Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Time History of Pre- and Post-Bomb Radiocarbon in the Barents Sea Derived from Arcto-Norwegian Cod Otoliths

Radiocarbon measured in seawater dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) can be used to investigate ocean circulation, atmosphere/ocean carbon flux, and provide powerful constraints for the fine-tuning of general circulation models (GCMs). Time series of 14C in seawater are derived most frequently from annual bands of hermatypic corals. However, this proxy is unavailable in temperate and polar oceans. Fish otoliths, calcium carbonate auditory, and gravity receptors in the membranous labyrinths of teleost fishes, can act as proxies for 14C in most oceans and at most depths. Arcto-Norwegian cod otoliths are suited to this application due to the well-defined distribution of this species in the Barents Sea, the ability to determine ages of individual Arcto-Norwegian cod with a high level of accuracy, and the availability of archived otoliths collected for fisheries research over the past 60 years. Using measurements of 14C derived from Arcto-Norwegian cod otoliths, we present the first pre- and post-bomb time series (1919–1992) of 14C from polar seas and consider the significance of these data in relation to ocean circulation and atmosphere/ocean flux of 14C. The data provide evidence for a minor Suess effect of only 0.2‰ per year between 1919 and 1950. Bomb 14C was evident in the Barents Sea as early as 1957 and the highest 14C value was measured in an otolith core from a cod with a birth date of 1967. The otolith 14C data display key features common to records of 14C obtained from a Georges Bank mollusc and corals from the tropical and subtropical North Atlantic.
Can we monitor socioeconomic inequalities in health? A survey of U.S. health departments' data collection and reporting practices.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the potential for and obstacles to routine monitoring of socioeconomic inequalities in health using U.S. vital statistics and disease registry data, the authors surveyed current data collection and reporting practices for specific socioeconomic variables. METHODS In 1996 the authors mailed a self-administered survey to all of the 55 health department vital statistics offices reporting data to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to determine what kinds of socioeconomic data they collected on birth and death certificates and in cancer, AIDS, and tuberculosis (TB) registries and what kinds of socioeconomic data were routinely reported in health department publications. RESULTS Health departments routinely obtained data on occupation on death certificates and in most cancer registries. They collected data on educational level for both birth and death certificates. None of the databases collected information on income, and few obtained data on employment status, health insurance carrier, or receipt of public assistance. When socioeconomic data were collected, they were usually not included in published reports (except for mothers educational level in birth certificate data). Obstacles cited to collecting and reporting socioeconomic data included lack of resources and concerns about the confidentiality and accuracy of data. All databases, however, included residential addresses, suggesting records could be geocoded and linked to Census-based socioeconomic data. CONCLUSIONS U.S. state and Federal vital statistics and disease registries should routinely collect and publish socioeconomic data to improve efforts to monitor trends in and reduce social inequalities in health.
MDCT evaluation of aortic valvular disease.

OBJECTIVE This essay depicts recent advances of MDCT in the evaluation of aortic valvular disease. CONCLUSION Aortic valvular disease can be assessed with current MDCT technology. The improved imaging characteristics of MDCT have significantly decreased artifacts traditionally seen with prosthetic aortic valves and enabled excellent visualization of valve function. Advances in ECG-gated MDCT technology offer the opportunity to evaluate a variety of aortic valvular abnormalities.
Study on Chinese Provincial Urbanization's Spatial Agglomeration and Drive Mechanism——Based on Spatial Panel Data Model

Based on the data of 31 provinces in China from 2000 to 2011,by calculating the Morans I and estimating spatial panel data models,the spatial agglomeration of China's provincial urbanization and the drive mechanism of urbanization with spatial relationship are analyzed.It can be found that;the spatial agglomeration of urbanization is in the trend of polarization:low-value clustering in the midwest,high- value clustering in the eastern coast.Shanghai,Beijing,Tianjin,Zhejiang and Tibet has a strong spatial overflow capacity in urbanization.Furthermore,economic development,education and financial development in time and space dimensions and the industrial structure in the time dimension could promote urbanization,but in the time dimension,the income gap between urban and rural has a significantly negative impact to urbanization.
Safety and immunogenicity of the Towne strain cytomegalovirus vaccine.

