Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seed dispersal by woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagothricha) at Tinigua National Park, Colombia: Dispersal distance, germination rates, and dispersal quantity

The purpose of this study was to describe seed dispersal patterns of woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagothricha) in terms of dispersal quantity and two factors related to dispersal quality: germination rates of dispersed seeds and the distance of dispersal to parental trees. The possible influence of retention time, travel distance, seed size, activity patterns, and fruit abundance on dispersal distance was also analyzed. Observations on activity, diet, daily movements, and seed dispersal were made on focal individuals of a group of woolly monkeys at a tropical rain forest in Tinigua National Park (Colombia). Sixty hours of focal samples per month were completed during 1 year. A total of 753 depositions were collected during the study. Each dropping contained seeds from an average of 2.68 different species (range 0 to 9). Collected depositions contained an underestimated total of 50,168 seeds (>1 mm). Given a population density of 30 individuals/km2, the woolly monkeys in the study area disperse more than 25,000 seeds/km2/day. These seeds belong to 112 different plant species. Germination rates of dispersed seeds are usually similar or higher than those of non‐swallowed seeds. It was possible to determine dispersal distance in 264 cases when the focal animal was continuously followed from ingestion at the parental tree to deposition. Only 1% of these depositions landed in close proximity (<15 m) of the parental tree. It was very common that the droppings were deposited between 100 and 500 m from the parent tree, and up to 1.5 km. Higher retention times and longer travel distances were not correlated with increased dispersal distance. Two main reasons for this result were the prolonged and variable passage rates (avg=11.2 hr ± 6.5 SD.) and the circuitous routes of monkeys in this forest. Am. J. Primatol. 50:275–289, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Accelerating the induction of Fas‐mediated T cell apoptosis: a strategy for transplant tolerance?

Acute allograft rejection is primarily a consequence of clonal expansion of donor‐specific T cells with specificity for donor antigen. Immunosuppression current involves the administration of toxic drugs that limit lymphoproliferation, but this treatment is not antigen‐specific and allows opportunistic infection. An ideal strategy would be production of donor‐specific T cell tolerance in the presence of an otherwise intact and functional T cell repertoire. Methods to enhance normal apoptotic clearance of activated T cells might contribute to development of this state. This study focuses on manipulation in vitro of Fas‐mediated T cell apoptosis and compares two methods to enhance the extent and kinetics for clearance of activated T cells. First, the CD4 coreceptor was cross‐linked in the presence and absence of Fas‐stimulation. It was found that CD4 cross‐linking potently induced apoptosis, even in the absence of Fas stimulation. Resting and activated T cells were susceptible to this treatment, precluding the development of antigen‐specific tolerance after T cell activation. In a second system, T cells were treated with two staurosporine analogues, Bisindolylmaleimide (Bis) III and VIII and apoptosis was induced by stimulation of Fas. Resting T cells remained resistant to Fas‐mediated apoptosis, but treatment of mitogen or alloantigen‐activated cells with either Bis III or VIII caused a synergistic increase in apoptosis. These agents also reduced the period of resistance to Fas‐mediated apoptosis after T cell activation, possibly by reducing expression of c‐FLIP, allowing early activation of caspase 8 in alloreactive T cells. Development of this strategy might provide a route to the induction of specific tolerance after organ transplantation.
Identification of corticosteroid‐responsive genes in rat hippocampus using serial analysis of gene expression

Adrenal corticosteroids (CORT) have a profound effect on the function of the hippocampus. This is mediated in a coordinated manner by mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) via activation or repression of target genes. The aim of this study was to identify, using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE), CORT‐responsive hippocampal genes regulated via MR and/or GR. SAGE profiles were compared under different conditions of CORT exposure, resulting in the identification of 203 CORT‐responsive genes that are involved in many different cellular processes like, energy expenditure and cellular metabolism; protein synthesis and turnover; signal transduction and neuronal connectivity and neurotransmission. Besides some previously identified CORT‐responsive genes, the majority of the genes identified in this study were novel. In situ hybridization revealed that six randomly chosen CORT‐responsive genes had distinct expression patterns in neurons of the hippocampus. In addition, using in situ hybridization, we confirmed that these six genes were indeed regulated by CORT, underscoring the validity of the SAGE data. Comparison of MR‐ and GR‐dependent expression profiles revealed that the majority of the CORT‐responsive genes were regulated either by activated MR or by activated GR, while only a few genes were responsive to both activated MR and GR. This indicates that the molecular basis for the differential effects of activated MR and GR is activation or repression of distinct, yet partially overlapping sets of genes. The putative CORT‐responsive genes identified here will provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the differential and sometimes opposing effects of MR and GR on neuronal excitability, memory formation and behaviour as well as their role in neuronal protection and damage.
Superior temporal lobe dysfunction and frontotemporal dysconnectivity in subjects at risk of psychosis and in first‐episode psychosis

