Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diversity and distribution patterns of benthic inverte- brates along alpine gradients. A study of remote Euro- pean freshwater lakes

Invertebrates inhabiting alpine water bodies are sensitive to environmental variability and lake faunal communities can therefore be important indicators of long-range airborne pollution, climate change and other human impacts. Information about the trophic structure and species composition of alpine lake ecosystems over space and time should therefore give important insights into environmental change effects.To explore the sensitivity of the faunal communities to environmental variability at local and regional scales we sampled biological and environmental variables from alpine lakes in seven dif- ferent alpine lake districts in six European mountain regions. The fauna of the lakes was mainly com-
Edinburgh Research Explorer Accelerated, Parallel, and Proximal Coordinate Descent

We propose a new randomized coordinate descent method for minimizing the sum of convex functions each of which depends on a small number of coordinates only. Our method (APPROX) is simultaneously Accelerated, Parallel, and PROXimal; this is the ﬁrst time such a method is proposed. In the special case when the number of processors is equal to the number of coordinates, the method converges at the rate 2¯ ω ¯ LR 2 / ( k + 1) 2 , where k is the iteration counter, ¯ ω is a data-weighted average degree of separability of the loss function, ¯ L is the average of Lipschitz constants associated with the coordinates and individual functions in the sum, and R is the distance of the initial point from the minimizer. We show that the method can be implemented without the need to perform full-dimensional vector operations, which is the major bottleneck of accelerated coordinate descent. The fact that the method depends on the average degree of separability, and not on the maximum degree, can be attributed to the use of new safe large stepsizes, leading to improved expected separable overapproximation (ESO). These are of independent interest and can be utilized in all existing parallel randomized coordinate descent algorithms based on the concept of ESO. In special cases, our method recovers several classical and recent algorithms such as simple and accelerated proximal gradient descent, as well serial, parallel, and distributed versions of randomized block coordinate descent. Our bounds match or improve on the best known bounds for these methods.
Spin Echoes

Intense radiofrequency power in the form of pulses is applied to an ensemble of spins in a liquid placed in a large static magnetic Geld H&. The frequency of the pulsed r-f power satisGes the condition for nuclear magnetic resonance, and the pulses last for times which are short compared with the time in which the nutating macroscopic magnetic moment of the entire spin ensemble can decay. After removal of the pulses a non-equilibrium configuration of isochromatic macroscopic moments remains in which the moment vectors precess freely. Each moment vector has a magnitude at a given precession frequency which is determined by the distribution of Larmor frequencies imposed upon the ensemble by inhomogeneities in Ho. At times determined by pulse sequences applied in the past the constructive interference of these moment vectors gives rise to observable spontaneous nuclear induction signals. The properties and underlying principles of these spin echo signals are discussed with use of the Bloch theory. Relaxation times are measured directly and accurately from the measurement of echo amplitudes. An analysis includes the effect on relaxation measurements of the self-diffusion of liquid molecules which contain resonant nuclei. Preliminary studies are made of several effects associated with spin echoes, including the observed shifts in magnetic resonance frequency of spins due to magnetic shielding of nuclei contained in molecules.
DIFFERENCES IN DEVELOPMENT STAGE AND STOCK DENSITY OF LARVAL ANGUILLA ANGUILLA OFF THE WEST COAST OF EUROPE

RÉSUMÉ. — La présence de larves d'Anguille à différents stades de métamorphose le long du talus continental du Golfe de Gascogne et des régions septentrionales proches du détroit de Gibraltar, est suivie à l'aide de prélèvements effectués à l'IKMT, de nuit et à 25-100 m de profondeur environ. Des prélèvements au MOCNESS ont confirmé leur présence en grande quantité pendant la nuit à cette profondeur. La densité des larves d'Anguille pendant les mois de novembre-décembre 1982-1984, est toujours plus faible dans le Golfe de Gascogne que dans la région occidentale du détroit de Gibraltar. On remarque une chute considérable de la densité moyenne du stock de larves du Golfe de Gascogne pendant la période 1982-1985 comparée à celle de 1971-1977. Le pourcentage de larves en cours de métamorphose est plus faible à l'ouest du détroit de Gibraltar que dans le Golfe de Gascogne. Aussi la longueur des larves du secteur Gibraltar est significativement inférieure à celle des larves du Golfe de Gascogne, confirmant les résultats antérieurs. La discussion porte sur l'interpré-tation de ces résultats en accord avec l'hypothèse de migration passive des Anguilles.
Desh-Bidesh - Sylheti images of home and away

In migrant villages in Sylhet, places, and the images with which they are associated, represent different and at times competing forms of power. While the 'homeland' refers to spirituality and religiosity, 'abroad' is linked to material bounty and economic transformation, and local desire has become centred on travel abroad as the only route to material prosperity. The 'imagined' foreign worlds of those who have never migrated can therefore be viewed as the ideological concomitant of international dependency, and their ambivalent relationship with the homeland, a key element in the cultural contradictions of migration.
University of Birmingham Does local competition and firm market power affect investment adviser misconduct?

