Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reply: Mechanisms of postradiation optic atrophy with neuroretinal

Dear Editor, We read with interest the article “Optic disc cupping after circumpapillary PD-103 slotted plaque radiation therapy. ” Finger et al. examined a cohort of patients managed with slotted plaque radiotherapy for peripapillary, juxtapapillary, or circumpapillary choroidal melanoma and found that treatment was associated with subsequent increase in cup-to-disc ratio. We recently published a series of patients managed with round Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study plaques and found that of 78 patients, 41 developed post-radiation optic atrophy, and 15 had concomitant neuroretinal rim thinning, a phenotype matching that described by Finger et al. These findings are not unique to a slotted plaque design, but they could be more likely in the setting of greater radiation dose to the optic disc and posterior ciliary arteries. In our series, we found that all patients with neuroretinal rim thinning also developed some degree of optic disc pallor. Although Finger et al. found no significant increase in pallor after treatment, we suspect this may have been due to small sample size, especially given p=0.051 and a change in both the median and minimum pallor grade from zero to one after treatment. In our study, we found an additional association between higher baseline intraocular pressure (IOP) and development of post-radiation optic atrophy, with a further association of higher maximum IOP and the phenotype of neuroretinal rim thinning. Finger et al. emphasized that higher posttreatment IOP was likely not responsible for neuroretinal rim thinning in their series, but our data suggest that higher IOP, even if within the “normal” range, may increase susceptibility to post-radiation optic atrophy, perhaps due to connective tissue stress and strain. We applaud Finger et al. for their application of optical coherence tomography angiography. Optic disc cupping in their study correlated to changes in vessel length and density, leading to the hypothesis that radiation-induced ischemia could be responsible for the optic disc changes. Overall, we were excited to see validation of findings we have observed in our own practice, and we agree that prospective studies including correlation of visual field defects are necessary to better understand how post-radiation optic atrophy compares with glaucomatous optic neuropathy.
New Gravity Map of the Western Galicia Margin:The Spanish Exclusive Economic Zone Project

Since 1995, the most intensive mapping of the seafloor off the Spanish coast has been carried out in the framework of the Spanish Exclusive Economic Zone Project (ZEEE). The main objectives of this project are to obtain improved multibeam bathymetric cartography of the areas off Spanish coastlines, and to perform a geophysical survey,well-suited with a 10-knot navigation velocity (some techniques requires lower navigation velocity). The geophysical survey includes gravity, geomagnetism, and low-penetration seismic techniques in order to infer the geological structure of the seafloor. Other oceanographic variables such as current, surface salinity, and temperature profiles, can be recorded without compromising this systematic survey effort. The ZEEE Project has carried out its survey activities for one month every year.Data acquisition is achieved aboard the Spanish R/V Hesperides. Until 1997, surveying efforts concentrated on the Balearic Sea and Valencia Gulf, both in the western Mediterranean Sea. Between 1998 and 2000, the ZEEE Project investigations were conducted offshore the Canary Archipelago. Since 2001, the third phase of the program has been focused on the West Galicia Margin in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. Survey results on the West Galicia Margin area are of interest for two key reasons. First, there is great scientific interest in the improvement of the knowledge of this non-volcanic rifting margin, since this margin offers good conditions for the study of the processes that take place in this type of geological context,because it is sediment-starved. Second, the obtained results also have major socioeconomic repercussions because they can prove significant to defining the expansion of the Spanish shelf,beyond Spain’s Economic Exclusive Zone distance of 200 nautical miles. All of the gravity data acquired to date on this area have been stored as a database, with the aim of preparing gravity anomaly maps on a scale 1:200,000.The database and gravity anomaly charts from the ZEEE Project will provide the most coherent and complete gravity perspective available for this area. This article describes the efforts and accomplishments of the project to date.
Galileo radio occultation measurements of Io's ionosphere and plasma wake

