Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New Thermodynamic Models and Calculated Phase Equilibria in NCFMAS for Basic and Ultrabasic Compositions through the Transition Zone into the Uppermost Lower Mantle

Phase equilibria calculated withTHERMOCALC for simplified mantle ultrabasic and basic bulk compositions in Na2O^CaO^FeO^ MgO^Al2O3^SiO2 (NCFMAS) at depths down to the Transition Zone and uppermost lower mantle are presented here for the first time. This capitalizes on a new equation of state for solid phases and ties in deep mantle phases (wadsleyite, ringwoodite, akimotoite, garnet, MgSi-perovskite, CaSi-perovskite, cf phase, ferropericlase, nal, corundum and stishovite) to the thermodynamic dataset used at lower pressures in THERMOCALC. Activity^composition relationships for these complex phases are formulated that combine the end-member properties, allowing such phase equilibria to be calculated.The results are presented in the form of P^Tand P^X pseudosections showing the dependence of mineral assemblage on conditions of formation and composition in basic and ultrabasic compositions, and also in terms of modal proportion and mineral composition diagrams. Such thermodynamic calculations will allow quantitative assessment of the mineral assemblages in the mantle, as well as in subducting lithospheric slabs. The results will be a key input into geophysical modelling, allowing questions such as the controls on the penetration of subducted slabs into the lower mantle to be addressed. The calculated mineral assemblages can also help in the interpretation of deep mantle phase inclusions trapped within diamonds. Calculations are made more realistic than in pre-existing models by inclusion in this study of a chemically complex nal phase as well as inclusion of a wide range of substitutions in the cf phase and in both the Mgand Ca-perovskite phases.
Tympanic membrane perforation and hearing loss from blast overpressure in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom wounded.

BACKGROUND Tympanic membrane perforation is the most common primary blast injury in the current conflicts and occurs in approximately one tenth of service members wounded by combat explosions. We wanted to determine the severity of perforation and its effect on hearing and combat readiness. METHODS This analysis is a retrospective study of US service members injured in combat explosions in Afghanistan or Iraq and treated at our institution between March 2003 and July 2006. Data captured included location and grade of perforation, symptoms, healing rates, audiogram results, need for hearing aids, and loss of eligibility for military service. RESULTS Of 436 explosion-wounded patients admitted to our facility, 65 (15%) patients had tympanic membrane perforation diagnosed by the otolaryngology service. A total of 97 tympanic membrane perforations occurred among 65 patients. The average surface area involved was 41% +/- 32% (right) and 35% +/- 34% (left). More than one third of perforations were grade 4. The most common locations were central and anterior-inferior. Most (83%) patients reported symptoms, most commonly diminished hearing (77%) and tinnitus (50%). Outcome data were available for 77% of perforations. Spontaneous healing occurred in 48%. The remainder (52%) had surgical intervention. The most common audiogram abnormality was mild high frequency hearing loss. Ultimately, three patients (5%) required hearing aids and one discharge from military service. CONCLUSIONS Tympanic membrane perforation occurs in 16% of explosion-injured patients. Most patients are symptomatic and many have large perforations requiring operative intervention. Long-term hearing loss is uncommon but does impact ability to continue military service.
Pupillary behavior in relation to wavelength and age

Pupil light reflex can be used as a non-invasive ocular predictor of cephalic autonomic nervous system integrity. Spectral sensitivity of the pupil's response to light has, for some time, been an interesting issue. It has generally, however, only been investigated with the use of white light and studies with monochromatic wavelengths are scarce. This study investigates the effects of wavelength and age within three parameters of the pupil light reflex (amplitude of response, latency, and velocity of constriction) in a large sample of younger and older adults (N = 97), in mesopic conditions. Subjects were exposed to a single light stimulus at four different wavelengths: white (5600°K), blue (450 nm), green (510 nm), and red (600 nm). Data was analyzed appropriately, and, when applicable, using the General Linear Model (GLM), Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), Student's t-test and/or ANCOVA. Across all subjects, pupillary response to light had the greatest amplitude and shortest latency in white and green light conditions. In regards to age, older subjects (46–78 years) showed an increased latency in white light and decreased velocity of constriction in green light compared to younger subjects (18–45 years old). This study provides data patterns on parameters of wavelength-dependent pupil reflexes to light in adults and it contributes to the large body of pupillometric research. It is hoped that this study will add to the overall evaluation of cephalic autonomic nervous system integrity.
Framing multitasking: practices, experiences and negotiations of multitasking in spatio-temporalities of everyday life