Background: Superior temporal lobe dysfunction is a robust finding in functional neuroimaging studies of schizophrenia and is thought to be related to a disruption of fronto‐temporal functional connectivity. However, the stage of the disorder at which these functional alterations occur is unclear. We addressed this issue by using functional MRI (fMRI) to study subjects in the prodromal and first episode phases of schizophrenia. Methods: Subjects with an at risk mental state (ARMS) for psychosis, a first psychotic episode (FEP), and controls were studied using fMRI while performing a working memory task. Activation in the superior temporal gyrus (STG) was assessed using statistical parametric mapping, and its relationship to frontal activation was examined using dynamic causal modeling. Results: The STG was differentially engaged across the three groups. There was deactivation of this region during the task in controls, whereas subjects with FEP showed activation and the response in subjects with ARMS was intermediately relative to the two other groups. There were corresponding differences in the effective connectivity between the STG and the middle frontal gyrus across the three groups, with a negative coupling between these areas in controls, a positive coupling in the FEP group, and an intermediate value in the ARMS group. Conclusions: A failure to deactivate the superior temporal lobe during tasks that engage prefrontal cortex is evident at the onset of schizophrenia and may reflect a disruption of fronto‐temporal connectivity. Qualitatively similar alterations are evident in people with prodromal symptoms of the disorder. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Double-edged Swords: The Good and the Bad of Privacy and Anonymity in Social Media

1 NEED FOR PRIVACY AND ANONYMITY IN ONLINE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES Online Social Media sites (OSMs) like Facebook and Twitter drastically changed the way users communicate with each other and share content. OSMs provide inexpensive communication medium that allows anyone to quickly reach millions of users. Consequently, in these platforms anyone can publish content and anyone interested in the content can obtain it, representing a transformative revolution in our society. However, the very strength of OSMs to easily reach millions of users also indicates that there might be dire consequences to the content publishers if it reaches wrong people. For example, A content creator might lose her job simply because her rant in Facebook might be viewed by her boss [3] or even worse, Government organizations might press criminal charges against an activist solely based on her political opinions expressed in OSM posts [2]. To that end, over time, as OSMs gradually become a medium for freedom of expression, specially in times of unrest [9], there is a strong need for protecting users and their freedom of expression. In other words, there is a need for more privacy and anonymity to the users in OSMs so that they can preserve their right to free speech without fear of repercussions from their Government or other authorities. However, there is a cost—more private and anonymous platforms can also be abused to hurt other users, e.g., via spreading hate, cyber bullying or trolling. In this talk, we will emphasize that we can leverage the OSM data as social sensors to understand privacy and anonymity practices in social media and improve upon them. Moreover, we argue that privacy and anonymity are double-edged swords—needed by many (e.g., activists during Arab Spring) but also abused by some to harm others. To that end, we argue that these social sensors might enable the OSM operators to stop the abuse too. We would next expand upon how social sensors can be used to (i) understand the need for privacy and anonymity and (ii) limit the abuse of these technologies
Background noise distribution for noise object tracking in Track-Before-Detect systems using minimal chi-square statistic

Tracking of the noise signal in noise measurements needs special techniques. The difference between object and background noise is defined, using the noise distribution. The proposed technique is based on the model of the background noise. The window based approach is used for input signal preprocessing. The comparison of two distributions – empirical and observed is used. The global distribution is obtained using all measurements and the observed distribution is computed in the window area only. Minimal chi-square statistic is used as comparison criteria and results are processed by Spatio-Temporal TrackBefore-Detect algorithm for tracking of the dynamic of the object and improved signal denoising. A few examples are shown for different objects that show possibilities of the proposed solution. Mean value suppression is possible using comparison of both distributions, what is important in application where the background estimation is not ideal.
Design Rules for Visualizing Text Variant Graphs

After Schmidt’s article [1] on modelling and representing various versions of text with so called Variant Graphs was published in 2009, web-based tools were developed that utilize and adopt the presented model to facilitate the work with digital editions of text in the browser. CollateX [2] is one of these tools. It computes a static, horizontally aligned, directed acyclic graph with vertices showing the various text fragments and edges labeled with edition identifiers connecting subsequent text fragments. The tool Stemmaweb [3] extends the CollateX graph to allow for user-driven annotation and modification of the graph structure (e.g., merging and splitting of vertices). Despite the attached interaction capabilities, it seems that there is little value put on designing the graphs. The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness for improving the readability of Text Variant Graphs. We propose a list of design rules for styling the graph, and its vertices and edges to facilitate a rapid comprehension of the underlying alignment structure by the user.
Phase I safety and pharmacokinetic study of recombinant human anti-vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with advanced cancer.

