Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Broken heart syndrome in myasthenia gravis

Broken heart syndrome or stress‐induced non‐ischemic cardiomyopathy (SICM) has rarely been reported in the setting of myasthenic crisis. We describe a case of reversible SICM that occurred simultaneously with myasthenic crisis in a 77‐year‐old man without prior cardiac history, and we discuss the previous findings that support an association of other cardiac disorders with myasthenia gravis. Muscle Nerve 000: 000–000, 2011
Apparent breakdown of reciprocity in reflected solar radiances

Observations of reflected solar radiation measurements from natural surfaces (e.g., clouds and forested biomes) are often noted as disobeying the principle of reciprocity. In these contexts the application of reciprocity has been in its directional form. We note that the general principle of reciprocity also encompasses spatial attributes and reduces to a directional form only when the areas of illumination and measurement are the same. In either form a proper reciprocal set of reflected solar radiation measurements can never be obtained due to our inability to control the area illuminated by the Sun. This may appear as a breakdown in the directional reciprocity of the observations, which has serious implications for remote sensing. Using Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations, we demonstrate that the magnitude of the apparent reciprocity breakdown depends on three factors: (1) measurement resolution, with larger deviations occurring for higher resolutions; (2) Sun-view geometry, with larger deviations occurring for larger Sun/view zenith angles and differences between Sun and view angles; and (3) the distribution of scatterers within and surrounding the measurement area, making the deviations depend on scene type.
Docking Screens for Dual Inhibitors of Disparate Drug Targets for Parkinson’s Disease

Modulation of multiple biological targets with a single drug can lead to synergistic therapeutic effects and has been demonstrated to be essential for efficient treatment of CNS disorders. However, rational design of compounds that interact with several targets is very challenging. Here, we demonstrate that structure-based virtual screening can guide the discovery of multi-target ligands of unrelated proteins relevant for Parkinson's disease. A library with 5.4 million molecules was docked to crystal structures of the A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR) and monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B). Twenty-four compounds that were among the highest ranked for both binding sites were evaluated experimentally, resulting in the discovery of four dual-target ligands. The most potent compound was an A2AAR antagonist with nanomolar affinity ( Ki = 19 nM) and inhibited MAO-B with an IC50 of 100 nM. Optimization guided by the predicted binding modes led to the identification of a second potent dual-target scaffold. The two discovered scaffolds were shown to counteract 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity in dopaminergic neuronal-like SH-SY5Y cells. Structure-based screening can hence be used to identify ligands with specific polypharmacological profiles, providing new avenues for drug development against complex diseases.
The Greenland Norse: bones, graves, computers, and DNA

The remains of the Greenland Norse provide unique biological anthropological material for the investigation of human and environmental interaction. As a population, they were generally secluded from most of the contemporary European medieval society, and land suitable for their way of life was limited in Greenland. The archaeological and historical record is excellent, clearly establishing the 500-year period of colonisation. In other words, the Greenland Norse represent a relatively isolated population, constrained in both space and time. Living in an environment with very little buffering capacity, ecological changes immediately had repercussions. Ten years of research have shown a direct climatic impact on the humans as well as changing subsistence patterns. It seems that the Norse in Greenland responded to these changes, although inside ‘cultural’ limits. Demographic modelling indicates that emigration may have accounted for the final abandonment of the settlements. A changing ecology thus seems to have pushed the Greenland Norse out of Greenland, because their sedentary way of life, relying on animal husbandry, and probably with a strong cultural sense of identity focused on farmsteads and domestication, became unsustainable. A further step will be clarifying the genetic history of the Norse as well as of the Thule Culture Inuit. These analyses have commenced by examining mtDNA variation and Y-chromosomal diversity among present-day Greenlandic Inuit, and preliminary results appear to provide some information as to the fate of the Norse people.
Regulation, Competition and Productivity Convergence

