Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recent surface displacement in bangkok, Thailand inferred from persistent scatterer SAR interferometry

In order to estimate recent surface displacement in Bangkok, we applied persistent SAR interferometry using ALOS/PALSAR images acquired October 2007 to December 2010. Previously, land subsidence due to excessive ground water pumping has been reported in this region. However, we detected that ground surface has rebounded during 3 years of the observation period. This rebounded surface can be interpreted as the response on the ground water recovery to confined aquifer due to the decrease in ground water usage. Since the rebounded areas correspond to past ground subsidence areas inferred from differential SAR interferometry using JERS-1/SAR images, it can be inferred that ground water recovery has especially occurred at the preceding subsidence areas.
Imported malaria.

There have been 4 waves of imported malaria in the USA. They occurred during the colonization of the country and during the Second World War, the UN Police Action in Korea, and the Viet-Nam conflict. The first 3 episodes are briefly described and the data on imported malaria from Viet-Nam are discussed in detail.Endemic malaria is resurgent in many tropical countries and international travel is also on the rise. This increases the likelihood of malaria being imported from an endemic area and introduced into a receptive area. The best defence for countries threatened by imported malaria is a vigorous surveillance programme. The principles of surveillance are discussed and an example of their application is provided by a description of the methods used to conduct surveillance of malaria in the USA.
The role of replication initiation control in promoting survival of replication fork damage

Dam methylase mutants were recovered in a screen for mutants sensitive to UV irradiation or mild inhibition of replication elongation. Dam's role in tolerance of DNA damage is to provide binding sites for SeqA, because seqA mutants showed similar sensitivity that was genetically epistatic to dam. The sensitivity of seqA mutants to UV irradiation and to the replication inhibitors hydroxyurea (HU) and azidothymidine (AZT) was suppressed by alleles of dnaA that reduce the efficiency of replication initiation. These results suggest that for survival of replication fork damage, SeqA's repression of replication initiation is more important than its effects on nucleoid organization. Convergence of forks upon DNA damage is a likely explanation for seqA mutant sensitivity, because its poor survival of UV was suppressed by reducing secondary initiation through minimal medium growth. Surprisingly, growth in minimal medium reduced the ability of seqA+ strains to form colonies in the presence of low levels of AZT. Double dnaA seqA mutants exhibited plating efficiencies much superior to wild‐type strains during chronic low‐level AZT exposure in minimal medium. This suggests that mild inhibition of replication fork progression may actively restrain initiation such that seqA+ strains fail to recover initiation capacity after sustained conditions of replication arrest.
Recent investigations have revealed a plethora of secondary defects in cells not expressing the

In a search for the HCO3 supply mechanisms to the enterocyte we cloned and sequenced an intestinal subtype of the NaHCO3 cotransporter isoform I (dNBC1), which turned out to be identical to the pancreatic NBC1 subtype (pNBC1). Within the intestine, we found particularly high NBC1 expression levels in the duodenum and proximal colon. Experiments with stripped rabbit duodenum in Ussing-chambers revealed that NaHCO3 cotransport (NBC) and CO2 hydration/Na/H exchange were equally important duodenal HCO3 supply pathways and were both upregulated during cAMP-mediated secretion. In the proximal colon, however, HCO3 secretion was low but NBC1 expression even higher than in the duodenum. Ussing-chamber experiments with an NBC-specific inhibitor revealed that NBC, coupled to basolateral Cl /HCO3 exchange, was an important alternative Cl supply pathway to NaK2Cl cotransport (NKCC) during cAMP-stimulated colonic Cl secretion. To investigate the functional integrity of anion uptake pathways in the absence of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), we fluorometrically assessed NBC and NKCC transport rates and cell volume before and during forskolin-stimulation in isolated colonic crypts from normal and CFTR (-/-) mice. Although forskolin stimulation decreased cell volume only in normal, not in CFTR (-/-) crypts, it activated NBC and NKCC to a similar degree in both normal and CFTR (-/-) crypts. We conclude that, depending on the intestinal segment, NBC1 plays an important role in basolateral HCO3 or Cl uptake. Expression and activation by cAMP is preserved in CFTR (-/-) intestine.
Viewing and making art together: a multi-session art-gallery-based intervention for people with dementia and their carers

