Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics α-pinene photooxidation under controlled chemical conditions – Part 2 : SOA yield and composition in low-and high-NO x environments

The gas-phase oxidation of α-pinene produces a large amount of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in the atmosphere. A number of carboxylic acids, organosulfates and nitrooxy organosulfates associated with α-pinene have been found in field samples and some are used as tracers of αpinene oxidation. α-pinene reacts readily with OH and O 3 in the atmosphere followed by reactions with both HO 2 and NO. Due to the large number of potential reaction pathways, it can be difficult to determine what conditions lead to SOA. To better understand the SOA yield and chemical composition from lowand high-NOx OH oxidation ofα-pinene, studies were conducted in the Caltech atmospheric chamber under controlled chemical conditions. Experiments used low O3 concentrations to ensure that OH was the main oxidant and lowα-pinene concentrations such that the peroxy radical (RO2) reacted primarily with either HO 2 under low-NOx conditions or NO under high-NO x conditions. SOA yield was suppressed under conditions of high-NO x. SOA yield under high-NOx conditions was greater when ammonium sulfate/sulfuric acid seed particles (highly acidic) were present prior to the onset of growth than when ammonium sulfate seed particles (mildly acidic) were present; this dependence was not observed under low-NO x conditions. When aerosol seed particles were introduced after OH oxidation, allowing for later generation species to be exposed to fresh inorganic seed particles, a number of low-NO x products partitioned to the highly acidic aerosol. This indicates that the effect of seed acidity and SOA yield might be under-estimated in traditional experiments where aerosol seed particles are introduced prior to oxidation. We also identify the presence of a number of carboxylic acids that are used as tracer compounds of α-pinene oxidation in the field as well as the formation of organosulfates and nitrooxy organosulfates. A number of the carboxylic acids were observed under all conditions, however, pinic and pinonic acid were only observed under lowNOx conditions. Evidence is provided for particle-phase sulfate esterification of multi-functional alcohols.
Comment on Huron and Veltman: Does a Cognitive Approach to Medieval Mode Make Sense?

This commentary examines Huron and Veltman's article from the perspective of historical musicology. The following issues are discussed: ￻ The authors regard modes as conceptual categories of the medieval listener, which seems unlikely on historical and theoretical grounds. ￻ Pitch class profiles are not a good way of capturing the melodic nature of the modes. ￻ The diatonic rather than the chromatic scale should be employed as the reference pitch system for the modes. ￻ The tentative explanation of the transition from modality to tonality ignores the fundamental differences between modes and keys, and the role of polyphony in this supposed transition. The article's methodology, to apply quantitative methods to problems of historical musicology, is fundamentally sound, and suggestions are made in this commentary as to how its shortcomings can be amended by reformulating research questions and redesigning methods. Submitted 2005 November 22; accepted 2005 November 25.
Adhesion Regulating Molecule 1 Mediates HAP40 Overexpression-Induced Mitochondrial Defects

Striatal neuron death in Huntington's disease is associated with abnormal mitochondrial dynamics and functions. However, the mechanisms for this mitochondrial dysregulation remain elusive. Increased accumulation of Huntingtin-associated protein 40 (HAP40) has been shown to be associated with Huntington's disease. However, the link between increased HAP40 and Huntington's disease remains largely unknown. Here we show that HAP40 overexpression causes mitochondrial dysfunction and reduces cell viability in the immortalized mouse striatal neurons. HAP40-associated mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with reduction of adhesion regulating molecule 1 (ADRM1) protein. Consistently, depletion of ADRM1 by shRNAs impaired mitochondrial functions and increased mitochondrial fragmentation in mouse striatal cells. Moreover, reducing ADRM1 levels enhanced activity of fission factor dynamin-related GTPase protein 1 (Drp1) via increased phosphorylation at serine 616 of Drp1 (Drp1Ser616). Restoring ADRM1 protein levels was able to reduce HAP40-induced ROS levels and mitochondrial fragmentation and improved mitochondrial functions and cell viability. Moreover, reducing Drp1 activity by Drp1 inhibitor, Mdivi-1, ameliorates both HAP40 overexpression- and ADRM1 depletion-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. Taken together, our studies suggest that HAP40-mediated reduction of ADRM1 alters the mitochondrial fission activity and results in mitochondrial fragmentation and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Amplitude fluctuations in synaptic potentials evoked in cat spinal motoneurones at identified group Ia synapses.

