Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
First synchronous retreat of ice shelves marks a new phase of polar deglaciation

It is now 10 y since field observations and RADARSAT imagery witnessed the breakup of the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf on Ellesmere Island, Canada. This was the largest remaining ice shelf in the Arctic and one of the last fragments of the 8,900-km2 Ellesmere Ice Shelf charted by the Aldrich 1875–1876 and Peary 1906 expeditions (1). Its breakup has been linked to the polar amplification of climate change being witnessed in the wider Arctic region (2), including the ongoing reduction in the extent and duration of sea ice (3). Similar ice shelf retreats have been reported from the Antarctic Peninsula region (4). The key question is the following: Have the polar ice shelves broken up before under natural conditions, or are these unique events triggered by anthropogenic climate forcing? In PNAS, Antoniades et al. (5) report a marine geological reconstruction of the Holocene history of the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf. They found that the northern coast of Ellesmere Island has been free of a bounding ice shelf through most of the past ca. 11,500 y (the Holocene epoch) and that ice shelves have only been present there between 4,000 and 1,400 calibrated radiocarbon years before present (cal. y B.P.) and from 800 cal. y B.P. until the recent break-up event. This has built on previous work on radiocarbon-dated ancient driftwood deposited along the northern coast of Ellesmere Island that could have arrived there either during periods of ice shelf absence or as a result of changes in the configuration of ocean currents and sea ice (6).
A Functional Genomics Approach to Kaposi's Sarcoma

Abstract: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the most frequent malignancy afflicting acquired immune‐deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. Tumor lesions are characterized by spindle cells of vascular origin and vascularization. Kaposi's sarcoma‐associated herpes virus (KSHV) is consistently found in all forms of KS. Infection of dermal microvascular endothelial cells (DMVEC) with KSHV recapitulates spindle cell formation in vitro. We studied this transformation process by DNA microarray analysis comparing the RNA expression profiles of KSHV‐infected and mock‐infected DMVEC. Genes involved in tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, host defense, cell growth and differentiation, transcription, and metabolism were observed to change significantly upon infection with KSHV. One of the most consistently KSHV‐induced genes was the receptor tyrosine kinase and proto‐oncogene c‐Kit. Inhibition of c‐Kit activity with the pharmacological inhibitor of c‐Kit signaling STI571 reversed the KSHV‐induced morphological transformation of DMVEC. Moreover, overexpression studies showed that c‐Kit was sufficient to induce spindle cell formation (Moses et al. J. Virol. 76(16): 8383‐8399). These data demonstrate that microarrays are useful for the identification of pharmacological targets essential for KS tumorigenesis.
Isolation and Distribution of West Nile Virus in Embryonated Chicken Eggs

Abstract West Nile virus (WNV) was identified from domestic psittacine birds by inoculating embryonated chicken eggs. Most of the embryos died 5 days postinoculation; flavivirus was detected in some by negative-staining electron microscopy. Immunohistochemistry performed on the embryos and their supporting structures detected the WNV antigen mainly in the chorioallantoic membrane, regardless of the inoculation route or passage number. WNV antigen was also found in the embryonic muscle (both skeletal and smooth muscles) and in multifocal areas of the skin. WNV was not detected in the viscera of the embryo or yolk sac. This study provides evidence of isolation and identification of WNV via embryonated chicken eggs.
Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice Number 93 January 2006

This bulletin presents the results of a study into the incapacitation effect of prison on burglary. The results indicate that current levels of imprisonment in New South Wales (NSW) prevent approximately 45,000 burglaries per annum. Rates of burglary could be reduced if sentences for burglary were longer, a higher percentage of burglars were sent to prison or clear-up rates for burglary were higher. The effectiveness of these measures would be reduced, however, if they resulted in fewer guilty pleas, higher re-offending rates or the entry of more offenders into the stolen goods market. Increased use of imprisonment may not be a very cost-effective way of reducing burglary. To get a 10 per cent reduction in the current burglary rate via imprisonment the number of burglars sentenced to prison in NSW would have to be increased by at least 34 per cent. This would cost an additional $26 million per year. The bulletin concludes by calling for more research into the cost-effectiveness of prison and its alternatives in controlling crime.
L-tryptophan in mania. Contribution to a permissive hypothesis of affective disorders.