Six radio occultation experiments were conducted with the Galileo orbiter in 1997, yielding detailed measurements of the distribution and motion of plasma surrounding Io. This distribution has two components. One is highly asymmetric, consisting of a wake or tail that appears only on the downstream side and extends to distances as large as 10 Io radii. The other resembles a bound ionosphere and is present within a few hundred kilometers of Io's surface throughout the upstream and downstream hemispheres. Motion of plasma within the wake was measured through cross correlation of data acquired simultaneously at two widely separated terrestrial antennas. Plasma near Io's equatorial plane is moving away from Io in the downstream direction. Its speed increases from 30 km s−1 at a distance of 3 Io radii from the center of Io to 57 km s−1 at 7 Io radii. The latter corresponds to corotation with Jupiter's magnetic field, which suggests that bulk plasma motion rather than wave motion is being observed. Results for the bound ionosphere include vertical profiles of electron density at 10 locations near Io's terminator. The ionosphere is substantial, with the peak density exceeding 50,000 cm−3 at 9 out of 10 locations and reaching a maximum of 277,000 cm−3. The peak density varies systematically with Io longitude, with maxima near the center of the hemispheres facing toward (0°W) and away from (180°W) Jupiter and minima near the center of the downstream (90°W) and upstream (270°W) hemispheres. This pattern may be related to the Alfvenic current system induced by Io's motion through magnetospheric plasma. The vertical extent of the bound ionosphere increases from ∼200 km near the center of the upstream hemisphere to ∼400 km near the boundary between the leading and trailing hemispheres. There is a close resemblance between one ionospheric profile and a Chapman layer, and the topside scale height implies a plasma temperature of 202±14 K if Na+ is the principal ion. Two intense volcanic hot spots, Kanehekili and 9606A, may be influencing the atmospheric structure at this location.
Farmers perception on climate change in Sokoto State, Nigeria

The study examined farmer’s perception on changes in climate variables in Sokoto State. Eight local government areas in Sokoto East senatorial district were purposively selected due to their vulnerability to climatic changes. Proportionate sampling was employed to select the eight villages. A total of two hundred and twenty three (223) questionnaires were administered. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze socio-economic characteristics of the farmers. ANOVA was used to test the significant differences between climatic variables in ten years. The results indicated that majority of the respondents (67.9%) agreed that rain normally starts by April-May and that the month of August had the highest amount of rainfall; and 2010 recorded the highest amount of rainfall in ten years from 2000-2010. It was evident from the results that the highest dry spell was recorded in 2011. 56.1% of the respondents perceived that August was the period of lowest temperature (31.97°C) and 20.6% reported that the year 2008 had the highest temperature (36.91°C) in ten years, from 2000-2010. Farmers were aware of the increased change in the climatic indices. It is recommended that farmers need to be sensitized on the importance of afforestation programme to mitigate climate change. Key words: Perception, climate change, climate variables.
Monoclonal antibody analysis of keratin expression in epidermal diseases: a 48- and 56-kdalton keratin as molecular markers for hyperproliferative keratinocytes

The polypeptide composition of epidermal keratin varies in disease. To better understand the biological meaning of these variations, we have analyzed keratins from a number of human epidermal diseases by the immunoblot technique using AE1 and AE3 monoclonal antikeratin antibodies. The results reveal a continuous spectrum of keratin expression ranging from one closely resembling the normal in vivo pattern to one almost identical to cultured epidermal keratinocytes. Specifically, a 50-kilodalton (kd) (AE1-positive) and a 58-kd (AE3- positive) keratin are present in all diseases, supporting the concept that they represent "permanent" markers for keratinocytes. A 56.5-kd (AE1) and a 65-67-kd (AE3) keratin, previously shown to be markers for keratinization, are expressed only by lesions retaining a keratinized morphology. A 48-kd (AE1) and a 56-kd (AE3) keratin are present in all hyperproliferative (para- or nonkeratinized) disorders, but not in normal abdominal epidermis or in ichthyosis vulgaris which is a nonhyperproliferative disease. These two keratins have previously been found in various nonepidermal keratinocytes undergoing hyperproliferation, suggesting that these keratins are not epidermis- specific and may represent markers for hyperproliferative keratinocytes in general. In various epidermal diseases, there is a reciprocal expression of the (keratin) markers for hyperproliferation and keratinization, supporting the mutual exclusiveness of the two cellular events. Moreover, our results indicate that, as far as keratin expression is concerned, cultured human epidermal cells resemble and thus may be regarded as a model for epidermal hyperplasia. Finally, the apparent lack of any major, disease-specific keratin changes in the epidermal disorders studied so far implies that keratin abnormalities probably represent the consequence, rather than the cause, of these diseases.
Reproducing the bipolar magnetic signature at the jet leading edge by three‐dimensional reconnection with nonzero guide field

[1] A bipolar (southward-then-northward) signature of the Bz component at the leading edge of earthward jets in the magnetotail has often been reported. Here we try to reproduce this magnetic field feature by a three-dimensional reconnection (finite extent in the dawn-dusk direction) in the presence of a nonzero guide field (dawn-dusk magnetic component). Setting the guide field intensity by referring to earlier reports (Slavin et al., 2003) and setting the dawn-dusk extent of the reconnection region to an often quoted value (Angelopoulos et al., 1997), we managed to reproduce the bipolar signatures in three-dimensional (Hall) MHD simulation runs. Redirecting the argument, with the typical guide field intensity of By = 4 nT in the magnetotail, the southward peak value of Bz = −3 nT in the bipolar signature may be taken as the evidence that the dawn-dusk width of the reconnection region is ∼4 RE (RE: Earth radii).
Philosophy and the Practice of Bayesian Statistics 4 Model Checking 4.4 Example: Estimating the Effects of Legislative Redistricting 6 What about Popper and Kuhn?

