Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phytoplankton dynamics in relation to the biogeochemical cycle of silicon in a coastal ecosystem of western Europe

The Bay of Brest, France, a typical semi-enclosed coastal ecosystem (159 km2) of western Europe, was studied during spring 1992 with respect to the biogeochemical cycle of silicon. Three periods of nutrient and phytoplankton dynamics (chlorophyll a, biogenic silica, species composition), were distinguished during spring 1992, each corresponding, respectively, to a bloom of Thalassiosira sp. and Skeletonema costaturn during early spring (April], Rhizosolenia sp. during mid-spring (May) and Chaetoceros sociale during late spring (June). During each period the production of biogenic silica (the mean rate of spring biogenic silica production was 13 mm01 Si m-' dl ) , derived from I4C primary production measurements, size fractionation experiments and appropriate Si: C ratios, has been compared with the sum of the silicic acid inputs to the bay originating from rivers, from the adjacent Iroise Sea and from the sediments. From this comparison, it is concluded that (1) the early spring diatom bloom was mainly sustained by silicic acid from the watershed, (2) recycling of silicic acid within the water column played a major role during mid-spring to sustain the bloom of Rhizosolenia sp. and (3) silicic acid recycling at the sediment-water interface was the main contributor to the silica production during the late spring bloom. On a seasonal basis, the riverine inputs of Si (net source) balance the Si burial in sediments (net sink), and the contribution of the sediment to the silica production equals that of the watershed. The factors that govern the quantitative and qualitative variations of phytoplankton blooms during these periods are discussed. In these nitrate-rich coastal waters, support is given to the hypothesis of Si-limitation of the diatom growth, at least during the early spring period when inputs of silicic acid from the watershed represented the major contribution to the silica production.
Interactions between estrogen and bone morphogenetic proteins in breast cancer cells

Background and aims: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world after lung cancer, and the most common cancer among women. The risk factors for breast cancer include different hormonal factors and consequently, estrogen has been found to promote breast cancer pathogenesis. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) are a group of growth factors that have been connected to different cancers, including breast cancer. BMPs have been noted to have different effects on breast cancer cells, decreasing proliferation in some, and in contrast, increasing migration and invasion in others. The estrogen and BMP signaling pathways have been shown to have a connection, and they can influence each other’s functions. In this study, the objectives are to examine the effect of estrogen on BMP gene expression in six breast cancer cell lines, and to study the effects of estrogen and BMP4 on cell proliferation in two breast cancer cell lines. Methods: The breast cancer cell lines (estrogen receptor positive BT-474, MCF-7, MDA-MB-361, T-47D and ZR-75-30, and the estrogen receptor negative MDA-MB-231) were cultured in estrogen free medium for three days before treatment with 17b-estradiol (E2, 100 nM) or vehicle control for 24 and 48 hours. The gene expression of BMP4 and BMP7, and the positive control genes GREB1 and TFF1 was assessed with qRT-PCR by using a SYBR Green I dye based assay. For examining the cell proliferation, BT-474 and T-47D cells were cultured for three days in estrogen free conditions, and treated with E2 (100 nM), human recombinant BMP4 (100 ng/ml), both, or vehicle control. The cell proliferation was followed by microscopy and imaging, and finally by counting the cells at six (T-47D) and seven (BT-474) days after the treatments. Results: The expression of positive control genes GREB1 and TFF1 increased after estrogen treatment in most estrogen receptor positive cell lines, as expected. Treatment with E2 had a variable effect on BMP4 and BMP7 expression depending on the cell line. BMP4 expression was notably decreased in BT-474, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-361 cell lines, but not in others. The expression of BMP7 was notably decreased in BT-474, T-47D and ZR-75-30, but again, there was no significant change in the others. The cell proliferation experiment showed that as expected, E2 increased cell growth both in BT-474 and T-47D cell line, and that BMP4 was able to inhibit the effect of E2 on cell growth. Conclusions: Estrogen has different effects on BMP4 and BMP7 expression depending on the cell line. In some it decreases BMP expression, and in others it has no significant effect. BMP4 was able to diminish the estrogen induced cell proliferation. This is an important finding that may have clinical applicability for the treatment of breast cancer patients.
Similarity Solutions for Free Convection Between Two Parallel Porous Walls at Different Temperatures

