Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tracheal Perforation with Modified Broncho-Cath ® : Is It the Tube or the Technique ?

With interest we read the article by Laitio et al. (1) reporting a predictive value of heart rate variability (HRV) on the incidence of postoperative ischemic events. The authors claimed a significantly higher fractal scaling exponent difference ( 1) between night and day in 12 patients with postoperative ischemic events compared with 16 patients without ischemia. We agree with the authors that perioperative HRV assessment may be a useful tool to detect patients at risk of ischemic events. However, there are some points on which we wish to comment. First, the authors claim that their study was performed according to the standards of HRV measurement defined previously (2). However, the recommended frequency range for ECG sampling should be at least 250 to 500 Hz or more rapidly (2,3). A sampling rate of 128 Hz, as used by the authors, is not sufficient for HRV analysis for the following reasons. Typical variations of RR-intervals are 20 ms (4). With a sampling rate of 128 Hz, the accuracy of RR-interval estimation is limited to 8 ms. If this random contribution to RRinterval determination is considered, any subsequent spectral analysis is questionable. Especially, the estimation of scaling exponents, which is a delicate task anyhow, will be influenced by this imprecision. This is reflected by the large scattering of spectral power in all frequency domains as published by the authors (1). Therefore, the rather small night to day differences in the ischemic patients may mainly originate from undersampling and are not proof of differences in the autonomic regulation of the patients. Finally, HRV values are not thought to be normally distributed (2). Nevertheless, parametric tests were used for statistical analysis between groups. Given the considerable overlap, the differences are not that impressive, and it remains questionable whether nonparametric tests would have yielded significant results.
BCL-2 Inhibitor Venetoclax Induces Autophagy-Associated Cell Death, Cell Cycle Arrest, and Apoptosis in Human Breast Cancer Cells

Introduction Venetoclax (VCX) is a selective BCL-2 inhibitor approved for the treatment of leukemia and lymphoma. However, the mechanisms of anti-cancer effect of VCX either as a monotherapy or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents against breast cancer need investigation. Methods Breast cancer cell lines with different molecular subtypes (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and SKBR-3) were treated with different concentrations of VCX for indicated time points. The expression of cell proliferative, apoptotic, and autophagy genes was determined by qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses. In addition, the percentage of MDA-MB-231 cells underwent apoptosis, expressed higher oxidative stress levels, and the changes in the cell cycle phases were determined by flow cytometry. Results Treatment of human breast cancer cells with increasing concentrations of VCX caused a significant decrease in cells growth and proliferation. This effect was associated with a significant increase in the percentage of apoptotic MDA-MB-231 cells and in the expression of the apoptotic genes, caspase 3, caspase 7, and BAX, with inhibition of anti-apoptotic gene, BCL-2 levels. Induction of apoptosis by VCX treatment induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase with inhibition of cell proliferator genes, cyclin D1 and E2F1. Furthermore, VCX treatment increased the formation of reactive oxygen species and the expression level of autophagy markers, Beclin 1 and LC3-II. Importantly, these cellular changes by VCX increased the chemo-sensitivity of MDA-MB-231 cells to doxorubicin. Discussion The present study explores the molecular mechanisms of VCX-mediated inhibitory effects on the growth and proliferation of TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells through the induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and autophagy. The study also explores the role of BCL-2 as a novel targeted therapy for breast cancer.
Recent developments in conventional high‐pressure methods

Over the last decade, high-pressure-temperature experiments in mineral physics generally have employed either diamond anvil, shock wave, or conventional pressure generation methods. In the latter category, one would include standard hydrostatic fluid vessels, piston-cylinder devices, “belt” and “girdle” apparatus, and multianvil units. Recent emphasis in the use of such systems has centered on improvements in volume, pressure, and temperature capabilities, as well as the achievement of more hydrostatic pressure environments. Because the pressure generation level of conventional equipment is rather limited, in comparison to diamond anvil and shock wave methods, focus has been placed on the usage of working volume in terms of material synthesis and the measurement of physical properties. In this regard, the design of internal pressure cell-specimen capsule arrangements has been improved to allow X ray and ultrasonic measurements to hydrostatic pressures in excess of 6 GPa. Mineral data derived from such measurements should provide the bases for more accurate representations of the equation of state in the lower mantle and core by virtue of the inclusion of higher-order elastic properties.
The colloidal nature of complex fluids leads to enhanced motility of flagellated bacteria

The colloidal nature of complex fluids leads to enhanced motility of flagellated bacteria Shashank Kamdar1, Seunghwan Shin1, Lorraine F. Francis1,*, Xinliang Xu2,†, and Xiang Cheng1,‡ 1 Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA 2 Complex Systems Division, Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing, 100193, China * lfrancis@umn.edu † xinliang@csrc.ac. cn ‡ xcheng@umn.edu
Mercury emissions from forest burning in southern Amazon

