Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How effective can be the national law in protecting birds? A case study from the Czech Republic

An effect of the Czech nature conservation law on a conservation status of bird species was examined using data on population size from two Atlases of breeding bird distribution in the Czech Republic (1985-1989 and 2001-2003). On average, species with the highest level of legal protection did better than other species. This pattern was probably driven by marked population increase of the species which were already increasing before the law came into the effect. Negative trends of declining species were not reversed after the law was accepted and it appears that the law failed to protect common bird species. Positive trends of protected species in the Czech Republic seem to mimic the trends in Europe and in neighbouring countries. Available official assessment of species conservation actions together with mixed message of our analysis suggest that the law could bring more positive results if implemented properly.
Maxillary sinus floor augmentation with Bio-Oss or Bio-Oss mixed with autogenous bone as graft: a systematic review.

AIMS The objective of the present systematic review was to test the hypothesis of no differences in the implant treatment outcome when Bio-Oss or Bio-Oss mixed with autogenous bone is used as graft for the maxillary sinus floor augmentation (MSFA) applying the lateral window technique. MATERIAL AND METHODS A MEDLINE (PubMed) search in combination with a hand search of relevant journals was conducted by including human studies published in English from January 1, 1990 to June 1, 2010. The search provided 879 titles and 35 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Considerable variation in the included studies prevented meta-analysis from being performed and no long-term study comparing MSFA with the two treatment modalities was identified. Also, the survival of suprastructures after the two augmentation procedures was not compared within the same study. RESULTS The 1-year implant survival was compared in one study demonstrating no statistically significant difference. The implant survival was 96% with Bio-Oss and 94% with a mixture of 80% Bio-Oss and 20% autogenous mandibular bone. Addition of a limited amount of autogenous bone to Bio-Oss seemed not to increase the amount of new bone formation and bone-to-implant contact compared with Bio-Oss. CONCLUSIONS Therefore, the hypothesis of no differences between the use of Bio-Oss or Bio-Oss mixed with autogenous bone as graft for MSFA could neither be confirmed nor rejected.
Liver function in UK patients with oral lichen planus

There have been several studies of the possible association between oral lichen planus and chronic liver disease; however, aside from various Italian reports no consistent association has been observed. In the present study, frequencies of historical, physical and biochemical evidence of liver disease in 180 UK patients with oral lichen planus were compared with those of 25 disease control patients and 25 healthy controls. No significant association between oral lichen planus and chronic liver disease; however, aside from various Italian reports no consistent
Intermittent versus continuous exercise: effects of perceptually lower exercise in obese women.

INTRODUCTION Exercise has beneficial effects on obesity and diabetes treatments. However, obese subjects do not closely adhere to training programs probably because of the monotony of the continuous exercise that is frequently proposed. To increase adherence to training programs, intermittent exercise, which is less monotonous, may be more appropriate. PURPOSE The purposes of this study were to determine the perceptually less hard exercise (continuous vs intermittent exercise) and to analyze the impact of a training program on the basis of this exercise in obese women with and without type 2 diabetes. METHODS Twenty type 2 diabetic obese women and 20 obese women without diabetes were recruited. In each group, 10 patients integrated a training program (i.e., training groups), whereas the remaining patients were untrained (i.e., control groups). The training groups performed a continuous exercise and an intermittent exercise to determine the perceptually less hard exercise thanks to lower ratings of perceived exertion (RPE). Then, a training program that included 32 min (3 d x wk(-1) x 10 wk(-1)) of the perceptually less hard exercise was proposed to training groups. RESULTS RPE were significantly lower during the intermittent exercise compared to the continuous exercise in the obese women with or without diabetes (RPE = 12.3 +/- 2.3 vs 13.7 +/- 2.3 and RPE = 11.9 +/- 1.1 vs 13.2 +/- 1.6, respectively). After the training program, significant beneficial effects on the glycosylated hemoglobin (6.8 +/- 1.4% vs 6.5 +/- 1.2%), body mass (97.1 +/- 16.9 vs 95.2 +/- 16.2 kg), body mass index (37.6 +/- 6.1 vs 36.8 +/- 6.0 kg x m(-2)), and on the HR and the walked distance limit were noticed in the training groups. CONCLUSION The obese women with or without diabetes perceived the intermittent exercise as being less hard than the continuous exercise, and a training program based on intermittent exercises produced beneficial effects on obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Promoting heart health in rural women.

