Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Population Genetics of Franciscana Dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei): Introducing a New Population from the Southern Edge of Their Distribution

Due to anthropogenic factors, the franciscana dolphin, Pontoporia blainvillei, is the most threatened small cetacean on the Atlantic coast of South America. Four Franciscana Management Areas have been proposed: Espiritu Santo to Rio de Janeiro (FMA I), São Paulo to Santa Catarina (FMA II), Rio Grande do Sul to Uruguay (FMA III), and Argentina (FMA IV). Further genetic studies distinguished additional populations within these FMAs. We analyzed the population structure, phylogeography, and demographic history in the southernmost portion of the species range. From the analysis of mitochondrial DNA control region sequences, 5 novel haplotypes were found, totalizing 60 haplotypes for the entire distribution range. The haplotype network did not show an apparent phylogeographical signal for the southern FMAs. Two populations were identified: Monte Hermoso (MH) and Necochea (NC)+Claromecó (CL)+Río Negro (RN). The low levels of genetic variability, the relative constant size over time, and the low levels of gene flow may indicate that MH has been colonized by a few maternal lineages and became isolated from geographically close populations. The apparent increase in NC+CL+RN size would be consistent with the higher genetic variability found, since genetic diversity is generally higher in older and expanding populations. Additionally, RN may have experienced a recent split from CL and NC; current high levels of gene flow may be occurring between the latter ones. FMA IV would comprise four franciscana dolphin populations: Samborombón West+Samborombón South, Cabo San Antonio+Buenos Aires East, NC+CL+Buenos Aires Southwest+RN and MH. Results achieved in this study need to be taken into account in order to ensure the long-term survival of the species.
Adaptive Beamforming Algorithm Using a Pre-filtering System

As depicted in Fig. 1, adaptive beamforming algorithms can be classified into two categories: non-blind adaptive algorithms and blind adaptive algorithms [1]. Non-blind adaptive algorithms rely on statistical knowledge about the transmitted signal in order to converge to a solution. This is typically accomplished through the use of a pilot training sequence sent over the channel to the receiver to help it identifying the desired user. On the other hand, blind adaptive algorithms do not require prior training, and hence they are referred to as “blind” algorithms. These algorithms attempt to extract salient characteristic of the transmitted signal in order to separate it from other users in the surrounding environment [2]. In this chapter we propose a technique that could be used with the blind or non blind algorithms to enhance their performance. This technique acts on the input signal vector
Humanin Is a Novel Neuroprotective Agent Against Stroke

Background and Purpose— Humanin (HN) is a 24-amino acid peptide best known for its ability to protect neurons from damage caused by Alzheimer disease-related proteins. This study examines the neuroprotective effects of HNG (a potent form of HN) on focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice. Methods— Mice underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion for 75 minutes followed by 24-hour reperfusion. Mice were pretreated with 0.1 &mgr;g HNG (intracerebroventricularly) 30 minutes before ischemia; posttreated at 0, 2, 4, and 6 hours after ischemia; or pretreated with 1 &mgr;g HNG (intraperitoneally) 1 hour before ischemia. Neurological deficits and cerebral infarct volume were evaluated. Neuronal apoptosis and activated poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase expression were measured by TUNEL and Western blot analysis, respectively. Activated ERKs were examined by Western blot analysis. Results— Pretreatment with 0.1 &mgr;g HNG (intracerebroventricularly) 30 minutes before ischemia reduced cerebral infarct volume from 56.2±3.0% to 26.1±1.4% (P<0.01). HNG posttreatment after 4 hours of reperfusion reduced cerebral infarct volume to 45.6±2.6% (P<0.05). Pretreatment with 1 &mgr;g HNG (intraperitoneally) 1 hour before ischemia or posttreatment after 2 hours of reperfusion reduced cerebral infarct volume significantly. HNG also significantly improved neurological function and inhibited both neuronal apoptosis as well as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activation. A significant decrease of phospho-ERK was observed in mice treated with HNG, whereas phospho-JNK and phospho-p38 levels were not altered. Conclusions— Our results demonstrate that HNG protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice. HNG offers neuroprotection in vivo at least in part by inhibiting ERK activation. These findings suggest a potential therapeutic role for HNG in the treatment of stroke.
Habituation in non-neural organisms: evidence from slime moulds

