Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Send Orders of Reprints at Reprints@benthamscience.net Biophysical Mechanisms of the Neutralization of Endotoxins by Lipopoly- Amines

Endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides, LPS) are one of the strongest immunostimulators in nature, responsible for beneficial effects at low, and pathophysiological effects at high concentrations, the latter frequently leading to sepsis and septic shock associated with high mortality in critical care settings. There are no drugs specifically targeting the patho-physiology of sepsis, and new therapeutic agents are therefore urgently needed. The lipopolyamines are a novel class of small molecules designed to sequester and neutralize LPS. To understand the mechanisms underlying the binding and neutralization of LPS toxicity, we have performed detailed biophysical analyses of the interactions of LPS with candidate lipopolyamines which differ in their potencies of LPS neutralization. We examined gel-to-liquid crystalline phase behavior of LPS and of its supramolecular aggregate structures in the absence and presence of lipopolyamines, the ability of such compounds to incorporate into different membrane systems, and the thermodynamics of the LPS:lipopolyamine binding. We have found that the mechanisms which govern the inactivation process of LPS obey similar rules as found for other active endotoxin neutralizers such as certain antimicrobial peptides. INTRODUCTION Infectious diseases continue to be a major cause of preventable mortality worldwide. Alarming increases in the incidence of multi-drug resistance in the face of a dwindling pipeline of new antibiotics is perhaps a scenario that Fleming could not have contemplated. Indeed, the incidence of sepsis continues to increase worldwide which may, in part, be attributable to compromised efficacy of existing antibiotics. Inadequate antimicrobial chemotherapy may lead to a release of bacterial pathogenicity factors such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS, endotoxins) and lipoproteins (LP) [1-3]. Moreover, in some common viral infections such as influenza, it is known that cases with severe outcome are in most cases due to a superinfection, i.e., the initial viral infection is followed by a bacterial infection, an example being the 'Spanish flu' in the 1920's, in which millions of victims did not die from primary infection with influenza H1N1 [4], but from the subsequent bacterial infections, often leading to sepsis [5-7].
Send Orders of Reprints at Reprints@benthamscience.net Characterisation of the Physico-chemical Properties of Selected White Sorghum Grain and Flours for the Production of Ice Cream Cones

Six white sorghum varieties (MUC007/11, MUC007/27, MUC007/193, MUC007/80, MUC007/171, MUC007/174) available in Uganda were evaluated for their suitability as alternate materials for the production of ice cream cones. Physico-chemical properties of the sorghums were determined and correlated to the properties of the ice cream cones produced from them. Results from this study showed that the swelling power and pasting properties of the flours determined by amylose/amlopectin ratio and amylose content as well as the presence of lipids, dietary fibre, tannins and minerals. The break down viscosity (r=-0.825), the final viscosity(r=-0.834) and amylose/amylopectin ratio (r=-0.782) attained had the highest correlation with the ice cream permeability and weight while hardness of the cone correlated with dietary fibre content (r=0.576), tannin content(r=0.75) and protein (r=-0.458). Hardness showed highest correlation with setback (r=-0.859) and final viscosity(r=-0.703) while texture showed highest correlation with hardness (r=-0.662) and set back(r=0.778). The cone appearance correlated highest with particle size (r=0.696) and dietary fibre (r=-0.693). An amylose content of about 28% and lipid content of about 3% with endosperm texture rated as 3 (scale ;1-corneous and 5-floury), 0.1% Tannins, 1.7% minerals and dietary fibre of 5%, in the epuripur variety produced the best sorghum ice cream cone.
Projections of aridity and its regional variability over China in the mid‐21st century

