Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Drought timing and local climate determine the sensitivity of eastern temperate forests to drought

Projected changes in temperature and drought regime are likely to reduce carbon (C) storage in forests, thereby amplifying rates of climate change. While such reductions are often presumed to be greatest in semi‐arid forests that experience widespread tree mortality, the consequences of drought may also be important in temperate mesic forests of Eastern North America (ENA) if tree growth is significantly curtailed by drought. Investigations of the environmental conditions that determine drought sensitivity are critically needed to accurately predict ecosystem feedbacks to climate change. We matched site factors with the growth responses to drought of 10,753 trees across mesic forests of ENA, representing 24 species and 346 stands, to determine the broad‐scale drivers of drought sensitivity for the dominant trees in ENA. Here we show that two factors—the timing of drought, and the atmospheric demand for water (i.e., local potential evapotranspiration; PET)—are stronger drivers of drought sensitivity than soil and stand characteristics. Drought‐induced reductions in tree growth were greatest when the droughts occurred during early‐season peaks in radial growth, especially for trees growing in the warmest, driest regions (i.e., highest PET). Further, mean species trait values (rooting depth and ψ50) were poor predictors of drought sensitivity, as intraspecific variation in sensitivity was equal to or greater than interspecific variation in 17 of 24 species. From a general circulation model ensemble, we find that future increases in early‐season PET may exacerbate these effects, and potentially offset gains in C uptake and storage in ENA owing to other global change factors.
Enhancement of antiproliferative activity by phototautomerization of anthrylphenols

An antiproliferative investigation was conducted on 3 human cancer cell lines, HCT 116 (colon), MCF-7 (breast), and H 460 (lung), on a series of 4 anthrylphenols in the dark and upon exposure to light (350 nm). 9-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)anthracene ( 1 ) moderately inhibited proliferation, but irradiation considerably enhanced the effect. The other anthracenes 4–6 exhibited antiproliferative activity in the dark, which was not enhanced upon irradiation. The enhancement of the antiproliferative effect on the irradiation of 1 was rationalized as being due to the formation of quinone methide (QM 2 ) by excited state proton transfer. QM 2 acts as an electrophilic species capable of reacting with biological molecules. Although QM 2 reacts with nucleotides, the adducts could not be isolated. On the contrary, cysteine adduct 8 was isolated and characterized, whereas the adducts with glycine, serine and tripeptide glutathione were characterized by MS. Non-covalent binding of 1 to DNA and bovine serum albumin was demonstrated by UV-vis, fluorescence and CD spectroscopy. However, a straightforward conclusion regarding the DNA or protein alkylating (damaging) ability of 2 could not be drawn. The results obtained by the irradiation of 1 in the presence of DNA, amino acids and peptides, cell cycle perturbation analysis, and in vitro translation of GFP suggest that the effect is not only due to the damage of DNA but also due to the impact on the cellular proteins. Considering that to date all QM agents were assumed to target DNA dominantly, this is an important finding with an impact on the further development of anticancer agents based on QMs.
Pitfalls in Tests for Changes in Correlations

Correlations are crucial for pricing and hedging derivatives whose payoff depends on more than one asset. Typically, correlations computed separately for ordinary and stressful market conditions differ considerably, a pattern widely termed "correlation breakdown. " As a result, risk managers worry that their hedges will be useless when they are most needed, namely during "stressful" market situations. We show that such worries may not be justified since "correlation breakdowns" can easily be generated by data whose distribution is stationary and, in particular, whose correlation coefficient is constant. We make this point analytically, by way of several numerical examples, and via an empirical illustration. But, risk managers should not necessarily relax. Although "correlation breakdown" can be an artifact of poor data analysis, other evidence suggests that correlations do in fact change over time, though not in a way that is correlated with "stressful" market conditions.
Performance Analysis of Route Discovery Model based on RSS

