Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-resolution lithospheric imaging with seismic interferometry

In recent years, there has been an increase in the deployment of relatively dense arrays of seismic stations. The availability of spatially densely sampled global and regional seismic data has stimulated the adoption of industry-style imaging algorithms applied to converted- and scattered-wave energy from distant earthquakes, leading to relatively high-resolution images of the lower crust and upper mantle.We use seismic interferometry to extract reflection responses from the coda of transmitted energy from distant earthquakes. In theory, higher resolution images can be obtained when migrating reflections obtained with seismic interferometry rather than with conversions, traditionally used in lithospheric imaging methods. Moreover, reflection data allow the straightforward application of algorithms previously developed in exploration seismology. In particular, the availability of reflection data allows us to extract from it a velocity model using standard multichannel data-processing methods. However, the success of our approach relies mainly on a favourable distribution of earthquakes. In this paper, we investigate how the quality of the reflection response obtained with interferometry is influenced by the distribution of earthquakes and the complexity of the transmitted wavefields. Our analysis shows that a reasonable reflection response could be extracted if (1) the array is approximately aligned with an active zone of earthquakes, (2) different phase responses are used to gather adequate angular illumination of the array and (3) the illumination directions are properly accounted for during processing. We illustrate our analysis using a synthetic data set with similar illumination and source-side reverberation characteristics as field data recorded during the 2000–2001 Laramie broad-band experiment. Finally, we apply our method to the Laramie data, retrieving reflection data. We extract a 2-D velocity model from the reflections and use this model to migrate the data. On the final reflectivity image, we observe a discontinuity in the reflections. We interpret this discontinuity as the Cheyenne Belt, a suture zone between Archean and Proterozoic terranes.
Non-B, Non-T Neoplasms With Lymphoblast Morphology: Further Clarification and Classification

We studied the morphologic, immunohistochemical, and clinical characteristics of 158 cases of lymphoblastic lymphoma. Based on immunophenotyping and cell lineage, cases were classified into B-cell type (CD20,CD19 or CD79a+, n = 53), T-cell type (surface CD3+, n = 84), and non-B, non-T type (B cell marker− and surface CD3−, n = 21). The latter group was further divided based on immunohistochemistry into: 1) CD7+ stem cell lymphoma (CD7+SCL) [CD4−, CD7+, CD33+/−, CD56−], 2) blastic natural killer cell lymphoma (B-NKL) [CD4−, CD7+/−, CD33−, CD56+, CD123−], 3) myeloid/NK precursor cell leukemia (M/NKL) [CD4−, CD7+, CD33+, CD56+], and 4) CD4+CD56+ hematodermic malignancy (CD4+CD56+) type [CD4+, CD7+/−, CD33−, CD56+, CD123+]. The CD7+SCL and M/NKL types frequently exhibited bone marrow invasion and mediastinal masses. All CD4+CD56+ types were associated with skin lesions. B-NKL type is included into Blastic NK lymphoma in new World Health Organization classification with CD4+CD56+ type. But the cases of B-NKL were more reminiscent of CD7+SCL or M/NKL type than the CD4+CD56+ type, both clinically and histologically. We propose that blastic NK lymphoma, a disease entity in the new WHO classification, should be divided into two types based on phenotypes and clinical features. The non-B, non-T lymphomas exhibited poorer prognoses, similar to that of B-cell lymphomas, than T-cell type tumors (P = 0.009). Among the 21 tumors, the prognosis of the four subtypes did not differ significantly; however, cases receiving aggressive chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation had a more favorable prognosis than those receiving only traditional chemotherapy and radiation therapy (P = 0.0089).
Gap Junctions Contribute to the Regulation of Walking-Like Activity in the Adult Mudpuppy (Necturus Maculatus)

