Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Botanist Effect Revisited: Plant Species Richness, County Area, and Human Population Size in the United States

Abstract: The “botanist effect” is thought to be the reason for higher plant species richness in areas where botanists are disproportionately present as an artefactual consequence of a more thorough sampling. We examined whether this was the case for U.S. counties. We collated the number of species of vascular plants, human population size, and the area of U.S. counties. Controlling for spatial autocorrelation and county area, plant species richness increased with human population size and density in counties with and without universities and/or botanical gardens, with no significant differences in the relation between the two subsets. This is consistent with previous findings and further evidence of a broad‐scale positive correlation between species richness and human population presence, which has important consequences for the experience of nature by inhabitants of densely populated regions. Combined with the many reports of a negative correlation between the two variables at a local scale, the positive relation between plant species richness in U.S. counties and human population presence stresses the need for the conservation of seminatural areas in urbanized ecosystems and for the containment of urban and suburban sprawl.
Longitudinal Analysis for Disease Progression via Simultaneous Multi-Relational Temporal-Fused Learning

It is highly desirable to predict the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) of patients [e.g., to predict conversion of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to AD], especially longitudinal prediction of AD is important for its early diagnosis. Currently, most existing methods predict different clinical scores using different models, or separately predict multiple scores at different future time points. Such approaches prevent coordinated learning of multiple predictions that can be used to jointly predict clinical scores at multiple future time points. In this paper, we propose a joint learning method for predicting clinical scores of patients using multiple longitudinal prediction models for various future time points. Three important relationships among training samples, features, and clinical scores are explored. The relationship among different longitudinal prediction models is captured using a common feature set among the multiple prediction models at different time points. Our experimental results based on the Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative (ADNI) database shows that our method achieves considerable improvement over competing methods in predicting multiple clinical scores.
Identification and Characterization of FGF2-Dependent mRNA: microRNA Networks During Lens Fiber Cell Differentiation

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling regulate a wide range of cellular functions, including cell specification, proliferation, migration, differentiation, and survival. In lens, both these systems control lens fiber cell differentiation; however, a possible link between these processes remains to be examined. Herein, the functional requirement for miRNAs in differentiating lens fiber cells was demonstrated via conditional inactivation of Dicer1 in mouse (Mus musculus) lens. To dissect the miRNA-dependent pathways during lens differentiation, we used a rat (Rattus norvegicus) lens epithelial explant system, induced by FGF2 to differentiate, followed by mRNA and miRNA expression profiling. Transcriptome and miRNome analysis identified extensive FGF2-regulated cellular responses that were both independent and dependent on miRNAs. We identified 131 FGF2-regulated miRNAs. Seventy-six of these miRNAs had at least two in silico predicted and inversely regulated target mRNAs. Genes modulated by the greatest number of FGF-regulated miRNAs include DNA-binding transcription factors Nfib, Nfat5/OREBP, c-Maf, Ets1, and N-Myc. Activated FGF signaling influenced bone morphogenetic factor/transforming growth factor-β, Notch, and Wnt signaling cascades implicated earlier in lens differentiation. Specific miRNA:mRNA interaction networks were predicted for c-Maf, N-Myc, and Nfib (DNA-binding transcription factors); Cnot6, Cpsf6, Dicer1, and Tnrc6b (RNA to miRNA processing); and Ash1l, Med1/PBP, and Kdm5b/Jarid1b/Plu1 (chromatin remodeling). Three miRNAs, including miR-143, miR-155, and miR-301a, down-regulated expression of c-Maf in the 3′-UTR luciferase reporter assays. These present studies demonstrate for the first time global impact of activated FGF signaling in lens cell culture system and predicted novel gene regulatory networks connected by multiple miRNAs that regulate lens differentiation.
Master-Slave Global Stochastic Synchronization of Chaotic Oscillators

We study global synchronization of coupled chaotic systems with random intermittent coupling. We use stochastic Lyapunov stability theory and partial averaging techniques to show that global synchronization is possible if the switching period is sufficiently small and if the oscillators globally synchronize under a time-averaged coupling. We study mean square and almost sure global synchronization, and we determine quantitative bounds for the exponential rate of decay of the synchronization error. We focus on master-slave synchronization, where two dynamical systems are coupled via a directed feedback that randomly switches among a finite set of given constant functions at a prescribed time rate. We apply the proposed approach to the synchronization of Chua circuits.
Suppression of hPOT1 in Diploid Human Cells Results in an hTERT-Dependent Alteration of Telomere Length Dynamics

