Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Climate change from 1850 to 2005 simulated in CESM1(WACCM)

The NCAR Community Earth System Model (CESM) now includes an atmospheric component that extends in altitude to the lower thermosphere. This atmospheric model, known as the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM), includes fully interactive chemistry, allowing, for example, a self-consistent representationofthedevelopmentandrecoveryofthestratosphericozoneholeanditseffectonthetroposphere.This paper focuses on analysis of an ensemble of transient simulations using CESM1(WACCM), covering the period from the preindustrial era to present day, conducted as part of phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. Variability in the stratosphere, such as that associated with stratospheric sudden warmings and the development of the ozone hole, is in good agreement with observations. The signals of these phenomena propagate into the troposphere, influencing near-surface winds, precipitation rates, and the extent of sea ice. In comparison of tropospheric climate change predictions with those from a version of CESM that does not fully resolve the stratosphere, the global-mean temperature trends are indistinguishable. However, systematic differences do exist in other climate variables, particularly in the extratropics. The magnitude of the difference can be as large as the climate change response itself. This indicates that the representation of stratosphere‐ troposphere coupling could be a major source of uncertainty in climate change projections in CESM.
Effect of Natalizumab on Circulating CD4+ T-Cells in Multiple Sclerosis

In multiple sclerosis (MS), treatment with the monoclonal antibody natalizumab effectively reduces the formation of acute lesions in the central nervous system (CNS). Natalizumab binds the integrin very late antigen (VLA)-4, expressed on the surface of immune cells, and inhibits VLA-4 dependent transmigration of circulating immune-cells across the vascular endothelium into the CNS. Recent studies suggested that natalizumab treated MS patients have an increased T-cell pool in the blood compartment which may be selectively enriched in activated T-cells. Proposed causes are sequestration of activated T-cells due to reduced extravasation of activated and pro-inflammatory T-cells or due to induction of VLA-4 mediated co-stimulatory signals by natalizumab. In this study we examined how natalizumab treatment altered the distribution of effector and memory T-cell subsets in the blood compartment and if T-cells in general or myelin-reactive T-cells in particular showed signs of increased immune activation. Furthermore we examined the effects of natalizumab on CD4+ T-cell responses to myelin in vitro. Natalizumab-treated MS patients had significantly increased numbers of effector-memory T-cells in the blood. In T-cells from natalizumab-treated MS patients, the expression of TNF-α mRNA was increased whereas the expression of fourteen other effector cytokines or transcription factors was unchanged. Natalizumab-treated MS patients had significantly decreased expression of the co-stimulatory molecule CD134 on CD4+CD26HIGH T-cells, in blood, and natalizumab decreased the expression of CD134 on MBP-reactive CD26HIGHCD4+ T-cells in vitro. Otherwise CD4+ T-cells from natalizumab-treated and untreated MS patients showed similar responses to MBP. In conclusion natalizumab treatment selectively increased the effector memory T-cell pool but not the activation state of T-cells in the blood compartment. Myelin-reactive T-cells were not selectively increased in natalizumab treated MS.
Robust order representation is required for backward recall in the Corsi blocks task

The storage and processing of spatial information is done by spatial working memory. To measure spatial working memory, the Corsi blocks task, which separates the memory into two types, forward and backward, is often used. Although it had been thought that backward recall requires more of the executive function than forward recall, some studies have shown otherwise. Here, we focused on the spatial and sequential aspects of the Corsi blocks task to investigate cognitive processes by dissociating forward and backward recall. We used a dual task method (serial articulatory suppression or spatial tapping as the secondary task) and analyzed two kinds of errors (position error and order error) to investigate cognitive performance during the forward and backward recall. We ran two experiments: in experiment 1, we employed the standard Corsi blocks task, and in experiment 2, we employed the modified Corsi blocks task in order to prevent verbal strategies. We found that spatial tapping affected both forward and backward recall, while serial articulatory suppression increased the number of order errors in the backward condition. These results indicate that stronger order representation is required for backward recall in the Corsi blocks task.
Language extinction and linguistic fronts

Language diversity has become greatly endangered in the past centuries owing to processes of language shift from indigenous languages to other languages that are seen as socially and economically more advantageous, resulting in the death or doom of minority languages. In this paper, we define a new language competition model that can describe the historical decline of minority languages in competition with more advantageous languages. We then implement this non-spatial model as an interaction term in a reaction–diffusion system to model the evolution of the two competing languages. We use the results to estimate the speed at which the more advantageous language spreads geographically, resulting in the shrinkage of the area of dominance of the minority language. We compare the results from our model with the observed retreat in the area of influence of the Welsh language in the UK, obtaining a good agreement between the model and the observed data.
A Constructive Proof of Dependent Choice, Compatible with Classical Logic

