Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decadal trend of climate in the Tibetan Plateau—regional temperature and precipitation

The Tibetan Plateau has one of the most complex climates in the world. Analysis of the climate in this region is important for understanding the climate change worldwide. In this study, climate patterns and trends in the Tibetan Plateau were analysed for the period from 1961 to 2001. Air temperature and precipitation were analysed on monthly and annual time scales using data collected from the National Meteorological Centre, China Meteorological Administration. Nonlinear slopes were estimated and analysed to investigate the spatial and temporal trends of air temperature and precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau using a Mann–Kendall method. Spatial analysis of air temperature and precipitation variability across the Tibetan Plateau was undertaken. While most trends are local in nature, there are general basinwide patterns. Temperature during the last several decades showed a long‐term warmer trend, especially the areas around Dingri and Zogong stations, which formed two increasing centres. Only one of the stations investigated exhibited decreasing trend, and this was not significant. Precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau has increased in most regions of the study area over the past several decades, especially in the eastern and central part, while the western Tibetan Region exhibited a decreased trend over the same period. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An Investigation of Attention Allocation during Sequential Eye Movement Tasks

Allocation of visuo-spatial attention during dynamic viewing was investigated with a dual task. Primary tasks (reading, scanning, searching) all required sequential left-to-right eye movements. An additional speeded manual response was made to a visual probe that appeared early or late after the onset of a randomly determined fixation (25 or 170 msec probe delay). The probe appeared to the left, directly above, or to the right of the currently fixated character (-10, -5, 0, +5, or +10 characters probe eccentricity). Faster probe detection near the location of the forthcoming eye fixation was found in the search task, but not during reading or scanning. Fixation times increased and saccade lengths decreased as a consequence of probing in all three tasks. Fixations were, however, less prolonged when the probe appeared in the right than when it appeared in the left hemifield, and saccades were greatest when the probe appeared at +10 characters. The results extend the notion of goal-directed attention shifts to free viewing and highlight the impact of task-specific processing requirements.
Spatial Variability in Soil Microbial Communities in a Nitrogen‐Saturated Hardwood Forest Watershed

The long-term reference watershed (WS4), at Fernow Experimental Forest, West Virginia, displays symptoms ofN saturation despite considerable spatial heterogeneity in soil properties, such as texture, N pools, and cycling rates. We identified a weathering gradient of three sites within WS4 by assessing differences in clay content across a common geologic substrate. Across these sites (LN, MN, and HN), NO 3 production rates vary significantly (low, medium, and high nitrification, respectively) and are negatively related to clay content. It is unknown whether microbial communities vary across these sites and contribute to variability in N0 3 production. This study characterized soil microbial communities along this gradient and assessed factors potentially important in explaining microbial composition. We sampled mineral soil from each of the sites, analyzing for moisture, pH, organic matter, extractable N, and microbial biomass and community composition via phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. Analysis of variance and canonical correspondence analysis indicated that microbial community composition varied among sites, with a predominance of fungal markers (18:2n6 and 18:1n9c) at the most weathered LN site and Gram negative bacteria (18:1n7c) at the less weathered MN and HN sites. Accordingly, the fungi/bacteria ratio increased in the direction of LN plots in ordination space. Correlations between measured environmental parameters and PLFA data suggest that acidic conditions and low NO 3 abundance at the LN site have selected for fungal dominance, although other important factors known to exert an influence on soil microbial communities, such as differences in plant community and clay and organic matter content, may also be playing a role in determining the observed patterns.
Autoantibodies against thyroid hormones and their influence on thyroxine determination with chemiluminescence immunoassay in dogs

