Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the thoracoscopic lobectomy under two-dimensional and three-dimensional high definition imaging systems

Objective To compare the clinical application of two- dimensional(2D)and three-dimensional(3D) high definition imaging systems in thoracoscopic lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods A total of 117 patients with NSCLC undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy from September 2012 to March 2014 were investigated(60 with 2D,and 57 with 3D). Preoperative indicators were compared between the two groups. Results In groups 2D and 3D, the operative time was(181.7±26.1)vs.(159.9± 30.6)min(P 0.05). Conclusion 3D thoracoscopic lobectomy is superior to 2D in depth of field and provides more clearly anatomic structure.3D makes the operation more accurate,shortens the operative time and reduces the intraoperative injury.So 3Dis more conducive to the postoperative recovery of patients. Key words: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery; Non-small cell lung cancer
Capacitive-Gap MEMS Resonator-Based Oscillator Systems for Low-Power Signal Processing

Wireless technology, which already plays a major part in our daily lives, is expected to further expand to networks of billions of autonomous sensors in coming years: the so-called Internet of Things. In one vision, sensors employing low-cost, low-power wireless motes collect and transmit data through a mesh network while operating only on scavenged or battery power. RF MEMS provides one approach to the stringent power and performance required by sensor networks.This dissertation presents improvement to these MEMS technologies and introduces new approaches for wireless communication in low power wireless networks. First, this work presents oscillators based on the capacitive-gap transduced MEMS resonator. As wireless radio needs at least one such oscillator, the space and power savings offered by these MEMS oscillators make them compelling alternatives over bulky quartz-based devices. The high quality factors (Q) > 100,000 possible in these on-chip resonators allow for phase noise performance of the oscillator exceeding even the challenging GSM specifications using less than 100 uW of power consumption. Despite their small size and tiny capacitive gaps, MEMS-based oscillators are found to be insensitive to vibration and achieve only a few ppm shift in frequency over 10 months of measurement: the performance shown is on par or better than the off-the-shelf crystal oscillators. Interestingly, exploiting nonlinearities in the MEMS resonators also allows multiple simultaneous oscillation frequencies using one amplifier. Combined with electrical stiffness-based frequency tuning, this enables Frequency-Shift Keyed modulation of the output waveform, offering a space and power-efficient multichannel transmitter, as desired for mobile applications requiring long battery life.Intrinsically, oscillator systems involve positive feedback loops, which regeneratively amplify signals in the loop. Taking advantage of this property, MEMS oscillator systems may be used for other wireless signal processing applications. This dissertation explores such systems applied to: 1) a narrow channel-select filter with low insertion loss unachievable using passive resonators only and 2) a super-regenerative amplification-based channel-selecting radio transceiver. Finally, this dissertation presents two capacitive-gap transduced micromechanical resonator designs which can achieve the high Q at GHz frequencies needed for many wireless communication standards. The methods and solutions provided here pave a path towards realization of future low-power wireless technologies.
Rank and colony defense against conspecifics in a facultatively eusocial hover wasp

An important benefit of social living is increased capacity for defense. Highly eusocial species have often evolved a fighting caste for this purpose, but many facultatively eusocial insects and cooperatively breeding vertebrates lack morphological castes and the decision to defend or not can depend on costs and benefits to each individual. Defense by subordinates in a social group can be regarded as a form of helping, and helping input often varies among subordinates of different age or size. Several hypotheses attempt to explain variation in helping effort, including the effects of relatedness and differences in the costs of helping. Evidence for these hypotheses is mixed and often lacks data on the rank of subordinates, an important determinant of expected future fitness. We examined individual variation in propensity to defend the nest against conspecifics in the tropical hairy-faced hover wasp Liostenogaster flavolineata. Prior to experimentation, we determined the positions of all wasps in the age-based queue to inherit the single egg-laying position in each L. flavolineata group. Two approaches were then used: observations of defense against natural intrusions by conspecifics and experimental trials where wasps were presented attached to a wire. Higher ranks were more likely to defend the nest than lower ranks, opposite to the pattern previously documented for another form of helping: foraging effort. Possible explanations for this result are that higher ranked females are better defenders and that they suffer a larger decrease in expected future fitness when an intruder usurps their position in the inheritance queue.
The Little Things that Run the City: How do Melbourne’s green spaces support insect biodiversity and ecosystem health?