Learning, defined as a change in behaviour evoked by experience, has hitherto been investigated almost exclusively in multicellular neural organisms. Evidence for learning in non-neural multicellular organisms is scant, and only a few unequivocal reports of learning have been described in single-celled organisms. Here we demonstrate habituation, an unmistakable form of learning, in the non-neural organism Physarum polycephalum. In our experiment, using chemotaxis as the behavioural output and quinine or caffeine as the stimulus, we showed that P. polycephalum learnt to ignore quinine or caffeine when the stimuli were repeated, but responded again when the stimulus was withheld for a certain time. Our results meet the principle criteria that have been used to demonstrate habituation: responsiveness decline and spontaneous recovery. To distinguish habituation from sensory adaptation or motor fatigue, we also show stimulus specificity. Our results point to the diversity of organisms lacking neurons, which likely display a hitherto unrecognized capacity for learning, and suggest that slime moulds may be an ideal model system in which to investigate fundamental mechanisms underlying learning processes. Besides, documenting learning in non-neural organisms such as slime moulds is centrally important to a comprehensive, phylogenetic understanding of when and where in the tree of life the earliest manifestations of learning evolved.
Studies on strong and weak killer phenotypes of wine yeasts: production, activity of toxin in must, and its effect in mixed culture fermentation

R.A. MUSMANNO, T. DI MAGGIO and G. CORATZA.1999. Two different killer phenotypes were detected among K+ (killer) yeasts isolated from spontaneous wine fermentations using a plate bioassay. The two phenotypes differed in their degree of killer activity, and were designated as SK+(strong killer) and WK+(weak killer). Strains showing either phenotype were assayed for expression of killer activity under different growth conditions. Growth in must negatively affected expression of the killer activity of both phenotypes. The supernatant fluids from must cultures showed a lower killing effect than those from yeast phosphate dextrose broth (YPDB) cultures. The ability of the two K+ phenotypes to prevail on K‐sensitive yeasts was studied in mixed‐culture fermentation experiments. Under these conditions, only strains showing SK+ phenotype were able to prevail on the K‐sensitive yeasts. These results suggest that the K+ phenotype could play a relevant role in spontaneous fermentations provided that the strain exhibits an SK+ phenotype, and that the latter phenotype should be preferred when selected K + strains are to be used as fermentation starters.
Breast cancer and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality among women. The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be associated with reduced risk for breast cancer, but results from these studies of the association have been inconsistent. METHODS Studies that examined the association between risk of breast cancer and use of NSAIDs, including aspirin and ibuprofen, that were published between January 1, 1966, and July 1, 2008, were identified using Medline, EMBASE, and other databases. We performed meta-analysis by pooling studies according to the inverse of their variances and performed separate analyses of studies pooled according to aspirin use and ibuprofen use. We evaluated publication bias and study quality. RESULTS A total of 38 studies (16 case-control studies, 18 cohort studies, 3 case-control studies nested in well-defined cohorts, and 1 clinical trial) that included 2 788 715 subjects were identified. The results of these studies suggest that overall, NSAID use was associated with reduced risk for breast cancer (relative risk [RR] = 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.84 to 0.93). Specific analyses for aspirin (RR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.82 to 0.92) and ibuprofen (RR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.64 to 0.97) yielded similar results. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis provides evidence that NSAID use is associated with reduced risk for breast cancer. Future research should include careful evaluation of the biologic mechanisms involved in the relationship between NSAIDs and breast cancer.
Playing hide-and-seek: Detecting the manipulation of Android Timestamps

