Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selection on Herbivory Resistance and Growth Rate in an Invasive Plant

The evolution of increased competitive ability (EICA) hypothesis proposes that invasive species evolve decreased defense and increased competitive ability following natural enemy release. Previous tests of EICA examined the result of evolution by comparing individuals from home and introduced ranges, but no previous study of this hypothesis has examined the process of evolution by analyzing patterns of selection. On the basis of EICA, there should be selection for competitive ability without herbivores and selection for defense with herbivores. Selection on competitive ability should be stronger for genotypes accustomed to herbivores (home range genotypes), and selection on defense should be stronger for genotypes unaccustomed to herbivores (introduced range genotypes). Using a field experiment, we tested these hypotheses for the invasive plant Melaleuca quinquenervia. There was a negative genetic correlation between resistance and growth, indicating a trade‐off. However, selection for stem elongation (an indicator of competitive ability) was always positive, and selection on resistance was always negative and did not depend on genotype source or the presence of herbivores. The patterns of selection found in this study contrast with predictions from EICA and accurately predict the lack of evolutionary change in growth and resistance following the introduction of this species from Australia to Florida.
Results of extensive surgery for pancreatic carcinoma

Since 1973, 210 patients with pancreatic carcinoma have undergone surgery in our clinic, including 144 with carcinoma of the head of the pancreas. Of these 144 patients, macroscopic curative resections were performed on 53 (36.8%). Five patients (9.4%) died within 30 postoperative days, and an additional 3 (5.7%) died within 60 days. The overall median survival was 13 months. Eight of the patients who underwent macroscopic curative resection survived 5 years, giving a 5‐year survival rate of 27.4% using the Kaplan–Meier method. The 5‐year survival rate was 39.7% after a microscopically curative resection and 0% after a microscopically noncurative resection.
Competition, access pricing and regulation in a second degree price discrimination setting

In broad terms, this work aims to gain a greater understanding of the particular features introduced in the regulatory set-up by competitive issues and vertically related markets. Specifically, we explore their impact on the profitability of the market and the p~ssibility for the incumbent to maintain monopoly profits under different regulatory regimes. There was a time when utilities industries and in particular telecoms each seemed to be a natural monopoly. Most governments liked it that way because they owned the monopoly and siphoned off some of the profits. Nowadays, competition is spreading in most utilities market and it becomes imperative to assess its impact on the tariffs and in general on social welfare. We deal with a second degree price discrimination model allowing the players -namely, an incumbent, who has a natural monopoly on the network, and a rival- to make use of non-linear pricing in intermediate and final goods. In this framework the entrant's choice of the customer types is endogenised in a sequential multistage game, where the incumbent, who is undoubtedly the most powerful player, acts as a first mover. We also show that cream skimming, contrary to the general wisdom, can be welfare enhancing. Particular attention is devoted to the access pricing problem which is becoming the key issue to the regulators, examining the relevance of simple pricing rules, such as the Baumol-Willig rule. Despite the presence of a growing literature in these areas, other models fail to incorporate the use of non-linear access pricing. Since price discrimination is common in practice this omission can lead to misleading results. Our analysis shows that the regulator should not allow competition for the low-demand consumers' types or by a less efficient entrant and should impose the adoption of socially optimal non-linear access tariffs. Therefore the general conclusion is that competition will not obviate the need of regulation.
Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed.

