Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial variation in population density across the geographical range in helminth parasites of yellow perch Perca flavescens

The abundance of a species is not constant across its geographical range; it has often been assumed to decrease from the centre of a species’ range toward its margins. The central assumption of this ‘‘favourable centre’’ model is tested for the first time with parasites, using different species of helminth parasites exploiting fish as definitive hosts. Data on prevalence (percentage of hosts that are infected) and abundance (mean no. parasites per host) were compiled for 8 helminth species occurring in 23 populations of yellow perch Perca flavescens, from continental North America. For each parasite species, correlations were computed between latitude and both local prevalence and abundance values. In addition, the relationships between the relative prevalence or abundance in one locality and the distance between that locality and the one where the maximum value was reported, were assessed separately for each species to determine whether abundance tends to decrease away from the presumed centre of the range, where it peaks. For both the cestode Proteocephalus pearsei and the acanthocephalan Leptorhynchoides thecatus, there was a positive relationship between prevalence or abundance and the latitude of the sampled population. There was also a significant negative relationship between relative prevalence and the distance from the locality showing the maximum value in P. pearsei, but no such pattern was observed for the other 7 parasite species. Since this single significant decrease in prevalence with increasing distance from the peak value may be confounded by a latitudinal gradient, it appears that the distribution of abundance in parasites of perch does not follow the favourable centre model. This means that the environmental variables affecting the density of parasites (host availability, abiotic conditions) do not show pronounced spatial autocorrelation, with nearby sites not necessarily providing more similar conditions for the growth of parasite populations than distant sites.
PSO embedded evolutionary programming technique for nonconvex economic load dispatch

This paper proposes a hybrid method that integrates the main features of particle swarm optimization (PSO) and evolutionary programming (EP) for solution of nonconvex economic load dispatch (ELD) problems having nonlinearities like valve point loadings. Algorithms based on PSO, Evolutionary programming (EP) and PSO embedded EP techniques have been developed and tested on a practical nonconvex ELD problem with valve point loading effects considered in the cost functions. Numerical results show that all the algorithms are capable of finding feasible near global solutions within a reasonable time but PSO embedded EP-algorithm with Gaussian mutation appears to outperform the other two in terms of convergence speed, solution time and quality of solution.
Use of latent variable modeling to delineate psychiatric and cognitive profiles in Parkinson disease.

OBJECTIVES A range of psychiatric symptoms and cognitive deficits occur in Parkinson disease (PD), and symptom overlap and comorbidity complicate the classification of nonmotor symptoms. The objective of this study was to use analytic-based approaches to classify psychiatric and cognitive symptoms in PD. DESIGN Cross-sectional evaluation of a convenience sample of patients in specialty care. SETTING Two outpatient movement disorders centers at the University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center. PARTICIPANTS One hundred seventy-seven patients with mild-moderate idiopathic PD and without significant global cognitive impairment. MEASUREMENTS Subjects were assessed with an extensive psychiatric, neuropsychological, and neurological battery. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to statistically delineate group-level symptom profiles across measures of psychiatric and cognitive functioning. Predictors of class membership were also examined. RESULTS Results from the LCA indicated that a four-class solution best fit the data. The 32.3% of the sample had good psychiatric and normal cognitive functioning, 17.5% had significant psychiatric comorbidity but normal cognition, 26.0% had few psychiatric symptoms but had poorer cognitive functioning across a range of cognitive domains, and 24.3% had both significant psychiatric comorbidity and poorer cognitive functioning. Age, disease severity, and medication use predicted class membership. CONCLUSIONS LCA delineates four classes of patients in mild-moderate PD, three of which experience significant nonmotor impairments and comprise over two thirds of patients. Neuropsychiatric symptoms and cognitive deficits follow distinct patterns in PD, and further study is needed to determine whether these classes are generalizable, stable, predict function, quality of life, and long-term outcomes and are amenable to treatment at a class level.
Soil Moisture Memory in Climate Models

Abstract Water balance considerations at the soil surface lead to an equation that relates the autocorrelation of soil moisture in climate models to 1) seasonality in the statistics of the atmospheric forcing, 2) the variation of evaporation with soil moisture, 3) the variation of runoff with soil moisture, and 4) correlation between the atmospheric forcing and antecedent soil moisture, as perhaps induced by land–atmosphere feedback. Geographical variations in the relative strengths of these factors, which can be established through analysis of model diagnostics, lead to geographical variations in simulated soil moisture memory. The use of the equation to characterize controls on soil moisture memory is demonstrated with data from the modeling system of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Seasonal-to-Interannual Prediction Project.
Gap Junctional Blockade Stochastically Induces Different Species-Specific Head Anatomies in Genetically Wild-Type Girardia dorotocephala Flatworms