This paper investigates the effect of product market regulations on the international diffusion of productivity shocks. The empirical results indicate that restrictive product market regulations slow the process of adjustment through which best practice production techniques diffuse across borders and new technologies are incorporated into the production process. This suggest that remaining cross-country differences in product market regulation can partially explain the recent observed divergence of productivity in OECD countries, given the emergence of new general-purpose technologies over the 1990s. The paper also investigates two channels through which product market regulations might affect the international diffusion of productivity shocks, namely the adoption of information and communications technology and the location decisions of multi-national enterprises. In both cases the effect of anticompetitive product market regulation is found to be negative and significant. Regulation, concurrence et convergence de la productivite Cette etude analyse les effets de la regulation dans les marches des biens sur la diffusion des chocs de productivite au niveau international. Les resultats empiriques indiquent que les restrictions dans les marches des biens ralentissent le processus d'ajustement a travers lequel les techniques de production les plus avancees se repandent au-dela des frontieres et sont incorporees dans l'activite productive. Ces resultats suggerent que les differentes approches dans la regulation des marches des biens qui caracterisent encore les pays de l'OCDE peuvent expliquer en partie la tendance a la divergence des niveaux de productivite qui a ete observee recemment dans la zone OCDE, etant donne l'emergence des nouvelles technologies de l'information et communication au cours de la meme periode. L'etude analyse aussi deux canaux par lesquels la regulation peut influencer la diffusion des chocs de productivite au niveau international : l'investissement en nouvelles technologies de l'information et communication et les decisions de localisation des filiales des entreprises multinationales. Dans les deux cas, les resultats suggerent que l'effet des regulations qui font obstacle a la concurrence dans les marches des biens est negatif et significatif.
Factors Influencing Well Productivity in Glaciated Metamorphic Rocks

Eight factors were examined to determine their influence on the transmissivities of 35 domestic wells drilled in glaciated, metamorphic bedrock. Wells were grouped into categories on the basis of bedrock type, topographic position, structural setting, proximity to fracture‐correlated lineaments, overburden type, overburden thickness, proximity to surface water bodies, and water table depth. Results indicate that bedrock type, topographic setting proximity to fracture‐correlated lineaments, and structural position explain 34,31,15 and 12% of the observed variation in transmissivity, respectively, and are the only variables that have a statistically significant (90% confidence level) relationship with transmissivity. In this study, wells situated in amphibolite bedrock in upland valleys and flats located 25 m from fracture‐correlated lineaments and positioned on the axes of major folds are the most productive. Review of the literature and comparison of results from this study with those from three other investigations, each representing geologic environments (carbonate, clastic sedimentary, and unglaciated metamorphic/igneous terrains), indicates that well productivity varies with geologic setting; a set of factors in one geologic environment does not necessarily have the same significance when applied to wells in a different geologic setting.
EFFECT OF MANIPULATION OF WATER AND NITROGEN SUPPLIES ON THE QUANTITATIVE PHENOLOGY OF LARREA TRIDENTATA (CREOSOTE BUSH) IN THE SONORAN DESERT OF CALIFORNIA

Two years of water and nitrogen augmentation experiments on Larrea tridentata (creosote bush) were carried out in a southern Californian warm desert wash plant community. Treatments consisted of control (C), water (W), water and soil nitrogen (W+SN), and soil nitrogen (SN). Quantitative phenological data and microclimate measurements were collected prior to the onset of and during the growth period and treatments. Predawn and midday water potentials were lower in nonirrigated than irrigated individuals. Leaf conductance was higher in irrigate than in nonirrigated shrubs, with a maximum difference of 1 cm s{sup {minus}1} observed in July 1984 under relatively low vapor pressure deficit conditions. Leaf production rates were significantly high in the irrigated (W and W+SN) treatments than in the nonirrigated (C and SN) treatments in 1984. Addition of soil nitrogen caused no increased in vegetative growth rates in 1984. In 1985, a drier year, there was only minimal growth during the spring and summer growth periods in the nonirrigated treatments, while the W and W+SN treatments resulted in significantly higher leaf and shoot growth rates. Growth rates in 1985 were significantly higher in the W + SN treatment than in the W treatment. Reproductive growth was higher in the nonirrigatedmore » than the irrigated treatments, with the lowest reproductive activity noted in the W treatment. « less
GPR54 peptide agonists stimulate insulin secretion from murine, porcine and human islets

