Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metabolic Activation of the Indoloquinazoline Alkaloids Evodiamine and Rutaecarpine by Human Liver Microsomes: Dehydrogenation and Inactivation of Cytochrome P450 3A4 s

Evodiamine and rutaecarpine are the main active indoloquinazoline alkaloids of the herbal medicine Evodia rutaecarpa , which is widely used for the treatment of hypertension, abdominal pain, angina pectoris, gastrointestinal disorder, and headache. Immunosuppressive effects and acute toxicity were reported in mice treated with evodiamine and rutaecarpine. Although the mechanism remains unknown, it is proposed that metabolic activation of the indoloquinazoline alkaloids and subsequent covalent binding of reactive metabolites to cellular proteins play a causative role. Liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry analysis of incubations containing evodiamine and NADPH-supplemented microsomes in the presence of glutathione (GSH) revealed formation of a major GSH conjugate which was subsequently indentified as a benzylic thioether adduct on the C-8 position of evodiamine by NMR analysis. Several other GSH conjugates were also detected, including conjugates of oxidized and demethylated metabolites of evodiamine. Similar GSH conjugates were formed in incubations with rutaecarpine. These findings are consistent with a bioactivation sequence involving initial cytochrome P450 – catalyzed dehydrogenation of the 3-alkylindole moiety in evodiamine and rutaecarpine to an electrophile 3-methyleneindolenine. Formation of the evodiamine and rutaecarpine GSH conjugates was primarily catalyzed by heterologously expressed recombinant CYP3A4 and, to a lesser extent, CYP1A2 and CYP2D6, respectively. It was found that the 3-methyleneindolenine or another reactive intermediate was a mech-anism-based inactivator of CYP3A4, with inactivation parameters K I = 29 m M and k inact = 0.029 minute 2 1 , respectively. In summary, these findings are of significance in understanding the bioactivation mechanisms of indoloquinazoline alkaloids, and dehydrogenation of evodiamine and rutaecarpine may cause toxicities through formation of electrophilic intermediates and lead to drug-drug interactions mainly via CYP3A4 inactivation.
Vegetation fire and land use in Southeast Asia: The interpretation of remotely sensed data for Cambodia

Abstract This study reports on two independent sources of environmental data, both collected by remote sensing observations (aerial and satellite). Satellite imagery provides consistent and contemporary data on areas that are difficult to survey by other means due to either their physical inaccessibility, their large extent, or their unfavourable political climate. Within mainland Southeast Asia, Cambodia is a case in hand. Presented here is an assessment of vegetation fire activity determined using 1 km resolution AVHRR data (Jones 1996a) in relation to land use and land cover at a 1:500,000 scale (UNEP/GRID 1995). It is apparent that fire mainly occurs within Cambodia's deciduous forest formations that occupy some 34% of the country. The majority (75%) of these fires occur between January and February when leaf fall is at a peak. Leaf senescence contributes both to a high fuel loading and allows a drying of the forest understorey. Adaptation of these seasonal forests to withstand fire activity is high.
A importância da luz na ocupação de árvores por lianas

Lianas (woody climbers) interact negatively with trees, increasing their mortality rates. We expect, therefore, that trees have developed supposed traits that would defend them against lianas. The aim of this paper was test if these tree traits limit their liana occupation: 1) smaller height; 2) taller free bole height; 3) smooth bark; 4) exfoliating bark, and 5) low crown illumination. This study was carried out in a fragment of a seasonal semideciduous forest in Alfenas (Minas Gerais; Southeastern Brasil). We sampled in 0.1 ha all trees with diameter at breast height larger than 3 cm. For each tree we noted the traits previously cited, as well as we estimated the percentage of liana occupation on the tree crowns. We found that, for taller trees and trees with higher crown illumination, the probability of a tree to carry lianas was higher. These trees, in spite of reaching the forest canopy, and, therefore, acquire more light for reproduction and growth, they are also more prone to liana occupation. In spite of that, we suppose that the trees do not invest on traits that could decrease the liana occupation, probably because the competition with neighbor's plants may also be intense.
Currency Choice in International Bond Issuance

