Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The river continuum redux: Aquatic insect diets reveal the importance of autochthonous resources in the Salmon River, Idaho

This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact ecommons@luc.edu. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Although the end result of a Master's program is a degree celebrating an individual's achievement, the journey to get to that point is certainly not traveled alone. I would first like to thank all of those that I had the privilege of working alongside in the for their help with the many and various aspects of this project, for their perspective and good humor, and for their support and friendship both in and out of the lab. I would also like to thank Sylvia Lee, for generously offering her time and diatom expertise when it was most needed. for teaching me the ways of the wild West and for their help in the field and the lab. I must also thank Dr. G. Wayne Minshall, for giving me access to the Idaho State University archives, and Dave Funk, for his insect identification work and meticulously labeled specimen vials. facilitating my transition to New York and a new laboratory environment. I would particularly like to thank Heather Malcolm and Deana Machtley for sharing their iv extensive scientific knowledge, lab space, and equipment, and for their continual encouragement and support. I would like to thank Dr. David Strayer, for allowing me to spend many microscope hours in his lab, and on his microscopes. I'd also like to thank Dr. John Davis for all of the time and energy invested toward me and this project, for his willingness to be a sounding-board and editor, for his invaluable perspective, and for his constant encouragement and understanding. I must also thank Dr. Colden Baxter for welcoming me into his lab at Idaho State University, for his stream-side instruction and campfire-side tunes, and for his great insight, thoughtful comments, and valued assistance throughout the course of this project. I would like to thank my committee members Dr. Martin Berg, for his expertise in all things aquatic insects and statistics, and for all of his time, effort, and support invested in me and this project, and Dr. Christopher Peterson, for his help and constructive remarks, for sharing his classroom with me, and for his assistance in the development and writing of this work. I …
Human Detection Based on Covariance Features and SVM

Detecting pedestrians is a challenging problem owing to the motion of the subjects, the camera and the background and to variations in pose, appearance, clothing, illumination and background clutter. The Region Covariance Matrix (RCM) descriptors show experimentally significantly out-performs existing feature sets for pedestrian detection. In this paper, we present an efficient features extraction scheme: the Integral CovReg, inspired from Region Covariance Matrix (RCM) descriptors, combined with SVM classifier for pedestrian detection. Key-Words: Pedestrian detection; Image descriptor; Integral CovReg; SVM.
Mineral Chemistry and Petrography of Lava Successions From Kepsut-Dursunbey Volcanic Field, NW Turkey: Implications For Magmatic Processes and Crystallization Conditions

Kepsut-Dursunbey volcanic field (KDVF) is located in NW Turkey and contains various products of the post-collisional Neogene magmatic activity. Two distinct volcanic suites have been recognized; the Kepsut volcanic suite (KVS) and the Dursunbey volcanic suite (DVS). The KVS includes basaltic trachyandesite- basaltic andesite-andesite lavas and associated pyroclastic rocks. The DVS consists of dacite-rhyodacite lavas and extensive pumice-ash fall and flow deposits. Petrographical features (i.e. existence of xenocrysts, glomerocrysts, and mixing-compatible textures) and mineral chemistry of phenocryst assemblages of both suites provide evidence for magma mixing/AFC. Calculated crystallization pressures and temperatures give values of 5.7-7.0 kbar and 927-982 °C for the KVS and 3.7-5.3 kbar and 783-787°C for the DVS, indicating separate magma reservoirs and crystallization in magma chambers at deep and mid crustal levels, respectively. These observations support the establishment and evolution of KDVF magma system promoted by episodic basaltic inputs which may generate and mix with crustal melts.
Golgi protein 73 as a biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma: A diagnostic meta-analysis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver and the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Conflicting results have been reported regarding the use of serum Golgi protein 73 (GP73) as a promising serum marker for the diagnosis of HCC; therefore, the aim of the present study was to provide a systematic review of the diagnostic performance of GP73 for HCC. Following a systematic review of the relevant studies, a number of indices associated with the accuracy of the diagnostic performance of GP73, including the sensitivity and specificity, were pooled using Meta Disc 1.4 software. Data were presented as forest plots, and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve analysis was used to summarize the overall test performance. Eleven studies were included in this meta-analysis. The summary estimates for serum GP73 in diagnosing HCC were as follows: Sensitivity, 77% [95% confidence interval (CI), 75–79%]; specificity, 91% (95% CI, 90–92%); positive likelihood ratio, 4.34 (95% CI, 2.19–8.59); negative likelihood ratio, 0.30 (95% CI, 0.26–0.36) and diagnostic odds ratio, 15.78 (95% CI, 6.95–35.83). The area under the SROC curve was 0.8638, and the Q index was 0.7944. Significant heterogeneity was found. This meta-analysis indicates a moderate diagnostic value of GP73 in HCC; however, further studies with rigorous design, large sample size and multiregional cooperation are required.
Estrogen Receptor α Participates to the Beneficial Effect of Red Wine Polyphenols in a Mouse Model of Obesity-Related Disorders

