Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tree Roosting by Male and Female Eastern Pipistrelles in a Forested Landscape

Abstract Little information has been published on selection of tree roosts by eastern pipistrelles (Perimyotis subflavus) in forested environments, and no radiotelemetry-based studies have been conducted on males in forested settings. Therefore, we used radiotelemetry to characterize summer roost selection by 21 male (33 roosts) and 7 female (14 roosts) eastern pipistrelles during 6 years in a forested region of the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. All roosts were located in the vegetation of tree canopies; 50% of roosts of females and 91% of roosts of males were in dead leaves of deciduous trees. Three (43%) of 7 maternity colonies were in dead needles of large live pines (Pinus echinata); this is the 1st documented use of pines by this species for roosting. Males selected tree sizes randomly but females selected trees that were larger (P < 0.05) than random. For males, 87% of roosts were in oaks (Quercus), and males roosted at sites with more midstory hardwoods, more large pines in the overstory, less canopy cover, and farther from the nearest trees than random locations. In a landscape offering a diversity of forest habitats, eastern pipistrelles during summer roosted mostly in leaves of oaks in mature (≥50-year-old) forest with a relatively complex structure and a hardwood component.
Characterizing the Genetic Basis for Nicotine Induced Cancer Development: A Transcriptome Sequencing Study

Nicotine is a known risk factor for cancer development and has been shown to alter gene expression in cells and tissue upon exposure. We used Illumina® Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology to gain unbiased biological insight into the transcriptome of normal epithelial cells (MCF-10A) to nicotine exposure. We generated expression data from 54,699 transcripts using triplicates of control and nicotine stressed cells. As a result, we identified 138 differentially expressed transcripts, including 39 uncharacterized genes. Additionally, 173 transcripts that are primarily associated with DNA replication, recombination, and repair showed evidence for alternative splicing. We discovered the greatest nicotine stress response by HPCAL4 (up-regulated by 4.71 fold) and NPAS3 (down-regulated by -2.73 fold); both are genes that have not been previously implicated in nicotine exposure but are linked to cancer. We also discovered significant down-regulation (-2.3 fold) and alternative splicing of NEAT1 (lncRNA) that may have an important, yet undiscovered regulatory role. Gene ontology analysis revealed nicotine exposure influenced genes involved in cellular and metabolic processes. This study reveals previously unknown consequences of nicotine stress on the transcriptome of normal breast epithelial cells and provides insight into the underlying biological influence of nicotine on normal cells, marking the foundation for future studies.
Compression-aware Training of Deep Networks

In recent years, great progress has been made in a variety of application domains thanks to the development of increasingly deeper neural networks. Unfortunately, the huge number of units of these networks makes them expensive both computationally and memory-wise. To overcome this, exploiting the fact that deep networks are over-parametrized, several compression strategies have been proposed. These methods, however, typically start from a network that has been trained in a standard manner, without considering such a future compression. In this paper, we propose to explicitly account for compression in the training process. To this end, we introduce a regularizer that encourages the parameter matrix of each layer to have low rank during training. We show that accounting for compression during training allows us to learn much more compact, yet at least as effective, models than state-of-the-art compression techniques.
A survey of perception and computation of human beauty

Perception of (facial or bodily) beauty has long been debated amongst philosophers, artists, psychologists and anthropologists. Ancient philosophers claimed that there is a timeless, aesthetic ideal concept of beauty based on proportions, symmetry, harmony, and geometry, that goes well beyond the observer. Modern philosophers, on the other hand, have commonly suggested that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that beauty canons depend on culture. Despite the continuous interest and extensive research in cognitive, evolutionary and social sciences, modeling and analysis of human beauty and aesthetic canons remains open. Therefore, this paper aims to put the beauty trait under the spotlight by investigating various aspects involved in its perception and computation.
Should modulation of p50 be a therapeutic target in the critically ill?