BACKGROUND Women with naturally acquired serum antibodies to cytomegalovirus (CMV) are usually protected against both frequent secondary infection and giving birth to infants severely affected by intrauterine CMV infection. OBJECTIVE To determine the feasibility of using a live attenuated strain of CMV (Towne) to achieve immunity similar to that provided by wild-type infection, we evaluated a new lot of the Towne strain of CMV in 3 open label trials involving 68 men, 63 women of childbearing age and 13 children, respectively. RESULTS Mild local reactions occurred among approximately one-third of subjects. There were no systemic reactions. All 45 subjects tested developed lymphoproliferative responses to CMV. CD8+ class I-restricted cytotoxic T cell responses specific for CMV antigens were detected in three of four subjects and persisted for 6 months. Neutralizing titers were maximal at 2 to 4 months postimmunization, were dose-dependent and were comparable to those induced by natural infection. CONCLUSION These results support further evaluation of the Towne strain of CMV in women at risk for acquiring CMV infection during pregnancy or among children transmitting CMV to pregnant women.
Differential Gene Expression in the Hypopharyngeal Glands of Worker Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) Associated with an Age-Dependent Role Change

Associated with the age-dependent role change of worker honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) from nurse bees to foragers, some structural and functional changes occur in the hypopharyngeal glands (HPGs): nurse bee HPGs are well developed and synthesize major royal jelly proteins (MRJPs), while forager HPGs shrink and synthesize &agr;-glucosidase, which converts nectar into honey. To identify candidate genes involved in the structural and functional HPG changes associated with the age-dependent role change of worker honeybees, we searched for genes whose expression in the HPGs depends on the role of workers, by using differential display and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Here, we newly identified a buffy homolog encoding a Bcl-2-like protein as a gene whose expression, like MRJP, is higher in nurse bees than in foragers, and a matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) homolog as a gene whose expression, like &agr;-glucosidase, is higher in foragers than in nurse bees, suggesting that both suppression of inhibition of the caspase cascade by buffy and degradation of the extracellular matrix by MMP1 are involved in the functional and structural changes of the HPGs. Furthermore, although both buffy and MMP1 were highly expressed in various tissues other than the HPGs, buffy expression in the other tissues did not differ significantly between nurse bees and foragers, whereas MMP1 expression in midgut was also significantly higher in foragers than in nurse bees, as in the HPGs. These results suggest that in buffy and MMP1, expression is regulated in a tissue-preferential manner according to the age-dependent role change of workers.
Airway Remodeling Is Absent in CCR1−/− Mice During Chronic Fungal Allergic Airway Disease1

Asthmatic-like reactions characterized by elevated IgE, Th2 cytokines, C-C chemokines, eosinophilic inflammation, and persistent airway hyperresponsiveness follow pulmonary exposure to the spores or conidia from Aspergillus fumigatus fungus in sensitized individuals. In addition to these features, subepithelial fibrosis and goblet cell hyperplasia characterizes fungal-induced allergic airway disease in mice. Because lung concentrations of macrophage inflammatory protein-1α and RANTES were significantly elevated after A. fumigatus-sensitized mice received an intrapulmonary challenge with A. fumigatus spores or conidia, the present study addressed the role of their receptor, C-C chemokine receptor 1 (CCR1), in this model. A. fumigatus-sensitized CCR1 wild-type (+/+) and CCR1 knockout (−/−) mice exhibited similar increases in serum IgE and polymorphonuclear leukocyte numbers in the bronchoalveolar lavage. Airway hyperresponsiveness was prominent in both groups of mice at 30 days after an intrapulmonary challenge with A. fumigatus spores or conidia. However, whole lung levels of IFN-γ were significantly higher whereas IL-4, IL-13, and Th2-inducible chemokines such as C10, eotaxin, and macrophage-derived chemokine were significantly lower in whole lung samples from CCR1−/− mice compared with CCR1+/+ mice at 30 days after the conidia challenge. Likewise, significantly fewer goblet cells and less subepithelial fibrosis were observed around large airways in CCR1−/− mice at the same time after the conidia challenge. Thus, these findings demonstrate that CCR1 is a major contributor to the airway remodeling responses that arise from A. fumigatus-induced allergic airway disease.
The Liverwort, Marchantia, Drives Alternative Electron Flow Using a Flavodiiron Protein to Protect PSI1[OPEN]