Red wine polyphenol extracts (polyphenols) ameliorate cardiovascular and metabolic disorders associated with obesity. Previously, we demonstrated that the alpha isoform of estrogen receptor (ERα) triggers the vascular protection of polyphenols. Here, we investigated the contribution of ERα on the effects of polyphenols on cardiovascular and metabolic alterations associated with obesity. We used ovariectomized wild type or ERα-deficient mice receiving standard (SD) or western (WD) diets, or SD and WD containing polyphenols (SD+polyphenols and WD+polyphenols, respectively) over a 12-week period. Body weight was measured during treatment. Echocardiography examination was performed before sacrifice. Blood and tissues were sampled for biochemical and functional analysis with respect to nitric oxide (NO•) and oxidative stress. Vascular reactivity and liver mitochondrial complexes were analyzed. In WD-fed mice, polyphenols reduced adiposity, plasma triglycerides and oxidative stress in aorta, heart, adipose and liver tissues and enhanced NO• production in aorta and liver. ERα deletion prevented or reduced the beneficial effects of polyphenols, especially visceral adiposity, aortic and liver oxidative stresses and NO• bioavailability. ERα deletion, however, had no effect on polyphenol’s ability to decrease the fat accumulation and oxidative stress of subcutaneous adipose tissue. Also, ERα deletion did not modify the decrease of ROS levels induced by polyphenols treatment in the visceral adipose tissue and heart from WD-fed mice. Dietary supplementation of polyphenols remarkably attenuates features of metabolic syndrome; these effects are partially mediated by ERα-dependent mechanisms. This study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of this extract in metabolic and cardiovascular alterations linked to excessive energy intake.
Economic Reform, Growth and Convergence in China

In this paper, we propose a new concept of convergence which is based on the metric entropy measure recently proposed by Granger et al. (2004, Journal of Time Series Analysis 25, 649--69) to investigate economic convergence in China. This entropy measure compares whole distributions of growth rates across individual provinces. Separately, based on this same entropy measure, we also implement cluster analysis to identify any convergence clubs. Our four main conclusions are: (1) while we certainly reject the null hypothesis that there exists a nationwide convergence, we do find that there exist convergence clubs for both the pre- and post-reform periods, (2) we find a number of very small convergence clubs. In particular, there are eleven and six convergence clubs for the pre- and post-reform periods, respectively, (3) in comparing the number and size of convergence clubs for both the pre- and post-reform periods, it could be argued that the extent of convergence is more prevalent during the post-reform period than during the pre-reform period and (4) convergence groups cannot be simply characterized by such unique features as region or the extent of policy preference level that are commonly used in the literature. Copyright Royal Economic Society 2008
Temporal Accuracy in Urban Growth Forecasting: A Study Using the SLEUTH Model