ABSTRACT Introduction: A defining feature of human hemoglobin is its oxygen binding affinity, quantified by the partial pressure of oxygen at which hemoglobin is 50% saturated (p50), and the variability of this parameter over a range of physiological and environmental states. Modulation of this property of hemoglobin can directly affect the degree of peripheral oxygen offloading and tissue oxygenation. Areas covered: This review summarizes the role of hemoglobin oxygen affinity in normal and abnormal physiology and discusses the current state of the literature regarding artificial modulation of p50. Hypoxic tumors, sickle cell disease, heart failure, and transfusion medicine are discussed in the context of recent advances in hemoglobin oxygen affinity manipulation. Expert commentary: Of particular clinical interest is the possibility of maintaining adequate end-organ oxygen availability in patients with anemia or compromised cardiac function via an increase in systemic p50. This increase in systemic p50 can be achieved with small molecule drugs or a packed red blood cell unit processing variant called rejuvenation, and human trials are needed to better understand the potential clinical benefits to modulating p50.
Explaining Differences in Crash and Injury Crash Outcomes in Red Light Camera Studies

Evaluations of red light camera (RLC) traffic safety programs have produced mixed results. Some conclude RLCs were associated with significant increases in motor vehicle crashes and injury crashes, whereas other research reports safety benefits. To understand the difference in findings, the present analysis assessed whether standards required for internal validity in quasi-experimental public health program evaluations were adhered to in frequently cited RLC analyses. Four evaluation standards were identified and used to assess the RLC analyses: lack of bias in the selection of both (a) treated sites and (b) comparison sites, (c) integration of relevant control variables in the analysis, and (d) full disclosure of results of the statistical analysis. Six leading RLC studies were then critiqued. Only two of the six studies adhered to the four standards and both concluded RLCs were associated with significant increases in crashes and injury or possible injury crashes. A third study reported an increase in fatal/injury crashes but did not test for statistical significance. Three studies reported equivocal findings; however, each failed to adhere to most standards. Differences in findings were attributed to the evaluation methods used. If implementing an RLC program, communities should use sound public health evaluation methods to assess effectiveness.
Differences in late cardiovascular mortality following acute myocardial infarction in three major Asian ethnic groups

Aim: the purpose of this study was to investigate differences in long-term mortality following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients from three major ethnicities of Asia. Methods and results: We studied 15,151 patients hospitalized for AMI with a median follow-up of 7.3 years (maximum 12 years) in six publicly-funded hospitals in Singapore from 2000–2005. Overall and cause-specific cardiovascular (CV) mortality until 2012 were compared among three major ethnic groups that represent large parts of Asia: Chinese, Malay and Indian. Relative survival of all three ethnic groups was compared with a contemporaneous background reference population using the relative survival ratio (RSR) method. The median global registry of acute coronary events score was highest among Chinese, followed by Malay and Indians: 144 (25th percentile 119, 75th percentile 173), 138 (115, 167), and 131 (109, 160), respectively, p<0.0001; similarly, in-hospital mortality was highest among Chinese (9.8%) followed by Malay (7.6%) and Indian (6.4%) patients. In contrast, 12-year overall and cause-specific CV mortality was highest among Malay (46.2 and 32.0%) followed by Chinese (43.0 and 27.0%) and Indian (35.9 and 25.2%) patients, p<0.0001. The five-year RSR was lowest among Malay (RSR 0.69) followed by Chinese (RSR 0.73) and Indian (RSR 0.79) patients, compared with a background reference population (RSR 1.00). Conclusions: We observed strong inter-Asian ethnic disparities in long-term mortality after AMI. Malay patients had the most discordant relationship between baseline risk and long-term mortality. Intensified interventions targeting Malay patients as a high-risk group are necessary to reduce disparities in long-term outcomes.
Male and female Fmr1 knockout mice on C57 albino background exhibit spatial learning and memory impairments

