Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphology and Efficiency of a Specialized Foraging Behavior, Sediment Sifting, in Neotropical Cichlid Fishes

Understanding of relationships between morphology and ecological performance can help to reveal how natural selection drives biological diversification. We investigate relationships between feeding behavior, foraging performance and morphology within a diverse group of teleost fishes, and examine the extent to which associations can be explained by evolutionary relatedness. Morphological adaptation associated with sediment sifting was examined using a phylogenetic linear discriminant analysis on a set of ecomorphological traits from 27 species of Neotropical cichlids. For most sifting taxa, feeding behavior could be effectively predicted by a linear discriminant function of ecomorphology across multiple clades of sediment sifters, and this pattern could not be explained by shared evolutionary history alone. Additionally, we tested foraging efficiency in seven Neotropical cichlid species, five of which are specialized benthic feeders with differing head morphology. Efficiency was evaluated based on the degree to which invertebrate prey could be retrieved at different depths of sediment. Feeding performance was compared both with respect to feeding mode and species using a phylogenetic ANCOVA, with substrate depth as a covariate. Benthic foraging performance was constant across sediment depths in non-sifters but declined with depth in sifters. The non-sifting Hypsophrys used sweeping motions of the body and fins to excavate large pits to uncover prey; this tactic was more efficient for consuming deeply buried invertebrates than observed among sediment sifters. Findings indicate that similar feeding performance among sediment-sifting cichlids extracting invertebrate prey from shallow sediment layers reflects constraints associated with functional morphology and, to a lesser extent, phylogeny.
Optimization and control of energy transmission across photonic crystal slabs ∗

A variational approach is developed for the design of defects within a two-dimensional lossless photonic crystal slab to create and manipulate the location of high Q transmission spikes within band gaps. This phenomena is connected to the appearance of resonant behavior within the slab for certain crystal defects. The methodology is applied to design crystals constructed from circular dielectric rods embedded in a contrasting dielectric medium. PACS: 42.70. Qs, 77.84. -s
Titanium dioxide nanoparticles prime a specific activation state of macrophages

Abstract Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are widely used in foods, cosmetics, and medicine. Although the inhalation toxicity of TiO2 NPs has been studied, the potential adverse effects of oral exposure of low-dose TiO2 NPs are largely unclear. Herein, with macrophage cell lines, primary cells, and mouse models, we show that TiO2 NPs prime macrophages into a specific activation state characterized by excessive inflammation and suppressed innate immune function. After a month of dietary exposure in mice or exposure in vitro to TiO2 NPs (10 and 50 nm), the expressions of pro-inflammatory genes in macrophages were increased, and the expressions of anti-inflammatory genes were decreased. In addition, for macrophages exposed to TiO2 NPs in vitro and in vivo, their chemotactic, phagocytic, and bactericidal activities were lower. This imbalance in the immune system could enhance the susceptibility to infections. In mice, after a month of dietary exposure to low doses of TiO2 NPs, an aggravated septic shock occurred in response to lipopolysaccharide challenge, leading to elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines in serum and reduced overall survival. Moreover, TLR4-deficient mice and primary macrophages, or TLR4-independent stimuli, showed less response to TiO2 NPs. These results demonstrate that TiO2 NPs induce an abnormal state of macrophages characterized by excessive inflammation and suppressed innate immune function in a TLR4-dependent manner, which may suggest a potential health risk, particularly for those with additional complications, such as bacterial infections.
Research of the influence of different PWM inverters on the eddy current losses of induction motors

Frequency control of motor which is fed by PWM inverters is applied in extensive fields. SPWM and SVPWM are two universal modulation patterns. However, the AC drive technology based on PWM inverters brings some bad effects on motors. In this paper, with the mechanism of generating motor-iron losses as a starting point, and with three-phase asynchronous motor as a study object, calculation and analysis of eddy current losses under the SVPWM modulation are completed via harmonic analysis method, time-stepping finite element analysis (FEA) method respectively, and the influences of carrier wave ratio and modulation index on the eddy current losses are studied also. Meanwhile, the comparison study of eddy current losses between SPWM and SVPWM is implemented. Finally, the experiments of losses are carried out and the results show that the SVPWM scheme has smaller losses, which offers references for choosing a suitable motor system.
Urinary tract infection