This study attempts to establish multi‐temporal accuracy of the predicted maps produced by a land use change simulation model over time. Validation of the forecasted results is an essential part of predictive modeling and it becomes even more important when the models are used for decision making purposes. The present study uses a popular land use change model called SLEUTH to investigate the temporal trend of accuracy of the predicted maps. The study first investigates the trend of accuracy of the predicted maps from the immediate future to the distant future. Secondly, it investigates the impact of the prediction date range on the accuracy of the predicted maps. The objectives are tested for the city of Gorizia (Italy) using three sets of map comparison techniques, Kappa coefficients, Kappa Simulation and quantity disagreement and allocation disagreement. Results show that, in addition to the model's performance, the decrease in the accuracy of the predicted maps is dependent on factors such as urban history, uncertainty of input data and accuracy of reference maps.
Differential effects of the different Short Self-Applied Relaxation Therapy (SART) components on anxiety, activation and stress / Efectos diferenciales de los distintos componentes de la Relajación Breve Sugestiva Auto aplicada (RBSA) sobre la ansiedad, la activación y el estrés

Abstract Relaxation techniques have evidence-based support in the research community. However, not all relaxation techniques have the same effectiveness or generate the same states of relaxation. For this reason, indications should be established for each of them. Studies into Self-Applied Relaxation Therapy (SART) show that they can decrease anxiety, stress, blood pressure and craving. This study explores to what extent each SART component is responsible for the results found, which is the most appropriate depending on the target variable to be controlled and whether any of the components are dispensable. Ninety-three university volunteer students participated in the study, aged between 18 and 45; 81.70% were female. Results showed that each of the components had similar efficacy and paradoxical effects on certain participants (8% to 26%). From a clinical perspective, this study concludes that SART can be adapted to the user, and a specific combination of components should be designed for each patient.
ANCIENT SOLUTIONS TO KÄHLER-RICCI FLOW

In this paper, we prove that any non-flat ancient solution to KählerRicci flow with bounded nonnegative bisectional curvature has asymptotic volume ratio zero. We also classify all complete gradient shrinking solitons with nonnegative bisectional curvature. Both results generalize the corresponding earlier results of Perelman in [P1] and [P2]. The results then are applied to study the geometry and function theory of complete Kähler manifolds with nonnegative bisectional curvature via Kähler-Ricci flow. A compactness result on ancient solutions to Kähler-Ricci flow is also obtained.
Genomic and Transcriptional Co-Localization of Protein-Coding and Long Non-Coding RNA Pairs in the Developing Brain

Besides protein-coding mRNAs, eukaryotic transcriptomes include many long non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) of unknown function that are transcribed away from protein-coding loci. Here, we have identified 659 intergenic long ncRNAs whose genomic sequences individually exhibit evolutionary constraint, a hallmark of functionality. Of this set, those expressed in the brain are more frequently conserved and are significantly enriched with predicted RNA secondary structures. Furthermore, brain-expressed long ncRNAs are preferentially located adjacent to protein-coding genes that are (1) also expressed in the brain and (2) involved in transcriptional regulation or in nervous system development. This led us to the hypothesis that spatiotemporal co-expression of ncRNAs and nearby protein-coding genes represents a general phenomenon, a prediction that was confirmed subsequently by in situ hybridisation in developing and adult mouse brain. We provide the full set of constrained long ncRNAs as an important experimental resource and present, for the first time, substantive and predictive criteria for prioritising long ncRNA and mRNA transcript pairs when investigating their biological functions and contributions to development and disease.
Permeability of human red cells to a homologous series of aliphatic alcohols. Limitations of the continuous flow-tube method

