Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The value of spatial information in MPA network design

The science of spatial fisheries management, which combines ecology, oceanography, and economics, has matured significantly. As a result, there have been recent advances in exploiting spatially explicit data to develop spatially explicit management policies, such as networks of marine protected areas (MPAs). However, when data are sparse, spatially explicit policies become less viable, and we must instead rely on blunt policies such as total allowable catches or imprecisely configured networks of MPAs. Therefore, spatial information has the potential to change management approaches and thus has value. We develop a general framework within which to analyze the value of information for spatial fisheries management and apply that framework to several US Pacific coast fisheries. We find that improved spatial information can increase fishery value significantly (>10% in our simulations), and that it changes dramatically the efficient management approach—switching from diffuse effort everywhere to a strategy where fishing is spatially targeted, with some areas under intensive harvest and others closed to fishing. Using all available information, even when incomplete, is essential to management success and may as much as double fishery value relative to using (admittedly incorrect) assumptions commonly invoked.
Influence of Wheel Running and Environmental Complexity on Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Rats Postnatally Exposed to Alcohol

1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS At the end of my first year at the University of Delaware, I was given the best possible gift by being invited to join the Klintsova lab. I did join, of course, and though I didn't know it then, life was about to change significantly for the better. Dr. Klintsova instantly commanded my interest on the first day of Introduction to Neuroscience when she finished class with illustrating what I still find to be one of the most interesting facets of Neuroscience-that we may never be able to reach full understanding of the brain, since the paradox of our field is that the brain is attempting to understand itself. At that moment and ever since, Dr. Klintsova has displayed to me the scientist that I hope to be one day; she is curious, fiercely driven, and intensely motivated. She has shown me endless kindness and helpfulness, and I would like to thank her for being an outstanding role model; my experience with Dr. Klintsova has made me desire the pursuit of a career in science, and she gave me the confidence to know that I can do it one day. I would also like to thank the other members of my thesis committee, Dr. Rosen and Dr. Schwarz, for their help and contributions to my project. Next, I would like thank Karen Boschen, who is the most endlessly patient and helpful human I have encountered during my time as an undergraduate, and is always willing to take the time to help anyone who needs her. She is an unfailingly fantastic 2 friend and mentor, and I am exceptionally lucky to have worked with her these past two years. I thank her for the amount of time she has spent editing this document and for the countless other hours she has put into teaching me how to be a researcher. If I am ever a graduate student, it will be my goal to emulate the mentorship towards others that Karen has shown me. My third elaborate thank you goes to Kerry Criss, who consistently serves as a prime example of the quintessential lab member, and is an inspiringly driven individual and wonderful friend. Thank you also to all of my Chelsea, you have all made my experience in the Klintsova lab all the more wonderful and rewarding and you all have a special place in my heart. My final …
Intracellular bacteria of porcine proliferative enteropathy: cultivation and maintenance in vitro

An obligate intracellular bacterium was isolated from the intestines of all 10 cases of porcine proliferative enteropathy from four different pig farms. The organism grew in a rat enterocyte cell line (IEC-18) and was maintained over 20 passages. The growth of the bacteria was assessed by immunostaining of cells exposed to infection. Infection was not associated with morphological cell change, and growth was confined to cells infected at the time of each transfer of infection and the progeny of these cells. The bacterium is a microaerophilic, cell dependent, curved or rod-shaped, gram-negative bacillus that multiplies freely in the enterocyte cytoplasm. Cell cultures containing the intracellular bacteria appear to be free of other microorganisms, including chlamydiae and viruses.
Individual capacitor voltage balancing in H-bridge cascaded multilevel STATCOM at zero current operating mode

Individual capacitor voltage balancing is one of the challenges in the field of multilevel converters, especially when the phase legs of the converter are connected in star configuration. This issue can be even more problematic when the converter is operating close to zero average current operating mode. This paper first shows the issue related to the capacitor voltage balancing at zero average-current mode and second proposes a novel algorithm to overcome this problem. The method proposes a modulation technique for individual balancing in H-bridge cascaded multilevel converters operated at zero average-current mode. The proposed algorithm modifies the conventional sorting algorithm based on current ripple. The individual DC-link voltage control method is applied to a 19-level star-connected cascaded converter in PSCAD and simulation results verify the ability of the proposed method in maintaining the balancing of the capacitors voltages at zero current injection mode. Several practical limitation such as forward voltage drop over semiconductor elements, noise in measured data, delay in the digital controller, switching deadtime, and grid voltage harmonics are also considered in the model.
Noisy chaotic neural networks for solving combinatorial optimization problems

Chaotic simulated annealing (CSA) recently proposed by Chen and Aihara (1994) has been shown to have higher searching ability for solving combinatorial optimization problems compared to both the Hopfield-Tank approach and stochastic simulated annealing (SSA). However, CSA is not guaranteed to relax to a globally optimal solution no matter how slowly annealing takes place. In contrast, SSA is guaranteed to settle down to a global minimum with probability 1 if the temperature is reduced sufficiently slowly. In this paper, we attempt to combine the best of both worlds by proposing a new approach to simulated annealing using a noisy chaotic neural network, i.e., stochastic chaotic simulated annealing (SCSA). We demonstrate this approach with the 48-city traveling salesman problem.
DNA methylation biomarkers for blood-based colorectal cancer screening.

