Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Natural radioactivity in groundwater – a review

The issue of natural radioactivity in groundwater is reviewed, with emphasis on those radioisotopes which contribute in a significant way to the overall effective dose received by members of the public due to the intake of drinking water originating from groundwater systems. The term ‘natural radioactivity’ is used in this context to cover all radioactivity present in the environment, including man-made (anthropogenic) radioactivity. Comprehensive discussion of radiological aspects of the presence of natural radionuclides in groundwater, including an overview of current regulations dealing with radioactivity in drinking water, is provided. The presented data indicate that thorough assessments of the committed doses resulting from the presence of natural radioactivity in groundwater are needed, particularly when such water is envisaged for regular intake by infants. They should be based on a precise determination of radioactivity concentration levels of the whole suite of radionuclides, including characterisation of their temporal variability. Equally important is a realistic assessment of water intake values for specific age groups. Only such an evaluation may provide the basis for possible remedial actions.
Videofunduscopy and videoangiography using the scanning laser ophthalmoscope in Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada syndrome

AIM To observe pathophysiological changes in patients with Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada (VKH) syndrome using the scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) to perform videofunduscopy, and indocyanine green (ICG) and fluorescein videoangiography. METHODS 18 patients diagnosed with VKH syndrome were studied. 15 patients were examined in both acute and convalescent phases, and three patients were examined in the convalescent phase only. Retrospective review of charts was performed to obtain data on visual acuities, clinical findings, and results of cerebrospinal fluid cytology and histocompatibility leucocyte antigen D locus testing. RESULTS Videofunduscopy revealed abnormalities in the central macula at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium or choroid in 40% of patients in the acute phase and 83% of patients in the convalescent phase. ICG videoangiography showed irregular hypofluorescence (80%), slow or patchy filling (67%), indistinct or fewer choroidal vessels (73%), filling defects (73%), and focal leakage (33%) in patients in the acute phase. These changes improved with systemic corticosteroid treatment, although at least one ICG videoangiographic abnormality persisted into the convalescent phase in 83% of patients in the absence of clinical inflammation. In contrast, fluorescein videoangiography revealed fewer and decreased severity of abnormalities, with greater resolution in the convalescent phase when compared with ICG videoangiography. CONCLUSIONS SLO videofunduscopy and videoangiography revealed numerous abnormalities in patients with VKH syndrome, many of which persisted well after clinical recovery, suggesting the development of permanent morphological changes in the fundus. ICG videoangiography was more sensitive than fluorescein videoangiography in delineating abnormalities in layers deep to the sensory retina.
Voltage harmonics integral factors estimation of multilevel inverter with space vector modulation of two delta voltages

The paper describes some details of the voltage source multilevel inverter space vector PWM algorithm developed on the base of one of the more general algorithms for oblique-angled coordinates of two delta voltages. The instantaneous output voltage waveform simulation has been carried out, and voltage THD and harmonics integral factors dependences on the amplitude modulation index are presented.
DECLINE AND RENEWAL OF HIGH-TECH CLUSTERS: THE CAMBRIDGE CASE

This paper analyses mechanisms of cluster decline and renewal, illustrated with empirical evidence on the Cambridge high-tech cluster. While expansion of the cluster has been sustained over time, recently forces of decline have been stronger than those of renewal. Decline in employment was most marked in the local telecommunications and biotech sectors, while the creation of variety by new firms fell off most strongly in the local IT software & services industry. Increasing diseconomies of agglomeration are in evidence, together with a contraction of finance that may have been a harbinger of financial stringency to come.
Effects of Extended Time for College Students With and Without ADHD

Objective: The number of students with a disability requesting test accommodations has been steadily increasing in higher education settings. The present study examined the effects of extra time on the reading comprehension performance of college students with and without ADHD. Method: A modified version of The Nelson–Denny Reading Test was completed by 38 college students with ADHD and 38 matched controls under three conditions: standard time, time and one half, and double time. Results: Groups did not differ in the number of items attempted or correctly answered at standard time, time and one half, or double time. Comparing the ADHD group at extended time to non-ADHD peers at standard time, the ADHD group attempted and answered significantly more test items. Conclusion: Extra time conferred an advantage to the ADHD group, suggesting that extended time accommodations are not specific and perhaps not necessary for all college students with an ADHD diagnosis.
Structural and energetic properties of the potential HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors d4A and d4G: a comprehensive theoretical investigation

