Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification and characterization of microsatellite loci in Intsia palembanica (Leguminosae), a valuable tropical timber species

We present 25 polymorphic microsatellite loci for Intsia palembanica, a highly valued timber species in the Indo‐Malayan region, Australia and western Pacific islands. Microsatellite loci were tested for polymorphism across a total of 76 individuals from three natural populations from Irian Jaya, Indonesia. The average number of alleles for these microsatellites was 12.1 per locus, ranging from four to 19. The observed heterozygosity within the natural populations ranged from 0.01 to 0.96. The markers will enable us to evaluate the spatial–temporal population genetic structure and gene flow dynamics among populations. They can also be used for tracking and tracing wood from legally logged concessions.
Subtype‐selective targeting of voltage‐gated sodium channels

Voltage‐gated sodium channels are key to the initiation and propagation of action potentials in electrically excitable cells. Molecular characterization has shown there to be nine functional members of the family, with a high degree of sequence homology between the channels. This homology translates into similar biophysical and pharmacological properties. Confidence in some of the channels as drug targets has been boosted by the discovery of human mutations in the genes encoding a number of them, which give rise to clinical conditions commensurate with the changes predicted from the altered channel biophysics. As a result, they have received much attention for their therapeutic potential. Sodium channels represent well‐precedented drug targets as antidysrhythmics, anticonvulsants and local anaesthetics provide good clinical efficacy, driven through pharmacology at these channels. However, electrophysiological characterization of clinically useful compounds in recombinant expression systems shows them to be weak, with poor selectivity between channel types. This has led to the search for subtype‐selective modulators, which offer the promise of treatments with improved clinical efficacy and better toleration. Despite developments in high‐throughput electrophysiology platforms, this has proven very challenging. Structural biology is beginning to offer us a greater understanding of the three‐dimensional structure of voltage‐gated ion channels, bringing with it the opportunity to do real structure‐based drug design in the future. This discipline is still in its infancy, but developments with the expression and purification of prokaryotic sodium channels offer the promise of structure‐based drug design in the not too distant future.
Sex differences in body fat distribution and carotid intima media thickness: cross sectional survey using data from the British regional heart study

Objective: To determine the role of central adiposity in explaining sex differences in carotid intima media thickness (IMT). Design: Cross sectional survey. Setting: Two British towns. Participants: 800 men and women aged 56–75 years. Main outcome measures: Carotid IMT. Results: There was a continuous linear association between waist-hip ratio and IMT in both men and women. The magnitude of the association between waist to hip ratio and IMT was identical in both sexes. In age adjusted analyses IMT was 14% greater in men compared with women (age adjusted male to female ratio of geometric means 1.14; 95% confidence interval 1.07 to 1.21) with adjustment for waist to hip ratio this attenuated to no difference (1.00; 0.92 to 1.09). Adjustment for body mass index and for lifestyle risk factors had very little effect on the sex difference in mean intima media thickness. Conclusions: Sex differences in body fat distribution may explain sex differences in arterial atherosclerosis.
Ethnic Differences in Distributions of GSTM1 and GSTT1 Homozygous "Null" Genotypes in India

We estimated the frequencies of GSTM1 and GSTT1 "null" homozygotes in 10 different ethnic populations of India by a genotyping method based on polymerase chain reaction. These populations, inhabiting diverse geographical locations and occupying various positions in the sociocultural hierarchy, were represented by a sample of 299 unrelated individuals. Frequencies of GSTM1 and GSTT1 "null" homozygotes varied from 20% to 79% and 3% to 39%, respectively, across the study populations. Maximum frequencies of GSTM1 and GSTT1 "null" homozygotes (79% and 39%, respectively) have been observed in the same population (Jamatia). Frequencies of homozygous "null" genotypes at the GSTM1 and GSTT1 loci show a significant positive correlation in these populations, which is contrary to expectations. A possible implication is that the two enzymes are working in tandem, instead of working in a complementary way.
Soil Salinity Retrieval from Advanced Multi-Spectral Sensor with Partial Least Square Regression