Martin-Löf's type theory has strong existential elimination (dependent sum type) that allows to prove the full axiom of choice. However the theory is intuitionistic. We give a condition on strong existential elimination that makes it computationally compatible with classical logic. With this restriction, we lose the full axiom of choice but, thanks to a lazily-evaluated coinductive representation of quantification, we are still able to constructively prove the axiom of countable choice, the axiom of dependent choice, and a form of bar induction in ways that make each of them computationally compatible with classical logic.
Structure and properties of flax/polylactide/alumina nanocomposites

Composites composed of polylactide (PLA), woven flax fiber textiles (weave style of 2 × 2 twill and 4 × 4 hopsack) and boehmite alumina were produced by hot press. The spraying technique served for the pre-dispersion of the alumina nanoparticles. The aqueous alumina slurry was produced by mixing the water with water dispersible alumina. The dispersion of the flax structures and alumina particles in the composites was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The polylactide composites were subjected to water absorption and instrumented falling weight impact tests. The creep and thermomechanical properties of the composites were determined in short-time creep tests (performed at various temperatures), thermogravimetric analysis and dynamic-mechanical thermal analysis, respectively. It was found that the incorporation of alumina particles reduced the water uptake compared to the polylactide/flax blends. The impact energy and stiffness value of polylactide/flax blends was markedly higher than that of PLA but reflected the effects of composite structures. Incorporation of alumina particles enhanced storage modulus and the creep resistance compared to the polylactide/flax blends but slightly incremented thermal resistance at high temperature. No clear trend in the flax weave style-effect was found in the thermal behavior. The creep master curves were constructed by applying the time–temperature superposition principle. The Findley power law could satisfactorily describe the creep compliance versus time traces for all systems studied.
A deep photometric survey of the η Chamaeleontis cluster down to the brown dwarf – planet boundary

We report the outcome of the deep optical/infrared photometric survey of the central region (33 x 33 arcmin 2 or 0.9 pc 2 ) of the η Chamaeleontis (η Cha) pre-main sequence star cluster. The completeness limits of the photometry are I = 19.1, J = 18.2 and H = 17.6, faint enough to reveal low-mass members down to the brown dwarf and planet boundary of ≈13 M Jup . We found no such low-mass members in this region. Our result combined with a previous shallower (I = 17) but larger area survey indicates that low-mass objects (0.013 < M/M ⊙ < 0.075) were either not created in the η Cha cluster or lost due to the early dynamical history of the cluster and ejected to outside the surveyed areas.
Ganglion cyst of the anterior cruciate ligament

A 25-year-old male mechanic initially was seen after several months of pain, popping, giving way, and occasional catching of the left knee in flexion. The pain symptoms were exacerbated by prolonged standing or running. The patient reported a history of a hyperextension injury that occurred when he slipped on some stairs 10 months before our examination. The injury was not severe enough for him to seek treatment at the time, but the stated symptoms developed slowly during the 6 months after his fall. No history of knee effusions was associated with this problem, and he experienced no improvement in his symptoms after a conservative treatment program that was initiated by his local physician. Physical examination was nonspecific, and results were positive only for mild lateral joint line tenderness and for increased pain and a popping sensation with the McMurray test. The Lachman test result also was negative, and no instability of the knee could be elicited. Plain radiographic findings of the knee were normal. Symptoms persisted after additional conservative therapy, and the patient was admitted to the hospital for arthroscopic inspection of the knee. Arthroscopy was accomplished under a spinal anesthetic, and findings were completely normal with the exception of
Superhydrophobic Anti-Ice Nanocoatings

Atmospheric icing from supercooled droplets in the atmosphere can have catastrophic consequences for a number of man-made structures in regions with cold climate and at high altitude, resulting in accidents with both socioeconomic losses and loss of human lives. To mitigate the icing problem, active de-icing involving chemical, thermal and mechanical techniques have been developed to remove ice that has already accumulated. These techniques are sub-optimal, however, as they are plagued with problems such as high energy consumption, hazard to the environment, high economic costs, and need for frequent reapplication. This thesis takes a look at an entirely different approach, namely utilizing superhydrophobic surfaces to reduce or eliminate the accumulation and adhesion of ice from the outset. Much of the research in the field of superhydrophobicity has involved surfaces with open-cell structures, e.g. pillar-like surfaces and surfaces with bumps and valleys. It has been reported that surfaces with closed cells have a comparative advantage in that they are better at retaining their hydrophobic properties under pressure. This thesis investigates the wetting properties (which are often closely tied to icephobic properties) of closed-cell structures further, using LAMMPS simulations. The simulations show that wetting on these surfaces satisfies the well-known theories of Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter. However, on the small scale on which the simulations were carried out, the effect of tuning the roughness scale is not as predicted by theory. Furthermore, no comparative advantage against open-cell structures could be demonstrated for the closed-cell surfaces. A physical experiment was also carried out, in which the influence of water condensation on the dynamic behavior of water droplets on a nearly-superhydrophobic black silicon surface was tested. The results confirm a well-known problem: Condensation severely deteriorates the water repellency of hydrophobic surfaces. The literature review and experiments in this thesis shows that superhydrophobic surfaces have a great potential for use in anti-icing applications, demonstrating delayed freezing, reduced ice accumulation, and reduced ice adhesion. Nevertheless, major problems are yet to be solved, including deterioration of icephobicity due to mechanical damage, and reduced icephobicity in humid conditions.
The Drosophila homolog of Down's syndrome critical region 1 gene regulates learning: Implications for mental retardation

