Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mapping Arctic Plant Functional Type Distributions in the Barrow Environmental Observatory Using WorldView-2 and LiDAR Datasets

Multi-scale modeling of Arctic tundra vegetation requires characterization of the heterogeneous tundra landscape, which includes representation of distinct plant functional types (PFTs). We combined high-resolution multi-spectral remote sensing imagery from the WorldView-2 satellite with light detecting and ranging (LiDAR)-derived digital elevation models (DEM) to characterize the tundra landscape in and around the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO), a 3021-hectare research reserve located at the northern edge of the Alaskan Arctic Coastal Plain. Vegetation surveys were conducted during the growing season (June–August) of 2012 from 48 1 m × 1 m plots in the study region for estimating the percent cover of PFTs (i.e., sedges, grasses, forbs, shrubs, lichens and mosses). Statistical relationships were developed between spectral and topographic remote sensing characteristics and PFT fractions at the vegetation plots from field surveys. These derived relationships were employed to statistically upscale PFT fractions for our study region of 586 hectares at 0.25-m resolution around the sampling areas within the BEO, which was bounded by the LiDAR footprint. We employed an unsupervised clustering for stratification of this polygonal tundra landscape and used the clusters for segregating the field data for our upscaling algorithm over our study region, which was an inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation. We describe two versions of PFT distribution maps upscaled by IDW from WorldView-2 imagery and LiDAR: (1) a version computed from a single image in the middle of the growing season; and (2) a version computed from multiple images through the growing season. This approach allowed us to quantify the value of phenology for improving PFT distribution estimates. We also evaluated the representativeness of the field surveys by measuring the Euclidean distance between every pixel. This guided the ground-truthing campaign in late July of 2014 for addressing uncertainty based on representativeness analysis by selecting 24 1 m × 1 m plots that were well and poorly represented. Ground-truthing indicated that including phenology had a better accuracy ( R 2 = 0.75 , R M S E = 9.94 ) than the single image upscaling ( R 2 = 0.63 , R M S E = 12.05 ) predicted from IDW. We also updated our upscaling approach to include the 24 ground-truthing plots, and a second ground-truthing campaign in late August of 2014 indicated a better accuracy for the phenology model ( R 2 = 0.61 , R M S E = 13.78 ) than only using the original 48 plots for the phenology model ( R 2 = 0.23 , R M S E = 17.49 ). We believe that the cluster-based IDW upscaling approach and the representativeness analysis offer new insights for upscaling high-resolution data in fragmented landscapes. This analysis and approach provides PFT maps needed to inform land surface models in Arctic ecosystems.
Mutagenicity of the Alternaria metabolites altertoxins I, II, and III

The Ames Salmonella typhimurium assay was used to demonstrate that an extract of the mold Alternaria alternata was mutagenic. The mutagenic extract was fractionated, and the Ames test was used to determine which fractions were mutagenic. Subsequently, altertoxins I and II and a new compound referred to as altertoxin III were isolated by liquid chromatography and shown to be hydroxyperylenequinone compounds by mass spectrometry and infrared, ultraviolet, and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Altertoxins I, II, and III were mutagenic to S. typhimurium TA98, TA100, and TA1537 with and without metabolic activation.
Ghrelin: Integrative Neuroendocrine Peptide in Health and Disease

