Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Field Biology of Edessa rufomarginata (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae): Phenology, Behavior, and Patterns of Host Plant use

ABSTRACT Pentatomids may cause direct and indirect damage to important crop plants. Biological and ecological features of phytophagous stink bugs in natural environments, however, remain poorly documented. Here, we provide an ecological account of Edessa rufomarginata De Geer on Caryocar brasiliense (Caryocaraceae) in the Brazilian savanna. The phenology of E. rufomarginata matched that of its host plant, with immatures developing in the wet season simultaneously with the production of vegetative and reproductive plant tissue. Females do not exhibit parental care and lay eggs more frequently on larger plants. Oviposition frequency, however, does not differ between plants with and without flowers/fruits. Nymphs and adults usually feed on stem parts and more rarely on flower buds and fruits. First- and second-instar nymphs remain aggregated, but disperse as third-instar nymphs. Adults and nymphs were more abundant on mature stems of C. brasiliense compared with other plant locations. Ants visiting the plant to search for extrafloral nectar occasionally tap the abdomen of E. rufomarginata nymphs with their antennae to obtain honeydew. This is the first record of trophobiotic interactions between Edessa stinkbugs and ants, and one of the few for heteropterans. The interaction of the stink bug with other natural enemies, such as predaceous Heniartes (Reduviidae), was also observed. Given the pest status of Edessa species for crop plants, additional field studies on host plants, interaction with ants, and natural enemies in native habitats are needed for an effective management of these stink bugs in tropical agricultural systems.
The dichotomous structure of the warm conveyor belt

The warm conveyor belt (WCB) of an extratropical cyclone generally splits into two branches. One branch (WCB1) turns anticyclonically into the downstream upper‐level tropospheric ridge, while the second branch (WCB2) wraps cyclonically around the cyclone centre. Here, the WCB split in a typical North Atlantic cold‐season cyclone is analysed using two numerical models: the Met Office Unified Model and the COSMO model. The WCB flow is defined using off‐line trajectory analysis. The two models represent the WCB split consistently. The split occurs early in the evolution of the WCB with WCB1 experiencing maximum ascent at lower latitudes and with higher moisture content than WCB2. WCB1 ascends abruptly along the cold front where the resolved ascent rates are greatest and there is also line convection. In contrast, WCB2 remains at lower levels for longer before undergoing saturated large‐scale ascent over the system's warm front. The greater moisture in WCB1 inflow results in greater net potential temperature change from latent heat release, which determines the final isentropic level of each branch. WCB1 also exhibits lower outflow potential vorticity values than WCB2.
Targeting Heat Shock Proteins by Phenethyl Isothiocyanate Results in Cell-Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis of Human Breast Cancer Cells

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are chaperones for several client proteins involved in transcriptional regulation, signal transduction, and cell cycle control. HSPs (27, 70, and 90) are abundantly expressed in a wide range of cancers and are transcriptionally regulated by heat shock factor (HSF1). Most of the synthetic HSP inhibitors exhibit toxicity, therefore, searching for inhibitors with limited or no toxicity will be of help. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of natural isothiocyanate (phenethyl isothiocyanate; PEITC) on different HSPs (27, 70, and 90) and HSF1 in 2 breast cancer cell lines, namely breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 (with wild type p53) and highly metastatic breast cancer cell MDA-MB-231 (with mutated p53). PEITC significantly inhibited the expression of HSPs (particularly HSP 90) and HSF1. Molecular consequences due to HSP inhibition were downregulation of cell-cycle regulatory proteins like Cyclin B1, CDK1, Cdc25C, PLK-1, and upregulation of p21 irrespective of p53 status. These modulations were accompanied by cell-cycle arrest at G2/M phase and apoptosis by activation of caspases 3 and 9. PEITC therefore may be regarded as a potent HSP inhibitor and an antitumor agent in the treatment of breast cancer.
Identification of the Porcine XIST Gene and Its Differential CpG Methylation Status in Male and Female Pig Cells

