Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strong Genetic Differentiation of Submerged Plant Populations across Mountain Ranges: Evidence from Potamogeton pectinatus in Iran

Biogeographic barriers for freshwater biota can be effective at various spatial scales. At the largest spatial scale, freshwater organisms can become genetically isolated by their high mountain ranges, vast deserts, and inability to cross oceans. Isolation by distance of aquatic plants is expected to be stronger across than alongside mountain ridges whereas the heterogeneity of habitats among populations and temporary droughts may influence connectivity and hamper dispersal. Suitable aquatic plant habitats became reduced, even for the widespread submerged Potamogeton pectinatus L. (also named Stuckenia pectinata) giving structure to various aquatic habitats. We compared the level of genetic diversity in a heterogeneous series of aquatic habitats across Iran and tested their differentiation over distances and across mountain ranges (Alborz and Zagros) and desert zones (Kavir), with values obtained from temperate region populations. The diversity of aquatic ecosystems across and along large geographic barriers provided a unique ecological situation within Iran. P. pectinatus were considered from thirty-six sites across Iran at direct flight distances ranging from 20 to 1,200 km. Nine microsatellite loci revealed a very high number of alleles over all sites. A PCoA, NJT clustering and STRUCTURE analysis revealed a separate grouping of individuals of southeastern Iranian sites and was confirmed by their different nuclear ITS and cpDNA haplotypes thereby indicating an evolutionary significant unit (ESU). At the level of populations, a positive correlation between allelic differentiation Dest with geographic distance was found. Individual-based STRUCTURE analysis over 36 sites showed 7 genetic clusters. FST and RST values for ten populations reached 0.343 and 0.521, respectively thereby indicating that allele length differences are more important and contain evolutionary information. Overall, higher levels of diversity and a stronger differentiation was revealed among Iranian P. pectinatus than previously observed for temperate European regions, due to regional differences across mountain ranges over long distances.
Impedance Method for a Shielded Standard Loop Antenna

A new measurement method for magnetic antenna factor, called the impedance method, is applied to the calibration of a shielded standard loop antenna. Generally, the magnetic antenna factor is defined in the far-field condition. However, it is difficult to realize the far-field condition when the electromagnetic wave is generated by electrically small antennas in a frequency range below 30 MHz. Although some methods have been proposed earlier, they present difficulties. It is possible to obtain the magnetic antenna factor of an electrically small loop antenna from Faraday's law and the input impedance of the antenna. In this paper, a comparison is made between a numerical simulation and experimental results. It shows that the impedance method is simple and efficient for calibrating a standard loop antenna
Reply to comment by F. Masci and J. N. Thomas on “Temporal and spatial precursors in ionospheric total electron content of the 16 October 1999 Mw7.1 Hector Mine earthquake”

It has been known that the ionosphere can be disturbed by solar flares [Liu et al., 2004a, 2006a], magnetic storms [Liu et al., 1999a, 2013a, 2002, 2004d; Lee et al., 2002, 2004; Lin et al., 2005a, 2005b, 2007a, 2009a, 2009b; Chen and Liu, 2008; Chuo et al., 2008; Li et al., 2009, 2010; Huang et al., 2010; Balan et al., 2011, 2012, 2013; Lekshmi et al., 2011; Sun et al., 2012], eclipses [Yeh et al., 1997; Huang et al., 1999; Liu et al., 1998, 1999b; Tsai and Liu, 1999; Lin et al., 2012], atmospheric tides [Lin et al., 2007b], earthquakes [Liu et al., 2000, 2001, 2004b, 2004c, 2006b, 2009, 2010a, 2010b, 2011, 2013b, 2013c], tsunami [Liu et al., 2006c; Tsai et al., 2011; Kakinami et al., 2012], etc. The median base analysis has been employed to detect anomalies possibly related to earthquakes [Liu et al., 2000, 2004b, 2004c] and disturbances triggered by magnetic storms [Liu et al., 2013a] in temporal variations of ionospheric critical frequency foF2 and/or GPS TEC (total electron content). Liu et al. [2006b] show that both anomalies related to earthquake and triggered by storms can be detected by the median base analysis. To discriminate the local effect induced by earthquakes from the global effect triggered by magnetic storms, a spatial analysis on the global distribution of the persistency of anomalies is required [Liu et al., 2009, 2010b, 2011]. Recently, Su et al. [2013] apply statistical analyses detecting temporal anomalies in the TEC and its horizontal gradient derived from regional GPS receivers and retrieved from global ionosphere maps (GIM) and conduct the spatial analysis to globally search the persistency of the anomalies in the GIM TEC. They show that the temporal anomalies can be worldwide perturbed by magnetic storms; those over the Hector Mine region experience both storm and earthquake effects, and the TEC northward gradient has a better performance to minimize the storm effect and detect earthquake anomalies. Masci and Thomas [2014] focus on the stormed anomalies but ignore the earthquake ones detected in the temporal analyses of Su et al. [2013] and conclude “TEC anomalies documented by Su et al. [2013] had a non-seismogenic origin. ” Several comments raised by Masci and Thomas [2014] are replied point-by-point as follows.
Evaluation of Cystatin C for the Detection of Chronic Kidney Disease in Cats

