Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alpine Forest Drought Monitoring in South Tyrol: PCA Based Synergy between scPDSI Data and MODIS Derived NDVI and NDII7 Time Series

Observed alternation of global and local meteorological patterns governs increasing drought impact, which puts at risk ecological balance and biodiversity of the alpine forest. Despite considerable attention, drought impact on forest ecosystems is still not entirely understood, and comprehensive forest drought monitoring has not been implemented. In this study, we proposed to bridge this gap exploiting a time-domain synergetic use of medium resolution MODSI NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and NDII7 (Normalized Difference Infrared Index band 7) time series as well as on-station temperature and precipitation measures combined in the scPDSI (self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index) datasets. Analysis employed the S-mode Principal Component Analysis (PCA) examined under multiple method settings and data setups. The investigation performed for South Tyrol (2001–2012) indicated prolonged meteorological drought condition between 2003 and 2007, as well as general drying tendencies. Corresponding temporal variability was identified for local mountain forest. The former response was fostered more often by NDII7, which is related to foliage water content, whereas NDVI was more prone to report on an overall downturn and implied drop in forest photosynthetic activity. Among tested approaches, the covariance-matrix based S-mode PCA of z-score normalized vegetation season NDVI and NDII7 time series ensured the most prominent identification of drought impact. Consistency in recognized temporal patterns confirms integrity of the approach and aptness of used remote-sensed datasets, suggesting great potential for drought oriented environmental analyses.
How spermatozoa come to be confined to surfaces.

In most detailed studies, sea urchin sperm movement has been analyzed mainly from observations of spermatozoa swimming at the interface between two media: water/air or water/glass. When spermatozoa are placed on a microscope slide, they rapidly appear to swim near those interfaces. The aim of this article is to determine how they become confined to the vicinity of surfaces. High-speed observations of moving spermatozoa reveal blurred portions in the flagellum images that propagate from base to tip, suggesting that flagellar waves contain an out-of-plane component. The model we have developed depicts how this tri-dimensional component tends to keep spermatozoa close to interfaces and, as a consequence, increases the time of contact between the egg surface and spermatozoa.
Structural Changes in Optical Coherence Tomography Underlying Spots of Increased Autofluorescence in the Perilesional Zone of Geographic Atrophy.

Purpose To investigate structural correlates corresponding to the appearance of increased fundus autofluorescence (FAF) in the perilesional area of geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration. Methods Serial FAF images of 181 eyes with GA of 134 patients participating in the Directional Spread in Geographic Atrophy study (NCT02051998) were screened for increased FAF spots that had developed during the review period. Thickness and reflectivity of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-basal lamina complex, as well as the integrity of the external limiting membrane (ELM) and the ellipsoid zone (EZ), respectively, in corresponding optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans were compared between the time points before and after the appearance of increased FAF. Adjacent areas without development of abnormal FAF were assessed as internal control. Results A total of 36 areas (15 eyes) with de novo developed increased FAF spots and 54 control areas were included. Analysis of the corresponding OCT images revealed an increase in RPE-basal lamina complex thickness (31.8 ± 7.3 to 42.1 ± 11.9 μm [P < 0.001]) and reflectivity (reflectivity ratio: 1.42 ± 0.11 to 1.54 ± 0.27 [P = 0.009]) corresponding to an increased FAF signal while there was no significant change in control areas. Development of increased FAF spots was associated with disruption of the ELM and the EZ. Conclusions Increase of RPE-basal lamina complex thickness and reflectivity was spatially and temporally associated with the development of increased FAF spots in eyes with GA. In addition, outer retinal disruption may contribute to the corresponding increased FAF signal.
Treatment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections with a Minimal Inhibitory Concentration of 2 μg/mL to Vancomycin: Old (Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole) versus New (Daptomycin or Linezolid) Agents

