Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IDEA AND PERSPECT IVE The effects of phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation on forecasts of species range shifts under climate change

Fernando Valladares, Silvia Matesanz, Franc ois Guilhaumon, Miguel B. Ara ujo, Luis Balaguer, Marta Benito-Garz on, Will Cornwell, Ernesto Gianoli, Mark van Kleunen, Daniel E. Naya, Adrienne B. Nicotra, Hendrik Poorter and Miguel A. Zavala Abstract Species are the unit of analysis in many global change and conservation biology studies; however, species are not uniform entities but are composed of different, sometimes locally adapted, populations differing in plasticity. We examined how intraspecific variation in thermal niches and phenotypic plasticity will affect species distributions in a warming climate. We first developed a conceptual model linking plasticity and niche breadth, providing five alternative intraspecific scenarios that are consistent with existing literature. Secondly, we used ecological niche-modeling techniques to quantify the impact of each intraspecific scenario on the distribution of a virtual species across a geographically realistic setting. Finally, we performed an analogous modeling exercise using real data on the climatic niches of different tree provenances. We show that when population differentiation is accounted for and dispersal is restricted, forecasts of species range shifts under climate change are even more pessimistic than those using the conventional assumption of homogeneously high plasticity across a species’ range. Suitable population-level data are not available for most species so identifying general patterns of population differentiation could fill this gap. However, the literature review revealed contrasting patterns among species, urging greater levels of integration among empirical, modeling and theoretical research on intraspecific phenotypic variation.
Bis(2-amino-3-carboxypyridinium) sulfate trihydrate

In the title compound, 2C6H7N2O2 +·SO4 2−·3H2O, there are two independent cations which are connected into N—H⋯O hydrogen-bonded dimers. In the crystal, O—H⋯O hydrogen-bonded sulfate–water sheets run parallel to (001) and are linked into a three-dimensional network via intermolecular N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds through the 2-aminonicotinium dimers. Further stabilization is provided by weak intermolecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. R 4 3(10) and R 2 2(8) graph-set rings are observed. The crystal studied was an inversion twin with refined components of 0.45 (6) and 0.55 (6).
Floating vertical axis wind turbine — OWLWIND project

Many projects centered on new floating wind turbines as Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) whose advantages are magnified for offshore applications, are being developed to adapt the extraction of wind energy to the most difficult conditions associated with deep waters. The OWLWIND project which is starting is centered on such a machine with a twin rotors architecture; its first challenge is to raise peak VAWT rotor efficiencies, which is still lower than peak Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs) efficiencies. Each rotor has an innovative design, reducing parasitic drags. Performances of an isolated rotor have given quite encouraging results. A second test phase on the properties of the whole machine is currently conducted via a model in a wind tunnel.
Influence of Tedisamil on the Initiation and Maintenance of Ventricular Fibrillation: Chemical Defibrillation by Ito Blockade?

We examined the effects of tedisamil on ventricular fibrillation (VF) elicited by regional ischemia and by reperfusion in isolated rat hearts (n = 12/group). During 30 min of ischemia, 0.1, 0.55, and 3 μM tedisamil had no influence on the incidence of VF (an index of VF initiation). However, sustained VF (SVF, defined as that lasting > 120 s, an index of VF maintenance) was reduced in a concentration-dependent manner from 73 to 54, 17 (p < 0.05), and 0% (p < 0.05), respectively. Tedisamil caused sinus bradycardia but this was not the basis for tedisamil's antiarrhythmic activity since SVF was also inhibited in separate groups of hearts that were paced throughout the study. Tedisamil had no effect on reperfusion-induced VF initiation. However, VF maintenance was, again, inhibited, with SVF incidence reduced from 75% to 40, 20, and 0% (p < 0.05), respectively, by increasing concentrations of tedisamil. A similar effect was, again, observed in paced hearts. The average cycle length of the electrogram during VF correlated with preceding width of the ventricular complex; both of these variables were concentration-dependently increased by tedisamil and mean values of each correlated inversely with the incidence of SVF. The ratio of SVF cycle length to ventricular tachycardia cycle length was 1:3, and this ratio was conserved in the presence and absence of drug. The data are consistent with a drug-induced increase in the probability of spontaneous termination of multiple wave-front reentry.
How to Detect and Prevent Errors in Computer-Supported Statistical Analysis: An Example

