Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bioinspired Multifunctional Melanin-Based Nanoliposome for Photoacoustic/Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Efficient Photothermal Ablation of Cancer

Background: The construction of theranostic nanosystems with concurrently high biosafety and therapeutic performance is a challenge but has great significance for the clinical translation of nanomedicine for combating cancer. Methods: Bio-inspired melanin-based nanoliposomes (Lip-Mel) as theranostic agents were constructed for simultaneous photoacoustic (PA) imaging- and T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-guided photothermal ablation of tumors, which was demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. The high biosafety of Lip-Mel was also systematically evaluated. Results: The achieved Lip-Mel nanoliposomes demonstrated their imaging capability for both PA and T1-weighted MR imaging (r1 = 0.25 mM-1·s-1) both in vitro and in vivo, providing the potential for therapeutic guidance and monitoring. Importantly, the desirable photothermal-conversion efficiency of the as-prepared Lip-Mel achieved complete eradication of tumors in breast cancer-bearing mice, exhibiting remarkable photothermal-based therapeutic performance. In particular, the efficient encapsulation of melanin into the PEGylated liposome mitigated the potential toxicity of melanin and improved the photothermal performance of the loaded melanin. Systematic in vivo biosafety evaluations demonstrated the high biocompatibility of Lip-Mel at a high dose of 100 mg/kg. Conclusion: In this work, we reported a bioinspired strategy where melanin, a natural product in the human body, is encapsulated into PEGylated nanoliposomes for efficient theranostics with high biocompatibility. This work provides a new strategy for creating desirable theranostic agents with concurrent high biocompatibility and satisfactory theranostic performance through the use of materials that totally originate from biosystems.
Correlative velocity fluctuations over a gravel river bed

Velocity fluctuations in a steep, coarse‐bedded river were measured in flow depths ranging from 0.8 to 2.2 m, with mean velocities at middepth from 1.1 to 3.1 m s−1. Analyses of synchronous velocity records for two and three points in the vertical showed a broad range of high coherence for wave periods from 10 to 100 s, centering around 10–30 s. Streamwise correlations over distances of 9 and 14 m showed convection velocities near mean velocity for the same wave periods. The range of coherent wave periods was a small multiple of predicted “boil” periods. Correlative fluctuations in synchronous velocity records in the vertical direction suggested the blending of short pulses into longer wave periods. The highest spectral densities were measured beyond the range of coherent wave periods and were probably induced by migration of low‐relief bed forms.
Comparison of K-Ar Ages of Diagenetic Illite-Smectite to the Age of a Chemical Remanent Magnetization (CRM): An Example from the Isle of Skye, Scotland

The clay fractions of Jurassic marls in the Great Estuarine Group in southern Isle of Skye are composed of mixed-layered illite-smectite (I-S) with large percentages (>85%) of illite layers, kaolinite, and generally smaller amounts of chlorite. These marls have not been buried to the depths normally required to convert smectite to illite-rich I-S, so it is possible that the conversion was in response to heat and hydrothermal fluids from nearby early Tertiary igneous activity ∼55 Ma ago. The large percentages of illite layers in I-S, the Środoń intensity ratios, and the Kübler index values appear to be consistent with the formation of diagenetic I-S as a result of relatively brief heating caused by igneous activity. The Jurassic rocks in southern Skye contain a secondary chemical remanent magnetization (CRM) that resides in magnetite and formed at approximately the same time as the Tertiary igneous rocks on Skye. K-Ar age values for I-S based on illite age analysis have been determined to test the hypothesis that the CRM was acquired coincidently with the smectite-to-illite conversion. However, linear extrapolation of K-Ar age vs. percentage of 2M1 polytype (detrital illite) from one marl (EL-6) yields an estimate for the age of diagenetic illite of 106 Ma, which is close to the measured age of the finest subfraction (108 Ma). These estimated and measured age values, however, could be substantially greater than the true age of the diagenetic illite in I-S because of the presence of detrital 1Md illite that was recycled from early Paleozoic shales and whose abundance relative to the diagenetic I-S may have been enhanced because the diagenetic fluid had a low K/Na ratio, limiting the amount of diagenetic illite formed. Nevertheless, most of the illite in the Elgol marls (80% or more in the finest fractions) must be diagenetic and probably formed in response to the early Tertiary magmatism.
A robust method for tropopause altitude identification using GPS radio occultation data

