Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contrasting Patterns of Nucleotide Substitution Rates Provide Insight into Dynamic Evolution of Plastid and Mitochondrial Genomes of Geranium

Abstract Geraniaceae have emerged as a model system for investigating the causes and consequences of variation in plastid and mitochondrial genomes. Incredible structural variation in plastid genomes (plastomes) and highly accelerated evolutionary rates have been reported in selected lineages and functional groups of genes in both plastomes and mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes), and these phenomena have been implicated in cytonuclear incompatibility. Previous organelle genome studies have included limited sampling of Geranium, the largest genus in the family with over 400 species. This study reports on rates and patterns of nucleotide substitutions in plastomes and mitogenomes of 17 species of Geranium and representatives of other Geraniaceae. As detected across other angiosperms, substitution rates in the plastome are 3.5 times higher than the mitogenome in most Geranium. However, in the branch leading to Geranium brycei/Geranium incanum mitochondrial genes experienced significantly higher dN and dS than plastid genes, a pattern that has only been detected in one other angiosperm. Furthermore, rate accelerations differ in the two organelle genomes with plastomes having increased dN and mitogenomes with increased dS. In the Geranium phaeum/Geranium reflexum clade, duplicate copies of clpP and rpoA genes that experienced asymmetric rate divergence were detected in the single copy region of the plastome. In the case of rpoA, the branch leading to G. phaeum/G. reflexum experienced positive selection or relaxation of purifying selection. Finally, the evolution of acetyl-CoA carboxylase is unusual in Geraniaceae because it is only the second angiosperm family where both prokaryotic and eukaryotic ACCases functionally coexist in the plastid.
RNA III Inhibiting Peptide Inhibits In Vivo Biofilm Formation by Drug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus is a prevalent cause of bacterial infections associated with indwelling medical devices. RNA III inhibiting peptide (RIP) is known to inhibit S. aureus pathogenesis by disrupting quorum-sensing mechanisms. RIP was tested in the present study for its ability to inhibit S. aureus biofilm formation in a rat Dacron graft model. The activity of RIP was synergistic with those of antibiotics for the complete prevention of drug-resistant S. aureus infections.
Frequent blood sampling changes the plasma concentration of LH and FSH and the ovulation rate in Merino ewes.

During earlier studies we observed that ewes housed and sampled intensively to measure pulses of LH in plasma had a higher ovulation rate than similar ewes housed outside. In Expt 1, we pursued this observation by testing whether the increase was due to effects of housing or collection of blood samples. Ewes sampled at intervals of 4 h for 2 days before progestagen sponge removal and 2 days after sponge removal, and every 20 min for 12 h the day before sponge removal and every 10 min for 4 h on the day of sponge removal had a higher ovulation rate than ewes that were not sampled (1.72 versus 1.41; P < 0.05). The ovulation rate of the ewes housed indoors but not sampled was similar to that of ewes that remained in the paddock (1.43). In Expt 2, we studied the effects of blood sampling in three groups of 20 ewes sampled every 20 min for different periods of 24 h. Ewes from all three groups were sampled the day before sponge removal (day -1) and, in addition, one group of ewes was sampled for the previous 48 h (i.e. days -3 to -1) and another group was sampled on day -8. The frequency of LH pulses was lower (P < 0.05) in ewes sampled for the first time on day -1 compared with the frequency of LH pulses in groups also sampled earlier in the cycle (day -8 or days -3 and -2). In ewes sampled on days -3 to -1, the frequency of LH pulses was low for the first 24 h and then increased. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Peripheral vascular disease and serum phosphorus in hemodialysis: a nested case-control study.

BACKGROUND Serum phosphorus (P) and the product of serum calcium x serum P (Ca x P), are frequently elevated in end-stage renal disease patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD). Elevated P and Ca x P have been associated with vascular calcification in dialysis patients. OBJECTIVE [corrected] To examine the role of P and Ca x P as risk factors for incident peripheral vascular disease (PVD) in HD patients with pre-existing CVD. METHODS This nested case-control study is drawn from the 11 incident PVD events reported in the cohort of the Secondary prevention with antioxidants of cardiovascular disease in end-stage renal disease (SPACE): a randomized placebo-controlled trial. PVD was defined clinically and confirmed ultrasonographically. Each individual with a PVD event was matched for SPACE treatment group (vitamin E or placebo), age (in 4-year categories) and gender with two individuals who had no CVD end point during the follow-up period. RESULTS Serum P and Ca x P levels were significantly higher in PVD patients than in controls. In univariate logistic regression analysis, only serum P predicted PVD in this population (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.07 - 3.81, p = 0.03). In multivariate analysis, adjustment was made for variables dissimilar by PVD status including underlying renal disease, diabetes, smoking, history of angina pectoris, prescription for vitamin D3, erythropoietin, calcium channel blockers and aspirin. In this model, serum P remained the only significant predictor of incident PVD (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.01 - 5.74, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Findings of the present study are consistent with a role for serum P and Ca x P in the pathogenesis of PVD in HD patients.
Investigating the Drivers of Student Interaction and Engagement in Online Courses: A Study of State-of-the-art