POT1 is a 3′ telomeric single-stranded overhang binding protein that has been implicated in chromosome end protection, the regulation of telomerase function, and defining the 5′ chromosome terminus. In human cancer cells that exhibit constitutive hTERT activity, hPOT1 exerts control over telomere length. Primary human fibroblasts express low levels of catalytically active hTERT in an S-phase–restricted manner that fails to counteract telomere attrition with cell division. Here, we show that diploid human fibroblasts in which hPOT1 expression has been suppressed harbor telomeres that are longer than control cells. This difference in telomere length delays the onset of replicative senescence and is dependent on S-phase–restricted hTERT expression. These findings are consistent with the view that hPOT1 promotes a nonextendable telomere state resistant to extension by S-phase–restricted telomerase. Manipulating this function of hPOT1 may thus hasten the cytotoxic effects of telomerase inhibition. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(10):1582–93)
Class attendance, peer similarity, and academic performance in a large field study

Identifying the factors that determine academic performance is an essential part of educational research. Existing research indicates that class attendance is a useful predictor of subsequent course achievements. The majority of the literature is, however, based on surveys and self-reports, methods which have well-known systematic biases that lead to limitations on conclusions and generalizability as well as being costly to implement. Here we propose a novel method for measuring class attendance that overcomes these limitations by using location and bluetooth data collected from smartphone sensors. Based on measured attendance data of nearly 1,000 undergraduate students, we demonstrate that early and consistent class attendance strongly correlates with academic performance. In addition, our novel dataset allows us to determine that attendance among social peers was substantially correlated (>0.5), suggesting either an important peer effect or homophily with respect to attendance.
Localized adenocarcinoma of the pancreas: the rationale for preoperative chemoradiation.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. In spite of advancements in surgical treatment, nearly 80% of patients thought to have localized pancreatic cancer die of recurrent or metastatic disease when treated with surgery alone. Therefore, efforts to alter the patterns of recurrence and improve survival for patients with pancreatic cancer currently focus on the delivery of systemic therapy and irradiation before or after surgery. Postoperative adjuvant therapy appears to improve median survival. However, more than one-fourth of patients do not complete planned adjuvant therapy due to surgical complications or a delay in postoperative recovery of performance status. Utilizing a preoperative (neoadjuvant) approach, overall treatment time is reduced, a greater proportion of patients receive all components of therapy, and patients with rapidly progressive disease are spared the side effects of surgery as metastatic disease may be found at restaging following chemoradiation (prior to surgery). This paper examines the factors pertinent to clinical trial design for resectable pancreatic cancer, and carefully reviews the existing data supporting adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy for potentially resectable disease.
Morphology Of Current Of Injury Does Not Predict Long Term Active Fixation ICD Lead Performance

Background Currents of injury (COI) have been associated with improved lead performance during perioperative measurements in pacemaker and ICD implants. Their relevance on long term lead stability remains unclear. Methods Unipolar signals were recorded immediately after active fixation ICD lead positioning, blinded to the implanting surgeon. Signals were assigned to prespecified COI types by two independent investigators. Sensing, pacing as well as changes requiring surgical intervention were prospectively investigated for 3 months. Results 105 consecutive ICD lead implants were studied. All could be assigned to a particular COI with 48 type 1, 43 type 2 and 14 type 3 signals. Pacing impedance at implant was 703.8±151.6 Ohm with a significant COI independent drop within the first week. Sensing was 10.6mV± 3.7mV and pacing threshold at implant was 0.8±0.3mV at 0.5ms at implant. There was no significant difference between COI groups at implant and during a 3 months follow up regarding sensing, pacing nor surgical revisions. Conclusions Three distinct patterns of unipolar endocardial potentials were observed in active fixation ICD lead implant, but COI morphology did not predict lead performance after 3 months.
Bond and Force Transfer of Composite-Material Plates Bonded to Concrete

One possible method for strengthening deteriorated concrete structures is to externally bond composite material plates to the concrete. To implement such a rehabilitation, the nature of the bond between the composite plate and the concrete must be understood. A single-lap shear test specimen was used to study the bond strength and force transfer of graphite/epoxy composite material plates adhered to concrete. Using a test specimen having a constant bond length, the influence of the surface preparation of the concrete, adhesive type, and concrete strength on the overall bond strength was examined. To determine the characteristics of force transfer from the plate into the concrete, additional bond tests were conducted. Based on the test results, recommendations for obtaining the highest strength bond are made. In addition, conclusions regarding the rate of force transfer and the maximum effective bond length for the joint studied are presented.
Surface-corrugated microfiber Bragg grating

