Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detection of subclinical atherosclerosis and diastolic dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia

Background: Patients with schizophrenia have a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases, which is associated with early mortality compared with the nonschizophrenic population. Early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases in asymptomatic periods in patients with schizophrenia would enhance their quality of life and reduce mortality. Echocardiography, carotid ultrasonography, and ankle brachial index (ABI) measurement are known to be beneficial methods of detecting subclinical cardiovascular diseases and of risk stratification. The present study investigated carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and ABI and echocardiographic parameters measured via conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography in patients with schizophrenia in comparison with a control group. Methods: The present case-control study included 116 patients with schizophrenia and 88 healthy patients. Participants with any current comorbid psychiatric disorder, current or lifetime neurological and medical problems, current coronary artery disease, diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroidism, or hyperthyroidism or who were using antihypertensives, antidiabetic agents, or antiobesity drugs were excluded. High-resolution B-mode ultrasound images were used to measure CIMT. Conventional and tissue Doppler measurements were performed according to the recommendations of the American Society of Echocardiography. Results: Low ABI, mitral ratio of the early (E) to late (A) ventricular filling velocities, septal E ′ , septal S ′ , lateral E ′ , lateral S ′ , septal E ′ /septal A ′ , lateral E ′ /lateral A ′ , and high septal A ′ , mitral E/septal E ′ , mitral E/lateral E ′ , and CIMT values were observed in the schizophrenia group compared with the control group. Conclusion: Doppler parameters supported the hypothesis that patients with schizophrenia are at high risk for cardiovascular diseases.
Formation and reactivation mechanism of an ancient landslide in Heishui reservoir of Minjiang River,China

Based on an ancient landslide in the Heishui reservoir,this paper studies the formation and reactivation mechanism of the landslide site.Through the detailed survey of the landslide and combined with the geologic structure,landform,deformation characteristics and the composition of the accumulated materials the formation and reactivation mechanism of the landslide are analyzed geologically.The discrete element analysis and finite element numerical analysis are used to certificate the conclusion of geological analysis.The result shows that formation mechanism of the landslide can be summarised into three stages,that is,the bend and fall of the rockmass,the cut-through of the slip surface and failure and deposit.The reactivation mechanism of the landslide is mainly controlled by the impoundment.The deformation characteristics and numerical model show that the deformation characteristics of the landslide are characterized by the local disintegration and short distance moving down of the front.A further qualitative judgement of the stability indicates,that the frontal part of the landslide will be failed under the water level fluctuant condition at a slow speed and by way of multistage-disintegrating.
Tumor Necrosis Factor– a –Converting Enzyme: Its Role in Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Bronchoalveolar lavage ﬂuid recovered from infected and uninvolved lungs of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP; ) on day was analyzed for cytokine, n p 16 6 (cid:1) 0.8 soluble receptor, and antagonist levels. The role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)– a –converting enzyme (TACE) in the resolution of the local inﬂammatory response was investigated. TNF-a , interleukin (IL)–1 b , and IL-6 were elevated in the infected versus uninvolved lobe, whereas IL-10 was not. Epithelial lining ﬂuid (ELF) cytokine levels correlated with intracellular cytokine expression. Levels of proTNF- a were reciprocally related to TNF- a ELF levels. Levels of soluble receptors, generated by TACE cleavage of membrane-bound precursors, were compartmentalized to infected ELF. TACE was down-regulated by internalization in cells from the site of infection. These data demonstrate that, in vivo during CAP, TACE has a role in regulating resolution of the local inﬂammatory response by modulating levels of pro- and counterinﬂammatory mediators.
Tumor necrosis factor-a-converting enzyme as a potential mediator of the influence of smoking on the response to treatment with narrowband ultraviolet B in psoriasis patients

Tumor necrosis factor-a-converting enzyme as a potential mediator of the influence of smoking on the response to treatment with narrowband ultraviolet B in psoriasis patients Agnieszka Beata Serwin, Marianna Sokolowska & Bozena Chodynicka Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland and Diagnostic and Research Centre for Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Bialystok, Poland
A factor of 2 reduction in theoretical F2 peak electron density due to enhanced vibrational excitation of N2 in summer at solar maximum

We have investigated the degree to which the O+ + N2 reaction rate is increased as a result of enhanced vibrational excitation of the N2 molecule in the thermosphere. We find that the reaction rate may be sufficiently elevated in summer at solar maximum to decrease the peak O+ density by a factor of 2, but there is only a small reduction in the winter peak density. Therefore the vibrational excitation of N2 acts to increase the magnitude of the seasonal anomaly. This work emphasizes the need for more laboratory work to clear up uncertainties in some of the key parameters. Uncertainties in the calculations arise from the lack of measurements of the key loss rates for O+ to O2 and N2 at the temperatures encountered at solar maximum, and also to uncertainties in the cross sections for excitation and de-excitation of N2 vibrational quanta by electrons.
Identifying synergies and trade-offs in the sustainability–security nexus: the case of the Israeli–Palestinian wastewater treatment regime

