Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Triassic palynology of central and northwestern Europe: a review of palynofloral diversity patterns and biostratigraphic subdivisions

Abstract We document palynofloral trends through the Triassic in the Germanic and Alpine facies with an emphasis on diversity trends and possibly related palaeoenvironmental changes. As a first order approximation of palynofloral diversity, we used the range through method of the software package PAST based on a range chart compiled from several Triassic palynological studies and reviews. Our analysis suggests that during the entire Triassic the diversity of plants producing spores was largely controlled by the availability of water, while diversity among gymnosperms was also affected by other environmental and biotic factors. In general, palynofloral diversity declines by some 50% between the early Carnian and the Norian, mainly as a result of a decrease in the number of pollen species. This is the second most severe loss in pollen species after the Permian–Triassic biotic crisis. In comparison to the marked palynofloral turnover at the Permian–Triassic transition and the end-Carnian decrease in palynofloral diversity, the end-Triassic biotic crisis appears to have little affected palynofloral species diversity in Europe. A study of the palynostratigraphy of NW Europe recognizes nine zones (and nine subzones) that encompass the Triassic, most of which have their boundaries based on the first occurrences of marker species. The palynostratigraphic zones and subzones in Europe are correlated to the marine Triassic stages based on various data, including numerous palynological records in marine Alpine Triassic strata.
Serological diagnosis of leishmaniasis: on detecting infection as well as disease

SUMMARY Serological tests are very frequently used in epidemiological surveys of leishmaniasis and other parasitoses. Their sensitivity and specificity are generally defined with respect to parasitism and diseases, rather than infection. The reason is that known positives are those individuals most likely to yield parasites, or who have distinctive clinical signs, and concomitantly high antibody titres. This paper investigates the performance of one serological method, the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), in detecting Leishmania infantum infection during an intensive 2-year cohort study of dogs in southern France. The results show that sensitivity and specificity with respect to infection can be simultaneously high, but maximum sensitivity is probably <80%, and lasts for a relatively short period of 2–3 months after a lengthy incubation period. The IFAT gave the incidence of infection as 18–65% in the first year, whereas the best estimate of incidence based on parasite isolation and clinical observation was 72%. But data from the second year suggest that the 72% was itself an underestimate. We argue that, during epidemiological surveys, the IFAT in particular, and serological tests for leishmania in general, will underestimate prevalence, incidence and hence the scale of the control problem. However, there is evidence that tests for canine leishmaniasis employing high threshold titres will identify the most infectious animals, allowing selective treatment or culling of those which contribute disproportionately to transmission.
Modeling growth in boys' aggressive behavior across elementary school: links to later criminal involvement, conduct disorder, and antisocial personality disorder.

The present study used general growth mixture modeling to identify pathways of antisocial behavior development within an epidemiological sample of urban, primarily African American boys. Teacher-rated aggression, measured longitudinally from 1st to 7th grade, was used to define growth trajectories. Three high-risk trajectories (chronic high, moderate, and increasing aggression) and one low-risk trajectory (stable low aggression) were found. Boys with chronic high and increasing trajectories were at increased risk for conduct disorder, juvenile and adult arrest, and antisocial personality disorder. Concentration problems were highest among boys with a chronic high trajectory and also differentiated boys with increasing aggression from boys with stable low aggression. Peer rejection was highest among boys with chronic high aggression. Interventions with boys with distinct patterns of aggression are discussed.
Effects of different surface treatments on ceramic repairs with composite.

OBJECTIVE To compare different surface treatments of lithium disilicate-based ceramic on bond strengths to composite. METHODS Lithium disilicate-based ceramic microbars (1 mm × 1 mm × 6 mm) were produced and abraded using diamond (D) or CoJet sandblasting (C), etched using phosphoric acid (P) or hydrofluoric acid (H) and silanised (S). A total of 12 surface treatments were adopted: D, DP, DH, DS, DPS, DHS, C, CP, CH, CS, CPS and CHS. An adhesive resin (XP Bond) was then applied and a composite build-up was placed. All specimens were thermocycled 5,000 times and submitted to microtensile bond strength test (μTBS). Results were analysed using one-way analysis of variance and the Dunnett T3 test. Stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscopy were used to determine the failure modes. RESULTS Surface roughening, acid etching and silanisation all have a significant influence on the ceramic-composite bond durability. Groups DH (30.7 ± 6.5 MPa), DHS (32.0 ± 8.2 MPa), CH (27.2 ± 4.5 MPa) and CHS (29.2 ± 5.5 MPa) showed the highest μTBS statistically. Groups DS (11.5 ± 3.0 MPa) and DPS (9.7 ± 2.2 MPa) had higher μTBS than groups D (4.5 ± 2.9 MPa) and DP (5.2 ± 3.0 MPa), while groups C (1.7 ± 0.7 MPa), CS (1.7 ± 0.9 MPa), CP (1.7 ± 0.6 MPa) and CPS (1.7 ± 1.1 MPa) showed the lowest μTBS. CONCLUSION Hydrofluoric acid etching was effective in improving the bond strength of composite to lithium disilicate-based ceramic, regardless of the method of surface roughening and silanisation.
Procedural Generation of Videos to Train Deep Action Recognition Networks