Autoantibodies against thyroxin (T4AA) and triiodothyronine (T3AA) are present in dogs with autoimmune thyroiditis and have been reported to interfere with immunoassays. The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of autoantibodies and to determine whether interference occurs by T4AA, using a non-immunological method (high performance liquid chromatography, HPLC) for thyroxin (T4) measurement. Based on clinical symptoms, T4 and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration, 1,339 dogs were divided into six groups: Group 1: hypothyroid (n = 149); Group 2: subclinical thyroiditis (n = 110); Group 3: suspicious for non thyroidal illness (n = 691); Group 4: biochemical euthyroid (n = 138); Group 5: hypothyroid dogs under substitution therapy (n = 141); Group 6: healthy dogs (n = 110). The incidence of T4AA and T3AA, determined using radiometric assay, was low (0.5% and 3.8%) and higher in hypothyroid dogs compared to dogs suspicious for hypothyroidism (Group 2-4) (p<0.05). T4AA was not detected in dogs with normal T4 and elevated TSH. T4 concentrations of T4AA positive samples determined using HPLC were comparable to results obtained by chemiluminescence immunoassay. These findings indicate that the probability of interference of T4AA leading to falsely elevated T4 concentration in the T4 assay seems to be low.
Observations of the Crab Nebula and Its Pulsar in the Far-Ultraviolet and in the Optical

We present far-UV observations of the Crab Nebula and its pulsar made with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope. Broad, blueshifted absorption arising in the nebula is seen in C IV λ1550, reaching a blueward velocity of ~2500 km s-1. This can be interpreted as evidence for a fast outer shell surrounding the Crab Nebula, and we adopt a spherically symmetric model to constrain the properties of such a shell. From the line profile we find that the density appears to decrease outward in the shell. A likely lower limit to the shell mass is ~0.3 M☉ with an accompanying kinetic energy of ~1.5 × 1049 ergs. A fast massive shell with 1051 ergs cannot be excluded but is less likely if the density profile is much steeper than ρ(R) ∝ R-4 and the maximum velocity is ≲6000 km s-1. The observations cover the region 1140-1720 Å, which is further into the ultraviolet than has previously been obtained for the pulsar. With the time-tag mode of the spectrograph we obtain the pulse profile in this spectral regime. The profile is similar to that previously obtained by us in the near-UV, although the primary peak is marginally narrower. Together with the near-UV data, and new optical data from the Nordic Optical Telescope, our spectrum of the Crab pulsar covers the entire region from 1140 to 9250 Å. Dereddening the spectrum with a standard extinction curve we achieve a flat spectrum for the reddening parameters E(B-V) = 0.52, R = 3.1. This dereddened spectrum of the Crab pulsar can be fitted by a power law with spectral index αν = 0.11 ± 0.04. The main uncertainty in determining the spectral index is the amount and characteristics of the interstellar reddening, and we have investigated the dependence of αν on E(B-V) and R. In the extended emission covered by our 25′′ × 0. ″5 slit in the far-UV, we detect C IV λ1550 and He II λ1640 emission lines from the Crab Nebula. Several interstellar absorption lines are detected along the line of sight to the pulsar. The Lyα absorption indicates a column density of (3.0 ± 0.5) × 1021 cm-2 of neutral hydrogen, which agrees well with our estimate of E(B-V) = 0.52 mag. Other lines show no evidence of severe depletion of metals in atomic gas.
Moderate alcohol intake and renal function decline in women: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND The impact of moderate alcohol consumption on renal function has important public health implications given the high prevalence of alcohol use. Experimentally, alcohol may adversely affect renal function, but clinical data are limited and no large, prospective studies have examined this issue. METHODS In a prospective study of 1658 nurses enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study, we sought to determine if there was an association between moderate alcohol consumption and rate of decline in renal function. Daily alcohol intake was measured in 1990, 1994 and 1998 using a detailed questionnaire. Maximum daily alcohol intake was measured in 1988. Creatinine, measured from blood samples provided in 1989 and 2000, was used to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and creatinine clearance (CCr). RESULTS Compared to individuals with no alcohol intake, the odds ratios (ORs) for developing a >or=25% estimated GFR decline were: 0.98 (95% CI: 0.72-1.32) for 0.1-4.9 g/day, 0.83 (95% CI: 0.56-1.21) for 5-14.9 g/day and 0.81 (95% CI: 0.50-1.31) for 15-59.9 g/day. For women with hypertension (n = 726), the ORs for a >or=25% estimated GFR decline were: 0.98 (95% CI: 0.53-1.21) for 0.1-4.9 g/day, 0.62 (95% CI: 0.34-1.12) for 5-14.9 g/day and 0.53 (95% CI: 0.25-1.12) for 15-59.9 g/day. CONCLUSIONS Moderate alcohol consumption had no substantial adverse effect on renal function in women over an 11 year follow-up period.
Modulation of Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Gene Transcription and Promotion of Lung Injury by Mechanical Ventilation1

