Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mobile IP Extension to Ad Hoc Wireless Networks

Mobile IP has been proposed for providing mobility services for mobile nodes that have direct (fixed or wireless) links to the Internet. In this paper, we consider extending Mobile IP to accommodate mobility support for mobile nodes that are two or more wireless hops away from a fixed infrastructure. Our proposal differs from existing solutions in that we do not use ad hoc routing protocols to relay Mobile IP messages and data packets: standard IP routing is used instead. The advantages of our proposal are (1) Mobile IP foreign agents need not be modified. (2) legacy mobile nodes that do not implement the extension are still able to connect to the fixed infrastructure, and (3) mobile nodes behave the same, no matter they have a direct link to the infrastructure or not. The proposed protocol has been implemented and tested.
How does individual variation in sociality influence fitness in prairie voles?

Comparative studies aid in our understanding of specific conditions favoring the initial evolution of different types of social behaviors, yet there is much unexplained intraspecific variation in the expression of social behavior that comparative studies have not yet addressed. The proximate causes of this individual variation in social behavior within a species have been examined in some species but its fitness consequences have been less frequently investigated. In this study, we quantified the fitness consequences of variation in the sociality of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). We characterized sociality of voles in semi-natural enclosures using an automated behavioral tracking system paired with social network analyses to quantify the degree of spatial and temporal co-occurrence of different voles. We then assessed the relationship between sociality with mating success (number of different conspecifics with which an individual produced offspring) and reproductive success (total number of offspring surviving to first capture). We measured the number of social connections each individual had with all voles and only with opposite-sex voles by calculating unweighted degree through social network analyses. Both female and male voles varied in the number of social connections they had with all conspecifics and with opposite-sex conspecifics. Voles with an intermediate number of social connections with voles of both sexes had higher mating success overall. In our analyses that considered all social connections with voles of both sexes, voles with an intermediate number of social connections produced more offspring. Males with a very high or low number of social connections also had the lowest average body mass. Overall, our results suggest some limit on the fitness benefits of sociality. Although there was substantial individual-variation in our measure of vole social behavior, intermediate levels of social connections may be most favorable.
Pectoral Dimorphism Is a Pervasive Feature of Skate Diversity and Offers Insight into their Evolution

Synopsis Mature skates (Batoidea: Rajoidei) display a unique form of sexual dimorphism in which males develop a concave anterior pectoral fin, giving them a bell-shaped appearance. Recent work has linked the male-specific transformation to differential skeletal development that is coincident with the rapid elongation of claspers, cartilage-supported intromittent organs. Still, little is known about the prevalence of pectoral dimorphism across skates or of interspecific variation in its expression. Here, we use various morphological approaches to broadly explore pectoral dimorphism in skates, with the goal of understanding its significance in their evolutionary history. We find that pectoral fin sexual dimorphism exists across skate diversity, positively identifying its presence in at least 131 species spanning 33 genera, approximately 40% of valid species. Further, we show that the nature of male–female shape change is largely consistent across species, but that it differs in its magnitude at a biologically meaningful scale. Finally, we use the pygmy skate Fenestraja plutonia as a case study to illustrate ontogenetic patterns in the development of pectoral fin dimorphism, additionally identifying sex-based differences in the pelvic girdle and jaw. Our work suggests that the diversity of pectoral dimorphism in skates is linked to comparative growth and maturation, and potentially to processes underlying reproductive and life history diversification within the group.
Development of resveratrol-conjugated gold nanoparticles: interrelationship of increased resveratrol corona on anti-tumor efficacy against breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers

Background: As part of our continuing quest to enhance the efficacy of bioactive phytochemicals in cancer therapy, we report an innovative green nanotechnology approach toward the use of resveratrol for the production of biocompatible resveratrol-conjugated gold nanoparticles (Res-AuNPs). Our overarching aim is to exploit the inherent pro-apoptotic properties of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) through synergistic anti-tumor characteristics of resveratrol, with the aim of developing a new class of green nanotechnology-based phytochemical-embedded AuNPs for applications in oncology. Method: Resveratrol was used to reduce Au3+ to Au0 for the synthesis of Res-AuNPs at room temperature and gum arabic (GA) was used to further encapsulate the nanoparticulate surface to increase the overall stability of the AuNPs. This comprehensive study involves the synthesis, full characterization and in vitro stability of Res-AuNPs in various biological media for their ultimate applications as anti-cancer agents against human breast (MDAMB-231), pancreatic (PANC-1) and prostate (PC-3) cancers. Results: This strategy to systematically increase the corona of resveratrol on AuNPs, in order to gain insights into the interrelationship of the phytochemical corona on the overall anti-tumor activities of Res-AuNPs, proved successful. The increased resveratrol corona on Res-AuNPs showed superior anti-cancer effects, attributed to an optimal cellular uptake after 24-hour incubation, while GA provided a protein matrix support for enhanced trans-resveratrol loading onto the surface of the AuNPs. Conclusion: The approach described in this study harnesses the benefits of nutraceuticals and nanoparticles toward the development of Res-AuNPs. We provide compelling evidence that the increased corona of resveratrol on AuNPs enhances the bioavailability of resveratrol so that therapeutically active species can be optimally available in vivo for applications in cancer therapy.
State of the information privacy literature: where are we now and where should we go?

