Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monitoring Coral Health to Determine Coral Bleaching Response at High Latitude Eastern Australian Reefs: An Applied Model for A Changing Climate

Limited information is available on the bleaching susceptibility of coral species that dominate high latitude reefs along the eastern seaboard of Australia. The main aims of this study were to: (i) monitor coral health and spatial patterns of coral bleaching response at the Solitary Islands Marine Park (SIMP) and Lord Howe Island Marine Park (LHIMP), to determine variability of bleaching susceptibility among coral taxa; (ii) predict coral bleaching thresholds at 30 °S and 31.5 °S, extrapolated from published bleaching threshold data; and (iii) propose a subtropical northern New South Wales coral bleaching model from biological and physical data. Between 2005 and 2007 minor bleaching was observed in dominant coral families including Pocilloporidae, Poritidae and Dendrophylliidae in the SIMP and Pocilloporidae, Poritidae and Acroporidae (Isopora and Montipora spp.) in the LHIMP, with a clear difference in bleaching susceptibility found between sites, both within and between locations. Bleaching susceptibility was highest in Porites spp. at the most offshore island site within the SIMP during summer 2005. Patterns of subtropical family bleaching susceptibility within the SIMP and LHIMP differed to those previously reported for the central Great Barrier Reef (GBR). These differences may be due to a number of factors, including temperature history and/or the coral hosts association with different zooxanthellae clades, which may have lower thermal tolerances. An analysis of published estimates of coral bleaching thresholds from the Caribbean, South Africa, GBR and central and northern Pacific regions suggests that the bleaching threshold at 30–31.5 °S ranges between 26.5–26.8 °C. This predicted threshold was confirmed by an extensive coral bleaching event on the world’s southernmost coral reef at Lord Howe Island, during the 2010 austral summer season. These results imply that dominant coral taxa at subtropical reefs along the eastern Australian seaboard are highly susceptible to thermal stress; which, in turn, could lead to a future decline in total live coral cover if predicted rising seawater temperatures lead to more frequent coral bleaching events in future.
Patterning and Compartment Formation in the Diencephalon

The diencephalon gives rise to structures that play an important role in connecting the anterior forebrain with the rest of the central nervous system. The thalamus is the major diencephalic derivative that functions as a relay station between the cortex and other lower order sensory systems. Almost two decades ago, neuromeric/prosomeric models were proposed describing the subdivision and potential segmentation of the diencephalon. Unlike the laminar structure of the cortex, the diencephalon is progressively divided into distinct functional compartments consisting principally of thalamus, epithalamus, pretectum, and hypothalamus. Neurons generated within these domains further aggregate to form clusters called nuclei, which form specific structural and functional units. We review the recent advances in understanding the genetic mechanisms that are involved in the patterning and compartment formation of the diencephalon.
Muscle Function in Men and Women During Maximal Eccentric Exercise

Hubal, MJ, Rubinstein, SR, and Clarkson, PM. Muscle function in men and women during maximal eccentric exercise. J Strength Cond Res 22: 1332-1338, 2008-This study assessed muscle fatigue patterns of the elbow flexors in untrained men and women to determine if sex differences exist during acute maximal eccentric exercise. High-intensity eccentric exercise is often used by athletes to elicit gains in muscle strength and size gains. Development of fatigue during this type of exercise can increase risk of injury; therefore, it is important to understand fatigue patterns during eccentric exercise to minimize injury risk exposure while still promoting training effects. While many isometric exercise studies have demonstrated that women show less fatigue, the patterns of fatigue during purely eccentric exercise have not been assessed in men and women. Based on the lack of sex differences in overall strength loss immediately post-eccentric exercise, it was hypothesized that women and men would have similar relative fatigue pattern responses (i.e., change from baseline) during a single bout of maximal eccentric exercise. Forty-six subjects (24 women and 22 men) completed 5 sets of 10 maximal eccentric contractions on an isokinetic dynamometer. Maximal voluntary isometric contraction strength was assessed at baseline and immediately following each exercise set. Maximal eccentric torque and contractile properties (i.e., contraction time, work, half relaxation time, and maximal rate of torque development) were calculated for each contraction. Men and women demonstrated similar relative isometric (32% for men and 39% for women) and eccentric (32% for men and 39% for women) fatigue as well as similar deficits in work done and rates of torque development and relaxation during exercise (p > 0.05). Untrained men and women displayed similar relative responses in all measures of muscle function during a single bout of maximal eccentric exercise of the elbow flexors. Thus, there is no reason to suspect that women may be more vulnerable to fatigue-related injury.
Impact of Smoking and Excess Body Weight on Overall and Site-Specific Cancer Mortality Risk