The shape of an animal body plan is constructed from protein components encoded by the genome. However, bioelectric networks composed of many cell types have their own intrinsic dynamics, and can drive distinct morphological outcomes during embryogenesis and regeneration. Planarian flatworms are a popular system for exploring body plan patterning due to their regenerative capacity, but despite considerable molecular information regarding stem cell differentiation and basic axial patterning, very little is known about how distinct head shapes are produced. Here, we show that after decapitation in G. dorotocephala, a transient perturbation of physiological connectivity among cells (using the gap junction blocker octanol) can result in regenerated heads with quite different shapes, stochastically matching other known species of planaria (S. mediterranea, D. japonica, and P. felina). We use morphometric analysis to quantify the ability of physiological network perturbations to induce different species-specific head shapes from the same genome. Moreover, we present a computational agent-based model of cell and physical dynamics during regeneration that quantitatively reproduces the observed shape changes. Morphological alterations induced in a genomically wild-type G. dorotocephala during regeneration include not only the shape of the head but also the morphology of the brain, the characteristic distribution of adult stem cells (neoblasts), and the bioelectric gradients of resting potential within the anterior tissues. Interestingly, the shape change is not permanent; after regeneration is complete, intact animals remodel back to G. dorotocephala-appropriate head shape within several weeks in a secondary phase of remodeling following initial complete regeneration. We present a conceptual model to guide future work to delineate the molecular mechanisms by which bioelectric networks stochastically select among a small set of discrete head morphologies. Taken together, these data and analyses shed light on important physiological modifiers of morphological information in dictating species-specific shape, and reveal them to be a novel instructive input into head patterning in regenerating planaria.
The Involuntary/Voluntary Distinction: Implications for Learning and Memory and the Contributions of P. I. Zinchenko

46 John H. Mace is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Eastern Illinois University. He specializes in cognitive psychology, particularly the study of memory. Address correspondence to John H. Mace, Department of Psychology, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL 61920; e-mail jhmace@eiu.edu. Journal of Russian and East European Psychology, vol. 46, no. 6, November–December 2008, pp. 46–51. © 2009 M.E. Sharpe, Inc. All rights reserved. ISSN 1061–0405/2009 $9.50 + 0.00. DOI 10.2753/RPO1061-0405460604
Reproductive mode and genetic variation suggest a North American origin of European Letharia vulpina

Our data on the intercontinental population biology of Letharia vulpina show an unexpected shift from a recombining North American population with unique haplotypes to genetically depauperate Swedish and Italian populations, each with many representatives of a single repeated haplotype. Analysis of eight loci in 47 individuals supported recombination in North American populations and showed almost no variation among European populations. We infer that a genetic bottleneck caused by limited long‐distance dispersal accounts for the lack of genetic variation found in marginal populations. This lack of variation in the European populations makes it impossible to use population genetic means to distinguish clonal reproduction from self‐fertilization or even outcrossing, but phenotype indicates that reproduction in the marginal populations is by clonal spread, via soredia and isidioid soredia.
Impact of Solar Radiation on Gene Expression in Bacteria

Microorganisms often regulate their gene expression at the level of transcription and/or translation in response to solar radiation. In this review, we present the use of both transcriptomics and proteomics to advance knowledge in the field of bacterial response to damaging radiation. Those studies pertain to diverse application areas such as fundamental microbiology, water treatment, microbial ecology and astrobiology. Even though it has been demonstrated that mRNA abundance is not always consistent with the protein regulation, we present here an exhaustive review on how bacteria regulate their gene expression at both transcription and translation levels to enable biomarkers identification and comparison of gene regulation from one bacterial species to another.
How Conditional Random Fields Learn Dynamics : An Example-Based Study

