Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plant communities, species richness and life-forms along elevational gradients in Taibai Mountain, China

Understanding the distribution patterns of vegetation, species richness and plant life-forms along elevational gradients can suggest important implications for developing optimal strategies for conservation of species diversity, sustainable managing and utilizing plant resources. We explored the relationships between vegetation, species richness and plant life-forms and the separate elevational gradients on the south slope and the north slope of Taibai Mountain. Eight plant communities were clearly identifiable on each slope and these communities presented zonational distributions along elevational gradients, however, the elevational ranges occupied by different communities had more overlaps at middle elevations (c. 2250 - 3350 m a.s.l.) than at two extremes. Three communities (Quences spinosa, Acer caesium subsp. giraldii and Carex capilliformis var. major communities) were first found in the area. Total species richness demonstrated a significant hump-shaped relationship with elevations on both slopes. Overall, phanerophytes, geophytes and hemicryptophytes were the most dominant life-forms, while camaephytes and therophytes were the rarest life-forms. Species richness of phanerophytes on the south slope and hemicryptophytes on both slopes exhibited a significant hump-shaped relationship with elevations, while that of therophytes on both slopes exhibited a significant reverse-hump-shaped relationship; Species richness of phanerophytes on the north slope declined with increasing elevation, however, that of chamaephytes and geophytes on both slopes increased with increasing elevations. Key words: Elevational gradients, plant community, species richness, plant life-forms, Taibai Mountain
Patient Knowledge and Perception of Radiation Risk in Diagnostic Imaging: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Informed consent dictates that patients appreciate the risks and benefits of imaging techniques that use ionizing radiation. Computed tomography (CT) and X-ray carry a stochastic lifetime risk of inducing malignancy. This risk is difficult to convey and often overlooked. Objective: This work aims to establish some basics regarding patient knowledge and perception of medical imaging to facilitate an informed consent process. Method: A questionnaire survey was conducted in a general orthopedic outpatient clinic in a United Kingdom tertiary center. Results: There were 219 respondents. Twenty-two percent understood that CT produces ionizing radiation associated with cancer risk, but only 6% knew about cancer risk from natural background radiation. Only 25% knew that CT has a higher cancer risk than X-ray. The majority (93%) knew that smoking poses higher risk than X-rays. The Internet as an information source was statistically associated with concern about X-rays. Conclusions: Patients underestimated CT cancer risk and were unable to compare risk between imaging modalities. Risk can be more effectively conveyed using better known relatable risks as comparators. Patient groups associated with lower knowledge, most in need of education, were highlighted.
EFFECT OF PRE-EXPOSURE TO SODIUM CHLORIDE ON THE RESISTANCE OF PATHOGENS TO THERMAL AND ACID STRESSES

This study determined the effects of pre-exposures to sodium chloride (NaCl) on the survival of three pathogens (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes) when the organisms were subsequently treated with moderate heat (55C) or an organic acid (acetic acid). Pre-exposure to 5% NaCl especially increased the thermal resistance of E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes, whereas there was no significant increase in thermal resistance for S. Typhimurium. Pre-exposure to 10% NaCl reduced the resistance of the three pathogens to 1% acetic acid, and similar reductions in acidic resistance were observed in S. Typhimurium and L. monocytogenes samples that were pre-exposed to 5% NaCl. These results indicate that prior exposure to NaCl can affect the resistance of pathogens to environmental stresses. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Subsequent stress responses of pathogens by stress-adaptation should be addressed to develop the effective techniques for controlling pathogens in foods and environment. It is because that environmental stresses can provide varying results as some bacteria may become more resistant or even more virulent under such circumstances through stress reactions. Although salt does not have great effectiveness to inactivate populations of pathogens, it could affect the stress reactions of pathogens or the antimicrobial action of other preservation hurdles. In fact, the result of this study showed that pre-exposure to NaCl resulted in difference stress responses of pathogens depending on the type of environmental stress subsequently applied. Therefore, this report could provide important information for developing control or preservative methods to improve the microbial safety of foods.
Fg12 ribonuclease secretion contributes to Fusarium graminearum virulence and induces plant cell death.