Background Serum cystatin C (sCysC) and urinary cystatin C (uCysC) are potential biomarkers for early detection of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats. An in‐depth clinical validation is required. Objectives To evaluate CysC as a marker for CKD in cats and to compare assay performance of the turbidimetric assay (PETIA) with the previously validated nephelometric assay (PENIA). Animals Ninety cats were included: 49 CKD and 41 healthy cats. Methods Serum CysC and uCysC concentrations were prospectively evaluated in cats with CKD and healthy cats. Based on plasma exo‐iohexol clearance test (PexICT), sCysC was evaluated to distinguish normal, borderline, and low GFR. Sensitivity and specificity to detect PexICT < 1.7 mL/min/kg were calculated. Serum CysC results of PENIA and PETIA were correlated with GFR. Statistical analysis was performed using general linear modeling. Results Cats with CKD had significantly higher mean ± SD sCysC (1.4 ± 0.5 mg/L) (P < .001) and uCysC/urinary creatinine (uCr) (291 ± 411 mg/mol) (P < .001) compared to healthy cats (sCysC 1.0 ± 0.3 and uCysC/uCr 0.32 ± 0.97). UCysC was detected in 35/49 CKD cats. R 2 values between GFR and sCysC or sCr were 0.39 and 0.71, respectively (sCysC or sCr = μ + GFR + ε). Sensitivity and specificity were 22 and 100% for sCysC and 83 and 93% for sCr. Serum CysC could not distinguish healthy from CKD cats, nor normal from borderline or low GFR, in contrast with sCr. Conclusion Serum CysC is not a reliable marker of reduced GFR in cats and uCysC could not be detected in all CKD cats.
A cooperative online learning scheme for resource allocation in 5G systems

The demand on mobile Internet related services has increased the need for higher bandwidth in cellular networks. The 5G technology is envisioned as a solution to satisfy this demand as it provides high data rates and scalable bandwidth. The multi-tier heterogeneous structure of 5G with dense base station deployment, relays, and device-to-device (D2D) communications intends to serve users with different QoS requirements. However, the multi-tier structure causes severe interference among the multi-tier users which further complicates the resource allocation problem. In this paper, we propose a cooperative scheme to tackle the interference problem, including both cross-tier interference that affects macro users from other tiers and co-tier interference, which is among users belong to the same tier. The scheme employs an online learning algorithm for efficient spectrum allocation with power and modulation adaptation capability. Our evaluation results show that our online scheme outperforms others and achieves significant improvements in throughput, spectral efficiency, fairness, and outage ratio.
Serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism, peripheral indexes of serotonin function, and personality measures in families with alcoholism.