To date, multitasking is found to occur in a wide variety of situational settings and argued to involve different implications for individuals. Nonetheless, there is a lack of a sound theoretical understanding of the complexities involved in multitasking. Therefore, the aim of this study is to provide insight into the spatio-temporalities of multitasking and people’s experiences and negotiations of multitasking practices. This study draws on the concept of attention and a relational approach to emphasize multitasking is a process embedded by the interaction of individuals and the environment. Empirically supported by qualitative data, this study shows multitasking is performed in different spatiotemporal situations and involves different activity combinations. People’s varying experiences stem from these performances and the complexities at play in multitasking practices. In response to their experiences of activity performances and lived time, people employ several strategies to negotiate multitasking.
Executive Compensation

The optimal design of executive compensation is one of the primary issues in the area of corporate governance and has been investigated in considerable detail in the academic literature over the past three decades. The underlying assumption behind the design of optimal compensation schemes is that the executives of the firm have more information on the firm’s projects and cash flows than the shareholders. In the presence of symmetric information, since the shareholders can completely distinguish the executive’s effort from bad luck or other extraneous factors, there is little need to motivate the executive beyond a flat salary. In the presence of asymmetric information, the shareholder faces two problems: One, to select the right type of agent (the adverse selection problem) and two, to motivate the agent to work hard once selected (the moral hazard problem). All executive compensation schemes represent trade-offs between these two agency problems. In this survey, in the first section, I start by discussing the theory of executive compensation. Why do firms pay executives? I distinguish two major approaches. The first arises from the theory of optimal compensation contracting and focuses on the composition of pay. It argues that the composition of pay is set to attract good executives (to solve the adverse selection problem) and motivate them to work hard (the moral hazard problem). The second approach focuses on the level of pay. It argues that managers have a considerable degree of power in setting their own wages, and in particular, use their power to extract excessive pay or rents from the shareholders. In the second section, I discuss the evidence on both the composition and level of pay and how it has changed over time, treating each component pay separately. I also discuss the composition of pay in countries around the world and in specific industries. In the third section, I describe who decides pay composition and levels. Finally, in the fourth section, I conclude by examining how the structure of pay has real consequences for firms.
Anti-Lung-Cancer Activity and Liposome-Based Delivery Systems of β-Elemene

In the past decade, β-elemene played an important role in enhancing the effects of many anticancer drugs and was widely used in the treatment of different kinds of malignancies and in reducing the side effects of chemotherapy. Further study showed that it is also a promising anti-lung cancer drug. However, the clinical application of β-elemene was limited by its hydrophobic property, poor stability, and low bioavailability. With the development of new excipients and novel technologies, plenty of novel formulations of β-elemene have improved dramatically, which provide a positive perspective in terms of clinical application for β-elemene. Liposome as a drug delivery system shows great advantages over traditional formulations for β-elemene. In this paper, we summarize the advanced progress being made in anti-lung cancer activity and the new liposomes delivery systems of β-elemene. This advancement is expected to improve the level of pharmacy research and provide a stronger scientific foundation for further study on β-elemene.
Mechanism of proton/substrate coupling in the heptahelical lysosomal transporter cystinosin

