Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Introduction: Population Biology, Evolution, and Control of Invasive Species

Invasion by nonindigenous species has been recognized as second only to loss of habitat and landscape fragmentation as a threat to global biodiversity (Walker & Steffen 1997). The economic impact of these species is a major concern throughout the world. For example, an estimated 50,000 nonindigenous species established in the United States cause major environmental damage and economic losses that total over an estimated U.S.$125 billion per year (Pimentel et al. 2000). Management and control of nonindigenous species is perhaps the biggest challenge that conservation biologists will face in the next few decades. The six papers in this special section and these introductory remarks consider the role that population biology can play in understanding invasive species through life-history studies, demographic models, genetic considerations, and knowledge of the ecology and evolution of both invasive and native species in a community context. Studies of genetic diversity and the potential for rapid evolution of invasive species may provide useful insights into what causes species to become invasive. Life-history studies may also lead to predictions of which species are likely to become serious pests or identify critical life-history stages during which control will be most successful. Population biology might be useful in identifying the point where containment rather than eradication efforts would be more practical. Demographic models may be useful for examining the spread of invasive species and methods of control. More information about the genetics and evolution of invasive species or native species in invaded communities, as well as their interactions, may lead to predictions of the relative susceptibility of ecosystems to invasion, identification of key alien species, and predictions of the subsequent effects of removal. Two major themes emerge from the papers in this special section. First, invasive species provide an exceptional opportunity for basic research in the population biology and short-term evolution of species. Many unresolved central issues in the application of genetics to conservation—such as the inbreeding effects of small populations and the importance of local adaptation—can be much better experimentally addressed with introduced species. Second, the management and control of invasive species is a controversial and incredibly complex problem. There may be much to be gained from the study of introduced species, but it is unclear how much this increased understanding of the biology of invasive species will be helpful in their management and control. In addition, the use of biological controls introduces a completely new set of dangers.
IL2 and TNFA Gene Polymorphisms and the Risk of Graft‐versus‐Host Disease after Allogeneic Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

This study aimed to analyse the association of gene polymorphisms with the outcome of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We studied 122 donor/recipient pairs who received HLA‐identical transplants from siblings at the Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil, between June 1996 and June 2006. Donor/recipient alleles for TNFA−238 and IL2−330/+166 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were analysed by PCR‐SSP. No association was observed between the risk of acute graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) and these SNP. However, our findings suggest that the polymorphism of promoter gene TNFA−238GA is associated with the occurrence and severity of chronic GVHD. The probability of chronic GVHD in patients with GA genotype at position −238 of TNFA gene is 91.7% in contrast to 59.4% in patients with GG genotype (P = 0.038). In patients with donor GA genotype the probability of chronic GVHD is 90.8%, and 57.9% in patients with donor GG genotype (P = 0.038). The probability of extensive chronic GVHD in patients with TNFA−238GA is 91.7% compared with 46.3% in patients with TNFA−238GG (P = 0.0046). In patients with donor GA genotype at position −238 of the TNFA gene, it is 81.7%, compared with 44.5% in patients with donor GG genotype (P = 0.016). However, further studies with more patients are required to identify cytokine gene polymorphisms and their association with transplant‐related complication in Brazil, particularly due to ethnic background, the relatively low power of detection of genetic markers of this study, and the complexity of the MHC region.
Impact of cardiovascular calcification in nondialyzed patients after 24 months of follow-up.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is highly prevalent among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and it has been described as a strong predictor of mortality in the dialysis population. Because there is a lack of information regarding cardiovascular calcification and clinical outcomes in the earlier stages of the disease, we aimed to evaluate the impact of CAC on cardiovascular events, hospitalization, and mortality in nondialyzed patients with CKD. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS This is a prospective study including 117 nondialyzed patients with CKD (age, 57 +/- 11.2 years; 61% male; 23% diabetics; creatinine clearance, 36.6 +/- 17.8 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)). CAC was quantified by multislice computed tomography. The occurrence of cardiovascular events, hospitalization, and death was recorded over 24 months. RESULTS CAC >10 Agatston units (AU) was observed in 48% of the patients [334 (108 to 858.5) AU; median (interquartiles)], and calcification score >or=400 AU was found in 21% [873 (436-2500) AU]. During the follow-up, the occurrence of 15 cardiovascular events, 19 hospitalizations, and 4 deaths was registered. The presence of CAC >10 AU was associated with shorter hospitalization event-free time and lower survival. CAC >or=400 AU was additionally associated with shorter cardiovascular event-free time. Adjusting for age and diabetes, CAC >or=400 AU was independently associated with the occurrence of hospitalization and cardiovascular events. CONCLUSIONS Cardiovascular events, hospitalization, and mortality were associated with the presence of CAC in nondialyzed patients with CKD. Severe CAC was a predictor of cardiovascular events and hospitalization in these patients.
Towards flexibility on IMS Learning Design scripts

