Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Continent-wide distribution in mycorrhizal fungi: implications for the biogeography of specialized orchids.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Although mycorrhizal associations are predominantly generalist, specialized mycorrhizal interactions have repeatedly evolved in Orchidaceae, suggesting a potential role in limiting the geographical range of orchid species. In particular, the Australian orchid flora is characterized by high mycorrhizal specialization and short-range endemism. This study investigates the mycorrhizae used by Pheladenia deformis, one of the few orchid species to occur across the Australian continent. Specifically, it examines whether P. deformis is widely distributed through using multiple fungi or a single widespread fungus, and if the fungi used by Australian orchids are widespread at the continental scale. METHODS Mycorrhizal fungi were isolated from P. deformis populations in eastern and western Australia. Germination trials using seed from western Australian populations were conducted to test if these fungi supported germination, regardless of the region in which they occurred. A phylogenetic analysis was undertaken using isolates from P. deformis and other Australian orchids that use the genus Sebacina to test for the occurrence of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in eastern and western Australia. KEY RESULTS With the exception of one isolate, all fungi used by P. deformis belonged to a single fungal OTU of Sebacina. Fungal isolates from eastern and western Australia supported germination of P. deformis. A phylogenetic analysis of Australian Sebacina revealed that all of the OTUs that had been well sampled occurred on both sides of the continent. CONCLUSIONS The use of a widespread fungal OTU in P. deformis enables a broad distribution despite high mycorrhizal specificity. The Sebacina OTUs that are used by a range of Australian orchids occur on both sides of the continent, demonstrating that the short-range endemism prevalent in the orchids is not driven by fungal species with narrow distributions. Alternatively, a combination of specific edaphic requirements and a high incidence of pollination by sexual deception may explain biogeographic patterns in southern Australian orchids.
A new cloud and aerosol layer detection method based on micropulse lidar measurements

This paper introduces a new algorithm to detect aerosols and clouds based on micropulse lidar measurements. A semidiscretization processing technique is first used to inhibit the impact of increasing noise with distance. The value distribution equalization method which reduces the magnitude of signal variations with distance is then introduced. Combined with empirical threshold values, we determine if the signal waves indicate clouds or aerosols. This method can separate clouds and aerosols with high accuracy, although differentiation between aerosols and clouds are subject to more uncertainties depending on the thresholds selected. Compared with the existing Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program lidar‐based cloud product, the new method appears more reliable and detects more clouds with high bases. The algorithm is applied to a year of observations at both the U.S. Southern Great Plains (SGP) and China Taihu sites. At the SGP site, the cloud frequency shows a clear seasonal variation with maximum values in winter and spring and shows bimodal vertical distributions with maximum occurrences at around 3–6 km and 8–12 km. The annual averaged cloud frequency is about 50%. The dominant clouds are stratiform in winter and convective in summer. By contrast, the cloud frequency at the Taihu site shows no clear seasonal variation and the maximum occurrence is at around 1 km. The annual averaged cloud frequency is about 15% higher than that at the SGP site. A seasonal analysis of cloud base occurrence frequency suggests that stratiform clouds dominate at the Taihu site.
One-Stop Government A working framework and requirements

Online one-stop government refers to the integration of public services from a customer of public services' point of view. It allows citizens, businesses and other authorities to have 24 hours access to public services from their home, their offices or even on the move using different access media and devices. The concept requires that all public authorities are interconnected and that the citizen is able to access public services by a single point even if these services are actually provided by different departments or authorities. One-stop government requires the reengineering of the public sector's processes towards online public services. It calls for a holistic framework that supports integrated modelling of electronic public services and synchronisation with the technical developments.
Intrusion Detection Using Sequences of System Calls

A method is introduced for detecting intrusions at the level of privileged processes. Evidence is given that short sequences of system calls executed by running processes are a good discriminator between normal and abnormal operating characteristics of several common UNIX programs. Normal behavior is collected in two waysc Synthetically, by exercising as many normal modes of usage of a program as possible, and in a live user environment by tracing the actual execution of the program. In the former case several types of intrusive behavior were studieds in the latter case, results were analyzed for false positives.
Major histocompatibility complex variation at three class II loci in the northern elephant seal

Northern elephant seals were hunted to near extinction in the 19th century, yet have recovered remarkably and now number around 175 000. We surveyed 110 seals for single‐strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and sequence variation at three major histocompatibility (MHC) class II loci (DQA, DQB and DRB) to evaluate the genetic consequences of the population bottleneck at these loci vs. other well‐studied genes. We found very few alleles at each MHC locus, significant variation among breeding sites for the DQA locus, and linkage disequilibrium between the DQB and DRB loci. Northern elephant seals are evidently inbred, although there is as yet no evidence of correlative reductions in fitness.
Curcumin–Zn(II) complex for enhanced solubility and stability: an approach for improved delivery and pharmacodynamic effects

