Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Fecal Storage Methods for Steroid Analysis in Black Rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis)

Many field studies and conservation programs for wildlife species include noninvasive endocrine monitoring of gonadal function. Freezing fecal samples immediately after collection until further analysis is often not a viable option for researchers in remote areas. Phase 1 of this study was designed to compare different methods of preserving fecal samples over several time periods (30, 90, or 180 days) in order to determine which method provided the most accurate and reliable technique for measuring fecal progestagens. Fecal samples were collected from two female black rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis) housed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, FL. We compared three storage methods: 1) storing fecal samples without processing or preservatives (untreated), 2) storing an aliquot of fecal sample in 80% methanol (MeOH), and 3) drying the fecal sample in a solar box cooker prior to storage. Control samples (day 0) were collected and extracted, and then stored at � 201C until they were analyzed. Phase 2 of the study was designed to examine the effects of long-term storage (up to 180 days) on fecal progestagen profiles that reflect reproductive activity (pregnancy and estrous cycles). In samples obtained from a pregnant female and stored for 30 days, there were no significant differences in fecal progestagen concentrations between the three treatment conditions. However, the mean concentrations of progestagens (7 SE) in untreated samples increased significantly from 8.3 7 0.3 mg/g wet weight feces at day 0 to 17.7 7 5.1 mg/g feces at day 90, and 17.8 7 4.7 mg/g feces at day 180. Samples that were collected from a pregnant female and stored in 80% MeOH or dried in the solar box correlated with controls (r ¼ 0.86 and 0.87, respectively; Po0.05) at day 180. In contrast, samples that were stored without preservatives for 180 days did not correlate with controls (r ¼ 0.35, P40.05). Progestagen concentrations from samples of the estrous cycling female showed similar results. In conclusion, fecal samples dried in a solar box cooker or stored in 80% MeOH maintained absolute and relative progestagen concentrations for at least 180 days when they were stored outdoors and exposed to the climatic conditions of central Florida. Both methods can have significant applications for n
Frequency and fundamental signal measurement algorithms for distributed control and protection applications

Increasing penetration of distributed generation within electricity networks leads to the requirement for cheap, integrated, protection and control systems. To minimise cost, algorithms for the measurement of AC voltage and current waveforms can be implemented on a single microcontroller, which also carries out other protection and control tasks, including communication and data logging. This limits the frame rate of the major algorithms, although analogue to digital converters (ADCs) can be oversampled using peripheral control processors on suitable microcontrollers. Measurement algorithms also have to be tolerant of poor power quality, which may arise within grid-connected or islanded (e.g. emergency, battlefield or marine) power system scenarios. This study presents a 'Clarke-FLL hybrid' architecture, which combines a three-phase Clarke transformation measurement with a frequency-locked loop (FLL). This hybrid contains suitable algorithms for the measurement of frequency, amplitude and phase within dynamic three-phase AC power systems. The Clarke-FLL hybrid is shown to be robust and accurate, with harmonic content up to and above 28% total harmonic distortion (THD), and with the major algorithms executing at only 500 samples per second. This is achieved by careful optimisation and cascaded use of exact-time averaging techniques, which prove to be useful at all stages of the measurements: from DC bias removal through low-sample-rate Fourier analysis to sub-harmonic ripple removal. Platform-independent algorithms for three-phase nodal power flow analysis are benchmarked on three processors, including the Infineon TC1796 microcontroller, on which only 10% of the 2000 mus frame time is required, leaving the remainder free for other algorithms.
Cathepsin D Expression and Gemcitabine Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer

Abstract Background Cathepsin-D (CatD), owing to its dual role as a proteolytic enzyme and as a ligand, has been implicated in cancer progression. The role of CatD in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is unknown. Methods CatD expression quantified by immunohistochemistry of tumor-tissue microarrays of 403 resected pancreatic cancer patients from the ESPAC-Tplus trial, a translational study within the ESPAC (European Study Group for Pancreatic Cancer) trials, was dichotomously distributed to low and high H scores (cut off 22.35) for survival and multivariable analysis. The validation cohort (n = 69) was recruited based on the hazard ratio of CatD from ESPAC-Tplus. 5-fluorouracil-, and gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cell lines were employed for mechanistic experiments. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results Median overall survival was 23.75 months and median overall survival for patients with high CatD expression was 21.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 17.31 to 24.80) months vs 27.20 (95% CI = 23.75 to 31.90) months for low CatD expression (χ2LR, 1DF = 4.00; P = .04). Multivariable analysis revealed CatD expression as a predictive marker in gemcitabine-treated (z stat = 2.33; P = .02) but not in 5-fluorouracil-treated (z stat = 0.21; P = .82) patients. An independent validation cohort confirmed CatD as a negative predictive marker for survival (χ2LR, 1DF = 6.80; P = .009) and as an independent predictive marker in gemcitabine-treated patients with a hazard ratio of 3.38 (95% CI = 1.36 to 8.38, P = .008). Overexpression of CatD was associated with a concomitant suppression of the acid sphingomyelinase, and silencing of CatD resulted in upregulation of acid sphingomyelinase with rescue of gemcitabine resistance. Conclusions Adjuvant gemcitabine is less effective in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with high CatD expression, and thus CatD could serve as a marker for biomarker-driven therapy.
Parametrizing Epoch of Reionization foregrounds: a deep survey of low-frequency point-source spectra with the Murchison Widefield Array

Experiments that pursue detection of signals from the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) are relying on spectral smoothness of source spectra at low frequencies. This article empirically explores the effect of foreground spectra on EoR experiments by measuring high-resolution full-polarization spectra for the 586 brightest unresolved sources in one of the MWA EoR fields using 45 h of observation. A novel peeling scheme is used to subtract 2500 sources from the visibilities with ionospheric and beam corrections, resulting in the deepest, confusion-limited MWA image so far. The resulting spectra are found to be affected by instrumental effects, which limit the constraints that can be set on source-intrinsic spectral structure. The sensitivity and power-spectrum of the spectra are analysed, and it is found that the spectra of residuals are dominated by PSF sidelobes from nearby undeconvolved sources. We release a catalogue describing the spectral parameters for each measured source.
DATA ASSIMILATION BASED VALIDATION OF MIPAS OZONE AT THE GLOBAL MODELING AND ASSIMILATION OFFICE

This study presents validation of ozone data from the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmo- spheric Sounding (MIPAS) onboard the Environ- mental Satellite (Envisat). Our approach utilizes an online Ozone Data Assimilation System (ODAS) de- veloped at NASA's Global Modeling and Assimila- tion Oce (GMAO). We added assimilation of MI- PAS ozone data to this system that already uses Solar Backscattered Ultraviolet/2 (SBUV/2) ozone data. Impacts of including MIPAS data in the ODAS are evaluated against independent observations from satellite-borne occultation instruments. We show that stratospheric impacts of MIPAS data are gener- ally positive during the period covered (from Septem- ber to November 2002). Both the superior vertical resolution and the additional night time coverage of MIPAS relative to SBUV bring the largest improve- ments in the analyses. The improvements are seen in the lower stratosphere in the northern high lat- itudes, with a substantially improved mean proÞle shape. Comparisons of MIPAS analyzed ozone with independent measurements reveal that the analysis overestimates the ozone values between 100 hPa and 70 hPa in the southern high latitudes.
Investigation of Von Willebrand disease in children with epistaxis and clinical practical approach