In statistical analysis systems data are stored in a database, and procedures or analysis methods, respectively, are stored in a method base. As will be shown in the present article, even in the case of a simple statistical test the detection of faulty data turns out to be deficient in weill-known statistical analysis systems like BMDP, SAS and SPSS. Suggestions are made to program methods and to design statistical analysis systems in such a way that careful error detection is possible to provide the user with more reliable results.
Financing mechanisms and competition in the transport sector

Resumen Los mercados de transporte se caracterizan por una estructura vertical, es decir, la prestacion de servicios a los usuarios finales se provee a traves de unos operadores que usan una determinada infraestructura. Es por ello que podemos diferenciar tres tipos de agentes en dichos mercados: los propietarios de la infraestructura, los operadores de los distintos servicios de transporte y los usuarios finales. En la presente tesis doctoral pretendemos abordar varios aspectos que afectan de manera diferente a los tres agentes anteriormente mencionados. En particular, dos de los capitulos de esta tesis analizan mecanismos de financiacion, distinguiendo, por un lado, mecanismos de financiacion dirigidos a los propietarios de la infraestructura y, por el otro, mecanismos de financiacion dirigidos a los usuarios finales. Otro de los aspectos que se estudia en esta tesis es la competencia entre operadores de transporte. En primer lugar, en el capitulo 2 se analizan los incentivos generados por los diferentes mecanismos de financiacion que se usan para cofinanciar infraestructuras, unidos a los derivados de los diferentes contratos que se pueden firmar entre una administracion publica y una empresa privada. En segundo lugar, el Capitulo 3 esta dedicado a analizar desde una perspectiva teorica la eficiencia de los diferentes tipos de subvenciones por residencia cuando las aerolineas tienen poder de mercado. En concreto, comparamos dos mecanismos diferentes de subvencion: subvenciones ad valorem frente a subvenciones especificas (subvenciones a la cantidad). Por ultimo, el Capitulo 4 estudia la competencia entre dos modelos diferentes de negocio en el transporte aereo: aerolineas de bajo coste o Low-Cost frente a aerolineas tradicionales. Mediante un modelo de diferenciacion vertical con costes diferenciados y precios generalizados, consideraremos la frecuencia como un posible mecanismo para detener o acomodar la entrada de una aerolinea Low-Cost en un mercado dominado por una aerolinea tradicional. Tambien se estudia bajo que condiciones la entrada puede estar bloqueada en este tipo de mercados.
Alianzas y adquisiciones. Estrategias de competitividad de las grandes empresas de capital privado nacional en México

Este trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar las estrategias de competitividad, especificamente las alianzas y las adquisiciones, que las grandes empresas de capital privado nacional establecieron en el transcurso de casi veinte anos, entre 1990 y 2009. La metodologia de trabajo parte del estudio de una muestra de veinte grupos economicos que controlan grandes empresas en el pais y particulariza en algunos casos. Entre los resultados mas importantes estan, en materia de alianzas, que esas grandes empresas las establecieron con el fin de, entre otros aspectos, hacer frente a los problemas del entorno, acceder a la tecnologia y a nuevos mercados. En ese proceso de compartio conocimientos, experiencias y habilidades.
Physiological Functions of Nitric Oxide in Sedum Alfredii Hance under Complex Heavy Metals Stress