There are two steps to obtain as small as possible fiber Bragg gratings. First, it is to taper the fiber and reduce its diameter. A subwavelength-scale microfiber (MF) is the basic element of miniature fiber devices and sub-systems. Then it is to reduce the grating length. For short fiber grating, strong refractive index modulations are necessary. Strong refractive index modulations can be obtained inducing surface corrugation by alternating layers of different materials, one of which can be air. Several techniques have been proposed for the fabrication of surface-corrugated fiber gratings, including photorefractive inscription using etching, femtosecond lasers, and focused ion beam (FIB). So far, FIB is the most flexible and powerful tool for patterning, cross- sectioning or functionalizing a subwavelength circular MF due to its small and controllable spot size and high beam current density. In past two years, a number of ultra-compact surface corrugated microfiber Bragg gratings (SCMGs) have been successfully fabricated by FIB milling. The length of FIB milled SCGMs can be as small as tens of micrometers. In addition, there are several novel proposals on SCMG including wrapping a microfiber on a microstructure rod or put a microfiber on a surface-corrugated planar grating. In this paper, we will introduce recent advances in these ultra-small SCMGs and their characteristics and applications.
Course of Action Development and Evaluation

Abstract : This paper describes a set of procedures that will enhance the analysis, synthesis, and execution of courses of action (COA). The paper presents a set of formal methods for extending the capability of probabilistic models (influence nets) to produce rigorous mathematical models that reveal the impact of the sequence and timing of actionable events on the outcome and effects desired in a situation. By incorporating timing information, such a model can be converted to a Discrete Event System (DES) model in the form of a Colored Petri Net. The DES model, when run as a simulation, can reveal the changes in the likelihood of the desired effects over time for any timed sequence of actionable events that constitute a COA. The paper presents DES analysis techniques that can generate all of the possible sequences of probability values of the outcome given any COA without simulation. Procedures are presented to select desirable sequences from the set of all sequences and determine the temporal relationships among the actionable events that will generate a selected sequence of probability values.
DETERMINING SOIL VOLUMETRIC MOISTURE CONTENT USING TIME DOMAIN REFLECTOMETRY

Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is a technique used to measure indirectly the in situ volumetric moisture content of soil. Current research provides a variety of prediction equations that estimate the volumetric moisture content using the dielectric constant calculated from the apparent length obtained from the TDR reader. However, very limited research exists regarding which of several available procedures should be used to obtain the apparent length of the TDR response for use in calculating the dielectric constant. The purpose of this study is to enhance the predictive accuracy of in situ volumetric moisture content estimation from TDR measurements. The study is divided into two phases. The initial phase evaluates the five known methods of analyzing the apparent length of TDR responses to determine which provides the most accurate method for estimating the volumetric moisture content. Phase II, through a mixing model form, regresses the volumetric properties of the soil and the apparent length of the TDR response to obtain a predicted volumetric moisture content.
Optimism of health care workers during a disaster: a review of the literature

