Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Covariations in ecological scaling laws fostered by community dynamics

Significance Empirical laws portraying patterns in ecology are routinely observed in marine and terrestrial environments. Such patterns are recurrent but also show features that are distinctive of each ecosystem. For example, the number of species in an ecosystem increases with its area according to a well-defined mathematical law, but the rate of increase may vary across different ecosystem types. We show that different ecological patterns are linked to each other in a way that if one is changed, the others are affected as well. We verify our predictions on available empirical datasets and unravel yet unknown features of natural ecosystems, suggesting directions for empirical research. Scaling laws in ecology, intended both as functional relationships among ecologically relevant quantities and the probability distributions that characterize their occurrence, have long attracted the interest of empiricists and theoreticians. Empirical evidence exists of power laws associated with the number of species inhabiting an ecosystem, their abundances, and traits. Although their functional form appears to be ubiquitous, empirical scaling exponents vary with ecosystem type and resource supply rate. The idea that ecological scaling laws are linked has been entertained before, but the full extent of macroecological pattern covariations, the role of the constraints imposed by finite resource supply, and a comprehensive empirical verification are still unexplored. Here, we propose a theoretical scaling framework that predicts the linkages of several macroecological patterns related to species’ abundances and body sizes. We show that such a framework is consistent with the stationary-state statistics of a broad class of resource-limited community dynamics models, regardless of parameterization and model assumptions. We verify predicted theoretical covariations by contrasting empirical data and provide testable hypotheses for yet unexplored patterns. We thus place the observed variability of ecological scaling exponents into a coherent statistical framework where patterns in ecology embed constrained fluctuations.
Analysis of Copy‐Number Alterations in Single Cells Using Microarray‐Based Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH)

In this unit, we describe a workflow that enables array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) of single cells. The unit first describes the isolation and preparation of single peripheral mononuclear cells from blood (PBMC) to prepare a suitable reference DNA for aCGH experiments. An alternative procedure is described for the preparation of single cells of GM14667 and GM05423 cell lines to use as reference DNA and for sex‐mismatched control experiments. A guide is also provided for micromanipulation of single cells. Next, the unit describes whole‐genome amplification using adapter‐linker PCR (Ampli1 WGA Kit) and an alternative nonlinear WGA method (PicoPLEX WGA Kit) for single‐cell amplification. A protocol is also included for reamplification of Ampli1 WGA products, which can be used for aCGH as well. Finally, the use of 4 × 180k oligonucleotide microarrays to perform aCGH with single‐cell WGA products is described. Curr. Protoc. Cell Biol. 65:22.19. 1‐22.19. 23. © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Pattern of endocrinal changes in patients with sexual dysfunction.

INTRODUCTION Many patients with endocrinal changes (endocrinopathy) have some degrees of sexual dysfunction that necessitate assessment and treatment. AIM To assess the prevalence, and identify the pattern, of endocrinopathy in patients with sexual dysfunction in our community. METHODS A total of 1,248 male patients with sexual dysfunction were enrolled in this study. Patients were screened for erectile dysfunction (ED) and sexual desire by the erectile function and the sexual desire domains of the International Index of Erectile Function (IEEF). Patients underwent routine laboratory investigations as well as total testosterone and prolactin assessment. All patients were referred to an endocrinologist for clinical and biochemical assessment of their endocrine function. The evaluation consisted of comprehensive history taking, physical examination, and, as needed, laboratory investigations. RESULTS Mean ages+/-SD were 51.9+/-12.2 and 52.3+/-11.7 years for patients with and without endocrinopathy, respectively. Of the study population, 23.8% had endocrinopathy. The most frequent endocrinal changes were low testosterone level (15%), hyperprolactinemia (13.7%), and hypothyroidism (3.1%). There were significant associations between endocrinopathy and obesity, smoking, low desire, and premature ejaculation (P<0.05 for each). Also, significant associations were found between low desire and low testosterone level, hyperprolactinemia, and hypothyroidism (P<0.05 for each). Hyperprolactinemia was significantly associated with premature ejaculation (P<0.05) but not with low testosterone level (P>0.05). There was no significant association between endocrinopathy and age, cigarette smoking (number and duration), and ED (duration, severity, type of onset, and progression) (P>0.05 for each). CONCLUSION Endocrinopathy is not a rare condition among ambulatory patients with sexual dysfunction. This study provides a quantitative estimate of endocrinopathy in ambulatory patients with sexual dysfunction.
Gastric mucosal damage in water immersion stress: mechanism and prevention with GHRP-6.

