Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bored to Death: Community-Wide Effect of Predation on a Foundation Species in a Low-Disturbance Arctic Subtidal System

The strength of top-down control by consumers is predicted to decrease with latitude, but most data confirming this assumption come from latitudes <60°, while empirical studies of predation in sub-arctic and arctic marine habitats are few. A barnacle Balanus crenatus is a native foundation species in the shallow subtidal of the White Sea (65° N), hosting a diverse (250+ species) assemblage of macrobenthic organisms. On mixed sediments live barnacles share primary substrates (shells and gravel) with numerous empty barnacle tests, 7% of which had drill holes of an unidentified origin. We manipulated the densities of (i) adult muricid whelks Boreotrophon clathratus (of previously unknown feeding habits), to check if they prey on barnacles, (ii) other predators to reveal their effect on juvenile Boreotrophon, and (iii) empty tests to assess the community-wide effect of predation on barnacles. The abundance of drilled empty tests in the field correlated with that of Boreotrophon. A year-long caging experiment clearly confirmed predation, showing the highest barnacle mortality and proportion of drilled tests in whelk enclosures, and the lowest — in predator exclosure treatments. Boreotrophon preferred the barnacles attached to conspecifics to those from primary substrates. Because of its scarcity Boreotrophon had a minor direct effect on barnacle abundance in the field. Yet, initially defaunated empty tests and live barnacles developed markedly different macrobenthic assemblages, suggesting a strong indirect effect of the predation. Juvenile Boreotrophon were 5-6 times less abundant in open and partial cages than in exclosures and enclosures, which indicates that the recruitment and, consequently, the abundance of Boreotrophon and its predation on Balanus are top-down controlled by apex predators. In contrast, in tropical and temperate intertidal the predation on barnacles is stronger and primarily limited by environmental stress and prey availability.
Information-based potential predictability of the Asian summer monsoon in a coupled model

[1] In this study, we applied two information-based measures, relative entropy (RE) and mutual information (MI), to explore the potential predictability of the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) at seasonal time scales using the hindcasts of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Climate Forecast System (CFS). Several important issues related to ASM predictability were addressed, including the dominant precursors of forecast skill and the degree of confidence that can be placed in an individual forecast. We found that the MI-based average potential predictability can explain, to a large extent, the variation in overall prediction skill, especially anomaly correlation skill. Compared with the conventional signal-to-noise ratio approach, the MI-based measures can characterize more potential prediction utility. As a potential predictability measure for an individual prediction, RE has a good relationship with C, the contribution of an individual forecast to overall anomaly correlation skill, and a poor relationship with the absolute error (AE). Further analyses revealed that RE is highly related to sea surface temperature (SST) and SST-ASM correlation patterns in the model resemble the typical El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) structure. The different impacts of ENSO on the South Asian summer monsoon and the East Asian summer monsoon, the two main components of the ASM, well explain the different potential predictability features in the two regions, in particular, in terms of their interannual variability. Thus, ENSO is the main source of ASM seasonal predictability.
PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF INCREASED PLASMA LEVELS OF BRAIN NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE IN PATIENTS WITH SEPTIC SHOCK

ABSTRACT Our objective was to investigate the plasma levels of brain and atrial natriuretic peptides (BNP and ANP, respectively) in patients with septic shock/severe sepsis and to study the association of BNP and ANP levels with hemodynamic parameters, severity of the disease, and prognosis of those patients. This is a prospective case series study of 22 patients with septic shock, 11 patients with severe sepsis, and 20 healthy volunteers at the Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Nara Medical University Hospital, Japan. Blood collection was performed on admission and on days 1, 2, and 4. Plasma BNP and ANP levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Right atrial pressure, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary arterial wedge pressure, and left ventricular stroke work index were determined using a thermodilution catheter. Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores were calculated. Plasma levels of BNP and ANP were markedly elevated in patients with septic shock/severe sepsis compared with controls (BNP, 7 ± 0.3 pg mL−1; ANP, 13 ± 1 pg mL−1). In patients with septic shock, both BNP and ANP peaked on day 2 (BNP, 987 ± 160 pg mL−1; ANP, 103 ± 17 pg mL−1). Plasma levels of BNP on day 2 in patients with septic shock significantly correlated with right atrial pressure (r = 0.744, P < 0.01), mean pulmonary arterial pressure (r = 0.670, P < 0.01), pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (r = 0.709, P < 0.01), left ventricular stroke work index (r = −0.552, P < 0.05), Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (r = 0.581, P < 0.01), and poor prognosis (P < 0.05). The optimal cutoff point for predicting mortality in patients with septic shock was a BNP level of 650 pg mL−1 on day 2, in which sensitivity and specificity were 92% and 80%, respectively. Increased plasma levels of BNP may reflect not only the severity of myocardial depression but also the disease severity and could be of prognostic value in patients with septic shock.
Best Practices for Communication between Client and Vendor in IT Outsourcing Projects