A robust method to determine the tropopause altitude directly from GPS Radio Occultation (RO) measurements of bending angle is presented. An objective covariance transform method is applied to identify transitions in a bending angle profile. The tropopause is identified by the maximum in the convolution of the natural logarithm of an observed bending angle profile with a gradient window function. Identification of the tropopause from bending angles is of particular value since they are directly derived from climate benchmark observations. This method avoids additional RO data processing and assumptions to derive parameters such as dry temperature, and use of subjective tropopause identification criteria. The RO tropopause altitude is compared with lapse rate and cold point criteria using dry temperatures and radiosonde temperature profiles. A longer‐term tropopause altitude analysis for May to November 2008 using the RO bending angle method shows good agreement with tropopause altitudes computed from dry temperature parameters.
Hydrometeorological analysis of the December 2008 flood in Rome

Abstract Rome has been plagued by flooding since its foundation, and, in December 2008, the largest flood event over the past 20 years caused a fatality and more than €150 million in economic damage. Meteorological conditions associated with the December 2008 flooding are shown to be typical of flooding in the Tiber. The long record of discharge measurements of the Tiber River at the Ripetta station in downtown Rome was used to examine flood frequency for the Tiber, including assessment of the return interval of the December 2008 flood. Particular attention is given to examination of the stationarity assumption for flood peaks through change-point and trend analyses, quantile regression, and statistical modelling of the flood-peak distribution. Once anthropogenic changes linked to reservoir regulation of the Tiber River have been accounted for, the stationarity assumption holds and can be used for flood frequency analysis. We highlight the difficulties in detecting departures from the stationarity assumption due to climate change. In the current regime, the December 2008 flood event has a return period of the order of 10–20 years. Citation Villarini, G. , Smith, J.A. , Napolitano, F. & Baeck, M.L. (2011) Hydrometeorological analyses of the December 2008 flood in Rome. Hydrol. Sci. J. 56(7), 1150–1165.
Absolute optical energy of sprites and its relationship to charge moment of parent lightning discharge based on measurement by ISUAL/AP

[1] Although the Quasi-electrostatic (QE) model has been considered a basic mechanism for describing sprite generation, the relationship between sprite luminosity and the charge moment change (CMC) value, caused by the sprites' parent lightning has not been examined quantitatively. CMC value represents the energy of cloud-to-ground discharge (CG) and the electric field intensity above the thunderstorm. We focused on the data obtained in 2004, in which both ISUAL on board the FORMOSAT-2 satellite and the Tohoku ELF network were operated throughout one year. We could estimate the absolute luminous intensity of sprites free from atmospheric influence with the ISUAL/Array Photometer (AP) and investigated its relationship to the charge moment of parent lightning. Absolute optical energies emitted from sprites were estimated for 14 streamer-type sprites for the first time. The averages of the time-integrated optical energies are 176 kJ and 119 kJ for the N2 1PG and N2 2PG bands, respectively. Furthermore, the optical energies and the charge moments of their parent lightning estimated with ELF data show a high correlation (correlation coefficient = 0.93), that is consistent, qualitatively, with the QE model. This relationship predicts that the 50% occurrence probability is located at ∼600 C km, which coincides with previous statistical studies.
Effect of sudden stratospheric warming on lunar tidal modulation of the equatorial electrojet