Improper use of land resources may result in severe soil salinization. Timely monitoring and early warning of soil salinity is in urgent need for sustainable development. This paper addresses the possibility and potential of Advanced Land Imager (ALI) for mapping soil salinity. In situ field spectra and soil salinity data were collected in the Yellow River Delta, China. Statistical analysis demonstrated the importance of ALI blue and near infrared (NIR) bands for soil salinity. A partial least square regression (PLSR) model was established between soil salinity and ALI-convolved field spectra. The model estimated soil salinity with a R2 (coefficient of determination), RPD (ratio of prediction to deviation), bias, standard deviation (SD) and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.749, 3.584, 0.036 g∙kg−1, 0.778 g∙kg−1 and 0.779 g∙kg−1. The model was then applied to atmospherically corrected ALI data. Soil salinity was underestimated for moderately (soil salinity within 2–4 g∙kg−1) and highly saline (soil salinity >4 g∙kg−1) soils. The underestimates increased with the degree of soil salinization, with a maximum value of ~4 g∙kg−1. The major contribution for the underestimation (>80%) may result from data inaccuracy other than model ineffectiveness. Uncertainty analysis confirmed that improper atmospheric correction contributed to a very conservative uncertainty of 1.3 g∙kg−1. Field sampling within remote sensing pixels was probably the major source responsible for the underestimation. Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of PLSR model in retrieving soil salinity from new-generation multi-spectral sensors. This is very valuable for achieving worldwide soil salinity mapping with low cost and considerable accuracy.
Lassa Fever in West Africa: Evidence for an Expanded Region of Endemicity

Lassa virus (LASV) is endemic in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia (known as the Mano River region) and Nigeria and Lassa fever cases from these countries are being reported annually. Recent investigations have found evidence for an expanded endemicity zone between the two known Lassa endemic regions indicating that LASV is more widely distributed throughout the Tropical Wooded Savanna ecozone in West Africa.
Overhead Analysis and Evaluation of Approaches to Host-Based Bot Detection

Host-based bot detection approaches discover malicious bot processes by signature comparison or behavior analysis. Existing approaches have low performance which has become a bottleneck blocking its wider deployment. Among the impact factors of performance, overhead is a crucial one. Many host-based bot detection approaches with high detection accuracy are not used practically because of their high overheads. For the development of host-based bot detection, unveiling the factors affecting the overhead is very significant. First, this paper classifies the typical approaches of host-based bot detection proposed in recent years by several metrics, information sources, interception mechanisms on host, intercepted system calls, trigger mechanisms, and correlation engine. Second, based on our analyses of aims and implementations of detection approaches, we identify three major factors affecting the overhead of approaches, namely, interception mechanism on host, type, and number of system calls intercepted and correlation engine. Third, we evaluate the influence of these factors via various experiments on real systems. Finally, based on the experiments, we propose several suggestions which are able to significantly decrease the overhead of host-based bot detection approaches.
IMPLEMENTATION OF BERNSEN ’ S LOCALLY ADAPTIVE BINARIZATION METHOD FOR GRAY SCALE

In digital image processing, binarization (two-level thresholding) is a commonly used technique for image segmentation. It is the process of converting a gray scale image to a binary image. Furthermore, binarization methods are divided into two groups as global binarization and locally adaptive binarization. A number of binarization techniques have been proposed over the years. Bernsen’s method is one of locally adaptive binarization methods developed for image segmentation. In this study, Bernsen’s locally adaptive binarization method is implemented and then tested for different gray scale images.
Suppression of VEGFR‐3 signaling inhibits lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer

In gastric cancer, lymph node metastasis is one of the major prognostic factors and forms the basis for surgical removal of local lymph nodes. Recently, several studies have demonstrated that overexpression of lymphangiogenic growth factor VEGF‐C or VEGF‐D induces tumor lymphangiogenesis and promotes lymphatic metastasis in mouse tumor models. We examined whether these processes could be inhibited in naturally metastatic tumors by blocking of their cognate receptor VEGFR‐3 signaling pathway. Using a mouse orthotopic gastric cancer model which has a high frequency of lymph node metastasis, we estimated lymphatic vessels in gastric cancers by immunostaining for VEGFR‐3 and other specific lymphatic markers, LYVE‐1 and prox‐1. Then we systemically administered anti‐VEGFR‐3 blocking antibodies. This treatment resulted in the inhibition of regional lymph node metastasis and reduction of lymphatic vessel density in the primary tumors. In addition, increased density of LYVE‐1‐positive lymphatic vessels of primary tumors was closely correlated with lymph node metastasis in human samples of gastric cancer. Antilymphangiogenesis by inhibiting VEGFR‐3 signaling could provide a potential strategy for the prevention of lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer.
Power Efficient Approach and Performance Control for Routers

We introduce two approaches for power saving routers, which are the power efficient designing and the power saving designing. Power efficient designing enables a high performance router at low power consumption. As a part of power efficient designing, we have integrated ASICs/FPGAs of routers and developed a scalable central architecture. Additionally, we used new high speed memories and high speed interfaces such as a SerDes. As a result, the whole power consumption of our router adopting power efficient designing was reduced over 50% compared to conventional routers. Power saving designing is an approach to cut down wasted power consumption. Two major aspects belong to power saving designing, which are static performance control and dynamic performance control. We have been studying on static performance control, such as power cutting technology per port or module, and power saving mode by frequency switching. We were successful in saving 10-20% of power compared to conventional routers using this power saving mode by frequency switching. Furthermore, we introduce the dynamic performance control as a promising power saving approach for next generation routers. The router controls its performance dynamically according to the amount of received traffic. We show two technologies needed for this approach, which are the dynamically performance controllable router architecture/circuit, and the traffic monitoring/predicting technology. We consider that working on these technologies will save more power.
Otolithic Membrane Damage in Patients With Endolymphatic Hydrops and Drop Attacks

Objectives 1. Evaluate the otolithic membrane in patients with endolymphatic hydrops (EH) and vestibular drop attacks (VDA) undergoing ablative labyrinthectomy. 2. Correlate intraoperative findings to archival temporal bone specimens of patients with EH. Study Design Retrospective case review. Setting Tertiary referral center. Specimen Source 1. Patients undergoing labyrinthectomy for incapacitating Ménière’s disease (MD), delayed EH, VDA, or acoustic neuroma (AN) between 2004 and 2011. 2. Archival temporal bone specimens of patients with MD. Interventions Ablative labyrinthectomy. Main Outcome Measures Examination of the utricular otolithic membrane. Results The otolithic membrane of the utricle was evaluated intraoperatively in 28 patients undergoing labyrinthectomy. Seven (25%) had a history of VDA, 6 (21%) had delayed EH, 9 (32%) had MD, and 6 (21%) had AN. All patients with VDA showed evidence of a disrupted utricular otolithic membrane, whereas only 50% and 56% of patients with delayed EH and MD, respectively, demonstrated otolithic membrane disruption (p = 0.051). None of the patients with AN showed otolithic membrane disruption (p = 0.004). The mean thickness of the otolithic membrane in 5 archival temporal bone MD specimens was 11.45 micrometers versus 38 micrometers in normal specimens (p = 0.001). Conclusion The otolithic membrane is consistently damaged in patients with VDA. In addition, there is a significantly higher incidence of otolithic membrane injury in patients with MD and delayed EH compared with patients without hydrops, suggesting that the underlying pathophysiology in VDA results from injury to the otolithic membrane of the saccule and utricle, resulting in free-floating otoliths and atrophy.
Walking in Water and on Land After an Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

