Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seagrass habitats of northeast Australia: Models of key processes and controls

An extensive and diverse assemblage of seagrass habitats exists along the tropical and subtropical coastline of north east Australia and the associated Great Barrier Reef. In their natural state, these habitats are characterised by very low nutrient concentrations and are primarily nitrogen limited. Summer rainfall and tropical storms/cyclones lead to large flows of sediment-laden fresh water. Macro grazers, dugongs (Dugong dugon) and green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are an important feature in structuring tropical Australian seagrass communities. In general, all seagrass habitats in north east Australia are influenced by high disturbance and are both spatially and temporally variable. This paper classifies the diversity into four habitat types and proposes the main limiting factor for each habitat. The major processes that categorise each habitat are described and significant threats or gaps in understanding are identified. Four broad categories of seagrass habitat are defined as 'River estuaries', 'Coastal', 'Deep water' and 'Reef', and the dominant controlling factors are terrigenous runoff, physical disturbance, low light and low nutrients, respectively. Generic concepts of seagrass ecology and habitat function have often been found inappropriate to the diverse range of seagrass habitats in north east Australian waters. The classification and models developed here explain differences in habitats by identifying ecological functions and potential response to impacts in each habitat. This understanding will help to better focus seagrass management and research in tropical habitats.
Phase II study of paclitaxel plus gemcitabine in refractory germ cell tumors (E9897): a trial of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.

PURPOSE Despite great success in the treatment of disseminated germ cell tumors, 20% of patients are incurable and become candidates for investigational therapy. Paclitaxel and gemcitabine have shown activity as single agents in refractory germ cell tumors and can be combined with manageable toxicity. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with germ cell tumors believed to be incurable with chemotherapy or surgery were treated with paclitaxel 110 mg/m(2) and gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m(2) intravenously on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 4-week cycle for a maximum of six cycles. Patients were evaluated for response and toxicity. RESULTS Twenty-eight of 30 enrolled patients were assessable. Toxicity was primarily hematologic but was manageable with only a single case of neutropenic fever. Six (21.4%) of 28 patients responded, including three complete responses. Two of the complete responders were continuously disease-free at 15+ and 25+ months. CONCLUSION Paclitaxel plus gemcitabine is an active regimen in refractory germ cell tumors, with an acceptable toxicity profile. This regimen has the possibility for long-term disease-free survival in this refractory patient population.
Myometrial oxytocin receptor mRNA concentrations at preterm and term delivery – the influence of external oxytocin

The hormonal system for induction of term and preterm labour is not fully understood. Therefore, we investigated myometrial gene expressions for neurohypophyseal hormones and their receptors, prostaglandin F2α and ovarian steroid receptors in women delivered by Caesarean section. Myometrial tissue for real time PCR was collected from 39 women delivered at term before and after the onset of labour and preterm. Women delivered electively at term had significantly higher oxytocin receptor mRNA expressions (2.52 ± 0.37 oxytocin receptor/actin; median ± SEM) than those delivered with ongoing labour at term (1.01 ± 0.34; p = 0.015) and those at preterm (1.08 ± 0.25; p = 0.004). Sub-analyses revealed that the difference at term pregnancies solely was related to patients receiving oxytocin during labour (p = 0.007). These patients had higher oxytocin peptide mRNA levels than those without labour at term (p = 0.009). PGF2α receptor mRNA concentrations were 27.80 ± 3.55, 11.46 ± 2.87 and 19.54 ± 5.52 PGF receptor/actin, respectively, for the groups. Women without labour at term had higher concentration than those with labour (p = 0.005). Our results suggest that oxytocin, its receptor and the PGF2α receptor are involved in the regulation of labour through a paracrine mechanism.
Submicrometer-width TiO2 waveguides