Heavy metals contamination is a major environmental issue, and phytoremediation is a promising, environmentally friendly alternative to conventional cleanup techniques for heavy metal contaminated sites. This paper is intended to explore the physiological functions of nitric oxide (NO) in the signaling pathways as well as defense responses in Sedum Alfredii Hance, a new zinc (Zn) promising hyperaccumulating plant species for the phytoremediation exposured to Cd/Zn/Pb complex contaminations. The induced NO and free radicals (O 2 ldr , H 2 O 2 , ldrOH and malondialdehyde) were quantitatively determined and the functions of NO, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and sacylic acid (SA) in the regulation of the redox signaling against oxidative stress were also discussed. The hypothetical mode of NO effecting plant defense responses was proposed. The results indicated that NO as the versatile and powerful effector of redox-regulated signaling, can acts synergistically with ROS to defend the plant against oxidative attack caused by Cd/Zn/Pb complex contaminations by activating elaborate defenses.
Learning about, from, and with Robots: Students' Perspectives

Robotics technology is expected to alter many aspects of people's lives as well as the field of education. The following study w ill be concerned with three scenarios in w hich robots were related to student learning, i. e. learning about, from, and with robots. The analysis of the interview data, garnered from 85 students, allows for an understanding of students' perceptions and attitudes towards robots and learning: (a) generally, the younger the students, the more enthusiastic they were about learning about robots; (b) robots were predominantly perceived as being male or having no sex; (c) the students found it possible to learn something from robots, though this itself did not suggest that they regarded teaching robots as teachers; (d) an element critically lacking in robots, which allowed them to act as qualified teachers, was the 'emotion' generally embedded in human behaviors and communications; and (e) in relation to the scenario of learning with robots, the students were expecting the robots to perform roles such as private tuition or that of learning tools rather than companions or collaborators.
The Physiology of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Outcomes after cardiac arrest remain poor more than a half a century after closed chest cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was first described. This review article is focused on recent insights into the physiology of blood flow to the heart and brain during CPR. Over the past 20 years, a greater understanding of heart–brain–lung interactions has resulted in novel resuscitation methods and technologies that significantly improve outcomes from cardiac arrest. This article highlights the importance of attention to CPR quality, recent approaches to regulate intrathoracic pressure to improve cerebral and systemic perfusion, and ongoing research related to the ways to mitigate reperfusion injury during CPR. Taken together, these new approaches in adult and pediatric patients provide an innovative, physiologically based road map to increase survival and quality of life after cardiac arrest.
Active Constituent in the Ethyl Acetate Extract Fraction of Terminalia bellirica Fruit Exhibits Antioxidation, Antifibrosis, and Proapoptosis Capabilities In Vitro

Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb. fruit (TBF) is a widely planted traditional medicinal herb in Tibet. We aimed to determine the most active substance-enriched extract by comparing the in vitro antioxidant activities of different extract fractions of TBF that were subsequently extracted by petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol after initial extraction by 95% ethanol. The main compounds of the ethyl acetate extract fraction (EF) were analyzed via HPLC-MS. Gallic acid (GA) was obtained from EF to determine in vitro antifibrotic activity based on the traditional usage of TBF. After HSC-T6 cells were incubated with GA, extracellular secreted levels of fibrosis-associated cytokines, such as collagen I, collagen III, TGF-β1, and hydroxyproline, were estimated by ELISA. Gene and protein expressions of PDGFR, CTGF, NF-κB, MMP-2, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, α-SMA, and the Bcl-2/Bax family were determined by quantitative PCR and western blot. The proapoptotic effect of GA was further investigated by annexin V-PI and TUNEL staining. These results indicate that EF has prominent in vitro antioxidant activity among four extract fractions, and its main component, GA, manifests antifibrosis activity and its potential mechanism of action includes inhibition of cytokine secretion and collagen synthesis, as well as proapoptosis of HSCs.
Bumps on the Road to Here (from Eternity)