Objectives: This is the first known study that sought to understand the experience of an eight-week art-gallery-based interventionoffered at two distinctly different galleries for people with mild to moderate dementia and their carers. The study examined impact on social inclusion, carer burden, and quality of life and daily living activities for a person with dementia. Method: A mixed-methods pre-post design using standardised questionnaires and interviews involved 24 participants (12with dementia) and compared similar interventions at a traditional and a contemporary art gallery. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. Results: No significant pre-post difference was found between the traditional or contemporary gallery groups on quantitative measures. There was, however, a non-significant trend towards a reduction in carer burden over the course of the interventionfor both gallery groups. Thematic analysis revealed well-being benefits from both traditional and contemporary art gallery sites that included positive social impact resulting from feeling more socially included, self-reports ofenhanced cognitive capacities for people with dementia, and an improved quality of life. Conclusion: Participants were unanimous in their enjoyment and satisfaction with the programme, despite the lack of significancefrom standardised measures. Further consideration of art galleries and museums, as non-clinical community resources for dementia care, is warranted. The interventions at both galleries helped to foster social inclusion and social engagement, enhance the caring relationship between the carers and PWD, support the personhood of PWD, and stimulate cognitive processes of attention and concentration.
Political Limits to Globalization

Despite the major advances in information technology that have shaped the recent wave of globalization, openness to trade is still a political choice, and trade policy can change with shifts in domestic political equilibria. This paper suggests that a particular threat and a limiting factor to globalization and its future developments may be militarist sentiments that appear to be on the rise among many nations around the globe today. We proxy militarism by spending on the military and the size of the military, and document that over the past 20 years, countries experiencing greater increases in militarism according to these measures have had lower growth in trade. Focusing on bilateral trade flows, we also show that controlling flexibly for country trends, a pair of countries jointly experiencing greater increases in militarism has lower growth in bilateral trade.
An Exploration of Computer Vision Techniques for Bird Species Classification

Bird classification, a fine-grained categorization task, is a complex task but crucial in improving and identifying the best computer vision algorithms to use in the broader image recognition field. Di culties like lighting conditions, complex foliage settings, and similarities in subspecies of birds are just some of the challenges faced by researchers. We implemented softmax regression on manually observed binary attributes, a multi-class SVM on HOG and RGB features from photos, and finally a CNN using transfer learning to classify birds. The pre-trained CNN with fixed feature extraction proved to be the best method for classification with computer vision.
Who's Next? The Melodic Marking of Question vs. Continuation in Dutch

The present study is concerned with functional differences between the accent-lending rise followed by sustained level pitch (GDI-notation “1Ø,” cf., 't Hart, Collier, and Cohen, 1990) and the combination of the accent-lending rise and final rise (“12”) in Dutch. Theoretical analyses of the meaning of Dutch intonation claim that “1Ø” can be interpreted as a question. In contrast, recent investigations of the relevance of intonation for turn-taking indicate that “1Ø” signals that the speaker wants to keep the turn. The main goal of the present experimental investigation is to find evidence for the idea that speakers may use contour “1Ø” to keep the floor. Thirty subjects were presented with short utterances bearing either a “12” or a “1Ø” contour in three perception experiments. Results support the hypothesis that “1Ø” is not readily interpreted as a question, as opposed to contour “12,” which indicates that contour “1Ø” may play a role in signaling turn-keeping in Dutch.
Pulsatile exposure to simulated reflux leads to changes in gene expression in a 3D model of oesophageal mucosa