Excitatory post‐synaptic potentials (e.p.s.p.s) were evoked in spinal motoneurones (of anaesthetized cats) by impulses in single group Ia axons. The morphological details of the Ia axon‐motoneurone connexion involved in generating each e.p.s.p. were subsequently reconstructed, as described by Redman & Walmsley (1983). The fluctuation pattern of the peak amplitude of each e.p.s.p. was determined using a deconvolution method, taking into account the recording noise. Four e.p.s.p.s were analysed. One did not fluctuate in amplitude; the others fluctuated between discrete amplitudes which were separated by quantal increments. The number of increments which must be added to produce the largest peak amplitude of each e.p.s.p. was always less than, or equal to, the number of synaptic boutons in the connexion at which the e.p.s.p. was generated. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that transmission occurs in an all‐or‐none manner at each synaptic bouton. Different boutons in the termination of a Ia axon with a motoneurone have different probabilities of releasing transmitter, and this probability is sometimes zero at low stimulation rates. The results support the idea that the discrete amplitudes of an evoked e.p.s.p. result from intermittent transmission, in an all‐or‐none manner, at some or all of the boutons in the termination.
Reverse seroconversion of hepatitis B after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation: a retrospective study of 37 patients with pretransplant anti-HBs and anti-HBc.

BACKGROUND Reverse seroconversion to hepatitis B virus (HBV), i.e., HBV reactivation in patients with pretransplant antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) and to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), is rarely re-ported after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. METHODS To determine this risk, we studied clinical outcome and serological changes in 37 patients with pretransplant anti-HBs and anti-HBc. RESULTS In 33 cases, no change in HBV markers was observed in the posttransplant period. In four cases, anti-HBs and anti-HBc were lost, and hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B e antigen, and HBV DNA emerged together with acute hepatitis, after cessation of immunosuppression. The actuarial risk of reactivation in the 37 patients was 20.5% (median follow-up 20 months). No reactivation occurred in patients with anti-HBs-positive donors. CONCLUSION Although few cases of postallogeneic bone marrow transplantation reverse seroconversion to HBV have been reported, this study demonstrates that the actuarial risk is relatively high and suggests that donor vaccination might be proposed prophylactically or that HBs-specific immunoglobulin infusions might be warranted.
Use of benthic prey by salmonids under turbid conditions in a laboratory stream

Abstract The negative effect of turbidity on the reactive distance of salmonids has been well established. However, determining the consequences of this relationship for overall feeding success remains problematic, as successful foraging by salmonids across a broad range in turbidity has been observed under a variety of conditions. Previous laboratory and field observations suggest that benthic feeding by salmonids in flowing water affects the turbidity dependence of foraging success. Two experiments were conducted in a laboratory stream to quantify benthic feeding success of salmonids across turbidity treatments ranging from 0 to 400 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU). In one experiment, cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii and coho salmon O. kisutch were offered the same nonliving prey in the drift and on the stream bottom; in the second experiment, cutthroat trout were offered only live oligochaetes moving along the stream bottom. In the first experiment, benthic feeding success of both cutthroat trou.
Factor VIII activity in canine von Willebrand disease.