Overview What you need to know Urgency? Frequency? Could be a UTI. Triggered by bacteria, UTI, or urinary tract infection, can occur in the kidneys, bladder, or urethra. According to research or other evidence, the following self-care steps may be helpful: • Check out cranberry • To treat and to prevent recurrences, drink 4 to 10 ounces (114 to 296 ml) of cranberry juice a day or take 400 mg of powdered cranberry concentrate twice a day • Try an enzyme preparation • To enhance antibiotic effectiveness, take 400 mg a day of proteolytic enzymes, such as bromelain and trypsin • Avoid allergic foods • Work with a knowledgeable health practitioner to find out if you have allergies to foods that increase your susceptibility to urinary tract infections • Aim for a strong immune system with a multivitamin • Take one a day to avoid vitamin and mineral deficiencies and to better resist infections • If you have a UTI, see a healthcare provider • Existing infections may require treatment with antibiotics These recommendations are not comprehensive and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or pharmacist. Continue reading the full urinary tract infection article for more in-depth, fully-referenced information on medicines, vitamins, herbs, and dietary and lifestyle changes that may be helpful. About UTIs Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are infections of the kidney, bladder, and urethra. UTIs are generally triggered by bacteria and are more common when there is partial blockage of the urinary tract. In some people, UTIs tend to recur. Check list Product ratings for a urinary tract infection
Exploration of the Lysis Mechanisms of Leukaemic Blasts by Chimaeric T-Cells

Adoptive transfer of specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and Cytokine Induced Killer Cells (CIK) following genetic engineering of T-cell receptor zeta hold promising perspective in immunotherapy. In the present work we focused on the mechanisms of anti-tumor action of effectors transduced with an anti-CD19 chimaeric receptor in the context of B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Primary B-ALL blasts were efficiently killed by both z-CD19 CTL and z-CD19 CIK effectors. The use of death receptor mediated apoptosis of target cells was excluded since agonists molecules of Fas and TRAIL-receptors failed to induce cell death. Perforin/granzyme pathway was found to be the mechanism of chimaeric effectors mediated killing. Indeed, cytolytic effector molecules perforin as well as granzymes were highly expressed by CTL and CIK. CD19 specific stimulation of transduced effectors was associated with degranulation as attested by CD107 membrane expression and high IFN-γ and TNF-α release. Moreover inhibitors of the perforin-based cytotoxic pathway, Ca2+-chelating agent EGTA and Concanamycin A, almost completely abrogated B-ALL blast killing. In conclusion we show that the cytolysis response of z-CD19 chimaeric effectors is predominantly mediated via perforin/granzyme pathway and is independent of death receptors signaling in primary B-ALL.
Adaptive Bandwidth Mean Shift Object Tracking

In this paper, a novel adaptive bandwidth mean shift algorithm toward 2D object tracking is proposed. It can simultaneously tracks the scale and orientation besides position in real time. The feature histogram weighted by a kernel with adaptive bandwidth is used for representing the target and the candidate target. The similarity of the target model and the candidate model is measured by the Bhattacharyya coefficient. A two step method is used iteratively to find the most probable target position, scale and orientation. The first step is to find the position using a mean shift iteration, the second step is to find the bandwidth which best describes the region of the object. Its convergence is proved theoretically. Experiments show that it can successfully track the position, scale and orientation in real time.
Long-Range Dependence in Daily Volatility on Tunisian Stock Market

The aim of this paper is to enfold the volatility dynamics on the Tunisian stock market via an approach founded on the detection of persistence phenomenon and long-term memory presence. More specifically, our objective is to test whether long-term dependent processes are appropriate for modelling Tunisian stock market volatility. The empirical investigation has used the two Tunisian stock market indexes IBVMT and TUNINDEX for the period 1998 to 2004 in daily frequency. Through the estimation of FIGARCH processes, we show that the long-term component of volatility has an impact on the stock market return series.
Bovine and human cathelicidin cationic host defense peptides similarly suppress transcriptional responses to bacterial lipopolysaccharide

Genomic approaches can be exploited to expose the complexities and conservation of biological systems such as the immune network across various mammalian species. In this study, temporal transcriptional expression profiles were analyzed in human and bovine monocytic cells in response to the TLR‐4 agonist, LPS, in the presence or absence of their respective host defense peptides. The cathelicidin peptides, human LL‐37 and bovine myeloid antimicrobial peptide‐27 (BMAP‐27), are homologs, yet they have diverged notably in terms of sequence similarity. In spite of their low sequence similarities, both of these cathelicidin peptides demonstrated potent, antiendotoxin activity in monocytic cells at low, physiologically relevant concentrations. Microarray studies indicated that 10 ng/ml LPS led to the up‐regulation of 125 genes in human monocytes, 106 of which were suppressed in the presence of 5 μg/ml of the human peptide LL‐37. To confirm and extend these data, temporal transcriptional responses to LPS were assessed in the presence or absence of the species‐specific host defense peptides by quantitative real‐time PCR. The transcriptional trends of 20 LPS‐induced genes were analyzed in bovine and human monocytic cells. These studies demonstrated conserved trends of gene responses in that both peptides were able to profoundly suppress many LPS‐induced genes. Consistent with this, the human and bovine peptides suppressed LPS‐induced translocation of NF‐κB subunits p50 and p65 into the nucleus of monocytic cells. However, there were also distinct differences in responses to LPS and the peptides; for example, treatment with 5 μg/ml BMAP‐27 alone tended to influence gene expression (RELA, TNF‐α‐induced protein 2, MAPK phosphatase 1/dual specificity phosphatase 1, IκBκB, NFκBIL1, TNF receptor‐associated factor 2) to a greater extent than did the same amount of human LL‐37. We hypothesize that the immunomodulatory effects of the species‐specific host defense peptides play a critical role in regulating inflammation and represent an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for maintaining homeostasis, although the sequence divergence of these peptides is substantial.
Prevaccination Distribution of Human Papillomavirus Types in Italian Women with High-Risk Lesions and Cervical Neoplasia