STUDY OBJECTIVE Sleep hygiene recommendations are widely disseminated despite the fact that few systematic studies have investigated the empirical bases of sleep hygiene in the home environment. For example, studies have yet to investigate the relative effects of a given dose of caffeine administered at different times of day on subsequent sleep. METHODS This study compared the potential sleep disruptive effects of a fixed dose of caffeine (400 mg) administered at 0, 3, and 6 hours prior to habitual bedtime relative to a placebo on self-reported sleep in the home. Sleep disturbance was also monitored objectively using a validated portable sleep monitor. RESULTS Results demonstrated a moderate dose of caffeine at bedtime, 3 hours prior to bedtime, or 6 hours prior to bedtime each have significant effects on sleep disturbance relative to placebo (p < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSION The magnitude of reduction in total sleep time suggests that caffeine taken 6 hours before bedtime has important disruptive effects on sleep and provides empirical support for sleep hygiene recommendations to refrain from substantial caffeine use for a minimum of 6 hours prior to bedtime.
Group inequality and regional development: Evidence from Pakistan: Evidence from Pakistan

This study explores the patterns and consequences of ethnic and regional inequalities in Pakistan. Using inter-district variation in inequality, ethnic fractionalization, and access to public goods, we extend the literature on public service provisioning by using finer estimates of between-group inequality along multiple dimensions. We also provide the first estimates of horizontal and vertical inequality at the district level in Pakistan. We find that higher group inequality in land, income, and electoral votes is negatively associated with access to public goods. But higher vertical inequality along the same dimensions is positively associated with public goods provisioning.
Organic surface-grown nanowires for functional devices

Discontinuous organic thin film growth on the surface of single crystals results in crystalline nanowires with extraordinary morphological and optoelectronic properties. By way of being generated at the interface of organic and inorganic materials, these nanowires combine the advantages of flexible organic films with the defectless character of inorganic crystalline substrates. The development of destruction-free transfer and direct growth methods allows one to integrate the organic nanowires into semiconductor, metallic electronic or photonic platforms. This article details the mechanisms that lead to the growth of these nanowires and exemplifies some of the linear as well as non-linear photonic properties, such as optical wave guiding, lasing and frequency conversion. The article also highlights future potential by showing that organic nanowires can be integrated into optoelectronic devices or hybrid photonic/plasmonic platforms as passive and active nanoplasmonic elements.
Economic and emission load dispatch using Cuckoo search algorithm

To examine the optimal power output for all the generating units the economic load dispatch problem in a power system is used by which will decreases the total fuel cost whereas fulfilling all practical constraints. Since optimal economic dispatch is not globally the excellent solution so such it was required to reduce the toxic waste or emission dispatch problem. The Combined Economic Emission Dispatch problem is formulated as bi-objective problem by considering both fuel cost and emission concurrently. By using price penalty factor the bi-objective Economic and Emission Dispatch problem is converted into single objective problem. Here, to resolve the combined economic-emission load dispatch problem an effort has been performed using Cuckoo search algorithm, where CSA have number of application and it is a useful tool developed for optimization in engineering. On the basis of the obligate brood parasitic behavior of some cuckoo species this algorithm is explained. In this paper, Cuckoo Search Algorithm (CSA) method is used to obtain the best optimal solution considering for Combined Economic and Emission dispatch problem for simple six unit test system.
Phase III study of two different dosing schedules of erythropoietin in anemic patients with cancer.

PURPOSE To compare maintenance epoetin alfa administered once every 3 weeks with continued weekly epoetin alfa for patients with cancer-associated anemia. PATIENTS AND METHODS Eligible patients were randomly assigned at enrollment to receive three weekly doses of epoetin alfa 40,000 U subcutaneously (SC), followed by either standard weekly epoetin alfa (40K arm) or 120,000 U of epoetin alfa (120K arm) SC every 3 weeks for 18 additional weeks. RESULTS Three hundred sixty-five patients were enrolled. One hundred eighty-three patients were assigned to the 40K arm, and 182 were assigned to the 120K arm. There was no difference in the proportion of patients requiring transfusions during the study (23% in 40K arm and 18% in 120K arm, P = .22) or specifically during the maintenance phase (13% in 40K arm v 15% in 120K arm, P = .58). Patients randomly assigned to the 40K arm were more likely to have a > or = 2 or > or = 3 g/dL hemoglobin (Hb) increment, were more likely to have a drug dose held because of high Hb, and had higher mean end-of-study Hb levels. Toxicities, including thromboembolism, and overall survival were similar. Patients in the 40K arm had a higher global quality of life (QOL) at baseline for unclear reasons, whereas patients in the 120K arm had a greater global QOL improvement during the study, so end-of-study QOL was equivalent. CONCLUSION After three weekly doses of epoetin alfa 40,000 U, a dose of 120,000 U can be administered safely once every 3 weeks without increasing transfusion needs or sacrificing QOL. The Hb increment is somewhat greater with continued weekly epoetin alfa. Lack of blinding as a result of different treatment schedules may have confounded results.
HOA vs. Leasehold

