Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of leaf position and age on anatomical structure, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration of Asian pear

The effects of leaf position and leaf age on gas exchange, transpiration, stomatal resistance, and anatomical structure of seven-year-old trees of Asian pear cv. Huanghua and Jingshiu II (Pyrus serotina Rehd. cv. culta rehd.) were examined under field conditions. Individual leaves were monitored from unfolding to maturation, and detailed measurements were made on leaves at various node positions and leaf ages. The anatomical structure varied according to the node position of the leaf, with palisade thickness increasing and the thickness of spongy mesophyll decreasing from the base to the apex of the branch. Intercellular space fraction of leaves decreased from the apex to the base of a shoot. ”Huanghua” leaves took 20 days for full expansion while ”Jingshiu II” required 25 days. Net photosynthesis (Pn) and stomatal conductance (Gs) of both genotypes increased with leaf age, particularly in the early stage. Pn reached a maximum value when the leaf was completely expanded. Leaves at different developmental stages from the apical position to the base performed differently. The transpiration rate and the vapor pressure deficit of older leaves on the base of the branch were higher than those of the younger leaves at the apex of the branch. Leaves at node 3 to 16 had higher saturation vapor pressure and transpiration rates. Both the apical and basal leaves had higher stomatal resistance and lower net photosynthesis than leaves in an intermediate position.
Homocysteine and B vitamins relate to brain volume and white-matter changes in geriatric patients with psychiatric disorders.

OBJECTIVE There is a growing literature on the relationship between low serum B-vitamins, elevated homocysteine, and cognitive impairment; however, few studies have examined radiological markers of associated neuropathology in geropsychiatry inpatients. The authors examined the relationship of homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B12 with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of neuropathology. METHODS In this archival study, authors reviewed the MRIs and medical records of 34 inpatients in a geriatric psychiatry unit. Patients were selected if folate, B12, and/or homocysteine levels had been assessed and if the appropriate clinical MRIs were performed (19 men; mean age, 75 years). Patients with schizophrenia or current substance dependence were excluded. The relationships between MRI volume measures, white-matter hyperintensity (WMH) grade, and serum concentrations of folate, B12, and homocysteine were analyzed, using age-adjusted Pearson correlations. RESULTS Homocysteine was related to WMH grade, but not brain-volume measures. Folate was associated with hippocampus and amygdala, and negatively associated with WMH. B12 level was not statistically associated with any brain measure. CONCLUSIONS Elevated homocysteine and low folate were associated with radiological markers of neuropathology. Since no patient had clinically deficient folate, it may be important to rethink what defines functionally significant micronutrient deficiency and explore what this means in different age- and health-status groups. Larger samples will be needed to assess interactions between homocysteine, micronutrients, and other neuropathology risk factors.
Impact of Image-Space Resolution Modeling for Studies with the High-Resolution Research Tomograph

Brain PET in small structures is challenged by low resolution inducing bias in the activity measurements. Improved spatial resolution may be obtained by using dedicated tomographs and more comprehensive modeling of the acquisition system during reconstruction. In this study, we assess the impact of resolution modeling (RM) during reconstruction on image quality and on the estimates of biologic parameters in a clinical study performed on a high-resolution research tomograph. Methods: An accelerated list-mode ordinary Poisson ordered-subset expectation maximization (OP-OSEM) algorithm, including sinogram-based corrections and an experimental stationary model of resolution, has been designed. Experimental phantom studies are used to assess contrast and noise characteristics of the reconstructed images. The binding potential of a selective tracer of the dopamine transporter is also assessed in anatomic volumes of interest in a 5-patient study. Results: In the phantom experiment, a slower convergence and a higher contrast recovery are observed for RM-OP-OSEM than for OP-OSEM for the same level of statistical noise. RM-OP-OSEM yields contrast recovery levels that could not be reached without RM as well as better visual recovery of the smallest spheres and better delineation of the structures in the reconstructed images. Statistical noise has lower variance at the voxel level with RM than without at matched resolution. In a uniform activity region, RM induces higher positive and lower negative correlations with neighboring voxels, leading to lower spatial variance. Clinical images reconstructed with RM demonstrate better delineation of cortical and subcortical structures in both time-averaged and parametric images. The binding potential in the striatum is also increased, a result similar to the one observed in the phantom study. Conclusion: In high-resolution PET, RM during reconstruction improves quantitative accuracy by reducing the partial-volume effects.
Meatal stenosis following circumcision with Plastibell device and conventional dissection Surgery; a prospective investigation

