Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Taxonomy of Hill's Oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis E.J. Hill) in the Chicago Region: Preliminary Molecular Evidence

1 Author for correspondence: ahipp@mortonarb.org Hill's oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis E. J. Hill) is arguably the most problematic member of the black oak section (Quercus L. section Lobatae Loudon) in the up- per Midwest. In a genus renowned for taxonomic difficulties, one that Coyne and Orr have gone so far as to label a "worst case scenario for the biological species concept" (Coyne and Orr 2004), Hill's oak is distinguished by the sheer number of workers who have puzzled over its taxonomic status and proper identification (Hokanson et al. 1993; Jensen 1977; Jensen 1979; Jensen et al. 1984; Maycock et al. 1980; Overlease 1977; Shepard 1993; Trelease 1919). These researches, which focus mostly on whether Hill's oak is distinct from scarlet oak (Q. coccinea Munchh.), have been inconclusive. Hill's oak was described based on a specimen from Chicago's Calumet area (Hill 1899), and the region around the type local- ity is the focus of the most taxonomic difficulty. Representing one side of the is- sue, Flora of North America (Jensen 1997) recognizes Hill's oak as distinct from scarlet oak and shows both as present in northeast Illinois (this treatment follows Jensen 1977; Jensen 1979; Jensen et al. 1984; Trelease 1919). Representing the other side of the issue is the most widely used flora for the Chicago region (Swink and Wilhelm 1994), which does not distinguish Hill's oak from scarlet oak and recommends application of the latter name because it has precedence (following Overlease 1977; Shepard 1993; Voss 1985). Most botanists familiar with the flora of the upper Midwest see greater similarity between oaks of northeastern Illinois and populations in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota than between the Chicago region oaks and scarlet oak from the south and east. It is not clear whether Hill's oak and scarlet oak are best recognized as distinct at the varietal, subspecific, or specific level, or whether they should be considered variants of a single, wide- ranging and variable taxon. The identity of the type population for Hill's oak and trees similar to it through- out the Chicago region were long assumed to be scarlet oak (Trelease 1919). Sub- sequent to the description of Hill's oak, many botanists accepted the argument that Hill's oak is found throughout the upper Midwest to the exclusion of scarlet oak. Hill's oak has deeply lobed leaves that are, in their most typical form, highly dis- tinctive, with C-shaped sinuses; ellipsoid, often longitudinally striped acorns, the caps glabrous on the inner surface or very sparsely pubescent, the cap scales tightly imbricated; and relatively small terminal buds that range from glabrous to sparsely silky-pubescent or occasionally densely pubescent, at least on the distal one-half to two-thirds (Figures 1 and 2). Range maps in Flora of North America (Jensen 1997) and specimens housed in the major herbaria documenting the flora of the Chicago region (WIS, MOR, and F) show the greatest overlap between Hill's oak
Modeling of Failure in Aluminum Alloy Braze for a High Temperature Thermoelectric Assembly

The objective of this work is to design a commercially viable thermoelectric generator (TEG) assembly that can be used in passenger vehicles to be able to withstand extreme environmental conditions. Since the operating temperatures of the TEGs can reach temperature levels higher than 500 °C, aluminum braze alloys offer a good high temperature solution for die attach. However, the evolution of fatigue damage in the aluminum braze must be understood in order to ensure an acceptable reliability of the TEG. In this paper, the proposed design of TEG package assembly was evaluated under extreme temperature conditions. Three-dimensional models of full scale TEG were analyzed using finite element analysis (FEA). The failures of aluminum alloy based braze (high temperature form of solder) material in the TEG application was investigated. Low cycle fatigue using direct cyclic approach was considered for the reliability analysis. Continuum damage mechanics approach was used to study the fatigue failure due to power .
Trace element supplementation after major burns increases burned skin trace element concentrations and modulates local protein metabolism but not whole-body substrate metabolism.

