borderline conditions

In this article I attempt to demonstrate the relevance of the philosophy of time to psychiatric, psychological and psychoanalytic theories of development and therapeutic action. In an accompanying article I established a range of relevant temporal concepts, emerging from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, with links made to Freudian concepts of time, in particular Nachtraglichkeit, developed in the writings of psychoanalyst Andre Green and philosopher Jacques Derrida. In this article I proceed to explore this philosophy of time through a consideration of the developmental theories and clinical approaches of Donald Winnicott, Jean Laplanche, Andre Green and Hans Loewald. I conclude by establishing that the temporalizing function of therapeutic action can be seen to be a core or essential element of work with patients presenting with socalled borderline conditions. I demonstrate how a range of problems or ambiguities that coalesce around this condition (including dissociation, traumatization, self harm and brief reactive psychosis) can be understood in temporal terms.
Do Modern-Time Wars Make States? Panel Data Evidence

We re-examine the view that wars make strong states, taking advantage of panel data to address two of the most obvious endogeneity concerns that arise in this context: initial conditions and persistence of state capacity. Our main message is that, in modern times, there is no evidence that wars lead to strong states. In contrast to findings for earlier periods, our results show that external conflicts have displayed a negative correlation with traditional measures of state capacity in recent decades, which becomes insignificant after controlling for initial conditions and the persistence of state capacity. As in previous work, we find a negative capacity- internal conflict correlation, robust to controlling jointly for initial conditions and persistent effects.
Prevalence, Impact, and Prognosis of Multisomatoform Disorder in Primary Care: A 5-Year Follow-up Study

Background: To determine the prevalence, impact, and prognosis of multisomatoform disorder (MSD) over a 5-year period in a primary care population. Although somatization is prevalent in primary care, patients rarely meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for somatization disorder. MSD, defined as ≥3 bothersome, medically unexplained somatic symptoms, has been proposed as a more inclusive disorder. Methods: A total of 500 adults presenting to a primary care clinic with a physical symptom were screened with the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders. Symptom count was assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire 15-item somatic symptom scale. Additional baseline measures included functional status and symptom characteristics. Follow-up surveys at 2 weeks, 3 months, and 5 years assessed functioning, symptom outcome, psychiatric diagnoses, and patient satisfaction. Physician surveys assessed encounter difficulty. Utilization was obtained from our health database. Results: MSD had an 8% prevalence at both baseline (n = 38/500) and at 5 years (n = 33/387). MSD persisted in 21% of those with MSD at baseline, and developed in 7% of those without MSD at baseline. MSD at baseline was a predictor of MSD at 5 years (relative risk (RR) = 2.7, 1.5–5.1). MSD patients were more likely to have comorbid mental disorders (RR = 1.5, 1.1–2.3) and be rated “difficult” by their clinicians (p = .02). They also reported worse functional status at all time points assessed (p < .001 for all), were less likely to experience symptom improvement, and had higher utilization rates (34.1 versus 23.1 visits; p = .006). Conclusions: MSD identifies a group of patients who are less likely to experience symptom improvement and have significant functional impairment and higher utilization rates. MSD = multisomatoform disorder; DSM = Diagnostic Schedule Manual; DDPRQ = Difficult Doctor Patient Relationship Questionnaire; PRIME-MD = Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders.
Incremental Utility Elicitation for Adaptive Personalization

Medical devices often contain many tunable parameters. The optimal setting of these parameters depends on the patient’s utility function, which is often unknown. This raises two questions. First, how should we optimize the parameters given partial information about the patient’s utility? And secondly, what questions do we ask to efficiently elicit this utility information? In this paper, we present a coherent probabilistic decision-theoretic framework to answer these questions. We illustrate the potential of this framework on a toy problem and discuss directions for future research.
Toward a human-like locomotion: Modelling dynamically stable locomotion of an anthropomorphic robot in simulink environment