BACKGROUND Sensitive, specific blood-based tests are difficult to develop unless steps are taken to maximize performance characteristics at every stage of marker discovery and development. We describe a sieving strategy for identifying high-performing marker assays that detect colorectal cancer (CRC)-specific methylated DNA in plasma. METHODS We first used restriction enzyme-based discovery methods to identify marker candidates with obviously different methylation patterns in CRC tissue and nonpathologic tissue. We then used a selection process incorporating microarrays and/or real-time PCR analysis of tissue samples to further test marker candidates for maximum methylation in CRC tissue and minimum amplification in tissues from both healthy individuals and patients with other diseases. Real-time assays of 3 selected markers were validated with plasma samples from 133 CRC patients and 179 healthy control individuals in the same age range. RESULTS Restriction enzyme-based testing identified 56 candidate markers. This group was reduced to 6 with microarray and real-time PCR testing. Three markers, TMEFF2, NGFR, and SEPT9, were tested with plasma samples. TMEFF2 methylation was detected in 65% [95% confidence interval, 56%-73%] of plasma samples from CRC patients and not detected in 69% (62%-76%) of the controls. The corresponding results for NGFR were 51% (42%-60%) and 84% (77%-89%); for SEPT9, the values were 69% (60%-77%) and 86% (80%-91%). CONCLUSIONS The stringent criteria applied at all steps of the selection and validation process enabled successful identification and ranking of blood-based marker candidates.
Korsakoff’s syndrome: a critical review

In this review, we present a survey on Korsakoff’s syndrome (KS), a residual syndrome in patients who suffered from a Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) that is predominantly characterized by global amnesia, and in more severe cases also by cognitive and behavioral dysfunction. We describe the history of KS and its definition, its epidemiology, and the lack of consensus criteria for its diagnosis. The cognitive and behavioral symptoms of KS, which include anterograde and retrograde amnesia, executive dysfunction, confabulation, apathy, as well as affective and social-cognitive impairments, are discussed. Moreover, recent insights into the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms of these symptoms are presented. In addition, the evidence so far on the etiology of KS is examined, highlighting the role of thiamine and alcohol and discussing the continuity hypothesis. Furthermore, the neuropathology of KS is reviewed, focusing on abnormalities in the diencephalon, including the mammillary bodies and thalamic nuclei. Pharmacological treatment options and nonpharmacological interventions, such as those based on cognitive rehabilitation, are discussed. Our review shows that thiamine deficiency (TD) is a crucial factor in the etiology of KS. Although alcohol abuse is by far the most important context in which TD occurs, there is no convincing evidence for an essential contribution of ethanol neurotoxicity (EN) to the development of WE or to the progression of WE to KS. Future research on the postmortem histopathological analysis of brain tissues of KS patients is crucial for the advancement of our knowledge of KS, especially for associating its symptoms with lesions in various thalamic nuclei. A necessary requirement for the advancement of studies on KS is the broad acceptance of a comprehensive definition and definite diagnostic criteria. Therefore, in this review, we propose such a definition of KS and draft outlines for prospective diagnostic criteria.
Recent Changes in Attitudes Toward Sex and Marriage

A CONSIDERABLE body of evidence' points to two general trends of attitude changes in this country during the past few years. In the area of individual behavior the trend may be characterized as in the direction of greater tolerance for formerly disapproved actions. In the area of political and economic affairs a somewhat similar trend, often labelled as being in the direction of "liberalism," may more aptly be described as an increasingly critical attitude toward previously accepted institutions. The purpose of this paper is to point out the degree to which more specific attitudes toward sex and marriage conform to these general trends. Before proceeding to the data, several shortcomings inherent in the available material must be pointed out. i. All attitudes vary with such individual traits as age, sex, intelligence, and personality characteristics; and they vary enormously with such sociological factors as economic status and the particular nature of affiliated groups.2 Except for occasional references to a few of these factors, the writer has been compelled, in these pages, to ignore these variations and look for general trends. 2. In most cases, methods of obtaining information are not beyond question; degree of veracity and selection of subjects are nearly always uncertain in questionnaire studies, and more behavioristic clues to attitudes are rarely of unambiguous interpretation. Only such sources are included, however, as are believed to be worthy of considerable confidence. 3. Too large a proportion of the available data concerns college students; very little is to be found regarding younger boys and girls or adults, particularly those of lower economic status. As a matter of fact, there is a paucity of data of every kind. Opportunities to judge attitude trends from really comparable data collected at different periods are extremely rare. Data collected simultaneously from different age groups are far more common, but comparisons of different age groups are not, of course, entirely valid indicators of attitude trends, since individuals of different ages are diversely influenced by the same cultural influences. Most reliance will, therefore, be placed on conclusions derived from data collected at different periods, though data for different age groups will also be cited in the absence of earlier data of similar nature. There is ample confirmation of the general trend toward increased toler-
Application of Scale Changing Technique - grid computing to the electromagnetic simulation of reflectarrays