The effects of aridity on ecosystems and water cycles are pronounced and have received considerable attention. However, aridity changes due to future warming and its regional variability over China remain uncertain. This paper aims to identify the spatiotemporal variations in aridity and its key influencing factors over China in the mid‐21st century based on five general circulation models (GCMs) and four representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios. An aridity index (AI), defined as the ratio of reference evapotranspiration (ETo) to precipitation (P), was calculated. We show that the GCM ensemble means are able to reproduce the variation of aridity during the baseline period. Generally, ETo anomalies are consistently positive. Other than for the RCP2.6 low‐emission scenario, precipitation and aridity are both projected to increase. There are pronounced regional differences in aridity changes; i.e. wetter across most of western China and drier across most of eastern China in the mid‐21st century. Negative AI anomalies in western China can be attributed mainly to the projected increase in precipitation. In eastern China, the AI was higher despite positive precipitation anomalies, due mainly to the greater effect of climate change on increasing atmospheric moisture demand. This suggests that evapotranspiration demand should be incorporated into aridity changes under future warming.
Powder-diffraction patterns and structural models for palygorskite

Models proposed for the crystal structure of palygorskite are considered and a range of structures identified that have reasonable cation coordination, cation-oxygen distances and O-O nonbonded distances. Powder-diffraction patterns are calculated for these structures and compared with observed patterns. Structural models with a mixture of triple and single chains can be ruled out, as their calculated powder-patterns are completely unlike those observed. The calculated powderpatterns make it possible to identify reflections that are characteristic of the orthorhombic (Pbmn) and monoclinic (A/m) double-chain structures proposed for palygorskite. Most palygorskite specimens appear to contain both forms, but there are one or two that are pure or nearly pure monoclinic palygorskite. The differences between powder patterns of different palygorskite specimens are explained by a) variations in the proponions of orthorhombic and monoclinic forms, and b) the se,nsitivity of certain parts of the. powder pattern to the exact value of 0 for the monoclinic form, which seems to vary within the range 106-108'.
Patterns of Thickness Anomaly for Explosive Cyclogenesis over the West-Central North Atlantic Ocean

Abstract Hemispheric anomaly patterns of 1000–500 mb thickness were obtained for 67 cases of explosive cyclogenesis over the western North Atlantic Ocean in December-February during 1962–77, beginning between latitudes 30°–40°N and between longitudes 70°–80°W. Composite patterns for the 26 strongest cases of cyclogenesis differed markedly from those for the 22 weakest. After a filtering to remove the shortest waves, those for the strongest developments showed a prominent negative anomaly area of large scale, centered over western Canada 5 days before the event, moving southeastward to the western Atlantic days after cyclogenesis. No such pervasive anomaly pattern was seen for the weakest cases. The most intense cyclogenesis occurred when the air over the region of development was slightly colder than the 15-year average, while the least intense occurred in slightly anomalous warmth. In the zonal average from 25° to 125°W, the strongest cases occurred with warmth in polar latitudes, coldness in middle lati.
Herbivore paleodiet and paleoenvironmental changes in Chad during the Pliocene using stable isotope ratios of tooth enamel carbonate

Abstract Chad is a key region for understanding early hominid geographic expansion in relation to late Miocene and Pliocene environmental changes, owing to its location 2500 km west from the Rift Valley and to the occurrence of sites ranging in age from about 6 to 3 Ma, some of which yield fossil hominids. To reconstruct changes in herbivore paleodiet and therefore changes in the paleoenvironment, we measured the carbon and oxygen isotope composition of 80 tooth-enamel samples from three time horizons for nine families of Perissodactyla, Proboscidea, and Artiodactyla. The absence of significant alteration of in vivo isotopic signatures can be determined for carbon, thus allowing paleodietary and paleoenvironmental interpretations to be made. While the results generally confirm previous dietary hypotheses, mostly based on relative crown height, there are some notable surprises. The main discrepancies are found among low-crowned proboscideans (e.g., Anancus) and high-crowned rhinocerotids (Ceratotherium). Both species were more opportunistic feeders than it is usually believed. This result confirms that ancient feeding ecology cannot always be inferred from dental morphology or extant relatives. There is an increase in the average carbon isotope composition of tooth enamel from the oldest unit to the youngest, suggesting that the environment became richer in C4 plants with time. In turn, more C4 plants indicate an opening of the plant cover during this period. This increase in carbon isotope composition is also recorded within genera such as Nyanzachoerus, Ceratotherium, and Hexaprotodon, indicating a change from a C3-dominated to a C4-dominated diet over time. It appears that, unlike other middle Pliocene hominid sites in eastern and southern Africa, this part of Chad was characterized by very open conditions and that savanna-like grasslands were already dominant when hominids were present in the area.
Pendekatan Arsitektur Ekologi Pada Perancangan Kawasan Wisata Danau Lebo Kabupaten Sumbawa Barat