In the near future anthropomorphic robots will turn into an important part of our everyday routine. To successfully perform various tasks these robots require stable walking control algorithms, which could guarantee dynamic balance of the biped robot locomotion. Our research is focused on the development of locomotion algorithms which could provide effective anthropomorphic walking of a robot. As a target robotic platform we utilize an experimental model of a human-size robot - a novel Russian robot AR-601M. In this paper we introduce AR-601M robot and present a model of a biped robot with 11 DoF which simulates a simplified AR-601M robot. The simulation model is implemented in Matlab/Simulink environment and uses walking primitives in order to provide a dynamically stable locomotion.
The Negative Side of Positive Psychology

This article explores three ways in which the positive psychology movement’s construction and presentation of itself are negative. First, the negative side is construed as the negative side effects of positive psychology’s dominant, separatist message. Second, the negative side is construed as the negativity that can be found within the positive psychology movement. Here the author elaborates on the negative or dismissive reactions of some spokespersons for the movement to ideas or views that run counter to the movement’s dominant message: (a) negativity about negativity itself, which is explored by way of research in health psychology and coping styles; and (b) negativity about the wrong kind of positivity, namely, allegedly unscientific positivity, especially that which Seligman purports to find within humanistic psychology. This constitutes an epistemological position that contributes to “reality problems” for positive psychologists. The author concludes with the implications of positive psychology’s “Declaration of Independence” for psychology’s much discussed fragmentation woes. She appeals to the wisdom of William James for guidance in finding a third, more positive meaning of positive psychology’s negative side. This third meaning can be gleaned from a not-yet-dominant but more integrative message emerging within the movement, one compatible with the reactions of some humanistic psychologists to positive psychology.
Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction and Mortality Risk in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure

Background—Endothelial function is known to be impaired in subjects with chronic heart failure (CHF), but the association between endothelial function and subsequent mortality risk in CHF has not been previously reported. Methods and Results—Biomarkers of endothelial function in the systemic arterial circulation (flow-mediated dilation [FMD] in the brachial artery) and the pulmonary circulation (exhaled nitric oxide [NO] production during submaximal exercise) were prospectively assessed in 259 subjects with New York Heart Association class II–III CHF. In subjects with FMD measurements (n=149), there were 12 deaths and 5 urgent transplantations over a median follow-up period of 841 days. In subjects with exhaled NO production measurements (n=110), there were 18 deaths and 1 urgent transplantation over a median follow-up period of 396 days. Both decreased FMD and decreased exhaled NO production were associated with increased risk of death or urgent transplantation after adjustment for other known CHF prognostic factors (age, etiology of CHF, functional class, left ventricular ejection fraction) in Cox multivariate proportional-hazards models (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] estimate for a 1% decrease in FMD=1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03 to 1.45; P=0.027; adjusted HR estimate for a 1-ppb/min decrease in exhaled NO production=1.31, 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.69, P=0.04). Conclusions—Endothelial dysfunction in CHF, as assessed by FMD in the brachial artery and exhaled NO production during submaximal exercise, is associated with an increased mortality risk in subjects with both ischemic and nonischemic CHF.
Step-climbing maneuver for transleg in the wheeled mode

Transleg is a transformable leg-wheel robot conceived to work in the unstructured environment. The steps exist all over this environment, so it is essential that Transleg has the ability to negotiate the steps. The step-climbing performance of Transleg in the wheeled mode is studied in this paper. Transleg owns four leg-wheel and one spine mechanisms, and only the leg-wheel mechanisms are used in the study of this paper. Each leg-wheel is actuated by two actuators. One is for driving the thigh in the legged locomotion and wheel in the wheeled locomotion. The other is for driving the shank in the legged locomotion. For the low steps, Transleg can climb easily, only driving the wheels. To find the height of step Transleg can climb in this way, it is driven to climb the steps with different heights. The results show that Transleg can cross steps whose heights are a little lower than the radius of its wheels 55mm in the wheeled mode. To climb the higher steps, a step-climbing maneuver is designed. In this maneuver, the shanks play an important role. Some simulations are done to verify this maneuver, and the results show that Transleg can negotiate the steps with the height of 94mm which are much higher than the radius of its wheels using this step-climbing maneuver.