Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A note on the deficiency of NCEP/NCAR reanalysis surface winds over the equatorial Indian Ocean

The seasonal cycle and intraseasonal variability of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP) reanalysis surface winds over the Indian Ocean (IO) are assessed by comparing them with in situ surface observations from two moored buoys and winds from the SeaWinds scatterometer on the QuikSCAT satellite. The buoys are located in the central Bay of Bengal and eastern Arabian Sea. Both QuikSCAT and NCEP wind products reproduce closely the seasonal cycle and intraseasonal variability (10–60 day) in the in situ observations. In the equatorial IO, however, the seasonal mean NCEP wind speeds can be $2-3 ms^{-1}$ smaller and the amplitude of intraseasonal variability only about half that of QuikSCAT winds. The systematic errors of NCEP zonal winds are comparable to the annual mean or amplitude of the seasonal cycle in the equatorial IO. It is suggested that the systematic error of mean and intraseasonal variability of reanalysis winds is related to systematic error in the NCEP analysis of precipitation.
Extended Magnetohydrodynamic Plasma Jets With External Magnetic Fields

In this paper, collimated plasma jets form from Joule heating and ablation of a radial foil (Al 15-μm-thin disk) using a pulsed power generator (Cornell Beam Research Accelerator) with 1-MA peak current and 100-ns rise time. Plasma dynamics of the jet are diagnosed with and without an applied uniform external magnetic field (~1-T axial Bz produced from a pulsed Helmholtz coil) and under a change of current polarity, which corresponds to current moving either radially inward or outward from the foil's central axis. Experimental results are compared with predictions made by numerical simulations (Plasma as an Extended-MHD Relaxation System using an Efficient Upwind Scheme). The influence of the Hall effect on the jet development is observed under opposite current polarities.
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Symptoms Predict Alcohol Expectancy Development

ABSTRACT Objective: Positive alcohol expectancies and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are independent risk factors for adolescent alcohol problems and substance use disorders. However, the association of early ADHD diagnostic status, as well as its separate dimensions of inattention and hyperactivity, with alcohol expectancies is essentially unknown. Method: At baseline (i.e., Wave 1), parents of 139 6- to 9-year-old children (71% male) with (N = 77; 55%) and without (N = 62; 45%) ADHD completed structured diagnostic interviews of child psychopathology. Approximately two years later (i.e., Wave 2), children completed a Memory Model-Based Expectancy Questionnaire (MMBEQ) to ascertain their positive and negative expectancies regarding alcohol use. All children were alcohol naïve at both baseline and follow-up assessments. Results: Controlling for age, sex, IQ, as well as the number of Wave 1 oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD) symptoms, the number of baseline hyperactivity symptoms prospectively predicted more positive arousing (i.e., MMBEQ “wild and crazy” subscale) alcohol expectancies at Wave 2. No predictive association was observed for the number of Wave 1 inattention symptoms and alcohol expectancies. Conclusions: Childhood hyperactivity prospectively and positively predicted expectancies regarding the arousing properties of alcohol, independent of inattention and ODD/CD symptoms, as well as other key covariates. Even in the absence of explicit alcohol engagement, youths with elevated hyperactivity may benefit from targeted intervention given its association with more positive arousing alcohol expectancies.
Shiga Toxins Stimulate Secretion of Interleukin-8 from Intestinal Epithelial Cells

ABSTRACT In the 1980s, Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC) was identified as a cause of hemorrhagic colitis in the United States and was found to be associated with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a microangiopathic hemolytic anemia characterized by thrombocytopenia and renal failure. The precise way that Stxs cause hemorrhagic colitis and HUS is unclear. Stxs have been thought to cause disease by killing or irreversibly harming sensitive cells through a nonspecific blockade of mRNA translation, eventually resulting in cytotoxicity by preventing synthesis of critical molecules needed to maintain cell integrity. Because STEC is noninvasive, we have been exploring the host-toxin response at the level of the gastrointestinal mucosa, where STEC infection begins. We have found that Stx is capable of interleukin-8 (IL-8) superinduction in a human colonic epithelial cell line. Despite a general blockade of mRNA translation, Stx treatment results in increased IL-8 mRNA as well as increased synthesis and secretion of IL-8 protein. Our data suggest that an active Stx A subunit is required for this activity. Ricin, which has the same enzymatic activity and trafficking pathway as Stx, has similar effects. Exploration of the effects of other protein synthesis inhibitors (cycloheximide, anisomycin) suggests a mechanism of gene regulation that is distinct from a general translational blockade. Use of the specific p38/RK inhibitor SB202190 showed that blocking of this pathway results in decreased Stx-mediated IL-8 secretion. Furthermore, Stxs induced mRNA of the primary response gene c-jun, which was subsequently partially blocked by SB202190. These data suggest a novel model of how Stxs contribute to disease, namely that Stxs may alter regulation of host cell processes in sensitive cells via activation of at least one member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family in the p38/RK cascade and induction of c-jun mRNA. Stx-induced increases in chemokine synthesis from intestinal epithelial cells could be important in augmenting the host mucosal inflammatory response to STEC infection.
A Study of Long-Tail Latency in n-Tier Systems: RPC vs. Asynchronous Invocations