Mental retardation is the most common phenotypic abnormality seen in Down's syndrome (DS) patients, yet the underlying mechanism remains mysterious. DS critical region 1 (DSCR1), located on chromosome 21, is overexpressed in the brain of DS fetus and encodes an inhibitor of calcineurin, but its physiological significance is unknown. To study its functional importance and role in mental retardation in DS, we generated Drosophila mutants of nebula, an ortholog of human DSCR1. Here, we report that both nebula loss-of-function and overexpression mutants exhibit severe learning defects that are attributed by biochemical perturbations rather than maldevelopment of the brain. These results, combined with our data showing that the same biochemical signaling pathway is altered in human DS fetal brain tissue overexpressing DSCR1, suggest that alteration of DSCR1 expression could contribute to mental retardation in DS.
Economic evaluation of a comprehensive self-management programme in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Aims: The main objective of this study was to investigate whether a comprehensive self-management programme, including self-treatment guidelines for exacerbations and a fitness programme, is an efficient treatment option for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Method: We randomly allocated 248 COPD patients to either self-management (127) or usual care (121). Data on preference-based utilities (EuroQol-5D), health-related quality of life (HRQoL), health-care resource use and productivity losses associated with exacerbations were prospectively collected. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were calculated. The economic analysis took the societal perspective and the observation period was one year. Results: As we observed that the groups were equally effective in terms of QALYs and HRQoL (SGRQ), we described a cost minimization analysis only. The self-management programme-specific costs amounted to 6642 per patient. In the base-case cost analysis, the incremental cost difference amounted to 838 per patient per year in favour of usual care. When only direct medical costs were included, the incremental annual cost of self-managementrelative to usual care was 179 per person per year. If time costs for the fitness programme were set to zero, the costs for self-management diminished to 542. Sensitivity analysis showed that these results were robust to changes in the underlying assumptions. Conclusion: We conclude that the COPE self-management programme is not an efficient treatment option for moderate to severe COPD patients who rate their HRQoL relatively high. The programme was twice as expensive as usual care and had no measurable beneficial effects on QALYs or HRQoL.
IGF-I and IGF Binding Protein-3 Generation Tests and Response to Growth Hormone in Children with Silver-Russell Syndrome

Objectives. To evaluate, in children with Silver-Russell Syndrome, the response to the IGF-I and IGFBP-3 generation test and compare results to the growth response after 6 months of rhGH. Methods. Eight children (6 males), with a mean age of years and height SDS of received rhGH for 6 months. IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were analyzed before and after 4 doses of rhGH. Results. The mean growth velocity (GV) before treatment was cm/year. GV increased after rhGH in five children to a mean GV of cm/year. Six children had normal basal IGF-I levels and two low levels. After 4 doses of rhGH, the IGF-I levels were normal in seven. There was no correlation between the growth response and the IGF-I generation test. Conclusions. Children with SRS have normal IGF-I generation test. There is no correlation between the generation test and the growth velocity after 6 months of rhGH.
Correlation of articular involvement, skin disfigurement and unemployment with depressive symptoms in patients with systemic sclerosis: a hospital sample

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease associated with increased functional impairment, body image distress due to skin lesions, and psychosocial comorbidity, particularly depression. Prevalence of depressive symptoms in SSc patients ranges from 36% to 65% and it contributes to the worsening of any aspect of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and clinical and non‐clinical correlates of depressive symptoms in a sample of outpatients with SSc.
Absence of Complementary Sex Determination in the Parasitoid Wasp Genus Asobara (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

