Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
QUANTIFICATION OF SOIL RANDOM ROUGHNESS AND SURFACE DEPRESSION STORAGE: METHODS, APPLICABILITY, AND LIMITATIONS

Soil surface microtopography controls surface runoff, infiltration, and other hydrologic processes by storing water in depressions, changing flow directions and accumulations, and even altering the entire drainage system. Studies have been conducted to characterize surface microrelief and quantify surface depression storage. Various indices have been proposed to quantify soil surface roughness, and some indices have been further used to estimate maximum depression storage (MDS). Random roughness (RR) has been one of the widely used indices for estimating MDS over the past four decades. However, there have been some confusions and controversies on the data processing procedures and computation methods associated with the RR index-based approach. The focus of this study is on evaluating the performance and applicability of the RR index-based approach that incorporates four different data processing procedures for a series of microtopographic surfaces. It is demonstrated that selecting proper data processing procedures is critical and helpful to improve the estimation of RR and MDS. Particularly, removal of oriented roughness (slope and tillage marks) is a necessary data processing procedure. For a real soil surface, the relationship of MDS and slope is nonlinear and the changing pattern of MDS with RR varies, depending on the surface microtopographic conditions. In addition, the mean upslope depression (MUD) method is applied to estimate MDS for tillage surfaces. It has been found that the RR index-based approach is better suited for gentle sloping surfaces, while the MUD index method is able to provide improved estimation of MDS for steeper slopes.
Helicobacter pylori seropositivity in subjects with acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Helicobacter pylori infection increases the risk of myocardial infarction. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: University teaching hospital. METHODS: Serological evidence of H pylori infection was determined in 342 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction admitted into the coronary care unit and in 236 population-based controls recruited from visitors to patients on medical and surgical wards. RESULTS: 206/342 (60.2%) of cases were H pylori positive compared with 132/236 (55.9%) of controls (P = 0.30). Age and sex stratified odds ratio for myocardial infarction associated with H pylori seropositivity was 1.05 (95% CI 0.7 to 1.53, P = 0.87) and this remained non-significant (P = 0.46) when other risk factors for ischaemic heart disease were taken into account using logistic regression analysis. H pylori seropositivity was not associated with several coronary risk factors in either cases or controls. CONCLUSION: No increase was found in H pylori seropositivity in subjects with acute myocardial infarction. This suggests that previous H pylori infection is not a major risk factor for acute myocardial infarction.
Concurrent Human Papillomavirus-Positive Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx in a Married Couple

Background. Although alcohol and tobacco use are known risk factors for development of squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck, human papillomavirus (HPV) has been increasingly associated with this group of cancers. We describe the case of a married couple who presented with HPV-positive oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma within two months of each other. Methods. Tumor biopsies were positive for p16 and high-risk HPV in both patients. Sanger sequencing showed a nearly identical HPV16 strain in both patients. Both patients received chemoradiation, and one patient also underwent transoral robotic tongue base resection with bilateral neck dissection. Results. Both patients showed no evidence of recurrent disease on follow-up PET imaging. Conclusions. New head and neck symptoms should be promptly evaluated in the partner of a patient with known HPV-positive oropharynx cancer. This case expands the limited current literature on concurrent presentation of HPV-positive oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma in couples.
Dynamics of orientation coding in area V1 of the awake primate

Abstract To investigate the importance of feedback loops in visual information processing, we have analyzed the dynamic aspects of neuronal responses to oriented gratings in cortical area V1 of the awake primate. If recurrent feedback is important in generating orientation selectivity, the initial part of the neuronal response should be relatively poorly selective, and full orientation selectivity should only appear after a delay. Thus, by examining the dynamics of the neuronal responses it should be possible to assess the importance of feedback processes in the development of orientation selectivity. The results were base on a sample of 259 cells recorded in two monkeys, of which 89% were visually responsive. Of these, approximately two-thirds were orientation selective. Response latency varied considerably between neurons, ranging from a minimum of 41 ms to over 150 ms, although most had latencies of 50–70 ms. Orientation tuning (defined as the bandwidth at half-height) ranged from 16 deg to over 90 deg, with a mean value of around 55 deg. By examining the selectivity of these different neurons by 10-ms time slices, starting at the onset of the neuronal response, we found that the orientation selectivity of virtually every neuron was fully developed at the very start of the neuronal response. Indeed, many neurons showed a marked tendency to respond at somewhat longer latencies to stimuli that were nonoptimally oriented, with the result that orientation selectivity was highest at the very start of the neuronal response. Furthermore, there was no evidence that the neurons with the shortest onset latencies were less selective. Such evidence is inconsistent with the hypothesis that recurrent intracortical feedback plays an important role in the generation of orientation selectivity. Instead, we suggest that orientation selectivity is primarily generated using feedforward mechanisms, including feedforward inhibition. Such a strategy has the advantage of allowing orientation to be computed rapidly, and avoids the initially poorly selective neuronal responses that characterize processing involving recurrent loops.
Influence of probiotic organisms on release of bioactive compounds in yoghurt and soy yoghurt

