Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Weathering in the Himalaya, an East-West Comparison: Indications from Major Elements and Clay Mineralogy

Studying past weathering regimes is important for a better understanding of the influence of climate on weathering, erosion, and runoff. The Himalayan foreland basin contains a record of tectonics and paleoclimate since Miocene times. Spanning the entire mountain range, the Mio-Pliocene detrital Siwalik Group allows studies to directly compare the western and eastern Himalaya within similar sedimentary settings. In this study, we use major elements and clay mineralogy to reconstruct the weathering regime along strike since Miocene times. We studied previously dated Dharamsala (pre-Siwalik) and Siwalik sections in the western (Joginder Nagar, Jawalamukhi, and Haripur Kolar) and eastern (Kameng) Himalaya in order to constrain variations in weathering regimes along strike. The compilation of the three sections in the west makes for one of the longest continuous sedimentary records in the Himalaya, spanning over 20 My. The K/Al ratio is used as a reliable weathering proxy and shows a trend toward more intense weathering over time in both the west and the east, but with sediments in the western Himalaya generally more weathered than those in the east, despite higher precipitation in the east. Clay minerals and major elements indicate similar lateral variations in weathering. More intense weathering in the west is linked to a more seasonal climate, permitting weathering of sediments during the dry season, whereas higher runoff in the east leads to more rapid erosion and sediment transport, inhibiting extensive weathering.
Metabolism and antioxidant defense in the larval chironomid Tanytarsus minutipalpus: adjustments to diel variations in the extreme conditions of Lake Magadi

ABSTRACT Insect larvae are reported to be a major component of the simple but highly productive trophic web found in Lake Magadi (Kenya, Africa), which is considered to be one of the most extreme aquatic environments on Earth. Previous studies show that fish must display biochemical and physiological adjustments to thrive under the extreme conditions of the lake. However, information for invertebrates is lacking. In the present study, the occurrence of the larval chironomid Tanytarsus minutipalpus is reported in Lake Magadi for the first time. Additionally, changes in larval metabolism and antioxidant defense correlated with diel variations in the extremely hostile environmental conditions of the lake are described. Wide variations in water temperature (20.2-29.3°C) and dissolved oxygen content (3.2-18.6 mg O2 l−1) were observed at different times of day, without significant change in water pH (10.0±0.03). Temperature and dissolved oxygen were higher at 13:00 h (29.3±0.4°C and 18.6±1.0 mg O2 l−1) and 19:00 h (29.3±0.8°C and 16.2±1.6 mg O2 l−1) and lower at 01:00 h (21.1±0.1°C and 10.7±0.03 mg O2 l−1) and 07:00 h (20.2±0.4°C and 3.2±0.7 mg O2 l−1). Significant and parallel increases in parameters related to metabolism (cholinesterase, glucose, cholesterol, urea, creatinine and hemoglobin) and the antioxidant system (SOD, GPx, GR, GSH and GSSG) were observed in larvae collected at 13:00 h. In contrast, no significant changes were observed in pro-oxidants (ROS and NO), TOSC and oxidative damage parameters (LPO and DNA damage). Therefore, the observed increases in temperature and dissolved O2 content in Lake Magadi were associated with changes in the antioxidant system of T. minutipalpus larvae. Adjustments performed by the chironomid larvae were efficient in maintaining body homeostasis, as well as protecting biomolecules against oxidative damage, so that oxidative stress did not occur. GSH-GSSG and GPx-GR systems appeared to play an essential role in the adjustments displayed by the chironomid larvae during the diel changes in the extreme conditions of Lake Magadi. Summary: Insect larvae display adjustments in metabolism and oxidative status to overcome the diel variations in the extreme and harsh physicochemical conditions of Lake Magadi, a saline and alkaline lake in Kenya.
Why do antidepressants take so long to work? A cognitive neuropsychological model of antidepressant drug action

