Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ecological Significance of Residual Exposures and Effects from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Abstract An ecological significance framework is used to assess the ecological condition of Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska, USA, in order to address the current management question: 17 y following the Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS), are there any remaining and continuing ecologically significant exposures or effects on the PWS ecosystem caused by EVOS? We examined the extensive scientific literature funded by the Exxon Valdez Trustees or by ExxonMobil to assess exposures and effects from EVOS. Criteria to assess ecological significance include whether a change in a valued ecosystem component (VEC) is sufficient to affect the structure, function, and/or health of the system and whether such a change exceeds natural variability. The EVOS occurred on 24 March 1989, releasing over 250,000 barrels of crude oil into PWS. Because PWS is highly dynamic, the residual oil was largely eliminated in the first few years, and now only widely dispersed, highly weathered, or isolated small pockets of residual contamination remain. Many other sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exist in PWS from past or present human activities or natural oil seeps. Multiple-lines-of-evidence analyses indicate that residual PAHs from EVOS no longer represent an ecologically significant exposure risk to PWS. To assess the ecological significance of any residual effects from EVOS, we examined the literature on more than 20 VECs, including primary producers, filter feeders, fish and bird primary consumers, fish and bird top predators, a bird scavenger, mammalian primary consumers and top predators, biotic communities, ecosystem-level properties of trophodynamics and biogeochemical processes, and landscape-level properties of habitat mosaic and wilderness quality. None of these has any ecologically significant effects that are detectable at present, with the exception of 1 pod of orcas and possibly 1 subpopulation of sea otters; however, in both those cases, PWS-wide populations appear to have fully recovered. Many other stressors continue to affect PWS adversely, including climate and oceanographic variability, increased tourism and shipping, invasive species, the 1964 earthquake, and overexploitation of marine resources, with associated cascading effects on populations of PWS fish and predators. We conclude that the PWS ecosystem has now effectively recovered from EVOS.
Defense and Adaptation: The Complex Inter-Relationship between Campylobacter jejuni and Mucus

Mucus colonization is an essential early step toward establishing successful infection and disease by mucosal pathogens. There is an emerging literature implicating specific mucin sub-types and mucin modifications in protecting the host from Campylobacter jejuni infection. However, mucosal pathogens have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to breach the mucus layer and C. jejuni in particular appears to harbor specific adaptations to better colonize intestinal mucus. For example, components of mucus are chemotactic for C. jejuni and the rheological properties of mucus promote motility of the organism. Furthermore, recent studies demonstrate that mucins modulate the pathogenicity of C. jejuni in a species-specific manner and likely help determine whether these bacteria become pathogenic (as in humans), or adopt a commensal mode of existence (as in chickens and other animals). This review focuses on recent advances in understanding the complex interplay between C. jejuni and components of the mucus layer.
Music helps me do my homework: a student's conundrum

Past research has demonstrated that music often negatively impacts performance on a variety of cognitive tasks, including tasks relevant to academia. However, there are discrepancies in the literature, including a handful of instances where no effect of music is observed. The present study tests the novel hypothesis that working memory capacity moderates the effect of music on the performance of academic tasks. Undergraduate students worked on reading comprehension and math tasks under both music and silence conditions, before completing a battery of working memory assessments. While music led to a significant decline in performance overall, working memory capacity moderated this effect in the reading comprehension tasks. These findings suggest that individuals who are better able to control their attention (as indexed by working memory performance) may be protected from music-related distraction when studying certain kinds of material.
Nonlinear Elliptic Partial Difference Equations on Graphs

This article furthers the study of nonlinear elliptic partial difference equations (PdE) on graphs. We seek solutions u : V → ℝ to the semilinear elliptic partial difference equation -Lu+ƒ(u) = 0 on a graph G = (V,E), where L is the (negative) Laplacian on the graph G. We extend techniques used to prove existence theorems and derive numerical algorithms for the partial differential equation (PDE) Δu+ƒ(u) = 0. In particular, we prove the existence of sign-changing solutions and solutions with symmetry in the superlinear case. Developing variants of the mountain pass, modified mountain pass, and gradient Newton–Galerkin algorithms for our discrete nonlinear problem, we compute and describe many solutions. Letting ƒ = ƒ(λ, u), we construct bifurcation diagrams and relate the results to the developed theory.
Translation disambiguation for cross-language information retrieval using context-based translation probability