Impaired spatial learning is a prominent deficit in fragile X syndrome (FXS). Previous studies using the Fmr1 knockout (KO) mouse model of FXS have not consistently reported a deficit in spatial learning. Fmr1 KO mice bred onto an albino C57BL/6J‐Tyrc‐Brd background showed significant deficits in several primary measures of performance during place navigation and probe trials in the Morris water maze. Fmr1 KO mice were also impaired during a serial reversal version of the water maze task. We examined fear conditioning as an additional cognitive screen. Knockout mice exhibited contextual memory deficits when trained with unsignaled shocks; however, deficits were not found in a separate group of KO mice trained with signaled shocks. No potentially confounding genotypic differences in locomotor activity were observed. A decreased anxiety‐like profile was apparent in the open field, as others have noted, and also in the platform test. Also as previously reported, startle reactivity to loud auditory stimuli was decreased, prepulse inhibition and social interaction increased in KO mice. Female Fmr1 KO mice were tested along with male KO mice in all assays, except for social interaction. The female and male KO exhibited very similar impairments indicating that sex does not generally drive the behavioral symptoms of the disorder. Our results suggest that procedural factors, such as the use of albino mice, may help to reliably detect spatial learning and memory impairments in both sexes of Fmr1 KO mice, making it more useful for understanding FXS and a platform for evaluating potential therapeutics.
Web-Based Parent-Training for Parents of Youth With Impairment From Anxiety

ABSTRACT Child Anxiety Tales (CAT), an online, web-based cognitive-behavioral parent-training program for parents of youth with anxiety, was developed and evaluated. Parents (N = 73; 59 female; 52.1% Caucasian, 42.5% African American, 4.1% Hispanic) who reported concerns about anxiety in their child (7–14 years; M = 10.1 ± 1.6) were randomly assigned to (a) parent-training provided through CAT, (b) parent-training provided via bibliotherapy, or (c) a waitlist control. Measures of parent knowledge, the acceptability of training, and child symptomatology were completed at pre- and post-parent-training and at 3-month follow-up. Findings support the feasibility, acceptability, and beneficial effects on knowledge of CAT for parents of youth with impairment from anxiety.
Chloroplasts Are Central Players in Sugar-Induced Leaf Growth1[OPEN]

Sucrose promotes early leaf growth by stimulating cell proliferation and repressing chloroplast transcription through the induction of GPT2 expression. Leaves are the plant’s powerhouses, providing energy for all organs through sugar production during photosynthesis. However, sugars serve not only as a metabolic energy source for sink tissues but also as signaling molecules, affecting gene expression through conserved signaling pathways to regulate plant growth and development. Here, we describe an in vitro experimental assay, allowing one to alter the sucrose (Suc) availability during early Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaf development, with the aim to identify the affected cellular and molecular processes. The transfer of seedlings to Suc-containing medium showed a profound effect on leaf growth by stimulating cell proliferation and postponing the transition to cell expansion. Furthermore, rapidly after transfer to Suc, mesophyll cells contained fewer and smaller plastids, which are irregular in shape and contain fewer starch granules compared with control mesophyll cells. Short-term transcriptional responses after transfer to Suc revealed the repression of well-known sugar-responsive genes and multiple genes encoded by the plastid, on the one hand, and up-regulation of a GLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATE TRANSPORTER (GPT2), on the other hand. Mutant gpt2 seedlings showed no stimulation of cell proliferation and no repression of chloroplast-encoded transcripts when transferred to Suc, suggesting that GPT2 plays a critical role in the Suc-mediated effects on early leaf growth. Our findings, therefore, suggest that induction of GPT2 expression by Suc increases the import of glucose-6-phosphate into the plastids that would repress chloroplast-encoded transcripts, restricting chloroplast differentiation. Retrograde signaling from the plastids would then delay the transition to cell expansion and stimulate cell proliferation.
Effects of the Fishery on the Northern Quahog (=Hard Clam, Mercenaria mercenaria L.) Population in Great South Bay, New York: A Modeling Study

