Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neural Mechanisms and Psychology of Psychedelic Ego Dissolution Principle and 5-HT2A Receptor Agonist Activity

875 Signiﬁcance Statement . Abstract—— Neuroimaging studies of psychedelics have advanced our understanding of hierarchical brain organization and the mechanisms underlying their subjective and therapeutic effects. The primary mechanism of action of classic psychedelics is binding to serotonergic 5-HT2A receptors. Agonist activity at these receptors leads to neuromodulatory changes in synaptic efﬁcacy that can have a profound effect on hierarchical message-passing in the brain. Here, we re- view the cognitive and neuroimaging evidence for the effects of psychedelics: in particular, their inﬂuence on selfhood and subject-object boundaries—known as ego dissolution —surmised to underwrite their subjec- tive and therapeutic effects. Agonism of 5-HT2A receptors, located at the apex of the cortical hierarchy, may have a particularly powerful effect on sentience and consciousness. These effects can endure well after the pharmacological half-life, suggesting that psychedelics may have effects on neural plasticity that may play a role in their therapeutic efﬁcacy. Psychologically, this may be accompanied by a disarming of ego resistance that increases the repertoire of perceptual hypotheses and affords alternate pathways for thought and behavior, including those that undergird selfhood. We consider the interaction between serotonergic neuromodulation and sentience through the lens of hierarchical predictive coding, which speaks to the value of psychedelics in understanding how we make sense of the world and speciﬁc predictions about ef- fective connectivity in cortical hierarchies that can be tested using functional neuroimaging. Dissolution of precision of high-level priors ﬂatten the curvature of the free energy landscape, enabling neural dynamics to escape their local minima or basins of attraction, allowing greater attention to the sensory input and prediction errors (computationally expressed as a free energy landscape). The cognitive-therapeutic result of ego dissolution is the reduced precision or commitment to higher-level beliefs in the high levels of the hierarchy that affords an opportunity to explore a landscape of alternative hypotheses of the causes of sensory impressions and the consequences of self-initiated actions. Change to these explanations can be therapeutic by enabling new ways to make sense of the world and lived exchanges with it. This notion of free energy landscapes is endorsed by empirical studies of electrical physiologic responses and functional anatomy (Bastos et al., 2012). Adapted from Carhart-Harris and Friston (2019).
Experience Benefits and Firm Organization

A principal requires a manager for production. He can use an internal manager, or contracts with an external manger. In each case, the manager obtains experience benefits from production. When the principal uses an internal manager, both parties share cost information. When the principal contracts with an external manager, only the external manager acquires cost information. The internal manager has limited access to the credit market; he has a minimum income constraint. The external manager has adequate access and has no minimum income constraint. The principal faces a tradeo. Hiring an internal manager eliminates asymmetric information, but extracting experience rent is more difficult due to the minimum income constraint. Hiring an external manager means giving up information rent, but extracting experience rent is feasible. Whether the principal uses an internal or an external manager depends on the tightness of the minimum income constraint and the magnitude of the experience benefit. The principal's optimal choice may not be socially efficient.
Spatio-temporal variability of polynya dynamics and ice production in the Laptev Sea between the winters of 1979/80 and 2007/08

Polynyas in the Laptev Sea are examined with respect to recurrence and interannual wintertime ice production. We use a polynya classification method based on passive microwave satellite data to derive daily polynya area from long-term sea-ice concentrations. This provides insight into the spatial and temporal variability of open-water and thin-ice regions on the Laptev Sea Shelf. Using thermal infrared satellite data to derive an empirical thin-ice distribution within the thickness range from 0 to 20 cm, we calculate daily average surface heat loss and the resulting wintertime ice formation within the Laptev Sea polynyas between 1979 and 2008 using reanalysis data supplied by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, USA, as atmospheric forcing. Results indicate that previous studies significantly overestimate the contribution of polynyas to the ice production in the Laptev Sea. Average wintertime ice production in polynyas amounts to approximately 55 km3±27% and is mostly determined by the polynya area, wind speed and associated large-scale circulation patterns. No trend in ice production could be detected in the period from 1979/80 to 2007/08.
Immune modulation by dietary glucans from oat and mushrooms; results from in vitro, animal and human studies

There is more and more evidence that the immune reaction, and along with that the risk of certain diseases, is influenced by nutrients. Examples of such a nutrient are glucans that are found in oats and mushrooms. Therefore, in this dissertation we studied the effects of a- and b-glucans on immune reactions in the intestine and to a lesser degree in the entire body (systemic immune reactions). Our studies showed that the consumption of b-glucan from oats advance the immune reaction in the intestine in vitro (“in the test-tube”) in people and in vivo (“in the body”) in mice, while it does not stimulate the systemic immune reaction. Consumption of both a- and b-glucans from mushrooms stimulate the systemic immune cells of mice in vitro but the a-glucans had no clear effect on the systemic immune response in people.
Early Cretaceous Ice Rafting and Climate Zonation in Australia

Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian to Albian) strata of the southwestern Eromanga and Carpentaria basins of central and northern Australia, respectively, provide evidence of strongly seasonal climates at high paleolatitudes. These include dispersed clasts (lonestones) in fine sediments and pseudomorphs of calcite after ikaite (glendonites), the latter being known to form only at temperatures below about 7° C. Rafting is regarded as the transport mechanism for clasts up to boulder size (lonestones) enclosed within dark mudrocks; this interpretation rests on rare occurrences of penetration by clasts into substrate layers. Driftwood and large floating algae are eliminated as possible rafts because fossil wood is found mainly concentrated in nearshore areas of the basins and large algal masses have not been observed. Rafting by icebergs is considered unlikely in view of the global lack of tillites and related glacial deposits of this age. Our interpretation is that seasonal ice, formed in winter along stream cours.
Service orientation in business networking: a demand-supply chain perspective

Abstract Competition in globalized markets is nowadays between business networks (BNs) rather than between single organizations. BNs need to co-create highly customized integrated solutions for customers through dynamic collaborations within value networks to achieve competitive advantages in globalized markets. Although different theories in marketing and operations management have been developed to address the necessity for service orientation through co-creating mass-customized integrated solutions, a comprehensive and coherent view on the characteristics of a service-oriented business network (SBN) has not yet received sufficient attention. In this article, we intend to present and discuss an integrated framework that brings together different service orientation related theories and describes them in a structured way. The applicability and usefulness of the developed framework for directing service orientation in real-life BNs is evaluated on the basis of a multiple-case study research. The article bridges the gap between descriptive knowledge on service orientation and prescriptive engineering models for designing and implementing SBNs.
Did Westward Subduction Cause Cretaceous-Tertiary Orogeny in the North American Cordillera?

s, into computer-readable and/or transmittable form for personal or corporate use, either noncommercial or commercial, for-profi t or otherwise. Send permission requests to GSA Copyright Permissions, 3300 Penrose Place, P.O. Box 9140, Boulder, Colorado 80301-9140, USA. GSA provides this and other forums for the presentation of diverse opinions and positions by scientists worldwide, regardless of their race, citizenship, gender, religion, or political viewpoint. Opinions presented in this publication do not refl ect offi cial positions of the Society. Copyright is not claimed on any material prepared wholly by government employees within the scope of their employment. Published by The Geological Society of America, Inc. 3300 Penrose Place, P.O. Box 9140, Boulder, Colorado 80301-9140, USA
Provenance and Geochemical Characteristics of the Silt and Clay Fraction in the Taklamakan Desert, Northwestern China

To advance understanding of the provenance of the silt and clay fraction (particles <0.063 mm in diameter) in the Taklamakan Desert, where dust events occur frequently, we have investigated the spatial distribution and geochemical characteristics of the silt and clay content of surface sediment in the region. The mean PM10 (particles <0.01 mm in diameter) and PM50 (particles <0.05 mm in diameter) content of the surface sediment of the mobile desert were <0.97% and <3.98%, respectively, which was lower than for the Gobi Desert (PM10 = 2.13–6.46%, PM50 = 7.94–20.86%) and the degraded land surrounding the Taklamakan Desert (PM10 = 3.71–13.70%, PM50 = 12.33–32.29%). These results indicate that the Taklamakan Desert is surrounded by potential sources of silt and clay. The relationships between TiO2 and Fe2O3, MgO, V, and Zr confirm that the geochemical composition of the silt and clay fraction have striking spatial differences in the interior of the Taklamakan Desert. Three regions with different silt and clay fraction provenances were identified: the Southeastern (I), Northeastern (II), and Western (III) deserts. Homogeneous geochemical characteristics of the silt and clay fractions from the Southeastern (I) Desert, Gobi Desert and degraded land surrounding the Taklamakan Desert, under prevailing wind conditions, means that the same sources of silt and clay fraction source existed among these areas. The significant differences in the geochemical characteristics of the silt and clay fraction from upwind degraded land, the Western (III) Desert and the Northeastern (II) Desert, indicate that they are sourced from different locations.
The Influence of Crown Ether and Alcohol on Unsaturation and Molar Mass of Poly(propylene oxide)s Prepared by Use of Potassium t-Butoxide: Reinvestigation of Chain Transfer Reactions

