Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasma-Derived Fibronectin Stimulates Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Subchondral Cortico-Spongious Progenitor Cells in Late-Stage Osteoarthritis

Migration and chondrogenesis of human subchondral cortico-spongious progenitor cells (SPCs) are the key steps in the repair of microfracture-induced articular cartilage defects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of human plasma-derived fibronectin (Fn) on the chondrogenic differentiation of SPCs, which was isolated from subchondrol cortico-spongious bone of late-stage osteoarthritis (OA) patients. SPCs were isolated and cultured for three passages. Stem cell surface antigens of SPCs were analyzed by flow cytometry. The osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic differentiation potential were detected by histological staining. The chondrogenesis potential of SPCs with or without stimulation of either Fn or BMP-2 were studied by immunochemical staining and gene expression analysis. Cells isolated from subchondral bone presented to be positive for CD44, CD73, CD90, and CD166, and showed high capacity of osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation, which suggested this cell population to be MSC-like cells. Stimulating with Fn increased the expression of SOX-9, aggrecan, collagen II while decreased the formation of collagen I by immunochemical staining. Gene expression analysis showed similar results. These results suggest that plasma-derived Fn can increase the chondrogenic differentiation of SPCs isolated from late-stage OA and improve cartilage repair after microfracture.
Pre-glacial sedimentary facies of the Point Thomas Formation (Eocene) at Cytadela, Admiralty Bay, King George Island, West Antarctica

New evidence of Eocene preglacial environments has been found on the southern coast of Ezcurra Inlet on King George Island, South Shetland Islands, West Antarctica. Plant remains (trunks, leaves, detritus) and carbonaceous seams and beds occur in sedimen− tary strata in a 4 km long Cytadela outcrop of the Point Thomas Formation. They are an evi− dence for the presence and diversity of terrestrial vegetation in the northern Antarctic Penin− sula region. The forests were composed mostly of Podocarpaceae-Araucaria-Nothofagus, with an undergrowth of hygrophilous and thermophilous ferns, and grew on volcanic slopes and surrounding lowland areas of King George Island during breaks in volcanic activity. The succession that crops out at Cytadela provides a record of changing climatic conditions from a warm and wet climate with extensive vegetation to a much drier climate with limited vegetation and ubiquitous weathering of volcanic bedrock. The geochemical indices of weathering (CIA, PIA and CIW) have narrow and relatively high value ranges (76-88), sug− gesting moderate to high chemical weathering under warm and humid climate conditions. The decrease in humidity and the decline in plant life through the succession can be related to the gradually cooling climate preceding development of the Oligocene ice cover across the Antarctic continent.
Phosphorus Level Affects Brown Blotch Disease, Development and Yield of Cowpea

Application of Phosphorus in adequate concentrations could directly or indirectly reduce disease incidence and severity of cowpea brown blotch and improve the forage and grain yield. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of level of phosphorus application on Brown Blotch disease of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp), caused by Colletotrichum capsici during 2003, 2004 and 2005 planting seasons. Application of phosphorus was at 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg ha of P O. As P level increased numbers of petioles, 1 25 pods, nodules, seed/pod, leaf area and yield significantly increased. Disease incidence and severity of Brown Blotch were significantly reduced at 90 and 120 kg ha of P O was not affected irrespective of the method of 1 25 application. Application method did not affect yield. Reduction in brown blotch disease at higher levels of P was recorded.
Implications for early hydrothermal environments on Mars through the spectral evidence for carbonation and chloritization reactions in the Nili Fossae region