Aggregate issuance of international bonds is found to be significantly higher in strong currencies than in weak ones. The mix of currencies is also found to be influenced by interest rate differentials, with greater issuance in higher-yielding currencies, and by the amount of home country issuance. Taken together, the results suggest that both the investor’s and the issuer’s preferences determine currency choice in international bond issuance.
Decadal and seasonal development of embryo dunes on an accreting macrotidal beach: North Lincolnshire, UK

Embryo dunes are often ephemeral, but can develop to become established coastal foredunes. In 2001 a patch of embryo dunes 13.11 m2 appeared on a beach in north Lincolnshire, UK and had expanded to over 3600 m2 by 2011. The rate of expansion is linked to storm occurrence, where expansion is slowed during years with a higher incidence of storm surges. From July 2009–October 2010 seasonal changes in dune field topography were determined using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) data. Vegetation is important in the development of embryo dunes, but can cause errors in TLS data. Tests evaluating the impact of vegetation on the TLS data suggest the minimum elevation value from the TLS point cloud within a 0.05 m grid cell gives a good approximation of the ground surface. Digital elevation models (DEMs) of the dunes constructed using filtered data showed the embryo dunes underwent a classic seasonal cycle of erosion during the winter and accretion during the summer. For example from October 2009 to April 2010 over 375 m3 of sediment was eroded from the dunes whereas during spring and summer 2010 the dune field gained over 600 m3 of sand. The overall magnitude of change in dune height and volume from season to season exceeded the errors associated with the construction of the DEM from the TLS data and the vegetation filtering process, which suggests TLS can be useful for documenting topographic change in vegetated dunes. After 10 years, the patch of embryo dunes is still expanding but has not yet merged with more established foredunes to landward. Aeolian process measurements indicate that, at present, the embryo dunes do not prevent sand from reaching the foredunes, however the rate of foredune progradation has slowed concurrently with the expansion of the embryo dune field. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
VLF attenuation for east‐west and west‐east daytime propagation using atmospherics

Daytime attenuation characteristics have been computed by comparing the amplitude spectra of atmospheric waveforms recorded at four widely separated stations. The results of these attenuation measurements are presented for the band of frequencies from 3 to 30 kc/s and involving distances of 1000 to 10,000 km. Nonreciprocity is evident from this study. Attenuation rates over sea water for east-to-west propagation were about 3 db/1000 km greater for frequencies below 8 kc/s, and about 1 db/1000 km greater for frequencies above 10 kc/s, than for west-to-east propagation. East-to-west attenuation rates over land were about 1 db/ 1000 greater than for over sea water.
Multiple significance tests: the Bonferroni method

Many published papers include large numbers of significance tests. These may be difficult to interpret because if we go on testing long enough we will inevitably find something which is “significant. ” We must beware of attaching too much importance to a lone significant result among a mass of non-significant ones. It may be the one in 20 which we expect by chance alone. Lee et al simulated a clinical trial of the treatment of coronary artery disease by allocating 1073 patient records from past cases into two “treatment” groups at random.1 They then analysed the outcome as if it were a genuine trial of two treatments. The analysis was quite detailed and thorough. As we would expect, it failed to show any significant difference in survival between those patients allocated to the two treatments. Patients were then subdivided by two variables which affect prognosis, the number of diseased coronary vessels and whether the left ventricular contraction pattern was normal or abnormal. A significant difference in survival between the two “treatment” groups was found in those patients with three diseased vessels (the maximum) and abnormal ventricular contraction. As this would be the subset of patients with the worst prognosis, the finding would be easy to account for by saying that the superior “treatment” …
How to randomise