Filamentous fungal pathogens secrete effectors that modulate host immunity and facilitate infection. Fusarium graminearum is an important plant pathogen responsible for various devastating diseases. However, little is known about the function of effector proteins secreted by F. graminearum. Herein, we identified several effector candidates in the F. graminearum secretome. Among them, the secreted ribonuclease Fg12 was highly upregulated during the early stages of F. graminearum infection in soybean; its deletion compromised the virulence of F. graminearum. Transient expression of Fg12 in Nicotiana benthamiana induced cell death in a light-dependent manner. Fg12 possessed RNase activity, degrading total RNA. The enzymatic activity of Fg12 was required for its cell death-promoting effects. Importantly, the ability of Fg12 to induce cell death was independent of BAK1/SOBIR1, and treatment of soybean with recombinant Fg12 protein induced resistance to various pathogens, including F. graminearum and Phytophthora sojae. Overall, our results provide evidence that RNase effectors not only contribute to pathogen virulence but also induce plant cell death. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Long-term effects of a standardized feedback-driven quality improvement program for timely reperfusion therapy in regional STEMI care networks.

AIMS Current European Society of Cardiology guidelines state that repetitive monitoring and feedback should be implemented for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treatment, but no evidence is available supporting this recommendation. We aimed to analyze the long-term effects of a formalized data assessment and systematic feedback on performance and mortality within the prospective, multicenter Feedback Intervention and Treatment Times in STEMI (FITT-STEMI) study. METHODS Regular interactive feedback sessions with local STEMI management teams were performed at six participating German percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centers over a 10-year period starting from October 2007. RESULTS From the first to the 10th year of study participation, all predefined key-quality indicators for performance measurement used for feedback improved significantly in all 4926 consecutive PCI-treated patients - namely, the percentages of patients with pre-hospital electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings (83.3% vs 97.1%, p < 0.0001) and ECG recordings within 10 minutes after first medical contact (41.7% vs 63.8%, p < 0.0001), pre-announcement by telephone (77.0% vs 85.4%, p = 0.0007), direct transfer to the catheterization laboratory bypassing the emergency department (29.4% vs 64.2%, p < 0.0001), and contact-to-balloon times of less than 90 minutes (37.2% vs 53.7%, p < 0.0001). Moreover, this feedback-related continuous improvement of key-quality indicators was linked to a significant reduction in in-hospital mortality from 10.8% to 6.8% (p = 0.0244). Logistic regression models confirmed an independent beneficial effect of duration of study participation on hospital mortality (odds ratio = 0.986, 95% confidence interval = 0.976-0.996, p = 0.0087). In contrast, data from a nationwide PCI registry showed a continuous increase in in-hospital mortality in all PCI-treated STEMI patients in Germany from 2008 to 2015 (n = 398,027; 6.7% to 9.2%, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that systematic data assessment and regular feedback is a feasible long-term strategy and may be linked to improved performance and a reduction in mortality in STEMI management.
Effect of antimicrobial agents on some chemical and microbiological characteristics of vacuum - packaged ground buffalo meat stored under refregerated condition.

The chemical characteristics and microbiological examination of vacuum packaged ground buffalo meat during cold storage for 24 days were determined in order to evaluate two different antimicrobial agents sodium lactate, sodium chloride and their mixture. The results indicated that the use of sodium lactate with or without sodium chloride delayed the proliferation of aerobic plate count, psychrotrophic count, and lactic acid bacterial count, and extended the shelf life up to more than 24 and 21 days respectively, compared to 8 days for the control samples. The TBA values for the samples treated by sodium chloride was not affected, while at the end of storage period the TBA values of samples treated by sodium lactate were significantly reduce the oxidation changes. Therefore, the use of sodium lactate with or without sodium chloride could be used to extend the shelf life of ground buffalo meat during refrigerated storage by reducing both chemical and microbiological changes.
Volume of Lateral Geniculate Nucleus in Patients with Glaucoma in 7Tesla MRI

The aim of the study was to assess the volume of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) in patients with open-angle glaucoma in 7Tesla MRI and to evaluate its relation to RNFL thickness and VF indices. Material and methods. The studied group consisted of 20 open-angle glaucoma patients with bilaterally the same stage of glaucoma (11 with early glaucoma and nine with advanced glaucoma) and nine healthy volunteers from the Department of Diagnostics and Microsurgery of Glaucoma, Medical University of Lublin, Poland. Circumpapillary RNFL-thickness measurements were performed using OCT in all patients and visual fields were performed in the glaucoma group. A 7Tesla MRI was performed to assess the volume of both lateral geniculate bodies. Results. The LGN volume varied significantly between groups from 122.1 ± 14.4 mm3 (right LGN) and 101.6 ± 13.3 mm3 (left LGN) in the control group to 80.2 ± 17.7 mm3 (right LGN) and 71.8 ± 14.2 mm3 (left LGN) in the advanced glaucoma group (right LGN p = 0.003, left LGN p = 0.018). However, volume values from early glaucoma: right LGN = 120.2 ± 26.5 mm3 and left LGN = 103.2 ± 28.0 mm3 differed significantly only from values from the advanced group (right LGN p = 0.006, left LGN p = 0.012), but not from controls (right LGN p = 0.998, left LGN p = 0.986). There were no significant correlations between visual field indices (MD (mean deviation) and VFI (visual field index)) and LGN volumes in both glaucoma groups. Significant correlations between mean RNFL (retinal nerve fiber layers) thickness and corresponding and contralateral LGN were observed for the control group (corresponding LGN: p = 0.064; contralateral LGN: p = 0.031) and early glaucoma (corresponding LGN: p = 0.017; contralateral LGN: p = 0.008), but not advanced glaucoma (corresponding LGN: p = 0.496; contralateral LGN: p = 0.258). Conclusions. The LGN volume decreases in the course of glaucoma. These changes are correlated with RNFL thickness in early stages of glaucoma and are not correlated with visual field indices.
A Review of Experimentally Informed Micromechanical Modeling of Nanoporous Metals: From Structural Descriptors to Predictive Structure–Property Relationships

