Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thermoluminescence dating of late Pleistocene loess and tephra from eastern Washington and southern Oregon and implications for the eruptive history of Mount St. Helens

The first numeric dating of late Pleistocene loess from the Palouse region of eastern Washington is reported. This loess is interbedded with thin, distal tephra layers, some identified as Mount St. Helens products. Both the interbedded tephra layers and thick paleosols that have developed in the loess have previously been correlated across the region. A thicker correlative of one of these tephra layers (Mount St. Helens set C) was collected from Summer Lake, Oregon, for direct dating by thermoluminescence (TL). Polymineral, fine grain TL ages for loess from three chosen sections in Washington range from 17 to 83 ka. These imply ages for some tephra beds that are significantly older than implied by earlier radiocarbon (14C) dating. For example, TL ages of 17–21 ka for loess bracketing a tephra layer correlated to Mount St. Helens set S suggests a somewhat older age for this ash than the previously accepted 14C age of ∼15.5±0.5 ka cal yr (corrected to calendar years). TL ages of 46±6 (1σ) ka and 57±7 ka for loess above, and of 53 ± 7 ka and <75±6 ka below a tephra bed correlated to a Mount St. Helens set Cw layer, along with a TL age of 46±5 ka for fine-silt-sized glass from a Mount St. Helens set Cy bed in Oregon, revise upward from ∼38 ka cal yr (14C age is ∼36 ka B.P.) to ∼50 ka the age of this regionally important marker ash set. Several TL ages, taken together, imply a much longer eruptive history for Mount St. Helens than previously thought. A TL age of 83±8 ka just below a previously undated tephra layer from Mount St. Helens (EMSH ash) suggests that the eruptive history of the mountain extends back to at least 80 ka. Furthermore, age depth extrapolation through our sections to an ash (WA-5C) probably correlated to Mount St. Helens suggests an eruptive history of at least 120 ka.
Relationship between breast arterial calcification on mammography with CT Calcium scoring and coronary CT angiography results

Background: Mammography as a non invasive method has been suggested to be helpful in predicting coronary artery disease. This study aimed to investigate whether presence and severity of breast artery calcification (BAC) on mammograms is associated with computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) finding such as coronary artery calcium (CAC) score and the severity of coronary artery stenosis. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 150 women aged >40 years who were referred for CTCA. Women who had undergone screening mammography during the first year after CTCA entered the study. CAC score was determined and the severity of coronary artery stenosis was classified into normal, non-significant stenosis, or significant stenosis. Based on the severity of BAC, patients were also grouped into normal, mild, moderate, or severe groups. Then, the correlation between BAC severity and CAC score was determined. Patients with different BAC severity were also compared regarding the relative frequency of different grades of coronary artery stenosis. Results: Mean age of subjects with BAC (n: 35) was significantly higher than patients without BAC (n: 115) (68.03 ± 6.16 versus 54.36 ± 7.63 years, P < 0.0001). Although the relative frequency of different grades of coronary artery stenosis was significantly higher in women with BAC (P < 0.0001), after controlling for age, there was no significant difference between patients with different severity of BAC in the mean of CAC score (P: 0.09). In addition, the correlation between BAC severity and CAC score was not statistically significant (R: 0.09, P: 0.26). Conclusion: We concluded that presence and severity of BAC have no significant correlation with CAC score on CTCA.
A Novel Application of Multiscale Entropy in Electroencephalography to Predict the Efficacy of Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor in Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. According to one hypothesis, AD is caused by the reduced synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Therefore, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors are considered to be an effective therapy. For clinicians, however, AChE inhibitors are not a predictable treatment for individual patients. We aimed to disclose the difference by biosignal processing. In this study, we used multiscale entropy (MSE) analysis, which can disclose the embedded information in different time scales, in electroencephalography (EEG), in an attempt to predict the efficacy of AChE inhibitors. Seventeen newly diagnosed AD patients were enrolled, with an initial minimental state examination (MMSE) score of 18.8 ± 4.5. After 12 months of AChE inhibitor therapy, 7 patients were responsive and 10 patients were nonresponsive. The major difference between these two groups is Slope 2 (MSE6 to 20). The area below the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of Slope 2 is 0.871 (95% CI = 0.69–1). The sensitivity is 85.7% and the specificity is 60%, whereas the cut-off value of Slope 2 is −0.024. Therefore, MSE analysis of EEG signals, especially Slope 2, provides a potential tool for predicting the efficacy of AChE inhibitors prior to therapy.
A simple semi‐distributed water balance model for the Ethiopian highlands