A functional polymorphism in the regulatory region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) is considered to be a plausible candidate gene for anxiety-related personality traits and for alcoholism. Empirical support for the association between 5-HTTLPR and psychological traits has been somewhat inconsistent; however, observations of the functional dominance of the low-activity s-allele over the l-allele have been more consistent. When studying the influence of particular genes on psychological traits, it seems useful also to assess more biological intermediate traits that may mediate the effects of those genes on the traits of interest. The present study examined relationships between 5-HTTLPR genotype, whole blood serotonin (5-HT) level, and platelet 5-HT binding in 150 Caucasian subjects from 50 biological families. Individuals with the s-allele had lower average platelet 5-HT binding availability than those with the l/l genotype (P<0.025). Whole blood 5-HT level was not associated with 5-HTTLPR genotype. In adult men, those with the s-allele had higher mean scores on the NEO-FFI personality trait of openness than did those with the l/l genotype (P=0.002). The effect was not statistically significant in women (P=0.42), although it was in the same direction. Our findings do not support an association of 5-HTTLPR genotype with alcoholism diagnosis, alcoholism subtype, or the personality trait of neuroticism. The results of this pilot study suggest that further work should examine the mediation of the genetic effects on personality traits by biochemical measures and their moderation by gender.
Repeatability and reproducibility of pachymetric mapping with Visante anterior segment-optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE To determine the repeatability and reproducibility of central and peripheral corneal pachymetry mapping with anterior segment-optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). METHODS An observational cross-sectional study involving two groups: 27 healthy eyes and 20 eyes with keratoconus. Each subject underwent scanning sessions with AS-OCT to determine intraobserver repeatability, interobserver reproducibility, and additionally for healthy eyes, intersession reproducibility for different regions of the cornea up to a 10-mm diameter. Main outcome measures were reproducibility and repeatability coefficients, intraclass correlation coefficients, and coefficients of variation of the average central (0-2 mm), pericentral (2-5 mm), transitional (5-7 mm), and peripheral (7-10 mm) corneal thicknesses generated by the Visante AS-OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Dublin, CA) pachymetric mapping protocol. RESULTS The coefficients of repeatability were less than 2% in healthy subjects and less than 3% in patients with keratoconus. The reproducibility coefficients were less than 2% and 4% in healthy subjects and patients with keratoconus, respectively. There was no significant difference between scans obtained by different observers or during different visits. The intraclass correlation coefficients were greater than 0.99 and 0.97 in healthy subjects and patients with keratoconus, respectively. CONCLUSIONS With the pachymetric mapping protocol of Visante AS-OCT, these results suggest that central and peripheral corneal thickness measurements in healthy subjects and in eyes with keratoconus are repeatable and reproducible.
Ghrelin and Breast Cancer: Emerging Roles in Obesity, Estrogen Regulation, and Cancer

Local and systemic factors have been shown to drive the growth of breast cancer cells in postmenopausal obese women, who have increased risk of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Estrogens, produced locally in the breast fat by the enzyme aromatase, have an important role in promoting cancer cell proliferation. Ghrelin, a 28-amino acid peptide hormone, may also influence cancer growth. This peptide is produced in the stomach and acts centrally to regulate appetite and growth hormone release. Circulating levels of ghrelin, and its unacylated form, des-acyl ghrelin, are almost always inversely correlated with obesity, and these peptide hormones have recently been shown to inhibit adipose tissue aromatase expression. Ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin have also been shown to be produced by some tumor cells and influence tumor growth. The ghrelin/des-acyl ghrelin–cancer axis is complex, one reason being that tumor cells have been shown to express splice variants of ghrelin, and ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin might act at receptors other than the cognate ghrelin receptor, growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a, in tumors. Effects of ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin on energy homeostasis may also affect tumor development and growth. This review will summarize our current understanding of the role of ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin in hormone-dependent cancers, breast cancer in particular.
Institutions and the Location of Oil Exploration