Potassium t-butoxide dissolved in tetrahydrofuran effectively initiates homogeneous polymerization of propylene oxide at room temperature. Unsaturation and molar mass (M n) of the polymers prepared depend on the presence of additives, such as macrocyclic ligand 18-crown-6 (L) and t-butanol. Application of the ligand alone results in distinct increase of unsaturation and decrease of M n, whereas use of t-BuOH leads to simultaneous decrease of unsaturation and M n. Activation of t-BuOK/t-BuOH system with the ligand causes further decrease of unsaturation, that is, from 12.0 to 3.5 mol % for OK/OH (1/3) and OK/OH/L (1/3/2) systems, respectively. Unexpectedly, M n of the polymers obtained does not practically change (~4800). This result differs from that reported earlier for neat PO polymerization initiated potassium 1-methoxy-2-propoxide/1-methoxy-2-propanol, in which in the presence of the same ligand M n increases to ~12 400 for the same ratio of reagents. The mechanism of studied processes was discussed.
Properties of individual aerosol particles and their relation to air mass origins in a south China coastal city

[1] Atmospheric particles in urban and rural areas in Shenzhen city were collected in summer and winter 2004. The particles were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. The fine particles (<1 μm) were categorized into chain-like, elongated, rounded, and others on the basis of their morphology. Chain-like particles were likely soot aggregates. In summer and winter, chain-like particles accounted for 43% and 42% of total particles in the urban area, and 22% and 43% in the rural area, respectively. The elongated particles were mixtures of aged sea salts and ammonium sulfate, suggesting an aqueous phase reaction mechanism, i.e., in-cloud sulfate formation. Such particles occupied 12% of total particles in the urban area in the summer and were rarely observed in the wintertime samples. The rounded particles were mainly composed of sulfate and/or carbon. Their number concentration in the urban area was more than three times higher in the winter. In addition, we found that air masses from northern inland contained much higher concentrations of particles than those from the ocean. This was particularly evident in the rural area, where concentrations of chain-like and rounded particles were eight times higher in the continental air masses. These results suggest the strong influence of regional pollution on the particle number concentrations in the coastal city.
Predicting the occurrence, distribution, and evolution of methane gas hydrate in porous marine sediments

Using a new analytical formulation, we solve the coupled momentum, mass, and energy equations that govern the evolution and accumulation of methane gas hydrate in marine sediments and derive expressions for the locations of the top and bottom of the hydrate stability zone, the top and bottom of the zone of actual hydrate occurrence, the timescale for hydrate accumulation in sediments, and the rate of accumulation as a function of depth in diffusive and advective end-member systems. The major results emerging from the analysis are as follows: (1) The base of the zone in which gas hydrate actually occurs in marine sediments will not usually coincide with the base of methane hydrate stability but rather will lie at a more shallow depth than the base of the stability zone. Similarly, there are clear physical explanations for the disparity between the top of the gas hydrate stability zone (usually at the seafloor) and the top of the actual zone of gas hydrate occurrence. (2) If the bottom simulating reflector (BSR) marks the top of the free gas zone, then the BSR should occur substantially deeper than the base of the stability zone in some settings. (3) The presence of methane within the pressure-temperature stability field for methane gas hydrate is not sufficient to ensure the occurrence of gas hydrate, which can only form if the mass fraction of methane dissolved in liquid exceeds methane solubility in seawater and if the methane flux exceeds a critical value corresponding to the rate of diffusive methane transport. These critical flux rates can be combined with geophysical or geochemical observations to constrain the minimum rate of methane production by biogenic or thermogenic processes. (4) For most values of the diffusion-dispersion coefficient the diffusive end-member gas hydrate system is characterized by a thin layer of gas hydrate located near the base of the stability zone. Advective end-member systems have thicker layers of gas hydrate and, for high fluid flux rates, greater concentrations near the base of the layer than shallower in the sediment column. On the basis of these results and the very high methane flux rates required to create even minimal gas hydrate zones in some diffusive end-member systems, we infer that all natural gas hydrate systems, even those in relatively low flux environments like passive margins, are probably advection dominated.
Amino acid geochronology of Pleistocene marine sediments in the Wanganui Basin: a New Zealand framework for correlation and dating

Amino acid analysis of indigenous protein preserved in fossil marine bivalves from Plio-Pleistocene sediments in the Wanganui Basin, North Island, New Zealand has provided an aminostratigraphy. D-alloisoleucine/L-isoleucine (D-aIle/L-Ile) ratios were measured in the venerid marine bivalves Tawera spissa and Austrovenus stutchburyi that show progressively increasing D-aIle/L-Ile ratios with increasing stratigraphical age. When calibrated by magnetostratigraphy, fission-track dating, radiocarbon dating, and coccolith biostratigraphy, these relative D-aIle/L-Ile ages range up to c. 1 Ma. The aminostratigraphy provides a framework of correlation and dating for other sites in the New Zealand area where other methods of dating are unavailable, as well as facilitating correlation with oxygen isotope stratigraphy. This is the first calibrated aminostratigraphical sequence from a long sequence of sediments that cover a significant proportion of the Pleistocene.
Rectovaginal Colonization with Serotypes of Group B Streptococci with Reduced Penicillin Susceptibility among Pregnant Women in León, Nicaragua