XIST, a long non-coding RNA, plays an important role in triggering X chromosome inactivation in eutherians, and is used extensively for qualifying stem cells and cloned embryos. However, a porcine XIST has not yet been thoroughly identified despite its biological importance in a wide variety of research fields. Here, we present a full-length porcine XIST sequence assembled using known sequences (GenBank), RNA-Seq data (NCBI SRA), and PCR/sequencing. The proposed porcine XIST gene model encodes a 25,215-bp transcript consisting of 7 exons, including two conserved and two porcine-specific repeat regions. Transcription covering the entire XIST region was observed specifically in female cells, but not in male cells. We also identified eight transcription starting sites (TSSs) and evaluated CpG methylation patterns in the upstream (+2.0 kb) and downstream (−2.0 kb) regions. Sixty-seven CG di-nucleotides identified in the target region were considered to be candidate CpG sites, and were enriched in the following two regions: −284 to +53 bp (13 sites) and +285 to +1,727 bp (54 sites) from the selected TSS. Male 5` region of XIST (64.5 sites, 96.26%) had a higher level of CpG methylation than female DNA (33.4 sites, 49.85%). Taken together, our results revealed that the porcine XIST gene is expressed exclusively in female cells, which is influenced by the lower level of CpG methylation in the putative promoter region compared with male cells. The porcine XIST presented in this study represents a useful tool for related research areas such as porcine embryology and stem cell biology.
Self‐Frustration, Nighttime Smoking and Lung Cancer

&NA; All together, 65 patients suffering from lung disease were studied. Of these, 36 had cancer of the lung and the other 29 had noncancerous lung disease. The cancer patients reported more frequent nighttime cigarette smoking. It was also found that cancer patients had been smoking for a longer period and had been smoking more cigarettes daily than the other patients. Nonetheless, analysis of the data revealed that nighttime smoking was not related to duration and daily frequency of smoking. The further observation that younger cancer patients smoked more frequently at night than did older cancer patients, in the context of the findings just noted, suggests that the age of onset of lung cancer is significantly influenced by nighttime smoking. The psychiatric interviews further revealed that the lung cancer patients were highly sensitive to the issue of nighttime smoking and that this sensitivity was especially conspicuous when interviews were conducted by a nonsmoking physician. It is therefore necessary to take into consideration this sensitivity when investigating the possibility that the habit of smoking at night may hasten the onset of lung cancer in middle‐aged men who have an impaired capacity for emotional gratification.
Slab segmentation revealed by anisotropic P‐wave tomography

Seismic anisotropy is a useful indicator for identifying the physical and chemical condition of the Earth's interior, such as stress and flow fields, and in situ constituent minerals. Using traveltime tomography, we examined three‐dimensional anisotropic P‐wave velocity structure of the Kii Peninsula, southwest Japan, where source regions of megathrust earthquakes along the Nankai Trough are presumed to exist. The tomography revealed that the Philippine Sea slab beneath the peninsula is segmented, i.e., a high‐velocity slab with E–W anisotropy obtained during seafloor spreading is broken by an anomalous low‐velocity region with N–S anisotropy. The anomaly lies along the segmentation boundary of two previous rupture zones, the 1944 Tonankai and 1946 Nankai earthquakes, and can be explained by the occurrence of a fracture zone with N–S oriented fractures and fault planes revealed by wide‐angle seismic data. It is likely that this anomalous region will form a clear segmentation boundary during future earthquakes.
Resonance ultrasound spectroscopy forward modeling and inverse characterization of nickel-based superalloys

The objective of this paper is to investigate Resonance Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS) measurement models to more precisely connect changes in the resonance frequencies of nickel-based super-alloy material to the macro/microscopic state. RUS models using analytical solutions and the finite element method (FEM) were developed to address varying elastic properties, grain structures and creep. Experimental studies were performed investigating the effect of exposure to high temperatures and stress for varying part shape and three grain structure classes: single crystals, directionally-solidified and polycrystalline structures. Inversion using both traditional analytical models was enhanced in order to simultaneously estimate varying material properties and changes in part geometry due to creep. Inversion using surrogate models from FEM simulations was also developed, addressing varying crystal orientation and complex geometries. Results are presented comparing the forward model trends and inversion results wit.
High-aspect-ratio metal microchannel plates for microelectronic cooling applications