Secondary active transporters use electrochemical gradients provided by primary ion pumps to translocate metabolites or drugs “uphill” across membranes. Here we report the ion-coupling mechanism of cystinosin, an unusual eukaryotic, proton-driven transporter distantly related to the proton pump bacteriorhodopsin. In humans, cystinosin exports the proteolysis-derived dimeric amino acid cystine from lysosomes and is impaired in cystinosis. Using voltage-dependence analysis of steady-state and transient currents elicited by cystine and neutralization-scanning mutagenesis of conserved protonatable residues, we show that cystine binding is coupled to protonation of a clinically relevant aspartate buried in the membrane. Deuterium isotope substitution experiments are consistent with an access of this aspartate from the lysosomal lumen through a deep proton channel. This aspartate lies in one of the two PQ-loop motifs shared by cystinosin with a set of eukaryotic membrane proteins of unknown function and is conserved in about half of them, thus suggesting that other PQ-loop proteins may translocate protons.
BASE FLOW TRENDS IN URBANIZING WATERSHEDS OF THE DELAWARE RIVER BASIN 1

Rapid land development is raising concern regarding the ability of urbanizing watersheds to sustain adequate base flow during periods of drought. Long term streamflow records from unregulated watersheds of the lower to middle Delaware River basin are examined to evaluate the impact of urbanization and imperviousness on base flow. Trends in annual base flow volumes, seven‐day low flows, and runoff ratios are determined for six urbanizing watersheds and four reference watersheds across three distinct physiographic regions. Hydrograph separation is used to determine annual base flow and stormflow volumes, and nonparametric trend tests are conducted on the resulting time series. Of the watersheds examined, the expected effects of declining base flow volumes and seven‐day low flows and increasing stormflows are seen in only one watershed that is approximately 20 percent impervious and has been subject to a net water export over the past 15 years. Both interbasin transfers and hydrologic mechanisms are invoked to explain these results. The results show that increases in impervious area may not result in measurable reductions in base flow at the watershed scale.
The Social Construction of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Using Social Media Technologies

ABSTRACT Many people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), sometimes lacking adequate face-to-face sources of support, turn to online communities to meet others with the disease. These online communities are places of support and education, but through the use of social media communication technologies, people with IBD are redefining what it means to live with the disease. This ethnographic study followed 14 online communities to understand how people with IBD used social media technologies to construct their own meanings about living with the disease. The following redefinitions were observed: the refiguring of the body is beautiful; inflammatory bowel disease is serious and deadly; inflammatory bowel disease is humorous; the disease makes one stronger; and the disease is invisible, but needs to be made visible. This study will help health communication scholars understand how technology is appropriated by patients, and will help practitioners understand how their patients conceptualize their disease.
Optimized RNA Targets of Two Closely Related Triple KH Domain Proteins, Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein K and αCP-2KL, Suggest Distinct Modes of RNA Recognition*

The KH domain mediates RNA binding in a wide range of proteins. Here we investigate the RNA-binding properties of two abundant RNA-binding proteins, αCP-2KL and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) K. These proteins constitute the major poly(C) binding activity in mammalian cells, are closely related on the basis of the structures and positioning of their respective triplicated KH domains, and have been implicated in a variety of post-transcriptional controls. By using SELEX, we have obtained sets of high affinity RNA targets for both proteins. The primary and secondary structures necessary for optimal protein binding were inferred in each case from SELEX RNA sequence comparisons and confirmed by mutagenesis and structural mapping. The target sites for αCP-2KL and hnRNP K were both enriched for cytosine bases and were presented in a single-stranded conformation. In contrast to these shared characteristics, the optimal target sequence for hnRNP K is composed of a single short “C-patch” compatible with recognition by a single KH domain whereas that for αCP-2KL encompassed three such C-patches suggesting more extensive interactions. The binding specificities of the respective SELEX RNAs were confirmed by testing their interactions with native proteins in cell extracts, and the importance of the secondary structure in establishing an optimized αCP-2KL-binding site was supported by comparison of SELEX target structure with that of the native human α-globin 3′-untranslated region. These data indicate that modes of macromolecular interactions of arrayed KH domains can differ even among closely related KH proteins and that binding affinities are substantially dependent on the presentation of the target site within the RNA secondary structure.
Concordance analysis of an in vitro micronucleus screening assay and the regulatory chromosome aberration assay using pharmaceutical drug candidates