HOA (homeowners association) and leasehold (such as shopping mall) are two important types of urban institutions that have been developing very fast worldwide. This paper extends Hart-Moore model on cooperative vs. outside ownership to the urban setting by incorporating a distinctive feature of urban land use: the transaction and consumption of land is bundled with that of collective goods. The focus is placed on the ex post pricing efficiency of providing collective goods. The impacts of endogenous outside market and the capitalization of collective goods into land price are also discussed. Findings suggest that HOAs are likely to be located in more competitive market such as the suburbs. Rich communities may prefer HOA while leasehold is more common for poor communities. Leasehold also becomes more efficient when the capitalization effect is weaker.
Structure-oriented edge-preserving smoothing in the frequency domain: Application to enhance 3D seismic data volumes

We present a structure-oriented and edge-preserving algorithm for denoising seismic exploration poststack data volumes in the frequency domain. After transforming the 3D data into frequency-space domain we apply, for each frequency slice, a 1D edge-preserving smoothing filter which is guided spatially by the so-called gradient structure tensor. The algorithm can be efficiently implemented using linear convolutions to compute the gradient structure tensor and simple operations for the 1D edge-preserving filters. Examples using 3D seismic field data volumes show that random as well as coherent footprint noise can be significantly reduced with no loss of important structural information.
Responses of nerve fibres of the rat saphenous nerve neuroma to mechanical and chemical stimulation: an in vitro study

1 The response of neuroma nerve endings to different stimuli was studied in a saphenous nerve neuroma preparation in vitro. 2 Electrical activity was recorded from 141 single fibres dissected of saphenous nerve. One‐third (27 %) displayed spontaneous activity. Based on their response to mechanical and chemical stimuli, neuroma nerve fibres were classified as mechanosensory fibres (47.5 %), mechanically insensitive chemosensory fibres (17.0 %), polymodal nociceptor fibres (28.4 %) and unresponsive fibres (7.1 %). 3 Mechanosensory and polymodal neuroma endings responded to von Frey hair stimulation either with a few impulses (phasic units) or a sustained discharge (tonic units). Polymodal units were additionally activated by at least one of the following stimuli: acidic solutions; a combination of bradykinin, prostaglandin E2, serotonin, substance P and histamine (all at 1 μM) plus 7 mm KCl (inflammatory soup); 600 mm NaCl and capsaicin. 4 Low pH solutions increased the firing discharge of polymodal endings proportionally to the proton concentration. The ‘inflammatory soup’ evoked a firing response characterized by the absence of tachyphylaxis, which appeared when its components were applied separately. Both stimuli sensitized polymodal fibres to mechanical stimulation. Hypertonic NaCl (600 mm) and capsaicin (3.3 mm) induced a prolonged discharge that outlasted the stimulus duration. 5 Mechanically insensitive chemosensory neuroma fibres exhibited responses to chemical stimuli analogous to polymodal fibres. They became mechanically sensitive after chemical stimulation. 6 These findings show that neuroma nerve endings in the rat saphenous nerve neuroma in vitro are functionally heterogeneous and exhibit properties reminiscent of those in intact mechanosensory, polymodal and ‘silent’ nociceptor sensory afferents, including their sensitization by algesic chemicals.
Social Listening: A Content Analysis of E-Cigarette Discussions on Twitter

