Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Peroxisomal membrane contact sites in the yeast Hansenula polymorpha

Yeast Pex11, Pex23 and Pex24 family proteins are implicated in the regulation of peroxisome numbers. It has been established that Pex11 plays a role in peroxisome fission, but the role of other Pex11 family proteins is still speculative. Similarly, the functions of Pex23- and Pex24-family proteins are still debated and include roles in de novo peroxisome biogenesis or the formation of ER-peroxisome contact sites. Using fluorescence microscopy, we show that Hansenula polymorpha Pex23 and Pex24 are localized to the ER, whereas Pex11 is confined to peroxisomes. Deletion of PEX11, PEX23 or PEX24 results in similar phenotypes, namely a reduction in peroxisome numbers together with an increase in their size. Also, all three single deletion strains are capable to grow on methanol, but the growth rates are reduced relative to WT controls, indicative for abnormalities in peroxisome function. To test whether these relatively weak phenotypes are due to functional redundancy, we performed transposon mutagenesis of an Hansenula polymorpha pex11 strain. This screen identified VPS13 as being essential for peroxisome biogenesis in a pex11 background. We show that cells of the pex11 vps13 double deletion strain, but not of the vps13 single deletion strain, show a severe defect in peroxisome biogenesis and are unable to grow on methanol. Essentially similar results were obtained upon deletion of VPS13 in pex23 or pex24 cells. The peroxisome deficient phenotypes of pex11 vps13 , pex23 vps13 and pex24 vps13 cells could be largely suppressed by the introduction of an artificial peroxisome-ER tethering protein. Our data support the role of Pex23 and Pex24 in the formation of peroxisome-ER membrane contact sites. These contact sites, which apparently also required Pex11, likely play a role in peroxisome membrane growth. pex23 and pex24 single deletion strains have similar phenotypes, namely decreased numbers of peroxisomes which are enhanced in size. A mutant screen revealed that the peroxisomal phenotype of pex11 cells became more severe upon deletion of VPS13 , whereas cells of a vps13 single deletion strain have no obvious peroxisomal phenotype. Cells of the pex11 vps13 double mutant contain very small peroxisomes in conjunction with mislocalization of the bulk of the matrix proteins to the cytosol. pex23 vps13 and pex24 vps13 double mutants showed a similar severe peroxisome biogenesis defect. Introduction of an artificial ER-peroxisome tethering protein largely suppressed this phenotype in all three double deletion strains. These data suggest that ER-peroxisome associations important for peroxisomal membrane growth are disturbed in the double mutants.
Topographic control of thermohaline frontal structure in the Barents Sea Polar Front on the south flank of Spitsbergen Bank

A combination of observations and process-oriented numerical modeling is used to investigate the thermohaline structure of the Barents Sea Polar Front on the south flank of Spitsbergen Bank. The Polar Front is the boundary between warm, saline North Atlantic Water and cool, fresh Arctic Water located over the outer edge of the bank. Observations from the Barents Sea Polar Front Experiment in August 1992 show that North Atlantic Water was present in waters of 250 m or deeper, with little vertical structure beneath the upper 50 m of the water column. The mean velocity field over the south flank of the bank shows a westward flow of roughly 0.1 m s−1 in the North Atlantic Water and weak mean velocities over the outer edge of the bank. A primitive equation model is used with idealized bathymetry to show that the inflow of North Atlantic Water into the Barents Sea via the Bear Island Trough bifurcates at the sill between Nordkapp Bank and Sentral Bank, at the eastern edge of the Bear Island Trough. One branch of the North Atlantic Water recirculates westward, out of the Barents Sea and back into the Norwegian Sea. The flow of North Atlantic Water is barotropic and linear, following the bathymetry. The recirculating branch is sheared off at the sill, such that the core of recirculating flow is concentrated between the isobath coincident with the sill depth (∼260 m) and the center of the trough (∼500 m). Both the cross-bank structure of the model thermohaline fields, as well as the along-bank velocity, are very similar to the observations at a depth of 80 m. Thus the frontal structure is controlled by the interaction of the barotropic inflow with the sill at the eastern edge of the Bear Island Trough and is not controlled by processes occurring over the bank.
The intraseasonal variability of winter semester surface air temperature in Antarctica

