Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contributions of biogeographical functions to species accumulation may change over time in refugial regions

Elevated biodiversity is the result of the cradle, museum or sink functions. The contributions of these three functions to species accumulation and their changes through time remain unknown for glacial refugia. Additionally, our understanding of the role these functions played during pre‐glacial periods is limited. We test for changes in contributions of functions through time leading to the current diversity patterns using a model refugium and taxon.
Skeletal Muscle Metrics on Clinical 18F- FDG PET/CT Predict Health Outcomes in Patients with Sarcoma

The aim of this study was to determine the association of measures of skeletal muscle determined from 18F-FDG PET/CT with health outcomes in patients with soft-tissue sarcoma. 14 patients (8 women and 6 men; mean age 66.5 years) with sarcoma had PET/CT examinations. On CTs of the abdomen and pelvis, skeletal muscle was segmented, and cross-sectional muscle area, muscle volume, and muscle attenuation were determined. Within the segmented muscle, intramuscular fat area, volume, and density were derived. On PET images the standardized uptake value (SUV) of muscle was determined. Regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between the imaging measures and health outcomes including overall survival (OS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant cancer recurrence (DCR), and major surgical complications (MSC). The association between imaging metrics and pre-therapy levels of serum C-reactive protein (CRP), creatinine, hemoglobin, and albumin was determined. Decreased volumetric muscle CT attenuation was associated with increased DCR. Increased PET SUV of muscle was associated with decreased OS and LRFS. Lower muscle SUV was associated with lower serum hemoglobin and albumin. Muscle measurements obtained on routine 18F-FDG PET/CT is associated with outcomes and serum hemoglobin and albumin in patients with sarcoma.
Determination of the Membrane Environment of CD59 in Living Cells

The organization and dynamics of proteins and lipids in the plasma membrane, and their role in membrane functionality, have been subject of a long-lasting debate. Specifically, it is unclear to what extent membrane proteins are affected by their immediate lipid environment and vice versa. Studies on model membranes and plasma membrane vesicles indicated preferences of proteins for lipid phases characterized by different acyl chain order; however, whether such phases do indeed exist in live cells is still not known. Here, we refine a previously developed micropatterning approach combined with single molecule tracking to quantify the influence of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored (GPI-anchored) protein CD59 on its molecular environment directly in the live cell plasma membrane. We find that locally enriched and immobilized CD59 presents obstacles to the diffusion of fluorescently labeled lipids with a different phase-partitioning behavior independent of cell cholesterol levels and type of lipid. Our results give no evidence for either specific binding of the lipids to CD59 or the existence of nanoscopic ordered membrane regions associated with CD59.
Analysis of computer-aided detection techniques and signal characteristics for clustered microcalcifications on digital mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis

With IRB approval, digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) images of human subjects were collected using a GE GEN2 DBT prototype system. Corresponding digital mammograms (DMs) of the same subjects were collected retrospectively from patient files. The data set contained a total of 237 views of DBT and equal number of DM views from 120 human subjects, each included 163 views with microcalcification clusters (MCs) and 74 views without MCs. The data set was separated into training and independent test sets. The pre-processing, object prescreening and segmentation, false positive reduction and clustering strategies for MC detection by three computer-aided detection (CADe) systems designed for DM, DBT, and a planar projection image generated from DBT were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves based on features extracted from microcalcifications and free-response ROC (FROC) curves based on scores from MCs were used to quantify the performance of the systems. Jackknife FROC (JAFROC) and non-parametric analysis methods were used to determine the statistical difference between the FROC curves. The difference between the CADDM and CADDBT systems when the false positive rate was estimated from cases without MCs did not reach statistical significance. The study indicates that the large search space in DBT may not be a limiting factor for CADe to achieve similar performance as that observed in DM.
Exponential Synchronization of Networked Chaotic Delayed Neural Network by a Hybrid Event Trigger Scheme

This paper is concerned with the exponential synchronization for master–slave chaotic delayed neural network with event trigger control scheme. The model is established on a network control framework, where both external disturbance and network-induced delay are taken into consideration. The desired aim is to synchronize the master and slave systems with limited communication capacity and network bandwidth. In order to save the network resource, we adopt a hybrid event trigger approach, which not only reduces the data package sending out, but also gets rid of the Zeno phenomenon. By using an appropriate Lyapunov functional, a sufficient criterion for the stability is proposed for the error system with extended (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathcal {X}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathcal {Y}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathcal {Z}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>)-dissipativity performance index. Moreover, hybrid event trigger scheme and controller are codesigned for network-based delayed neural network to guarantee the exponential synchronization between the master and slave systems. The effectiveness and potential of the proposed results are demonstrated through a numerical example.
High throughput pipelined hardware implementation of the KECCAK hash function