Introduction: Meatal stenosis is a late complication of circumcision. Objectives: This study was designed to determine its prevalence, its relationship with age of circumcision and its applied method. Material and Methods: This prospective study was conducted between December 2006 and January 2012. A total of 2389 boys, equal to or less than 6 years were circumcised using the Plastibell device (PD) or conventional dissection surgery (CDS). They followed up 12 months after surgery. Signs and symptoms of meatal stenosis recorded and the meatus evaluated for stenosis. Results: Meatal stenosis was diagnosed in 41 boys (1.7%). Twenty-five of patients were asymptomatic (61%). The difference between the mean age of circumcision in patients with meatal stenosis and the others were statistically significant. In newborns the prevalence of meatal stenosis was more than the other ages (15% versus 1.4%, P < 0.01). Concerning the method of circumcision, a significant difference on the prevalence of meatal stenosis was detected too (0.8% in PD versus 3.6% in CDS; P < 0.001). The mean interval between circumcision and diagnosis of meatal stenosis was 9.59 months. Conclusion: Symptomatic presentation of meatal stenosis may be late and it needs long-term follow-up. Its prevalence is higher in younger boys. Thus, circumcision in younger boys, especially in neonates is not recommended. Using PD has lower rate of meatal stenosis in comparison to CDS. Hence, the result of this study showed, the PD is preferable in younger boys.
Sensitive Skin in China

Background: Many consumers in the USA and Europe define themselves as having sensitive skin, a phenomenon whose etiology appears to include both physiological and psychosocial factors. Objectives: Sensitive skin data from the developing world is sparse. This study evaluates the prevalence and characteristics of sensitive skin in China and compares data collected to existing data from the western world. Patients/Materials/Methods: A total of 408 Chinese women voluntarily completed a survey on sensitive skin. Results: Some degree of skin sensitivity was claimed by 94 (23%) of respondents; most (90.4%) said their skin was only slightly or moderately sensitive. Facial sensitivity was claimed by 21% of Chinese women, sensitivity of the body surface by 9% and genital sensitivity by only 6%. Small numbers of respondents reported a history of skin allergy (3%) or a familial history of sensitive skin (2%). Many reported making buying decisions based on product claims. Conclusions: Only 23% of Chinese women claimed any degree of sensitive skin, a prevalence substantially lower than that observed in most Western countries. Sensitivity of the genital skin, in particular, was dramatically lower, suggesting at least some cultural component to perceptions of sensitive skin.
Improved quantification of microbial CH 4 oxidation efficiency in arctic wetland soils using carbon isotope fractionation

Permafrost-affected tundra soils are significant sources of the climate-relevant trace gas methane (CH 4 ). The observed accelerated warming of the arctic will cause deeper permafrost thawing, followed by increased carbon mineralization and CH 4 formation in water-saturated tundra soils, thus creating a positive feedback to climate change. Aerobic CH 4 oxidation is regarded as the key process reducing CH 4 emissions from wetlands, but quantification of turnover rates has remained difficult so far. The application of carbon stable isotope fractionation enables the in situ quantification of CH 4 oxidation efficiency in arctic wetland soils. The aim of the current study is to quantify CH 4 oxidation efficiency in permafrost-affected tundra soils in Russia's Lena River delta based on stable isotope signatures of CH 4 . Therefore, depth profiles of CH 4 concentrations and δ 13 CH 4 signatures were measured and the fractionation factors for the processes of oxidation (α ox ) and diffusion (α diff ) were determined. Most previous studies employing stable isotope fractionation for the quantification of CH 4 oxidation in soils of other habitats (such as landfill cover soils) have assumed a gas transport dominated by advection (α trans = 1). In tundra soils, however, diffusion is the main gas transport mechanism and diffusive stable isotope fractionation should be considered alongside oxidative fractionation. For the first time, the stable isotope fractionation of CH 4 diffusion through water-saturated soils was determined with an α diff = 1.001 p 0.000 ( n = 3). CH 4 stable isotope fractionation during diffusion through air-filled pores of the investigated polygonal tundra soils was α diff = 1.013 p 0.003 ( n = 18). Furthermore, it was found that α ox differs widely between sites and horizons (mean α ox = 1.017 ± 0.009) and needs to be determined on a case by case basis. The impact of both fractionation factors on the quantification of CH 4 oxidation was analyzed by considering both the potential diffusion rate under saturated and unsaturated conditions and potential oxidation rates. For a submerged, organic-rich soil, the data indicate a CH 4 oxidation efficiency of 50% at the anaerobic–aerobic interface in the upper horizon. The improved in situ quantification of CH 4 oxidation in wetlands enables a better assessment of current and potential CH 4 sources and sinks in permafrost-affected ecosystems and their potential strengths in response to global warming.
A longitudinal study of phenotypic changes in early domestication of house mice

