Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The breeding biology of lemon sharks at a tropical nursery lagoon

Surprisingly little is known about the reproductive behaviour and breeding biology of most shark species, especially in natural populations. Here, we characterize reproductive patterns and use of a natal nursery at Bimini, Bahamas by lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris. We systematically and exhaustively sampled young lemon sharks at Bimini annually from 1995 to 2000 and opportunistically sampled adults over the same period. Out of the 897 young sharks sampled, 119 could be assigned to five sampled mothers using microsatellite genotyping. Reproductive females showed strong philopatry to the nursery, returning to Bimini every two years to give birth. Each of these females may rely entirely on the Bimini nursery for recruitment. The protection of known nursery grounds should therefore figure prominently in conservation efforts for large coastal shark species. The reconstruction of paternal genotypes indicates that litters are sired by multiple males, and females mate with different males nearly every breeding cycle. The ubiquitous polyandry reported here raises the possibility that genetic incompatibility and post–copulatory paternity–biasing mechanisms may operate in viviparous sharks.
Overmodulation of n-Level Three-Leg DC - AC Diode-Clamped Converters With Comprehensive Capacitor Voltage Balance

This paper presents a novel pulsewidth modulation (PWM) strategy for n-level three-leg semiconductor-clamped dc-ac converters in the overmodulation region, with dc-link capacitor voltage balance in every switching cycle. The strategy is based on the virtual-vector concept. Suitable reference vector trajectories are selected to obtain low weighted total harmonic distortion and a simple algorithm. A hexagonal-boundary compression factor is introduced to guarantee, at any operating point, dc-link capacitor voltage regulation capabilities in every switching cycle and avoid narrow gate pulses. The detailed PWM algorithm for an easy implementation in a digital control platform is also presented. The good performance of the strategy is verified through both simulation and experiments in a three-level three-phase neutral-point clamped converter.
Proteolytic fragmentation of rat prolactin by the rat ventral prostate gland

Homogenates of rat ventral prostate diminished the immunoreactivity of rat prolactin (PRL) in a fashion dependent on time and tissue concentration, suggestive of hormone degradation. Direct evidence of PRL proteolysis was demonstrated by subjecting ventral prostate homogenates and cell fractions that were incubated with 125I‐labeled rat PRL to SDS‐PAGE and radioautography. Heat‐labile PRL proteolysis predominated in the crude homogenate, the 3,300g pellet and the 100,000g (100 K g) supernatant of rat ventral prostate. The degradation of PRL by the 100 K g supernatant led to the formation of two stable peptide fragments weighing approximately 16,000 and 12,000 daltons. PRL proteolysis was negligible in 100 K g supernatants of the liver, salivary gland, testis, epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicle, and dorsolateral prostates of male rats. On the other hand, 100 K g supernatants of rat spleen, lung, and kidney did degrade rat PRL, although the patterns of peptide fragment formation differed from that of ventral prostate. Enzyme inhibitor analysis suggested that PRL degradation by the 100 K g supernatants of rat ventral prostate was due to sulfhydryl and serine proteases and not due to metalloenzyme or aspartate proteases. The functional significance of PRL fragmentation by rat ventral prostate cytosol remains to be determined.
Effect of Predelivery Diagnosis in 99 Consecutive Cases of Placenta Accreta