A comprehensive quantum-chemical investigation of the conformational landscapes of two nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors, 2′,3′-didehydro-2′,3′-dideoxyadenosine (d4A), and 2′,3′-didehydro-2′,3′-dideoxyguanosine (d4G), has been performed at the MP2/6-311++G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory. It was found that d4A can adopt 21 conformers within a 5.17 kcal/mol Gibbs free energy range, whereas d4G has 20 conformers within 6.23 kcal/mol at T = 298.15 K. Both nucleosides are shaped by a sophisticated network of specific noncovalent interactions, including conventional (OHO, NHO) and weak (CHO, CHN) hydrogen bonds, as well as dihydrogen (CHHC) contacts. For the OHO, NHO, and CHO hydrogen bonds, natural bond orbital analysis revealed hyperconjugative interactions between the oxygen lone pairs and the antibonding orbital of the donor group. For the CHHC contacts, the electron density migrates from the antibonding orbital, corresponding to the CH group of the sugar residue, to the bonding orbital relative to the same group in the nucleobase. The results confirm the current belief that the biological activity of d4A and d4G is connected with the termination of the DNA chain synthesis in the 5′–3′ direction. Thus, these nucleosides act as competitive HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors.
Habitual physical activity levels are positively correlated with CD4 counts in an HIV-positive South African population

In order to assess the relationship between CD4 cell count, habitual physical activity levels and functional independence in a South African adult population positive for HIV, we administered a questionnaire concerning lifestyle and physical activity. Data collection took place at an antiretroviral (ARV) roll-out site at Helen Joseph Hospital, Johannesburg. The study involved 186 HIV-positive outpatients (47 male and 139 female), with a mean age of 35.2 years, who were either taking (n = 121) or not taking (n = 65) ARV medication. We compared CD4 cell count, habitual physical activity levels (metabolic intensity in MET hours per month) and functional independence as assessed from the responses to the questionnaire. There was a positive and significant correlation between the patients' length of time on ARV medication and CD4 cell counts (p < 0.0001, r = 0.45), and between CD4 cell counts and total habitual physical activity levels (p = 0.0067, r = 0.20). Patients considering themselves functionally independent also had significantly higher CD4 cell counts (p = 0.0031). The use of ARV medication, despite the related side-effects, was associated with a higher CD4 cell count, which in this population was also associated with increased habitual physical activity levels and a greater sense of functional independence.
Obesity and under‐nutrition in a tertiary paediatric hospital

Objective: (i) To determine the prevalence of over‐ and under‐nutrition in both inpatients and outpatients in a tertiary paediatric hospital; (ii) to compare the prevalence of over‐nutrition with that in the Australian community and (iii) to determine whether nutritional status has an impact on length of stay in hospital.
The Current Ecosystem of Learning Management Systems in Higher Education: Student, Faculty, and IT Perspectives.

EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association and the foremost community of IT leaders and professionals committed to advancing higher education. EDUCAUSE programs and services are focused on analysis, advocacy, community building, professional development, and knowledge creation because IT plays a transformative role in higher education. EDUCAUSE supports those who lead, manage, and use information technology through a comprehensive range of resources and activities. For more information, visit http://www.educause. edu.
Optical Flow on Moving Manifolds

Optical flow is a powerful tool for the study and analysis of motion in a sequence of images. In this article we study a Horn-Schunck type spatio-temporal regularization functional for image sequences that have a non-Euclidean, time varying image domain. To that end we construct a Riemannian metric that describes the deformation and structure of this evolving surface. The resulting functional can be seen as natural geometric generalization of previous work by Weickert and Schn\"orr (2001) and Lef\`evre and Baillet (2008) for static image domains. In this work we show the existence and wellposedness of the corresponding optical flow problem and derive necessary and sufficient optimality conditions. We demonstrate the functionality of our approach in a series of experiments using both synthetic and real data.
Autophagy of HSP70 and chelation of lysosomal iron in a non-redox-active form

Lysosomes contain most of the cell’s supply of labile iron, which makes them sensitive to oxidative stress. To keep lysosomal labile iron at a minimum, a cellular strategy might be to autophagocytose iron binding proteins that temporarily would chelate iron in a non-redox-active form. Previously we have shown that autophagy of metallothioneins, as well as of non-Fe-saturated ferritin, meets this goal. Here we add another stress-regulated protein to the list, namely HSP70. Addendum to: Doulias P-T, Kotoglou P, Tenopoulou M, Keramisanou D, Tzavaras T, Brunk UT, Galaris D, Angelidis C. Involvement of heat shock protein-70 in the mechanism of hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA damage: The role of lysosomes and iron. Free Radic Biol Med 2007; 42:567-77; PMID: 17275689; DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed. 2006.11. 022.
Migrainous Infarction: The Charcot-Féré Syndrome?