Objective:Ghrelin is a novel gastric hormone recognized in 1999 as a mediator of growth hormone release. Since growth hormone is anabolic, an important function of ghrelin may be to coordinate energy needs with the growth process. Newly discovered biologic roles of ghrelin imply that it may have other important physiological functions as well. This is a review of recent clinically relevant, yet less well-known, physiologic actions of ghrelin. Summary Background Data:Ghrelin has profound orexigenic, adipogenic, and somatotrophic properties, increasing food intake and body weight. Secreted predominantly from the stomach, ghrelin is the natural ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor in the pituitary gland, thus fulfilling criteria of a brain-gut peptide. The brain-gut axis is the effector of anabolism by regulating growth, feeding, and metabolism via vagal afferents mediating ghrelin signaling. However, the wide tissue distribution of ghrelin suggests that it may have other functions as well. Methods:Systematic literature review of all PubMed citations between 1999 and August 2003 focusing on clinically relevant biochemical and physiological characteristics of ghrelin. Results:Ghrelin is an important component of an integrated regulatory system of growth and metabolism acting via the vagus nerve, and is implicated in a variety of altered energy states such as obesity, eating disorders, neoplasia, and cachexia. It also enhances immune responses and potentially down-regulates anti-inflammatory molecules. Ghrelin's role as a brain-gut peptide emphasizes the significance of afferent vagal fibers as a major pathway to the brain, serving the purpose of maintaining physiologic homeostasis. Conclusions:The discovery of ghrelin has increased our understanding of feeding regulation, nutritional homeostasis, and metabolic processes. Further characterization of ghrelin's functions will likely generate new pharmacological approaches to diagnose and treat different disease entities including those related to the over-nutrition of obesity and the catabolic response to surgical trauma.
Quantifying masking in clinical mammograms via local detectability of simulated lesions.

PURPOSE High mammographic density is known to be associated with decreased sensitivity of mammography. Recent changes in the BI-RADS density assessment address the effect of masking by densities, but the BI-RADS assessment remains qualitative and achieves only moderate agreement between radiologists. An automated, quantitative algorithm that estimates the likelihood of masking of simulated masses in a mammogram by dense tissue has been developed. The algorithm considers both the effects of loss of contrast due to density and the distracting texture or appearance of dense tissue. METHODS A local detectability (dL) map is created by tessellating the mammograms into overlapping regions of interest (ROIs), for which the detectability by a non-prewhitening observer is computed using local estimates of the noise power spectrum and volumetric breast density (VBD). The dL calculation was validated in a 4-alternative forced-choice observer study on the ROIs of 150 craniocaudal digital mammograms. The dL metric was compared against the inverse threshold contrast, (ΔμT)(-1) from the observer study, the anatomic noise parameter β, the radiologist's BI-RADS density category, and a validated measure of VBD (Cumulus). RESULTS The mean dL had a high correlation of r = 0.915 and r = 0.699 with (ΔμT)(-1) in the computerized and human observer study, respectively. In comparison, the local VBD estimate had a low correlation of 0.538 with (ΔμT)(-1). The mean dL had a correlation of 0.663, 0.835, and 0.696 with BI-RADS density, β, and Cumulus VBD, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The proposed dL metric may be useful in characterizing the potential for lesion masking by dense tissue. Because it uses information about the anatomic noise or tissue appearance, it is more closely linked to lesion detectability than VBD metrics.
Inducción de preferencias a partir del contexto de elección del usuario en filtrado colaborativo

Los sistemas de recomendación que usan técnicas de filtrado colaborativo basado en memoria predicen la preferencia de un usuario por un ı́tem usando solamente las preferencias expresadas anteriormente e ignorando el contexto de elección del usuario, esto es, el conjunto de ı́tems que fueron recomendados al usuario pero que fueron ignorados. En este trabajo se presentan modificaciones a los algoritmos clásicos de filtrado colaborativo basado en memoria para que utilicen el contexto de elección del usuario para predecir las preferencias. Una serie de experimentos desarrollados verifican que nuestra propuesta presenta un mejor desempeño que los algoritmos de filtrado colaborativo clásicos.
Use of Calgary and Microfluidic BioFlux Systems To Test the Activity of Fosfomycin and Tobramycin Alone and in Combination against Cystic Fibrosis Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in chronically infected cystic fibrosis patients. Novel in vitro biofilm models which reliably predict the therapeutic success of antimicrobial therapies against biofilm bacteria should be implemented. The activity of fosfomycin, tobramycin, and the fosfomycin-tobramycin combination against 6 susceptible P. aeruginosa strains isolated from respiratory samples from cystic fibrosis patients was tested by using two in vitro biofilm models: a closed system (Calgary device) and an open model based on microfluidics (BioFlux). All but one of the isolates formed biofilms. The fosfomycin and tobramycin minimal biofilm inhibitory concentrations (MBIC) were 1,024 to >1,024 μg/ml and 8 to 32 μg/ml, respectively. According to fractional inhibitory concentration analysis, the combination behaved synergistically against all the isolates except the P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 strain. The dynamic formation of the biofilm was also studied with the BioFlux system, and the MIC and MBIC of each antibiotic were tested. For the combination, the lowest tobramycin concentration that was synergistic with fosfomycin was used. The captured images were analyzed by measuring the intensity of the colored pixels, which was proportional to the biofilm biomass. A statistically significant difference was found when the intensity of the inoculum was compared with the intensity of the microchannel in which the MBIC of tobramycin, fosfomycin, or their combination was used (P < 0.01) but not when the MIC was applied (P > 0.01). Fosfomycin-tobramycin was demonstrated to be synergistic against cystic fibrosis P. aeruginosa strains in the biofilm models when both the Calgary and the microfluidic BioFlux systems were tested. These results support the clinical use of this combination.
Anticholinesterase Toxicity and Oxidative Stress