Objective Although no data are available on the effects of water environment on the gait of subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI), hydrotherapy is used in the rehabilitation protocols of SCI patients. The aim of this study was to characterize gait features of subjects with incomplete SCI walking in water and on land in comparison with healthy controls (CTRLs) to identify the specificity of water environment on influencing gait in SCI subjects. Design This is a matched case-control study. Results Kinematic gait parameters and range of motion of joint angles of 15 SCI subjects and 15 CTRLs were analyzed. Compared with gait on land, gait in water of the SCI patients was characterized by speed and stance phase reduction, gait cycle time increment, and invariance of stride length and range of motion values. Comparison with CTRL data remarked that walking in water reduces gait differences between the groups. Furthermore, in water, the SCI subjects presented a reduction in variability of the hip and knee joint angles, whereas in the CTRLs, a larger variability was observed. Conclusions Gait in water of the SCI subjects is associated with kinematic parameters more similar to those of the CTRLs, particularly regarding speed, stride length, and stance phase, supporting the idea that walking in a water environment may be of rehabilitative significance for SCI subjects.
Fractal dimension and fractal growth of urbanized areas

Based on a box-accounting fractal dimension algorithm (BCFD) and a unique procedure of data processing, this paper computes planar fractal dimensions of 20 large US cities along with their surrounding urbanized areas. The results show that the value range of planar urban fractal dimension (D) is 1< D <2, with D for the largest city, New York City, and the smallest city, Omaha being 1.7014 and 1.2778 respectively. The estimated urban fractal dimensions are then regressed to the total urbanized areas, Log (C), and total urban population, Log (POP), with log-linear functions. In general, the linear functions can produce good-fits for Log (C) vs. D and Log (POP) vs. in terms of R2 values. The observation that cities may have virtually the same D or Log(C) value but quite disparate population sizes indicates that D itself says little about the specific orientation and configuration of an urban form and is not a good measure of urban population density. This paper also explores fractal dimension and fractal growth of Baltimore, MD for the 200-year span from 1792–1992. The results show that Baltimore's D also satisfies the inequality 1< D <2, with D =1.0157 in 1822 and D =1.7221 in 1992. D =0.6641 for Baltimore in 1792 is an exception due mainly to its relatively small urban image with respect to pixel size. While D always increases with Log (C) over the years, it is not always positively correlated to urban population, Log(POP).
Motives for Language Change: The ingenerate motivation of sound change

0. Introduction This paper investigates the interplay between phonetic (coarticulatory) and phonological (structural) factors surrounding two of the best-studied and most complex changes in Germanic, umlaut and the High German Consonant Shift. These well-studied data sets form the springboard for our primary thesis that the boundary between phonetics and phonology is largely porous, in the specific sense that the phenomena of the latter find motivation in the particulars of the former. The idea that phonetics is not entirely separate from phonology stands in notable contrast to the classic view encoded in lexical phonology’s principle of structure preservation (Kiparsky 1985) and to the separatist position taken in some current theorizing in phonetics itself (Cohn & Tsuchida 1999). At the other extreme, our porosity thesis stands apart from the tenet of especially “functional” optimality theory (Kirchner 1997), which holds that even gradient phonetic properties should be accessible within the realm of contrastive phonology. Rather than raise up impermeable barriers between phonetics and phonology or erase extant distinctions between the two domains, however, the present paper charts the development of two celebrated, nominally unrelated sound changes from their phonetic inception in coarticulation to their emergence as overt constructs of the phonology. This is our general interpretation of the familiar life-cycle of sound change, in fact: The forces of coarticulation work to shape structure, whereas structure eventually comes to override the
Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas chlororaphis Strain PA23

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas chlororaphis strain PA23 is a plant-beneficial bacterium that is able to suppress disease caused by the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum through a process known as biological control. Here we present a 7.1-Mb assembly of the PA23 genome.
TOP MANAGEMENT PAY: IMPACT of (C)OVERT POWER