Previous identification of serpentine and magnesium carbonate in the eastern Nili Fossae region of Mars indicates hydrothermal alteration of an olivine‐rich protolith. Here we characterize Fe/Mg phyllosilicates associated with these units and present spectral evidence for the presence of a talc component, distinguishable from saponite. Locations with magnesium carbonate are exclusively associated with talc‐related phyllosilicates. In the westernmost portions of the Nili Fossae region, where a mafic protolith dominates, Fe/Mg phyllosilicates display spectral evidence for a wide degree of chloritization. We propose that Noachian Fe/Mg smectites were uniformly buried by Hesperian lava flows that initiated hydrothermal alteration in the eastern Nili Fossae region. The chloritization of smectites may have produced silica‐rich fluids necessary for the serpentinization of olivine; temperature and depth constraints indicated by their distribution also suggest a hydrothermal system was present. The subsequent carbonation of serpentine and/or olivine in eastern Nili Fossae, while requiring an additional CO2 source, provides an explanation for the limited occurrence of serpentine and the colocation of carbonate and talc‐bearing material throughout this area. The consequence of the hypothesized carbonation reaction and the presence of serpentine provides geochemical constraints for the proportion of CO2 present in the fluids that interacted with the protolith. If this carbonation reaction was a widespread phenomenon, it may have been an important process in the ancient Martian carbon cycle and could have provided a sink for CO2 in the past.
On the plastic hardening of sand

Recent research on the micromechanics of sands has suggested that plastic hardening is due to grain fracture. A theory based on a work equation suggests that, for a sand subjected to plastic deformation, suitable soil hardening parameters are the isotropic preconsolidation pressure relating to plastic reduction in voids ratio, the surface area per unit mass of solids, and the plastic work done. The theory also suggests that these parameters are linear functions of one another. An alternative theory based on fractal crushing also suggests that surface area is a suitable hardening parameter. This paper examines the behaviour of silica sand subjected to a range of high-pressure stress path tests in the triaxial apparatus, in order to try to establish suitable parameters for plastic hardening, and whether the recent theories can be supported. For this sand a simple state boundary surface can be established, and it can reasonably be assumed that strains inside the surface are elastic and isotropic. The size of.
Seasonal, semiannual, and interannual variability seen in measurements of methane made by the UARS Halogen Occultation Experiment

Variability in atmospheric methane on semiannual, seasonal, and interannual timescales is investigated using measurements of CH4 made by the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE). It is shown that there is a strong correlation between the appearance of the stratopause double peak in methane mixing ratio (which is thought to be associated with the semiannual oscillation (SAO)) and the phase of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in the equatorial lower stratosphere. In a descending westerly QBO phase the double peak is seen clearly in the HALOE methane data, but during the onset of the easterly phase the double peak is not observed. This is the opposite of that which might be expected if the cause was a straightforward modulation of the strength of the SAO due to wave filtering by the QBO. The intra-annual variability in HALOE methane is shown to be broadly consistent with previous observations. One interesting feature is the apparent occurrence of descent in the summer high latitudes near the stratopause. It is shown that this feature is, in fact, due to enhanced photochemical destruction in this region in the presence of weak transport.
Dinosaur Tracks, Myths and Buildings: The Jin Ji (Golden Chicken) Stones from Zizhou Area, Northern Shaanxi, China

For centuries, dinosaur footprints have influenced popular legends and myths in the surroundings of important tracksites. In many regions of China, track-bearing slabs were utilized as building materials and integrated in houses, yards, or cave dwellings, often serving as auspicious symbols or aesthetic decorations. Special birds such as the golden pheasant, widely distributed in China, may have inspired people to consider them as mythic trackmakers. The Zizhou area in northern Shaanxi, China, is famous for tracksites in the lower portion of the early Middle Jurassic Yan'an Formation. Sandstones with dinosaur tracks from these localities have been collected since the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and are used by villagers as cellar covers, stalls, or millstones. Besides their historical importance, the slabs are a valuable resource for ichnological research. Well-preserved theropod, ornithopod, and stegosaur tracks such as Kayentapus, Eubrontes, Anomoepus and Deltapodus incorporated into manmade structures can be seen while simply walking through some small villages of this area.
Can the big five factors of personality predict lymphocyte counts?

