Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A model of botanical collectors' behavior in the field: never the same species twice.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Because of their numbers, specimens in natural-history museums cannot be ignored when trying to answer one of the fundamental questions in science: What determines species diversity? The nonrandom nature of collecting does not allow most statistical tests or extrapolations of species estimates, or comparison of richness between areas (which, however, is still done frequently). METHODS We present a simple simulation model, which starts from the assumption that collectors never collect the same species twice during collecting trips. The model allows the generation of the abundance distribution in a herbarium for any natural species abundance distribution, using a simple set of collecting strategies. KEY RESULTS We show that, in essence, the strategy of "never collect the same species twice" is enough to generate the relative abundance distribution as found in a herbarium. We illustrate this using real plot and specimen data from two well-collected areas, one in central Guyana and one in Suriname. CONCLUSIONS Because of the oversampling of rare species, it is perhaps not possible to use museum data to reconstruct the community structure in the field or even estimate a proper diversity number other than the number of species in a region.
Cloud connected smart car park

As vehicular traffic increases, the lack of smart parking zones further causes problems like fuel wastage and traffic congestion. The Internet of Things has already been used to provide Smart car parking solutions. However, these solutions have the drawback of not being scalable or accessible at all times. Also, the reservation models that have also been suggested are not always practically implementable. This paper proposes a solution which is cost effective, scalable and robust to indicate the number of free parking slots in a given parking area. This is implemented using infrared sensors in every bay which are then connected to a Raspberry Pi. The raspberry Pi transfers all the data to a cloud server, which is accessible to users using a mobile application.
The application of metamaterials with slant H split ring on microstrip antenna

The discovery of metamaterials brings about a great shock to people's viewpoint about the world. It is of great scientific significance and application prospect. Metamaterials based on slant H split ring is used as the cover of microstrip antenna in this paper. Simulation by Ansoft HFSS shows that the resonance frequency is reduced by 0.07GHz by using metamaterials. At the same time, the gain of the antenna is increased by 1.16dB and the lobe is reduced by 24 degrees.
The Relationship Between Joint Hypermobility and Neurodevelopmental Attributes in Elementary School Children

Joint hypermobility is associated with motor developmental delay in infancy. To assess this finding in school-aged children, 320 first- and second-grade elementary school children and 110 children attending a special education program were assessed. Joint hypermobility was found in 40 (12.4%) and seven (6.4%) of the children attending the regular and special education classes, respectively. No difference in the neurologic status or verbal and eye-hand coordination task performance was found between the children of the study group and their age- and sex-matched controls. It appears that joint hypermobility and neurodevelopmental dysfunctions are not causally related and have a different maturational course. (J Child Neurol 1994;9:417-419).
Alabama Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Project: Results From Phase II of a Statewide Quality Improvement Initiative

Objective/Background:This report describes the first round of results for Phase II of the Alabama CABG Project, a regional quality improvement initiative. Methods:Charts submitted by all hospitals in Alabama performing CABG (ICD-9 codes 36.10–36.20) were reviewed by a Clinical Data Abstraction Center (CDAC) (preintervention 1999–2000; postintervention 2000–2001). Variables that described quality in Phase I were abstracted for Phase II and data describing the new variables of &bgr;-blocker use and lipid management were collected. Data samples collected onsite by participating hospitals were used for rapid cycle improvement in Phase II. Results:CDAC data (n = 1927 cases in 1999; n = 2001 cases in 2000) showed that improvements from Phase I in aspirin prescription, internal mammary artery use, and duration of intubation persisted in Phase II. During Phase II, use of &bgr;-blockers before, during, or after CABG increased from 65% to 76% of patients (P < 0.05). Appropriate lipid management, an aggregate variable, occurred in 91% of patients before and 91% after the educational intervention. However, there were improvements in 3 of 5 subcategories for lipid management (documenting a lipid disorder [52%–57%], initiating drug therapy [45%–53%], and dietary counseling [74%–91%]; P < 0.05). Conclusions:In Phase II, this statewide process-oriented quality improvement program added two new measures of quality. Achievements of quality improvement from Phase I persisted in Phase II, and improvements were seen in the new variables of lipid management and perioperative use of &bgr;-blockers.
The Effect of Grip Width on Bench Press Performance

