Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of a single freshwater release into the Kromme Estuary. 1 : General description of the study area and physico-chemical responses : The effects of a single freshwater release into the Kromme Estuary

The natural runoff from the Kromme River catchment area has been severely restrieted by impoundments with storage capacities exceeding the mean annual runoff (MAR). As a consequence, freshwater input into the Kromme Estuary has been drastically reduced and the estuary itself has been labelled as freshwater starved. The annual allocation of storage water to the estuary (2 x 10 6 m 3 ) has been released from the Mpofu Dam as a single release. The impact on various physico-chemical parameters as well as norganic dissolved nutrients (phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia) in the estuary has been investigated with regards to the magnitude, persistence and management of future release. The impact on dissolved nutrient concentrations was short-lived (less than 7 d), and pre-release concentrations were quickly re-established. The release raised especially nitrate and nitric concentrations temporarily because of elevated concentrations in the storage water, but slightly diluted phosphate concentrations in the estuary. N:P ratios indicated phosphate limitation, while ammonia showed no direct response to the release. This experiment showed no long-lasting effect on the estuary in terms of inorganie dissolved nutrients, and it is apparent that the nutrient status can only be enhanced under a continuous release strategy. Natural runoff reaching the estuary appears to be more beneficial, especially in terms of phosphate.
Methiozolin [5-(2,6-difluorobenzyl)oxymethyl-5-methyl-3,3(3-methylthiophen-2-yl)-1,2-isoxazoline], a new annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) herbicide for turfgrasses.

BACKGROUND Selective control of annual bluegrass (Poa annual L.) has been difficult in turfgrasses. The potential of methiozolin in this area was investigated. RESULTS Methiozolin was safe on established zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.), creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) at 1000 g ha(-1) , and controlled annual bluegrass with GR50 values of 23, 52, 104, and 218 g ha(-1) at PRE, two-, four- and eight-leaf stage, respectively, in the greenhouse. When applied at early flowering, methiozolin suppressed >80% of annual bluegrass seed heads at 2000 g ha(-1) . (14) C-Methiozolin was readily absorbed by both leaves and roots, but translocation was mainly acropetal. No herbicidal activity resulted from application to the leaf only; however, application to the soil surface only showed equivalent herbicidal activity to that of broadcast application to the leaf and soil. Methiozolin at 500 to 1000 g ha(-1) provided 80 to 100% control of annual bluegrass when applied in the fall with acceptable and temporary injury to creeping bentgrass, and about 60% control when applied in the spring with no bentgrass injury in the field. CONCLUSION Methiozolin is an excellent candidate for annual bluegrass management in turfgrasses.
Do nasal ciliary changes reflect bronchial changes? An ultrastructural study.

Ciliary dyskinesia is characterized by recurrent respiratory tract infections secondary to abnormal ciliary structure and function. The diagnosis of ciliary dyskinesia is based on the detection of axonemal ultrastructural abnormalities (AUA) is respiratory mucosa samples. In most cases, the diagnosis of AUA is made on samples obtained from nasal ciliated cells with little discomfort to the patient. However, no studies have been performed in the same patient to confirm whether nasal samples reflect bronchial ciliary changes. To answer this question and to determine whether it is necessary to sample bronchial cells for the diagnosis of ciliary dyskinesia, we investigated 12 patients (between the age of 5 and 63 yr) with chronic sputum production. The presence of situs inversus, bronchiectasis, chronic sinusitis, and sterility was investigated to determine an inherited disorder. Two groups were established: Group 1 = six patients with an inherited disorder and Group 2 = six patients without evidence of an inherited disorder. Samples were obtained by brushing or biopsy of nasal and bronchial mucosa and were processed for transmission electron microscopy. In Group 1, the mean AUA was 65.2 +/- 11.4%. The following predominant axonemal defects were found: absence of dynein arms (DA) (four patients), central complex abnormalities (CC) (one patient), and various AUA (one patient). Nasal and bronchial samples correlated significantly for total AUA (r' = 1, p < 0.01) and for outer DA defects (r' = 0.96, p < 0.05). A good but not significant correlation was found for inner DA (r' = 0.83) and peripheral microtubule (PM) defects (r' = 0.71). In Group 2, the mean AUA was 9.6 +/- 2.3%. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Lipid Peroxidation Product 4‐Hydroxy‐2,3‐Nonenal Increases AP‐1‐Binding Activity Through Caspase Activation in Neurons