Five manic patients were treated with chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CPZ), then with L-tryptophan (LTP), and five with LTP first, then CPZ, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. LTP was slightly superior to CPZ in all regards. Mania and depression may be linked by a central indoleamine deficit.
Epidemiological monitoring of tuberculosis in a general teaching hospital.

OBJECTIVE To describe the epidemiological monitoring of exposure to tuberculosis in a hospital environment and to analyze the profile of the disease in a general teaching hospital. METHODS A descriptive and retrospective study of tuberculosis cases diagnosed between 2000 and 2006, with the determination of indicators of morbidity and mortality, which were compared with the general population of patients treated at the hospital and with the hospital employees who developed active tuberculosis. RESULTS There were 763 patients who were treated for active tuberculosis (mean, 109 patients/year), 481 (63.1%) of whom were male. Most of the patients were in the 30-59 year age bracket. Tuberculosis that was exclusively pulmonary or extrapulmonary predominated. However, among the hospitalized patients, the combination of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis, as well as exclusively noninfectious tuberculosis, predominated. Comorbidities were more prevalent among the hospitalized patients and among those who evolved to death. Only 52.8% of the cases treated at the hospital were reported. The overall hospital indicators showed longer length of hospital stay and greater mortality among the patients with tuberculosis. The incidence and prevalence show that there was a high risk of exposure to tuberculosis in the hospital during the period studied. CONCLUSIONS The proposed indicators can potentially help standardize epidemiological monitoring procedures for nosocomial tuberculosis, and the epidemiological profile described in this study can contribute to a better understanding of the situation of tuberculosis in Brazil.
Effects of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery on Pulmonary Artery Pressure in Patients With Extensive Nasal Polyposis

Aim: Extensive nasal polyposis (ENP) increases upper airway obstruction. This study aimed to measure the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) of the patients with ENP and to determine the effect of endoscopic sinus surgery on the pulmonary arterial pressure. Methods: Forty-seven patients with ENP (mean age, 37.3 [SD, 8.7] years; 29 male patients and 18 female patients) were included in the study. Thirty-two of the patients (19 male patients, 13 female patients) aged between 21 and 55 years (mean, 36.1 [SD, 8.5] years) comprised the control group. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure was measured in the preoperative period and postoperative third month. Results: The mean preoperative mPAP value (26.1 [SD, 5.2]) of the study group was statistically significantly higher than that of the control group (20.6 [SD, 2.8]) (P = 0.000). There was a significant decrease in the mPAP after the operation (20.9 [SD, 3.8]) (P = 0.000). Twenty-six of 47 patients had pulmonary arterial hypertension. Conclusions: Extensive nasal polyposis significantly affected mPAP. Endoscopic surgery was efficient in the treatment of the patients with ENP.
Is the growth outcome of children with idiopathic short stature and isolated growth hormone deficiency following treatment with growth hormone and a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist superior to that obtained by GH alone?

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of combined therapy with growth hormone (GH) and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist (LHRHa) on the near-final height (NFH) of children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) and growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in early puberty. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 20 patients with ISS and 9 patients with GHD treated with combined therapy was undertaken. Twelve children with ISS and ten with GHD, treated with GH alone, served as controls. Patients were matched at baseline for chronological age, bone age, height standard deviation score (SDS), and pubertal development. Results: Patients with ISS or GHD treated with combined therapy improved both their predicted adult height (PAH) at 2 years of therapy (ISS, p<0.001; GHD, p=0.03) and their NFH (ISS, p<0.05; GHD, p=0.05). Treatment with combined therapy did not generate additional benefits on the PAH after 2 years of therapy (ISS children, an increase of 7.9±4.9 cm with combined therapy vs. 7.3±6.0 cm with GH; GHD children, an increase of 6.8±7.8 cm with combined therapy vs. 5±5.9 cm with GH). The total height gain SDS was higher in patients treated with GH alone compared with those with combined therapy, but the difference was not significant (ISS children, a gain of 2.4 SDS with GH vs. 0.8 SDS with combined therapy; GHD children, a gain of 1.8 SDS with GH vs. 0.6 SDS with combined therapy). Conclusions: Although 2 years of combined treatment with GH and LHRHa improved the PAH and the NFH of ISS and GHD patients in early puberty, this improvement was not significant compared with that observed in similar subjects treated with GH alone.
[Causes of benign central airway stenoses and the efficacy of interventional treatments through flexible bronchoscopy].