Although gap junctions are widely expressed in the developing central nervous system, the role of electrical coupling of neurons and glial cells via gap junctions in the spinal cord in adults is largely unknown. We investigated whether gap junctions are expressed in the mature spinal cord of the mudpuppy and tested the effects of applying gap junction blocker on the walking-like activity induced by NMDA or glutamate in an in vitro mudpuppy preparation. We found that glial and neural cells in the mudpuppy spinal cord expressed different types of connexins that include connexin 32 (Cx32), connexin 36 (Cx36), connexin 37 (Cx37), and connexin 43 (Cx43). Application of a battery of gap junction blockers from three different structural classes (carbenexolone, flufenamic acid, and long chain alcohols) substantially and consistently altered the locomotor-like activity in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, these blockers did not significantly change the amplitude of the dorsal root reflex, indicating that gap junction blockers did not inhibit neuronal excitability nonselectively in the spinal cord. Taken together, these results suggest that gap junctions play a significant modulatory role in the spinal neural networks responsible for the generation of walking-like activity in the adult mudpuppy.
Childhood Abuse and Criminal Behavior

This article draws on general strain theory (GST) to develop and test a model of the childhood abuse–crime relationship. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health),1 we find that early childhood physical and sexual abuse are robust predictors of offending in adolescence, for the full sample and in equations disaggregated by gender. GST is partially supported in that the effects of childhood physical abuse on offending for both females and males are mediated by an index of depression symptoms, whereas the effect of sexual abuse among females appears to be mediated largely by closeness to mother. The effect of childhood sexual abuse among males, however, is more robust than among females and it persists despite controls for low self-control, ties to delinquent peers, school attachment, and closeness to mother. Theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.
Mechanics of in vitro fertilization in the hamster.

The mechanics of sperm entry into the ovum in vitro were studied with the scanning electron microscope. The morphological aspects of fertilization are different in ova with intact zonae pellucidae compared with ova that have had the zona mechanically removed. In nionospermic fertilized ova with intact cumuli and zonae pellucidae, association first occurs between the anterior tip of the sperm head amid oocyte microvilli. With time the sperm head is incorporated tip first, the postacrosomal region being the last portion of the sperm head to be incorporated into the ooplasm. These observations are in marked contrast to the in vivo situation in hamsters where the equatorial segment of the acrosome first associates with oocyte microvilli and the anterior tip of the sperm head is the last portion to be incorporated. In fertilization in vitro of zona-free ova, we observe variation in the way that spermatozoa associate with ova. It is concluded that the morphological events which we observe suggest physiological differences both between in vivo amid in vitro fertili- zation as well as in fertilization among different in vitro systems.
Rapid Discrimination of Listeria monocytogenes Strains by Microtemperature Gradient Gel Electrophoresis

ABSTRACT Microtemperature gradient gel electrophoresis (μ-TGGE) was examined for use for the rapid subtyping of Listeria monocytogenes strains. Comparison of genomes between L. monocytogenes strains F2365 and H7858 identified a sequence encoding a portion of the PRT/PTS system IIA 2 protein domain as appropriate for μ-TGGE analysis. Thirty-one strains belonging to 10 different serovar types were tested by PCR, and sequence analysis of the amplified products revealed that the strains comprise 11 groups. All 55 possible pairs within the 11 groups were examined by μ-TGGE analysis. Of these, 47 pairs could be successfully discriminated, with a total electrophoresis time of only 7 min. Moreover, Cy3/Cy5 labeling allowed rapid identification of the sequence type in unknown strains of L. monocytogenes isolated from meat. These findings collectively indicate that μ-TGGE can be used for the rapid analysis of L. monocytogenes strains, facilitating determination of routes of contamination when these bacteria are found in food products.
Identification and characterization of the bovine herpesvirus 1 UL7 gene and gene product which are not essential for virus replication in cell culture

