Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preparing Test Specimens Using Undercompaction

A specimen preparation procedure is presented that offers an improved method of preparing reconstituted sand specimens for cyclic triaxial testing. The method of preparing reconstituted sand specimens for cyclic triaxial testing. The method leads to more consistent and repeatable test results. This procedure (1) minimizes particle segregation, (2) can be used for compacting most types of sands having a wide range in relative densities,and (3) permits determination of the optimum cyclic strength of a given sand at a given dry unit weight. /Author/
Effect of Dietary Fiber Enrichment and Different Cooking Methods on Quality of Chicken Nuggets

The effect of dietary fiber enrichment (wheat bran) and cooking methods (oven, steam and microwave) on functional and physico-chemical properties of raw nuggets formulation as well as nutritional, color and textural properties of chicken nuggets were analyzed in this study. Among different cooking methods used for nuggets preparation, steam cooked nuggets had significantly (p<0.05) higher water holding capacity (56.65%), cooking yield (97.16%) and total dietary fiber content (4.32%) in comparison to oven and microwave cooked nuggets. The effect of cooking methods and wheat bran incorporation was also noticed on textural properties of the nuggets. Hardness, firmness and toughness values of oven and steam cooked nuggets were significantly (p<0.05) higher than microwave cooked nuggets. Among nuggets prepared by different cooking methods, cohesiveness of microwave cooked nuggets was found to be significantly (p<0.05) highest, whereas, oven cooked nuggets had significantly (p<0.05) highest gumminess and chewiness values. Steam cooked nuggets were found to be better among all nuggets due to their higher cooking yield and dietary fiber content.
Profile of darunavir in the management of treatment-experienced HIV patients

: Darunavir (formerly TMC114) is a second-generation, sulfonamide-based, peptidomimetic protease inhibitor (PI) with a modified 3-dimensional structure enabling more efficient binding to HIV protease. It has become an important drug, in combination with low-dose ritonavir boosting, in the treatment of both antiretroviral-naïve and multiclass-experienced patients. Growing data now exist suggesting it possesses a high barrier to resistance and requires multiple PI mutations in order to suffer reduced virological potency.
Enhanced Anti-Cancer Effects of Conditioned Medium from Hypoxic Human Umbilical Cord–Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Background and Objectives There have been contradictory reports on the pro-cancer or anti-cancer effects of mesenchymal stem cells. In this study, we investigated whether conditioned medium (CM) from hypoxic human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) (H-CM) showed enhanced anti-cancer effects compared with CM from normoxic hUC-MSCs (N-CM). Methods and Results Compared with N-CM, H-CM not only strongly reduced cell viability and increased apoptosis of human cervical cancer cells (HeLa cells), but also increased caspase-3/7 activity, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and induced cell cycle arrest. In contrast, cell viability, apoptosis, MMP, and cell cycle of human dermal fibroblast (hDFs) were not significantly changed by either CM whereas caspase-3/7 activity was decreased by H-CM. Protein antibody array showed that activin A, Beta IG-H3, TIMP-2, RET, and IGFBP-3 were upregulated in H-CM compared with N-CM. Intracellular proteins that were upregulated by H-CM in HeLa cells were represented by apoptosis and cell cycle arrest terms of biological processes of Gene Ontology (GO), and by cell cycle of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. In hDFs, negative regulation of apoptosis in biological process of GO and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway of KEGG pathways were represented. Conclusions H-CM showed enhanced anti-cancer effects on HeLa cells but did not influence cell viability or apoptosis of hDFs and these different effects were supported by profiling of secretory proteins in both kinds of CM and intracellular signaling of HeLa cells and hDFs.
Environmental Management Accounting and Innovation: An Exploratory Analysis