We fabricate submicrometer-width TiO2 strip waveguides and measure optical losses at 633, 780, and 1550 nm. Losses of 30, 13, and 4 dB/cm (respectively) demonstrate that TiO2 is suitable for visible-to-infrared on-chip microphotonic devices.
Glutathione depletion in HIV‐infected patients: role of cysteine deficiency and effect of oral N‐acetylcysteine

Objective.To determine whether a single oral dose of N-acetylcysteine corrects the deficiency of cysteine and glutathione in plasma and mononuclear cells of HIV-infected patients. Design.Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study. Methods.Cysteine and glutathione were measured in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients at different stages of HIV infection before and after a single oral dose of N-acetylcysteine. Results.At baseline, the plasma concentrations of glutathione and cysteine were significantly lower in HIV-infected patients than in healthy controls. The intracellular concentration of glutathione correlated with the absolute CD4 lymphocyte counts: the concentration of glutathione in mononuclear cells was significantly lower in patients with more advanced immunodeficiency. A single oral dose of N-acetylcysteine increased the concentration of cysteine in plasma and mononuclear cells of HIV-infected patients. Four hours after N-acetylcysteine administration, intracellular glutathione concentrations in the patients were moderately higher than at baseline and at 2 h. Conclusions.Oral N-acetylcysteine transiently increases the concentrations of cysteine and glutathione in mononuclear cells of patients with HIV infection. A sustained increase in intracellular cysteine may be necessary to normalize intracellular glutathione. This may be accomplished by repeat administration of N-acetylcysteine.
Disruptions, Dilemmas and Paradoxes: Ethical Matter(s) in Design Research

This special issue on ethical matter(s) contains innovative and re ﬂ ective scholarship focused on questions of ethics with human computer interaction (HCI) design research. Through this introductory piece, we articulate three trends in ﬂ uencing contemporary design research which are creating spaces of discomfort for many scholars as they acknowledge their positionality and responsibility. We introduce the articles developed for this special issue through the framing of ethical dif ﬁ culties, dilemmas and paradoxes, recognizing that some issues may not be immediately resolvable. We argue that no matter which structures, principles or heuristics you commit to at the start of an HCI project, ethical conundrums are likely to develop. Through this piece, we are not suggesting that anyone is trying to achieve the status of moral saint within HCI design research. Rather, we offer you work crafted by scholars striving to improve their scholarship, working to address the question of ethical action in HCI research.
Organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticide residues in breast milk from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

HCH isomers, endosulfan, malathion, chlorpyrifos, and methyl-parathion were monitored in human milk samples from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The endosulfan concentrations were highest and exceeded the S-HCH, chlorpyrifos, and malathion concentrations by 3.5-, 1.5-, and 8.4-fold, respectively. Through breast milk, infants consumed 8.6 times more endosulfan and 4.1 times more malathion than the average daily intake levels recommended by the World Health Organization. A correlation analysis (r values) between mothers' age and the content of the chemicals accumulated in breast milk indicated a substantial degree of correlation for malathion (r–0.5). The other chemicals showed low to negligible correlation with donor age.
Comparison of 320-Row Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography With Conventional Angiography for the Assessment of Coronary Artery Disease With Different Atherosclerotic Plaque Characteristics

Objective The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy of 320-row computed tomography angiography (CTA) with conventional coronary angiography. Methods Two hundred seventy-four patients with coronary artery disease who received both invasive coronary angiography and 320-row CTA were included. Stenosis of 50% or greater was considered obstructive. Results In patient-based analysis, accuracy of CTA was 89.4%, with sensitivity of 94.6% and specificity of 54.3%. In segment-based analysis, the overall (4110 segments) accuracy of CTA was 90.7%, with sensitivity of 66.5% and specificity of 95.8%. For the segments with plaques (1191 segments), accuracy of CTA was 80.1%, with sensitivity of 83.5% and specificity of 77.0%. For segments with no plaque (2919 segments), accuracy of CTA was 95.0%, with sensitivity of 0.7% and specificity of 100.0%. For the segments with stents (110 segments), the accuracy of CTA was 86.4%. Conclusions A 320-row CTA has potential to detect coronary lesions with soft and intermediate plaques.
A speech driven embodied interaction robots system for human communication support