Background Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has increased in the United States, leading to active debate in the public health sphere regarding e-cigarette use and regulation. To better understand trends in e-cigarette attitudes and behaviors, public health and communication professionals can turn to the dialogue taking place on popular social media platforms such as Twitter. Objective The objective of this study was to conduct a content analysis to identify key conversation trends and patterns over time using historical Twitter data. Methods A 5-category content analysis was conducted on a random sample of tweets chosen from all publicly available tweets sent between May 1, 2013, and April 30, 2014, that matched strategic keywords related to e-cigarettes. Relevant tweets were isolated from the random sample of approximately 10,000 tweets and classified according to sentiment, user description, genre, and theme. Descriptive analyses including univariate and bivariate associations, as well as correlation analyses were performed on all categories in order to identify patterns and trends. Results The analysis revealed an increase in e-cigarette–related tweets from May 2013 through April 2014, with tweets generally being positive; 71% of the sample tweets were classified as having a positive sentiment. The top two user categories were everyday people (65%) and individuals who are part of the e-cigarette community movement (16%). These two user groups were responsible for a majority of informational (79%) and news tweets (75%), compared to reputable news sources and foundations or organizations, which combined provided 5% of informational tweets and 12% of news tweets. Personal opinion (28%), marketing (21%), and first person e-cigarette use or intent (20%) were the three most common genres of tweets, which tended to have a positive sentiment. Marketing was the most common theme (26%), and policy and government was the second most common theme (20%), with 86% of these tweets coming from everyday people and the e-cigarette community movement combined, compared to 5% of policy and government tweets coming from government, reputable news sources, and foundations or organizations combined. Conclusions Everyday people and the e-cigarette community are dominant forces across several genres and themes, warranting continued monitoring to understand trends and their implications regarding public opinion, e-cigarette use, and smoking cessation. Analyzing social media trends is a meaningful way to inform public health practitioners of current sentiments regarding e-cigarettes, and this study contributes a replicable methodology.
Assessing sub-optimal performance with the Test of Memory Malingering in Spanish speaking patients with TBI

Primary objectives: To examine the clinical utility of the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) with US Spanish speaking patients diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Research design: The demographic characteristics and neuropsychological functioning of Spanish speaking patients with TBI with valid vs suboptimal performance were compared. Methods and procedures: Demographic and neuropsychological data were retrospectively collected from charts of patients who underwent neurocognitive evaluations for clinical, med-legal and workmen's compensation purposes. Slick et al. criteria for malingered neurocognitive dysfunction were employed for clinical determination of the validity of participants’ neuropsychological profiles, resulting in 16 valid and four suboptimal performers. Main outcomes and results: Valid performers obtained significantly greater scores than suboptimal performers on all trials of the TOMM and generally demonstrated less impairment across neuropsychological domains. The traditional cut-off score for the TOMM misclassified 18.8% of participants not suspected of malingering and lower levels of education appeared to reduce performance on this measure within the valid group. Conclusions: The current findings generally support the use of the TOMM with US primarily Spanish speaking patients diagnosed with TBI. However, caution is recommended when utilizing this measure with individuals having minimal levels of education. Future research with a larger sample and a non-neurological age- and education-matched sample should investigate lower cut-off scores for use with such patients.
Selected hormonal changes with summer fescue toxicosis.