Anticholinesterase compounds, organophosphates (OPs) and carbamates (CMs) are commonly used for a variety of purposes in agriculture and in human and veterinary medicine. They exert their toxicity in mammalian system primarily by virtue of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition at the synapses and neuromuscular junctions, leading into the signs of hypercholinergic preponderance. However, the mechanism(s) involved in brain/muscle damage appear to be linked with alteration in antioxidant and the scavenging system leading to free radical-mediated injury. OPs and CMs cause excessive formation of F2-isoprostanes and F4-neuroprostanes, in vivo biomarkers of lipid peroxidation and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and of citrulline, a marker of NO/NOS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) generation. In addition, during the course of these excitatory processes and inhibition of AChE, a high rate of ATP consumption, coupled with the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation, compromise the cell's ability to maintain its energy levels and excessive amounts of ROS and RNS may be generated. Pretreatment with N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist memantine, in combination with atropine sulfate, provides significant protection against inhibition of AChE, increases of ROS/RNS, and depletion of high-energy phosphates induced by DFP/carbofuran. Similar antioxidative effects are observed with a spin trapping agent, phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN) or chain breaking antioxidant vitamin E. This review describes the mechanisms involved in anticholinesterase-induced oxidative/nitrosative injury in target organs of OPs/CMs, and protection by various agents.
Four‐ and five‐color flow cytometry analysis of leukocyte differentiation pathways in normal bone marrow: A reference document based on a systematic approach by the GTLLF and GEIL

The development of multiparameter flow cytometry (FCM) and increasingly sophisticated analysis software has considerably improved the exploration of hematological disorders. These tools have been widely applied in leukaemias, lymphomas, and myelodysplasias, yet with very heterogeneous approaches. Consequently, there is no extensive reference document reporting on the characteristics of normal human bone marrow (BM) in multiparameter FCM. Here, we report a reference analysis procedure using relevant antibody combinations in normal human BM.
Performance Modelling of IEEE 802.11g Wireless LAN

Fairness of wireless channel access in terms of utilisation and throughput is studied for IEEE 802.11g by using the process algebra PEPA. Three models are presented to describe dif-ferent operating scenarios. Results are derived which demon-strate when and how unfairness might occur, leading to the penalisation of some nodes in a network.
The role of magnetic materials in RF, microwave, and mm-wave devices: the quest for self-biased materials

Presents a collection of slides covering the following topics: magnetic materials; microwave devices; mm-wave devices; magnetic permeability; high-frequency application; material selection; cubic ferrites; hexagonal ferrites; self-bias application; M-type hexaferrites; Y-type hexaferrites; Z-type hexaferrites; particle processing; screen printing; and anisotropic compaction.
The effect of pulmonary function testing on bleomycin dosing in germ cell tumors.

