Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in the Functional and Prognostic Evaluation of Patients with Pulmonary Diseases

Exercise testing is increasingly utilized to evaluate the level of exercise intolerance in patients with lung and heart diseases. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is considered the gold standard to study a patient’s level of exercise limitation and its causes. The 2 CPET protocols most frequently used in the clinical setting are the maximal incremental and the constant work rate tests. The aim of this review is to focus on the main respiratory diseases for which exercise tolerance is indicated; for example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, primary pulmonary hypertension and cystic fibrosis. This review also focuses on the variables/indices that are utilized in the functional and prognostic evaluation. The recognition of abnormal response patterns of ventilatory, cardiac and metabolic limitation to exercise may help in the diagnostic evaluation. In addition, CPET indexes can provide important functional and prognostic information regarding patients with pulmonary disease. Exercise indices, such as peak oxygen uptake (V’O2 peak), ventilatory equivalents for carbon dioxide production (V’E-/V’CO2) and arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2), have in fact proven to be better predictors of prognosis than lung function measurements obtained at rest. Moreover, useful information on the effects of therapeutic interventions may be obtained by CPET by studying the changes in endurance capacity during high-intensity constant work rate protocols.
Complete Sequence and Comparative Analysis of the Chloroplast Genome of Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera)

Coconut, a member of the palm family (Arecaceae), is one of the most economically important trees used by mankind. Despite its diverse morphology, coconut is recognized taxonomically as only a single species (Cocos nucifera L.). There are two major coconut varieties, tall and dwarf, the latter of which displays traits resulting from selection by humans. We report here the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of a dwarf coconut plant, and describe the gene content and organization, inverted repeat fluctuations, repeated sequence structure, and occurrence of RNA editing. Phylogenetic relationships of monocots were inferred based on 47 chloroplast protein-coding genes. Potential nodes for events of gene duplication and pseudogenization related to inverted repeat fluctuation were mapped onto the tree using parsimony criteria. We compare our findings with those from other palm species for which complete cp genome sequences are available.
Community assembly and seasonal succession of marine dinoflagellates in a temperate estuary: The importance of life cycle events

Dinoflagellate successional strategies and community structure were investigated in Perch Pond, a temperate estuary on the North American east coast by field surveys as well as laboratory investigations on growth rates, cyst maturation period, and cyst germination temperature thresholds. The dominant species were those predicted by the Smayda and Reynolds Rules of Assembly life form model. Three successional strategies were characterized: (1) holoplanktonic, (2) meroplanktonic (i.e., germinated from cysts), and (3) introduced by advection. The seasonal succession of the meroplanktonic dinoflagellates that were studied reflects the differential lengths of their mandatory dormancy periods as well as differences in their temperature thresholds or Â‘Â’windowsÂ’Âȉ for germination. The holoplanktonic species present at low densities year‐round in Perch Pond had a wide temperature tolerance for growth and thus did not need a cyst stage to survive seasonal extremes. Another non‐cyst‐forming species relied solely on advection to inoculate the salt pond; thus, blooms in successive years would be expected to be more stochastic in nature than for the other two strategies. The timing of cyst formation and population decline for meroplanktonic species corresponded on several occasions to an increase in grazers, suggesting that grazing might have contributed to bloom decline from cyst formation. This timing also suggests the possibility of encystment as a predator avoidance strategy. We suggest that seasonal succession of cyst‐forming dinoflagellates is not stochastic. Instead, the appearance of these species in the plankton is predictable on the basis of measurable physiological responses to both endogenous and exogenous factors that they experience during dormancy and quiescence.
Return to Mercury: A Global Perspective on MESSENGER's First Mercury Flyby

In January 2008, the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft became the first probe to fly past the planet Mercury in 33 years. The encounter revealed that Mercury is a dynamic system; its liquid iron-rich outer core is coupled through a dominantly dipolar magnetic field to the surface, exosphere, and magnetosphere, all of which interact with the solar wind. MESSENGER images confirm that lobate scarps are the dominant tectonic landform and record global contraction associated with cooling of the planet. The history of contraction can be related to the history of volcanism and cratering, and the total contractional strain is at least one-third greater than inferred from Mariner 10 images. On the basis of measurements of thermal neutrons made during the flyby, the average abundance of iron in Mercury's surface material is less than 6% by weight.
ECOLE: a look-ahead editor of controlled language