BACKGROUND After major burns, patients exhibit an intense catabolism, and the wounds require surgery and grafting for closure. Complications, such as weight loss and delayed wound healing, are worsened by trace element (TE) deficiencies. OBJECTIVE We aimed to assess the effects of TE supplements on systemic substrate turnover and local protein metabolism during wound healing after major burns. DESIGN This was a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 21 patients aged 35 +/- 11 y with burns on 45 +/- 16% of their body surface area; 12 had skin biopsies performed on days 3, 10, and 20, and 10 patients underwent a stable-isotope investigation on day 10. Intravenous copper, selenium, and zinc (TE group) or vehicle (V group) was given with a saline solution for 14-21 d. On day 10, [(13)C]phenylalanine (600-microg/kg bolus followed by 12 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1)) plus 6-[(2)H(2)]glucose and [(2)H(5)]glycerol were infused for 6 h to determine skin protein turnover. Biopsies were performed 1 and 6 h after the start of infusion to determine [(13)C]phenylalanine enrichment. RESULTS The patients' mean age and burn severity did not differ significantly between the groups nor between the skin investigations subgroups. Plasma TE concentrations were significantly higher in the TE group. In the burned areas, the skin contents of selenium (P=0.02) and zinc (P=0.03) increased by day 20. The supernatant-to-plasma (13)C enrichment ratio in burned skin was 0.363 +/- 0.094 (TE group) and 0.286 +/- 0.130 (V group) after 1 h (NS) and 0.592 +/- 0.153 (TE group) and 0.262 +/- 0.171 (V group) after 6 h, which reflected lower catabolism in the TE group (P=0.03). No significant differences in whole-body substrate turnover were found between the groups. CONCLUSION TE supplementation was associated with an increased skin tissue content of selenium and zinc and with a reduction in skin protein catabolism.
Fish Oil Feeding Modulates the Expression of Hepatic MicroRNAs in a Western-Style Diet-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Rat Model

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most prevalent chronic liver diseases worldwide. Recent studies have indicated that fish oil supplementation has benefits against NAFLD. Our previous transcriptomic study has validated the effect of fish oil supplementation on altering hepatic gene expression in a NAFLD rat model. In the current study, we examined the effects of fish oil on the expression of hepatic microRNAs. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were fed with a lab chow (CON), high-fat high-cholesterol diet (WD), or WD supplemented with fish oil (FOH), respectively. Small RNAs were extracted from livers for RNA-sequencing. A total of 79 miRNAs were identified as differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) between FOH and WD groups, exemplified by rno-miR-29c-3p, rno-miR-30d-5p, rno-miR-33-5p, rno-miR-34a, and rno-miR-328a-3p. Functional annotation of DEMs predicted target genes suggested that the altered hepatic miRNAs contributed to fish oil modification of hepatic lipid metabolism and signaling transduction. Integrative analysis of DEMs and differentially expressed genes suggested that the expression difference of Pcsk9, Insig2, Per3, and Socs1/3 between FOH and WD groups may be due to miRNA modification. Our study reveals that fish oil supplementation alters hepatic expression of miRNAs, which may contribute to fish oil amelioration of NAFLD in rats.
Alanine and Lysine Scans of the LL‐37‐Derived Peptide Fragment KR‐12 Reveal Key Residues for Antimicrobial Activity

The human host defence peptide LL‐37 is a broad‐spectrum antibiotic with immunomodulatory functions. Residues 18–29 in LL‐37 have previously been identified as a minimal peptide (KR‐12) that retains antibacterial activity with decreased cytotoxicity. In this study, analogues of KR‐12 were generated by Ala and Lys scans to identify key elements for activity. These were tested against a panel of human pathogens and for membrane permeabilisation on liposomes. Replacements of hydrophobic and cationic residues with Ala were detrimental for antibiotic potency. Substitutions by Lys increased activity, as long as the increase in cationic density did not disrupt the amphiphilic disposition of the helical structure. Importantly, substitutions showed differential effects against different organisms. Replacement of Gln5 with Lys and Asp9 with Ala or Lys improved the broad‐spectrum activity most, each resulting in up to an eightfold increase in potency against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. The improved analogues displayed no significant toxicity against human cells, and thus, KR‐12 is a tuneable template for antibiotic development.
Time-partitioned Index Design for Adaptive Multi-Route Data Stream Systems utilizing Heavy Hitter Algorithms

