Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evolution of the patagonian-west antarctica margin of gondwana in the palaeozoic–early mesozoic: new models constrained by zircon u-pb ages, and o and hf isotopic compositions

Metasedimentary rocks in the Antarctic Peninsula and southwestern Patagonia record detrital zircon evidence for significant Permian magmatic events along the palaeoPacific margin of south West Gondwana. However, it is unclear where and how this magmatism formed due to the lack of outcropping Permian igneous sources at similar latitudes. Combined U-Pb, O, and Lu-Hf isotope analyses of detrital zircon grains in Permian–Triassic metasedimentary rocks indicate that the Permian magmatism resulted from the interaction of crustand mantle-derived sources in an active continental margin. Permian detrital zircons from the Trinity Peninsula Group in the Antarctic Peninsula range from crustal signatures in the northern part (δO of ~ 8‰, initial εHf of ~ -6) to mantle-like values in the south (δO of ~ 5‰, initial εHf of ~ +3). Zircons from the northern domain have isotopic features similar to those from the Patagonian Duque de York Complex. They also share a secondary Ordovician component of ca. 470 Ma. The Middle Jurassic Cape Wallace Beds in Low Island record a ca. 250 Ma igneous source, with stronger crustal signatures (δO and initial εHf values of 7.5 to 10.8‰ and -3.2 to -14.2, respectively). In contrast, zircons from the Upper Jurassic Miers Bluff Formation on Livingston Island and Cretaceous sediments on James Ross Island have similar Permian U-Pb ages, O and Hf trends to their Trinity Peninsula Group counterparts, suggesting reworking after the late Jurassic. My results provide evidence for a Permian subduction-related magmatic arc, partly located in Patagonia and extending to West Antarctica. The southerly decrease in δO coupled with increasing
Positron emission tomography in uro-oncology

Positron emission tomography (PET) in uro-oncology has been one of the slowest areas to develop. There are problems because of the excretion of tracer through the renal tract. Its use in prostate cancer has generally being disappointing, with PET being unable to differentiate malignancy from benign prostatic hypertrophy. In more advanced disease and in the search for the site of recurrence, PET can be of more use. Also, new tracers may prove to be more effective. PET has been shown to be of value in testicular cancer, particularly in defining recurrent disease in residual masses and in patients with raised markers. There is a clear place for PET in some of these cases. Early studies at staging are promising but more work is required to define its exact place. In renal and bladder cancer, PET may be a useful adjunct to conventional imaging in difficult cases and may assist in local staging. In all tumours it is valuable to differentiate fibrosis from recurrent disease in the treatment bed, an area of difficulty for CT/MR.
Compound K, a Ginsenoside Metabolite, Inhibits Colon Cancer Growth via Multiple Pathways Including p53-p21 Interactions

Compound K (20-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-20(S)-protopanaxadiol, CK), an intestinal bacterial metabolite of ginseng protopanaxadiol saponins, has been shown to inhibit cell growth in a variety of cancers. However, the mechanisms are not completely understood, especially in colorectal cancer (CRC). A xenograft tumor model was used first to examine the anti-CRC effect of CK in vivo. Then, multiple in vitro assays were applied to investigate the anticancer effects of CK including antiproliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle distribution. In addition, a qPCR array and western blot analysis were executed to screen and validate the molecules and pathways involved. We observed that CK significantly inhibited the growth of HCT-116 tumors in an athymic nude mouse xenograft model. CK significantly inhibited the proliferation of human CRC cell lines HCT-116, SW-480, and HT-29 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. We also observed that CK induced cell apoptosis and arrested the cell cycle in the G1 phase in HCT-116 cells. The processes were related to the upregulation of p53/p21, FoxO3a-p27/p15 and Smad3, and downregulation of cdc25A, CDK4/6 and cyclin D1/3. The major regulated targets of CK were cyclin dependent inhibitors, including p21, p27, and p15. These results indicate that CK inhibits transcriptional activation of multiple tumor-promoting pathways in CRC, suggesting that CK could be an active compound in the prevention or treatment of CRC.
Structure of vitreous body and its relationship with liquefaction

