Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Historical Records And Current Status Of Fucales (Cystoseira and Sargassum spp.) In The Gulf of Naples

Fucales are brown macroalgae that play a relevant structural and functional role in marine ecosystems but are experiencing a huge decline in many areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the long tradition of phycological studies in the Gulf of Naples (Italy), a gap of knowledge on their dynamics and current status has been highlighted for the last 60 years in this area. This thesis aimed to provide an overview on long-term changes in the distribution ad abundance of Cystoseira spp. and Sargassum spp. along different sectors of the Gulf of Naples in the bathymetric range between 0 and 50 m depth. Research was focused into three main objectives: 1) to assess the historical decline of Fucales the Gulf of Naples and their putative causes; 2) to map their current distribution; 3) to investigate the role of consumers in their loss. Results highlighted a decline of Cystoseira and Sargassum spp. mainly in the most urbanized areas of the gulf. Seven of the eighteen species recorded in the first half of the 20th century were no longer recorded; for other species the local decline could end up with their extinction if no action will be pursued for their conservation. A detailed georeferenced map (1:2,500) of Fucales has been elaborated for the shallow species; SCUBA surveys were performed for deep algae. Some human actions, such as coastal artificialization, can affect species richness and distribution in shallow sublittoral stands. Another mechanic pressure that can act on deep species is the intense fishing activities performed with fishing gears. Probably the interaction between the physic damage and the increase of water turbidity, related to a high eutrophication, can affect the vitality of deep species and their successful spread. The occurrence of patches of Cystoseira, among very dense and deep stands of Posidonia oceanica meadows in the oligotrophic waters around the island of Capri, seems to confirm this hypothesis. Another interesting result was obtained by a feeding choice experiment. The sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus fed indiscriminately on different macrophytes according to the equal choice behaviour between macrophytes offered alone or together, regardless of differences in total phenolic compounds content and C:N ratio. In conclusion, results infer that the improvement and maintenance of the environmental quality of the Gulf of Naples is a major issue not only for the welfare of the coastal ecosystems, but also for its social and economic spin off.
Agnostically learning halfspaces

We give the first algorithm that (under distributional assumptions) efficiently learns halfspaces in the notoriously difficult agnostic framework of Kearns, Schapire, & Sellie, where a learner is given access to labeled examples drawn from a distribution, without restriction on the labels (e.g. adversarial noise). The algorithm constructs a hypothesis whose error rate on future examples is within an additive /spl epsi/ of the optimal halfspace, in time poly(n) for any constant /spl epsi/ > 0, under the uniform distribution over {-1, 1}/sup n/ or the unit sphere in /spl Ropf//sup n/ , as well as under any log-concave distribution over /spl Ropf/ /sup n/. It also agnostically learns Boolean disjunctions in time 2/sup O~(/spl radic/n)/ with respect to any distribution. The new algorithm, essentially L/sub 1/ polynomial regression, is a noise-tolerant arbitrary distribution generalization of the "low degree" Fourier algorithm of Linial, Mansour, & Nisan. We also give a new algorithm for PAC learning halfspaces under the uniform distribution on the unit sphere with the current best bounds on tolerable rate of "malicious noise".
Modeling User Arguments, Interactions, and Attributes for Stance Prediction in Online Debate Forums

Online debate forums are important social media for people to voice their opinions and debate with each other. Mining user stances or viewpoints from these forums has been a popular research topic. However, most current work does not address an important problem: for a specific issue, there may not be many users participating and expressing their opinions. Despite the sparsity of user stances, users may provide rich side information; for example, users may write arguments to back up their stances, interact with each other, and provide biographical information. In this work, we propose an integrated model to leverage side information. Our proposed method is a regression-based latent factor model which jointly models user arguments, interactions, and attributes. Our method can perform stance prediction for both warm-start and cold-start users. We demonstrate in experiments that our method has promising results on both micro-level and macro-level stance prediction.
Differences in weaning practice, food and nutrient intake between breast- and formula-fed 4-month-old infants in England.

BACKGROUND Breastfed infants may grow more slowly in the second half of infancy than formula-fed infants, differences in weaning practice may contribute. METHODS Dietary intakes of 4-month-old infants have been investigated cross-sectionally. Diet was assessed using a structured 1-day un-weighed dietary record in 852 white singletons (72% of those invited) from a random sub-sample of infants taking part in Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Nutrient intakes of formula-fed infants were compared by sex and with UK reference values. Estimated mean energy and nutrient intakes, mean bodyweight and daily quantities of food consumed were compared by weaning practice. RESULTS In formula-fed infants mean energy intakes and intakes of most nutrients were adequate. There were significant differences in intakes of most nutrients by weaning practice; however, mean energy intake and body weight of breastfed infants was similar to formula-fed infants. Infants given formula milk were less likely to consume vegetables and fruit, and more likely to consume commercial infant drinks, compared with infants who were breastfed. In breastfed infants breast milk intake was lower if solids were given (905 g versus 818 g; P = 0.01); however, nutrient intake was not compromised. In formula-fed infants milk intake was not different in those having solids compared to those having milk only (810 g versus 795 g; P = 0.649). CONCLUSIONS Differences in weaning practice and patterns of food consumption were seen between breast- and formula-fed infants, these may contribute to later growth differences.
Marginally Specified Generalized Linear Mixed Models: A Robust Approach