Several recent studies have indicated that forest fires are likely to re‐emit important quantities of atmospherically deposited mercury (Hg) to the atmosphere. Although the Amazon forest accounts for approximately 25% of the world's total rainforest, few data are available about these emissions. The emissions of mercury from prescribed fires of two 4‐ha plots of Amazon forest were investigated. Hg concentration and Hg burden were determined for vegetation, litter and soil before and after the fires. The data show that only Hg present in the aboveground vegetation and in the O‐horizon was volatilised; no significant soil emission was observed. Before the fire, the Hg stored in the vegetation (logs, branches, leaves and litter) ranged from 3.7 to 4.0 g ha−1 while 1.8 g ha−1 was found in the O‐horizon. The mass balance calculations of the present work indicate an average Hg emission of 3.5 g ha−1 due to forest fires, with 1.6 ha−1 originating from O‐horizon and 1.9 from above ground vegetation. On the base of the average annual deforestation rate of the Brazilian Amazon between 2000 and 2008, an annual Hg emission of 6.7 Mg yr−1 was estimated.
Evidence from HRSC Mars Express for a Frozen Sea Close to Mars' Equator

The Cerberus Fossae fissures on Mars are the source of both lava and water floods [1] dated at between 2 &10 million years old. Evidence for resulting lava plains has been identified in eastern Elysium, but seas and lakes from these fissures and previous flooding events were presumed to have evaporated and sublimed away [2]. HRSC images from the ESA Mars Express spacecraft indicate that they may still be there. We have found evidence con-sistent with a presently-existing frozen body of water, with surface pack-ice, around +5o latitude and 150o east longitude in southern Elysium. It measures about 800 km x 900 km and averages up to 45 m deep: simi-lar in size and depth to the North Sea. It has probably been protected from complete sublimation by a surface sublimation lag formed from suspended sediment ex-posed by early loss of the surface ice. Its age from crater counts is 5 ±2 Ma.
The role of vegetation in the retention of fine sediment and associated metal contaminants in London's rivers

Many urban rivers receive significant inputs of metal‐contaminated sediments from their catchments. Restoration of urban rivers often creates increased slack water areas and in‐channel vegetation growth where these metal‐contaminated sediments may accumulate. Quantifying the accumulation and retention of these sediments by in‐channel vegetation in urban rivers is of importance in terms of the planning and management of urban river restoration schemes and compliance with the Water Framework Directive.
Metabolites Associated with Early Cognitive Changes Implicated in Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Understanding metabolic mechanisms associated with cognitive changes preceding an Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosis could advance our understanding of AD progression and inform preventive methods. Objective: We investigated the metabolomics of the early changes in executive function and delayed recall, the earliest aspects of cognitive function to change in the course of AD development, in order to better understand mechanisms that could contribute to early stages and progression of this disease. Methods: This investigation used longitudinal plasma samples from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP), a cohort of participants who were dementia free at enrollment and enriched with a parental history of AD. Metabolomic profiles were quantified for 2,324 fasting plasma samples among 1,200 participants, each with up to three study visits, which occurred every two years. Metabolites were individually tested for association with executive function and delayed recall trajectories across age. Results: Of 1,097 metabolites tested, levels of seven were associated with executive function trajectories, including an amino acid cysteine S-sulfate and three fatty acids, including erucate (22 : 1n9), while none were associated with delayed recall trajectories. Replication was attempted for four of these metabolites that were present in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA). Although none reached statistical significance, three of these associations showed consistent effectdirections. Conclusion: Our results suggest potential metabolomic mechanisms that could contribute to the earliest signs of cognitive decline. In particular, fatty acids may be associated with cognition in a manner that is more complex than previously suspected.
Identification and tectonic implications of a tear in the South American plate at the southern end of the Lesser Antilles

In the southeast corner of the Caribbean, westward subduction of (Atlantic) oceanic South America beneath the Lesser Antilles transitions to east‐west transform motion between continental South America and the Caribbean plate. This geometry requires negatively buoyant, subducting, oceanic South American lithosphere to progressively detach from positively buoyant, continental South American lithosphere. The most widely accepted model is slab break‐off, with oblique arc‐continent collision and northwest dipping, continental subduction precipitating narrow rifting in the subducting slab. In contrast, the subduction‐transform edge propagator (STEP) model conceptualizes progressive detachment along a vertical, dip‐slip tear through the lithosphere, with stress focused at the edge of the propagating transform boundary. We present four types of seismic data to resolve the ongoing lithospheric detachment: local seismicity, receiver functions, wide‐angle seismic velocity inversion, and a regional, balanced cross section constrained by petroleum industry data. These four data sets image a near‐vertical tear extending through the entire lithosphere, revealing a key mechanism for the structural evolution of Venezuela.
Airway inflammation in children and adolescents with bronchiolitis obliterans