The discharge of the Nile River is highly dependent on the flow generated in the highlands of Ethiopia. However, little is known about the local (i.e. small scale) watershed hydrological response, due in part to a lack of long duration, continuous hydrological data. The goal of this paper was to develop a realistic, simple model that is useful as a tool for planning watershed management and conservation activities so that the effects of local interventions on stream flow can be predicted at a larger scale. The developed model is semi‐distributed in that it divides the watershed into different regions that become hydrologically active given different amounts of effective cumulative rainfall after the start of the rainy season. A separate water balance is run for each of the hydrologic regions using rainfall and potential evaporation as the major inputs. Watershed parameters that were calibrated included the amount of water required before each region becomes hydrologically active, the fraction of soil water that becomes runoff and subsurface flow, and aquifer characteristics, Model validation indicated that daily discharge values were predicted reasonably well with Nash Sutcliffe values ranging from 0·56 to 0·78. Despite the large distance between the test watersheds, the input parameter values for the watershed characteristic were remarkably similar for the humid highlands, indicating that the model could be used to predict discharge in un‐gauged basins in the region. As expected, the watershed in the semi‐arid region behaved somewhat differently than the other three watersheds. Good quality precipitation data, even for short durations, were key to the effective modelling of runoff in the highland watersheds. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multiple maltreatment experiences and adolescent behavior problems: Adolescents' perspectives

By adolescence, appraisal of one's past life experience becomes critical to the stage-salient issue of identity formation. This study examined adolescents' perceptions of their maltreatment experiences. It scrutinized the combined and unique contribution of five maltreatment types (i.e., physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, neglect, and exposure to family violence) to variance in adolescent adjustment. It was predicted that these maltreatment types would account for significant variance in adjustment when controlling for the context variables of age, sex, socioeconomic status, IQ, and stressful life events. Adolescents (N = 160, aged 11–17) were randomly selected from the open caseload of a child protection agency. Participants completed global severity ratings regarding their experiences of the five types of maltreatment, as well as a battery of measures assessing self- and caretaker-reported externalizing and internalizing symptomatology. The youths' maltreatment ratings significantly predicted self-reported adjustment, even when controlling for all context variables. Psychological maltreatment was the most predictively potent maltreatment type, and enhanced the predictive utility of other maltreatment types. Significant sex differences in the sequelae of perceived maltreatment were evident. Also, interactions between youths' ratings and those obtained from CPS files were detected. The findings were consistent with recent research in child maltreatment, and contribute to our understanding of developmental psychopathology among adolescents.
Icequakes on the Athabasca Glacier

Icequakes have been recorded with an eight-geophone array on an active glacier. All the events appear to originate from extensional faulting near the surface of the glacier. The absence of events occurring at depth suggests that the creep-instability mechanisms proposed for shear faulting are not operative at depth in the glacier. Most icequakes occurred as single events within the zone of marginal crevasses. Swarms of icequakes were occasionally recorded. The individual events in a swarm were distributed along a straight line several hundred meters long. The activity seemed to progress from one end of this line to the other at a velocity of about 30 m/sec. The line often extended through a crevasse-free section of the glacier.
Microbes at Surface-Air Interfaces: The Metabolic Harnessing of Relative Humidity, Surface Hygroscopicity, and Oligotrophy for Resilience