Long-tail latency of web-facing applications continues to be a serious problem. Most of the previously published research addresses two classes of long latency problems: uneven workloads such as web search, and resource saturation in single nodes. We describe an experimental study of a third class of long tail latency problemsthat are specific to distributed systems: Cross-Tier Queue Overflow (CTQO) due to a combination of millibottlenecks (with sub-second duration) and tightly-coupled servers in n-tier systems (e.g., Apache, Tomcat, and MySQL) using RPC-style request-response communications. Our experiments show that the appearance of millibottlenecks (e.g., created by short workload bursts) in one server often causes another server (which has no saturated resources) in the synchronous invocation chain to fill up its queues (CTQO) and drop packets, creating very long response time queries. CTQO can be reduced or avoided by replacing the server dropping packets with an asynchronous server. In synchronous n-tier system experiments, long tail latency due to CTQO can be reproduced consistently atutilization as low as 43%. In contrast, when all n-tier servers are replaced by asynchronous versions, CTQO and consequent dropped packets remain absent at utilization levels as high as 83%, despite the same millibottlenecks.
Mergers and Acquisitions (M&AS) by R&D Intensive Firms

In this study, we evaluate the impact of R&D intensity on acquiring firms’ abnormal returns by examining 925 Canadian completed deals between 1993 and 2002 that have information on R&D expenditures. While examining the returns to acquiring firm shareholders in the R&D intensive firms we evaluate two competing hypotheses: ‘growth potential hypothesis’ and ‘integration failure hypothesis’. According to the ‘growth potential hypothesis’, in light of the growth potential of the targets acquired by R&D intensive firms, investors are likely to react positively. ‘Integration failure hypothesis’ focuses on integration difficulties of a target by an R&D intensive firms and suggests that investor might be skeptical of such acquisitions and react negatively. Our results show that R&D intensity (i.e. R&D expenditure by sales) has a positive and significant effect on cumulative abnormal returns of the acquiring firms around the announcement dates. This implies that market generally favors the M&A deals by R&D intensive firms. An analysis of the differentiating characteristics reveal that R&D firms have a significantly higher growth potential and undertake more stock financed deals compared to the non R&D firms. Further, our results show that there is no significant change in long-term operating performance subsequent to the M&A deals for both R&D firms and non R&D firms. In general, our results show support for ‘growth potential hypothesis’.
Individuals at Risk for Suicide: Mental Health Clinicians' Perspectives on Barriers to and Facilitators of Treatment Engagement

Background: Individuals experiencing suicidal ideation and/or behaviors are often difficult to engage in treatment. Up to 50% of individuals presenting to an ER for treatment of a suicidal crisis refuse outpatient treatment referrals. This study examined outpatient mental health clinicians' perceptions of the barriers to and facilitators of mental health treatment engagement of individuals at risk for suicide. Method: Thirty-six mental health clinicians working with clients with past and/or current suicidality (ideation, behaviors) in outpatient mental health centers participated in four focus groups. Data were collected using semistructured interview. A process of content analysis was utilized in which data were analyzed thematically. Results: Five main domains of barriers and facilitators emerged including (a) client-level, (b) clinician-level, (c) service-level, (d) agency-level, and (e) intervention-level variables. In all, 38 barriers and 31 facilitators were identified. The most frequently identified facilitator was the clinician's own sense of engagement with the client, identified by 31% of the clinicians. The most frequently identified barrier was housing instability, identified by 34% of the clinicians. Conclusion: Knowledge of clinicians' perspective on treatment engagement of clients at risk for suicide may inform the development and implementation of interventions and guide training/supervision programs for those working with this vulnerable population.
In Vitro Activity of Miltefosine against Candida albicans under Planktonic and Biofilm Growth Conditions and In Vivo Efficacy in a Murine Model of Oral Candidiasis