Abstract A numerical bioenergetics simulation model based on the physiological processes affecting individual clams across a range of phenotypes describing a cohort has been developed and applied to the conditions in Great South Bay, New York. The clam population is relatively sensitive to food and to a lesser extent to temperature within this system. The timing of temperature and food in the spring, and more importantly in the fall, can increase population sensitivity beyond the effects of one factor operating alone. The effects of fishing on the stocks in proportion to the size structure present, and as directed fisheries on various size classes (littleneck, cherrystone, chowder) was simulated. Recruitment overfishing was responsible for the stock decline in the 1970s and 1980s, but the continued decline into the late 1990s and 2000s cannot be attributed to fishing alone. Recruit-per-adult declined after the mid 1990s. Modeled stock recovery times under constant environmental conditions are on order of 10–15 or more years depending on the exploitation rate. Under base conditions a proportional fishery that removes approximately 25% of the stock, or a littleneck fishery that removes approximately 37.5% of that size class annually would provide the best economic returns under constant average environmental conditions. Slightly less harvest would be desirable to avoid overfishing in years of less than optimal environmental conditions.
Quantitative morphology of the human and porcine mid-lumbar interspinous ligament

Summary Animal models are essential in spine research for evaluating implants and for studying spinal mechanics. Several studies have compared the geometrical characteristics of animal and human vertebrae, but few studies have compared the structure of the spinal ligaments. The purpose of this study was to systematically quantify the collagen fibre orientation of the porcine and human interspinous ligament and thereby allow clearer interpretation of function. Human and porcine lumbar spine segments were loaded with a 10 Nm pure-flexion moment and chemically fixed. The sagittal plane collagen fibre orientation in the mid-lumbar interspinous ligaments was quantified by examining histological sections using a plane-polarized light macroscope and custom analysis software. The specimens showed collagen fibres in a posterior-cranial orientation originating from the superior aspect of the spinous process of the inferior vertebra and merging into the supraspinous ligament. There were not any statistically significant differences in interspinous ligament collagen fibre orientation between the human and porcine specimens. The middle and ventral spaces between the spinous processes of the human specimens contained loose disorganized collagen, skeletal muscle, and voids. The main load-bearing component of porcine and human interspinous ligament at the midlumbar level appears to be the dorsal portion, which is oriented at approximately 77-79 degrees with respect to the mid-disc plane. This dorsal aspect has a long moment arm and therefore is well suited to prevent excessive flexion. The similarity of the interspinous ligament morphology suggests that the porcine lumbar spine is a good model of the human lumbar spine.
Platelet Drop and Fibrinolytic Shutdown in Patients With Sepsis

Objective: Thrombocytopenia is the most common hemostatic disorder during sepsis and is associated with high mortality. We examined whether fibrinolytic changes precede incident thrombocytopenia and predict outcome in patients with severe sepsis. Design: Nested study from the multicenter, randomized, controlled trial on the efficacy of albumin replacement in severe sepsis or septic shock (the Albumin Italian Outcome Sepsis trial). Setting: Forty ICUs in Italy. Patients: Three groups of patients were selected: 1) patients with platelet count less than or equal to 50 × 109/L at study entry (n = 85); 2) patients with baseline platelet count greater than or equal to 100 × 109/L who developed thrombocytopenia (⩽ 50 × 109/L) within 28 days (n = 100); 3) patients with platelet count always more than or equal to 100 × 109/L (n = 95). Interventions: Fibrinolytic variables, including fibrinolysis inhibitors and in vivo markers of plasmin generation, were measured on day 1. Measurements and Main Results: Patients with early thrombocytopenia (group 1) and those who developed it later (group 2) had similar illness severity and 90-day mortality, whereas patients without thrombocytopenia (group 3) had milder disease and lower mortality. Fibrinolysis was markedly (and similarly) depressed in groups 1 and 2 as compared with group 3. Major fibrinolytic changes included increased levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 and extensive activation/consumption of thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor. Most fibrinolytic variables were significantly associated with mortality in univariate models. However, only thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor level and in vivo markers of fibrinolysis activation, namely plasmin-antiplasmin complex, and D-dimer, were independently associated with mortality after adjustment for Simplified Acute Physiology Score-II score, sex, and platelet count. Furthermore, the coexistence of impaired fibrinolysis and low platelets was associated with an even greater mortality. Conclusions: Impaired fibrinolysis, mainly driven by plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 increase and thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor activation, is an early manifestation of sepsis and may precede the development of thrombocytopenia. Thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor level, in particular, proved to be an independent predictor of mortality, which may improve risk stratification of patients with severe sepsis.
NR2B‐subunit dependent facilitation of long‐term potentiation in primary visual cortex following visual discrimination training of adult rats

