Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FAR-ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATION OF THE DRACO CLOUD WITH FIMS/SPEAR

We report an observation of the Draco cloud region using the Far-ultraviolet IMaging Spectrograph (FIMS/SPEAR). The spectra show important ionic lines, such as C iv λλ1548, 1551, Si iv+O iv] λ1394, Si ii* λ1533, and Al ii λ1671, indicating the existence of hot and warm interstellar gases toward the region. The map of the continuum is generally in accord with the infrared map, which indicates far-ultraviolet continuum is mostly the starlight scattered off by the dust grains in the Draco cloud. Enhanced C iv emission is seen inside the Draco cloud region and attributed to the turbulent mixing of the interacting cold and warm/hot media. This interpretation is supported by the detection of O iii] λ1661 emission line and the Hα feature in this region. We found slightly fainter C iv and far brighter Si ii* emissions covering the rest of the region outside the Draco cloud, in agreement with previous observations of Galactic halos. Additionally, we also found that the molecular hydrogen fluorescence map is consistent with the morphology of the atomic neutral hydrogen and dust emission of the Draco cloud, direct evidence supporting the notion that substantial amounts of hydrogen nuclei exist in molecular form in the cloud.
Developments in Reproductive Biology andMedicine Nuclear and mitochondrial DNA in blastocoele fluid and embryo culture medium : evidence and potential clinical use

The ability to screen embryos for aneuploidy or inherited disorders in a minimally invasive manner may represent a major advancement for the future of embryo viability assessment. Recent studies have demonstrated that both blastocoele fluid and embryo culture medium contain genetic material, which can be isolated and subjected to downstream genetic analysis. The blastocoele fluid may represent an alternative source of nuclear DNA for aneuploidy testing, although the degree to which the isolated genetic material is solely representative of the developing embryo is currently unclear. In addition to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can be detected in the embryo culture medium. Currently, the origin of this nuclear and mtDNA has not been fully evaluated and there are several potential sources of contamination that may contribute to the genetic material detected in the culture medium. There is however evidence that the mtDNA content of the culture medium is related to embryo fragmentation levels and its presence is predictive of blastulation, indicating that embryo development may influence the levels of genetic material detected. If the levels of genetic material are strongly related to aspects of embryo quality, then this may be a novel biomarker of embryo viability. If the genetic material does have an embryo origin, the mechanisms by which DNA may be released into the blastocoele fluid and embryo culture medium are unknown, although apoptosis may play a role. While the presence of this genetic material is an exciting discovery, the DNA in the blastocoele fluid and embryo culture medium appears to be of low yield and integrity, which makes it challenging to study. Further research aimed at assessing the methodologies used for both isolating and analysing this genetic material, as well as tracing its origin, are needed in order to evaluate its potential for clinical use. Should such methodologies prove to be routinely successful and the DNA recovered demonstrated to be embryonic in origin, then they may be used in a minimally invasive and less technical methodology for genetic analysis and embryo viability assessment than those currently available.
SORA: a Service-Oriented Rendering Architecture

In the field of visual computing, different technologies like multimedia or physics simulation merge with 3D computer graphics to create more realistic virtual worlds. During this process, 3D scene graph systems have evolved from being pure hierarchical containers of 3D geometry to full application specification frameworks. Through scripting and event routing, for example, the specification of entire (sub-)applications is possible inside a scene graph. Nonetheless, today’s scene graph renderers are very monolithic: the single renderer has to be aware of every individual node type and its specific implementation. This makes exchange and recombination of different renderers impossible. In contrast to a single-renderer approach, we present SORA, a service-oriented architecture for rendering. SORA enables combining different specialized services, each of which operating only on parts of the same scene graph. We show an extensible and flexible framework for describing and implementing such services, as well as example service implementations interacting with each other.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Outcompetes Enterococcus faecium via Mucus-Binding Pili: Evidence for a Novel and Heterospecific Probiotic Mechanism