ABSTRACT The literature on environmental security often stresses the complementarity between sustainability and broader security goals. Less emphasis has been placed on possible trade-offs between security objectives and aspects of sustainability. This study examines the conditions under which these synergies and trade-offs are likely to occur, and how the trade-offs can be reconciled, especially during times of peacebuilding. As a case study, we analyse the effect of Israeli security concerns on environmental infrastructure designed to treat wastewater in the West Bank. This study identifies several sustainability–security trade-offs: (1) economic—in which security concerns raise costs of wastewater infrastructure, thereby crowding-out other potentially productive investments; (2) equity—in which security concerns result in disproportionate exposure of populations to environmental hazards; and (3) environmental—in which security concerns increase ecological footprints. Yet, our case study also indicates that both sides used a variety of creative measures to reconcile these trade-offs. EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis GUEST EDITOR K. Aggestam
Does the moderate altitude environment impair the words of our memory

Introduction: It is known that hypoxia affects human physiology and consequently impairs cognitive functions. In particular, low memory performances are common in a hypoxic extreme altitude environment. Aims: The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of moderate hypoxia on the specific words of memory and the persisting effects after hypoxia exposure. of words memorised. Conclusion: The moderate altitude hypoxia affects the memory of words for one week. In accordance with previous investigations, we could deduct that altitude-hypoxia is an important experimental model to study human cognitive impairment.
The Performance of Reverse Leveraged Buyouts

Reverse leveraged buyouts (RLBOs) have received increased public scrutiny but attracted little systematic study. We collect a comprehensive sample of 496 RLBOs between 1980 and 2002 and examine three- and five-year stock performance of these offerings. RLBOs appear to consistently outperform other IPOs and the stock market as a whole, with economically and statistically meaningful positive returns. There is no evidence of a deterioration of returns over time, despite the growth of the buyout market: RLBOs performed strongly in the late 1980s, the mid-1990s, and the 2000s. Large RLBOs that are backed by private equity firms with more capital under management perform better. We also find the so-called quick flips--when private equity firms sell off an investment within a year after acquisition--underperform.
Determining Effective Impervious Area for Urban Hydrologic Modeling

This paper presents a two-step process to estimate the fraction of an urban watershed covered by a hydraulically effective impervious area. The first step applies maximum likelihood classification of fine-scale multispectral satellite imagery to derive urban land cover. The second step uses an automated macro in a geographic information system to trace the water flow path from pixels classified as impervious and subclassify them as noneffective or effective. The two steps were verified independently, with verification of the second step using idealized data. The two-step process was then tested with a small watershed study of model calibration and rooftop connectivity impact on runoff. At the watershed scale the land cover classification differences were approximately 6%, while at the pixel scale matches of 50, 60, and 83% were achieved for the rooftop, asphalt/concrete, and vegetation land covers, respectively. The effective impervious area was estimated to comprise 16% of the watershed surface, which wa.
Spatio‐Temporal Convergence of Maximum Daily Light‐Use Efficiency Based on Radiation Absorption by Canopy Chlorophyll

Light‐use efficiency (LUE), which quantifies the plants' efficiency in utilizing solar radiation for photosynthetic carbon fixation, is an important factor for gross primary production estimation. Here we use satellite‐based solar‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence as a proxy for photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by chlorophyll (APARchl) and derive an estimation of the fraction of APARchl (fPARchl) from four remotely sensed vegetation indicators. By comparing maximum LUE estimated at different scales from 127 eddy flux sites, we found that the maximum daily LUE based on PAR absorption by canopy chlorophyll ( εmaxchl ), unlike other expressions of LUE, tends to converge across biome types. The photosynthetic seasonality in tropical forests can also be tracked by the change of fPARchl, suggesting the corresponding εmaxchl to have less seasonal variation. This spatio‐temporal convergence of LUE derived from fPARchl can be used to build simple but robust gross primary production models and to better constrain process‐based models.
Thin-layer effects on the CPT qc measurement

A numerical analysis is presented to model the cone penetration test (CPT) tip resistance in layered soil. Analyses are performed for two-layer soils composed of either sands with different relative densities or different materials (sand and clay). Parametric numerical modeling is used to determine the distance that a cone senses a new upcoming soil layer interface or a layer interface behind. Analyses are also carried out for a thin sand layer embedded in soft clay. It is seen that the full tip resistance may not be reached in thin stiff layers. This is especially true for penetration in thin dense sand layers interbedded in softer clay. A correction factor is suggested to correct the cone tip resistance in thin sand layers. The higher the stiffness and the thinner the layer, the larger the correction factor. The numerical results obtained in this paper are in good agreement with experimental observations. Some limitations of a previously proposed correction factor are discussed.Key words: cone tip resis.
ENDOSCOPIC EVALUATION OF POST-FUNDOPLICATION ANATOMY AND CORRELATION WITH SYMPTOMATOLOGY.