This paper presents ECOLE, a look-ahead text editor that supports authors writing seemingly informal specifications in PENG, a computer-processable controlled natural language. ECOLE communicates via a socket interface with the controlled language processor of the PENG system. After each word form entered the look-ahead editor displays appropriate look-ahead categories. These syntactic hints tell the author what kind of word or syntactic structure can follow the current input string and reduce thereby the cognitive burden to learn and remember the controlled language. While the author types the text word by word and adds unknown content words on the fly to the lexicon, a discourse representation structure and a paraphrase is built up dynamically for the text in a completely compositional manner. The arising specification can be checked automatically for consistency and informativity with the help of third-party reasoning services.
Eigenvalue-based model selection during latent semantic indexing

In this study amended parallel analysis (APA), a novel method for model selection in unsupervised learning problems such as information retrieval (IR), is described. At issue is the selection of k, the number of dimensions retained under latent semantic indexing (LSI). Amended parallel analysis is an elaboration of Horn's parallel analysis, which advocates retaining eigenvalues larger than those that we would expect under term independence. Amended parallel analysis operates by deriving confidence intervals on these “null” eigenvalues. The technique amounts to a series of nonparametric hypothesis tests on the correlation matrix eigenvalues. In the study, APA is tested along with four established dimensionality estimators on six standard IR test collections. These estimates are evaluated with regard to two IR performance metrics. Additionally, results from simulated data are reported. In both rounds of experimentation APA performs well, predicting the best values of k on 3 of 12 observations, with good predictions on several others, and never offering the worst estimate of optimal dimensionality.
Impact of gate oxide breakdown in logic gates from 28nm FDSOI CMOS technology

For advanced CMOS nodes, high performance is reached with the down scaling of both critical gate length and dielectrics stack. The aggressive reduction of dielectric thickness leads to a reduction of reliability margin due to breakdown. However, the first breakdown (BD) event does not always cause a functional failure in digital circuits. Lifetime extension based on device level parameters drift is difficult to handle, an accurate BD model is thus mandatory for predictive simulations at circuit level. Two dedicated test structures have been designed to track BD events impact on logic gates. Different AC-DC conditions are examined to be closer to operating conditions of digital circuits. Then a compact model for BD in logic gates is proposed: according to device level measurements, different severities of the BD event impact can be selected. Next Monte Carlo simulations are performed and enable to discuss the real impact of BD on logic gates in comparison with the measurements. In this way the measurements at device and circuit levels can be linked and the most likely post-BD device characteristics are highlighted. Therefore, the real impact of hard BD can be mitigated.
Estimating the Integrated Likelihood via Posterior Simulation Using the Harmonic Mean Identity

The integrated likelihood (also called the marginal likelihood or the normalizing constant) is a central quantity in Bayesian model selection and model averaging. It is defined as the integral over the parameter space of the likelihood times the prior density. The Bayes factor for model comparison and Bayesian testing is a ratio of integrated likelihoods, and the model weights in Bayesian model averaging are proportional to the integrated likelihoods. We consider the estimation of the integrated likelihood from posterior simulation output, aiming at a generic method that uses only the likelihoods from the posterior simulation iterations. The key is the harmonic mean identity, which says that the reciprocal of the integrated likelihood is equal to the posterior harmonic mean of the likelihood. The simplest estimator based on the identity is thus the harmonic mean of the likelihoods. While this is an unbiased and simulation-consistent estimator, its reciprocal can have infinite variance and so it is unstable in general.
Systematics of Vampyressa melissa Thomas, 1926 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae), with Descriptions of Two New Species of Vampyressa

ABSTRACT Vampyressa melissa is a poorly known phyllostomid bat listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Since its description in 1926, fewer than 40 V melissa have been reported in the literature, and less than half of these may have been correctly identified. During revisionary studies of Vampyressa, we uncovered two previously unrecognized species related to V. melissa, all associated with higher elevation habitats (>1400 m), one from the Andes of Colombia (Vampyressa sinchi, new species) and the other from western Panama (Vampyressa elisabethae, new species) revealing that V. melissa, as traditionally defined, is a composite of at least three species. In this paper, we provide a restricted diagnosis for the genus Vampyressa, an emended diagnosis of V. melissa, and descriptions of the two new species. The separation of these frugivorous bats, previously identified as V. melissa, into three isolated upper-elevation species, each having restricted distributions further highlights their fragile conservation status.
Assessing the impact of geographically correlated network failures