[1] Using the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) peak current intensity as deduced from CHAMP magnetic observations from the years 2001 through 2009, we investigated the relationship between sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) and lunitidal signatures in the tropical ionosphere. There is a practically one-to-one correspondence between midwinter SSW periods and the strongest 13 day modulation of the EEJ strength as observed by CHAMP. That is, all the midwinter SSW periods from December 2001 to August 2009 were accompanied by an enhanced 13 day modulation of the EEJ strength. No other geophysical phenomenon brought about as strong a 13 day modulation as those of the midwinter SSW periods. During each midwinter SSW period the amplified 13 day modulation of the EEJ strengths starts roughly within ±1 week around the first peak in stratospheric temperature difference. An oscillation with a period of 13.26 days is predicted by the lunitidal equation when considering the precession of the CHAMP orbit. When fitting the lunitidal equation to the EEJ modulations during the midwinter SSW periods, consistent phase delays of 4.4 ± 0.3 days of the tidal signal emerge for all the cases. The results suggest that the pronounced 13 day modulation of the EEJ strength is related to an enhancement of the lunar tide in the ionosphere by the SSW effect.
Hydraulic conductivity and compressibility of mixtures of Nagoya clay with sand or bentonite

In this study, a series of incremental loading oedometer tests and microscopic observations is carried out in order to investigate the influence of sand/bentonite fractions on hydraulic conductivity and compressibility. If sand particles do not form a skeletal structure, and each particle is independent in the clay matrix, an additive fraction of sand causes a decrease in the compressibility; however, it does not affect the hydraulic conductivity under the same consolidation pressure. The additive fraction of bentonite contributes to a decrease in the hydraulic conductivity, even for clayey materials. In addition, the relationship between the pore-size parameter, which represents the pore entrance size distribution, and the hydraulic conductivity is discussed using a probabilistic model known as the general capillary model.
Mapping translation 'hot-spots' in live cells by tracking single molecules of mRNA and ribosomes

Messenger RNA localization is important for cell motility by local protein translation. However, while single mRNAs can be imaged and their movements tracked in single cells, it has not yet been possible to determine whether these mRNAs are actively translating. Therefore, we imaged single β-actin mRNAs tagged with MS2 stem loops colocalizing with labeled ribosomes to determine when polysomes formed. A dataset of tracking information consisting of thousands of trajectories per cell demonstrated that mRNAs co-moving with ribosomes have significantly different diffusion properties from non-translating mRNAs that were exposed to translation inhibitors. These data indicate that ribosome load changes mRNA movement and therefore highly translating mRNAs move slower. Importantly, β-actin mRNA near focal adhesions exhibited sub-diffusive corralled movement characteristic of increased translation. This method can identify where ribosomes become engaged for local protein production and how spatial regulation of mRNA-protein interactions mediates cell directionality. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.10415. 001
Impact of freshwater release in the North Atlantic under different climate conditions in an OAGCM

Abstract The response of climate to freshwater input in the North Atlantic (NA) has raised a lot of concern about the issue of climate stability since the discovery of abrupt coolings during the last glacial period. Such coolings have usually been related to a weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), probably associated with massive iceberg surges or meltwater pulses. Additionally, the recent increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has also raised the possibility of a melting of the Greenland ice sheet, which may impact the future AMOC, and thereby the climate. In this study, the extent to which the mean climate influences the freshwater release linked to ice sheet melting in the NA and the associated climatic response is explored. For this purpose the simulations of several climatic states [last interglacial, Last Glacial Maximum, mid-Holocene, preindustrial, and future (2 × CO2)] are considered, and the climatic response to a freshwater input computed interactively acc.
High‐latitude remote sensing of mesospheric wind speeds and carbon monoxide

[1] We present high-resolution ground-based measurements of mesospheric carbon monoxide (CO) taken in the years 2002–5 from the AST/RO sub-millimeter telescope, located at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. These include the first winter measurements of CO directly from one of the geographic poles, which agree well with expected high concentrations within the polar vortex. We also use CO as a tracer to estimate mesospheric neutral wind speeds, by measuring small Doppler shifts in the rotational emission spectrum. We highlight the potential of high-resolution radiometric measurements mesospheric winds to fill a significant experimental data gap.
Impacts of land fragmentation on input use, crop yield and production efficiency in the mountains of Nepal

