Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of the West African Monsoon under Mid-Holocene Precessional Forcing: Regional Climate Model Simulations

Abstract The African Humid Period (AHP), about 14 800 yr ago [14.8–5.5 ka (ka ≡ 1000 yr ago)], was a time of increased humidity over Africa. Paleoclimate evidence suggests that the West African summer monsoon was stronger and more extensive 6 ka than today, and that the Saharan Desert was green. Here, a regional climate model that produces an excellent simulation of today’s climate over northern Africa is used to study the dynamics of the monsoon 6 ka. Changes in insolation, atmospheric CO2, and vegetation are used to impose 6-ka conditions, and the role of each forcing is isolated. Vegetation is not interactive, and the large-scale circulation and SSTs are fixed at present-day values for the 6-ka simulations. The regional model produces precipitation increases across the Sahel and Sahara that are in good agreement with the paleodata. However, unobserved drying is simulated over the Guinean coast region where paleodata are sparse. Precipitation increases in the Sahel are related to a northward shift of th.
Idiopathic hyposmia as a preclinical sign of Parkinson's disease

Olfactory dysfunction is an early and common symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD). In an effort to determine whether otherwise unexplained (idiopathic) olfactory dysfunction is associated with an increased risk of developing PD, we designed a prospective study in a cohort of 361 asymptomatic relatives (parents, siblings, or children) of PD patients. A combination of olfactory detection, identification, and discrimination tasks was used to select groups of hyposmic (n = 40) and normosmic (n = 38) individuals for a 2‐year clinical follow‐up evaluation and sequential single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), using [123I]β‐CIT as a dopamine transporter ligand, to assess nigrostriatal dopaminergic function at baseline and 2 years from baseline. A validated questionnaire, sensitive to the presence of parkinsonism, was used in the follow‐up of the remaining 283 relatives. Two years from baseline, 10% of the individuals with idiopathic hyposmia, who also had strongly reduced [123I]β‐CIT binding at baseline, had developed clinical PD as opposed to none of the other relatives in the cohort. In the remaining nonparkinsonian hyposmic relatives, the average rate of decline in dopamine transporter binding was significantly higher than in the normosmic relatives. These results indicate that idiopathic olfactory dysfunction is associated with an increased risk of developing PD of at least 10%. Ann Neurol 2004
Effect of Moisture on The Flexural Properties of Commercial Oriented Strandboards

Moisture content (MC), thickness swelling (TS), and bending properties of five commercial oriente 1 strandboards (OSBs) made of two wood species were measured. The measurements were made after specimens were conditioned to equilibrium at 35, 55, 75, 85, 95% relative humidity (RH) and 24°C'. It was shown that bending modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) decreasej with increases in board MC. Both MOE and MOR followed a linear relation with MC over the give1 MC change. Thickness swelling of these OSBs was shown to have a large nonrecoverable componen , which mainly occurred with MC increases above the 8 to 10% level. For an MC change from 4 t~ 24%, the combined effect of increased MC and TS led to an average MOE loss of 72% in the parallc 1 direction and 83% in the perpendicular direction; and to an average MOR loss of 58% in the parallc 1 direction and 67% in the perpendicular direction. Predictive equations expressing the bending MOEI MOR and thickness swelling as a function of MC and MOE/MOR loss as a function of thickness swelling were established for various products.
Group I Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors Inhibit GABA Release at Interneuron-Purkinje Cell Synapses through Endocannabinoid Production