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effects of prenatal diagnosis and delivery planning on outcomes in patients with placenta accreta. METHODS: A review was performed of all patients with pathologically confirmed placenta accreta at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center from January 1990 to April 2008. Cases were divided into those with and without predelivery diagnosis of placenta accreta. Patients with prenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta were scheduled for planned en bloc hysterectomy without removal of the placenta at 34–35 weeks of gestation after betamethasone administration. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: Ninety-nine women with placenta accreta were identified, of whom 62 were diagnosed before delivery and 37 were diagnosed intrapartum. Comparing women with predelivery diagnosis with those diagnosed at the time of delivery, there were fewer units of packed red blood cells transfused (4.7±2.2 compared with 6.9±1.8 units, P=.02) and a lower estimated blood loss (2,344±1.7 compared with 2,951±1.8 mL, P=.053), although this trend did not reach statistical significance. Comparison of neonatal outcomes demonstrated a higher rate of steroid administration (65% compared with 16%, P≤.001), neonatal admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) (86% compared with 60%, P=.005), and longer neonatal hospital stays (10.7±1.9 compared with 6.9±2.1 days, P=.006). Length of NICU stay, rates of respiratory distress syndrome, and surfactant administration did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSION: Predelivery diagnosis of placenta accreta is associated with decreased maternal hemorrhagic morbidity. Planned delivery at 34–35 weeks of gestation in this cohort did not significantly increase neonatal morbidity. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II
Transcriptional Regulation of a Chitinase Gene by 20-Hydroxyecdysone and Starvation in the Oriental Fruit Fly, Bactrocera dorsalis

Insect chitinases are hydrolytic enzymes that are required for the degradation of glycosidic bonds of chitin. In this study, we identified and characterized a full-length cDNA of the chitinase gene (BdCht2) in the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis. The cDNA contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 1449 bp that encodes 483 amino acid residues and 126- and 296-bp non-coding regions at the 5′- and 3′-ends, respectively. The BdCht2 genome has four exons and three introns. The predicted molecular mass of the deduced BdCht2 is approximately 54.3 kDa, with an isoelectric point of 5.97. The 977 bp 5′ flanking region was identified and the transcription factor binding sites were predicted. Bioinformatic analyses showed that the deduced amino acid sequence of BdCht2 had 34%–66% identity to that of chitinases identified in other insect species. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analyses indicated that BdCht2 was mainly expressed during the larval-pupal and pupal-adult transitions. The tissue-specific expression showed that the highest expression was in the integument, followed by the fat body and other tissues. Moreover, the expression of BdCht2 was upregulated significantly upon 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) at different dose injections after 8 h compared to that of the control. Starvation also increased the expression of BdCht2 in the third-instar larvae and was suppressed again by re-feeding the insects. These results suggest that BdCht2 plays an important role in the molting process of B. dorsalis larvae and can be regulated by 20E.
1D Camera Geometry and Its Application to Circular Motion Estimation

This paper describes a new and robust method for estimating circular motion geometry from an uncalibrated image sequence. Under circular motion, all the camera centers lie on a circle, and the mapping of the plane containing this circle to the horizon line in the image can be modelled as a 1D projection. A 2◊ 2 homography is introduced in this paper to relate the projections of the camera centers in two 1D views. It is shown that the two imaged circular points and the rotation angle between the two views can be derived directly from the eigenvectors and eigenvalues of such a homography respectively. The proposed 1D geometry can be nicely applied to circular motion estimation using either point correspondences or silhouettes. The method introduced here is intrinsically a multiple view approach as all the sequence geometry embedded in the epipoles is exploited in the computation of the homography for a view pair. This results in a robust method which gives accurate estimated rotation angles and imaged circular points. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the simplicity and applicability of the new method.
Essential Oils from the Malaysian Citrus (Rutaceae) Medicinal Plants

This review article appraises the extraction methods, compositions, and bioactivities of the essential oils from the Citrus species (family: Rutaceae) endemic to Malaysia including C. aurantifolia, C. grandis, C. hystrix, and C. microcarpa. Generally, the fresh peels and leaves of the Citrus species were extracted using different methods such as steam and water distillation, Likens-Nikerson extraction, solvent extraction, and headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME). Most of the Citrus oils were found to be rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons with limonene (1) as the major component identified in the peels of C. aurantifolia (39.3%), C. grandis (81.6%–96.9%), and C. microcarpa (94.0%), while sabinene (19) was the major component in the peels of C. hystrix (36.4%–48.5%). In addition, citronellal (20) (61.7%–72.5%), linalool (18) (56.5%), and hedycaryol (23) (19.0%) were identified as the major components in the oil of C. hystrix leaves, C. grandis blossom and C. microcarpa leaves, respectively. The C. hystrix essential oil has been experimentally shown to have antimicrobial and antifeedant activities, while no bioactivity study has been reported on the essential oils of other Malaysian Citrus species.
Effects of Isolated Limb Perfusion With Tumor Necrosis Factor-&agr; on Circulating Levels of Proinflammatory Cytokines

Hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion (ILP) with tumor necrosis factor-&agr; (TNF&agr;) and cytotoxic drugs is currently used for treatment of melanoma and sarcoma of the limbs. Tumor necrosis factor-&agr; is involved in the systemic inflammatory response syndrome as a result of activation of inflammatory cells and production of bioactive substances. The goal of this study was to determine the circulating levels of proinflammatory cytokines and soluble adhesion molecules in 19 patients with limb melanoma or sarcoma undergoing ILP with (n = 9) or without TNF&agr; (n = 10). The results obtained demonstrated that ILP with TNF&agr; was responsible for a leakage of TNF&agr; in the systemic circulation, followed by a rise in interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 levels within 1 h. Elevated soluble (s)P-selectin levels were found 1–3 h after ILP. Plasma sE-selectin peaked 6–9 h after ILP, and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM) levels reached a maximum after 24 h. Significant correlations were observed among these variables, confirming the interdependence of all changes observed. On the other hand, ILP with cytotoxic drugs alone induced only a modest release of TNF&agr;, which was not followed by an immediate rise in IL-6 and IL-8. Four of the 9 patients undergoing ILP with TNF had severe systemic toxicity. No association was found between systemic TNF levels and the clinical outcome, whereas elevated TNF perfusion levels as well as systemic IL-6 and IL-8 levels were constantly elevated in patients with severe toxicity. These results are suggestive of an important role of TNF&agr; levels in the perfusion system (more than leakage of perfusate) in causing postoperative toxicity, although other ILP-related factors should not be excluded.
Regional Distribution of Glycogen and Phosphorylase in the Ventricles of the Heart

In rat, rabbit, dog, and ox hearts, the glycogen concentration varied throughout the walls. The concentration gradient decreased from endocardium to epicardium in the right and left ventricles. In the septum, the interior part of the wall had a lower concentration of glycogen than tissue sections closer to the endocardial surfaces. The maximum values for glycogen concentration in endocardial sections were from two to six times higher than the minimum values. This gradient was much greater than the 30% differences observed between apex and base of the ventricles. Since our studies have demonstrated a very large variation for glycogen content in layers of myocardium parallel to sides of the ventricular wall, there is an obvious need for caution in sampling hearts for glycogen analysis. In the ox heart, the right bundle branch and A-V node were dissected out, and the glycogen values were compared with those for the rest of the myocardium. Glycogen values of the conduction system, especially of the bundle of His, were considerably higher than for any part of the myocardium studied, indicating that the myocardial gradients observed may be related to distribution of the Purkinje fibers. Phosphorylase values decreased from endocardium to epicardium in a pattern similar to that observed for glycogen, indicating a possible function in association with glycogen concentration. In the hearts perfused with a glucose-free medium by the Langendorff technique, glycogen diminished throughout the heart, but the general pattern of gradients was preserved. This suggested that glycogen is utilized as an energy source for contraction.
Robust fault detection with missing measurements

This paper investigates the problem of robust fault detection for uncertain systems with missing measurements. The parameter uncertainty is assumed to be of polytopic type, and the measurement missing phenomenon, which appears typically in a network environment, is modelled by a stochastic variable satisfying the Bernoulli random binary distribution. The focus is on the design of a robust fault detection filter, or a residual generation system, which is stochastically stable and satisfies a prescribed disturbance attenuation level. This problem is solved in the parameter-dependent framework, which is much less conservative than the quadratic approach. Both full-order and reduced-order designs are considered, and formulated via linear matrix inequality (LMI) based convex optimization problems, which can be efficiently solved via standard numerical software. A continuous-stirred tank reactor (CSTR) system is utilized to illustrate the design procedures.
Wildfire risk for main vegetation units in a biodiversity hotspot: modeling approach in New Caledonia, South Pacific

