Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of River-Borne Phosphorus Loading on the Phytoplankton Community of Nottawasaga Bay

The effect of river-borne phosphorus loading on the phytoplankton community of Nottawasaga Bay Chris Farrow Advisor: Dr. J. D. Ackerman University of Guelph, 2017 Coastal embayments are susceptible to eutrophication because of anthropogenic factors in their watersheds. Nottawasaga Bay provides a model system to study the effect of nutrient loading because it is oligotrophic. I investigated the effect of nutrients provided by the Nottawasaga River on the nearshore phytoplankton composition of Nottawasaga Bay over two field seasons in 2015 and 2016. I used imaging flow cytometry to enumerate algal taxa and multivariate statistics (RDA, perMANOVA, hierarchical clustering) to examine how nutrients and the transport of algal taxa affect community composition. Sampling stations with different proportions of river water had significantly different phytoplankton communities. Eutrophy indicator taxa were positively associated with phosphorus concentrations in the bay, whereas oligotrophy indicators were opposite. Diversity and evenness were not different between stations, but exhibited patterns consistent with seasonal succession of the phytoplankton community. The Nottawasaga River has pronounced effects on the nearshore phytoplankton community by transporting its algal taxa and by providing nutrients, but these effects were nearly indistinguishable.
Unintentional dural puncture and prophylactic epidural blood patch in obstetrics.

Unintentional dural puncture (UDP) is an uncommon but distressing complication of lumbar epidural analgesia. Conservative measures (hydration, bed rest, and the use of an abdominal binder) have been employed to prevent postdural puncture headache (PDPH) after UDP. More invasive techniques including lumbar or caudal epidural injection of saline solution have also been advocated (1-3). The ability of these measures to prevent PDPH is low (4). The use of epidural blood patch (EBP) as treatment of PDPH was suggested by Gormley (5) and later introduced by Di Giovanni and Dunbar (6). The success rate approaches 91% to 100% in many studies (4). We conducted a prospective sequentially randomized study to compare the efficacy of a prophylactic epidural blood patch (PEBP) with conservative measures in preventing PDPH in obstetrical patients.
Cerebral Infarction Following Bilateral Carotid Artery Ligation in Normotensive and Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats: A Pathological Study

A pathological examination was performed on normotensive rats (NTR) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) following bilateral common carotid artery ligation. After ligation, diffuse and extensive cerebral infarcts in the carotid artery territory occurred frequently in SHR, while NTR occasionally had wellcircumscribed small infarcts. The posterior communicating arteries, which are the major anastomotic channels connecting the carotid and vertebrobasilar systems, did not show any anomalies and were well developed in SHR and NTR. Vascular changes secondary to hypertension, such as fibrinoid necrosis or thickening of the wall, were not observed in SHR. Because of the paucity of structural difference of the blood vessels, the more diffuse and extensive cerebral infarcts in SHR after carotid occlusion were attributed to the hemodynamic difference rather than the morphological difference between the two groups. The results of the present experiment suggest that hypertension per se, i.e., hemodynamic factors, may be operative for the development of cerebral infarction.
Self-Deception in Terminal Patients: Belief System at Stake

A substantial minority of patients with terminal illness hold unrealistically hopeful beliefs about the severity of their disease or the nature of its treatment, considering therapy as curative rather than palliative. We propose that this attitude may be understood as self-deception, following the current psychological theories about this topic. In this article we suggest that the reason these patients deceive themselves is to preserve their belief systems. According to some philosophical accounts, the human belief system (HBS) is constituted as a web with a few stable central nodes – deep-seated beliefs – intimately related with the self. We hypothesize that the mind may possess defensive mechanisms, mostly non-conscious, that reject certain sensory inputs (e.g., a fatal diagnosis) that may undermine deep-seated beliefs. This interpretation is in line with the theory of cognitive dissonance. Following this reasoning, we also propose that HBS-related self-deception would entail a lower cognitive load than that associated with confronting the truth: whereas the latter would engage a myriad of high cognitive functions to re-configure crucial aspects of the self, including the setting of plans, goals, or even a behavioral output, the former would be mostly non-conscious. Overall, we believe that our research supports the hypothesis that in cases of terminal illness, (self-)deceiving requires less effort than accepting the truth.
The association between chronic pain and prescription drug abuse in Veterans.