Nanoporous metals made by dealloying take the form of macroscopic (mm- or cm-sized) porous bodies with a solid fraction of around 30%. The material exhibits a network structure of “ligaments” with an average ligament diameter that can be adjusted between 5 and 500 nm. Current research explores the use of nanoporous metals as functional materials with respect to electrochemical conversion and storage, bioanalytical and biomedical applications, and actuation and sensing. The mechanical behavior of the network structure provides the scope for fundamental research, particularly because of the high complexity originating from the randomness of the structure and the challenges arising from the nanosized ligaments, which can be accessed through an experiment only indirectly via the testing of the macroscopic properties. The strength of nanoscale ligaments increases systematically with decreasing size, and owing to the high surface-to-volume ratio their elastic and plastic properties can be additionally tuned by applying an electric potential. Therefore, nanoporous metals offer themselves as suitable model systems for exploring the structure–property relationships of complex interconnected microstructures as well as the basic mechanisms of the chemo-electro-mechanical coupling at interfaces. The micromechanical modeling of nanoporous metals is a rapidly growing field that strongly benefits from developments in computational methods, high-performance computing, and visualization techniques; it also benefits at the same time through advances in characterization techniques, including nanotomography, 3D image processing, and algorithms for geometrical and topological analysis. The review article collects articles on the structural characterization and micromechanical modeling of nanoporous metals and discusses the acquired understanding in the context of advancements in the experimental discipline. The concluding remarks are given in the form of a summary and an outline of future perspectives.
A Flexible Growth Function for Empirical Use

The application of an extended form of von Bertalanffy's growth function to plant data is considered; the equation has considerable flexibility, but is used only to supply an empirical fit. In order to aid the biological analysis of such growth data as are capable of representation by the function, general rate parameters are deduced which are related in a simple manner to its constants.
Stretchable Electronics Based on Laser Structured, Vapor Phase Polymerized PEDOT/Tosylate

The fabrication of stretchable conductive material through vapor phase polymerization of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is presented alongside a method to easily pattern these materials with nanosecond laser structuring. The devices were constructed from sheets of vapor phase polymerized PEDOT doped with tosylate on pre-stretched elastomeric substrates followed by laser structuring to achieve the desired geometrical shape. Devices were characterized for electrical conductivity, morphology, and electrical integrity in response to externally applied strain. Fabricated PEDOT sheets displayed a conductivity of 53.1 ± 1.2 S cm−1; clear buckling in the PEDOT microstructure was observed as a result of pre-stretching the underlying elastomeric substrate; and the final stretchable electronic devices were able to remain electrically conductive with up to 100% of externally applied strain. The described polymerization and fabrication steps achieve highly processable and patternable functional conductive polymer films, which are suitable for stretchable electronics due to their ability to withstand externally applied strains of up to 100%.
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) density, growth, mortality, and movement in two Lake Michigan tributaries

Spawning density and the time of spawning (October) were similar in two tributaries of Lake Michigan in 1977 and 1978. Drift of recently emerged fry began in April and continued into June. During 1977–1979, the density of chinook salmon juveniles increased rapidly in early May to 0.3–2.9 fish/m2 and then declined to 0.2–0.8 fish/m2 by late June when most of the fish smolted. Instantaneous mortality estimates were variable between years and sites in both creeks, but overall mortality was similar in both streams with an average daily rate of 0.024 for Baldwin Creek and 0.025 for Pine Creek. A regression of the mortality rates versus initial density indicated the mortality rates were dependent on the initial fry density. There was no correlation between an index of spawner density and the number of smolts produced. No correlation was found between initial resident fry density and emergent fry colonization. Size-selective mortality was indicated in some stream sections. The daily growth rates for fish in both.
Low-temperature derived temporal change in the vertical distribution of Sesamia inferens larvae in winter, with links to its latitudinal distribution