BACKGROUND Endoscopic aspect of fundoplication anatomy: Normal aspect of Nissen fundoplication. Upper digestive endoscopy is important for the evaluation of patients submitted to fundoplication, especially to elucidate postoperative symptoms. However, endoscopic assessment of fundoplication anatomy and its complications is poorly standardized among endoscopists, which leads to inadequate agreement. AIM To assess the frequency of postoperative abnormalities of fundoplication anatomy using a modified endoscopic classification and to correlate endoscopic findings with clinical symptoms. METHOD This is a prospective observational study, conducted at a single center. Patients were submitted to a questionnaire for data collection. Endoscopic assessment of fundoplication was performed according to the classification in study, which considered four anatomical parameters including the gastroesophageal junction position in frontal view (above or at the level of the pressure zone); valve position at retroflex view (intra-abdominal or migrated); valve conformation (total, partial, disrupted or twisted) and paraesophageal hernia (present or absent). RESULTS One hundred patients submitted to fundoplication were evaluated, 51% male (mean age: 55.6 years). Forty-three percent reported postoperative symptoms. Endoscopic abnormalities of fundoplication anatomy were reported in 46% of patients. Gastroesophageal junction above the pressure zone (slipped fundoplication), and migrated fundoplication, were significantly correlated with the occurrence of postoperative symptoms. There was no correlation between symptoms and conformation of the fundoplication (total, partial or twisted). CONCLUSION This modified endoscopic classification proposal of fundoplication anatomy is reproducible and seems to correlate with symptomatology. The most frequent abnormalities observed were slipped and migrated fundoplication, and both correlated with the presence of symptoms.
How Do You Measure a "Technological Revolution"?

It is hardly news that we are in the midst of rapid economic change. The advances in infor mation and communication technology (ICT), in the life and other sciences, and their profusion of innovative products, from the newest electronic devices to the latest drugs and treatments, are ample evidence. Equally pervasive are new busi ness models in services (big box retail, online banking, on-demand media ) and the explosion in social networking and new business practices ushered in by the Internet (telework, virtual meetings, job boards ). Given the magnitude of the changes brought on by these innovations, it is useful to step back and ask: What does eco nomic analysis have to say about the sources and mechanisms of these shifts and revolutions, and what economic metrics are available to measure their overall size and impact? The received theory of economic growth is the natural candidate for this job. It came of age in the 1950s and 1960s with the neoclassi cal models and emergence of aggregate growth accounting. The latter has become the work horse of empirical macroeconomic growth analysis and the basis for official productiv ity statistics put out by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) since 1983. A technological revolution appears, in this framework, as an increase in the fruits of innovation, as measured by the shift in an aggregate production function (termed multifactor productivity or MFP ), and possibly as an increase in the aggregate saving rate, as reflected in an increased rate of capital formation. MFP is an exogenous phenomenon
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD : What We Know and Where to Go From Here

1 Four-year-olds Darrell and Jamila are pretending to be Bob the Builder®. They have play hammers and screwdrivers and tool belts and shovels even a ride-on bulldozer. They are having fun! Darrell moves the bulldozer to the spot that Jamila is pointing to—they are ready to dig the big hole! But then things get complicated, changing fast and furiously, as interaction often does. Jamila suddenly decides that he should be the bulldozer driver, and tries to pull Darrell off its seat. At the same time, Jimmy, who had been nearby, runs over and whines that he wants to join in. No way! Darrell, almost falling off the bulldozer, doesn’t want Jimmy to join them—he’s too much of a baby. Almost simultaneously, Jamila steps on a plastic “bolt,” falls down, and starts to cry. And Tomas, the class bully, approaches, laughing at four-year-olds making believe and crying.
Functional characterization of putative cilia genes by high-content analysis

siRNA-mediated knockdown of 40 putative ciliome genes reveals distinct roles in cilia formation, cilia elongation, ciliary transport of different cargoes, and signaling capability. Depletion of a subset of genes allows cilia transport to be uncoupled from cilia formation, whereas most genes are required for efficient signaling function.
The 9 Factor: The Science of Mental Ability