PURPOSE To compare 2 strategies, stage-matched nursing and community intervention (SMN+CI) and community intervention (CI) alone in changing cardiovascular risk factors in up to 3 behavioral areas: diet, physical activity, and/or smoking among rural women. METHODS A 14-month, multisite randomized controlled trial of 117 rural women was conducted. Transtheoretical model was used in identification of stage of change and development of the SMN+CI nursing interventions. A social-ecological model was used to address issues of rurality in the development of interventions. FINDINGS The SMN + CI group was superior on 4 outcomes. There were significant increases in 2 measures of dietary intake; improvement in dietary stage of change for fruits and vegetables; and reduced diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the SMN + CI group. After log transformation DBP significance was lost. The CI group had a significant reduction in change in total cholesterol; however, significance was lost after control for the initiation of lipid lowering medications. There was a significant reduction in Framingham risk scores pre- to postintervention, regardless of group. CONCLUSIONS There continues to be a need to improve cardiovascular risk factors in rural women. There should be an exploration of whether intensified dose and fidelity of the intervention strategies of diet and physical activity are effective in improving anthropometric and laboratory values. Further investigation is warranted into factors influencing the pre- to postreduction in Framingham risk scores.
USENIX Association Proceedings of the General Track : 2003 USENIX Annual

This paper presents a new asynchronous programming library (libasync-smp) that allows event-driven applications to take advantage of multiprocessors by running code for event handlers in parallel. To control the concurrency between events, the programmer can specify a color for each event: events with the same color (the default case) are handled serially; events with different colors can be handled in parallel. The programmer can incrementally expose parallelism in existing event-driven applications by assigning different colors to computationally-intensive events that do not share mutable state. An evaluation oflibasync-smpdemonstrates that applications achieve multiprocessor speedup with little programming effort. As an example, parallelizing the cryptography in the SFS file server required about 90 lines of changed code in two modules, out of a total of about 12,000 lines. Multiple clients were able to read large cached files from thelibasync-smpSFS server running on a 4-CPU machine 2.5 times as fast as from an unmodified uniprocessor SFS server on one CPU. Applications without computationally intensive tasks also benefit: an event-driven Web server achieves 1.5 speedup on four CPUs with multiple clients reading small cached files.
Local commutativity and causality in interacting PP-wave string field theory

In this paper, we extend our previous study of causality and local commutativity of string fields in the pp-wave lightcone string field theory to include interaction. Contrary to the flat space case result of Lowe, Polchinski, Susskind, Thorlacius and Uglum, we found that the pp-wave interaction does not affect the local commutativity condition. Our results show that the pp-wave lightcone string field theory is not continuously connected with the flat space one. We also discuss the relation between the condition of local commutativity and causality. While the two notions are closely related in a point particle theory, their relation is less clear in string theory. We suggest that string local commutativity may be relevant for an operational defintion of causality using strings as probes.
Liquid-infused structured surfaces with exceptional anti-biofouling performance