It has been reported that outsourcing specialist knowledge work can enable business excellence by enhancing business competitiveness, economic value added service, quality, and market branding. Much of this may be supported by seamless technical communication flows between the vendors and clients of an outsourcing project. However, the potential loss of confidentiality, authority, and security are key factors organizations take into consideration before venturing into outsourcing. Developing an information communication platform which promotes a secure knowledge exchange culture in an environment conducive to trust is fundamental to mitigate these information risk factors. The empirical study reported in this paper investigated the central postulate that effective management of technical communication at every stage of executing an IT outsourcing contract reduces associated risks and establishes trust in an outsourcing relationship. The objective of the study was to provide knowledge managers with an insight into the effectiveness of communication flows for various outsourcing activities in order to support knowledge mobilization for effective service delivery. The field research was conducted through a survey of industry practitioners from vendor and client organizations with a sample size of 70 respondents from 20 organizations, about an equal number of clients and vendors. It is the intended contribution of this work to prescribe a socio-technical platform for professional technical communications between clients and vendors of outsourcing services that effectively manages information.
Alpha-Particle Emitting Atomic Generator (Actinium-225)-Labeled Trastuzumab (Herceptin) Targeting of Breast Cancer Spheroids

Purpose: The humanized monoclonal antibody, trastuzumab (Herceptin), directed against HER2/neu, has been effective in the treatment of breast cancer malignancies. However, clinical activity has depended on HER2/neu expression. Radiolabeled trastuzumab has been considered previously as a potential agent for radioimmunotherapy. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of trastuzumab labeled with the α-particle emitting atomic generator, actinium-225 (225Ac), against breast cancer spheroids with different HER2/neu expression levels. 225Ac has a 10-day half-life and a decay scheme yielding four α-particles. Experimental Design: The breast carcinoma cell lines MCF7, MDA-MB-361 (MDA), and BT-474 (BT) with relative HER2/neu expression (by flow cytometry) of 1:4:18 were used. Spheroids of these cell lines were incubated with different concentrations of 225Ac-trastuzumab, and spheroid growth was measured by light microscopy over a 50-day period. Results: The activity concentration required to yield a 50% reduction in spheroid volume at day 35 was 18.1, 1.9, and 0.6 kBq/ml (490, 52, 14 nCi/ml) for MCF7, MDA, and BT spheroids, respectively. MCF7 spheroids continued growing but with a 20–30 day growth delay at 18.5 kBq/ml. MDA spheroid growth was delayed by 30–40 days at 3.7 kBq/ml; at 18.5 kBq/ml, 12 of 12 spheroids disaggregated after 70, days and cells remaining from each spheroid failed to form colonies within 2 weeks of being transferred to adherent dishes. Eight of 10 BT spheroids failed to regrow at 1.85 kBq/ml. All of the BT spheroids at activity concentrations 3.7 kBq/ml failed to regrow and to form colonies. The radiosensitivity of these three lines as spheroids was evaluated as the activity concentration required to reduce the treated to untreated spheroid volume ratio to 0.37, denoted DVR37. An external beam radiosensitivity of 2 Gy was found for spheroids of all three of the cell lines. After α-particle irradiation a DVR37 of 1.5, 3.0, and 2.0 kBq/ml was determined for MCF7, MDA, and BT, respectively. Conclusion: These studies suggest that 225Ac-labeled trastuzumab may be a potent therapeutic agent against metastatic breast cancer cells exhibiting intermediate to high HER2/neu expression.
Leading Indicators of Goodwill Impairment

This paper examines whether financial disclosures on acquired entities allow investors to effectively predict goodwill impairment, a task that has become more important following the recent abolishment of goodwill amortization. In predicting goodwill impairment, we use variables relating to the postacquisition performance of the operating segment(s) to which the acquired company's assets are allocated as well as to the characteristics of the acquisition. We find that available disclosures do not provide financial statement users with information to adequately predict future write-offs of goodwill. In fact, the characteristics of the original acquisitions are more powerful predictors of eventual goodwill write-offs than those based on segment disclosures of the acquired entities' performance. We also find that goodwill write-offs lag behind the economic impairment of goodwill by an average of three to four years. For one-third of the companies examined, the delay can extend up to ten years. Although most of our analyses are conducted on goodwill generated before the introduction of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 142 (SFAS 142), certain features of the sample and the analysis suggest that the results are generalizable to the current reporting regime. Sensitivity tests on a smaller sample of goodwill write-offs made upon the adoption of SFAS 142 confirm this expectation.
Analgesic Addiction and Pseudoaddiction in Painful Chronic Illness