Background: Airway inflammation plays a major role in the progression of chronic lung diseases. The features of airway inflammation are not well defined among patients with cases of bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) that began in childhood. Objectives: To investigate the sputum cell and cytokine profiles of stable cases of BO regarding lung function and the involvement of small airway disease (SAD) Methods: Twenty patients with BO (median age=14.5, range=7-23 years) and 23 healthy controls (median age=16.5 years) were investigated. Lung function parameters and bronchial reversibility testing as well as sputum cell and cytokine profiles (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-5, IFN-γ, and NFκB regulation) were analysed using quantitative RT-PCR and cytometric bead assay (CBA) in induced sputum. Results: Patients with BO had significantly lower lung function values, including FVC, forced expiratory volume (FEV1), the Tiffeneau index (FEV1/VC) , and MEF25, but increased functional residual capacity (RV/TLC) values. Bronchial reversibility was found in five patients (25%). Moreover, airway inflammation (as indicated by total cells, neutrophils, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and NFκB) was significantly increased among patients with BO compared with controls. Conclusions: BO is predominantly a neutrophilic disease of the small bronchioles featuring elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines leading to tissue remodelling and fibrosis of the small airways. Future therapies for patients with BO should more efficiently target the small airways.
Water‐soluble organic carbon on a forested watershed underlain by continuous permafrost and its export to stream

In most ecosystems, water‐soluble organic carbon (WSOC) is the source of energy, carbon and nutrients. The transport of WSOC is an important process for the transfer of organic matter in forest ecosystems and for the development of SOM. In the boreal zone, the climate change may influence the decomposition of SOM, as well as the fluxes of WSOC in terrestrial ecosystems, and its export to rivers. The aim of this study was to identify the amount of WSOC accumulated in the catchment area (4,240 ha) underlain by continuous permafrost, as well as its annual export to streams. The WSOC content in a moss‐lichen layer varies significantly, depending on the site hydrothermal regime and plant species composition. The WSOC capital was low (10–50 kgC ha-1) on 37% of the watershed territory, where the moss‐lichen layer had been destroyed by a ground fire in 1990. In undisturbed larch ecosystems the WSOC was as high as >50 kgC ha-1. The entire watershed WSOC storage in the moss‐lichen layer was estimated to be 511 tC, comprising about 1.2% of the total biomass of the moss‐lichen layer in the watershed. The stock of litter accumulated in the catchments varied from 2.4 to 76.3 t ha-1, with the lowest values characteristic of the burnt areas and south‐facing slopes. The larch stands growing on the north‐facing slopes and in valleys were dominated by feathermoss and Sphagnum (28% watershed territory), where the litter accumulation was >50 t ha-1. The estimated total accumulation of WSOC analyzed in the litter of the watershed was 133.7 tC, and comprised of 0.3% total Corg. The overall WSOC storage, including mineral soil, at the watershed reached 3,100 tC. The flux of WSOC in the stream during the growing season was about 200 tC year-1 (5 gC m-2 y-1). The WSOC loss from the watershed was as much as 7% of the overall WSOC that had accumulated in the moss‐lichen layer, litter and 50 cm of the mineral soil layer, or 3–5% of the NPP.
Papua New Guinea Country Study on Biological Diversity

Material from this publication may be freely used, but authorship must be acknowledged (see pages xi-xii for a list of authors). Papua New Guinea is renowned for the diversity and splendour of its coral reefs. These provide a wide range of direct and indirect use benefits to coastal communities, and have a number of potential future uses, including possible medical applications (Bob Halstead).
Diminutive Digits Discern Delicate Details: Fingertip Size and the Sex Difference in Tactile Spatial Acuity

We have observed that passive tactile spatial acuity, the ability to resolve the spatial structure of surfaces pressed upon the skin, differs subtly but consistently between the sexes, with women able to perceive finer surface detail than men. Eschewing complex central explanations, we hypothesized that this sex difference in somatosensory perception might result from simple physical differences between the fingers of women and men. To investigate, we tested 50 women and 50 men on a tactile grating orientation task and measured the surface area of the participants' index fingertips. In subsets of participants, we additionally measured finger skin compliance and optically imaged the fingerprint microstructure to count sweat pores. We show here that tactile perception improves with decreasing finger size, and that this correlation fully explains the better perception of women, who on average have smaller fingers than men. Indeed, when sex and finger size are both considered in statistical analyses, only finger size predicts tactile acuity. Thus, a man and a woman with fingers of equal size will, on average, enjoy equal tactile acuity. We further show that sweat pores, and presumably the Merkel receptors beneath them, are packed more densely in smaller fingers.
Kazakstan and the Rest of Central Asia: Fifteen Shades of Difference