Background: Guidelines recommend that agents other than vancomycin be considered for some types of infection due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) when the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to vancomycin is 2 μg/mL or more. Alternative therapeutic options include daptomycin and linezolid, 2 relatively new and expensive drugs, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), an old and inexpensive agent. Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy and potential cost savings associated with use of TMP/SMX compared to linezolid and daptomycin. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at Detroit Medical Center. For calendar year 2009, unique adults (age >18 years) with infections due to MRSA with an MIC to vancomycin of 2 μg/mL were included if they received 2 or more doses of TMP/SMX and/or daptomycin and/or linezolid. Data were abstracted from patient charts and pharmacy records. Results: There were 328 patients included in the study cohort: 143 received TMP/SMX alone, 89 received daptomycin alone, 75 received linezolid alone, and 21 patients received a combination of 2 or more of these agents. In univariate analysis, patients who received TMP/SMX alone had significantly better outcomes, including in-hospital (p = 0.003) and 90-day mortality (p < 0.001) compared to patients treated with daptomycin or linezolid. Patients receiving TMP/SMX were also younger (p < 0.001), had fewer comorbid conditions (p < 0.001), had less severe acute severity of illness (p < 0.001), and received appropriate therapy more rapidly (p = 0.001). In multivariate models the association between TMP/SMX treatment and mortality was no longer significant. Antimicrobial cost savings associated with using TMP/SMX averaged $2067.40 per patient. Conclusions: TMP/SMX monotherapy compared favorably to linezolid and daptomycin in terms of treatment efficacy and mortality. Use of TMP/SMX instead of linezolid or daptomycin could potentially significantly reduce antibiotic costs. TMP/SMX should be considered for the treatment of MRSA infection with MIC of 2 μg/mL to vancomycin.
Genetic analysis of a region of the Rhizobium meliloti pSym plasmid specifying catabolism of trigonelline, a secondary metabolite present in legumes

Genes controlling the catabolism of trigonelline, a secondary metabolite that is often present in legumes, are located on the pSym megaplasmid of Rhizobium meliloti. To investigate the role of bacterial trigonelline catabolism in the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis, we identified and characterized the R. meliloti RCR2011 genetic loci (trc) controlling trigonelline catabolism. Tn5-B20 mutagenesis showed that the trc region is a continuous DNA segment of 9 kb located 4 kb downstream of the nifAB and fdxN genes. Trc mutants fell into two classes according to their phenotype and location: (i) mutants carrying Tn5-B20 insertions in the right-hand part of the trc region were incapable of growing on trigonelline as the sole carbon and/or nitrogen source, and (ii) insertions in the left-hand part of the trc region resulted in delayed growth on trigonelline as the sole carbon and/or nitrogen source. No significant defect in nodule formation or nitrogen fixation was detected for mutants of either class. Screening of a set of R. meliloti strains from various geographical origins showed that all of these strains are able to catabolize trigonelline and show sequence homology between their megaplasmids and a trc probe.
Small mitochondrial Arf (smArf) protein corrects p53-independent developmental defects of Arf tumor suppressor-deficient mice

Significance Although the potent antiproliferative effects of the Arf tumor suppressor depend on p53, Arf also exhibits less well understood p53-independent activities. Arf-null mice are blind and males exhibit defective spermatogenesis, two focal anomalies not observed in Trp53-null animals. An N-terminally truncated and unstable Arf protein (smArf), translated from a second internal AUG codon within the full-length Arf mRNA, lacks amino acid residues required for p53 activation and has been reported to localize to mitochondria and trigger mitophagy. Missing potent p53-dependent tumor suppressor activity, p15smArf can surprisingly act independently of p19Arf to correct the focal developmental defects of Arf-null mice. The unusual features of the Ink4a-Arf (Cdkn2a) locus, which include alternative reading frames and internal translational initiation, are unprecedented in mammals. The mouse p19Arf (human p14ARF) tumor suppressor protein, encoded in part from an alternative reading frame of the Ink4a (Cdkn2a) gene, inhibits the Mdm2 E3 ubiquitin ligase to activate p53. Arf is not expressed in most normal tissues of young mice but is induced by high thresholds of aberrant hyperproliferative signals, thereby activating p53 in incipient tumor cells that have experienced oncogene activation. The single Arf mRNA encodes two distinct polypeptides, including full-length p19Arf and N-terminally truncated and unstable p15smArf (“small mitochondrial Arf”) initiated from an internal in-frame AUG codon specifying methionine-45. Interactions of p19Arf with Mdm2, or separately with nucleophosmin (NPM, B23) that localizes and stabilizes p19Arf within the nucleolus, require p19Arf N-terminal amino acids that are not present within p15smArf. We have generated mice that produce either smARF alone or M45A-mutated (smArf-deficient) full-length p19Arf proteins. BCR-ABL–expressing pro/pre-B cells producing smArf alone are as oncogenic as their Arf-null counterparts in generating acute lymphoblastic leukemia when infused into unconditioned syngeneic mice. In contrast, smArf-deficient cells from mice of the ArfM45A strain are as resistant as wild-type Arf+/+ cells to comparable oncogenic challenge and do not produce tumors. Apart from being prone to tumor development, Arf-null mice are blind, and their male germ cells exhibit defects in meiotic maturation and sperm production. Although ArfM45A mice manifest the latter defects, smArf alone remarkably rescues both of these p53-independent developmental phenotypes.
Repeated botulinum‐A toxin injections in the treatment of myelodysplastic children and patients with spinal cord injuries with neurogenic bladder dysfunction

