Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stratigraphy of the north polar layered deposits of Mars from high‐resolution topography

The stratigraphy of the layered deposits in the polar regions of Mars is theorized to contain a record of recent climate change linked to insolation changes driven by variations in the planet's orbital and rotational parameters. In order to confidently link stratigraphic signals to insolation periodicities, a description of the stratigraphy is required based on quantities that directly relate to intrinsic properties of the layers. We use stereo digital terrain models (DTMs) from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment to derive a characteristic of north polar layered deposit (NPLD) strata that can be correlated over large distances: the topographic protrusion of layers exposed in troughs, which is a proxy for the layers' resistance to erosion. Using a combination of image analysis and a signal‐matching algorithm to correlate continuous depth‐protrusion signals taken from DTMs at different locations, we construct a stratigraphic column that describes the upper ~500 m of at least 7% of the area of the NPLD and find accumulation rates that vary by factors of up to 2. We find that, when coupled with observations of exposed layers in images, the topographic expression of the strata is consistently continuous across large distances in the top 300–500 m of the NPLD, suggesting that it is better related to intrinsic layer properties than the brightness of exposed layers alone.
Large Intra-subject Variability in Caffeine Pharmacokinetics: Randomized Cross-over Study of Single Caffeine Product

Abstract Background Average bioequivalence has been criticized for not adequately addressing individual variations. Importance of subjects’ blinding in bioequivalence studies has not been well studied. We explored the extent of intra-subject pharmacokinetic variability and effect of drug-ingestion unawareness in subjects taking single caffeine product. Methods A single-dose randomized cross-over design was used to compare pharmacokinetics of 200 mg caffeine, described as caffeine (overt) or as placebo (covert). Maximum concentration (Cmax), Cmax first time (Tmax), area-under-the-concentration-time-curve, to last measured concentration (AUCT), extrapolated to infinity (AUCI), or to Tmax of overt caffeine (AUCOverttmax), and Cmax/AUCI were calculated blindly using standard non-compartmental method. Percentages of individual covert/overt ratios that are outside the ±25% range were determined. Covert-vs-overt effect on caffeine pharmacokinetics was evaluated by 90% confidence interval (CI) and 80.00–125.00% bioequivalence range. Results 32 healthy subjects (6% females, mean (SD) age 33.3 (7.2) year) participated in the study (28 analysed). Out of the 28 individual covert/overt ratios, 23% were outside the ±25% range for AUCT, 30% for AUCI, 20% for AUCOverttmax, 30% for Cmax, and 43% for Tmax. There was no significant covert-vs-overt difference in any of the pharmacokinetic parameters studied. Further, the 90% CIs for AUCT, AUCI, Cmax, AUCOverttmax, and Cmax/AUCI were all within the 80.00–125.00% bioequivalence range with mean absolute deviation of covert/overt ratios of 3.31%, 6.29%, 1.43%, 1.87%, and 5.19%, respectively. Conclusions Large intra-subject variability in main caffeine pharmacokinetic parameters was noted when comparing an oral caffeine product to itself. Subjects’ blinding may not be important in average bioequivalence studies.
Potassium Transport by Amino Acid Permeases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae *

Deletion of the potassium transporter genesTRK1 and TRK2 impairs potassium uptake inSaccharomyces cerevisiae, resulting in a greatly increased requirement for the ion and the inability to grow on low pH medium. Selection for mutations that restored growth of trk1Δ trk2Δ cells on low pH (3.0) medium led to the isolation of a dominant suppressor that also partially suppressed the increased K+ requirement of these cells. Molecular analysis revealed the suppressor to be an allele of BAP2 that encodes a permease for branched chain amino acids. The suppressor mutation (BAP2-1) converts a phenylalanine codon, highly conserved among the amino acid permease genes, to a serine codon in a region predicted to lie within the sixth membrane-spanning domain. Generation of the analogous mutation in the histidine permease produced an allele,HIP1-293, that similarly suppressed the low pH sensitivity of trk1Δ trk2Δ cells. Suppression of trk1Δ trk2Δ phenotypes by BAP2-1 or HIP1-293was correlated with increased Rb+ uptake. The presence of the substrate amino acids enhanced but was not essential for suppression of trk1Δ trk2Δ phenotypes and increased Rb+ uptake. The conserved site altered by the suppressor mutations appears to be important; his4 HIP1-293 cells show an increased requirement for histidine compared with his4 HIP1 cells.
Effect of Follicle Size on In Vitro Production of Steroids and Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF)-I, IGF-II, and the IGF-Binding Proteins by Equine Ovarian Granulosa Cells1