Background The neuropharmacological actions of antidepressants are well characterised but our understanding of how these changes translate into improved mood are still emerging. Aims To investigate whether actions of antidepressant drugs on emotional processing are a mediating factor in the effects of these drugs in depression. Method We examined key published findings that explored the effects of antidepressants on behavioural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures of emotional processing. Results Negative emotional bias has been reliably associated with depression. Converging results suggest that antidepressants modulate emotional processing and increase positive emotional processing much earlier than effects on mood. These changes in emotional processing are associated with neural modulation in limbic and prefrontal circuitry. Conclusions Antidepressants may work in a manner consistent with cognitive theories of depression. Antidepressants do not act as direct mood enhancers but rather change the relative balance of positive to negative emotional processing, providing a platform for subsequent cognitive and psychological reconsolidation.
Perceptions About Disability Among Ghanaian University Students

An exploratory/descriptive study was conducted on a sample of university students, including 305 social work and sociology majors, in Ghana to evaluate their attitudes toward disabilities. The findings indicate that the students in general agree with the idea of community integration and equal rights of persons with disabilities. At the same time, they are ambivalent about characteristics of persons with disabilities and feel uncomfortable interacting with them. Further, a substantive minority holds strong prejudices against persons with disabilities. Universities should provide their students with opportunities to improve knowledge and attitudes about disabilities.
Production of aflatoxins by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger strains isolated from seeds of pulses.

Fourteen Aspergillus flavus and three A. niger strains were isolated from seeds of lupine (Lupinus albus L.), mung bean (Vigna radiata L.), faba bean and field bean (Vicia faba L.) and lentil (Lens culinaris). The aflatoxin production of isolates was tested by two different bioassay methods as measuring the inhibitory effect on okra seed germination and bacterial growth. Toxic effect has different degrees including delay of seed germination, yellowish plant and inhibition of Bacillus subtilis growth. Autoclaving of fungal filtrate, freezing or microwaves has no effect on bacterial growth inhibition. B1 and B2 aflatoxins were found in all fungal filtrates with concentrations ranging from 38 to 496 µg/litre (the permitted limit is 20 µg/litre), and G1 and G2 aflatoxins were also produced by some isolates. Results proved the stability of such toxins.
Effect of Feeding Conditions on the Methylation Status of Fatp1 Gene in Chicken Breast Muscle

The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of feeding conditions on methylation status of FATP1 gene, which is an important candidate gene of Intramuscular fat and important indicator of chicken meat quality. We selected Daninghe (DNH) and Qingjiaoma (QJM) chickens under scatter-feeding and captivity-feeding conditions as experimental animals, and detected the methylation status of FATP1 genes in chicken breast muscle using Bisulfite Sequencing PCR method. The results showed that the methylation level of FATP1 in scatter-fed chicken was lower than in captivity-fed conditions in DNH and QIM chicken breast tissues; DNA methylation in the promoter and exon1 region was demonstrated to negatively regulate the expression of the FATP1 gene. These results suggested that feeding conditions affect the methylation status and expression level of FATP1, thereby affecting the Intramuscular fat content in DNH and QJM chicken breast muscle.
Mitral Annular Plane Systolic Excursion and Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion in Cats with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Background Left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction is associated with increased risk of death in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Mitral and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE and TAPSE, respectively) are measures of longitudinal systolic function and are reduced in human patients with HCM. Hypotheses Cats with HCM have lower MAPSE and TAPSE compared to control cats; lower MAPSE and TAPSE are associated with the presence of congestive heart failure (CHF) and reduced survival time. Animals 64 cats with HCM and 27 healthy cats. Forty‐five cats with HCM were not showing clinical signs, and 19 had CHF. Methods Retrospective study. Anatomic M‐mode from the left apical 4‐chamber view was used to record MAPSE from the free wall (MAPSE FW) and septum (MAPSE IVS) and TAPSE. Results Compared to controls, cats with HCM had lower MAPSE IVS (controls 5.2 [4.6–5.6] mm, asymptomatic HCM 4.7 [4.1–5.2] mm, HCM with CHF 2.6 [2.5–3.2] mm, P < .001), MAPSE FW (controls 5.9 [5.3–6.2] mm, asymptomatic HCM 4.7 [4.1–5.1] mm, HCM with CHF 2.8 [2.4–3.2] mm) and TAPSE (controls 8.6 [7.4–10.2] mm, asymptomatic HCM 7.2 [6.3–8.2] mm, HCM with CHF 4.6 [4.1–5.4] mm), with the lowest in the CHF group. Univariate survival analysis showed a shorter survival in cats displaying lower MAPSE IVS, MAPSE FW, and TAPSE. Conclusions and Clinical Importance MAPSE and TAPSE were lower in cats with HCM than in control cats and were lowest in CHF, suggesting that systolic longitudinal dysfunction is present in cats with HCM. MAPSE and TAPSE have potential prognostic significance.
Monoclonal antibody to a novel lymphocyte function-associated antigen (LFA-1): mechanism of blockade of T lymphocyte-mediated killing and effects on other T and B lymphocyte functions.