ObjectivesResearch is needed to enable more effective assessment and treatment of analgesic addiction among patients with painful chronic illnesses and to improve our understanding of the staff–patient interactions that give rise to pseudoaddiction. This study tested predictions that certain drug-use behaviors and pain-coping strategies were associated with analgesic addiction, and that certain were associated with risk of pseudoaddiction. MethodsAnalgesic addiction and risk of pseudoaddiction among patients with sickle cell disease were measured by symptom counts, using an interview method for classifying symptoms as pain-related (pseudoaddiction) or non-pain-related (analgesic addiction). Concern-raising drug-use behaviors and treatment requirements for pain were also assessed, and participants completed the pain-coping strategies questionnaire. Qualitative case descriptions of patients meeting criteria for analgesic addiction and pseudoaddiction were examined to identify common and distinctive features of the two groups. ResultsConsistent with predictions, multiple regression analyses showed that disputes about analgesics were independently associated with risk of pseudoaddiction. Physiological dependence and illicit drug use were both associated with analgesic addiction, independently of other factors. The qualitative data showed that analgesic addiction was not an obvious, clear-cut phenomenon: addiction and pseudoaddiction were superficially similar, and even symptoms of genuine addiction originated in patients' experiences of pain and illness. ConclusionsThese tentative findings were broadly consistent with what is known about analgesic addiction and pseudoaddiction in other painful conditions. They also suggested that current recommendations about addiction in pain patients could understate the potential importance of physiological dependence. The findings could inform staff training programs to improve pain management and reduce the incidence of pseudoaddiction. The classification of pain-related and non-pain-related symptoms could be used in further research on the development of analgesic addiction and the factors that influence staff attributions about addiction in patients with pain.
Dewatering Of Biosolids By Sodium Ferrate

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the liquid form of ferrate for dewatering of biosolids from wastewater treatment facilities. Two different ferrate products prepared using calcium hypochlorite and sodium hypochlorite were used. Samples of anaerobic digested sludge and waste activated sludge with solids content of 2.1% and 0.95 %, respectively were conditioned with both products to evaluate and compare their effectiveness. Centrifugation and filtration of the sludge after conditioning were used. For centrifugation the volume reduction and the turbidity of the supernatant after centrifugation were evaluated. For filtration, the Capillary Suction Time test was used. The optimum doses and conditions for dewatering of the sludge using ferrate were determined for each type of sludge. The centrifugation and filtration results were compared with those obtained for polymer doses currently used at the wastewater treatment plants where the samples were collected and with ferric coagulants as well. The results of this research indicated that optimum pH was 7.0. The time required to achieve mechanical equilibrium defined as the time at which the volume occupied by the solids was no more than one percent of the preceding reading was 1800 seconds for both types of sludge. The optimum rotational speeds were 800 and 2400 for waste
Distribution and Habitat Utilization of the Visayan Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis rabori

We conducted an ethnobiological survey to investigate the distribution, habitat utilization, threats and likely conservation status of the maral (Prionailurus bengalensis rabori) throughout its currently known and presumed recent range in the West Visayas faunal region. Key sites were mapped, and factors such as habitat type, distance (of non-forest habitats) from nearest forest cover, presence/absence of alternative cover, and elevation, were correlated to assess their effects. We found that these animals are not confined to forested habitats, and can indeed persist in sugar cane cultivation areas far removed from the nearest available forest habitats, but they are associated with the presence of alternate cover, and distance from nearest forest cover has an inverse relationship to the species’ presence. Based on its limited range, the very high overall extent of deforestation in this region and other factors (e.g. continued hunting pressure, changing agricultural practices, etc.), it is recommended that the subspecies be included in the Philippine List of Threatened Species and added to the IUCN Red List; the latter under the status category of Vulnerable.
Letter to the Editor

To the Editor—In the 15 August 2010 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Fitzwater et al report on serial acid fast bacilli smear and culture conversion rates over 26 weeks in a cohort of 93 sputum culture–positive tuberculosis (TB) patients started on standardized first-line treatment in a Lima, Peru, directly observed therapy short-course (DOTS) program [1]. The authors note that median conversion times for smears and cultures, respectively, were 17.5 days and 38.5 days, and that at 60 days (a time point at which treatment failure is commonly suspected in individuals remaining smear or culture positive),
Dual and Beneficial Roles of Macrophages During Skeletal Muscle Regeneration

Macrophages are necessary for skeletal muscle regeneration after injury. Muscle recruits inflammatory monocytes/macrophages that switch toward an anti-inflammatory profile upon phagocytosis of debris. In vitro, proinflammatory macrophages stimulate myoblast proliferation, whereas anti-inflammatory macrophages stimulate their differentiation. Thus, macrophages are involved in both phases of skeletal muscle regeneration: first, inflammation and cleansing of necrosis, and then myogenic differentiation and tissue repair.
Venous Reflux on Carotid Computed Tomography Angiography: Relationship With Left-Arm Injection