Disambiguation between multiple translation choices is very important in dictionary-based cross-language information retrieval. In prior work, disambiguation techniques have used term co-occurrence statistics from the collection being searched. Experimentally these techniques have worked well but are based upon heuristic assumptions. In this paper, a theoretically grounded alternative is proposed, one which uses sense disambiguation based upon context terms within the source text. Specifically this paper introduces the concept of translation probabilities incorporating a context term and extends the IBM Model 1 for estimating context-based translation probabilities from a sentence-aligned bilingual corpus. Experimental results in English to Italian bilingual searches show significant performance improvement of the context-based translation probabilities over the case without any disambiguation.
Receptivity and Innovation

In this study, we investigate the relationship between receptivity to novelty and innovation. Consumers’ receptivity to novelty, as an individual propensity toward new goods, might be perceived to encourage innovation at the aggregate level unambiguously. On analyzing data from the World Values Survey and the World Intellectual Property Organization, however, we find that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between average receptivity and innovation at country level; receptivity may not always be conducive to innovation. To capture a mechanism behind this counterintuitive fact, we develop a new dynamic general equilibrium model with the understanding that innovation consists of two separate activities of inventing new goods and introducing them to the society. In our model, consumer receptivity encourages firms to invent but discourages them from introducing. Interacted with population size and the elasticity of substitution, these opposing forces generate a non-monotonic relationship. While economies with moderate receptivity can achieve sustained innovation and thereby long-run growth, those with too much or too little receptivity are likely to be caught in an underdevelopment trap, in which innovations eventually fail. These results suggest a theory that explains the inverted-U.
Nascent secretory polypeptides synthesized on Escherichia coli ribosomes are not translocated across mammalian endoplasmic reticulum

Cell-free protein-synthesizing systems from Escherichia coli and wheat germ were compared for their capacity to support the translocation of secretory proteins across microsomal membranes derived from mammalian endoplasmic reticulum. Three different secretory proteins, two of bacterial and one of eucaryotic origin, were tested in this respect. In all three cases a contrast between the results in the eucaryotic and procaryotic protein-synthesizing systems was revealed. Whereas the eucaryotic system, as expected, supported the translocation of nascent secretory proteins across the microsomal membranes, the procaryotic system failed to do so. This failure was not due to the absence of a translocation-promoting activity or the presence of a translocation-blocking activity in the procaryotic system. These results demonstrate a specificity in the requirement of components of the protein-synthesizing machinery for protein translocation. These components might participate in forming a functional ribosome-membrane junction during protein translocation. The nascent secretory chain alone is not sufficient for making this junction, which might involve the postulated binding of the ribosome to the signal recognition particle or another component of the membrane.
Discussion: Latent variable graphical model selection via convex optimization

We want to congratulate the authors for a thought-provoking and very interesting paper. Sparse modeling of the concentration matrix has enjoyed popularity in recent years. It has been framed as a computationally convenient convex � 1constrained estimation problem in Yuan and Lin (2007) and can be applied readily to higher-dimensional problems. The authors argue—we think correctly—that the sparsity of the concentration matrix is for many applications more plausible after the effects of a few latent variables have been removed. The most attractive point about their method is surely that it is formulated as a convex optimization problem. Latent variable fitting and sparse graphical modeling of the conditional distribution of the observed variables can then be obtained through a single fitting procedure. Practical aspects. The method deserves wide adoption, but this will only be realistic if software is made available, for example, as an R-package. Not many users will go to the trouble of implementing the method on their own, so we will strongly urge the authors to do so. An imputation method. In the absence of readily available software, it is worth thinking whether the proposed fitting procedure can be approximated by methods involving known and well-tested computational techniques. The concentration matrix of observed and hidden variables is K = KO KOH K HO KH , where we have deviated from the notation in the paper by omitting the asterisk. The proposed estimator ˆ Sn = ˆ KO of KO was defined as
The global epidemiology of chronic cough in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Cough is an essential defence mechanism [1]. However, chronic cough is a significant cause of morbidity, seriously impairing quality of life [2]. Previously, chronic cough was considered a consequence of various diseases, such as asthma/eosinophilic bronchitis, rhinitis and gastro-oesophageal acid reflux disease [3, 4]. Recent evidence, however, suggests that chronic cough is a clinical syndrome with distinct intrinsic pathophysiology characterised by neuronal hypersensitivity [5–7]. Here, we estimated the worldwide epidemiological burden of chronic cough irrespective of putative diagnosis in general adult populations using a comprehensive systematic literature review. Chronic cough has a high global epidemiological burden. A standard definition would facilitate further studies. http://ow.ly/HPCnw
Flash floods forecasting without rainfalls forecasts by recurrent neural networks. Case study on the Mialet basin (Southern France)

The feasibility of flash flood prediction without rainfall forecasts nor previous discharge is considered. After a presentation of the important stakes involved in this task (23 fatalities in the Var event in June 2010, France) the important stage of variable and complexity selection is addressed for the small basin of Mialet (a part of the Gardon d'Anduze basin, in Southern France). Considering two architectures inspired from the multilayer perceptron, both designs and performances are presented and the model considering the linear and non-linear behaviors independently is proved to be the better. Generalization properties are assessed for four predictions up to two hours ahead thereby allowing an early warning of the population.
Control of oral cancer in developing countries. A WHO meeting.

Oral cancer is one of the 10 most common cancers in the world. In Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka it is the most common and accounts for about a third of all cancers. More than 100 000 new cases occur every year in south and south-east Asia, with poor prospects of survival.The importance of oral cancer as a public health priority is underscored by the fact that the suffering, disfigurement, and death it causes need not occur. The commonest cause of oral cancer-tobacco use-is well known and can be eliminated. For the oral cancer cases that do occur, detection at an early stage is possible, allowing simple inexpensive treatment, and resulting in long-term survival.Enough is already known about the disease and its prevention for action to be taken. With firm commitment, correct priorities, and concerted efforts by governments and individuals, strategies can be designed, programmes can be implemented, and the disease can be prevented. The economic saving in health care costs to a country, by itself, justifies these steps; the prevention of suffering and death of oral cancer victims makes them mandatory.This article reviews the current knowledge about the epidemiology, etiology, pathology, prevention, and treatment of oral cancer. It describes a strategy for controlling the disease, sets priorities, and recommends actions that governments and individuals can take. Finally, it identifies targets for future research.
Collaborative Development of Automated Advanced Interoperability Certification Test Protocols for PV Smart Grid Integration

Photovoltaic (PV) systems and other Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) can provide voltage and frequency support to the electric grid through commanded and autonomous operating modes. These functions have been standardized in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Report 61850-90-7 in 2013; and recently, in response to national and international requirements, are being added to PV inverters by the manufacturers. However there are currently large gaps in the certification standards for verifying the interoperability and functionality of the advanced DER functions. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), and TECNALIA—as part of a collaboration through the Smart Grid International Research Facility Network (SIRFN)—are designing and exercising test protocols to characterize the interoperability and advanced functionality of these devices. This paper discusses the ongoing development of a pre-certification standard protocol for testing advanced DER inverter interoperability functions and automation of the testing procedures in the U.S., Austria, and Spain. A non-dimensionalized comparison of the test results for a 3 kW single phase PV inverter at Sandia, a 20 kW three phase PV inverter at AIT, and a 5 kW single phase PV inverter at TECNALIA are provided.
Hand image segmentation by means of Gaussian multiscale aggregation for biometric applications

Applying biometrics to daily scenarios involves demanding requirements in terms of software and hardware. On the contrary, current biometric techniques are also being adapted to present-day devices, like mobile phones, laptops and the like, which are far from meeting the previous stated requirements. In fact, achieving a combination of both necessities is one of the most difficult problems at present in biometrics. Therefore, this paper presents a segmentation algorithm able to provide suitable solutions in terms of precision for hand biometric recognition, considering a wide range of backgrounds like carpets, glass, grass, mud, pavement, plastic, tiles or wood. Results highlight that segmentation accuracy is carried out with high rates of precision (F-measure ≥ 88%)), presenting competitive time results when compared to state-of-the-art segmentation algorithms time performance.
CHARACTERIZATION OF PUTATIVE AMINO ACID TRANSMITTER RELEASE FROM SLICES OF RAT DENTATE GYRUS

