Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF FULL-SCALE PATTERN MEASUREMENTS OF SIMPLE VHF ANTENNAS IN A EUCALYPTUS GROVE.

Abstract : Preliminary results from check-out tests of a full-scale VHF antenna pattern measuring system including the use of an airborne transmitter (Xeledop) are presented. The tests were made on simple antennas within a grove of eucalyptus trees. Significant perturbations were found in the directivity patterns (normally omnidirectional) of vertical dipoles receiving vertical signals in the forest medium: nulls to 20 dB or more, every few degrees of azimuth, at the three frequencies used, 50, 75, and 100 Mc/s. Directivity patterns of horizontal dipoles receiving horizontal signals in the same forest medium were relatively unperturbed, even at 100 Mc/s. Signal attenuation was greatest in the direction of greatest tree population and most severe for vertically polarized signals. A rough model of the forest medium as a lossy dielectric slab was solved for the attenuation, alpha, of the forest medium. Values obtained are on the order of 0.02, 0.01 and 0.007 neper/meter for vertical, cross, and horizontal polarization, respectively. These values of alpha are compared with measurements of attenuation made at the same site by using an open-wire transmission line in the foliage. Close agreement with the values for cross polarization is obtained. Statistical methods of analyzing antenna patterns for a scattering medium are developed, and their usefulness is demonstrated. Signal expectation level probability distributions are presented for continuously varying azimuth (airborne Xeledop) and continuously varying range (man-pack Xeledop). Considerable agreement is found between these two distributions, both of which seem to be composed of two-sided Gaussian distributions. (Author)
North American‐Eurasian Plate Boundary in northeast Asia

The intracontinental portion of the boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates can be identified ort the basis of seismicity, recent tectonics, and earthquake focal mechanisms. The simplest plate geometry that can explain these data involves a North American-Eurasian boundary that extends from the Nansen ridge through a broad zone of deformation in northeast Asia to the Sea of Okhotsk and thence southward through Sakhalin and Hokkaido to a triple junction in the Kuril-Japan trench. Such a configuration can account quantitatively for the slip vectors derived from earthquake mechanisms in Sakhalin and Hokkaido. On the basis of new slip vector data the North American-Eurasian angular velocity vector is revised only slightly from previous determinations. The intracontinental plate boundary is diffuse and may be controlled by ancient plate sutures. Deformation within about 10° of the rotation pole, which lies very near the boundary, cannot be modeled by rigid plate tectonics. These characteristics of intracontinental plate boundaries are related to the greater thickness and heterogeneity of continental lithosphere and to the influence of continents on the plate tectonic driving forces.
A triple‐frequency approach to retrieve microphysical snowfall parameters

[1] Backscattering and extinction properties of various snow particle models are studied for three typical cloud radar frequency ranges, namely Ku band, Ka band, and W band, both in terms of their individual scattering properties as well as averaged over size distributions. Models studied include soft spheres, randomly oriented pristine nonspherical particles and complex aggregates, as well as horizontally aligned spheroids. It is shown that the concurrent use of Ku/Ka band and Ka/W band dual wavelength ratios (DWR) allows for a separation of different snow particle habits. It is further shown that triple-frequency approaches constrain the slope parameter of exponential size distributions more tightly than conventional single DWR approaches can. Uncertainties introduced by unknown mass-size relations for different snow particle habits remain a challenge when mass-related quantities are to be derived. Attenuation by snow, especially at W band, is found to potentially alter these results, albeit moderately, without affecting the general conclusions. Sensitivity studies performed with respect to cutoffs in the simulated size distribution highlight potential benefits of including larger particles in future scattering databases.
Caspase-1 activation is protective against hepatocyte cell death by up-regulating beclin1 and mitochondrial autophagy in the setting of redox stress*