Communication networks are vulnerable to natural disasters, such as earthquakes or floods, as well as to human attacks, such as an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack. Such real-world events have geographical locations, and therefore, the geographical structure of the network graph affects the impact of these events. In this paper we focus on assessing the vulnerability of (geographical) networks to such disasters. In particular, we aim to identify the location of a disaster that would have the maximum effect on network capacity. We consider a geometric graph model in which nodes and links are geographically located on a plane. Specifically, we model the physical network as a bipartite graph (in the topological and geographical sense) and consider the set of all vertical line segment cuts. For that model, we develop a polynomial time algorithm for finding a worst possible cut. Our approach has the potential to be extended to general graphs and provides a promising new direction for network design to avert geographical disasters or attacks.
Temporal Imaging of Incoherent-Light Intensity Waveforms Based on a Gated Time-Lens System

We experimentally demonstrate temporal imaging of incoherent-light intensity waveforms using a combination of a temporal gating process and a time lens. This design allows one to set the system temporal field of view and resolution in an independent fashion, thus overcoming the intrinsic time-bandwidth product tradeoff of previous incoherent-light schemes based on the temporal pinhole camera concept. In a proof-of-concept experiment, we report incoherent-light temporal compression of intensity waveforms by a factor of 2.86, with a time-bandwidth product exceeding 300, i.e., resolution of ~26 ps (approximately fourfold improvement over the corresponding pinhole-only design) along a temporal field of view of ~8 ns, using a basic linear-optics setup.
Different agonists recruit different stromal interaction molecule proteins to support cytoplasmic Ca2+ oscillations and gene expression

Stimulation of cells with physiological concentrations of calcium-mobilizing agonists often results in the generation of repetitive cytoplasmic Ca2+ oscillations. Although oscillations arise from regenerative Ca2+ release, they are sustained by store-operated Ca2+ entry through Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels. Here, we show that following stimulation of cysteinyl leukotriene type I receptors in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-1 cells, large amplitude Ca2+ oscillations, CRAC channel activity, and downstream Ca2+-dependent nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)-driven gene expression are all exclusively maintained by the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ sensor stromal interaction molecule (STIM) 1. However, stimulation of tyrosine kinase-coupled FCεRI receptors evoked Ca2+ oscillations and NFAT-dependent gene expression through recruitment of both STIM2 and STIM1. We conclude that different agonists activate different STIM proteins to sustain Ca2+ signals and downstream responses.
A New Lagrangian-Acoustic Drogue (LAD) for Monitoring Flow Dynamics in an Estuary: a Quantification of its Water-Tracking Ability

SCHACHT, C. and LEMCKERT, C. J., 2007. A New Lagrangian-Acoustic Drogue (LAD) for Monitoring Flow Dynamics in an Estuary: a Quantification of its Water-Tracking Ability. Journal of Coastal Research, SI 50 (Proceedings of the 9th International Coastal Symposium), 420 – 426. Gold Coast, Australia, ISSN 0749.0208 We describe a novel in situ measuring drogue device developed for the investigation of near-surface sediment and flow dynamics in an estuary. The Lagrangian Acoustic Drogue (LAD) comprises a unique configuration of instruments including a downward-facing 600 kHz Broadband Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler mounted on a Lagrangian float; a Differential Global Positioning System; and a (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth sensor. Open ocean studies have revealed the necessity of understanding the Lagrangian nature of the drifter or drogue. As the ocean and estuarine systems are two vastly distinct environments, a separate study was conducted using the LAD in an estuarine environment. The main objective of this study was to directly quantify the LAD’s ability to track and monitor a Lagrangian parcel of water over a slack-water period. It was found that the LAD confidently tracked a parcel of water to a depth of 4.5 m. It was also found that the water tracking ability (slippage) was directly related to the magnitude of tidal velocity. This study also revealed characteristics about the physical state of the estuary itself, and gave positive outlook for the future of drogue-based studies in estuaries.
“Diagnostic Value of MRCP in Biliary Pancreatitis: Result of Long-Term Follow-up”

Abstract Aim : Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) has increasingly been used to evaluate the common bile duct. This study was to determine the role of MRCP instead of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the management of patients with acute biliary pancreatitis. Methods : A total of 81 patients with mild or moderate biliary pancreatitis who underwent MRCP and were treated in our department with selective ERCP between May 2001 and July 2007 were entered into a prospective database. Results : MRCP was considered abnormal in 13 patients. Ten patients underwent ERCP. Three patients did not undergo ERCP due to protocol violations. In nine patients, stone extraction was performed. The remaining patient who had dilatation of the CBD underwent ES. The false positive rate of MRCP was 10%. The median follow-up of overall patients was 36 months (range 23–99 months). The patients with normal MRCP had a median follow-up of 39.5 months (range 23–99 months). During the follow-up period in the normal MRCP group, five patients were diagnosed with recurrent biliary pancreatitis, of which three underwent ERCP (7.4%). There was no disease-related mortality during this period. Conclusion : In conclusion, the use of MRCP in acute biliary pancreatitis is safe and may be recommended as a tool to aid in the selective use of ERCP.
From Pre-Diabetes to Type 2 Diabetes in Obese Youth