This study was designed to determine the effects of 10 and 13 amino acid forms of kisspeptin on dynamic insulin secretion from mammalian islets since it is not clear from published data whether the shorter peptide is stimulatory while the longer peptide inhibits insulin release. Insulin secretion was measured by radioimmunoassay following perifusion of human, pig, rat and mouse isolated islets with kisspeptin-10 or kisspeptin-13 in the presence of 20 mM glucose. Both peptides stimulated rapid, reversible potentiation of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from islets of all species tested. These data indicate that both kisspeptin-10 and kisspeptin-13, which is an extension of kisspeptin-10 by three amino acids, act directly at islet β-cells of various species to potentiate insulin secretion, and suggest that inhibitory effects reported in earlier studies may reflect differences in experimental protocols.
The origin of KREEP

KREEP is a lunar material having very high concentrations of incompatible elements; its name is an acronym for the incompatibles K, rare-earth elements (REE), and P. Although a few pristine (endogenously igneous) KREEPy samples were returned from the Apollo 15 and 17 sites, most KREEPy samples are polymict breccias. Most models of KREEP petrogenesis have been based on partial melting of a variety of sources. Such models fail to explain the veritable absence of variations in incompatible element patterns over the sampled portion of the moon. We have defined a KREEP component based on the average composition of Apollo 14 breccias having extremely high concentrations of incompatible elements. Normalization of accurate incompatible data for KREEPy samples from the Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 sites to this component virtually always shows no resolvable fractionation (e.g., <10% variation in the La/Lu ratio), whereas partial melting models typically produce larger fractionations (±20–25% in La/Lu) from a factor of 2 difference in degree of partial melting. Required is a single major source that could provide KREEP to widely separated locations on the nearside of the moon. The anorthositic crust of the moon is commonly attributed to the flotation of plagioclase on a deep, moon-wide magma ocean. Fractional crystallization of this magma ocean would have produced large enrichments of incompatibles in a residual liquid. No other plausible major source of incompatibles has been proposed. We borrow the German prefix ur—meaning primeval and designate this residual liquid ‘urKREEP. ’ We propose that all KREEPy rocks originated by dilution of urKREEP with crustal or mantle materials during assimilation, or zone-refining (pristine samples), or impact-induced brecciation (breccias and melt rocks). The formation of urKREEP cannot be dated precisely. Correction of breccia Rb-Sr model ages for Rb loss or gain during the early intense bombardments yields ages that cluster in the range 4.4–4.5 Gy. This implies that crystallization of the magma ocean was essentially complete at this time and is in general agreement with U-Pb evidence indicating crustal formation at 4.4 Gy. Assuming that the moon had the composition of an H-group chondrite depleted in Fe-Ni and FeS and that half the incompatibles fractionated into materials other than urKREEP, the thickness of a moon-wide urKREEP layer was <2 km. Thorium concentrations determined by gamma ray spectroscopy indicate that about 4% of the incompatibles in an H chondritic moon are now in the outermost kilometer.
Brittle strength of basaltic rock masses with applications to Venus

