Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diel oxygen profiles and water column community metabolism in the Florida Everglades, U.S.A.

A variety of ecosystem-level changes observed in the Florida Everglades during this century has been attributed to anthropogenic phosphorus inputs to the system. Diel oxygen profiles were measured periodically at three reference (minimal nutrient impact) sites in the Everglades between 1979 and 1985 to characterize background patterns of oxygen availability and community metabolism within the marsh. Oxygen profiles were also measured at a nutrient-enriched site to evaluate relative changes in water column primary productivity associated with increased phosphorus loading. Strong diel variations in water column oxygen concentration (0-12 mg l -1 ) were recorded at all reference sites, whereas oxygen concentrations rarely exceeded 2 mg l -1 at the enriched site and were often undetectable. Rates of gross primary productivity and aerobic respiration within the water column were higher, with average P/R ratios near unity, at reference sites than at the enriched site (P/R<0.5). Nutrient enrichment was associated with reduced periphyton productivity, a shift towards increasing community heterotrophy, and protracted periods of oxygen depletion.
Avifauna em fragmentos florestais da Mata Atlântica no sul do Espírito Santo

This study was carried out in forest fragments located in the Atlantic Rainforest, in the town of Anchieta, south of Espirito Santo State, Brazil (located at latitude 20o40'S to 20o48'S, longitude 40o34'W to 40o42'W), along the seasons of 2008. The main objective of the study was to analyze the groups of birds that were affected by the forest fragmentation and the degree of isolation of these areas. The method used to register the avifauna specimens was the technique of observation per fixed point. Thus, the Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H'=4.18) was calculated, showing a significant abundance in the studied areas, and Equitability (E=0.81), suggesting that the number of species registered at the site represented the maximum capacity the areas were able to shelter. The Index of Point Abundance (IPA) was also calculated for each species. The IPA varied from 0.0042 (one contact) to 0.9500 (228 contacts), with a large number of species with low IPA and a few species with intermediate or high IPA. Taking into account 80 hours of observations, it was possible to register a total of 168 species of birds, distributed over a range of 45 families, 20 orders, and grouped in eight trophic guilds. Omnivores and insectivores were the most abundant, with 58 and 52 species respectively. The species most affected by the forest fragmentation were the great frugivores and understorey insectivorous birds.
Using Head Patch Pattern as a Reliable Biometric Character for Noninvasive Individual Recognition of an Endangered Pitviper Protobothrops mangshanensis

Mangshan pitviper, Protobothrops mangshanensis(formerly Zhaoermia mangshanensis) is endemic to China. Unfortunately, due to the decreasing size of its wild populations, this snake has been listed as critically endangered. Research carried out on the Mangshan pitviper’s population ecology and captive reproduction has revealed that the unique head patch patterns of different individuals may potentially be used as a noninvasive recognition biometric character. We collected head patch pattern images of 40 individuals of P. mangshanensis between 1994 and 2011. By comparing each pitviper’s head patch pattern, we found that the head patch pattern of individual snakes was different and unique. Additionally, we observed and recorded the head patch pattern characters of four adults and five juveniles before and after ecdysis. Our findings confirmed that head patch patterns of Mangshan pitvipers are unique and stable, remaining unchanged after ecdysis. Thus, individuals can be quickly identified by examining the head patch pattern within a specific recognition area on the head. This method may be useful for noninvasive individual recognition in many other species that display color patch pattern variations, especially in studies of endangered species where the use of invasive marking techniques is undesirable.
Calpain Activation and Organ Failure in Sepsis: Molecular Insights and Therapeutic Perspectives