This study investigates systematically the intraseasonal variability of surface air temperature over Antarctica by applying empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis to the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, US Department of Energy, Reanalysis 2 data set for the period of 1979 through 2007. The results reveal the existence of two major intraseasonal oscillations of surface temperature with periods of 26–30 days and 14 days during the Antarctic winter season in the region south of 60°S. The first EOF mode shows a nearly uniform spatial pattern in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean associated with the Antarctic Oscillation. The mode-1 intraseasonal variability of the surface temperature leads that of upper atmosphere by one day with the largest correlation at 300-hPa level geopotential heights. The intraseasonal variability of the mode-1 EOF is closely related to the variations of surface net longwave radiation the total cloud cover over Antarctica. The other major EOF modes reveal the existence of eastward propagating phases over the Southern Ocean and marginal region in Antarctica. The leading two propagating modes respond to Pacific–South American modes. Meridional winds induced by the wave train from the tropics have a direct influence on the surface air temperature over the Southern Ocean and the marginal region of the Antarctic continent.
The Cabo de la Vela Mafic-Ultramafic Complex, Northeastern Colombian Caribbean region: a record of multistage evolution of a Late Cretaceous intra-oceanic arc

Abstract Ophiolite-related rocks accreted to Caribbean Plate margins provide insights into the understanding of the intra-oceanic evolution of the Caribbean Plate and its interaction with the continental margins of the Americas. Petrological, geochemical and isotope (K–Ar, Sr and Nd) data were obtained in serpentinites, gabbros and andesite dykes from the Cabo de la Vela Mafic–Ultramafic Complex from the Guajira Peninsula, in the northernmost Colombian Caribbean region. Field relations, metasomatic alteration patterns and whole rock–mineral geochemistry combined with juvenile isotope signatures of the different units suggest that gabbros and serpentinites formed in a slow-spreading supra-subduction zone that was brought to shallower depths and subsequently evolved to an arc setting where andesitic rocks formed with little sediment input. The tectonomagmatic evolution of the Cabo de la Vela Mafic–Ultramafic Complex involved an intra-oceanic arc that evolved from pre-Campanian time to 74 Ma. Relationships with other units from the Guajira Peninsula show either the existence of a mature arc basement or a series of coalesced allocthonous arcs, juxtaposed before accretion onto the passive continental margin of South American in pre-Eocene times.
Spatial variance in directional remote sensing imagery‐recent developments and future perspectives

High resolution images using a range of different technologies and sensed from air and space platforms are becoming increasingly available. Spatial statistics may be used to analyze the texture of such images to infer many types of information – including plant canopy structure. This paper summarizes a line of work which has sought to interpret the spatial variation of directional images of vegetation canopies and vegetation‐covered surfaces using a common framework of geo‐optical models. The early work on statistical analysis of hemispherical photographs by Nilson is described as well as Li and Strahler's variance model for crown size estimation. Then, the texture based work by Jupp and Woodcock is described. This involved analysis of aerial photos and airborne scanner data in open forests. Finally, some recently presented work using airborne ASAS images in dense conifer forest by the present authors is described. Previously unpublished work on the inversion of a simple spatial variance model, combined with considerations of BRDF, points to how interpreting the spatial variance of directional remote images through geo‐optical models can contribute the retrieval of canopy parameters such as tree sizes and canopy gaps through the integration off all of these stands. This paper aims to benefit future use of directional imagery to recover surface parameters by bringing these various pieces of work together. They collectively show how characterizing the distributional properties of directional imagery and interpreting them through geo‐optical models can provide canopy information and suggest how interpretation of various data sources ‐ including from canopy Lidars – can also benefit from the outcomes of model‐based spatial and directional variance research.
Tree-ring width and density data around the Northern Hemisphere: Part 2, spatio-temporal variability and associated climate patterns