Abstract Objective: The aim of present investigation was to prepare Curcumin–Zn(II) complex in a view to enhance solubility, stability and pharmacodynamic effect in experimentally induced ulcerative colitis. Method: Curcumin–Zn(II) complex was prepared by stirring curcumin with anhydrous zinc chloride at a molar ratio of 1:1. The prepared curcumin metallocomplex was characterized by TLC, FTIR, UV spectroscopy and 1H NMR. In vitro kinetic degradation and solubility of Curcumin and Curcumin–Zn(II) complex was analyzed spectrophotometrically. Pharmacodynamic evaluation of curcumin and its metal complex was assessed in ulcerative colitis in mice. Results: Curcumin showed chelation with zinc ion as confirmed by the TLC, FTIR, UV spectroscopy and 1H NMR. The results of TLC [Rf value], IR Spectroscopy [shifting of stretching vibrations of υ(C=C) and υ(C=O)], UV spectra [deconvoluted with absorption band at 432–466.4 nm] of Curcumin–Zn(II) complex compared to curcumin confirmed the formation of metallocomplex. 1HNMR spectra of Curcumin–Zn(II) showed the upfield shift of Ha and Hb. Kinetic stability studies showed metallocomplex with zinc exhibited good stability. In vivo study revealed significant reduction in severity and extent of colonic damage with Curcumin–Zn(II) which were further confirmed by histopathological study. Conclusion: This study recognizes higher solubility and stability of Curcumin–Zn(II) complex and suggested better pharmacodynamic effects.
Edge Growth in Graph Cubes

We show that for every connected graph $G$ of diameter $\ge 3$, the graph $G^3$ has average degree $\ge 7/4 \delta(G)$. We also provide an example showing that this bound is best possible. This resolves a question of Hegarty \cite{PH}.
Interhemispheric auditory connectivity: structure and function related to auditory verbal hallucinations

Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are one of the most common and most distressing symptoms of schizophrenia. Despite fundamental research, the underlying neurocognitive and neurobiological mechanisms are still a matter of debate. Previous studies suggested that “hearing voices” is associated with a number of factors including local deficits in the left auditory cortex and a disturbed connectivity of frontal and temporoparietal language-related areas. In addition, it is hypothesized that the interhemispheric pathways connecting right and left auditory cortices might be involved in the pathogenesis of AVH. Findings based on Diffusion-Tensor-Imaging (DTI) measurements revealed a remarkable interindividual variability in size and shape of the interhemispheric auditory pathways. Interestingly, schizophrenia patients suffering from AVH exhibited increased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the interhemispheric fibers than non-hallucinating patients. Thus, higher FA-values indicate an increased severity of AVH. Moreover, a dichotic listening (DL) task showed that the interindividual variability in the interhemispheric auditory pathways was reflected in the behavioral outcome: stronger pathways supported a better information transfer and consequently improved speech perception. This detection indicates a specific structure-function relationship, which seems to be interindividually variable. This review focuses on recent findings concerning the structure-function relationship of the interhemispheric pathways in controls, hallucinating and non-hallucinating schizophrenia patients and concludes that changes in the structural and functional connectivity of auditory areas are involved in the pathophysiology of AVH.
The results of treatment for obesity: a review of the literature and report of a series.

The current widespread concern with weight reduction rests on at least two assumptions: first, that weight-reduction programs are effective; second, that they are harmless. Recent studies indicate that such programs may be far from harmless. 1,2 This report documents their ineffectiveness. The results of treatment, as reported in the medical literature of the past 30 years, are first reviewed. The results of routine treatment of 100 consecutive obese persons in the Nutrition Clinic of the New York Hospital are then reported. Review of the Literature Hundreds of papers on treatment for obesity have been published in the past 30 years. Most, however, do not give figures on the outcome of treatment, and of those that do, most report them in such a way as to obscure the outcome of treatment of individual patients. Some authors, for example, report the total number of patients and the pounds lost without making clear
Learning subspace kernels for classification