The concept of a speech driven embodied interaction robots system is introduced for supporting human interaction by generating the expressive actions or motions of robots coherently related to speech input. The prototype of the system which consists of 2 interaction robots called InterRobots with both functions of speaker and listener is developed in which two models are incorporated: one is a listener's action model where nodding, blinking and the motions of head, arms and body are estimated by the hierarchical MA (moving-average) model of the burst-pause (ON-OFF) of speech to the nodding; the other is a speaker's action model in which the motions of head, arms and body are estimated by its own MA model of the ON-OFF of speech to the head motion. By sensory evaluation and behavioral analysis in human-robot interaction, the effectiveness of InterRobot's interaction is demonstrated. The effectiveness of the embodied interaction robot system is also confirmed in remote communication.
Flex Cracking of Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors Assembled With Pb-Free and Tin–Lead Solders

In this paper, an experimental study was conducted to study susceptibility to flex cracking of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), in which a comparison was made between identical samples which were assembled using either Pb-free (Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu) or eutectic tin-lead (Sn37Pb) solder. Flex testing was performed on MLCCs with different sizes (1812 and 0805) and on different dielectric materials (C0G and X7R) obtained from three different manufacturers. Experimental results showed that MLCCs mounted on printed circuit boards (PCBs) with Pb-free solder crack less with board flexing than those mounted on boards with eutectic tin-lead solder. For 1812-size MLCCs assembled with tin-lead solder, the PCB strain at 10% failure ranged between 1700 and 2000 microstrains. The PCB strain at 10% failure for 1812-size MLCCs assembled with Pb-free solder varied between 2300 and 9600 microstrains, depending on the MLCC manufacturer. C0G MLCCs are more resistant to flex cracking than X7R MLCCs. Out of 96 samples tested, none of the C0G MLCCs showed evidence of flex cracking up to the maximum strain level on board of about 137 000 microstrains. In contrast, in the case of X7R MLCCs, from the same manufacturer, assembled with tin-lead solder, 94 out of 96 capacitors failed.
Surface Passivation of Boron-Diffused p-Type Silicon Surfaces With (1 0 0) and (1 1 1) Orientations by ALD Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$  Layers

Boron-diffused p+/n/p+ and undiffused silicon samples with (1 0 0) and (1 1 1) orientations passivated by aluminum oxide (Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) that is synthesized by atomic layer deposition (ALD) have been investigated. Emitter saturation current densities of ~24, 29, and 33 fA/cm<sup>2</sup> were obtained for (1 0 0) samples with symmetrical 85Ω/□ B diffusions that were passivated by plasma-assisted, H<sub>2</sub>O-based, and O<sub>3</sub>-based ALD Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, respectively. Compared with undiffused samples, it was found that the additional surface doping from the diffusion reduces recombination at the Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/Si interface in the case of relatively low surface boron concentrations (<; 2×10<sup>19</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup>). The degree of surface passivation that is observed on (1 0 0) surfaces was generally better than on (1 1 1) surfaces, particularly for undiffused samples, but this difference effectively disappeared following the application of more negative charge by corona charging. From capacitance- voltage measurements, it was found that Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> films on substrates with a (1 0 0) orientation display a higher negative fixed charge density Q<sub>f</sub> than films on (1 1 1) samples. On the other hand, the interface state density D<sub>it</sub> was not strongly influenced by surface orientation of the substrate. It appears that the difference in negative charge density is at least partly responsible for the differences in the observed passivation.
A Multidirectional Pattern-Reconfigurable Patch Antenna With CSRR on the Ground