We have explained why random allocation of treatments is a required feature of controlled trials.1 Here we consider how to generate a random allocation sequence. Almost always patients enter a trial in sequence over a prolonged period. In the simplest procedure, simple randomisation, we determine each patient's treatment at random independently with no constraints. With equal allocation to two treatment groups this is equivalent to tossing a coin, although in practice coins are rarely used. Instead we use computer generated random numbers. Suitable tables can be found in most statistics textbooks. The table shows an example2: the numbers can be considered as either random digits from 0 to 9 or random integers from 0 to 99. For equal allocation to two treatments we could take odd and even numbers to indicate treatments A and B respectively. We must then choose an arbitrary place to start and also the direction in which to read the table. The first 10 two digit numbers from a starting place in column 2 are 85 80 62 36 96 56 17 17 23 87, which translate into the sequence A B B B B B …
Calculating correlation coefficients with repeated observations: Part 2—correlation between subjects

In earlier Statistics Notes1 2 we commented on the analysis of paired data where there is more than one observation per subject. It can be highly misleading to analyse such data by combining repeated observations from several subjects and then calculating the correlation coefficient as if the data were a simple sample.1 The appropriate analysis depends on the question we wish to answer. If we want to know whether an increase in one variable within the individual is associated with an increase in the other we can calculate the correlation coefficient within subjects.2 If we want to know whether subjects with high values of one variable also tend to have …
Acute Cardiac Effects of Severe Pre-Eclampsia

BACKGROUND Pre-eclampsia with severe features (PEC) is a pregnancy-speci ﬁ c syndrome characterized by severe hypertension and end-organ dysfunction, and is associated with short-term adverse cardiovascular events, including heart failure, pulmonary edema, and stroke. OBJECTIVES The authors aimed to characterize the short-term echocardiographic, clinical, and laboratory changes in women with PEC, focusing on right ventricular (RV) systolic pressure (RVSP) and echocardiographic-derived diastolic, systolic, and speckle tracking parameters. METHODS In this prospective observational study, the authors recruited 63 women with PEC and 36 pregnant control patients. RESULTS The PEC cohort had higher RVSP (31.0 (cid:1) 7.9 mm Hg vs. 22.5 (cid:1) 6.1 mm Hg; p < 0.001) and decreased global RV longitudinal systolic strain (RVLSS) ( (cid:3) 19.6 (cid:1) 3.2% vs. (cid:3) 23.8 (cid:1) 2.9% [p < 0.0001]) when compared with the control cohort. For left-sided cardiac parameters, there were differences (p < 0.001) in mitral septal e 0 velocity (9.6 (cid:1) 2.4 cm/s vs. 11.6 (cid:1) 1.9 cm/s), septal E/e 0 ratio (10.8 (cid:1) 2.8 vs. 7.4 (cid:1) 1.6), left
Three-dimensional myocardial deformations: calculation with displacement field fitting to tagged MR images.

PURPOSE To reconstruct three-dimensional (3D) myocardial deformations from orthogonal sets of parallel-tagged magnetic resonance (MR) images. MATERIALS AND METHODS Displacement information in the direction normal to the undeformed tag planes was obtained at points along tag lines. Three independent sets of one-dimensional displacement data were used to fit an analytical series expression to describe 3D displacement as a function of deformed position. The technique was demonstrated with computer-generated models of the deformed left ventricle with data from healthy human volunteers. RESULTS Model deformations were reconstructed with a 3D tracking error of less than 0.3 mm. Error between estimated and observed one-dimensional displacements along the tags in 10 human subjects was 0.00 mm +/- 0.36 (mean +/- standard deviation). Robustness to noise in the tag displacement data was demonstrated by using a Monte Carlo simulation. CONCLUSION The combination of rapidly acquired parallel-tagged MR images and field-fitting analysis is a valuable tool in cardiac mechanics research and in the clinical assessment of cardiac mechanical function.
Relationship between the Sludge Settling Characteristics and the Parameters of the Activated Sludge System

The activated sludge process is one of the most commonly employed domestic and industrial waste treatment process. Different types of mathematical models have been proposed for design and operation of this process, most of which do not consider the relationship between the sludge settling characteristics and the aeration unit performance. This project studies the validity of a model developed by La Motta (2004b) which links the operating parameters of an activated sludge system and the classical limiting flux sludge settling theory. Favorable results were obtained demonstrating that the model predicts very similar values of the parameters of the system in comparison with the parameters observed in an activated sludge pilot plant that is located within installations of the Marrero Wastewater Treatment Plant, New Orleans, Louisiana. This research also demonstrated that the model is a helpful tool for the design and operation of an activated sludge system.
Major 10.2-Ma rhyolitic volcanism in the eastern Snake River plain, Idaho; isotopic age and stratigraphic setting of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member of the Starlight Formation

Introduction . Description of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member. 3 New isotopic ages for the Arbon Valley Tuff Member. 5 Sampling. 5 Methodology. 5 Results of 40 Arf39 Ar Analysis . 6 Results of potassium-argon analysis. 7 Estimated age of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member. 10 Stratigraphy of the southeastern margin of the Snake River Plain. 11 Geochemistry of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member. 11 Source of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member. 13 Conclusions . 16 References Cited. 16
Toward a synthetic understanding of the role of phenology in ecology and evolution

Phenology affects nearly all aspects of ecology and evolution. Virtually all biological phenomena—from individual physiology to interspecific relationships to global nutrient fluxes—have annual cycles and are influenced by the timing of abiotic events. Recent years have seen a surge of interest in this topic, as an increasing number of studies document phenological responses to climate change. Much recent research has addressed the genetic controls on phenology, modelling techniques and ecosystem-level and evolutionary consequences of phenological change. To date, however, these efforts have tended to proceed independently. Here, we bring together some of these disparate lines of inquiry to clarify vocabulary, facilitate comparisons among habitat types and promote the integration of ideas and methodologies across different disciplines and scales. We discuss the relationship between phenology and life history, the distinction between organismal- and population-level perspectives on phenology and the influence of phenology on evolutionary processes, communities and ecosystems. Future work should focus on linking ecological and physiological aspects of phenology, understanding the demographic effects of phenological change and explicitly accounting for seasonality and phenology in forecasts of ecological and evolutionary responses to climate change.
Multipoint observations of Pc1-2 waves in the afternoon sector

[1] Coordinated observations from GOES-9, DMSP F-13, and Chokurdakh (CHD) have shown concurrent Pc1-2 band wave activity in the late afternoon sector, close to 16 MLT. The left-hand polarization of the waves in space indicates that these are electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves. In the region of field line conjunction, DMSP also observed 6–30 keV energy ion precipitation. We have examined the propagation of the EMIC waves from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere using both time series analysis and a 2-D magnetohydrodynamic model. Our analysis suggests that the EMIC are generated by interactions with cold plasma within a drainage plume, consistent with theory, and that the waves primarily propagate earthward along geomagnetic field lines at the eastward (outer) edge of the plume.
Historical landscape repeat photography as a tool for land use change research

This study applies repeat photography – the comparison of historical and recent landscape photographs from the same camera point – to the case of highland Madagascar. First, it evaluates whether repeat photography is an efficient, effective, and useful method to identify region-wide trends in land use change. To do so, it proposes and applies a systematic methodology that addresses the significant obstacles of spatial bias and temporal inconsistency. When compared with the analysis of air photos and satellite images, the technique is found to provide useful high-resolution data and a deeper historical reach. If pursued opportunistically alongside other fieldwork, the method is efficient in time and cost; it can be a useful way to identify environmental trajectories worthy of further investigation, to corroborate other studies, and to illustrate changes. Second, the overall trends of 20th century land-use change in highland Madagascar are investigated. Results suggest that many parts of the central highlands – dominated 100 years ago by open grasslands – are now characterized by expanded and intensified agriculture, an increased presence of trees (fruit trees and exotic reforestation species), and general stability in soil erosion. These results complicate the view of Madagascar as an island suffering problematic environmental degradation, such as deforestation and erosion.
The Literature of the Indian Diaspora : Theorizing the Diasporic Imaginary