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of grip width, chest depth, limb lengths, and bar path on the performance of a maximal bench press. Subjects were 24 experienced male weight trainers. Bench press performance was assessed at six different grip widths (G1–G6). Repeated-measures ANOVA with Tukey post hoc comparisons revealed that bench press strength values at the two moderate grip widths (G3 and G4) were significantly greater than either the narrow or wide grip widths. First-order partial correlations showed no significant relationship between strength values and anthropometric variables when adjusted for differences in body weight. Standard two-dimensional cinematographic procedures were used to film a subsample (n = 6) while bench pressing using G1, G3, and G6. The results of the statistical comparisons of bar path indicated that as grip width increased, the horizontal and vertical distance from the bar to the shoulder decreased.
A Wide Range CMOS Temperature Sensor With Process Variation Compensation for On-Chip Monitoring

A fully integrated temperature sensor along with a process compensator based on a frequency to voltage converter is presented in this paper. The proposed temperature sensor uses the difference between a reference current source and a proportional to absolute temperature current source to bias a differential ring-based current-controlled oscillator (CCO). The subtracted current in the CCO generates a linearized temperature-dependent frequency. To adjust the current sources and increase accuracy of the temperature sensor, a process compensator is added in the temperature sensor by adding switches to the architecture. With one point calibration, the maximum inaccuracy of ten measured samples is <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$-1.9~^{\circ }\text{C}\sim 1.5~^{\circ }\text{C}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> over a temperature range of −40 °C–100 °C. The total power consumption is <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$264~\mu \text{W}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> from a 1.5 V supply voltage at 25 °C. The temperature sensor is implemented in a standard 0.18-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> CMOS process with an area of 0.0312 mm<sup>2</sup>.
Eosinophil granule proteins in peripheral blood granulocytes

Eosinophils contain four principal cationic proteins, major basic protein (MBP), eosinophil‐derived neurotoxin (EDN), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and eosinophil peroxidase (EPO). To determine the quantities of these proteins in granulocytes and whether they are specific to eosinophils, their concentrations in ly‐ sates of human granulocytes were measured using specific radioimmunoassays. The effect of different methods for eosinophil lysis on the recovery of the proteins was also studied. Maximal recovery occurred at pH 2 for MBP and pH 5.6 for the other granule proteins. The proteins cosedimented with eosinophils and their concentrations (X ± SEM) in ng/106 eosinophils (and in nM/106 eosinophils) were: MBP, 8,982 ± 611 (641.6); EDN, 3,283 ± 116 (178.4); ECP, 5,269 ± 283 (250.9); and EPO, 12,174 ± 859 (171.5). Basophils from a normal person contained (in ng/106 cells) MBP, 2,374; EDN, 214; ECP, 77; and EPO, 17. Highly purified neutrophils contained (in ng/106 cells) MBP, 3 ± 0.5; EDN, 72 ± 9; and ECP, 50 ± 12. Therefore we conclude that these proteins are mainly expressed in eosinophils, but that certain ones are present in basophils and neutrophils.
Increased blood serotonin and platelets in early infantile autism.