Background: Smoking and excess body weight are major preventable risk factors for premature death. This study aimed at analyzing their single and combined association with site-specific cancer mortality. Methods: Our study population comprised 35,784 men and women of ages 14 to 99 years, who participated in population-based health surveys conducted 1977–1993 in Switzerland and were followed up for mortality until 2008. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were calculated for different cancer sites, and population attributable fractions were derived. Results: The hazard ratio of dying from cancer (all sites) was 2.32 (95% confidence interval, 2.04–2.63) for heavy smokers (vs. never smokers) and 1.15 (1.01–1.32) for obese [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2] vs. normal weight individuals. Heavy smoking (≥20 cigarettes/day) was associated with increased mortality due to cancer of the lung, upper aero-digestive tract, pancreas, bladder, liver, and the total of remaining sites. Obesity was associated with higher risk of dying from cancer of the liver and the female genital tract (essentially corpus or cervix uteri and ovary). More than 20% of all cancer deaths in our population were attributable to ever smoking and overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2). Conclusions: Smoking was a much stronger risk factor for cancer than excess body weight. For lung, liver, and pancreatic cancer, the combination of excess body weight and smoking lead to cumulated higher risks. Impact: Our findings support recommendations for obese persons to quit smoking despite potential postcessation weight gain. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(10); 1516–22. ©2015 AACR.
On structural vs. functional testing for delay faults

A structurally testable delay fault might become untestable in the functional mode of the circuit due to logic or timing constraints or both. Experimental data suggests that there could be a large difference in the number of structurally and functionally testable delay faults. However, this difference is usually calculated based only on logic constraints. It is unclear how this difference would change if timing constraints were taken into consideration, especially when using statistical timing models. In this paper, our goal is to better understand how structural and functional test strategies might affect the delay test quality and consequently, change our perception of the delay test results.
Social-Aware Multicast in Disruption-Tolerant Networks

Node mobility and end-to-end disconnections in disruption-tolerant networks (DTNs) greatly impair the effectiveness of data forwarding. Although social-based approaches can address the problem, most existing solutions only focus on forwarding data to a single destination. In this paper, we study multicast with single and multiple data items in DTNs from a social network perspective, develop analytical models for multicast relay selection, and furthermore investigate the essential difference between multicast and unicast in DTNs. The proposed approach selects relays according to their capabilities, measured by social-based metrics, for forwarding data to the destinations. The design of social-based metrics exploits social network concepts such as node centrality and social community, and the selected relays ensure achieving the required data delivery ratio within the given time constraint. Extensive trace-driven simulations show that the proposed approach has similar data delivery ratio and delay to that of Epidemic routing, but significantly reduces data forwarding cost, measured by the number of relays used.
Formula for the Field Excited in a Rectangular Cavity With an Aperture and Lossy Walls

A formula is derived for the field excited in a rectangular cavity with lossy walls by an external field acting on an aperture in a wall. The formula is used to calculate the energy density shielding effectiveness (SEU) of a lossy cavity. The calculated SEU is shown to be in good agreement with results derived elsewhere for the SEU of lossy cavities.
Some Effects of Copper, Cobalt, Cadmium, Zinc, Nickel, and Chromium on Growth and Mineral Element Concentration in Chrysanthemum1

