Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Welcome to new editors - development, eco-devo and environmental adaptation.

Sonia Sultan, Keith Lindsey and Steve Strauss are three new appointments to the Editorial Board of New Phytologist . The scientific theme underlying these appointments is one that we are actively developing in the journal – ecological developmental biology (‘eco-devo’) and related research areas (e.g. see Dusheck, 2002). As we enter the postgenomics era, we have looked at the scope of the Function section with a view to encouraging the best of the emerging new research. Both ecodevo, at the interface between genomics and ecology, and the genetic basis of environmental adaptation are areas in which we see future expansion and are amplified further on our website (http://www.newphytologist.org/function.htm, e.g. see Geisler & Sack, 2002; Holroyd et al ., 2002; Lerdau & Gray, 2003). The focus of Sonia’s research in evolutionary ecology, at the Department of Biology, Wesleyan University, CT, USA, is on the organism’s own capacity to respond to its environment (phenotypic plasticity) and the influence of random microenvironmental factors on individual success. These themes are amplified further on Sonia’s website (http://www.wesleyan.edu/bio/sultan/sultan.html, e.g. see Ackerly et al ., 2000; Sultan, 2000, 2003). Keith Lindsey is at the School of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, University of Durham, UK, where his research aims at a full understanding of the molecular basis of plant development – this work mainly uses Arabidopsis , facilitated by the vast array of genetic information already available (http://www.dur.ac.uk/ biological.sciences/Staff/Lindsey/lindsey.html, e.g. see Casson & Lindsey, 2003; Lindsey et al ., 2002; Souter et al ., 2002). But many other plants are now being genetically characterized and, among trees, principle among these is Populus . Steve Strauss has been at the forefront of these efforts – for example, in 1994, Steve was instrumental in creating the Tree Genetic Engineering Research Cooperative (TGERC: http://www.cof.orst.edu/coops/tgerc/). The research in Steve’s lab (Forest Science, Oregon State University, OR, USA) focuses on the application of molecular genetics in the analysis of forest trees (http://www.cgrb.orst.edu/mcb/faculty/ strauss/, e.g. see Strauss, 2002; Busov et al ., 2003). In recognition of these key themes for the future, we will be holding a symposium in 2004 dedicated to the functional genomics of environmental adaptation in Populus . Alistair Hetherington has been instrumental in taking the Function section forward to include the research described here, especially in encouraging Tansley reviews that reflect the new directions, and the review featured in this issue (Gutschick & BassiriRad, pp. 21–42; see also the accompanying commentary by David Ackerly, pp. 2–4) highlights pertinent ecological and evolutionary themes. The development of our Evolution section (http://www.newphytologist.org/evolution.htm), indeed, is complementary here, and on pp. 14–16 Alex Buerkle elaborates on the advances that have been facilitated by modern tools in the study of plant speciation.
Reliability aspects of the low-frequency noise behaviour of submicron CMOS technologies

This overview concentrates on reliability aspects of low-frequency (LF) noise in present-day CMOS technologies and transistors. It focuses on how different degradation mechanisms affect the LF noise behaviour and discusses the impact of technological modifications intended to enhance the lifetime of components and circuits. Whenever possible, the physical background will be highlighted, although for a detailed treatment dedicated reviews have to be consulted. The paper consists of two main parts. One covers the degradation mechanisms on a transistor level, including the impact of homogeneous and hot-carrier degradation and the effect of back-end processing steps and, more specifically, plasma damage on the LF noise. In the second part, the noise aspects of the metal interconnect lines related to the occurrence of electromigration are summarized. Because of the downscaling of technologies this aspect gains more and more weight and is, at the same time, a vital part of modern CMOS technology. Throughout the presentation, the possibilities of using noise as a lifetime-predictive tool are discussed and illustrated.
A portal image alignment and patient setup verification procedure using moments and correlation techniques

The objective of this study was to develop an integrated field shape and patient setup verification procedure for portal images. The proposed procedure used one of the approved portal images as the reference image for automated comparison with subsequent portal images. The first step of the procedure used a moments method to align treatment field boundaries. This step was necessary to compensate for the repositioning error of an image detector and to create a common frame of reference for comparing anatomical shifts relative to the field boundary. At the end of the moments alignment, a moments figure of merit was computed and compared with a pre-established threshold. This verified whether there was a potential shape change in the treatment field. To measure anatomical misalignment, the last step in the procedure was to use a grey-scale image correlation method to align translations and in-plane rotations relative to the anatomy of the reference image. The procedure was shown in phantom studies to err by less than 1 mm when detecting translational shifts and less than when detecting in-plane rotations. The moments verification method showed a sensitivity of detecting a placement error of 6 mm for a single leaf in a controlled experiment where a multileaf collimator was used for field shaping. The alignment procedure was fast and could be done in less than 12 s on an IBM-compatible 486 personal computer.
Superconducting bearings