Flavodiiron protein drives an oxygen-dependent alternative electron flow to stimulate the protective mechanisms of PSI against photooxidative damage in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. The diffusion efficiency of oxygen in the atmosphere, like that of CO2, is approximately 104 times greater than that in aqueous environments. Consequently, terrestrial photosynthetic organisms need mechanisms to protect against potential oxidative damage. The liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, a basal land plant, has habitats where it is exposed to both water and the atmosphere. Furthermore, like cyanobacteria, M. polymorpha has genes encoding flavodiiron proteins (FLV). In cyanobacteria, FLVs mediate oxygen-dependent alternative electron flow (AEF) to suppress the production of reactive oxygen species. Here, we investigated whether FLVs are required for the protection of photosynthesis in M. polymorpha. A mutant deficient in the FLV1 isozyme (ΔMpFlv1) sustained photooxidative damage to photosystem I (PSI) following repetitive short-saturation pulses of light. Compared with the wild type (Takaragaike-1), ΔMpFlv1 showed the same photosynthetic oxygen evolution rate but a lower electron transport rate during the induction phase of photosynthesis. Additionally, the reaction center chlorophyll in PSI, P700, was highly reduced in ΔMpFlv1 but not in Takaragaike-1. These results indicate that the gene product of MpFlv1 drives AEF to oxidize PSI, as in cyanobacteria. Furthermore, FLV-mediated AEF supports the production of a proton motive force to possibly induce the nonphotochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence and suppress electron transport in the cytochrome b6/f complex. After submerging the thalli, a decrease in photosystem II operating efficiency was observed, particularly in ΔMpFlv1, which implies that species living in these sorts of habitats require FLV-mediated AEF.
Early developmental expression pattern of retinoblastoma tumor suppressor mRNA indicates a role in the epithelial‐to‐mesenchyme transformation of endocardial cushion cells

The earliest stages of embryonic development are characterized by the generation of precursor cell populations that differentiate and coalesce into tissue and organ primordia. To provide sufficient numbers of differentiated cells for tissue and organ formation, the differentiative as well as the proliferative processes of cells must be controlled and coordinated. Potential regulators of the proliferative process include molecules that control the cell cycle, in particular, the tumor suppressor proteins. To begin to understand the role such molecules can play in development, we have studied the expression of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor (Rb) gene in early chicken development. Our studies in early chicken embryos show that Rb is encoded by a single gene that gives rise to several Rb mRNA isoforms through alternative splicing of a primary transcript. These mRNA isoforms potentially encode Rb proteins that differ with respect to the number of sequence motifs known to target cyclin‐dependent kinases to Rb, suggesting dynamic control of Rb phosphorylation and function during development. This complex expression pattern of Rb mRNA begins as early as the blastoderm stage of chicken development (stage 3) and continues through stage 18, the latest stage examined. Despite this early embryonic expression of Rb mRNA as detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Rb mRNA levels sufficient to be detected by in situ hybridization were not expressed until after stage 14 of development. Rb mRNA was found to be localized to cells of the endocardial cushions of the early heart tube, cells of the epicardium, and myogenic cells of the somitic myotome. Interestingly, each of these cell types undergoes an epithelial‐to‐mesenchyme transformation to form a migratory and/or invasive population of mesenchymal cells. We have focused our studies on the expression of Rb mRNA in endocardial cells of the early heart tube, because the transition of these cells to mesenchyme initiates the important process of septation, an early step in the formation of heart valves. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Preliminary Study on Optimal and Strategic Timing of Merger and Acquisition under Bidder's Cooperation