ABSTRACT The generation of a new antifungal against Candida albicans biofilms has become a major priority, since biofilm formation by this opportunistic pathogenic fungus is usually associated with an increased resistance to azole antifungal drugs and treatment failures. Miltefosine is an alkyl phospholipid with promising antifungal activity. Here, we report that, when tested under planktonic conditions, miltefosine displays potent in vitro activity against multiple fluconazole-susceptible and -resistant C. albicans clinical isolates, including isolates overexpressing efflux pumps and/or with well-characterized Erg11 mutations. Moreover, miltefosine inhibits C. albicans biofilm formation and displays activity against preformed biofilms. Serial passage experiments confirmed that miltefosine has a reduced potential to elicit resistance, and screening of a library of C. albicans transcription factor mutants provided additional insight into the activity of miltefosine against C. albicans growing under planktonic and biofilm conditions. Finally, we demonstrate the in vivo efficacy of topical treatment with miltefosine in the murine model of oropharyngeal candidiasis. Overall, our results confirm the potential of miltefosine as a promising antifungal drug candidate, in particular for the treatment of azole-resistant and biofilm-associated superficial candidiasis.
Activation of PI 3-kinase / PKB contributes to delay in neutrophil apoptosis after thermal injury

Hu, Zhihong, and Mohammed M. Sayeed. Activation of PI3kinase/PKB contributes to delay in neutrophil apoptosis after thermal injury. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 288: C1171–C1178, 2005. First published December 29, 2004; doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00312. 2004. — Neutrophil apoptosis is delayed under trauma and/or sepsis injury conditions. The molecular mechanism for the delay in apoptosis has not been well defined. We investigated whether activation of phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase)/PKB signaling pathway contributes to the delay in neutrophil apoptosis with thermal injury. Rats were subjected to burns (30% total body surface area, 98°C for 10 s), and euthanized 24 h later. Blood neutrophils were isolated with the use of Ficoll gradient centrifugation and cultured for the indicated time periods. Apoptosis was determined using annexin V and PI labeling and flow cytometry. NFB activation was examined using gel mobility shift assay and confocal microscopy. Expression levels of inhibitory apoptosis proteins (IAPs), including cellular IAP1 (cIAP1), cIAP2, X-linked IAP (XIAP), and survivin, and Bcl-2 family members such as Bcl-xl and Bad, were determined by Western blot analysis and/or RT-PCR, real-time PCR. The results showed that in culture, the decrease in apoptosis of neutrophils from thermally injured rats was prevented in the presence of PI3-kinase inhibitors wortmannin and LY-294002. There was upregulation of PKB and Bad phosphorylation and NFB activation in N-formyl-L-methionyl-Lleucyl-L-phenylalanine-stimulated neutrophils from thermally injured rats compared with the sham injured group. Increased Bad phosphorylation and NFB activation were also attenuated by wortmannin. Bcl-xl expression in neutrophils was upregulated with thermal injury and inhibited in the presence of wortmannin. However, the expression of IAP family members was neither affected by thermal injury nor inhibited by wortmannin. These data suggest that the delay in neutrophil apoptosis with thermal injury is partly caused by activation of PI3-kinase/PKB signaling and NFB, which appeared to be related to the increased Bcl-xl expression and phosphorylation of Bad, but not IAP expression.
Financial Market Integration in a Monetary Union

Financial markets in Euroland differ from those of a national monetary union in two regards. First, capital markets in general and banking markets in particular show a greater degree of segmentation than national financial markets as a result of information costs and regulatory barriers to full integration. Second, financial market structures differ among the members of Euroland, which potentially affects the transmission of (monetary) shocks. This paper provides a simple model of a currency union which takes these peculiarities into account, focusing on the interaction of financial structures, the degree of capital mobility, the transmission of shocks, and the portfolio choices of banks.
A multifactorial test of the effects of carotenoid access, food intake and parasite load on the production of ornamental feathers and bill coloration in American goldfinches

SUMMARY It has been well established that carotenoid and melanin pigmentation are often condition-dependent traits in vertebrates. Expression of carotenoid coloration in birds has been shown to reflect pigment intake, food access and parasite load; however, the relative importance of and the potential interactions among these factors have not been previously considered. Moreover, carotenoid and melanin pigmentation have been proposed to signal fundamentally different aspects of individual condition but few data exist to test this idea. We simultaneously manipulated three environmental conditions under which American goldfinches (Cardeulis tristis) grew colorful feathers and developed carotenoid pigmentation of their bills. Male goldfinches were held with either high or low carotenoid supplementation, pulsed or continuous antimicrobial drug treatment, or restricted or unlimited access to food. Carotenoid supplementation had an overriding effect on yellow feather coloration. Males given more lutein and zeaxanthin grew yellow feathers with hue shifted toward orange and with higher yellow chroma than males supplemented with fewer carotenoids. Parasites and food access did not significantly affect yellow feather coloration, and there were only minor interaction effects for the three treatments. By contrast, bill coloration was significantly affected by all three treatments. Carotenoid supplementation had a significant effect on yellow chroma of bills, drug treatment and food access both had a significant effect on bill hue, and food access had a significant effect on the yellow brightness of bills. Neither the size nor blackness of the black caps of male goldfinches was affected by any treatment. These results indicate that pigment intake, food access and parasite load can have complex and variable effects on color displays, and that feather and bill coloration signal different aspects of male condition.
Breadth of Ownership and Stock Returns