Summary. Longitudinal data modeling is complicated by the necessity to deal appropriately with the correlation between observations made on the same individual. Building on an earlier nonrobust version proposed by Heagerty (1999, Biometrics55, 688–698), our robust marginally specified generalized linear mixed model (ROBMS‐GLMM) provides an effective method for dealing with such data. This model is one of the first to allow both population–averaged and individual‐specific inference. As well, it adopts the flexibility and interpret ability of generalized linear mixed models for introducing dependence but builds a regression structure for the marginal mean, allowing valid application with time‐dependent (exogenous) and time‐independent covariates. These new estimators are obtained as solutions of a robustified likelihood equation involving Huber's least favorable distribution and a collection of weights. Huber's least favorable distribution produces estimates that are resistant to certain deviations from the random effects distributional assumptions. Innovative weighting strategies enable the ROBMS‐GLMM to perform well when faced with outlying observations both in the response and covariates. We illustrate the methodology with an analysis of a prospective longitudinal study of laryngoscopic endotracheal intubation, a skill that numerous health‐care professionals are expected to acquire. The principal goal of our research is to achieve robust inference in longitudinal analyses.
CRA-1 Uncovers a Double-Strand Break-Dependent Pathway Promoting the Assembly of Central Region Proteins on Chromosome Axes During C. elegans Meiosis

The synaptonemal complex (SC), a tripartite proteinaceous structure that forms between homologous chromosomes during meiosis, is crucial for faithful chromosome segregation. Here we identify CRA-1, a novel and conserved protein that is required for the assembly of the central region of the SC during C. elegans meiosis. In the absence of CRA-1, central region components fail to extensively localize onto chromosomes at early prophase and instead mostly surround the chromatin at this stage. Later in prophase, central region proteins polymerize along chromosome axes, but for the most part fail to connect the axes of paired homologous chromosomes. This defect results in an inability to stabilize homologous pairing interactions, altered double-strand break (DSB) repair progression, and a lack of chiasmata. Surprisingly, DSB formation and repair are required to promote the polymerization of the central region components along meiotic chromosome axes in cra-1 mutants. In the absence of both CRA-1 and any one of the C. elegans homologs of SPO11, MRE11, RAD51, or MSH5, the polymerization observed along chromosome axes is perturbed, resulting in the formation of aggregates of the SC central region proteins. While radiation-induced DSBs rescue this polymerization in cra-1; spo-11 mutants, they fail to do so in cra-1; mre-11, cra-1; rad-51, and cra-1; msh-5 mutants. Taken together, our studies place CRA-1 as a key component in promoting the assembly of a tripartite SC structure. Moreover, they reveal a scenario in which DSB formation and repair can drive the polymerization of SC components along chromosome axes in C. elegans.
World Trade Center Indoor Environment Assessment: Selecting Contaminants of Potential Concern and Setting Health-Based Benchmarks

ii This page intentionally left blank. iii Foreword Following the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, federal, state, and municipal health and environmental agencies initiated numerous studies to assess environmental conditions in the area. A multi-agency task force was specifically formed to evaluate indoor environments for the presence of contaminants that might pose long-term health risks to local residents. As part of this evaluation, a task force committee was established to identify contaminants of primary health concern and establish health-based benchmarks for those contaminants in support of ongoing residential cleanup efforts in Lower Manhattan. In September 2002, the committee released a draft document titled " World Trade Center (WTC) Indoor Air Assessment: Selecting Contaminants of Potential Concern (COPC) and Setting Health-Based Benchmarks. " In October 2002, a panel of 11 experts conducted an independent peer review of the draft COPC document to ensure that the evaluations presented in the document were technically based and scientifically sound. A final report with peer reviewers' conclusions and recommendations was released in February 2003. The peer review report and the COPC Committee's response to peer review comments can be accessed on-line at: www.tera. org. The responsiveness summary provides the formal responses to peer reviewer comments. EPA, through its chairmanship of the multi-agency committee that authored the response to peer review comments, assumes ownership and fully endorses that report's content. The responsiveness summary presents background on the peer review process, an overview of the peer reviewers' main conclusions and recommendations, and the document authors' responses to specific comments. The final COPC document presents the updated approaches for selecting COPC and setting health-based benchmarks, based on peer reviewer input. This document is just one product that addresses environmental and public health concerns related to the WTC. Individuals interested in other studies and research projects related to the WTC should refer to the following Web pages:
Randomized Comparison of Everolimus-Eluting and Paclitaxel-Eluting Stents: Two-Year Clinical Follow-Up From the Clinical Evaluation of the Xience V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System in the Treatment of Patients With De Novo Native Coronary Artery Lesions (SPIRIT) III Trial

