Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Potential Predictability of the Silk Road Pattern and the Role of SST as Inferred from Seasonal Hindcast Experiments of a Coupled Climate Model

The Silk Road pattern (SR) is a leading mode of atmospheric circulation over midlatitude Eurasia in boreal summer. Its temporal phase is known to be unpredictable in many models. Previous studies have not reached a clear consensus on the role of sea surface temperature (SST) associated with SR. By comparing seasonal hindcasts from the Pusan National University (PNU) coupled general circulation model with reanalysis, we investigate if there are any sources of predictability originating from the SST. It was found that the PNU model cannot predict SR temporally. In fact, SR is associated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the model hindcasts, in contrast to reanalysis results in which SR is more associated with North Atlantic SST anomalies. The PNU system, however, shows potential predictability in SR associated with tropical Pacific SST. Bias in stationary Rossby waveguides is proposed as an explanation for the SR–ENSO relationship in hindcast runs. Model upper-level wind bias in the North Atlantic results in a less continuous waveguide connecting the North Atlantic to Asia, and may hinder wave propagations induced by North Atlantic SST to trigger SR. On the other hand, model upper-level wind bias in the subtropical western Pacific may favor westward propagation of zonally elongated waves from the ENSO region to trigger SR. This study implies that the role of SST with regard to SR can be substantially changed depending on the fidelity of model upper-level background winds.
The Time Has Come to Talk of Many Things: A Commentary on Kurdek (1998) and the Emerging Field of Marital Processes in Depression

In an important investigation of the longitudinal relation between marital adjustmentand depressive symptoms, L. A. Kurdek (1998) reported an apparent failure toreplicate prior findings reported by F. D. Fincham, S. R. H. Beach, G. T. Harold, andL. N. Osborne (1997). He attributed the diverging results to differences between theanalytic approach taken in each of the studies. The authors reanalyzed F. D. Finchamet al.'s data using L. A. Kurdek's analytic procedures and found no change in results.A more parsimonious assessment of the diverging results is that L. A. Kurdek failedto generalize F. D. Fincham et al.'s findings to a longer time lag and a samplecharacterized by a rather different pattern of attrition. The authors highlight severalimportant issues that require greater attention in developing a cumulative body ofknowledge on the longitudinal relation between marital processes and depression. "The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talkof many things: Of shoes- and ships- and sealingwax- Of cabbages- and kings- And why the seais boiling hot- And whether pigs have wings. "—Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass
Ants, rodents and seed predation in Proteaceae

Many species of Cape Proteaceae have seeds dispersed by ants. Ants may reduce seed predation by rapidly transporting and burying seeds in their nests. Three field experiments using ant and vertebrate exclosures were set up to determine whether predation of Mimetes pauciflorus and Leucospermum glabrum fruits is significant, whether ants reduce it, and whether the food body (elaiosome) is important in the interaction. Results showed that seed predation could be as high as 100%, but that ants usually discover and remove seeds before vertebrates. Significantly fewer seeds were dispersed by ants when elaiosomes were removed. Vertebrate removal rates also declined. Laboratory experiments with caged small mammals showed that intact seeds were found more readily than seeds from which elaiosomes had been removed and that seed discovery improved with experience. Different species varied in their ability to detect seeds. Our results suggest that seed dispersal by ants has a direct effect on the number of seeds entering the soil seed bank by reducing predation, that myrmecochorous seeds produce a signal which attracts both ants and small mammals, and that once seeds are buried in ant nests predation is probably minimal.
AMPA-selective glutamate receptor subunits GluR2 and GluR4 in the cat retina: An immunocytochemical study