Adaptive multi-route query processing (AMR) is a recently emerging paradigm for processing stream queries in highly fluctuating environments. AMR dynamically routes batches of tuples to operators in the query network based on routing criteria and up-to-date system statistics. In the context of AMR systems, indexing, a core technology for efficient stream processing, has received little attention. Indexing in AMR systems is demanding as indices must adapt to serve continuously evolving query paths while maintaining index content under high volumes of data. Our proposed Adaptive Multi-Route Index (AMRI) employs a bitmap time-partitioned design that while being versatile in serving a diverse ever changing workload of multiple query access patterns remains lightweight in terms of maintenance and storage requirements. In addition, our AMRI index design and migration strategies seeks to met the indexing needs of both older partially serviced and newer incoming search requests. We show that the effect on the quality of the index configuration selected based on using AMRIs compressed statistics can be bounded to a preset constant. Our experimental study using both synthetic and real data streams has demonstrated that our AMRI strategy strikes a balance between supporting effective query processing in dynamic stream environments while keeping the index maintenance and tuning costs to a minimum. Using a data set collected by environmental sensors placed in the Intel Berkeley Research lab, our AMRI outperforms the state-of-the-art approach on average by 68% in cumulative throughput.
Association Between Social and Physical Activities and Insomnia Symptoms Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Objective: To examine the association between organized social activity, walking exercise, and insomnia symptoms. Material and Method: Data for analysis are derived from the National Health Aging Trends Study (NHATS). At baseline, demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, health-related behaviors, sleep-related problems, and health status were assessed using questionnaires. Results: Data for 7,162 community-dwelling older adults were available for analysis. Difficulty falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and both insomnia symptoms were reported by 12%, 5%, and 11% of the participants, respectively. The proportion of participants who reported engaging in organized social activity, walking exercise, and both activities were 11%, 35%, and 26%, respectively. Participants who reported engaging in organized social activity and/or walking exercise were significantly less likely to report insomnia symptoms. Conclusion: These results have important implications for future studies that plan to implement nonpharmacological interventions for management of insomnia among older adults.
GEM-loaded magnetic albumin nanospheres modified with cetuximab for simultaneous targeting, magnetic resonance imaging, and double-targeted thermochemotherapy of pancreatic cancer cells

Background Targeted delivery is a promising strategy to improve the diagnostic imaging and therapeutic effect of cancers. In this paper, novel cetuximab (C225)-conjugated, gemcitabine (GEM)-containing magnetic albumin nanospheres (C225-GEM/MANs) were fabricated and applied as a theranostic nanocarrier to conduct simultaneous targeting, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and double-targeted thermochemotherapy against pancreatic cancer cells. Methods Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) and GEM co-loaded albumin nanospheres (GEM/MANs) were prepared, and then C225 was further conjugated to synthesize C225-GEM/MANs. Their morphology, mean particle size, GEM encapsulation ratio, specific cell-binding ability, and thermal dynamic profiles were characterized. The effects of discriminating different EGFR-expressing pancreatic cancer cells (AsPC-1 and MIA PaCa-2) and monitoring cellular targeting effects were assessed by targeted MRI. Lastly, the antitumor efficiency of double/C225/magnetic-targeted and nontargeted thermochemotherapy was compared with chemotherapy alone using 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and flow cytometry (FCM) assay. Results When treated with targeted nanospheres, AsPC-1 cells showed a significantly less intense MRI T2 signal than MIA PaCa-2 cells, while both cells had similar signal strength when incubated with nontargeted nanospheres. T2 signal intensity was significantly lower when magnetic and C225 targeting were combined, rather than used alone. The inhibitory and apoptotic rates of each thermochemotherapy group were significantly higher than those of the chemotherapy-alone groups. Additionally, both MTT and FCM analysis verified that double-targeted thermochemotherapy had the highest targeted killing efficiency among all groups. Conclusion The C225-GEM/MANs can distinguish various EGFR-expressing live pancreatic cancer cells, monitor diverse cellular targeting effects using targeted MRI imaging, and efficiently mediate double-targeted thermochemotherapy against pancreatic cancer cells.
A technique of optimization of microfiltration using a tunable platform