The writings of Charcot and Féré on migraine and its permanent complications are translated. They emphasize how the art of observation was considered of paramount importance in clinical neurology, as stated by Charcot on 28 February 1888: “Let someone say of a doctor that he really knows his physiology and anatomy, that he is dynamic-these are not the real compliments; but if you say he is an observer, a man who knows how to see, this is perhaps the greatest compliment one can make. ” These writings also reveal that arteriolar vasoconstriction in migrainous infarction and the vascular theory of migraine are hypotheses generated over 100 years ago and still being tested by contemporary neurologists.
Random Graph Processes with Degree Restrictions

Suppose that a process begins with n isolated vertices, to which edges are added randomly one by one so that the maximum degree of the induced graph is always bounded above by d. We prove that if n → ∞ with d fixed, then with probability tending to 1, the final result of this process is a graph with ⌊nd / 2⌋ edges.
Mammalian Cell Mutants Resistant to a Sphingomyelin-directed Cytolysin

Lysenin, a hemolytic protein derived from the earthworm Eisenia foetida, has a high affinity for sphingomyelin. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells exhibited a high cytolytic sensitivity to lysenin, but treatment with sphingomyelinase rendered the cells resistant to lysenin. Temperature-sensitive CHO mutant cells defective in sphingolipid synthesis were resistant to lysenin, and this lysenin resistance was suppressed by metabolic complementation of sphingolipids. Selection of lysenin-resistant variants from mutagenized CHO cells yielded two types of sphingomyelin-deficient mutants, both of which showed less lysenin binding capability than wild-type cells. One mutant strain was severely defective in sphingomyelin synthesis but not glycosphingolipid synthesis, and another strain (designated LY-B) was incapable ofde novo synthesis of any sphingolipid species and had no activity of serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT; EC 2.3.1.50) catalyzing the first step of sphingolipid biosynthesis. LY-B cells lacked the LCB1 protein, a component of SPT, and transfection of LY-B cells with the hamster LCB1 cDNA restored both SPT activity and sphingolipid synthesis to the cells. Expression of an affinity peptide-tagged LCB1 protein in LY-B cells caused the endogenous LCB2 protein to adsorb to a tag affinity matrix. In addition, an anti-hamster LCB2 protein antibody co-immunoprecipitated both SPT activity and the wild-type LCB1 protein with the LCB2 protein. Thus, cell surface sphingomyelin is essential for lysenin-induced cytolysis, and lysenin is a useful tool for isolation of sphingomyelin-deficient mutants. Moreover, these results demonstrate that the SPT enzyme comprises both the LCB1 and LCB2 proteins.
High-Performance Compact Diplexers for Ku/K-Band Satellite Applications

In this paper, two novel compact diplexers for satellite applications are presented. The first covers the Ku-band with two closely spaced channels (Ku-transmission band: 10.7–13 GHz and Ku-reception band: 13.75–14.8 GHz). The second is wider than the first (overall bandwidth up to 50%) achieves the suppression of the higher order modes, and covers the Ku/K-band with a reception channel between 17.2 and 18.5 GHz. Both diplexers are composed of two novel bandpass filters, joined together with an E-plane T-junction. The bandpass filters are designed by combining a low-pass filtering function (based on $\lambda $ /4-step-shaped band-stop elements separated by very short waveguide sections) and a high-pass filtering structure (based on the waveguide propagation cutoff effect). The novel diplexers show a very compact footprint and very relaxed fabrication tolerances, and are especially attractive for wideband applications. A prototype Ku/K-band diplexer has also been fabricated by milling. Measurements show a very good agreement with simulations, thereby demonstrating the validity and manufacturing robustness of the proposed topology.
An AMPK paradox in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a heterotrimeric serine-threonine kinase important as a metabolic sensor for intracellular ATP levels and plays a key role in regulating cell survival and proliferation, particularly when cells are exposed to hypoxia. AMPK is critical for lung function, and abnormal AMPK signaling participates in many lung diseases. Recent studies suggest that both inhibition and activation of AMPK are preventive for the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, the molecular mechanisms by which inhibition or activation of AMPK affects pulmonary hypertension (PH) appear to be distinct. Inhibition of AMPK by compound C blocks hypoxia-induced autophagy and induces apoptosis in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, leading to prevention of PAH; activation of AMPK by metformin attenuates the PH phenotype induced by hypoxia by regulating endothelial cell function. These seemingly opposing data on the function of AMPK in PH can be partly explained by off-target and compartment-specific effects of AMPK inhibitors and activators and the differentiated expression of AMPK in various cell types and subcellular locations. To elucidate the specific roles of AMPK in the pathogenesis of PAH, it is important to study the role of AMPK in a tissue specific manner combining genetic and biochemical approaches.
The hierarchically organized splitting of chromosome bands into sub-bands analyzed by multicolor banding (MCB)