AMPA-selective glutamate receptors play a major role in glutamatergic neurotransmission in the retina and are expressed in a variety of neuronal subpopulations. In the present study, immunocytochemical techniques were used to visualize the distribution of GluR2 and GluR4 subunits in the cat retina. Results were compared with previous localizations of GluR1 and GluR2/3. Staining for GluR2 was limited to a small number of amacrine and ganglion cells whereas GluR4 staining was present in A-type horizontal cells, many amacrine cells including type AII amacrine cells, and the majority of the cells in the ganglion cell layer. Analysis of synaptic relationships in the outer plexiform layer showed the GluR4 subunit to be concentrated at the contacts of cone photoreceptors with A-horizontal cells. In the inner plexiform layer, both GluR2 and GluR4 were postsynaptic to cone bipolar cells at dyad contacts although GluR2 staining was limited to one of the postsynaptic elements whereas GluR4 immunoreactivity was often seen in both postsynaptic elements. Unlike GluR2, GluR4 was also postsynaptic to rod bipolar cells where it could be visualized in processes of AII amacrine cells. The data indicate that GluR3 and GluR4 subunits are colocalized in a number of cell types including A-type horizontal cells, AII amacrine cells, and alpha ganglion cells, but whether they are combined in the same multimeric receptors remains to be determined.
The impact of age on the survival outcomes and risk of radiation pneumonitis in patients with unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer receiving chemoradiotherapy

Background Chemoradiotherapy is the recommended treatment for patients with unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to determine the impact of age on the survival outcomes and risk of radiation pneumonitis (RP) in patients with unresectable locally advanced NSCLC. Methods The data of patients with unresectable locally advanced NSCLC who were treated with radiotherapy (RT), sequential chemoradiotherapy, or concurrent chemoradiotherapy between January, 2013, and December, 2017, in our institution were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Student’s t-test and χ2 test were used to evaluate the differences between groups divided by optimal cutoff. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and multivariate cox regression was performed to determine the prognostic factors for survival outcomes. Results A total of 749 patients were included in this analysis. Based on the optimal cutoff, the patients were stratified into two age groups: <65 years old (the younger group, n=482) and ≥65 years old (the older group, n=267). The older group had more patients with poor Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS), squamous cell sarcoma (SCC), and IIIA stage than the younger group. The older patients were more likely to have received RT alone (40.1%) and less likely to have received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) (26.6%) than the younger patients (8.1% and 54.8%, respectively, P<0.001). The median overall survival (OS) was 33 months (95% CI: 29–37 months) and 21 months (95% CI: 18–27 months) for the younger group and the older group, respectively (P<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that age had a significant independent association with OS (HR, 1.25; 95% CI: 1.01–1.55) after adjustment for covariates. The incidences of RP, symptomatic RP, and severe RP were similar between the two groups, but the incidence of fatal RP was higher in the older group (4.5% vs. 1.7%, P=0.039). Conclusions The clinical characteristics of the older patients in our study differed from those of the younger patients, and the older patients were more likely to choose conservative treatment. OS was longer in the older patients and more cases of fatal RP occurred in the older group.
Analysis of Inhibition of Photosynthesis Under Water Stress in the C4 Species Amaranthus cruentus and Zea mays: Electron Transport, CO2 Fixation and Carboxylation Capacity

Two C4 species, Amaranthus cruentus and Zea mays, were studied to evaluate the mechanism of inhibition of photosynthesis due to water stress. The net rate of carbon dioxide fixation (A) and transpiration (E) were measured by gas exchange, and stomatal conductance (gs) and intercellular CO2 (Ci) calculated, while the true rate of oxygen evolution (JO2) was calculated from chlorophyll fluorescence analysis. Following the withholding of water there was a progressive decrease in gs and E during the stress cycle. The results clearly indicate that, initially, Ci decreased with little effect on A (indicating the CO2 pump is providing sufficient CO2 for carbon assimilation), and that the eventual inhibition of photosynthesis by water stress was caused by a limited supply of CO2 to Rubisco (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase). As A decreased during water stress, the photosystem II activity per CO2 fixed increased, a phenomenon also observed when well watered plants were provided with very low atmospheric levels of CO2, which is indicative of a decreased supply of CO2 to Rubisco. At the same time the RuBP pool/RuBP binding site on Rubisco increased, and the ratio of initial extractable activity of Rubisco to A increased, which suggests that neither RuBP regeneration nor Rubisco capacity is limiting photosynthesis. When plants were rewatered after photosynthesis had dropped to 5-10% of the original rate, both species showed near full recovery in 2-4 days.
First record of Kryptoperidinium foliaceum (Dinophyceae: Peridiniales) from a hypersaline environment in Kuwait, north-western Arabian Gulf