OBJECTIVE To analyze the causes of benign central airway stenoses and to evaluate the efficacy of interventional treatments through flexible bronchoscopy. METHODS Three hundred and eighty-six outpatients and inpatients with benign central airway stenoses in our hospital from January 1999 to December 2006 were retrospectively analyzed. Interventional treatments through flexible bronchoscopy were used to treat the benign central airway stenoses. The endoscopic interventional treatments included laser, electrocautery, argon plasma coagulation, cryotherapy, balloon dilation and stent insertion. Airway diameters, FEV1 and dyspnea index of patients were evaluated before and immediately after the last treatment procedure. RESULTS The main causes of benign central airway stenoses were as follows: tuberculosis in 64.25% (248/386), secondary to prolonged orotracheal intubation or tracheotomy in 15.03% (58/386), injury in 3.63% (14/ 386) and inhalation burns in 3.11% (12/386), others were 54 cases. All the 386 patients received endoscopic interventional treatments. 89.89% (347/386) of the patients experienced improvement in dyspnea and cough. The average airway diameter increased from (2.49 +/- 1.57) mm to (6.41 +/- 1.70) mm (t = 47.427, P < 0.01). Dyspnea index decreased from 2.40 +/- 0.79 to 0.64 +/- 0.50 (t = 44.226, P < 0.01). The average value of FEV1 evaluated in 115 inpatients increased from (2.11 +/- 0.60) L to (3.46 +/- 0.75) L (t = 20.128, P < 0.01). Most patients needed multiple interventional treatments except 26 patients who received a single endoscopic treatment. Stable control of the diseases was achieved in 65.54% (253/ 386) patients 3 months after the last operation. CONCLUSION Tuberculosis is the most common cause of benign central airway stenoses in this series. Utilization of interventional methods through flexible bronchoscopy is effective in treating benign central airway stenoses.
Non-differentiability of devil's staircases and dimensions of subsets of Moran sets

Let C be the homogeneous Cantor set invariant for x→ax and x→1−a+ax. It has been shown by Darst that the Hausdorff dimension of the set of non-differentiability points of the distribution function of uniform measure on C equals (dimHC)2 = (log 2/log a)2. In this paper we generalize the essential ingredient of the proof of this result. Let Ω = {0, 1, …, r}. Let F be a Moran set associated with {0 < ai < 1, i ∈ Ω} and Ωw = Ω×Ω×⃛. Let ø be the associated coding map from Ωe onto F. Fix a non-empty set Γ ⊆ Ω with Γ≠Ø and let z(σ, n) denote the position of the nth occurrence of the elements of Γ in σ ∈ Ωw.
A Mutational Epitope for Cytochrome c Binding to the Apoptosis Protease Activation Factor-1*

Cytochrome c (Cc) binding to apoptosis protease activation factor-1 (Apaf-1) is a critical activation step in the execution phase of apoptosis. Here we report studies that help define the Cc:Apaf-1 binding surface. It is shown that a large number of Cc residues, including residues 7, 25, 39, 62–65, and 72, are involved in the Cc:Apaf-1 interaction. Mutation of residue 72 eliminated Cc activity whereas mutations of residues 7, 25, 39, and 62–65 showed reduced activity in an additive fashion. The implications of this binding model for both recognition and modulation of protein-protein interactions are briefly discussed.
Clinical Features of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Young and Old Veterans

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) continues to pose a health threat to the elderly population. In order to delineate age‐related differences in disease presentation a comparison between young and old male veterans hospitalized over a five‐year period with culture proven Mycobacterium tuberculosis is reported. The study sample included 27 patients 60 years of age and older (range, 60 to 85; mean, 70) and 52 patients under 60 years of age (range, 22 to 59; mean, 51). The elderly were significantly less likely to demonstrate cavitary lesions on admission radiographs or present with hemoptysis but were more likely to present with right lower lobe infiltrates and complaints of dyspnea. Symptoms prior to admission occurring with equal frequency in both young and old subjects included fever, anorexia, weight loss, and cough. Although treatment was delayed in the elderly, there were no age‐related differences in mortality. Skin testing was underutilized in all patients regardless of age. The results support the notion that the clinical presentation of pulmonary TB is remarkably similar in young and old males.
Limits of fine‐mapping a quantitative trait

Once a significant linkage is found, an important goal is reducing the error in the estimated location of the linked locus. A common approach to reducing location error, called fine‐mapping, is the genotyping of additional markers in the linked region to increase the genetic information. The utility of fine‐mapping for quantitative trait linkage analysis is largely unknown. To explore this issue, we performed a fine‐mapping simulation in which the region containing a significant linkage at a 10‐centiMorgan (cM) resolution was fine‐mapped at 2, 1, and 0.5 cM. We simulated six quantitative trait models in which the proportion of variation due to the quantitative trait locus (QTL) ranged from 0.20–0.90. We used four sampling designs that were all combinations of 100 and 200 families of sizes 5 and 7. Variance components linkage analysis (Genehunter) was performed until 1,000 replicates were found with a maximum lodscore greater than 3.0. For each of these 1,000 replications, we repeated the linkage analysis three times: once for each of the fine‐map resolutions. For the most realistic model, reduction in the average location error ranged from 3–15% for 2‐cM fine‐mapping and from 3–18% for 1‐cM fine‐mapping, depending on the number of families and family size. Fine‐mapping at 0.5 cM did not differ from the 1‐cM results. Thus, if the QTL accounts for a small proportion of the variation, as is the case for realistic traits, fine‐mapping has little value. Genet Epidemiol 24:99–106, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Characteristics of gonads and oviducts in hatchlings and young of Chelydra serpentina resulting from three incubation temperatures

Eggs of Chelydra serpentina were incubated at 30°C and 26°C. In addition, incubation was done at 20°C during the temperature‐sensitive period for sex determination. Incubation at 20°C and 30°C resulted in females; incubation at 26°C resulted in males in 99% of the cases. The average gonadal length was less in the males. The average length of the 20°C ovaries did not vary significantly from that of the 30°C ovaries.
Physical Pore Properties and Grain Interactions of SAX04 Sands