Background— In the prospective randomized Clinical Evaluation of the Xience V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System in the Treatment of Patients with de novo Native Coronary Artery Lesions (SPIRIT) III trial, an everolimus-eluting stent (EES) compared with a widely used paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) resulted in a statistically significant reduction in angiographic in-segment late loss at 8 months and noninferior rates of target vessel failure (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization) at 1 year. The safety and efficacy of EES after 1 year have not been reported. Methods and Results— A total of 1002 patients with up to 2 de novo native coronary artery lesions (reference vessel diameter, 2.5 to 3.75 mm; lesion length ≤28 mm) were randomized 2:1 to EES versus PES. Antiplatelet therapy consisted of aspirin indefinitely and a thienopyridine for ≥6 months. Between 1 and 2 years, patients treated with EES compared with PES tended to have fewer episodes of protocol-defined stent thrombosis (0.2% versus 1.0%; P=0.10) and myocardial infarctions (0.5% versus 1.7%; P=0.12), with similar rates of cardiac death (0.3% versus 0.3%; P=1.0) and target vessel revascularization (2.9% versus 3.0%; P=1.0). As a result, at the completion of the 2-year follow-up, treatment with EES compared with PES resulted in a significant 32% reduction in target vessel failure (10.7% versus 15.4%; hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.48 to 0.98; P=0.04) and a 45% reduction in major adverse cardiac events (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or target lesion revascularization; 7.3% versus 12.8%; hazard ratio, 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.36 to 0.83; P=0.004). Among the 360 patients who discontinued clopidogrel or ticlopidine after 6 months, stent thrombosis subsequently developed in 0.4% of EES patients versus 2.6% of PES patients (P=0.10). Conclusions— Patients treated with EES rather than PES experienced significantly improved event-free survival at a 2-year follow-up in the SPIRIT III trial, with continued divergence of the hazard curves for target vessel failure and major adverse cardiac events between 1 and 2 years evident. The encouraging trends toward fewer stent thrombosis episodes after 6 months in EES-treated patients who discontinued a thienopyridine and after 1 year in all patients treated with EES rather than PES deserve further study.
Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Global NDVI Trends: Correlations with Climate and Human Factors

Changes in vegetation activity are driven by multiple natural and anthropogenic factors, which can be reflected by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from satellites. In this paper, NDVI trends from 1982 to 2012 are first estimated by the Theil–Sen median slope method to explore their spatial and temporal patterns. Then, the impact of climate variables and human activity on the observed NDVI trends is analyzed. Our results show that on average, NDVI increased by 0.46 × 10−3 per year from 1982 to 2012 globally with decadal variations. For most regions of the world, a greening (increasing)–browning (decreasing)–greening (G-B-G) trend is observed over the periods 1982–2004, 1995–2004, and 2005–2012, respectively. A positive partial correlation of NDVI and temperature is observed in the first period but it decreases and occasionally becomes negative in the following periods, especially in the Humid Temperate and Dry Domain Regions. This suggests a weakened effect of temperature on vegetation growth. Precipitation, on the other hand, is found to have a positive impact on the NDVI trend. This effect becomes stronger in the third period of 1995–2004, especially in the Dry Domain Region. Anthropogenic effects and human activities, derived here from the Human Footprint Dataset and the associated Human Influence Index (HII), have varied impacts on the magnitude (absolute value) of the NDVI trends across continents. Significant positive effects are found in Asia, Africa, and Europe, suggesting that intensive human activity could accelerate the change in NDVI and vegetation. A more accurate attribution of vegetation change to specific climatic and anthropogenic factors is instrumental to understand vegetation dynamics and requires further research.
Rethinking the mood and anxiety disorders: a quantitative hierarchical model for DSM-V.