Mobile technology continues to evolve in the 21st century, providing users with improved capabilities and advance functionality. One of the leaders of this evolution is Android, a mobile operating system that continuously elevates existing features and offers new applications. Such improvements allowed Android to gain popularity worldwide. A combination of Android's advance technology and increasing popularity allow smartphones supporting this operating system to become a rich source of trace evidence. Traces found on Android smartphones form a significant part of digital investigations, especially when the user of the smartphone is involved in criminal activities. A key component of these traces is the date and time, often formed as timestamps. These timestamps allow the examiner to relate the traces found on Android smartphones to some real event that took place. Knowing when events occurred in digital investigations is of great importance to the overall success of the investigation. This paper introduces a new solution, called the Authenticity Framework for Android Timestamps (AFAT) that establishes the authenticity of timestamps found on Android smartphones. Currently the framework determines the authenticity of timestamps found in SQLite databases by following two individual methods. The first method identifies the presence of certain changes in the Android file system, which are indications of the manipulation of the SQLite databases. The second method subsequently focuses on the individual SQLite databases and the identification of inconsistencies in these databases. The presence of specific file system changes as well as inconsistencies in the associated SQLite databases indicates that authenticity of the timestamps might be compromised. The results presented in the paper provide preliminary evidence that the suggested approach, Authenticity Framework for Android Timestamps, shows potential.
Depth as an Organizing Force in Pocillopora damicornis: Intra-Reef Genetic Architecture

Relative to terrestrial plants, and despite similarities in life history characteristics, the potential for corals to exhibit intra-reef local adaptation in the form of genetic differentiation along an environmental gradient has received little attention. The potential for natural selection to act on such small scales is likely increased by the ability of coral larval dispersal and settlement to be influenced by environmental cues. Here, we combine genetic, spatial, and environmental data for a single patch reef in Kāne‘ohe Bay, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, USA in a landscape genetics framework to uncover environmental drivers of intra-reef genetic structuring. The genetic dataset consists of near-exhaustive sampling (n = 2352) of the coral, Pocillopora damicornis at our study site and six microsatellite genotypes. In addition, three environmental parameters – depth and two depth-independent temperature indices – were collected on a 4 m grid across 85 locations throughout the reef. We use ordinary kriging to spatially interpolate our environmental data and estimate the three environmental parameters for each colony. Partial Mantel tests indicate a significant correlation between genetic relatedness and depth while controlling for space. These results are also supported by multi-model inference. Furthermore, spatial Principle Component Analysis indicates a statistically significant genetic cline along a depth gradient. Binning the genetic dataset based on size-class revealed that the correlation between genetic relatedness and depth was significant for new recruits and increased for larger size classes, suggesting a possible role of larval habitat selection as well as selective mortality in structuring intra-reef genetic diversity. That both pre- and post-recruitment processes may be involved points to the adaptive role of larval habitat selection in increasing adult survival. The conservation importance of uncovering intra-reef patterns of genetic diversity is discussed.
Optofluidic FRET Lasers and Their Applications in Novel Photonic Devices and Biochemical Sensing

Incorporating fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) into a laser cavity can increase the sensitivity of FRET-based biochemical sensors due to the nonlinear dependence of the lasing output on the FRET parameters. Here, we carry out a comprehensive theoretical analysis of optofluidic FRET lasers based on a Fabry-Pérot microcavity using a rate equation model. We compare conceptually distinct cases of donor and acceptor molecules diffusing freely in a bulk solution versus molecules connected by a fixed-length linker and show that the latter arrangement is especially well suited for sensing of low-concentration analytes. By comparing FRET lasing-based sensors with conventional FRET sensors, we show that for optimal pump fluence and FRET-pair concentration, FRET lasing can lead to more than 100-fold enhancement in detection sensitivities of conformational changes in the Förster radius range. We also show that for optimal experimental conditions, donor and acceptor emission intensities become over 20-fold more sensitive to FRET-pair concentration changes in the presence of FRET lasing. We study the dependence of the sensitivity enhancement on the cavity Q-factor. We show that the highest enhancements can be obtained for Q-factors between 104-106, and enhancement values decrease for Q-factors above 106 due to the radiative energy transfer in the cavity.
TOXIC CAUSES OF PARKINSON ’ S DISEASE