In this paper 1 we investigate how Conditional Random Fields (CRFs) learn dynamics. To demonstrate the ability of CRF in learning dynamics, a discriminative probabilistic framework, Temporal Conditional Random Fields, is presented for the modeling of the object motion and tracking. The main drawback of generative models, such as HMM and MRF is that they can simply employ the relation between states without considering the relation between states and measurements, while discriminative frameworks can model any arbitrary relation between measurements and states. To facilitate such a powerful graphical model to learn the object motion, and to achieve a CRF-based estimation based upon the advantage of the discriminative framework, a set of graphical temporal relations is proposed for the object tracking, including feature functions, such as optical flow (calculated based upon consequent frames) and line field features. Based on temporal feature function, we show the ability of CRF in dynamic learning mathematically. As it is assumed that the object motion is nearly constant and that the current measurement is not available when TCRF estimates the target state, therefore, the changing of the object motion is addressed by utilizing a template matching in order to determine and then retrain TCRF. The proposed method is validated using synthetic and real data sequences. This shows that the TCRF estimation error is approximately zero.
The diversity of subunit composition in nAChRs: evolutionary origins, physiologic and pharmacologic consequences.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are made up of homologous subunits, which are encoded by a large multigene family. The wide number of receptor oligomers generated display variable pharmacological properties. One of the main questions underlying research in molecular pharmacology resides in the actual role of this diversity. It is generally assumed that the observed differences between the pharmacology of homologous receptors, for instance, the EC(50) for the endogenous agonist, or the kinetics of desensitization, bear some kind of physiologic relevance in vivo. Here we develop the quite challenging point of view that, at least within a given subfamily of nicotinic receptor subunits, the pharmacologic variability observed in vitro would not be directly relevant to the function of receptor proteins in vivo. In vivo responses are not expected to be sensitive to mild differences in affinities, and several examples of functional replacement of one subunit by another have been unravelled by knockout animals. The diversity of subunits might have been conserved through evolution primarily to account for the topologic diversity of subunit distribution patterns, at the cellular and subcellular levels. A quantitative variation of pharmacological properties would be tolerated within a physiologic envelope, as a consequence of a near-neutral genetic drift. Such a "gratuitous" pharmacologic diversity is nevertheless of practical interest for the design of drugs, which would specifically tackle particular receptor oligomers with a defined subunit composition among the multiple nicotinic receptors present in the organism.
Molecular circuits in thrombosis and inflammation

Summary Inflammatory cytokines promote the activation of coagulation through the induction of tissue factor, downregulation of thrombomodulin and upregulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor. In addition to these mechanisms, infections can trigger the release of extracellular traps from leukocytes consisting of DNA and histones. Tissue injury results in release of nucleosomes. Either of these histone containing structures activate platelets and form a potent procoagulant surface on polyphosphates secreted from the platelets, thereby augmenting thrombus formation. In addition, the histones can inhibit thrombomodulin function. The combination of augmenting the platelet procoagulant activity and impairing thrombomodulin activity probably explains the microvascular thrombotic problems observed when histones are infused into mice. Of the histones, H4 is the most potent in all of these activities. DNAase or blocking histone H4 can decrease the thrombotic response initiated by either the extracellular traps or nucleosomes. In addition to the direct prothrombotic activity of histone-DNA complexes, the complexes trigger activation of the toll-like receptors 2, 4 and 9 thereby increasing inflammatory cytokine formation and fostering thrombotic responses through the mechanisms mentioned previously. Furthermore, these cytokines are likely to increase cell necrosis and apoptosis releasing nucleosomes and further augmenting the activation of leukocytes with the subsequent release of extracellular traps. Blocking this histone-mediated cascade has the potential to impact a variety of clinical conditions including sepsis, trauma, chemical toxicity, transplant injury and reperfusion injury.
A 3D vision based approach for optimal grasp of vacuum grippers

In general, robot grasping approaches are based on the usage of multi-finger grippers. However, when large size objects need to be manipulated vacuum grippers are preferred, instead of finger based grippers. This paper aims to estimate the best picking place for a two suction cups vacuum gripper, when planar objects with an unknown size and geometry are considered. The approach is based on the estimation of geometric properties of object's shape from a partial cloud of points (a single 3D view), in such a way that combine with considerations of a theoretical model to generate an optimal contact point that minimizes the vacuum force needed to guarantee a grasp. Experimental results in real scenarios are presented to show the validity of the proposed approach.
The Transformation of China's Mental Health Services

Different powerful groups within a society characterize social deviance in different ways, so the types of social deviance considered 'mental disorders' are a reflection of the relative influence of different institutions in the community at a particular point in time. In most Western countries the influence of the medical establishment and the high profile of psychiatry within medicine result in a strong tendency to medicalize many forms of social deviance, to label them as mental disorders, and to develop corresponding treatment facilities. However, based on my observations during a dozen years as a practising psychiatrist in China, the medical institutions there are relatively weak — medical care only accounts for 3.2 per cent of GNP — and psychiatry has a very low status within medicine. The influence of medical and psychiatric institutions on the understanding and management of socially deviant behaviours is correspondingly small and the range of available mental health services is quite limited.
Realities of doing responsibilities: performances and practices in tourism

Abstract With the ever increasing popularity of tours, flights and hotels that put ethics and responsibility at the forefront of their operations, what exactly does it mean to be responsible in tourism? Is it really so easy to be responsible? What actually happens on the ground in places where one tries to be responsible? Using fieldwork primarily conducted in/on Thailand, this research aims to unpack notions of responsibility in tourism, and argues that there is a need to go beyond simplistic idea(l)s and discourses about responsibilities, and instead interrogate actual and practical aspects of doing responsibilities. Fieldwork for this article is based on interviews with key decision makers in travel‐related companies, and interviews and participant observation at two case studies, namely Exotissimo Travel based in Bangkok, and the Elephant Camp (pseudonym). It highlights several aspects of the “realities” of doing responsibilities which complicates our ideas of what responsibility is about – that doing responsibilities is not at all easy; involves a continual questioning and negotiation of who is responsible for what; and how responsibilities in tourism can in fact be done to please tourists. This article therefore argues that there is no, and possibly cannot be, a conclusive statement on what responsibility is in practice, or what should or should not be considered as responsibilities. Instead, it brings to light the importance of contextualizing responsibilities and stresses the complex and plural nature in which responsibilities play out on the ground.
The mechanism of how Transactive memory system influences team performance

Based on the former researches about transactive memory system and team performance, this article argues the relationship between team member, expertise, team stability, trust, communication and specialization, credibility, coordination of Transactive memory systems. Added team size as a control variable and task complexity as a moderator, we build a rudimentary model to show the mechanism that how TMS influences team performance, and hope it will help the following theoretical and empirical study.
Evaluation of truncated LipL32 expressed by Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris for serodiagnosis of Leptospira infection in rodents

The applicability of the recombinant LipL32 for serodiagnosis of leptospiral infection in field rodents was assessed in this study. An immunodominant region of LipL32 was determined by monoclonal antibodies, and then, truncated LipL32 (tLipL32) was designed to contain the region (87–188th amino acid). The tLipL32 was compared between two recombinant expression hosts Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris in ELISA. With field rat sera, tLipL32 expressed by P. pastoris (tLipL32p) had high antigenicity without background reactions, while tLipL32 expressed by E. coli (tLipL32e) showed high background reactions, which were reduced by pre-adsorption of sera with E. coli. To evaluate tLipL32-ELISA, field rat sera were tentatively divided into a Leptospira infection positive (12 sera) and a negative group (12 sera) based on the results from flaB gene PCR of kidney samples and WB with whole Leptospira cell. Consequently, the sensitivity of tLipL32p-ELISA for field rat sera was 83% . A similar result was obtained from tLipL32e-ELISA with adsorbed sera, (92%). However, sensitivity of tLipL32e-ELISA using sera without an adsorption treatment was 50%. Regardless of the expression host, tLipL32-ELISA had 100% specificity and sensitivity in experimentally infected laboratory rats. These results suggest that recombinant LipL32 expressed by P. pastoris is more applicable for serodiagnosis in field rats due to a lack of background reaction.
Outcome of Hearing Improvement in Myringoplasty A Study of Fifty One Sudanese Patients

Myringoplasty is a reconstructive operation of the tympanic membrane to prevent recurrent ear infection and improve the hearing. Objective: to assess the hearing improvement after myringoplasty and factors that might affect the outcome. Patients and methods: Fifty one patients who had undergone myringoplasty were taken on this prospective study. They were subjected to clinical and audiological examination by a questionnaire, and the results of pure tone audiogram were analyzed. Results: Most of the patients (51 %) were in the age group 0-20 years. Male to female ratio was 1:1.12. The common cause of perforation was chronic ear infection and its commonest size was subtotal (34 patients=66.7%). Most of the patients had conductive hearing loss (47 patients=92.2 %), while mixed hearing loss was found in 4 patients (7.8%). Postauricular approach was used in18 patients (35.3%) and had higher hearing threshold improvement (94.4%). Underlay technique and temporalis fascia graft both had a higher hearing threshold improvement. The overall hearing threshold improvement was 80.4% and air-bone gap had decreased in 80.4%. Conclusion and recommendations: in this study myringoplasty was mainly performed in young age, had best hearing threshold improvement and better outcome in female, temporalis fascia, underlay technique and postauricular approach. We recommend for further studies conducted with more number of patients and long time follow up after myringoplasty for assessment of hearing improvement.
Young children's comprehension of pretend causal sequences

In 2 experiments, preschoolers'ability to understand pretend transformations was assessed. In Experiment 1, 3- and 4-year-olds watched 5 episodes in which 1 of 2 similar props was altered in a pretend fashion. Children's pretend responses showed that they understood these transformations. In Experiment 2, 2-, 3-, and 4-year-olds watched 6 episodes in which either a single or a double pretend transformation was carried out. In the single transformations, only 1 of 2 props was altered. In the double transformations, both props were transformed, but then 1 was returned to its original state. After each type of transformation, children made a pretend response to 1 of the 2 props. Children's accurate selection of prop in both experiments shows that they keep track of pretend transformations