Human red cell permeability to the homologous series of methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, and n-hexanol was determined in tracer efflux experiments by the continuous flow tube method, whose time resolution is 2-3 ms. Control experiments showed that unstirred layers in the cell suspension were less than 2 X 10(-4) cm, and that permeabilities less than or equal to 10(-2) cm s-1 can be determined with the method. Alcohol permeability varied with the chain length (25 degrees C): Pmeth 3.7 X 10(-3) cm s-1, Peth 2.1 X 10(-3) cm s-1, Pprop 6.5 X 10(-3) cm s-1, Pbut less than or equal to 61 X 10(-3) cm s-1, Phex 8.7 X 10(-3) cm s-1. The permeability for methanol, ethanol, and n- propanol was concentration independent (1-500 mM). The permeability to n-butanol and n-hexanol, however, increased above the upper limit of determination at alcohol concentrations of 100 and 25 mM, respectively. The activation energies for the permeability to methanol, n-propanol, and n-hexanol were similar, 50-63 kJ mol-1. Methanol permeability was not reduced by p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate (PCMBS), thiourea, or phloretin, which inhibit transport of water or hydrophilic nonelectrolytes. It is concluded (a) that all the alcohols predominantly permeate the membrane lipid bilayer structure; (b) that both the distribution coefficient and the diffusion coefficient of the alcohols within the membrane determine the permeability, and (c) that the relative importance of the two factors varies with changes in the chain length.
Inflammatory Pseudotumor Of The Orbit: A Histopathologic And Immunohistochemical Study Of 32 Cases

Background and Objective: Inflammatory pseudotumor is a lesion composed of proliferating spindle cells with mixed inflammatory infiltrates. Some authors have proposed the name inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor as a proper descriptive term rather than the vague inflammatory pseudotumor. The aim of this study was to verify the myofibroblastic origin of spindle cells in idiopathic orbital inflammatory pseudotumor by immunohistochemical staining. Materials and Methods: We reviewed a series of 32 inflammatory pseudotumors arising in orbit for expression of smooth muscle actin, vimentin, desmin and anaplastic lymphoma kinase using immunohistochemical staining. Results: There were 21 females and 11 males aged 3 to 64 years with a mean age of 31. Immu-nohistochemically, spindle cells of 51.75%, 79.3%, and 17.2% of lesions expressed smooth muscle actin (15/29), vimentin (23/29) and desmin (5/29). All lesions (32/32) were negative for anaplastic lymphoma kinase Conclusion: In this study, reactivity for smooth muscle actin in spindle cells can be demonstrated as myofibroblastic differentiation. The absence of anaplastic lymphoma expression in all cases of orbital inflammatory pseudotumor in this study strongly suggests that these lesions, albeit histologically similar, are biologically distinct from their soft tissue counterparts or those inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor that negative for anaplastic lymphoma immunoreactivity may be characterized by one or more chromosomal aberration involving regions other than 2p23 is as yet unknown.
I am alone: the experience of nurses delivering care to alcohol and drug users

The objective of this study was to deter - mine the experience of nurses who care for drug-dependent patients at a medical service of a public hospital in Chile. This is a qualitative study of phenomenological trajectory according to Martin Heidegger’s framework. The study question was, What is the experience of taking care of drug-de - pendent patients admitted to your service? Nurses’ reports were based on the concept of situated phenomenon reference by Joel Martins After analyzing the interviews, we identified three themes that expressed this phenomenon: speaking about the drug-dependent patient, taking care of patients in an adverse environment, and dispelling the fear of care. This study shows the need to train health care professionals on dealing with alcohol-and drug-dependent pa - tients in order to overcome prejudices and improve care delivered to these patients
Large Hinge Width on Sparse Random Hypergraphs