ABSTRACT Sepsis is a severe systemic response to infection; its ensuing organ failure commonly portends an unfavorable prognosis. Despite the fact that sepsis has been studied for decades, the molecular mechanisms underlying sepsis-induced organ dysfunction remain elusive and more complex than previously thought, and effective therapies are extremely limited. Calpain is a type of calcium-dependent cysteine protease that includes dozens of isoforms. Calpain, as well as its endogenous-specific inhibitor calpastatin, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of sepsis-induced organ dysfunction. Further, there is an accumulating body of evidence supporting the beneficial effect of calpain inhibition or regulation on multiple organ failure in sepsis. Better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms is helpful in the development of calpain/calpastatin-targeted therapeutic strategies to protect against sepsis-induced organ injury. The aim of this review is to summarize the recent literature and evidence surrounding the role of the calpain/calpastatin system in the process of organ dysfunction caused by sepsis—including regulation of cell death, modulation of inflammatory response, and disruption of critical proteins—to provide guidance for future research and therapy development.
Quaternary ammonium compound resistance as a persistence marker for L. monocytogenes.

Persistent contamination of food manufacturing environments by Listeria monocytogenes is an important public health risk because such contamination events defy standard sanitization protocols, for example, the application of quaternary ammonium compounds such as benzalkonium chloride (BC), providing a source for prolonged dissemination of the bacteria in food products. We performed whole-genome sequence (WGS) analyses of 1279 well-characterized L. monocytogenes isolates from a variety of foods and food manufacturing environments and identified the bcrABC gene cassette associated with BC resistance in 41.5% of isolates. Of particular interest was the finding that all but one of 177 clonal complex (CC) 321 isolates, representing one of the most commonly occurring CCs found in foods and food-production environments, harbored the intact bcrABC cassette. Thirty-nine (38.6) percent of isolates recovered from foods representing 67 different CCs, and 59.2% of strains from food-manufacturing environmental samples representing 26 different CCs, were found to harbor the intact bcrABC cassette. A representative set of 69 isolates with and without bcrABC was assayed for the ability to grow in the presence of BC, and 34 of 35 isolates harboring the bcrABC cassette were resistant to BC. Determination of bcrABC in colony isolates could be achieved using both polymerase chain reaction and whole genome sequencing techniques, providing food testing laboratories with options for the characterization of isolates. The ability to detect bcrABC provides risk managers with a valuable tool to assess the potential for persistent contamination of the food manufacturing environment, which in turn may indicate the need for more targeted surveillance to ensure the efficacy of mitigation actions.
Intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting proteasome inhibitor resistance in multiple myeloma

The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib remains a key component of high potency combination regimens for multiple myeloma (MM), whose primary site of inhibition includes proteasome subunit beta-5 (PSMB5). However, all MM patients inevitably develop resistance. We therefore investigated intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms underlying resistance to bortezomib in vitro and in vivo. We investigated a bortezomib-resistant human cell line termed MM1.VDR-gfpluc (VDR) with a 12-fold increase in IC50 for bortezomib, compared to its isogenic parental cell line MM1.R-gfp-luc (termed MM.1R), that is resistant to dexamethasone. VDR also retained its resistance to dexamethasone, similar to parental MM.1R. In an in vivo SCID-beige mouse model, VDR also retained its decreased responsiveness to bortezomib. By whole exome sequencing we identified a previously documented mutation in the PSMB5 gene in VDR, in addition to a number of other mutations of interest. We subsequently examined both the genomic and proteomic profiles of MM.1R and VDR cells lines, and further explored target genes or proteins of interest. We examined the role the bone marrow microenvironment in bortezomib resistance in vitro. Finally we analysed bone marrow trephine samples from bortezomibrefractory multiple myeloma patients for their expression of proteasome-related subunits. In summary, we identified a number of known and potential novel biomarkers of bortezomib resistance in multiple myeloma, which firstly validated our model of bortezomib resistance, and secondly revealed a number of novel targets, some for which small molecule inhibitors are currently available. In addition we emphasized the pertinent role of the bone marrow microenvironment in the pathogenesis of drug resistance in multiple myeloma. Finally we measured the expression levels of PSMB5 and PSMB8 in clinical samples of patients with bortezomib-refractory myeloma, and suggested a role for the use of interferongamma and PSMB8 inhibitors concomitantly in the clinical setting for bortezomib-refractory multiple myeloma.
Heterozygous intragenic deletions of FREM1 are not associated with trigonocephaly.