Abstract Little is known regarding the hormonal regulation of granulosa cell steroidogenesis and the ovarian insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system in the mare. The objectives of this study were to determine, first, if estradiol, insulin, and/or FSH affect steroid production by equine granulosa cells (experiment 1) and, second, if the components of the IGF system are produced by equine granulosa cells in culture as well as whether estradiol, insulin, and/or FSH affects IGF and/or IGF-binding protein (IGFBP) production by equine granulosa cells (experiment 2). Granulosa cells from small (6–15 mm), medium (16–25 mm), and large (25–48 mm) follicles were collected from cyclic mares (n = 14), cultured for 2 days in medium containing 10% fetal calf serum, washed, and then treated for an additional 2 days in serum-free medium with or without added hormones. In experiment 1, large-follicle granulosa cells produced less progesterone and more estradiol than did medium- and/or small-follicle granulosa cells (P < 0.05). Progesterone production was inhibited (P < 0.05) by FSH and insulin in small- and medium- but not in large-follicle granulosa cells; estradiol was without effect. Insulin increased (P < 0.05) estradiol production in small- and medium-follicle granulosa cells but had no effect in large-follicle granulosa cells. In experiment 2, IGF-I production was inhibited (P < 0.05) by insulin across all follicle sizes but was not affected by estradiol or FSH. Granulosa cells of medium and large follicles produced more IGF-II than did granulosa cells of small follicles (P < 0.05). Insulin and FSH inhibited (P < 0.05) IGF-II production by granulosa cells of large and medium but not of small follicles; estradiol was without effect. Only IGFBP-2 and -5 were produced by equine granulosa cells. Production of IGFBP-2 was less (P < 0.10) in granulosa cells of large versus those of small and medium follicles, whereas medium-follicle granulosa cells produced more (P < 0.05) IGFBP-5 than did small- or large-follicle granulosa cells. Averaged across follicle sizes, estradiol increased (P < 0.05) IGFBP-2 production, FSH increased (P < 0.10) IGFBP-2 and -5 production, and insulin was without effect. These results indicate that IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-2, and IGFBP-5 are produced by equine granulosa cells and that insulin, FSH, and estradiol play a role in the regulation of steroidogenesis and the IGF system of equine granulosa cells.
Lymphocyte Receptors and Mechanisms of in Vitro Cell‐Mediated Immune Reactions

A short paper by Landsteiner & Chase (1942) opened a new era in immunology. For the first time the possibility of experimental investigation of a cell-bound factor of specific immunity was shown. The existence and the greatest importance of this factor had been postulated by P. Ehrlich, who named it "sessile antibody". Specific cell receptors synthesized by lymphocytes, localized in their membrane, and providing the direct interaction of lymphocytes with the appropriate antigen are now considered the basis for the immunological recognition and memory, transplantation immunity (TI) and anti-tumor immunity, delayed hypersensitivity (DH) and other phenomena in tissue and infection immunology.
Time evolution in visible light emission from high-power Ar pulse-modulated induction thermal plasmas

Transient behavior of a 15-kW Ar pulse-modulated induction thermal plasma (PMITP) at a pressure of 31 kPa was observed using a high-speed video camera. The PMITP method is one of new techniques for controlling temperature and radical density in time-domain in high-power thermal plasmas. The adoption of a high-power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) inverter power supply makes it possible to sustain PMITPs with high power-conversion efficiency. The high-speed video pictures provide two-dimensional, time-dependent radiation intensity distributions from PMITPs, which are useful for understanding an unique transition behavior of PMITPs.
Specific roles of cyclooxygenase‐1 and cyclooxygenase‐2 in lipopolysaccharide‐induced fever and fos expression in rat brain