Abstract: The transcription factor activator protein‐1 (AP‐1) is activated in response to physiological activity in neuronal circuits and in response to neuronal injury associated with various acute and chronic neurodegenerative conditions. The membrane lipid peroxidation product 4‐hydroxy‐2,3‐nonenal (HNE) is increasingly implicated in the disruption of neuronal calcium homeostasis that occurs in various paradigms of neuronal excitotoxicity and apoptosis. The possible mechanistic links between lipid peroxidation and alterations in gene transcription during neuronal apoptosis have not previously been examined. We now report that exposure of cultured rat cortical neurons to an apoptotic concentration of HNE results in a large increase in AP‐1 DNA‐binding activity. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide blocked the induction of AP‐1, consistent with a requirement for induction of expression of AP‐1 family members. The broad‐spectrum caspase inhibitor N‐benzyloxycarbonyl‐Val‐Ala‐Asp‐fluoromethyl ketone and the caspase‐3 inhibitor N‐acetyl‐Asp‐Glu‐Val‐Asp‐aldehyde blocked HNE‐induced increases in AP‐1 DNA‐binding activity, demonstrating a requirement for caspase activation in the activation of AP‐1. HNE induced phosphorylation of c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK), which was prevented by caspase inhibitors, indicating that HNE was acting at or upstream of JNK phosphorylation. The intracellular calcium chelator BAPTA‐acetoxymethyl ester completely prevented stimulation of AP‐1 DNA‐binding by HNE, indicating a requirement for calcium. Moreover, agents that suppress mitochondrial calcium uptake (ruthenium red) and membrane permeability transition (cyclosporin A) attenuated AP‐1 activation by HNE, suggesting a contribution of mitochondrial alterations to AP‐1 activation. Collectively, our data suggest a scenario in which HNE disrupts neuronal calcium homeostasis and perturbs mitochondrial function, resulting in caspase activation. Activated caspases, in turn, induce activation of JNK, resulting in stimulation of AP‐1 DNA‐binding protein production. This transcriptional pathway induced by HNE may modulate the cell death process.
Utility of the Child Behavior Checklist as a Screener for Autism Spectrum Disorder

The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) has been proposed for screening of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in clinical settings. Given the already widespread use of the CBCL, this could have great implications for clinical practice. This study examined the utility of CBCL profiles in differentiating children with ASD from children with other clinical disorders. Participants were 226 children with ASD and 163 children with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, language disorders, or emotional disorders, aged 2–13 years. Diagnosis was based on comprehensive clinical evaluation including well‐validated diagnostic instruments for ASD and cognitive testing. Discriminative validity of CBCL profiles proposed for ASD screening was examined with area under the curve (AUC) scores, sensitivity, and specificity. The CBCL profiles showed low discriminative accuracy for ASD (AUC 0.59–0.70). Meeting cutoffs proposed for ASD was associated with general emotional/behavioral problems (EBP; mood problems/aggressive behavior), both in children with and without ASD. Cutoff adjustment depending on EBP‐level was associated with improved discriminative accuracy for school‐age children. However, the rate of false positives remained high in children with clinical levels of EBP. The results indicate that use of the CBCL profiles for ASD‐specific screening would likely result in a large number of misclassifications. Although taking EBP‐level into account was associated with improved discriminative accuracy for ASD, acceptable specificity could only be achieved for school‐age children with below clinical levels of EBP. Further research should explore the potential of using the EBP adjustment strategy to improve the screening efficiency of other more ASD‐specific instruments. Autism Res 2015. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Finite-Size Scaling Features of Electric Conductivity Percolation in Nanocomposites