A new manufacturing process and the characterization of high-aspect-ratio metal microchannel plates for microelectronic cooling applications are reported in this article. A nickel-based microchannel cooling plate, with channels of width 20 µm and aspect ratio up to 3.6:1, has been successfully fabricated using a modified UV-LIGA process. Similar metal microstructures, based on electroplated copper, have also been obtained with a width of 15 µm and an aspect ratio of up to 5:1. In both cases, an over-plate technology was used to electroform the metallic microchannel plates in a single manufacturing step. Hydrodynamic and cooling characteristics of the microchannel plates such as flow rate and heat resistance have been measured. A heat transfer coefficient of 511 W m−2 K−1 for a flow rate of 120 l h−1 has been obtained for the 20 µm wide nickel-based microchannel.
Blunted heart rate dip during sleep and all-cause mortality.

BACKGROUND Although it has been somewhat overlooked, resting heart rate is an established predictor of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular outcome. We assessed the determinants and mortality associations of heart rate measured during ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) to evaluate its informativeness during activity and sleep. METHODS We studied a cohort of 3957 patients aged 55 +/- 16 (mean +/- SD) years (58% treated for hypertension) who were referred for ABPM during 1991 to 2005. Heart rate nondipping was defined as follows: (awake value - sleep value)/awake value < 0.1. Linear and logistic regression models assessed covariate associations with ambulatory heart rate indices. All-cause mortality was analyzed by Cox proportional hazards modeling. RESULTS Female sex, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared), and treated diabetes were positively related to awake and sleep heart rate, whereas age and treated hypertension were inversely associated. All these variables were associated with lower sleep-related heart rate dipping magnitude. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for heart rate nondipping were 1.02 (1.02-1.03) per year of age; 1.05 (1.03-1.06) for body mass index; 1.39 (1.20-1.60) for women; 1.30 (1.12-1.51) for nappers; 2.19 (1.87-2.57) for treated hypertensive patients; and 1.38 (1.09-1.76) for treated diabetic patients. Mortality analysis according to deciles of the different heart rate variables showed a robust linear relationship only for heart rate dip and a hazard ratio of 2.67 (1.31-5.47) for the lowest vs the highest decile. CONCLUSIONS In clinical practice, ambulatory heart rate adds prognostic information beyond that of other ABPM predictors. Heart rate measures during sleep, and in particular the absence of dipping of heart rate to sleep levels, were independently associated with all-cause mortality.
Second-order Consensus Protocols in Multiple Vehicle Systems with Local Interactions

In this paper, a distributed coordination scheme with local interactions is studied for multiple vehicle systems. We introduce a second-order consensus protocol and derive necessary and/or su‐cient conditions under which consensus can be reached in the context of uni-directional interaction topologies. The consensus protocol is then applied to achieve altitude alignment among a team of micro air vehicles as an illustrative example.
Exact Bayesian curve fitting and signal segmentation

We consider regression models where the underlying functional relationship between the response and the explanatory variable is modeled as independent linear regressions on disjoint segments. We present an algorithm for perfect simulation from the posterior distribution of such a model, even allowing for an unknown number of segments and an unknown model order for the linear regressions within each segment. The algorithm is simple, can scale well to large data sets, and avoids the problem of diagnosing convergence that is present with Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) approaches to this problem. We demonstrate our algorithm on standard denoising problems, on a piecewise constant AR model, and on a speech segmentation problem.
Immune Response in a Wild Bird Is Predicted by Oxidative Status, but Does Not Cause Oxidative Stress