The capability of the Scale Changing Technique to run in parallel in distributed systems has been tested with reflectarrays having finite number of non-uniform radiating elements in grid computing environment. Advantages of this technique, like using its Scale Changing Networks dependency, were explored in parallel and parametric studies to solve complex planar multi-scale electromagnetic problems on Grid'5000, used as a test bed. This method has shown remarkable computing performances while keeping the same accuracy.
Exploring Cultural Competence amongst OT Students

Occupational therapy relies primarily on communication between the therapist and client for effective intervention. Adequate communication may be influenced by language and cultural differences between the therapist and client. Cultural competence in relation to language and culture is thus a vital part in practice. Limited research exists on cultural competence in occupational therapy students. This study thus aimed to explore the cultural competence of final year students and their perceptions of their own cultural competence, with respect to language and culture in their practice as students. An explorative qualitative study design was utilised with a nonprobability purposeful sample of 21 final year undergraduate students at a tertiary institute in South Africa. Three focus groups were conducted, comprising between 6 and 8 students in each group. Thematic analysis using inductive reasoning was undertaken in order to analyse the students' experiences and understanding of cultural competence. Findings of the study suggest that cultural competence, in relation to language and culture, influences the occupational therapy intervention process. It was shown to both positively and negatively influence intervention through supporting or hindering rapport building, client centeredness, and effective intervention.
Mutations in Leptin (LEP) Gene Are Associated with Carcass and Meat Quality Traits in Crossbreed Rabbits

ABSTRACT Leptin is a hormone synthesized and secreted primarily in adipose cells that help to regulate energy balance. This study examined the associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the rabbit leptin gene with growth traits, slaughter traits and physicochemical parameters of New Zealand White (NZW) and Belgian Giant Grey (BGG) crossbreed rabbits. In total, 320 crossbreed animals were genotyped for polymorphisms within exon 2—g.16081633T>C, intron 1_2—g.16081420C>T, and within UTR—g.16079636C>G for association analysis. Identified polymorphisms within rabbits leptin gene showed significant differences for dissectible fat percentage in carcass and dissectible fat weight in intermediate part (g.16081633T>C). Moreover, meat traits like protein content (g.16081633T>C; g.16079636C>G), intramuscular fat content (g.16081633T>C; g.16079636C>G, g.16081420C>T), dry matter (g.16081420C>T), ash (g.16081420C>T), water (g.16081420C>T), and cohesiveness (g.16081420C>T, g.16079636C>G) were affected by polymorphisms in leptin gene. We conclude that polymorphism in the rabbit leptin gene influences important carcass and meat traits of NZW × BGG crossbreeds. Therefore, polymorphisms identified in this study may be used in selection as a meat trait markers.
Cdc2/cyclin B1 regulates centrosomal Nlp proteolysis and subcellular localization