This paper examines the common merger timing between two different cooperative bidders to merger a target.We regard bidders as an alliance of cooperative merger by introducing indirect synergy, direct synergy,merger incorporation degree etc as the research basis.By using the method of real option and optimal stopping time,we explore the issue of solving merger threshold value under directly synergistic uncertainty.According to the analysis of the latter,the region where the common merger timing is optimal is a bounded interval.And at last we draw some conclusions with realistic significance by using numerical analysis that reveals the relationship between merger threshold value and five variablesparticipants' importance in alliance,indirectly synergistic,correlation degree between bidders alliance and target,correlation degree between merger manager and merger promoter in bidders alliance and expected direct synergy.
A Collaborative Context Prediction Technique

The prediction of contexts plays an important part in the field of context aware systems and environments for adapting services proactively to users' needs. To the best of our knowledge, most research literature on context prediction focused on forecasting a user's contexts only using his available context history. In the case of a user suddenly changing his behaviour in an unexpected way, the context history of the user does not provide future context information for the observed pattern. Hence context prediction algorithms will fail to forecast the appropriate future context. To overcome the gap of missing context information in the user's context history, we propose the Collaborative Context Prediction (CCP) approach. Our results show that the proposed CCP approach is able to give accurate predictions in the absence of needed context information and outperforms the Active LeZi method.
Regulation of Blood—Brain Barrier Permeability

The blood‐brain barrier minimizes the entry of molecules into brain tissue. This restriction arises by the presence of tight junctions (zonulae occludens) between adjacent endothelial cells and a relative paucity of pinocytotic vesicles within endothelium of cerebral arterioles, capillaries, and venules. Many types of stimuli can alter the permeability characteristics of the blood‐brain barrier. Acute increases in arterial blood pressure beyond the autoregulatory capacity of cerebral blood vessels, application of hyperosmolar solutions, application of various inflammatory mediators known to be elevated during brain injury, and/or activation of blood‐borne elements such as leukocytes can produce changes in permeability of the blood‐brain barrier. The second messenger systems that account for increases in permeability of the blood‐brain barrier during pathophysiologic conditions, however, remain poorly defined. This review will summarize studies that have examined factors that influence disruption of the blood‐brain barrier, and will discuss the contribution of various cellular second messenger pathways in disruption of the blood‐brain barrier during pathophysiologic conditions.
Histological Structure of the Thyroid Gland in Apolipoprotein E Deficient Female Mice After Levothyroxine Application

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the histological characteristics of the thyroid gland in ApoE KO-/- mice following the application of levothyroxine (l-thyroxine). A total of 12 female ApoE KO-/- mice were divided into two groups. A control group of mice received distilled water and the experimental group received l-thyroxine dissolved in drinking water at a daily dose of 2 µg/ml, over 12 weeks. The paraffin sections were processed with the usual haematoxilin-eosin technique of staining. Qualitative histological analysis demonstrated: the presence of large distended follicles in the peripheral areas of the gland; fulfillment of the lumen of follicles with an ample amount of colloid; complete absence of resorptive vacuoles in the colloid; a flattened follicullar epithelium. Morphometric assessment showed a significant increase in the diameters of follicles in the peripheral areas of the gland and a significant decrease in the height of the follicullar epithelium (p <0,001). Our results demonstrated that l-thyroxine causes characteristic morphological changes in the structure of the thyroid gland in the direction of the occurrence of hyperthyroidism.
Type 2 diabetes increases risk for obesity among subsequent generations.