Bacteria primarily exist in robust, surface-associated communities known as biofilms, ubiquitous in both natural and anthropogenic environments. Mature biofilms resist a wide range of antimicrobial treatments and pose persistent pathogenic threats. Treatment of adherent biofilm is difficult, costly, and, in medical systems such as catheters or implants, frequently impossible. At the same time, strategies for biofilm prevention based on surface chemistry treatments or surface microstructure have been found to only transiently affect initial attachment. Here we report that Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces (SLIPS) prevent 99.6% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm attachment over a 7-d period, as well as Staphylococcus aureus (97.2%) and Escherichia coli (96%), under both static and physiologically realistic flow conditions. In contrast, both polytetrafluoroethylene and a range of nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces accumulate biofilm within hours. SLIPS show approximately 35 times the reduction of attached biofilm versus best case scenario, state-of-the-art PEGylated surface, and over a far longer timeframe. We screen for and exclude as a factor cytotoxicity of the SLIPS liquid, a fluorinated oil immobilized on a structured substrate. The inability of biofilm to firmly attach to the surface and its effective removal under mild flow conditions (about 1 cm/s) are a result of the unique, nonadhesive, “slippery” character of the smooth liquid interface, which does not degrade over the experimental timeframe. We show that SLIPS-based antibiofilm surfaces are stable in submerged, extreme pH, salinity, and UV environments. They are low-cost, passive, simple to manufacture, and can be formed on arbitrary surfaces. We anticipate that our findings will enable a broad range of antibiofilm solutions in the clinical, industrial, and consumer spaces.
Spreading of RNA Targeting and DNA Methylation in RNA Silencing Requires Transcription of the Target Gene and a Putative RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at www.plantcell.org/cgi/doi/10.1105/tpc.010480.

RNA silencing is a sequence-specific RNA degradation process that follows the recognition of double-stranded RNA. Here, we show that virus vectors carrying parts of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgene targeted RNA silencing in Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis against the entire GFP RNA. These results indicate that there was spreading of RNA targeting from the initiator region into the adjacent 5′ and 3′ regions of the target gene. Spreading was accompanied by methylation of the corresponding GFP DNA. It also was dependent on transcription of the transgene and on the putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, SDE1/SGS2. These findings indicate that SDE1/SGS2 produces double-stranded RNA using the target RNA as a template. RNA silencing of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase and phytoene desaturase was not associated with the spreading of RNA targeting or DNA methylation, indicating that these endogenous RNAs are not templates for SDE1/SGS2.
Rapidly inducible changes in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate levels influence multiple regulatory functions of the lipid in intact living cells

Rapamycin (rapa)-induced heterodimerization of the FRB domain of the mammalian target of rapa and FKBP12 was used to translocate a phosphoinositide 5-phosphatase (5-ptase) enzyme to the plasma membrane (PM) to evoke rapid changes in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P 2) levels. Rapa-induced PM recruitment of a truncated type IV 5-ptase containing only the 5-ptase domain fused to FKBP12 rapidly decreased PM PtdIns(4,5)P 2 as monitored by the PLCδ1PH-GFP fusion construct. This decrease was paralleled by rapid termination of the ATP-induced Ca2+ signal and the prompt inactivation of menthol-activated transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) channels. Depletion of PM PtdIns(4,5)P 2 was associated with a complete blockade of transferrin uptake and inhibition of epidermal growth factor internalization. None of these changes were observed upon rapa-induced translocation of an mRFP-FKBP12 fusion protein that was used as a control. These data demonstrate that rapid inducible depletion of PM PtdIns(4,5)P 2 is a powerful tool to study the multiple regulatory roles of this phospholipid and to study differential sensitivities of various processes to PtdIns(4,5)P 2 depletion.
Trust and self-control: The moderating role of the default

According to recent dual-process theories, interpersonal trust is influenced by both impulsive and deliberative processes. The present research explores the determinants of deliberative trust, investigating how trust decisions are affected by the availability of cognitive resources. We test the interaction of two relevant factors: self-control (the ability to exert mental control over one’s behavior) and the default response (a preselected option that requires minimal or no effort). Past research has shown that self-control has extensive effects on social behavior and decision making. Here, we report that the effect of self-control on trust depends on the default. Across two studies, we find no direct link between self-control and trust. Instead, self-control affects trust indirectly by influencing the level of effort in decision making. Poor self-control (due to experimental depletion or trait-based differences) predicts adherence to the default—the response that requires the least effort.
Draft Efficacy of docosahexaenoic acid-choline-vitamin E ( DHA-CHO-VE ) in paediatric NASH : a randomized controlled clinical trial