The Little Things that Run the City is a City of Melbourne and RMIT University co-funded project that aims to document and map the insect biodiversity of public urban green spaces within the boundaries of the City of Melbourne whilst assessing the ecosystem services they provide to people. We aim to expand this circle so that it may also encompass the conservation of insect and other invertebrates in urban environments. We are driven by a will to 'say a word on behalf of the little things that run the city'.
Melanconiopsis microspora sp. nov. from bamboo in Argentina.

The coelomycete Melanconiopsis microspora is introduced as a new species from bamboo culms collected in Argentina. Its comparison with the type species of the genus, M. inquinans (from which it differs in the smaller conidia), also resulted in a reappraisal of M. olivacea which is referred back to Sphaeropsis as S. olivacea, the third accepted species in the genus. M. elzoi is probably accommodated in Endomelanconium as a fourth accepted species; notes on the known species in this genus are given.
The nutrient status of algal cells in continuous culture

Chemostats were used to study the relation between growth rate, the rate of nutrient uptake and internal and external nutrient concentrations of two nutrients simultaneously. (Monochrysis lutheri: phosphorus and vitamin B12.) Growth rate and internal concentrations of both limiting and excess nutrients are related by simple rectangular hyperbolas. Control was shown to follow a threshold rather than multiplicative pattern; that is, non-limiting nutrients exert no control at all over the pattern of growth. The limiting nutrient was the one that showed the smallest cell quota: subsistence quota ratio. Monochrysis populations exhibited two modes of growth. ‘Slow adapted cells’ differed from ‘fast adapted cells’ in the values of the constants for the above relation. Uptake of both limiting and non-limiting nutrients was found to be controlled by internal as well as external substrate concentrations. There was thus a limit to luxury consumption of one nutrient when growth was limited by another. The mathematical model formulated for growth in a chemostat (equations (23)–(29)) allowed prediction of external and internal substrate concentrations and rates of uptake of two nutrients and of biomass, given only the input concentrations of the two nutrients and the dilution rate. This model should apply equally well to growth in batch cultures; its possible application to natural populations was discussed.
Molecular Cloning and Partial Characterization of Tetrahymena Thermophila Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase 1 (TtMPK1) Gene

∗ The nucleotide sequence reported here has been submitted to the NCBI nucleotide sequence database and available under accession number AY426251. Abstract In this study, a full-length cDNA fragment encoding putative mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) from Tetrahymena thermophila was cloned by using RT-PCR with degenerate oligonucleotide primers. Based upon the presence of 11 subdomains and TEY dual phosphorylation motif in protein kinase subdomain VIII, it is named as Tetrahymena thermophila mitogen activated protein kinase 3 (TtMPK3). TtMPK3 cDNA fragment has 1176 bp long single open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polypeptide of 391 amino acids with predicted size of 45.5 kDa. TtMPK3 is highly homologous to SLT2 of budding yeast and Erk1 of Giardia intestinalis. Southern blot analysis indicated that TtMPK3 is a single copy gene in Tetrahymena macronuclear genome. Western blot analyses with anti-carboxyl TtMPK3p peptide serum showed that TtMPK3 polyclonal antibody specifically recognizes only about 44 kDa expected size protein. Immunoprecipitates of anti-carboxyl polypeptide of TtMPK3p antibody tested in in vitro kinase assay showed kinase activity two to four times more than the control preimmune serum. Until today, four possible TtMPK genes including TtMPK3 were identified and the Tetrahymena Genome Project identified additional 11 members from p38 Erk and Erk7 subgroup of MAPK family in Tetrahymena genome.
A Bifunctional Diglycosyltransferase Forms the Fucα1,2Galβ1,3-Disaccharide on Skp1 in the Cytoplasm ofDictyostelium *