OBJECTIVE We sought to investigate the association between chronic pain and self-reported prescription drug abuse in a large cohort of patients referred from primary care for a behavioral health assessment. DESIGN We performed a cross-sectional analysis of responses to a telephone assessment administered to patients referred for a behavioral health evaluation between April 25, 2005 and October 31, 2007. We conducted descriptive statistics and investigated multivariable associations. Multivariable analyses included age, gender, race, financial status, employment, current smoking, drinking problem, past-year illicit drug use, depression, and chronic pain. PATIENTS Veterans referred from primary care (N = 6,377). RESULTS Mean age of the sample was 56.5 years with a range of 19-97. The majority of respondents was white, unmarried, and was unemployed. Nearly 5% of the sample reported past 6-month prescription drug abuse. On multivariable analysis, younger age, possible depression (odds ratio [OR] 1.9; 1.3-2.8), probable depression (OR 2.4; 1.6-3.4), smoking (OR 1.4; 1.1-1.8), illicit drug use (OR 2.8; 2.2-3.7), and chronic pain (OR 1.9; 1.4-2.5) were associated with prescription drug abuse. CONCLUSIONS We have identified specific variables associated with self-reported prescription drug abuse in primary care patients. Chronic pain is associated both with an indication for prescribing opioids and with abuse of prescription medications. Clinicians are encouraged to follow treatment algorithms when managing patients with chronic pain as a method for reducing misuse.
Nonlinear Dynamic Process Monitoring Using Canonical Variate Analysis and Kernel Density Estimations

The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the Partial Least Squares (PLS) are two commonly used techniques for process monitoring. Both PCA and PLS assume that the data to be analysed are not self-correlated i.e. time-independent. However, most industrial processes are dynamic so that the assumption of time-independence made by the PCA and the PLS is invalid in nature. Dynamic extensions to PCA and PLS, so called DPCA and DPLS, have been developed to address this problem, however, unsatisfactorily. Nevertheless, the Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA) is a state-space-based monitoring tool, hence is more suitable for dynamic monitoring than DPCA and DPLS. The CVA is a linear tool and traditionally for simplicity, the upper control limit (UCL) of monitoring metrics associated with the CVA is derived based on a Gaussian assumption. However, most industrial processes are nonlinear and the Gaussian assumption is invalid for such processes so that CVA with a UCL based on this assumption may not be able to correctly identify underlying faults. In this work, a new monitoring technique using the CVA with UCLs derived from the estimated probability density function through kernel density estimations (KDEs) is proposed and applied to the simulated nonlinear Tennessee Eastman Process Plant. The proposed CVA with KDE approach is able to significantly improve the monitoring performance and detect faults earlier when compared to other methods also examined in this study.
In vitro phagocytosis of Candida albicans by peritoneal mouse macrophages

The ability of sensitized mouse peritoneal macrophages to phagocytose and inhibit Candida albicans was studied in an in vitro system. Mice were sensitized to C. albicans by intraperitoneal infection with viable organisms or by intracutaneous injection of heat-inactivated cells in Freund complete adjuvant. Development of delayed hypersensitivity to C. albicans was evaluated by footpad tests with cytoplasmic and cell wall antigens as well as by macrophage migration inhibition by these antigens and by whole heat-inactivated cells. Inhibition of macrophage migration by heat-inactivated cells was significantly greater when the mice were sensitized by viable organisms. The macrophages from these mice were also larger and showed a greaer ability to inhibit germ tube production by phagocytosed yeasts. This suggests that macrophages may play a protective role in infection by C. albicans.
Ca2+ permeability of mouse and chick nicotinic acetylcholine receptors expressed in transiently transfected human cells