This article contributes to our understanding of how accounting could achieve, or not, to increased innovation within companies. More particularly, it focuses on how environmental accounting could drive innovation. This is a very relevant topic, given that there have been numerous calls in the media to develop energy-saving products, and governments are incentivising research into green products. The authors address the topic through two research questions, which are (1) ‘does the use of environmental management accounting (EMA) lead to innovations within organizations? ’ and (2) ‘what is the role of strategy in relation to EMA use and innovation? ’. Through a survey of Australian businesses, they find a positive association between EMA and process innovation but not with product innovation. Their second hypothesis regarding the link between strategy and EMA is not sustained. The value of the article is in opening the black box of one of the ‘given’ attributes of EMA, i.e. that it helps drive more innovation. However, the construct the authors use to define EMA is mostly environmental cost driven and leaves out, for example, life-cycle analysis, carbon accounting, full cost accounting or material flow cost accounting, all of which are typically included in lists of EMA activities. Therefore, people responding to the survey might have been using, for example, an eco-conception, which is linked with life-cycle analysis, but may not have responded with this construct in mind. Furthermore, this reviewer suggests that the article might have been trying to do too much at once, since it also tries to link strategy and EMA, when arguably the most pertinent research question is the link between the use of EMA data and innovation development. There is also confusion with the fact that they also consider EMA as an innovation in itself. While this study enriches our emerging knowledge about the relevance and benefits of implementing EMA, the study falls in what Jørgensen and Messner (2010) label ‘from a distance study’ and we would benefit from gaining more detailed information on practices through case studies on the internal use of different EMA systems to drive R&D activities. The most surprising result of the article, the finding that there is no link between EMA and product innovation, deserves further investigation.
High influx of carbon in walls of agglutinated foraminifers during the Permian–Triassic transition in global oceans

The Permian–Triassic mass extinction is postulated to be related to the rapid volcanism that produced the Siberian flood basalt (Traps). Unrelated volcanic eruptions producing several episodes of ash falls synchronous with the Siberian Traps are found in South China and Australia. Such regional eruptions could have caused wildfires, burning of coal deposits, and the dispersion of coal fly ash. These eruptions introduced a major influx of carbon into the atmosphere and oceans that can be recognized in the wall structure of foraminiferal tests present in survival populations in the boundary interval strata. Analysis of free specimens of foraminifers recovered from residues of conodont samples taken at a Permian–Triassic boundary section at Lung Cam in northern Vietnam has revealed the presence of a significant amount of elemental carbon, along with oxygen and silica, in their test wall structure, but an absence of calcium carbonate. These foraminifers, identified as Rectocornuspira kalhori, Cornuspira mahajeri, and Earlandia spp. and whose tests previously were considered to be calcareous, are confirmed to be agglutinated, and are now referred to as Ammodiscus kalhori and Hyperammina deformis. Measurement of the 207Pb/204Pb ratios in pyrite clusters attached to the foraminiferal tests confirmed that these tests inherited the Pb in their outer layer from carbon-contaminated seawater. We conclude that the source of the carbon could have been either global coal fly ash or forest fire-dispersed carbon, or a combination of both, that was dispersed into the Palaeo-Tethys Ocean immediately after the end-Permian extinction event.
Comparison of satellite, thermochron and air temperatures at Summit, Greenland, during the winter of 2008/09

Abstract Current trends show a rise in Arctic surface and air temperatures, including over the Greenland ice sheet where rising temperatures will contribute to increased sea-level rise through increased melt. We aim to establish the uncertainties in using satellite-derived surface temperature for measuring Arctic surface temperature, as satellite data are increasingly being used to assess temperature trends. To accomplish this, satellite-derived surface temperature, or land-surface temperature (LST), must be validated and limitations of the satellite data must be assessed quantitatively. During the 2008/09 boreal winter at Summit, Greenland, we employed data from standard US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) air-temperature instruments, button-sized temperature sensors called thermochrons and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite instrument to (1) assess the accuracy and utility of thermochrons in an ice-sheet environment and (2) compare MODIS-derived LSTs with thermochron-derived surface and air temperatures. The thermochron-derived air temperatures were very accurate, within 0.1 ± 0.3°C of the NOAA-derived air temperature, but thermochron-derived surface temperatures were ∼3°C higher than MODIS-derived LSTs. Though surface temperature is largely determined by air temperature, these variables can differ significantly. Furthermore, we show that the winter-time mean air temperature, adjusted to surface temperature, was ∼11°C higher than the winter-time mean MODIS-derived LST. This marked difference occurs largely because satellite-derived LSTs cannot be measured through cloud cover, so caution must be exercised in using time series of satellite LST data to study seasonal temperature trends.
Improved representation of atmospheric dynamics in CMIP6 models removes climate sensitivity dependence on Hadley cell climatological extent