Recently wireless communication devices have increased and therefore it has created the need for developing new technologies. The growing number of users wants to communicate with each other anywhere and anytime without relying on any existing infrastructure or centralized access point. A Wireless Ad-hoc NETwork (WANET) or Mobile Ad-hoc NETwork (MANET) has no centralized control, no topology and is infrastructure-less. In MANET few nodes come together to form network. Even if the source and the destination nodes will not be in direct communication range, still they connected to each other with multi-hop scenarios. In such network many nodes may join or leave in real networks. In this paper an efficient route discovery algorithm for finding the shortest path between two nodes which are randomly moving in the free space are considered. Calculating and analyzing the relationship of RSS with the changing node distance scenarios for different protocols is studied. The focus will be given on the simulation and analysis of the behavior of routing protocols for MANETS. The results show that denser the network grows the hopping is reduced whereas the path success rate is increased.
Full-arch implant-retained prosthetics in general dental practice.

UNLABELLED The loss of all teeth from one or both dental arches is a significant disability affecting self-confidence, communication, masticatory function and aesthetics. Whilst missing teeth cannot be restored to the natural state, the development of a prosthetic dentition has been a goal of dental science throughout the centuries. Contemporary techniques allow for the replacement of missing dentition with fixed or removable solutions, solving many of the problems. Implant dentistry has transformed this area of medicine. This article provides dental practitioners with an overview of this important area of patient care. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Dental practitioners in clinical practice will frequently see edentulism; a good understanding of the available options for rehabilitation is essential.
Sarka: Sonification and Somaesthetic Appreciation Design

We often take for granted that we have immediate access to our perception and experience of and through our bodies. But inward listening is a demanding activity and thus not easy to learn to perform or design for. With the Sarka mat we want to support the ability to direct attention by providing sound feedback linked to the weight distribution and motion intensity of different parts of the body, and to provide an exemplar for how such design may be conducted. The process of Sarka's creation is informed by Somaesthetic Appreciation Design. We discuss how a sonic feedback signal can influence listeners, followed by how we, in this design, worked to navigate the complex design space presented to us. We detail the design process involved, and the very particular set of limitations which this interactive sonification presented.
Childhood Environment Influences Adrenarcheal Timing among First-Generation Bangladeshi Migrant Girls to the UK

Background Adrenarche is a key early life event that marks middle childhood at approximately 7 years of age. Earlier work with British-Bangladeshi migrant women suggested that environmental conditions experienced before adrenarche influence adult reproductive function. We therefore investigated whether Bangladeshi children who migrate to the United Kingdom (UK) reach adrenarche earlier than non-migrants in Bangladesh or the United Kingdom. Methods and Findings Healthy girls, aged 5–16 years, were recruited from schools in Sylhet, Bangladesh and London, England comprising four groups: Sylhetis (n = 165), first-generation migrants to the United Kingdom (n = 42), second-generation girls (n = 162), and British girls of European origin (n = 50). Anthropometric measurements were collected together with questionnaire data for migration and socioeconomic characteristics. Saliva samples were assayed for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Multiple linear regressions tested for group differences in anthropometric and socioeconomic variables and DHEAS levels. Median ages at adrenarche (DHEAS>400 pg/ml) were estimated using Weibull regression models for parametric survival analysis. Hazard ratios for reaching adrenarche earlier and 95% confidence intervals (CI), both unadjusted and adjusted for anthropometric variables, were estimated from the survival analyses. First-generation migrants had a median age at adrenarche (5.3 years) that was significantly earlier than Sylheti (7.2), second-generation (7.4), and European (7.1) girls. In univariate analyses, first-generation girls reached adrenarche significantly earlier than Sylhetis [HR (CI): 2.8 (1.4–5.5]. In multivariate models, first generation girls still reached adrenarche earlier than Sylhetis after adjusting for height [HR(CI): 1.9 (0.9–4.1)] and weight [HR(CI):1.7 (0.8–3.8)], but these results were attenuated. Conclusions We suggest that rapid catch-up growth experienced by first generation girls during early childhood may explain their advanced adrenarche. The environmental conditions leading to an earlier adrenarche, as well as the health implications of this early transition, merit further exploration.
Explaining socioeconomic inequalities in self-rated health: a systematic review of the relative contribution of material, psychosocial and behavioural factors