Background: The absence of a standardized approach to the disease and bleeding history can lead to unnecessary patient consultations and sometimes late diagnosis. The aim of this study was to investigate von Willebrand disease (VWD) in patients presenting with epistaxis with clinical practical approach.Methods: 63 Patients who were admitted to the pediatric hematology and oncology clinic between June 2017 and June 2018 with a complaint of epistaxis were evaluated. Patients diagnosed with VWD were classified as group 1, patients without VWD considered as group 2. The two groups were compared in terms of number of additional symptoms, and family history.Results: There was no difference in terms of age and gender when compared with 42 patients not considered as VWD (group 2), number of additional symptoms, and family history were significantly higher in the group considered as VWD.Conclusions: Excess number of additional bleeding symptoms, and bleeding history in family are of importance for the suspicion of diagnosis of VWD for physicians with limited experience in terms of bleeding disorders in primary and secondary health care institutions.
Efficient Secretory Expression of Recombinant Endoxylanase from Bacillus sp. HY-20 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The XylP gene, which encodes endoxylanase in Bacillus sp. HY-20, was subcloned, and two expression plasmids, pG-xylP and pGMF-xylP were constructed. These plasmids, which contain different signal sequences, XylP s.s and MFα opt s.s, respectively, for the secretory expression of endoxylanase, were transformed into Saccharomyces cerevisiae SEY2102 and FY833, respectively. The recombinant endoxylanases were successfully expressed, with a total activity range of 23.7-70.1 unit/ml according to the expression system and host strain. The endoxylanase activity in SEY2102/pGMF-xylP reached a maximum of 88.1 unit/ml in baffled flask culture. Most of the recombinant endoxylanase was efficiently secreted in the extracellular fraction, and the MFαopt s.s was more efficient for secreting endoxylanase in yeast than the XylP s.s. Therefore, the expression system developed in this study produces large extracellular amounts of endoxylanase using S. cerevisiae as the host strain, and it could be used in bioethanol production and industrial applications.
Bis(N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine)nickel(II) saccharinate: synthesis, characterization and crystal structure

A new nickel(II) saccharinate (sac) complex containing N , N ′-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine (bishydeten), [Ni(bishydeten) 2 ](sac) 2 , has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The title complex consists of a [Ni(bishydeten) 2 ] 2+ cation and two sac anions. In the complex cation, the nickel(II) ion is coordinated by two neutral bishydeten ligands, leading to a distorted octahedral NiN 4 O 2 coordination, while both sac anions remain outside the coordination sphere. In the crystal, the complex cations and sac anions are connected by an extensive network of N–H∙∙∙N, N–H∙∙∙O, O–H∙∙∙O and C–H∙∙∙O hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional supramolecular lattice.
New challenges for predictive soil mapping

This paper lists possible developments in predictive soil mapping. Six key tasks are discussed: (1) new spatial prediction algorithms, (2) dynamic modelling of soil genesis, (3) integration of GIS and statistics, (4) use of new technological innovations, (5) use of high-resolution imagery and (6) global modelling of soil genesis. Especially dynamic modelling of soil genesis, use of high-resolution DEMs and development of global thematic soil maps is expected to be a major field of research in pedometrics for the next decade. Solving these research problems requires a joint effort of both pedometricians and pedologists.
The Trade-Off Between Child Quantity and Child Quality and the Public Provision of Education: A Case Study in Rural Terengganu, Malaysia

The objective of this paper is to examine whether the theory of the child quantity-quality (CQQ) trade-off developed by Becker and Lewis (1973) is borne out by the data from a developing country.In brief, the theory states that households behave differently with respect to their mixture of child quantity and child quality depending on their standards of living (i.e. low-income households tend to choose child quantity at the expense of child quality, and the converse is true for high-income households). If the government provides enough support for education, however, this trade-off might be undermined.Using a sample of 885 children from a survey of 2,500 households in rural areas in Terengganu in 2009, we conducted an empirical analysis on the relationship between child quantity and child quality.In the baseline estimation as well as in a series of robustness check, our key findings are that there is a positive yet insignificant impact of child quantity on child quality.Accordingly, we take these results as mild evidence against the CQQ trade-off which, in turn, can be attributed to the magnitude of the public provision of education in Malaysia.
The Response of Preosteoblasts to Combined Shear and Thermal Stress for Bone Tissue Engineering