1 Combinations of cDNAs encoding mouse and chick nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits were transiently transfected into human BOSC 23 cells, and the expressed receptors were studied by simultaneously recording transmembrane currents and fluorescence transients using the whole‐cell patch‐clamp technique, and confocal microscopy with the Ca2+ indicator dye fluo‐3. 2 The fractional Ca2+ current, Pf, of nAChRs was evaluated as the normalized ratio of nicotine‐evoked fluorescence transient over total charge entering the cell (F/Q ratio). Mouse fetal muscle nAChR channels had a Pf,αβγδ value of 2.1 %. The substitution of the γ subunit with the ɛ subunit resulted in a 2‐fold increase in Pf (4.2 %). The difference in Ca2+ permeability was confirmed by determination of Ca2+/Cs+ permeability ratios. 3 Among the chick neuronal nAChRs tested, Pf,α3β4 was 4.6 %, while Pf,α4β4 and Pf,α4β2 were 3.0 % and 2.9 %, respectively. 4 The amplitude of the current elicited by the activation of α3β4 nAChRs increased as the external Ca2+ concentration was raised from 2 to 110 mM, whereas currents flowing through all other nAChRs tested were reduced to various extents. 5 Our findings indicate that the adult‐type muscle nAChR (αβɛδ) is more permeable to Ca2+ than the fetal‐type (αβγδ), while ganglionic‐like α3β4 nAChR is more permeable to Ca2+ than the examined α4‐containing nAChRs. The functional significance is discussed.
The oscillation of Notch activation, but not its boundary, is required for somite border formation and rostral-caudal patterning within a somite

Notch signaling exerts multiple roles during different steps of mouse somitogenesis. We have previously shown that segmental boundaries are formed at the interface of the Notch activity boundary, suggesting the importance of the Notch on/off state for boundary formation. However, a recent study has shown that mouse embryos expressing Notch-intracellular domain (NICD) throughout the presomitic mesoderm (PSM) can still form more than ten somites, indicating that the NICD on/off state is dispensable for boundary formation. To clarify this discrepancy in our current study, we created a transgenic mouse lacking NICD boundaries in the anterior PSM but retaining Notch signal oscillation in the posterior PSM by manipulating the expression pattern of a Notch modulator, lunatic fringe. In this mouse, clearly segmented somites are continuously generated, indicating that the NICD on/off state is unnecessary for somite boundary formation. Surprisingly, this mouse also showed a normal rostral-caudal compartment within a somite, conferred by a normal Mesp2 expression pattern with a rostral-caudal gradient. To explore the establishment of normal Mesp2 expression, we performed computer simulations, which revealed that oscillating Notch signaling induces not only the periodic activation of Mesp2 but also a rostral-caudal gradient of Mesp2 in the absence of striped Notch activity in the anterior PSM. In conclusion, we propose a novel function of Notch signaling, in which a progressive oscillating wave of Notch activity is translated into the rostral-caudal polarity of a somite by regulating Mesp2 expression in the anterior PSM. This indicates that the initial somite pattern can be defined as a direct output of the segmentation clock.
A DAISY-like compass operator

The compass operator is a useful tool for the detection of edges, junctions and corners. However, it is time-consuming, especially when the circular window is large. In this paper, we propose a new compass operator based on the sampling scheme utilized in the DAISY descriptor. We first generalize the original DAISY for representing a variety of types of features. Then, the metric of measuring the difference between two wedges is derived with respect to the descriptor. Our DAISY-like compass operator in essence captures cues in multi-scales but is efficient. It achieves results on boundary detection which are comparable to the conventional compass operator.
A systems approach to restoring degraded drylands