ABSTRACT Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have become a major nosocomial threat. Enterococcus faecium is of special concern, as it can easily acquire new antibiotic resistances and is an excellent colonizer of the human intestinal tract. Several clinical studies have explored the potential use of beneficial bacteria to weed out opportunistic pathogens. Specifically, the widely studied Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG has been applied successfully in the context of VRE infections. Here, we provide new insight into the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of this model probiotic on VRE decolonization. Both clinical VRE isolates and L. rhamnosus GG express pili on their cell walls, which are the key modulators of their highly efficient colonization of the intestinal mucosa. We found that one of the VRE pilus clusters shares considerable sequence similarity with the SpaCBA-SrtC1 pilus cluster of L. rhamnosus GG. Remarkable immunological and functional similarities were discovered between the mucus-binding pili of L. rhamnosus GG and those of the clinical E. faecium strain E1165, which was characterized at the genome level. Moreover, E. faecium strain E1165 bound efficiently to mucus, which may be prevented by the presence of the mucus-binding SpaC protein or antibodies against L. rhamnosus GG or SpaC. These results present experimental support for a novel probiotic mechanism, in which the mucus-binding pili of L. rhamnosus GG prevent the binding of a potential pathogen to the host. Hence, we provide a molecular basis for the further exploitation of L. rhamnosus GG and its pilins for prophylaxis and treatment of VRE infections. IMPORTANCE Concern about vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium causing nosocomial infections is rising globally. The arsenal of antibiotic strategies to treat these infections is nearly exhausted, and hence, new treatment strategies are urgently needed. Here, we provide molecular evidence to underpin reports of the successful clinical application of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in VRE decolonization strategies. Our results provide support for a new molecular mechanism, in which probiotics can perform competitive exclusion and possibly immune interaction. Moreover, we spur further exploration of the potential of intact L. rhamnosus GG and purified SpaC pilin as prophylactic and curative agents of the VRE carrier state.
An Ultra-High-Density, Transcript-Based, Genetic Map of Lettuce

We have generated an ultra-high-density genetic map for lettuce, an economically important member of the Compositae, consisting of 12,842 unigenes (13,943 markers) mapped in 3696 genetic bins distributed over nine chromosomal linkage groups. Genomic DNA was hybridized to a custom Affymetrix oligonucleotide array containing 6.4 million features representing 35,628 unigenes of Lactuca spp. Segregation of single-position polymorphisms was analyzed using 213 F7:8 recombinant inbred lines that had been generated by crossing cultivated Lactuca sativa cv. Salinas and L. serriola acc. US96UC23, the wild progenitor species of L. sativa. The high level of replication of each allele in the recombinant inbred lines was exploited to identify single-position polymorphisms that were assigned to parental haplotypes. Marker information has been made available using GBrowse to facilitate access to the map. This map has been anchored to the previously published integrated map of lettuce providing candidate genes for multiple phenotypes. The high density of markers achieved in this ultradense map allowed syntenic studies between lettuce and Vitis vinifera as well as other plant species.
The Experience of China-Educated Nurses Working in Australia: A Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

Background and Purpose Transnational nurse migration is a growing phenomenon. This study explored the experiences of China-educated nurses working in Australia. Design Using a constructivist grounded theory method, 46 in-depth interviews were conducted with 28 China-educated nurses in two major cities in Australia. Results The core category emerged was “reconciling different realities”. Three phases of reconciling were conceptualised: realising, struggling, and reflecting. Realising refers to an awareness of the discrepancies between different realities. Struggling reflects the dilemma of the “middle position” and how being situated as “the other” is experienced. Reflecting is the process of making sense of the experience and rationalising the gains and losses associated with immigration. Conclusions This study produced a theoretical understanding of the experience of China-educated nurses working in Australia. The findings not only inform Chinese nurses who wish to migrate but contribute to the implementation of more effective support services for immigrant nurses.
Selection by competition in word production: Rejoinder to Janssen (2013)

Roelofs, Piai, and Schriefers argue that several findings on the effect of distractor words and pictures in producing words support a selection-by-competition account and challenge a non-competitive response-exclusion account. Janssen argues that the findings do not challenge response exclusion, and he conjectures that both competitive and non-competitive mechanisms underlie word selection. Here, we maintain that the findings do challenge the response-exclusion account and support the assumption of a single competitive mechanism underlying word selection.
Occupancy-based illumination control of LED lighting systems

Light emitting diode (LED)-based systems are considered to be the future of lighting. We consider the problem of energy-efficient illumination control of such systems. Energy-efficient system design is based on two aspects: localised information on occupancy and optimisation of dimming levels of the LEDs. Specifically, we are interested in minimising the power consumption of an LED system, subject to providing uniform illumination at a pre-specified level around occupied zones, by determining the dimming levels of the LEDs. We show that this optimisation problem can be solved by linear programming and use the simplex algorithm to determine the dimming levels. The efficacy of our proposed system is evaluated in an office scenario by comparing it with a system that renders uniform illumination across the whole space.
Comparative Studies of Batch and Continuous Processes for the Synthesis of Copper Nanoparticles

approved: _____________________________________________________________________ Vincent T. Remcho The cross over from batch nanoparticle synthesis to continuous synthesis processes is crucial to the commercialization of these materials. This project reports comparative studies of batch and continuous synthese of copper nanoparticles by the polyol method. Continuous synthesis of copper nanoparticles was done utilizing a stainless steel micro-mixer that yielded results comparable to batch synthesis. Characterization of copper nanoparticles was done using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Continuous synthesis yielded 15% higher conversion of copper ions to copper nanoparticles than batch synthesis.
Community-level regulation of temporal trends in biodiversity