Mechanical ventilation (MV) with tidal volumes of 10–12 ml/kg is considered safe in the absence of acute lung injury (ALI). However, recent studies show that, when lung injury is already present, tidal volumes of this magnitude increase inflammation and injury in the lungs. We hypothesized that MV with tidal volumes of 10-ml/kg can also function as a cofactor in the initiation of ALI by modulating the transcriptional response to bacterial products. To test this hypothesis, we developed a mouse model in which MV did not independently cause inflammation or injury but augmented the inflammatory response to low-dose aspirated LPS and promoted development of ALI. We analyzed gene expression in lungs from 24 mice assigned to four different groups: control, MV only, intratracheal LPS only, and MV + LPS. There were twice as many differentially regulated genes in the MV + LPS group compared with the LPS-only group and 10 times as many differentially regulated genes compared with the MV-only group. For genes up-regulated by LPS treatment alone, the addition of MV further augmented expression. Cytokine concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and tissue distribution of an intracellular protein, GADD45-γ, correlated with mRNA levels. We conclude that MV with conventional tidal volumes enhanced the transcriptional response to LPS and promoted development of ALI.
Traumatic Abdominal Solid Organ Injury Patients Might Benefit From Thromboelastography-Guided Blood Component Therapy

Background Thromboelastography (TEG) has been utilized for the guidance of blood component therapy (BCT). We aimed to investigate the association between emergent TEG-guided BCT and clinical outcomes in patients with traumatic abdominal solid organ (liver and/or spleen) injuries. Methods A single center retrospective study of patients who sustained traumatic liver and/or spleen injuries receiving emergent BCT was conducted. TEG was ordered in all these patients. Patient demographics, general injury information, outcomes, BCT, and TEG parameters were analyzed and compared in patients receiving TEG-guided BCT versus those without. Results A total of 166 patients were enrolled, of whom 52% (86/166) received TEG-guided BCT. A mortality of 12% was noted among patients with TEG-guided BCT when compared with 19% of mortality in patients with non-TEG-guided BCT (P > 0.05). An average of 4 units of packed red blood cell (PRBC) was received in patients with TEG-guided BCT when compared to an average of 9 units of PRBC received in non-TEG-guided BCT patients (P < 0.01). A longer hospital length of stay (LOS, 19 ± 16 days) was found among non-TEG-guided BCT patients when compared to the TEG-guided BCT group (14 ± 12 days, P < 0.05). TEG-guided BCT showed as an independent factor associated with hospital LOS after other variables were adjusted (coefficiency: 5.44, 95% confidence interval: 0.69 - 10.18). Conclusions Traumatic abdominal solid organ injury patients receiving blood transfusions might benefit from TEG-guided BCT as indicated by less blood products needed and less hospitalization stay among the cohort.
Deep structure and tectonics of the northern‐central Apennines as seen by regional‐scale tomography and 3‐D located earthquakes

In this study we present new high‐resolution, regional‐scale, Vp and Vp/Vs models of the northern‐central Apennines along with accurate 3‐D locations of a large set of local earthquakes. The main velocity anomalies are consistent with the surface geology in the shallow layers and present evidence for fluids stored within the basement at greater depths beneath the extensional belt. The Adria and Tyrrhenian mantle are defined by positive velocity anomalies below 30 km depth, while a low‐Vp, high‐Vp/Vs region in between indicates the existence of a hydrated wedge. The results yield new constraints on active processes in the Apennines and more generally envisage the evolution of a postcollisional belt. Velocity anomalies and earthquakes are consistent with a complex system of delamination and sinking of the Adria continental lithosphere, with the peeling of the crust identified by intermediate‐depth seismicity. Change of seismicity and structural patterns along the belt indicates that this tectonic process is diachronous and that fluids, released by sunken lithosphere, are stored within the crust, conditioning the occurrence of seismicity and the onset of extension.
A Practical Cooperative Multicell MIMO-OFDMA Network Based on Rank Coordination