Deep learning for human action recognition in videos is making significant progress, but is slowed down by its dependency on expensive manual labeling of large video collections. In this work, we investigate the generation of synthetic training data for action recognition, as it has recently shown promising results for a variety of other computer vision tasks. We propose an interpretable parametric generative model of human action videos that relies on procedural generation and other computer graphics techniques of modern game engines. We generate a diverse, realistic, and physically plausible dataset of human action videos, called PHAV for Procedural Human Action Videos. It contains a total of 39,982 videos, with more than 1,000 examples for each action of 35 categories. Our approach is not limited to existing motion capture sequences, and we procedurally define 14 synthetic actions. We introduce a deep multi-task representation learning architecture to mix synthetic and real videos, even if the action categories differ. Our experiments on the UCF101 and HMDB51 benchmarks suggest that combining our large set of synthetic videos with small real-world datasets can boost recognition performance, significantly outperforming fine-tuning state-of-the-art unsupervised generative models of videos.
Differentiation of Self, Perceived Stress, and Symptom Severity Among Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome

This article presents an empirical examination of the usefulness of Bowen family systems theory as a framework for understanding fibromyalgia syndrome. This cross-sectional Internet-based survey included 201 participants diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome. Results indicated that more severe symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome are significantly correlated with higher levels of perceived stress, lower levels of differentiation of self, and higher levels of emotional cutoff. In addition, indicators of differentiation of self (i.e., emotional cutoff and emotional reactivity) were found to moderate the relationship between perceived stress and symptom severity, although these indicators did not account for large proportions of the observed variances in symptom severity. Implications for Bowen family systems theory and clinical practice and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Development of a Distributed Water Circulation Model Incorporating Various Paddy Water Uses

モンスーンアジア地域での水利用は水田が主体であるが，そこで見られる多様な水利用を考慮した分布型モデルはいまだ得られていない．そこで，一連の論文では水田水利用を考慮した分布型水循環モデルを提案する．本稿では，その中で「水田の種類や降水に応じて変動する水田作付状況を推定する作付時期・作付面積推定モデル」を提案し，全体モデルをメコン河流域に適用した結果を示した．得られた成果は以下の通りである．i）全体モデルで推定された実蒸発散量は，現地観測から算定した蒸発散量の期別変化をよく再現した．ii）降水量や水田水利用形態の違いが作付けに及ぼす影響を考慮することで，各年の条件に応じた作付状況を推定できた．iii）修正ペンマン・モンティース式から算出される基準蒸発散量と推定された実蒸発散量を比較した結果，天水田面積率が高い地域の乾季に明瞭な差が生じることがわかった．iv）提案モデルは分割したセルごとに土地利用を面積率で与えているため，土地利用変化に伴う影響評価への対応も容易である．また，水田形態や水稲品種に応じて作付けパターンを設定することで，雨季作に見られる作付けの不安定さが表現できる等の特徴を有している．
Community characteristics and mortality: the relative strength of association of different community characteristics.

OBJECTIVES We compared the strength of association between average 5-year county-level mortality rates and area-level measures, including air quality, sociodemographic characteristics, violence, and economic distress. METHODS . We obtained mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System and linked it to socioeconomic and demographic data from the Census Bureau, air quality data, violent crime statistics, and loan delinquency data. We modeled 5-year average mortality rates (1998-2002) for all-cause, cancer, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory diseases as a function of county-level characteristics using ordinary least squares regression models. We limited analyses to counties with population of 100,000 or greater (n = 458). RESULTS Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, particularly the percentage older than 65 years and near poor, were top predictors of all-cause and condition-specific mortality, as were a high concentration of construction and service workers. We found weaker associations for air quality, mortgage delinquencies, and violent crimes. Protective characteristics included the percentage of Hispanics, Asians, and married residents. CONCLUSIONS Multiple factors influence county-level mortality. Although county demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are important, there are independent, although weaker, associations of other environmental characteristics. Future studies should investigate these factors to better understand community mortality risk.
Effect of land use on some soil properties related to the risk of loss of soil phosphorus