AIM To investigate the mechanism of gastric mucosal demage induced by water immersion restraint stress (WRS) and its prevention by growth hormone releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6). METHODS Male Wistar rats were subjected to conscious or unconscious (anesthetized) WRS, simple restraint (SR), free swimming (FS), non-water fluid immersion, immersion without water contact, or rats were placed in a cage surrounded by sand. To explore the sensitivity structures that influence the stress reaction besides skin stimuli, a group the rats had their eyes occluded. Cervical bilateral trunk vagotomy or atropine injection was performed in some rats to assess the parasympathetic role in mucosal damage. Gastric mucosal lesions, acid output and heart rate variability were measured. Plasma renin, endothelin-1 and thromboxane B2 and gastric heat shock protein 70 were also assayed. GHRP-6 was injected [intraperitoneal (IP) or intracerebroventricular (ICV)] 2 h before the onset of stress to observe its potential prevention of the mucosal lesion. RESULTS WRS for 6 h induced serious gastric mucosal lesion [lesion area, WRS 81.8 ± 6.4 mm² vs normal control 0.0 ± 0.0 mm², P < 0.01], decreased the heart rate, and increased the heart rate variability and gastric acid secretion, suggesting an increase in vagal nerve-carrying stimuli. The mucosal injury was inversely correlated with water temperature (lesion area, WRS at 35 °C 56.4 ± 5.2 mm² vs WRS at 23 °C 81.8 ± 6.4 mm², P < 0.01) and was consciousness-dependent. The injury could not be prevented by eye occlusion, but could be prevented by avoiding contact of the rat body with the water by dressing it in an impermeable plastic suit. When water was replaced by vegetable oil or liquid paraffin, there were gastric lesions in the same grade of water immersion. When rat were placed in a cage surrounded by sand, there were no gastric lesions. All these data point to a remarkable importance of cutenuous information transmitted to the high neural center that by vagal nerves reaching the gastric mucosa. FS alone also induced serious gastric injury, but SR could not induce gastric injury. Bilateral vagotomy or atropine prevented the WRS-induced mucosal lesion, indicating that increased outflow from the vagal center is a decisive factor in WRS-induced gastric injury. The mucosal lesions were prevented by prior injection of GHRP-6 via IP did, but not via ICV, suggesting that the protection is peripheral, although a sudden injection is not equivalent to a physiological release and uptake, which eventually may affect the vagal center. CONCLUSION From the central nervous system, vagal nerves carry the cutaneous stimuli brought about by the immersion restraint, an experimental model for inducing acute gastric erosions. GHRP-6 prevents the occurrence of these lesions.
ON CURVATURE BEHAVIOR AT THE FIRST SINGULAR TIME OF THE RICCI FLOW

In this paper, we study curvature behavior at the first singular time of solution to the Ricci flow on a smooth, compact n-dimensional Riemannian manifold M , ∂ ∂tgij = −2Rij for t ∈ [0, T ). If the flow has uniformly bounded scalar curvature and develops Type I singularities at T , using Perelman’s W-functional, we show that suitable blow-ups of our evolving metrics converge in the pointed Cheeger-Gromov sense to a Gaussian shrinker. If the flow has uniformly bounded scalar curvature and develops Type II singularities at T , we show that suitable scalings of the potential functions in Perelman’s entropy functional converge to a positive constant on a complete, Ricci flat manifold. We also show that if the scalar curvature is uniformly bounded along the flow in certain integral sense then the flow either develops a type II singularity at T or it can be smoothly extended past time T .
Teleological reasoning and knowledge generation in marketing theory: observations and recommendations