The persistent inter‐model spread in the response of global‐mean surface temperature to increased CO2 (known as the “Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity,” or “ECS”) is a crucial problem across model generations. This work examines the influence of the models' present‐day atmospheric circulation climatologies, and the accompanying climatological cloud radiative effects, in explaining that spread. We analyze the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) models and find that they simulate a more poleward, and thus more realistic, edge of the Hadley cell (HC) in the Southern Hemisphere than the CMIP5 models, although the climatological shortwave cloud radiative effects are similar in the two generations of models. A few CMIP5 models with extreme equatorward biases in the HC edge exhibited high ECS due to strong Southern midlatitude shortwave cloud radiative warming in response to climate change, suggesting an ECS dependence on HC position. We find that such constraint no longer holds for the CMIP6 models, due to the absence of models with extreme HC climatologies. In spite of this, however, the CMIP6 models show an increased spread in ECS, with more models in the high ECS range. In addition, an improved representation of the climatological jet dynamics does not lead to a new emergent constraint in the CMIP6 models either.
The role of Digitonthophagus gazella in pasture cleaning and production as a result of burial of cattle dung.

In this sense, coprophagous dung beetles play an important role, due to their capacity of incorporating fresh faeces to the soil. Usually, dung beetles dig a hole underneath the faeces patch carrying portions of dung to as deep as 30 cm and making dung balls in which eggs are deposited. On hatching, the larvae eat from the dung balls until they reach adult stage, when they leave the balls to fulfill their biological cycle. A large part of the buried material mineralizes in a short time, releasing significant amounts of N and P (Miranda et al., 1998).
Assessing seasonal drought stress response in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) by monitoring stem circumference and sap flow

Summer drought frequency is expected to increase with climate change in forested regions of Europe. To examine the physiological impacts of low soil moisture on Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst. ], we conducted an irrigation experiment in a Norway spruce‐dominated forest. We monitored sap flow (Qs), stem circumference and soil water potential (Ψw), measured needle water potential (Ψl), and estimated potential evapotranspiration (PET) in control and irrigated plots. Soil water availability influenced the response of Qs to PET and the impact of Qs on maximum daily stem shrinkage (MDS). The positive relationship between Qs and PET was constrained below a threshold Ψw near −0.3 MPa. MDS was higher beyond this threshold, for a given value of Qs. Higher MDS and lower tree water status (ΔW) were observed at low Ψw in control plants, suggesting the lower water potential of stems' conducting tissues. Stem circumference increase (SCI) was 62% lower in control trees following the irrigation treatment. Slight SCI recovery was observed in these trees in response to early autumn rainfall, which caused ΔW to return to its predrought state. The results demonstrate that low water availability not only reduced Qs, ΔW, SCI, Ψl and increased MDS but also altered their mutual relations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Distinct roles for extracellular and intracellular domains in neuroligin function at inhibitory synapses