OBJECTIVE Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) are considered pre-diabetes states. There are limited data in pediatrics in regard to their pathophysiology. We investigated differences in insulin sensitivity and secretion among youth with IFG, IGT, and coexistent IFG/IGT compared with those with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 24 obese adolescents with NGT, 13 with IFG, 29 with IGT, 11 with combined IFG/IGT, and 30 with type 2 diabetes underwent evaluation of hepatic glucose production ([6,6-2H2]glucose), insulin-stimulated glucose disposal (Rd, euglycemic clamp), first- and second-phase insulin secretion (hyperglycemic clamp), body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), abdominal adiposity (computed tomography), and substrate oxidation (indirect calorimetry). RESULTS Adolescents with NGT, pre-diabetes, and type 2 diabetes had similar body composition and abdominal fat distribution. Rd was lower (P = 0.009) in adolescents with type 2 diabetes than in those with NGT. Compared with adolescents with NGT, first-phase insulin was lower in those with IFG, IGT, and IFG/IGT with further deterioration in those with type 2 diabetes (P < 0.001), and β-cell function relative to insulin sensitivity (glucose disposition index [GDI]) was also lower in those with IFG, IGT, and IFG/IGT (40, 47, and 47%, respectively), with a further decrease (80%) in those with type 2 diabetes (P < 0.001). GDI was the major determinant of fasting and 2-h glucose levels. CONCLUSIONS Obese adolescents who show signs of glucose dysregulation, including abnormal fasting glucose, glucose intolerance or both, are more likely to have impaired insulin secretion rather than reduced insulin sensitivity. Given the impairment in insulin secretion, they are at high risk for progression to type 2 diabetes. Further deterioration in insulin sensitivity or secretion may enhance the risk for this progression.
Mass spectrum of primordial black holes from inflationary perturbation in the Randall–Sundrum braneworld: a limit on blue spectra

The mass spectrum of the primordial black holes formed by density perturbation in the radiation-dominated era of the Randall–Sundrum type-2 cosmology is given. The spectrum coincides with the standard four-dimensional one on large scales but the deviation is apparent on smaller scales. The mass spectrum is initially softer than the standard four-dimensional one, while after accretion during the earliest era it becomes harder than that. We also show expected extragalactic diffuse photon background spectra varying the initial perturbation power-law power spectrum and give constraints on the blue spectra and/or the reheating temperature. The most recent observations on the small scale density perturbation from WMAP, SDSS and Lyman-α Forest are used. What we get are interpreted as constraints on the smaller-scale inflation on the brane connected to the larger one at the scale of Lyman-α Forest. If we set the bulk curvature radius to be 0.1 mm and assume the reheating temperature is higher than 106 GeV, the scalar spectral index from the smaller scale inflation is constrained to be . Typically, the constraints are tighter than the standard four-dimensional one, which is also revised by us using the most recent observations.
Distinct expression and distribution of vesicular proteins in the hippocampus of TNFa‐deficient mice during development

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) is a cytokine produced mainly by cells of the immune system. It is also expressed by brain neurons and glia. In the brain, TNFa governs synaptic plasticity, such as long‐term potentiation and learning. Using TNFa‐deficient mice (TNFa‐KO) and immunohistochemical techniques, we resolved the spatio‐temporal effect of TNFa on the expression of vesicular soluble N‐ethylmaleimide‐sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (v‐SNARE) in the presynaptic terminals of the hippocampus during the first month of development. During postnatal days 1–14, the levels of Synaptotagmin I and VAMP II were similar in the hippocampus of TNFa‐KO and wild type (wt) mice. However, the levels of Syntaptotagmin II were reduced in the pyramidal cell layer of the CA1 region in TNFa‐KO. At postnatal day 21, both proteins accomplished comparable levels in the hippocampus of TNFa‐KO and wt mice. In addition, TNFa deficiency impairs the correlation of expression of Synaptotagmin I and II in CA1 region. The expression of those proteins in the CA1 stratum radiatum was uniform during development and similar in both mice groups. Higher expression of all examined proteins was demonstrated in dendritic fields of the CA3 region in TNFa‐KO as compared to wt mice. We suggest that the impairment of synaptic plasticity by TNFa may be related to its modulation of synaptic vesicle proteins. Synapse 53:6–10, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.