Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phylogeny and ancient DNA of Sus provides insights into neolithic expansion in Island Southeast Asia and Oceania

Human settlement of Oceania marked the culmination of a global colonization process that began when humans first left Africa at least 90,000 years ago. The precise origins and dispersal routes of the Austronesian peoples and the associated Lapita culture remain contentious, and numerous disparate models of dispersal (based primarily on linguistic, genetic, and archeological data) have been proposed. Here, through the use of mtDNA from 781 modern and ancient Sus specimens, we provide evidence for an early human-mediated translocation of the Sulawesi warty pig (Sus celebensis) to Flores and Timor and two later separate human-mediated dispersals of domestic pig (Sus scrofa) through Island Southeast Asia into Oceania. Of the later dispersal routes, one is unequivocally associated with the Neolithic (Lapita) and later Polynesian migrations and links modern and archeological Javan, Sumatran, Wallacean, and Oceanic pigs with mainland Southeast Asian S. scrofa. Archeological and genetic evidence shows these pigs were certainly introduced to islands east of the Wallace Line, including New Guinea, and that so-called “wild” pigs within this region are most likely feral descendants of domestic pigs introduced by early agriculturalists. The other later pig dispersal links mainland East Asian pigs to western Micronesia, Taiwan, and the Philippines. These results provide important data with which to test current models for human dispersal in the region.
Fishes on the Antarctic continental shelf : evolution of a marine species flock ?

Distance, currents, deep water and sub-zero temperatures isolate the waters of the Antarctic continental shelf from other shelf areas in the Southern Hemisphere. The Antarctic shelf is an insular evolutionary site for a variety of marine organisms. The fish fauna is relatively small and unusual in composition, consisting of 213 species with higher taxonomic diversity restricted to 18 families. Ninety-six species of perciform notothenioids comprise 45% of the fish fauna. However in many areas of the shelf, including the highest latitudes, notothenioids make up 77% of the species and 90–95% of fish abundance and biomass. Notothenioids are morphologically and ecologically diverse and have diversified into niches in the water column. Antarctic notothenioids were evaluated using criteria employed for assessing freshwater species flocks. Although monophyly is in question, notothenioids exhibit the disproportionate speciosity (5·6-fold more Antarctic than non-Antarctic species) and high endemism (97%) characteristic of a species flock. Notothenioids are one of the first recognized examples of a species flock of marine fishes. Notothenioids are compared with some freshwater species flocks and calculations made of the time required for speciation (TFS) for notothenioids of the family Channichthyidae. Estimates of TFS are slower than for most lacustrine species flocks but similar to estimates for island radiations of birds and arthropods.
Calcium Phosphate Formation on Titanium and Zirconium and Its Application to Medical Devices

Titanium and zirconium were immersed in Hanks’ solution with and without calcium and phosphate ions, and the surfaces were characterized with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to determine the mechanism of calcium phosphate formation on titanium in simulated body fluids and in a living body. In addition, they were cathodically polarized in the above solutions. As a result, neither calcium nor phosphate stably exists alone on titanium, and calcium phosphate is naturally formed on it; calcium phosphate formed on titanium is stable and protective. On the other hand, calcium is never incorporated on zirconium, while zirconium phosphate, which is easily formed on zirconium, is highly stable and protective.
Analytics-Driven Load Testing: An Industrial Experience Report on Load Testing of Large-Scale Systems

Assessing how large-scale software systems behave under load is essential because many problems cannot be uncovered without executing tests of large volumes of concurrent requests. Load-related problems can directly affect the customer-perceived quality of systems and often cost companies millions of dollars. Load testing is the standard approach for assessing how a system behaves under load. However, designing, executing and analyzing a load test can be very difficult due to the scale of the test (e.g., simulating millions of users and analyzing terabytes of data). Over the past decade, we have tackled many load testing challenges in an industrial setting. In this paper, we document the challenges that we encountered and the lessons that we learned as we addressed these challenges. We provide general guidelines for conducting load tests using an analytics-driven approach. We also discuss open research challenges that require attention from the research community. We believe that our experience can be beneficial to practitioners and researchers who are interested in the area of load testing.
Para‐Aortic Node Irradiation in Carcinomas

The authors have retrospectively analyzed the results of para‐aortic node irradiation in 75 cases of metastatic carcinoma treated at the Department of Radiation Therapy, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, between 1963 and 1972. This group includes 62 patients with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix, 6 with adenocarcinomas of the sigmoid colon, 2 with adenocarcinomas of the endometrium, 3 with carcinomas of the vulva, 1 with adenocarcinoma of the ovary, and 1 with squamous cell carcinoma of the anus. The clinicopathologic behavior of para‐aortic metastasis is studied in detail, including the relationship with the primary site, histologic grade, and degree of lymphatic invasion at the primary site. The group of cervical cancer patients seems to consist predominantly of those with advanced clinical stage, less differentiated tumors, endophytic or endocervical lesions, and those with endometrial or myometrial involvement. This study showed that the presence of metastatic carcinomas in the para‐aortic nodes does not necessarily indicate the existence of more distant metastasis. These carcinomas can be safely irradiated and cured in a significant percentage of cases. Survival appears more favorable with higher radiation dosages. Six thousand rads delivered in 8 weeks, alone or concomitantly with pelvic irradiation, can be safely applied with minimal acute normal tissue reaction, and can eradicate the para‐aortic node metastasis.
Transition to overweight or obesity among women of reproductive age.