Neuroligins (NLGNs) are postsynaptic cell adhesion molecules that interact trans-synaptically with neurexins to mediate synapse development and function. NLGN2 is only at inhibitory synapses while NLGN3 is at both excitatory and inhibitory synapses. We found that NLGN3 function at inhibitory synapses in rat CA1 depends on the presence of NLGN2 and identified a domain in the extracellular region that accounted for this functional difference between NLGN2 and 3 specifically at inhibitory synapses. We further show that the presence of a cytoplasmic tail (c-tail) is indispensible, and identified two domains in the c-tail that are necessary for NLGN function at inhibitory synapses. These domains point to a gephyrin-dependent mechanism that is disrupted by an autism-associated mutation at R705 and a gephyrin-independent mechanism reliant on a putative phosphorylation site at S714. Our work highlights unique and separate roles for the extracellular and intracellular regions in specifying and carrying out NLGN function respectively. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.19236. 001
Size of the auroral oval: UV ovals and precipitation boundaries compared

The oval boundaries in 44 Viking UV images are compared with three critical boundaries as defined from simultaneous DMSP particle precipitation data. The particle boundaries are the equatorward boundary of the particle oval (often associated with the earthward edge of the main plasma sheet), the boundary between smooth and structured precipitation, and the poleward boundary of the particle oval (close to the open-closed field line separatrix). The UV oval is characterized by the latitude of maximum UV intensity, equatorward boundary, and poleward boundary which are the latitudes corresponding to the half values of the maximum intensity. Differences between the UV and particle boundaries are quantified in various magnetic local time sectors and at different activity levels. The study shows that the poleward boundary of the particle oval is often at ≥2° higher latitudes than the most intense UV luminosity. Large differences are typical especially in the midnight and morning sectors. The present results suggest that caution is needed in interpreting the dramatic poleward expansion of the oval in the UV images, or more generally in using UV images to compute changes in the amount of open flux under different states of substorm activity.
Observational longitudinal study of symptom burden and time for recovery from community-acquired pneumonia reported by older adults surveyed nationwide using the caP Burden of illness Questionnaire

Background: Millions of older adults who develop community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) each year survive, but there is a large knowledge gap on the burden of CAP and the recovery process in survivors from the patient perspective. Methods: The newly developed CAP Burden of Illness Questionnaire was administered through a Web survey to a nationwide sample of US adults aged $ 50 years who were recently diagnosed with CAP. Survey respondents with unresolved symptoms or other CAP-related health problems completed a second survey 30 days later; a third survey was completed another 30 days later by respondents with unresolved symptoms or problems. Nationally representative results describ-ing the average time to recovery of symptoms and other CAP-related problems were achieved using post-stratification weights. Results: Five hundred participants completed the initial survey. The time to resolution for the CAP symptoms of weakness, shortness of breath, and tiredness exceeded 3 weeks on average. There was an average of 13 days of absenteeism, and 3 weeks (mean = 21 days) before achieving full work/activity productivity after CAP. For participants with health conditions that worsened from pneumonia, chronic emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease took the longest to return to baseline (mean = 60 and 52.4 days, respectively). Conclusion: The results from this study demonstrate that older adults surviving a CAP episode experience a significant multi-symptom illness with long recovery periods to achieve pre-CAP health and productivity. These findings highlight the need for further research on effective clinician–patient communication, the need for patient-centered outcomes in clinical trials for CAP therapeutics, adequate home care during the recovery process, and the pursuit of CAP prevention strategies. recovery period before achieving pre-CAP health and productivity. These findings highlight the importance of com-municating the natural course of the illness to inform patient and clinician expectations, the need for further research on effective clinician–patient communication, adequate home care during the recovery process, better patient-centered outcomes in evaluating therapies for CAP, and the pursuit of CAP prevention strategies.
Cellular structures in the high-latitude thermosphere