A substantial school in the philosophy of science identifies Bayesian inference with inductive inference and even rationality as such, and seems to be strengthened by the rise and practical success of Bayesian statistics. We argue that the most successful forms of Bayesian statistics do not actually support that particular philosophy but rather accord much better with sophisticated forms of hypothetico-deductivism. We examine the actual role played by prior distributions in Bayesian models, and the crucial aspects of model checking and model revision, which fall outside the scope of Bayesian confirmation theory. We draw on the literature on the consistency of Bayesian updating and also on our experience of applied work in social science. Clarity about these matters should benefit not just philosophy of science, but also statistical practice. At best, the inductivist view has encouraged researchers to fit and compare models without checking them; at worst, theorists have actively discouraged practitioners from performing model checking because it does not fit into their framework. 1 The usual story—which we don't like In so far as I have a coherent philosophy of statistics, I hope it is " robust " enough to cope in principle with the whole of statistics, and sufficiently undogmatic not to imply that all those who may think rather differently from me are necessarily stupid. If at times I do seem dogmatic, it is because it is convenient to give my own views as unequivocally as possible. Schools of statistical inference are sometimes linked to approaches to the philosophy of science. " Classical " statistics—as exemplified by Fisher's p-values, Neyman-Pearson hypothesis tests, and Neyman's confidence intervals—is associated with the hypothetico-deductive and falsificationist view of science. Scientists devise hypotheses, deduce implications for observations from them, and test those implications. Scientific hypotheses can be rejected (that is, falsified), but never really established or accepted in the same way. Mayo (1996) presents the leading contemporary statement of this view. 1 In contrast, Bayesian statistics or " inverse probability " —starting with a prior distribution , getting data, and moving to the posterior distribution—is associated with an inductive approach of learning about the general from particulars. Rather than testing and attempted falsification, learning proceeds more smoothly: an accretion of evidence is summarized by a posterior distribution, and scientific process is associated with the rise and fall in the posterior probabilities of various models; see Figure 1 for a schematic illustration. In this …
Medial Arterial Calcification An Overlooked Player in Peripheral Arterial Disease

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) refers to occlusion or narrowing of the upper and lower extremity arteries, causing insufficient blood flow to the limbs. Patients with PAD often present with symptoms, such as claudication, ischemic rest pain, ischemic ulcerations, and limb loss. These patients are also highly predisposed to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. PAD is underdiagnosed, and little is known about its pathogenesis, although it has generally been considered as secondary to atherosclerotic disease, which mainly affects lower limb vascularization. Indeed, the major treatment for PAD is based around revascularization therapies to bypass/alleviate stenosis and occlusions. However, recent literature has uncovered a role for vascular calcification not only as a major factor limiting treatment but also as a potential driver of PAD. Vascular calcification is a pathology characteristic of aging but is accelerated in chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes mellitus, and atherosclerosis. Although localized intimal calcification is a feature of atherosclerosis, extensive, widely disseminated medial calcification, often visible on plain X-ray, is a common presenting feature of lower extremity PAD. The prevalence of medial arterial calcification (MAC) in PAD is imprecisely reported because of the methods by which diagnosis is reached, as well as asymptomatic cases that are often unreported. Currently, the gold standard by which PAD is diagnosed is by noninvasive means via the ankle brachial pressure index and toe brachial pressure index measurements and subsequently confirmed by duplex scan and angiography which can be extended to computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Accurate diagnosis can be challenging because of preexisting CKD or diabetes mellitus. For example, the effectiveness of the ankle brachial pressure index ratio in diagnosis of PAD for diabetic and CKD patients on dialysis is reduced when there is presence of MAC and peripheral neuropathy. Moreover, endovascular treatment strategies are often ineffective in patients with PAD and MAC, despite advances in recanalization techniques. Thus, there is much incentive for a paradigm shift and closer examination of the pathology of MAC in PAD to develop better therapies.
Discontinuities in the shallow Martian crust at Lunae, Syria, and Sinai Plana