A pattern-reconfigurable patch antenna with nine beam directions based on the complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR) loaded ground is proposed. The antenna consists of a coaxial feed rectangular patch on the top layer and a ground plane loaded with four CSRRs on the bottom layer. Two p-i-n diodes are installed on the stub of every CSRR. By changing the states of the p-i-n diodes, the main radiation direction can be switched both in the E-plane and H-plane. The operation principle of the beam switching by loading CSRRs on the ground is discussed. The prototype is fabricated with p-i-n diodes and bias circuit. The measured common impedance bandwidth of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$| {{{{S}}_{11}}} |$</tex-math></inline-formula> less than −10 dB is from 2.42 to 2.48 GHz. The 3-dB beamwidth covers the elevation angles from 0° to more than 60° and full azimuth angles. The antenna has a compact size of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.82\,{\lambda _0} \times 0.78\,{\lambda _0}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, which has the potential to be used in the array design.
Evaluating quality of patient care communication in integrated care settings: a mixed method approach.

BACKGROUND Owing to the involvement of multiple professionals from various institutions, integrated care settings are prone to suboptimal patient care communication. To assure continuity, communication gaps should be identified for targeted improvement initiatives. However, available assessment methods are often one-sided evaluations not appropriate for integrated care settings. OBJECTIVE We developed an evaluation approach that takes into account the multiple communication links and evaluation perspectives inherent to these settings. In this study, we describe this approach, using the integrated care setting of Cerebral Palsy as illustration. METHODS RESULTS The approach follows a three-step mixed design in which the results of each step are used to mark out the subsequent step's focus. The first step patient questionnaire aims to identify quality gaps experienced by patients, comparing their expectancies and experiences with respect to patient-professional and inter-professional communication. Resulting gaps form the input of in-depth interviews with a subset of patients to evaluate underlying factors of ineffective communication. Resulting factors form the input of the final step's focus group meetings with professionals to corroborate and complete the findings. CONCLUSIONS By combining methods, the presented approach aims to minimize limitations inherent to the application of single methods. The comprehensiveness of the approach enables its applicability in various integrated care settings. Its sequential design allows for in-depth evaluation of relevant quality gaps. Further research is needed to evaluate the approach's feasibility in practice. In our subsequent study, we present the results of the approach in the integrated care setting of children with Cerebral Palsy in three Dutch care regions.
The Effects of Shopping Orientations, Online Trust and Prior Online Purchase Experience toward Customers’ Online Purchase Intention

The advancement of the World Wide Web has resulted in the creation of a new form of retail transactionselectronic retailing (e-tailing) or web-shopping. Thus, customers’ involvements in online purchasing have become an important trend. As such, it is vital to identify the determinants of the customer online purchase intention. The aim of this research is to evaluate the impacts of shopping orientations, online trust and prior online purchase experience to the customer online purchase intention. A total of 242 undergraduate information technology students from a private university in Malaysia participated in this research. The findings revealed that impulse purchase intention, quality orientation, brand orientation, online trust and prior online purchase experience were positively related to the customer online purchase intention.
Biodistribution, metabolism, and in vivo gene expression of low molecular weight glycopeptide polyethylene glycol peptide DNA co-condensates.

The biodistribution, metabolism, cellular targeting, and gene expression of a nonviral peptide DNA gene delivery system was examined. (125)I-labeled plasmid DNA was condensed with low molecular weight peptide conjugates and dosed i.v. in mice to determine the influence of peptide DNA formulation parameters on specific gene targeting to hepatocytes. Optimal targeting to hepatocytes required the combined use of a triantennary glycopeptide (Tri-CWK(18)) and a polyethylene glycol-peptide (PEG-CWK(18)) to mediate specific recognition by the asialoglycoprotein receptor and to reduce nonspecific uptake by Kupffer cells. Tri-CWK(18)/PEG-CWK(18) DNA co-condensates were stabilized and protected from metabolism by glutaraldehyde crosslinking. An optimized formulation targeted 60% of the dose to the liver with 80% of the liver targeted DNA localized to hepatocytes. Glutaraldehyde crosslinking of DNA condensates reduced the liver elimination rate from a t((1/2)) of 0.8 to 3.6 h. An optimized gene delivery formulation produced detectable levels of human alpha1-antitrypsin in mouse serum which peaked at day 7 compared to no expression using control formulations. The results demonstrate the application of formulation optimization to improve the targeting selectivity and gene expression of a peptide DNA delivery system.
Waning immunity to plasma‐derived hepatitis B vaccine and the need for boosters 15 years after neonatal vaccination