BASED on extensive clinical observations, we have suggested that children whose conditions are variously diagnosed as early infantile autism, atypical ego development, symbiotic psychosis, and certain cases of childhood schizophrenia suffer from a unitary disease. 1 Their symptoms can be grouped in five subclusters involving disturbances of (1) perception, (2) motility, (3) developmental rate, (4) relationships to people and objects, and (5) language. It appears that the disturbances of perception, motility, and developmental rate are expressive of a primary neuropathophysiologic dysfunction 2,3 which leads to disturbances of relating and language. The more severe and prolonged the neuropathophysiologic process, the more pervasive is the resultant ego pathology. In seeking evidence to support these hypotheses, we have compared autistic children and age-matched controls on certain measures of neurophysiologic function and integration. The results of these studies have been reported in detail elsewhere. 4-7 They indicate that normals and autistics differ in
Robust Design and Performance Verification of an In-Plane XYθ Micropositioning Stage

This paper describes the robust design, fabrication, and performances verification of a novel ultraprecision XYθ micropositioning stage with piezoelectric actuator and flexure mechanism. The main goal of the proposed novel design is to combine a translational motion part and rotational motion part as a decoupled serial kinematics on a same plane. Proposed compound cymbal mechanisms of the translational motion part have functions of motion amplifier as well as motion guide. And Scott-Russell linkage mechanism is applied to the rotational motion part. In this research, Taguchi Design of Experiments is used for robust design with flexure notch hinge fabrication errors as noise factors. Target specifications of the design are sufficient range and bandwidth of motion. The proposed XYθ stage has a translational motion range of 58.0 μm and rotational motion range of 1.05 mrad, and a closed-loop resolution of ±2.5 nm, ±2.5 nm, and ±0.25 μrad in X-, Y-, and θ-directional motion, respectively. The proposed XYθ micropositioning stage has a novelty with in-plane and decoupled kinematic design, compared with many previously developed stages based on planar parallel kinematics.
The recent invasion of natural Drosophila simulans populations by the P-element

Significance Transposable elements (TEs) persist via two evolutionary strategies—in the short term, they selfishly propagate within genomes, and over the long term, they spread horizontally between species. Famously, the P-element invaded Drosophila melanogaster populations some time before 1950 and spread rapidly worldwide. Here, we show that it has also invaded a close relative, Drosophila simulans, from which it was absent until recently. The genomic tools at our disposal offer the unique opportunity to study the dynamics of a TE invasion at multiple levels and to compare the spread of the P-element in D. simulans with the well-investigated invasion of D. melanogaster. The P-element is one of the best understood eukaryotic transposable elements. It invaded Drosophila melanogaster populations within a few decades but was thought to be absent from close relatives, including Drosophila simulans. Five decades after the spread in D. melanogaster, we provide evidence that the P-element has also invaded D. simulans. P-elements in D. simulans appear to have been acquired recently from D. melanogaster probably via a single horizontal transfer event. Expression data indicate that the P-element is processed in the germ line of D. simulans, and genomic data show an enrichment of P-element insertions in putative origins of replication, similar to that seen in D. melanogaster. This ongoing spread of the P-element in natural populations provides a unique opportunity to understand the dynamics of transposable element spread and the associated piwi-interacting RNAs defense mechanisms.
Upper limits of normal for alanine aminotransferase activity in the United States population

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is an important test for liver disease, yet there is no generally accepted upper limit of normal (ULN) in the United States. Furthermore, the ability of ALT to differentiate persons with and without liver disease is uncertain. We examined cut‐offs for ALT for their ability to discriminate between persons with positive hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and those at low risk for liver injury in the U.S. population. Among adult participants in the 1999‐2008 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 259 were positive for serum HCV RNA and 3,747 were at low risk for liver injury (i.e., negative HCV RNA and hepatitis B surface antigen, low alcohol consumption, no evidence of diabetes, and normal body mass index and waist circumference). Serum ALT activity was measured centrally. Maximum correct classification was achieved at ALT = 29 IU/L for men (88% sensitivity, 83% specificity) and 22 IU/L (89% sensitivity, 82% specificity) for women. The cut‐off for 95% sensitivity was an ALT = 24 IU/L (70% specificity) for men and 18 IU/L (63% specificity) for women. The cut‐off for 95% specificity was ALT = 44 IU/L (64% sensitivity) for men and 32 IU/L (59% sensitivity) for women. The area under the curve was 0.929 for men and 0.915 for women. If the cut‐offs with the best correct classification were applied to the entire population, 36.4% of men and 28.3% of women would have had abnormal ALT. Conclusion: ALT discriminates persons infected with HCV from those at low risk of liver disease, but would be considered elevated in a large proportion of the U.S. population. (HEPATOLOGY 2012)
Role of Body Weight on Reproductive and Physiological Traits in Japanese Quail Layers (Coturnix japonica)