IMS Learning Design is considered by many authors the "de facto" standard in educational modeling languages. The versatility of the framework enables its use in very different situations. However, such versatile framework is usually hidden by its complex management. One handicap identified in practical experiences is the lack of flexibility of scripted courses during the enactment phase. The activity sequence and learning resources are rigidly defined during authoring. This fact makes difficult to react to unexpected events that may happen in live courses. Also, this rigidness does not allow instructors to give "their personal touch" to courses. This paper presents the improvements made on GRAIL - an IMS LD compliant player-aimed at the support of a flexible enactment phase. Two types of modifications are considered: the modification of the learning flow and the management of course content with a wiki engine. Finally, this paper discusses how the integration of third party services in the activity sequence relaxes the rigidness of scripted learning flows. Experiences deployed in real scenarios allowed analyzing how such integration offered flexibility in practical situations.
Information geometry of Boltzmann machines

A Boltzmann machine is a network of stochastic neurons. The set of all the Boltzmann machines with a fixed topology forms a geometric manifold of high dimension, where modifiable synaptic weights of connections play the role of a coordinate system to specify networks. A learning trajectory, for example, is a curve in this manifold. It is important to study the geometry of the neural manifold, rather than the behavior of a single network, in order to know the capabilities and limitations of neural networks of a fixed topology. Using the new theory of information geometry, a natural invariant Riemannian metric and a dual pair of affine connections on the Boltzmann neural network manifold are established. The meaning of geometrical structures is elucidated from the stochastic and the statistical point of view. This leads to a natural modification of the Boltzmann machine learning rule.
Temperature-Aware Design Issues for SMT and CMP Architectures

With increasing power density in modern processors, management of on-chip temperature is fast becoming a bottleneck for chip designers. To address this, beyond conventional power and energy analysis it is necessary to apply temperature-aware analysis. In this paper we present thermal-aware experiments on simultaneous multithreaded (SMT) and chip multiprocessor (CMP) architectures. Both SMT and CMP have been shown to improve ILP as well as energy efficiency, but in our experiments we also examine the temperature consequences of such multithreaded architectures. We use the SimpleScalar tool set combined with Wattch for power measurement in conjunction with the HotSpot thermal modeling tool. We begin with models for different processors using roughly equal silicon resources and develop parameters and floorplan layouts for each of these cases. Our findings show that large temperature gradients are prominent with either multithreading technique, but both architectures show promise as a basis for temperature-aware enhancements to mitigate the problem. We examine several techniques for managing peak temperature problems and find that allowing hot functional blocks to be allocated more die area can reduce our processors’ hottest unit temperatures by as much as 12° Celsius. We scale our processors up to 4 contexts or 4 processor cores and find that these same temperature trends continue.
From Vesicles to Protocells: The Roles of Amphiphilic Molecules

It is very challenging to construct protocells from molecular assemblies. An important step in this challenge is the achievement of vesicle dynamics that are relevant to cellular functions, such as membrane trafficking and self-reproduction, using amphiphilic molecules. Soft matter physics will play an important role in the development of vesicles that have these functions. Here, we show that simple binary phospholipid vesicles have the potential to reproduce the relevant functions of adhesion, pore formation and self-reproduction of vesicles, by coupling the lipid geometries (spontaneous curvatures) and the phase separation. This achievement will elucidate the pathway from molecular assembly to cellular life.
Comprometimento e Entrincheiramento na Carreira: um Estudo de suas Influências no Esforço Instrucional do Docente do Ensino Superior

The present study analyzes the dimensions of the links of commitment and entrenchment with the career development of higher education teachers in the private and public contexts of Brazilian universities. More specifically, an attempt is made to identify their relations with the institutional effort' construct, defined as persistent improvement of quality in their performance and the positive results of the educational process. The extensive and cross-sectional study involved a sample of 635 higher education teachers from different states through an applied questionnaire and on-line data collection. The data underwent descriptive analysis as well as multivariate analysis, using the Statistical Package Social Sciences (SPSS) version 15.0. After the exploratory analysis (evaluation of normality, outliers, analysis of linearity and analysis of multicolinearity), a quality analysis was conducted of the quality of the measurement of scales (dimensionality, trustworthiness and validity of the measures), followed by the modeling of structural equations to identify the impacts of the links with the career on the institutional effort. The model, with better adjustment, revealed that identity (dimension of commitment to career) makes an impact on the institutional effort in all its dimensions. Significant differences between public and private institutions of higher education were also found.
AHA Dietary Guidelines: revision 2000: A statement for healthcare professionals from the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association.