While information privacy has been studied in multiple disciplines over the years, the advent of the information age has both elevated the importance of privacy in theory and practice, and increased the relevance of information privacy literature for Information Systems, which has taken a leading role in the theoretical and practical study of information privacy. There is an impressive body of literature on information privacy in IS, and the two Theory and Review articles in this issue of MIS Quarterly review this literature. By integrating these two articles, this paper evaluates the current state of the IS literature on information privacy (where are we now? ) and identifies promising research directions for advancing IS research on information privacy (where should we go? ). Additional thoughts on further expanding the information privacy research in IS by drawing on related disciplines to enable a multidisciplinary study of information privacy are discussed.
A review of protocols for the experimental release of kelp (Laminariales) zoospores

Abstract Kelps (order Laminariales) are foundation species in temperate and arctic seas globally, but they are in decline in many places. Laminarian kelp have an alternation of generations and this poses challenges for experimental studies due to the difficulties in achieving zoospore release and gametophyte growth. Here, we review and synthesize the protocols that have been used to induce zoospore release in kelps to identify commonalities and provide guidance on best practices. We found 171 papers, where zoospore release was induced in four kelp families from 35 different ecoregions. The most commonly treated family was Laminariaceae, followed by Lessoniaceae and the most studied ecoregion was Central Chile, followed by the Southern California Bight. Zoospore release generally involved three steps: a pretreatment which included cleaning of the reproductive tissue to eliminate epiphytic organisms, followed by desiccation of the tissue, and finally a postdesiccation immersion of the reproductive material in a seawater medium for zoospore release. Despite these commonalities, there was a high degree of variation in the detail within each of these steps, even among studies within genera and from the same ecoregions. This suggests either that zoospore release may be relatively insensitive across the Laminariales or that little methods optimization has been undertaken. We suggest that greater attention to standardization of protocols and reporting of methodology and optimization would improve comparisons of kelp zoospore release across species and locations and facilitate a broader understanding of this key, but understudied life history stage. Open Research Badges This article has earned an Open Data Badge for making publicly available the digitally‐shareable data necessary to reproduce the reported results. The data is available at https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0kh1f8j.
Tuber borchii Shapes the Ectomycorrhizosphere Microbial Communities of Corylus avellana

Abstract In this study, eight-month-old ectomycorrhizae of Tuber borchii with Corylus avellana were synthesized to explore the influence of T. borchii colonization on the soil properties and the microbial communities associated with C. avellana during the early symbiotic stage. The results showed that the bacterial richness and diversity in the ectomycorrhizae were significantly higher than those in the control roots, whereas the fungal diversity was not changed in response to T. borchii colonization. Tuber was the dominant taxon (82.97%) in ectomycorrhizae. Some pathogenic fungi, including Ilyonectria and Podospora, and other competitive mycorrhizal fungi, such as Hymenochaete, had significantly lower abundance in the T. borchii inoculation treatment. It was found that the ectomycorrhizae of C. avellana contained some more abundant bacterial genera (e.g., Rhizobium, Pedomicrobium, Ilumatobacter, Streptomyces, and Geobacillus) and fungal genera (e.g., Trechispora and Humicola) than the control roots. The properties of rhizosphere soils were also changed by T. borchii colonization, like available nitrogen, available phosphorus and exchangeable magnesium, which indicated a feedback effect of mycorrhizal synthesis on soil properties. Overall, this work highlighted the interactions between the symbionts and the microbes present in the host, which shed light on our understanding of the ecological functions of T. borchii and facilitate its commercial cultivation.
The Development of Introductory Statistics Students' Informal Inferential Reasoning and Its Relationship to Formal Inferential Reasoning