Oesophageal exposure to duodenogastroesophageal refluxate is implicated in the development of Barrett's metaplasia (BM), with increased risk of progression to oesophageal adenocarcinoma. The literature proposes that reflux exposure activates NF‐κB, driving the aberrant expression of intestine‐specific caudal‐related homeobox (CDX) genes. However, early events in the pathogenesis of BM from normal epithelium are poorly understood. To investigate this, our study subjected a 3D model of the normal human oesophageal mucosa to repeated, pulsatile exposure to specific bile components and examined changes in gene expression. Initial 2D experiments with a range of bile salts observed that taurochenodeoxycholate (TCDC) impacted upon NF‐κB activation without causing cell death. Informed by this, the 3D oesophageal model was repeatedly exposed to TCDC in the presence and absence of acid, and the epithelial cells underwent gene expression profiling. We identified ~300 differentially expressed genes following each treatment, with a large and significant overlap between treatments. Enrichment analysis (Broad GSEA, DAVID and Metacore™; GeneGo Inc) identified multiple gene sets related to cell signalling, inflammation, proliferation, differentiation and cell adhesion. Specifically NF‐κB activation, Wnt signalling, cell adhesion and targets for the transcription factors PTF1A and HNF4α were highlighted. Our data suggest that HNF4α isoform switching may be an early event in Barrett's pathogenesis. CDX1/2 targets were, however, not enriched, suggesting that although CDX1/2 activation reportedly plays a role in BM development, it may not be an initial event. Our findings highlight new areas for investigation in the earliest stages of BM pathogenesis of oesophageal diseases and new potential therapeutic targets.
Changes in macroinvertebrate richness and diverity following large scale rewetting measures in a heterogeneous bog landscape.

Restoration measures in raised bog remnants frequently include the construction of dams, intended to retain rainwater and decrease fluctuations in the water table. However, comparative research in various bog remnants has provided strong indications that there are risks for macroinvertebrates. Risks include (i) rapid changes causing a disturbance, and (ii) similar changes at a large scale leading to a loss of heterogeneity, and consequently to a loss of species. This paper directly examines the risks associated with rewetting measures in bog remnants by investigating and comparing the macroinvertebrate assemblages in the same area before and after measures took effect. At the scale of a single water body, species numbers mainly increased in water bodies that were not impacted by measures. Species numbers did not change in impacted water bodies. Moreover, the cumulative number of species declined in the rewetted parts, indicating that in general everywhere the same species benefited from the changes. This homogenisation of the invertebrate assemblages was also evident at the scale of the entire reserve. On average, abundant species increased, while scarce species decreased. These results highlight the importance of heterogeneity. Especially minerotrophic conditions proved to be important. Therefore, restoration of the regional hydrology is of vital importance to the conservation and restoration of macroinvertebrate diversity.
Extension of the gravity model: A risk integrated approach towards the impact analysis of mega sports events on inbound tourist arrivals

EXTENSION OF THE GRAVITY MODEL: A RISK INTEGRATED APPROACH TOWARDS THE IMPACT ANALYSIS OF MEGA SPORTS EVENTS ON INBOUND TOURIST ARRIVALS Abdul Sami Stanekzai Old Dominion University Director: Dr. Ghaith Rabadi Mega sports events such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup are highly attended and countries compete ferociously to host such events due to their perceived long term positive effects. Inbound tourist forecasting is an important aspect of the hosting decision both for the organizing committees and the hosting nations. As a precaution against letting the event fall into incapable hands, which can lead into chaos and mismanagement, measures needs to be taken. Capacity evaluation of interested parties is possible, only by knowing the number of people who may attend the event. However, due to the infrequent occurrence of such events, it is not straightforward to do so. In this thesis, focus is made on a regression model known as the Gravity Model to predict the number of inbound tourists between pairs of countries. A large set of quantitative and quantifiedqualitative factors having impact on the touristic behavior of people is studied and models from the literature are validated using this data. The results are discussed and important suggestions are made. Moreover, the Gravity Model is extended and new predictors are introduced accounting for significant aspects of tourism in general and mega events in particular. The new model will give more accurate results potentially.
Production of cytopathology in FRhK-4 cells by BS-C-1-passaged hepatitis A virus