Actions of endocannabinoids in the cerebellum can be demonstrated following distinct stimulation protocols in Purkinje cells. First, depolarization-induced elevations of intracellular Ca2+ lead to the suppression of neurotransmitter release from both inhibitory and excitatory afferents. In another case, postsynaptic group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) trigger a strong inhibition of the glutamatergic inputs from parallel and climbing fibers. Both pathways involve endocannabinoids retrogradely acting on type 1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1Rs) at presynaptic terminals. Here, we show that group I mGluR activation also depresses GABAergic transmission at the synapses between molecular layer interneurons and Purkinje cells. Using paired recordings, we found that application of the group I mGluR agonist (RS)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine reduced the evoked IPSCs in Purkinje cells. This effect was independent of postsynaptic Ca2+ increases and was completely blocked by a CB1R antagonist. Experiments performed with the GTP-analogues GDP-βS and GTP-γS provided evidence that endocannabinoids released after G-protein activation can also inhibit GABAergic inputs onto nearby, unstimulated Purkinje cells. Block of the enzymes DAG lipase or phospholipase C reduced the group I mGluR-dependent inhibition, suggesting that 2-arachidonyl glycerol could act as retrograde messenger. Finally, group I mGluR activation by brief bursts of activity of the parallel fibers induced a short-lived depression of spontaneous IPSCs via presynaptic CB1Rs. Our results reveal a mechanism with potential physiological importance, by which glutamatergic synapses induce an endocannabinoid-mediated inhibition of the GABAergic inputs onto Purkinje cells.
Middle and upper atmosphere radar observations of ionospheric density gradients produced by gravity wave packets

By observing the ionospheric F region simultaneously in multiple beams with the middle and upper atmosphere (MU) radar, we have been able to track the passage of gravity waves and measure the horizontal electron density gradients that they produce. Our previous work on this topic, on one day of observations, verified that the gradient structure and fluctuations were consistent with a gravity wave source. The present work (1) looks at several days of observation to confirm the routine existence of these gradient structures; (2) identifies individual wave packets; (3) finds evidence that long trains of gravity wave fluctuations are composed of several juxtaposed wave packets of one or two cycles each rather than a single wave of many cycles; (4) finds that during quiet periods strong waves are present only during the daytime, but during disturbed periods they are present day and night; and (5) notes several other characterizations.
Beyond Egoism and Group Identity: Empathy toward the Other and Awareness of Others in a Social Dilemma

In three experiments, participants were faced with a social dilemma in which they could benefit themselves, the group, or other group members as individuals. The results showed that participants who felt high empathy toward a certain individual allocated more resources to the target of empathy, but without reducing the collective good. Then, we adapted the measure of empathy developed by Batson and colleagues (Batson, Ahmad, et al., 1999; Batson, Batson, et al., 1995) to the Spanish context. The results of Experiment 3 supported the existence of a new process: awareness of other individuals present in the social dilemma. It is proposed that this process is independent of those typically studied in research of this field: self-interest, group identification, and the empathy for a specific individual. En tres experimentos se presentó a los participantes un dilema social en el que podían beneficiarse a sí mismos, al grupo, o a individuos concretos del grupo. En primer lugar, los resultados mostraron que las participantes que sintieron una alta empatía por un individuo concreto le adjudicaron más recursos, pero sin perjudicar al bien colectivo. En segundo lugar, se adaptó al castellano la medida de empatía elaborada por Batson y sus colegas (Batson, Ahmad, et al., 1999; Batson, Batson, et al., 1995). En tercer lugar, los resultados del Experimento 3 apoyaron la existencia de un nuevo proceso: la conciencia de la existencia de otros individuos presentes en el dilema social. Se propone que este proceso es independiente de los tradicionalmente estudiados por la investigación en este campo: el auto-interés, la identificación con el grupo, y la empatía sentida hacia un individuo en concreto.
On the Propagation of Isolated Multilayer and Continuously Stratified Eddies

Abstract Integra expressions are derived for the east-west velocity of propagation of isolated eddies on a beta plane. It is assumed that the eddies have no surface or floor expression, i.e., that both surface and floor are isopycnals. The results of Nof and Mory are generalized and demonstrate the crucial necessity for all such results that, on the hounding density surfaces, the linearized Bernoulli function depends only on the depth of that surface. Thus there are examples of isolated eddies satisfying the assumptions but which are not directly amenable to the analyses presented hitherto. Results for multiple layers (including a simple rule for the direction of propagation) and for continuously stratified eddies, subject to some assumptions, are given. A simple model fit to salt lenses observed by Armi and Zenk gives westward motion or order 1 cm s−1, which is not unreasonable.
A Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel Regulates Lysosomal Fusion with Endosomes and Autophagosomes and Is Required for Neuronal Homeostasis