The practice and sociology of theorising is one of the marketing discipline? s most marginal specialties, yet its epistemological and methodological underpinnings including the morphology of explanations have very substantial bearing upon the nature and scope of marketing theory in general. Since the 1980s writings have increasingly attended to the relationship between philosophy and the marketing discipline. While much of the use of philosophy of science was rhetorical and directed towards either a critique or legitimation of the post-positivist or realist image of marketing science, certain ideas about the logic and epistemology of science nevertheless were insinuated into the practice of inquiry (see Hunt, 1991). Against this background and focussing on theory building and testing within marketing science, this paper discusses one act and aspect of theorising: the use of teleological reasoning in scientific explanations of marketing phenomena. The issues and problems surrounding the use of teleological reasoning are illustrated by an in-depth analysis of writings on 'integrated marketing communications' theory. Recommendations for the use of teleological reasoning in marketing and marketing communications theory are made.
Relationship between homocysteine and body mass index in rheumatoid arthritis

We read with interest the report of Lopez-Olivo et al (1), in which they describe a cohort of 152 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in whom median levels of homocysteine were significantly higher than controls, and in whom there was an association on multivariate analysis between homocysteine levels and both male gender and radiological damage. We have recently monitored fasting homocysteine levels in 100 RA patients [80 female, 20 male, age (median, 95% CI) 60.0 years, 57.0–62.0, duration of disease (median, 95% CI) 12.0 years, 9.0–17.0] in Belfast, and found comparable results for median homocysteine level (11.3 mmol/l, 9.7–11.8) and for percentage of patients with homocysteinew15 mmol/l (13%). However we found significantly higher body mass index (BMI) in our patients than Lopez-Olivo et al (median 28.0, 95% CI 26.0–28.0, compared with 25.0 in the Mexican cohort). We also observed a strong association between being overweight and higher homocysteine levels. RA patients with BMIv25 (normal weight) had a fasting homocysteine level (median, 95% CI) 9.7 (9.1–11.5) vs. 11.0 (10.3–12.2) in overweight patients (BMIw25), pv0.05. Moreover, when using referral to a dietician, an information programme and exercise advice we achieved a fall in median BMI after 1 year of follow-up to 27.0 (95% CI 25.0–28.0), we saw a related fall in median homocysteine [10.2 mmol/l (9.0–11.4) vs. 11.3 mmol/l (9.7–11.8), p50.1]. We agree with the authors’ observations on the controversy surrounding the interpretation of homocysteine levels, and also failed to find any link with whether or not our patients were taking methotrexate. However, given the two large negative studies published recently examining the effects of direct homocysteine reduction on coronary heart disease (2) and cognitive function (3), albeit in nonRA patients, we are inclined to feel that it is an epiphenomenon of inflammation rather than a causative agent of cardiovascular disease. For this reason we have chosen not to give folate or vitamin B supplements to patients with hyperhomocysteinaemia, but have identified them for careful monitoring and rigorous intervention on traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease, especially high BMI. References
A Googly amplitude from the B model in twistor space

Recently it has been proposed that gluon scattering amplitudes in gauge theory can be computed from the D-instanton expansion of the topological B-model on 3|4, although only maximally helicity violating (MHV) amplitudes have so far been obtained from a direct B-model calculation. In this note we compute the simplest non-MHV gluon amplitudes (+ + - - - and + - + - -) from the B-model as an integral over the moduli space of degree 2 curves in 3|4 and find perfect agreement with Yang-Mills theory.
Error probability estimation for coherent optical PDM-QPSK communications systems

Two different semi-analytical methods for error probability estimation in PDM-QPSK optical communication systems are investigated. We consider the accuracy of a stochastic semi-analytical method based on Gaussian noise statistics and a deterministic semi-analytical method where the noise probability density function is estimated analytically against Monte-Carlo simulation. Linear coherent PDM-QPSK systems with distortions induced by filtering only, and nonlinear coherent PDM-QPSK systems with or without inline dispersion compensation are studied. Our results suggest that the stochastic semi-analytical method based on Gaussian noise statistics works very well for practical fiber-optic communication systems.
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Working Paper Series Inventories, Lumpy Trade, and Large Devaluations Inventories, Lumpy Trade, and Large Devaluations *

Fixed transaction costs and delivery lags are important costs of international trade. These costs lead firms to import infrequently and hold substantially larger inventories of imported goods than domestic goods. Using multiple sources of data, we document these facts. We then show that a parsimoniously parameterized model economy with importers facing an (S, s)-type inventory management problem successfully accounts for these features of the data. Moreover, the model can account for import and import price dynamics in the aftermath of large devaluations. In particular, desired inventory adjustment in response to a sudden, large increase in the relative price of imported goods creates a short-term trade implosion, an immediate, temporary drop in the value and number of distinct varieties imported, as well as a slow increase in the retail price of imported goods. Our study of 6 current account reversals following large devaluation episodes in the last decade provide strong support for the model's predictions. * The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia or the Federal Reserve System. We thank
Effects of Speaking Rate on the Singleton/Geminate Consonant Contrast in Italian

Abstract A production and a perception experiment were conducted to investigate the effect of speaking rate on the singleton/geminate consonant contrast in Italian. Acoustic analyses were performed of labial and dental singleton and geminate consonants produced in words spoken in isolation and in a sentential context at both a slow and a fast rate of speech. Closure duration was found to discriminate between the two categories of consonants within a given speaking rate. For one speaker, at a fast speaking rate the distribution of closure duration of geminate consonants was identical to the distribution of closure duration of singleton consonants produced in isolation. However, a measure reflecting the relation between two durations, the ratio between consonant duration and preceding vowel duration, discriminated between singletons and geminates both within and across speaking rates. The perception experiment tested whether manipulation of the consonant to vowel ratio would result in perceptual shifts. Results indicated that changing the ratio did affect perception of the geminate/singleton distinction. However, these effects varied greatly across listeners. Taken together, these findings provide support for the view that there are stable acoustic properties corresponding to phonetic features in that even though one type of temporal information, closure duration, is greatly affected by changes in speaking rate, a higher-order relational measure remains constant.
Symmetry recognition using Mid-sagittal Plane extraction and tilt correction in 3D head images

We propose a new method to automatically extract the Mid-sagittal Plane and re-alignment of 3D head image within the scanner coordinate system by tilt correction. We express the problem of Mid-sagittal Plane extraction as a registration problem and compute a degree of similarity between the image and its reflection with respect to a plane. The best plane is then obtained by maximizing the similarity measure. This optimization is performed using the Genetic Algorithm and Powell method. The search for the best plane is implemented in a multi-resolution paradigm so as to decrease computational time. Spatial rigid transform and Tri-linear interpolation then are performed to rotate the 3D head images to achieve tilt correction. The proposed algorithm is successfully tested on 3D PET and CT head images.
Drinking water from flower vases the story of a crisis in the NHS

2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS . 4 LIST OF TABLES . 7 LIST OF APPENDICES . 8 LIST OF FIGURES . 9 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . 10 CHAPTER
Effect of loading conditions, contractile state, and heart rate on early diastolic left ventricular filling in conscious dogs.