The Japanese quail is a popular laboratory animal for scientific research. Its continued characterization is essential for attaining accurate and reliable results. This includes refining genetic and environmental variables that could affect its use in developmental biology, reproduction, physiology, nutrition, endocrinology and toxicology. The role of body weight as a means of assessing reproductive and physiological traits is presented here. Two groups of random bred Japanese quail layers of 240-days of age having a well- established production and fertility records but differing in body weights were used in th e project. One group of birds (n = 10) weighed 120-130 grams (lighter birds) and the second group (n = 10) weighed 150-160 grams (heavier birds). The heavier birds had significantly higher weights of ovaries and oviducts as well as larger yellow-yolk containing ovarian follicles (p 0.05). Conversely, there was an increase in packed cell volume, plasma proteins and decrease in blood sugar levels (p<0.05) in the heavier birds as compared to the lighter birds. The body weight was found to have a distinct bearing on the weight of reproductive and physiological traits. One should be mindful of body weight when selecting Japanese quail for research projects.
Dynamique et mécanique de la fragmentation de filaments d'actine par l'ADF/cofiline : comparaison entre expériences et modèles. (Models for actin filaments mechanics and dynamics in presence of severing by ADF/cofilin : comparison with in vitro experiments)

L'actine est une proteine abondante dans le cytosquelette des eucaryotes qui se polymerise pour former des filaments. Ces filaments jouent un role fondamental dans de nombreux processus biologiques (contraction musculaire, division et motilite cellulaire, etc. . . ). La dynamique d'assemblage et de desassemblage des filaments est sous le controle de plusieurs proteines associees a l'actine, en particulier l'ADF/cofiline. Cette proteine s'associe aux filaments et les fragmente, accelerant ainsi le desassemblage du cytosquelette d'actine. Au cours de cette these, nous avons developpe des modeles mathematiques pour etudier l'effet de l'ADF/cofiline sur le cytosquelette d'actine. Dans un premier temps, nous nous sommes interesses a la cinetique d'assemblage des filaments en presence d'ADF/Cofiline. Des simulations basees sur l'algorithme de Gillespie ont mis en evidence un equilibre dynamique dans lequel la polymerisation des filaments est contrebalancee par la fragmentation. Nous avons pu caracteriser cet equilibre et comparer nos predictions a des donnees in vitro obtenues dans le cadre d'une collaboration avec l'equipe de Laurent Blanchoin (CEA/iRTSV/LPCV, Grenoble). Dans un second temps, nous nous sommes penches sur la mecanique des polymeres d'actine pour expliquer les bases physiques de la fragmentation. Un modele mesoscopique du filament a permis de prouver l'existence d'un couplage entre les deformations en flexion et en torsion dans le filament. Ce couplage permet de convertir les fluctuations thermiques en un effort qui cisaille la section du filament, entrainant ainsi la fragmentation. Les resultats extraits de ces modeles ont donc permis d'ameliorer notre comprehension de l'action d'ADF/cofiline sur le cytosquelette d'actine.
1st International workshop on combining modelling and search-based software engineering (CMSBSE 2013)

Modelling plays a vital and pervasive role in software engineering: it provides means to manage complexity via abstraction, and enables the creation of larger, more complex systems. Search-based software engineering (SBSE) offers a productive and proven approach to software engineering through automated discovery of near-optimal solutions to problems, and has proven itself to be effective on a wide variety of software-and systems engineering problems. CMSBSE 2013 was a forum allowing researchers from both communities to meet, discuss synergies and differences, and present topics related to the intersection of search and modelling. Particular goals of CMSBSE were to highlight that SBSE and modelling have substantial conceptual and technical synergy, and to identify and present opportunities in which they can be combined, whilst also aiming to grow the community working in this area.
Frogs without polliwogs: Evolution of anuran direct development