Background: The role of caspase-1in nonimmune cells, like hepatocytes, that do not express IL1/IL18 is largely unknown. Results: Caspase-1 activation limits excessive mitochondrial reactive oxygen species during oxidative stress by up-regulating beclin1 and mitochondrial clearance in hepatocytes. Conclusion: Caspase-1 is hepatoprotective after oxidative stress. Significance: Our findings suggest a novel role for caspase-1 activation in promoting adaptive responses to oxidative stress.
Understanding the Molecular Basis for Multiple Mitochondrial Dysfunctions Syndrome 1 (MMDS1)-Impact of a Disease-Causing Gly208Cys Substitution on Structure and Activity of NFU1 in the Fe/S Cluster Biosynthetic Pathway

Iron-sulfur (Fe/S) cluster-containing proteins constitute one of the largest protein classes, with varied functions that include electron transport, regulation of gene expression, substrate binding and activation, and radical generation. Consequently, the biosynthetic machinery for Fe/S clusters is evolutionarily conserved, and mutations in a variety of putative intermediate Fe/S cluster scaffold proteins can cause disease states, including multiple mitochondrial dysfunctions syndrome (MMDS), sideroblastic anemia and mitochondrial encephalomyopathy. Herein, we have characterized the impact of defects occurring in the MMDS1 disease state that result from a point mutation (Gly208Cys) near the active site of NFU1, an iron-sulfur scaffold protein, via an in vitro investigation into the structural and functional consequences. Analysis of protein stability and oligomeric state demonstrates that the mutant increases the propensity to dimerize and perturbs the secondary structure composition. These changes appear to underlie the severely decreased ability of mutant NFU1 to accept an iron-sulfur cluster from physiologically relevant sources. Therefore, the point mutation on NFU1 impairs downstream cluster trafficking and results in the disease phenotype, because there does not appear to be an alternative in vivo reconstitution path, most likely due to greater protein oligomerization from a minor structural change.
Biomarkers in Relation to the Effects of Ticagrelor in Comparison With Clopidogrel in Non–ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients Managed With or Without In-Hospital Revascularization A Substudy From the Prospective Randomized Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes (PLATO) Trial

Background —Risk stratification and the use of specific biomarkers have been proposed for tailoring treatment in patients with non–ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). We investigated the prognostic importance of high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) in relation to randomized treatment (ticagrelor versus clopidogrel) and management strategy (with or without revascularization) in the NSTE-ACS subgroup of the Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes (PLATO) trial. managed patients, but no apparent benefit was seen at normal hs-TnT. congestive heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, previous MI, pre- vious PCI, previous CABG, ST depression in ECG at entry, and the declaration of planned invasive or noninvasive treatment at random- ization were included. The results from the models were presented as estimated hazard ratios, with 95% confidence intervals, of the treat- ment effect of ticagrelor using clopidogrel as reference. The treatment hazard ratios were reported for each level of the biomarker, regardless of the significance of interaction. The proportional hazards assump-tion, with respect to the cardiac biomarkers, was assessed by visual inspection of log-cumulative hazard plots. Kaplan-Meier curves were estimated for the time to event for each cutoff range of the biomarker and the log-rank test was calculated. All analyses were performed by using SAS version 9.2. A P value of 0.05 was used as a critical value determining statistical significance, and there were no adjustments for multiple comparisons. treatment, interaction between treatment and biomarker level and established risk factors as covariates. Established risk factors in the model are sex, diabetes mellitus, smoking status, hypertension, congestive heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, previous MI, previous PCI, previous CABG, ST-depression in ECG at entry, and the declaration of planned invasive or noninvasive treatment at randomization. CI confidence interval, CV, cardiovascular; HR, hazard ratio; hs-TnT, high- sensitivity troponin T; and MI, myocardial infarction.
Red meat and colon cancer: dietary haem-induced colonic cytotoxicity and epithelial hyperproliferation are inhibited by calcium.