Objective: We evaluated the relationship between image degradation due to the reflux of contrast agent into the major neck veins and use of a left-arm injection site during computed tomographic (CT) angiography of the carotid arteries. Methods: A total of 364 patients underwent 4-section carotid CT angiography performed with an injection into the right (n = 183) or left (n = 181) arm. We calculated the volume of refluxed contrast medium and measured the retrosternal distance measured as the shortest distance between the sternum and the arch or its branches. Nine patients underwent follow-up CT angiography weeks later by using the side of injection not used before for comparison. Results: The amount of refluxed contrast medium was greater with left-arm injection than with right-arm injection (P < 0.001). With left-arm injection, the volume was significantly correlated with the retrosternal distance (r = −0.514, P < 0.001), even after we adjusted for age and sex in the linear regression model (P < 0.001). Five of the 9 patients who received injections in both arms had no reflux of contrast medium, whereas 4 patients had obvious reflux after left-arm but not right-arm injection. Conclusion: Normal compression of the left brachiocephalic vein due to a developmental decreased retrosternal space may degrade carotid CT angiograms because of reflux of contrast material into the cervical veins. This degradation can be avoided if right-arm injection is used.
Continuous glucose monitoring to assess the ecologic validity of dietary glycemic index and glycemic load.

BACKGROUND The circumstances under which the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) are derived do not reflect real-world eating behavior. Thus, the ecologic validity of these constructs is incompletely known. OBJECTIVE This study examined the relation of dietary intake to glycemic response when foods are consumed under free-living conditions. DESIGN Participants were 26 overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes who participated in a randomized trial of lifestyle modification. The current study includes baseline data, before initiation of the intervention. Participants wore a continuous glucose monitor and simultaneously kept a food diary for 3 d. The dietary variables included GI, GL, and intakes of energy, fat, protein, carbohydrate, sugars, and fiber. The glycemic response variables included AUC, mean and SD of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) values, percentage of CGM values in euglycemic and hyperglycemic ranges, and mean amplitude of glycemic excursions. Relations between daily dietary intake and glycemic outcomes were examined. RESULTS Data were available from 41 d of monitoring. Partial correlations, controlled for energy intake, indicated that GI or GL was significantly associated with each glycemic response outcome. In multivariate analyses, dietary GI accounted for 10% to 18% of the variance in each glycemic variable, independent of energy and carbohydrate intakes (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The data support the ecologic validity of the GI and GL constructs in free-living obese adults with type 2 diabetes. GI was the strongest and most consistent independent predictor of glycemic stability and variability.
Whey protein concentrate enhances intestinal integrity and influences transforming growth factor-β1 and mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathways in piglets after lipopolysaccharide challenge

Abstract Whey protein concentrate (WPC) has been reported to have protective effects on the intestinal barrier. However, the molecular mechanisms involved are not fully elucidated. Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is an important component in the WPC, but whether TGF-β1 plays a role in these processes is not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of WPC on the intestinal epithelial barrier as well as whether TGF-β1 is involved in these protection processes in a piglet model after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. In total, eighteen weanling pigs were randomly allocated to one of the following three treatment groups: (1) non-challenged control and control diet; (2) LPS-challenged control and control diet; (3) LPS+5 %WPC diet. After 19 d of feeding with control or 5 %WPC diets, pigs were injected with LPS or saline. At 4 h after injection, pigs were killed to harvest jejunal samples. The results showed that WPC improved (P<0·05) intestinal morphology, as indicated by greater villus height and villus height:crypt depth ratio, and intestinal barrier function, which was reflected by increased transepithelial electrical resistance and decreased mucosal-to-serosal paracellular flux of dextran (4 kDa), compared with the LPS group. Moreover, WPC prevented the LPS-induced decrease (P<0·05) in claudin-1, occludin and zonula occludens-1 expressions in the jejunal mucosae. WPC also attenuated intestinal inflammation, indicated by decreased (P<0·05) mRNA expressions of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-1β. Supplementation with WPC also increased (P<0·05) TGF-β1 protein, phosphorylated-Smad2 expression and Smad4 and Smad7 mRNA expressions and decreased (P<0·05) the ratios of the phosphorylated to total c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 (phospho-JNK:JNK and p-p38:p38), whereas it increased (P<0·05) the ratio of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) (phospho-ERK:ERK). Collectively, these results suggest that dietary inclusion of WPC attenuates the LPS-induced intestinal injury by improving mucosal barrier function, alleviating intestinal inflammation and influencing TGF-β1 canonical Smad and mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathways.