Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plant diversity and ecosystem productivity: Theoretical considerations (biodiversityyresource competitionysoil fertilityynutrient useyretention)

Ecosystem processes are thought to depend on both the number and identity of the species present in an ecosystem, but mathematical theory predicting this has been lacking. Here we present three simple models of interspecific competitive interactions in communities containing various numbersofrandomlychosenspecies.Allthreemodelspredict that, on average, productivity increases asymptotically with theoriginalbiodiversityofacommunity.Thetwomodelsthat address plant nutrient competition also predict that ecosys- temnutrientretentionincreaseswithbiodiversityandthatthe effects of biodiversity on productivity and nutrient retention increase with interspecific differences in resource require- ments. All three models show that both species identity and biodiversity simultaneously influence ecosystem functioning, buttheirrelativeimportancevariesgreatlyamongthemodels. This theory reinforces recent experimental results and shows that effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning are predicted by well-known ecological processes. more levels of diversity. At each level of diversity, there must be numerous replicate ecosystems, each with a random and independent combination of species chosen from the species pool. By having many random species combinations drawn from a large species pool, the mean response among replicate ecosystems at a given level of diversity becomes independent of particular species combinations. The differences among mean responses for different levels of diversity then measure the effect of diversity. The variance among the various species combinations at a given diversity level measures the effects of alternative species compositions. We apply this approach to two models of interspecific plant competitionfornutrientstodeterminethepredictedeffectsof plant species diversity on primary productivity and nutrient use. The first is a model of competition for a single resource, the second a model of competition for two resources (7). For both models we derive the predicted effects of plant diversity onequilibrialtotalplantcommunitystandingcrop(ameasure ofprimaryproductivity),whichwehenceforthcall''totalplant biomass,'' and on ecosystem nutrient consumption. A third model explores cases in which species are differentiated along orthogonal niche axes. We do not consider keystone species, functional groups, multitrophic-level interactions, and other complexities, all of which merit additional theoretical explo- ration. Rather, we consider simpler cases in hopes of abstract- ing some fundamental effects of diversity.
Evolution of satellite communications: Integration of ETSI BSM and DVB‐RCS for future satellite terminals

The main added value of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute broadband satellite multimedia (ETSI BSM) architecture is the definition of the Satellite Independent‐Service Access Point (SI‐SAP) protocol interface, which formally separates Satellite Dependent (SD) from SI layers, thus enabling the implementation of powerful vertical QoS mapping strategies. On the other hand, DVB‐S2/RCS satellite standard is considered the driving technology to integrate satellite with terrestrial infrastructure and provide up‐to‐date services. This paper focuses on the integration of ETSI BSM architecture and DVB‐RCS technology, by analysing the adaptations needed on real DVB‐RCS terminals to be interoperable with the SI‐SAP interface. To this end, the detailed design of an underlying architecture taking into account required adaptations and new functionalities is proposed. The possible further evolutions of the BSM specification are also highlighted, showing the potential for the development of future devices integrating both DVB‐RCS and ETSI BSM architectures also in view of the recent upgrade to the DVB‐RCS2 standard. The paper also validates the SI‐SAP QoS functionalities and proves the performance benefits in terms of QoS and quality of experience of Web‐browsing by means of a satellite emulator developed fors this aim. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Role of Editorial and Peer Review Processes in Publication Bias: Analysis of Drug Trials Submitted to Eight Medical Journals

Background Publication bias is generally ascribed to authors and sponsors failing to submit studies with negative results, but may also occur after submission. We evaluated whether submitted manuscripts on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with drugs are more likely to be accepted if they report positive results. Methods Manuscripts submitted from January 2010 through April 2012 to one general medical journal (BMJ) and seven specialty journals (Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, British Journal of Ophthalmology, Gut, Heart, Thorax, Diabetologia, and Journal of Hepatology) were included, if at least one study arm assessed the efficacy or safety of a drug and a statistical test was used to evaluate treatment effects. Publication status was retrospectively retrieved from submission systems or provided by journals. Sponsorship and trial results were extracted from manuscripts and classified according to predefined criteria. Main outcome measure was acceptance for publication. Results Of 15,972 manuscripts submitted, 472 (3.0%) were drug RCTs, of which 98 (20.8%) were published. Among submitted drug RCTs, 287 (60.8%) had positive and 185 (39.2%) negative results. Of these, 60 (20.9%) and 38 (20.5%), respectively, were published. Manuscripts on non-industry trials (n = 213) reported positive results in 138 (64.8%) manuscripts, compared to 71 (47.7%) on industry-supported trials (n = 149), and 78 (70.9%) on industry-sponsored trials (n = 110). Twenty-seven (12.7%) non-industry trials were published, compared to 27 (18.1%) industry-supported and 44 (40.0%) industry-sponsored trials. After adjustment for other trial characteristics, manuscripts reporting positive results were not more likely to be published (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.61 to 1.66). Submission to specialty journals, sample size, multicentre status, journal impact factor, and corresponding authors from Europe or US were significantly associated with publication. Conclusions For the selected journals, there was no tendency to preferably publish manuscripts on drug RCTs that reported positive results, suggesting that publication bias may occur mainly prior to submission.
Similarity of drug names: Comparison of objective and subjective measures