High intake of red meat is associated with increased colon cancer risk. We have shown earlier that this may be due to the high haem content of red meat, because dietary haem increased cytolytic activity of faecal water and colonic epithelial proliferation. Dietary calcium inhibits diet-induced epithelial hyperproliferation. Furthermore, it has been shown that supplemental calcium inhibited the recurrence of colorectal adenomas. Therefore, we studied whether dietary calcium phosphate can exert its protective effects by inhibiting the deleterious effects of haem. In vitro, calcium phosphate precipitated haem and inhibited the haem-induced cytotoxicity. Subsequently, rats were fed diets, differing in haem (0 or 1.3 micromol/g) and calcium phosphate content only (20 or 180 micromol/g). Faeces were collected for biochemical analyses. Cytolytic activity of faecal water was determined from the degree of lysis of erythrocytes by faecal water. Colonic epithelial proliferation was measured in vivo using [(3)H]thymidine incorporation. In rats fed low calcium diets, dietary haem increased cytolytic activity of faecal water (98 +/- 1 versus 1 +/- 1%, P < 0.001) and the concentration of cations in faeces (964 +/- 31 versus 254 +/- 20 micromol/g), when compared with controls. This indicates that dietary haem increased colonic mucosal exposure to luminal irritants. Colonic epithelial proliferation was increased compared with controls (70 +/- 4 versus 48 +/- 8 d.p.m./microg DNA, P < 0.001). This was accompanied by metabolism of the ingested haem and solubilization of haem compounds in the faecal water. A high calcium diet largely prevented this metabolism and solubilization. It also inhibited the haem-induced cytolytic activity of faecal water and increase in faecal cation concentration. In accordance, the haem-induced colonic epithelial hyperproliferation was prevented. We therefore suggest that dietary calcium phosphate acts as a chemopreventive agent in colon carcinogenesis by inhibiting the cytolytic and hyperproliferative effects of dietary haem.
The Ability of Various Measures of Fatness to Predict Application for Disability Insurance

This paper compares a variety of measures of fatness (e.g. BMI, waist circumference, waist-tohip ratio, percent body fat) in terms of their ability to predict application for Social Security Disability Insurance (DI). This is possible through a recent linkage of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III to Social Security Administration (SSA) administrative records. Our results indicate that the measure of fatness that best predicts application for DI varies by race and gender. For white men, BMI consistently predicts future application for DI. For white women, almost all are consistently predictive. For black men, none predict application. For black women, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio are the only significant predictors of DI application. This variation across race and gender suggests that the inclusion of alternative measures of fatness in social science datasets should be considered, and that researchers examining the impact of fatness on social science outcomes should examine the robustness of their findings to alternative measures of fatness.
Applicability of a 4 inputs ANN model for ETo prediction in coastal and inland locations

Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are simplified models of the central nervous system that can be used as effective tools to model nonlinear problems. This paper reports the study of the applicability of an ANN-based ETo predicting-model in different geographical contexts of the Valencia region. The proposed model only demands the measurement of the maximum and minimum daily air temperatures and the calculation of extraterrestrial radiation and daylight hours. The model provides acceptable approximations of Penman-Monteith ETo values, better than already existing ETo predicting tools (Hargreaves), for coastal locations, where the sea contributes to hinder drastic climatological fluctuations. Nevertheless, the mapping capability of this model in other places with higher indexes of continentality is to be questioned. Furthermore, the possibility of achieving good ETo predictions in different inland locations to those used to train the network might be looked with uncertainty, because of the local uniqueness of the complex relationships between temperature and ETo. On the other hand, models trained in coastal locations might be preferable to carry out predictions in inland locations. The proposed 4-inputs ANN can be useful and preferable to other methods when ETo models which demand a high number of variables cannot be used.
Osteogenic effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes on steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head