Recessive mutations in FRAS1-related extracellular matrix 1 (FREM1) are associated with two rare genetic disorders, Manitoba-oculo-tricho-anal (MOTA) and bifid nose with or without anorectal and renal anomalies. Fraser syndrome is a more severe disorder that shows phenotypic overlap with both MOTA and anorectal and renal anomalies and results from mutations in FRAS1, FREM2 and GRIP1. Heterozygous missense mutations in FREM1 were reported in association with isolated trigonocephaly with dominant inheritance and incomplete penetrance. Moreover, large deletions encompassing FREM1 have been reported in association with a syndromic form of trigonocephaly and were designated as trigonocephaly type 2. Trigonocephaly results from premature closure of the metopic suture and typically manifests as a form of nonsyndromic craniosynostosis. We report on 20 patients evaluated for developmental delay and without abnormal metopic suture. Chromosomal microarray analysis revealed heterozygous FREM1 deletions in 18 patients and in 4 phenotypically normal parents. Two patients were diagnosed with MOTA and had homozygous FREM1 deletions. Therefore, although our results are consistent with the previous reports of homozygous deletions causing MOTA, we report no association between heterozygous FREM1 deletions and trigonocephaly in this cohort.
Serum interleukin-18 levels are associated with non-dipping pattern in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients.

BACKGROUND Interleukin-18 (IL-18), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, increases inflammation in the endothelium. Increased inflammation plays an important role in the development of hypertension (HT). IL-18 level is higher in hypertensives than normotensives. OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between IL-18 level and diurnal blood pressure (BP) variations in newly diagnosed HT patients. METHODS This prospective study included 130 subjects referred to outpatient cardiology clinic with an initial diagnosis of HT. The patients were classified as dipper HT (n = 40), non-dipper HT (n = 50), and normotensive (control, n = 40) according to 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring. All subjects underwent blood sampling after 12 hours of fasting and transthoracic echocardiography. RESULTS The serum IL-18 level was significantly higher in the patient group compared with the controls (195.17 ± 93.00 mg/dl vs. 140.75 ± 71.11 mg/dl, P < 0.01) and also in the non-dipper group than in the dipper group (217.3 ± 96.90 mg/dl, 167.5 ± 80.79 mg/dl, P = 0.011). IL-18 level was positively correlated both the night-time SBP and DBP levels (r = 0.29, P = 0.02 and r = 0.34, P < 0.01, respectively). On multivariate linear regression analysis, left atrium diameter, left ventricular mass index, and serum IL-18 level were independent predictors of non-dipping pattern in newly diagnosed HT patients. CONCLUSION Higher IL-18 level was particularly associated with an increase in the night-time BP levels. IL-18 can be used as a predictor for non-dipper HT in newly diagnosed HT patients.
TRIO-related intellectual disability with microcephaly: a case report of a patient with novel clinical findings

Department of Clinical Genetics and Department of Diagnosis, National Center of Medical Genetics, National Administration of Laboratories and Institutes of Health (ANLIS Malbrán), Ministry of Health, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina Correspondence to Florencia Bevilacqua, MD, National Center of Medical Genetics, National Administration of Laboratories and Institutes of Health (ANLIS Malbrán), Ministry of Health, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, 1425 Argentina Tel: +541134891991; e-mail: florenciabev@gmail.com
Tolerance to Light of Patients Suffering From Infectious Keratitis.