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine both human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence and type distribution in cervical specimens of women with cytological abnormalities and to establish the association with high-grade lesions and cervical neoplasia in order to estimate the impact of an HPV vaccine in this region. Methods: Four hundred and ninety-three cervical specimens obtained from women undergoing routine cervical screening by liquid-based Pap smear were analyzed by Roche linear array HPV genotyping to identify HPV genotypes. Results: HPV 16 was the genotype detected most frequently, followed by HPV 31, 33 and 52. Multiple infections were frequent (58.5%), but decreased with the increase of cervical severity. We found multiple infections composed by only LR types in 4 women: 3 had a histological diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 3 and 1 a diagnosis of cervical cancer. HPV 16 alone was present in 24.6% of CIN 3 lesions and 40% of neoplasia. However, in our region, there are an additional 28% of cases of carcinoma in situ and 40% of cases of invasive cancer due to different HPV types that should be considered for eventual inclusion in second-generation HPV vaccines. Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of assessing individual types in the management and prediction of outcome of women with abnormal baseline cytology and may contribute to determine the potential efficacy of an HPV vaccine in clinical practice.
Metabolic engineering for isoprenoid‐based biofuel production

Sustainable economic and industrial growth is the need of the hour and it requires renewable energy resources having better performance and compatibility with existing fuel infrastructure from biological routes. Isoprenoids (C ≥ 5) can be a potential alternative due to their diverse nature and physiochemical properties similar to that of petroleum based fuels. In the past decade, extensive research has been done to utilize metabolic engineering strategies in micro‐organisms primarily, (i) to overcome the limitations associated with their natural and non‐natural production and (ii) to develop commercially competent microbial strain for isoprenoid‐based biofuel production. This review briefly describes the engineered isoprenoid biosynthetic pathways in well‐characterized microbial systems for the production of several isoprenoid‐based biofuels and fuel precursors.
Integrating Boundary Information in Pairwise Segmentation

Proximity-based, or pairwise, data clustering techniques are gaining increasing popularity due to their versatility and their ability to easily integrate information of different nature. Despite this, most applications to image segmentation incorporate only region-based information, mainly color and texture similarity. In this paper we propose a general approach for integrating boundary information in a pairwise segmentation framework. To this end we propose a measure of distance between pair of pixels that integrates the value of an edge-response function along a path joining the two pixels. Experiments performed using the dominant sets framework show that the proposed approach is competitive with the state of the art pairwise segmentation algorithms even while using boundary information only. Furthermore, we show that the approach can effectively be used when adopting an out of sample approach to pairwise segmentation.
The interdisciplinary model of hospital administration: do health professionals and managers look at it in the same way?

BACKGROUND To assess health practitioners' views on the issue of hospital administration and explore possible conflicts. METHODS Questionnaire-based, multi-stage cluster sampling technique was used as the design,in which 124 doctors, 154 certified nurses and 15 hospital managers participated. RESULTS Only 39% of doctors and 51% of nurses were aware of the manager's basic degree and 70% of them considered it inadequate. Health sciences were chosen as the best basic degree for effective management by 65% of health practitioners. Moreover, 74% of doctors and 96% of nurses believed that an interdisciplinary board of directors, with the manager acting as a chairman could be the ideal administrative model. Even though this model was the current system in the interviewed hospitals, most health practitioners (87%) considered it ineffective. With regard to the acceptance of the manager as authority in the hospital, 76% of the doctors believed that there were related problems (47% considered the manager as an outsider to the health sector), whereas only 45% of the managers admitted such problems. Trainees showed a less tolerant attitude towards managerial administration in comparison to specialists. CONCLUSION Most health professionals believe that hospital administration is ineffective. The interdisciplinary model, with a manager having both health sciences and economics degrees and exercising his/her role with flexibility and taking the widest consent of health professionals may improve the very low rates of acceptance and perceived efficacy. Trainees and nurses seem to often have different views, suggesting the importance of their participation in the administrative model.
XML clustering: a review of structural approaches