Background: Animal studies have demonstrated the therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on osteogenesis, but little is known about the functions of exosomes (Exos) released by bone MSCs (BMSCs). Here, we investigated the effect of BMSC Exos on steroid-induced femoral head necrosis (SFHN) and explored the vital genes involved in this process. Materials and methods: BMSCs were isolated from healthy and SFHN rats. BMSC Exos were isolated using the Exosome Precipitation Kit and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and Western blotting. SFHN BMSCs were incubated with Exos from healthy BMSCs. Osteogenic ability was assessed by oil red O staining and alizarine red staining. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) induced by Exos were screened using the Osteogenesis RT 2 Profiler PCR Array. The effect of upregulated Sox9 was examined using lentivirus-mediated siRNA. Results: The results revealed that BMSC Exos were 100–150 nm in size and expressed CD63. Moreover, BMSC Exo-treated SFHN cells exhibited suppressed adipogenesis compared to model cells. PCR array showed that eleven and nine genes were upregulated and downregulated, respectively, in the BMSC Exo-treated SFHN cells compared to the model group. Among the DEGs, osteogenesis-related genes, including Bmp2 , Bmp6 , Bmpr1b , Mmp9 , and Sox9 , may play important roles in SFHN. Furthermore, the DEGs were mainly involved in immune response, osteoblast differentiation, and in the transforming growth factor- β /bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway. The level of the SOX9 protein was upregulated by Exos, and Sox9 silencing significantly decreased the osteogenic effect of BMSC Exos. Conclusion: Our data suggest that Exos derived from BMSCs mainly affect SFHN osteogenesis, and this finding can be further investigated to develop a novel therapeutic agent for SFHN.
High‐resolution estimates of net community production and air‐sea CO2 flux in the northeast Pacific

Rates of net community production (NCP) and air‐sea CO2 flux in the Northeast Pacific subarctic, transition zone and subtropical regions (22°N–50°N, 145°W–152°W) were determined on a cruise in August–September 2008 by continuous measurement of surface values of the ratio of dissolved oxygen to argon (O2/Ar) and the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2). These estimates were compared with simultaneous measurements of sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll‐a (chl‐a), flow cytometry, and discrete surface nutrient concentrations. NCP and CO2 influx were greatest in the subarctic (45°N–50°N, 25.8 ± 4.6 and 4.1 ± 0.9 mmol C m−2 d−1) and northern transition zone (40°N–45°N, 17.1 ± 4.4 and 2.1 ± 0.5 mmol C m−2 d−1), with mean NCP ∼6–8× greater than mean CO2 invasion (error estimates reflect 1 σ confidence intervals). Contrastingly, the southern transition zone (32°N–40°N) and subtropics (22°N–32°N) had lower mean NCP (5.4 ± 1.8 and 8.1 ± 2.1 mmol C m−2 d−1, respectively) and mean CO2 efflux (3.0 ± 0.5 and 0.1 ± 0.0 mmol C m−2 d−1, respectively). In the subarctic and transition zone, NCP was highly correlated with surface chl‐a and CO2 influx, indicating strong coupling between the biological pump and CO2 uptake. Meridional trends in our NCP estimates in the transition zone and subtropics were similar to those for integrated summertime NCP along the cruise track determined using an upper ocean climatological carbon budget.
A MODIFIED QUECHERS METHOD COUPLED WITH LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHYTANDEM MASS SPECTROMETRY FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS DETECTION AND QUANTIFICATION OF SCOPOLAMINE, L-HYOSCYAMINE, AND SPARTEINE RESIDUES IN ANIMAL-DERIVED FOOD PRODUCTS By

We developed a modified Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (CEN QuEChERS) extraction method coupled with liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI+/MS-MS) to identify and quantify residues of three botanical alkaloids, namely, scopolamine, L-hyoscyamine, and sparteine, in animal-derived foods, including porcine muscle, egg, and milk. A combination of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium buffer and acetonitrile acidified with 0.5% trifluoroacetic acid was used as an extraction solvent, whereas QuEChERS (CEN, 15662) kits and sorbents were applied for cleanup procedures. The proposed method was validated by determining the limits of quantification (LOQs), with values of 1–5 mg/kg achieved for the target analytes in various matrices. Linearity was estimated from matrix-matched calibration curves constructed using six concentration levels ranging from 1to 6-fold increases in the LOQs of each analyte, and the correlation coefficients (R2) were _0. 9869. Recoveries (at three concentration levels of 1-, 2-, and 3-fold increases in the LOQ) of 73–104% were achieved with relative standard deviations (RSDs) _7. 7% (intra-day and inter-day precision). Ten types of each matrix procured from large markets were evaluated, and all tested samples showed negative results. The current protocol is simple and versatile and can be used for routine detection of plant alkaloids in animal food products.
Verification Testing to Confirm V̇O2max in a Hot Environment