During the 2004 Sediment Acoustic eXperiment (SAX04), values of sediment pore properties in a littoral sand deposit were determined from diver-collected cores using traditional methods and image analysis on X-ray microfocus computed tomography (XMCT) images. Geoacoustically relevant pore-space properties of sediment porosity, permeability, and tortuosity were evaluated at scales ranging from the pore scale to the core scale from “mud-free” sediments collected within the 0.07-km<sup>2</sup> study area. Porosity was determined from water-weight-loss measurements to range from 0.367 to 0.369, from 2-D image analysis to range from 0.392 to 0.436 and from 3-D image analysis to range from 0.386 to 0.427. The range of permeability from all measurements was 2.8 × 10<sup>-11</sup> m<sup>2</sup> to 19.0 × 10<sup>-11</sup> m<sup>2</sup>, however the range of permeability within each technique was much narrower. Permeability was determined using a constant head (CH) apparatus (<i>k</i><sub>range</sub> = 2.88 to 3.74 × 10<sup>-11</sup> m<sup>2</sup>), from a variant of the Kozeny-Carman (KC) equation (<i>k</i><sub>range</sub> = 12.4 to 19.0 × 10<sup>-11</sup> m<sup>2</sup>), from an effective medium theory technique (<i>k</i><sub>range</sub> = 5.60 to 13.3 × 10<sup>-11</sup> m<sup>2</sup>) and from a network model (<i>k</i><sub>range</sub> = 8.49 to 19.0 × 10<sup>-11</sup> m<sup>2</sup> ). Permeability was determined to be slightly higher in the horizontal than in the vertical direction from the network model. Tortuosity ranged from 1.33 to 1.34. Based upon the small coefficients of variation for the conventionally determined pore-space properties, the sand sediment within these core samples was deemed homogeneous at all of the SAX04 sites. Additionally, grain interactions, specifically grain coordination number and grain contact areas, were determined from XMCT images. Grain contacts ranged in size from small point contacts of 136 μm<sup>2</sup> to large-area contacts the size of grain faces ( >4500 × μm<sup>2</sup>). The mean coordination number was similar to that of a cubic packing (six), but sometimes exceeded 12, which is the coordination number for a hexagonal close packing of spheres.
Peripheral nervous system involvement in systemic sclerosis: the median nerve as target structure.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the frequency and the main electrophysiological characteristics of the canalicolar passage nerve involvement in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS Thirty-two SSc patients were enrolled in the study, classified according to the type (diffuse or limited) and the duration (> / < 5 years) of the disease. Sensory-motor nerve conduction studies (NCS) of the upper and lower limbs, in particular at the critical canalicolar points, were conducted by recording the Compound Muscular Action Potential (CMAP) and the Sensory Action Potential (sNAP). The following parameters were evaluated: Motor Nerve Conduction Velocity (MNCV) and Sensory Nerve Conduction Velocity; distal and proximal latency of the CMAP and the onset and peak latency of the sNAP; peak-peak amplitude and negative-peak area of the CMAP and sNAP; and the Terminal Latency Index (TLI) (Terminal Distance/MCNV x Distal latency). RESULTS Four (12.5%) patients had a distal neuropathy of the upper limbs (one with monolateral and two with bilateral involvement of the median nerve and one bilateral involvement of the ulnar nerve). Fourteen (43.7%) patients showed a decrement of the median nerve TLI and seven (21.8%) of either the median or the ulnar nerve (Table I). Motor and sensitive conduction velocity and latency studies did not show a statistical difference between SSc patients and controls. The amplitude and area of the CMAP (distal and proximal), sNAP and of the median nerve TLI were significantly decreased in patients with respect to controls. CONCLUSION Distal mononeuropathy of the median nerve was the most frequent result in our patients. The involvement of the peripheral nervous system seems to be strictly topographical, following the modifications of the tissues and vascular tone (Raynaud's phenomenon) at the upper acral level. The neurophysiological alterations detected in our study at the wrist level may not be linked merely to a compressive event but also to microvascular involvement. Nerve involvement closely connected with the pathogenesis and distribution of SSc should be considered when peripheral nervous system involvement is the initial symptom of the disease.
Lack of Correlation Between Preoperative and Intraoperative Liver Hemodynamics: A Descriptive Analysis

Background Adult living-donor liver transplantation recipients undergo important hemodynamic changes during the procedure, which in turn have proven to be of the upmost importance when dealing with small grafts, to avoid the so-called “small-for-size” syndrome. Methods Back in 2003, we started a hemodynamic monitoring protocol in adult living-donor liver transplantation recipients, which evaluated the hemodynamic status of the patient 24 hr before, during, and 3 days after transplantation. We analyzed the correlation between the same hemodynamic variables measured in the hemodynamic laboratory and those taken in the operating room. Results With the exception of cardiac index and indexed systemic vascular resistance, all the other hepatic and systemic hemodynamic parameters measured before and during the intervention, as well as during and after the intervention, showed a lack of correlation. Conclusion The observed lack of correlation may happen due to many factors, such as the influence of vasoactive and anesthetic drugs, total muscular relaxation, or the presence of an open abdomen. As a result, a direct comparison between hemodynamic values should only be done when measured in the same conditions.
Nit-Piketty: A Comment on Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty First Century

Thomas Piketty’s heart is definitely in the right place. Capital in the Twenty First Century addresses the great question of our times: the phenomenon of persistent and rising inequality. Piketty has amassed data – both from a motley collection of sources and from his own empirical work – that shows how inequality has not just been high, but on the rise. Piketty purports to pro­ vide an integrated explanation of it all. Paul Krugman calls it ‘the unified field theory of inequality’. Com­ parisons to Marx’s great Capital abound (perhaps not entirely unsolicited). Even in this quick­moving bite­ hungry world, everyone is still cheering, weeks after the English translation has appeared. That’s pretty amazing.