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between factor VIII (FVIII) activity and von Willebrand factor antigen (vWf:Ag) concentration in canine von Willebrand Disease (vWD). In addition, the clinical utility of measuring FVIII activity in vWD was assessed. This was performed by the concurrent analysis of both FVIII activity and vWf:Ag concentration in three breeds of dogs, namely Dobermans (n=183), Scottish Terriers (n=169), and Labrador Retrievers (n=146). In the three breeds tested, linear regression analysis illustrated a positive relationship between FVIII activity and vWf:Ag concentration. This was reaffirmed in the Doberman and Scottish Terrier breeds, in which dogs with vWf:Ag concentrations < 50 CU/dL ("carriers") had lower median FVIII activities than dogs with vWf:Ag concentrations > 70 CU/dL ("normals"). The determination of various FVIII "cut-off" values was a poor test to separate Dobermans with and without clinical signs of hemorrhage attributable to vWD. In addition, the occurrence of hemorrhage in Dobermans with vWf:Ag concentrations < 50 CU/dL was not influenced by the FVIII activity. Various tests were performed to determine if the measurement of FVIII activity aided in the identification of "carriers" of the vWD gene in the Doberman and Scottish Terrier breeds. These included the use of optimal FVIII "cut-off" values for each breed and a FVIII "cut-off" value of 55 CU/dL; FVIII/vWf:Ag ratios and FVIII/vWf:Ag ratio "cut-off" values; and linear regression analysis of vWf:Ag concentration against FVIII activity. Of all these tests, only the determination of FVIII/vWf:Ag ratios appeared to have promise for "carrier" detection. The data in the present study indicated that routine FVIII assessment in vWD is not warranted; however, measurement of FVIII activity may be of use in confirming the "carrier" status of vWD.
Speciation history of three closely related oak gall wasps, Andricus mukaigawae, A. kashiwaphilus, and A. pseudoflos (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences

The Andricus mukaigawae complex of oak gall wasps is composed of cyclically parthenogenetic species: A. mukaigawae and Andricus kashiwaphilus, and a parthenogenetic species, Andricus pseudoflos. The component species differ in life history, host plant, karyotype, and asexual gall shape, although little difference is found in the external morphology of asexual adults. To understand the speciation history of this species complex, DNA sequences of one mitochondrial region and nine nuclear gene regions were investigated. The genetic relationship among the species suggested that a loss of sex occurred after host shift. Unexpectedly, two or three distinct groups in the parthenogenetic species, A. pseudoflos, were revealed by both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data. Gene flow in nuclear genes from the species not infected by Wolbachia (A. kashiwaphilus) to the species infected by it (A. mukaigawae) was suggested by a method based on coalescent simulations. On the other hand, gene flow in mitochondrial genes was suggested to be in the opposite direction. These findings indicate possible involvement of Wolbachia infection in the speciation process of the A. mukaigawae complex.
Employee motivation and organizational performance

The majority of organizations are competing to survive in this volatile and fierce market environment. Motivation and performance of the employees are essential tools for the success of any organization in the long run. On the one hand, measuring performance is critical to organization's management, as it highlights the evolution and achievement of the organization. On the other hand, there is a positive relationship between employee motivation and organizational effectiveness, reflected in numerous studies. This paper aims to analyze the drivers of employee motivation to high levels of organizational performance. The literature shows that factors such as empowerment and recognition increase employee motivation. If the empowerment and recognition of employees is increased, their motivation to work will also improve, as well as their accomplishments and the organizational performance. Nevertheless, employee dissatisfactions caused by monotonous jobs and pressure from clients, might weaken the organizational performance. Therefore, jobs absenteeism rates may increase and employees might leave the organization to joint competitors that offer better work conditions and higher incentives. Not all individuals are the same, so each one should be motivated using different strategies. For example, one employee may be motivated by higher commission, while another might be motivated by job satisfaction or a better work environment.
Threshold incentives over multiple periods and the sales hockey stick phenomenon

In this article, we study threshold‐based sales‐force incentives and their impact on a dealer's optimal effort. A phenomenon, observed in practice, is that the dealer exerts a large effort toward the end of the incentive period to boost sales and reach the threshold to make additional profits. In the literature, the resulting last‐period sales spike is sometimes called the hockey stick phenomenon (HSP). In this article, we show that the manufacturer's choice of the incentive parameters and the underlying demand uncertainty affect the dealer's optimal effort choice. This results in the sales HSP over multiple time periods even when there is a cost associated with waiting. We then show that, by linking the threshold to a correlated market signal, the HSP can be regulated. We also characterize the variance of the total sales across all the periods and demonstrate conditions under the sales variance can be reduced. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2010
Quantification of acetogenins in Annona muricata linked to atypical parkinsonism in guadeloupe