227 Background: Lung function testing (LFT) during chemotherapy with bleomycin is controversial. We describe the impact of LFT on bleomycin dosing in a phase II trial of accelerated BEP for advanced germ cell tumors. METHODS Patients had measurable disease and were stratified with the International Germ Cell Cancer Consensus Classification (IGCCC). The planned number of weekly bleomycin doses was 12 for intermediate risk (IR) and poor risk (PR) disease, and 9 for good risk (GR) disease. Clinical assessments, CXR, DLCO corrected for haemoglobin, and FVC were done 2-weekly. Bleomycin was to be stopped for: predefined clinical or CXR evidence of pulmonary toxicity; or a >25% reduction in DLCO or FVC; or GFR <35mL/min. We determined bleomycin doses planned, received, and omitted; and, patients receiving all, ≥2/3, or <2/3 of their planned bleomycin doses. RESULTS The first 30 patients had a median age of 28 (range 19-39) and 10 with lung metastases. 80% (259/324) of planned bleomycin doses were received; 75 doses (20%) were omitted in 15 pts, all for >25% reduction in DLCO. 16 patients had a 10 to 24% reduction in DLCO but none had >35%. In all patients the decline in FVC was < 10%. No patient developed other evidence of pulmonary toxicity. Patients with lung metastases were 2.5 times as likely to have a >25% reduction in DLCO (50% vs 20%, p=0.15), and 4 times as likely to receive <2/3 of their planned doses (40% v 10%, p=0.14). CONCLUSIONS Asymptomatic reductions in DLCO caused 20% of bleomycin doses to be omitted and 20% of patients to receive < 2/3 of their planned doses. A 25% reduction in DLCO may be too cautious a threshold, particularly in those with lung metastases. [Table: see text] No significant financial relationships to disclose.
A realtime object tracking system using a color camera

We describe a real-time object tracking system based on a color camera and a personal computer. The system is capable of tracking colored objects in the camera view in real-time. The algorithm uses the color, shape and motion of the object to achieve robust tracking even in the presence of partial occlusion and shape change. A key component of the system is a computationally efficient manner to track colored objects which makes it possible to do robust real-time tracking.
Diagnostic performance of MDCT for detecting aortic valve regurgitation.

OBJECTIVE This study evaluates whether ECG-gated 16-MDCT coronary angiography provides a reliable imaging technique for detecting aortic regurgitation (AR). SUBJECTS AND METHODS We examined 71 patients prospectively with 16-MDCT angiography using retrospective ECG gating during the mid-to-end diastolic phase. A visible central valvular leakage area was considered as a diagnostic criterion for AR. The central valvular leakage area was quantified in patients with positive transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). We compared 16-MDCT to Doppler TTE, the accepted diagnostic standard based on semiquantitative regurgitation jet analysis (grade 0-3+ for mild, moderate, and severe). RESULTS The overall sensitivity of 16-MDCT for the identification of patients with AR was 81%. The specificity was 91%, the negative predictive value was 70%, and the positive predictive value was 95%. Of the 71 patients, 48 had AR determined by TTE, and 16-MDCT correctly detected AR in 39 of those 48 patients. The sensitivity of 16-MDCT for the detection of patients with moderate and severe AR (grade > or = 1.5+) was 95%, and the specificity was 96% (20 of 21 patients). The sensitivity of 16-MDCT for identification of patients with mild AR (grade < or = 1+) was 70%, and the specificity was 92% (19 of 27 patients). Quantification of the central valvular leakage area was not possible in 50% of cases with AR by TTE because of valve calcifications. CONCLUSION Sixteen-MDCT coronary angiography provides an accurate, noninvasive imaging technique to detect moderate and severe aortic regurgitation (grade > or = 1.5+). However, severe valve calcifications and mild AR limit its results.
Combining EDF Scheduling with occam using the Toc Programming Language

A special feature of the occam programming language is that its concurrency support is at the very base of the language. However, its ability to specify scheduling requirements is insufficient for use in some real-time systems. Toc is an experimental programming language that builds on occam, keeping occam's concurrency mechanisms, while fundamentally changing its concept of time. In Toc, deadlines are specified directly in code, replacing occam's priority constructs as the method for controlling scheduling. Processes are scheduled lazily, in that code is not executed without an associated deadline. The deadlines propagate through channel communications, which means that a task blocked by a channel that is not ready will transfer its deadline through the channel to the dependent task. This allows the deadlines of dependent tasks to be inferred, and also creates a scheduling effect similar to priority inheritance. A compiler and run-time system has been implemented to demonstrate these principles
Elevated retinal zeaxanthin and prevention of light-induced photoreceptor cell death in quail.