Perencanaan pembangunan Taman Wisata Danau Lebo sebagai wisata alam unggulan diharapkan dapat menarik kunjungan wisatawan ke Kabupaten Sumbawa Barat, sehingga perlu melakukan penataan yang baik dan memperhatikan potensi-potensi yang ada disekitar kawasan tersebut agar dapat dikembangkan secara optimal. Perencanaan pembangunan dengan konsep eco-culture melalui pendekatan arsitektur ekologi merupakan suatu upaya dalam perancangan kawasan wisata Danau Lebo yang berkelanjutan. Perancangan yang dilakukan menggunakan pendekatan metodologi problem solving berdasarkan aspek ekologi kawasan, aspek sosial ekonomi, dan aspek sosial kultural. Konsep eco-culture dikembangkan menjadi konsep dasar pendekatan perancangan waterfront resort Danau Lebo dengan harapan mampu menarik kunjungan wisatawan dengan memuat prinsip wisata yang dapat mempengaruhi laju pertumbuhan ekonomi masyarakat setempat melalui pendekatan perencanaan pembangunan yang berkelanjutan. Kata Kunci: Wisata berkelanjutan, Arsitektur ekologi, waterfront resort
Functional force stimulation alters motor neuron discharge patterns

Introduction Beneficial effects have been observed for mechanical vibration stimulation (MVS), which are mainly attributed to tonic vibration reflex (TVR). TVR is reported to elicit synchronized motor unit activation during locally applied vibration. Similar effects are also observed in a novel vibration system referred to as functional force stimulation (FFS). However, the manifestation of TVR in FFS is doubted due to the use of global electromyography (EMG) features in previous analysis. Our study aims to investigate the effects of FFS on motor unit discharge patterns of the human biceps brachii by analyzing the motor unit spike trains decoded from the high-density surface EMG. Methods Eighteen healthy subjects volunteered in FFS training with different amplitudes and frequencies. One hundred and twenty-eight channel surface EMG was recorded from the biceps brachii and then decoded after motion-artifact removal. The discharge timings were extracted and the coherence between different motor unit spike trains was calculated to quantify synchronized activation. Results and discussion Significant synchronization within the vibration cycle and/or its integer multiples is observed for all FFS trials, which increases with increased FFS amplitude. Our results reveal the basic physiological mechanism involved in FFS, providing a theoretical foundation for analyzing and introducing FFS into clinical rehabilitation programs.
Review of Heave Compensation Systems: Design and Control Strategies

Heave compensator has significant application value in the field of offshore engineering, involving offshore lifting operation, floating wind power installation, etc. In this paper, the basic characteristics of heave compensation, including passive heave compensation (PHC), active heave compensation (AHC), and active/passive heave compensation (APHC), are reviewed, with an emphasis on recent years. The performance differences of the various systems are compared and analyzed, and in the final section, potential future development opportunities are proposed.
Efecto del número de parto sobre la condición corporal y productividad de la coneja lactante