In order to cause Parkinson's Disease, the level of toxic exposure usually has to be either acute or chronic. Mild exposure to some known toxic causes, such as carbon monoxide would have no noticeable effect. Some other potentially toxic causes of Parkinson's Disease, such as copper and manganese are actually beneficial to health in normal quantities, and can only cause Parkinson's Disease in very large quantities.
Polar codes for Slepian-Wolf, Wyner-Ziv, and Gelfand-Pinsker

Polar codes, combined with successive cancellation algorithms, are known to be asymptotically optimal for both the channel as well as the lossy source coding problem. The complexity of the encoding and the decoding algorithm in both cases is O(N log(N)), where N is the blocklength of the code. We show that polar codes also achieve optimum performance for the Slepian-Wolf, the Wyner-Ziv, and the Gelfand-Pinsker problem. The optimality of polar codes for these scenarios rests on the fact that polar codes are optimal for both the channel and the lossy source coding problems. Our results extend to general versions of these problems.
Advances in the Development of Functional Foods from Buckwheat

Referee: Dr. Fu-hung Hsieh, Bilogical/Agric Engineering, Room 248 Agricultural Eng., University of Missouri, Columbus, MO 65211. Buckwheat originated in North or East Asia and is widely adapted in North America. It has been grown since at least 1000 BC in China. It has very strong adaptability to adverse environments with a very short growing span. Many varieties are growing around the world, but mainly in the north hemisphere. Currently the most common buckwheat spice is Fagopyrum esculentum Moench (common buckwheat or sweet buckwheat), while Fagopyrum tartaricum is also available in some mountainous regions. Many nutraceutical compounds exist in buckwheat seeds and other tissues. Buckwheat has been used and will be better used as an important raw material for functional food production. In this review we focus on works related to the development of functional foods from common buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. A lot of research has be conducted in the functionalities and properties of buckwheat proteins, flavonoids, flavones, phytosterols, thiamin-binding proteins, and other rare compounds in buckwheat seeds. Buckwheat proteins have unique amino acid composition with special biological activities of cholesterol-lowering effects, antihypertensition effects, and improving the constipation and obisity conditions by acting similar as to dietary fiber and interrupting the in vivo metabolisms. The trypsin inhibitors isolated from buckwheat seeds are heat stable and can cause poor digestion if they are not suitably cooked before consumption. The allergenic proteins existing in the buckwheat seeds and their derivatives were reviewed with respect to their chemical and biochemical characteristics as well as the physiological reactions after digestion. Some possible mechanisms involved in these effects are discussed in this review. Experiments, both with animal models and with human beings, revealed that buckwheat flour can improve diabetes, obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and constipation. Methods to exploit buckwheat seeds and flour to produce highly effective nutraceuticals are also reviewed.
The clinical and laboratory effects of bracket type during canine distalization with sliding mechanics.

OBJECTIVE To compare the extent of canine movement with sliding mechanics between a self-ligating (SC) bracket and a modified twin design (MT) bracket. To test the in vitro coefficient of friction (COFs) of these two metal brackets on 0.019- × 0.025-inch, stainless-steel arch wires. MATERIALS AND METHODS For the clinical portion of this study, a split-mouth design was used to bond the brackets of 19 patients. Canine distalization was achieved on a 0.019- × 0.025-inch, stainless-steel arch wire with a nickel-titanium, closed-coil spring strained between a mini-screw and a canine bracket. The linear and angular measurements were performed using lateral cephalometric radiographs taken before and after canine distalization. A tribometer was also used to measure the COFs of the bracket types in vitro. For comparisons, Student's t-tests for paired and unpaired samples were used at the 95% confidence level. RESULTS The extent of canine movement and the changes in the canine and molar teeth angles were not significantly different between the SC and MT brackets. After 8 weeks, the mean canine movements were 1.83 and 1.89 mm in the maxilla and 1.79 mm and 1.70 mm in the mandible with the SC and MT brackets, respectively. The mean COF of the MT brackets (0.21) was significantly lower than that of the SC brackets (0.37) during in vitro testing. CONCLUSION It is suggested that the rate of canine distalization was not different between the two groups, although in vitro COFs of the SC bracket was higher.
Insulin Regulates Hepatic Triglyceride Secretion and Lipid Content via Signaling in the Brain