Laboratory measurements of rock deformation in the brittle regime provide constraints on the response of rocks to stress. These values are essential parameters in tectonic models of near-surface deformation because they influence both the stress state and the conditions for predicting the types and occurrences of brittle structures such as joints and faults. However, additional parameters must be included before the laboratory values can be used to construct brittle strength envelopes for near-surface materials. The properties of basaltic rock masses provide a more precise estimate of the strengths of basaltic lava flows on the terrestrial planets than other, more widely used approaches (intact rock or frictional strength of a through-going surface). Rock mass strength is defined by three parameters including unconfined compressive strength of intact basalt and two others related to the degree of fracturing of the material. Experimental results for elevated temperature extend the applicability of these parameters to the near-surface environment of Venus. Representative values of strength parameters for intact basalt at ambient temperature (20°C)and negligible confining pressure are: Young's modulus, 73 GPa; Poisson's ratio, 0.25; tensile strength, −14 MPa; unconfined compressive strength, 262 MPa; fracture toughness, 1–3 MPa m½ cohesion, 66 MPa; and coefficient of friction, 0.6. At elevated temperature (∼450°C) and zero confining pressure, reference values for the strength of intact basalt are: Young's modulus, 57 GPa; Poisson's ratio, 0.25; unconfined compressive strength, 210 MPa; and fracture toughness, 2–2.8 MPa m½. Corresponding values for a basaltic rock mass that incorporate the weakening effects of scale (but not elevated temperature) are: Deformation modulus, 5–50 GPa; Poisson's ratio, 0.3; tensile strength, −0.2 to −2 MPa; uniaxial compressive strength, 12–63 MPa; cohesion, 0.5–6 MPa. Values of tensile and cohesive strength for the basaltic rock mass are approximately one to two orders of magnitude lower than corresponding values for intact basalt. Temperatures comparable to those at the Venus surface may slightly increase the deformation modulus but decrease the compressive strength of the rock mass. Brittle strength envelopes for the rock mass as a function of depth are typically stronger in both extension and compression than conventional envelopes that assume a simple frictional strength. These results indicate that the strengths of basaltic rocks on planetary surfaces and in the shallow subsurface are significantly different from strength values commonly used in tectonic modeling studies which assume properties of either intact rock samples or single planar shear surfaces.
Spectral reflectance for the mineralogical evaluation of Brazilian low clay activity soils

Highly weathered tropical soils are very important in terms of agricultural production but there are only a few spectral studies that have evaluated them in detail. Measurements of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) interactions with soil samples can provide useful information regarding mineralogy, organic matter content, granulometry as well as other important soil parameters. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between analytical and spectral parameters of six important classes of tropical Brazilian soils. Spectral data were obtained under laboratory conditions using an IRIS (400–2500 nm) spectroradiometer. Soil chemical analyses were conducted as performed for pedological surveys. Spectral curves provided useful pedological information. Diagnostic mineralogical features were found for “absorption bands” that are well‐defined “valleys” centred in some wavelengths of the spectral curve. The main absorption bands were centred at 450 and 850 nm and were attributed to interactions between EMR and the content of iron oxide in the soil. Water and hydroxyl absorption bands at 1450, 1950 and 2200 nm were also enhanced, and allowed a correlation with the presence of either 2 : 1 or kaolinitic mineralogy. Important pedological characteristics such as granulometry, quartz and the presence of magnetite could also be inferred. Reflectance increased as the iron content decreased and the soil's texture changed from clay to sandy. Iron forms differentially influenced the spectral data: crystalline forms were responsible for concavities in the 450 and 1100 nm spectral range and amorphous forms reduced the intensity of reflectance, but did not alter the concavities. Rich quartz soils reflected more than soils rich in iron and magnetite. The 1 : 1 mineralogy presented spectral contours that differed from the 2 : 1 mineralogy when evaluated with the bands at 1950 and 2200 nm. In conclusion, laboratory EMR analysis of soil samples collected in the field can provide a great deal of pedological information and assist traditional methods of soil evaluation.
Statistical maps of geomagnetic perturbations as a function of the interplanetary magnetic field

[1] Mappings of geomagnetic perturbations are shown for different combinations of the solar wind velocity, interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), and dipole tilt angle (season). Average maps were derived separately for the northward, eastward, and vertical (downward) components of the geomagnetic disturbances, using spherical cap harmonics in least error fits of sorted measurements. The source data are obtained from 104 ground-based magnetometer stations in the Northern Hemisphere at geomagnetic latitudes over 40° during the years 1998 through 2001. Contour maps of statistical fits are shown along-side scatter plots of individual measurements in corrected geomagnetic apex coordinates. The patterns are consistent with previous mappings of ionospheric electric potential. Interestingly, the vertical component of the magnetic perturbations closely resembles maps of the overhead, field-aligned currents, including the Northward IMF configuration. The maximum and minimum values from the statistical mappings are graphed to show their changes as a function of southward IMF magnitude, solar wind velocity, and seasons. It is expected that this work will lead to better advance predictions of the geomagnetic perturbations that are based on real-time IMF measurements.
Complex seismic anisotropic structure beneath the central Tien Shan revealed by shear wave splitting analyses