Viability and metabolic activities are important characteristics of probiotic microorganisms. They give rise to therapeutic benefits as well as increase physiological activity of cultured products through liberation of a number of bioactive peptides and activation of latent compounds such as conjugated isoflavones. The main focus of this project was to assess the performance of commercial probiotic strains in regard to viability, metabolic activity and ability to produce bioactive compounds.
Cognitive Processes in Saccade Generation

Abstract: The analysis of saccades offers an opportunity to study a number of different cognitive processes, such as visuospatial attention, working memory, and volitional conflict. A study of saccades in patients with visuospatial hemineglect, who performed a visual search task, showed repeated fixations on targets previously discovered, yet they often failed to retain the information that a particular target had previously been discovered. High‐resolution structural brain scanning showed that this abnormality was due either to a lesion in the right intraparietal sulcus or the right inferior frontal lobe. Detailed analysis of the scanpaths suggested that the former location was associated with an accumulating impairment in remapping target locations across saccades or impaired memory of previously inspected target locations, whereas the latter location was more consistent with a failure to inhibit responses to rightward locations. When combined with a spatial bias to the right, such deficits might explain why many neglect patients often reexamine rightward targets, at the expense of items to their left. The functions of the supplementary eye field (SEF), in the medial frontal lobe, in relation to saccade generation are controversial. A series of studies in a patient with a focal lesion of the right SEF has indicated an important role for the SEF in the rapid self‐control of saccadic eye movements and in set‐switching (i.e., implementing control in situations of response conflict when ongoing saccadic plans have to be changed rapidly), rather than monitoring errors. In a recent fMRI study of normal subjects, it was shown that the SEF is involved in implementing the resolution of any volitional conflict, whereas other presupplementary motor areas are involved in the generation of volitional plans and processing volitional conflict.
Mantle Wedge (De)formation During Subduction Infancy: Evidence from the Base of the Semail Ophiolitic Mantle

The basal mantle of the Semail ophiolite directly overlying the metamorphic sole has been affected by a late and relatively low temperature ductile deformation event, ascribed to the deformation of the mantle just above the plate interface during subduction infancy (which ultimately led to ophiolite obduction). We show that this deformation results in the formation of proto-mylonitic (∼850–750°C) to ultra-mylonitic (∼750–650°C) shear zones wrapping lenses of porphyroclastic tectonites deformed at higher temperature (∼1200°C). In proto- to ultra-mylonites, syn-deformation hydrous fluid/peridotite interaction triggered the dissolution of coarser grains (olivine1, orthopyroxene1 and clinopyroxene1) and the crystallization of polymineralic mixtures of smaller grains (olivine2, orthopyroxene2, clinopyroxene2, spinel2 ± sulfide, together with magnesio-hornblende to pargasitic amphibole). This modal metasomatism is associated with cryptic metasomatism marked by striking mineral enrichment in some fluid-mobile-elements (especially B and Li). From the major and trace elements composition of the newly precipitated grains and estimated conditions of fluid/peridotite interaction (∼800°C), we interpret the metasomatic agent as a fluid derived from the dehydration of the amphibolitic to granulitic metamorphic sole (i.e. the metamorphosed crust from the downgoing plate) underlying the mantle during incipient subduction. We propose that this high temperature sole was accreted to the proto-mylonitic banded unit while dehydrating and that both units were exhumed together during peridotite ultra-mylonitic deformation, thereby preserving a fossilized warm subduction interface and evidence of an incipiently (de)forming mantle wedge.
A Bayesian similarity measure for direct image matching

We propose a probabilistic similarity measure for direct image matching based on a Bayesian analysis of image deformations. We model two classes of variation in object appearance: intra-object and extra-object. The probability density functions for each class are then estimated from training data and used to compute a similarity measure based on the a posteriori probabilities. Furthermore, we use a novel representation for characterizing image differences using a deformable technique for obtaining pixel-wise correspondences. This representation, which is based on a deformable 3D mesh in XYI-space, is then experimentally compared with two simpler representations: intensity differences and optical flow. The performance advantage of our deformable matching technique is demonstrated using a typically hard test set drawn from the US Army's FERET face database.
Inhibition of Endotheiiai Cell Regrowth: Cessation of Aortic Endotheiiai Cell Replication after Balloon Catheter Denudation