Fever is a coordinated autonomic, endocrine, and behavioral response mediated by the brain in reaction to inflammatory stimuli. An essential step in transmitting the immune signal to the brain is the formation of prostaglandin E2. Cyclooxygenase (COX) is the critical enzyme in the synthesis of prostaglandins and COX‐2, the inducible form of the enzyme, is markedly induced in cells associated with the cerebral blood vessels and the leptomeninges by immune stimuli such as intravenous administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). However, the specific roles of COX‐1, the constitutive form of cyclooxygenase, and COX‐2 in LPS‐induced fever are not well understood. We injected LPS i.v. in combination with either a highly selective COX‐1 (SC‐560) or COX‐2 (SC‐236) inhibitor to determine the effects of each drug on the subsequent fever response and on the pattern of expression of Fos protein in the brain. The COX‐2 inhibitor blocked LPS‐induced fever and Fos expression in sites such as the ventromedial preoptic nucleus (VMPO) and the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVH), although Fos‐immunoreactivity in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), ventrolateral medulla (VLM), and parabrachial nucleus (PB) remained. In contrast, the COX‐1 inhibitor resulted in a profound hypothermic response to LPS and blocked LPS‐induced Fos‐immunoreactivity in the PVH, PB, NTS, and VLM, although it had no effect on the VMPO. Although COX‐2 plays a dominant role in mediating fever responses to i.v. LPS, at least some components of the response, including avoiding hypothermia and the induction of Fos in the NTS, VLM, PB, and PVH, appear to depend on COX‐1. J. Comp. Neurol. 463:3–12, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mindfulness-Based Approaches and their potential for educational psychology practice

Research has been carried out on the application of “mindfulness” to a number of different populations in varying contexts, some of which traverse the field of educational psychology. This discussion paper explores what is understood as mindfulness and outlines the breadth of its application. As well as more extensive research into the use of mindfulness with adults in clinical settings, there has been initial research carried out in the use of Mindfulness-Based Approaches (MBA) with children and parents. MBA have also been used within therapy and coaching which has some similarity to educational psychology consultation with teachers and parents. This paper proposes that the future role of MBA within educational psychology might be one of cautious use by practitioners and the development of a greater body of evidence relating to efficacy in this field.
Competition Between Open Source and Proprietary Software: Strategies for Survival

Abstract There are two puzzles in the software competition literature: whether both proprietary and open source software will survive and how producers of proprietary software differentiate themselves from open source competition. I address both puzzles by analyzing competition between a firm producing proprietary software and a community producing open source software. If the firm faces no competition, then the software caters to less technologically savvy individuals. When facing competition, the open source software caters to the most technologically savvy individuals, leading the firm to target even less savvy individuals than it would when acting as a monopolist in order to differentiate its software from the open source option. The open source movement, then, may not be an unalloyed success as the growth in open source can be tied to deterioration in the proprietary software. Given that both types of software survive by catering to different segments of the market, an important avenue for research will be to analyze the stability of the underlying segments and the corresponding welfare implications.
Two-year-old phonology: impact of input, motor and cognitive abilities on development*

ABSTRACT Previous research has rarely compared the contributions of different underlying abilities to phonological acquisition. In this study, the auditory-visual speech perception, oro-motor and rule abstraction skills of 62 typically developing two-year olds were assessed and contrasted with the accuracy of their spoken phonology. Measures included auditory-visual speech perception, production of isolated and sequenced oro-motor movements, and verbal and non-verbal rule abstraction. Abilities in all three domains contributed to phonological acquisition. However, the use of atypical phonological rules was associated with lower levels of phonological accuracy and a linear regression indicated that this measure of rule abstraction had greater explanatory power than the measures of input processing and output skill.
Population distributions of allele frequency of apolipoprotein E by age and gender in Han Chinese.