Detailed photoclinometric profiles across 125 erosional features and 141 grabens in the western equatorial region of Mars indicate the presence of three discontinuities within the shallow crust. Pits, troughs, and wall valleys (tributary canyons) within Noctis Labyrinthus and Valles Marineris and escarpments within the fretted terrain of Sacra Fossae and Kasei Valles show distinct erosional base levels at depths of 0.3–0.6 km, 1 km, and 2–3 km. The shallowest discontinuity corresponds to thickness estimates for the ridged plains unit in this region, and thus the discontinuity probably is the contact between a sequence of layered rock making up this unit and the underlying megaregolith. The 1-km discontinuity is reflected in the base levels of erosion of all the features studied, and it may correspond to the base of the proposed layer of ground ice. Model calculations using photoclinometric profiles of simple grabens (corrected for the effects of mass wasting) and the 60° dip of bounding faults (measured from the exposed traces of faults on trough walls) show that graben-bounding faults consistently intersect at the mechanical discontinuity at about 1 km depth. This discontinuity may represent an interface between ice-laden and dry regolith, ice-laden and water-laden regolith, or pristine and cemented regolith. A correlation between wall valley head depth and local thickness of the faulted layer suggests that the 1-km discontinuity also controlled the depth of the heads of sapping canyons. There is no apparent relation between the pit and trough depths and the local thickness of the faulted layer, which can be explained if pits and troughs developed by subsidence into underlying tension cracks that disrupted the 1-km discontinuity. The data do suggest, however, that erosion of shallow pits and troughs was influenced by the 1-km discontinuity. The third discontinuity, at a depth of 2–3 km, corresponds to the proposed base of the Martian megaregolith and is probably the interface between overlying, ejected breccia and in situ, fractured basement rocks.
Simulation model of erosion and deposition on a barchan dune

Erosion and deposition over a barchan dune near the Salton Sea, California, are modeled by bookkeeping the quantity of sand in saltation following streamlines of transport. Field observations of near surface wind velocity and direction plus supplemental measurements of the velocity distribution over a scale model of the dune are combined as input to Bagnold type sand transport formulas corrected for slope effects. A unidirectional wind is assumed. The resulting patterns of erosion and deposition compare closely with those observed in the field and those predicted by the assumption of equilibrium (downwind translation of the dune without change in size or geometry). Discrepancies between the simulated results and the observed or predicted erosional patterns appear to be largely due to natural fluctuations in the wind direction. The shape of barchan dunes is a function of grain size, velocity, degree of saturation of the oncoming flow, and the variability in the direction of the oncoming wind. The size of the barchans may be controlled by natural atmospheric scales, by the age of the dunes, or by the upwind roughness. The upwind roughness can be controlled by fixed elements or by sand in the saltation. In the latter case, dune scale is determined by grain size and wind velocity.
Identifying relationships between flood history, flood frequency and the provenance of surface sediments in a semi-arid terminal wetland

In semi-arid environments, dryland wetlands serve as key loci for biological diversity and productivity. This stems from their relative abundance of water and the comparative richness of their soils which are reinvigorated by the delivery of sediment and nutrients during relatively infrequent flood events. Therefore, to fully understand the nature of these environments, it is important to understand the links between the delivery of water and sediment (particularly with respect to varying sediment sources) to semi-arid wetlands and the physical and chemical properties of the surface sediments deposited within them. The purpose of this study was to: (1) determine the provenance (e.g. locally derived or fluvial sources) of surface sediments within a semi-arid wetland, the Narran Lakes Ecosystem in central eastern Australia; (2) determine how sediment provenance relates to flood frequency and flood history; and (3) identify variations in the physical and chemical properties of sediments with different sources. The study employs a set of 163 samples, collected along an irregular grid spaced at -1.8 km, which were analysed to determine the physical and chemical properties of the surface sediments. The ratio of titanium to aluminium (Ti/Al) was used to differentiate between fluvial sub-catchment and locally derived sediment sources. The sourced sediments were then compared to flood frequency maps in the wetland and related to the flood history of the two principal source sub-catchments to see if sediment sourcing could be reliably linked with long term flood inundation patterns. The results of this study indicate that there are distinct and strong associations between the source of the sediments in a particular location of the wetland and the frequency of flooding that occurs there. These associations can be more completely understood by examining the flood history of the source sub-catchments. In addition, the sediments derived from each fluvial source and from locally derived hillslopes have distinct differences in their physical and chemical properties. Thus, the nature of the sediments and the resultant ecology of the Narran Lakes Ecosystem may be influenced by differential sediment sources.
Magnetotelluric measurements across the Wisconsin Arch

Magnetotelluric observations, consisting of measurements in the period range from 1000 sec were made at five stations across the Wisconsin arch. Scalar and tensor apparent resistivity values were computed from the power density estimates of the horizontal field components. Electrical resistivity models of the earth at each of the five sites were obtained by fitting the apparent resistivity values of one-dimensional models to the measured values. The preferred conductivity models show a layered crustal structure which agrees well with the crustal seismic profile at the four best sites. The most striking result is an order-of-magnitude increase in conductivity at about 12 km depth, which corresponds to an intracrustal velocity interface. Near the crust-mantle boundary an increase in resistivity, comparable to that of the upper crust, is observed. Indications of a conductivity increase at 70 km depth were obtained at two of the stations; one of the models tenuously suggests another steeper conductivity increase at a depth of 170 km.