Due to the fact that bone cells are highly responsive to mechanical stimuli, shear stress has been extensively studied for its ability to enhance osteogenic differentiation through mechanotransduction. In addition, thermal stress has also been explored as a conditioning method to stimulate cellular proliferation, differentiation, and cytoprotection through heat shock protein induction. Despite the beneficial effects observed with individual stress on cells, there has been little focus on the potential of a combination of stresses to improve cellular response. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of combined shear and thermal stress on preosteoblasts to stimulate an enhanced osteogenic response. To achieve this, MC3T3-E1 cells were exposed to one of the following protocols for an hour: no stress (control), shear stress at 1 dyne/cm2 using a parallel plate flow chamber, thermal stress in a 42°C incubator, or combined shear and thermal stress (1 dyne/cm2 at 42°C). Stress treatments were applied on Day 2, Day 6, and Day 10. To assess the early response of cells to stress treatments, we measured metabolic activity, expression of signaling factors, and HSPs following stress on Day 2. Despite an initial decrease in metabolism, combined stress stimulated a strong response in VEGF (12.49 RFI) COX-2 (12.32 RFI), HSPs (2-4 RFI) and increased PGE accumulation. The long-term cellular response to stress treatments was measured on Day 15 by evaluating the ability of combined stress to stimulate late stage markers of differentiation. Combined stress increased OPN gene and protein expression, yet OCN was minimally affected by stress treatments. However, mineralization was significantly decreased with combined stress. Overall, combined stress was able to stimulate an enhanced effect across a majority of the bone-related markers measured, whereas individual shear stress or thermal stress were limited in their response. This suggests that combined stress can provide the appropriate cues to modify osteoblast differentiation and generate an enhanced osteogenic response.
Identification of DNA molecular markers by comparison of Pinus densiflora and Pinus sylvestris chloroplast genomes

Background: Identifying and characterizing genetic variation can clarify the molecular basis of biological phenomena in plants. In particular, related or morphologically similar species can be distinguished by molecular markers. Pinus densiflora Siebold & Zucc. is a species that is distributed in the Korean peninsula, the Japanese archipelago, and China's Shandong and Manchu Provinces and has long been harvested for timber. However, it is difficult to distinguish P. densiflora from Pinus sylvestris L. both morphologically and phylogenetically. The complete chloroplast genome of P. densiflora has not yet been reported. In this study, we sequenced the P. densiflora chloroplast genome in order to identify the molecular markers that can be used to distinguish this species from P. sylvestris.
Influence of Structural Features on Sorption of NOM-Analogue Organic Acids to Goethite

A systematic study of the role of structural features of NOM-analogue organic acids in influencing mineral−organic acid interactions was performed. Goethite, a crystalline form of iron oxide important in geochemical systems, was employed as a model mineral. Sorption experiments with a series of small molecular weight, aromatic organic acids were performed to assess the effects of particular features of compound structure on sorption to goethite and to obtain insight into the kinds of surface reactions responsible for organic acid sorption. Important functional groups of the humic acid component of NOM were examined. Experiments were also performed with Aldrich humic acid to allow comparison between sorption behavior of simple organic acids and NOM and to determine suitable analogues for modeling NOM sorption. Sorption characteristics for most organic acids were typical for anionic sorbates, with high sorption at low pH and decreasing sorption as pH increased. Sorption of simple organic acids exhibited str.
Extended Modelica Model for Heat Transfer of Two-Phase Flows in Pipes Considering Various Flow Patterns

Boiling in vertical and horizontal pipes is a complex process defining transient and static performance of various technical applications. This work presents an extended heat transfer model which takes the complete boiling process into account. Models from the literature for the different boiling regimes are evaluated with respect to accuracy and suitability for system simulation application. A set of sub-models for each of the existing boiling phenomena is implemented and applied to the global boiling model. Special attention is paid to smooth transition between the sub-models and to numerical efficient solutions with respect to the consideration of the boiling crisis. The simulation results show good accordance with literature data.
Considerations Regarding Business Intelligence in Cloud Context