In his recent book, From Eternity to Here, and in other more technical papers, Sean Carroll (partly in collaboration with Jennifer Chen) has put forward an intriguing new way to think about the origin of the Universe. His approach, in a nutshell, is to raise certain worries about a standard Boltzmannian picture of statistical mechanics, and to present certain commitments that he thinks we ought to hold—commitments that the standard picture doesn’t share. He then proposes a cosmological model—one that purports to give us insight into what sort of process brought about the “initial state” of the universe—that can uniquely accommodate those commitments. The conclusion of Carroll’s argument is that statistical mechanical reasoning provides grounds for provisionally accepting that cosmological model. My goal in this paper is to reconstruct and critically assess this proposal. I argue that “statistical cosmology” requires a careful balance of philosophical intuitions and commitments against technical, scientific considerations; how much stock we ought to place in these intuitions and commitments should depend on where they lead us—those that lead us astray scientifically might well be in need of philosophical re‑examination.
Lane-level map-matching with integrity on high-definition maps

Navigation maps provide important information for Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Autonomous Vehicles. This paper presents a method estimating a set of likely map-matched hypotheses containing the correct solution with a high probability. This addresses the problems encountered when using a high definition map when a large number of ambiguities arise. These occur for instance, when only inaccurate prior information on position is available at initialization. The method uses lane-level accurate maps with dedicated attributes, such as connectedness and adjacency, and an automotive Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver assisted with dead-reckoning (DR) sensors. GNSS can be so inaccurate that map-matching relies mainly on DR estimates, the GNSS fixes being used as uncertain estimates with protection levels. This paper proposes a formalization of the map-matching integrity problem as well as a sequential method using a Particle Filter providing a reliable set of map-matched hypotheses. The performance is evaluated using data acquired in public roads.
A New Method of 3-D Wavelet Image Compression

To compress image sequence, a coder structure, which combines the standard 3-D wavelet transform with motion compensation, has been introduced. For image sequence with slow motion, according to the characteristic of the wavelet transformed data, a new coding algorithm, which integrated the improved EZW(Embedded Zerotree Wavelets Encoding) and pixel coding, has been presented. Computer simulation shows that through the method not only the computational complexity is reduced but also even when the compress ratio gets 400:1, the recovered image quality still can gain more than 29 dB.
Jim Blinn's corner-return of the Jaggy (high frequency filtering)

The antialiasing problem of filtering out high frequencies before sampling is considered. The techniques examined are simple filters, box filters, the triangle or tent filter, Gaussian and similarly shaped filters, and the ideal filter. The use of subsampling and the effect of D/A (digital-to-analog) converters are discussed. <<ETX>>
Classifying bent-double galaxies

Astronomy data sets have led to interesting problems in mining scientific data. These problems will likely become more challenging as the astronomy community brings several surveys online as part of the National Virtual Observatory, giving rise to the possibility of mining data across many different surveys. In this article, we discuss the work we performed while using the catalog from the FIRST (Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty centimetres) survey to classify galaxies with a bent-double morphology, meaning those galaxies that appear to be bent in shape. We describe the approach we took to mine this data, the issues we addressed in working with a real data set, and the lessons we learned in the process.
SUN-463 Tumor Shrinkage with Preoperative Relacorilant Therapy in Two Patients with Cushing Disease Due to Pituitary Macroadenomas