This paper examines variations in executive compensation as a function of CEO power. We assume that a CEO’s motivation to optimize his pay is conditional upon his ability to shape decisions that favor his interests. Power is inferred form overt manifestations such as share holdings, but also from covert sources such as a CEO’s social capital. Two components of compensation are considered: base pay and bonus. While financial performance, firm size, and other factors are held constant, the results show overt power as measured by CEO, and CEO-family equity holdings, to have a curvilinear relationship with executive compensation. Proxies of covert power include tenure, being (one of) the founder(s) and firm diversification. These variables magnify or moderate the effect of equity holdings on compensation. The power effects are most pronounced for the size of CEO bonus.
Orthorexia nervosa - an eating disorder, obsessive- -compulsive disorder or disturbed eating habit?

summary The purpose of this article was to describe the phenomenon of a new disorder called orthorexia nervosa. This paper proposes a theoretical framework for the definitions, prevalence, diagnostic criteria, method and treatment of orthorexia. This disturbing behaviour concerns the pathologic obsession for healthy nutrition. In contrast to eating disorders, people with orthorexia are obsessed with food quality rather than quantity and they do not care excessively for thin silhouette like in the case of patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Individuals with orthorexia nervosa are obsessive about healthy food, leading to dietary restrictions and to a variety of negative psychological and social outcomes. The results of previous research show that on the one hand orthorexia is related to anorexia and bulimia nervosa, and on the other hand this syndrome is more closely allied with obsessive-compulsive disorders. In view of the studies presented here we could treat orthorexia as a disturbed eating habit which is connected with obsessive-compulsive symptoms. food restriction / health food / eating attitude
Minding the gaps: moving handover research forward.

Patient handover has been defined as ‘the transfer of professional responsibility and accountability for some or all aspects of care for a patient or group of patients to another person or professional group on a temporary or permanent basis’. In the recent patient safety literature, there is an increasing agreement that effective patient handover is critical to ensure appropriate co-ordination among healthcare providers and continuity of care. It has been pointed out repeatedly that a lack of training combined with a lack of formal systems for patient handover impede the good practice necessary to maintain high standards of clinical care.
Relations among passive electrical properties of lumbar alpha‐motoneurones of the cat.

The relations among passive membrane properties have been examined in cat motoneurones utilizing exclusively electrophysiological techniques. A significant relation was found to exist between the input resistance and the membrane time constant. The estimated electrotonic length showed no evident tendency to vary with input resistance but did show a tendency to decrease with increasing time constant. Detailed analysis of this trend suggests, however, that a variation in dendritic geometry is likely to exist among cat motoneurones, such that the dendritic trees of motoneurones projecting to fast‐twitch muscle units are relatively more expansive than those of motoneurones projecting to slow‐twitch units. Utilizing an expression derived from the Rall neurone model, the total capacitance of the equivalent cylinder corresponding to a motoneurone has been estimated. With the assumption of a constant and uniform specific capacitance of 1 mu F/cm2, the resulting values have been used as estimates of cell surface area. These estimates agree well with morphologically obtained measurements from cat motoneurones reported by others. Both membrane time constant (and thus likely specific membrane resistivity) and electrotonic length showed little tendency to vary with surface area. However, after‐hyperpolarization (a.h.p.) duration showed some tendency to vary such that cells with brief a.h. p. duration were, on average, larger than those with longer a.h. p. durations. Apart from motoneurones with the lowest values, axonal conduction velocity was only weakly related to variations in estimated surface area. Input resistance and membrane time constant were found to vary systematically with the a.h. p. duration. Analysis suggested that the major part of the increase in input resistance with a.h. p. duration was related to an increase in membrane resistivity and a variation in dendritic geometry rather than to differences in surface area among the motoneurones. The possible effects of imperfect electrode seals have been considered. According to an analysis of a passive membrane model, soma leaks caused by impalement injury will result in underestimates of input resistance and time constant and over‐estimates of electrotonic length and total capacitance. Assuming a non‐injured resting potential of ‐80 mV, a comparison of membrane potentials predicted by various relative leaks (leak conductance/input conductance) with those actually observed suggests that the magnitude of these errors in the present material will not unduly affect the presented results. +4