We provide evidence that institutions have a strong influence over where oil and gas exploration takes place. We utilise a global data set on the location of exploration wells and national borders. This allows for a regression discontinuity design with the identifying assumption that the position of borders was determined independently of geology. In order to break potential simultaneity between borders, institutions, and activities in the oil sector, we focus on drilling that occurred after the formation of borders and institutions. Our sample covers 88 countries over the 1966–2010 period. At borders, we estimate more than twice as much drilling on the side with better institutional quality. Subsample analyses reveal effects of institutions on exploration drilling in both developing and high income countries, as well as across three types of operating companies. We find that the supermajor international oil companies are particularly sensitive to institutional quality in developing countries. Our findings are consistent with the view that institutions shape both exploration companies’ incentives to invest in drilling and host countries’ supply of drilling opportunities.
Somatostatin receptor 2 knockout/lacZ knockin mice show impaired motor coordination and reveal sites of somatostatin action within the striatum

The peptide somatostatin can modulate the functional output of the basal ganglia. The exact sites and mechanisms of this action, however, are poorly understood, and the physiological context in which somatostatin acts is unknown. Somatostatin acts as a neuromodulator via a family of five 7‐transmembrane G protein‐coupled receptors, SSTR1–5, one of which, SSTR2, is known to be functional in the striatum. We have investigated the role of SSTR2 in basal ganglia function using mice in which Sstr2 has been inactivated and replaced by the lacZ reporter gene. Analysis of Sstr2lacZ expression in the brain by β‐galactosidase histochemistry demonstrated a widespread pattern of expression. By comparison to previously published in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical data, Sstr2lacZ expression was shown to accurately recapitulate that of Sstr2 and thus provided a highly sensitive model to investigate cell‐type‐specific expression of Sstr2. In the striatum, Sstr2 expression was identified in medium spiny projection neurons restricted to the matrix compartment and in cholinergic interneurons. Sstr2 expression was not detected in any other nuclei of the basal ganglia except for a sparse number of nondopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Microdialysis in the striatum showed Sstr2‐null mice were selectively refractory to somatostatin‐induced dopamine and glutamate release. In behavioural tests, Sstr2‐null mice showed normal levels of locomotor activity and normal coordination in undemanding tasks. However, in beam‐walking, a test of fine motor control, Sstr2‐null mice were severely impaired. Together these data implicate an important neuromodulatory role for SSTR2 in the striatum.
The Impact of Comorbid Depression on Adherence to Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis

Objective. Examine the impact of comorbid depression on adherence to disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods. A retrospective database was used to identify patients with MS treated with a DMT. Patients with MS and comorbid depression were matched to patients with MS only. Adherence to DMT was proxied by the medication possession ratio (MPR) and multivariate regressions were used to examine the association between comorbid depression and adherence to DMT. Results. Patients with comorbid depression had a 10 point lower MPR (P < 0.01) and were less likely to achieve a MPR of at least 80% (odds ratio (OR) = 0.55; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.42–0.74) than those without depression. While treatment with an antidepressant generally had no significant impact on the likelihood of achieving an MPR threshold of 80% (OR = 1.32; 95% CI 0.50–3.48), adherence to antidepressant therapy guidelines were associated with improved adherence to DMT therapy. Conclusions. MS patients with comorbid depression were approximately half as likely to be adherent to their DMT relative to patients with MS without depression. Although treatment with antidepressant therapy generally did not improve the likelihood of adherence, treatment with antidepressants for at least 6 months was associated with better adherence to DMT.
CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOLOGICAL TYPES OF CATTLE ( CYCLE