Previous research has shown that objective measures of orthographic (i.e., spelling) similarity can predict the probability of drug-name confusion, but it is not clear how these objective measures relate to subjective judgments of similarity. This study examined the association between one objective measure of orthographic similarity, the Dice coefficient on trigrams, and one subjective measure, based on the Proscale multidimensional scaling system. Twenty-seven participants, divided into three groups, performed a similarity grouping task on one of three sets of 70 drug names drawn at random from a larger set of similar and dissimilar name pairs. Subjective groupings were converted to dissimilarity scores with the use of the Proscale multidimensional scaling program. The association between subjective and objective measures was assessed by correlation and regression analyses. Correlations between subjective and objective measures were −0.70, −0.48, and −0.53 for the three groups, respectively (p < .001). Regression models with trigram similarity as the main predictor accounted for between 22 and 48% of the variance in subjective dissimilarity scores. It is concluded that objective measures of orthographic similarity between drug names are valid but incomplete measures of subjective similarity. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quantile Approximation for Robust Statistical Estimation and k-Enclosing Problems

Given a set P of n points in Rd, a fundamental problem in computational geometry is concerned with finding the smallest shape of some type that encloses all the points of P. Well-known instances of this problem include finding the smallest enclosing box, minimum volume ball, and minimum volume annulus. In this paper we consider the following variant: Given a set of n points in Rd, find the smallest shape in question that contains at least k points or a certain quantile of the data. This type of problem is known as a k-enclosing problem. We present a simple algorithmic framework for computing quantile approximations for the minimum strip, ellipsoid, and annulus containing a given quantile of the points. The algorithms run in O(n log n) time.
The Impact of a Peer-Learning Agent Based on Pair Programming in a Programming Course

This paper analyzes the educational effects of a peer-learning agent based on pair programming in programming courses. A peer-learning agent system was developed to facilitate the learning of a programming language through the use of pair programming strategies. This system is based on the role of a peer-learning agent from pedagogical and technical aspects and simulates the "tutor" and "tutee. " The peer-learning agent uses artificial intelligence methods with a Bayesian network as well as teaching and learning methods that simulate pair programming. This paper develops a model for determining students' programming abilities. In addition, the roles of the tutor and tutee are like the roles of a navigator and driver in pair programming. The developed agent system is demonstrated to have positive effects on knowledge retention and transfer in a programming course, with a greater influence on transfer than on retention. This model combining peer-learning agents with a teaching and learning strategy is more effective in helping learners to acquire programming skills.
Could Socrates be diagnosed within the schizophrenia spectrum? Could schizophrenia patients be considered in the light of Socratic insights?

[I]n fact the best things we have come from madness …”(Plato, Phaedrus 244a) Out of the biographic data on Socrates we find descriptions of some peculiar experiences and behaviours, which could be interpreted as a part of what is in our era diagnosed within the schizophrenia spectrum. The focus of this article is not whether we misinterpret some diagnostic criteria of schizophrenia if we diagnose Socrates by them, but whether we misinterpret some Socratic qualities in our fellow human beings, who happen to be diagnosed as such. Do we not appreciate one and the same thing once as wisdom (in Socrates) and in the next moment treat the same quality as “pseudo-philosophy” in our patients? Perhaps we need to turn back to the admonisher of “the unexamined life” (Socrates) and to start appreciating – and indeed learning from – examinations of our schizophrenia patients on the same wavelength. We give here first a concise depiction of Socrates’ peculiarities with as much context as possible, and then we employ a hermeneutic-phenomenological investigation to shed some light on the aforementioned ideas. These ideas can be seen as a small contribution to a much-needed de-stigmatization of schizophrenia patients and indeed a positive appreciation of their strengths, which are both key mediators in their treatment and recovery.
The incidence of pulp healing defects with direct capping materials.

PURPOSE To (1) study the injury and healing activity of the pulp tissue to calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2], resin composite (RC) and resin-modified glass-ionomer (RMGI) materials when used as direct pulp capping agents, and (2) compare the incidence of healing defects between these materials. METHODS 135 Class V pulp exposed cavities were prepared in non-human primate teeth. Direct pulp capping was conducted over 6 to 730 days with hard set Ca(OH)2, RMGI and CR materials. Healing defects recorded were: (1) bacterial leakage with McKays stain; (2) operative debris including dentin fragments and particles of capping material; (3) pulpal inflammatory activity according to FDI standards; (4) area and absence of dentin bridge formation; and (5) presence of tunnel defects in bridge. Statistical analysis was evaluated using ANOVA. RESULTS The capping materials were associated with varying levels of pulp healing defects, including tunnel defects (P= 0.0001); operative debris (P= 0.0001); pulpal inflammatory cell activity (P= 0.0073) and bacterial leakage (P= 0.0260). Other healing defects, and the area of dentin bridge were not influenced by capping materials (P> 0.05).
The divergence and coalescence of public outdoor recreation values in New Zealand and England: an interplay between rights and markets

Mid 19th Century English settlers in New Zealand developed a clear set of values for outdoor recreation. A small gregarious farming population used recreation for team sports and the nurturing of a ‘moral and physical health’. Work on the farm was a solitary activity. Recreation should therefore be a social one, taking place on land the rights to which were to be available to all. Developments in England from this time, by contrast, provided recreation values dominated by notions of quiet rural refreshment in manicured landscapes. These values were inextricably linked with national identity for a country with an Empire: the English landscape was the image of a spiritual home and rights over the use of this landscape became increasingly restricted over time. Contemporary national policy in both countries reinforced these distinct value systems. From the late 1970s, however, increasing globalisation has led to a coalescence of value systems for outdoor recreation. Traditional forms of outdoor activities, and the rights to pursue them, have given way to more common leisure lifestyles in both countries. These are now much more based around the home and on health and fitness, and are driven by access through the market rather than through public access rights. Public policy for outdoor recreation in both countries also has embraced this market orientation, pulling back from the centrality of the public provision of access rights.
Quantum and classical descriptions of a measuring apparatus

A measuring apparatus is described by quantum mechanics while it interacts with the quantum system under observation and then it must be given a classical description so that the result of the measurement appears as objective reality. Alternatively, the apparatus may always be treated by quantum mechanics and be measured by a second apparatus, which has such a dual description. This article examines whether these two different descriptions are mutually consistent. It is shown that if the dynamical variable used in the first apparatus is represented by an operator of the Weyl-Wigner type (for example, if it is a linear coordinate), then the conversion from quantum to classical terminology does not affect the final result. However, if the first apparatus encodes the measurement in a different type of operator (e.g., the phase operator), the two methods of calculation may give different results.
Roombots-mechanical design of self-reconfiguring modular robots for adaptive furniture

We aim at merging technologies from information technology, roomware, and robotics in order to design adaptive and intelligent furniture. This paper presents design principles for our modular robots, called Roombots, as future building blocks for furniture that moves and self-reconfigures. The reconfiguration is done using dynamic connection and disconnection of modules and rotations of the degrees of freedom. We are furthermore interested in applying Roombots towards adaptive behaviour, such as online learning of locomotion patterns. To create coordinated and efficient gait patterns, we use a Central Pattern Generator (CPG) approach, which can easily be optimized by any gradient-free optimization algorithm. To provide a hardware framework we present the mechanical design of the Roombots modules and an active connection mechanism based on physical latches. Further we discuss the application of our Roombots modules as pieces of a homogenic or heterogenic mix of building blocks for static structures.
Family Systems and Inheritance

"One of the obvious facts of human society is that people die and institutions remain" (Friedman, 1966 , p. 3 4 0 ) . This continuity is achieved by rules for succession to statuses and rules for inheritance of property. These rules must be sufficiently precise to minimize the number of unresolvable conflicts (Radcliffe-Brown, 1935 , p. 3 0 1 ) . This is true in both preliterate and complex societies. In preliterate societies these rules are bound to traditional religion and ritual. Typically inheritance of property follows the lines of succession to status. Equity passage is intertwined with the individual's and family's position in the society. In more complex societies these rules are part of a codified system of secular law. The laws dealing with inheri tance of property are distinct from those governing succession to an office or status. Individuals in preliterate societies are likely to possess only a few tools, utensils, and personal ornaments. These may be destroyed at death, or more commonly, because of the sexual division of labor, they are transmitted to a person of the same sex. Lands, buildings, cattle and other material possessions which are critical to survival have very specific rules of descent along patrilineal or matrilineal lines. These regulations ensure continuity of functions of the larger group, usually the generationally and bilaterally l inked lineage. In comparison, the modern complex society is vastly wealthy, with many persons having assets, and a few holding great wealth. Wi th minor exceptions, these assets are not peculiarly useful to one sex only, nor are they destroyed at death.1 There is less distinction made between personal mementoes and possessions and economic assets in generational transfers. The land and dwelling unit of the urbanite in a complex society is less critical to the survival and maintenance of the family group than are these items in rural areas of undifferentiated or preliterate societies. In a simple society, the lineage takes precedence over the conjugal family. "In general, it may be said that husband and wife do not inherit
Dynamic duopoly with best-price clauses