The immune system provides vital protection against pathogens, but extensive evidence suggests that mounting immune responses can entail survival and fecundity costs. The physiological mechanisms that underpin these costs remain poorly understood, despite their potentially important role in shaping life-histories. Recent studies involving laboratory models highlight the possibility that oxidative stress could mediate these costs, as immune-activation can increase the production of reactive oxygen species leading to oxidative stress. However, this hypothesis has rarely been tested in free-ranging wild populations, where natural oxidative statuses and compensatory strategies may moderate immune responses and their impacts on oxidative status. Furthermore, the possibility that individuals scale their immune responses according to their oxidative status, conceivably to mitigate such costs, remains virtually unexplored. Here, we experimentally investigate the effects of a phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) immune-challenge on oxidative status in wild male and female white-browed sparrow weavers, Plocepasser mahali. We also establish whether baseline oxidative status prior to challenge predicts the scale of the immune responses. Contrary to previous work on captive animals, our findings suggest that PHA-induced immune-activation does not elicit oxidative stress. Compared with controls (n = 25 birds), PHA-injected birds (n = 27 birds) showed no evidence of a differential change in markers of oxidative damage or enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant protection 24 hours after challenge. We did, however, find that the activity of a key antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase, SOD) prior to immune-activation predicted the scale of the resulting swelling: birds with stronger initial SOD activity subsequently produced smaller swellings. Our findings (i) suggest that wild birds can mount immune responses without suffering from systemic oxidative stress, and (ii) lend support to biomedical evidence that baseline oxidative status can impact the scale of immune responses; a possibility not yet recognised in ecological studies of immunity.
Telomere staining of human chromosomes and the mechanism of radiation-induced dicentric formation.

The majority of models of radiation action developed over the past half century hold that the curvilinear dose responses exhibited by eukaryotic cells to sparsely ionizing radiations result from the interaction of pairs of lesions produced in sensitive targets of the cell. Within this conceptual framework, chromosomal exchange aberrations (e.g., interchanges) are believed to occur through the interaction of damaged sites on both chromosomes participating in the exchange. In contrast, the model proposed by Chadwick and Leenhouts (as well as some other models) suggests that such exchanges arise from initial radiation damage to only one chromosome, which then becomes associated with an undamaged chromosome. A particular aspect of this theory is that asymmetrical exchanges, such as dicentrics, may be formed from the rejoining of a broken end of one chromosome to the telomere of another. By using a DNA probe that specifically hybridizes to the telomeric region of human chromosomes, we were able to test this assertion directly. After scanning more than 200 dicentrics produced in normal human fibroblasts by 6 Gy of 60Co gamma rays, virtually none were found that contained telomeres located between the centromeres of this aberration type. Therefore, since the proposed telomere-break rejoining process, per se, is not necessarily a central element of the Chadwick-Leenhouts model, we suggest the theory be modified to exclude this mechanism.
Convolutional Neural Networks on Graphs with Fast Localized Spectral Filtering

In this work, we are interested in generalizing convolutional neural networks (CNNs) from low-dimensional regular grids, where image, video and speech are represented, to high-dimensional irregular domains, such as social networks, brain connectomes or words' embedding, represented by graphs. We present a formulation of CNNs in the context of spectral graph theory, which provides the necessary mathematical background and efficient numerical schemes to design fast localized convolutional filters on graphs. Importantly, the proposed technique offers the same linear computational complexity and constant learning complexity as classical CNNs, while being universal to any graph structure. Experiments on MNIST and 20NEWS demonstrate the ability of this novel deep learning system to learn local, stationary, and compositional features on graphs.
A framework for DNS based detection and mitigation of malware infections on a network

Modern botnet trends have lead to the use of IP and domain fast-fluxing to avoid detection and increase resilience. These techniques bypass traditional detection systems such as blacklists and intrusion detection systems. The Domain Name Service (DNS) is one of the most prevalent protocols on modern networks and is essential for the correct operation of many network activities, including botnet activity. For this reason DNS forms the ideal candidate for monitoring, detecting and mitigating botnet activity. In this paper a system placed at the network edge is developed with the capability to detect fast-flux domains using DNS queries. Multiple domain features were examined to determine which would be most effective in the classification of domains. This is achieved using a C5.0 decision tree classifier and Bayesian statistics, with positive samples being labeled as potentially malicious and negative samples as legitimate domains. The system detects malicious domain names with a high degree of accuracy, minimising the need for blacklists. Statistical methods, namely Naive Bayesian, Bayesian, Total Variation distance and Probability distribution are applied to detect malicious domain names. The detection techniques are tested against sample traffic and it is shown that malicious traffic can be detected with low false positive rates.
Neither Dorsal Root nor Baroreceptor Afferents are Necessary for Eliciting the Renal Responses to Acute Intravascular Volume Expansion in the Primate Macaca fascicularis