The physics and technology of superconducting bearings is reviewed. Particular attention is given to the use of high-temperature superconductors (HTSs) in rotating bearings. The basic phenomenology of levitational forces is presented, followed by a brief discussion of the theoretical models that can be used for conceptual understanding and calculations. The merits of various HTS bearing designs are presented, and the behaviour of HTS bearings in typical situations is discussed. The article concludes with a brief survey of various proposed applications for HTS bearings.
Biomechanical analysis of damaged intervertebral disc using reflective photoelasticity

This paper presents an experimental evaluation of the structural integrity of the lumbar section (L2-L3-L4) considering a damaged intervertebral disc. In this study porcine specimens were used due to the similarity of the mechanical properties those of the human spine. The lumbar section L2-L3-L4 was tested under compression. Five cases were analyzed; in the first one, the lumbar section consisted of healthy intervertebral discs. For the other four cases the disc located between L2 and L3 was divided into four quadrants: front, back, left and right. For each of these cases, a damage condition was induced by making an incision from the annular fibers to the pulpous nucleus, covering each quadrant; the back elements (pedicles and facet joint) were removed and only the vertebral bodies and discs were tested. As a damaged intervertebral disc is unable to properly perform its mechanical function, the load transferred from L2 to L3 through the disc is no longer optimal. The actual stress field on L3, considering the damaged disc, was obtained using reflective photoelasticity for each one of the before mentioned study cases. The results show that the induced damage in the intervertebral discs increases the stresses on L3 considerably when compared to the case of an undamaged disc, being the most critical when the damage is located in the back quadrant of the disc. In the other three cases, the damaged disc does not reduce the structural integrity of the vertebral body significantly. However, the inter-vertebrae space is reduced as a result of the damage thus compromising the structural integrity of the studied lumbar section.
Nonequilibrium work equalities in isolated quantum systems

We briefly introduce the quantum Jarzynski and Bochkov—Kuzovlev equalities in isolated quantum Hamiltonian systems, including their origin, their derivations using a quantum Feynman—Kac formula, the quantum Crooks equality, the evolution equations governing the characteristic functions of the probability density functions for the quantum work, and recent experimental verifications. Some results are given here for the first time. We particularly emphasize the formally structural consistence between these quantum equalities and their classical counterparts, which are useful for understanding the existing equalities and pursuing new fluctuation relations in other complex quantum systems.
Van der Waals forces in the local-orbital Density Functional Theory

Van der Waals forces are analyzed in a Density Functional Theory, using a “local orbital occupancy” formulation and second-order perturbation theory. In this approach, the exchange-correlation energy as well as the van der Waals forces are written as a function of the orbital occupation numbers. We present a detailed discussion of the He-He case and calculate the Density Functional-van der Waals energy of the system. Our analysis also suggests an alternative approach for including van der Waals forces in the local-orbital DFT formulation, namely, to introduce an effective hopping interaction between the orbitals of both atoms. Our results for the He and Ne dimers show the validity and the accuracy of our proposed DFT-van der Waals approach.
A computational mesoscale evaluation of material characteristics of porous shape memory alloys

Computational techniques are used to estimate porous shape memory alloy material behavior in this study. Mesoscale analysis techniques based on a two-dimensional finite element method are used to evaluate a representative volume element (RVE) to determine effective material response. The porous shape memory alloy is defined as comprised of two constituents, dense NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA), and pores that are defined as free of all material and distributed randomly. An existing rate-independent type constitutive model is used to define the dense SMA material behavior. Open porosity is considered with the axis of generation perpendicular to the plane of the two-dimensional RVE. Pores are allowed to vary in size and shape with no limit on maximum pore size. Computational evaluations are completed for porous SMA for a range of pore volume fractions. Effective material behavior is calculated and results are compared with computationally determined material behavior based on the micromechanical unit cell finite element method. Calculated effective material elastic and transformation characteristics compare well between the two methods for low to moderate (⩽0.3) pore volume fractions. Significant variations are seen for higher pore volume fractions (>0.3) due to spatial orientation and percolation effects that are not considered in unit cell analyses.
Estilos de liderazgo de enfermeros en una unidad de terapia intensiva: asociación con el perfil personal, profesional y con la carga de trabajo

This study aims to explore the association between nurses' leadership styles and personal and professional nursing profile and workload. The sample consisted of seven nurses and seven nursing technicians who were grouped into pairs. At the end of three months, nurses were queried regarding what leadership style would be adopted when the nursing technician under their evaluation delivered care to patients admitted to the ICU. Relevant data was analyzed by applying descriptive statistics, Tukey's multiple comparison test and Student's t-test (p ;0.05). The determine, persuade, and share leadership styles prevailed. However, whenever the nursing workload peaked, the determine and persuade styles were used (p<0.05).
Deposition of magnetic particles: a computer simulation study