Wildfire has been recognized as one of the most ubiquitous disturbance agents to impact on natural environments. In this study, our main objective was to propose a modeling approach to investigate the potential impact of wildfire on biodiversity. The method is illustrated with an application example in New Caledonia where conservation and sustainable biodiversity management represent an important challenge. Firstly, a biodiversity loss index, including the diversity and the vulnerability indexes, was calculated for every vegetation unit in New Caledonia and mapped according to its distribution over the New Caledonian mainland. Then, based on spatially explicit fire behavior simulations (using the FLAMMAP software) and fire ignition probabilities, two original fire risk assessment approaches were proposed: a one-off event model and a multi-event burn probability model. The spatial distribution of fire risk across New Caledonia was similar for both indices with very small localized spots having high risk. The patterns relating to highest risk are all located around the remaining sclerophyll forest fragments and are representing 0.012% of the mainland surface. A small part of maquis and areas adjacent to dense humid forest on ultramafic substrates should also be monitored. Vegetation interfaces between secondary and primary units displayed high risk and should represent priority zones for fire effects mitigation. Low fire ignition probability in anthropogenic-free areas decreases drastically the risk. A one-off event associated risk allowed localizing of the most likely ignition areas with potential for extensive damage. Emergency actions could aim limiting specific fire spread known to have high impact or consist of on targeting high risk areas to limit one-off fire ignitions. Spatially explicit information on burning probability is necessary for setting strategic fire and fuel management planning. Both risk indices provide clues to preserve New Caledonia hot spot of biodiversity facing wildfires.
Effect of the Fluoride Gels and Varnishes Comparing to CPP-ACP Complex on Human Enamel Demineralization/Remineralization

www.ascro. hrZaprimljen: 3. sijecnja 2013.Prihvacen: 2. svibnja 2013.Adresa za dopisivanjeProf.dr.sc. Domagoj GlavinaSveuciliste u ZagrebuStomatloski fakultetZavod za djecju i preventivnu stomatologiju Gunduliceva 5, 10 000 ZgrebTel: + 384 1 4802 111glavina@sfzg.hr SažetakSvrha: Cilj ovog in vitro istraživanja bio je utvrditi ucinak fluoridnih gelova i lakova u odnosu na CPP-ACP kompleks na sprjecavanje demineralizacije cakline. Materijali i Metode: Caklinski blo-kovi su ispolirani, podijeljeni u osam grupa i izloženi dnevnom ciklickom režimu. Tri skupine su tretirane 10 minuta s fluoridnim gelovima: Fluorogal, Fluor Protector Gel and Cervitec Gel, jedna je tretirana samo s GC Tooth Mousse i jedna je tretirana s GC Tooth Mousse (Recaldent CPP-ACP 10.0%). Preostale tri grupe su tretirane fluoridnim lakovima: Fluoridin Gel N5, Bifluorid 12 i Fluor Protector. Oni su premazivani jedanput na tjedan prije demineralizacijskog razdoblja. Svi uzorci su cuvani u umjetnoj slini između i nakon ciklusa. Povrsinska mikrotvrdoca (SMH) uzoraka je mje-rena na pocetku i nakon 12 dana koristeci HMV-2000 (Shimadzu, Japan). Postotak promjene SMH (% SMH) je izracunat nakon ciklickog režima. Podaci su analizirani t-testom za individualne uspo-redbe (p<0,05). Rezultati: Statisticka analiza t-testom pokazala je znacajnu razliku između SMH prije i nakon tretmana fluoridima u svim skupinama. Sve skupine tretirane fluoridnim gelovima, lakovima i GC Tooth Mousseom pokazale su povecanje SMH. Nije bilo statisticki znacajne razlike između postotaka promjene SMH cakline između skupina. Nije bilo statisticki znacajne razlike iz-među fluoridnih gelova, lakova i GC Tooth Moussea. Zakljucak: Rezultati dobiveni u ovom istraži-vanju pokazali su da fluoridni lakovi, gelovi i Tooth Mousse ucinkovito sprjecavaju demineraliza-ciju u eksperimentalnim uvjetima.Kljucne rijecifluoridacija, povrsinska; zubna caklina; tvrdoca; zub, demineralizacija
Analysis of an attenuator artifact in an experimental attack by Gunn-Allison-Abbott against the Kirchhoff-law-Johnson-noise (KLJN) secure key exchange system