Although land use clearly modifies soil properties, the intensity of the modifications depends on the management procedures and also on the soil properties themselves. To enable construction of models that describe soil nutrient losses, extensive databases corresponding to soils under different land use must be made available. Analysis of 404 samples of soils (from Galicia, NW Spain), under different types of use revealed that most of the soil properties underwent changes in the following order: forest use (least modified) ‐ grassland ‐ arable (most modified). Decreases in the contents of organic matter, extractable oxides and P‐adsorption capacity followed the same order, as did increases in the contents of available P (total, inorganic and organic), P desorbed with distilled water, and degree of P saturation. In general, in all of the soils, independently of their use, the amount of P desorbed (whether total P, molybdate reactive P or particulate P) was more closely related to the degree of P saturation than to the levels of P extracted with bicarbonate. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pathogenesis of Clostridium difficile Infection and Its Potential Role in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract:Colonization with toxigenic Clostridium difficile may be associated with a wide spectrum of clinical presentation ranging from asymptomatic carriage to mild diarrhea to life-threatening colitis. Over the last 15 years, there has been a marked increase in the incidence of C. difficile infection, which predominantly affects elderly patients on antibiotics. More recently, there has been significant interest in the association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and C. difficile infection. This review article discusses in some detail current knowledge of the mechanisms by which C. difficile toxins may mediate mucosal inflammation, together with the role of cell wall components of the microorganism in disease pathogenesis. Innate and adaptive host responses to C. difficile toxins and other components are described and include consideration of the potential role of known mucosal changes in IBD that may lead to an enhanced inflammatory response in the presence of C. difficile infection. Recent studies, which have characterized resident microbiota that may mediate protection against colonization by C. difficile, including their mechanisms of action, are also discussed. This includes the role of bile acids and 7&agr;-dehydroxylase-expressing bacteria, such as Clostridium scindens. Recent studies suggest a higher carriage rate of C. difficile in patients with IBD. It is anticipated that future studies will determine the role of dysbiosis in IBD in predisposing to colonization with C. difficile.
Novel Method of Cell-Free In Vitro Synthesis of the Human Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 Gene

Recombinant DNA projects generally involve cell-based gene cloning. However, because template DNA is not always readily available, in vitro chemical synthesis of complete genes from DNA oligonucleotides is becoming the preferred method for cloning. This article describes a new, rapid procedure based on Taq polymerase for the precise assembly of DNA oligonucleotides to yield the complete human fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) gene, which is 468 bp long and has a G+C content of 51.5%. The new method involved two steps: (1) the design of the DNA oligonucleotides to be assembled and (2) the assembly of multiple oligonucleotides by PCR to generate the whole FGF1 gene. The procedure lasted a total of only 2 days, compared with 2 weeks for the conventional procedure. This method of gene synthesis is expected to facilitate various kinds of complex genetic engineering projects that require rapid gene amplification, such as cell-free whole-DNA library construction, as well as the construction of new genes or genes that contain any mutation, restriction site, or DNA tag.
Measuring the hospital length of stay/readmission cost trade-off under a bundled payment mechanism.

If patients are discharged from the hospital prematurely, many may need to return within a short period of time. This paper investigates the relationship between length of stay and readmission within 30 days of discharge from an acute care hospitalization. It applies a two-part model to data on Medicare patients treated for heart attack in New York state hospitals during 2008 to obtain the expected cost of readmission associated with length of stay. The expected cost of a readmission is compared with the marginal cost of an additional day in the initial stay to examine the cost trade-off between an extra day of care and the expected cost of readmission. The cost of an additional day of stay was offset by expected cost savings from an avoided readmission in the range of 15% to 65%. Results have implications for payment reform based on bundled payment reimbursement mechanisms.
Testing behavioral game theory : higher-order rationality and consistent beliefs

This paper investigates the behavioral and experimental support for different epistemic conditions that form the foundations of several game theoretic solution concepts. It employs strategic choice data from a carefully chosen set of ringnetwork games to obtain individual-level estimates of the following epistemic conditions: rationality; beliefs about the rationality of others; and consistent beliefs about strategies. We find that 94 percent of subjects are rational, 72 percent are rational and believe others are rational, and 44 percent are rational and hold at least second-order beliefs about the rationality of others. Of the 72 percent of subjects that satisfy the sufficient rationality conditions needed to observe consistent beliefs, none of them satisfy consistent beliefs. Not a single subject satisfies all three sufficient epistemic conditions required for Nash equilibrium. The unique design allows us to weigh the relative plausibility of alternatives to Nash equilibrium; the data tend to support the level-k model.
CRESCIMENTO POPULACIONAL, EVOLUÇÃO ECONÔMICA RECENTE E CAPACIDADE DE POLARIZAÇÃO: UM ESTUDO EM MUNICÍPIOS DE MINAS GERAIS

The study analyses populational growth, economic evolution, economic specialization and polarization capacity in selected municipal unities in Minas Gerais. Firstly, municipal unities that showed population growth between 1991 and 2000 higher than Brasilian average, and have significative population are selected for study. Then, economic evolution is analysed, based on jobs and PIB. At last, some indices are examined focusing on polarization capacity and economic specialization. The analysis of these variables shows economic reality of municipal units with significative populational growth and then helps to studying of relations between populational dynamics and economic evolution.
Molecular targets of androgen signaling that characterize skeletal muscle recovery and regeneration