Atypical parkinsonism in Guadeloupe has been associated with the consumption of fruit and infusions or decoctions prepared from leaves of Annona muricata L. (Annonaceae), which contains annonaceous acetogenins, lipophilic inhibitors of complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. We have determined the concentrations of annonacin, the major acetogenin in A. muricata, in extracts of fruit and leaves by matrix‐assisted laser desorption‐ionization mass spectrometry. An average fruit is estimated to contain about 15 mg of annonacin, a can of commercial nectar 36 mg, and a cup of infusion or decoction 140 μg. As an indication of its potential toxicity, an adult who consumes one fruit or can of nectar a day is estimated to ingest over 1 year the amount of annonacin that induced brain lesions in rats receiving purified annonacin by intravenous infusion. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society
Diurnal Variation of Serum Copper and Zinc in Epileptics Receiving Anti-Convulsants

1 Serial measurements of copper and zinc concentrations in serum were made at 06.00, 14.00, 22.00 and again at 06.00 hours in 37 male patients with epilepsy, aged between 9 and 19 years. Anti-convulsant drugs were administered at 08.00 and 20.00 hours, and standard hospital meals were allowed at 07.30, 12.00, 16.00 and 19.00 hours. 2 Similar to our previous results, eight patients (21.6%) had serum copper levels greater than the reference range (11.0–20.5 μmol/l) and this hypercupraemia was associated with carbamazapine and/or phenytoin medication. 3 No diurnal variation in serum copper level was observed. Serum copper concentration had no correlation with either 24 h urinary copper excretion or serum anti-convulsant drug levels. 4 Serum zinc concentrations were within the reference range (10–16.5 μmol/l), confirming our previous report. No relation with anti-convulsant medication or serum copper levels was found. 5 Diurnal variations in serum zinc levels with peak and trough concentrations at 06.00 and 14.00 hours, respectively, were observed. 6 It is proposed that these variations in serum zinc concentrations are a normal physiological process and is unlikely to be related to anti-convulsant drugs or epilepsy.
Evaluation of serum lactate dehydrogenase and gamma glutamyl transferase in preeclamptic pregnancy and its comparison with normal pregnancy in third trimester

Background: Preeclampsia affects about 5-8% of all pregnancies and is a major cause of maternal, fetal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. Evidences prove that endothelial cell and altered endothelial cell function play an important role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Therefore serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and serum gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) are the useful biochemical markers reflecting the severity of the occurrence of preeclampsia. The objective was to determine serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and serum gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) as biochemical markers in preeclamptic pregnant women and its comparison with normal pregnant women in third trimester. Methods: This is the case-control hospital based study carried in the Department of Biochemistry M.G. M. Medical College and associated M.Y. Hospital. Indore (M.P.). Normal pregnant women (n=48), women with preeclampsia (n=53) were included in the study. Both the groups were in their third trimester and of same age and same gestational age. Preeclamptic group was further divided into two subgroups mild (n=36) and severe (n=17) preeclampsia. Results: There were no significant differences among the three groups in age and body mass index but significantly higher differences in gestational age, systolic and diastolic blood pressure was observed. Higher values of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were found in mild and severe preeclamptic women than those of normal pregnant women in third trimester but the values of serum LDH was significantly elevated in severe preeclamptic women when comparison was done between mild and severe preeclamptic women. Serum GGT was significantly higher among all the groups. Conclusion: Elevated levels of serum LDH and serum GGT indicates the tissue damage related to endothelial vascular damage and are the main cause of the occurrence of preeclampsia.
Choice under Uncertainty; 'Allais Paradox' and its Paradoxical Implication