Kazakstan is both part of former Soviet Central Asia and yet stands apart in many respects. Its geographic position, past history and present development are unique for the area. It is significant that Soviet-era writings treated Kazakstan distinctly from the other four Central Asian republics. This essay is devoted to these differences.
Analytical solutions for leakage rates through abandoned wells

Disposal of waste fluids via injection into deep saline aquifers is practiced in a variety of industries. Injection takes place in sedimentary basins that often have a history of oil and gas exploration and production, which means that wells other than those used for waste disposal may exist in the vicinity of the injection site. These existing wells provide possible pathways for leakage of waste fluids toward the shallow subsurface and the land surface. For single‐phase flows of liquids with essentially constant properties, the equations governing the system are linear, and solutions may be written using the superposition principle. Because leakage through existing wells produces a time‐varying flux rate, the solution of the governing equations involves convolution integrals. Previous solutions have addressed the problem of one injection well, one existing (passive) well, and a simple geometry of two aquifers separated by an aquitard by use of Laplace transforms. Even for this simple case, inversion of the transform is difficult. Solutions involving more than one passive well have not been developed. Nor have solutions been developed for more than two aquifers and one aquitard. Realistic injection cases often involve layered systems with multiple aquifers and aquitards, as well as multiple passive wells, sometimes numbering in the hundreds. Solutions for the general case of multiple aquifers and wells may be developed through introduction of approximations to the well function and appropriate simplification of the convolution integral. Such a solution is computationally simple. Comparison to solutions using the full (Laplace transform) solution indicates that the new solution procedure produces excellent results. Application of the new solution to a case of multiple passive wells shows that the cumulative leakage flux in the passive wells is not a simple sum of the single‐well case, owing to leakage‐induced drawdown around the passive wells. In addition, application to the case of multiple aquifers and aquitards demonstrates the importance of leakage into intervening aquifers as a mechanism to mitigate leakage into shallow zones, a process referred to as the “elevator model. ” The new analytical solution provides a tool to analyze practical injection problems and forms a foundation on which more complex solutions, such as those involving injection of a nonaqueous fluid into a deep brine formation, may be based.
An ornithurine bird from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada

The partial carpometacarpus of a basal ornithurine bird from the late Campanian of Dinosaur Provincial Park is described. Complete proximal fusion of the wrist and the presence of a pisiform process place this taxon in Ornithothoraces. Ornithurine synapomorphies include the large ventral ridge of the carpus and the concave proximal margin of the alular metacarpal, but the primitive structure of the pisiform process and extensor process preclude placement in Neornithes. The relatively thick walls of the bone and the distal placement of the extensor process are consistent with diving habits.
Intraseasonal Persistence of European Surface Temperatures

AbstractRecent periods of extreme weather in Europe, such as the cold winter of 2009/10, have caused widespread impacts and were remarkable because of their persistence. It is therefore of great interest to improve the ability to forecast such events. Weather forecasts at midlatitudes generally show low skill beyond 5–10 days, but long-range forecast skill may increase during extended tropospheric blocking episodes or perturbations of the stratospheric polar vortex, which can affect midlatitude weather for several weeks at a time. Here a simple, linear approach is used to identify previously undocumented persistence in northern European summer and winter temperature anomalies in climate model simulations, corroborated by observations and reanalysis data. For instance, temperature anomalies of at least one standard deviation above or below climatology in March were found to be about 20%–120% more likely than normal if the preceding February was anomalous by 0.5–1.5 standard deviations (with the same sign).
Use of a Self-Report Medication Adherence Scale for Measuring Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy in Patients With HIV/AIDS (/content/sgrjnm/26/2/e72)

Background and Purpose : To describe the development and testing of a psychometric of Family Structure and Functions (FSF) that measures parents’ ability to provide adolescent reproductive health (ARH). Methods: A cross-sectional study of Indonesian parents ( n = 525). Multifactors FSF-ARH were examined using construct validity (exploratory factor analysis [EFA] and confirmatory factor analysis [CFA]) and content validity (Content Validity Index [CVI]). Internal consistency was explored using Cronbach’s α coefficient. Results: EFA revealed nine factors with 26 items accounting for 61.64% of explained variance and CFA validity testing fit for the construct validity of FSF-ARH. The