The Literature of the Indian Diaspora constitutes a major study of the literature and other cultural texts of the Indian diaspora. It is also an important contribution to diaspora theory in general. Examining both the 'old' Indian diaspora of early capitalism, following the abolition of slavery, and the 'new' diaspora linked to movements of late capital, Mishra argues that a full understanding of the Indian diaspora can only be achieved if attention is paid to the particular locations of both the 'old' and the 'new' in nation states. Applying a theoretical framework based on trauma, mourning/impossible mourning, spectres, identity, travel, translation, and recognition, Mishra uses the term 'imaginary' to refer to any ethnic enclave in a nation-state that defines itself, consciously or unconsciously, as a group in displacement. He examines the works of key writers, many now based across the globe in Canada, Australia, America and the UK, – V.S. Naipaul, Salman Rushdie, M.G. Vassanji, Shani Mootoo, Bharati Mukherjee, David Dabydeen, Rohinton Mistry and Hanif Kureishi, among them – to show how they exemplify both the diasporic imaginary and the respective traumas of the 'old' and 'new' Indian diasporas.
Parallax Photography: Creating 3D Motions from Stills

Photography is the process of making pictures by literally drawing with light, albeit in a limited and restricted way. The recent digitization of photography offers unprecedented opportunities to move beyond the traditional constraints of analog photography, and lead to the enhancement and enrichment of visual media. In this book, we explore one approach to addressing this challenge, namely, parallax photography. Our approach begins by capturing multiple digital photographs of a scene from different viewpoints exhibiting parallax. We present algorithms that find dense correspondences among the captured imagery, as well as algorithms for seamless interpolation. The approach also embodies methods and interfaces that identify and highlight the interesting pieces of the captured data, and data representations for efficient storing and rendering. As we show in this book, the results, which allow re- experiencing subtle parallax, create a more visceral sense of immersion in the scene than traditional photographs.
Stability and significance tests for b‐value anomalies: Example from the Tyrrhenian Sea

We spatially map b‐values in the Southern Tyrrhenian Subduction Zone (Italy). A high b‐value anomaly 90–200 km beneath the Aeolian Island volcanoes is interpreted as being related to the origin of magma for the Aeolian volcanic district. This result is independent of the sample size, width of the cross‐section or its orientation. To assess the stability of these findings, we develop a new, more realistic, uncertainty assessment based on a bootstrap method. Our approach explicitly takes into account the uncertainty in the assessment of the completeness in magnitude reporting. To quantify the significance of the results when compared to a chance occurrence, we compute Monte Carlo style simulations based on catalogs with permuted magnitudes. Our entire tests show that the high b‐value anomaly is stable and highly significant.
Title: Determinants of activity and participation in preschoolers with developmental delay

Objective: To compare the activity performance and school participation of preschool children with developmental delay (DD) and age-matched typically developing children, and to identify the determinants of activity and participation in preschoolers with DD . Design: This was a case-control exploratory study. Setting: Mainstream preschools with integrated program units. Patients: Fifty-four children with DD (37 boys, 17 girls; mean age: 66 months) were recruited. A group of age-matched typically developing children served as controls (34 boys, 20 girls; mean age: 65 months). Intervention: Not applicable. Main outcome and participation were measured according to the Vineland Adaptive Behavior (VABS) and School Function Assessment (SFA). Different aspects of body functions were evaluated with the Kindergarten Sensory Integration Checklist Version), the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency: Long Form, and Conners’ Teacher Rating Scale – Revised: Long Form. Other information on personal and environmental factors (e.g., gender, household income, etc.) was also obtained. Results: Children with DD had significantly lower VABS (p<0.001) and SFA (p<0.001) scores than controls. Multiple regression analysis revealed that deficits in social and