Cytopathic effects were produced in fetal rhesus monkey kidney (FRhK-4) cells 7 days postinfection by a serially BS-C-1-passaged strain of hepatitis A virus. Typical enterovirus cytopathology was produced by the HM-175 strain after 15 passages at 7-day intervals in BS-C-1 cells. No cytopathic effects were obtained after neutralization of virus with human anti-hepatitis A virus immunoglobulin G. Normal human serum had no effect on development of cytopathology. Maximum antigen and cDNA probe-based hybridization activity were associated with a CsCl gradient fraction having a density of 1.34 g/cm3. Large quantities of 27- to 30-nm virions typical of hepatitis A virus were associated with the same fraction. These data led to the conclusion that the observed cytopathology was caused by hepatitis A virus.
Integrated track maintenance for the PMHT via the hysteresis model

Unlike other tracking algorithms the probabilistic multi-hypothesis tracker (PMHT) assumes that the true source of each measurement is an independent realisation of a random process. Given knowledge of the prior probability of this assignment variable, data association is performed independently for each measurement. When the assignment prior is unknown, it can be estimated provided that it is either time independent, or fixed over the batch. This paper presents a new extension of the PMHT, which incorporates a randomly evolving Bayesian hyperparameter for the assignment process. This extension is referred to as the PMHT with hysteresis. The state of the hyperparameter reflects each model's contribution to the mixture, and thus can be used to quantify the significance of mixture components. The paper demonstrates how this can be used as a method for automated track maintenance in clutter. The performance benefit gained over the standard PMHT is demonstrated using simulations and real sensor data
Prolonged Localized Mild Hypothermia Does Not Affect Seizure Activity After Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Rats.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating stroke with high morbidity and mortality. Post-ICH seizures are a common complication, potentially increasing brain injury and the risk of delayed epilepsy. Mild therapeutic hypothermia (HYPO, ∼33°C) is neuroprotective against several brain insults, such as ischemia, while also mitigating seizure incidence and severity in some instances. Therefore, we tested whether brain-selective HYPO reduced electrographic seizure activity after a collagenase-induced striatal ICH in rats. Animals were injected unilaterally with 0.14 U of bacterial collagenase, implanted with a unilateral brain cooling device, and a probe to bilaterally record electroencephalographic (EEG) activity. Cooling began 6 hours after collagenase infusion and was maintained for 48 hours, followed by rewarming over 6 hours. Our protocol did not affect EEG activity in naïve rats, nor did it increase bleeding after ICH (∼50 μL). Epileptiform activity commonly occurred in untreated ICH rats (∼60% of animals), but HYPO did not affect the incidence, timing, total duration of seizures, or the peaks occurring during epileptiform activity. However, longer average duration was detected on the ipsilateral side to stroke in the HYPO group (p < 0.05). Cooling did not affect neurological deficits (e.g., circling), measured 7 and 14 days after ICH, or lesion volume (∼35 mm(3)). In addition, there was no relationship among endpoints (e.g., seizures and lesion size). In summary, HYPO failed to reduce seizure activity after ICH, which fits with our separate findings that cooling does not mitigate thrombin and iron-mediated secondary injury mechanisms thought to cause seizures after ICH. Additional research is needed to identify better HYPO protocols and the use of cotreatments to maximize the benefit of HYPO to ICH patients.
History of standard scoring, notation, and summation of neuromuscular signs. A current survey and recommendation