Consider random hypergraphs on n vertices, where each k-element subset of vertices is selected with probability p independently and randomly as a hyperedge. By sparse we mean that the total number of hyperedges is O(n) or O(n ln n). When k = 2, these are exactly the classical Erdos-Renyi random graphs G(n, p). We prove that with high probability, hinge width on these sparse random hypergraphs can grow linearly with the expected number of hyperedges. Some random constraint satisfaction problems such as Model RB and Model RD have satisfiability thresholds on these sparse constraint hypergraphs, thus the large hinge width results provide some theoretical evidence for random instances around satisfiability thresholds to be hard for a standard hinge-decomposition based algorithm. We also conduct experiments on these and other kinds of random graphs with several hundreds vertices, including regular random graphs and power law random graphs. The experimental results also show that hinge width can grow linearly with the number of edges on these different random graphs. These results may be of further interests.
Comparing different visual biofeedbacks in static posturography

Several studies have showed the positive effect that real-time presentation of centre of pressure (COP) has on stability. Typically the COP position is depicted in real-time on the screen and it is required that the participant uses this additional information to regulate his/her postural sway. In order to perform the motor task, it requires an attentional load that influences the postural performance. Up-to now no study has focused on the effect that modality of VBF presentation could have on postural control and how it depends on the attentional load needed. Goal of this study was to compare the effects that two different modalities of Visual Biofeedback (VBF) presentation, which require different focus of attention, could have on postural stability. The CoP coordinates were extracted from force plate data and elaborated in real-time to implement two VBFs: VBFsquare, where the CoP is shown on a screen together with a square stability area, extracted from anthropometric feature; and VBFsmile, which let the participants know if they are or are not in the stability area by an emoticon image. Two groups of twelve healthy young subjects executed the protocol in two different sequences composed of the following conditions: noVBF-VBFsquare and noVBF-VBFsmile. Each condition was repeated three times. The effect of the two VBFs was studied by four parameters extracted directly from CoP coordinates (sway area, sway path, mean amplitude and mean frequency). The comparison between the two VBFs showed significant difference in sway path and mean frequency. The decrease of the parameters' values in VBFsmile opens the possibility of using it as a tool to facilitate postural control in upright stance.
How responsive is the Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29)? A comparison with some other self report scales

Objectives: To compare the responsiveness of the Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29) with other self report scales in three multiple sclerosis (MS) samples using a range of methods. To estimate the impact on clinical trials of differing scale responsiveness. Methods: We studied three discrete MS samples: consecutive admissions for rehabilitation; consecutive admissions for steroid treatment of relapses; and a cohort with primary progressive MS (PPMS). All patients completed four scales at two time points: MSIS-29; Short Form 36 (SF-36); Functional Assessment of MS (FAMS); and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). We determined: (1) the responsiveness of each scale in each sample (effect sizes): (2) the relative responsiveness of competing scales within each sample (relative efficiency): (3) the differential responsiveness of competing scales across the three samples (relative precision); and (4) the implications for clinical trials (samples size estimates scales to produce the same effect size). Results: We studied 245 people (64 rehabilitation; 77 steroids; 104 PPMS). The most responsive physical and psychological scales in both rehabilitation and steroids samples were the MSIS-29 physical scale and the GHQ-12. However, the relative ability of different scales to detect change in the two samples was variable. Differing responsiveness implied more than a twofold impact on sample size estimates. Conclusions: The MSIS-29 was the most responsive physical and second most responsive psychological scale. Scale responsiveness differs notably within and across samples, which affects sample size calculations. Results of clinical trials are scale dependent.
Alcoholic Pancreatitis: Pathogenesis, Incidence and Treatment with Special Reference to the Associated Pain

Alcoholic pancreatitis continues to stir up controversy. One of the most debated points is whether from onset it is a chronic disease or whether it progresses to a chronic form after repeated episodes of acute pancreatitis. Histological studies on patients with alcoholic pancreatitis have shown that the disease is chronic from onset and that alcoholic acute pancreatitis occurs in a pancreas already damaged by chronic lesions. Genetic factors may also play a role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic disease. The incidence of chronic alcoholic pancreatitis seems to have decreased in the last twenty years. Finally, recent therapeutic studies which have shown medical or surgical approaches capable of reducing the pain episodes in chronic pancreatitis patients will be described.