We report a Monte Carlo simulation of deposition of magnetic particles on a one-dimensional substrate. Incoming particles interact with those that are already part of the deposit via a dipole–dipole potential. The strength of the dipolar interaction is controlled by an effective temperature T*, the case of pure diffusion-limited deposition being recovered in the limit T* → ∞. Preliminary results suggest that the fractal dimension of the deposits does not change with temperature but that there is a (temperature-dependent) crossover from regimes of temperature-dependent to universal behaviour. Furthermore, it was found that dipoles tend to align with the local direction of growth.
Quantifying agitation in sedated ICU patients using heart rate and blood pressure

Agitation is a significant problem in the intensive care unit (ICU), affecting 71% of sedated adult patients during 58% of ICU patient-days (Fraser and Riker 2001 NY Health-Syst. Pharm. 20 17–24). Subjective scale-based assessment methods are currently used to assess the level of patient agitation, but are limited in their accuracy and resolution. This research develops an objective agitation measurement method using heart rate variability (HRV), systolic blood pressure (BP) and blood pressure variability (BPV) data, processed by wavelet transforms and autoregressive signal processing. A fuzzy inference system (FIS) is developed to classify changes in these signals that correlate with observed patient agitation, and combine them into a final agitation level. Proof of concept clinical trials on 13 normal subjects and 5 ICU patients has been performed to verify the validity of this approach in comparison with agitation graded by nursing staff using the Riker sedation–agitation scale (SAS). Results show good correlation with medical staff assessment with no false positive results during calm periods. Clinically, this initial agitation measurement method promises the ability to consistently and objectively quantify patient agitation to enable better management of sedation and agitation through optimized drug delivery leading to reduced length of stay.
Nonlinear analysis of traffic jams in an anisotropic continuum model

This paper presents our study of the nonlinear stability of a new anisotropic continuum traffic flow model in which the dimensionless parameter or anisotropic factor controls the non-isotropic character and diffusive influence. In order to establish traffic flow stability criterion or to know the critical parameters that lead, on one hand, to a stable response to perturbations or disturbances or, on the other hand, to an unstable response and therefore to a possible congestion, a nonlinear stability criterion is derived by using a wavefront expansion technique. The stability criterion is illustrated by numerical results using the finite difference method for two different values of anisotropic parameter. It is also been observed that the newly derived stability results are consistent with previously reported results obtained using approximate linearisation methods. Moreover, the stability criterion derived in this paper can provide more refined information from the perspective of the capability to reproduce nonlinear traffic flow behaviors observed in real traffic than previously established methodologies.
Capicua regulates neural stem cell proliferation and lineage specification through control of Ets factors

Capicua (Cic) is a transcriptional repressor mutated in the brain cancer oligodendroglioma. Despite its cancer link, little is known of Cic’s function in the brain. Here, we investigated the relationship between Cic expression and cell type specification in the brain. Cic is strongly expressed in astrocytic and neuronal lineage cells but is more weakly expressed in stem cells and oligodendroglial lineage cells. Using a new conditional Cic knockout mouse, we show that forebrain-specific Cic deletion increases proliferation and self-renewal of neural stem cells. Furthermore, Cic loss biases neural stem cells toward glial lineage selection, expanding the pool of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). These proliferation and lineage selection effects in the developing brain are dependent on de-repression of Ets transcription factors. In patient-derived oligodendroglioma cells, CIC reexpression or ETV5 blockade decreases lineage bias, proliferation, self-renewal and tumorigenicity. Our results identify Cic is an important regulator of cell fate in neurodevelopment and oligodendroglioma, and suggest that its loss contributes to oligodendroglioma by promoting proliferation and an OPC-like identity via Ets overactivity.
Screening for Biological Activities of Spirogyra neglecta Water Extract