The in vitro micronucleus assay is under consideration by regulatory agencies as a suitable alternative to the in vitro chromosome aberration (CA) assay. At Pfizer, we utilized a non‐Good Laboratory practices cytokinesis‐block in vitro micronucleus (CBMN) assay in CHO cells as a screen to predict the regulatory outcome of the human lymphocyte CA assay, and we have retrospectively analyzed a highly select set of 112 internal drug candidates to measure concordance. Overall, our exploratory CBMN correctly classified 97 of 112 (86.6%) compounds in the CA assay. Specificity was high with 87 of 92 (94.6%) CA negative compounds correctly classified by CBMN. Sensitivity was low at 50% with 10 of 20 CA positive compounds correctly classified by CBMN; this may be attributed to the low number of CA positives in the select set. In an attempt to improve sensitivity, we increased the number of CA positives by combining our internal set with an industrial data set previously published (Miller B et al. 1997 : Mutat Res 392:45–59). When combined, concordance was 86.7% (143/165), specificity was 91.2% (114/125), and sensitivity increased to 72.5% (29/40). Because cytotoxicity is considered a confounding factor of in vitro test systems, we also examined, within the Pfizer data set, the influence of cytotoxicity in the CBMN assay, and the results indicated that seemingly low (<50%) or excessively high (>70%) levels of cytotoxicity did not significantly alter predicted CA outcome. These collective analyses contribute to growing evidence that the CBMN assay is a suitable regulatory option in the standard battery of genetic toxicology tests. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. , 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Quantitative Musings on the Feasibility of Smartphone Clouds

"Green" and its "low power" cousin are the new hot spots in computing. In cloud data centers, at scale, ideas of deploying low-power ARM architectures or even large numbers of extremely "wimpy" nodes [1, 2] seem increasingly appealing. Skeptics on the other hand maintain that we cannot get more than what we pay for and no free lunches can be had. In this paper we explore these theses and provide insights into the power-performance trade-off at scale for "wimpy", back-to basics, power-efficient RISC architectures. We use ARM as modern proxy for these and quantify the cost/performance ratio precisely-enough to allow for a broader conclusion. We then offer an intuition as to why this may still hold in 2030.
The Radio Properties of Seyfert Galaxies in the 12 Micron and CfA Samples