Aortas of male rabbits (2.0 to 2.5 kg body weight) were denuded of endothelium with a 4F balloon catheter and killed 7,14,60,90, and 180 days later. Aortic endotheiiai cell regrowth was determined using Evans blue dye and scanning electron microscopy. Early endotheiiai outgrowth was rapid, but by 14 days the regrowth slowed markedly so that no further increase of endotheiiai outgrowth was detected at other time periods. Another group of animals received 3 H-thymidine 1 hour before death and were killed 4,14, and 42 days later. The endotheiiai cell replication in the aortas of these animals was measured from Hautchen preparations. Endotheiiai cell replication was observed 4 days after balloon injury but was markedly reduced by 14 and 42 days. Intimal smooth muscle cell replication, however, was observed at both these later times. These results demonstrate that in vivo endotheiiai cell replication stops long before the aorta is repopulated and suggest that some mechanism other than contact between endotheiiai cells can prevent endotheiiai cell replication.
Are comparisons of consumer satisfaction with providers biased by nonresponse or case-mix differences?

OBJECTIVE This study examined how consumer satisfaction ratings differ between mental health care providers to determine whether comparison of ratings is biased by differences in survey response rates or consumer characteristics. METHODS Consumer satisfaction surveys mailed by a mixed-model prepaid health plan were examined. Survey data were linked to computerized records regarding consumers' demographic (age, sex, and type of insurance coverage) and clinical (primary diagnosis and initial versus return visit) characteristics. Statistical models examined probabilities of returning the survey (N=8,025 returned surveys) and of giving an excellent satisfaction rating. Variability was separated into within-provider effects and between-provider effects. RESULTS The overall response rate was 33.8%, and 49.9% of responders reported excellent satisfaction. Neither response rate nor satisfaction rating was related to primary diagnosis. Within the practices of individual providers, response rate and receiving an excellent rating were significantly associated with female sex, older age, longer enrollment in the health plan, and making a return visit. Analyses of between-provider effects, however, found that only a higher proportion of return visitors was significantly associated with higher response rates and higher satisfaction ratings. CONCLUSIONS There was little evidence that differences in response rate or in consumers served biased comparison of satisfaction ratings between mental health providers. Bias might be greater in a setting with more heterogeneous consumers or providers. Returning consumers gave higher ratings than first-time visitors, and analyses of satisfaction ratings may need to account for this difference. Extremely high or low ratings should be interpreted cautiously, especially for providers with a small number of surveys.
Concentrated Sodium Citrate (23%) for Catheter Lock

For chronic central venous dialysis catheters, the standard method for maintaining catheter patency between treatments is to instill (lock) catheters with 5000 – 10 000 units of heparin in each lumen. Sodium citrate (citrate) is an anticoagulant with intrinsic antibacterial activity (at 20% concentration or higher). Citrate has only transient anticoagulant effects if accidentally infused to the patient. Prior studies of citrate as a catheter lock solution have utilized citrate concentrations of 1% in combination with 27 mg/mL gentamicin. We changed clinical protocols for catheter locks using various solutions, including concentrated citrate, in a dialysis unit with 50% of patients having chronic central venous catheters [40 catheters total, mostly Ash Split Cath (Medcomp, Harleysville, PA, U.S.A.) but some Tesio (Medcomp) and Hickman (BARD, Salt Lake City, UT, U.S.A.) catheters]. At 3‐ to 4‐month intervals, the standard catheter lock solution for the unit was varied on the following schedule: heparin; 10% citrate with 3 mg/mL gentamicin; 20% citrate with 3 mg/mL gentamicin; heparin; and 23% citrate. Catheters were not routinely removed during treatment of bacteremia.
Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's Disease Is Associated with Selective Changes in Calcineurin/NFAT Signaling

Upon activation by calcineurin, the nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) translocates to the nucleus and guides the transcription of numerous molecules involved in inflammation and Ca2+ dysregulation, both of which are prominent features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, NFAT signaling in AD remains relatively uninvestigated. Using isolated cytosolic and nuclear fractions prepared from rapid-autopsy postmortem human brain tissue, we show that NFATs 1 and 3 shifted to nuclear compartments in the hippocampus at different stages of neuropathology and cognitive decline, whereas NFAT2 remained unchanged. NFAT1 exhibited greater association with isolated nuclear fractions in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), whereas NFAT3 showed a strong nuclear bias in subjects with severe dementia and AD. Similar to NFAT1, calcineurin-Aα also exhibited a nuclear bias in the early stages of cognitive decline. But, unlike NFAT1 and similar to NFAT3, the nuclear bias for calcineurin became more pronounced as cognition worsened. Changes in calcineurin/NFAT3 were directly correlated to soluble amyloid-β (Aβ(1-42)) levels in postmortem hippocampus, and oligomeric Aβ, in particular, robustly stimulated NFAT activation in primary rat astrocyte cultures. Oligomeric Aβ also caused a significant reduction in excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) protein levels in astrocyte cultures, which was blocked by NFAT inhibition. Moreover, inhibition of astrocytic NFAT activity in mixed cultures ameliorated Aβ-dependent elevations in glutamate and neuronal death. The results suggest that NFAT signaling is selectively altered in AD and may play an important role in driving Aβ-mediated neurodegeneration.
Development of hybrid antibacterial membrane by incorporating silver particle with 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine as compatibilizer

The objective of this study was to develop and characterize the polyethersulfone (PES) incorporated with silver (Ag) as an antibacterial membrane which can remove and disinfect bacteria in a single step for environmental application. The PES-Ag membrane was developed from PES, silver nitrate as an antibacterial agent and 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine (TAP) as compatibilizer. The influence of AgNO3 loading, molecular weights (MW) of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as dispersant and type of compatibilizer have been investigated. The resulting membranes were characterized based on their thermal, tensile and structural properties which were used in correlation with the membrane antibacterial properties. The incorporation of Ag in PES membrane has increased the tensile strength doubled as compared to the unmodified PES. Furthermore, it was observed that the highest AgNO3 loading (2 wt%) and the highest MW (360,000) of PVP as dispersant has led to higher silver content on membrane surfaces. This is evidenced from energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These properties have induced a better antibacterial activity in a disc-diffusion test against Escherichia coli (E.coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus). The structural characterization by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) revealed that by incorporating TAP as compatibilizer, smaller Ag particles size with improved distribution and average pore size of 0.174 um was obtained. In addition, the silver residue during fabrication monitored by inductive coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was significantly reduced (62.6%). These parameters have led to E.coli removal of log reduction value (LRV) 3.59 and 100% growth inhibition tested on E.coli suspension of 1x106 colony forming unit (CFU/mL). From the adhesion test, this membrane exhibited the least E.coli adherence which in turn evidenced its anti-adhesion property. In conclusion, the PES-Ag membrane with TAP as compatibilizer produced was potential in bacteria removal and disinfection below the CFU maximum range for water and waste water treatment.
Large-Scale Spatial Distribution Patterns of Gastropod Assemblages in Rocky Shores

Gastropod assemblages from nearshore rocky habitats were studied over large spatial scales to (1) describe broad-scale patterns in assemblage composition, including patterns by feeding modes, (2) identify latitudinal pattern of biodiversity, i.e., richness and abundance of gastropods and/or regional hotspots, and (3) identify potential environmental and anthropogenic drivers of these assemblages. Gastropods were sampled from 45 sites distributed within 12 Large Marine Ecosystem regions (LME) following the NaGISA (Natural Geography in Shore Areas) standard protocol (www.nagisa.coml.org). A total of 393 gastropod taxa from 87 families were collected. Eight of these families (9.2%) appeared in four or more different LMEs. Among these, the Littorinidae was the most widely distributed (8 LMEs) followed by the Trochidae and the Columbellidae (6 LMEs). In all regions, assemblages were dominated by few species, the most diverse and abundant of which were herbivores. No latitudinal gradients were evident in relation to species richness or densities among sampling sites. Highest diversity was found in the Mediterranean and in the Gulf of Alaska, while highest densities were found at different latitudes and represented by few species within one genus (e.g. Afrolittorina in the Agulhas Current, Littorina in the Scotian Shelf, and Lacuna in the Gulf of Alaska). No significant correlation was found between species composition and environmental variables (r≤0.355, p>0.05). Contributing variables to this low correlation included invasive species, inorganic pollution, SST anomalies, and chlorophyll-a anomalies. Despite data limitations in this study which restrict conclusions in a global context, this work represents the first effort to sample gastropod biodiversity on rocky shores using a standardized protocol across a wide scale. Our results will generate more work to build global databases allowing for large-scale diversity comparisons of rocky intertidal assemblages.
Testicular and spermatotoxic effects of quinalphos in rats

Testicular and spermatotoxic effects were investigated in rats exposed to technical‐grade quinalphos (70%) at dose levels of 0.52 mg kg−1 (1/50th ld50) or 1.04 mg kg−1 body weight (1/25th ld50) for 5 days a week for 60 days. The activities of marker testicular enzymes such as sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) and acid phosphatase were signiﬁcantly decreased but those of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase (γ‐GT) and β‐glucuronidase were signiﬁcantly increased in a dose‐dependent manner. This particular pattern in the activity of testicular‐cell‐speciﬁc enzymes, an decrease in sperm motility and total epididymal sperm count and an increase in abnormal sperm suggest damage to germ cells and Sertoli cells. The testicular and spermatotoxic effects observed in rats may be due to the pesticide quinalphos or its metabolites. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.