Optimism has several orientations. One such outlook is a general tendency to regard the world as a positive place, accepting difficulties as mere challenges instead of impassable barriers. Among health care workers, optimism improves their level of functioning, their patients’ satisfaction, and their therapeutic results. Optimistic staff members report feeling less pressure, use fewer avoidance strategies, focus on practical problem solutions, seek social support, and have more trust in people and organizations. The aim of this article is to provide a review of the literature concerning the role of optimism, both in daily life and in crisis situations. An attempt was made to find the linkage between optimism among health care workers during disasters and their active response, with special emphasis on the relationship between optimism and knowledge, feelings or behavior. Based on the literature, optimism was found to be helpful both in daily medical work and in cases of medical emergencies. Optimism was also revealed one of the key components of resilience and self-efficacy. Therefore, it is recommended to consider strengthening the optimism through initiative programs. Obtaining optimism can be included in toolkit preparedness for health care workers in order to confront the complications in the aftermath of disaster. These programs, together with appropriate information, social support, professional trust, and leaders modeling behavior, will raise the well-being and enhance coping skills of the health care workers during and aftermath of disaster scenarios.
Trichloroethylene ototoxicity: evidence for a cochlear origin.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is known to produce an unusual pattern of hearing impairment in laboratory animals marked by a preferential loss of threshold sensitivity at midfrequencies. The purpose of this research was to determine whether the TCE-induced auditory deficit results from cochlear dysfunction. Adult Long Evans hooded rats were exposed via inhalation to either 0 (clean air) or 4000 ppm TCE (6 h/day for 5 days). Auditory thresholds for 1-40 kHz tones were determined 3 weeks after exposure using reflex modification audiometry (RMA; n = 12/group). Cochlear electropotentials were measured during subsequent testing (n = 3-10/group) 5 to 7 weeks after exposure, including thresholds for cochlear action potentials (CAP) and the 1-microV cochlear microphonic for 2-40 kHz tones, and the N1 amplitude intensity function (40-90 dB SPL). Cochlear histopathology was assessed in midmodiolar preparations of a separate set of animals, exposed as before (n = 4/group). RMA testing confirmed a TCE-induced loss in midfrequency threshold sensitivity (8 and 16 kHz). CAP thresholds were elevated at midfrequencies (8 and 16 kHz) among TCE-treated subjects, along with a suppression of the N1 amplitude from 50 to 90 dB SPL. The cochlear microphonic, a nonpropagated ac potential generated largely by the outer hair cells, was not affected by the TCE treatment. Cochlear histopathology revealed a loss of spiral ganglion cells that was significant in the middle turn, but not in the basal turn. There was an inconsistent loss of hair cells among treated subjects. The data suggest strongly that the behaviorally determined loss in auditory function can be accounted for by a cochlear impairment and that the spiral ganglion cell may be a prominent target of TCE.
Morning stiffness and its influence on early retirement in patients with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To describe the association between morning stiffness (MS) and early retirement in patients with early RA. METHODS The study used data from a prospective RA cohort of 916 RA patients with disease duration <or=24 months. Data pertained to standard clinical measures and patients' self-reports, such as functional capacity, pain and MS. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association between MS and early retirement at 3 yrs, adjusting for sex, age, baseline working status, functional capacity, pain and 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28). RESULTS MS was strongly associated with pain and functional capacity and to a lesser degree with joint counts and active phase responses. Severe MS in early disease had a significant impact on early retirement within the following 3 yrs. Of the 389 patients who were <or=61 yrs old and working at baseline, 80 (21%) had to take early retirement until the end of the study. Early retirement concerned 46% of the patients with severe and 10% of those with mild MS at study entry. Baseline working status was the strongest predictor and was severe compared with mild MS, the second strongest predictor of early retirement (adjusted odds ratio 6.0; 95% CI 2.9, 12.6). CONCLUSIONS Severe MS in the early course of the disease has a high impact on RA patients' decision to withdraw from working life. Great attention should be paid to the effective treatment of MS in early RA, to prevent patients from possible untimely decisions that will have long-lasting and costly consequences.
Clinical characteristics and outcome of infective endocarditis involving implantable cardiac devices.

CONTEXT Infection of implantable cardiac devices is an emerging disease with significant morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. OBJECTIVES To describe the clinical characteristics and outcome of cardiac device infective endocarditis (CDIE) with attention to its health care association and to evaluate the association between device removal during index hospitalization and outcome. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Prospective cohort study using data from the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study (ICE-PCS), conducted June 2000 through August 2006 in 61 centers in 28 countries. Patients were hospitalized adults with definite endocarditis as defined by modified Duke endocarditis criteria. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES In-hospital and 1-year mortality. RESULTS CDIE was diagnosed in 177 (6.4% [95% CI, 5.5%-7.4%]) of a total cohort of 2760 patients with definite infective endocarditis. The clinical profile of CDIE included advanced patient age (median, 71.2 years [interquartile range, 59.8-77.6]); causation by staphylococci (62 [35.0% {95% CI, 28.0%-42.5%}] Staphylococcus aureus and 56 [31.6% {95% CI, 24.9%-39.0%}] coagulase-negative staphylococci); and a high prevalence of health care-associated infection (81 [45.8% {95% CI, 38.3%-53.4%}]). There was coexisting valve involvement in 66 (37.3% [95% CI, 30.2%-44.9%]) patients, predominantly tricuspid valve infection (43/177 [24.3%]), with associated higher mortality. In-hospital and 1-year mortality rates were 14.7% (26/177 [95% CI, 9.8%-20.8%]) and 23.2% (41/177 [95% CI, 17.2%-30.1%]), respectively. Proportional hazards regression analysis showed a survival benefit at 1 year for device removal during the initial hospitalization (28/141 patients [19.9%] who underwent device removal during the index hospitalization had died at 1 year, vs 13/34 [38.2%] who did not undergo device removal; hazard ratio, 0.42 [95% CI, 0.22-0.82]). CONCLUSIONS Among patients with CDIE, the rate of concomitant valve infection is high, as is mortality, particularly if there is valve involvement. Early device removal is associated with improved survival at 1 year.