The cryptographic hash algorithm has been developed by designers with the goal to enhance its performances in terms of frequency, throughput, power consumption and area. The cryptographic hash algorithm is implemented in many embedded systems to ensure security. It is become the default choice to ensure the information integrity in numerous applications. In this paper, we propose a pipelined architecture of the new algorithm SHA-3 (KECCAK). In addition, the proposed KECCAK architecture has been implemented on Xilinx FPGA platform (Virtex-5). Its frequency, efficiency, throughput and area have been compared and discussed. The FPGA implementation results show that the proposed architecture achieves good performance in terms of frequency and throughput.
Patterns of relationships between cardiovascular disease risk factors and neurocognitive function in African Americans.

OBJECTIVE The association between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and neurocognitive function has gathered a good deal of attention in the health and social science literature; however, the relationship among several CVD risk factors and neurocognitive function has not been fully explored in an African American sample. The purpose of this study was to examine the pattern of relationships among four CVD risk factors and five measures of higher cortical functions. METHODS Data were collected from a sample of 106 African American community-dwelling adults in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area. A nurse collected blood pressure, waist circumference, and a blood sample (to assess triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol) from study participants. Participants completed the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Trailmaking B, Stroop Color-word Task, California Verbal Learning Test-II, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test as assessments of neurocognitive function. Canonical analysis and multiple regression analysis were the major statistical methods utilized to assess relationships between CVD risk factors and neurocognitive function. RESULTS The results suggest that 1) attentional processes are associated with diastolic blood pressure levels, 2) verbal learning processes are associated with diastolic blood pressure and triglyceride levels, and 3) the ability to shift cognitive set is associated with HDL cholesterol levels. CONCLUSION As cardiovascular health worsens in our society, particularly among ethnic minorities, the neurocognitive consequences must be clearly understood. Future studies should focus on identifying and building awareness of cardiovascular and neurocognitive links through longitudinal research designs and brain imaging technology.
Breast fibroblasts in both cancer and normal tissues induce phenotypic transformation of breast cancer stem cells: a preliminary study

Background Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are associated with the invasion of breast cancer. In recent years, studies have demonstrated different phenotypes among BCSCs. Furthermore, BCSCs of diverse phenotypes are present at different tumour sites and different histological stages. Fibroblasts are involved in the phenotypic transformation of BCSCs. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) participate in the induction of epithelial–mesenchymal transition, thereby promoting the acquisition of stem cell characteristics, but little is known about the role of normal fibroblasts (NFs) in the phenotypic transformation of BCSCs or about the effect of CAFs and NFs on BCSC phenotypes. Methods A total of six pairs of primary CAFs and NFs were isolated from surgical samples of breast cancer patients and subjected to morphological, immunohistochemical, cell invasion and proteomics analyses. After establishing a cell culture system with conditioned medium from CAFs and NFs, we used the mammosphere formation assay to explore the effect of CAFs and NFs on the self-renewal ability of BCSCs. The effect of CAFs and NFs on the phenotypic differentiation of BCSCs was further analysed by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. Results The isolated CAFs and NFs did not show significant differences in cell morphology or alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, but cell invasion and proteomics analyses demonstrated heterogeneity among these fibroblasts. Both CAFs and NFs could promote the generation of BCSCs, but CAFs displayed a greater ability than NFs in promoting mammosphere formation. Conditioned medium from CAFs increased the proportion of aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 positive (ALDH1+) BCSCs, but conditioned medium from NFs was more likely to promote the generation of CD44+CD24− BCSCs from MCF-7 cells. Discussion This study validated the heterogeneity among CAFs and NFs and expanded on the conclusion that fibroblasts promote the generation of cancer stem cells. Our results particularly emphasized the effect of NFs on the phenotypic transformation of BCSCs. In addition, this study further highlighted the roles of CAFs and NFs in the induction of different phenotypes in BCSCs.
Self-assembly of linear aggregates on curved membranes