A recent paper by Gunn-Allison-Abbott (GAA) [L.J. Gunn et al., Scientific Reports 4 (2014) 6461] argued that the Kirchhoff-law-Johnson-noise (KLJN) secure key exchange system could experience a severe information leak. Here we refute their results and demonstrate that GAA's arguments ensue from a serious design flaw in their system. Specifically, an attenuator broke the single Kirchhoff-loop into two coupled loops, which is an incorrect operation since the single loop is essential for the security in the KLJN system, and hence GAA's asserted information leak is trivial. Another consequence is that a fully defended KLJN system would not be able to function due to its built-in current-comparison defense against active (invasive) attacks. In this paper we crack GAA's scheme via an elementary current comparison attack which yields negligible error probability for Eve even without averaging over the correlation time of the noise.
IR-UWB-Based Non-Line-of-Sight Identification in Harsh Environments: Principles and Challenges

Impulse radio ultrawideband ranging has recently received significant attention due to the high accuracy it can achieve. Although most research efforts have focused on ranging in indoor and outdoor environments, other environments such as harsh industrial environments introduce unique challenges. This paper discusses the impact of propagation characteristics of harsh industrial environments on ranging accuracy, and also discusses principles and challenges of non-line-of-sight identification in industrial scenarios. To illustrate these challenges, a measurement campaign using 802.15. 4a radios was conducted in a Heavy Machines Laboratory. The results show that the non-line-of-sight condition can be accurately identified if adequate models for such an environment are used.
The Association of Lifestyle and Dietary Factors with the Risk for Serrated Polyps of the Colorectum

Some serrated polyps of the colorectum are likely preinvasive lesions, evolving through a newly recognized serrated pathway to colorectal cancer. To assess possible risk and protective factors for serrated polyps and particularly to explore differences in risk factors between polyps in the right and left colorectum, we pooled data from three large multicenter chemoprevention trials. A serrated polyp was defined broadly as any serrated lesion (hyperplastic, sessile serrated adenoma, “traditional” serrated adenoma, mixed adenoma) diagnosed during each trial's main treatment period of ∼3 to 4 years. Using generalized linear regression, we computed risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals as measures of the association between risk for serrated polyps and demographic, lifestyle, and dietary variables. Of the 2,830 subjects that completed at least one follow-up exam after randomization, 675 (23.9%) had at least one left-sided serrated polyp and 261 (9.2%) had at least one right-sided lesion. In the left colorectum, obesity, cigarette smoking, dietary fat, total energy intake, and red meat intake were associated with an increased risk for serrated polyps. In the right colon, aspirin treatment was associated with a reduced risk and family history of polyps and folate treatment were associated with an increased risk for serrated polyps. Our results suggest that several common lifestyle and dietary variables are associated with risk for serrated polyps, and some of these may differ for the right and left colorectum. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(8):2310–7)
A pr 2 01 7 One-loop β function of noncommutative scalar QED 4

In this paper we consider the β function at one-loop approximation for noncommutative scalar QED. The renormalization of the full theory, including the basic vertices, and the renormalization group equation are fully established. Next, the complete set of the one-loop diagrams corresponding to the first-order radiative corrections to the basic functions is considered: gauge, charged scalar and ghost fields self-energies, and threeand four-point vertex functions 〈 φ†φA 〉 , 〈 φ†φAA 〉 , and 〈 φ†φφ†φ 〉 , respectively. We pay special attention to the noncommutative contributions to the renormalization constants. To conclude, the one-loop β function of noncommutative scalar QED is then computed and comparison to known results is presented. PACS: 11.15. -q, 11.10. Kk, 11.10. Nx E-mail: m − ghasemkhani@sbu.ac.ir E-mail: rodrigo.bufalo@dfi.ufla. br E-mail: v.rahmanpour@mail.sbu.ac.ir E-mail: el.nouri@mail.sbu.ac.ir