Patterns of summer temperature over the Northern Hemisphere, obtained from a calibration of a treering network, are presented for every year from 1600 to 1877. The network of tree-ring density chronologies is shown to exhibit spatially coherent modes of variability. These modes closely match summer half-year tempera ture variations, in terms of similar spatial patterns and similar temporal evolution during the instrumental period. They can, therefore, be considered to be proxies for the temperature patterns, and time series for the eight most dominant patterns are presented back to the late seventeenth century. The first pattern represents spatially coherent warming or cooling and it appears to respond to climate forcings, especially volcanic erup tions. Most other patterns appear to be related to atmospheric pressure anomalies and they can be partially explained by heat advection associated with anomalous atmospheric circulation. This provides the potential for reconstructing past variations in atmospheric circulation for the summer half-year. To investigate this poten tial, modes of summer-pressure variability are defined, and an attempt is made to reconstruct them using principal components regression. Poor verification statistics and high sensitivity to the design of the regression procedure provide little confidence in the reconstructions presented, which are regarded as being preliminary only. A repeat study using instrumental temperature predictors shows that the poor performance is attributable mainly to the weakness of the relationship between air temperature over land and atmospheric circulation during summer: though a relationship exists, it is not strong enough to yield reliable regression models when only a relatively short overlap period (55 years in this study) exists for calibration and verification. Further attempts to reconstruct large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns that include precipitation-sensitive networks of tree-ring data are likely to produce improved results.
Tolerability and pharmacokinetic evaluation of inhaled dry powder tobramycin free base in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis is a persistent condition characterised by dilated and thick-walled bronchi. The presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in bronchiectasis is associated with a higher hospitalisation frequency and a reduced quality of life, requiring frequent and adequate treatment with antibiotics. To assess local tolerability and the pharmacokinetic parameters of inhaled excipient free dry powder tobramycin as free base administered with the Cyclops dry powder inhaler to participants with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. The free base and absence of excipients reduces the inhaled powder dose. Eight participants in the study were trained in handling the device and inhaling correctly. During drug administration the inspiratory flow curve was recorded. Local tolerability was assessed by spirometry and recording adverse events. Serum samples were collected before, and 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120 min; 4, 8 and 12 h after inhalation. Dry powder tobramycin base was well tolerated and mild tobramycin-related cough was reported only once. A good drug dose-serum concentration correlation was obtained. Relatively small inhaled volumes were computed from the recorded flow curves, resulting in presumably substantial deposition in the central airways – i.e., at the site of infection. In this first study of inhaled dry powder tobramycin free base in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis patients, the free base of tobramycin and the administration with the Cyclops dry powder device were well tolerated. Our data support further clinical studies to evaluate safety and efficacy of this compound in this population.
MyoChallenge 2022: Learning contact-rich manipulation using a musculoskeletal hand

Manual dexterity has been considered one of the critical components for human evolution. The ability to perform movements as simple as holding and rotating an object in the hand without dropping it needs the coordination of more than 35 muscles which act synergistically or antagonistically on multiple joints. This complexity in control is markedly different from typical pre-specified movements or torque based controls used in robotics. In the MyoChallenge at the NeurIPS 2022 competition track, we challenged the community to develop controllers for a realistic hand to solve a series of dexterous manipulation tasks. The MyoSuite framework was used to train and test controllers on realistic, contact rich and computation efficient virtual neuromusculoskeletal model of the hand and wrist. Two tasks were proposed: a die re-orientation and a boading ball (rotation of two spheres respect to each other) tasks. More than 40 teams participated to the challenge and submitted more than 340 solutions. The challenge was split in two phases. In the first phase, where a limited set of objectives and randomization were proposed, teams managed to achieve high performance, in particular in the boading-ball task. In the second phase as the focus shifted towards generalization of task solutions to extensive variations of object and task properties, teams saw significant performance drop. This shows that there is still a large gap in developing agents capable of generalizable skilled manipulation. In future challenges, we will continue pursuing the generalizability both in skills and agility of the tasks exploring additional realistic neuromusculoskeletal models.
Mineralogy and Chemistry, and Their Correlation with the Geotechnical Index Properties of Bangkok Clay. Comparison with Ariake Clay.