Human attitude towards risk is mixed. However, looking at the persuasive argument of diminishing marginal utility of wealth, academia has adopted risk aversion as the norm. Inculcating risk aversion, expected utility hypothesis (EUH) is used to rank risky options. 'Allais paradox' contradicted EUH but promoted the conviction of risk aversion intuitively on the basis of certainty effect. Most of the later studies also did not test risk aversion in strict statistical terms. Consequently the confusion initiated by 'Allais paradox' persists. This research has investigated three possible reasons for this paradoxical implication. One, Allais study put up such option-pairs which were not testable for risk aversion statistically. Two, by posing similar option-pairs, later researchers confirmed 'Allais paradox' and found even more systematic violations of EUH which further discredited EUH as an analytical tool. However, a few of these studies tested risk aversion directly. Three, analogy of the argument of diminishing utility of wealth and law of diminishing utility of a commodity holds if probability distributions in competing options are symmetric, otherwise it may or may not hold. Since all options in Allais study had asymmetric distributions, therefore violation of EUH should not have promoted the conviction of risk aversion intuitively. To clear this confusion, this paper recommends simultaneous testing of EUH and risk aversion and equal emphasis on the certainty and the big amount effects which tilt human attitude towards risk aversion and risk-seeking respectively.
Bone mineral metabolism and bone mineral density in alcohol related and idiopathic chronic pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND There is limited information on the bone mineral metabolism in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP). METHODS 103 patients with CP (all males: mean age 38.6 ± 20.64 yrs) and 40 age matched control males (mean age: 36.7 ± 20.70 yrs) were prospectively studied. Serum levels of 25 (OH) Vitamin D3, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were measured. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using adual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanner. RESULTS Seventy two (70%) patients had alcohol related chronic pancreatitis (ACP), 30 (29.1%) patients had idiopathic chronic pancreatitis (ICP) and one patient had post-traumatic chronic pancreatitis. Fifty nine (59.8%) patients had chronic calcific pancreatitis (CCP) and 39 (37.8%) patients were diabetic. Steatorrhea was noted in 21 (20.4%) patients. On comparison with controls, patients with chronic pancreatitis had significantly lower 25 (OH) Vitamin D3 levels (p = 0.01). On evaluation of bone mineral density (BMD) at lumbar spine, 46% patients were osteopenic and 12% patients were osteoporotic. On evaluation of BMD of femur, 30.1% patients were osteoporotic and 39.8% patients were osteopenic. No significant difference was found in the frequency of metabolic osteopathy between alcoholic and idiopathic groups (p = 0.108), calcific and non-calcific groups (p = 0.410), diabetic and non-diabetic groups (p = 0.126). smokers and non-smokers (p = 0.198), and patients with and without history of steatorrhea (p = 0.265) and indifferent severity groups ofupancreatitis (p = 0.910) CONCLUSIONS: Majority of patients with both ACP and ICP had low BMD and similar frequency of bone changes between various groups suggests that systemic inflammation may play an important role in its pathogenesis. Further detailed metabolic studies are necssary to define the pathogenic mechanism of metabolic osteopathy associated with chronic pancreatitis.
Accelerated photo-induced hydrophilicity promotes osseointegration: an animal study.

BACKGROUND In the previous in vitro study, fluoride-modified, anodized porous titanium was proven to have enhanced its photo-induced hydrophilicity, which induced the hyperactivation of initial cell response. PURPOSE The purpose of the present study was to investigate in vivo bone apposition during the early stages of osseointegration in rabbit tibiae. MATERIALS AND METHODS Anodized porous titanium implants (TiU, TiUnite®, Nobel Biocare AB, Göteborg, Sweden) were modified with 0.175 wt% ammonium hydrogen fluoride solution (NH(4) F-HF(2) ). Twenty-four hours prior to the experiments, the surface-modified implants were ultraviolet-irradiated (modTiU). Blinded and unpackaged TiU implants were used as controls. Thereafter, the implants were placed in the rabbit tibial metaphyses and histomorphometrically analyzed at 2 and 6 weeks after insertion. RESULTS ModTiU demonstrated a significantly greater degree of bone-to-metal contact than TiU after 2 and 6 weeks of healing. CONCLUSION The results proved that the enhanced photo-induced hydrophilicity of the NH(4) F-HF(2) -modified anodized implants promoted bone apposition during the early stages of osseointegration.