An important challenge of wireless networks is to boost the cell edge performance and enable multi-stream transmissions to cell edge users. Interference mitigation techniques relying on multiple antennas and coordination among cells are nowadays heavily studied in the literature. Typical strategies in OFDMA networks include coordinated scheduling, beamforming and power control. In this paper, we propose a novel and practical type of coordination for OFDMA downlink networks relying on multiple antennas at the transmitter and the receiver. The transmission ranks, i.e. the number of transmitted streams, and the user scheduling in all cells are jointly optimized in order to maximize a network utility function accounting for fairness among users. A distributed coordinated scheduler motivated by an interference pricing mechanism and relying on a master-slave architecture is introduced. The proposed scheme is operated based on the user report of a recommended rank for the interfering cells accounting for the receiver interference suppression capability. It incurs a very low feedback and backhaul overhead and enables efficient link adaptation. It is moreover robust to channel measurement errors and applicable to both open-loop and closed-loop MIMO operations. A 20% cell edge performance gain over uncoordinated LTE-A system is shown through system level simulations.
Rankings in a comparative perspective: Conceptual remarks

Rankings seem to be as old as modernity. While the word ranking in the current meaning of the term might be relatively new1, the ideas at the core of the social process of ranking – evaluate performances, attach numbers to them, order them on tables and publish them – can be traced back at least to the 18th century. The field where these characteristics first came together, however, may come as a surprise to many familiar with today’s rankings: Instead of universities, enterprises or governments, the first to be ranked seem to have been painters, writers and musicians, and instead of media/data enterprises, market researchers or international organizations, the first rankers were art critics. The first table resembling a modern ranking, in fact, appears to have been the “Balance des Peintres” compiled by the French critic Roger de Piles in 1708, which evaluated European painters from different epochs according to four criteria (“composition”, “dessein”, “colors” and “expression) on scales from 0-20. As opposed to today’s rankings, though, it did not yet calculate overall scores and did not determine the order on the table according to scores. In the course of the 18th century, the “balance” was adopted by various French, British and German art critics and modified for the evaluation of other arts, among them Mark Arkenside’s “Balance of Poets” (1746) and the anonymous “Scale to Measure the Merits of Musicians” (1776). At the
The validity of the static‐charge‐sensitive bed in the detection of fentanyl‐induced respiratory depression

Background: Only a few methods for the measurement of breathing are non‐invasive and do not interfere with measured parameters. The static‐charge‐sensitive bed (SCSB) could be such a monitor. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the SCSB compared with the respiratory inductive plethysmograph (RIP) using a fentanyl‐induced respiratory depression model.
Random and nonrandom inbreeding revealed from isonymy study. I. Small cities of Japan.

Crow and Mange [1] have shown that isonymous marriages (i.e., between persons of the same surname) may be used for the estimation of the inbreeding coefficient, which in simple cases is one-fourth of the fraction of isonymous marriages. Actually, the parallelism between paternally inherited genetic characters and surnames was first recognized by Darwin [2], who estimated the frequency of first-cousin marriages. Especially in Spanish-speaking countries, where each person uses both paternal and maternal names [3], the surname may be a very useful trait for the study of human population structure [4]. In the present communication, we shall examine surname as a genetic indicator with special reference to inbreeding. A special feature of Japanese material is the coexistence of two systems of name transmission. In a regular patrilineal system, children take the name associated with their father's Y chromosome, while, in matrilineal inheritance, children take the name that would be associated with the maternal W chromosome if the female were heterogametic. Illegitimacy, adoption, and other changes of name are analogous to gene mutation. One aim of this paper is to investigate the relative frequency of changes in surname.
Prevalence and correlates of gout in a large cohort of patients with chronic kidney disease: the German Chronic Kidney Disease (GCKD) study.