The mineralogy and chemistry of two marine alluvial deposits with different parent materials, Ariake clay with pyroclastic origin and Bangkok clay with non-pyroclastic origin, were compared and their correlation with geotechnical index properties was discussed. The predominant clay mineral in both clay deposits was smectite, but the smectite in Bangkok clay was found to be of the high-swelling type while that in Ariake clay is of the low-swelling type from the sediment volume determination. The range of the liquid limit and activity was mostly 100 to 140% and 1.25 to 1.90 for Bangkok clay, and 60 to 140% and 0.75 to 1.25 for Ariake clay. A positive correlation existed between the activity and the smectite content for each of Bangkok and Ariake clays, where the greater increasing ratio of the activity for Bangkok clay was attributed to the high-swelling nature of the smectite. The liquid limit of an Na-saturated sample for Bangkok clay increased with increasing NaCl concentration and when substituting Ca for Na in a similar manner to Ariake clay, but the extent of the liquid limit change by such treatments was much smaller for Bangkok clay than for Ariake clay.
Migrant Care Workers in Swedish Elderly and Disability Care: Are They Disadvantaged?

This study outlines characteristics among migrant workers in elderly and disability care in Sweden. The aim was to investigate whether migrant care workers perceive their situation at work to be more problematic than do their native peers. The study was based on the Nordcare dataset, an extensive mail survey aimed at investigating conditions among care workers in the Nordic countries (n=735 in the Swedish part of the dataset). Care workers born outside Sweden constituted 13 per cent (n=94) of the workforce. When taking other variables into account, the situation of migrant care workers from other Nordic countries was similar to that of Swedish-born care workers. Being born outside the Nordic countries was associated with an increased risk of having a high work load and not being appreciated by co-workers, and a decreased risk of being criticised by care users. Male care workers born outside the Nordic countries displayed aspects of precariousness that merit further investigation. Based on these findings, researchers and policy-makers are warned not to presume that all migrant care workers suffer from precarious working conditions and that such conditions reported by members of the category may be attributed to factors other than ethnic origin.
Search for flavour-changing neutral current top quark decays t →Hq in pp collisions at √s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

: A search for (cid:13)avour-changing neutral current decays of a top quark to an up-type quark ( q = u; c ) and the Standard Model Higgs boson, where the Higgs boson decays to b (cid:22) b , is presented. The analysis searches for top quark pair events in which one top quark decays to W b , with the W boson decaying leptonically, and the other top quark decays to Hq . The search is based on pp collisions at p s = 8 TeV recorded in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider and uses an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb (cid:0) 1 . Data are analysed in the lepton-plus-jets (cid:12)nal state, characterised by an isolated electron or muon and at least four jets. The search exploits the high multiplicity of b quark jets characteristic of signal events, and employs a likelihood discriminant that uses the kinematic di(cid:11)erences between the signal and the background, which is dominated by t (cid:22) t ! W bW b decays. No signi(cid:12)cant excess of events above the background expectation is found, and observed (expected) 95% CL upper limits of 0.56% (0.42%) and 0.61% (0.64%) are derived for the t ! Hc and t ! Hu branching ratios respectively. The combination of this search with other ATLAS searches in the H ! (cid:13)(cid:13) and H ! W W (cid:3) ; (cid:28)(cid:28) decay modes signi(cid:12)cantly improves the sensitivity, yielding observed (expected) 95% CL upper limits on the t ! Hc and t ! Hu branching ratios of 0.46% (0.25%) and 0.45% (0.29%) respectively. The corresponding combined observed (expected) upper limits on the j (cid:21) tcH j and j (cid:21) tuH j couplings are 0.13 (0.10) and 0.13 (0.10) respectively. These are the most restrictive direct bounds on tqH interactions measured so far.
The causes of long-term change in the aa index

The aa index provides the longest geomagnetic data set that can be used in the analysis of magnetospheric and ionospheric phenomena. All phases of the solar cycle show increases in storm activity since the end of cycle 14 in 1915. The activity increase does not appear to be strongly associated with any instrumental, ionospheric or magnetospheric effects. Small effects have been confirmed in the long-term change in ionospheric Pedersen and Hall conductivities due to the changing dipole moment of the Earth but not due to increasing greenhouse gases. Three instrumental effects have been identified where significant changes in quiet time conditions can be seen, that is, 1938, 1980, and 1997. These do not account for the majority of the increase in aa. Noise levels for the aa index are now close to those seen at the beginning of the data set. The prime cause of the increase in storm activity is an increase in solar activity. The average aa in cycle 23 should be about 1 nT less than that predicted from previous cycles due to the reduction in baseline noise levels at the start of the cycle (1997).
Statistical behaviours of precipitation regimes in China and their links with atmospheric circulation 1960–2005

In this study, we comprehensively analysed daily precipitation time series of 590 rain stations in China covering 1960–2005. Ten indices were defined to evaluate changing patterns of precipitation regimes and trend detection was performed using Mann–Kendall trend test and linear regressive technique. For the sake of better understanding of underlying causes behind changing properties of precipitation regimes, we also investigated spatial and temporal variations of atmospheric circulation of water vapour flux. The results revealed different changing properties of precipitation events across China. Generally, wet tendency was identified in the south China and dry tendency in north China. Besides, slight wet tendency could be found in northwest China. In addition, increasing precipitation intensity could be observed mainly in the lower Yangtze River basin and the Pearl River basin. Remarkable seasonal shifts of wet/dry conditions were also detected in China: wet tendency in winter and dry tendency in summer. Furthermore, this study revealed good agreement between spatial distribution of precipitation regimes and water vapour flux, showing tremendous influences of water vapour flux on the precipitation changes across China. Regions east to 100°E were dominated by increasing water vapour flux in winter. Weaker East Asian Summer Monsoon was the main cause responsible for decreasing northward propagation of water vapour flux, causing different wet (dry) tendency in south (north) China. This study can provide theoretical evidence for effective water resource management and sound arrangement of agriculture activities on river basin scale under the changing environment across China. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society
A model of tidally dominated ocean processes near ice shelf grounding lines

[1] Glaciological processes at grounding lines, which divide floating ice shelves from grounded ice sheets, may strongly influence the dynamics and evolution of inland ice. Therefore, understanding the oceanic forcing on ice shelves in this region is of importance to predictions of cryospheric change and sea level rise. As the ocean cavity shallows toward the grounding line, tidal mixing becomes proportionately more important until a tidal front forms, beyond which the water properties are vertically homogenized. The extent of this mixed zone is relevant to several questions because a fully mixed region behaves differently to the stratified ocean offshore. In this study a highly simplified one-dimensional model is used to examine the size, properties, and sensitivities of the mixed zone. The model suggests that most grounding line mixed zones are small, implying that the usual models representing a stratified ocean are generally valid if tidal mixing is also taken into account. Modeled mixed zones can be significant in near-freezing regions with vigorous tides and a shallowly sloping cavity, but even these areas are smaller than previously proposed. It therefore seems that upwelling of warm water, rather than mixing in tidal zones, generally maintains ice shelf basal melting near grounding lines. Where mixed zones are present, the model suggests that they insulate the grounding line from offshore ocean waters. The model illustrates the origin of Ice Shelf Water plumes and confirms that unlike elsewhere in the cavity, melting in the mixed zone increases linearly in response to ocean warming.