Temporal fluctuations in species richness are frequently regulated, exhibiting a tendency to return toward a central level. Many theoretical models of community dynamics predict that species richness (S) and total abundance (N) are regulated in their temporal fluctuations. We present novel evidence for widespread regulation of biodiversity. For 59 plant and animal assemblages from around the globe monitored annually for a decade or more, the majority exhibited regulated fluctuations compared to the null hypothesis of an unconstrained random walk. However, there was little evidence for statistical artifacts, regulation driven by correlations with average annual temperature, or local-scale compensatory fluctuations in S or N. In the absence of major environmental perturbations, such as urbanization or cropland transformation, species richness and abundance may be buffered and exhibit some resilience in their temporal trajectories. These results suggest that regulatory processes are occurring despite unprecedented environmental change, highlighting the need for community-level assessment of biodiversity trends, as well as extensions of existing theory to address open source pools and shifting environmental conditions.
Significant Synteny and Colocalization of Ecologically Relevant Quantitative Trait Loci Within and Across Species of Salmonid Fishes

The organization of functional regions within genomes has important implications for evolutionary potential. Considerable research effort has gone toward identifying the genomic basis of phenotypic traits of interest through quantitative trait loci (QTL) analyses. Less research has assessed the arrangement of QTL in the genome within and across species. To investigate the distribution, extent of colocalization, and the synteny of QTL for ecologically relevant traits, we used a comparative genomic mapping approach within and across a range of salmonid species. We compiled 943 QTL from all available species [lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), rainbow trout (O. mykiss), Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), and Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus)]. We developed a novel analytical framework for mapping and testing the distribution of these QTL. We found no correlation between QTL density and gene density at the chromosome level but did at the fine-scale. Two chromosomes were significantly enriched for QTL. We found multiple synteny blocks for morphological, life history, and physiological traits across species, but only morphology and physiology had significantly more than expected. Two or three pairs of traits were significantly colocalized in three species (lake whitefish, coho salmon, and rainbow trout). Colocalization and fine-scale synteny suggest genetic linkage between traits within species and a conserved genetic basis across species. However, this pattern was weak overall, with colocalization and synteny being relatively rare. These findings advance our understanding of the role of genomic organization in the renowned ecological and phenotypic variability of salmonid fishes.
Disclosure: detecting botnet command and control servers through large-scale NetFlow analysis

Botnets continue to be a significant problem on the Internet. Accordingly, a great deal of research has focused on methods for detecting and mitigating the effects of botnets. Two of the primary factors preventing the development of effective large-scale, wide-area botnet detection systems are seemingly contradictory. On the one hand, technical and administrative restrictions result in a general unavailability of raw network data that would facilitate botnet detection on a large scale. On the other hand, were this data available, real-time processing at that scale would be a formidable challenge. In contrast to raw network data, NetFlow data is widely available. However, NetFlow data imposes several challenges for performing accurate botnet detection. In this paper, we present Disclosure, a large-scale, wide-area botnet detection system that incorporates a combination of novel techniques to overcome the challenges imposed by the use of NetFlow data. In particular, we identify several groups of features that allow Disclosure to reliably distinguish C&C channels from benign traffic using NetFlow records (i.e., flow sizes, client access patterns, and temporal behavior). To reduce Disclosure's false positive rate, we incorporate a number of external reputation scores into our system's detection procedure. Finally, we provide an extensive evaluation of Disclosure over two large, real-world networks. Our evaluation demonstrates that Disclosure is able to perform real-time detection of botnet C&C channels over datasets on the order of billions of flows per day.
Use of probiotic-supplemented diet on a Pacific white shrimp farm