The aim of the study is to clarify the vitreous body structure and liquefaction phenomena. It was found that when melting a frozen rabbit vitreous body, the gel-sol transition phenomenon occurs and the gel structure is broken. This is almost like the liquefaction of the vitreous body in vivo. We try to clarify the liquefaction phenomenon by using this animal model. The native vitreous body has three dimensional meshwork structures. After liquefaction, it is changed into two parts, namely fiber aggregates and soluble amorphous aggregates. The surface of native vitreous body meshwork is mucopolysacharide, but that of fiber aggregates after liquefaction is changed into connective tissue, which means the conformational change of vitreous body in liquefaction. The soluble proteins after liquefaction were analyzed and identified as crystallin family. It is suggested that the liquefaction is induced by detachment of non-collagenous protein beads containing crystallins, resulting in the collapse of the three dimensional structure to release watery liquid trapped within. And the new gel-sol transition model of vitreous bod is proposed.
Issues in Palaeobiology: a Global View

A new continental fauna from the Late Triassic of Argentina: Cynodonts, turtles, pseudosuchians, and dinosauromorphs. Remains from the Late Jurassic of Chile indicates high sauropod diversity in South America. Jurassic confierous wood from western Argentina and the role of basidiomycetes in wood decay during the Mesozoic in Gondwana. ISSUES IN PALAEOBIOLOGY: A GLOBAL VIEW Marcelo R. Sanchez-Villagra and Norman MacLeod (Eds.). 2014, 289 p. Scidinge Hall Verlag, Zurich, Switzerland, ISBN 978-3-905923-17-9
The critical incident stress debriefing process for the Los Angeles County Fire Department: automatic and effective.

Los Angeles County Fire Department has one of the oldest Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) programs in the country. One core component for the LACoFD has been the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD). Two important questions for the emergency managers are: 1) Do individuals find a significant difference in symptom reduction for events that were debriefed? 2) Does helpfulness of a debriefing for a specific individual correlate with recommending the process for others? A Department-wide evaluative survey was conducted in 1996 to determine the satisfaction and effectiveness of the debriefing program. Individuals reported a significant difference in the speed of symptom reduction for incidents that were debriefed versus incidents that were not debriefed. The majority of individuals would recommend the debriefing process to others regardless of whether they personally found the process helpful or not. Based on this, the recommendations are to continue the debriefing process for specific events and to make the process mandatory; furthermore, it is recommended that the term "mandatory" be changed to "automatic. " By using the term "automatic," debriefings become standard operating procedures. By doing so, a method to protect the psychological welfare of emergency personnel becomes as automatic as putting on safety protection equipment [International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, 2000, 2(4), 249-257].
Characterization of Mycobacterium bovis from Humans and Cattle in Namwala District, Zambia

Tuberculosis remains a major public health problem in Zambia. While human to human transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is of major importance in driving the tuberculosis epidemic, the impact of Mycobacterium bovis transmission from infected cattle is largely unknown. This cross-sectional study aimed at molecular characterization of M. bovis in humans and cattle. A total of 100 human sputum samples and 67 bovine tissues were collected and analyzed for the presence of mycobacteria. Of 65 human samples that harbored acid fast bacteria (AFB), 55 isolates were obtained of which 34 were identified as M. tuberculosis and 2 as M. bovis. AFB-positive bovine samples (n = 67) yielded 47 mycobacterial isolates among which 25 were identified as M. bovis and no M. tuberculosis was found. Among the M. bovis isolates, spoligotyping revealed a high homogeneity in genotypes circulating in Namwala district. Human and cattle isolates shared identical MIRU-VNTR genotypes, suggesting that transmission between the two hosts may occur. Therefore, this study has documented zoonotic TB in human patients in Namwala district of Zambia. However, further molecular epidemiological studies in the study area are recommended.
Fusion of Incomplete Sensor Data for Mobile Robot Environment Modeling

This article presents a complete framework for building a 3D model of a large-scale indoor environment by fusing incomplete sensor data. The incomplete sensor data is obtained by a mobile robot navigating the environment. The geometry of large-scale environments is usually extracted by acquiring a huge amount of range data and registering it. For many real systems, this data acquisition process is time and energy consuming and also physically demanding. The framework presented here overcomes this problem by allowing a robot to rapidly collect a set of intensity images and a very small amount of range information. The data registration of the intensity and range data is achieved by using a image-based registration algorithm and then the missing geometric structures are inferred from the intensity images using a statistical learning method. This method basically integrates and analyzes the statistical relationships between the visual data and the available depth on terms of small patches. Finally, the integration of multiple panoramas with depth at different robot poses is achieved by using a hybrid feature matching approach from the literature. Experiments on real-world data are conducted under different configurations to demonstrate the feasibility of the method. ∗This work was done when the first author was a PhD student at McGill University. She is currently working as a full-time researcher at CINVESTAV-Unidad Saltillo located in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, Mexico.
High-speed electrical signaling: overview and limitations

Advances in IC fabrication technology, coupled with aggressive circuit design, have led to exponential growth of IC speed and integration levels. For these improvements to benefit overall system performance, the communication bandwidth between systems and ICs must scale accordingly. Currently, communication links in various applications approach Gbps data rates. These applications include computer-to-peripheral connections, local area networks, memory buses, and multiprocessor interconnection networks. Designers are concerned that these links will soon reach the fundamental limits of electrical signaling. In this article, we examine the limitations of CMOS implementations of highspeed links and show that the links' performance should continue to scale with technology. To handle the interconnects' finite bandwidth, however requires more sophisticated signaling methods. CMOS circuits, typically slower than circuits implemented in nonmainstream technologies, are particularly attractive for common applications because of their lower cost. The overall system cost is further reduced when signaling components are implemented as macro cells, integrated on the same die with a microprocessor or signal processing block.
TextTB: A Mixed Method Pilot Study Evaluating Acceptance, Feasibility, and Exploring Initial Efficacy of a Text Messaging Intervention to Support TB Treatment Adherence

Objective. To assess a text messaging intervention to promote tuberculosis (TB) treatment adherence. Methods. A mixed-methods pilot study was conducted within a public pulmonary-specialized hospital in Argentina. Patients newly diagnosed with TB who were 18 or older, and had mobile phone access were recruited and randomized to usual care plus either medication calendar (n = 19) or text messaging intervention (n = 18) for the first two months of treatment. Primary outcomes were feasibility and acceptability; secondary outcomes explored initial efficacy. Results. Feasibility was evidenced by high access to mobile phones, familiarity with texting, most phones limited to basic features, a low rate of participant refusal, and many describing suboptimal TB understanding. Acceptability was evidenced by participants indicating feeling cared for, supported, responsible for their treatment, and many self-reporting adherence without a reminder. Participants in the texting group self-reported adherence on average 77% of the days whereas only 53% in calendar group returned diaries. Exploring initial efficacy, microscopy testing was low and treatment outcomes were similar in both groups. Conclusion. The texting intervention was well accepted and feasible with greater reporting of adherence using text messaging than the diary. Further evaluation of the texting intervention is warranted.
The NTPase/helicase domain of hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 3 inhibits protein kinase C independently of its NTPase activity