Problem statement: A two dimensional steady laminar free convective flow of viscous incompressible fluid between two parallel porous walls is considered. Approach: Using the similarity variable, the partial differential equations were reduced to ordinary differential equations. The coupled ordinary differential equations were solved numerically using shooting method. The effect of various physical parameters, such as the Prandtl number, Grashof number, permeability parameter and ratio of the free stream velocity to parallel wall parameter on the boundary layer velocity and skin-friction coefficient were investigated. Results: Some of the several important findings of the results were (i) the fluid velocity increased as either of the Grashof number, permeability parameter, ratio of free stream velocity parameter to parallel wall parameter was increased. (ii) The fluid temperature decreased as either of the Grashof number, ratio of free stream velocity parameter to parallel wall parameter increased and increased as permeability parameter was increased. (iii) Skin friction increase owing to an increase in Grashof number, ratio of free stream velocity parameter to parallel wall parameter and decrease with increasing permeability parameter. In this study, a similarity solution for free convective flow between two parameter porous walls situated a distance L apart was considered. Numerical results were presented to illustrate the details of the flow, skin-friction characteristics and their dependence on the flow conditions and fluid properties. Conclusion: In particular, we found that, the fluid velocity increased as either of the Grashof number, permeability parameter, ratio of free stream velocity parameter to parallel wall parameter was increased.
The pulse of freedom? Bhaskar's dialectic and Marxism

Eight years have elapsed since the publication of Roy Bhaskar’s Dialectic. The stated aim of this project was extraordinarily ambitious. This was, basically, threefold. First, the ‘dialectical enrichment and deepening of critical realism – understood as consisting of transcendental realism as a general theory of science and critical naturalism as a special theory of social science’. Second, ‘the development of a general theory of dialectic . which will . be capable of sustaining the development of a general metatheory for the social sciences, on the basis of which they will be capable of functioning as agencies of human self-emancipation’. Third, ‘the outline of the elements of a totalising critique of western philosophy, in its various (including hitherto dialectical) forms . [that is] capable . of casting light on the contemporary crisis of socialism’. 1 All of this was to be achieved primarily through the ‘non-preservative sublation of Hegelian dialectic’2 and the preservative sublation
Light interception, gas exchange and carbon balance of different canopy zones of minimally and cane-pruned field-grown Riesling grapevines

Leaf area development, pre-dawn leaf water potential, spatial and temporal patterns of light interception and photosynthesis (A) of minimal pruned (MP) and cane-pruned vertical shoot positioned (VSP) fieldgrown Riesling grapevines were monitored in 2002 and 2003. In order to quantify the contribution of different canopy segments to whole vine carbon gain, diurnal single leaf gas exchange measurements were conducted several times during the season in 8 different canopy segments keeping leaves in their natural position. Carbon losses due to nocturnal respiration (DR) were estimated with a model describing the dependence of DR on temperature. MP vines had about 17 times more but less vigorous shoots with smaller leaves. Leaf area (LA) development was faster for MP than for VSP vines and LA was 2.5-3-fold higher for most of the season. Spatial and temporal patterns of average daily light interception were related to LA development and canopy dimensions for both MP and VSP vines during the first part of the season, but increased independent of LA until mid-October and more so for VSP than MP. Diurnal gas exchange measurements showed differences between canopy segments, measuring dates and systems. Differences between segments were related to light interception in the absence of water deficit, high leaf temperature and vapour pressure deficit. The higher light interception of MP vines caused pre-dawn water potential to decrease faster and to remain at lower levels during most of the season. This limited A more severely for leaves of MP vines in canopy segments which were well exposed to light. The estimated seasonal carbon gain per canopy segment was highest in the apical canopy zones for both canopy systems but carbon assimilation was higher for MP than for VSP vines in all segments with the exception of the interior canopy. Respiratory losses by leaves depended on night temperature and time during the season but generally varied between 3 and 7 % of the amount of carbon gained during the day. MP vines had slightly higher relative respiration losses than VSP vines. On a whole-plant basis, carbon gain of MP vines was between 5.7 (beginning of the season) and 2.2 times (end of season) higher than for VSP vines.
Exergames Experience in Physical Education: A Review

Abstract Exergames are consoles that require a higher physical effort to play when compared to traditional video games. Active video games, active gaming, interactive games, movement-controlled video games, exertion games, and exergaming are terms used to define the kinds of video games in which the exertion interface enables a new experience. Exergames have added a component of physical activity to the otherwise motionless video game environment and have the potential to contribute to physical education classes by supplementing the current activity options and increasing student enjoyment. The use of exergames in schools has already shown positive results in the past through their potential to fight obesity. As for the pedagogical aspects of exergames, they have attracted educators’ attention due to the large number of games and activities that can be incorporated into the curriculum. In this way, the school must consider the development of a new physical education curriculum in which the key to promoting healthy physical activity in children and youth is enjoyment, using video games as a tool. In this context, the aim is to conduct a brief review of the use of exergames in physical education curriculum, exploring school curriculum, digital culture, and motivation and enjoyment for the learning processes in the video game environment
Environmental enrichment effects on the activity of a nearctic river otter