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of a diet supplemented with Lactobacillus plantarum on performance, immunological parameters, and bacterial microbiota of the digestive tract of white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). We used six earthen ponds (1.2 ha) stocked with 14 shrimp m−2 (3 g mean weight). Three ponds received a diet supplemented with L. plantarum and three were maintained as control. The survival and feed efficiency of shrimp fed the supplemented diet were greater than that observed in shrimp fed the control diet, with survival values of 83.02±6.12% and 74.65±9.07% and feed efficiencies of 117.97±4.45% and 104.46±7.30%, respectively. However, we observed no differences in weight gain. The intestines of shrimp fed probiotics had lower counts of Vibrio spp. and higher counts of lactic acid bacteria, compared with those of control shrimp. Diets supplemented with L. plantarum alter the intestinal bacterial microbiota of shrimp, resulting in increased survival and feed efficiency.
Laminar Restriction of Retinal Ganglion Cell Dendrites and Axons: Subtype-Specific Developmental Patterns Revealed with Transgenic Markers

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which transfer information from the eye to the brain, are heterogeneous in structure and function, but developmental studies have generally treated them as a single group. Here, we investigate the development of RGC axonal and dendritic arbors using four mouse transgenic lines in which nonoverlapping subsets of RGCs are indelibly labeled with a fluorescent protein. Each subset has a distinct functional signature, size, and morphology. Dendrites of each subset are restricted to specific sublaminae within the inner plexiform layer in adulthood, but acquire their restriction in different ways: one subset has lamina-restricted dendrites from an early postnatal stage, a second remodels an initially diffuse pattern, and two others develop stepwise. Axons of each subset arborize in discrete laminar zones within the lateral geniculate nucleus or superior colliculus, demonstrating previously unrecognized subdivisions of retinorecipient layers. As is the case for dendrites, lamina-restricted axonal projections of RGC subsets develop in different ways. For example, while axons of two RGC subsets arborize in definite zones of the superior colliculus from an early postnatal stage, axons of another subset initially occupy a deep layer, then translocate to a narrow subpial zone. Together, these results show that RGC subsets use a variety of strategies to construct lamina-restricted dendritic and axonal arbors. Taking account of these subtype-specific features will facilitate identification of the molecules and cells that regulate arbor formation.
Geographic Region Matters in the Relation Between Perceived Racial Discrimination and Psychiatric Disorders Among Black Older Adults

Purpose of the Study This study examined whether the relation between perceived racial discrimination and psychiatric disorders varied by large geographic region among Black older adults in the United States. Design and Methods Black adults aged 55 or older who had experienced racial/ethnic-specific discrimination were drawn from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL). Logistic regression analysis was used to examine main and interaction effects. Results Results show that there was a significant main effect of perceived racial discrimination, indicating that greater perceived discrimination was significantly associated with increased odds of having any past-year psychiatric disorder. The interaction of region by perceived racial discrimination was significant: The effect of perceived racial discrimination on any past-year psychiatric disorder was stronger among Blacks in the West than those in the South. Implications Findings suggest that whereas, in general, perceived racial discrimination is a risk factor for poor mental health among older Blacks, this association may differ by geographic region. Additional research examining reasons for this variation is needed.
Changes in ozone and precursors during two aged wildfire smoke events in the Colorado Front Range in summer 2015

Abstract. The relative importance of wildfire smoke for air quality over the western US is expected to increase as the climate warms and anthropogenic emissions decline. We report on in situ measurements of ozone (O3), a suite of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and reactive oxidized nitrogen species collected during summer 2015 at the Boulder Atmospheric Observatory (BAO) in Erie, CO. Aged wildfire smoke impacted BAO during two distinct time periods during summer 2015: 6–10 July and 16–30 August. The smoke was transported from the Pacific Northwest and Canada across much of the continental US. Carbon monoxide and particulate matter increased during the smoke-impacted periods, along with peroxyacyl nitrates and several VOCs that have atmospheric lifetimes longer than the transport timescale of the smoke. During the August smoke-impacted period, nitrogen dioxide was also elevated during the morning and evening compared to the smoke-free periods. There were nine empirically defined high-O3 days during our study period at BAO, and two of these days were smoke impacted. We examined the relationship between O3 and temperature at BAO and found that for a given temperature, O3 mixing ratios were greater (∼ 10 ppbv) during the smoke-impacted periods. Enhancements in O3 during the August smoke-impacted period were also observed at two long-term monitoring sites in Colorado: Rocky Mountain National Park and the Arapahoe National Wildlife Refuge near Walden, CO. Our data provide a new case study of how aged wildfire smoke can influence atmospheric composition at an urban site, and how smoke can contribute to increased O3 abundances across an urban–rural gradient.