BACKGROUND Childhood obesity is increasing worldwide. Although the prevalence of obesity is low in India, it is being perceived as an emerging problem among affluent urban Indian children. There is little information regarding the profile of obese Indian children. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical profile of children and adolescents attending our hospital (a tertiary-care center) with the main complaint of obesity or overweight. STUDY DESIGN Children and adolescents attending our pediatric and adolescent endocrine clinic with the main complaint of overweight or obesity were included in this study. All subjects underwent detailed history, physical examination, hemogram liver function tests, oral glucose tolerance test, plasma insulin, and body fat estimation. RESULTS One hundred nine children (70 boys and 39 girls), ranging in age from 5 to 18 years (mean 13.8 +/- 2.9 years), were enrolled for the study. Twenty boys and 13 girls were overweight, while 50 boys and 26 girls were obese. Twenty-five of these children had hypertension, 48 had dyslipidemia, and 27 had abnormal glucose tolerance. Plasma insulin levels were significantly higher than what is observed in healthy lean controls. The most significant observation was that 75 children had grandparents and/or parents with diabetes mellitus. Possible reasons for this association are discussed. CONCLUSIONS Children from families with diabetes mellitus are at risk for obesity. Hyperinsulinemia, by its action on the brain, induces behaviors and lifestyles conducive to obesity.
Comparing the Diagnostic Accuracy of RTE and SWE in Differentiating Malignant Thyroid Nodules from Benign Ones: a Meta-Analysis

Background: Approximately 10-20 million Americans have been clinically diagnosed with thyroid nodules. Shear wave elastography (SWE) and real-time elastography (RTE) are two primary forms of elastography for identifying the status of thyroid nodules. The aim of this study is to assess the performance of RTE and SWE in identifying malignant thyroid nodules. Methods: Relevant articles were systematically retrieved from PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library. In order to evaluate the overall diagnostic accuracy, we have considered pooled sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), area under the curve (AUC) and partial AUC with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs). Stratified analyses by ethnicity (Caucasian, Asian), the number of malignant nodules (> 50, < 50), score system (elasticity scores: ES and strain ration: SR) and ES (> 4, < 4) were performed to explore potential sources of heterogeneity. All statistical tests were performed using the R 3.2. 1 software package. Results: We analyzed 80 trials from 71 studies with 16,624 subjects (12,348 for SWE, 4,276 for RTE). The pooled results suggested that RTE is more accurate than SWE in diagnosing malignant cases (RTE: SEN= 0.829, 95%CI = 0.799-0.855, SPE = 0.828, 95%CI = 0.789-0.862, AUC = 0.889; SWE: SEN = 0.784, 95%CI = 0.732-0.828, SPE = 0.824, 95%CI = 0.766-0.871, AUC = 0.859). No significant difference was found in the subgroup analyses. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that RTE is superior to SWE in differentiating malignant and benign thyroid nodules. Nevertheless, more studies focusing on the diagnostic accuracy of RTE and SWE during different stages of thyroid nodules development should be carried out in the future.
Results of a 100-megaampere liner implosion experiment

A very high-current liner implosion experiment was conducted, using an explosive magnetic-compression generator (EMG) to deliver a peak current of 102 /spl plusmn/ 3 MA, to implode a 4.0-mm-thick aluminum liner. Analysis of experimental data showed that the inner surface of the liner had attained a velocity of between 6.8-8.4 km/s, consistent with detailed numerical calculations. Both calculations and data were consistent with a final liner state that was still substantially solid at target impact time and had a total kinetic energy of over 20 MJ.
Craniometaphyseal dysplasia (CMD), autosomal dominant form.

The autosomal dominant form of craniometaphyseal dysplasia (CMD) (MIM 123000) is a well defined disorder in which mild to moderate overgrowth of the craniofacial bones leads to asymmetry of the mandible, cranial nerve compression, variable hearing loss, and facial palsy. Between 50 to 100 affected persons have been documented, including several large multigeneration families. The autosomal recessive form of CMD (MIM 218400) is a rare, severe condition in which marked bone overgrowth leads to distortion of the facies with blindness, deafness, and facial palsy. Fewer than 10 cases have been reported and syndromic boundaries are ill defined.