Authors from Germany describe the use of botulinum toxin in the treatment of myelodysplastic children and found it to be safe and effective. They found that repeat treatments are as effective as the first one, with no evidence of tachyphylaxis, antibody formation or detrusor fibrosis.
Development of Flow Forecasting Models in the Bow River at Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Abstract: River flow forecasting is critical for flood forecasting, reservoir operations, and water resources management. However, flow forecasting can be difficult, challenging and time consuming due to the spatial and temporal variability of climatic conditions and watershed characteristics. From a practical point of view, a simple and intuitive approach might be more preferable than a complex modeling approach. In this study, our objective was to develop short-term ( i.e ., daily) flow forecasting models in the Bow River at the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Here, we evaluated the performance of several regression models, along with a newly proposed “ base difference ” model, by using antecedent daily river flow values from three gauge stations ( i.e. , Banff, Seebe, and Calgary). Our analyses revealed that using a multivariable linear regression formulated as a function of upstream gauge stations ( i.e ., Banff or Seebe) and the station of interest ( i.e ., Calgary) using antecedent flows demonstrated strong relationships (
Enhancing Plasticity of the Central Nervous System: Drugs, Stem Cell Therapy, and Neuro-Implants

Stroke represents the first cause of adult acquired disability. Spontaneous recovery, dependent on endogenous neurogenesis, allows for limited recovery in 50% of patients who remain functionally dependent despite physiotherapy. Here, we propose a review of novel drug therapies with strong potential in the clinic. We will also discuss new avenues of stem cell therapy in patients with a cerebral lesion. A promising future for the development of efficient drugs to enhance functional recovery after stroke seems evident. These drugs will have to prove their efficacy also in severely affected patients. The efficacy of stem cell engraftment has been demonstrated but will have to prove its potential in restoring tissue function for the massive brain lesions that are most debilitating. New answers may lay in biomaterials, a steadily growing field. Biomaterials should ideally resemble lesioned brain structures in architecture and must be proven to increase functional reconnections within host tissue before clinical testing.
Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) in obese children: no relationship to growth, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3

Abstract Background: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) is a hepatic protein that plays a critical role in liver, adipose tissue, and bone metabolism. Animal models reported an increase of FGF-21 and associated growth disturbances in undernutrition. Therefore, we studied the impact of weight loss in obese children on growth, FGF-21, and insulin-like factor 1 (IGF-1) concentrations. Methods: We analyzed height, serum concentrations of FGF-21, IGF-1, IGFBP-3, leptin, and insulin at baseline and 1 year later in 30 obese children with substantial weight loss (reduction >0.5 BMI-SDS) and in 30 obese children of similar age, gender, and pubertal stage with stable BMI-SDS. All children participated in a 1-year lifestyle intervention. Height and IGF-1 was transformed to standard deviation score (SDS). Multiple linear regression analyses adjusted for age, gender, and pubertal stage were performed. Results: At baseline, height-SDS was significantly related to IGF-1-SDS (β-coefficient 0.68 95% confidence interval (95% CI)±0.49; p=0.008) and leptin (β-coefficient 0.042 95% CI±0.030; p=0.008), but not to FGF-21 or insulin. FGF-21 was not significantly associated with IGF-1 or IGFBP-3. In longitudinal analysis, changes of FGF-21 were not significantly related to changes of height, IGF-1-SDS or IGFBP-3. However, in the subgroup of 30 children with substantial BMI-SDS reduction, FGF-21, leptin, insulin, and HOMA decreased significantly. Conclusion: As there was no significant association between FGF-21 and growth or IGF-1 both in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, these findings do not support the hypothesis that FGF-21 is involved in growth of obese children. Further studies are necessary to understand the multiple alterations in the growth hormone (GH) axis in obese children.
Fast Constructive Recognition of a Black Box Group Isomorphic to Sn or An using Goldbach's Conjecture