espanolSe pretender estudiar la evolucion de la condicion corporal de las 166 conejas hibridas lactantes, a traves del grosor de su grasa perirenal medida por ultrasonidos, a lo largo de 5 ciclos reproductivos, asi como su relacion con los principales parametros productivos. El peso al parto de las conejas aumento de forma lineal hasta el 6o parto. Las conejas no alcanzaron su capacidad de ingestion, condicion corporal y produccion de leche definitiva hasta la 3a lactacion, manteniendose constantes a partir de ese momento. Como consecuencia del mayor aporte de leche, las camadas mostraron una mayor ganancia media diaria a medida que las conejas llegaban al 3-4 ciclo reproductivo. Las conejas parecen mostrar una clara movilizacion de sus reservas corporales alrededor del parto y del destete, mostrando balances negativos en la lactacion durante los 2 primeros ciclos reproductivos, no siendo asi a partir del 3er ciclo. Las conejas que alcanzan el 6o parto muestran una mejora de sus reservas tras los destetes de la 1 y 2a lactacion, mientras que aquellas que son eliminadas antes del 3o no recuperan o incluso llegan a perder. Los resultados del presente trabajo demuestran como la conejas reproductoras no alcanzan su peso vivo, capacidad de ingestion y condicion corporal de animal adulto hasta el 3-4o ciclo reproductivo, y que la gestion de las reservas corporales por parte del animal hasta ese momento puede estar bastante relacionado con su estado sanitario y con su vida reproductiva efectiva. EnglishA total of 166 reproductive rabbit does were used to study the evolution of the body condition by ultrasound throughout 5 reproductive cycles, and its relationship with main performance traits. The live weight of does at parturition linearly increased until the 6th cycle. Adult voluntary feed intake, body condition and milk yield were not finally reached until 3rd lactation. As consequence of the greater milk yield, pups showed a higher daily weight gain as females reached the 3-4 reproductive cycles. Reproductive does seem to show a clear mobilisation of reserves around parturition and weaning time, presenting negative balance during the 1st and 2nd lactation, no noticeable from the thirdone. The animals which reached to the 6th parturition showed clear reserve recuperation after 1st and 2nd weaning, contrary to those animals that were eliminated before 4th lactation, which were characterised by a no-recuperation. Therefore, the results of the present work demonstrate that the reproductive does did not reach to their final voluntary feed intake, live weight and body condition until 3rd-4th reproductive cycle, and the management of body reserve until this moment could be related to their sanitary status and their potential longevity.
SREBP inhibitors: an updated patent review for 2008-present

ABSTRACT Introduction Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) are a family of membrane-binding transcription factors that activate genes encoding enzymes required for cholesterol and unsaturated fatty acid synthesis. Overactivation of SREBP is related to the occurrence and development of diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver, tumor, and other diseases. In the past period, many SREBP inhibitors have been found. Areas covered This manuscript is a patent review of SREBP inhibitors. We searched 2008 to date for all data from the US patent database (https://www.uspto.gov/) and the European patent database (https://www.epo.org/) with ‘SREBP’ and ‘inhibitor’ as keywords and analyzed the search results. Expert opinion Both synthetic and natural SREBP inhibitors have been reported. Despite the lack of cocrystal structure of SREBP inhibitor, the mechanisms of several compounds have been clarified. Importantly, some SREBP inhibitors have been proved to have good activity in preclinical studies. As the characteristics of lipid metabolism reprogramming in cardio-cerebrovascular diseases and tumors are gradually revealed, more and more attention will be focused on SREBP.
The Mullnäset rapakivi granite, its chemical and mineralogical composition including a comparison with the Sörvik granite, west central Sweden.