AIM To study apolipoproteins E (ApoE) allele frequency in Han Chinese based on age and gender from Shanghai metropolitan area. METHODS Healthy Han Chinese people (F: 237 and M: 412) were involved in this study. ApoE gene was amplified by PCR using the forward primer: 5'-GGC ACG GCT GTC CAA GGA GCT-3' and reverse primer: 5'-GAT GGC GCT GAG GCC GCG CT-3'. The PCR product was digested directly with 5 units of CfoI and separated by a 20% polyacrylamide nondenaturing gel. RESULTS ApoE*3 was the commonest allele which accounted for 86.4% of the isoforms, and ApoE*2 and ApoE*4 accounted for 6.2% and 7.5%, respectively. The allele and genotype frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium by comparison with that of the corresponding theoretical distribution (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION The frequencies of ApoE*2, ApoE*3, and ApoE*4 were demonstrated in the normal Chinese population.
Differences in Corneal Anatomy in a Pair of Monozygotic Twins Due to Continuous Contact Lens Wear

Purpose. To study the differences in the corneal anatomy in a pair of 31-year-old monozygotic female twins, one of whom has been a contact lens wearer for the past 15 years and the other is a nonwearer. Methods. We analyzed the corneal thickness and the corneal endothelial cell density of the monozygotic twins and of two age-matched control groups, one made up of non–contact lens wearers (35 eyes of 35 patients; mean age, 29.32 ± 2.83 years) and the other made up of soft contact lens wearers (30 eyes of 30 patients; mean age, 33.08 ± 3.72 years; mean duration of contact lens use, 10.62 ± 4.32 years). Five corneal thickness measurements were carried out with the Orbscan Topography System II. Three consecutive measurements of the corneal endothelial cell density were carried out with the Topcon SP-2000P noncontact specular microscope. Results. Lower central corneal endothelial cell densities were found in both eyes of the monozygotic contact lens–wearing twin. The greater corneal thickness was shown at superonasal cornea except in the right cornea of the monozygotic contact lens twin. Moreover, significant differences in corneal thickness values were found between the monozygotic twins. Conclusions. The differences between the monozygotic twins seem to confirm that daily use of soft contact lenses can modify normal corneal anatomy.
Expression and plasticity of galanin systems in cortical neurons, oligodendrocyte progenitors and proliferative zones in normal brain and after spreading depression

Neocortex contains very few galanin neurons but receives a moderate galanin innervation from various subcortical loci. Recent data suggest that galanin helps regulate the tonic neuronal excitability of hippocampus and probably cerebral cortex but relatively little is known about the anatomy and functional regulation of cortical galanin systems. Therefore, we examined, in the rat, the effect of the intense but benign stimulus, cortical spreading depression (CSD), on the expression of galanin and galanin receptors (GalR1 and GalR2) in the neocortex and associated regions, revealing complex, multicellular responses. Thus, following acute, unilateral KCl‐induced CSD, a delayed and transient induction (onset after 48 h, lasting ∼24 h) of galanin mRNA and peptide production occurred across the ipsilateral cerebral cortex in activated oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), identified by specific NG2 proteoglycan immunostaining. An increase in GalR1 mRNA, immunoreactivity and receptor binding occurred in neurons within layers II and V of neocortex and in piriform cortex at 7–28 days after CSD, associated with a long‐lasting depletion of galanin‐positive nerve fibres in these regions. In contrast, GalR2 mRNA expression was largely unaltered after CSD. Additional novel findings in normal, adult brain were the detection of galanin mRNA and immunoreactivity in OPCs within the medial corpus callosum and in immature progenitor cells in the subventricular zone and rostral migratory stream. GalR1 and GalR2 mRNA was also present in these latter regions. These findings and the complex modulation of galanin and galanin receptors in multiple cell types (neurons/OPCs) following acute cortical activation/depression further demonstrate the potential plasticity of neuronal and non‐neuronal galanin systems under physiological and pathological conditions and strongly suggest additional functions for this pleiotropic peptide in mammalian brain.
Frequency-domain transient analysis of nonuniform lines with incident field excitation

