Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the Genetic Diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis esxA, esxH, and fbpB Genes among Clinical Isolates and Its Implication for the Future Immunization by New Tuberculosis Subunit Vaccines Ag85B-ESAT-6 and Ag85B-TB10.4

The effort to develop a tuberculosis (TB) vaccine more effective than the widely used Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) has led to the development of two novel fusion protein subunit vaccines: Ag85B-ESAT-6 and Ag85B-TB10.4. Studies of these vaccines in animal models have revealed their ability to generate protective immune responses. Yet, previous work on TB fusion subunit vaccine candidate, Mtb72f, has suggested that genetic diversity among M. tuberculosis strains may compromise vaccine efficacy. In this study, we sequenced the esxA, esxH, and fbpB genes of M. tuberculosis encoding ESAT-6, TB10.4, and Ag85B proteins, respectively, in a sample of 88 clinical isolates representing 57 strains from Ark, USA, and 31 strains from Turkey, to assess the genetic diversity of the two vaccine candidates. We found no DNA polymorphism in esxA and esxH genes in the study sample and only one synonymous single nucleotide change (C to A) in fbpB gene among 39 (44.3%) of the 88 strains sequenced. These data suggest that it is unlikely that the efficacy of Ag85B-ESAT-6 and Ag85B-TB10.4 vaccines will be affected by the genetic diversity of M. tuberculosis population. Future studies should include a broader pool of M. tuberculosis strains to validate the current conclusion.
Large scale clear-water local pier scour experiments

Local clear-water scour tests were performed with three different diameter circular piles (0.114, 0.305, and 0.914 m), three different uniform cohesionless sediment diameters (0.22, 0.80, and 2.90 mm) and a range of water depths and flow velocities. The tests were performed in the 6.1 m wide, 6.4 m deep, and 38.4 m long flume at the United States Geological Survey Conte Research Center in Turners Falls, Mass. These tests extend local scour data obtained in controlled experiments to prototype size piles and ratios of pile diameter to sediment diameter to 4,155. Supply water for this flow through flume was supplied by a hydroelectric power plant reservoir and the concentration of suspended fine sediment (wash load) could not be controlled. Equilibrium scour depths were found to depend on the wash load concentration.
Triassic conodonts and their role in stage boundary definition

Abstract Conodonts have played an important role in the construction of a Triassic timescale. Each of the stage boundaries is reviewed in the context of their evolving conodont faunas. The base Triassic (Induan) is defined by the appearance of Hindeodus parvus, which developed from H. praeparvus; a parallel zonation is provided by Neogondolella species. For the Induan–Olenekian boundary, the appearance of Neospathodus waageni sensu lato within a plexus of similar species is favoured as the defining datum; Borinella and Eurygnathodus also appear about this time. The base of the Middle Triassic Anisian stage lies close to the appearance of Chiosella, with Triassospathodus and Spathicuspus characterizing the late Olenekian, and Gladigondolella tethydis and Nicoraella confined to the Anisian. Proxies for the Anisian–Ladinian boundary, which is defined by an ammonoid, are the first Budurovignathus species. The basal Carnian, also defined by an ammonoid, lies close to the first metapolygnathids, including M. polygnathiformis and M. tadpole. The Carnian–Norian boundary interval is characterized by many new taxa in Canada, but only a few species are common to Tethys, notably Metapolygnathus ex gr. M. echinatus. The Norian–Rhaetian boundary is likely to be based on evolution in Misikella in Tethys, with concurrent changes recognized in North American Epigondolella.
Efficacy of cefuroxime axetil suspension compared with that of penicillin V suspension in children with group A streptococcal pharyngitis