This contribution presents complimentary mineralogical and whole-rock chemical data for the Mullnäset rapakivi massif. Three rock types occur: gabbro, syenite with associated granite and “normal” rapakivi granite, here denoted rapakivi-textured granite. In the syenite-associated granite, extremely Mg-poor clinopyroxene and fayalite are the most important mafic minerals, whereas ferrohornblende and strongly chloritized biotite are most important in the rapakivi-textured granite. All mafic minerals are Fe-extreme. The two rapakivi granites are metaluminous straddling the boundary between calc-alkaline and alkaline granite, whereas the neighbouring, older Sörvik granite is peraluminous and typically calc-alkaline. The Mullnäset rapakivi granite is A-type. It is lower in incompatible trace elements than the Sörvik granite. The HFSE patterns differ between the two granites. In both the rapakivi and Sörvik granites, Archaean rocks form part of the source rocks. The Archaean input seems to be more important in the Mullnäset (and other rapakivi granites from the same general area) granite than in the Sörvik granite. No data contradict the suggested formation of rapakivi granite magma: upwelling mantle melts under a thickened continental crust triggering melting of the continental crust.
School Violence: Causes, Impacts and Solutions

School violence is an ongoing problem. It has a great inﬂuence on the physical and mental health development of teenagers. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current situation of school violence and strategies to reduce its occurrence. By reviewing the relevant literature, the results show that the causes of school violence are both external environmental factors and internal personal factors. Bystanders can inﬂuence school violence and play an important role in school violence. The reduction of school violence requires a three-pronged effort from families, teachers, and schools. This review highlights the negative effects of school violence on adolescents, and future research should enrich the ways to avoid the occurrence of school violence.
Aerosol optical depth over Lauder, New Zealand

Aerosol optical depths (AOD) measured over Lauder in Central Otago, New Zealand in 1996–1997, and continuously since 1999, are amongst the lowest observed worldwide. The Lauder measurements show a seasonal cycle in AOD with a winter minimum and summer local maximum, and there is a springtime peak that is probably due to biomass burning. The wavelength dependence of AOD suggests a relatively stable size distribution but smaller average particle size in spring. Lack of correlation with surface humidity below 90% RH, in both AOD and wavelength dependence, may constrain the likely composition of the aerosol. There was a downward but insignificant trend in mean AOD over the measurement period.
An Equivalent Method of Distribution Networks Considering the Power Jump Characteristics with Distributed Photovoltaics

With the increase of photovoltaics (PVs) in the distribution network, detailed modeling of each PV is ineffective for simulation. Therefore, the equivalent model is usually used when simulating the distribution network with a high PV rate. However, the power characteristics change of some distributed PVs is nonlinear when PVs enter or exit the low voltage ride through (LVRT) state. When the voltage level of the distribution network changes, PVs may gradually enter or exit the LVRT state. It leads to the power jump characteristics and causes difficulties on the equivalent. Therefore, this paper proposes an equivalent method that considering the power jump characteristics of the distribution network. Firstly, the equivalent method of the equipment in the distribution network is achieved. The difficulty of the distributed PV equivalent is analyzed. Then, an equivalent PV model is established. By increasing parameter groups, the power jump characteristics can be simulated using the equivalent model. The initial value of the equivalent parameter is obtained by weighted calculation. Finally, to improve the accuracy of the equivalent results, the initial value is optimized by the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to get equivalent parameters. The proposed method is verified based on a test system in the simulation toolkit for electrical power systems (STEPS).
Safety in Numbers: A Policy-Capturing Study of the Alibi Assessment Process: Alibi assessment

Summary A policy-capturing analysis of alibi assessments was conducted. University students (N = 65), law enforcement students (N = 21), and police officers (N = 11) were provided with 32 statements from individuals supporting a suspect's alibi (i.e., alibi corroborators) and asked to assess the believability of the alibi, the suspect's guilt, and whether they would arrest the suspect. Each statement was composed of five binary features (i.e., relationship between corroborator and accused, age of corroborator, amount of available corroborators, alibi corroborator's confidence in their account, and memorability of the target event). Results showed that there was much parity in the type of information used to assess alibis across the samples. Specifically, we found that 90% of participants' decision policies included the amount of corroborators. Participants also relied upon, albeit to a lesser extent, the suspect–corroborator relationship and the age of the corroborator when assessing the alibi. The potential implications of these findings for understanding how people assess alibi corroborators are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.