Skp1 is a subunit of the Skp1 cullin-1 F-box protein (SCF) family of E3 ubiquitin ligases and of other regulatory complexes in the cytoplasm and nucleus. In Dictyostelium, Skp1 is modified by a pentasaccharide with the type I blood group H antigen (Fucα1,2Galβ1,3GlcNAc-) at its core. Addition of the Fuc is catalyzed by FT85, a 768-amino acid protein whose fucosyltransferase activity maps to the C-terminal half of the protein. A strain whose FT85 gene is interrupted by a genetic insertion produces a truncated, GlcNAc-terminated glycan on Skp1, suggesting that FT85 may also have β-galactosyltransferase activity. In support of this model, highly purified native and recombinant FT85 are each able to galactosylate Skp1 from FT85 mutant cells. Site-directed mutagenesis of predicted key amino acids in the N-terminal region of FT85 abolishes Skp1 β-galactosyltransferase activity with minimal effects on the fucosyltransferase. In addition, a recombinant form of the N-terminal region exhibits β-galactosyltransferase but not fucosyltransferase activity. Kinetic analysis of FT85 suggests that its two glycosyltransferase activities normally modify Skp1 processively but can have partial function individually. In conclusion, FT85 is a bifunctional diglycosyltransferase that appears to be designed to efficiently extend the Skp1 glycan in vivo.
Immunogenicity of κ-Casein and Glycomacropeptide

Abstract Glycomacropeptide (GMP), arising from the cleavage of κ -casein by chymosin or pepsin, has been correlated with a wide variety of biological activities including immunosuppression capacity, inhibition of pathogen invasion, and induction of satiety. Due to the interest in exploiting such potential of GMP, we aimed at characterizing the immunogenic properties of GMP as an indication of its potential allergenicity. Immunogenicity of κ -casein and GMP were investigated using 2 animal models based on different routes of immunization: 1) mice immunized intraperitoneally or subcutaneously with either κ -casein, polymerized GMP, GMP coupled to the immunogenic carrier ovalbumin, or GMP alone; 2) mice coadministered κ -casein or GMP and cholera toxin. The specific antibody response to GMP was evaluated as well as the antigen-specific T-cell response. The results demonstrated that immunization or feeding with κ -casein induced GMP-specific antibodies, whereas GMP per se lacked immunogenicity independently of the mode of presentation. The size of the presented form of GMP did not influence its immunogenicity. Because the results showed that GMP did not induce a specific T-cell response, we postulate that GMP lacks the ability to stimulate antigen-specific T cells.
Progress in airborne gravimetry by combining strapdown inertial and new satellite observations via dynamic networks

We revisit the concept of scalar gravity ano- maly determination by an airborne strapdown INS - GNSS system. We built on the previously investigated concepts (mainly within 1995-2005 period) while trying to decrease the error spectrum of the system caused by accelerometer biases at lower frequencies and GNSS- position/velocity noise at shorter wavelengths. We claim that the determination of the random long-term ac- celerometer bias is possible through combination of - GRACE + GOCE data that provide an unbiased field with 80 km resolution while the decrease in velocity noise is expected by precise-point-positioning (PPP) method that merges satellite-phase observations from GPS and Galileo. In the absence of Galileo constellation we focus our practical demonstration on the gravity- anomaly determination via INS/GNSS data filtering. We present first the modeling of an extended Kalman filter/smoother that determines the gravity anomaly to- gether with the trajectory, which is a preferred method over the cascade determination (i.e. separate estima- tion of trajectory and specific forces, GNSS acceleration and low-pass filtering of the merged signal). Second, we show how to incorporate the same modeling within the concept of dynamic networks. This approach al- lows imposing cross-over conditions on the state of grav- ity anomaly at trajectory intersections while estimating the sensor and trajectory errors at the same time. This is indeed rigorous formulation of the problem that is expected to surpass the conditioning via cross-over ad- justment that in previous investigations followed the fil- tering/smoothing. Despite the remaining challenges of the method of dynamic network caused by large num- ber of parameters (i.e. > 106), we present first practical results obtained within European FP7 GAL project.
Sawdust and digestive bran as cheap alternate substrates for xylanase production