The bacteriological and clinical efficacies of cefuroxime axetil suspension (20 mg/kg of body weight per day in two divided doses) were compared with those of penicillin V suspension (50 mg/kg/day in three divided doses) in a multicenter, randomized, evaluator-blinded study. Children aged 2 to 13 years with clinical signs and symptoms of acute pharyngitis and a positive throat culture for group A beta-hemolytic streptococci (GABHS) were eligible. Patients were assessed and samples from the throat for culture were obtained at the time of diagnosis, 3 to 7 days after the initiation of treatment, and 4 to 8 days and 19 to 25 days after the completion of 10 days of therapy. Of the 385 evaluable patients, GABHS were eradicated from 244 of 259 (94.2%) cefuroxime-treated patients and 106 of 126 (84.1%) penicillin-treated patients (P = 0.001). Complete resolution of the signs and symptoms present at the time of diagnosis was achieved in 238 of 259 (91.9%) cefuroxime-treated patients and 102 of 126 (81.0%) penicillin-treated patients (P = 0.001). Potential drug-related adverse events were reported in 7.0 and 3.2% of the cefuroxime- and penicillin-treated patients, respectively (P = 0.078). In the present study, cefuroxime axetil suspension given twice daily resulted in significantly greater bacteriological and clinical efficacies than those of penicillin V suspension given three times daily to pediatric patients with acute pharyngitis and a positive throat culture for GABHS.
Yangtze Seen as Earliest Rice Site

NARA, JAPAN—The Yangtze region could predate the more politically powerful Yellow River area to the north as both the site of the oldest civilization in China and the earliest cultivation of rice anywhere on Earth, according to preliminary findings by a team of Japanese and Chinese archaeologists. The report comes from the International Symposium on Agriculture and Civilizations, held here last month.
Long term outcome in Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome without lung cancer

OBJECTIVES To determine the prognosis in patients with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) without small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and to analyse longitudinal clinical, electrophysiological, and immunological data on each patient to establish prognostic factors for long term outcome. METHODS The retrospective and part prospective study of 47 patients with LEMS was undertaken from data recorded during visits to a specialist neuromuscular clinic. Serial measurements of muscle strength score in shoulder abduction, elbow extension and hip flexion, compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude, and postcontraction increment in abductor digiti minimi (ADM), and anti-P/Q-type voltage gated calcium channel (VGCC) antibody titre were made at each visit. RESULTS Muscle strength scores were improved in 88% of patients after a median duration of immunosuppressive treatment of 6 years (range 1.3 to 17 years); anti-VGCC antibody titres fell in 52% after treatment; and mean resting CMAP amplitude improved from 2.7 mV initially to 8.8 mV after 2 years of treatment p<0.001). Initial pretreatment anti-VGCC antibody titre did not correlate significantly with either CMAP amplitude, CMAP increment, or clinical score: from serial measurements made during follow up, significant correlation between antibody titre and CMAP amplitude was seen in only two patients. Sustained clinical remission was achieved by 20 (43%) of whom only four remained in remission without the need for immunosuppression. Using a Cox proportional hazards model, the only independent predictor of sustained clinical remission was initial pretreatment clinical score (p=0.03). Lymphoma presented in three patients during the study. CONCLUSIONS The prognosis in patients with LEMS without SCLC is favourable, although patients often need significant doses of immunosuppressive treatment to remain clinically stable. Only initial clinical muscle strength measurements and not anti-VGCC antibody titres or electrophysiological recordings are predictive of long term outcome.
Empirical Correction Factors for the Electron Microanalysis of Silicates and Oxides

Given suitable correction factors, the use of pure oxides and binary oxide phases as standards would make electron microanalysis independent of chemical analyses and problems of sample inhomogeneity. Ziebold and Ogilvie (1964) have shown that the calibration curve in a binary metal alloy system can, within the variance of data points, be described by the linear expression $$C_{A}/K_{A} = \alpha_{AB} + (1 - \alpha_{AB})C_{A}$$, where $$C_{A }$$ is the concentration of element A in alloy Ârelative to pure A, and $$K_{A}$$ is the background-corrected intensity of a characteristic radiation line of A in the alloy relative to that of pure A. This linear variation of the correction factor with composition can be extended to multicomponent systems by using the weighted average of the binary correction factors. Correction factors have been determined empirically for characteristic lines of ten major elements (Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, and Fe) in the corresponding oxides using phases on binary and pseudobinary joins and extrapolating into more complicated systems. Where available, synthetic minerals were used as standards, but natural minerals, verified to be nearly stoichiometric by the absence of other elements as established in wavelength scans and to be nearly homogeneous by step and electron-beam scanning, were also used. The results obtained for complicated minerals such as amphiboles and micas, using oxides and simple silicates as standards, are comparable to those of standard analytical techniques.
An Upper Bound on the State Requirements of Link-Fault Tolerant Multi-Topology Routing