The UL7 gene of bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) strain Schönböken was found at a position and in a context predicted from the gene order in the prototype alphaherpesvirus herpes simplex virus type 1. The gene and flanking regions were sequenced, the UL7 RNA and protein were characterized, and 98.3% of the UL7 open reading frame was deleted from the viral genome without destroying productive virus replication. Concomitant deletion of nine 3' codons from the BHV-1 UL6 ORF and 77 amino acids from the carboxy terminus of the predicted BHV-1 UL8 protein demonstrated that these domains are also not essential for function of the respective proteins. The UL7 open reading frame encodes a protein of 300 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 32 kDa. Comparison with UL7 homologs of other alphaherpesviruses revealed a high degree of homology, the most prominent being to the predicted UL7 polypeptide of varicella-zoster virus, with 43.3% identical amino acids. A monospecific anti-UL7 serum identified the 33-kDa (apparent-molecular-mass) UL7 polypeptide which is translated from an early-expressed 1.7-kb RNA. The UL7 protein was localized in the cytoplasm of infected cells and could not be detected in purified virions. In summary, we describe the first identification of an alphaherpesviral UL7-encoded polypeptide and demonstrate that the UL7 protein is not essential for replication of BHV-1 in cell culture.
Driven to Tears or to Joy: Response Dominance and Trait-Based Predictions

The present studies reinvigorate the construct of traitedness from a cognitive perspective. Tendencies toward habit (vs. flexibility) were assessed by examining response dominance performance within choice reaction time tasks. Consistent with the idea that response dominance reflects a tendency toward habitual modes of thought and action, three studies involving 428 undergraduates revealed that trait-outcome and test-retest correlations were higher among individuals higher in response dominance. In Studies 1 and 2, such trait-consistency effects took the form of stronger relations between extraversion and neuroticism, on one hand, and mood states and behavior, on the other. In Study 3, such tendencies took the form of higher test-retest correlations related to daily experiences of mood states, somatic symptoms, and life satisfaction. Together, the studies reveal a consistent effect of response dominance on trait-like consistency and raise some important issues for future studies of the traitedness construct.
Increased expression of nitric oxide synthase in visual structures of the chick brain after retinal removal

Nitric oxide (NO) seems to act as a retrograde messenger in the establishment and refinement of synaptic connections during development and in neural plasticity processes in adult life. Previous studies have shown that the expression of NO synthase (NOS) in the optic tectum of developing chicks is regulated by the retinal innervation. The aim of this study was to observe the effects of unilateral retinal lesions upon the expression of NOS in central visual areas of the adult chick brain. After different survival times (1–30 days), the chick brains were submitted to immunohistochemical, immunoblotting, and NO imaging procedures to evaluate NOS expression and activity. Our results indicate that NOS expression in visual areas is also regulated by retinal innervation in the adult chick. However, differently from the case in the developing animal, the deafferentation seems to generate an increase of the NOS expression in retinorecipient visual areas. Our results suggest that NOS expression in visual structures of the adult chick brain may be down‐regulated by the retinal innervation. Alternatively, the increase of NOS expression observed after retinal removal could be an indicative of a role of the NO system in plasticity processes. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Association between serum vitamin A and E levels and HIV‐1 disease progression

Objective:To examine the associations between serum vitamin A and E levels and risk of progression to three key outcomes in HIV-1 infection: first AIDS diagnosis, CD4+ cell decline to < 200 cells × 106/l, and mortality. Design:Non-concurrent prospective study. Methods:Serum levels of vitamins A and E were measured at the enrollment visit of 311 HIV-seroprevalent homo-/bisexual men participating in the Baltimore/Washington DC site of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the relative hazard of progression to each outcome over the subsequent 9 years, adjusting for several independent covariates. Results:Men in the highest quartile of serum vitamin E levels (≥ 23.5 µmol/l) showed a 34% decrease in risk of progression to AIDS compared with those in the lowest quartile [relative hazard (RH), 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.41–1.06)]. This effect was statistically significant when comparing the highest quartile of serum vitamin E to the remainder of the cohort (RH, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.45–0.98). Associations between serum vitamin A levels and risk of progression to AIDS were less clear, but vitamin A levels were uniformly in the normal to high range (median = 2.44 µmol/l). Similar trends were observed for each vitamin with mortality as the outcome, but neither vitamin was associated with CD4+ cell decline to < 200 cells × 106/l. Men who reported current use of multivitamin or single vitamin E supplements had significantly higher serum tocopherol levels than those who were not taking supplements (P = 0.0001). Serum retinol levels were unrelated to intake of multivitamin or single vitamin A supplements. Conclusions:These data suggest that high serum levels of vitamin E may be associated with slower HIV-1 disease progression, but no relationship was observed between retinol levels and disease progression in this vitamin A-replete population.
The Expression of Human Granulocyte Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor by Heat-Induction in Escherichia coli