PURPOSE We investigated the safety and pharmacokinetics of a recombinant human monoclonal antibody to vascular endothelial growth factor (rhuMAb VEGF) in patients with cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Cohorts of patients with metastatic cancer having failed prior therapy entered a phase I trial of rhuMAb VEGF administered by a 90-minute intravenous infusion at doses from 0.1 to 10.0 mg/kg on days 0, 28, 35, and 42. Patients underwent pharmacokinetic sampling on day 0 and had serum samples obtained during the subsequent 28 days. Response assessment was carried out on days 49 and 72. RESULTS Twenty-five patients with a median Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 were accrued. There were no grade III or IV adverse events definitely related to the antibody. There were three episodes of tumor-related bleeding. Infusions of rhuMAb VEGF were well tolerated without significant toxicity. Grades I and II adverse events possibly or probably related to study drug included asthenia, headache, and nausea. Pharmacokinetics revealed a linear profile with a half-life of 21 days. There were no objective responses, though 12 patients experienced stable disease over the duration of the study. CONCLUSION rhuMAb VEGF was safely administered without dose-limiting toxicity at doses ranging up to 10 mg/kg. Multiple doses of rhuMAb VEGF were well tolerated, and pharmacokinetic studies indicate that doses of > or = 0.3 mg/kg have a half-life similar to that of other humanized antibodies. Subsequent trials will explore rhuMAb VEGF alone and in combination chemotherapy.
Effect of Vibration Frequency on Serratus Anterior Muscle Activity during Performance of the Push-up Plus with a Redcord Sling

[Purpose] We investigated the effect of vibration at various frequencies on serratus anterior (SA) muscle activity. [Subjects] Ten male subjects were recruited. [Methods] The subjects performed the push-up plus exercise supported by straps above the surface and vertical ropes in the Redcord sling. During the push-up plus, vibrations of 0, 30, 50, or 90 Hz were applied to the Redcord sling using a mechanical vibration apparatus attached to the rope. SA muscle activity was recorded using electromyography. [Results] SA muscle activity at the 50 Hz vibration frequency was significantly higher than that of no vibration. [Conclusion] Performing the push-up plus using a Redcord sling with mechanical vibration of 50 Hz effectively increased SA muscle activity.
Talking heads for elderly and Alzheimer patients (THEA): project report and demonstration

In the present project a talking head is developed especially for the use with mobile devices. Its design targets applications in the area of Ambient Assisted Living services. It shall be easily adapted to various face and head typologies and appearances to represent specific persons known to the user, highly performing on current mobile hardware, and flexible in the interface design to communicate with a range of middleware and service platforms. A Client-Server-Architecture with lightweight client software ensures easy adaptability of the main server logic to various end devices like Android smartphones, iPhones, set-top boxes or standard computers.
When does uncertainty avoidance promote customer-to-customer intercultural service encounters?

Purpose Previous literature has reported inconsistent findings regarding the impact of uncertainty avoidance (UA) on intercultural experiences. This includes positive, negative and insignificant associations between UA on the one hand and cosmopolitanism or comfort with intercultural service encounters (ICSE) on the other hand. The purpose of this paper is to participate in addressing these contradictions. More specifically, this study examines how UA affects expatriate cosmopolitanism as well as approach of service environments patronized by local customers by introducing two moderators: national identification and perceived discrimination. Design/methodology/approach The authors propose a conceptual model based on the results of a literature review. The authors test it with survey data collected from Indian expatriates (n=341) living in Qatar, using structural equation modeling. Findings The results corroborate the moderating role of national identification. Under low identification, expatriate consumers engage in a prospective form of uncertainty management, leading them to adopt a more cosmopolitan stance. Under high identification, their uncertainty plays an inhibitory role, reducing their cosmopolitanism and negatively affecting their approach of service places patronized by local consumers. Perceived discrimination did not moderate the impact of UA as expected on either cosmopolitanism or approach. Originality/value This paper extends the prior research on UA by testing how two moderators could activate either a prospective or an inhibitory form of uncertainty. It also contributes to research on ICSE, by focusing on customer-to-customer interactions in a multicultural marketplace.
ESTIMATING PROFIT AND COST FUNCTIONS AND ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL EFFICIENCIES OF WHEAT PRODUCTION NEJAF PROVINCE – AL-ABBASSI TOWNSHIP (A CASE STUDY) FOR SEASON 2016

Wheat is one of the most important cereals, occupying a discrete economic position worldwide as a main source for human nutrition due to its content of essential nutrients. Therefore, wheat has a strategic trait in international economic relationships, and most developing countries, including Iraq, are seeking for achieving self-sufficiency from this crop. This study aimed to estimate the profit and cost functions as well as economic, price, cost, and technical efficiencies beside the other economic indices at actual, optimal and profit-maximizing production of wheat. A random sample of 45 wheat farms in Nejaf province was selected during the agricultural season 2016. From efficiency scales of profit function, it was shown that the average production costs had the greatest impact on the profit compared to other variables (product price and yield). According to the cost function, the optimal cost-minimizing production size was 49.40 tons. Both technical and economic efficiencies were 61.96%, while price and cost efficiencies were 35.1% and 0.53 respectively. From these data, it can be concluded that the actual production uses only 62 % from economic resources and it affords 38% extra cost. The study recommends following a production policy which increases the economic efficiency and achieves the optimal exploit for available resources.
Business Ownership by Workers: Are Worker Cooperatives a Viable Option?