Multi-topology routing is an increasingly popular concept in computer communications, and can be successfully applied to network fault tolerance. Multi-topology routing implies an increase in routing state requirements proportional to the number of logical topologies used. The network routing state is often subject to stringent system limits and should therefore be deterministic and controllable. In this paper we show that the number of logical topologies needed to guarantee link-fault tolerant multi-topology routing in a network has an upper bound determined by a topological property we call largest minimal cycle. We provide a formal proof of the validity of this bound in arbitrary biconnected networks. We also evaluate the quality of this bound, showing that it is reasonably strict.
Wind-driven bottom currents and related sedimentary bodies in Lake Saint-Jean (Québec, Canada)

Lakes are major depositional systems for which the related depositional processes have long been considered relatively simple. Breaking this statement, this study presents a detailed analysis of deposits in Lake Saint-Jean, the third largest natural lake in Quebec. In addition to postglacial deltaic and coastal depositional systems fringing the lake, current-controlled features such as a large subaqueous prograding wedge and three sediment drifts have been identifi ed in its central portion based on two-dimensional (2-D) acoustic high-resolution subbottom profiles. The large subaqueous prograding wedge is a 4-km-long and up to 15-m-thick heterolithic shelf-like construction in the southeastern part of the lake. The three sediment drifts are 0.1–0.5-km-long and 2–5-mthick mud mounds distributed on the lake floor in the central portion of the lake. Diatom analyses and radiocarbon dating show that the development of these current-controlled features occurred during the lacustrine phase, after the disconnection with the postglacial marine Laflamme Gulf at 8.5 cal. k.y. B.P. Depositional facies show evidence of recurrent bottom-current activity. Related deposits alternate with pelagic sedimentation stages characterized by the settling of mud and biogenic accumulations. We investigated the origin of bottom currents using a numerical simulation (SYMPHONIE, an oceanographic model), with the aim of modeling wind-induced lake-scale water circulation. Simulations suggest that the subaqueous prograding wedge and the three sediment drifts result from wind-induced bottom currents generated by storm events having wind speed greater than 10 m s–1. Such strong winds are able to significantly affect sedimentation in the central portion of Lake Saint-Jean. The resulting wind-induced sedimentary features were integrated into a refi ned lacustrine depositional model that summarizes the evolution of a group of water bodies referred to as “wind-driven water bodies. ” This study applies a new tool for lake strata characterization and highlights the potential diffi culty in differentiating them from marine deposits in the geological record.
Magnetic properties of G-band bright points in a sunspot moat

We present simultaneous spectropolarimetric observations of four visible (630 nm) and three infrared (1565 nm) spectral lines from the German Vacuum Tower Telescope, together with speckle-reconstructed filtergrams in the G-band and the Ca ii H line core from the Dutch Open Telescope. After alignment of the data sets, we used the G-band intensity to locate bright points (BPs) in the moat of a regular sunspot. With the cospatial and cotemporal information provided by the polarimetric data, we characterize the magnetic, kinematic, and thermal properties of the BPs. We find that (a) 94% of the BPs are associated with magnetic fields; (b) their field strengths range between 500 and 1400 G, with a rather flat distribution; (c) the contrast of BPs in the G-band depends on the angle between the vector magnetic field and the line of sight; (d) the BPs harbor downflows of magnetized plasma and exhibit Stokes V profiles with large area and amplitude asymmetries; (e) the magnetic interior of BPs is hotter than the immediate field-free surroundings by about 1000 K at equal optical depth; and (f) the mean effective diameter of BPs in our data set is 150 km, with very few BPs larger than 300 km. Most of these properties can be explained by the classical magnetic flux tube model. However, the wide range of BP parameters found in this study indicates that not all G-band BPs are identical to stable long-lived flux tubes or sheets of kG strength.
Initiation of ultrahigh‐pressure metamorphism and its significance on the Proterozoic–Phanerozoic boundary

Ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) metamorphism began at 540–530 Ma near the Precambrian–Cambrian boundary, and repeated more than 10 times through the Phanerozoic, indicating one of the most prominent tectonic aspects of the Phanerozoic Earth. The preceding subduction zone metamorphism back to the Archean had been of the intermediate‐ to low‐P type. An apparent change in the P/T conditions of subduction zone metamorphism occurred at the Precambrian–Cambrian boundary at ca 544 Ma. At ∼ 200 million years earlier than the initiation of UHP metamorphism, blueschist facies metamorphism occurred along the northern margin of the Tarim craton. A transitional period between the Proterozoic and Phanerozoic at 750–540 Ma corresponds to the initiation of blueschist facies metamorphism at the subduction zone; the cooling Earth dropped its geothermal gradient which intersected the blueschist facies P–T field. An abrupt change in the geothermal gradient from 22–15 °C/km (Archean–Proterozoic) to 6–7 °C/km (Phanerozoic) to initiate UHP metamorphism may correspond to a rather abrupt increase of slab‐pull driving force at the beginning of the Phanerozoic. Large amounts of heat loss from the Earth's interior may have occurred just before 540 Ma; presumably it may correspond to the duration from the breakup of supercontinent Rodinia at 750 Ma, to the formation of the next supercontinent Gondwana at 540 Ma.
Effect of resin thickness on the microhardness and optical properties of bulk-fill resin composites

Objectives This study evaluated the effects of the resin thickness on the microhardness and optical properties of bulk-fill resin composites. Methods Four bulk-fill (Venus Bulk Fill, Heraeus Kulzer; SDR, Dentsply Caulk; Tetric N-Ceram Bulk Fill, Ivoclar vivadent; SonicFill, Kerr) and two regular resin composites (Charisma flow, Heraeus Kulzer; Tetric N-Ceram, Ivoclar vivadent) were used. Sixty acrylic cylindrical molds were prepared for each thickness (2, 3 and 4 mm). The molds were divided into six groups for resin composites. The microhardness was measured on the top and bottom surfaces, and the colors were measured using Commission Internationale d'Eclairage (CIE) L*a*b* system. Color differences according to the thickness and translucency parameters and the correlations between the microhardness and translucency parameter were analyzed. The microhardness and color differences were analyzed by ANOVA and Scheffe's post hoc test, and a student t-test, respectively. The level of significance was set to α = 0.05. Results The microhardness decreased with increasing resin thickness. The bulk-fill resin composites showed a bottom/top hardness ratio of almost 80% or more in 4 mm thick specimens. The highest translucency parameter was observed in Venus Bulk Fill. All resin composites used in this study except for Venus Bulk Fill showed linear correlations between the microhardness and translucency parameter according to the thickness. Conclusions Within the limitations of this study, the bulk-fill resin composites used in this study can be placed and cured properly in the 4 mm bulk.
Segmenting Visitors to Battlefield Sites: International Visitors to the Former DMZ in Vietnam