The optimum efficiency of size-based filtration in microfluidic devices is highly dependent on characteristics of design, deformability of microparticles/cells, and fluid flow. The effects of filter pores and flow rate, which are the two major determining and related factors of characterization in the separation of particles and cells are investigated in this work. An elastomeric microfluidic device consisting of parallel arrays of pillars with mechanically tunable spacings is employed as an adjustable microfiltration platform. The tunable filtration system is used for finding the best conditions of separation of solid microbeads or deformable blood cells in a crossflow pillar-based method. It is demonstrated that increasing flow rate in the range of 1.0–80.0 µl min−1 has an adverse effect on the device performance in terms of decreased separation efficiency of deformable blood cells. However, by tuning the gap size in the range of 2.5–7.5 µm, the selectivity of the separation is controlled from about 5.0 to 95.0% for white blood cells (WBCs) and 40.0 to 95.0% for red blood cells (RBCs). Finally, the best range of trapping and passing efficiencies of ~70–80.0% simultaneously for WBCs and RBCs in whole blood sample is achieved at optimum gap size of ~3.5–4.0 µm.
An expressive ECA showing complex emotions

Embodied Conversational Agents (ECAs) are a new paradigm of computer interface with a human-like aspect that allow users to interact with the machine through natural speech, gestures, facial expressions, and gaze. In this paper we present an head animation system for our ECA Greta and we focus on two of its aspects: the expressivity of movement and the computation of complex facial expressions. The system synchronises the nonverbal behaviours of the agent with the verbal stream of her speech; moreover it allows us to qualitatively modify the animation of the agent, that is to add expressivity to the agent’s movements. Our model of facial expressions embeds not only the expressions of the set of basic emotions (e.g., anger, sadness, fear) but also different types of complex expressions like fake, inhibited, and masked expressions.
Simultaneous Generation of Terahertz and X-ray Radiation with Ultrashort Femtosecond Laser Pulses in Nano-cluster Medium

We have studied for the first time the simultaneous generation of terahertz and X-ray radiation from noble gas based nano-cluster supersonic jet under “one-” and “two-color” (fundamental and its second harmonic) excitation with high-power femtosecond laser pulses. It was shown that optimal conditions for effective generation of terahertz and X-ray radiation are different. That makes possible efficiently control the magnitudes of terahertz and X-ray signals simultaneously generated from gas nano-cluster jet. Controlling could be provided by different means: by varying of time delay between laser pulse and cluster jet formation moment, or by varying of chirp parameter of laser pulses. Also we shown that efficiency of THz generation from cluster jet could be effectively controlled by varying of ratio between clustered and buffer (carrier) gases in mixture. Angular distribution of terahertz beam generated near by optical axis under “two-color” laser excitation conditions has been measured as well.
Does Task-RelaTeD IDenTIfIeD RegulaTIon MoDeRaTe

The aim of this study was to understand the processes explaining the effects of private performance feedback (success vs. failure) on state self-esteem from the stance of sociometer theory and self-determination theory. We investigated whether or not the effect of private performance feedback on state self-esteem was mediated by perceived inclusion as a function of participants’ level of task-related identified regulation (i.e., importance of the activity for oneself). Ninety participants were randomly assigned to one of the following three conditions: failure, success, or control. Our regression analyses based on both original and bootstrap samples indicate that perceived inclusion does not mediate the effect of feedback on state self-esteem for individuals high in task-related identified regulation. Such an effect only operates for individuals low in task-related identified regulation. In sum, our results show that the perceived inclusion process proposed by sociometer theory applies more when individuals find that the activity is less important for them (i.e., identified regulation).
Nutrient-Nutrient Interactions Inulin Alters the Intestinal Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acid Concentrations in Growing Pigs Regardless of Their Basal Diet 1–3