Background Material, psychosocial and behavioural factors are important explanatory pathways for socioeconomic inequalities in health. The aim of this systematic review was to summarise the available evidence on empirical studies and to analyse the relative contribution of these factors for explaining inequalities in self-rated health. Methods The study was performed in compliance with PRISMA guidelines. The literature search was conducted in the electronic databases PubMed and Web of Science (1996–2016) as well as by screening of reference lists of obtained articles. Two reviewers performed the search and critical appraisal of the studies. All studies that focus on explaining socioeconomic inequalities in self-rated health, including at least 2 of the 3 main pathways and analysing the relative contribution of these approaches in separate and joint models, were included. Results Eleven publications were included. Separate analyses showed that material, psychosocial and behavioural factors contribute to the explanation of socioeconomic inequalities in self-rated health. However, the combined analyses revealed that material factors contributed most to differences in self-rated health because of their higher independent (direct) effect and additional shared (indirect) effect (through psychosocial and behavioural factors). These results were largely independent of age, gender and indicator of socioeconomic status. Conclusions The evidence presented might be used for policymakers to identify and to justify prioritisation in terms of prevention and health promotion. The findings show that multiple factors are important for tackling social inequalities in health. Strategies for reducing these inequalities should focus on material/structural living conditions as they shape conditions of psychosocial resources and health behaviour.
Elastic and plastic properties of epoxy resin syntactic foams filled with hollow glass microspheres and glass fibers

Representative volume elements of syntactic foams with a random filling of short glass fibers and hollow glass microspheres in epoxy resin were established by a random sequential adsorption method. The fiber volume fraction was set at 4%, and the microsphere volume fraction range was from 5 to 30%. This numerical simulation was studied with ANSYS software. The influence on the elastic and plastic mechanical properties of syntactic foams of the microsphere volume fraction and relative wall thickness were investigated, and the plastic strain evolution process in the composites was analyzed. The results show that the compressive yield limit and Young's modulus values of the syntactic foams decreased with increasing microsphere volume fraction when the microsphere relative wall thickness was 0.02, but these properties were enhanced with increasing microsphere volume fraction when the relative wall thickness exceeded 0.04. The specific strength and tangent modulus values of the composites increased with increasing microsphere volume fraction. In addition, we observed that the yield stress, Young's modulus, and tangent modulus values of the syntactic foams were obviously enhanced by the addition of glass fibers. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 44188.
Detecting third-party libraries in Android applications with high precision and recall

Third-party libraries are widely used in Android applications to ease development and enhance functionalities. However, the incorporated libraries also bring new security & privacy issues to the host application, and blur the accounting between application code and library code. Under this situation, a precise and reliable library detector is highly desirable. In fact, library code may be customized by developers during integration and dead library code may be eliminated by code obfuscators during application build process. However, existing research on library detection has not gracefully handled these problems, thus facing severe limitations in practice. In this paper, we propose LibPecker, an obfuscation-resilient, highly precise and reliable library detector for Android applications. LibPecker adopts signature matching to give a similarity score between a given library and an application. By fully utilizing the internal class dependencies inside a library, LibPecker generates a strict signature for each class. To tolerate library code customization and elimination as much as possible, LibPecker introduces adaptive class similarity threshold and weighted class similarity score when calculating library similarity. To quantitatively evaluate the precision and the recall of LibPecker, we perform the first such experiment (to the best of our knowledge) with a large number of libraries and applications. Results show that LibPecker significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art tools in both recall and precision (91% and 98.1% respectively).
Case Management of Dengue: Lessons Learned