To escape or alleviate low temperatures in winter, insects have evolved many behavioral and physiological strategies. The purple stem borer, Sesamia inferens (Walker) is currently reported to be expanding their northern distributions and causing damage to summer maize in Xinxiang, China. However, their method of coping with the lower temperature in the new northern breeding area in winter is largely unknown. This paper investigates the overwinter site of S. inferens, and identifies the cold hardiness of larvae collected from a new breeding area in winter and explores a potential distribution based on low temperature threshold and on species distribution model MaxEnt. The results show that the overwintering location of the S. inferens population is more likely to be underground with increasing latitude and the population gradually moved down the corn stalk and drilled completely underground in later winter (February) in the north. The cold hardiness test shows the species is a moderate freeze-tolerant one, and Supercooling Points (SCP), Freezing Points (FP) and the incidence of mortality during the middle of winter (January, SCP: -7.653, FP: -6.596) were significantly lower than early winter (October) or late winter (March). Distribution in the new expansion area was predicted and the survival probability area was below N 35° for the Air Lower Lethal Temperature (ALLT50) and below N 40° for the Underground Lower Lethal Temperature (ULLT50). The suitable habitat areas for S. inferens with MaxEnt were also below N 40°. This study suggests the overwinter strategies of S. inferens have led to the colonization of up to a five degree more northerly overwintering latitude.
Measuring health related quality of life for dengue patients in Iquitos, Peru

Previous studies measuring the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of individuals with dengue focused on treatment seeking populations. However, the vast majority of global dengue cases are unlikely to be detected by health systems. Representative measurements of HRQoL should therefore include patients with disease not likely to trigger treatment-seeking behavior. This study based in Iquitos, Peru used the Quality of Wellbeing Scale-Self Administered, a survey that enquires about not only physical health, but also psychological health, self-care, mobility, and usual social activities, and rates HRQoL between 0 (death) and 1 (optimum function), to evaluate the impact of dengue on HRQoL. In order to enroll treatment and non treatment-seeking participants, three modalities of participant recruitment were used. In addition to clinic and community-based febrile surveillance, a contact-cluster methodology was also employed to identify infected individuals less likely to seek treatment. We measured changes in HRQoL and identified common areas of health impairment in 73 virologically confirmed dengue cases at 3 time points during the participant’s illness; the early-acute (days 0–6 post symptom onset), late-acute (days 7–20), and convalescent illness phases (days 21 +). Participants reported HRQoL related impairments at significantly higher frequency during the early-acute versus convalescent illness phase (Fisher’s exact: P<0.01). There was substantial heterogeneity in scores during each illness phase with median scores in the early-acute, late-acute and convalescent phases of 0.56 (IQR: 0.41–0.64), 0.70 (IQR: 0.57–0.94), and 1 (IQR: 0.80–1.00), respectively. In all illness phases participants recruited in clinics had on average the lowest HRQoL scores where as those recruited in the contact clusters had the highest. Only 1 individual who was recruited in the contact-clusters had no reduction in HRQoL score during their illness. These data illustrate that dengue should be considered as a disease that may have significant implications for not only physical health but also psychological health and social functioning. The impact of dengue on the HRQoL of non-treatment-seeking individuals, although lower than the impact among treatment-seeking individuals, is not necessarily trivial.
Hippocampal formation volume, its subregions, and its specific contributions to visuospatial memory tasks

Visuospatial memory (VSM) is the ability to represent and manipulate visual and spatial information. This cognitive function depends on the functioning of the hippocampal formation (HF), located in the medial portion of the temporal cortex. The present study aimed to investigate whether there is an association between the volume of the HF and performance in VSM tests. High-resolution structural images (T1) and neuropsychological tests evaluating VSM were performed on 31 healthy individuals. A VSM index was created by grouping 5 variables from 5 tasks (4 from the CANTAB battery and 1 from the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure test). Multiple linear regression models using the volumes of HF subregions as independent variables and the VSM index as the dependent variable were conducted to test the hypothesis that memory performance could be predicted by HF volumes. We also conducted analyses to explore the role of covariates that may mediate this relationship, specifically age and intelligence quotient (IQ). We found significant associations between the hippocampal subregions of the left hemisphere and the VSM index (F(7,22)=2.758, P=0.032, R 2 a=0.298). When IQ was accounted for as a covariate, we also found significant results for the right hemisphere (F(8,21)=2.804, P=0.028, R 2 a=0.517). We concluded that the bilateral hippocampal formations contributed to performance on VSM tasks. Also, VSM processing is essential for a diverse set of daily activities and may be influenced by demographic variables in healthy subjects.