Helicase motif VI is a short arginine-rich motif within the NTPase/helicase domain of the non-structural protein 3 (NS3) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). We previously demonstrated that it reduces the catalytic activity and intracellular shuttling of protein kinase C (PKC). Thus, NS3-mediated PKC inhibition may be involved in HCV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we expand on our earlier results, which were obtained in experiments with short fragments of NS3, to show for the first time that the catalytically active, longer C-terminal NTPase/helicase of NS3 acts as a potent PKC inhibitor in vitro. PKC inhibition assays with the NTPase-inactive mutant NS3h-D1316A revealed a mixed type kinetic inhibition pattern. A broad range of 11 PKC isotypes was tested and all of the PKC isotypes were inhibited with IC50-values in the low micromolar range. These findings were confirmed for the wild-type NTPase/helicase domain in a non-radiometric PKC inhibition assay with ATP regeneration to rule out any effect of ATP hydrolysis caused by its NTPase activity. PKCα was inhibited with a micromolar IC50 in this assay, which compares well with our result for NS3h-D1316A (IC50 = 0.7 μM). In summary, these results confirm that catalytically active NS3 NTPase/helicase can act in an analogous manner to shorter NS3 fragments as a pseudosubstrate inhibitor of PKC.
Nonlinear root‐derived carbon sequestration across a gradient of nitrogen and phosphorous deposition in experimental mesocosms

Enhanced sequestration of plant‐carbon (C) inputs to soil may mitigate rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and related climate change but how this sequestration will respond to anthropogenic nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) deposition is uncertain. We couple isotope, soil C fractionation and mesocosm techniques to assess the sequestration of plant‐C inputs, and their partitioning into C pools with different sink potentials, under an experimental gradient of N and P deposition (0, 10, 30, 60 and 100 kg N ha−1 yr−1; and 0, 2, 6, 12 and 20 kg P ha−1 yr−1). We hypothesized that N deposition would increase sequestration, with the majority of the C being sequestered in faster cycling soil pools because N deposition has been shown to accelerate the turnover of these pools while decelerating the turnover of slower cycling pools. In contrast to this hypothesis, sequestration into all soil C pools peaked at intermediate levels of N deposition. Given that P amendment has been shown to cause a net loss of soil C, we postulated that P deposition would decrease sequestration. This expectation was not supported by our data, with sequestration generally being greater under P deposition. When soils were amended simultaneously with N and P, neither the shape of the sequestration relationship across the deposition gradient, nor the observed sequestration at the majority of the deposition rates, was statistically predictable from the effects of N and P in isolation. The profound nonlinearities we observed, both for total sequestration responses and the partitioning of C into soil pools with different sink potentials, suggests that the rates of N and P deposition to ecosystems will be the critical determinant of whether they enhance or decrease the long‐term sequestration of fresh plant‐C inputs to soils.
Simplified single-loop full-flatness control of a hybrid power plant

This paper presents a simplified nonlinear estimation technique based on the differential flatness control strategy combined with a single-loop feedback control. An experiment setting that is hybridized between two power sources, namely, a 500-W fuel cell (FC) emulator and a 165-F supercapacitor (SC) module, was used to validate the proposed technique. Each power source was connected to a two-phase interleaved boost converter, which distributes voltage-regulated dc supplied by the hybrid power source. A dSPACE 1103 controller card interfaced the hybrid system and the control algorithm with the mathematical environment of MATLAB-Simulink. The experimental results showed the rapid response of the proposed system to the dynamic load requirement. This confirmed that the single-loop full-flatness feedback control is a potential algorithm that offers stabilization of the hybrid system sourced by FC and SC.
Impact of Tillage and Herbicides on the Dynamics of Broad Leaf Weeds in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The investigation was carried out to evaluate the influence of tillage and herbicides on broad leaf weeds (BLW) at Varanasi. The treatments consisting of four tillage practices viz. conventional tillage no-residue, conventional tillage with residue, zero tillage no residue, zero tillage with residue in main plot and six herbicidal treatments viz. weedy check, weed free, mesosulfuron (12 g ai ha-1 at 30 DAS) followed by one hand weeding at 45 DAS, metsulfuron (4 g ai ha-1 at 30 DAS) followed by one hand weeding at 45 DAS, clodinafop + metsulfuron (60+4 g ai ha-1 at 30 DAS) and mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron (12+2.4 g ai ha-1 at 30 DAS) were allocated to sub plots with three replications. In the present study, zero tillage with residue recorded the lowest density of BLW viz. Rumex dentatus, Chenopodium album, Anagallis arvensis, Melilotus indica and Vicia sativa, total weed density; and the highest WCE as compared to the conventional tillage no-residue, zero tillage no residue and conventional tillage with residue, respectively. However, conventional tillage with residue recorded significantly the highest grain yield of wheat. Among herbicidal treatments, mix application of mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron recorded significantly the lowest density of all the BLW and total weed density, highest WCE and grain yield over mesosulfuron followed byone hand weeding at 45 DAS and metsulfuron followed by one hand weeding at 45 DAS and it was statistically at par with clodinafop + metsulfuron.
Optimized Analytical Procedures for the Untargeted Metabolomic Profiling of Human Urine and Plasma by Combining Hydrophilic Interaction (HILIC) and Reverse-Phase Liquid Chromatography (RPLC)–Mass Spectrometry*