The high regenerative capacity of adult skeletal muscle relies on a self-renewing depot of adult stem cells, termed muscle satellite cells (MSCs). Androgens, known mediators of overall body composition and specifically skeletal muscle mass, have been shown to regulate MSCs. The possible overlapping function of androgen regulation of muscle growth and MSC activation has not been carefully investigated with regards to muscle regeneration. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine coinciding androgen-mediated genetic changes in an in vitro MSC model and clinically relevant in vivo models. A gene signature was established via microarray analysis for androgen-mediated MSC engagement and highlighted several markers including follistatin (FST), IGF-1, C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR/Nr3c1). In an in vivo muscle atrophy model, androgen re-supplementation significantly increased muscle size and expression of IGF-1, FST, and HGF, while significantly decreasing expression of GR. Biphasic gene expression profiles over the 7-day re-supplementation period identifed temporal androgen regulation of molecular targets involved in satellite cell engagement into myogenesis. In a muscle injury model, removal of androgens resulted in delayed muscle recovery and regeneration. Modifications in the androgen signaling gene signature, along with reduced Pax7 and MyoD expression, suggested that limited MSC activation and increased inflammation contributed to the delayed regeneration. However, enhanced MSC activation in the androgen-deplete mouse injury model was driven by an androgen receptor (AR) agonist. These results provide novel in vitro and in vivo evidence describing molecular targets of androgen signaling, while also increasing support for translational use of AR agonists in skeletal muscle recovery and regeneration.
POROUS SUBSTRUCTURE OF THE GLOMERULAR SLIT DIAPHRAGM IN THE RAT AND MOUSE

The highly ordered, isoporous substructure of the glomerular slit diaphragm was revealed in rat and mouse kidneys fixed by perfusion with tannic acid and glutaraldehyde. The slit diaphragm was similar in both animal species and appeared as a continuous junctional band, 300–450 Å wide, consistently present within all slits formed by the epithelial foot processes. The diaphragm exhibited a zipper-like substructure with alternating, periodic cross bridges extending from the podocyte plasma membranes to a central filament which ran parallel to and equidistant from the cell membranes. The dimensions and spacing of the cross bridges defined a uniform population of rectangular pores approximately 40 by 140 Å in cross section and 70 Å in length. The total area of the pores was calculated to be about 2–3% of the total surface area of the glomerular capillaries. Physiological data indicate that the glomerular filter functions as if it were an isoporous membrane which excludes proteins larger than serum albumin. The similarity between the dimensions of the pores in the slit diaphragm and estimates for the size and shape of serum albumin supports the conclusion from tracer experiments that the slit diaphragm may serve as the principal filtration barrier to plasma proteins in the kidney.
Improved tumor oxygenation and survival in glioblastoma patients who show increased blood perfusion after cediranib and chemoradiation

Significance This study demonstrates that antiangiogenic therapy increases tumor blood perfusion in a subset of newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients, and that it is these patients who survive longer when this expensive and potentially toxic therapy is combined with standard radiation and chemotherapy. This study provides fresh insights into the selection of glioblastoma patients most likely to benefit from antiangiogenic treatments. Antiangiogenic therapy has shown clear activity and improved survival benefit for certain tumor types. However, an incomplete understanding of the mechanisms of action of antiangiogenic agents has hindered optimization and broader application of this new therapeutic modality. In particular, the impact of antiangiogenic therapy on tumor blood flow and oxygenation status (i.e., the role of vessel pruning versus normalization) remains controversial. This controversy has become critical as multiple phase III trials of anti-VEGF agents combined with cytotoxics failed to show overall survival benefit in newly diagnosed glioblastoma (nGBM) patients and several other cancers. Here, we shed light on mechanisms of nGBM response to cediranib, a pan-VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, using MRI techniques and blood biomarkers in prospective phase II clinical trials of cediranib with chemoradiation vs. chemoradiation alone in nGBM patients. We demonstrate that improved perfusion occurs only in a subset of patients in cediranib-containing regimens, and is associated with improved overall survival in these nGBM patients. Moreover, an increase in perfusion is associated with improved tumor oxygenation status as well as with pharmacodynamic biomarkers, such as changes in plasma placenta growth factor and sVEGFR2. Finally, treatment resistance was associated with elevated plasma IL-8 and sVEGFR1 posttherapy. In conclusion, tumor perfusion changes after antiangiogenic therapy may distinguish responders vs. nonresponders early in the course of this expensive and potentially toxic form of therapy, and these results may provide new insight into the selection of glioblastoma patients most likely to benefit from anti-VEGF treatments.