Autophagy helps deliver sequestered intracellular cargo to lysosomes for proteolytic degradation and thereby maintains cellular homeostasis by preventing accumulation of toxic substances in cells. In a forward mosaic screen in Drosophila designed to identify genes required for neuronal function and maintenance, we identified multiple cacophony (cac) mutant alleles. They exhibit an age-dependent accumulation of autophagic vacuoles (AVs) in photoreceptor terminals and eventually a degeneration of the terminals and surrounding glia. cac encodes an α1 subunit of a Drosophila voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) that is required for synaptic vesicle fusion with the plasma membrane and neurotransmitter release. Here, we show that cac mutant photoreceptor terminals accumulate AV-lysosomal fusion intermediates, suggesting that Cac is necessary for the fusion of AVs with lysosomes, a poorly defined process. Loss of another subunit of the VGCC, α2δ or straightjacket (stj), causes phenotypes very similar to those caused by the loss of cac, indicating that the VGCC is required for AV-lysosomal fusion. The role of VGCC in AV-lysosomal fusion is evolutionarily conserved, as the loss of the mouse homologues, Cacna1a and Cacna2d2, also leads to autophagic defects in mice. Moreover, we find that CACNA1A is localized to the lysosomes and that loss of lysosomal Cacna1a in cerebellar cultured neurons leads to a failure of lysosomes to fuse with endosomes and autophagosomes. Finally, we show that the lysosomal CACNA1A but not the plasma-membrane resident CACNA1A is required for lysosomal fusion. In summary, we present a model in which the VGCC plays a role in autophagy by regulating the fusion of AVs with lysosomes through its calcium channel activity and hence functions in maintaining neuronal homeostasis.
Leukocyte, Rather than Tumor-produced SPARC, Determines Stroma and Collagen Type IV Deposition in Mammary Carcinoma

Secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), also known as osteonectin or BM-40, is a Ca2+-binding matricellular glycoprotein involved in development, wound healing, and neoplasia. However, the role of SPARC in tumors is ill defined mostly because it is expressed by both tumor and stromal cells, especially inflammatory cells. We analyzed the respective roles of host- and tumor-derived SPARC in wild-type and congenic SPARC knockout (SPARC−/−) mice on a BALB/c genetic background injected into the mammary fat pad with SPARC-producing mammary carcinoma cells derived from c-erB2 transgenic BALB/c mice. Reduced tumor growth but massive parenchyma infiltration, with large areas of necrosis and impaired vascularization were observed in SPARC−/− mice. Immunohistochemical analysis showed a defect in collagen type IV deposition in the stroma of lobular tumors from SPARC−/− mice. Chimeric mice expressing SPARC only in bone marrow–derived cells were able to organize peritumoral and perilobular stroma, whereas reciprocal chimeras transplanted with bone marrow from SPARC−/− mice developed tumors with less defined lobular structures, lacking assembled collagen type IV and with a parenchyma heavily infiltrated by leukocytes. Together, the data indicate that SPARC produced by host leukocytes, rather than the tumor, determines the assembly and function of tumor-associated stroma through the organization of collagen type IV.
Sea ice as the glacial cycles' climate switch: Role of seasonal and orbital forcing