The freshwater green algae, S. neglecta, has been commonly used as a Northern Thai local food due to the fact that it is composed of several nutritional components. The aim of the present study was to investigate the phytochemical properties and biological activities of an S. neglecta water extract for application as a functional food or pharmaceutical ingredient. The phenolic and flavonoid contents of S. neglecta and its biological activities, including anti-oxidant, pancreatic cholesterol esterase, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, and antibacterial activities, were investigated in vitro. The results showed that the S. neglecta extract contained 157.92 mg GAE/g extract of phenolics and 10.10 mg CE/g extract of flavonoids. The radical scavenging activity of the S. neglecta extract exhibited an IC50 of 7.46±1.17 µg/mL from DPPH assay and 224.20±1.06 µg/mL from ABTS assay. Meanwhile, trolox exhibited an IC50 of 7.03±1.08 µg/mL from DPPH assay and 5.24±1.10 µg/mL from ATBS assay. Interestingly, the S. neglecta extract at 10 mg/mL inhibited pancreatic cholesterol esterase activity by 60 %. Moreover, the release of TNF-α from macrophages was strongly reduced by incubation with the S. neglecta extract in a dose-dependent manner, and all of the study concentrations were non-toxic to primary fibroblast cells. In addition, the S. neglecta extract inhibited some gram-positive and -negative bacteria. In summary, S. neglecta extract could possibly be used as a potential functional food or pharmaceutical ingredient, for which further studies are required.
Sliding window dual gradient echo (SW-dGRE): T1 and proton resonance frequency (PRF) calibration for temperature imaging in polyacrylamide gel

The aim of the work is to evaluate a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) thermometry sequence suitable for targeting of focused ultrasound (FUS) when used in vascular occlusion studies. A sliding window dual gradient echo (SW-dGRE) sequence was used. This sequence has the capability of monitoring both T1 relaxation and phase changes, which vary with temperature. Preliminary work involved quantification of the changes in T1 relaxation time with temperature and obtaining the PRF shift coefficient in polyacrylamide gel as it underwent an exothermic reaction during polymerization (avoiding the use of an external heat source). Temperature changes were visualized using thermal maps acquired with the sequence. For FUS guidance a thermal imaging technique is required with a temporal resolution <5 s, a spatial resolution of ∼1 mm and a temperature resolution of ∼5 °C. The sequence was optimized to improve the CNR (contrast to noise ratio) and SNR (signal to noise ratio) in the phase and magnitude images respectively. The PRF coefficient obtained for the polyacrylamide gel was –9.98 ± 0.24 ppb °C−1, whilst ΔT1 and temperature change were related by a proportionality factor, the T1 temperature coefficient, of 102.3 ± 2.9 ms °C−1. The sequence produces an image at every 1.4 s interval. In both magnitude and phase data, the in-plane resolution is ±1.2 mm and the temperature resolution is ∼2 °C. The advantage of this sequence is that the temperature obtained from the magnitude data can be confirmed independently using the phase data and vice versa. Thus the sequence can essentially be crosschecked.
Diversidad de abejas en España, tendencia de las poblaciones y medidas para su conservación (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Anthophila)

Ortiz-Sanchez, F.J., Aguado Martin, L.O. , Ornosa, C. 2018. Bee diversity in Spain. Population trend and conservation measures (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Anthophila). Ecosistemas 27(2): 3-8. Doi. : 10.7818/ECOS.1315 Bees belong to the order Hymenoptera, superfamily Apoidea, and constitute the monophyletic group Anthophila, originating from sphecoid wasps. There are about 20 000 species described in the world, 3370 in the western Palearctic and nearly 2000 in Europe. The Mediterranean basin is one of the areas with the richest diversity of bees, and in Spain more than 1100 species have been recorded. There are six families of bees in Europe with contrasting body sizes and life histories. Different species show different levels of social organization, from solitary to eusocial, including some parasitic species. Bees can nest in a variety of substrates (soil, rocks, wood, stems). Females collect large amounts of nectar and pollen to provision their nests with food for their offspring. This, together with their high pollinating effectiveness on many wild and cultivated plants, makes bees a keystone group in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Information on the population trends and conservation status is lacking for most species.
Treatment planning for heavy-ion radiotherapy: calculation and optimization of biologically effective dose

We describe a novel approach to treatment planning for heavy-ion radiotherapy based on the local effect model (LEM) which allows us to calculate the biologically effective dose not only for the target region but also for the entire irradiation volume. LEM is ideally suited for use as an integral part of treatment planning code systems for active dose shaping devices like the GSI raster scan system. Thus it has been incorporated into our standard treatment planning system for ion therapy (TRiP). Single intensity modulated fields can be optimized with respect to a homogeneous biologically effective dose. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) is calculated separately for each voxel of the patient CT. Our radiobiologically oriented code system has been used since 1995 for the planning of irradiation experiments with cell cultures and animals such as rats and minipigs. It has been in regular and successful use for patient treatment planning since 1997.
Time domain study of generalized transmission lines

Generalized transmission lines whose differential section contains either an additional series capacitance or parallel inductance arise in the analysis of layered structures when the source and the field are decomposed in TE and TM parts. Basic properties of such transmission lines are studied in the time domain. The differential equations for the voltage and current are of the Klein - Gordon form and known solutions are applied to find voltage and current quantities due to sources on the infinite line. As an example, reflection from a capacitive termination is solved in terms of image sources, which for a point source comprises a point source and an exponentially distributed source.