The formation of proper mitotic spindles is required for appropriate chromosome segregation during cell division. Aberrant spindle formation often causes aneuploidy and results in tumorigenesis. However, the underlying mechanism of regulating spindle formation and chromosome separation remains to be further defined. Centrosomal Nlp (ninein-like protein) is a recently characterized BRCA1-regulated centrosomal protein and plays an important role in centrosome maturation and spindle formation. In this study, we show that Nlp can be phosphorylated by cell cycle protein kinase Cdc2/cyclin B1. The phosphorylation sites of Nlp are mapped at Ser185 and Ser589. Interestingly, the Cdc2/cyclin B1 phosphorylation site Ser185 of Nlp is required for its recognition by PLK1, which enable Nlp depart from centrosomes to allow the establishment of a mitotic scaffold at the onset of mitosis . PLK1 fails to dissociate the Nlp mutant lacking Ser185 from centrosome, suggesting that Cdc2/cyclin B1 might serve as a primary kinase of PLK1 in regulating Nlp subcellular localization. However, the phosphorylation at the site Ser589 by Cdc2/cyclin B1 plays an important role in Nlp protein stability probably due to its effect on protein degradation. Furthermore, we show that deregulated expression or subcellular localization of Nlp lead to multinuclei in cells, indicating that scheduled levels of Nlp and proper subcellular localization of Nlp are critical for successful completion of normal cell mitosis, These findings demonstrate that Cdc2/cyclin B1 is a key regulator in maintaining appropriate degradation and subcellular localization of Nlp, providing novel insights into understanding on the role of Cdc2/cyclin B1 in mitotic progression.
ADC mapping of benign and malignant breast tumors.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value in differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions and evaluating the detection accuracy of the cancer extension. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used DWI to obtain images of 191 benign and malignant lesions (24 benign, 167 malignant) before surgical excision. The ADC values of the benign and malignant lesions were compared, as were the values of noninvasive ductal carcinoma (NIDC) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). We also evaluated the ADC map, which represents the distribution of ADC values, and compared it with the cancer extension. RESULTS The mean ADC value of each type of lesion was as follows: malignant lesions, 1.22+/-0.31 x 10(-3) mm2/s; benign lesions, 1.67+/-0.54 x 10(-3) mm2/s; normal tissues, 2.09+/-0.27 x 10(-3) mm2/s. The mean ADC value of the malignant lesions was statistically lower than that of the benign lesions and normal breast tissues. The ADC value of IDC was statistically lower than that of NIDC. The sensitivity of the ADC value for malignant lesions with a threshold of less than 1.6 x 10(-3) mm2/s was 95% and the specificity was 46%. A full 75% of all malignant cases exhibited a near precise distribution of low ADC values on ADC maps to describe malignant lesions. The main causes of false negative and underestimation of cancer spread were susceptibility artifact because of bleeding and tumor structure. Major histologic types of false-positive lesions were intraductal papilloma and fibrocystic diseases. Fibrocystic diseases also resulted in overestimation of cancer extension. CONCLUSIONS DWI has the potential in clinical appreciation to detect malignant breast tumors and support the evaluation of tumor extension. However, the benign proliferative change remains to be studied as it mimics the malignant phenomenon on the ADC map.
Modelling and testing of a sensor capable of determining the stiffness of biological tissues

In this paper, the design, fabrication, testing, and mathematical modelling of a new sensor for determining the stiffness of biological tissues are discussed. A tactile probe is constructed using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as the main element of the sensing system. The probe is composed of several parts that together can provide an estimate of the stiffness of a material that it touches. Two different elastic materials in the form of two cylinders with different moduli of elasticity make up the major structure of the sensor assembly. The central cylinder in the sensor has a greater stiffness than the peripheral cylinder. To test the sensor, it is mounted on a rigid base structure. Then the resulting probe is pressed against a rubber-like material to experimentally determine the Young¿s modulus of elasticity of the touched material. In addition to the experimental work (and for the first time), an analytical method is derived that can predict the modulus of elasticity of the touched object without needing to know the thickness of the object. Based on this approach, the stiffness of the sensed object is obtained by means of a closed-form formula. Additionally, finite element modelling is used to compute a more accurate estimate for the same parameter. The discrepancy between the two theoretical methods is proven to be negligible. Comparisons of the experimental data with the analytical and numerical approaches show a reasonably good correspondence between the methods. The practical implications of the designed system are considerable, since it provides a strong basis for detecting tumours embedded in various biological tissues.
Effects of a controlled pedometer-intervention trial for low-active adolescent girls.

PURPOSE This intervention compares the effectiveness of daily step count targets with time-based prescription for increasing the health-related physical activity of low-active adolescent girls. METHODS We assigned participants (N = 85, mean age 15.8 +/- 0.8 yr) depending on school attended to a control (CON), pedometer (PED), or minutes (MIN) group. The intervention groups were involved in a 12-wk physical activity self-monitoring and educative program. The only difference between the intervention groups was that the PED group set daily step count targets whereas the MIN group set daily time-based goals for physical activity involvement. Pre-, mid-, and postintervention changes in physical activity (4-d blinded step count and 3-d physical activity recall) and body mass index (BMI) were assessed using a series of 3 (group assignment) x 3 (time) ANOVA. Where significant interactions were found, separate follow-up simple main effects tests were used. RESULTS At postintervention, only the PED group had significantly increased their total activity as measured by a 4-d step count, when compared with the control (P = 0.03, ES = 0.13). The group, time, and interaction effects for 4-d step count were significant, indicating that although both the participants in the PED and the MIN groups significantly increased their step count across the 12-wk intervention (P = 0.00-0.01), the participants in the PED group had a greater increase at the midintervention time point (P = 0.04, ES = 0.10). No pre-, mid-, or postintervention changes were reported in any group for BMI (F = 1.18, P = 0.32). CONCLUSION The use of pedometers and daily step count targets with low-active adolescent girls may result in short-term (6 wk) enhanced physical activity related outcomes when compared with traditional time-based physical activity prescriptions. However, both interventions appear to result in similar improvements in physical activity when duration of the observation is extended to 12 wk.