14. Nonoyama, M. and J. S. Pagano. 1971. Detection of Epstein-Barr viral genome in nonproductive cells. Nature (New Biol.) 233:103. 15. Nonoyama. M. 1975. Detection of tumor virus genomes by nucleic hybridization. Int. Rev. Exp. Pathol. 14:69. 16. Raab-Traub. N. , T. Dambaugh. and E. Kieff. 1980. DNA of Epstein-Barr virus VIII. 895-8, the Prennis prototype, is an unusual deletion derivative. Cell 22:257. 17. Dambaugh. T. , D. Beisel, M. Hummel, W. King, S. Ferr. A. Cheung, M. Heller. N. Raab-Traub and E. Kieff. 1980. Epstein-Barr virus (895-8) DNA.
The VGAM Package for Categorical Data Analysis

Classical categorical regression models such as the multinomial logit and proportional odds models are shown to be readily handled by the vector generalized linear and additive model (VGLM/VGAM) framework. Additionally, there are natural extensions, such as reduced-rank VGLMs for dimension reduction, and allowing covariates that have values specific to each linear/additive predictor, e.g., for consumer choice modeling. This article describes some of the framework behind the VGAM R package, its usage and implementation details.
GalNAc glycoprotein expression by breast cell lines, primary breast cancer and normal breast epithelial membrane

Over-expression of N-acetylgalactosamine glycoproteins as detected by binding of the lectin from Helix pomatia (HPA), is associated with metastatic competence and poor patient prognosis in a range of human adenocarcinomas. These glycoproteins remain poorly characterised, and their functional role has yet to be elucidated. This study describes characterisation of a range of human breast/breast cancer cell lines for the expression of the N-acetylgalactosaminylated glycoproteins of interest, and their comparison with normal breast epithelium and a range of clinical breast carcinoma samples. Confocal and light microscopy studies revealed cytochemical HPA-binding patterns consistent with a fundamental disruption in normal glycobiosynthetic pathways attending increasing metastatic potential. We report the most complete comparative analysis of HPA-binding ligands from cultured breast cells, clinical breast carcinoma samples and normal breast epithelium to date. Lectin blotting identified 11 major HPA-binding glycoprotein bands common to both clinical tumour samples and breast cell lines and 6 of these bands were also expressed by samples of normal breast epithelium, albeit at much lower levels. Moreover, very marked quantitative but not qualitative differences in levels of expression consistent with metastatic capability were noted. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer. com
Explanation-based Generalisation Partial Evaluation - Partial Evaluation1

We argue that explanation-based generalisation as recently proposed in the machine learning literature is essentially equivalent to partial evaluation, a well known technique in the functional and logic programming literature. We show this equivalence by analysing the definitions and underlying algorithms of both techniques, and by giving a Prolog program which can be interpreted as doing either explanation-based generalisation or partial evaluation.
Evaluation of the COBAS TaqMan 48 Real-Time PCR System for Quantitation of Hepatitis B Virus DNA

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of the new real-time PCR COBAS TaqMan 48 analyzer, comparing it to the existing COBAS AMPLICOR HBV MONITOR based on conventional PCR technology. The study used 104 samples from different patients. No differences were found in the sensitivity of the tests. There was an excellent correlation between the sample with a viral load within the dynamic range of the two tests (r = 0.938). The COBAS TaqMan test has a wider linear range, and this fact enables quantifying of the viral load without diluting the sample.
Direct Quantification of Rare Earth Elements Concentrations in Urine of Workers Manufacturing Cerium, Lanthanum Oxide Ultrafine and Nanoparticles by a Developed and Validated ICP-MS

