Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pseudoreplication in Tropical Forests and the Resulting Effects on Biodiversity Conservation

Tropical forest ecosystems are threatened by habitat conversion and other anthropogenic actions. Timber production forests can augment the conservation value of primary forest reserves, but studies of logging effects often yield contradictory findings and thus inhibit efforts to develop clear conservation strategies. We hypothesized that much of this variability reflects a common methodological flaw, simple pseudoreplication, that confounds logging effects with preexisting spatial variation. We reviewed recent studies of the effects of logging on biodiversity in tropical forests (n = 77) and found that 68% were definitively pseudoreplicated while only 7% were definitively free of pseudoreplication. The remaining proportion could not be clearly categorized. In addition, we collected compositional data on 7 taxa in 24 primary forest research plots and systematically analyzed subsets of these plots to calculate the probability that a pseudoreplicated comparison would incorrectly identify a treatment effect. Rates of false inference (i.e., the spurious detection of a treatment effect) were >0.5 for 2 taxa, 0.3–0.5 for 2 taxa, and <0.3 for 3 taxa. Our findings demonstrate that tropical conservation strategies are being informed by a body of literature that is rife with unwarranted inferences. Addressing pseudoreplication is essential for accurately assessing biodiversity in logged forests, identifying the relative merits of specific management practices and landscape configurations, and effectively balancing conservation with timber production in tropical forests.
Automatic Safety Video Surveillance-Tracking System to Avoid Vehicle-Workers Interaction for Mining Applications

Activities developed under hazardous conditions, such as mining, require an active investment from the industry to avoid serious injuries and even loss of lives. One of the safety measures taken to address this problem is to implement a video surveillance system able to track vehicles and workers to enforce safety protocols preventing dangerous events that could lead to accidents. In this paper, we propose an intelligent video surveillance system able to detect and predict possible dangerous interactions between workers and vehicles operating on a monitored environment. Our system is able to analyze video information from one or several cameras, detects and tracks objects and emits an alarm that warns the operator on possible safety hazards. A multiclass object detection is trained to detect vehicles and people. The system object detection stage was implemented in CUDA for parallel processing to achieve real time operation. A multitracking system was implemented to track detected objects that move from one camera field of view to a neighbor camera field of view. Experiments on a monitored parking space show that our proposed system yields good performance in tracking people and vehicles, detecting close interaction and generating relevant alarms.
Genotypic, Phenotypic, and Modeling Studies of a Deletion in the β3-β4 Region of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Reverse Transcriptase Gene That Is Associated with Resistance to Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

ABSTRACT Point mutations and inserts in the β3-β4 region of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) are associated with resistance to nucleoside analog inhibitors. This report describes HIV-1 strains from seven patients that were found to have a 3-bp deletion in the β3-β4 region of the RT gene. These patient strains also had a mean of 6.2 drug resistance-associated mutations in their RT genes (range, 3 to 10 mutations). The deletion was most frequently found in strains with the Q151M mutation. Nonnucleoside RT inhibitor mutations were found in six of seven strains. Culture-based drug sensitivity assays showed that deletion-containing isolates had reduced susceptibility to four to eight RT inhibitors. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments showed that the deletion alone conferred reduced susceptibility to nucleoside analogs. Changes in the three-dimensional models of the RT deletion mutants were consistently observed at the β3-β4 loop and at helices C and E in both the presence and the absence of dTTP. Loss of hydrogen bonds between the RT and dTTP were also observed in the RT deletion mutant. These results suggest that the deletion in the RT gene contributes to resistance to several nucleoside analogs through a complex interaction with other mutations in the RT gene.
Application of Enzymes in the Pulp and Paper Industry