Amidst the growing concern about agricultural underdevelopment in developing countries, this study addresses the causes and trends of land fragmentation. It analyses the impact of land fragmentation on input use efficiency, crop yield and production efficiency, especially with reference to a mountain district in Nepal. Necessary information was obtained from discussions with groups and individual land users and a questionnaire survey covering 184 households representing different degrees of land fragmentation. The analyses focused on two staple crops, namely, maize and paddy. The analysis revealed an increasing trend in the number of land parcels and a decreasing trend in the size of land parcels, primarily due to the heredity tradition of equal division of land among the inheritors. Other factors such as land purchase have also contributed to land fragmentation. Yield analysis revealed that small parcels are more productive than large parcels, because of higher applications of inputs. Consistent with this, small parcels also appeared to have a higher production efficiency than large parcels—considering both benefit and cost of purchased inputs—indicating a positive impact of land fragmentation on farmers' income. However, an analysis considering also the cost of inputs produced on the farm revealed an opposite trend, that is, on large land parcels, production is more efficient than on small parcels. In view of the need to also recover the cost of the inputs produced on‐farm, it is concluded that land fragmentation—leading to small plots—has a negative impact on production efficiency, thereby constraining agricultural development. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
GIS Adoption Among Senior High School Geography Teachers in Taiwan

This article explores the adoption of geographic information system (GIS) knowledge and skills through in-service training for high school geography teachers in Taiwan. Through statistical analysis of primary data collected from a census of Taiwan's high school geography teachers, it explores what motivates these teachers to undertake GIS training. The design of the questionnaire was largely inspired by the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the social influence model (SIM). The former model postulates the influence of perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) of GIS on teachers' actual adoption of the technology. The latter, in contrast, postulates that teachers' usage of GIS is affected by their peers and their schools. Statistical findings indicate that PU and school support are important factors influencing teachers' adoption of GIS in Taiwan.
Experimental evidence of a non-extensive statistical physics behavior of electromagnetic signals emitted from rocks under stress up to fracture. Preliminary results

The application of mechanical stress on a rock sample can induce electromagnetic emissions. Such emissions can be detected experimentally and in principle could be used as precursors of the upcoming failure.Using experimental observations of stress-induced electromagnetic emissions (SIEME), we apply the concepts of non-extensive statistical physics (NESP) to the time intervals between consecutive SIEME. The application of NESP is appropriate to systems such as fracture-induced effects, where non-linearity, long-range interactions and scaling are important. We find that the SIEME energy release distribution and the inter-event time distribution reflect a sub-extensive system with thermodynamic q-values of the order of qE = 1.67 and qτ ≈ 1.7, respectively.
DIFFERENTIATION IN LAVAS OF THE KEWEENAWAN SERIES AND THE ORIGIN OF THE COPPER DEPOSITS OF MICHIGAN

Five lava flows in the Keweenawan series of the Michigan copper district have been studied and chemical analyses made, with special attention to: (1) chemical and mineralogic variations within the upper, pegmatitic portions of the flows; (2) processes of differentiation; (3) comparison of the types of rocks found within a single flow with the types of flows that make up the lava series; (4) the relation of differentiation in the flows to the origin of the copper deposits. The primary factors in the differentiation of the flows were probably: (1) cooling at a moderate rate, and predominantly from the top; (2) crystal sorting by differential settling; (3) migration and local concentration of volatiles; (4) periodic convective overturn of the magma. Convection currents probably were not active in the thinner flows and may not have been in the thicker. Alternate hypotheses have been presented, one assuming that convective overturn was important, the other that it was not. All types of flows in the series can be approximated by differentiation products of the Greenstone flow, indicating that all the flows could have been differentiated from a magma similar to, but perhaps slightly more mafic than, that of the Greenstone flow. In considering the origin of the copper deposits, the writer has briefly reviewed the literature and presented new evidence. The following modes or origin of the deposits appear still open to consideration: (1) The deposits are epigenetic, and formed by deposition from hot solutions ascending from an underlying intrusive. (2) The deposits are the result of a combination of syngenetic and epigenetic processes. Primary concentrations of copper in fumaroles, thermal springs, or playa lakes were reworked by later, ascending igneous emanations. (3) The amygdaloidal deposits are primarily syngenetic and have been only moderately modified by the action of later ascending solutions.
Standard fractionation intensity modulated radiation therapy ( IMRT ) of primary and recurrent glioblastoma multiforme