We report the results of 20, 6, and 2 cm VLA and 1.5 cm OVRO observations of two similar radio-quiet active galaxy and quasar (AGN) samples: the optically selected CfA Seyfert galaxies and the bolometric flux-limited 12 μm active galaxy sample. Every object observed was detected at 6 cm. Only ~6%-8% of the 12 μm sample Seyfert galaxies (three to four objects) are radio-loud (and none of the CfA sample), as compared to 15%-20% for the Bright Quasar Survey quasars. These radio-loud objects are compact and have flat spectra, distinguishing them from the more common radio-quiet objects. The 6-20 cm slopes of the Seyfert 1's and 2's are similar, with average values of ⟨α620 cm ⟩ = -0.66 and -0.71, respectively. Although several Seyfert 1's are significantly flatter than this in their 6-20 and/or 1.5-6 cm slopes, there is no systematic trend for either Seyfert type to display upward or downward spectral curvature. Excluding the radio-loud quasars, the integrated 6 cm radio luminosity is linearly proportional to the 60 μm luminosity over several orders of magnitude, with on average twice the radio power of normal spirals of the same far-infrared power. About half of the objects show extended 6 cm emission, contributing on average 33% of the total flux. Thus the luminosities of these extended components alone are comparable to normal spirals of similar infrared luminosities. The 12 μm sample radio luminosity function is slightly higher than that of the CfA sample. The integrated space density of Seyfert 2's is ~2 times that of Seyfert 1's over their common range in luminosity. In terms of the standard unified model, this ratio in space density corresponds to a typical half-angle of the torus of θ~ 48°.
Identification of the Functional Domains of the Telomere Protein Rap1 in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The telomere at the end of a linear chromosome plays crucial roles in genome stability. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the Rap1 protein, one of the central players at the telomeres, associates with multiple proteins to regulate various telomere functions, such as the maintenance of telomere DNA length, telomere end protection, maintenance of telomere heterochromatin, and telomere clustering in meiosis. The molecular bases of the interactions between Rap1 and its partners, however, remain largely unknown. Here, we describe the identification of the interaction domains of Rap1 with its partners. The Bqt1/Bqt2 complex, which is required for normal meiotic progression, Poz1, which is required for telomere length control, and Taz1, which is required for the recruitment of Rap1 to telomeres, bind to distinct domains in the C-terminal half of Rap1. Intriguingly, analyses of a series of deletion mutants for rap1 + have revealed that the long N-terminal region (1–456 a.a. [amino acids]) of Rap1 (full length: 693 a.a.) is not required for telomere DNA length control, telomere end protection, and telomere gene silencing, whereas the C-terminal region (457–693 a.a.) containing Poz1- and Taz1-binding domains plays important roles in those functions. Furthermore, the Bqt1/Bqt2- and Taz1-binding domains are essential for normal spore formation after meiosis. Our results suggest that the C-terminal half of Rap1 is critical for the primary telomere functions, whereas the N-terminal region containing the BRCT (BRCA1 C-terminus) and Myb domains, which are evolutionally conserved among the Rap1 family proteins, does not play a major role at the telomeres.
Comparison of Pleiades and LiDAR Digital Elevation Models for Terraces Detection in Farmlands

Among the most evident anthropogenic modifications of the landscape, terraces related to agricultural activities are ubiquitous structures that constitute important investments worldwide, and they recently acquired a new relevance to modern concerns about land-use management and erosion control. Conservation agriculture and terraces management are an application with great potentialities for Satellite Earth observation and the derived high-resolution topography. Due to its high agility, the Pleiades satellite constellation provides new, high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) with a submetric resolution that could be potentially useful for this task, and their application in a farmland context is nowadays an open research line. This work provides a first analysis, performing an automatic terrace mapping from DEMs obtained from Pleiades images, as compared to LiDAR DEMs. Two existing methods are considered: 1) the fast line segment detector (LSD) algorithm and 2) a geomorphometric method based on surface curvature. Despite the lower performances of Pleiades DEMs with respect to that of the LiDAR models, the results indicate that the Pleiades models can be used to automatically detect terrace slopes greater than 2 m with a detection rate of more than 80% of the total length of the terraces. In addition, the results showed that when using noisy DEMs, the geomorphometric method is more robust, and it slightly outperforms the LSD algorithm. These results provide a first analysis on how effective Pleiades DEMs can be as an alternative to LiDAR DEMs, also highlighting the future challenges for monitoring large extents in a farmland context.
A Soluble NADH-Dependent Fumarate Reductase in the Reductive Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle of Hydrogenobacter thermophilus TK-6

ABSTRACT Fumarate reductase (FRD) is an enzyme that reduces fumarate to succinate. In many organisms, it is bound to the membrane and uses electron donors such as quinol. In this study, an FRD from a thermophilic chemolithoautotrophic bacterium, Hydrogenobacter thermophilus TK-6, was purified and characterized. FRD activity using NADH as an electron donor was not detected in the membrane fraction but was found in the soluble fraction. The purified enzyme was demonstrated to be a novel type of FRD, consisting of five subunits. One subunit showed high sequence identity to the catalytic subunits of known FRDs. Although the genes of typical FRDs are assembled in a cluster, the five genes encoding the H. thermophilus FRD were distant from each other in the genome. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis showed that the H. thermophilus FRD was located in a distinct position from those of known soluble FRDs. This is the first report of a soluble NADH-dependent FRD in Bacteria and of the purification of a FRD that operates in the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle.