Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling phenological responses of Inner Mongolia grassland species to regional climate change

Plant phenology is an important indicator of ecosystem dynamics and services. However, little is understood of its responses to climate change, particularly in ecologically sensitive regions such as arid and semi-arid grasslands. In this study, we analyzed a long-term climate and plant phenology dataset of thirteen grassland species in the Inner Mongolia of China, collected during 1981–2011 time period, to understand temporal patterns of plant phenology and then developed a simple chilling-adjusted physiological model to simulate phenological responses of each plant species to climate change. The results of regional climate analysis suggested that the minimum temperature was increasing at a greater rate than mean and maximum temperatures in the region and the climate variability had significant impacts on vegetation phenology. Chilling from an early stage in spring in general slowed down the phenological development in most plant species, although there were some inconsistencies among sites and years. Specifically, we found lower precipitation during green-up resulted in delayed flowering, which may attribute to plant self-adjustment strategy to respond changes in climate. These climate dependent phenologies were characterized by a simple physiological model. Scenario analysis suggested that by 2071–2100 significant shifts in plant phenology are expected in Inner Mongolia, including as much as 6–11 days earlier in green-up time and 8–11 days shorter in growing season due to earlier senescence.
Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Qualitative Analysis of Physical, Psychological, and Social Sequelae

Women with metastatic breast cancer face a wide range of medical, practical, and emotional challenges that impact their quality of life. Research to date, however, has not focused on the quality‐of‐life concerns of metastatic breast cancer patients with significant distress. The present study examined a range of concerns among distressed metastatic breast cancer patients, including physical and emotional distress, social functioning, and existential issues. Forty‐four distressed women with metastatic breast cancer wrote their deepest thoughts and feelings regarding their illness. These essays were thematically analyzed for effects of the illness on quality of life. Three themes were identified in patients' essays. First, metastatic breast cancer and its treatment may result in a number of quality‐of‐life concerns, including physical symptom burden, emotional distress, body image disturbance, and disrupted daily activities. Second, social constraints on disclosure of cancer‐related concerns may exacerbate patients' distress. Third, many women experience a heightened awareness of life's brevity and search for meaning in their cancer experience. Results highlight a range of quality‐of‐life concerns following a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis and suggest that addressing social constraints on cancer‐related disclosure and the search for meaning may improve patients' psychological adjustment.
Receptor pharmacology of neuroleptics: relation to clinical effects.

This article reviews the receptor pharmacology of neuroleptics, with a focus on newer drugs (e.g., risperidone, olanzapine, sertindole, quetiapine, and ziprasidone) in contrast to older compounds. All these newer compounds are considered to be atypical neuroleptics based upon certain criteria, which are reviewed. Several hypotheses about the molecular mechanisms that explain atypicality are considered. Finally, the in vitro receptor binding data presented for these compounds are related to the therapeutic and adverse effects of these drugs.
Work Tasks as Determinants of Grain Dust and Microbial Exposure in the Norwegian Grain and Compound Feed Industry.