Growth, puberty and pregnancy were studied in 665 crossbred heifers produced by breeding Hereford and Angus cows to Hereford, Angus, Red Poll, Brown Swiss, Gelbvieh, Maine Anjou, and Chianina sires. Estrus was determined from an average of 240 to 476 days of age. Puberty age was defined as age at first observed, standing estrus followed by an estrus within 45 days, except during the last 45 days of estrus detection when it was defined as first standing estrus. Heifers were bred by artificial insemination for 42 days and naturally for 22 days from an average age of 412 to 476 days. Brown Swiss, Gelbvieh, Maine Anjou and Chianina crosses were 5 to 7% heavier (P<.01), while Red Poll crosses were not different (P>.05) from the Hereford-Angus crosses at the 200-day weight. Compared to Hereford-Angus crosses at 400 days of age, Maine Anjou, Chianina and Gelbvieh crosses were 5 to 8% heav ie r ( (P< .01 ) , Red Poll crosses were 4% lighter (P<.01), and Brown Swiss were 3% heavier (P>.05). Sire breed influenced (P<.01) puber ty age and percentage of heifers reaching puberty by 270 to 450 days of age. Sire breed groups divided into three groups for puberty age with Gelbvieh (343 + 5), Brown Swiss (349 +4), and Red Poll (354 -+ 5) crosses the youngest (P<.01), Chianina (401 + 5) crosses the oldest (P<.01), and Maine Anjou (374 -+ 5) and Hereford-Angus (374 _+ 5) crosses intermediate. Chianina crosses were heaviest at puberty (319
Bisection of Shapes and Lines: Analysis of the Visual and Motor Aspects of Pseudoneglect

This study examined the visual and motor components of pseudoneglect as expressed on horizontal bisection tasks. Ten participants were tested on bisection of lines and elliptical shapes and judgement of pretransected lines. Results showed the same magnitude of leftward error on all three tasks, in contrast to previous findings for patients with visuospatial neglect who are known to bisect ellipses and circles much more accurately than lines. Participants' mean line bisection error was significantly further to the left than the mean subjective midpoint found on the judgement task. The findings contradict the claim that the visual component of pseudoneglect is caused by the same mechanism that causes visuospatial neglect but support the hypothesis that the motor component of pseudoneglect is similar to directional hypometria.
Experimental Study of Unconfined Flow of Solnhofen Limestone at 500° to 600°C

Results of 25 uniaxial creep, stress-relaxation, and constant strain-rate tests in the temperature range 500°C to 600°C on cylinders of Solnhofen limestone are reported. Permanent strains of as much as 20 percent were often produced. Standard experimental procedures for metallurgical creep tests were used. The results of different experimental techniques employed on unconfined rock were found to be consistent and were comparable with data from high-temperature triaxial tests on the same rock. The strength of this rock, extrapolated to geological strain rates, was found to be high compared with stress levels expected in nature.
Radiopeptide Imaging and Therapy in the United States

Radiolabeled peptides targeted against receptors on the cell surface have been shown to be remarkably specific and effective in the diagnosis and therapy of malignant disease. Much of the early work in this field took place outside the United States, but in recent years the research effort within the United States has accelerated. Most of the initial studies in the United States focused on somatostatin receptor ligands. 111In-pentetreotide was approved in 1994 and has been used extensively in the diagnosis and management of a wide variety of neuroendocrine tumors, particularly carcinoid. This work was extended to 99mTc-labeled analogs, and the most successful, 99mTc-depreotide, was approved in 1999. This agent was found to be accurate in the diagnosis of lung cancer, but it was not particularly successful because it was supplanted by 18F-FDG imaging with positron tomography. More recently, studies with 68Ga-labeled somatostatin analogs were initiated in the United States. This effort was delayed relative to that in other parts of the world because of difficulty in obtaining the necessary generators and regulatory uncertainty, both of which are less of a problem currently. Several ligands are being developed to image melanoma through targeting of the melanocyte-stimulating hormone receptor. Other ligands are being developed to use the arginine-glycine-aspartate oligopeptide to target angiogenesis and to use bombesin analogs to target the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor for the diagnosis and potential therapy of prostate cancer. Peptide dimers that target 2 receptors simultaneously are also being constructed, potentially increasing the selectivity of the approach significantly. Radiopeptide therapy has been explored with these ligands, initially with high-dose 111In-pentetreotide. This step has been followed by U.S. participation in several trials with 90Y-, 177Lu-, and 188Re-labeled analogs. Some of these agents are now available clinically outside the United States, and it is important to design and conduct the appropriate trials so that this therapy can be offered within the United States.