Environmental enrichment has been used to identify and change a stimulus in a captive environment to increase the animal's welfare by bring out species-appropriate behaviors and combating stereotypic behaviors. One captive North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) was presented four enrichment initiatives (live fish, frozen fish, swim tube, PVC scent tubes) in a random order and placement throughout the exhibit. Baseline data showed that the otter preferred to spend mornings in the lower level of the exhibit and the afternoons in the upper level. Food initiatives (i.e. live fish, and a lesser degree frozen fish) were most effective in deterring a stereotyped swimming pattern, but effects were confined to the times in which the initiatives were present, and more effective when applied in the afternoon than the morning. This suggested that the stereotyped behavior was functional, occurring out of a lack of ability to forage. Variability existed in behavioral diversity between initiatives, and all initiatives increase exhibit utilization through exploratory behaviors and the expression of more naturalist behaviors. Results should be used by animal care staff to make corresponding changes to husbandry practices to improve the otter's welfare.
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha synthesis inhibitor 3,6' -dithiothalidomide attenuates markers of inflammation, Alzheimer pathology and behavioral deficits in animal models of neuroinflammation and Alzheimer's disease

Background: Neuroinflammation is associated with virtually all major neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Although it remains unclear whether neuroinflammation is the driving force behind these disorders, compelling evidence implicates its role in exacerbating disease progression, with a key player being the potent proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α. Elevated TNF-α levels are commonly detected in the clinic and animal models of AD. Methods: The potential benefits of a novel TNF-α-lowering agent, 3,6′-dithiothalidomide, were investigated in cellular and rodent models of neuroinflammation with a specific focus on AD. These included central and systemic inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Aβ1–42 challenge, and biochemical and behavioral assessment of 3xTg-AD mice following chronic 3,6′-dithiothaliodmide. Results: 3,6′-Dithiothaliodmide lowered TNF-α, nitrite (an indicator of oxidative damage) and secreted amyloid precursor protein (sAPP) levels in LPS-activated macrophage-like cells (RAW 264.7 cells). This translated into reduced central and systemic TNF-α production in acute LPS-challenged rats, and to a reduction of neuroinflammatory markers and restoration of neuronal plasticity following chronic central challenge of LPS. In mice centrally challenged with Aβ1–42 peptide, prior systemic 3,6′-dithiothalidomide suppressed Aβ-induced memory dysfunction, microglial activation and neuronal degeneration. Chronic 3,6′-dithiothalidomide administration to an elderly symptomatic cohort of 3xTg-AD mice reduced multiple hallmark features of AD, including phosphorylated tau protein, APP, Aβ peptide and Aβ-plaque number along with deficits in memory function to levels present in younger adult cognitively unimpaired 3xTg-AD mice. Levels of the synaptic proteins, SNAP25 and synaptophysin, were found to be elevated in older symptomatic drug-treated 3xTg-AD mice compared to vehicle-treated ones, indicative of a preservation of synaptic function during drug treatment. Conclusions: Our data suggest a strong beneficial effect of 3,6′-dithiothalidomide in the setting of neuroinflammation and AD, supporting a role for neuroinflammation and TNF-α in disease progression and their targeting as a means of clinical management.
Influence of flood frequency, temperature and population density on migration of Fundulus heteroclitus in semi-isolated marsh pond habitats

Fish respond to habitat and demographic factors that affect growth and survival through migration, reproduction and mortality. However, the importance of migration rates on fish population dynamics and the effects of habitat and demographic factors on movement are not well understood. We used mark-recapture to determine population dynamics (recruitment, mortality, immigration and emigration) of the mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus inhabiting semi-isolated ponds in a New Jersey salt marsh over the spring and summer of 2002. We tested the effects of marsh pond flood frequency, water temperature and fish density on mummichog emigration from marsh ponds. Results show that during the April to July study period, monthly emigration rates averaged 30% and tended to decline from spring to summer in most ponds. Recruitment and immigration were negligible after May and June, respectively. Increasing mortality and decreasing emigration and immigration over the study period suggested that there was a shift in the importance of movement in regulating mummichog population size in marsh ponds. The mean rate of emigration showed a significant negative relation- ship with the frequency of flooding in a pond. Neither mummichog density nor water temperature was strongly correlated with emigration rate. Our finding of lower emigration from ponds with higher flooding frequency suggests that frequent pond flooding indirectly triggers stationary behaviour in mummichogs because of enhanced water quality and food abundance.
Compression of Spectral Images