The occurrence of the dinoflagellate Kryptoperidinium foliaceum is reported for the first time from a hypersaline environment in Kuwait based on recurrent observations of this species from a tidal creek in appreciable numbers. This new record extends the known range of salinity tolerance for K. foliaceum to more than 100 psu. The distribution of the species along a salinity gradient within the tidal creek was studied. The morphological features of the species on the basis of light and epifluorescence microscopy observations are described.
Effect of integrated nutrient management on physical and chemical properties of soil

A field experiment was conducted during Kharif season 2014 at the Research farm of Soil Science Allahabad School of Agriculture, laid out in randomized block design on sandy loam soil, containing sand 62.71%, silt 23.10% and clay 14.19% (Inceptisols). It was observed that for post harvest soil properties in treatment N20P40K40+ FYM @ 10 t ha-1 and Rhizobium were improved significantly due to integrated use of inputs. Organic carbon- 0.75%, available nitrogen- 333.23 kg ha-1, phosphorus- 34.58 kg ha-1, potassium- 205.83 kg ha-1, pore space- 50.80 %, pH- 6.80 were found to be significant and bulk density- 1.07 Mgm-3, particle density- 2.62 Mgm-3, EC at 270 C- 0.24 dSm-1 were found to be non-significantly improved in this treatment.
Comparative population dynamics of Common Sandpipers Actitis hypoleucos: living at the edge

Capsule Common Sandpiper populations at the edge of their range do not recruit so well. Aims To compare the survival rates, breeding success and recruitment of a population near the edge of its range (Peak District) with one more centrally placed (Borders). Methods Populations were censused weekly; adults and chicks were ringed, and apparent survival of adults determined by resighting colour-ringed birds. Breeding success was assessed from ringing chicks and the guarding behaviour of their parents over 3–4 weeks post-hatching. Results Survival rates of adults and their breeding success were similar in the two sites. Recruits were rarely ringed chicks returning to near their natal site; they were usually newly recruited adults. In both, natal dispersal took returning chicks away from their natal site, by 3–6 km, but far more potential recruits returned to the Borders (51% compared with 4%). The population in the Borders was more variable, but recovered better from declines. Conclusions There is no obvious difference in survival or reproductive rates that would explain the different recent fates of the two study populations. Differential survival over winter in West Africa (the presumed wintering grounds) is unlikely to explain the recent decline of the Peak District population, because conditions there should have affected the Borders population too. The Peak District population is exposed at the edge of the species' range, and it seems to be poorer breeding success across its general range that has caused the poorer recruitment there, and hence the decline.
Towards Sustainable Neighborhoods in Europe: Mitigating 12 Environmental Impacts by Successively Applying 8 Scenarios

The purpose of this research is to determine the most impactful and important source of environmental change at the neighborhood level. The study of multiple scenarios allows us to determine the influence of several parameters on the results of the life cycle analysis of the neighborhood. We are looking at quantifying the impact of orientation, storm water management, density, mobility and the use of renewable energies on the environmental balance sheet of a neighborhood, based on eleven environmental indicators. An eco-neighborhood, located in Belgium, has been selected as the modeling site. The results show that the management of mobility is the parameter that can reduce the impact the most, in terms of greenhouse effect, odor, damage to biodiversity and health. With the adaptation of photovoltaic panels on the site, the production exceeds the consumption all through the year, except for the months of December and January, when the installation covers 45% and 75% of the consumption, respectively. Increasing the built density of the neighborhood by roof stacking allows the different environmental impacts, calculated per inhabitant, to be homogeneously minimized.
Poultry meat production as a functional food with a voluntary n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio

leic acid (708 g/kg) in a chicken diet upon the fatty acid pattern in meat. Cockerels Ross 308 were fed the diets containing 1, 3, 5 or 7 per cent of oil in the last 15 days of fattening. Breast meat (BM) and thigh meat (TM) without skin of 8 chickens from each dietary group were used for analyses. The relative proportions of fatty acids were expressed as percentages of total determined fatty acids. When feeding Atalante oil, the proportions of n-6 fatty acids were highly significantly lower while those of n-3 fatty acids were higher; the ratio of n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in meat was narrower ( P 0.05). The proportion of α-linolenic acid increased in both BM and TM. The proportion of eicosapentaenoic and clupanodonic acids in BM significantly decreased. The ratio of n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ranged from 0.9 to 13.6 and from 1.0 to 17.2 in BM and TM, respectively. An increase in the level of Lola oil in the diet by 1% caused that the n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio extended by 1.00 and 1.19 units in BM and TM, respectively. Dependences of n-6/n-3 ratio on the level of Atalante oil were expressed by equations of convex parabolas with minima at the level of oil 5.8 and 5.9% for BM and TM, respectively. By means of the inclusion of linseed oil with a high content of α-linolenic acid in the feed mixture it would be possible to produce poultry meat as a functional food with a very narrow ratio of n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Oceanic Islands, Endemism, and Marine Paleotemperatures

Available data on the marine shore faunas of the old (apparently Pliocene or earlier) and well isolated oceanic islands (300 miles or more from nearest land) reveal a very interesting pattern of endemism. The endemic rate is very low in the north and middle Atlantic, markedly greater in the south Atlantic and Pacific, and exceedingly high in the Sub-Antarctic waters. It is suggested that this peculiar pattern of endemism may be correlated with the extent of the drop in sea surface temperature that occurred during the Pleistocene glaciations. Contrary to most of the literature on the subject, it seems that the effect of the ice ages on ocean temperature may have been quite different in various parts of the world. The islands that demonstrate the least amount of endemism were probably exposed to the greatest decline in surface temperature.
Fathers' Cognitive Appraisals, Coping Strategies, and Support Resources as Correlates of Adjustment to Parenthood

Adjustment to parenthood was explored among fathers by applying R.S. Lazarus's (1993) theoretical model of stress and coping. Within a longitudinal framework, the assessment of 90 primiparous fathers and 90 primiparous mothers included measures of cognitive appraisals of parenting, coping strategies used to deal with parenting issues, and support resources at 1 month postpartum. Adjustment to parenthood in terms of well-being and involvement with the infant was assessed at 12 months postpartum by means of measures of parental burnout as well as observed caregiving and affiliative behaviors. Patterns of appraisals, coping strategies, and support resources related to parenting were both found to differ substantially between fathers and mothers and to be differentially associated with adjustment to parenthood. The results are discussed in light of the socialization theory and the role constraint theory explaining gender differences in the coping processes.
Terazosin for Parkinson’s?

A recent article in Journal of Clinical Investigation included a comprehensive assessment of the potential for Terazosin (TZ) as a neuroprotective drug in PD, by exploring its effects across a range of in vivo and in vitro models and exploring epidemiological associations in prospective PD databases. TZ is licensed for the treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and for hypertension. Its beneficial actions in these conditions are mediated through its blockade of alpha 1 adrenergic receptors. This article follows an earlier study which identified that, in addition to alpha 1 receptor blockade, TZ has an action on phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) activity, thus increasing the product of glycolysis, i.e. pyruvate. This has downstream consequences at increasing oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial activity levels and ATP levels all of which may have direct implications for the pathophysiological processes of PD.
Apoptosis-Induced Cell Death due to Oleanolic Acid in HaCaT Keratinocytes