BACKGROUND Psychological stress is known to affect the immune system. The Limbic Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (LHPA) axis has been identified as the principal path of the bidirectional communication between the immune system and the central nervous system with significant psychological activators. Personality traits acted as moderators of the relationship between life conflicts and psychological distress. This study focuses on the relationship between the Big Five factors of personality and immune regulation as indicated by Lymphocyte counts. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Our study included 32 professional soldiers from the Slovenian Army that completed the Big Five questionnaire (Goldberg IPIP-300). We also assessed their white blood cell counts with a detailed lymphocyte analysis using flow cytometry. The correlations between personality variables and immune system parameters were calculated. Furthermore, regression analyses were performed using personality variables as predictors and immune parameters as criteria. RESULTS The results demonstrated that the model using the Big Five factors as predictors of Lymphocyte counts is significant in predicting the variance in NK and B cell counts. Agreeableness showed the strongest predictive function. CONCLUSIONS The results offer support for the theoretical models that stressed the essential links between personality and immune regulation. Further studies with larger samples examining the Big five factors and immune system parameters are needed.
Acts via the PTEN Tumor Suppressor to Elicit Autoregulation and Genome-Wide Gene Repression by Activation of the Ezh 2 Methyltransferase

The control of normal cell growth is a balance between stimulatory and inhibitory signals. MYC is a pleiotropic transcription factor that both activates and represses a broad range of target genes and is indispensable for cell growth. Whereas much is known about gene activation by MYC, there is no established mechanism for the majority of MYC-repressed genes. We report that MYC transcriptionally activates the PTEN tumor suppressor in normal cells to inactivate the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, thus suppressing AKT activation. Suppression of AKT enhances the activity of the EZH2 histone methyltransferase, a subunit of the epigenetic repressor Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), while simultaneously stabilizing the protein. MYC-mediated enhancement in EZH2 protein level and activity results in local and genome-wide elevation in the repressive H3K27me3 histonemodification, leading to widespread gene repression including feedback autoregulation of the MYC gene itself. Depletion of either PTEN or EZH2 and inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway leads to gene derepression. Importantly, expression of a phospho-defective EZH2mutant is sufficient to recapitulate nearly half of all MYC-mediated gene repression. We present a novel epigenetic model for MYC-mediated gene repression and propose that PTEN and MYC exist in homeostatic balance to control normal growth, which is disrupted in cancer cells. Cancer Res; 73(2); 695–705. 2012 AACR.
Constant Head in Situ Permeability Tests in Clay Strata

Synopsis For clay soils, an accurate assessment of the horizontal coefficient of consolidation to be used in design may generally be obtained if based on field permeability tests carried out during or subsequent to site investigation. The available consolidation theory for a constant head test for a spherical piezometer is extended to include non-linear permeability and compressiibility relationships. The more Practical case of a cylindrical piezometer is considered for both isotropic and homogeneous anisotropic soil, Major errors may result in the measured permeability due to soil smear adjacent to the piezometer, head losses in the tip and leads and air in the piezometer pocket. These are investigated. A simple constant head permeability apparatus is described. Pour des sols argileux, une evaluation precise du coefficient horizontal de consolidation a etre utilise dans la conception peut en general etre obtenue si elle est basee sur des essais de permeabilite de chantier executes pendant ou faisant suit.
Friction of simulated fault gouge for a wide range of velocities and normal stresses