The "theory" attributed to Jensen has, in fact, been around since the time of Francis Galton (1822-1911), whose Hereditary Genius (1869) predated by exactly one century Jensen's famous Harvard Educational Review article that led him to be labeled a "hereditarian. " The dictionary definition cannot be overly derided, however, as Jensen's (1969) review of the evidence that IQ is heritable and that genetic factors are involved in the Black-White IQ gap had enormous impact. Jensenism, one of the great heresies of twentieth-century science, is partly responsible for getting the Darwinian-Galtonian paradigm back on track in differential psychology after it had been derailed in the behavioral sciences for at least a generation following World War II. In a brilliant 40-year career that has earned him a place among the most frequently cited figures in contemporary psychology, Arthur Jensen has systematically researched and extended Charles Spearman's (1927) seminal concept ofg, the general factor of intelligence. Theg Factor is an awesome and monumental exposition of the case for the reality of g. It does not draw back from its most controversial conclusions-that the average differences in IQ found between Blacks and Whites has a substantial hereditary component, and that this difference has important societal consequences. However, The g Factor is not about race, as such. The first five chapters deal with the intellectual history of the discovery ofg and various models of how to conceptualize intelligence. Other chapters deal with the biological corre-
Form , use and meaning of ge-prefixed predicative participles in German

The analysis of German predicative participle constructions that describe a state has been subject to intense debate in the literature. We argue that in the discussion of adjectival participles in predicative constructions, the intimate relation between morphology and semantics has not received the attention it deserves. We develop an analysis of German predicative participles that explains their semantics in parallel to their morphology. In particular, we present a novel analysis of ge-prefixed adjectival participles in copula constructions by considering participle predicatives as a subclass of the more general class of predicative constructions, the prime example being adjectival predicatives. We argue that whereas adjectival predicatives describe individual properties, participles of ge-prefixed predicatives describe states derived from event properties. We provide a fine-grained analysis of the morphosemantic make-up of German participles involving the ge-prefix and conclude by relating our proposal to previous analyses of participles in which event properties have been rendered as event kinds or (Neo-)Davidsonian states.
Ray-tracing Simulations and Spectral Models of X-Ray Radiation in Dusty Media

Dust can play an important role in shaping the X-ray spectra and images of astrophysical sources. In this work we report on the implementation of dust in the ray-tracing platform RefleX. We illustrate the different effects associated with the interaction between X-ray photons and dust grains, such as dust scattering, near-edge X-ray absorption fine structures, and shielding. We show how the cross sections of the photon–gas interaction change depending on the fraction of metals in dust grains (i.e., the dust depletion factor). We compare RefleX simulations to the most widely used absorption model that includes dust and show how X-ray spectra are affected by the presence of dust in the absorbing/reprocessing medium for different geometries. We also show how RefleX can be used to reproduce the dust scattering halos observed in Galactic sources, and we release the first torus X-ray spectral model that considers dust absorption and scattering (RXTorusD), to reproduce the spectra of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). RXTorusD also considers other physical processes that are not included in the most widely used AGN torus models, such as Rayleigh scattering and scattering on molecular gas, which can lead to remarkable differences in the predicted X-ray spectra for the same set of geometrical and physical parameters.
Dinantian (Lower Carboniferous) biostratigraphy and chronostratigraphy in the British Isles

Abstract Vaughan’s (1905) zonation of the Carboniferous Limestone in the Bristol district was a pioneer biostratigraphical study, which because of its meticulous execution can be reinterpreted in a modern context. The replacement of his scheme with a chronostratigraphical one by George et al. (1976) had a similar revolutionary affect on British Dinantian stratigraphy. However, it is now time to revise the British Dinantian stages so that they more closely correspond to biostratigraphical events. Dinantian biostratigraphy still requires considerable refinement, but it has now achieved a diversity of techniques and resolution far beyond that which was available at the time of these earlier proposals. It is the most pragmatic and closest approximation to widespread chronostratigraphical correlation available. This paper discusses these and related issues and presents a review and correlation of current biozonations.
Rapid Measurement of Surface Moisture Content on a Beach

Abstract A simple technique for rapid measurement of moisture content at a point on a beach with a Delta-T moisture probe is described. The sensing elements of the probe consist of four stainless steel rods (6 cm long) which, when inserted into the beach sediments, measure the impedance introduced by the presence of moisture. To provide a realistic measure of surface moisture content, the effective length of the probe was shortened from 6 to 2 centimeters by inserting the rods through a cube (4 centimeters thick) of dielectric foam. Laboratory tests comparing the output voltage of the probe with gravimetric moisture content in sand taken from a field site at Greenwich Dunes, Prince Edward Island, Canada, produced linear best-fit lines (R2 > 0.97). The tests showed no appreciable difference between the short probe and the original long probe for moisture content of 0–10% and for differing salt content. A calibration produced from 150 measurements in the field over 4 weeks with the short probe and gravimetric moisture content of core samples (2 centimeters thick) was the same as the laboratory calibration, though with more scatter. Field tests within plots (1 meter square) show that surface moisture content can vary by more than 3% within this small area. Measurements within a rectangular grid 50 meters alongshore and 25 meters cross-shore show spatial patterns related to wave run-up and tidal cycles and seepage from the dune, as well as temporal fluctuation related to precipitation events and drying by sun and wind.