The difficulties introductory statistics students have with formal statistical inference are well known in the field of statistics education. "Informal" statistical inference has been studied as a means to introduce inferential reasoning well before and without the formalities of formal statistical inference. This mixed methods study investigated the development of introductory statistics students’ informal inferential reasoning and its relationship to their formal inferential reasoning. A pre/posttest was administered to 136 students enrolled in introductory statistics classes taught in their secondary schools. Four task-based interviews were also conducted with seven pairs of those students. With probabilistic reasoning essential for formal statistical inference, students’ informal inferential reasoning related to sampling and estimating probabilities did improve significantly. Additionally, the strong informal inferential reasoners, those strong at the beginning and remaining so at the end of the study, and the 14 students who took part in the task-based interviews demonstrated strong formal inferential reasoning at the end of their course. However, when the interviewees drew informal inferences based on a sampling distribution, the majority of them sought to reduce variability by taking several samples. This study provided insight into why students were not using the probabilities associated with the normality of the sampling distribution when drawing an informal inference and how this then impacted their formal inferential reasoning. Implications for practice and suggestions for further research are included. The Development of Introductory Statistics Students' Informal Inferential Reasoning and Its Relationship to Formal Inferential Reasoning By Bridgette L. Jacob B.A. Niagara University, 1983 M.S. Syracuse University, 2000 DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics Education in the Graduate School of Syracuse University
In vitro reduction of colistin susceptibility and comparative genomics reveals multiple differences between MCR-positive and MCR-negative colistin-resistant Escherichia coli

Objectives: Although resistance to colistin is increasingly reported from clinical settings, the genetic mechanisms that lead to colistin resistance in Escherichia coli have not been fully characterized. Here, we assess the evolution of colistin resistance in clinical isolates of mobilized colistin resistance (MCR)-negative and MCR-positive Escherichia coli. Methods: Spontaneously mutated colistin-resistant progeny were evolved using a step-wise reduction of colistin susceptibility. Resistance phenotypes were confirmed by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination, and the probable resistance mechanisms were investigated using PCR and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Mutated genes of the laboratory-evolved mutants were identified by whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomics. Fitness costs and serum resistance of the mutants were also compared to the corresponding wild types. Results: MCR-negative isolates displayed higher increases in MICs than did MCR-positive isolates following colistin exposure. Upregulation of pmrAB and associated genes was evident among MCR-negative isolates but not MCR-positive isolates. Comparative genomic analysis of mutants and their corresponding wild-types (WTs) revealed numerous mutations in genes encoding membrane transporters and two-component systems. Additionally, MCR-negative mutants exhibited higher fitness costs than MCR-positive mutants compared with their corresponding WTs but displayed similar serum resistance. Conclusion: Our findings reveal multiple differences between MCR-positive and MCR-negative E. coli strains following colistin exposure, which provide reference values for clinical medication.
Prenatal Maternal Stress From a Natural Disaster and Hippocampal Volumes: Gene-by-Environment Interactions in Young Adolescents From Project Ice Storm

Gene-by-environment interactions influence brain development from conception to adulthood. In particular, the prenatal period is a window of vulnerability for the interplay between environmental and genetic factors to influence brain development. Rodent and human research demonstrates that prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) alters hippocampal volumes. Although PNMS affects hippocampal size on average, similar degrees of PNMS lead to different effects in different individuals. This differential susceptibility to the effects of PNMS may be due to genetic variants. Hence, we investigated the role of genetic variants of two SNPs that are candidates to moderate the effects of PNMS on hippocampal volume: COMT (rs4680) and BDNF (rs6265). To investigate this, we assessed 53 children who were in utero during the January 1998 Quebec ice storm. In June 1998 their mothers responded to questionnaires about their objective, cognitive, and subjective levels of stress from the ice storm. When children were 11 1/2 years old, T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were obtained using a 3T scanner and analyzed to determine hippocampal volumes. We collected and genotyped the children’s saliva DNA. Moderation analyses were conducted to determine whether either or both of the SNPs moderate the effect of PNMS on hippocampal volumes. We found that objective hardship was associated with right hippocampal volume in girls, and that the BDNF and COMT genotypes were associated with left hippocampal volume in boys and girls. In addition, SNPs located on COMT moderated the effect of maternal objective distress in boys, and subjective distress in girls, on both right hippocampal volume. Thus, we conclude that an individual’s genotype alters their susceptibility to the effects of PNMS.
Two Artificial Intelligence Methods For Knowledge Synthesis From Environmental Data