The human environment is predominantly not aqueous, and microbes are ubiquitous at the surface-air interfaces with which we interact. Yet microbial studies at surface-air interfaces are largely survival-oriented, whilst microbial metabolism has overwhelmingly been investigated from the perspective of liquid saturation. This study explored microbial survival and metabolism under desiccation, particularly the influence of relative humidity (RH), surface hygroscopicity, and nutrient availability on the interchange between these two phenomena. The combination of a hygroscopic matrix (i.e., clay or 4,000 MW polyethylene glycol) and high RH resulted in persistent measurable microbial metabolism during desiccation. In contrast, no microbial metabolism was detected at (a) hygroscopic interfaces at low RH, and (b) less hygroscopic interfaces (i.e., sand and plastic/glass) at high or low RH. Cell survival was conversely inhibited at high RH and promoted at low RH, irrespective of surface hygroscopicity. Based on this demonstration of metabolic persistence and survival inhibition at high RH, it was proposed that biofilm metabolic rates might inversely influence whole-biofilm resilience, with ‘resilience’ defined in this study as a biofilm’s capacity to recover from desiccation. The concept of whole-biofilm resilience being promoted by oligotrophy was supported in desiccation-tolerant Arthrobacter spp. biofilms, but not in desiccation-sensitive Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. The ability of microbes to interact with surfaces to harness water vapor during desiccation was demonstrated, and potentially to harness oligotrophy (the most ubiquitous natural condition facing microbes) for adaptation to desiccation.
Varying‐coefficient models and basis function approximations for the analysis of repeated measurements

A global smoothing procedure is developed using basis function approximations for estimating the parameters of a varying-coefficient model with repeated measurements. Inference procedures based on a resampling subject bootstrap are proposed to construct confidence regions and to perform hypothesis testing. Conditional biases and variances of our estimators and their asymptotic consistency are developed explicitly. Finite sample properties of our procedures are investigated through a simulation study. Application of the proposed approach is demonstrated through an example in epidemiology. In contrast to the existing methods, this approach applies whether or not the covariates are time-invariant and does not require binning of the data when observations are sparse at distinct observation times. Copyright Biometrika Trust 2002, Oxford University Press.
Temporal and spatial variation in intertidal sedimentation rates

Sediment deposition and erosion rates are reported for an intertidal zone in the Burry Inlet, South Wales. Measured deposition rates over the salt marsh are compared with deposition rates calculated from observed suspended sediment concentrations. Notably, it is concluded that residual turbulence at slack water should not be discounted when calculating deposition rates. Grain-size distributions of suspended sediments over the marsh surface, during flood and ebb tides, contrast with the grain-size distribution of deposited marsh sediments, the latter being significantly coarser. These data in conjunction with mass budget calculations are used to relate total annual deposition and sediment supply by tidal action during settled meteorological periods. The analysis suggests that episodic storm-induced sediment transport is probably an important mechanism for introducing coarse sediment on to the marsh surface. Finally, it is noted that seasonal reworking of the sandy non-cohesive sediments may be related to variations in the intensity of wave-breaking throughout the year.
A highly diverse trilobite fauna with Avalonian affinities from the Middle Cambrian Acidusus atavus Zone (Drumian Stage) of Bornholm, Denmark

A newly collected trilobite fauna from the lowermost part of the Alum Shale Formation at Øleå, Bornholm, Denmark, demonstrates the presence of a thin but richly fossiliferous Middle Cambrian Acidusus atavus Zone (Paradoxides paradoxissimus Superzone). The lower part of the zone (the Tomagnostus fissus–Ptychagnostus atavus Zone of older Scandinavian literature) is represented by a discontinuous limestone bed, up to 20 cm thick, whereas the upper part (Hypagnostus parvifrons Zone of older literature) is represented by shale, less than 80 cm thick, containing lenses of bituminous limestone. A total of 39 agnostid and 21 polymerid species are recorded from the A. atavus Zone (including 12 taxa treated under open nomenclature). One additional polymerid species collected from an ice-rafted boulder derived from the Bornholm area is also treated. The fauna is described and illustrated, with designation and reillustration of relevant lectotypes. The abundance of polymerid trilobites in comparison with nearby Scania, southern Sweden, where 25 agnostid and nine polymerid species have been reported from equivalent strata, is indicative of a less dysoxic environment in the Bornholm area, which was probably uplifted. The trilobite fauna resembles the coeval assemblages described from England, Wales, eastern Newfoundland and eastern Siberia, sharing several species not reported previously from Baltica, including Anopolenus sp. , Agraulos longicephalus, Bailiella ornata, Clarella impar, Solenopleura? applanata, Acadagnostus aff. bulkurensis and Phalagnostus ovalis. A few faunal elements originally described from Bohemia and Australia are also present, viz. Hydrocephalus aff. carens, Phalagnostus nudus, Skryjagnostus pompeckji, Hypagnostus aff. clipeus, Euagnostus aff. interstrictus and Euagnostus? aff. glandifer.
Degradation of fluorene in soil by fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium

During investigation of biodegradation in soil, we have found that classical or standard techniques for introduction of compounds and the growth of fungus into soil are ill‐defined and inadequate. In response to this deficiency, a method for controlled introduction of extractable compounds and for the growth of fungus in soils has been developed. This method was successfully used to study the degradation of fluorene in soil by the fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium.
Correlation between nm23 Protein and Several Cell Adhesion Molecules in Human Gastric Carcinoma

The correlation between nm23 protein (nm23) expression and the expression of several cell adhesion molecules was studied immunohistochemically in 110 resected gastric carcinomas. Formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded samples were serially sectioned and stained with antibodies against nm23, integrin β1 subfamily members (α2β1, α3β1 and α4β1), LFA‐1, ICAM‐1, sialyl Lewisx (sLex) and CD44h, ‐V3, and ‐V6. Primary carcinomas presenting with either lymph node involvement or liver metastasis expressed significantly reduced levels of nm23 compared to tumors without metastasis. The percent of tumors expressing each adhesion molecule was as follows: α2β1, 27.3%; α3β1, 20.0%; α4β1, 14.5%; LFA‐1, 14.5%; ICAM‐1, 12.7%; sLex, 67.3%; CD44h, 55.5%; CD44V3, 20.0%; and CD44V6, 4.5%. Expression of α2β1 integrin and high levels of sLex were significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, and expression of α3β1 integrin and high levels of sLex were correlated with liver metastasis. Expression of ICAM‐1 was inversely correlated with liver metastasis. Comparing the expression of each cell adhesion molecule with nm23 immunoreactivity, expression of sLex was significantly associated with nm23 expression. Of tumors expressing high levels of sLex, 75% showed reduced nm23 expression, compared to 52% of tumors with weak or no sLex expression (P < 0.05). A similar tendency was also observed in the metastasized secondary tumors. These results suggest that reduced nm23 expression may promote the metastatic properties of cancer cells in concert with increased sLex expression.
Statistical study of large‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances generated by the solar terminator over China

This paper presents a statistical result of large‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (LSTIDs) associated with moving solar terminator in China during 12 months from February 2011 to January 2012. The LSTIDs are identified by the two‐dimensional total electron content (TEC) perturbation maps, which are built based on the observations of GPS network data from China. The GPS observations are combined with the observations from an ionosonde chain established by the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. A total of 135 LSTID events are identified at dawn, while there is indiscernible LSTID at dusk. Meanwhile, these LSTIDs are captured by the ionosonde chain which shows that there are perturbations in the virtual heights during the passage of LSTIDs at the height between 200 and 700 km. The occurrence rate of LSTIDs shows a maximum in winter and a minimum in summer. The LSTIDs propagate across China with phase front widths larger than 1500 km. The propagation direction of LSTIDs is northwestward in winter, southwestward in summer, and quasi‐westward in equinoxes, respectively. The average period, horizontal phase velocity, and horizontal wavelength of LSTIDs are 79 ± 12 min, 288 ± 43 m/s, and 1503 ± 205 km, respectively. The relative TEC perturbations of the LSTIDs attenuate as the LSTIDs travel across China.
An assessment of the efficacy of blue light phototherapy in the treatment of acne vulgaris