An organized density (and pressure) structure was recently discovered in the neutral thermosphere at high-latitudes. The structure consists of two to four high- and low-density regions having diameters of 1000 to 2000 km. The density in each region is enhanced or depleted from the hemispheric average by up to 30%. The structure is thus a significant feature of the near-Earth space environment at high-latitudes. We refer to each distinct region of enhanced or depleted density as a density “cell. ” The cells extend upward from about 120 km into the upper thermosphere, and once formed they remain approximately fixed with respect to the geomagnetic pole. A parametric study of the density cell morphology for different magnetic activity levels is described for equinox solar minimum using the National Center for Atmospheric Research thermosphere ionosphere general circulation model (NCAR-TIGCM). Density data were sought to verify the existence of the structures first predicted by the NCAR model. The TIGCM simulations were used to predict the large density perturbations observed by the S85-1 satellite in a circular sun-synchronous orbit near 200 km altitudes. The most obvious manifestation of the cells was the presence of density peaks located near 70°Λ on the dayside and nightside, and a density minimum near the magnetic pole. Since high-latitude densities are generally expected to increase during magnetic activity, the low densities over the pole are perhaps the most interesting feature of the cell structure discussed here. The satellite data confirm the existence of the cellular structure over a range of magnetic activity levels. The discovery of the cells is important because the structure provides a unifying framework for the analysis and interpretation of high-latitude data from both past and future experiments. The cells result from various forms of coupling between the ionosphere and thermosphere. The cell formation is quantitatively consistent with concepts from dynamic meteorology.
Human Cartilage-Derived Progenitor Cells From Committed Chondrocytes for Efficient Cartilage Repair and Regeneration

Articular cartilage is not a physiologically self‐renewing tissue. Injury of cartilage often progresses from the articular surface to the subchondral bone, leading to pathogenesis of tissue degenerative diseases, such as osteoarthritis. Therapies to treat cartilage defects using autologous chondrocyte‐based tissue engineering have been developed and used for more than 20 years; however, the challenge of chondrocyte expansion in vitro remains. A promising cell source, cartilage stem/progenitor cells (CSPCs), has attracted recent attention. Because their origin and identity are still unclear, the application potential of CSPCs is under active investigation. Here we have captured the emergence of a group of stem/progenitor cells derived from adult human chondrocytes, highlighted by dynamic changes in expression of the mature chondrocyte marker, COL2, and mesenchymal stromal/stem cell (MSC) marker, CD146. These cells are termed chondrocyte‐derived progenitor cells (CDPCs). The stem cell‐like potency and differentiation status of CDPCs were determined by physical and biochemical cues during culture. A low‐density, low‐glucose 2‐dimensional culture condition (2DLL) was critical for the emergence and proliferation enhancement of CDPCs. CDPCs showed similar phenotype as bone marrow mesenchymal stromal/stem cells but exhibited greater chondrogenic potential. Moreover, the 2DLL‐cultured CDPCs proved efficient in cartilage formation both in vitro and in vivo and in repairing large knee cartilage defects (6–13 cm2) in 15 patients. These findings suggest a phenotype conversion between chondrocytes and CDPCs and provide conditions that promote the conversion. These insights expand our understanding of cartilage biology and may enhance the success of chondrocyte‐based therapies.
Difference in Success Treating Proximal Interphalangeal and Metacarpophalangeal Joints with Collagenase: Results of 208 Treatments

Background: Dupuytren disease (DD) is a fibroproliferative disorder of the palmar fasciae causing extension deficit and impaired hand function. Treatment with injection of collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH) is a nonsurgical treatment method. The aim of this study was to evaluate the difference in efficiency and recurrence at 12-month follow-up when treating metacarpophalangeal (MP) and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints with CCH. None of the patients had received previous treatments of their condition. Methods: This study is a prospective study of a consecutive series of patients with DD presenting with an extension deficit greater than 20° affecting the MP or PIP joint. Results: We found a mean reduction in extension deficit of 47° (91%) for MP joints and 47° (76%) for PIP joints. Full correction (max 5° deficit) was achieved in 76% of MP and 28% of PIP joints. Skin rupture was seen in 34% of treatments. The 1-year relapse rate was 15% for MP and 67% for PIP joints. The reduction in quickDASH score was only statistically significant for MP joints at 1 year. Eighty-one percent of all patients reported being satisfied or very satisfied. No major adverse events were recorded. Conclusion: Excellent results can be achieved in the treatment of MP-joint contractures, whereas the success rate is significantly lower and recurrence rate is greater for PIP joints.