BACKGROUND Reduced kidney function is a risk factor for hyperuricaemia and gout, but limited information on the burden of gout is available from studies of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We therefore examined the prevalence and correlates of gout in the large prospective observational German Chronic Kidney Disease (GCKD) study. METHODS Data from 5085 CKD patients aged 18-74 years with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 30-<60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) or eGFR ≥60 and overt proteinuria at recruitment and non-missing values for self-reported gout, medications and urate measurements from a central laboratory were evaluated. RESULTS The overall prevalence of gout was 24.3%, and increased from 16.0% in those with eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) to 35.6% in those with eGFR <30. Of those with self-reported gout, 30.7% of individuals were not currently taking any gout medication and among gout patients on urate lowering therapy, 47.2% still showed hyperuricaemia. Factors associated with gout were serum urate, lower eGFR, advanced age, male sex, higher body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio, higher triglyceride and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations, alcohol intake and diuretics use. While lower eGFR categories showed significant associations with gout in multivariable-adjusted models (prevalence ratio 1.46 for eGFR <30 compared with eGFR ≥60, 95% confidence interval 1.21-1.77), associations between gout and higher urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio in this CKD population were not significant. CONCLUSIONS Self-reported gout is common among patients with CKD and lower GFR is strongly associated with gout. Pharmacological management of gout in patients with CKD is suboptimal. Prospective follow-up will show whether gout and hyperuricaemia increase the risk of CKD progression and cardiovascular events in the GCKD study.
Modelling elastic anisotropy of dry rocks as a function of applied stress

We propose an analytical model for seismic anisotropy caused by the application of an anisotropic stress to an isotropic dry rock. We first consider an isotropic, linearly elastic medium (porous or non‐porous) permeated by a distribution of discontinuities with random (isotropic) orientation (such as randomly oriented compliant grain contacts or cracks). The geometry of individual discontinuities is not specified. Instead, their behaviour is defined by a ratio B of the normal to tangential excess compliances.
THE EYES AS A CAUSE OF HEADACHE *

and the scars remained free from relapses. In the rest of the cases great improvement was obtained. Only a few scattered nodules reappeared in a scar otherwise free from lupus. Probably a repetition of the light treatment, combined perhaps with electrocoagulation, will succeed in removing in these cases, too, the last remnant of the disease, as was in fact found with a number of other inveterate cases which had proved refractory to previous treatment with the original Finsen apparatus. The two outstanding advantages of the Finsen treatment are its efficacy, and even more the ideal cosmetic results: soft, smooth, often hardly visible scars, which have preserved the full vitality and resistance of the natural skin without any disposition to atrophy, ulceration, or malignant degeneration.
ARG1 is a novel bronchodilator response gene: screening and replication in four asthma cohorts.

RATIONALE Inhaled beta-agonists are one of the most widely used classes of drugs for the treatment of asthma. However, a substantial proportion of patients with asthma do not have a favorable response to these drugs, and identifying genetic determinants of drug response may aid in tailoring treatment for individual patients. OBJECTIVES To screen variants in candidate genes in the steroid and beta-adrenergic pathways for association with response to inhaled beta-agonists. METHODS We genotyped 844 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 111 candidate genes in 209 children and their parents participating in the Childhood Asthma Management Program. We screened the association of these SNPs with acute response to inhaled beta-agonists (bronchodilator response [BDR]) using a novel algorithm implemented in a family-based association test that ranked SNPs in order of statistical power. Genes that had SNPs with median power in the highest quartile were then taken for replication analyses in three other asthma cohorts. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS We identified 17 genes from the screening algorithm and genotyped 99 SNPs from these genes in a second population of patients with asthma. We then genotyped 63 SNPs from four genes with significant associations with BDR, for replication in a third and fourth population of patients with asthma. Evidence for association from the four asthma cohorts was combined, and SNPs from ARG1 were significantly associated with BDR. SNP rs2781659 survived Bonferroni correction for multiple testing (combined P value = 0.00048, adjusted P value = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS These findings identify ARG1 as a novel gene for acute BDR in both children and adults with asthma.