Complete List of Authors: Zöhrer, Evelyn; Medizinische Universitat Graz Alisi, Anna; Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital – IRCCS Jahnel, Jörg; Medizinische Universitat Graz Moscla, Antonella; Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital – IRCCS Della Corte, Claudia; Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital – IRCCS Crudele, Annalisa; Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital – IRCCS Fauler, Günter; Medizinische Universitat Graz Nobili, Valerio; Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital – IRCCS
New biostratigraphic data from the Early Pleistocene tyrrhenian PALEOCOAST (Western Umbria, Central Italy)

Plio-quaternary marine deposits are largely documented in western Umbria (central Italy), although they still lack biostratigraphic definition. Contrary to published data, Early Pleistocene deposits outcrop more extensively than previously reported in the Orvieto area. A composite biostratigraphic succession, almost continuous from the top of the G. gr. crassaformis Zone to the top of the Gl. cariacoensis Zone, can be reconstructed in offshore clay sections. Nannofossil assemblages and marker events (bmG, tCm, blG, tHs, tlG) from the MNN16a to MNN19e subzones have been documented. Lower shoreface - transition to offshore sections as described, are characterized by poor planktonic assemblages; nevertheless, they are still referable to the same stratigraphic interval. Deposits can be partially inserted into the "Chiani - Tevere" depositional cycle, also documented in this area. Moreover, marine conditions persist in the area from the base of the Gelasian to the top of the Calabrian, and it can be modelled as a peripheral, survival sea-branch, cut-off from the main river supply and from continental influence. However, Zanclean to Piacenzian deposits occur in a small area, localized around the town of Orvieto, so the former distinction of superimposed depositional cycles can only be speculative.
Porcine Astrovirus Type 3 in Central Nervous System of Swine with Polioencephalomyelitis

Using next-generation sequencing, we identified and genetically characterized a porcine astrovirus type 3 strain found in tissues from the central nervous system of 1 piglet and 3 sows with neurologic signs and nonsuppurative polioencephalomyelitis. Further studies are needed to understand the potential for cross-species transmission and clinical impact.
Structural Evolution During Cyclic Glacier Surges: 1. Structural Glaciology of Trapridge Glacier, Yukon, Canada

Interpreting the relationships among the internal processes of glaciers and their mesoscale structural products has been a long‐standing challenge for glaciologists. Trapridge Glacier is a small polythermal surge‐type valley glacier that has been studied for 40 years. It offers an opportunity to investigate the structural evolution of a glacier through a series of surges and to apply novel modeling approaches to gain physical insight as to how different structures are formed. Following the glacier's most recent slow surge, the structural attributes were documented, with emphasis on their three‐dimensional geometry and sequential development: ice stratification (S0), longitudinal foliation (S1), and associated medial moraine, folding of stratification (F1), transverse foliation (S2), thrusts (S3), and recumbent folds (F3), fractures (surface crevassing and crevasse traces; S4). Efforts to represent these structures using models of glacier flow dynamics remain at an early stage but provide informative tests of model skill and of current understanding of the processes that control structure generation. Using field interpretations as a guide to the relevant processes of formation, structures on Trapridge Glacier are compared with computer‐simulated structures for the same glacier. Modeling achieved the greatest success in simulating moraine patterns, ice stratification, longitudinal foliation, and the downglacier decrease in the density of surface crevasse traces. The least successful effort was to simulate the orientation of crevasse traces.
Electron–Ion Coupling in Mesothermal Plasma Beam Emission: Full Particle PIC Simulations