PURPOSE With very photophobic patients, the advantages of red or near infrared light to develop new ophthalmology imaging devices seem obvious: no or little glare, possibility of long signal integration, no phototoxicity, and lesser autofluorescence of ocular tissues. Nevertheless, in this range, the shortest possible wavelength facilitates signal detection. The aim of this study was, thus, to determine the maximal irradiance tolerated with 6 wavelengths: 2 red, 2 far red, and 1 near infrared lights to determine the shortest wavelength well tolerated by patients, in comparison with the standard cobalt blue light of ophthalmology slitlamp. METHODS An interventional, monocentric, single-group assignment study was conducted on 30 eyes of 30 patients with infectious keratitis. Thanks to a customized machine, the photophobic eye was exposed to the 6 lights with increasing intensity. The patients switched off the light when the discomfort was too elevated. The maximal cumulative irradiance possible at 482, 650, 675, 700, 750, and 800 nm were 171, 689, 759, 862, 920, and 889 mW/cm, respectively. RESULTS The maximal cumulative irradiance tolerated by patients increased significantly with wavelength (P < 0.001), but the difference was not significant between each increment: red at 675 nm gave a significantly higher cumulative irradiance than blue at 482 nm; red at 700 nm did not provide significant gain compared with 675 nm; and far red at 750 nm still provided additional gain compared with 700 nm, but no significant gain was observed between 750 and 800 nm. The shortest wavelengths were stopped more quickly, and more than 50% of patients reached the maximum irradiance delivered by the source at 750 and 800 nm. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that a light source at 750 and 800 nm can be used for ophthalmic imaging with good tolerance in photophobic patients. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT03586505.
Notes on the Subgenus Polypedilum (Uresipedilum) Oyewo & Sæther (Diptera: Chironomidae) in Zhejiang Province, China

Polypedilum (Uresipedilum) bingoparadoxum Kawai, Inoue & Imabayashi, 1998 is recorded for the first time in China. This species is redescribed and illustrated as its male imago. The other four species in the subgenus Uresipedilum, P. (U.) convictum (Walker), P. (U.) cultellatum Goetghebuer, P. (U.) lateralum Zhang & Wang, and P. (U.) surugense Niitsuma are newly recorded in Zhejiang Province, China. A key to male species of the subgenus Uresipedilum in Zhejiang Province is presented.
Expression of the Modified HBsAg Gene SA-28 Directed by a Constitutive Promoter

By placing the modified HBsAg gene SA 28 in a yeast expression vector carrying promoter P PGK1 and terminator T PGK1 , an expression plasmid YFD59 LSS1 was constructed. It was transformed into four yeast strains, BJ2168, DBY746, JPY188, BJ3505. The expression cassette from YFD59 LSS1 was then inserted into the BamHⅠ site of a stable yeast plasmid pHC11. Three expression vectors, pHC11 LSS1 1, pHC11 LSS1 2 and pHC11 LSS1 7, were obtained. They were transformed into two yeast strains, Y16 and Y19. The ELISA assay shown that strains BJ3505/YFD59 LSS1 and DBY746/YFD59 LSS1 could highly express modified HBsAg. The expression level of strains, which carry expression vectors based on plasmid pHC11, is much lower than that of the strains, which carry YFD59 LSS1. The stability of expression vector may be the major reason for the difference of expression level.
DAML

Data aggregation based on machine learning (ML), in mobile edge computing, allows participants to send ephemeral parameter updates of local ML on their private data instead of the exact data to the untrusted aggregator. However, it still enables the untrusted aggregator to reconstruct participants’ private data, although parameter updates contain significantly less information than the private data. Existing work either incurs extremely high overhead or ignores malicious participants dropping out. The latest research deals with the dropouts with desirable cost, but it is vulnerable to malformed message attacks. To this end, we focus on the data aggregation based on ML in a practical setting where malicious participants may send malformed parameter updates to perturb the total parameter updates learned by the aggregator. Moreover, malicious participants may drop out and collude with other participants or the untrusted aggregator. In such a scenario, we propose a scheme named DAML, which to the best of our knowledge is the first attempt toward verifying participants’ submissions in data aggregation based on ML. The main idea is to validate participants’ submissions via SSVP, a novel secret-shared verification protocol, and then aggregate participants’ parameter updates using SDA, a secure data aggregation protocol. Simulation results demonstrate that DAML can protect participants’ data privacy with preferable overhead.
A self-excited migration process