Using conductive nanocomposites for bipolar plates in fuel cells can improve their performance. Percolation is the mechanism for nanocomposite conductivity. When the volume fraction of fillers in a composite material reaches a critical value, percolation starts to happen. If the composite material has an infinitesize, the probability of conductivity jumps from zero to 100% at the critical volume fraction. However, for finite-size composites, the probability would rise in a Gaussian-error-like smooth curve function. This research uses Monte Carlo simulations to study the percolation probability of finite-size nanocomposites cubes. The analyses show that there are two critical volume fractions. As the cube size approaches infinity, the two critical volume rates converge and should be equal to the theoretical value. Using the normal-cumulated-distribution function model, a power-law equation is obtained to estimate the critical volume fraction from the corresponding nanocomposite cube size. However, the Monte-Carlo simulations in this research have been based on a uniform distribution of nanotubes in the composite cube. In practical implementation, the CVF obtained from this research can be treated as the lower bound of possible real values.
Docosahexaenoic Acid and Preterm Birth

Preterm birth accounts for more than 85% of all perinatal complications and deaths. There are many short- and long-term consequences of being born too soon. These infants often require intensive care and are at increased risk of early morbidities often with life-long sequelae. Approximately 50% of all preterm births have unknown or unclear causes, and there are no effective primary prevention strategies in widespread clinical use. Epidemiological studies have observed an increased length of gestation in populations with high fish consumption. These findings have led to randomised controlled trials of omega-3 (n-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) supplementation which show that these dietary agents may delay the timing of birth and may have value as a prophylactic intervention in some women. This review presents the available evidence and discusses the relationship between prenatal n-3 LCPUFA supplementation during pregnancy and the incidence of preterm birth.
Associations of Emotional Abuse Types With Suicide Ideation Among Dating Couples

ABSTRACT Numerous studies have demonstrated that coercive control is more strongly associated with suicidal ideation than other forms of intimate partner violence. However, a majority of these studies focused on samples of help-seeking women. This study examined whether coercive control remains the form of intimate partner violence most strongly associated with suicidal ideation within a sample of nonclinical dating couples. This cross-sectional, survey study on 104 dating couples examined the associations of coercive control (i.e., dominance/intimidation and restrictive engulfment) with suicidal ideation, while controlling for other forms of emotional abuse (i.e., hostile withdrawal and denigration), physical assault, and depressive symptoms. As expected, dominance/intimidation and depressive symptoms, but not denigration and physical assault, were associated with suicidal ideation. Contrary to our hypothesis, hostile withdrawal, but not restrictive engulfment, was associated with suicidal ideation. This study suggests that dominance/intimidation and hostile withdrawal are forms of emotional abuse that are pertinent to suicidal ideation in nonclinical dating couples.
Mechanism of the systemic, left ventricular, and coronary vascular tolerance to a binge of cocaine in conscious dogs.

BACKGROUND Prior experimental studies have emphasized the cardiovascular effects of acute, single doses of cocaine. However, cardiovascular complications are most often reported in chronic users, who have been exposed to repetitive doses of cocaine. It remains unclear whether there is tolerance or sensitization to the systemic, left ventricular, and coronary hemodynamic effects of a binge of cocaine. METHODS AND RESULTS We studied 11 conscious, chronically instrumented dogs to determine the systemic pressor, inotropic, chronotropic, and coronary vascular resistance responses to cocaine (1 mg/kg IV) administered every 25 minutes for five doses. There was progressive tolerance to the systemic pressor (mean arterial pressure: first dose, +42 +/- 4% from 97 +/- 2 mm Hg; fifth dose, +8 +/- 3% from 116 +/- 7 mm Hg; P < .01) and heart rate (first dose, +45 +/- 8% from 93 +/- 5 bpm; fifth dose, +8 +/- 2% from 109 +/- 9 bpm; P < .01) responses and abolition of the positive inotropic (left ventricular dP/dt: first dose, +19 +/- 4% from 2824 +/- 75 mm Hg/s; fifth dose, -3 +/- 5% from 2531 +/- 436 mm Hg/s; P < .01) and coronary vasoconstrictor (coronary vascular resistance: first dose, +38 +/- 9% from 1.9 mm Hg.mL-1.min-1; fifth dose, -7 +/- 2% from 2.6 +/- 0.2 mm Hg. mL-1.min-1; P < .01) responses to a binge of cocaine despite progressive increases in peak plasma cocaine concentrations. In contrast, both the plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine responses were attenuated with repetitive exposure to cocaine, whereas myocardial alpha and beta-adrenergic responsiveness was maintained. CONCLUSIONS Repetitive cocaine administration is associated with the development of early and progressive tolerance to systemic, left ventricular, and coronary vascular effects of cocaine. The mechanism of the tolerance involves neither impaired myocardial nor coronary vascular responsiveness to adrenergic stimulation but, rather, attenuated catecholamine responses to repetitive cocaine administration.
Excisional biopsy should be performed if lobular carcinoma in situ is seen on needle core biopsy.