Xylanases are a major group of enzymes, mostly produced from microbial fermentation processes, and have wide industrial and biotechnological applications. The production cost of xylanase is the major factor limiting its use, thus indicating the need for low cost production systems for market of this enzyme. In this study, therefore, sawdust and digestive bran were investigated as substrates for xylanase production by Bacillus strains. The xylanase titre ranging between 30.849 to 45.206 nkat/ml and 6.633 to 22.717 nkat/ml was produced by these Bacillus strains, using sawdust and wheat bran as the substrate, respectively. The optimum temperature for the production of xylanase was found to be between 45 and 55°C, while the optimum pH was 8.0 for all the strains tested. The xylanases produced by these Bacillus strains were found to be stable over a wide range of temperature tested (40 to 90°C). Up to 98 and 95% of the initial activity was retained by the crude extract of two of the Bacillus strains tested, while 10.3 to 56% loss in activity was observed for the other isolates after one hour incubation at 70°C. Addition of metal salts or additives to the crude extract was found to inhibit the enzyme activity to a varying degree, with the following order Hg
COST EFFECTIVE IPM MODULES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF MORINGA FRUIT FLY, Gitona distigma (Meigen) (DIPTERA : DROSOPHILIDAE)

Five IPM modules were evaluated at Nadupatti area of Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu during kharif 2006 for their effectiveness against moringa fruit fly, Gitona distigma (Meigen). Among them, suggestive module 1 (SM 1) consisting of soil application of thiamethoxam 25 WG @ 200 g a.i. ha-1 on 150, 180 and 210 days after sowing, use of fermented tomato in a trap, collection and destruction of fruit fly damaged fruits at weekly interval and foliar spray of spinosad 45 SC @ 56 g a.i. ha-1 and profenofos 50 EC @ 250 g a.i. ha-1 on 165 and 195 DAS was found to be the best module in minimizing fruit damage and pupae in the soil and increasing fruit yield and cost benefit ratio.
Molecular Cloning, Characterization, and Expression Analysis of a Novel sema-2a Homologue in Polyrhachis vicina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract The semaphorin gene family plays important roles in axonal guidance in vertebrates and invertebrates. Semaphorin 2a, a member of the semaphorin family, belongs to class 2, which is found only in invertebrates. In our study, semaphorin 2a was cloned from the ant Polyrhachis vicina Roger. The full length of P. vicina semaphorin 2a (Pv-sema-2a) is 2763 base pairs (bp) and it contains a 5′-untranslated region (UTR) 92 bp long and a 3′-UTR 521 bp long. The open reading frame of Pv-sema-2a encodes a 716-amino-acid protein with a predicted molecular mass of 81.1 kilodaltons. Real-time quantitative reverse-transcription — polymerase chain reaction indicated that Pv-sema-2a mRNA. is differentially expressed during P. vicina development, in the whole bodies as well as the heads of different castes. The high mRNA levels in embryos and pupae suggest that Pv-sema-2a plays an important role in ant development.
Usefulness of hounsfield unit and density in the assessment and treatment of urinary stones

Computed tomography (CT) is widely used to examine stones in the urinary system. In addition to the size and location of the stone and the overall health of the kidney, CT can also assess the density of the stone in Hounsfield units (HU). The HU, or Hounsfield density, measured by CT, is related to the density of the tissue or stone. A number of studies have assessed the use of HU in urology. HUs have been used to predict the type and opacity of stones during diagnosis, and the efficacy has been assessed using methods including extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), ureterorenoscopic ureterolithotripsy (URSL), and medical expulsive treatment (MET). Previous studies have focused on the success rate of HU for predicting the type of stone and of ESWL treatment. Understanding the composition of the stone plays a key role in determining the most appropriate treatment modality. The most recent reports have suggested that the HU value and its variants facilitate prediction of stone composition. However, the inclusion of data regarding urine, such as pH and presence of crystals, increases the predictive accuracy. HUs, which now form part of the clinical guidelines, allow us to predict the success of ESWL; therefore, they should be taken into account when ESWL is considered as a treatment option. However, there are currently insufficient data available regarding the value of HU for assessing the efficacy of PCNL, URSL, and MET. Studies performed to date suggest that these values would make a significant contribution to the diagnosis and treatment of urinary system stones. However, more data are required to assess this further.
Spatial community concordance of summer phytoplankton and profundal macroinvertebrates in boreal lakes