An attractive way to improve our understanding of sex determination evolution is to study the underlying mechanisms in closely related species and in a phylogenetic perspective. Hymenopterans are well suited owing to the diverse sex determination mechanisms, including different types of Complementary Sex Determination (CSD) and maternal control sex determination. We investigated different types of CSD in four species within the braconid wasp genus Asobara that exhibit diverse life-history traits. Nine to thirteen generations of inbreeding were monitored for diploid male production, brood size, offspring sex ratio, and pupal mortality as indicators for CSD. In addition, simulation models were developed to compare these observations to predicted patterns for multilocus CSD with up to ten loci. The inbreeding regime did not result in diploid male production, decreased brood sizes, substantially increased offspring sex ratios nor in increased pupal mortality. The simulations further allowed us to reject CSD with up to ten loci, which is a strong refutation of the multilocus CSD model. We discuss how the absence of CSD can be reconciled with the variation in life-history traits among Asobara species, and the ramifications for the phylogenetic distribution of sex determination mechanisms in the Hymenoptera.
Central and Midperipheral Corneal Thickness Measured with Scheimpflug Imaging and Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose To compare corneal thickness measurements using Pentacam (Oculus, Germany), Sirius (CSO, Italy), Galilei (Ziemer, Switzerland), and RTVue-100 OCT (Optovue Inc., USA). Methods Sixty-six eyes of 66 healthy volunteers were enrolled. Three consecutive measurements were performed with each device. The mean value of the three measurements was used for subsequent analysis. Central corneal thickness (CCT), thinnest corneal thickness (TCT), and midperipheral corneal thickness (MPCT; measured at superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal locations with a distance of 1 mm (CT2mm) or 2.5 mm (CT5mm) from the corneal apex) were analyzed. Differences and agreement between measurements were assessed using the repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bland-Altman analyses, respectively. Results Statistically significant differences (p<0.001) among the four devices were revealed in CCT, TCT and CT2mmmeasurements. The CCT, TCT, and CT2mm values were ranked from the thickest to the thinnest as follows: Galilei>Sirius>Pentacam>RTVue OCT. For these measurements, agreement between measurements by Sirius and Pentacam was good, whereas Galilei overestimated and RTVue underestimated corneal thickness compared to Sirius and Pentacam. As regards CT5mm measurements, Pentacam provided the largest values, whereas RTVue OCT yielded the smallest values. Agreement of the CT5mm measurements was good between the Pentacam, Sirius, moderate between Galilei and the other two Scheimpflug systems, and poor between the RTVue OCT and the remaining devices. Conclusions The Pentacam and Sirius can be used interchangeably for CCT measurements, while the Galilei and RTVue systematically over- and underestimate CCT, respectively. The three Scheimpflug cameras, but not the RTVue, may be used interchangeably for MPCT measurements.
Monocytes regulate osteoclast-activating factor production by releasing prostaglandins

Osteoclast-activating factor (OAF), a powerful stimulator of osteoclastic bone resorption, is released by peripheral blood mononuclear cells on exposure to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or a specific antigen to which the leukocytes have been previously exposed. Both lymphocytes and monocytes are required in the leukocyte population for OAF release to occur. In this study we examined the relationship between the lymphocyte and monocyte in OAF production. Biological activity, as a result of OAF, was assessed by a bioassay based on the release of previously incorporated 45Ca from fetal rodent long bones in organ culture. We found that an enriched lymphocyte population depleted of monocytes by serial adherence does not release OAF after stimulation with PHA, although the cells are activated as assessed by [3H]thymidine and 3H-amino acid incorporation. When conditioned media harvested from adherent cells which did not contain OAF was added to the enriched lymphocytes, OAF release occurred. Media harvested from adherent cells which were cultured with indomethacin (10 microM), an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis, did not permit OAF release by activated lymphocytes. When PGE1 and PGE2 (0.1 microM) were added exogenously to the enriched lymphocyte population, OAF release occurred after stimulation with PHA. These results indicate that, (a) the activated lymphocyte is the cell or origin of OAF, (b) prostaglandins produced by monocytes are necessary for OAF production by activated lymphocytes, and (c) monocyte prostaglandins can influence bone resorption indirectly by regulating OAF production as well as directly by osteoclast activation. The interactions of OAF and prostaglandins at bone resorbing sites may be important in inflammatory and neoplastic diseases associated with bone destruction.
Handbook of polymer crystallization

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Toward a Refined Definition of Monocyte Subsets

In a nomenclature proposal published in 2010 monocytes were subdivided into classical and non-classical cells and in addition an intermediate monocyte subset was proposed. Over the last couple of years many studies have analyzed these intermediate cells, their characteristics have been described, and their expansion has been documented in many clinical settings. While these cells appear to be in transition from classical to non-classical monocytes and hence may not form a distinct cell population in a strict sense, their separate analysis and enumeration is warranted in health and disease.