Processes whose entities would be independent but whose behaviour is influenced by environmental variables, which they in turn affect, are processes with mediated interactions. The independent open migration process with which is associated a random variable, the excitation, is such a process. This self-excited (conditionally) independent open migration process, with finite excitation, is related to a derived process, its piecewise-deterministic analogue. The correspondence gives insight into the process, as well as an equilibrium independence result. A simple example illustrates the presence of paroxysmal phenomena.
On irregularities of distribution and approximate evaluation of certain functions

Let U =[0,1]. Suppose that g is a Lebesgue-integrable function, not necessarily bounded, in U 2, and that h is any function in U 2. Let P = P(N) be a distribution of N points in U 2 such that h(y) is finite for every y ∈ P. For x = (x1,x2) in U 2, let B(x) denote the rectangle consisting of all y = (y1,y2) in U 2 satisfying 0 < yl < x1 and 0 < y2 < x2, and write $${\rm{Z}}\left[ {P;{\rm{h}}:B({\rm{x}})} \right] = \sum\limits_{y{\kern 1pt} \in {\kern 1pt} P{\kern 1pt} \cap B({\rm{x}})} {{\rm{h(y}}). }$$ (1) Let μ denote the Lebesgue measure in U2, and write $${\rm{D}}\left[ {P;{\rm{h;g}};B({\rm{x}})} \right] = {\rm{Z}}\left[ {P;{\rm{h}};B({\rm{x}})} \right] - {\rm{N}}\int\limits_{B({\rm{x}})} {{\rm{g}}({\rm{y}}){\rm{d}}\mu } . $$ (2)
Robust adaptive fault tolerant control for feedback linearized nonlinear systems

Robust adaptive fault tolerant control for feedback linearized nonlinear systems YAO Xue-lian, YANG Yi† (School of Automobile and Traffic Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou Jiangsu 213001, China) Abstract: A robust adaptive fault tolerant control scheme is developed for feedback linearized nonlinear systems with redundant actuators subject to uncertain failures and unknown unmatched input disturbances. First, the relative degree indexes of the control and disturbance system models from the controlled plant are specified as a key design condition for robust adaptive control design. Based on the adaptive controller, a bank of adaptive controllers are designed to deal with all the considered failure cases. Finally, a composite adaptive control law is obtained based on the introduced fusion technique. The proposed control scheme can effectively handle the multiple uncertainties of failure pattern, failure type, failure value, failure time and disturbances, so as to ensure closed-loop stability and asymptotic output tracking. Simulation results are presented to verify the desired system performance of our proposed control scheme.
Effects of Binge Eating on Psychological, Physical Health Among Different Ethnic Groups of Karachi

Objective: To see the effect of binge eating on psychological as well as physical health among the different ethnic groups of Karachi. Method: The study was attempted to examine the differences of the level of stress, anxiety and physical illness between the Binge eaters and Non-binge eaters. Sample was drawn conveniently from the public and private sector universities and different residential area of Karachi like Lyari, Orangi, Korangi, Landhi, Garden west/east, Gulshan Iqbal, Agra Taj, Rinchorline, PECHS and PIDC. 120 individuals participated between the ages of 18 to 35 year. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was developed. The questions in this scale ask about feelings and thoughts during the last month. Binge Eating Scale is a sixteen-item questionnaire used to assess the presences of binge eating behavior indicative of an eating disorder. It was devised, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) is developed by ACN Group. It is used for assessing physical illness and Short anxiety self-test is developed, which assess anxiety. To find out the differences ANOVA and t-test was calculated through the SPSS 22.0 Result: Of the 120 participants, 60 (50%) were males and 60 (50%) were females. Out of 120 participants there were 31 (25.8%) were binge eater and 89 (74.2) were non binge eater. There were 39 (32.5%) were married and 81 (67.5) were single. There were significant differences on the score of binge eating scale, patient health questionnaire-phq scale and self-anxiety test between binge and non-binge eater but there was a weak significant difference on the score of perceived stress scale. There was a significant difference among the different ethnic groups on binge and non-binge eating. Conclusion: It is concluded that binge eating effects the psychological as well as physiological health of individual and ethnicity also plays a role in eating behavior.