OBJECTIVES The grain and compound feed industry entails inevitable risks of exposure to grain dust and its microbial content. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate task-dependent exposure differences in order to create knowledge basis for awareness and exposure reducing measures in the Norwegian grain and compound feed industry. METHODS A total of 166 samples of airborne dust were collected by full-shift personal sampling during work in 20 grain elevators and compound feed mills during one autumn season and two winter seasons. The personal exposure to grain dust, endotoxins, β-1→3-glucans, bacteria, and fungal spores was quantified and used as individual outcomes in mixed models with worker nested in company as random effect and different departments and tasks as fixed effects. RESULTS The exposure levels were highest in grain elevator departments. Exposure to endotoxins was particularly high. Tasks that represented the highest and lowest exposures varied depending on the bioaerosol component. The most important determinants for elevated dust exposure were cleaning and process controlling. Cleaning increased the dust exposure level by a factor of 2.44 of the reference, from 0.65 to 1.58mg m(-3), whereas process controlling increased the dust exposure level by a factor of 2.97, from 0.65 to 1.93mg m(-3). Process controlling was associated with significantly less grain dust exposure in compound feed mills and the combined grain elevators and compound feed mills, than in grain elevators. The exposure was reduced by a factor of 0.18 and 0.22, from 1.93 to 0.34mg m(-3) and to 0.42mg m(-3), respectively, compared with the grain elevators. Inspection/maintenance, cleaning, and grain rotation and emptying were determinants of higher exposure to both endotoxin and β-1→3-glucans. Seed winnowing was in addition a strong determinant for endotoxin, whereas mixing of animal feed implied higher β-1→3-glucan exposure. Cleaning was the only task that contributed significantly to higher exposure to bacteria and fungal spores. CONCLUSION Cleaning in all companies and process controlling in grain elevators were the strongest determinants for overall exposure, whereas seed winnowing was a particular strong determinant of endotoxin exposure. Exposure reduction by technical intervention or personal protective equipment should therefore be considered at work places with identified high exposure tasks.
Piglets Are a Source of Pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica on Fattening-Pig Farms

ABSTRACT To study the origin and spread of Yersinia enterocolitica among pigs, fecal and blood samples were repeatedly taken on a fattening farm. A few piglets were found to be already infected on breeding farms. After the piglets were mixed, the infection spread through the whole unit. Eventually, all the pigs excreted the pathogen.
Daily Consumption of Virgin Coconut Oil Increases High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels in Healthy Volunteers: A Randomized Crossover Trial

This open-label, randomized, controlled, crossover trial assessed the effect of daily virgin coconut oil (VCO) consumption on plasma lipoproteins levels and adverse events. The study population was 35 healthy Thai volunteers, aged 18–25. At entry, participants were randomly allocated to receive either (i) 15 mL VCO or (ii) 15 mL 2% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) solution (as control), twice daily, for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, participants had an 8-week washout period and then crossed over to take the alternative regimen for 8 weeks. Plasma lipoproteins levels were measured in participants at baseline, week-8, week-16, and week-24 follow-up visits. Results. Of 32 volunteers with complete follow-up (16 males and 16 females), daily VCO intake significantly increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 5.72 mg/dL (p = 0.001) compared to the control regimen. However, there was no difference in the change in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride levels between the two regimens. Mild diarrhea was reported by some volunteers when taking VCO, but no serious adverse events were reported. Conclusion. Daily consumption of 30 mL VCO in young healthy adults significantly increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. No major safety issues of taking VCO daily for 8 weeks were reported.
Determination of Mycophenolic Acid Plasma Levels in Renal Transplant Recipients Co-administered Sirolimus: Comparison of an Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay Technique (EMIT) and Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

This study was designed to compare the enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT) and a specific ;liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of mycophenolic acid (MPA) concentrations in plasma samples collected from renal transplant patients receiving mycophenolate mofetil in association with sirolimus and corticosteroids. Ten-point blood concentration-time profiles, between pre-dose (C0) and 9-hour post-dose, were obtained on day 7, day 14, months 1, 2, and 3 posttransplantation in 8 patients. MPA plasma concentrations were measured simultaneously with both EMIT and LC-MS/MS. Higher concentrations were obtained with EMIT. The mean (±SD) absolute difference was +0.84±1.93 mg/L, which corresponds to a significant overestimation of 18.7±2 6.8% with EMIT, with variations depending on the time elapsed since transplantation. An EMIT overestimation of 16.7±22.5% also was obtained for the MPA areas under the curve calculated using the trapezoidal rule.
Sleep benefit in parkinson's disease