J. LUKE PRYOR, ROBERT GARCIA LEIJA, JACOBO MORALES, ADAM W. POTTER, DAVID P. LOONEY, RIANA R. PRYOR, DAVID HOSTLER, and KRISTEN C. COCHRANE-SNYMAN Center for Research and Education in Special Environments, Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY; Department of Kinesiology, California State University, Fresno, Fresno, CA; United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA; and Department of Health and Human Performance, Concordia University, Chicago, IL
Title : Effects of Ball-Drills and Repeated Sprint Ability Training in Basketball Players

word count. 245 words. Text-only word count. 4200 Number of figures and tables. 3 figures and 3 tables D ow nl oa de d by U N IV D E G L I ST U D I D I M IL A N O o n 02 /0 7/ 19 “Effects of Ball-Drills and Repeated Sprint Ability Training in Basketball Players” by Maggioni MA et al. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance © 2018 Human Kinetics, Inc.
Exome Sequencing to Detect Rare Variants Associated With General Cognitive Ability

Citation for published version: Luciano, M, Svinti, V, Campbell, A, Marioni, RE, Hayward, C, Wright, AF, Taylor, MS, Porteous, DJ, Thomson, P, Prendergast, JGD, Hastie, ND, Farrington, SM, Scotland, G, Dunlop, MG & Deary, IJ 2015, 'Exome Sequencing to Detect Rare Variants Associated With General Cognitive Ability: A Pilot Study' Twin Research and Human Genetics, vol 18, no. 2, pp. 117-125. DOI: 10.1017/thg.2015. 10
In Situ Observations of Diurnal Variability in Rainfall over the Tropical Pacific and Atlantic Oceans

Abstract In this study, the diurnal cycles in rain accumulation, intensity, and frequency are investigated for the 1997– 2001 time period using measurements from self-siphoning rain gauges on moored buoys within the tropical Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. These measurements are unique in that they provide in situ, quantitative information on both the amplitude and phase of diurnal variability in tropical oceanic precipitation over an extended period of time at selected locations. Results indicate that the diurnal and semidiurnal harmonics explain a significant portion of the diurnal variance for all three rainfall parameters at the buoys. The diurnal harmonic in particular dominates the composite diurnal cycle in hourly rain accumulation, with a maximum from 0400 to 0700 local time (LT) and a minimum around 1800 LT. An early morning maximum and evening minimum are also observed in the composite diurnal cycles of rain intensity and frequency, indicating that both are contributing to the diurnal cycle in accu.
A systematic review of the pharmacotherapy of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in grades 3-5 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

OBJECTIVE The data on the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) provided in scientific publications are divergent and contradictory. Therefore, the aim of our systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy of SHPT treatment in (chronic kidney disease) CKD. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Cochrane, PubMed, and Scopus databases were searched independently by two authors. The search strategy included controlled vocabulary and keywords. The effectiveness and side effects of calcifediol, ergocaliferol, calcitriol, paricalcitol, and cinacalcet were compared and analyzed. RESULTS Extended-release (ER) calcifediol raised the total serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level over the threshold of 30 ng/mL in 80% of the patients analyzed in the study. It is the level required for intact PTH (iPTH) suppression. ER calcifediol reduced the iPTH level by 30% in about 30% of the patients, whereas only 2.1% of them had hypercalcemia. Calcitriol significantly decreased the iPTH values. It was the cause of hypercalcemia in 1.7% of the patients. The reduction of the iPTH level by more than 30% was observed in 85.7% of the patients in the paracalcitol group after 48-week supplementation. Paricalcitol was the cause of hypercalcemia in 1.9% of the patients. The cinacalcet therapy resulted in the highest percentage of patients with the iPTH level within the limits recommended by the KDOQI (70-110 ng/L for stage 4 CKD and 150-300 ng/L for stage 5 CKD). 92% of the patients met the KDOQI guidelines and the mean decrease in the serum iPTH level was 68%. CONCLUSIONS Calcifediol ER, paricalcitol, and cinacalcet significantly decreased the iPTH level in the patients under study. Paricalcitol increased the serum calcium concentration the most of all the drugs under analysis. It is noteworthy that only cinacalcet does not carry the risk of hypercalcemia.