Reliance of profundal benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages on epilimnetic algal production — a key element of pelagic–benthic coupling — is a well-recognized phenomenon in the literature but the details are still poorly understood. In particular, the importance of taxonomic composition of algal communities and associated qualitative aspects of the settling material to benthic invertebrates is poorly known. We addressed this issue by investigating concordance of summer phytoplankton and profundal macroinvertebrate community composition using data from 47 boreal lakes. We examined community variation and environmental correlates of phytoplankton and macroinvertebrates with nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordinations. We also used cluster analysis to group sites according to their macroinvertebrate assemblages and evaluated the differences in phytoplankton composition and class-specific relative abundance among the clusters. Community concordance was evaluated with Procrustes rotation and partial Mantel .
An Efficient Algorithm for Optimally Solving a Shortest Vector Problem in Compute-and-Forward Protocol Design

We consider the problem of finding the optimal coefficient vector that maximizes the computation rate at a relay in the compute-and-forward scheme. Based on the idea of sphere decoding, we propose a highly efficient algorithm that finds the optimal coefficient vector. First, we derive a novel algorithm to transform the original quadratic form optimization problem into a shortest vector problem (SVP) using the Cholesky factorization. Instead of computing the Cholesky factor explicitly, the proposed algorithm realizes the Cholesky factorization with only $\bigO(n)$ flops by taking advantage of the structure of the Gram matrix in the quadratic form. Then, we propose some conditions that can be checked with $\bigO(n)$ flops, under which a unit vector is the optimal coefficient vector. Finally, by taking into account some useful properties of the optimal coefficient vector, we modify the Schnorr-Euchner search algorithm to solve the SVP. We show that the estimated average complexity of our new algorithm is $\bigO(n^{1.5}P^{0.5})$ flops for i.i. d. Gaussian channel entries with SNR $P$ based on the Gaussian heuristic. Simulations show that our algorithm is not only much more efficient than the existing ones that give the optimal solution, but also faster than some best known suboptimal methods. Besides, we show that our algorithm can be readily adapted to output a list of $L$ best candidate vectors for use in the compute-and-forward design. The estimated average complexity of the resultant list-output algorithm is $\bigO\left(n^{1.5}P^{0.5}\log L + nL\right)$ flops for i.i. d. Gaussian channel entries.
Tolerance of freshwater test organisms to formulated sediments for use as control materials in whole‐sediment toxicity tests

A method is described for preparing formulated sediments for use intoxicity testing. Ingredients used to prepare formulated sediments included commercially available silt, clay, sand, humic acid, dolomite, and α‐cellulose (as a source of organic carbon). α‐Cellulose was selected as the source of organic carbon because it is commercially available, consistent from batch to batch, and low in contaminant concentrations. The tolerance of freshwater test organisms to formulated sediments for use as control materials in whole‐sediment toxicity testing was evaluated. Sediment exposures were conducted for 10 d with the amphipod Hyalella azteca, the midges Chironomus riparius and C. tentans, and the oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus and for 28 d with H. azteca. Responses of organisms in formulated sediments was compared with a field‐collected control sediment that has routinely been used to determine test acceptability. Tolerance of organisms to formulated sediments was evaluated by determining responses to varying levels of α‐cellulose, to varying levels of grain size, to evaluation of different food types, or to evaluation of different sources of overlying water. In the 10‐d exposures, survival of organisms exposed to the formulated sediments routinely met or exceeded the responses of test organisms exposed to the control sediment and routinely met test acceptability criteria required in standard methods. Growth of amphipods and oligochaetes in 10‐d exposures with formulated sediment was often less than growth of organisms in the field‐collected control sediment. Additional research is needed, using the method employed to prepare formulated sediment, to determine if conditioning formulated sediments before starting 10‐d tests would improve the growth of amphipods. In the 28‐d exposures, survival of H. azteca was low when reconstituted water was used as the source of overlying water. However, when well water was used as the source of overlying water in 28‐d exposures, consistent responses of amphipods were observed in both formulated and control sediments.