Rare earth elements (REEs) have undergone a steady spread in several industrial, agriculture and medical applications. With the aim of exploring a sensitive and reliable indicator of estimating exposure level to REEs, a simple, accurate and specific ICP-MS method for simultaneous direct quantification of 15 REEs (89Y, 139La, 140Ce, 141Pr, 146Nd, 147Sm, 153Eu, 157Gd, 159Tb, 163Dy, 165Ho, 166Er, 169Tm, 172Yb and 175Lu) in human urine has been developed and validated. The method showed good linearity for all REEs in human urine in the concentrations ranging from 0.001–1.000 μg∙L−1 with r2 > 0.997. The limits of detection and quantification for this method were in the range of 0.009–0.010 μg∙L−1 and 0.029–0.037 μg∙L−1, the recoveries on spiked samples of the 15 REEs ranged from 93.3% to 103.0% and the relative percentage differences were less than 6.2% in duplicate samples, and the intra- and inter-day variations of the analysis were less than 1.28% and less than 0.85% for all REEs, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of 15 REEs in 31 urine samples obtained from the control subjects and the workers engaged in work with manufacturing of ultrafine and nanoparticles containing cerium and lanthanum oxide. The results suggested that only the urinary levels of La (1.234 ± 0.626 μg∙L−1), Ce (1.492 ± 0.995 μg∙L−1), Nd (0.014 ± 0.009 μg∙L−1) and Gd (0.023 ± 0.010 μg∙L−1) among the exposed workers were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the levels measured in the control subjects. From these, La and Ce were the primary components, and accounted for 88% of the total REEs. Lanthanum comprised 27% of the total REEs while Ce made up the majority of REE content at 61%. The remaining elements only made up 1% each, with the exception of Dy which was not detected. Comparison with the previously published data, the levels of urinary La and Ce in workers and the control subjects show a higher trend than previous reports.
Control of a humanoid robot by a noninvasive brain–computer interface in humans

We describe a brain–computer interface for controlling a humanoid robot directly using brain signals obtained non-invasively from the scalp through electroencephalography (EEG). EEG has previously been used for tasks such as controlling a cursor and spelling a word, but it has been regarded as an unlikely candidate for more complex forms of control owing to its low signal-to-noise ratio. Here we show that by leveraging advances in robotics, an interface based on EEG can be used to command a partially autonomous humanoid robot to perform complex tasks such as walking to specific locations and picking up desired objects. Visual feedback from the robot's cameras allows the user to select arbitrary objects in the environment for pick-up and transport to chosen locations. Results from a study involving nine users indicate that a command for the robot can be selected from four possible choices in 5 s with 95% accuracy. Our results demonstrate that an EEG-based brain–computer interface can be used for sophisticated robotic interaction with the environment, involving not only navigation as in previous applications but also manipulation and transport of objects.
On the guaranteed error-correction of decimation-enhanced iterative decoders

Finite alphabet iterative decoders (FAIDs) proposed for LDPC codes on the binary symmetric channel are capable of surpassing the belief propagation (BP) decoder in the error floor region with lower complexity and precision, but these decoders are difficult to analyze for finite-length codes. Recently, decimation-enhanced FAIDs (DFAIDs) were proposed for column-weight-three codes. Decimation involves fixing the bit values of certain variable nodes during message-passing based on the messages they receive after some number of iterations. In this paper, we address the problem of proving the guaranteed error-correction capability of DFAIDs for column-weight-three LDPC codes. We present the methodology of the proof to derive sufficient conditions on the Tanner graph that guarantee the correction of a given error pattern in a finite number of iterations. These sufficient conditions are described as a list of forbidden graphs that must not be contained in the Tanner graph of the code. As a test case, we consider the problem of guaranteeing the correction of four errors. We illustrate the analysis for a specific 4-error pattern and provide the sufficient conditions for its correction. We also present results on the design of codes satisfying those sufficient conditions and their impact on the achievable code rate.
An Empirical Study of Web Cookies