During earthquake rupture, faults slip at velocities of cm/s to m/s. Fault friction at these velocities strongly influences dynamic rupture but is at present poorly constrained. We study friction of simulated fault gouge as a function of normal stress (σn = 25 to 70 MPa) and load point velocity (V = 0.001 to 10 mm/s). Layers of granular quartz (3 mm thick) are sheared between rough surfaces in a direct shear apparatus at ambient conditions. For a constant σn, we impose regular step changes in V throughout 20 mm net slip and monitor the frictional response. A striking observation at high velocity is a dramatic reduction in the instantaneous change in frictional strength for a step change in velocity (friction direct effect) with accumulated slip. Gouge layers dilate for a step increase in velocity, and the amount of dilation decreases with slip and is systematically greater at higher velocity. The steady state friction velocity dependence (a-b) evolves from strengthening to weakening with slip but is not significantly influenced by V or σn. Measurements of dilation imply that an additional mechanism, such as grain rolling, operates at high velocity and that the active shear zone narrows with slip. Data from slow (μm/s) and fast (mm/s) tests indicate a similar displacement dependent textural evolution and comparable comminution rates. Our experiments produce a distinct shear localization fabric and velocity weakening behavior despite limited net displacements and negligible shear heating. Under these conditions we find no evidence for the strong velocity weakening or low friction values predicted by some theoretical models of dynamic rupture. Thus certain mechanisms for strong frictional weakening, such as grain rolling, can likely be ruled out for the conditions of our study.
Differential effects of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists on platelet microaggregate and macroaggregate formation and effect of anticoagulant on antagonist potency. Implications for assay methodology and comparison of different antagonists.

BACKGROUND Citrated platelet-rich plasma (PRP) turbidimetry is used for assessing pharmacodynamic effects of glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa antagonists in clinical trials. However, citrate can enhance the potency of at least eptifibatide (Integrilin), and turbidimetry is insensitive to microaggregate formation. We compared PRP turbidimetry, as a measure of macroaggregate formation, with single-platelet counting in both whole blood and PRP as a measure of microaggregate formation, using both citrate and hirudin anticoagulation. METHODS AND RESULTS Three GP IIb/IIIa antagonists, eptifibatide, MK-0852, and GR144053, were compared in PRP (turbidimetry) and whole blood (platelet counting with an Ultra-Flo 100 Platelet Counter), with ADP and collagen used as agonists. Compared with hirudin, citrate enhanced the potency of eptifibatide by up to 4-fold in both PRP and whole blood (P<0.0005), modestly enhanced MK-0852 potency (P=0.001), and had no effect on GR144053. Potency measured in PRP was 2- to 3-fold greater compared with whole blood for MK-0852 and GR144053 but 3- to 4-fold greater for eptifibatide. Simultaneous turbidimetry and platelet counting performed in PRP indicated that this is because GP IIb/IIIa antagonists are more potent inhibitors of in vitro macroaggregation than microaggregation, this effect being greater for eptifibatide in hirudinized PRP compared with GR144053 (P=0.032). CONCLUSIONS GP IIb/IIIa antagonist potency is variably enhanced by citrate. Macroaggregation is inhibited more effectively than microaggregation, most markedly in the case of eptifibatide in hirudinized blood. These observations have implications for the interpretation and comparison of pharmacodynamic assays and possibly for the risk/benefit ratio of different agents.
Semi-supervised Question Retrieval with Gated Convolutions

Question answering forums are rapidly growing in size with no effective automated ability to refer to and reuse answers already available for previous posted questions. In this paper, we develop a methodology for finding semantically related questions. The task is difficult since 1) key pieces of information are often buried in extraneous details in the question body and 2) available annotations on similar questions are scarce and fragmented. We design a recurrent and convolutional model (gated convolution) to effectively map questions to their semantic representations. The models are pre-trained within an encoder-decoder framework (from body to title) on the basis of the entire raw corpus, and fine-tuned discriminatively from limited annotations. Our evaluation demonstrates that our model yields substantial gains over a standard IR baseline and various neural network architectures (including CNNs, LSTMs and GRUs).
Persistent long-term (c. 24 Ma) exhumation in the Eastern Alaska Range constrained by stacked thermochronology