Similar phenotypic changes occur across many species as a result of domestication, e.g. in pigmentation and snout size. Experimental studies of domestication have concentrated on intense and directed selection regimes, while conditions that approximate the commensal and indirect interactions with humans have not been explored. We examine long-term data on a free-living population of wild house mice that have been indirectly selected for tameness by regular exposure to humans. In the course of a decade, this mouse population exhibited significantly increased occurrence of white patches of fur and decreased head length. These phenotypic changes fit to the predictions of the ‘domestication syndrome'.
International J Ournal on Digital L I B Raries Manuscript-nr. Error Tolerant Document Structure Analysis

Successful applications of digital libraries require structured access to sources of information. This paper presents an approach to extract the logical structure of text documents. The extracted structure is explicated by means of SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language). Consequently, the extraction is achieved on the basis of grammars that extend SGML with recognition rules. From these grammars parsing automata are generated. These automata are used to partition a at text document into its elements, to discard formatting information, and to insert SGML markups. Complex document structures and fallback rules needed for error tolerant parsing make such automata highly ambiguous. A novel parsing strategy has been developed that ranks and prunes ambiguous parsing paths.
Informal Female Care Givers of Older Adults with Dementia in Taiwan

Family care givers providing a major portion of care giving often experience stress related to the negative consequences for their health. Female care givers often more heavily involved care giving activities than males. Care givers’ gender studies have seldom conducted in Taiwan. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of demographic factors and coping on health of female care givers of older adults with dementia in Taiwan. In addition, whether coping mediated or moderated the relationship between stress and care giver’s health was also examined. Lazarus and Folkman’s Stress model guided this study. Using a secondary data analysis method, this study examined data collected from the family care givers of older adults with dementia (2002). One hundred and three female care givers were analyzed by applying Pearson correlation, simple and multiple regression analysis. The findings showed care givers who are younger, more income, and with helpers had better health. Care givers who had less income, without helpers, and caring for care recipients with more behavioral problems had more depressive symptoms. In addition, mediating effect of avoidance coping was supported in this study. The data analysis from this study will provide a basis for nurses to develop interventions that minimize the negative impacts on female care givers.
Object tracking by adaptive feature extraction

Tracking objects in the high-dimensional feature space is not only computationally expensive but also functionally inefficient. Selecting a low-dimensional discriminative feature set is a critical step to improve tracker performance. A good feature set for tracking can differ from frame to frame due to the changes in the background against the tracked object, and due to an on-line algorithm that adaptively determines a advantageous distinctive feature set. In this paper, multiple heterogeneous features are assembled, and likelihood images are constructed for various subspaces of the combined feature space. Then, the most discriminative feature is extracted by principal component analysis (PCA) based on those likelihood images. This idea is applied to the mean-shift tracking algorithm [D. Comaniciu et al., June 2000], and we demonstrate its effectiveness through various experiments.
Using VisorFlow to Control Information Flow without Modifying the Operating System Kernel or its Userspace

VisorFlow aims to monitor the flow of information between processes without requiring modifications to the operating system kernel or its userspace. VisorFlow runs in a privileged Xen domain and monitors the system calls executing in other domains running either Linux or Windows. VisorFlow uses its observations to prevent confidential information from leaving a local network. We describe the design and implementation of VisorFlow, describe how we used VisorFlow to confine naïve users and malicious insiders during the 2017 Cyber-Defense Exercise, and provide performance measurements. We have released VisorFlow and its companion library, libguestrace, as open-source software.
The N‐terminal part of Als1 protein from Candida albicans specifically binds fucose‐containing glycans

The opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans expresses on its surface Als (Agglutinin like sequence) proteins, which play an important role in the adhesion to host cells and in the development of candidiasis. The binding specificity of these proteins is broad, as they can bind to various mammalian proteins, such as extracellular matrix proteins, and N‐ and E‐cadherins. The N‐terminal part of Als proteins constitutes the substrate‐specific binding domain and is responsible for attachment to epithelial and endothelial cells. We have used glycan array screening to identify possible glycan receptors for the binding domain of Als1p‐N. Under those conditions, Als1p‐N binds specifically to fucose‐containing glycans, which adds a lectin function to the functional diversity of the Als1 protein. The binding between Als1p‐N and BSA‐fucose glycoconjugate was quantitatively characterized using surface plasmon resonance, which demonstrated a weak millimolar affinity between Als1p‐N and fucose. Furthermore, we have also quantified the affinity of Als1p‐N to the extracellular matrix proteins proteins fibronectin and laminin, which is situated in the micromolar range. Surface plasmon resonance characterization of Als1p‐N–Als1p‐N interaction was in the micromolar affinity range.
Power-efficient tree-based multicast support for Networks-on-Chip