Abstract In this article, we trace the history of scoring, notation, and summation of the neuromuscular signs of muscle weakness and decrease of tendon reflexes and sensation. We recommend a standard system to promote consistency in the effort introduced by Mitchell and Lewis to ‘represent systems and force by their signs. ’ The scoring of neuromuscular signs began with Mitchell and Lewis in the 19th century who used pluses, minuses, and N (for normal) to express the activity of muscle stretch reflexes. Henry Plummer introduced an ordinal scoring approach for muscle weakness, reflex decrease and increase, and sensation loss. In 1919, he and Walter Sheldon and Henry Woltman introduced standard pre‐printed examination forms with written instructions for notation and scoring. Robert Lovett, a Boston orthopedist, scored weak muscles of poliomyelitis patients from 2 (mild weakness) to 6 (paralyzed), 1 being normal. Lovett's approach was used, after reversing the order of the grades and decreasing each grade by 1, by a Committee of the Medical Research Council for evaluating return of muscle weakness after nerve injury. Despite dissimilarity to existing reflex and sensation scores and uneven width of grades, this approach was widely adopted for use in neurologic practice. We introduced the Neuropathy Impairment Score using a combination of the Mitchell, Plummer, and Lovett approaches, summing all individual scores of a standard set of neuromuscular examinations. In a non‐representative survey of 19 neuromuscular physicians from different countries, we find that there is a considerable variability in the approaches used for grading. Assuming that scoring is useful, we herein suggest (a) impairments should be scored separately from hyperfunction and (b) for the scoring of impairments (muscle weakness, reflex decrease, and sensation loss), the same ordinal scoring approach should be used with 0 as normal and 1, 2, … representing increasing impairment based on the judgment of percentage abnormality with corrections made for age, sex, physical fitness, and physical characteristics.
ResearchGenetic evidence that SMAD 2 is not required for gonadal tumor development in inhibin-deficient mice

Background: Inhibin is a tumor-suppressor and activin antagonist. Inhibin-deficient mice develop gonadal tumors and a cachexia wasting syndrome due to enhanced activin signaling. Because activins signal through SMAD2 and SMAD3 in vitro and loss of SMAD3 attenuates ovarian tumor development in inhibin-deficient females, we sought to determine the role of SMAD2 in the development of ovarian tumors originating from the granulosa cell lineage. Methods: Using an inhibin α null mouse model and a conditional knockout strategy, double conditional knockout mice of Smad2 and inhibin alpha were generated in the current study. The survival rate and development of gonadal tumors and the accompanying cachexia wasting syndrome were monitored. Results: Nearly identical to the controls, the Smad2 and inhibin alpha double knockout mice succumbed to weight loss, aggressive tumor progression, and death. Furthermore, elevated activin levels and activin-induced pathologies in the liver and stomach characteristic of inhibin deficiency were also observed in these mice. Our results indicate that SMAD2 ablation does not protect inhibin-deficient females from the development of ovarian tumors or the cachexia
Rational design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of 2-azanorbornane-3-exo,5-endo-dicarboxylic acid: a novel conformationally restricted glutamic acid analogue.

The design and synthesis of conformationally restricted analogues of alpha-amino acids is an often used strategy in medicinal chemistry research. Here we present the rational design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of 2-azanorbornane-3-exo,5-endo-dicarboxylic acid (1), a novel conformationally restricted (S)-glutamic acid (Glu) analogue intended as a mimic of the folded Glu conformation. The synthesis of 1 was completed in its racemic form in eight steps from commercially available starting materials. As a key step, the first facially selective hydroboration of a 5-methylidene[2.2. 1]bicyclic intermediate was investigated. In this transformation, the catalytic methodology of Wilkinson's/catechol borane proved superior to stoichiometric borane or dialkyl borane reagents, in terms of higher diastereomeric excess and chemical yield. To our surprise (+/-)-1 did not show affinity in binding studies on native 2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolyl)propionic acid (AMPA) (IC(50) > 300 microM, [(3)H]AMPA) or kainic acid (IC(50) > 160 microM, [(3)H]kainic acid) receptors nor in binding studies on the cloned iGluR5,6 subtypes (IC(50) > 300 microM, [(3)H]kainic acid).
Predicting School Failure and Dropout by Using Data Mining Techniques

This paper proposes to apply data mining techniques to predict school failure and dropout. We use real data on 670 middle-school students from Zacatecas, México, and employ white-box classification methods, such as induction rules and decision trees. Experiments attempt to improve their accuracy for predicting which students might fail or dropout by first, using all the available attributes; next, selecting the best attributes; and finally, rebalancing data and using cost sensitive classification. The outcomes have been compared and the models with the best results are shown.