The well-known Goldbach Conjecture (GC) states that any sufficiently large even number can be represented as a sum of two odd primes. Although not yet demonstrated, it has been checked for integers up to 1014. Using two stronger versions of the conjecture, we offer a simple and fast method for recognition of a gray box group G known to be isomorphic to Sn(or An) with knownn? 20, i.e. for construction11Whereas our method can be applied to construct the image of every element of G in Sn, we actually construct the images of (1, 2) and (1, 2, . . . , n) and show how to construct the images of any other element.of an isomorphism from G toSn (or An). Correctness and rigorous worst case complexity estimates rely heavily on the conjectures, and yield times of O(? +? +? ] n log2n) or O( ? +? +? ] n logn/loglog n) depending on which of the stronger versions of the GC is assumed to hold. Here,? is the complexity of generating a uniform random element of G, ? is the complexity of finding the order of a group element in G, and ? is the time necessary for group multiplication in G. Rigorous lower bound and probabilistic approach to the time complexity of the algorithm are discussed in the Appendix.
Promoting theory of mind in older adults: does age play a role?

Objectives: Previous research on age-related changes in Theory of Mind (ToM) showed a decline in older adults, particularly pronounced over 75 years of age. Evidence that ToM may be enhanced in healthy aging people has been demonstrated, but no study has focused on the role of age on the effects of ToM training for elderly people. The present study was designed to examine the efficacy of a ToM training on practiced (ToM Strange Stories) and transfer tasks (ToM Animations) in both young and older adults. Method: The study involved 127 older adults belonging to two age groups: young–old (Mage = 64.41; SD = 2.49; range: 60–69 years) and old–old (Mage = 75.66; SD = 4.38; range: 70–85 years), randomly assigned to either a ToM group or a control group condition. All participants took part in two 2-hour testing sessions and four 2-hour training sessions. Results: Results showed that both young–old and old–old adults in the ToM group condition improved their ability to reason on complex-mental states significantly more than participants in the control group condition. This positive effect of the training was evident on practiced and transfer ToM tasks. Crucially, age did not moderate the effect of the ToM training. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that young–old and old–old adults equally benefit from the ToM training. Implications for the positive effect of the ToM training in old–old adults are discussed.
Production of Common Antigen by Enteric Bacteria Grown in a Synthetic Culture Medium

Enterobacteriaceae share a common antigen (CA). The present investigation was carried out to determine whether this antigen is produced by representative strains of Escherichia, Salmonella, and Serratia grown in a completely synthetic medium. For comparative purposes, antigen production by the same strains grown in infusion broth was determined. CA, as assayed by indirect hemagglutination and immunogenicity studies in the rabbit, was produced by the microorganisms cultured in both media. The amount of CA produced by the strains varied according to the size of microbial population and to the length of culture. With the exception of E. coli O14, the strains studied, on day 7, produced 1.4 to 8 times more CA in infusion broth than in the synthetic medium; with E. coli O14, the ratio of CA in the respective media was 96:1. E. coli O14, but not E. coli O111 or S. typhimurium, when grown in the synthetic medium, engendered CA antibodies upon intravenous injection into rabbits. Ethanol extraction of the latter two strains yielded an immunogenic ethanol-soluble antigen preparation. The ethanol-soluble fraction of E. coli O111 also induced a secondary response in animals primed with E. coli O111 or S. typhimurium cultures grown in the synthetic medium. It is concluded that CA produced in a completely synthetic culture medium has the same attributes as CA produced in infusion broth.
Identification of PimR as a Positive Regulator of Pimaricin Biosynthesis in Streptomyces natalensis