A box model of the coupled ocean, atmosphere, sea ice, and land ice climate system is used to study glacial-interglacial oscillations under seasonally and orbitally varying solar forcing. The dominant 100 kyr oscillation in land ice volume has the familiar sawtooth shape of climate proxy records, and to zeroth order, it does not depend on the seasonal and Milankovitch forcing. The sea ice controls, via its albedo and insulating effects, the atmospheric moisture fluxes and precipitation that enable the land ice sheet growth. This control and the rapid growth and melting of the sea ice allow the sea ice to rapidly switch the climate system from a growing ice sheet phase to a retreating ice sheet phase and to shape the oscillation's sawtooth structure. A specific physical mechanism is proposed by which the insolation changes act as a pacemaker, setting the phase of the oscillation by directly controlling summer melting of ice sheets. This mechanism is shown to induce deglaciations during periods of lower summer insolation. Superimposed on the 100 kyr are the linear Milankovitch-forced frequencies of 19, 23, and 41 kyr. The transition from 41 kyr glacial cycles to 100 kyr cycles one million years ago may be explained as being due to the activation of the sea ice switch at that time. This would be the case if sea ice extent was more limited during the warmer climate of the early Pleistocene.
The ubiquity of thin groups

This article deals with the question of whether typical subgroups of GLn.Z/ are thin. We discuss interpretations of what “typical” should mean, motivated by recently solved arithmetic problems involving thin groups. We give an overview of what is known about the ubiquity of thin groups that come up in these problems and describe the known tools to detect whether a given subgroup of GLn.Z/ is thin.
Evaluating Different Methods of Toxoplasma Gondii Detection in Peripheral Blood

Introduction: The mechanisms involved in the virulence and recurrences of ocular toxoplasmosis are poorly understood. New detection methods are necessary to diagnose atypical cases and to better understand recurrences. A sensitive method to identify Toxoplasma gondii in peripheral blood of patients is necessary. Purpose: To detect the presence of T. gondii in peripheral human blood using immunohistochemistry and PCR. Methods: Yellow fluorescent protein RH strain of T. gondii was cultured on fibroblast monolayer for 5 weeks. Cytospins and whole blood smears from spiked blood were stained using monoclonal antibodies on an automated Ventana. For real time PCR, different concentrations of T. gondii were added to human blood and DNA was extracted. PCR was performed targeting a 62bp fragment of the B1 gene or the 529bp fragment. The primers used were: B1 Forward 5’-CTA GTA TCG GTG CGG CAA TGT -3’and Reverse 5’-GGC AGC GTC TCT TCC TCT TTT -3’. For the 529 bp fragment primers used were 5’-CGC TGC AGG GAG GAA GAC GAA AGT TG-3’ and reverse 5´-CGC TGC AGA CAC AGT GCA TCT GAA TT-3’. All assays were run in triplicate. Results: The qPCR was able to detect fewer parasites than immunohistochemistry. Moreover, qPCR targeting the 529 bp fragment was better than the B1 gene, being able to detect parasites in concentrations as low as 1 toxo/mL. Conclusions: The qPCR method using the 529bp target proved to be more sensitive than qPCR using the B1 gene target and cytospins or blood smears using immunohistochemistry.
Place, Placelessness, Insideness, and Outsideness in John Sayles' Sunshine State

John Sayles is one of America’s most successful independent filmmakers, whose works include Return of the Secaucus Seven (1980), City of Hope (1991), and Lone Star (1996). This article examines Sayles’ portrait of place in Sunshine State (2002), a film set in Plantation Island, Florida, where large-scale corporate development is transforming two communities—one black, the other white—into upscale winter resorts. Sayles’ film probes the place experience of some sixteen vividly drawn characters and illuminates how the same physical place, for different individuals and groups, can evoke a broad spectrum of situations, meanings, and potential futures. One of Sayles’ conclusions is that people cannot escape the place in which they find themselves. They can, however, learn from that place and thereby decide whether and in what ways they will offer that place commitment or not.
Reliability-based calibration of resistance factors for static bearing capacity of driven steel pipe piles