Different levels of Cu, Co, Cd, Zn, Ni, and Cr (10-6, 10-5, and 10-4m) were studied in a glasshouse to evaluate effects on the yield and interactions among heavy metals in chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. cv. Bright Golden Anne). A 70% growth reduction was observed at the highest level (10-4m) of Cd, Cu, and Cr. The same level of Co, Ni, and Zn depressed growth 45, 45, and 21%, respectively. Added Cd in solution had the greatest effect on growth depression at 10-5m. Copper, Co, Cd, Zn, Ni, and Cr concentrations in leaves, stems, and roots were increased with their rate of application in nutrient solution. Most Cu, Co, Cd, Ni, and Cr were associated with roots, followed by leaves and stems. No gradient from root to shoot was observed with Zn. Root to stem metal ratios were in the following order: Cr>Co>Cd>Ni>Cu>Zn. Cadmium decreased Mn concentration in leaves, stems, and roots, and increased Zn concentration in leaves. Other interactions were also noted.
No Effect of Weight on Judgments of Importance in the Moral Domain and Evidence of Publication Bias from a Meta-Analysis

In different cultures, people use the concept of weight to refer to important matters. Recent studies in grounded cognition suggested that experiences of weight affect unrelated judgments of importance in metaphor-congruent ways. Theories in grounded cognition and prime-to-behavior effects state that sensations of weight activate concepts of importance, which may affect morality-related variables that are influenced by judgments of importance. The present research aimed to test the effect of carrying a heavy (or light) clipboard on the perceived importance of helping and on the judged severity of moral transgressions. After finding no significant effects in two experiments, a third study explored whether these results were due to a specific lack of effect of weight on morality-related variables or to the concept of importance not being grounded in sensations of weight in Brazilian samples. Specifically, in Study 3 we attempted to replicate two seminal studies but found no significant effects. Together with evidence of publication bias in a meta-analysis of published studies, the current results suggest that the concept of importance may not be as universally grounded in sensations of weight as previously assumed. We discuss the implications of these results for grounded cognition theories and methodological and statistical aspects of priming studies.
Brazilian Journal of Microbiology (2012):

The effectiveness of free and nanovesicle-encapsulated nisin to control Listeria monocytogenes in Minas Frescal cheese was investigated. Commercial nisin was encapsulated into liposomes of partially purified soy lecithin. Free (0.1 mg/mL and 0.25 mg/mL) and nanovesicle-encapsulated nisin (0.25 mg/mL) were applied onto the surface of cheese samples, and L. monocytogenes was inoculated before incubation at 6-8°C for 28 days. A bactericidal effect was observed with 0.25 mg/mL free nisin; a bacteriostatic effect was observed for liposome-encapsulated nisin and 0.1 mg/mL free nisin. Free nisin was more efficient than nisin-loaded liposomes in controlling L. monocytogenes. Possible reasons for this behavior, and also the significance of nisin to soft cheeses are discussed. Nisin acted as a suitable barrier within hurdle technology, potentially extending the shelf-life and safety of fresh cheeses.
Networks Inferred from Biochemical Data Reveal Profound Differences in Toll-like Receptor and Inflammatory Signaling between Normal and Transformed Hepatocytes*

Systematic study of cell signaling networks increasingly involves high throughput proteomics, transcriptional profiling, and automated literature mining with the aim of assembling large scale interaction networks. In contrast, functional analysis of cell signaling usually focuses on a much smaller sets of proteins and eschews computation but focuses directly on cellular responses to environment and perturbation. We sought to combine these two traditions by collecting cell response measures on a reasonably large scale and then attempting to infer differences in network topology between two cell types. Human hepatocytes and hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines were exposed to inducers of inflammation, innate immunity, and proliferation in the presence and absence of small molecule drugs, and multiplex biochemical measurement was then performed on intra- and extracellular signaling molecules. We uncovered major differences between primary and transformed hepatocytes with respect to the engagement of toll-like receptor and NF-κB-dependent secretion of chemokines and cytokines that prime and attract immune cells. Overall, our results serve as a proof of principle for an approach to network analysis that is systematic, comparative, and biochemically focused. More specifically, our data support the hypothesis that hepatocellular carcinoma cells down-regulate normal inflammatory and immune responses to avoid immune editing.
Delineating the Ecosystems Containing Protected Areas for Monitoring and Management