SUMMARY Shear wave splitting parameters (fast polarization directions and splitting times) obtained at the permanent broad-band station Wushi (WUS), which is situated in central Tien Shan, China, demonstrate systematic azimuthal variations. The fast polarization directions range from 26 ◦ to 85 ◦ and the delay times range from 0.4 to 1.6 s, suggesting a complex anisotropic structure that cannot be adequately explained by a single anisotropic layer with horizontal axis of symmetry. The azimuthal variations have an apparent 90 ◦ periodicity and thus can be best explained by a two-layer anisotropic model with horizontal symmetry axes. The optimal fast direction for the upper layer is in the 60 ◦ –80 ◦ range that is subparallel to the strike of the Tien Shan orogenic belt, and can consequently be attributed to the ongoing N–S directed shortening. The fast direction for the lower layer ranges from 85 ◦ to 105 ◦ and can be explained by lattice-preferred orientation of olivine crystals in the asthenosphere associated with present-day absolute plate motion of the Eurasian plate.
Calcareous Nannofossils Boistratigraphy and Paleoecology of the Late Paleocene/Early Eocene of Wadi Nukhul, Westcentral Sinai, Egypt

The calcareous nannofossil biozones NP7/8 through NP12 were identified from the Esna and base of the Thebes formations at Wadi Nukhul, westcentral Sinai. The Subzone NP9a spans the lower part of Esna Formation. The Zone NP10 is easily differentiated into 4 subzones (a-d). The NP9/NP10 zonal boundary can be identified at the level of increase frequency of Neochiastozygus junctus. Zone NP11 occupies the topmost part of the Esna Formation and the base of the Thebes Formation indicating conformable relation between them. The Paleocene/Eocene boundary is traced between the NP9a/NP9b subzonal boundary which is marked by the first- appearances of Rhomboaster spp. It is located at the basal part of the Esna Formation and conforms lithologic change from blackish calcareous shale to brown calcarenite. On the basis of nannofossils, the Paleocene Eocene Thermal maximum (PETM) interval can be divided into two parts (lower and upper). The major assemblage shift across the P/E boundary suggests a change from colder, more productive surface waters to warmer, more oligotrophic conditions. Above the PETM interval, the niche of Fasciculithus spp. was filled by Neochiastozygus juncts and Rhabdolithus solus, the cooler and more eutrophic taxa.
Carbon-isotope variation in Sphagnum from hummock-hollow complexes: implications for Holocene climate reconstruction

The interpretation of isotopic variation in Sphagnum from Holocene peat profiles rests upon several assumptions concerning physiological processes such as variation in CO2 uptake and differences in the isotopic ratio of the source CO2. To examine such variability Sphagnum from hummock-hollow complexes from two raised bogs (Florencecourt and Clara) in Ireland was sampled for carbon isotope analysis. Samples were taken from relatively dry hummock tops, margins and submerged hollows. Carbon isotope measurements on cellulose obtained from the Sphagnum revealed a variation of ∼6‰ across the bog surface. The mean values for Florence court and Clara Bog are -25.6‰ and -26.5‰ (PDB) respectively, which is consistent with the sphagna utilizing C3 photosynthesis to take up atmospheric CO2. The hummock-top species from both sites yielded lighter isotopic values than the hummock-margin species which is consistent with the hummock-top species photosyn thesizing under a lower water content and hence lower external diffusion resistance. A large range of ∂13 C values was recorded for the hollow samples. The heaviest isotopic values result from high external resistance to CO2. In some situations, however, the carbon source contains a proportion of recycled CO2, depleted in 13C, which produces relatively light isotopic values. Such large isotopic variation within the wet hollows may lead to erroneous climatic interpretation.