Full particle particle-in-cell simulations are performed to study the collisionless electron-ion coupling during ion beam emission and neutralization. Simulations show that ion beam neutralization and propagation are two closely coupled processes. Electron-ion coupling is achieved through interactions between the trapped electrons and a potential well established by the propagation of the ion beam front along the beam direction and not through plasma instabilities as previous studies suggested. In the transverse direction, the beam emission generates an expansion fan similar to that of the expansion of a mesothermal plasma into vacuum. The expansion process determines the beam potential with respect to the ambient. This suggests that a plasma beam in a vacuum chamber and a plasma beam in space may have similar charge density profiles but different beam potentials with respect to the ambient due to the limit imposed by the boundary on plasma expansion.
Dietary patterns and risk of colorectal cancer: a systematic review of cohort studies (2000-2011).

OBJECTIVES This systematic review of cohort studies aimed to identify any association between specific dietary patterns and risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). Dietary patterns involve complex interactions of food and nutrients summarizing the total diet or key aspects of the diet for a population under study. METHODS AND MATERIALS This review involves 6 cohort studies of dietary patterns and their association with colorectal cancer. An exploratory or a posteriori approach and a hypothesis-oriented or a priori approach were employed to identify dietary patterns. RESULTS The dietary pattern identified to be protective against CRC was healthy, prudent, fruits and vegetables, fat reduced/diet foods, vegetables/fish/poultry, fruit/wholegrain/dairy, healthy eating index 2005, alternate healthy eating index, Mediterranean score and recommended food score. An elevated risk of CRC was associated with Western diet, pork processed meat, potatoes, traditional meat eating, and refined grain pattern. CONCLUSION The Western dietary pattern which mainly consists of red and processed meat and refined grains is associated with an elevated risk of development of CRC. Protective factors against CRC include a healthy or prudent diet, consisting of vegetables, fruits, fish and poultry.
LightFlood: Minimizing Redundant Messages and Maximizing Scope of Peer-to-Peer Search

Flooding is a fundamental file search operation in unstructured peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing systems, in which a peer starts the file search procedure by broadcasting a query to its neighbors, who continue to propagate it to their neighbors. This procedure repeats until a time-to-live (TTL) counter is decremented to 0. Flooding can seriously limit system scalability, because the number of redundant query messages grows exponentially during the message propagation. Our study shows that more than 70 percent of the generated messages are redundant in a flooding with a TTL of 7 in a moderately connected Gnutella network. Existing efforts to address this issue have been focused on limiting the use of the flooding operation. We propose a new flooding scheme, called LightFlood, with the objective of minimizing the number of redundant messages and retaining a similar message-propagating scope as that of the standard flooding. In the scheme, each peer keeps track of the connectivities of every immediate and next indirect neighbor peers, which can be acquired locally. LightFlood identifies the neighbor with the highest connectivity and uses the link to that neighbor to form a suboverlay within the existing P2P overlay. In LightFlood, flooding is divided into two stages. The first stage is a standard flooding with a limited number of TTL hops, where a message can spread to a sufficiently large scope with a small number of redundant messages. In the second stage, message propagating is only conducted along the suboverlay, significantly reducing the number of redundant messages. Our analysis and simulation experiments show that the LightFlood scheme provides a low-overhead broadcast facility that can be effectively used in P2P search. For example, compared with standard flooding with seven TTL hops, we show that LightFlood with an additional two to three hops can reduce up to 69 percent of the flooding messages and retain the same flooding scope. We believe that LightFlood can be widely used as a core mechanism for efficient message broadcasting in P2P systems due to its near-optimal performance.
Neural Networks for Note Onset Detection in Piano Music

This paper presents a brief overview of our researches in the use of connectionist systems for transcription of polyphonic piano music and concentrates on the issue of onset detection in musical signals. We propose a technique for detecting onsets in a piano performance, based on a combination of a bank of auditory filters, a network of integrate-and-fire neurons and a multilayer perceptron. Such structure has certain advantages over the more commonly used peak-picking methods and we present its performance on several synthesized and real piano recordings. Results show that our approach represents a viable alternative to existing onset detection algorithms.