This paper examines the impact of local competition and local firm market power on misconduct by analyzing the investment adviser market. The study is based on an extensive sample of more than 3.8 million employee-year observations of investment advisers resulting in 709,416 firm-county-year observations over 12 years. The findings show that a firm’s county-level market power and county market competition have a negative influence on investment adviser misconduct. The result is robust to a battery of empirical tests. We show that a firm exhibits lower levels of misconduct in counties in which it has greater local market power. We also identify the effect of local competition and market power on misconduct using two exogenous shocks, mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and the end of a local monopoly. We establish adviser employment stability as a novel channel for explaining the impact of local competition and firm market power on misconduct.
International Journal of Information Management

Social commerce is a new development in e-commerce generated by the use of social media to empower customers to interact on the Internet. The recent advancements in ICTs and the emergence of Web 2.0 technologies along with the popularity of social media and social networking sites have seen the development of new social platforms. These platforms facilitate the use of social commerce. Drawing on literature from marketing and information systems (IS) the author proposes a new model to develop our understanding of social commerce using a PLS-SEM methodology to test the model. Results show that Web 2.0 applications are attracting individuals to have interactions as well as generate content on the Internet. Consumers use social commerce constructs for these activities, which in turn increase the level of trust and intention to buy. Implications, limitations, discussion, and future research directions are discussed at the end of the paper.
Covert Human Behaviour Detection

This paper describes a method by which suspicious, covert human movements can be distinguished from ordinary activity. A network of xed cameras observes an arbitrary indoor environment. The positions of moving, visible entities are separately tracked in a global planar map using multiple particle lters. Some objects can be visually identied as friendlies (guards). The motion of other objects is classied as covert (suspicious) or overt (normal) using two metrics that measure overall visibility of the chosen route and visibility with respect to guards’ position. In other words, the system measures to what extent a person is trying to hide from the guards. This paper is the latest in a series of related works that together describe how a network of xed cameras can learn to identify intruders and guide mobile robots to intercept.
Nucleocapsid proteins from human coronaviruses possess phase separation capabilities and promote FUS pathological aggregation

The nucleocapsid (N) protein is an essential structural component necessary for genomic packaging and replication in various human coronaviruses (HCoVs), such as SARS‐CoV‐2 and MERS‐CoV. Recent studies have revealed that the SARS‐CoV‐2 N protein exhibits a high capacity for liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS), which plays multiple roles in viral infection and replication. In this study, we systematically investigate the LLPS capabilities of seven homologous N proteins from different HCoVs using a high‐throughput protein phase separation assay. We found that LLPS is a shared intrinsic property among these N proteins. However, the phase separation profiles of the various N protein homologs differ, and they undergo phase separation under distinct in vitro conditions. Moreover, we demonstrate that N protein homologs can co‐phase separate with FUS, a SG‐containing protein, and accelerate its liquid‐to‐solid phase transition and amyloid aggregation, which is closely related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Further study shows that N protein homologs can directly bind to the low complexity domain of FUS. Together, our work demonstrates that N proteins of different HCoVs possess phase separation capabilities, which may contribute to promoting pathological aggregation of host proteins and disrupting SG homeostasis during the infection and replication of various HCoVs.
Impact of Active Physiotherapy on Physical Activity Level in Stroke Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: Stroke survivors are frequently physically inactive. However, evidence of the effectiveness of active physiotherapy on physical activity level in stroke survivors is scarce. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis statement, covering electronic searches from inception to March 16, 2022. Participants: Stroke survivors living in the community. Intervention: Any active physiotherapy, that is, involving exercises that require voluntary effort. Outcome measure: Objective and subjective physical activity level. RESULTS: Of 5590 identified references, 25 randomized controlled trials were eligible, and 21 had available data. The random-effects meta-analysis resulted in a small, significant effect size in favor of active physiotherapy measured using objective or subjective tools (21 studies, 1834 participants, standardized mean difference, 0.22 [95% CI, 0.04–0.40]; heterogeneity I2=65%), and a medium significant effect when objective tools were used (9 studies, 424 participants, standardized mean differences, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.03–0.92]; I2=73%). Meta-regression showed that 35% of the variance in trial outcome was explained by the measurement tool (objective or subjective) and 23% by age. None of the variances were associated with a specific dosage in terms of frequency, time, exercise duration, or the severity of the disability. CONCLUSIONS: Active physiotherapy seems to increase objective physical activity in community-dwelling stroke survivors. However, the evidence is of very low certainty. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.crd. york.ac. uk/PROSPERO/; Unique identifier: CRD42022315639.
Modeling human papillomavirus and cervical cancer in the United States for analyses of screening and vaccination