Abstract With its presence in data integration, chemistry, biological, and geographic systems, eXtensible Markup Language (XML) has become an important standard not only in computer science. A common problem among the mentioned applications involves structural clustering of XML documents—an issue that has been thoroughly studied and led to the creation of a myriad of approaches. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of structural XML clustering. First, we provide a basic introduction to the problem and highlight the main challenges in this research area. Subsequently, we divide the problem into three subtasks and discuss the most common document representations, structural similarity measures, and clustering algorithms. In addition, we present the most popular evaluation measures, which can be used to estimate clustering quality. Finally, we analyze and compare 23 state-of-the-art approaches and arrange them in an original taxonomy. By providing an up-to-date analysis of existing structural XML clustering algorithms, we hope to showcase methods suitable for current applications and draw lines of future research.
Correlation of histopathologic findings with clinical outcome in necrotizing fasciitis.

BACKGROUND Necrotizing fasciitis is an uncommon disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. Little is known about the role of histopathologic examination in disease prognosis. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted to determine what correlations, if any, exist between the histopathologic features of resected tissue in patients with necrotizing fasciitis and clinical outcome. RESULTS Eighty-two cases of necrotizing fasciitis that occurred between January 1990 and December 2002 were identified. Histopathologic findings were available for review in 63 cases. A novel histopathologic classification scheme, based on hematoxylin-eosin and Gram stain results, was developed. The classification scheme included 3 stages: stage I, characterized by an intense neutrophilic response and an absence of bacteria in infected tissue; stage II, characterized by the presence of a moderate-to-severe neutrophilic response and positive Gram stain results or by minimal to absent neutrophilic response with a negative Gram stain result; and stage III, characterized by the presence of few or no polymorphonuclear leukocytes and a Gram stain result positive for bacteria during histopathologic examination. Patients with stage I findings had a significantly lower risk of death than patients with stage III findings (7.1% vs. 47%; odds ratio [OR], 0.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.01-0.8; P=.03). Patients with stage II findings had a significantly lower mortality rate than patients with stage III findings (14.2% vs. 47%; OR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.04-0.9; P=.04). Due to the small number of deaths (n=11) in patients for whom histopathologic examination of resected tissue was performed, multivariate analysis was not done. CONCLUSIONS Results of this study suggest that histopathologic findings may correlate with clinical outcome in cases of necrotizing fasciitis. Because the histopathologic scheme is based on results of commonly available stains, it could be easily adopted for use in other institutions that could further evaluate its usefulness as a prognostic tool.
Do Unemployment Benefit Extensions Explain the Emergence of Jobless Recoveries?

Countercyclical unemployment benefit extensions in the United States act as a propagation mechanism, contributing to both the high persistence of unemployment and its weak correlation with productivity. We show this by modifying an otherwise standard frictional model of the labor market to incorporate a stochastic and state-dependent process for unemployment insurance estimated on US data. Accounting for movements in both productivity and unemployment insurance, our calibrated model is consistent with unemployment dynamics of the past 50 years. In particular, it explains the emergence of jobless recoveries in the 1990's as well as their absence in previous recessions, the low correlation between unemployment and labor productivity, and the apparent shifts in the Beveridge curve following recessions. Next, we embed this mechanism into a medium-scale DSGE model, which we estimate using standard Bayesian methods. Both shocks to unemployment benefits and their systematic component are shown to be important for the sluggish recovery of employment following recessions, in particular the Great Recession, despite the fact that shocks to unemployment benefits account for little of the overall variance decomposition. If we also incorporate other social safety nets, such as food stamps (SNAP), the estimated model assigns an even bigger role to policy in explaining sluggish labor market recovery. We also find that unemployment benefit extensions prevented deflation in the last three recessions, thus acting similarly to a wage markup shock.
An autophosphorylating but not transphosphorylating activity is associated with the unique N terminus of the herpes simplex virus type 1 ribonucleotide reductase large subunit

We report on a protein kinase function encoded by the unique N terminus of the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) ribonucleotide reductase large subunit (R1). R1 expressed in Escherichia coli exhibited autophosphorylation activity in a reaction which depended on the presence of the unique N terminus. When the N terminus was separately expressed in E. coli and partially purified, a similar autophosphorylation reaction was observed. Importantly, transphosphorylation of histones and of proteins in HSV-1-infected cell extracts was also observed with purified R1 and with truncated R1 mutants in which most of the N terminus was deleted. Ion-exchange chromatography was used to separate the autophosphorylating activity of the N terminus from the transphosphorylating activity of an E. coli contaminant protein kinase. We propose a putative function for this activity of the HSV-1 R1 N terminus during the immediate-early phase of virus replication.