Naturally occurring potent compounds isolated from medicinal plants has opened an era for the treatment of various diseases with moderate side effects than chemically synthesised ones. So far, cancer chemotherapy has employed various classes of natural products including flavonoids, flavones, isoterpenoids, alkaloids, etc., which shows promising effects both in in vitro and in vivo studies (Patel, 2011). The side effects possessed by chemotherapeutic drugs continue to be a serious issue in current treatment and a cause for concern, which needs to be addressed. One of the threats in chemotherapy is the destruction of normal cells when undergoing treatment. Most of the anticancer drugs are highly cytotoxic in nature (Stephen & David, 2005) and hence may influence the normal cell turn over mechanisms. Hence researchers now focussed more on non/less-cytotoxic drugs of natural origin which can be developed as an anticancer agent. Apoptosis is a natural mechanism which controls cellular division and progression in human body. Uncontrolled cell division can result in cancer progression,
miRNA Alterations Elicit Pathways Involved in Memory Decline and Synaptic Function in the Hippocampus of Aged Tg4-42 Mice

The transcriptome of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) species is increasingly focused in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research. NcRNAs comprise, among others, transfer RNAs, long non-coding RNAs and microRNAs (miRs), each with their own specific biological function. We used smallRNASeq to assess miR expression in the hippocampus of young (3 month old) and aged (8 month old) Tg4-42 mice, a model system for sporadic AD, as well as age-matched wildtype controls. Tg4-42 mice express N-truncated Aβ4–42, develop age-related neuron loss, reduced neurogenesis and behavioral deficits. Our results do not only confirm known miR-AD associations in Tg4-42 mice, but more importantly pinpoint 22 additional miRs associated to the disease. Twenty-five miRs were differentially expressed in both aged Tg4-42 and aged wildtype mice while eight miRs were differentially expressed only in aged wildtype mice, and 33 only in aged Tg4-42 mice. No significant alteration in the miRNome was detected in young mice, which indicates that the changes observed in aged mice are down-stream effects of Aβ-induced pathology in the Tg4-42 mouse model for AD. Targets of those miRs were predicted using miRWalk. For miRs that were differentially expressed only in the Tg4-42 model, 128 targets could be identified, whereas 18 genes were targeted by miRs only differentially expressed in wildtype mice and 85 genes were targeted by miRs differentially expressed in both mouse models. Genes targeted by differentially expressed miRs in the Tg4-42 model were enriched for negative regulation of long-term synaptic potentiation, learning or memory, regulation of trans-synaptic signaling and modulation of chemical synaptic transmission obtained. This untargeted miR sequencing approach supports previous reports on the Tg4-42 mice as a valuable model for AD. Furthermore, it revealed miRs involved in AD, which can serve as biomarkers or therapeutic targets.
Fecal Metabolites Were Altered, Identified as Biomarkers and Correlated With Disease Activity in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in a GC-MS-Based Metabolomics Study

Gut metabolites are products of the crosstalk between microbes and their host and play an important role in the occurrence, development, diagnosis, and treatment of autoimmune diseases. This work profiled the fecal metabolome of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and analyzed the potential roles of metabolites in the diagnosis and development of SLE. Fecal sample from 29 SLE patients without any other diseases and 30 healthy controls (HCs) were analyzed by metabolomics profiling. All participants took no antibiotics in the month before sampling and clinical data collecting. The metabolome profiles of patients with SLE and HCs were significantly different. Thirty fecal metabolites, such as deoxycholic acid, erucamide, L-tryptophan and putrescine, were significantly enriched, while nine metabolites, such as glyceric acid, γ-tocopherol, (Z)-13-octadecenoic acid and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, were depleted in SLE patients vs. HCs. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of L-valine, pyrimidine, erucamide, and L-leucine during ROC analysis were 0.886, 0.833, 0.829, and 0.803, indicating their good diagnostic potential. Moreover, the combination of L-valine, erucamide and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol gave an AUC of 0.959. SLE-altered metabolites were significantly located in 28 pathways, such as ABC transporters (p = 3.40E-13) and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis (p = 2.11E-12). Furthermore, SLE-altered fecal metabolites were closely correlated with SLE indicators, e.g., L-tryptophan was positively correlated with the SLEDAI-2K (p = 0.007). Our results suggest that the SLE fecal metabolome is closely associated with the occurrence and development of SLE and is of great diagnostic value.