Abstract Background: Relacorilant (RELA, Corcept Therapeutics) is a highly selective glucocorticoid receptor antagonist (GRA) that modulates the effects of excess cortisol, while showing no significant antagonism at the progesterone, mineralocorticoid, androgen, or estrogen receptors. It is currently being investigated for the treatment of patients with endogenous Cushing syndrome (CS) of any etiology. Results from the open-label Phase 2 study (NCT02804750) indicated that treatment with RELA was generally well tolerated and significantly improved glycemic and hypertension control in patients with endogenous hypercortisolism. In this Phase 2 study, two patients with Cushing disease (CD) showed evidence of tumor shrinkage on post-treatment MRIs performed after study completion. Cases: Two patients with de novo CD due to a macroadenoma were treated for 3 months with RELA prior to previously scheduled transsphenoidal pituitary surgeries. Pituitary imaging performed after treatment with RELA revealed significant shrinkage of the tumors. Patient 1 is a 50y/o woman with a pituitary macroadenoma measuring 10 x 6.3 mm on MRI. She presented with cushingoid features (moon face, dorsal & supraclavicular fat, plethora, central obesity, easy bruising, striae) and had confirmatory biochemical tests (ACTH 12.2 pmol/L (NR 1.3-11.1 pmol/L); UFC 177.7 nmol/d (NR 11.1-138 nmol/d); DST 156 ng/mL (15.6 mcg/dL). Patient 2 is a 43y/o man with a pituitary macroadenoma measuring 22 x 25 x 26 mm with suprasellar extension, right displacement of the pituitary stalk, and invasion of the left cavernous sinus on MRI. He also had cushingoid features and confirmatory biochemical tests (ACTH 20.9 pmol/L (NR 1.3-11.1 pmol/L); UFC 356.5 nmol/d (NR 11.1-138 nmol/d); DST 247 ng/mL (24.7 mcg/dL). After completing the 3-month study, pre-operative MRIs revealed reduction in the size of their tumors. The pituitary tumor for patient 1 decreased from 10 x 6.3 mm prior to treatment to 8.0 x 5.7 mm after treatment with RELA. The pituitary tumor for patient 2, decreased from 22 x 25 x 26 mm prior to treatment to 21 x 22 x 19 mm after treatment with RELA. Conclusion: Pituitary imaging performed as part of the pre-operative standard of care revealed tumor shrinkage in two patients with macroadenomas treated for 3 months with RELA. This unexpected finding will be formally investigated in an ongoing Phase 3 study with RELA (GRACE Study, NCT03697109). A potential explanation for this finding could be tumor sensitization to endogenous (hypothalamic) somatostatin via upregulation of somatostatin receptors type 2 (SSTR2) which are downregulated in patients with hypercortisolism. If confirmed, this finding may potentially support the role of RELA as pre-operative medical treatment in patients with CD with invasive macroadenomas.
Comprehensive Detection and Identification of Seven Animal Coronaviruses and Human Respiratory Coronavirus 229E with a Microarray Hybridization Assay

Based on microarray hybridization, a diagnostic test for coronavirus infection was developed using eight coronavirus strains: canine coronavirus (CCoV), feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV), feline coronavirus (FCoV), bovine coronavirus (BCoV), porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCoV), turkey enteritis coronavirus (TCoV), transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), and human respiratory coronavirus (HRCoV). Up to 104 cDNA clones of eight viruses were obtained by reverse transcription PCR with different pairs of primers designed for each virus and a pair of universal primers designed for the RNA polymerase gene of coronavirus. Total RNAs extracted from virus were reverse transcribed, followed by multi-PCR amplification and labeled with Cy3-dCTP. All labeled cDNAs and prepared gene chips were subjected to specific hybridization. The results showed that extensive cross-reaction existed between CCoV, FCoV, FIPV, TGEV and PRCoV, while there was no cross-reaction between BCoV, TCoV and HRCoV. The ultimate specific gene chip was developed with DNA fragments reamplified from the chosen recombinant plasmids without cross-reaction between different coronaviruses. The hybridization results showed that this gene chip could specifically identify and distinguish the eight coronaviruses and the sensitivity of the chip may be 1,000× more sensitive than PCR, indicating that it can be used for the diagnosis of eight coronavirus infections at the same time.
Editor's introduction: brand management

Two academic Journals (the Journal of Brand Management and the Journal of Product and Brand Management) are entirely devoted to the study of brands. In addition, a number of special issues have focused on specific topics in branding, for instance the Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing (2007) Special Issue on Branding in Industrial Markets, the European Journal of Marketing (2003) Special Issue on Corporate and Service Brands and the Journal of Marketing (1994) Special Issue on Brand Management. Moreover, most marketing and consumer behaviour conferences include a „branding‟ or „brand management‟ track. There are also frequent specialist conferences (e.g. the annual „Thought Leaders International Conference on Brand Management‟) and a number of Special Interest Groups (e.g. the Academy of Marketing‟s Brand Identity and Corporate Reputation Special Interest Group).