One possible strategy for both succession and new business development is employee ownership. New business formation as an employee-owned firm or cooperative may have some advantages over formation as a sole proprietorship or partnership: pooling financial resources, spreading risk and combining the various knowledge and skills of the members involved. In the case of business succession, selling to employees provides a tax benefit to the owners and increases the probability that the business will continue to exist in its current location, benefitting both the employees themselves and the local community. While worker cooperatives (or employee-owned cooperatives) are currently rare in the United States, successful examples exist, suggesting potential for future development of this type of organization. This paper reviews the literature on worker cooperatives and presents data on the extent and nature of worker cooperatives in the United States. It concludes with a discussion of the implications for employee-owned cooperative development in Iowa and provides suggestions for future research and outreach programming on this topic.
Discrete event-triggered sliding mode control with fast output sampling feedback

This paper deals with event-triggering based design of discrete-time sliding mode (DTSM) control for linear systems. Multirate output feedback based DTSM is designed with event-triggering strategy such that the system trajectories remain bounded in the vicinity of sliding manifold. An event-triggering rule is developed for DTSM which is evaluated only at periodic time intervals. The control is updated whenever the triggering instant is generated at these discrete time instants. It is shown that with this technique the system trajectories remain bounded. Also, in this triggering scheme there is always guaranteed Zeno free execution of triggering sequences as it is inherently discrete. Simulation results are shown to demonstrate the theoretical treatments of this paper.
Exploration of Knowledge and Competitiveness in the Fashion Industry Agglomeration

: The purpose of this study was to explore how knowledge in a successful fashion industry is developed and used, and how this knowledge affects industry competitiveness. Based on a case study method, thematic themes explaining the relationship between knowledge and fashion industry competitive- ness were identified through constant comparative analysis of the existing literature. In this study, the three knowledge characteristics (increasing returns to scale, non-rivalry and non-excludability, and tacit and codifiable nature) were systematically applied to the four major functional areas of fashion industry. Based on new growth theory, it was proposed that increasing returns to scale present in agglomerations helped increase fashion industry competitiveness through knowledge in all types of fashion industry through design, product development and supply chain management, marketing, and craftsmanship. The study provides implications for policy-makers and industry liaisons to improve the competitiveness of the fashion industry and a theoretical foundation for future fashion industry competitiveness research to further identify factors that determine fashion industry competitiveness.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT FOR SURABAYA’S PUBLIC TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT

This paper will examine the correlation between theories and researches on community involvement with the planning for Surabaya’s public transport network. This departs from the idea of including affected community to join in the planning and designing process and one of the decision maker, rather than just a passive consumer, using researches related to participatory development on urban design practices. This paper will start from the idea of engaging communities in urban planning and development process to create a more resilient community and look for its examples in the city of Surabaya, Indonesia. Afterwards, this paper will observe the importance of effective and efficient transport management and the conditions of Surabaya's recent transit network and the efforts to improve it by implementing reports on rail-based transport. These two aspects, community involvement and provision of new public transport system then merged. The expected results are that the development of urban areas should be taking into account its surrounding neighbourhood, district, or corridor. In the end, this paper will generally recommend what steps should be taken, either for the transport management or the community involvement effort.
Histogenesis of the nuclei griseum pontis, corporis pontobulbaris and reticularis tegmenti pontis (Bechterew) in the mouse an autoradiographic study

By means of autoradiography the time, site of origin and migration pathways of neuroblasts destined for three nuclei in the hindbrain of the mouse have been determined. The cells of the nuclei griseum pontis and corporis pontobulbaris arise on gestation days 12 through 16 in the rhombic lip from the obex to the lateral recess. Most cells migrate within 48 hours via the pontobulbar body to the base of the pons to form the nucleus griseum pontis; some migrate only a short distance along the pathway and collectively form the nucleus corporis pontobulbaris. Most cells of the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis (Bechterew) arise in the primitive basal ependymal plate of the pons on gestation days 12 and 13 and migrate ventrally into the tegmentum. Some probably arise at the rhombic lip and migrate via the pontobulbar body to the base of the pontine flexure where they turn dorsally into the tegmentum.