Online learning has become a widespread method for providing learning at different levels of education. It has facilitated the learning in many ways and made it more flexible and available by providing learners with more opportunities to learn information, further access to different learning resources, and collaboration rather than face-to-face learning. In spite of these benefits and rapid growth of online education, success and persistence in such courses is one the important aspects of online learning research and it relies on different factors. Therefore investigating the reasons of students' dropout of an online education course or program and its contributing factors is essential in this area. One of the most barriers in online learning system is lack of interactions. In learning, interaction between students themselves, with the course content, and course instructors is important for conveying information, enhancing teaching quality, give directions, and many more functions. The aim of this research is to review the literature to propose a clearer picture of studies have been conducted regarding online interaction and factors that impact it in online education systems.
Elastic and anelastic anomalies associated with the antiferromagnetic ordering transition in wüstite, FexO

The elastic and anelastic properties of three different samples of FexO have been determined in the frequency range 0.1–2 MHz by resonant ultrasound spectroscopy and in the range 0.1–50 Hz by dynamic mechanical analysis in order to characterize ferroelastic aspects of the magnetic ordering transition at TN ∼ 195 K. No evidence was found of separate structural and magnetic transitions but softening of the shear modulus was consistent with the involvement of bilinear coupling, λe4q, between a symmetry-breaking strain, e4, and a structural order parameter, q. Unlike a purely ferroelastic transition, however, C44 does not go to zero at the critical temperature, , due to the intervention of the magnetic ordering at a higher temperature. The overall pattern of behaviour is nevertheless consistent with what would be expected for a system with separate structural and magnetic instabilities, linear–quadratic coupling between the structural (q) and magnetic (m) driving order parameters, λqm2, and . Comparison with data from the literature appears to confirm the same pattern in MnO and NiO, with a smaller difference between TN and in the former and a larger difference in the latter. Strong attenuation of acoustic resonances at high frequencies and a familiar pattern of attenuation at low frequencies suggest that twin walls in the rhombohedral phase have typical ferroelastic properties. Acoustic dissipation in the stability field of the cubic phase is tentatively attributed to anelastic relaxations of the defect ordered structure of non-stoichiometric wüstite or of the interface between local regions of wüstite and magnetite, with a rate controlling step determined by the diffusion of iron.
Factors related to intraoperative oxygen desaturation in geriatric patients in a Thai university hospital.

BACKGROUND As a site of the Thai Anesthesia Incidents Study (THAI Study) of anesthetic adverse outcome, the authors continued the institutional data collection to determine the incidence of intraoperative oxygen desaturation of geriatric patients (age 65 years and over) and relative factors representing a Thai university hospital. MATERIAL AND METHOD Between July 1, 2003 and March 31, 2007, an anesthesia registry was conducted at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. Anesthesiologists and anesthesia residents were requested to record perioperative variables and adverse outcomes including oxygen desaturation (SpO2 < or = 90% for 3 minutes or SpO2 < 85%) on a structured data record form. Univariable analysis was used to identify factors related to intraoperative oxygen desaturation. Multivariable generalized linear regression for risk ratio was used to investigate independent factors with significant association to intraoperative oxygen desaturation. A forward stepwise algorithm was chosen. A p-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS Among 54,419 cases in the registry, 8,905 geriatric patients underwent non-cardiac surgery receiving anesthesia. Among these, 21 patients developed intraoperative oxygen desaturation with an incidence of 23.6 (95% CI 10, 30):10000 anesthetics. Variables that predict intraoperative oxygen desaturation by multivariable analysis were ASA physical status 3 [RR 4.6 (95% CI 1.6, 13.6)], ASA physical status 4-5 [RR 29.8 (95% CI 8.7, 102.8)], history of difficult airway [RR 13.1 (95% CI 1.7, 102.2)], recent respiratory failure [RR 6.0 (95% CI 1.2, 29.3)], and anesthetic agents used such as: pethidine [RR 6.2 (95% CI 1.9, 19.9)], and ketamine [RR 5.6 (95% CI 1.2, 25.9)]. CONCLUSION The incidence of intraoperative oxygen desaturation of geriatric patients who underwent non-cardiac surgery in a Thai university hospital was 23.6:10000 anesthetics, which was comparable to others. The higher ASA physical status, history of difficult intubation and recent respiratory failure were risk factors of intraoperative oxygen desaturation. Pre-anesthetic evaluation particularly airway evaluation and identification of high-risk patients are crucial for prevention of oxygen desaturation.
Exercise and vascular adaptation in asymptomatic humans