Background Acne vulgaris is a common skin condition that affects 8 out of 10 people. It varies from mild to severe, and different treatments target various aspects of the disease. Propionibacterium acnes, one of the culprits involved in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris, is the main target of all major medical treatments used. Studies conducted in recent years have shown favorable effects within the visible light spectrum for the treatment of acne vulgaris.
Evidence of a Temperature-dependent ‘Blueschist’ to ‘Eclogite’ Transformation in High-pressure Metamorphism of Metabasic Rocks

Textures in the blueschist metabasic rocks of the island of Syros, Greece, indicate a reaction forming omphacite and garnet from earlier glaucophane and epidote. A balanced 'whole rock' reaction can be written using the phase compositions and modal mineralogy of the products observed. This reaction is continuous in P-T space if Mg and Fe 2+ are independent components. The available thermodynamic data suggest that the 'eclogite' (garnet plus omphacite) assemblage is favoured by higher temperatures.It cannot, however, be conclusively shown that the rocks went through an up-temperature interval of metamorphism. The reaction seen could be promoted by reduced silica, or water activity. The details of the reaction textures and mineral zonation patterns show furthermore that chemical equilibrium was not maintained throughout the rock development. The reaction textures differ in detail in different samples. In those samples in which the textures are most consistent with maintained chemical equilibrium however, the mineral zonation patterns do imply up-temperature metamorphism.
In Vitro Activity of Human β-Defensin 2 against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the Presence of Tear Fluid

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes vision-threatening keratitis and is difficult to treat due to emerging resistance. Human β-defensin 2 (hBD-2) is an antimicrobial peptide expressed by ocular surface epithelia with broad-spectrum activity against various pathogens, including P. aeruginosa. The activity of hBD-2 against P. aeruginosa in the presence of human tears or NaCl was studied. In some experiments, tears were heat-inactivated, filtered, and separated into cationic/anionic fractions or mucin MUC5AC was removed by immunoprecipitation before use. Immunoprecipitation was performed to study the interaction between hBD-2 and MUC5AC. hBD-2 activity was reduced by 40 to 90% in the presence of 17.5 to 70% (vol/vol) tears. NaCl reduced hBD-2 activity, but at most it could account for only 36% of the inhibitory effect of tears. Heat inactivation and filtration attenuated the ability of tears to inhibit hBD-2 activity by 65 and 68%, respectively. Anionic tear fractions significantly reduced (86%) the activity of hBD-2, whereas only a 22% reduction was observed with the cationic fractions. In the absence of MUC5AC, the activity of hBD-2 was restored by 64%. Immunoprecipitation studies suggested that the loss of hBD-2 activity in tears is due to a direct binding interaction with MUC5AC. Our data showed that the antimicrobial activity of hBD-2 is sensitive to the presence of human tears and that this is partly due to the salt content and also the presence of MUC5AC. These data cast doubt on the effectiveness of hBD-2 as an antimicrobial peptide, and additional studies are required to conclusively elucidate its role in innate immunity at the ocular surface in vivo.
A comparison of autumn migration strategies in robins erithacus rubecula at a coastal and an inland site in southern Sweden

The biometrics, age ratio and timing of migration of Robins were compared during autumn migration at an inland and a coastal site 200 km apart. The proportion of adult birds was higher at the inland site. The time of peak of migration differed between the two sites by 9 days. The daily distribution showed that at the coastal site the birds made a land‐fall at dawn, while at the inland site the migration continued during the morning. Robins in the same visual fat class were heavier at the inland site, but their mean fat class was lower than at the coastal site. This would be expected if Robins inland were short‐stage migrants and therefore do not need extensive fuel reserves. At the coastal site a higher proportion of the Robins are probably long‐stage migrants. The orientation of the Robins under clear skies was more south‐westerly at the coastal site. The direction is significantly different from the mean azimuth of sunset at the coastal site only. Under totally overcast conditions the directions were mo.