The global burden of dengue and its geographic distribution have increased over the past several decades. The introduction of dengue in new areas has often been accompanied by high case-fatality rates. Drawing on the experience in managing dengue cases at the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health in Bangkok, Thailand, this article provides the authors' perspectives on key clinical lessons to improve dengue-related outcomes. Parallels between this clinical experience and outcomes reported in randomized controlled trials, results of efforts to disseminate practice recommendations, and suggestions for areas for further research are also discussed.
Co-infection of Ticks: The Rule Rather Than the Exception

Introduction Ticks are the most common arthropod vectors of both human and animal diseases in Europe, and the Ixodes ricinus tick species is able to transmit a large number of bacteria, viruses and parasites. Ticks may also be co-infected with several pathogens, with a subsequent high likelihood of co-transmission to humans or animals. However few data exist regarding co-infection prevalences, and these studies only focus on certain well-known pathogens. In addition to pathogens, ticks also carry symbionts that may play important roles in tick biology, and could interfere with pathogen maintenance and transmission. In this study we evaluated the prevalence of 38 pathogens and four symbionts and their co-infection levels as well as possible interactions between pathogens, or between pathogens and symbionts. Methodology/principal findings A total of 267 Ixodes ricinus female specimens were collected in the French Ardennes and analyzed by high-throughput real-time PCR for the presence of 37 pathogens (bacteria and parasites), by rRT-PCR to detect the presence of Tick-Borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and by nested PCR to detect four symbionts. Possible multipartite interactions between pathogens, or between pathogens and symbionts were statistically evaluated. Among the infected ticks, 45% were co-infected, and carried up to five different pathogens. When adding symbiont prevalences, all ticks were infected by at least one microorganism, and up to eight microorganisms were identified in the same tick. When considering possible interactions between pathogens, the results suggested a strong association between Borrelia garinii and B. afzelii, whereas there were no significant interactions between symbionts and pathogens. Conclusion/significance Our study reveals high pathogen co-infection rates in ticks, raising questions about possible co-transmission of these agents to humans or animals, and their consequences to human and animal health. We also demonstrated high prevalence rates of symbionts co-existing with pathogens, opening new avenues of enquiry regarding their effects on pathogen transmission and vector competence.
When do co-infections matter?

Purpose of review Advances in diagnostic methods mean that co-infections are increasingly being detected in clinical practice, yet their significance is not always obvious. In parallel, basic science studies are increasingly investigating interactions between pathogens to try to explain real-life observations and elucidate biological mechanisms. Recent findings Co-infections may be insignificant, detrimental, or even beneficial, and these outcomes can occur through multiple levels of interactions which include modulation of the host response, altering the performance of diagnostic tests, and drug–drug interactions during treatment. The harmful effects of chronic co-infections such as tuberculosis or Hepatitis B and C in association with HIV are well established, and recent studies have focussed on strategies to mitigate these effects. However, consequences of many acute co-infections are much less certain, and recent conflicting findings simply highlight many of the challenges of studying naturally acquired infections in humans. Summary Tackling these challenges, using animal models, or careful prospective studies in humans may prove to be worthwhile. There are already tantalizing examples where identification and treatment of relevant co-infections seems to hold promise for improved health outcomes.
Bypassing the Restriction System To Improve Transformation of Staphylococcus epidermidis