Beneficial effects of exercise training on the vasculature have been consistently reported in subjects with cardiovascular risk factors or disease, whereas studies in apparently healthy subjects have been less uniform. In this review, we examine evidence pertaining to the impact of exercise training on conduit and resistance vessel function and structure in asymptomatic subjects. Studies of arterial function in vivo have mainly focused on the endothelial nitric oxide dilator system, which has generally been shown to improve following training. Some evidence suggests that the magnitude of benefit depends upon the intensity or volume of training and the relative impact of exercise on upregulation of dilator pathways versus effects of inflammation and/or oxidation. Favourable effects of training on autonomic balance, baroreflex function and brainstem modulation of sympathetic control have been reported, but there is also evidence that basal vasoconstrictor tone increases as a result of training such that improvements in intrinsic vasodilator function and arterial remodelling are counterbalanced at rest. Studies of compliance suggest increases in both the arterial and the venous sides of the circulation, particularly in older subjects. In terms of mechanisms, shear stress appears to be a key signal to improvement in vascular function, whilst increases in pulse pressure and associated haemodynamics during bouts of exercise may transduce vascular adaptation, even in vascular beds which are distant from the active muscle. Different exercise modalities are associated with idiosyncratic patterns of blood flow and shear stress, and this may have some impact on the magnitude of exercise training effects on arterial function and remodelling. Other studies support the theory that that there may be different time course effects of training on specific vasodilator and constrictor pathways. A new era of understanding of the direct impacts of exercise and training on the vasculature is evolving, and future studies will benefit greatly from technological advances which allow direct characterization of arterial function and structure.
Three essays on corporate governance

This dissertation consists of three essays focusing on corporate governance. The main goal of these studies is to contribute to a better understanding of the effectiveness of different corporate governance mechanisms. The first study explores the relationship between director expertise and performance following seasoned equity offerings (SEOs). In the short run, firms with financial experts have smaller offer discounts. The cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) following the equity issues are less negative for firms with financial, legal and joint expert directors. In the long run, expert directors continue to have a positive impact on stock price performance. In the case of firm operating performance, it seems to be better for firms with legal experts and joint experts. Overall, having financial experts and legal experts on the board seems to be significantly beneficial for firms while the results for joint expertise lack significance due to the small number of firms with joint experts. The second study focuses on identifying the most effective corporate governance attributes. This study uses a cross-sectional regression analysis to investigate which attributes have a significant effect on the market’s reaction to the SEO announcements. The results show that among other corporate governance characteristics, the percentage of directors on the audit committee, board size, number of board meetings, audit committee size, average board age and average director tenure seem to be significantly related to
Size Matters

A number of studies suggest that physical size is associated with violent behavior. However, few, if any, studies have examined this relationship using population-based samples. Moreover, limited evidence exists on the relationship between physical size and violence with respect to gender, race/ethnicity, and exposure to childhood maltreatment. The present study, using data from Waves I and II (N = 34,653) of the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), aims to address these gaps by comparing the prevalence of violent behavior among individuals in the top quintiles in height and weight with that of the general population. Significant associations were identified for both males and females between physical size and bullying/intimidation, intentional injury of other persons, and hitting someone so hard that they required medical attention. Stratified analyses revealed that the magnitude of the relationship between physical size and violence is greater among Hispanics than among non-Hispanic Whites and African Americans. Childhood abuse and neglect significantly moderated the relationship between physical size and violent behavior. While an important degree of variability can be observed with respect to gender, race/ethnicity, and exposure to child maltreatment, results indicate that, in general, physically larger individuals are more likely than their relatively smaller counterparts to be violent.
The age of stored red blood cell concentrates at the time of transfusion

summary. In the past decade, studies suggesting a reduced oxygen delivery by stored red blood cell concentrates (RBCCs) have initiated a discussion about the use of fresh versus old blood. We determined whether old RBCCs represent a significant part of the total of RBCCs issued. The age of RBCCs at the time of transfusion was determined in 74 084 units during a 5‐year period in the Academic Medical Center, a main Dutch University Hospital. The mean (±SD) storage time of the total number of transfused RBCC was 19·4 ± 7·0 days, and 37% were older than 3 weeks.
A molecular phylogenetic evaluation of the Spizellomycetales