The pulp and paper industry processes huge quantities of lignocellulosic biomass every year. The technology for pulp manufacture is highly diverse, and numerous opportunities exist for the application of microbial enzymes. Historically, enzymes have found some uses in the paper industry, but these have been mainly confined to areas such as modifications of raw starch. However, a wide range of applications in the pulp and paper industry have now been identified. The use of enzymes in the pulp and paper industry has grown rapidly since the mid 1980s. While many applications of enzymes in the pulp and paper industry are still in the research and development stage, several applications have found their way into the mills in an unprecedented short period of time. Currently the most important application of enzymes is in the prebleaching of kraft pulp. Xylanase enzymes have been found to be most effective for that purpose. Xylanase prebleaching technology is now in use at several mills worldwide. This technology has been successfully transferred to full industrial scale in just a few years. The enzymatic pitch control method using lipase was put into practice in a large‐scale paper‐making process as a routine operation in the early 1990s and was the first case in the world in which an enzyme was successfully applied in the actual paper‐making process. Improvement of pulp drainage with enzymes is practiced routinely at mill scale. Enzymatic deinking has also been successfully applied during mill trials and can be expected to expand in application as increasing amounts of newsprint must be deinked and recycled. The University of Georgia has recently opened a pilot plant for deinking of recycled paper. Pulp bleaching with a laccase mediator system has reached pilot plant stage and is expected to be commercialized soon. Enzymatic debarking, enzymatic beating, and reduction of vessel picking with enzymes are still in the R&D stage but hold great promise for reducing energy. Other enzymatic applications, i.e., removal of shives and slime, retting of flax fibers, and selective removal of xylan, are also expected to have a profound impact on the future technology of the pulp and paper‐making process.
Multiple sclerosis and demyelinating diseases

Multiple Sclerosis Natural history: The London, Ontario database The Lyon database Genetic Aspects Pathology: Heterogeneity of pathology Gray vs. White matter disease-Proposed author: Bruce Trapp. 30 manuscript pages including tables and references 5 photos/diagrams Biology of MS: This section will discuss the current knowledge regarding the function of oligodendrocytes, their derivision from precursor cells, their properties (mostly from in vitro studies) and the potential for regeneration. Additionally, some studies are examining the genes that govern their differentiation, growth and function, . The Biology of Oligodendrocytes-Proposed author: Jack Antel. 30 manuscript pages including tables and references 3 photos/diagrams Molecular Aspects of Oligodendrocytes-Proposed author: Alan Peterson. 30 manuscript pages including tables and references 3 photos/diagrams Pathophysiology This section will examine the contributions from animal models that has led to proven concepts in the human disease and some of the proposed autoimmune mechanisms believed to play a role and are amenable to treatment. Animal models-Proposed author: Moses Rodriguez. 30 manuscript pages including tables and references 4 photos/diagrams Human Immune Studies-Proposed author: Amit Bar-Or. 30 manuscript pages including tables and references 4 photos/diagrams Diagnosis and Differential Diagnosis There are now accepted criteria that involve clinical, MRI and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis to define 'definite' vs. 'possible' MS. The section on MS Mimics will address the number of conditions that could look like MS and even fulfill the criteria but need to therefore be differentiated. The Clinical Diagnosis of MS-Proposed author: Ian MacDonald and Alan Thompson. 40 manuscript pages including tables and references 5 photos/diagrams The Role of MRI in the Diagnosis of MS-Proposed authors: Tony Traboulsee and Don Paty. 40 manuscript pages including tables and references 5 photos/diagrams The Role of CSF-Proposed authors: Ed Thompson and Mark Freedman. 40 manuscript pages including tables and references 5 photos/diagrams MS Mimics-Proposed author: Patricia Coyle. 40 manuscript pages including tables and references 5 photos/diagrams The Role of MRI A separate volume alone could be devoted to this topic, so the salient features only will be sought from the almost two decades of research put into this area. Newer areas in development that allow for better visualization of myelin vs. axonal elements, gray matter disease and atrophy will all be addressed. The Natural History of MS MRI-Proposed author: David Miller. 20 manuscript pages including tables and references 8 photos/diagrams Cranial MRI-Proposed author: Massimo Fillippi and Giancarlo Comi. 20 manuscript pages including tables and references 8 photos/diagrams Spinal cord MRI-Proposed author: Fred Barkhof and Geert Lycklama. 20 manuscript pages including tables and references 8 photos/diagrams MR Spectroscopy and fMRI-Proposed author: Douglas Arnold. 20 manuscript pages including tables and references 8 photos/diagrams
Interaction of Opiates with Opioid Binding Sites in the Bovine Adrenal Medulla: I. Interaction with δ and μ Sites