Kernel methods have been applied successfully in many data mining tasks. Subspace kernel learning was recently proposed to discover an effective low-dimensional subspace of a kernel feature space for improved classification. In this paper, we propose to construct a subspace kernel using the Hilbert-Schmidt Independence Criterion (HSIC). We show that the optimal subspace kernel can be obtained efficiently by solving an eigenvalue problem. One limitation of the existing subspace kernel learning formulations is that the kernel learning and classification are independent and the subspace kernel may not be optimally adapted for classification. To overcome this limitation, we propose a joint optimization framework, in which we learn the subspace kernel and subsequent classifiers simultaneously. In addition, we propose a novel learning formulation that extracts an uncorrelated subspace kernel to reduce the redundant information in a subspace kernel. Following the idea from multiple kernel learning, we extend the proposed formulations to the case when multiple kernels are available and need to be combined. We show that the integration of subspace kernels can be formulated as a semidefinite program (SDP) which is computationally expensive. To improve the efficiency of the SDP formulation, we propose an equivalent semi-infinite linear program (SILP) formulation which can be solved efficiently by the column generation technique. Experimental results on a collection of benchmark data sets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
Efficacy of Three Different Methods in the Retreatment of Root Canals Filled with Resilon/Epiphany SE

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of three methods in removal of Resilon/new Epiphany self-etch (SE) soft resin endodontic obturation system. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty extracted single rooted human teeth were prepared for endodontic treatment and obturated with Resilon/Epiphany SE. The roots were randomly divided into three groups; group 1 roots were retreated using Mtwo R/Mtwo files; group 2 were retreated using Mtwo R/Mtwo accompanied with chloroform; and group 3 were retreated using Mtwo R/Mtwo accompanied with Endosolv R. The cleanliness of canal walls was determined using scanning electron microscopy. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and LSD tests. RESULTS Endosolv R combined with rotary files was more efficient in material removal compared to chloroform combined with rotary files and rotary files alone (P<0.05). Also, chloroform combined with rotary file was more efficient than rotary file alone in removing filling material from the root canals. Significant difference was found within group 1 between the coronal third compared to the middle and apical thirds (P<0.05). In group 2, there were more material remnants in the apical third (P<0.05). In group 3, there was no significant difference between the three segments of the root canals (P>0.05). CONCLUSION All techniques left filling material remnants and debris on the root canal walls. Endosolv R combined with rotary files most effectively removed filling materials from the root canals, especially in the apical third.
White matter microstructural organization and gait stability in older adults

Understanding age-related decline in gait stability and the role of alterations in brain structure is crucial. Here, we studied the relationship between white matter microstructural organization using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and advanced gait stability measures in 15 healthy young adults (range 18–30 years) and 25 healthy older adults (range 62–82 years). Among the different gait stability measures, only stride time and the maximum Lyapunov exponent (which quantifies how well participants are able to attenuate small perturbations) were found to decline with age. White matter microstructural organization (FA) was lower throughout the brain in older adults. We found a strong correlation between FA in the left anterior thalamic radiation and left corticospinal tract on the one hand, and step width and safety margin (indicative of how close participants are to falling over) on the other. These findings suggest that white matter FA in tracts connecting subcortical and prefrontal areas is associated with the implementation of an effective stabilization strategy during gait.
Cutting Force and Surface Roughness Characterization in Cryogenic High-Speed End Milling of Ti–6Al-4V ELI

This study investigates the cutting forces induced during high-speed end milling of titanium alloy (Ti–6Al-4V ELI) as well as the surface quality of the milled surfaces. The high-speed machining was performed using carbide tool of coated and uncoated types at three cutting speeds of 200, 250, and 300 mm/min and two feed rates of 0.03 and 0.06 mm/tooth. Surface integrity was characterized in terms of surface roughness (Ra) and morphology. Cutting speed was found to be inversely proportional to the resultant cutting force at any cutting conditions. Cutting force in the X direction displayed higher sensitivity against cutting conditions. The results showed that feed rate is proportional to cutting force in X and Y directions regardless of tool type. Under the fixed feed rate condition, cutting force decreased at higher cutting speed for both tools. It was also found that uncoated tool induces less cutting force compared to coated one. High-speed end milling using uncoated tool provided better surface finish than using a coated carbide tool, especially at lower cutting conditions. However when coated carbide tool was used, surface roughness improved significantly with the increase in cutting speed. In contrast, almost opposite phenomenon was observed when uncoated tool was used.
Mechanisms With Clinical Implications for Atrial Fibrillation–Associated Remodeling: Cathepsin K Expression, Regulation, and Therapeutic Target and Biomarker