Order Spizellomycetales was delineated based on a unique suite of zoospore ultrastructural characters and currently includes five genera and 14 validly published species, all of which have a propensity for soil habitats. We generated DNA sequences from small (SSU), large (LSU) and 5.8S ribosomal subunit genes to assess the monophyly of all genera and species in this order. The 53 cultures analyzed included isolates on which all described species were based, plus other spizellomycetalean cultures. Phylogenetic placement of these chytrids was explored with maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses, both of which yielded comparable topologies. Kochiomyces, Powellomyces and Triparticalcar were monophyletic, while Gaertneriomyces and Spizellomyces were polyphyletic. Isolates, distinct from described species, clustered among each of the five genera, indicating that species diversity in genera is greater than currently recognized. One isolate formed a clade that included no described species, representing a new genus. Zoospore ultrastructural features and architecture seem to be good indicators of phylogenetic relationships, but finer scrutiny of characters such as kinetosome-associated structures (KAS) is needed to understand more clearly the diversity within this order as it is revised.
Profiling Lipoxygenase Metabolism in Specific Steps of Colorectal Tumorigenesis

Lipoxygenases (LOX) are key enzymes for the oxidative metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids into biologically active products. Clinical data on comparative levels of various LOX products in tumorigenesis are lacking. Therefore, we examined the profiles of several LOX products (5-LOX, 12-LOX, 15-LOX-1, and 15-LOX-2) by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry in the major steps of colorectal tumorigenesis (normal, polyp, and cancer) in a clinical study of 125 subjects (49 with normal colon, 36 with colorectal polyps, and 40 with colorectal cancer) who underwent prospective colorectal biopsies to control for various potential confounding factors (e.g., diet, medications). Mean 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE) levels were significantly higher in normal colon [mean, 36.11 ng/mg protein; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 31.56-40.67] than in paired colorectal cancer mucosa (mean, 27.01 ng/mg protein; 95% CI, 22.00-32.02; P = 0.0002), and in normal colon (mean, 37.15 ng/mg protein; 95% CI, 31.95-42.34) than in paired colorectal polyp mucosa (mean, 28.07 ng/mg protein; 95% CI, 23.66-32.48; P < 0.001). Mean 13-HODE levels, however, were similar between the left (mean, 37.15 ng/mg protein; 95% CI, 31.95-42.35) and the right normal colon (mean, 32.46 ng/mg protein; 95% CI, 27.95-36.98; P = 0.09). No significant differences with regard to 12- or 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid or leukotriene B4 levels were detected between normal, polyp, and cancer mucosae. 15-LOX-1 inhibited interleukin-1β expression. This study establishes that reduced 13-HODE levels are a specific alteration in the LOX product profile associated with human colorectal tumorigenesis. Cancer Prev Res; 3(7); 829–38. ©2010 AACR.
Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle: Modeling, Prototype Realization, and Inverter Losses Reduction Analysis

Nowadays, the greatest part of the effort to reduce pollution emissions is directed toward the hybridization of automotive drive trains. In particular, the design of hybrid vehicles requires a complete system analysis, including the optimization of the electric and electronic devices installed on the vehicle and the design of all the mechanical connections between the different power sources to reach the required performances. The aim of this paper is to describe the design and prototype realization of a plug-in hybrid electrical vehicle (PHEV). Specifically, an energetic model was developed in order to analyze and optimize the power flux between the different parts. This model was experimentally validated using a prototype PHEV. In addition, in order to improve the driving range in an all-electric model (all-electric range), a detailed analysis of the inverter control was performed, because this component is one of the key components of the power train. In order to reduce inverter losses and dimensions, several control methods can be adopted. In this paper, a direct self-control strategy for reducing the inverter losses is presented and validated.
Peripheral multifocal chorioretinitis

Purpose: To investigate the prognosis and complications in patients with peripheral multifocal chorioretinitis (PMC). PMC is a posterior or panuveitis characterized by chronic bilateral vitritis and punched‐out lesions in the peripheral retina which occurs commonly in elderly white women and is associated with sarcoidosis. Prognosis and complications are largely unknown.
Decreased rate of creatinine production in patients with hepatic disease: implications for estimation of creatinine clearance.

Serum creatinine concentration is commonly used in conjunction with individual patient characteristics (e.g., age, sex, and body weight) in order to estimate creatinine clearance. Such estimates of creatinine clearance are widely used as a parameter for individualization of dosages of drugs excreted primarily via the kidneys in patients with diminished renal function. However, estimation of creatinine clearance in patients with concurrent hepatic disease tends to result in substantial overprediction of observed creatinine clearance in this patient population. This report suggests that a diminished rate of creatinine production in patients with hepatic disease is a likely explanation for this anomaly. This postulated mechanism is based on a presentation of the biology of creatinine formation.