Long‐term potentiation (LTP) is an important mechanism thought to mediate changes in synaptic connectivity following various types of experience. We examined the effects of visual discrimination training on LTP in the mature, rodent thalamocortical visual system. Adult rats underwent visual discrimination training in a modified Morris Water Maze containing a Y‐maze insert, requiring rats to associate visual cues with the location of a hidden escape platform placed in one of the two goal arms of the Y‐maze insert. On the day following successful task acquisition (average of nine training days), rats were anesthetized (urethane), and LTP in the thalamocortical system was characterized. In task‐naïve rats, theta‐burst stimulation of the lateral geniculate nucleus resulted in modest (∼40%) potentiation of field postsynaptic potentials recorded in the primary visual cortex (V1). Rats trained on the visual discrimination task showed significantly greater levels of LTP (∼60%), an effect that was not seen in rats trained to swim in the maze without a predictive association between visual cues and platform location. An antagonist of the N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor NR2B subunit ([R‐(R *,S *)]‐α‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐β‐methyl‐4‐(phenylmethyl)‐1‐piperidinepropanol hydrochloride (Ro 25‐6981); 2 mm, applied locally at the recording site in V1) reversed the training‐induced LTP enhancement without affecting LTP in task‐naïve rats. An antagonist of metabotropic glutamate receptors [(2S)‐2‐amino‐2‐[(1S,2S)‐2‐carboxycycloprop‐1‐yl]‐3‐(xanth‐9‐yl) propanoic acid (LY 341495); 2 mm] was ineffective in reversing the training‐induced LTP facilitation. These data suggest that behavioral (visual) training can result in changes in plasticity exhibited by the mature, thalamocortical visual system that require activation of NMDA receptors containing the NR2B subunit.
Experimental Study on Flexural Strengthening of RC Columns with Near Surface Mounted FRP Bars

The effectiveness of FRP jackets for increasing the compression strength, shear strength and ductility of reinforced concrete (RC) columns was demonstrated in many studies, but the influence of FRP jacketing on the flexural capacity of columns is minimal. In this paper, a new retrofit method, which utilized near surface mounted (NSM) fiber reinforced polymer (FRP), was studied aiming to improve the flexural capacity of RC columns subjected to bending and compression. This technique is based on bonding fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars into grooves cut in the cover of RC columns. For this purpose, five reinforced concrete column specimens were designed, constructed and subjected to constant axial compression and lateral cyclic loading. In addition, the strengthened columns were wrapped with carbon composites to satisfy seismic detailing requirements. The test results show that by using the NSM technique, the flexural strength and lateral load capacity of the columns increase significantly. The test results were also compared with the results obtained from the analytical study that was conducted based on strain compatibility. A good agreement between analytical and experimental results was observed.
Measurement of the Planck constant at the National Institute of Standards and Technology from 2015 to 2017

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have measured the value of the Planck constant to be h=6.626069934(89)×10−34J s (relative standard uncertainty 13×10−9). The result is based on over 10 000 weighings of masses with nominal values ranging from 0.5 kg to 2 kg with the Kibble balance NIST-4. The uncertainty has been reduced by more than twofold relative to a previous determination because of three factors: (1) a much larger data set than previously available, allowing a more realistic, and smaller, Type A evaluation; (2) a more comprehensive measurement of the back action of the weighing current on the magnet by weighing masses up to 2 kg, decreasing the uncertainty associated with magnet non-linearity; (3) a rigorous investigation of the dependence of the geometric factor on the coil velocity reducing the uncertainty assigned to time-dependent leakage of current in the coil.