This document presents guidelines for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by dietary and other lifestyle practices. Since the previous publication of these guidelines by the American Heart Association,1 the overall approach has been modified to emphasize their relation to specific goals that the AHA considers of greatest importance for lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke. The revised guidelines place increased emphasis on foods and an overall eating pattern and the need for all Americans to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight (Table⇓). View this table: Table 1. Summary of Dietary Guidelines The major guidelines are designed for the general population and collectively replace the “Step 1” designation used for earlier AHA population-wide dietary recommendations. More individualized approaches involving medical nutrition therapy for specific subgroups (for example, those with lipid disorders, diabetes, and preexisting cardiovascular disease) replace the previous “Step 2” diet for higher-risk individuals. The major emphasis for weight management should be on avoidance of excess total energy intake and a regular pattern of physical activity. Fat intake of ≤30% of total energy is recommended to assist in limiting consumption of total energy as well as saturated fat. The guidelines continue to advocate a population-wide limitation of dietary saturated fat to <10% of energy and cholesterol to <300 mg/d. Specific intakes for individuals should be based on cholesterol and lipoprotein levels and the presence of existing heart disease, diabetes, and other risk factors. Because of increased evidence for the cardiovascular benefits of fish (particularly fatty fish), consumption of at least 2 fish servings per week is now recommended. Finally, recent studies support a major benefit on blood pressure of consuming vegetables, fruits, and low-fat dairy products, as well as limiting salt intake (<6 grams per day) and alcohol (no more than 2 drinks per day for men and …
Aircraft Noise and Quality of Life around Frankfurt Airport

In a survey of 2,312 residents living near Frankfurt Airport aircraft noise annoyance and disturbances as well as environmental (EQoL) and health-related quality of life (HQoL) were assessed and compared with data on exposure due to aircraft, road traffic, and railway noise. Results indicate higher noise annoyance than predicted from general exposure-response curves. Beside aircraft sound levels source-related attitudes were associated with reactions to aircraft noise. Furthermore, aircraft noise affected EQoL in general, although to a much smaller extent. HQoL was associated with aircraft noise annoyance, noise sensitivity and partly with aircraft noise exposure, in particular in the subgroup of multimorbid residents. The results suggest a recursive relationship between noise and health, yet this cannot be tested in cross-sectional studies. Longitudinal studies would be recommendable to get more insight in the causal paths underlying the noise-health relationship.
Realization of neural coding by stochastic switching of magnetic tunnel junction

In this paper, we present the realization of neural rate coding with probabilistic spike trains by using two back-to-back magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) for the bio-inspired computing applications. By exploiting the intrinsic stochastic switching of the MTJ device between two different resistance states, an analog stimulus can be converted into a probabilistic spike train and its spike rate can be modulated by the switching probability, which depends on the magnitude of the stimulus. To implement such conversion, we propose a hybrid CMOS/MTJ circuit. By using a physics-based MTJ compact model and a commercial CMOS 40nm design kit, its functionality has been validated. Additionally, we also investigate the relationship between switching probability and stimulus by Monte Carlo simulations.
Crystal structures of the tRNA:m2G6 methyltransferase Trm14/TrmN from two domains of life

Methyltransferases (MTases) form a major class of tRNA-modifying enzymes needed for the proper functioning of tRNA. Recently, RNA MTases from the TrmN/Trm14 family that are present in Archaea, Bacteria and Eukaryota have been shown to specifically modify tRNAPhe at guanosine 6 in the tRNA acceptor stem. Here, we report the first X-ray crystal structures of the tRNA m2G6 (N2-methylguanosine) MTase TTCTrmN from Thermus thermophilus and its ortholog PfTrm14 from Pyrococcus furiosus. Structures of PfTrm14 were solved in complex with the methyl donor S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM or AdoMet), as well as the reaction product S-adenosyl-homocysteine (SAH or AdoHcy) and the inhibitor sinefungin. TTCTrmN and PfTrm14 consist of an N-terminal THUMP domain fused to a catalytic Rossmann-fold MTase (RFM) domain. These results represent the first crystallographic structure analysis of proteins containing both THUMP and RFM domain, and hence provide further insight in the contribution of the THUMP domain in tRNA recognition and catalysis. Electrostatics and conservation calculations suggest a main tRNA binding surface in a groove between the THUMP domain and the MTase domain. This is further supported by a docking model of TrmN in complex with tRNAPhe of T. thermophilus and via site-directed mutagenesis.
Precancerous Bile Duct Pathology in End-stage Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, With and Without Cholangiocarcinoma

Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are at increased risk for developing cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). However, the morphology of precursor lesions and the prevalence of biliary dysplasia among patients undergoing liver transplantation for PSC are incompletely defined, and the earlier studies using relatively small number of cases have yielded conflicting results. We retrospectively evaluated 100 consecutive formalin-fixed PSC liver explants (including 30 with CCA) by randomly sampling the hilar and large intrahepatic bile ducts (10 additional tissue cassettes submitted per case). The following histologic features were evaluated and quantitated according to the number of ducts involved: mucinous metaplasia, pyloric metaplasia, intestinal metaplasia, pancreatic acinar metaplasia, and biliary dysplasia [low-grade vs. high-grade (biliary intraepithelial neoplasia-2 or neoplasia-3), papillary vs. flat]. Using Fisher exact test and t test, these features were correlated with the presence or absence of CCA and with the following clinical parameters: sex, age, PSC duration, cirrhotic-stage liver disease, and inflammatory bowel disease at the time of transplant. We found high frequencies of mucinous metaplasia (77%), pyloric metaplasia (73%), and pancreatic acinar metaplasia (10%), which did not differ between CCA and non-CCA livers. However, livers with CCA were more likely to harbor intestinal metaplasia (43% vs. 19%, P=0.013), dysplasia (of any grade) (83% vs. 36%, P<0.0001), and high-grade dysplasia (60% vs. 11%, P<0.0001), and also contained greater numbers of dysplastic ducts than non-CCA cases (P<0.0001). The relative frequency of papillary (44%) versus flat (56%) dysplasia did not differ between CCA and non-CCA cases. Overall, intestinal metaplasia was a significant predictor of bile duct dysplasia (P=0.0005) and CCA (P=0.013), low-grade dysplasia predicted high-grade dysplasia (P<0.0001) and CCA (P=0.0004), and high-grade dysplasia predicted CCA (P<0.0001). Among the clinical parameters, there were no significant differences in age, sex, history of inflammatory bowel disease, or PSC duration, but patients transplanted for CCA were less likely to have cirrhosis (60% vs. 86%, P=0.008). These data strongly support a metaplasia–low-grade dysplasia–high-grade dysplasia–carcinoma sequence in PSC-associated CCA, and underscore the known lack of relationship between patient age and PSC duration in the development of CCA. Even in the absence of CCA, bile duct dysplasia is still a relatively frequent finding, seen at least focally in 36% of benign end-stage PSC explants. Dysplasia, however, is generally confined to large and septal-size bile ducts and its presence may not be recognized unless multiple sections specifically targeted to the biliary tree are examined.
An Alternative Professional Development Program: Lessons Learned

Abstract. This article describes how a group of small liberal arts college faculty embraced the opportunity to create a faculty learning circle as an alternative professional development program. We provide a review of the program, discuss the lessons learned, and offer recommendations for future efforts in developing a similar faculty development program. Analysis of participant responses to the learning circle indicated that the experience met all their intended objectives. Faculty learning circles contribute to the participants' professional development and could be incorporated into any college campus.
Numerical study of the scattered Brillouin precursors from an infinite cylinder in lossy dispersive media

Using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, the transient scattered Brillouin precursors of a perfectly electrically conductive (PEC) cylinder in lossy dispersive media are studied. The lower propagation attenuation of precursor results in larger signal amplitude than the carrier wave for incident wave at the object surface. From the scattered precursors, the scattering mechanisms are represented clearly although the signals are weakened due to the heavy conductive loss. This characteristic has potential applications to obtain the information of objects in lossy dispersive media.
Ca2+ imaging of mouse neocortical interneurone dendrites: Ia‐type K+ channels control action potential backpropagation

GABAergic interneurones are essential in cortical processing, yet the functional properties of their dendrites are still poorly understood. In this first study, we combined two‐photon calcium imaging with whole‐cell recording and anatomical reconstructions to examine the calcium dynamics during action potential (AP) backpropagation in three types of V1 supragranular interneurones: parvalbumin‐positive fast spikers (FS), calretinin‐positive irregular spikers (IS), and adapting cells (AD). Somatically generated APs actively backpropagated into the dendritic tree and evoked instantaneous calcium accumulations. Although voltage‐gated calcium channels were expressed throughout the dendritic arbor, calcium signals during backpropagation of both single APs and AP trains were restricted to proximal dendrites. This spatial control of AP backpropagation was mediated by Ia‐type potassium currents and could be mitigated by by previous synaptic activity. Further, we observed supralinear summation of calcium signals in synaptically activated dendritic compartments. Together, these findings indicate that in interneurons, dendritic AP propagation is synaptically regulated. We propose that interneurones have a perisomatic and a distal dendritic functional compartment, with different integrative functions.