Vietnam is an emerging tourist destination with rapid development in the tourism industry over the last decade. Well-known for the Vietnam War, it is expected that battlefield sites are among the country's main attractions for international tourists. However, to date, there has been no research examining visitors to battlefield sites in Vietnam. This study aims to contribute to filling this perceived gap by examining the visitors to the former Vietnamese De-militarised Zone (DMZ). Its objectives are: (1) to identify tourist motivations for visiting the DMZ, (2) to segment the DMZ visitors based on motivations, and (3) to determine the importance of battlefield sites in tourists' decision to travel to Vietnam. International visitors to the Vinh Moc Tunnels, a site often included in the DMZ tour, were chosen as a study sample. Data in this study was collected in an intercept self-completed questionnaire survey, which resulted in a sample of 481 respondents. Statistical analysis of the data was supplemented by content analysis of qualitative findings where appropriate. The findings show that respondents visited the DMZ for a variety of motivations. Five motivations were generated from the factor analysis of 22 quantitative motivational items namely: Personal involvement, Interest in war related sites and exhibitions, Education and exploration, Location and convenience, and Novelty seeking. These delineated motivations were supported and extended by respondents' self-expressed motivations. Based on these motivations, three groups of visitors to the DMZ were identified using cluster analysis: the Battlefield Tourism Enthusiast, the Opportunist, and the Passive Tourist. These three visitors segments differed significantly in terms of socio-demographic characteristics, trip related characteristics, and especially travel decision-making. The Enthusiasts had the highest interest in visiting battlefield sites in Vietnam. The Opportunists tended to visit sites based on location and convenience, and the Passive Tourists indicated relatively low rankings for all reasons for visiting battlefield sites. This study also found that battlefield sites only played a small role in tourists' decision to visit Vietnam and that most tourists visited Vietnam for its culture, landscape and history. Several implications and recommendations arise from this study, including the need for continuing research on motivations for battlefield tourism in other countries. In addition, it is suggested that the educative function should be emphasised in developing battlefield sites as tourist attractions.
Retroviral DNA Integration: ASLV, HIV, and MLV Show Distinct Target Site Preferences

The completion of the human genome sequence has made possible genome-wide studies of retroviral DNA integration. Here we report an analysis of 3,127 integration site sequences from human cells. We compared retroviral vectors derived from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), avian sarcoma-leukosis virus (ASLV), and murine leukemia virus (MLV). Effects of gene activity on integration targeting were assessed by transcriptional profiling of infected cells. Integration by HIV vectors, analyzed in two primary cell types and several cell lines, strongly favored active genes. An analysis of the effects of tissue-specific transcription showed that it resulted in tissue-specific integration targeting by HIV, though the effect was quantitatively modest. Chromosomal regions rich in expressed genes were favored for HIV integration, but these regions were found to be interleaved with unfavorable regions at CpG islands. MLV vectors showed a strong bias in favor of integration near transcription start sites, as reported previously. ASLV vectors showed only a weak preference for active genes and no preference for transcription start regions. Thus, each of the three retroviruses studied showed unique integration site preferences, suggesting that virus-specific binding of integration complexes to chromatin features likely guides site selection.
WAIS—R Scatter with Psychiatric Inpatients: I. Intrasubtest Scatter

Intrasubtest scatter values for eight WAIS—R subtests were estimated for a sample of 150 psychiatric inpatients and compared with those reported for a comparable portion of the WAIS—R standardization group by Kaplan, Fein, Morris, and Delis in 1991, using the normal deviate (z) test. The standardization group's intrasubtest scatter was significantly greater than those reported for the psychiatric inpatients on all subtests except Arithmetic and Information. These results suggested that, contrary to expectation, limited intrasubtest scatter may characterize WAIS—R protocols of psychiatric inpatients, while the presence of scatter may characterize normal WAIS—R performance.
Marine no-take zone rapidly benefits endangered penguin

No-take zones may protect populations of targeted marine species and restore the integrity of marine ecosystems, but it is unclear whether they benefit top predators that rely on mobile pelagic fishes. In South Africa, foraging effort of breeding African penguins decreased by 30 per cent within three months of closing a 20 km zone to the competing purse-seine fisheries around their largest colony. After the fishing ban, most of the penguins from this island had shifted their feeding effort inside the closed area. Birds breeding at another colony situated 50 km away, whose fishing grounds remained open to fishing, increased their foraging effort during the same period. This demonstrates the immediate benefit of a relatively small no-take zone for a marine top predator relying on pelagic prey. Selecting such small protected areas may be an important first conservation step, minimizing stakeholder conflicts and easing compliance, while ensuring benefit for the ecosystems within these habitats.