Recent experiments evidence the strong influence that linear aggregation of beta-sheet peptides can have on the conformation and stability of lipid membranes. We have therefore studied in the dilute limit the self-assembly of one-dimensional aggregates bound to a fluid-like membrane of prescribed curvatures. Each aggregate is characterized by its persistence length and an interaction potential with the membrane. For strong adsorption of flexible aggregates the bending stiffness of the composite membrane grows linearly with the total concentration of aggregate-forming units. For weak adsorption of rigid aggregates the dependence is cubic for which we show—based on a hydrophobic matching hypothesis—that the aggregates can significantly contribute to or even dominate the bending stiffness. We also show how the membrane curvature affects the orientational and size distribution of the aggregates.
The Role of Oil Prices and Monetary Policy in the Norwegian Economy Since the 1980s

We use a TVP-VAR model to investigate possible changes in the time series properties of key Norwegian macroeconomic variables since the 1980s. The sample period is characterised by deregulation, globalization, sizable petroleum revenues, a switch from exchange rate to infl? ation targeting and adoption of a policy rule for the use of petroleum revenues.We fi? nd that the long-run means of CPI and core in? flation rates declined signifi? cantly until the mid-1990s and have since then remained close to the ifln? ation target of 2.5% from 2001 onwards. The persistence in especially CPI infl? ation has fallen during the infl? ation targeting period while the volatility of both infl? ation rates and the nominal effective exchange rate has increased. We document an increase in the correlations between money market rates and the in? flation rates as well as the output gap during the in? flation targeting period and a steady decline towards zero in the correlations between money market rates and nominal exchange rate changes. There is evidence of an increase in the correlations between oil prices and the other macroeconomic variables over time. Our counterfactual analysis suggests oil shocks to have been important for output gap and in? flation volatility while monetary policy shocks have been important for driving infl? ation persistence and the correlation of money market rates with macroeconomic variables.
Radiation Therapy for Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma : An ASTRO Evidence Based Clinical Practice Guideline

a. Department of Radiation Oncology, UT Southwestern, Dallas, Texas b. Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, Ohio c. Department of Radiation Oncology, Inova Dwight and Martha Schar Cancer Institute, Falls Church, Virginia d. Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina e. Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, California f. Department of Radiation Medicine, Northwell Health, Lake Success, New York. g. Department of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida h. Department of Thoracic Head and Neck Medical Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas i. Department of Radiation Oncology, Carolinas HealthCare System Union, Monroe, North Carolina j. Department of Radiation Oncology, John Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland k. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio l. Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas m. Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Physician Organization, Boston, Massachusetts n. Department of Radiation Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Ontario, Canada o. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Melatonin improves endothelial function in vitro and prolongs pregnancy in women with early‐onset preeclampsia

Preeclampsia remains a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. There have been no material advances in the treatment of preeclampsia for nearly 50 years. Combining in vitro studies and a clinical trial, we aimed to determine whether melatonin could be a useful adjuvant therapy. In a xanthine/xanthine oxidase (X/XO) placental explant model, melatonin reduced oxidative stress (8‐isoprostane) and enhanced antioxidant markers (Nrf2 translocation, HO‐1), but did not affect explant production of anti‐angiogenic factors (sFlt, sEng, activin A). In cultured HUVECs, melatonin mitigated TNFα‐induced vascular cell adhesion molecule expression and rescued the subsequent disruption to endothelial monolayer integrity but did not affect other markers for endothelial activation and dysfunction. In a phase I trial of melatonin in 20 women with preeclampsia, we assessed the safety and efficacy of melatonin on (i) preeclampsia progression, (ii) clinical outcomes, and (iii) oxidative stress, matching outcomes with recent historical controls receiving similar care. Melatonin therapy was safe for mothers and their fetuses. Compared to controls, melatonin administration extended the mean ± SEM diagnosis to delivery interval by 6 ± 2.3 days reduced the need for increasing antihypertensive medication on days 3‐4 (13% vs 71%), days 6‐7 (8% vs 51%), and at delivery (26% vs 75%). All other clinical and biochemical measures of disease severity were unaffected by melatonin. We have shown that melatonin has the potential to mitigate maternal endothelial pro‐oxidant injury and could therefore provide effective adjuvant therapy to extend pregnancy duration to deliver improved clinical outcomes for women with severe preeclampsia.
Application of Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Analysis in Discrimination of Salmonella Typhimurium Isolates of India