ABSTRACT Sequencing of the DNA region on the left fringe of the pimaricin gene cluster revealed the presence of a 3.6-kb gene, pimR, whose deduced product (1,198 amino acid residues) was found to have amino acid sequence homology with bacterial regulatory proteins. Database comparisons revealed that PimR represents the archetype of a new class of regulators, combining a Streptomyces antibiotic regulatory protein (SARP)-like N-terminal section with a C-terminal half homologous to guanylate cyclases and large ATP-binding regulators of the LuxR family. Gene replacement of pimR from Streptomyces natalensis chromosome results in a complete loss of pimaricin production, suggesting that PimR is a positive regulator of pimaricin biosynthesis. Gene expression analysis by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) of the pimaricin gene cluster revealed that S. natalensis ΔPimR shows no expression at all of the cholesterol oxidase-encoding gene pimE, and very low level transcription of the remaining genes of the cluster except for the mutant pimR gene, thus demonstrating that this regulator activates the transcription of all the genes belonging to the pimaricin gene cluster but not its own transcription.
STATIC SWITCHED OUTPUT FEEDBACK STABILIZATION FOR LINEAR DISCRETE-TIME SWITCHED SYSTEMS

This paper focuses on the problem of switched static output feedback (SOF) control for discrete-time switched linear systems under arbitrary switching laws. The considered class of systems is characterized by a particular structure of system matrices. Our principle idea is addressed in the derivation of new sufficient linear matrix inequali- ties conditions for the synthesis of a switched controller for a particular class of switched systems. The adopted methodology is based on the using of a special congruence trans- formation and a switched quadratic Lyapunov function. We propose important sufficient LMI conditions for SOF stabilization in the general case which guarantee the switched- quadratically stability of the closed-loop system. The various conditions are given through a family of LMI (linear matrix inequalities) parameterized by a scalar variable which of- fers an additional degree of freedom, enabling, at the expense of a relatively small degree of complexity in the numerical treatment (one line search), to provide better results com- pared with previous ones in the literature. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed conditions.
A randomised controlled trial of PEGASUS, a psychoeducational programme for young people with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder

Background Psychoeducation is an essential component of postdiagnostic care for people with ASD (autism spectrum disorder), but there is currently no evidence base for clinical practice. We designed, manualised and evaluated PEGASUS (psychoeducation group for autism spectrum understanding and support), a group psychoeducational programme aiming to enhance the self-awareness of young people with ASD by teaching them about their diagnosis. Methods This single-blind RCT (randomised control trial) involved 48 young people (9–14 years) with high-functioning ASD. Half were randomly assigned to PEGASUS, administered in six weekly group sessions, with the others receiving no additional intervention. ASD-related self-awareness, the primary outcome, was evaluated using the bespoke Autism Knowledge Quiz (AKQ). Secondary outcome measures included the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. All measures were collected during home visits and scored by researchers blind to group assignment. The trial is registered on ClinicalTrials (NCT01187940, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov) and was funded by the Baily Thomas Charitable Trust. Results Bootstrap multiple regression showed ASD knowledge (β = .29, p <. 001, 95% CIs [0.13, 0.44]) and ASD self-awareness (β = .42, p =. 001, 95% CIs [0.17, 0.67]), measured by number of ASD-related personal strengths and difficulties listed by participants, increased for those who attended PEGASUS (n = 24) compared with controls (n = 24). There was no effect of PEGASUS on self-esteem by self-report (β =. 10, p =. 404, 95% CIs [−0.14, 0.35]) or parent report (β =. 12, p =. 324, 95% CIs [−0.12, 0.36]). Conclusions After PEGASUS, participants had more general knowledge about ASD, and showed a greater awareness of their collection of unique strengths and difficulties associated with ASD. Psychoeducation did not lower self-esteem. This RCT provides initial evidence for PEGASUS's efficacy as a psychoeducation programme for people with ASD.