Summary 1. Drylands support over 2 billion people and are major providers of critical ecosystem goods and services across the globe. Drylands, however, are one of the most susceptible biomes to degradation. International programmes widely recognize dryland restoration as key to combating global dryland degradation and ensuring future global sustainability. While the need to restore drylands is widely recognized and large amounts of resources are allocated to these activities, rates of restoration success remain overwhelmingly low. 2. Advances in understanding the ecology of dryland systems have not yielded proportional advances in our ability to restore these systems. To accelerate progress in dryland restoration, we argue for moving the field of restoration ecology beyond conceptual frameworks of ecosystem dynamics and towards quantitative, predictive systems models that capture the probabilistic nature of ecosystem response to management. 3. To do this, we first provide an overview of conceptual dryland restoration frameworks. We then describe how quantitative systems framework can advance and improve conceptual restoration frameworks, resulting in a greater ability to forecast restoration outcomes and evaluate economic efficiency and decision-making. Lastly, using a case study from the western United States, we show how a systems approach can be integrated with and used to advance current conceptual frameworks of dryland restoration. 4. Synthesis and applications. Systems models for restoration do not replace conceptual models but complement and extend these modelling approaches by enhancing our ability to solve restoration problems and forecast outcomes under changing conditions. Such forecasting of future outcomes is necessary to monetize restoration benefits and cost and to maximize economic benefit of limited restoration dollars.
Evidence that clozapine directly interacts on the GABAB receptor

Neurophysiological studies suggest that clozapine may facilitate &ggr;-aminobutyric acid (GABAergic) neurotransmission. Therefore, we studied the interaction between clozapine and the GABAB receptor (GABABR). We showed that clozapine, and not N-desmethylclozapine, which is a metabolite of clozapine, increased the binding of the GABABR antagonist, [3H]-CGP54626A, at GABABRs. Linear regression analysis showed that the correlation between the dose of clozapine and the increase of [3H]-CGP54626A binding was significant. The curve of specific [3H]-CGP54626A binding in competition with different concentrations of GABA was left shifted in the presence of clozapine. With HEK293 cells overexpressing GABABR, we showed that clozapine had a significant increase of [3H]-CGP54626A binding at GABABR1 subunit, which provided a clue of the potential therapeutic target of clozapine.
Assessment of Individual Differences in Implicit Cognition A Review of IAT Measures

This review discusses basic features of Implicit Association Tests (IATs) that are relevant in order to estimate their suitability of IATs for the valid assessment of individual differences. We start with a description of the essential characteristics of the procedures of IATs and also refer to theoretical accounts for IAT effects. Then, we provide an overview of research on the psychometric properties of IATs including their reliability and incremental validity for the prediction of behavior over and above explicit measures. Finally, we describe some alternatives to IAT measures and offer an outlook for future research.
You have printed the following article : Stress , Corticosterone , and Heterophil to Lymphocyte Ratios in Free-Living Adélie Penguins

We measured corticosterone in plasma collected from free-living AdClie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) and made blood smears to count the ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes ( H a ) . Our objective was to categorize how these two measures of stress vary with potential stressors in the birds' environment. In penguins that were repeatedly sampled from three to eight times, repeated handling did not affect corticosterone levels or HIL, but there were significant differences among individuals. Nesting stage did not affect corticosterone level, but H/L was significantly lower during the chick stage than in the courting or incubation stages. Sex and handling times of less than 5 min had no effect on either corticosterone or H a . In birds that had fasted up to 40 days during the courtship and early incubation stages, there was no increase in corticosterone or H/L with length of fasting, but in birds that had fasted more than 50 days, corticosterone levels increased. Birds with obvious injuries had significantly higher H/L than birds that had recently engaged in fights or those caring for chicks, but corticosterone levels did not differ in these groups. In free-living birds, H L ratios provide a measure of stress that may be more useful than a single measure of plasma corticosterone in assessing response to chronic stressors like injury or crowded conditions in the breeding colony.
MIMO Antenna Array Impact on Channel Capacity for a Realistic Macro-Cellular Urban Environment

In multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems the antenna array configuration in the base station (BS) and mobile station (MS) has a large influence on the available channel capacity. In this paper, we first introduce a new frequency selective (FS) MIMO framework for macro-cells in a realistic urban environment. Next, MIMO configuration characteristics are investigated in order to maximize capacity, mainly the number of antennas and inter-antenna spacing. Channel and capacity simulation results are presented for the city of Lisbon, Portugal, using different antenna configurations. Two power allocations schemes are considered, uniform distribution and FS spatial water-filling. The results suggest optimized MIMO configurations, considering the antenna array size limitations, at the MS side.
Low Collagenase-1 (MMP-1) and MT1-MMP Expression Levels Are Favourable Survival Markers in Advanced Colorectal Carcinoma

Objective: Extracellular matrix degradation is required for invasive growth and metastasis formation in colorectal carcinoma; therefore, we examined matrix metalloproteinases expression (MMP-1, MMP-13 and MT1-MMP) and apoptosis in tumours from 49 patients with advanced colorectal disease. Methods: MMP expression was determined immunohistochemically and apoptotic index (AI) was ascertained using the TUNEL assay. Results: Low levels of MT1-MMP, MMP-1 and AI were found to be favourable markers significantly associated with longer survival. MT1-MMP expression levels below the median (≤14.0% of tumour cells) were associated with better overall survival (median 26.2 vs. 15.6 months, p = 0.02) and MMP-1 expression levels below the median (≤28.7% of tumour cells) correlated with longer survival following metastasis (median 21.5 vs. 13.3 months, p = 0.05). MT1-MMP, MMP-1 and AI were all found to have significant independent effects on survival. Interestingly, MMP-1 expression levels above the median were associated with distal disease of the colon (p = 0.02). Conclusions: These findings reveal that MT1-MMP and MMP-1 expression levels and AI are useful prognostic indicators in advanced colorectal carcinoma and suggest that markers of MMP expression might be used in identifying patients who would benefit from new treatment modalities involving MMP inhibitors.
Rapid onsite evaluation improves the adequacy of fine-needle aspiration for thyroid lesions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) with ultrasonography guidance is one of the optimal techniques for the diagnostic evaluation of thyroid nodules. A significant subset of thyroid FNAs continues to be inadequate for interpretation, which potentially leads to increased costs from repeat aspirations. Numerous studies have been published regarding the influence of rapid onsite evaluation (ROSE) by cytopathologists on thyroid FNAs, some indicating that FNA is more likely to be adequate for interpretation with ROSE, while others refute this idea. To our knowledge, no meta-analysis of the literature on this subject has been undertaken. METHODS We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE using the following search string: (needle biopsy) AND (assessment or onsite OR onsite or immediate or rapid)/title or abstract. There were no restrictions on study design, language, anatomic site, or time period. Only studies comparing two arms (with/without ROSE) at a single site were eligible for inclusion. Potentially relevant studies were subjected to a citation search (forward search) and reference search (backward search) using SCOPUS. Statistical calculations were performed using Stata Release 12. Meta-analysis was completed using a random-effect model as implemented in the metan routine in Stata. RESULTS An initial search obtained 2179 studies from MEDLINE and EMBASE, and screening yielded 71 potentially relevant studies. A focused review of this subset resulted in seven full studies and one abstract that met our inclusion criteria. Our citation search using SCOPUS yielded no new studies. Overall, the average adequacy rate was 83% without ROSE compared to 92% with ROSE. Visual inspection of the data suggested that the improvement in adequacy due to ROSE may be related to the adequacy rate without ROSE. Metaregression analysis showed that the change in the adequacy rate was strongly correlated (t=-12.7, p<0.001) with the non-ROSE adequacy rate. In addition, the non-ROSE adequacy rate explained all, but 10% of the residual between study variability in the change in the adequacy rates due to ROSE. CONCLUSIONS ROSE is generally associated with an improvement in adequacy, but the impact of ROSE depends heavily on the initial adequacy rate. Sites with lower initial adequacy rates can benefit the most from the implementation of ROSE.