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus epidermidis is the leading cause of infections on indwelling medical devices worldwide. Intrinsic antibiotic resistance and vigorous biofilm production have rendered these infections difficult to treat and, in some cases, require the removal of the offending medical prosthesis. With the exception of two widely passaged isolates, RP62A and 1457, the pathogenesis of infections caused by clinical S. epidermidis strains is poorly understood due to the strong genetic barrier that precludes the efficient transformation of foreign DNA into clinical isolates. The difficulty in transforming clinical S. epidermidis isolates is primarily due to the type I and IV restriction-modification systems, which act as genetic barriers. Here, we show that efficient plasmid transformation of clinical S. epidermidis isolates from clonal complexes 2, 10, and 89 can be realized by employing a plasmid artificial modification (PAM) in Escherichia coli DC10B containing a Δdcm mutation. This transformative technique should facilitate our ability to genetically modify clinical isolates of S. epidermidis and hence improve our understanding of their pathogenesis in human infections. IMPORTANCE Staphylococcus epidermidis is a source of considerable morbidity worldwide. The underlying mechanisms contributing to the commensal and pathogenic lifestyles of S. epidermidis are poorly understood. Genetic manipulations of clinically relevant strains of S. epidermidis are largely prohibited due to the presence of a strong restriction barrier. With the introductions of the tools presented here, genetic manipulation of clinically relevant S. epidermidis isolates has now become possible, thus improving our understanding of S. epidermidis as a pathogen.
Effect of Commercially Available Sugar-Sweetened Beverages on Subjective Appetite and Short-Term Food Intake in Girls

Background: The effect of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on satiety and short-term food intake (FI) regulation in girls has received little attention. The objective of the present study was to compare the effect of pre-meal consumption of commercially available SSBs on subjective appetite and short-term FI in 9–14-year-old girls. The methods we used include using a randomized crossover design in which 28 girls consumed isovolumetric amounts (350 mL) of a fruit drink (154 kcal), cola (158 kcal), 1% chocolate milk (224 kcal), or water (control; 0 kcal) on four separate mornings. Subjective appetite and thirst were measured at regular intervals via visual analogue scales (VAS) and FI was assessed at 60 min post-beverage consumption. The results show that subjective appetite and thirst decreased after all beverages, but did not differ among beverages. Short-term FI was suppressed following consumption of chocolate milk (15%; p < 0.001) and cola (11%; p = 0.02) compared to the water control. However, cumulative energy intake (beverage (kcal) + test meal (kcal)) was not affected by beverage type. In conclusion, chocolate milk and cola, but not fruit drink, suppressed FI in girls while cumulative FI did not differ among treatments.
Different effects of statins on induction of diabetes mellitus: an experimental study

Background To determine the effect of different statins on the induction of diabetes mellitus. Materials and methods Four statins (atorvastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, and pitavastatin) were used. Cytotoxicity, insulin secretion, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, and G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest were investigated in human pancreas islet β cells, and glucose uptake and signaling were studied in human skeletal muscle cells (HSkMCs). Results Human pancreas islet β cells treated with 100 nM atorvastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, and pitavastatin had reduced cell viability (32.12%, 41.09%, 33.96%, and 29.19%, respectively) compared to controls. Such cytotoxic effect was significantly attenuated by decreasing the dose to 10 and 1 nM, ranged from 1.46% to 17.28%. Cells treated with 100 nM atorvastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, and pitavastatin had a reduction in the rate of insulin secretion rate by 34.07%, 30.06%, 26.78%, and 19.22%, respectively. The inhibitory effect was slightly attenuated by decreasing the dose to 10 and 1 nM, ranging from 10.84% to 29.60%. Insulin secretion stimulated by a high concentration of glucose (28 mmol/L) was significantly higher than a physiologic concentration of glucose (5.6 mmol/L) in all treatment groups. The glucose uptake rates at a concentration of 100 nM were as follows: atorvastatin (58.76%) < pravastatin (60.21%) < rosuvastatin (72.54%) < pitavastatin (89.96%). We also found that atorvastatin and pravastatin decreased glucose transporter (GLUT)-2 expression and induced p-p38 MAPK levels in human pancreas islet β cells. Atorvastatin, pravastatin, and rosuvastatin inhibited GLUT-4, p-AKT, p-GSK-3β, and p-p38 MAPK levels in HSkMCs. Conclusion Statins similar but different degree of effects on pancreas islet β cells damage and induce insulin resistance in HSkMC.