Sleep benefit (SB) In Parkinson's disease (PD) is not well characterized. To determine SB frequency, as well as to characterize and correlate it with other disease variables, we evaluated prospectively a consecutive series of 312 PD patients by means of a structured questionnaire: 55% reported having SB and 35% reported that awakening was their best time of the day. Because of SB, 21% of the entire population were able to skip or delay medication. The mean duration of the phenomenon was 85.4 ± 67 min. Patients with SB were significantly older (p < 0.0002), had disease longer (p < 0.05), and were often men (X2 = 3.5, df 1, p = 0.05). Patients with SB took sleep medication with similar frequency as those without SB. There were no differences in hours of sleep or sleep latency. Sleep problems such as nightmares or somnambulism, but not the number of sleep awakenings, were similar in both groups. In conclusion, SB is a frequent phenomenon, especially in men, elderly patients, and patients with longer disease duration. SB enables the morning L‐dopa dose to be postponed in ∼50% of patients.
Effects of moderate exercise training on plasma volume, baroreceptor sensitivity and orthostatic tolerance in healthy subjects

The effect of physical training on an individual's ability to withstand an orthostatic stress is unclear. This study was undertaken to determine the effects on orthostatic tolerance in healthy volunteers of training at a level appropriate for unfit subjects and cardiorespiratory patients. In 11 asymptomatic, untrained subjects the following assessments were made: plasma volume by Evans Blue dye dilution and blood volume derived from haematocrit; carotid baroreceptor sensitivity from the slope of the regression of change in cardiac interval against pressure applied to a neck chamber; orthostatic tolerance as time to presyncope in a test of head‐up tilting combined with lower body suction; exercise test relating heart rate to oxygen consumption. Subjects were then given a training schedule (5BX/XBX, Royal Canadian Air Force) involving 11–12 min of mixed exercises per day until an age/sex related ‘target’ was reached. Following training all subjects showed evidence of improved fitness, seen as decreases in heart rate at an oxygen uptake (V̇O2) of 1.5 1 min−1 and in the elevation of the regression line between heart rate and V̇O2. All also had increases in plasma and blood volumes and decreases in baroreceptor sensitivity. Seven of the subjects showed increases in orthostatic tolerance. Improvement in orthostatic tolerance was related to a low initial tolerance, and was associated with increases in plasma volume and decreases in baroreceptor sensitivity. These results show that moderate exercise training increases orthostatic tolerance in subjects who do not already have a high initial tolerance and suggest that training may be of value in the management of untrained patients with attacks of syncope due to orthostatic intolerance.
Management of Lower Limb Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1: An Evaluation of Percutaneous Radiofrequency Thermal Lumbar Sympathectomy Versus Phenol Lumbar Sympathetic Neurolysis—A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND:Complex regional pain syndrome type 1 can be difficult to treat. The purpose of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of two therapeutic options: percutaneous radiofrequency thermal lumbar sympathectomy and lumbar sympathetic neurolysis. METHODS:We randomized 20 patients to receive percutaneous radiofrequency lumbar sympathectomy or lumbar sympathetic neurolysis with phenol 7% in lower limb complex regional pain syndrome type 1. The study end points were pain relief and side effects. RESULTS:Within each group, there were statistically significant reductions from baseline in various pain scores after the procedure. However, there was no statistically significant difference in mean pain scores between the groups. CONCLUSIONS:Based on this pilot study, radiofrequency lumbar sympathectomy may be comparable to phenol lumbar sympathectomy. A larger trial is required to confirm these findings.
Retesting Segal and Spaeth's Stare Decisis Model