We develop a model of stock prices in which there are both differences of opinion among investors as well as short-sales constraints. The key insight that emerges is that breadth of ownership is a valuation indicator. When breadth is low i.e., when few investors have long positions in the stock this signals that the short-sales constraint is binding tightly, implying that prices are high relative to fundamentals and that expected returns are therefore low. Thus reductions (increases) in breadth should forecast lower (higher) returns. Using quarterly data on mutual fund holdings over the period 1979-1998, we find evidence supportive of this prediction: stocks whose change in breadth in the prior quarter places them in the lowest decile of the sample underperform those in the top change-in-breadth decile by 6.38% in the first twelve months after portfolio formation. After adjusting for size, book-to-market and momentum, the corresponding figure is 4.95%.
Factors Influencing the Incidence of Lamotrigine-Related Skin Rash

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidences of serious and nonserious lamotrigine-related rash, determine the risk factors for lamotrigine-related rash, and evaluate the impact on the incidence of rash of the manufacturer's recommendation to reduce the starting dose of lamotrigine. METHODS: This was a retrospective case record survey at five tertiary referral epilepsy centers in the UK. The risk factors for lamotrigine-related rash were identified by logistic regression. The independent factors tested were gender, age, epilepsy type, concurrent medication, and starting dose of lamotrigine. The incidences of rash before and after the recommendation of reduction in starting dose were compared by •2 analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1050 patients were included. The incidences of serious and nonserious rash were 1.1% (95% CI 0.5% to 1.8%) and 7% (95% CI 5.5% to 8.6%), respectively. Females were at higher risk of developing rash than were males, with a relative risk of 1.8 (95% CI 1.2 to 2.8). The starting dose of lamotrigine was reduced in response to the manufacturer's recommendation, and there was a significant reduction (p = 0.045) in the incidence of serious rash, from 1.5% (12/805) to 0% (0/245). However, there was no reduction in the overall incidence of lamotrigine-related rash, with 63/805 (8%) before and 23/245 (9%) after the recommendation. CONCLUSIONS: Failure to detect a reduction in the incidence of lamotrigine-related rash since the new (reduced) recommended starting dose of lamotrigine may arise from failure to reduce the starting dose below a critical threshold level, incomplete compliance with current recommendations, or insufficient sample size. The results of this and other studies show that the starting dose of lamotrigine is a significant factor affecting the incidence of rash; furthermore, this study also shows that significant reduction in the incidence of serious rash can be achieved by reducing the starting dose. Therefore, clinicians should not deviate from the recommendations.
Impaired microvascular hyperaemic response to minor skin trauma in type I diabetes.

SIR,-Dr G Rayman and colleagues made some interesting observations on the local hyperaemic response to minor skin trauma (needle insertion and warming) in insulin dependent diabetes (17 May, p 1295). However, their literature search may have been incomplete, as they do not mention our reports on the local hyperaemic responses to needle insertion and superficial injection of small volumes of bland liquids in diabetic and nondiabetic subjects. 14 Dr Rayman's protocol was similar to our own, except that we used photoelectric plethysmography, a non-invasive optical technique which yields similar results to the laser Doppler flowmetry method used by the authors'; the two methods have been compared (1 March, p 620). Injection depth was fixed at 7-8 mm under the centre of the photoelectric plethysmography probe by inserting the needle along an angled track drilled through a perspex block cemented to the side of the probe. Injection of 0-1-0 15 ml of saline or insulin diluent in normal subjects (n=6, mean age 24 years) produced a local hyperaemic "flare," which reached a peak representing a 1600/o increase over baseline flow at 2 minutes and had largely faded by 30 minutes. Simple needle insertion without injection produced a response of similar amplitude and duration, suggesting that this acute, transient hyperaemia was a non-specific response to injury. In contrast, there was prolonged and considerable hyperaemia after injection of local vasodilators such as prostaglandin El,l 2nicotinicacid,2aprotinin,3andinsulin. In stable insulin dependent diabetics (n=7, mean age 22 years, mean duration of diabetes 9years) the response was slightly but not significantly less than in normal subjects, but in severely brittle diabetics with chronic metabolic instability (n= 8, mean age 18 years, mean duration of diabetes 10 years) the hyperaemic flare was significantly flatter and shorter than in both other groups (figure). These findings, unlike those of Dr Rayman and colleagues, therefore suggested that impaired local hyperaemic responses to needle insertion were related to long term metabolic control rather than the presence of diabetes itself; differences in patient selection may explain these divergences. Other points should be mentioned. Firstly, as discussed (1 March, p 620), neither photoelectric plethysmography nor laser Doppler flowmetry can measure absolute units of blood flow, although