PURPOSE Inferential evidence indicates that macular pigments (lutein and zeaxanthin) protect photoreceptors and/or retard age-related macular degeneration. These experiments tested the hypothesis that retinal zeaxanthin prevents light-induced photoreceptor cell death. METHODS Retinal damage was assessed in quail fed a carotenoid-deficient (C-) diet for 6 months. Groups of 16 birds (8 male, 8 female) were fed a C- diet supplemented with 35 mg 3R,3'R-zeaxanthin for 1, 3, or 7 days; one group was continued on C- diets. Half of each group was exposed to intermittent 3200-lux white light (10 1-hour intervals separated by 2 hours in dark). After 14 additional hours in the dark, one retina of each quail was collected for HPLC analysis, and the contralateral retina was embedded in paraffin for counts of apoptotic nuclei. RESULTS After 7 days' supplementation, concentrations of zeaxanthin in serum, liver, and fat had increased by factors of 50.8, 43.2, and 6.5, respectively (all P < 0.001). In contrast, retinal zeaxanthin fluctuated significantly upward on day 3, but there was no net change on day 7. The number of apoptotic rods and cones in light-damaged eyes correlated significantly and inversely with zeaxanthin concentration in the contralateral retina (r = -0.61; P < 0.0001 and r = -0.54; P < 0.002), but not with serum zeaxanthin. Similar correlations were observed with retinal lutein, which correlated strongly with retinal zeaxanthin (r = 0.95; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Retinal zeaxanthin dose dependently reduced light-induced photoreceptor apoptosis; elevated serum levels did not. These data provide the first experimental evidence that xanthophyll carotenoids protect photoreceptors in vivo.
Multivalued generalizations of the Frankl – Pach Theorem

In [13] P. Frankl and J. Pach proved the following uniform version of Sauer’s Lemma. Let n, d, s be natural numbers such that d ≤ n, s + 1 ≤ n/2. Let F ⊆ ([n] d ) be an arbitrary d-uniform set system such that F does not shatter an s + 1-element set, then
Adjuvant chemoradiation for pancreatic cancer: few good data, much debate.

What everyone agrees on is that adenocarcinoma of the pancreas is formidable. Five-year survival in patients given so-called curative surgery hovers between 10% and 20%. And only 10% – 15% of patients are even eligible for surgery by the time they are diagnosed. It is a relatively uncommon cancer, but annual mortality ( ~ 34,000 deaths) approximates annual incidence ( ~ 37,000 cases). It is the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related death for both men and women in the U.S. Fewer than 5% of all patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are expected to live 5 years after diagnosis, and no treatment strategy, including targeted therapies, appears to offer much hope. “Rather than fi ght about whether to use radiation or not, we should all come together to fi gure out how to integrate as many therapies as possible to treat our patients better,” said radiation oncologist Joseph Herman , M.D., of Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore.
Simulation of guided wave interaction with in-plane fiber waviness

Reducing the timeline for certification of composite materials and enabling the expanded use of advanced composite materials for aerospace applications are two primary goals of NASA’s Advanced Composites Project (ACP). A key a technical challenge area for accomplishing these goals is the development of rapid composite inspection methods with improved defect characterization capabilities. Ongoing work at NASA Langley is focused on expanding ultrasonic simulation capabilities for composite materials. Simulation tools can be used to guide the development of optimal inspection methods. Custom code based on elastodynamic finite integration technique is currently being developed and implemented to study ultrasonic wave interaction with manufacturing defects, such as in-plane fiber waviness (marcelling). This paper describes details of validation comparisons performed to enable simulation of guided wave propagation in composites containing fiber waviness. Simulation results for guided wave interaction with in-pl.
Age-Optimized 32-Channel Brain Arrays for 3T Pediatric Imaging

B. Keil, A. Mareyam, K. Fujimoto, J. N. Blau, V. Tountcheva, C. Triantafyllou, and L. L. Wald A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States, A.A. Martinos Imaging Center, Mc Govern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States, Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States