Segal and Spaeth's (1996) innovative article constitutes the most ambitious attempt to date to empirically test whether stare decisis influences the votes of the justices on the United States Supreme Court. These two scholars inspect a 40% random sample of major, nonunanimous decisions of the Court in the 1953 through 1995 era as well as the progeny of these cases, i.e., orally argued, full opinion cases that applied "the holding of the majority or plurality opinion" of the major case. They test whether the dissenting justices in Case 1 (the major case) support the precedent of Case 1 in Case 2 (the progeny case) or vote the same way as they did in Case 1, i.e., vote their "preferences. " Note two characteristics of their clever research design. First, they treat situations in which the justices' preferences (based on their vote in Case 1) indicates that they will vote one way and conformity to precedent indicates that they vote the other way. This is a productive way to proceed. For the best way of showing that a precedent is influential is to focus on the situation when conformity to precedent is in conflict with the justices' preferences. Second, Segal and Spaeth focus on major cases. They state that they chose these cases "because they are more likely to establish precedential guidelines for future cases and because they are more likely to actually generate progeny that we can analyze," (1996, 976). In addition, the rule of the law set forth in the major cases is likely to be sufficiently unambiguous and sufficiently dramatic that the justices in Case 2 will be forced to either uphold the precedent or refuse to do so. The justices cannot simply ignore the precedent. ' Segal and Spaeth discover that justices vote their preferences 90.8%
Thermal Runaway in SiC Schottky Barrier Diodes Caused by Heavy Ions

The thermal runaway in SiC Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) caused by heavy ions was identified by a device simulator with parameters carefully extrapolated to an extended temperature range far exceeding the melting point of SiC. It is shown that the critical electric field needed to activate the impact ionization attributable to SiC material and the Schottky barrier contact on it are responsible for the thermal runaway in SiC SBDs.
Stimulus Pulse-Frequency-Dependent Efficacy and Cognitive Adverse Effects of Ultrabrief-Pulse Electroconvulsive Therapy in Patients With Major Depression

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly effective treatment for major depression. New ECT devices with shorter pulse widths seem to induce seizures more effectively at a lower seizure threshold and with fewer cognitive adverse effects. Suprathreshold right unilateral (RUL) ultrabrief-pulse ECT with pulse widths between 0.25 and 0.30 millisecond seem to be especially effective with regard to efficacy and cognitive adverse effects. A lower pulse frequency (50 pulses per second) in RUL ECT was found to be more efficient than a higher pulse frequency (200 pulses per second) in inducing seizures. However, effective stimulus dose can often be achieved only with high stimulus frequency, whereas the impact of increased stimulus frequency on antidepressant efficacy and cognitive adverse effects is not known. Methods: Forty patients with major depression according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition were randomly assigned to 2 groups of 20 patients each and stimulated with either 40 or 100 Hz with equal initial stimulus doses in 9 sessions of suprathreshold RUL ultrabrief-pulse ECT. Depressive symptoms and measures of verbal and working memory were assessed for both groups. Results: Patients in the 40-Hz condition showed significantly more improvement in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores compared with patients in the 100-Hz condition after 9 ECT sessions. Frequency group had no significant impact on measures of verbal and working memory. Conclusions: Within the discussed limitations, our preliminary data suggest an advantage for administering stimulus dose in suprathreshold RUL ultrabrief-pulse ECT with a lower stimulus frequency (40 Hz) as compared with a higher frequency (100 Hz). Further studies are needed to assess whether increasing pulse widths or frequency is the better option for augmenting stimulus dose once other stimulus parameters are at a maximum.
The Transmembrane Adaptor Protein SCIMP Facilitates Sustained Dectin-1 Signaling in Dendritic Cells*