Direct development is the assumption of the adult morphology without progression through an intervening, morphologically distinct, free‐living larval phase. We discuss the ecological factors contributing to the evolution of this derived life‐history strategy in frogs, and the developmental modifications that facilitate such an unusual mode of embryogenesis. Studies on the Puerto Rican tree frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui, have identified several such modifications, including developmental adaptations for dealing with increased egg size, and loss of tadpole structures. Surprisingly, this direct developer still undergoes a thyroid hormone‐dependent metamorphosis, which occurs before hatching. We suggest how the ancestral biphasic developmental pattern may have been rearranged during the evolution of direct development. BioEssays 23:233–241, 2001. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Immune-Deficient Drosophila melanogaster: A Model for the Innate Immune Response to Human Fungal Pathogens12

We explored the host-pathogen interactions of the human opportunistic fungus Candida albicans using Drosophila melanogaster. We established that a Drosophila strain devoid of functional Toll receptor is highly susceptible to the human pathogen C. albicans. Using this sensitive strain, we have been able to show that a set of specific C. albicans mutants of different virulence in mammalian infection models are also impaired in virulence in Drosophila and remarkably display the same rank order of virulence. This immunodeficient insect model also revealed virulence properties undetected in an immunocompetent murine model of infection. The genetic systems available in both host and pathogen will enable the identification of host-specific components and C. albicans genes involved in the host-fungal interplay.
Impact of technology scaling on the minimum energy point for FinFET based flip-flops

Analysis of FinFET based transmission gate (TG), sense amplifier (SA), and semi dynamic (SD) Flip-flops metrics are evaluated with technology scaling from 20nm down to 7nm technology node. The impact of supply voltage variation on delay, power, and energy is reported. The power delay product of Flip-flops is enhanced with technology scaling. The optimum supply voltage value at each technology node from minimum energy perspective is evaluated which is used by the industry to optimize logic and memory circuitry designs. For instance, considering the 7nm TG Flip-flop, the optimum supply voltage from energy saving point of view occurs at 0.65V. The work also characterizes each Flip-flop according to the obtained simulation results. SD Flip-flop has the best performance, however it exhibits high power consumption. TG Flip-flop is the best choice from power dissipation perspective, but it has high clock load. SA Flip-flop has a very useful feature of monotonous transitions at the outputs, which drives fast domino logic, however it might have glitches and it is the most vulnerable to soft errors.
Expression of Transcription Factors in the Brain of Rats with Perinatal Asphyxia

No information is available on transcription factors (TF), the main regulators of gene expression, in perinatal asphyxia (PA), and as pathomechanisms in PA are different, data on TFs from ischemia or hypoxia cannot be simply extrapolated to PA, and no studies have been reported to show an expressional pattern or the concerted action of TFs. We, therefore, used a gene-hunting technique, subtractive hybridization, to show sequences different in brains of normoxic and perinatally asphyxiated (10 and 20 min of asphyxia) rats. These subtracted sequences were identified by gene bank and assigned to individual genes. At 10 min of PA the TFs NFI/CAAT-binding protein, NF-kappa-B p65, N-myc, basic helix loop helix protein D82868, and c-myc intron binding protein were upregulated. At 20 min of PA the TFs SOX4 and neuronal death factor were upregulated, whereas the TFs c-maf, PEBP major transcription factor, brn-2, homeodomain protein Af004431, and zinc finger transcriptional factor M65008 were downregulated. The biological meaning of our findings is the demonstration of a pathophysiological pattern of TFs including POU, zinc finger, homeodomain, and basic helix-loop helix motifs in PA, proposing pathomechanisms for brain damage from PA, explaining transcriptional changes in general (as, e.g., NF-kappa-B p65, etc.) or in specific terms (as, e.g., neuronal death factor).