Neonatal immunization with hepatitis B (HB) vaccine is highly effective; however, more needs to be learned about the duration of protection and indications for boosters. We measured antibody to HB core antigen (anti‐HBc), HB surface antigen (HBsAg), and pre‐ and postbooster titers of HBsAg antibody (anti‐HBs) 15 years after primary neonatal immunization with plasma‐derived HB vaccines in 2 cohorts of 15‐year‐old children. Group A consisted of 78 children who were born to HB e antigen–positive HBsAg carrier mothers and had developed protective levels of anti‐HBs antibodies (≥10 mIU/mL) following HB immunization. Group B consisted of 113 apparently healthy children whose anti‐HBs titers after vaccination were unknown. Anti‐HBs was undetectable (antibody titer <10 mIU/mL) in 29.9% in group A and 62.4% in group B (P < .001). Anti‐HBc was detected in 33.3 % in group A and 4.4 % in group B (P < .001). After a single booster dose of HB vaccine, 2.7% in group A and 3.3% in group B remained anti‐HBs–negative. A blunted serological response was noted in approximately 20% in both groups. One HBsAg carrier was detected in group A (1.3%) and 4 in group B (3.5%). Fifteen years after neonatal immunization with plasma‐derived HB vaccine, a large proportion of children exhibited waning immunity. This poses the risk of breakthrough infection. A single booster augmented the serological response to the vaccine in most but not all subjects. In conclusion, our findings suggest that one or more booster immunizations are needed in seronegative subjects by at least 15 years following neonatal immunization with plasma‐derived HB vaccine. (HEPATOLOGY 2004;40:1415–1420.)
The neural fate of individual item representations in visual working memory

Problem/Research Questions Visual working memory (VWM) allows us to temporarily store relevant information from the visual world despite frequent interruptions such as saccades. Despite the importance of VWM in a variety of cognitive tasks, this process is capacity limited. Behavioral estimates of capacity converge on a storage limit of ~3-4 items (Cowan, 2001). Converging neural evidence from neuroimaging techniques supports these behavioral estimates. For example, in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments, delay-related activity in regions of posterior parietal cortex increases according to the number of items held within VWM (Todd & Marois, 2004; Xu & Chun, 2006). When capacity is reached the signal asymptotes, indicating that no additional neural resources are available to store any remaining items. Additionally, an event-related potential (ERP) known as the contralateral delay activity (CDA) has been used to measure storage capacity by recording from posterior scalp sites during the delay period during VWM tasks. The CDA amplitude increases as additional items are added, reaching asymptote when individual item limits are reached (Vogel & Machizawa, 2004; Vogel, McCollough, & Machizawa, 2005). Importantly, in these previous studies the neural correlates of VWM capacity reflect the aggregate processing of all of the presented stimuli. As such, the neural-correlate signal associated with each individual item is obscured within this cumulative activity. Additionally, the majority of these studies have focused almost exclusively on maintenance processes, creating uncertainty regarding the influence of encoding processes on capacity limitations. This leaves a fundamental but important question regarding basic VWM processes unanswered. Can cumulative neural activity during encoding be used to understand the neural fate of individual items presented in VWM tasks? Here we present evidence that cumulative activity during VWM encoding can be used to identify and quantify the neural-correlate signals associated with individual stimuli. Additionally, we describe novel frequency tagging, steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) techniques used to isolate and examine these neural-correlate signals.