Inulin stimulates intestinal biﬁdobacteria in humans and rodents but its effect in pigs is inconsistent. We assessed the effect of inulin on the intestinal microbiota by ﬂuorescent in situ hybridization in growing pigs (age 9–12 wk). Pigs ( n ¼ 64) were assigned to 2 types of basal diets [wheat and barley (WB) or corn and wheat gluten (CG)] with or without 3% inulin (WBI or CGI) for 3 and 6 wk ( n ¼ 8/group) to test whether naturally occurring dietary ﬁbers inﬂuence the inulin effect. Intestinal organic acids, pH values, and residual inulin were determined. The composition of the microbiota was highly individual. The duration of feeding did not affect any of the variables tested; therefore, data for the 2 periods were pooled. Biﬁdobacteria were detected in less than half of the pigs. Inulin did not stimulate lactobacilli and biﬁdobacteria numbers irrespective of the basal diet, although 20–50% of inulin was degraded in the jejunum. The number of pigs with colonic biﬁdobacteria was higher in those fed diets containing inulin (40 vs. 13%; P , 0.05). Total colonic short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations were lower in both inulin-fed groups due to reduced acetate ( P , 0.05). Proportions of colonic butyrate were higher in pigs fed inulin-supplemented diets ( P , 0.05). Colonic pH tended to be lower in the WB groups (WB; 6.6 6 0.6), and was higher due to inulin (CGI, 7.1 6 0.1; P , 0.05). In conclusion, inulin affected intestinal SCFA and the number of pigs harboring biﬁdobacteria; this effect was independent of the basal diet. J. Nutr. 136: 1198–1202, 2006.
Lactation, weaning, and calcium supplementation: effects on body composition in postpartum women.

BACKGROUND Concern that long-term weight retention after pregnancy contributes to obesity underscores the need to identify factors that facilitate postpartum weight loss. Lactation is believed to facilitate postpartum weight loss and fat loss. Calcium intake also has been hypothesized to promote weight loss and fat loss. OBJECTIVE We addressed the following questions: 1) whether lactation enhances loss of fat mass, and 2) whether loss of fat mass during lactation and after weaning is greater in women receiving calcium supplementation than in women receiving placebo. DESIGN We used data from 87 lactating and 81 nonlactating women enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, calcium supplementation trial from 2 wk to 6 mo postpartum and data from 76 previously lactating and 82 nonlactating women enrolled in a parallel trial from 6 to 12 mo postpartum. Body fat and lean masses were measured by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS Nonlactating women lost whole-body, arm, and leg fat at a faster rate than did lactating women between 2 wk and 6 mo postpartum (lactation group x time effect, P < or = 0.01). Fat mass of the trunk, arms, and legs decreased between 6 and 12 mo postpartum regardless of previous lactation status (time effect, P < or = 0.001). Calcium supplementation did not affect postpartum fat loss. CONCLUSIONS Body-composition changes occur differently in nonlactating and lactating women during the first 6 mo postpartum and occur at some sites until 12 mo postpartum regardless of previous lactation status. Clinicians should use caution when advising lactating mothers about expected rates of postpartum fat loss. Calcium supplementation (1 g/d) does not promote postpartum weight loss or fat loss.
Context-Dependent Recognition Is Related to Specific Processes Taking Place at Encoding and at Retrieval

Context Effect (CE) refers to the facilitation of memory for target information due to the similarity of contextual information available during both learning and retrieval. Many studies have attempted to identify variables that influence this effect, producing inconsistent findings due to differences in how target and context information are defined and measured. In the current study, recognition memory for faces was tested under different learning instructions and diverse context-recognition conditions. When memory instructions were used, recognition rates proved higher for the original target-context pairs than for all other possible target-context conditions. A different CE profile was observed for attentional instructions while old, yet not necessarily original, target-context faces yielded better results than other context conditions. These findings indicate that memory instructions lead to CE based on the formation of a specific association between target and context information, while instructions focusing on attentional resources lead to CE based on familiarity judgments. The double dissociation reported here is that memory instructions yield binding as opposed to familiarity type of CE, while attention instructions yield familiarity and not binding type of CE, supporting the claim that CE is not homogeneous and involves a number of cognitive processes.