To clarify the nature of chromosome sub-bands in more detail, the multicolor banding (MCB) probe-set for chromosome 5 was hybridized to normal metaphase spreads of GTG band levels at ∼850, ∼550, ∼400 and ∼300. It could be observed that as the chromosomes became shorter, more of the initial 39 MCB pseudo-colors disappeared, ending with 18 MCB pseudo-colored bands at the ∼300-band level. The hierarchically organized splitting of bands into sub-bands was analyzed by comparing the disappearance or appearance of pseudo-color bands of the four different band levels. The regions to split first are telomere-near, centromere-near and in 5q23→q31, followed by 5p15, 5p14, and all GTG dark bands in 5q apart from 5q12 and 5q32 and finalized by sub-band building in 5p15.2, 5q21.2→q21.3, 5q23.1 and 5q34. The direction of band splitting towards the centromere or the telomere could be assigned to each band separately. Pseudo-colors assigned to GTG-light bands were resistant to band splitting. These observations are in concordance with the recently proposed concept of chromosome region-specific protein swelling.
Neural networks involved in artistic creativity

Creativity has been proposed to be either the result of solely right hemisphere processes or of interhemispheric interactions. Little information is available, however, concerning the neuronal foundations of creativity. In this study, we introduced a new artistic task, designing a new tool (a pen), which let us quantitatively evaluate creativity by three indices of originality. These scores were analyzed in combination with brain activities measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The results were compared between subjects who had been formally trained in design (experts) and novice subjects. In the experts, creativity was quantitatively correlated with the degree of dominance of the right prefrontal cortex over that of the left, but not with that of the right or left prefrontal cortex alone. In contrast, in novice subjects, only a negative correlation with creativity was observed in the bilateral inferior parietal cortex. We introduced structure equation modeling to analyze the interactions among these four brain areas and originality indices. The results predicted that training exerts a direct effect on the left parietal cortex. Additionally, as a result of the indirect effects, the activity of the right prefrontal cortex was facilitated, and the left prefrontal and right parietal cortices were suppressed. Our results supported the hypothesis that training increases creativity via reorganized intercortical interactions. Human Brain Mapp 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Review Article: Inaccurate, Exceptional, One-Sided or Irrelevant? The Debate about the Alleged Decline of Social Capital and Civic Engagement in Western Societies

In his 1790 address to the Academie Francaise in Paris, Condorcet noted that every new generation has a tendency to accuse itself of being less civic-minded than previous cohorts. Two centuries later, this argument has once again regained front-page status. The debate is currently focused on the question of whether or not social capital and civic engagement are declining in Western societies. In his academic best-seller Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam argues that younger age cohorts, socialized in the prosperous economic conditions of the 1960s and onwards, are less inclined to engage in community life and in politics, and also less likely to trust their fellow citizens. By contrast, the ‘long civic generation’, born roughly between 1910 and 1940, is portrayed as much more motivated in these respects. They readily volunteer in community projects, read newspapers and take on more social responsibilities. In this view, a process of generational replacement is responsible for a steady decline of social capital and civic engagement in American society. As the long civic generation is replaced by younger age cohorts, the social capital stock of American communities slowly diminishes. The indicators used to substantiate this claim are numerous and diverse: measures for voter turnout, attendance of club meetings, generalized trust, the number of common family dinners, the number of card games played together, and even respect for traffic rules. All of these attitudes and behaviours, it is argued, depict a significant downward trend. Although Putnam is by far the most vocal of all scholars in the ‘decline of social capital’ choir, he certainly is not the only author describing an erosion of traditional societal relations. Almost two decades ago, Robert Bellah and his team warned that more individualistic motivations are threatening the traditional social bonds in American society. Robert Lane, among others, finds that this decline in social cohesion is not just a phenomenon of American society, but can be seen as a manifestation of a general process of disenchantment in Western societies: ‘The haunting spirit is manifold: . increasing distrust of each other and of political and other institutions, declining belief that the lot
Pathways of Breast Cancer Screening Among Chinese American Women.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this community-based study was to develop a structural equation model for factors contributing to breast cancer screening among Chinese American women. METHODS A cross-sectional design included a sample of 440 Chinese American women aged 40 years and older. The initial step involved use of confirmatory factor analysis, which included the following variables: access/satisfaction with health care, enabling, predisposing, and cultural and health belief factors. Structural equation model analyses were conducted to evaluate factors related to breast cancer screening in Chinese American women. RESULTS Initial univariate analyses indicated that women without health insurance were significantly more likely to report being never-screened compared to women with health insurance. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to evaluate the utility of the Sociocultural Health Behavior model in understanding breast cancer screening among Chinese American women. Results indicated that enabling and predisposing factors were significantly and positively related to breast cancer screening. Cultural factors were significantly associated with enabling factors and satisfaction with healthcare. Overall, the proposed model explained 34% of the variance in breast cancer screening among Chinese American women. CONCLUSIONS The model highlights the significance of enabling and predisposing factors in understanding breast cancer screening behaviors among Chinese American women. In addition, cultural factors were associated with enabling factors, reinforcing the importance of providing translation assistance to Chinese women with poor English fluency and increasing awareness of the critical role of breast cancer screening. Partnering with community organizations may help to facilitate and enhance the screening rates.