Transmembrane adaptor proteins are molecules specialized in recruiting cytoplasmic proteins to the proximity of the cell membrane as part of the signal transduction process. A member of this family, SLP65/SLP76, Csk-interacting membrane protein (SCIMP), recruits a complex of SLP65/SLP76 and Grb2 adaptor proteins, known to be involved in the activation of PLCγ1/2, Ras, and other pathways. SCIMP expression is restricted to antigen-presenting cells. In a previous cell line-based study, it was shown that, in B cells, SCIMP contributes to the reverse signaling in the immunological synapse, downstream of MHCII glycoproteins. There it mainly facilitates the activation of ERK MAP kinases. However, its importance for MHCII glycoprotein-dependent ERK signaling in primary B cells has not been analyzed. Moreover, its role in macrophages and dendritic cells has remained largely unknown. Here we present the results of our analysis of SCIMP-deficient mice. In these mice, we did not observe any defects in B cell signaling and B cell-dependent responses. On the other hand, we found that, in dendritic cells and macrophages, SCIMP expression is up-regulated after exposure to GM-CSF or the Dectin-1 agonist zymosan. Moreover, we found that SCIMP is strongly phosphorylated after Dectin-1 stimulation and that it participates in signal transduction downstream of this important pattern recognition receptor. Our analysis of SCIMP-deficient dendritic cells revealed that SCIMP specifically contributes to sustaining long-term MAP kinase signaling and cytokine production downstream of Dectin-1 because of an increased expression and sustained phosphorylation lasting at least 24 h after signal initiation.
Visible Kerr comb generation in a high-Q silica microdisk resonator with a large wedge angle

This paper describes the specially designed geometry of a dry-etched large-wedge-angle silica microdisk resonator that enables anomalous dispersion in the 780 nm wavelength regime. This anomalous dispersion occurs naturally without the use of a mode-hybridization technique to control the geometrical dispersion. By fabricating a 1-μm-thick silica microdisk with a wedge angle as large as 56° and an optical Q-factor larger than 107, we achieve a visible Kerr comb that covers the wavelength interval of 700–897 nm. The wide optical frequency range and the closeness to the clock transition at 698 nm of Sr87 atoms make our visible comb a potentially useful tool in optical atomic clock applications.
Characteristics and risk factors of candidemia in pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care children's hospital in Egypt.

INTRODUCTION This study was conducted to determine characteristics of Candida colonization and candidemia in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a tertiary care children's hospital. METHODOLOGY Patients between 6 months and 15 years of age consecutively admitted to the PICU of Mansoura University Children's Hospital in Mansoura, Egypt, during one year period, were evaluated for Candida colonization and candidemia. Susceptibility of Candida species isolated from blood to fluconazole and amphotericin B was determined by Etest. RESULTS Sixty-six patients without prior fluconazole prophylaxis had 88 episodes of candidemia, representing 19% of all cases with blood stream infections (BSIs). Candida albicans (CA) and non-albicans Candida (NAC) species accounted for 40% and 60% of candidemia episodes respectively. C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, and C. glabrata accounted for 25%, 17%, and 8% of NAC candidemias respectively. Fluconazole resistance was detected in 11.4% and 18.9% of CA and NAC isolates respectively. Of the fluconazole resistant NAC isolates, four were C. krusei. Amphotericin B resistance was detected in 17% of NAC isolates. Candida colonization was detected in 78.8% of patients. Compared to CA candidemia, higher risk for NAC candidemia was associated with age older than 1 year, Candida isolation from endotracheal tube (ETT) and from central venous catheter. Mortality rate was 42.4%, attributable mortality of candidemia was 16.7%. Regression analysis showed that the most significant independent predictors of death were ETT and mechanical ventilation (MV), MV longer than 7 days, and candiduria. CONCLUSIONS This study presents important epidemiological features of Candida BSIs in a non-neonatal population.
Agile, adaptive leaders

Purpose – This paper aims to illustrate what agile management looks like, why it is increasingly necessary and how it can be developed and supported. Design/methodology/approach – This is a case study from a large complex organization (Lancashire County Council) showing how management restructuring increased managers ' spans of responsibility, moving them out of their professional comfort zones, and how in response, the organization identified, supported and developed agile leadership. Findings – Agile, adaptive leaders are able to move quickly and easily from one area of management to another, able to manage a diverse range of complex services and able to quickly and smoothly adapt to a fast-changing business environment. Research limitations/implications – This is a case study from a large complex public sector organization, but the need for agile and adaptive leaders applies equally to the private and not-for-profit sectors. Originality/value – This paper offers insights into the changing role of manag.