Profiling of body fluids is crucial for monitoring and discovering metabolic markers of health and disease and for providing insights into human physiology. Since human urine and plasma each contain an extreme diversity of metabolites, a single liquid chromatographic system when coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) is not sufficient to achieve reasonable metabolome coverage. Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) offers complementary information to reverse-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) by retaining polar metabolites. With the objective of finding the optimal combined chromatographic solution to profile urine and plasma, we systematically investigated the performance of five HILIC columns with different chemistries operated at three different pH (acidic, neutral, basic) and five C18-silica RPLC columns. The zwitterionic column ZIC-HILIC operated at neutral pH provided optimal performance on a large set of hydrophilic metabolites. The RPLC columns Hypersil GOLD and Zorbax SB aq were proven to be best suited for the metabolic profiling of urine and plasma, respectively. Importantly, the optimized HILIC-MS method showed excellent intrabatch peak area reproducibility (CV < 12%) and good long-term interbatch (40 days) peak area reproducibility (CV < 22%) that were similar to those of RPLC-MS procedures. Finally, combining the optimal HILIC- and RPLC-MS approaches greatly expanded metabolome coverage with 44% and 108% new metabolic features detected compared with RPLC-MS alone for urine and plasma, respectively. The proposed combined LC-MS approaches improve the comprehensiveness of global metabolic profiling of body fluids and thus are valuable for monitoring and discovering metabolic changes associated with health and disease in clinical research studies.
Heligmosomoides Polygyrus Abrogates Antigen‐Specific Gut Injury in a Murine Model of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background: Developing countries have a low incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), perhaps prevented by the high prevalence of helminth infections and other alterations in intestinal flora and fauna. Helminth infections prevent colitis in various murine models of IBD. IBD may be driven by an aberrant immune response to luminal antigen(s). Methods: We developed a murine model of IBD in which gut injury was induced by a specific antigen to better simulate the IBD disease process and to determine if helminth infections could abolish gut injury induced by an orally administered antigen. The model features pan‐enterocolitis triggered by feeding ovalbumin (OVA). Results: The intestinal inflammation is antigen‐specific and generates interleukin (IL)‐17 and interferon‐gamma (IFN‐&ggr;), but not IL‐4. Full expression of the disease required T cells with defective capacity to make IL‐10 and treatment with a noninjurious, low dose of a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug. Exposure to Heligmosomoides polygyrus abrogated this antigen‐induced gut injury. H. polygyrus colonization induced Foxp3+ T regulatory cells (Tregs) and mucosal production of IL‐10 from non‐T cells. Lamina propria mononuclear cells from H. polygyrus‐infected mice released less IL‐17 and IFN‐&ggr; constitutively and when stimulated with OVA or anti‐CD3/CD28 monoclonal antibodies. Conclusions: We developed a murine IBD model featuring antigen‐specific enterocolitis and demonstrate for the first time that gut inflammation induced by an antigen could be abrogated by H. polygyrus infection. Protection was associated with suppressed IL‐17 and IFN‐&ggr; production, induction of Foxp3+ Tregs, and elevated secretion of non‐T‐cell‐derived IL‐10, all of which could be part of the protective processes. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2012)