In this paper, two methods for analyzing nonuniform multiconductor transmission lines in the frequency domain are considered. The first one is based on the cascaded connection of chain matrices of uniform line segments. In the second method, a space-variant linear system is solved. Besides, a technique to introduce the effect of incident electromagnetic fields into the nonuniform line model is presented. To obtain the solution in the time domain, the numerical laplace transform (NLT) is applied. Several application examples are analyzed, and comparisons with the ATP/EMTP and with experimental measurements published elsewhere are provided.
DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS IN JAPAN : A PILOT STUDY WITH THE DISSOCIATIVE EXPERIENCE SCALE AND A SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW

AJapanese version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale (]DES) was developed and administered to 199 late adolescents, 40 normal adults, 16 schizophrenics, and 19 subjects with dissociative disorders whose diagnoses were made with a comprehensive assessment including a semi-structured interview. As a result, theJDES yielded comparable reliability and validity with those established for the Dissociative Experience Scale in North America. Of 19 with dissociative disorders, one was identified as multiple personality disorder (MPD fDSM-W name change: dissociative identity disorder]) and eight were identified as dissociative disorder not otherwise specified (DDNOS). A large percentage of those with DDNOS had partial symptomatic profiles of MPD except for identity disturbance. The distribution of J-DES scores suggested that the concept of a dissociative continuum is cross-culturally applicable, although the presentation of dissociative disorders may be influenced by the Japanese cultural background.
Mothers’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Diarrhea and its Management in Morang Nepal: An Interventional Study

Purpose: To assess diarrhea-related knowledge, attitude and practice through successive educational interventions. Methods: This was an interventional study conducted at nine different locations of Morang district, Nepal from March 2010 to January 2011. Multistage random sampling approach was adopted to sample 630 subjects and they were randomly assigned to test and control groups. The subjects in the test group were provided an educational intervention designed on the basis of World Health Organization guidelines. Data collection followed by intervention was conducted at baseline, 1 month and 3 months; at 6 months, only data were taken without intervention. Results: About 90 % of the mothers were from the age group 16-30 years and most (93 %) of them were agricultural laborers. A majority (> 62%) of the mothers were not educated. Educational interventions brought about significant improvement in knowledge, attitude and practice at 1st, 2nd and 3rd follow-up. The median scores of knowledge, attitude and practice increased from 14, 7, 6 to 26, 9, 13, respectively, due to repeated interventions. Furthermore, interventions strengthened the correlation between knowledge, attitude and practice. Conclusion: Intervention was beneficial in improving mothers’ knowledge, attitude and practice regarding diarrhea and its management.
Electron Ionization Cross Sections for Atomic Subshells

Ionization of atoms is the first step in many analytical procedures. The cross section for ionizing a particular atomic shell is essential for calculating the magnitude of analytical signals. Calculations using atomic wave functions for various shells of all elements relevant for X-ray microanalysis over a range of electron energies up to 400 keV were performed. The calculations for high energies above threshold can be considerably simplified by using the mathematical form of the Bethe ridge that dominates the scattering in this region. Corrections for exchange at low energies above threshold are incorporated in these calculations. A selection of results showing the effects of different approximations on ionization cross sections for K, L, and M shells is presented.
The global problem of genetic disease

Inherited haemoglobin disorders will undoubtedly cause an increasing health burden in many developing countries. Although much is known about their molecular pathology and the mechanisms for their phenotypic diversity, many important questions remain, not least the role of the environment in modifying the clinical course. Methods for screening these conditions are now well established and inexpensive and it is vital that they are applied to define the magnitude of the problem that will be posed by these conditions in the future. Similarly, they form the basis for widespread screening and counselling programmes directed at developing prenatal diagnosis expertise where this is not available. Answers to some relatively simple questions about the role of the environment could also make a major difference to the management of the haemoglobin disorders. There is a major case for the development of regional networks to apply such technology as has been developed for the control and prevention of the important haemoglobin disorders, particularly in Asian countries.