A self-regulated high-copy number plasmid containing chloramphenicol resistant gene, for the production of recombinant proteins under the regulation of bacteriophage λpL promoter, was constructed. The designed 5024 base pair expression plasmid contained a heat sensitive repressor cI857 coding gene to regulate the function of λpL promoter under heat shock induction. Using the constructed vector, for the first time, periplasmic production of human granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (hGM-CSF) under heat induction was demonstrated. The developed hGM-CSF expressing system in this study has potential for the secretion of nearly 100% of expressed proteins into the Escherichia coli periplasmic space upon temperature up-shift.
Handwritten Digit Recognition Using K Nearest-Neighbor, Radial-Basis Function, and Backpropagation Neural Networks

Results of recent research suggest that carefully designed multilayer neural networks with local receptive fields and shared weights may be unique in providing low error rates on handwritten digit recognition tasks. This study, however, demonstrates that these networks, radial basis function (RBF) networks, and k nearest-neighbor (kNN) classifiers, all provide similar low error rates on a large handwritten digit database. The backpropagation network is overall superior in memory usage and classification time but can provide false positive classifications when the input is not a digit. The backpropagation network also has the longest training time. The RBF classifier requires more memory and more classification time, but less training time. When high accuracy is warranted, the RBF classifier can generate a more effective confidence judgment for rejecting ambiguous inputs. The simple kNN classifier can also perform handwritten digit recognition, but requires a prohibitively large amount of memory and is much slower at classification. Nevertheless, the simplicity of the algorithm and fast training characteristics makes the kNN classifier an attractive candidate in hardware-assisted classification tasks. These results on a large, high input dimensional problem demonstrate that practical constraints including training time, memory usage, and classification time often constrain classifier selection more strongly than small differences in overall error rate.
Strong State, Weak Managers: How Hungarian Firms Cope with Autocracy

This paper investigates how companies manage risk associated with political ties in the context of the ‘return of state capitalism’ in an emerging economy. We show that existing studies of firms’ copying strategies under autocratic regimes are of limited relevance in the context of Hungary, because they lack a sophisticated, theoretically underpinned conceptualisation of ‘the state’. We develop a more fine-grained analysis of the role of the state in emerging markets and show that the type of ‘state capitalism’ that is emerging in Hungary is characterised by the fusion of a governing elite’s political power and economic interests. We show that such a situation poses unique challenges to companies with implications for existing theories of companies’ ‘buffering strategies’. Based on interviews with business leaders in Hungary, we identify two coping strategies: responsiveness – whereby firms accommodate state pressures by giving in to them – and a non-responsive strategy of ‘dormancy’, which consists in firms putting forward-looking activities on hold and focussing on survival. We discuss implications for theories of state capitalism.
Soft frequency reuse schemes for heterogeneous LTE systems

With the increasing demand of mobile data traffic, cellular networks are evolving towards heterogeneous systems involving cells of different sizes (e.g., pico, micro, and macro cells). The presence of small cells is causing new interference issues that require the introduction of frequency reuse techniques suitable to manage both co-tier and cross-tier interference. In this paper, we propose a novel Soft Frequency Reuse (SFR) scheme for LTE-A, based on three frequency segments (named Three-Band Improved SFR, 3B-ISFR) where the Frequency Reuse Pattern (FRP) allocation scheme for micro cells is centralized at the level of each macro cell. This scheme is based on the exchange of measurements made by the micro cells with their macro cell (cognitive-assisted approach) and includes an intra-cell offloading algorithm to balance the load between cell-center and cell-edge of each micro/macro cell. The goodness of 3B-ISFR has been proved by means of performance comparisons with other schemes in the literature in terms of outage probability and average cell capacity.
Appropriateness of domiciliary oxygen delivery.