The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) groups disorders into diagnostic classes on the basis of the subjective criterion of "shared phenomenological features. " There are now sufficient data to eliminate this rational system and replace it with an empirically based structure that reflects the actual similarities among disorders. The existing structural evidence establishes that the mood and anxiety disorders should be collapsed together into an overarching class of emotional disorders, which can be decomposed into 3 subclasses: the bipolar disorders (bipolar I, bipolar II, cyclothymia), the distress disorders (major depression, dysthymic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder), and the fear disorders (panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia, specific phobia). The optimal placement of other syndromes (e.g., obsessive-compulsive disorder) needs to be clarified in future research.
The Pseudorabies Virus UL11 Protein Is a Virion Component Involved in Secondary Envelopment in the Cytoplasm

ABSTRACT Homologs of the small tegument protein encoded by the UL11 gene of herpes simplex virus type 1 are conserved throughout all herpesvirus subfamilies. However, their function during viral replication has not yet been conclusively shown. Using a monospecific antiserum and an appropriate viral deletion and rescue mutant, we identified and functionally characterized the UL11 protein of the alphaherpesvirus pseudorabies virus (PrV). PrV UL11 encodes a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 10 to 13 kDa that is primarily detected at cytoplasmic membranes during viral replication. In the absence of the UL11 protein, viral titers were decreased approximately 10-fold and plaque sizes were reduced by 60% compared to wild-type virus. Intranuclear capsid maturation and nuclear egress resulting in translocation of DNA-containing capsids into the cytoplasm were not detectably affected. However, in the absence of the UL11 protein, intracytoplasmic membranes were distorted. Moreover, in PrV-ΔUL11-infected cells, capsids accumulated in the cytoplasm and were often found associated with tegument in aggregated structures such as had previously been demonstrated in cells infected with a PrV triple-mutant virus lacking glycoproteins E, I, and M (A. R. Brack, J. M. Dijkstra, H. Granzow, B. G. Klupp, and T. C. Mettenleiter, J. Virol. 73:5364-5372, 1999). Thus, the PrV UL11 protein, like glycoproteins E, I, and M, appears to be involved in secondary envelopment.
Planning and placing power clamps for effective CDM protection

The issue on reliability of the device becomes more critical as power density of device progressively increases with advancement of technology nodes. Smaller transistor and hence thinner gate oxide implies transistors are more vulnerable against an Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) event. Among the test models in ESD, Charged Device Model (CDM) has greater potential to cause catastrophic damage to the device due to its faster and larger discharging current. To protect against a CDM event, power clamps are placed across the design to offer a low resistance discharge path. However, conventional power clamp placement method to place power clamps generally relies on design experience. In this work, we propose a power clamp placement algorithm that places power clamp at strategic location which can effectively minimize number of power clamps while achieving better protection against a CDM event compared to conventional approach.
Developmental trajectories of verbal and nonverbal skills in individuals with a history of specific language impairment: from childhood to adolescence.

PURPOSE To investigate the longitudinal trajectories of verbal and nonverbal skills in individuals with a history of specific language impairment (SLI) from childhood to adolescence. This study focuses on SLI only and investigates within-participant measures across abilities. METHOD Verbal and nonverbal skills were assessed in 242 children with a history of SLI at ages 7, 8, 11, 14, 16, and 17. Discrete factor growth modeling was used to examine developmental trajectories for the whole group and to identify subgroups on the basis of a novel, developmental, multidimensional approach. RESULTS When expressive language, receptive language, and nonverbal skills were scaled to a common metric, the group of individuals with a history of SLI as a whole had stable skills growth throughout the 10-year time frame. Seven language subgroups were identified, but these differed only in severity and did not display mutually distinctive patterns of growth development. In contrast, 6 nonverbal skills subgroups were identified, and their trajectories did differ significantly, with evidence of deceleration in around one third of the sample. CONCLUSION Individuals with a history of SLI show steady language growth from age 7. However, different patterns of growth of nonverbal skills are observed from childhood to adolescence.
Effect of myoma size on failure of thermal balloon ablation or levonorgestrel releasing intrauterine system treatment in women with menorrhagia

Objective The aim of the present study was to identify variables associated with treatment failure in women with menorrhagia who were treated with thermal balloon ablation (TBA) or levonorgestrel releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS), and to determine if there are subgroups where one treatment type is more effective than the other. Methods The study included 106 women with menorrhagia who were treated with TBA or LNG-IUS at the study institute between January 2003 and December 2007, with a follow-up period greater than 12 months. Data were collected by retrospective review of medical records. Treatment failure was defined as persistent or recurrent menorrhagia within one year after treatment or hysterectomy at any time during follow-up. The relationships between variables and treatment outcome were analyzed using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test. The treatment outcome of TBA was compared with LNG-IUS. Results Sixty-seven women were treated with TBA and 39 women were managed with LNG-IUS. Fifty-two women had a myoma ≥2.5 cm. Treatment failure was observed in 24 women (2 recurrent or persistent menorrhagia and 22 hysterectomies) and myoma size (≥2.5 cm vs. <2.5 cm) was associated with treatment outcome. TBA and LNG-IUS showed similar treatment outcomes. Conclusion A large myoma is a risk factor for treatment failure in women with menorrhagia treated with TBA or LNG-IUS.