Group B Streptococci (GBS) are important causes of neonatal sepsis and meningitis globally. To elucidate the potential benefits of maternal GBS vaccines, data is needed on the epidemiology of maternal GBS rectovaginal colonization, distribution of serotypes, and resistance to intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP). We collected rectal and vaginal samples from 305 pregnant women in León, Nicaragua between 35 and 40 weeks gestation. Samples were cultured for GBS and confirmed using latex agglutination. GBS isolates underwent serotyping by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing by disk diffusion and microdilution following Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute guidelines. Sixty-three women (20.7%) were colonized with GBS in either the rectum or the vagina. Of 91 GBS isolates collected from positive cultures, most were serotypes II (28.6%), Ia (27.5%), and III (20.9%). Most GBS isolates (52.9%) were resistant to penicillin, the first-line prophylactic antibiotic. Penicillin resistance was highly correlated with resistance to vancomycin, ceftriaxone, and meropenem. The results of our study suggest that one-fifth of pregnant women in the urban area of León, Nicaragua are colonized with GBS and risk transmitting GBS to their offspring during labor. High resistance to commonly available antibiotics in the region suggests that prophylactic maternal GBS vaccination would be an effective alternative to IAP.
Is Climate Variability over the North Pacific a Linear Response to ENSO

Abstract Indices of the dominant spatial patterns of wintertime Northern Hemisphere 500-mb height and North Pacific sea surface temperature are strongly correlated with one another on interannual and interdecadal timescales, and both am correlated with indices of the El Nin-Southern Oscillation. One possible interpretation of these relationships is that the tropical SST anomalies associated with ENSO force the atmospheric circulation over the North Pacific, and these atmospheric anomalies, in turn, give rise to the observed SST anomalies over the extratropical North Pacific. In this study, linear relationships between ENSO and extratropical variables are examined in two different ways. First, the component of the observed extratropical variability that is linearly dependent upon ENSO is removed. The dominant spatial patterns in the residual variability of 500-mb height and SST anomalies over the North Pacific are shown to be similar to their counterparts in the total fields and remain strongly coupled on .
Could Britain’s energy demand be met entirely by wind and solar?

The UK government aims to decarbonise the domestic electricity system by 2035 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. This paper estimates the practical contributions that wind and solar electricity generation could make, incorporating recent advances in technology and significant declines in cost. Using established literature and bottom-up technical assessments, we build on the methodology of MacKay (2008), and find that the time-bound assumptions therein resulted in a large underestimate of the practical resources available. We conservatively estimate that the practical potential for electricity generation in Great Britain is around 544 TWh/year for utility-scale solar photovoltaic farms, 25 TWh/year for rooftop solar, 206 TWh/year for onshore wind farms, and 2,121 TWh/year for fixed and floating offshore wind farms. The combined, conservatively estimated, potential generation from solar and wind (2,896 TWh) is almost double the maximum estimated final energy consumption of Great Britain in 2050 (1,500 TWh), and almost ten times current electricity needs (299 TWh/year). Furthermore, since wind and solar are the cheapest forms of newbuild electricity generation in the UK, and are expected to remain so, electricity generation costs are not a barrier to a very high wind and solar future. Though variable renewable generation currently brings additional integration costs, with well-planned investment and proactive policy, alongside rapidly falling storage costs, these costs appear manageable for a high renewable energy future. An economy powered entirely by wind and solar may or may not be politically feasible, or publicly acceptable, but this paper demonstrates that Great Britain’s practical wind and solar resources are more than sufficient to economically meet total net domestic energy needs. Table 0. Summary of estimates for total practical energy supply and demand in Great Britain. Totals may not align due to rounding. Energy supply (TWh/year) Key conservative assumptions Utility-scale solar 544 • 2% of GB land Rooftop solar 25 • 8.3% of GB rooftops Onshore wind 206 • 5% of GB’s land area • 7 MW turbines • Spacing of 6 x turbine diameter between turbines • Average 38% capacity factor Offshore wind Fixed: 563 Floating: 1,557 • Fixed turbines: 2% of UK’s exclusive economic zone • Floating turbines: 8% of UK’s exclusive economic zone • 15 MW turbines • Spacing of 7 x turbine diameter between turbines • Average 50% capacity factor Total solar + wind practical supply 2,896 Assumed 2050 final energy demand 1,500 • More conservative (higher) than all surveyed studies, including all National Grid Future Energy Scenarios