Background: To provide quantitative insight into current U.S. policy choices for cervical cancer prevention, we developed a model of human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer, explicitly incorporating uncertainty about the natural history of disease. Methods: We developed a stochastic microsimulation of cervical cancer that distinguishes different HPV types by their incidence, clearance, persistence, and progression. Input parameter sets were sampled randomly from uniform distributions, and simulations undertaken with each set. Through systematic reviews and formal data synthesis, we established multiple epidemiologic targets for model calibration, including age-specific prevalence of HPV by type, age-specific prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), HPV type distribution within CIN and cancer, and age-specific cancer incidence. For each set of sampled input parameters, likelihood-based goodness-of-fit (GOF) scores were computed based on comparisons between model-predicted outcomes and calibration targets. Using 50 randomly resampled, good-fitting parameter sets, we assessed the external consistency and face validity of the model, comparing predicted screening outcomes to independent data. To illustrate the advantage of this approach in reflecting parameter uncertainty, we used the 50 sets to project the distribution of health outcomes in U.S. women under different cervical cancer prevention strategies. Results: Approximately 200 good-fitting parameter sets were identified from 1,000,000 simulated sets. Modeled screening outcomes were externally consistent with results from multiple independent data sources. Based on 50 good-fitting parameter sets, the expected reductions in lifetime risk of cancer with annual or biennial screening were 76% (range across 50 sets: 69–82%) and 69% (60–77%), respectively. The reduction from vaccination alone was 75%, although it ranged from 60% to 88%, reflecting considerable parameter uncertainty about the natural history of typespecific HPV infection. The uncertainty surrounding the model-predicted reduction in cervical Published: 29 October 2007 Population Health Metrics 2007, 5:11 doi:10.1186/1478-7954-5-11 Received: 4 April 2007 Accepted: 29 October 2007 This article is available from: http://www.pophealthmetrics. com/content/5/1/11 © 2007 Goldhaber-Fiebert et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Measuring Health Professionals’ Skills and Self-Efficacy for Communicating with Individuals with Disabilities: Instrument Development and Validation

Individuals with disabilities experience numerous health disparities compared to their non-disabled peers and face inequities associated with challenges accessing care, stigma, and bias. Health professionals have the opportunity to address health inequities through improved communication, a primary barrier to receiving quality care; however more training is needed. There are limitations to existing tools to measure the skills or self-efficacy of professionals to communicate with individuals with disabilities, and to assess the effectiveness of training programs. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an instrument to measure health professionals’ communication skills and self-efficacy specifically related to working with individuals with disabilities. After a comprehensive review of literature, expert review of proposed scale items, and pilot test, a 19-item survey was administered to 237 healthcare and health and physical education professionals. Construct validity was evaluated by performing an exploratory factor analysis on each subscale and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to measure internal consistency. For the skills subscale, Cronbach’s α = . 919 and for the self-efficacy subscale Cronbach’s α = . 949 after the removal of one item, resulting in a final 18-item inventory that demonstrates strong validity and reliability.
Science Arts & Métiers (SAM)

Determining the accuracy of elastic strain measurements in plastically deformed alloys is an experimental challenge. To develop a novel cross-validation procedure, a controlled elasto-plastic strain gradient was created in a stainless steel single crystal by four point bending deformation. The corresponding elastic strain field was probed, with an intragranular spatial resolution, in-situ by Laue microdiffraction and ex-situ by High Resolution EBSD. Good agreement is found for the two independent measure-(cid:2)
Chapter 8 Atmospheric internal waves generated by explosive volcanic eruptions