The effects of fescue endophyte content (low, 16 or high, 44% of tillers examined) and of N fertilization rate (low, 134 kg N.ha-1.yr-1 or high, 336 kg N.ha-1.yr-1) upon serum prolactin (PRL) in Angus steers were examined. Jugular blood samples for serum PRL determination were taken before (basal) and after thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) administration (stimulated). Areas under both the basal and stimulated PRL curves were calculated. While areas under the PRL curves varied with length of photoperiod, high endophyte content resulted in a consistent PRL suppression during 1984. During four time periods in 1984 (May to October), areas under the PRL curves [basal and(or) TRH stimulated] were suppressed (P less than .05) with high endophyte on three dates. Although basal areas under the PRL curves in 1983 were nonsignificantly suppressed with high endophyte, there was a suppression (P less than .05) post-TRH in October with high endophyte. There was no effect of N on PRL areas in either year. No relationship was found to exist between basal PRL areas and average daily gains as computed to encompass a period 2 wk before and after a blood collection date. Mean basal growth hormone (GH) concentration as determined from one bleeding date were elevated (P less than .05) in steers on high compared with low endophyte (7.9 and 6.2 ng/ml +/- 1.1 overall SE, respectively). There was no effect of treatment on TRH-stimulated serum GH values. Mean basal serum insulin values ranged from 13.2 to 17.5 microU/ml (+/- 1.2 overall SE) and were not affected by treatment. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Rags to riches: Amino acid sensing by the Rag GTPases in health and disease

ABSTRACT The Rags represent a unique family of evolutionarily conserved, heterodimeric, lysosome-localized small GTPases that play an indispensible role in regulating cellular metabolism in response to various amino acid signaling mechanisms. Rapid progress in the field has begun to unveil a picture in which Rags act as central players in translating information regarding cellular amino acid levels by modulating their nucleotide binding status through an ensemble of support proteins localized in and around the lysosomes. By cooperating with other signaling pathways that converge on the lysosomes, Rags promote anabolic processes through positively affecting mTORC1 signaling in the presence of abundant amino acids. Conversely, Rag inactivation plays an indispensible role in switching cellular metabolism into a catabolic paradigm by promoting the activity of the master lysosomal/autophagic transcription factors TFEB and TFE3. Precise control of Rag signaling is necessary for cells to adapt to constantly changing cellular demands and emerging evidence has highlighted their importance in a wide variety of developmental and pathological conditions.
Vector dissipativity theory for large-scale nonlinear dynamical systems

Recent technological demands have required the analysis and control design of increasingly complex, large-scale nonlinear dynamical systems. In analyzing these large-scale systems, it is often desirable to treat the overall system as a collection of interconnected subsystems. Solution properties of the large-scale system are then deduced from the solution properties of the individual subsystems and the nature of the system interconnections. In this paper we develop an analysis framework for large-scale dynamical systems based on vector dissipativity notions. Specifically, using vector storage functions and vector supply rates, dissipativity properties of the composite large-scale system are shown to be determined from the dissipativity properties of the subsystems and their interconnections. Furthermore, extended Kalman-Yakubovich-Popov conditions, in terms of the subsystem dynamics and interconnection constraints, characterizing vector dissipativeness via vector system storage functions are derived. Finally, these results are used to develop feedback interconnection stability results for large-scale nonlinear dynamical systems using vector Lyapunov functions.
[Morphometric analysis of eyelid fissure in patients with eyelid retraction in acute stage of dysthyroid orbitopathy after treatment with botulinum toxin type A].

PURPOSE To compare morphometric data of eyelid fissure using computerized image analysis before and after application of botulinum toxin type A in patients with eyelid retraction caused by dysthyroid orbitopathy in acute stage. METHODS This was a prospective study with 12 individuals that received transcutaneous 5 UI/0.1 ml injection of botulinum toxin in the upper eyelid. They were examined periodically for 6 months. Clinical eyelid examination was performed and recorded using a video camera connected to a microcomputer. RESULTS Vertical eyelid fissure, upper eyelid margin to reflex distance and the eyelid area showed reduction in the treated eye. A decrease in the levator function of the upper eyelid was observed, and also, a reduction in the difference between the lateral and medial areas. The lower eyelid margin reflex distance did not show any significant differences after the application. Measurements of the contralateral eye increased up to 2 weeks after the application. CONCLUSIONS These results showed a reduction in eyelid retraction and improving the upper eyelid contour, without changes in the lower eyelid position.