Abstract To address Miocene–present episodic v. persistent exhumation, we utilize a simple graphical procedure that vertically stacks spatially diverse K-feldspar 40Ar/39Ar multi-domain diffusion (MDD) models from the length of the approximately 100 km-long high-peak region of the Eastern Alaska Range. We supply additional constraints with 40Ar/39Ar mica dating because the higher closure-temperature-window places limits on the initiation of rapid Eastern Alaska Range exhumation. We also provide a broad 40Ar/39Ar K-feldspar minimum closure age data set to add more detail on spatial patterns in the regional exhumation history for the Eastern Alaska Range. We find that rapid and persistent exhumation has occurred in the Eastern Alaska Range since about 24 Ma at a long-term rate of approximately 0.9 km/Ma, but that this rapid exhumation is spatially variable through time. Onset of rapid Eastern Alaska Range exhumation is coincident with the initiation of rapid exhumation in SW Alaska, the Western Alaska Range and the Chugach–Saint Elias Range at around 25 Ma, implying a region-wide deformational response to a change in tectonic forcing. The initiation of highly coupled flat-slab subduction of the Yakutat microplate is probably responsible for this prolonged period of rapid exhumation in southern Alaska. Supplementary material: Sample locations from the Eastern Alaska Range, and 40Ar/39Ar data tables and age spectrum figures are available at www.geolsoc. org.uk/SUP18603.
Influence of the Grain-Size Distribution Curve of Quartz Sand on the Small Strain Shear Modulus Gmax

The paper presents a study of the influence of grain-size distribution curve on the small strain shear modulus Gmax of quartz sand with subangular grain shape. The results of 163 resonant column tests on 25 different grain-size distribution curves are presented. It is demonstrated for a constant void ratio that while Gmax is not influenced by variations in the mean grain-size d50 in the investigated range, it significantly decreases with increasing coefficient of uniformity Cu = d60 / d10 of the grain-size distribution curve. Well-known empirical formulas (e.g., Hardin’s equation with its commonly used constants) may strongly overestimate the stiffness of well-graded soils. Based on the RC test results, correlations of the constants of Hardin’s equation with Cu have been developed. The predictions using Hardin’s equation and these correlations are in good accordance with the test data. Correlations of the frequently used shear modulus coefficient K2,max with Cu and empirical equations formulated in terms .
New fossil hangingflies (Insecta: Mecoptera: Raptipedia: Cimbrophlebiidae) from the Middle Jurassic of Inner Mongolia, China

Abstract: Two new genera with six new species of hangingflies (Mecoptera: Raptipedia: Cimbrophlebiidae) are described. They were collected from the Middle Jurassic nonmarine sedimentary strata of the Jiulongshan Formation in Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, north‐eastern China. This report of Cimbrophlebiidae from the Yanliao Biota provides detailed morphological information and evidence of a broad diversity of Cimbrophlebiidae during the Middle Jurassic. A key to the known species of Cimbrophlebiidae is provided.
Observations of Long Nonlinear Internal Waves in a Lake

Abstract This paper describes observations of large-amplitude, long internal waves in Babine Lake. A unique feature of the observations is that they were taken simultaneously at several different points along the major axis. This permits study of the formation and subsequent development of individual waves as they travel along the lake. The waves typically begin as depressions on the thermocline at the south end following strong westerly winds directed along the lake's major axis. A bend in the southern part of the lake, together with the influence of surrounding mountains, can introduce a divergence in the longitudinal component of the wind stress which in turn produces a thermocline elevation. These two effects then combine to form a northward traveling surge. Subsequent modification of the waveform is interpreted in terms of nonlinear steepening and dispersion.
UV limb‐scatter spectra of noctilucent clouds consistent with mono‐modal particle size distribution

Limb‐backscatter spectra of noctilucent clouds (NLCs) are retrieved from limb measurements made with the Scanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CartograpHY (SCIAMACHY) on the Envisat satellite. The spectral dependence of many hundred sun‐normalized NLC spectra measured during the 2005 NLC season in the northern hemisphere can be well approximated with a power‐law in the 240–300 nm spectral range. In particular, no spectral signatures indicative of the presence of a second particle mode at radii exceeding 200 nm are found, in contradiction to recent studies. The results presented are consistent with a mono‐modal NLC particle size distribution.