Abstract Observations of microbarograph recordings on the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean have shown signals with periods of several minutes and amplitude of approximately 1 mb following explosive eruptions of the Soufrière Hills Volcano. These properties suggest that the explosions are causing the generation of atmospheric internal waves. Here an analysis of wave generation by sudden disturbances in a stratified atmosphere is developed, and the properties of these waves are described and compared with observations. Two types of forcing of the atmosphere by a volcanic explosion are considered: that due to the sudden addition of mass, and separately, of thermal energy. The pattern and distribution of these depend on the nature of the explosion, which has a timescale of the order of 1 min. The theoretical results resemble the effect of ‘throwing a stone’ into the atmosphere, producing transient waves that radiate radially away from the source. Near the source, these waves have frequency around 0.7–0.8N (where N is the buoyancy frequency) initially, and approach N with decreasing amplitude. The results of forcing due to added mass and thermal forcing are presented and compared for a variety of vertical forcing profiles, and these are compared with observations of surface pressure. The results suggest that forcing due to the injection of mass (mostly solid particles) is the principal factor in forcing the observed internal waves. The addition of thermal energy (heat) produces waves that have frequencies closer to N, and persist for much longer periods than those observed at the stations on Montserrat.
Multiple evolutionary transitions of reproductive strategies in a phylum of aquatic colonial invertebrates

Parental care is considered crucial for the enhanced survival of offspring and evolutionary success of many metazoan groups. Most bryozoans incubate their young in brood chambers or intracoelomically. Based on the drastic morphological differences in incubation chambers across members of the order Cheilostomatida (class Gymnolaemata), multiple origins of incubation were predicted in this group. This hypothesis was tested by constructing a molecular phylogeny based on mitogenome data and nuclear rRNA genes 18S and 28S with the most complete sampling of taxa with various incubation devices to date. Ancestral character estimation suggested that distinct types of brood chambers evolved at least 10 times in Cheilostomatida. In Eucratea loricata and Aetea spp. brooding evolved unambiguously from a zygote-spawning ancestral state, as it probably did in Tendra zostericola, Neocheilostomata, and ‘Carbasea' indivisa. In two further instances, brooders with different incubation chamber types, skeletal and non-skeletal, formed clades (Scruparia spp., Leiosalpinx australis) and (Catenicula corbulifera (Steginoporella spp. (Labioporella spp., Thalamoporella californica))), each also probably evolved from a zygote-spawning ancestral state. The modular nature of bryozoans probably contributed to the evolution of such a diverse array of embryonic incubation chambers, which included complex constructions made of polymorphic heterozooids, and maternal zooidal invaginations and outgrowths.
Estimating the viscoelastic properties of the human brain at 7 T MRI using intrinsic MRE and nonlinear inversion

Intrinsic actuation magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a phase‐contrast MRI technique that allows for in vivo quantification of mechanical properties of the brain by exploiting brain motion that arise naturally due to the cardiac pulse. The mechanical properties of the brain reflect its tissue microstructure, making it a potentially valuable parameter in studying brain disease. The main purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of reconstructing the viscoelastic properties of the brain using high‐quality 7 T MRI displacement measurements, obtained using displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE) and intrinsic actuation. The repeatability and sensitivity of the method for detecting normal regional variation in brain tissue properties was assessed as secondary goal. The displacement measurements used in this analysis were previously acquired for a separate study, where eight healthy subjects (27 ± 7 years) were imaged with repeated scans (spatial resolution approx. 2 mm isotropic, temporal resolution 75 ms, motion sensitivity 0.35 mm/2π for displacements in anterior–posterior and left–right directions, and 0.7 mm/2π for feet–head displacements). The viscoelastic properties of the brain were estimated using a subzone based non‐linear inversion scheme. The results show comparable consistency to that of extrinsic MRE between the viscoelastic property maps obtained from repeated displacement measurements. The shear stiffness maps showed fairly consistent spatial patterns. The whole‐brain repeatability coefficient (RC) for shear stiffness was (mean ± standard deviation) 8 ± 8% relative to the mean whole‐brain stiffness, and the damping ratio RC was 28 ± 17% relative to the whole‐brain damping ratio. The shear stiffness maps showed similar statistically significant regional trends as demonstrated in a publicly available atlas of viscoelastic properties obtained with extrinsic actuation MRE at 50 Hz. The damping ratio maps showed less consistency, likely due to data‐model mismatch of describing the brain as a viscoelastic material under low frequencies. While artifacts induced by fluid flow within the brain remain a limitation of the technique in its current state, intrinsic actuation based MRE allow for consistent and repeatable estimation of the mechanical properties of the brain. The method provides enough sensitivity to investigate regional variation in such properties in the normal brain, which is likely sufficient to also investigate pathological changes.