This article investigates best-price clauses as a strategic device to facilitate collusion in a dynamic duopoly game. Best-price clauses guarantee rebates on the purchase price if a customer finds a better price after his purchase. Two different price clauses are distinguished: "most favored customer" and "meet or release. " I examine the collusive potential of both clauses in a finite-horizon duopoly model with homogeneous durable goods. In each period, new consumers enter the market, I show that in this context, meet-or-release clauses have a greater anticompetitive potential than most-favored-customer clauses.
Epigenetic setting and reprogramming for neural cell fate determination and differentiation

In the mammalian brain, epigenetic mechanisms are clearly involved in the regulation of self-renewal of neural stem cells and the derivation of their descendants, i.e. neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, according to the developmental timing and the microenvironment, the ‘niche’. Interestingly, local epigenetic changes occur, concomitantly with genome-wide level changes, at a set of gene promoter regions for either down- or upregulation of the gene. In addition, intergenic regions also sensitize the availability of epigenetic modifiers, which affects gene expression through a relatively long-range chromatinic interaction with the transcription regulatory machineries including non-coding RNA (ncRNA) such as promoter-associated ncRNA and enhancer ncRNA. We show that such an epigenetic landscape in a neural cell is statically but flexibly formed together with a variable combination of generally and locally acting nuclear molecules including master transcription factors and cell-cycle regulators. We also discuss the possibility that revealing the epigenetic regulation by the local DNA–RNA–protein assemblies would promote methodological innovations, e.g. neural cell reprogramming, engineering and transplantation, to manipulate neuronal and glial cell fates for the purpose of medical use of these cells.
Significant Others and Self-Evaluation

Inconsistent results have been obtained with respect to the congruence between perceived others' evaluations and the actual evaluations obtained from others when others have consisted of members of a peer group. In this study, 178 individuals described themselves as they believed significant others would describe them, and actual evaluations were obtained from one significant other for each of the 178 individuals. Under these conditions significant and consistent congruence was found for 53 personality traits between: (1) self-evaluations and perceived others' evaluations; (2) self-evaluations and actual evaluations obtained from one significant other; and (3) perceived others' evaluations and the actual evaluations by one significant other.
Mechanism of organic cation transport in rabbit renal basolateral membrane vesicles.

The transports of [3H]tetraethylammonium (TEA), [3H]procainamide (PCA), and N1-[3H]methylnicotinamide (NMN) were studied in rabbit renal basolateral membrane vesicles (BLMVs) by use of a rapid filtration assay. All three compounds exhibited a similar uptake profile into the BLMVs and reached equilibrium by 1 h. In the presence of valinomycin, a K+ ionophore and K+ gradients (in to out), an inside-negative potential difference (PD) was generated that stimulated the uptake of TEA, PCA, and NMN by 1.9-, 1.9-, and 2.1-fold, respectively. The effect of PD could be blocked by the organic cation transport inhibitor mepiperphenidol. An inside-negative PD was also generated by a pH gradient (inside acidic). An overshoot of TEA uptake was produced, which was blocked by a valinomycin voltage clamp. Counterflow studies revealed that 1 mM TEA was capable of trans-stimulating 50 microM [3H]TEA uptake and producing a peak overshoot of nearly three times the equilibrium value, which was not abolished in the presence of a valinomycin voltage clamp or a gramicidin pH clamp. When an inside-negative PD was imposed on 1 mM TEA-loaded BLMVs, the uptake of [3H]TEA was 33% less. In contrast, neither NMN nor PCA produced a trans-stimulation of [3H]NMN or [3H]PCA transport, respectively. In addition, the effect of several organic cations on the TEA-TEA exchange mechanism was studied. Mepiperphenidol, PCA, choline, cimetidine, and NMN all demonstrated cis inhibition (82, 81, 58, 51, and 20%, respectively). Arginine, a basic amino acid, and probenecid, an organic anion transport inhibitor, had no effect. Choline was capable of trans-stimulating TEA uptake. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Synchrotron ultrafast techniques for photoactive transition metal complexes

In the last decade, the use of time-resolved X-ray techniques has revealed the structure of light-generated transient species for a wide range of samples, from small organic molecules to proteins. Time resolutions of the order of 100 ps are typically reached, allowing one to monitor thermally equilibrated excited states and capture their structure as a function of time. This review aims at providing a general overview of the application of time-resolved X-ray solution scattering (TR-XSS) and time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy (TR-XAS), the two techniques prevalently employed in the investigation of light-triggered structural changes of transition metal complexes. In particular, we herein describe the fundamental physical principles for static XSS and XAS and illustrate the theory of time-resolved XSS and XAS together with data acquisition and analysis strategies. Selected pioneering examples of photoactive transition metal complexes studied by TR-XSS and TR-XAS are discussed in depth.