We investigated left ventricular (LV) early diastolic filling in 10 normal conscious dogs that had been previously instrumented to measure LV and left atrial (LA) pressures and three orthogonal LV internal dimensions. LV volume was calculated as a general ellipsoid. The pressure within a passive structure increases as it is filled. If myocardial relaxation is rapid enough to substantially aid LV diastolic filling, it may overcome this effect and cause LV pressure to fall despite an increase in volume. Thus, we defined the amount of LV filling that occurred while LV pressure was falling as relaxation filling, which is a measure of the importance of LV relaxation during early diastolic filling. The time constant of relaxation (T) was derived from the exponential fall of LV pressure during isovolumic relaxation. While LV pressure was falling early in diastole (the relaxation filling period), all three LV diameters increased. Autonomic blockade with hexamethonium (5 mg/kg) and atropine (0.1 mg/kg) reduced relaxation filling from 21 +/- 6% (mean +/- SD) to 12 +/- 3% of the stroke volume (p less than 0.01). The mean LA pressure also was significantly decreased (from 12 +/- 2 to 10 +/- 5 mm Hg, p less than 0.05), while the duration of the relaxation filling period and T were unchanged. Positive inotropic stimulation with dobutamine (10 micrograms/kg/min) shortened T without changing LA pressure. The maximum LA-LV pressure gradient, dV/dtmax, and relaxation filling all increased. Augmented preload produced by dextran infusion (500 ml/10 min) caused an increase in LA pressure (from 11 +/- 3 to 21 +/- 8 mm Hg, p less than 0.05) without altering T. This also increased the maximum LA-LV pressure gradient, dV/dtmax, and relaxation filling. Augmented afterload produced by methoxamine (10 mg/3 min i.v.) significantly increased LA pressure (from 9 +/- 4 to 15 +/- 10 mm Hg, p less than 0.05) and lengthened T (from 35 +/- 4 to 50 +/- 7 msec, p less than 0.05) and the duration of relaxation filling (from 36 +/- 5 to 44 +/- 9 msec, p less than 0.01) without altering the maximum LA-LV pressure gradient, dV/dtmax, or LV relaxation filling. Incremental changes in heart rate induced by atrial pacing (from 100-180 beats/min) resulted in progressive decreases in the time constant of LV relaxation and the duration of relaxation filling. The LA pressure was also decreased. There was no corresponding increase in the amount of active LV filling until the heart rate reached 180 beats/min. During all these interventions, T correlated with the duration of LV relaxation filling (r = 0.99. p less than 0.05). The amount of relaxation filling and dV/dtmax both correlated with the maximum LA-LV pressure gradient. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Processing effects on tree nut allergens: A review

ABSTRACT “Tree nut” is a broad term for classification of nuts that include cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, etc. Reports of mild to adverse immune reactions following the consumption of these nuts has been on a rise in recent years. Currently, about 1.2–2% of the world's population suffer from sensitivity to tree nuts. The only solution is complete abstinence from the allergy causing tree nut which is not feasible in most cases due to issues like cross contamination or their presence in the form of hidden ingredients in processed foods. Various studies have shown that food processing can effectively vary the secondary structures of the allergenic protein which in turn influences their functional properties. But, the impact of these processing methods on tree nuts allergens is mixed. This review gives an update on the recent findings on how conventional and novel processing methods influence the tree nut allergens.
Eukaryotic-like protein kinases in the prokaryotes and the myxobacterial kinome

Ser/Thr/Tyr kinases, which together comprise a major class of regulatory proteins in eukaryotes, were not believed to play an important role in prokaryotes until recently. However, our analysis of 626 prokaryotic genomes reveals that eukaryotic-like protein kinases (ELKs) are found in nearly two-thirds of the sequenced strains. We have identified 2697 ELKs, most of which are encoded by multicellular strains of the phyla Proteobacteria (Myxococcales), Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Chloroflexi, and 2 Acidobacteria and 1 Planctomycetes. Astonishingly, 7 myxobacterial strains together encode 892 ELKs, with 4 of the strains exhibiting a genomic ELK density similar to that observed in eukaryotes. Most myxobacterial ELKs show a modular organization in which the kinase domain is located at the N terminus. The C-terminal portion of the ELKs is highly diverse and often contains sequences with similarity to characterized domains, most of them involved in signaling mechanisms or in protein–protein interactions. However, many of these architectures are unique to the myxobacteria, an observation that suggests that this group exploits sophisticated and novel signal transduction systems. Phylogenetic reconstruction using the kinase domains revealed many orthologous sequence pairs and a huge number of gene duplications that probably occurred after speciation. Furthermore, studies of the microsynteny in the ELK-encoding regions reveal only low levels of synteny among Myxococcus xanthus, Plesiocystis pacifica, and Sorangium cellulosum. However, extensive similarities between M. xanthus, Stigmatella aurantiaca, and 3 Anaeromyxobacter strains were observed, indicating that they share regulatory pathways involving various ELKs.