Background: Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) affords unparalleled capacity to deliver conformal radiation doses to tumors in the central nervous system. However, to date, there are few reported outcomes from using IMRT, either alone or as a boost technique, for standard fractionation radiotherapy for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Methods: Forty-two patients were treated with IMRT alone (72%) or as a boost (28%) after 3dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT). Thirty-three patients with primary disease and 9 patients with recurrent tumors were included. Thirty-four patients (81%) had surgery, with gross tumor resection in 13 patients (36%); 22 patients (53%) received chemo-radiotherapy. The median total radiation dose for all patients was 60 Gy with a range from 30.6 to 74 Gy. Standard fractions of 1.8 Gy/day to 2.0 Gy/day were utilized. Results: Median survival was 8.7 months, with 37 patients (88%) deceased at last contact. Nonparametric analysis showed no survival difference in IMRT-boost vs. IMRT-only groups. Conclusion: While technically feasible, preliminary results suggest delivering standard radiation doses by IMRT did not improve survival outcomes in this series compared to historical controls. In light of this lack of a survival benefit and the costs associated with use of IMRT, future prospective trials are needed to evaluate non-survival endpoints such as quality of life and functional preservation. Short of such evidence, the use of IMRT for treatment of GBM needs to be carefully rationalized. Background Malignant gliomas represent the most common primary brain tumors in adults, with approximately 75% of all gliomas classified as high-grade tumors. Within high-grade gliomas, Grade IV gliomas, or glioblastoma multiforme Published: 14 July 2007 Radiation Oncology 2007, 2:26 doi:10.1186/1748-717X-2-26 Received: 28 February 2007 Accepted: 14 July 2007 This article is available from: http://www.ro-journal.com/content/2/1/26 © 2007 Fuller et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Evaluation of Production Log Data from Horizontal Wells Drilled in Organic Shales

Production logs from more than 100 horizontal shale wells in multiple basins have been acquired and interpreted. An evaluation of this data set confirms that production is highly variable along the length of the wellbores. In some basins, two-thirds of gas production is coming from only one third of the perforation clusters. Furthermore, when looking at all basins, approximately one third of all perforation clusters are not contributing to production. This highlights a significant opportunity to improve overall completion effectiveness and economics in these high profile projects.
The effect of surface anisotropy and viewing geometry on the estimation of NDVI from AVHRR

Abstract Terrestrial surfaces are observed routinely from space using the AVHRR instrument on the NOAA satellites. Observations in the red and near‐infrared spectral bands are used to compute vegetation indices (such as the NDVI), which are then interpreted in terms of various vegetation properties. Orbital and engineering constraints severely limit the range of illumination and viewing angles under which various ecosystems are observed. Since terrestrial surfaces are anisotropic, all spectral reflectance measurements obtained with a small instantaneous field of view instrument are specific to these angular conditions, and the value of the corresponding NDVI, computed from these bidirectional reflectances, is relative to the particular geometry of illumination and viewing at the time of the measurement. This paper documents the importance of these geometric effects through simulations of the AVHRR data acquisition process, and investigates the systematic biases that result from the combination of ecosyste.