Hepatic steatosis is common in obesity and insulin resistance and results from a net retention of lipids in the liver. A key mechanism to prevent steatosis is to increase secretion of triglycerides (TG) packaged as VLDLs. Insulin controls nutrient partitioning via signaling through its cognate receptor in peripheral target organs such as liver, muscle, and adipose tissue and via signaling in the central nervous system (CNS) to orchestrate organ cross talk. While hepatic insulin signaling is known to suppress VLDL production from the liver, it is unknown whether brain insulin signaling independently regulates hepatic VLDL secretion. Here, we show that in conscious, unrestrained male Sprague Dawley rats the infusion of insulin into the third ventricle acutely increased hepatic TG secretion. Chronic infusion of insulin into the CNS via osmotic minipumps reduced the hepatic lipid content as assessed by noninvasive 1H-MRS and lipid profiling independent of changes in hepatic de novo lipogenesis and food intake. In mice that lack the insulin receptor in the brain, hepatic TG secretion was reduced compared with wild-type littermate controls. These studies identify brain insulin as an important permissive factor in hepatic VLDL secretion that protects against hepatic steatosis.
Maxflat Fractional Delay IIR Filter Design

Fractional delay (FD) filters are an important class of digital filters and are useful in various signal processing applications. This paper discusses a design problem of FD infinite-impulse-response (IIR) filters with the maxflat frequency response in frequency domain. First, a flatness condition of FD filters at an arbitrarily specified frequency point is described, and then a system of linear equations is derived from the flatness condition. Therefore, a set of filter coefficients can be easily obtained by solving this system of linear equations. For a special case in which the frequency response is required to be maxflat at omega = 0 or pi , a closed-form expression for its filter coefficients is derived by solving a linear system of Vandermonde equations. It is also shown that the existing maxflat FD finite-impulse-response (FIR) and IIR filters are special cases of the FD IIR filters proposed in this paper. Finally, some examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed filters.
Simple and Robust Boolean Operations for Triangulated Surfaces

Boolean operations on geometric models are important in numerical simulation and serve as essential tools in the fields of computer-aided design and computer graphics. The accuracy of these operations is heavily influenced by finite precision arithmetic, a commonly employed technique in geometric calculations, which introduces numerical approximations. To ensure robustness in Boolean operations, numerical methods relying on rational numbers or geometric predicates have been developed. These methods circumvent the accumulation of rounding errors during computation, thus preserving accuracy. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that these approaches often entail more intricate operation rules and data structures, consequently leading to longer computation times. In this paper, we present a straightforward and robust method for performing Boolean operations on both closed and open triangulated surfaces. Our approach aims to eliminate errors caused by floating-point operations by relying solely on entity indexing operations, without the need for coordinate computation. By doing so, we ensure the robustness required for Boolean operations. Our method consists of two main stages: (1) Firstly, candidate triangle intersection pairs are identified using an octree data structure, and then parallel algorithms are employed to compute the intersection lines for all pairs of triangles. (2) Secondly, closed or open intersection rings, sub-surfaces, and sub-blocks are formed, which is achieved entirely by cleaning and updating the mesh topology without geometric solid coordinate computation. Furthermore, we propose a novel method based on entity indexing to differentiate between the union, subtraction, and intersection of Boolean operation results, rather than relying on inner and outer classification. We validate the effectiveness of our method through various types of Boolean operations on triangulated surfaces.