CONTEXT Percutaneous image-guided core biopsy is increasingly becoming the method of choice to evaluate impalpable breast lesions presenting with mammographically detected calcifications or as a mammographically detected mass. Infrequently, a diagnosis of a primary lobular lesion is rendered by needle core biopsy. Although lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) and atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH) are not themselves detectable by mammography, they can be associated with calcifications. The management of patients with a primary diagnosis of LCIS or ALH on needle core biopsy is uncertain. Recommendations include excisional biopsy, tamoxifen citrate therapy, mammographic surveillance, or a combination of these approaches. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to report the histologic findings of excisional biopsies performed after ALH or LCIS was found in a needle core biopsy. DESIGN Hematoxylin-eosin-stained slides of 20 needle core biopsy specimens from patients with a primary diagnosis of LCIS or ALH were retrieved from the consultation and surgical pathology files of New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Histologic diagnoses were confirmed in all cases. RESULTS Fourteen cases of primary LCIS and 6 cases of ALH found on needle core biopsy were identified. Subsequent excisional biopsy of the 14 LCIS cases revealed the following: LCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ, invasive carcinoma (1 patient; 7%); LCIS, infiltrating lobular carcinoma (1 patient; 7%); LCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ (1 patient; 7%); LCIS (8 patients; 57%); and ALH with or without atypical ductal hyperplasia (3 patients; 21%). Among the 6 patients with ALH on needle core biopsy, 1 had infiltrating lobular carcinoma and LCIS and 2 had LCIS in subsequent excision; other excisions for ALH were benign. Overall, 3 (21%) of 14 patients with a primary diagnosis of LCIS on needle core biopsy had a more significant lesion (ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive carcinoma) in a subsequent excisional biopsy. CONCLUSIONS Data obtained in this study and in previously published reports lead us to conclude that excisional biopsy may be indicated and should be considered when LCIS is found on needle core biopsy in order to more fully examine the biopsy site for coexistent, clinically inapparent intraductal or invasive carcinoma that may be present in about 25% of these patients. The small number of ALH cases studied produced inconclusive results. We recommend that excisional biopsy be considered if atypical ductal hyperplasia is present with ALH in a needle core biopsy or if the diagnosis of the biopsy specimen is discordant with the mammographic findings.
Time vs. success rate for epidural blood patch.

Headache is a frequent complication of dural puncture, particularly with a large-bore needle.1'2 Epidural blood patching is a well-accepted therapeutic modality for dural puncture headache3; it seemed reasonable that the sooner done, the shorter would be the duration of the headache. We had noticed
PROCESS-BASED ESTIMATION OF SEDIMENT RESUSPENSION LOSSES DURING BUCKET DREDGING