This paper explores one of the newer challenges related to the field of Business Intelligence: cloud-based business intelligence. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how business intelligence and cloud computing could be used together to provide agility in business. Also, the paper presents briefly the different deployment models for cloud-based BI such as: BI software as a service (BI SaaS) and business analytic platform as a service (BA PaaS). The paper gives an overview of the current state of cloud-based business intelligence market and presents a comparative analysis between the cloud-based BI leaders, using the different criteria. Finally, the paper identifies the strengths and weaknesses of cloud-based BI.
Application of enhanced recovery after surgery to spinal surgery

Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS), or fast-track surgery, is an evidence-based, multimodal approach to patient care that was introduced to prepare patients for surgery, reduce the impact of the procedure and accelerate post-operative recovery. ERAS was first applied to colorectal surgery by Henrik Kehlet [1] but has more recently been implemented within a number of surgical sub-specialities. ERAS has been widely adopted within orthopaedic surgery and there is strong evidence to support the use of fast-track total hip and knee replacement pathways [2, 3]. Emerging research has proposed efficiency benefits of implementing ERAS to other orthopaedic pathways, such as total ankle [4] and shoulder replacement [5] and spinal procedures [6, 7]. However, despite significant data suggesting improved patient outcomes with the adoption of ERAS pathways, development and implementation has been limited amongst neurosurgical populations [8]. These populations can be associated with high morbidity, despite advances in surgical, technological, medical and anaesthetic techniques.
EXTENDED-NANO CHANNEL BASED ROLLING CIRCLE AMPLIFICATION TO DETECT SINGLE MOLECULE DNA

Single DNA detection becomes a focus in genomics, diagnosis, and medical genetics. Information of each single molecule in each single cell is necessary in medical genetics diagnoses. The Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA) is one of the popular methods to detect single DNA, however it is difficult to be applied to ultra small volume samples such as single cells. Here, we demonstrated patterning and detection of single molecule DNA in extended-nano (10-1000 nm) channels for small volume sample analysis.
Feasibility of a New Hybrid Wood Composite Comprising Wood Particles and Strands

Hybrid boards consisting of a strand core and particleboard faces (PSP) with three different shelling ratios were designed using strand sizes from dust to 4.5 mm mesh and normal particleboard face material. Flexural properties, internal bond (IB) strength, screw withdrawal resistance (SWR), hardness, and dimensional properties were measured. The modulus of elasticity of these hybrid boards was 25% greater than that specified by the ANSI standard for M3 industrial particleboard. An increase in modulus of rupture of approximately 50% was recorded for boards containing 60% strands compared with control particleboard without strands. Hybridization also accounted for a decrease in linear expansion compared with particleboard. However, IB strength decreased and SWR values showed no significant change. Therefore, with improved core properties, PSP has the potential to replace M3 particleboard.
Phylogenetic Diversity and the Evolution of Molecular Sequences

Copyright: © 2015 Brocchieri L. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Diversity and its measures is a long-standing and widely explored concept in ecology, physics, economics, and sociology, among others. In ecology, the concept of diversity is tightly connected with the idea of a “healthy” community and of conservation. During the
DO MARKET PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVE BLOCKHOLDERS’ POWER AND PREFERENCES? LOCUS OF CONTROL, PREFERENCE HETEROGENEITY, AND FIRM VALUATION IN THE SWISS CONTEXT

This study relies on preference heterogeneity and locus of control research to hypothesize about the impact of control types on firm valuation. We investigate whether market participants discriminate between control types when making investment decisions. Our empirical results of Swiss data suggest that control types represent discrete governance contexts with a unique set of conditions each related to a different level of principal-principal agency costs. Specifically, we find that firms with family ownership and professional management are valued more highly relative to other control configurations and that owners can use board and share structures to signal good governance. Our study thus provides support for a psychological and socio-political perspective of principal-principal conflicts of interests and expropriation of minority investors.