Web cookies are used widely by publishers and 3rd parties to track users and their behaviors. Despite the ubiquitous use of cookies, there is little prior work on their characteristics such as standard attributes, placement policies, and the knowledge that can be amassed via 3rd party cookies. In this paper, we present an empirical study of web cookie characteristics, placement practices and information transmission. To conduct this study, we implemented a lightweight web crawler that tracks and stores the cookies as it navigates to websites. We use this crawler to collect over 3.2M cookies from the two crawls, separated by 18 months, of the top 100K Alexa web sites. We report on the general cookie characteristics and add context via a cookie category index and website genre labels. We consider privacy implications by examining specific cookie attributes and placement behavior of 3rd party cookies. We find that 3rd party cookies outnumber 1st party cookies by a factor of two, and we illuminate the connection between domain genres and cookie attributes. We find that less than 1% of the entities that place cookies can aggregate information across 75% of web sites. Finally, we consider the issue of information transmission and aggregation by domains via 3rd party cookies. We develop a mathematical framework to quantify user information leakage for a broad class of users, and present findings using real world domains. In particular, we demonstrate the interplay between a domain's footprint across the Internet and the browsing behavior of users, which has significant impact on information transmission.
Characterization of the major apolipoproteins secreted by two human hepatoma cell lines.

Two newly described human hepatoma derived cell lines, Hep G2 and Hep 3B [Knowles, B. B. , Howe, C. C. , & Aden, D. P. (1980) Science (Washington, D.C.) 209, 497-499], synthesize and secrete into the culture medium most of the major plasma apoproteins (apoA-I, apoA-II, apoB, apoC-II, apoC-III, and apoE). The synthesized apoproteins were identified by direct two-dimensional gel analysis of the culture medium or by two-dimensional analysis following purification of the apoproteins by ultracentrifugation or immunoprecipitation. We found that the apoA-I synthesized by both of the hepatoma cell lines consists of two isoproteins designated 2 and 3 which are more basic than the major plasma apoA-I isoproteins designated 4 and 5. The apoE synthesized by both cell lines is composed mainly of an array of isoproteins with increasingly higher molecular weights and lower isoelectric points as compared to those of the major apoE isoproteins found in plasma. These precursors of apoE are converted to the major apoE isoproteins upon treatment with Clostridium perfringens neuraminidase and represent sialo apoE isoproteins. ApoA-II, apoC-II, apoC-III-1, and apoC-III-2 correspond to the protein forms present in plasma. The human hepatoma cell lines (Hep G2 and Hep 3B) provide a unique model for studies of the regulation of human apoprotein and lipoprotein synthesis and catabolism.
Delayed administration of antibiotics and atypical presentation in community-acquired pneumonia.

OBJECTIVES The time to the first antibiotic dose (TFAD) has been adopted as a measure of quality of care in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) based on two retrospective studies of large Medicare databases. The mechanism by which a difference of a few hours in receiving antibiotics can be deleterious is difficult to understand given the historical data regarding how long it takes for antibiotics to influence outcome. We investigated the factors that predict a prolonged TFAD and their association with mortality. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING A large tertiary hospital. PATIENTS Immunocompetent adults admitted to the hospital with CAP. RESULTS A total of 451 patients with CAP were studied. A TFAD of > 4 h was associated with increased mortality (p = 0.017). Altered mental state (p = 0.001), absence of fever (p = 0.02), absence of hypoxia (p = 0.025), and increasing age (p = 0.038) were significant predictors of a TFAD of > 4 h. After adjusting for these factors, the association between TFAD and mortality was not statistically significant (p = 0.131). Similar findings were observed in patients who were > or = 65 years. CONCLUSIONS A delay in administering antibiotics in patients with CAP is more common in patients who present with an altered mental state or minimal signs of sepsis. TFAD is likely to be a marker of comorbidities driving both an atypical presentation and mortality rather than directly contributing to outcome. Using TFAD as an indicator of quality of care in patients with CAP without significant additional clinical information is potentially misleading as the relationships among TFAD, comorbidities, and outcome are complex.