Park managers realized more than 130 years ago that protected areas are often subsets of larger ecosystems and are vulnerable to change in the unprotected portions of the ecosystem. We illustrate the need to delineate protected area—centered ecosystems (PACEs) by using comprehensive scientific methods to map and analyze land-use change within PACEs around 13 US national park units. The resulting PACEs were on average 6.7 times larger than the parks in upper watersheds and 44.6 times larger than those in middle watersheds. The sizes of these PACEs clearly emphasized the long-term reliance of park biodiversity on surrounding landscapes. PACEs in the eastern United States were dominated by private lands with high rates of land development, suggesting that they offer the greatest challenge for management. Delineating PACEs more broadly will facilitate monitoring, condition assessment, and conservation of the large number of protected areas worldwide that are being degraded by human activities in the areas that surround them.
Molecular Subtypes of KIT/PDGFRA Wild-Type Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: A Report From the National Institutes of Health Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Clinic.

IMPORTANCE Wild-type (WT) gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), which lack KIT and PDGFRA gene mutations, are the primary form of GIST in children and occasionally occur in adults. They respond poorly to standard targeted therapy. Better molecular and clinical characterization could improve management. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical and tumor genomic features of WT GIST. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Patients enrolled in an observational study at the National Institutes of Health starting in 2008 and were evaluated in a GIST clinic held once or twice yearly. Patients provided access to existing medical records and tumor specimens. Self-referred or physician-referred patients younger than 19 years with GIST or 19 years or older with known WT GIST (no mutations in KIT or PDGFRA) were recruited; 116 patients with WT GIST were enrolled, and 95 had adequate tumor specimen available. Tumors were characterized by immunohistochemical analysis (IHC) for succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) subunit B, sequencing of SDH genes, and determination of SDHC promoter methylation. Testing of germline SDH genes was offered to consenting patients and families. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES For classification, tumors were characterized by SDHA, B, C, or D (SDHX) mutations and other genetic and epigenetic alterations, including presence of mutations in germline. Clinical characteristics were categorized. RESULTS Wild-type GIST specimens from 95 patients (median age, 23 [range, 7-78] years; 70% female) were classified into 3 molecular subtypes: SDH-competent (n = 11), defined by detection of SDHB by IHC; and 2 types of SDH-deficient GIST (n = 84). Of SDH-deficient tumors, 63 (67%) had SDH mutations, and in 31 of 38 (82%), the SDHX mutation was also present in germline. Twenty-one (22%) SDH-deficient tumors had methylation of the SDHC promoter leading to silencing of expression. Mutations in known cancer-associated pathways were identified in 9 of 11 SDH-competent tumors. Among patients with SDH-mutant tumors, 62% were female (39 of 63), median (range) age was 23 (7-58) years, and approximately 30% presented with metastases (liver [12 of 58], peritoneal [6 of 58], lymph node [15 of 23]). SDHC-epimutant tumors mostly affected young females (20 of 21; median [range] age, 15 [8-50] years), and approximately 40% presented with metastases (liver [7 of 19], peritoneal [1 of 19], lymph node [3 of 8]). SDH-deficient tumors occurred only in the stomach and had an indolent course. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE An observational study of WT GIST permitted the evaluation of a large number of patients with this rare disease. Three molecular subtypes with implications for prognosis and clinical management were identified.
MobiLenin combining a multi-track music video, personal mobile phones and a public display into multi-user interactive entertainment