In this chapter we describe methods how to compress spectral imaging data. Normally the spectral data is presented as spectral images which can be considered as generalizations of colour images. Rapid technological development in spectral imaging devices has initiated the need for the compression of raw data. Spectral imaging has been central to many remote sensing applications like geology and environment monitoring. Nowadays, new application areas have arisen in industry, for example in the quality control of assembly line products and in applications, where the traditional three-chromaticity colour measurements are not accurate enough. Spectral imaging produces large amounts of raw data which will be processed later in various applications. Image compression provides a possibility to reduce the amount of raw data for storing and transmission purposes. The image compression can be either lossless or lossy. In the lossy compression the quality of the reconstructed data should be estimated to evaluate the usefullness of the reconstructed data. The lossy compression is justified in the sense that the compression ratios are much higher than in the lossless case where the reconstructed data is identical to the raw data. Spectral images are now available for different applications due to the development in the spectral imaging systems (Hauta-Kasari et al., 1999; Hyvarinen et al., 1998). Geoscience and remote sensing have been the main application areas of spectral images but nowadays several new application areas have emerged in industry. For example, applications in quality control, exact colour measurement, and colour reproduction use spectral information, since RGB colour information only is not sufficient. Image compression has been one of the main research topics in image processing. The compression methods are usually developed for images visible to humans, i.e. for grey-scale or RGB colour images. Applications in the field of remote sensing and recent advances in industrial applications, however require the compression of spectral images (Vaughn & Wilkinson, 1995). Some compression methods are lossless (Memon et al., 1994; Roger & Cavenor, 1996), but most of the methods are lossy (Abousleman et al., 1997; Gelli & Poggi, 1999). Some applications can accept data which is compressed by a lossy scheme, but naturally the important features in the data must be present. If the lossy compression method cancels out any of the important features for the applications, then the lossless compression is the only possibility to decrease the amount of the raw data. Compression is required due to the large amounts of data captured in the images. Regular digital cameras in everyday use apply JPEG or TIFF-compression. Images displayed in web-
Compensatory responses in lepidopteran larvae: a test of growth rate maximisation

It is often claimed that some organisms maximise individual growth rates (within limits set by physiological and environmental constraints) whereas others do not. Adequate experimental protocol to test for these hypotheses has not been available. We proceeded from the idea that a maximiser should be unable to further improve its growth performance, i.e. there should be no adaptive plasticity in relative growth rates. In the case of an insect larva always maximising its weight gain, we should thus expect no increase in growth rate following a short-term environmental perturbation. Another prediction is that initial and final weights of a larval instar should be highly correlated. We applied this approach to test for the growth rate maximiser status of the geometrid moth Epirrita autumnata. Based on various lines of ecological evidence it had previously been suggested that this spring-feeding species is strongly selected for high growth rates, and may be growing at its maximum physiological potential. Contrary to expectations, the larvae responded to starvation treatments by a subsequent compensatory increase in their relative growth rates. Such a plasticity may indicate that the rates of gaining weight are not maximised even in a ‘classical’ example a time-constrained organism. This observation supports the idea that endogenous regulation of growth rates is widespread, and it remains to be shown if true maximisation ever exists in nature. In contrast, possibilities to compensate for adverse conditions experienced early in larval development appeared to be limited. This was indicated by the strong correlation between initial weight in the last instar, and pupal weight. Though consistent with our expectations, such an inability to compensate can hardly be ascribed to growth rate maximisation, as indicated by quantitatively similar patterns found in an unrelated species with different ecology, the butterfly Polygonia c-album.
Simulating Switchable Glazing with EnergyPlus: An Empirical Validation and Calibration of a Thermotropic Glazing Model

Adaptive transparent building envelope technologies could play a significant role in decreasing energy use in buildings and providing a more comfortable indoor environment. In order to evaluate these potentials in an economic and accurate manner, it is essential to have numerical models and simulation tools which correctly reproduce the behaviour of such components at the building level. This paper presents and discusses the empirical validation of models for thermo-tropic glazing, a specific adaptive transparent glazing, by means of a whole building performance simulation tool, EnergyPlus. Moreover, this study highlights the differences between two modelling approaches (EnergyPlus built-in and EMS models) and experimental data. Negligible differences are noted between the two modelling approaches, even though the models do not completely agree with experimental data unless a model calibration is performed. The EMS modelling approach could be successfully extended to other dynamic glazing technologies that do not have a builtin model available in EnergyPlus, provided that an accurate thermo-optical characterisation of the dynamic glazing is available.
Redistributive effects in a dual income tax system

Equity issues of the dual income tax have been left aside in the field of economics. Since a dual income tax needs different modelling than a comprehensive one this paper offers firstly a quantitative framework to measure redistributive effects; it turns out that this involves both direct and indirect effects. The effects of horizontal inequity and re-ranking are also incorporated into the decomposition analysis. The approach is applicable using available income and tax statistics. Secondly, partial effects of changes in tax parameters are presented; they are channelled through the direct and indirect effects; and are not always straightforward.