We determined the contributibn of the dorsal roots, vagi, and gino-aortic nerves to the renal responses to acute isotonic, isooncotic intravascular volume expansion in the nonhuman primate, Macaca fascicularis. Expansion of the estimated blood volume by 15% produced a significant natriuresis and diuresis. There was no significant difference between the time to peak response for either. Neither dorsal rhizotomy (Ca-T7) nor vagotomy and sino-aortic denervation had a significant effect on these responses. We conclude that these pathways are not necessary for eliciting the renal responses to hypervolemia in the nonhuman primate. Ore Res 45: 95-99, 1979
Improved critical values for the Enders-Granger unit-root test

Enders and Granger provide critical values to test the null hypothesis of a unit-root against the alternative of threshold adjustment. However, in obtaining their critical values, Enders and Granger did not use a consistent estimate of the threshold nor did they use a lag-augmented data generating process. This note remedies both of these problems. The power of the test statistics using the consistent estimate of the threshold are compared to those of Enders-Granger and of Dickey-Fuller. Surprisingly, the original Enders-Granger statistic often has the highest power. As such, the Enders-Granger statistic using a lag-augmented data generating process is calculated.
Variability Analysis of Sense Amplifier for FinFET Subthreshold SRAM Applications

This paper investigates the impact of intrinsic random variability on the robustness of sense amplifier (SA) for fin-shaped field-effect transistor (FinFET) subthreshold static random access memory (SRAM) applications. We employ a model-assisted statistical approach to consider both fin line edge roughness (fin LER) and work function variation, which are regarded as the major variation sources in an advanced FinFET device. Our results indicate that fin LER dominates the overall variability of subthreshold SA robustness and sensing margin. In addition, it is observed that the offset voltage (VOS) of current latch SA calculated solely from threshold voltage (VT) mismatch underestimates the actual variation and is shown to be optimistic. For large-signal single-ended inverter sensing, we find that sense “0” hinders the allowable sensing margin and needs to be carefully designed. Compared with bulk CMOS, the superior electrostatic integrity and variability of FinFET enhance the feasibility of differential sensing in subthreshold SRAM applications.
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in ovarian cancer—the EBMT experience

Although preliminary results suggest that allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo HCT) for ovarian cancer (OC) is a feasible procedure, the low patient number in previous studies had limited ability to evaluate the true benefit of allo HCT in OC. This retrospective multicenter study included 30 patients with OC allografted between 1995 and 2005 to determine the outcome of patients with OC treated with allo HCT. Prior to allo HCT, patients were in complete response (n = 1), partial response (n = 7), stable disease (n = 11) or had progressive disease (n = 13). An objective response (OR) was observed in 50% (95% CI, 33–67) of patients. Three patients of responding patients had an objective response following the development of acute graft‐versus‐host disease (aGvHD). The cumulative incidence of chronic GvHD (cGVHD) was 34% (95% CI, 18–50). Transplant relative mortality rates were 7 and 20% on day 100 and 1 year, respectively. With a median follow‐up of 74.5 months (range 16–148), median progression free survival (PFS) was 6 months and median overall survival (OS) was 10.4 months. Patients who developed cGvHD following allo HCT had a significant OS improvement compared to those who did not (17.6 months vs. 6.5 months, p = 0.042). However, PFS was not similarly significantly improved in patients who developed cGvHD (12 months versus 3.7 months, p = 0.81). Allo HCT in OC may lead to graft‐versus‐OC effects. Their clinical relevance remains to be shown.