Realizing the significance of random amplified polymorphic DNA typing in heterogeneity analysis of Salmonella serovars, 22 S. Typhimurium isolates of varied origin were studied for their molecular heterogeneity. Analysis using five primers namely, Primer 1290, NSC II, Primer 5, NSC I and OPB10 classified these isolates into 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 RAPD types with discriminating powers of 0.6364, 0.671, 0.6927, 0.7879 and 0.88312, respectively. The phylogram constructed with NSC I profile classified isolates based on geographical origin. Primer 1290, NSC II and primer 5 produced some uniform bands in all isolates indicating their binding ability in conserved genomic region. Thus, the present study elucidated a high degree of molecular heterogeneity among Indian isolates of S. Typhimurium along with the presence of some predominant genotypes. It also revealed the importance of RAPD-PCR especially OPB10 primer for heterogeneity analysis of this serovar. NSC I can be used in epidemiological studies for classification of S. Typhimurium isolates based on geographic origin. But, none of the above primers could group isolates based on their host origin, pointing out the potential hazard of interspecies sharing.
Exploring the Relationships of Green Perceived Value, the Diffusion of Innovations, and the Technology Acceptance Model of Green Transportation

This research investigates the effect of green perceived value, perceived ease of use, and green perceived usefulness on using intentions, and discusses the mediation constructs of perceived ease of use and green perceived usefulness for green transportation consciousness. The objective of this research focuses on how to establish using intentions of green transportation via green perceived value to green perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use based on the technology acceptance model (TAM). This research utilizes the methodology of structural equation modeling to establish the theoretical implications of the empirical results. The findings indicate that green perceived value has no significant influence on using intentions, while green perceived usefulness has more powerfully positive effects, and perceived ease of use has a weak positive effect. Hence a mediation effect of green perceived usefulness exists between using intentions and green perceived value. Moreover, the findings also indicate that the mediation effect of green perceived usefulness has the strongest power to influence using intention. For the diffusion theory of innovations, the early majority was found to be the greatest proportion in the analysis of the diffusion theory’s five adopters. Consequently, governmental institutions should increase their efforts to foster users’ green perceived value and green perceived usefulness so as to enhance the general public’s using intentions for green transportation such as YouBike.
The American Physical Society and Errors in Gravitation

In spite of accurate predictions and an impressive explanation on perihelion of Mercury, Einstein's general relativity accepted by the APS is currently infested with unsolved problems due to his own earlier errors together with additional errors from his followers. Although subsequently his linearized equation has provided more impressive results, Einstein was puzzled because his equation has no wave solutions, but his linearized equation has. The root is due to his accumulated inadequate proposals in physics, and inadequacy in pure mathematics of many physicists such as Pauli. Moreover, the contributions from mathematicians such as Penrose and Yau made the situation worse because they use invalid assumptions due to not understanding physics. These errors are responsible for the lack of progress in gravitation of the APS.
Campaign Strategy in Presidential Primaries, 1976-88

Candidates in multicandidate presidential nomination campaigns allocate their financial resources to maximize delegates and momentum. Gurian (1986) demonstrated that, in the campaigns of 1976 and 1980, well-known established candidates emphasized delegates while relatively unknown long-shot candidates emphasized momentum. The resource allocation strategy of established candidates is based on the simple fact that the candidate with a majority of the delegates wins the nomination. The resource allocation strategy of long-shot candidates is based on financial constraints: they lack the resources to compete effectively in delegate-rich primaries; thus, they attempt to maximize momentum, which leads to greater public (including financial) support. This study extends the previous research to the 1984 and 1988 campaigns with a more fully specified model and a more consistent measure of momentum. By doing so, we hope to contribute to the growing body of literature concerning nomination politics (Aldrich 1980; Bartels 1988; Campbell 1983; Castle 1991; Hammond 1980; Kessel 1988; Marshall 1981; Nice 1980; Norrander 1989; Parent, Jillson, and Weber 1987; Wattier 1983). In presidential nomination campaigns, candidates make strategic decisions to maximize their chances of nomination. Depending on competitive circumstances, candidates employ differing means to achieve that end. There exist at least two strategic goals that candidates pursue: maximizing delegates and maximizing momentum. By momentum, we refer to the consequences of winning or exceeding expectations in the early contests (Aldrich 1980). Success in the early contests tends to lead to extensive positive media coverage as well as increases in public recognition and financial support. According to their position in the competitive environment, candidates attempt to maximize a weighted combination of these goals. Therefore, resources are allocated to state contests in proportion to each state's potential contribution to strategic goals. At the beginning of the campaign, many candidates are relatively unknown and thus are at a disadvantage in terms of attracting votes and contributions. Long-shot candidates prefer small, early, heavily covered primaries (like New Hampshire) because such contests are less expensive