Donald F. Hayes, Thomas D. Borrowman, and Paul R. Schroeder Water quality impacts resulting from dredging operations are of particular current interest. Resulting suspended sediment plumes potentially impact the local aquatic environment in a variety of ways, including the burial of benthic organisms, contaminant transport, negatively affecting recreational uses, and modifying fish behavior. These potential impacts have often been cited in requests for restrictions on dredging operations in the form of environmental windows in many areas of the country and the focus of concern for many remedial dredging operations. While some resuspension data are available and a few empirical tools have been developed to make a priori estimates of sediment resuspension associated with dredging operations, the limited database hampers the applicability of these approaches. Hayes and Wu (2001) proposed the Resuspension Factor approach as a simplified approach to estimating sediment resuspension losses during dredging. Recent research has refined that approach by evaluating specific loss mechanisms and developing a generic framework for all types of bucket dredges. While the existing database does not allow sediment resuspension loss models to be developed and calibrated for each loss mechanism, the fundamental approaches presented provide a basis on which to focus future research efforts. Focusing research efforts on specific loss mechanisms holds significantly more promise for eventually developing reliable predictive methods for a wide-array of equipment working under a variety of conditions.
Sense transformation reveals a novel role for class I beta-1, 3-glucanase in tobacco seed germination.

'Coat-enhanced' seed dormancy of many dicotyledonous species, including tobacco, is released during after-ripening. Rupture of the endosperm, which is the limiting step in tobacco seed germination, is preceded by induction of class I beta-1,3-glucanase (betaGLU I) in the micropylar endosperm where the radicle will penetrate. Treating after-ripened tobacco seeds with abscisic acid (ABA) delays endosperm rupture and inhibits betaGLU I induction. Sense transformation with a chimeric ABA-inducible betaGLU I transgene resulted in over-expression of betaGLU I in seeds and promoted endosperm rupture of mature seeds and of ABA-treated after-ripened seeds. Taken together, these results provide direct evidence that betaGLU I contributes to endosperm rupture. Over-expression of betaGLU I during germination also replaced the effects of after-ripening on endosperm rupture. This suggests that regulation of betaGLU I by ABA signalling pathways might have a key role in after-ripening.
Biomedical applications of 133Cs NMR

133Cs NMR is a valuable tool for non‐invasively probing biological systems. As a congener of potassium, it accumulates in the intracellular space, primarily through the action of the Na+K+ pump (ATPase). In addition, it is possible to resolve the MR signal of 133Cs in different tissue compartments on the basis of chemical shift or MR relaxation properties. This compartmental resolution applies not only to the intra‐ and extracellular spaces, but to subcellular compartments as well. In this review, we discuss the studies defining the ion transport, chemical shift and relaxation characteristics of 133Cs in living systems. We also review the application of 133Cs NMR to evaluation of ion transport across membranes and the kinetic/chemical environment of the intracellular space in systems ranging from red blood cells to rat brain. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Influencing Factors of China's Carbon Intensity and Policy Choices

Based on autoregressive distributed lag model, this study examines the long-run relationship between carbon intensity and energy efficiency, income level, coal price and industrial composition in the case of China by employing time series data of 1980-2007. The results show that there is a long-run equilibrium relationship and short-run adjusting relationship between China's carbon intensity and Per capita GDP, energy efficiency, coal price and industrial share. Improvement in energy efficiency and increase in coal price makes carbon intensity drop, and increase in industrial share raises the carbon intensity. There is an inverted-U relationship between carbon intensity and Per capita GDP, supporting the EKC hypothesis.
Vasomotor hot flushes and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in recently post-menopausal women

Abstract Background. Menopausal hot flushes may be a marker for a difference in vascular function. We studied the associations between hot flushes of varying severity and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). Methods. A total of 147 women with onset of menopause within the preceding 6–36 months reported no hot flushes (n = 23) or mild (n = 33), moderate (n = 30), or severe (n = 61). Ambulatory BP and HR were registered for 24 hours. The variables, analyzed separately for day-time and night-time, were compared among the four study groups. Results. Hot flushes failed to show any relationship to mean day- or night-time BP, nocturnal dipping of BP, or HR. However, severe night-time hot flushes were accompanied by elevations in systolic BP (4.1 ± 10.5 mmHg, P = 0.061), diastolic BP (3.1 ± 6.8 mmHg, P = 0.032), and heart rate (3.0 ± 7.2 beats/minute, P = 0.043). Conclusion. Hot flushes are not associated with ambulatory BP or heart rate in normotensive, recently post-menopausal women, although severe night-time hot flush episodes are followed by significant elevations in BP and heart rate. The latter may be of clinical significance.