BACKGROUND Nearly two thirds of reproductive-aged women in the United States are currently overweight or obese, placing them at elevated risk for adverse health outcomes. This study identifies factors associated with transition in body mass index (BMI) category to overweight or obesity status over a 2-year period among women of reproductive age. METHODS Data were collected in the Central Pennsylvania Women's Health Study (CePAWHS), a longitudinal cohort study of reproductive-aged women. Participants were 689 women with normal or overweight BMI at baseline who were not pregnant at either baseline or 2-year follow-up. Separate multiple logistic regression analyses were estimated to model adverse change in weight category for women who were normal weight at baseline and to model transition to obesity among women who were overweight at baseline. RESULTS Among women of normal weight at baseline, 18% became overweight or obese by follow-up; 25% of women overweight at baseline became obese. In multiple regression analyses, low physical activity at baseline was significantly associated with a 2-fold elevation in the odds of transitioning from normal BMI to overweight/obesity (odds ratio [OR] 2.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-4.20), as was having an interim live birth (OR 2.75, 95%CI 1.27-5.95). In contrast, demographics (lower education, younger age) were the only significant predictors of transition from overweight to obesity. CONCLUSIONS Meeting physical activity guidelines should be encouraged among normal weight women of reproductive age as well as those who are overweight or obese, as low physical activity is a risk for transitioning from normal to overweight status. Younger overweight women are particularly at risk for transition to obesity.
In Vitro Activities of Dalbavancin and 12 Other Agents against 329 Aerobic and Anaerobic Gram-Positive Isolates Recovered from Diabetic Foot Infections

ABSTRACT Tests of dalbavancin's in vitro activity against 209 aerobic and 120 anaerobic isolates from pretreatment diabetic foot infections showed an MIC90 of ≤0.125 μg/ml against methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and 120 anaerobes (Clostridium perfringens, other clostridia, Peptoniphilus asaccharolyticus, Finegoldia magna, and Anaerococcus prevotii), compared to respective MIC90s for MSSA and MRSA of 0.5 and 1 μg/ml for vancomycin, 4 and 4 μg/ml for linezolid, 0.5 and 0.5 μg/ml for daptomycin, and 0.25 and >8 μg/ml for clindamycin.
Picturing Quantum Processes: A First Course in Quantum Theory and Diagrammatic Reasoning

The unique features of the quantum world are explained in this book through the language of diagrams, setting out an innovative visual method for presenting complex theories. Requiring only basic mathematical literacy, this book employs a unique formalism that builds an intuitive understanding of quantum features while eliminating the need for complex calculations. This entirely diagrammatic presentation of quantum theory represents the culmination of ten years of research, uniting classical techniques in linear algebra and Hilbert spaces with cutting-edge developments in quantum computation and foundations. Written in an entertaining and user-friendly style and including more than one hundred exercises, this book is an ideal first course in quantum theory, foundations, and computation for students from undergraduate to PhD level, as well as an opportunity for researchers from a broad range of fields, from physics to biology, linguistics, and cognitive science, to discover a new set of tools for studying processes and interaction.
Significant Finding of Bordetella holmesii DNA in Nasopharyngeal Samples from French Patients with Suspected Pertussis

ABSTRACT Pertussis is routinely diagnosed with real-time PCR based on insertion sequence IS481, which is not specific for Bordetella pertussis. We conducted a retrospective study using real-time PCRs specific for Bordetella pertussis and for Bordetella holmesii on 177 samples positive for IS481 PCR. Bordetella holmesii DNA was detected in 20.3% samples collected from adolescents and adults.
Helical Apolipoproteins Stabilize ATP-binding Cassette Transporter A1 by Protecting It from Thiol Protease-mediated Degradation*

ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC) A1 was increased by apolipoprotein A-I without an increase of its message in THP-1 cells. The pulse label study demonstrated that apoA-I retarded degradation of ABCA1. Similar changes were demonstrated by apoA-II, but the effect of high density lipoprotein was almost negligible on the basis of equivalent protein concentration. Thiol protease inhibitors (leupeptin andN-acetyl-Leu-Leu-norleucinal (ALLN)) increased ABCA1 and slowed its decay in the cells, whereas none of the proteosome-specific inhibitor lactacystin, other protease inhibitors, or the lysosomal inhibitor NH4Cl showed such effects. The effects of apoA-I and ALLN were additive for the increase of ABCA1, and the apoA-I-mediated cellular lipid release was enhanced by ALLN. The data suggest that ABCA1 is rapidly degraded by a thiol protease(s) in the cells unless helical apolipoproteins in their lipid-free form stabilize ABCA1 by protecting it from protease-mediated degradation.
Hemodynamic Changes in Splanchnic Blood Vessels in Portal Hypertension

Portal hypertension (PHT) is associated with a hyperdynamic state characterized by a high cardiac output, increased total blood volume, and a decreased splanchnic vascular resistance. This splanchnic vasodilation is a result of an important increase in local and systemic vasodilators (nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, prostacyclin, endocannabinoids, and so on), the presence of a splanchnic vascular hyporesponsiveness toward vasoconstrictors, and the development of mesenteric angiogenesis. All these mechanisms will be discussed in this review. To decompress the portal circulation in PHT, portosystemic collaterals will develop. The presence of these portosystemic shunts are responsible for major complications of PHT, namely bleeding from gastrointestinal varices, encephalopathy, and sepsis. Until recently, it was accepted that the formation of collaterals was due to opening of preexisting vascular channels, however, recent data suggest also the role of vascular remodeling and angiogenesis. These points are also discussed in detail. Anat Rec, 291:699–713, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pediatric Tracheostomy

A retrospective review of a decade of experience with pediatric tracheostomy encompassed 420 children. Analysis was performed with respect to primary diagnosis, age, duration of tracheostomy and hospitalization, early and late complications and mortality. While the incidence of tracheostomy per hospital admission decreased over the period of review, there was substantial increase in duration of tracheostomy. Approximately half of the patients sustained complications. While overall mortality approached 28%, tracheostomy-related deaths occurred in only eight patients (2%). Almost one fifth of children with tracheostomies were discharged to home care, and 3% were involved in our home ventilator program.
Integrin trafficking at a glance

Integrins are heterodimeric transmembrane receptors for extracellular matrix (ECM) components and they link the intracellular actin cytoskeleton to the cellular environment ([Humphries et al., 2006][1]; [Hynes, 2002][2]). The α- and β-subunits of integrin heterodimers are type I membrane proteins
Jean-Martin Charcot Pathologist, Neurologist, Psychiatrist and Physician

Jean-Martin Charcot is known as father of modern neurology. Before him, neurology was only limited to select disorders like chorea. His contributions were not limited to neurology only, as he was instrumental in many new developments in the field of pathology, psychiatry, and internal medicine. Even after 100 years, Charcot`s clinical methods remain the pillar of modern neurology.
QoS Swarm State Dependent Routing for Irregular Traffic in Telecommunication Networks

This paper introduces a polynomial time approximation Quality of Service (QoS) routing algorithm and constructs dynamic state-dependent routing policies. The proposed algorithm uses an inductive approach based on trial/error paradigm combined with swarm adaptive approaches to optimize the end-to-end delay packet transmission. The algorithm presented here is based on our earlier adaptive routing system and uses a model combining both a stochastic planned pre-navigation for the exploration phase and a deterministic approach for the backward phase. Numerical results obtained with OPNET simulator for different levels of traffic's load show good performances of our approach compared the classical non adaptive algorithms in a high dynamic environment.
Lithium, a Potential Protective Drug in Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the presence of two histopathological aberrant structures, the senile plaques and the neurofibrillary tangles. The main component of these tangles is the cytoskeletal protein tau in hyperphosphorylated form. Since a main tau kinase is glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3), the use of specific GSK-3 inhibitors, like lithium, could be a potential therapy in Alzheimer’s disease. In this short article, we have done a review on tau phosphorylation in Alzheimer’s disease and other tauopathies, and on the inhibition of kinases like GSK-3, involved in tau modification.
Two Arabidopsis ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Large Subunits (APL1 and APL2) Are Catalytic1