As part of a study to develop load and resistance factor design (LRFD) codes for foundation structures in South Korea, resistance factors for the static bearing capacity of driven steel pipe piles were calibrated in the framework of the reliability theory. A database of 52 static load test results was compiled, and the data from these load test piles were sorted into two cases: a standard penetration test (SPT) N-value at pile tip (i) less than 50 and (ii) equal to or more than 50. Reliability analyses and resistance factor calibration for the two static bearing capacity analysis methods adopted in the Korean Design standards for foundation structures were performed using the first-order reliability method (FORM) and the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). Reliability indices and resistance factors computed by the MCS are statistically identical to those computed by FORM. Target reliability indices were selected as 2.0 and 2.33 for the group pile case and 2.5 for the single pile case. The resistance factors rec.
Improved Neural Network-based Multi-label Classification with Better Initialization Leveraging Label Co-occurrence

In a multi-label text classiﬁcation task, in which multiple labels can be assigned to one text, label co-occurrence itself is informative. We propose a novel neural network initialization method to treat some of the neurons in the ﬁnal hidden layer as dedicated neurons for each pattern of label co-occurrence. These dedicated neurons are initialized to connect to the corresponding co-occurring labels with stronger weights than to others. In experiments with a natural language query classiﬁ-cation task, which requires multi-label clas-siﬁcation, our initialization method improved classiﬁcation accuracy without any computational overhead in training and evaluation.
γ-Tocotrienol Induces Paraptosis-Like Cell Death in Human Colon Carcinoma SW620 Cells

Colorectal cancer is one of the most serious illnesses among diagnosed cancer. As a new type of anti-cancer composition from tocotrienol-rich fraction of palm oil, γ-tocotrienol is widely used in anti-cancer research. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of γ-tocotrienol on human colon cancer SW620 and HCT-8 cells. We showed that treatment with different concentrations of γ-tocotrienol resulted in a dose dependent inhibition of cell growth. Cell death induced by γ-tocotrienol was mediated by a paraptosis-like cell death in SW620 and HCT-8 cells. Real-time RT-PCR and western blot analyses showed that γ-tocotrienol inhibited the expression level of β-catenin, cyclin D1 and c-jun. These data suggest that a paraptosis-like cell death induced by γ-tocotrienol in SW620 cells is associated with the suppression of the Wnt signaling pathway, which offers a novel tool for treating apoptosis-resistance colon cancer.
Chromosomes and causation of human cancer and leukemia. XXII. Karyotypic changes in malignant melanoma

Detailed karyotypic analysis with G‐ and C‐banding has been performed on cells of four malignant melanomas. The modal number in two cases was in the hypodiploid range, the chromosome numbers varying from 39 to 43. These two tumors had 5 to 13 marker chromosomes. The other two tumors were in the polyploid range, with modal numbers of 63 to 157 chromosomes. The cells had a minimum of 11 and a maximum of 40 marker chromosomes. Chromosome #1 was more frequently involved in aberrations than any other chromosome. The most common breakpoints on this chromosome were 1q21, 1q25 and 1q32. Frequent breakpoints were also noticed in the centromeric region in various chromosomes. In chromosome #1, however, the centromeric area does not seem to be involved. The more common breakpoints on the various chromosomes were 1q21, 1q25, 1q32, 5p13, 9q13, 11q23, 12q13. No common markers were noticed among these four cases of melanoma, but are noticed in unrelated tumors.
A Framework for Ontology Learning and Data-driven Change Discovery

In this paper we present Text2Onto, a framework for on-tology learning from textual resources. Three main features distinguish Text2Onto from our earlier framework TextToOnto as well as other state-of-the-art ontology learning frameworks. First, by representing the learned knowledge at a meta-level in the form of instantiated model-ing primitives within a so called Probabilistic Ontology Model (POM), we remain independent of a concrete target language while being able to translate the instantiated primitives into any (reasonably expressive) knowledge representation formalism. Second, user interaction is a core aspect of Text2Onto and the fact that the system calculates a confidence for each learned object allows to design sophisticated visualizations of the POM. Third, by incorporating strategies for data-driven change discovery , we avoid processing the whole corpus from scratch each time it changes, only selectively updating the POM according to the corpus changes instead. Besides increasing efficiency in this way, it also allows a user to trace the evolution of the ontology with respect to the changes in the underlying corpus.