Abstract: In the present study we examined the interaction of opiates with the δ and μ opioid binding sites in the bovine adrenal medulla. [3H][D‐Ala2, D‐Leu5]‐enkephalin ([3H]DADLE) in the presence of saturating concentrations of morphiceptin was used to analyze δ site interactions, whereas either [3H]DADLE in the presence of saturating concentrations of [D‐Ser2, Leu5]‐enkephalinThr6 (DSLET) or [3H][D‐Ala2, Me‐Phe4, Gly5‐ol]‐enkephalin ([3H]DAGO) was used for the determination of μ sites. Both binding sites were found to interact stereo selectively with opiates. The binding was affected differentially by proteolytic enzymes (trypsin, α‐chymotrypsin, pepsin), N‐ethylmaleimide, and A2‐phospholipase. Kinetic and equilibrium binding studies revealed that in each case radiolabeled opiates interact with one class of binding sites, following simple second‐order bi molecular kinetics. Competition for binding by opiates and opioid peptides confirmed the δ and μ selectivity of these sites. Monovalent (Na+, Li+, K+) and divalent (Mg2+, Mn2+, Ca2+) ions interacted differentially with these two binding sites: In general, monovalent cations affected preferentially the apparent number of binding sites, whereas divalent ions modified the equilibrium dissociation constant. Furthermore, positive or negative cooperativity and an apparent heterogeneity of binding sites were detected under some ionic conditions.
Mittelstand im Wandel

Im deutschen Sprachraum spricht man vom "Mittelstand" - international wird dagegen der KMU-Begriff verwandt. Aber beschreiben beide Begriffe dasselbe Phanomen? Dieser Beitrag analysiert die Begrifflichkeiten von Mittelstand und KMU sowie die Begriffe, die grundlegend fur das Verstandnis des Mittelstandsbegriffs sind: Unternehmen, Unternehmer und Selbststandigkeit. Bedeutsam fur die Definition ist, dass der Mittelstand gepragt wird durch die Einheit von Eigentum und Leitung und nicht durch seine Grose. Daraus folgt, dass KMU fast immer zum Mittelstand gehoren, der Mittelstand aber nicht auf KMU beschrankt ist: grose familiengefuhrte Unternehmen zahlen ebenso zum Mittelstand. Auch zeigt sich, dass sich infolge tiefgreifender Anderungen der Marktbedingungen und der Wirtschaftsstruktur der Mittelstand ausdifferenziert: er wird einerseits heterogener, unbestandiger und kleiner - andererseits aber auch internationaler und groser. Die Mitte dunnt aus. Dennoch ist Mittelstand kein Auslaufmodell. Im Gegenteil: Er ist ein Teil des wirtschaftlichen Strukturwandels und gestaltet ihn aktiv mit.
Diversity of Tn4001 Transposition Products: the Flanking IS256 Elements Can Form Tandem Dimers and IS Circles

ABSTRACT We show that both flanking IS256 elements carried by transposon Tn4001 are capable of generating head-to-tail tandem copies and free circular forms, implying that both are active. Our results suggest that the tandem structures arise from dimeric copies of the donor or vector plasmid present in the population by a mechanism in which an IS256 belonging to one Tn4001 copy attacks an IS256 end carried by the second Tn4001 copy. The resulting structures carry abutted left (inverted left repeat [IRL]) and right (inverted right repeat [IRR]) IS256 ends. Examination of the junction sequence suggested that it may form a relatively good promoter capable of driving transposase synthesis in Escherichia coli. This behavior resembles that of an increasing number of bacterial insertion sequences which generate integrative junctions as part of the transposition cycle. Sequence analysis of the IRL-IRR junctions demonstrated that attack of one end by the other is largely oriented (IRL attacks IRR). Our experiments also defined the functional tips of IS256 as the tips predicted from sequence alignments, confirming that the terminal 4 bp at each end are indeed different. The appearance of these multiple plasmid and transposon forms indicates that care should be exercised when Tn4001 is used in transposition mutagenesis. This is especially true when it is used with naturally transformable hosts, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, in which reconstitution of the donor plasmid may select for higher-order multimers.
Food groups and risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer

The role of specific food groups and diet variety on the risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer has been considered using data from a case‐control study conducted between 1992 and 1997 in the Swiss Canton of Vaud. Cases were 156 patients (126 males, 30 females) aged under 75 (median age 56) years with incident, histologically confirmed cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx, and controls were 284 subjects (246 males, 38 females, median age 57 years), admitted to the same university hospital for a wide spectrum of acute, non‐neoplastic conditions unrelated to tobacco and alcohol consumption or to long‐term modification of diet. After allowance for education, alcohol, tobacco and total energy intake, significant trends of increasing risk with more frequent intake emerged for eggs (OR = 2.3 for the highest tertile), red meat (OR = 2.1) and pork and processed meat (OR = 3.2). Inverse trends in risk were observed for milk (OR = 0.4 for the highest tertile), fish (OR = 0.5), raw vegetables (OR = 0.3), cooked vegetables (OR = 0.1), citrus fruit (OR = 0.4) and other fruits (OR = 0.2). The addition of a serving per day of fruit or vegetables was associated with an about 50% reduction in oral cancer risk. The most favourable diet for oral cancer risk is therefore given by infrequent consumption of red and processed meat and eggs and, most of all, frequent vegetable and fruit intake. Diet diversity was inversely related to oral and pharyngeal cancer: ORs were 0.35 for the highest tertile of total diversity, 0.24 for vegetable and 0.34 for fruit diversity. In terms of attributable risk, high meat intake accounted for 49% of oral and pharyngeal cancers in this population, low vegetable intake for 65% and low fruit intake for 54%. Int. J. Cancer 77:705–709, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Temporal and spatial variation in plasma thyroxine (T4) concentrations in juvenile alligators collected from lake Okeechobee and the northern Everglades, Florida, USA

We examined variation in plasma thyroxine (T4) in juvenile American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) collected from three sites within the Kissimmee River drainage basin (FL, USA). Based on historical sediment data, Moonshine Bay served as the low contaminant exposure site, Water Conservation Area 3A served as an intermediate contaminant exposure site, and Belle Glade served as the high contaminate exposure site. In May 1999, alligators (n = 22) from Water Conservation Area 3A exhibited higher T4 concentrations than animals from both Belle Glade (n= 22; p =0.0003) and Moonshine Bay (n = 33; p = 0.001). In May 2000, alligators (n = 29) Water Conservation Area 3A again exhibited higher T4 concentrations than those from Belle Glade (n = 49; p = 0.02) but not those from Moonshine Bay (n= 40). No sexual dimorphism was observed among mean T4 concentrations within any of the sites during either year (p > 0.05). Animals within all sites exhibited higher T4 concentrations in May 2000 when compared to May 1999. When variance was examined, animals from Water Conservation Area 3A exhibited higher variance in plasma T4 concentrations than those from either Moonshine Bay or Belle Glade. We concluded that mean plasma T4 concentrations did not match the sediment contaminant mixture data presently available to us, whereas variance seems to be a more reliable indicator of contaminant exposure.
PHYLOGENY OF ACRIDOCARPUS‐BRACHYLOPHON (MALPIGHIACEAE): IMPLICATIONS FOR TERTIARY TROPICAL FLORAS AND AFROASIAN BIOGEOGRAPHY

Abstract. — A major tenet of African Tertiary biogeography posits that lowland rainforest dominated much of Africa in the late Cretaceous and was replaced by xeric vegetation as a response to continental uplift and consequent widespread aridification beginning in the late Paleogene. The aridification of Africa is thought to have been a major factor in the extinction of many African humid‐tropical lineages, and in the present‐day disparity of species diversity between Africa and other tropical regions. This primarily geologically based model can be tested with independent phylogenetic evidence from widespread African plant groups containing both humid‐ and xeric‐adapted species. We estimated the phylogeny and lineage divergence times within one such angiosperm group, the acridocarpoid clade (Malpighiaceae), with combined ITS, ndhF, and trnL‐F data from 15 species that encompass the range of morphological and geographic variation within the group. Dispersal‐vicariance analysis and divergence‐time estimates suggest that the basal acridocarpoid divergence occurred between African and Southeast Asian lineages approximately 50 million years ago (mya), perhaps after a southward ancestral retreat from high‐latitude tropical forests in response to intermittent Eocene cooling. Dispersion of Acridocarpus from Africa to Madagascar is inferred between approximately 50 and 35 mya, when lowland humid tropical forest was nearly continuous between these landmasses. A single dispersal event within Acridocarpus is inferred from western Africa to eastern Africa between approximately 23 and 17 mya, coincident with the widespread replacement of humid forests by savannas in eastern Africa. Although the spread of xeric environments resulted in the extinction of many African plant groups, our data suggest that for others it provided an opportunity for further diversification.
Evaluating the effectiveness of a self‐management exercise intervention on wound healing, functional ability and health‐related quality of life outcomes in adults with venous leg ulcers: a randomised controlled trial