ADP-glucose (Glc) pyrophosphorylase (ADP-Glc PPase) catalyzes the first committed step in starch biosynthesis. Higher plant ADP-Glc PPase is a heterotetramer (α2β2) consisting of two small and two large subunits. There is increasing evidence that suggests that catalytic and regulatory properties of the enzyme from higher plants result from the synergy of both types of subunits. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), two genes encode small subunits (APS1 and APS2) and four large subunits (APL1–APL4). Here, we show that in Arabidopsis, APL1 and APL2, besides their regulatory role, have catalytic activity. Heterotetramers formed by combinations of a noncatalytic APS1 and the four large subunits showed that APL1 and APL2 exhibited ADP-Glc PPase activity with distinctive sensitivities to the allosteric activator (3-phosphoglycerate). Mutation of the Glc-1-P binding site of Arabidopsis and potato (Solanum tuberosum) isoforms confirmed these observations. To determine the relevance of these activities in planta, a T-DNA mutant of APS1 (aps1) was characterized. aps1 is starchless, lacks ADP-Glc PPase activity, APS1 mRNA, and APS1 protein, and is late flowering in long days. Transgenic lines of the aps1 mutant, expressing an inactivated form of APS1, recovered the wild-type phenotype, indicating that APL1 and APL2 have catalytic activity and may contribute to ADP-Glc synthesis in planta.
Zum Einfluss von Regierungsideologie und Zentralbankunabhängigkeit auf die Geldpolitik

Die Leitzinsen der Zentralbanken sind ein bedeutendes Politikinstrument. Weil jedoch Zentralbanker und nicht Regierungen die Leitzinsen bestimmen, haben Politiker einen Anreiz, Zentralbanker derart zu beeinflussen, dass die Zinssatze nach dem Belieben der Politik verandert werden. Niklas Potrafke untersuchte zusammen mit Ansgar Belke, Universitat Duisburg-Essen, fur 23 OECD-Lander uber den Zeitraum 1980 bis 2005, wie Regierungsideologie die Nominalzinssatze beeinflusst hat.
Short answer question case series: management of cocaine-associated chest pain

A 35-year-old man presents to the emergency department complaining of chest tightness, shortness of breath and left arm heaviness that began 2 h after using crack cocaine and has been continuous for 4 h. He had one prior episode of chest pain (CP) associated with cocaine use and was told he may have had a ‘baby heart attack’, but he was not admitted and did not undergo cardiac catheterisation. An ECG reveals a mild sinus tachycardia of 105 beats/min, but is otherwise normal. He is given aspirin and morphine on arrival with complete resolution of his symptoms. Physical examination does not reveal any findings concerning for congestive heart failure. 1. How does cocaine mediate its effects? 2. What is the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with cocaine-associated chest pain? 3. What medications should be considered in cocaine-associated chest pain? 4. What is the appropriate disposition for this patient? 1. Cocaine has many effects and points of action. It possesses sympathomimetic properties that are responsible for its desired euphoric effect but also causes tachycardia, hypertension and vasoconstriction due to both α …
Optimal resource allocation in Hybrid Packet/optical Circuit Switched networks

In current networks, large flows often co-exist with small flows and consume a significant proportion of the network bandwidth. This imposes a challenge on network resource management. Various hybrid switching architectures have been proposed in recent years aiming to address this challenge and improve efficiency and resource utilization. However, there is still a need for means for design and dimensioning of resources among multiple switching planes. In this work, we first argue that the resource allocation in hybrid switching systems is fact the interaction between three components: resource allocation, traffic partitioning and performance (or cost) constraints. We then introduce a framework called Blocking-LOss Curve (BLOC) to address the resource allocation problem in hybrid switching systems. BLOC can capture the behavior of hybrid switching systems under different resource allocation strategies. This framework also allows us to identify the feasible region for resource allocation, within which performance metrics like the packet loss and request blocking requirements can be satisfied. An optimal resource allocation strategy may be found based on the feasible region. We also discuss the application of BLOC in hybrid switching Data Center networks.
A Prospective Investigation of PTEN Loss and ERG Expression in Lethal Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND PTEN is a tumor suppressor frequently deleted in prostate cancer that may be a useful prognostic biomarker. However, the association of PTEN loss with lethal disease has not been tested in a large, predominantly surgically treated cohort. METHODS In the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and Physicians' Health Study, we followed 1044 incident prostate cancer cases diagnosed between 1986 and 2009 for cancer-specific and all-cause mortality. A genetically validated PTEN immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay was performed on tissue microarrays (TMAs). TMPRSS2:ERG status was previously assessed in a subset of cases by a genetically validated IHC assay for ERG. Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for age and body mass index at diagnosis, Gleason grade, and clinical or pathologic TNM stage were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association with lethal disease. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS On average, men were followed 11.7 years, during which there were 81 lethal events. Sixteen percent of cases had complete PTEN loss in all TMA cores and 9% had heterogeneous PTEN loss across cores. After adjustment for clinical-pathologic variables, complete PTEN loss was associated with lethal progression (HR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.2 to 2.9). The association of PTEN loss (complete or heterogeneous) with lethal progression was only among men with ERG-negative (HR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.7 to 5.7) but not ERG-positive (HR = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.7 to 2.2) tumors. CONCLUSIONS PTEN loss is independently associated with increased risk of lethal progression, particularly in the ERG fusion-negative subgroup. These validated and inexpensive IHC assays may be useful for risk stratification in prostate cancer.