Background The cysteine protease cathepsin K (CatK) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. We sought to determine the link between atrial fibrillation (AF) and plasma CatK levels and to investigate the expression of and therapeutic target for CatK in vivo and in vitro. Methods and Results Plasma CatK and extracellular matrix protein peptides (intact procollagen type I of N‐terminal propeptide; carboxyl‐terminal telopeptide of type I collagen [ICTP]) were measured in 209 consecutive patients with AF (paroxysmal AF, 146; persistent AF, 63) and 112 control subjects. In addition, the regulation of CatK expression was investigated in vivo and vitro. Patients with AF had higher plasma CatK and ICTP levels than did control subjects. Patients with persistent AF had higher levels of plasma CatK and ICTP than did patients with paroxysmal AF. CatK was correlated with ICTP concentration and left atrial diameter in all subjects. In rabbits, superoxide production, CatK activity, fibrosis, and the levels of atrial tissue angiotensin II, angiotensin type 1 receptor, gp91phox, phospho‐p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase, and CatK were greater in those with tachypacing‐induced AF than in controls, and these changes were reversed with angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonist. Olmesartan and mitogen‐activated protein kinase inhibitor decreased the CatK expression induced by angiotensin II in rat neonatal myocytes. Conclusions These data indicated that increased plasma CatK levels are linked with the presence of AF. Angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonist appears to be effective in alleviating atrial fibrosis in a rabbit AF model, partly reducing angiotensin type 1 receptor‐p38mitogen‐activated protein kinase‐dependent and ‐independent CatK activation, thus preventing AF.
Application of the TIMI risk score for unstable angina and non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome to an unselected emergency department chest pain population.

OBJECTIVES Patients presenting with chest pain or related symptoms suggestive of myocardial ischemia, without ST-segment elevation (NSTE) on their presenting electrocardiograms, often present a diagnostic challenge in the emergency department (ED). Prompt and accurate risk stratification to identify those patients with NSTE chest pain who are at highest risk for adverse events is essential, however, to optimal management. Although validated and used frequently in patients already enrolled in acute coronary syndrome trials, the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk score never has been examined for its value in risk stratification in an all-comers, non-trial-based ED chest pain population. METHODS An analysis of an ED-based prospective observational cohort study was conducted in 3,929 adult patients presenting with chest pain syndrome and warranting evaluation with an electrocardiogram. These patients had TIMI risk scores determined at ED presentation. The main outcome was the composite of death, acute myocardial infarction (MI), and revascularization within 30 days. RESULTS The TIMI risk score at ED presentation successfully risk-stratified this unselected cohort of chest pain patients with respect to 30-day adverse outcome, with a range from 2.1%, with a score of 0, to 100%, with a score of 7. The highest correlation of an individual TIMI risk indicator to adverse outcome was for elevated cardiac biomarker at admission. Overall, the score had similar performance characteristics to that seen when applied to other databases of patients enrolled in clinical trials and registries using a 14-day end point. CONCLUSIONS The TIMI risk score may be a useful tool for risk stratification of ED patients with chest pain syndrome.
Detection Trend of Helminth Eggs in the Strata Soil Samples from Ancient Historic Places of Korea

For several years, we have conducted a series of studies on the patterns of ancient parasitism prevailing in the soil of rural and urban areas of past Kingdom of Korea. Actually, during our survey of paleoparasitology in archaeological sites of Korean peninsula, numerous ancient parasite eggs were discovered in the samples from the city districts of Hansung (Joseon) and Buyeo (Baikje), the palace moat at Gyeongju (Silla), shell-midden site at Bonghwang-dong (Silla to Joseon), and the reservoir found in Hwawangsansung fortress (Silla). By the paleoparasitological studies, with respect to parasitism in the high-density populations of ancient towns and cities, we have managed to catch glimpses of the patterns prevalent therein: a serious parasitic contamination of the soil in ancient urban areas, but not in rural areas of the past. Our historical research also proposed the plausible mechanism of parasite infection very serious indeed among urban populations in Korean history. Although city dwelling doubtless has accrued significant benefits for people and populations with agriculture, it can be equally supposed that living in such highly populated areas might have facilitated the spread of parasite infection.
Linking Toluene Degradation with Specific Microbial Populations in Soil

ABSTRACT Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis of a soil microbial community was coupled with 13C isotope tracer analysis to measure the community’s response to addition of 35 μg of [13C]toluene ml of soil solution−1. After 119 h of incubation with toluene, 96% of the incorporated13C was detected in only 16 of the total 59 PLFAs (27%) extracted from the soil. Of the total 13C-enriched PLFAs, 85% were identical to the PLFAs contained in a toluene-metabolizing bacterium isolated from the same soil. In contrast, the majority of the soil PLFAs (91%) became labeled when the same soil was incubated with [13C]glucose. Our study showed that coupling13C tracer analysis with PLFA analysis is an effective technique for distinguishing a specific microbial population involved in metabolism of a labeled substrate in complex environments such as soil.