This paper introduces a novel and creative approach for coupling multimedia art with a non-conventional distributed human-computer interface for multi-user interactive entertainment. The proposed MobiLenin system allows a group of people to interact simultaneously with a multi-track music video shown on a large public display using their personal mobile phones, effectively empowering the group with the joint authorship of the video. The system is realized with a client-server architecture which includes server-driven real-time control of the client UI to guarantee ease of use and a lottery mechanism as an incentive for interaction. Our analysis of the findings of an empirical user evaluation conducted in a true environment of use shows that the MobiLenin system is successful, addressing many of the challenges identified in the literature. The proposed system offers a new form of interactive entertainment for pubs and other public places, and the underlying architecture provides a framework for realizing similar installations with different types of multimedia content.
POP: A Parallel Optimized Preparation of data for data mining

In light of the fact that data preparation has a substantial impact on data mining results, we provide an original framework for automatically preparing the data of any given database. Our research focuses, for each attribute of the database, on two points: (i) Specifying an optimized outlier detection method, and (ii), Identifying the most appropriate discretization method. Concerning the former, we illustrate that the detection of an outlier depends on if data distribution is normal or not. When attempting to discern the best discretization method, what is important is the shape followed by the density function of its distribution law. For this reason, we propose an automatic choice for finding the optimized discretization method based on a multi-criteria (Entropy, Variance, Stability) evaluation. Processings are performed in parallel using multicore capabilities. Conducted experiments validate our approach, showing that it is not always the very same discretization method that is the best.
Topography of vision and behaviour

SUMMARY Given the great range of visual systems, tasks and habitats, there is surprisingly little experimental evidence of how visual limitations affect behavioural strategies under natural conditions. Analysing this relationship will require an experimental system that allows for the synchronous measurement of visual cues and visually guided behaviour. The first step in quantifying visual cues from an animal's perspective is to understand the filter properties of its visual system. We examined the first stage of visual processing – sampling by the ommatidial array – in the compound eye of the fiddler crab Uca vomeris. Using an in vivo pseudopupil method we determined sizes and viewing directions of ommatidia and created a complete eye map of optical and sampling resolution across the visual field. Our results reveal five distinct eye regions (ventral, dorsal, frontal, lateral and medial) which exhibit clear differences in the organisation of the local sampling array, in particular with respect to the balance of resolution and contrast sensitivity. We argue that, under global eye space constraints, these regional optimisations reflect the information content and behavioural relevance of the corresponding parts of the visual field. In demonstrating the tight link between visual sampling, visual cues and behavioural strategies, our analysis highlights how the study of natural behaviour and natural stimuli is essential to our understanding and interpretation of the evolution and ecology of animal behaviour and the design of sensory systems.
Molecular Typing and Epidemiology Profiles of Human Adenovirus Infection among Paediatric Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection in China

Background Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) have been recognised as pathogens that cause a broad spectrum of diseases. The studies on HAdV infection among children with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) are limited. Objective To investigate the prevalence, epidemiology, and genotype of HAdV among children with SARI in China. Study Design Nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) or induced sputum (IS) was collected from hospitalised children with SARIs in Beijing (representing Northern China; n = 259) and Zhejiang Province (representing Eastern China; n = 293) from 2007 to 2010. The prevalence of HAdV was screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by sequence typing of PCR fragments that targeted the second half of the hexon gene. In addition, co-infection with other human respiratory viruses, related epidemiological profiles and clinical presentations were investigated. Results and Conclusions In total, 76 (13.8%) of 552 SARI patients were positive for HAdV, and the infection rates of HAdV in Northern and Eastern China were 20.1% (n = 52) and 8.2% (n = 24), respectively. HAdV co-infection with other respiratory viruses was frequent (infection rates: Northern China, 90.4%; Eastern China, 70.8%). The peak seasons for HAdV-B infection was winter and spring. Additionally, members of multiple species (Human mastadenovirus B, C, D and E) were circulating among paediatric patients with SARI, of which HAdV-B (34/52; 65.4%) and HAdV-C (20/24, 83.3%) were the most predominant in Northern and Eastern China, respectively. These findings provide a benchmark for future epidemiology and prevention strategies for HAdV.