Exercise that targets ankle joint mobility may lead to improvement in calf muscle pump function and subsequent healing. The objectives of this research were to assess the impact of an exercise intervention in addition to routine evidence‐based care on the healing rates, functional ability and health‐related quality of life for adults with venous leg ulcers (VLUs). This study included 63 patients with VLUs. Patients were randomised to receive either a 12‐week exercise intervention with a telephone coaching component or usual care plus telephone calls at the same timepoints. The primary outcome evaluated the effectiveness of the intervention in relation to wound healing. The secondary outcomes evaluated physical activity, functional ability and health‐related quality of life measures between groups at the end of the 12 weeks. A per protocol analysis complemented the effectiveness (intention‐to‐treat) analysis to highlight the importance of adherence to an exercise intervention. Intention‐to‐treat analyses for the primary outcome showed 77% of those in the intervention group healed by 12 weeks compared to 53% of those in the usual care group. Although this difference was not statistically significant due to a smaller than expected sample size, a 24% difference in healing rates could be considered clinically significant. The per protocol analysis for wound healing, however, showed that those in the intervention group who adhered to the exercise protocol 75% or more of the time were significantly more likely to heal and showed higher rates for wound healing than the control group (P = 0·01), that is, 95% of those who adhered in the intervention group healed in 12 weeks. The secondary outcomes of physical activity, functional ability and health‐related quality of life were not significantly altered by the intervention. Among the secondary outcomes (physical activity, functional ability and health‐related quality of life), intention‐to‐treat analyses did not support the effectiveness of the intervention. However, per protocol analyses revealed encouraging results with those participants who adhered more than 75% of the time (n = 19) showing significantly improved Range of Ankle Motion from the self‐management exercise programme (P = 0·045). This study has shown that those participants who adhere to the exercise programme as an adjunctive treatment to standard care are more likely to heal and have better functional outcomes than those who do not adhere to the exercises in conjunction with usual care.
Extension of a New Two-Trial Memory Task in the Rat: Influence of Environmental Context on Recognition Processes

A two-trial memory task, based on place or object exploration in a Y-maze, was developed to study recognition processes in young and aged Sprague-Dawley rats (Dellu et al., 1992). This paradigm avoids the use of electric shocks or deprivations that may have nonspecific effects, and the task does not require learning of a rule, i.e., involves essentially working memory. A number of behavioral parameters in several animals could be recorded automatically, thus allowing a detailed analysis of behavior and a simultaneous testing of several animals. We extended this task in order to evaluate the role of contextual information in recognition memory. When the contextual environment during acquisition and retrieval trials was unchanged, place recognition remained intact despite interpolated explorations. When the contextual environment during acquisition and retrieval trials was changed, object recognition was impaired. It was clearly shown that the correct choice between two discrete cues (e.g., small objects) is conditional on more diffuse environmental cues. Thus, it can be hypothesized that at least two kinds of recognition processes can be assessed in animals: an automatic process, based on a discrimination between familiarity and novelty, and a second process, more cognitively based and more effortful. In conclusion, the two-trial task in the Y-maze is sensitive, specific, and fast. It allows the study of both spatial and nonspatial memory, allows the study of different levels (automatic vs controlled) of cognitive processes and their neuroanatomical substrates, and may be profitably employed in aging studies and neuropharmacological research in general.