In this paper, a novel hardware support for multicast on mesh Networks-on-Chip (NoC) is proposed. It supports multicast routing on any shape of tree-based paths. Two power-efficient tree-based multicast routing algorithms, Optimized tree (OPT) and Left-XY-Right-Optimized tree (LXYROPT) are also proposed. XY tree-based (XYT) algorithm and multiple unicast copies (MUC) are also implemented on the router as baselines. Along with the increase of the destination size, compared with MUC, OPT and LXYROPT achieve a remarkable improvement in both latency and throughput while the average power consumption is reduced by 50% and 45%, respectively. Compared with XYT, OPT is 10% higher in latency but gains 17% saving in power consumption. LXYROPT is 3% lower in latency and 8% lower in power consumption. In some cases, OPT and LXYROPT give power saving up to 70% less than the XYT.
S: a scripting language for high-performance RESTful web services

There is an urgent need for novel programming abstractions to leverage the parallelism in modern multicore machines. We introduce S, a new domain-specific language targeting the server-side scripting of high-performance RESTful Web services. S promotes an innovative programming model based on explicit (control-flow) and implicit (process-level) parallelism control, allowing the service developer to specify which portions of the control-flow should be executed in parallel. For each service, the choice of the best level of parallelism is left to the runtime system. We assess performance and scalability by implementing two non-trivial composite Web services in S. Experiments show that S-based Web services can handle thousands of concurrent client requests on a modern multicore machine.
Irreversible electroporation for the ablation of pancreatic malignancies: A patient‐specific methodology

Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) is a focal ablation technique highly attractive to surgical oncologists due to its non‐thermal nature that allows for eradication of unresectable tumors in a minimally invasive procedure. In this study, our group sought to address the challenge of predicting the ablation volume with IRE for pancreatic procedures.
Utility: Anticipated, Experienced, and Remembered

Modern conceptions of utility are rooted in the system that Jeremy Bentham proposed to determine which actions and laws most benefit the most people. Bentham believed that the value of every action could be quantified in terms of its utility — the intensity of pleasure or pain that it caused, as well as the duration of its influence, its uncertainty, and its propinquity or remoteness. The value of every action was thus a function of the total pleasure and pain it elicited, weighted by its duration, certainty, and when it would happen (Bentham, 1789). This system, which fell out of favor among economists of the 20th Century, serves as the basis of much of the research examining the pleasure and pain derived from experiences and normative decision making today (Bruni & Sugden, 2007; Read, 2007). In this chapter, I review the history of the concept from Bentham to the present (I), distinctions between different kinds of utility and judgments (II), how utility is measured (III), contextual factors that influence the utility associated with experiences (IV), how experienced utility is evaluated prospectively and retrospectively (V), and why people make decisions that do not maximize utility (VI).
Safe data sharing and data dissemination on smart devices

The erosion of trust put in traditional database servers and in Database Service Providers (DSP), the growing interest for different forms of data dissemination and the concern for protecting children from suspicious Internet content are different factors that lead to move the access control from servers to clients. Due to the intrinsic untrustworthiness of client devices, client-based access control solutions rely on data encryption. The data are kept encrypted at the server and a client is granted access to subparts of them according to the decryption keys in its possession. Several variations of this basic model have been proposed (e.g., [1, 6]) but they have in common to minimize the trust required on the client at the cost of a static way of sharing data. Indeed, whatever the granularity of sharing, the dataset is split in subsets reflecting a current sharing situation, each encrypted with a different key. Once the dataset is encrypted, changes in the access control rules definition may impact the subset boundaries, hence incurring a partial re-encryption of the dataset and a potential redistribution of keys.
Needs and quality of life of people with middle-stage dementia and their family carers from the European Actifcare study. When informal care alone may not suffice

ABSTRACT Objective: The Actifcare (Access to timely formal care) study investigated needs of people with dementia and their families during the phase in which formal care is being considered, and examined whether higher need levels are related to lower quality of life (QOL). Method: From eight European countries 451 people with dementia and their carers participated. Needs were measured with the Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly. QOL was measured with the QOL-AD, and carer quality of life was measured with the CarerQol. The relationship between needs and QOL was analysed with multiple regression analyses. Results: Needs were expressed in the domains of psychological distress, daytime activities, company and information. People with dementia rated their unmet needs significantly lower than their carers: the mean number of self-rated unmet needs was 0.95, whereas the mean proxy ratings were 1.66. For met needs, the self-rated mean was 5.5 and was 8 when proxy-rated. The level of needs reported was negatively associated with QOL for both. Conclusion: The study results show that informal carers reported almost twice as many needs as people with dementia. The domains in which needs are expressed should be the primary focus for interventions to support QOL. The perspectives of people with dementia are informative when identifying needs.