The decline of expert systems was mainly due to the bottle-neck of tedious time and man-power consuming manual knowledge acquisition from domain experts Advanced methods of artificial intelligence, such as machine learning or machine discovery of structure and processes of dynamic systems, can to a%eat deal automate the knowledge acquisition process. In the paper, two of these methods, i.e. induction of regression trees, and machine discovery of algebraic and differential equations, are briefly presented and described. Examples of their use in the domain of environmental systems and processes are given Thev mclude the induction of regression trees for algal growth in the Lagoon of Venice and for algal blooms in the Lake of Bled. In addition we demonstrated how Monods equation and a set of population dynamics equations can be discovered from example behaviors of the corresponding dynamical systems Ine described methods obtain the shown results from raw data (measurements) u u TM*TM? <k a*? general and do not need any (background) knowledge about the domain. The programs used were not modified in any way before or during the use to suit the domain or the particular examples.
Topical review: Asthma, sports and the Olympic Games

Summary Exercise-induced asthma (EIA) is a general concern for growing children and adolescents with asthma. One main objective in the treatment of asthma during childhood, according to most international and national guidelines, is to master EIA. Additionally, among athletes, and especially elite athletes, EIA and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) are major problems, interfering with the performance of sports and representing a health risk. Athletes, as well as ordinary patients, need an optimal diagnosis and treatment of their asthma. This was shown by Beckeret al. [1], who reported deaths linked to athletic performance over a 7-year period in the USA. Out of 263 deaths, 61 were asthma related, and 51% of the deaths were related to organised sports events. Only one of the 61 athletes who died used inhaled steroids [1]. This underlines the need for optimal asthma treatment among competitive athletes. Due to concern about reports of frequent use of inhaled β2-agonists, the Medical Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC-MC) introduced restrictions in the use of these drugs in relationship to sport in 1993. These rules have been altered several times, with the introduction of applications and approvals for international athletes to be able to use such drugs. Among pulmonologists and allergologists, these rules were felt to be very restrictive, and a joint Task Force was set up by the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI). This Task Force recently produced three reports [2–4]. The present article focuses on the problems raised by this report, as well as outlining a pan-European study focusing on asthma and BHR in top athletes.
Effects of Bismuth Oxide on Physicochemical Properties and Osteogenic Activity of Dicalcium Silicate Cements

This study examines the effects of bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) radiopacifier on the physicochemical properties and in vitro osteogenic activities of sol-gel-derived dicalcium silicate cements. The setting time, diametral tensile strength, radiopacity, solubility, pH value, and phase composition of the cements containing various amounts of Bi2O3 (5, 10, and 20 wt%) were evaluated and compared to those of ProRoot white-colored mineral trioxide aggregate (WMTA). The osteogenic activities, such as proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization, of MG63 human osteoblast-like cells on cements with and without Bi2O3 were also examined. The results show that the setting time increased significantly (P＜0.05) with increasing Bi2O3 content. The pH value and diametral tensile strength of the cements were slightly affected by the introduction of Bi2O3. After the addition of 5, 10, and 20 wt% Bi2O3, the radiopacity of the cements became significantly (P＜0.05) higher, with values equivalent to 3.3, 5.8, and 8.4 mm of Al, respectively, which are all greater than the 3 mm of Al recommended by ISO 6876: 2001 standards. The solubility of the three radiopaque cements ranged between 0.8% and 1.1%, which is significantly (P＜0.05) lower than that of WMTA (1.4%). 20 wt% Bi2O3 led to lower cell proliferation, differentiation, and calcium deposits of MG63 cells on the cement surfaces at all culture times compared those obtained with the other cements. The addition of 10 wt% Bi2O3 to dicalcium silicate cement improves the setting time, radiopacity, and osteogenic activity, making the cement a potential alternative to WMTA as a root-end filling material.
A suite of transgenic driver and reporter mouse lines with enhanced brain cell type targeting and functionality

Modern genetic approaches are powerful in providing access to diverse types of neurons within the mammalian brain and greatly facilitating the study of their function. We here report a large set of driver and reporter transgenic mouse lines, including 23 new driver lines targeting a variety of cortical and subcortical cell populations and 26 new reporter lines expressing an array of molecular tools. In particular, we describe the TIGRE2.0 transgenic platform and introduce Cre-dependent reporter lines that enable optical physiology, optogenetics, and sparse labeling of genetically-defined cell populations. TIGRE2.0 reporters broke the barrier in transgene expression level of single-copy targeted-insertion transgenesis in a wide range of neuronal types, along with additional advantage of a simplified breeding strategy compared to our first-generation TIGRE lines. These novel transgenic lines greatly expand the repertoire of high-precision genetic tools available to effectively identify, monitor, and manipulate distinct cell types in the mouse brain.