OBJECTIVE Almost every country in the developed world has a domiciliary oxygen program. Whether recipients meet program criteria has not been rigorously studied. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. PARTICIPANTS Two hundred thirty-seven patients receiving domiciliary oxygen in the Ontario Ministry of Health Home Oxygen Program (HOP). METHODS A respiratory therapist visited the patients' homes and administered questionnaires, obtained resting arterial blood gas measurements, and conducted a standardized home exercise test while monitoring oxygen saturation using an oximeter. MEASURES OF OUTCOME We evaluated the extent to which patients met HOP criteria that are based on the inclusion criteria of randomized trials showing the life-prolonging effects of domiciliary oxygen. We also assessed the extent to which the patients' oxygen prescription was consistent with the results of rest and exercise testing. RESULTS Ninety-six of 237 participants (40.5%; 95% confidence interval, 34.3 to 46.8) did not meet criteria for home oxygen. Patients aged < or = 70 years were more likely to meet criteria (71 of 105 patients; 67.9%) than those > 70 years old (70 of 132 patients; 53.0%). The proportion of patients meeting criteria was similar whether the referring physician was a specialist (71 of 112 patients; 62.5%) or a primary-care physician (69 of 123 patients; 56. 1%). A very important health benefit from oxygen was identified among 82% of those who met criteria and 88% of those who did not. Patients received higher flow rates than our criteria suggested were appropriate. Agreement between the independently assessed oxygen prescription at rest and the patients' report of oxygen use was extremely poor (chance-corrected agreement [kappa], 0.17), as was agreement concerning optimal exercise flow rates (kappa, 0.26). CONCLUSIONS Current procedures for administration and reimbursement of home oxygen result in a large proportion of recipients not meeting criteria, as well as the prescription of excessive oxygen flow rates. These results are likely to apply to many jurisdictions and suggest a large potential for more efficient resource allocation.
Socioeconomic status and chronic kidney disease at presentation to a renal service in the United Kingdom.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with both development and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The impact of SES on severity of CKD at presentation to a renal service is less well known. This study investigated the relationship between SES and severity of CKD in a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis involving 1657 patients at the Sheffield Kidney Institute (Sheffield, UK). DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS SES was assigned to each patient according to electoral ward of residence by postcode and ranked according to the corresponding British Index of Multiple Deprivation score, which comprises five deprivation quintiles (Q1, least deprived; Q5, most deprived). National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative classification of CKD was used for stratification and analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis was applied for the association of variables/risk factors with CKD (lower GFR) at presentation. RESULTS The age-adjusted prevalence of diagnosed CKD at presentation by area of residence, across the five deprivation quintiles, per million population was Q1 = 1495, Q2 = 3530, Q3 = 3398, Q4 = 3989, and Q5 = 19,599. Logistic regression models showed that living in the lowest SES quintile area (Q5) as compared with the highest SES (Q1) was associated with a greater risk for presenting with a lower estimated GFR, after adjustment for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical variables. CONCLUSIONS Low SES is related to severity of CKD at presentation. Further studies are needed to examine this issue across the various SES categories in the United Kingdom.
Analysis of degradation mechanisms of silicone insulation containing a spherical cavity using partial discharge detection

An investigation of surface erosion to complete failure of a gas-filled cavity embedded in a polymeric sample was experimentally undertaken to clarify the time-evolution of partial discharge (PD) behavior. During electrical ageing tests, analysis of phase-resolved partial discharge (PRPD) patterns can be distinguished into four stages: surface erosion, tree growth, surface discharges prior to failure and complete failure. A PD model was found to be able to match the variation of measured PRPD shapes and PD statistical quantities for turtle-like shapes, wing-like shapes, rabbit-like shapes and swarming pulsive micro-discharge (SPMD) mechanisms [1]. Morphological changes on the cavity surface were closely examined to determine the failure mechanism.