Abstract— Superfused slices of the rat dentate gyrus were employed to study the release of GABA, glutamate and aspartate, which are considered strong neurotransmitter candidates in this region. The introduction of Ca2+ to a Ca2+‐free superfusion medium containing a depolarizing agent augmented the efflux of all three amino acids. The response to application of Ca2+ nearly always occurred within 30 s, the shortest interval tested in these studies. The efflux rate reached a peak within 90 s and then declined to a level slightly greater than the prestimulation baseline. The failure to maintain the maximal rate with continued exposure to Ca2+ and depolarizing influences appeared not to result from a reduction in Ca2+ permeability caused by continuous depolarization. Ca2+ also stimulated the efflux of exogenously loaded radiolabeled GABA, glutamate and aspartate, but not proline. Exogenously loaded GABA was more readily released than endogenous GABA. Otherwise the effects of various treatments on their efflux rates were qualitatively similar.
Fast marching the global minimum of active contours

A new approach of edge integration for shape modeling is presented. It is used to find the global minimum of an active contour model's energy between two points. Initialization is made easier and the curve is not trapped at a local minimum by spurious edges. We modify the "snake" energy by including the internal regularization term in the external potential term. Our method is based on the interpretation of the snake as a path of minimal length in a Riemannian metric, or as a path of minimal weighted distance. We then make use of a new numerical method to find the shortest path which is the global minimum of the energy among all paths joining the two endpoints. We show examples of our method applied to real aerial and medical images.
CD74-Downregulation of Placental Macrophage-Trophoblastic Interactions in Preeclampsia.

RATIONALE We hypothesized that cluster of differentiation 74 (CD74) downregulation on placental macrophages, leading to altered macrophage-trophoblast interaction, is involved in preeclampsia. OBJECTIVE Preeclamptic pregnancies feature hypertension, proteinuria, and placental anomalies. Feto-placental macrophages regulate villous trophoblast differentiation during placental development. Disturbance of this well-balanced regulation can lead to pathological pregnancies. METHODS AND RESULTS We performed whole-genome expression analysis of placental tissue. CD74 was one of the most downregulated genes in placentas from preeclamptic women. By reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, we confirmed this finding in early-onset (<34 gestational week, n=26) and late-onset (≥34 gestational week, n=24) samples from preeclamptic women, compared with healthy pregnant controls (n=28). CD74 protein levels were analyzed by Western blot and flow cytometry. We identified placental macrophages to express CD74 by immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and RT-PCR. CD74-positive macrophages were significantly reduced in preeclamptic placentas compared with controls. CD74-silenced macrophages showed that the adhesion molecules ALCAM, ICAM4, and Syndecan-2, as well as macrophage adhesion to trophoblasts were diminished. Naive and activated macrophages lacking CD74 showed a shift toward a proinflammatory signature with an increased secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1, when cocultured with trophoblasts compared with control macrophages. Trophoblasts stimulated by these factors express more CYP2J2, sFlt1, TNFα, and IL-8. CD74-knockout mice showed disturbed placental morphology, reduced junctional zone, smaller placentas, and impaired spiral artery remodeling with fetal growth restriction. CONCLUSIONS CD74 downregulation in placental macrophages is present in preeclampsia. CD74 downregulation leads to altered macrophage activation toward a proinflammatory signature and a disturbed crosstalk with trophoblasts.
Three's a crowd: 10q triplication secondary to a paternal 10q duplication.

Partial chromosome triplications are relatively rare and may be mistaken for duplications using conventional cytogenetic techniques. Most reported triplications are de novo and many contain an inverted middle repeat. Both duplications and triplications are thought to arise by nonhomologous recombination in areas rich in low-copynumber repeats. We report on a 34-year-old woman with a 10q triplication [46XX trp(10)(q22.3q23.2)] inherited from a parent with a 10q duplication [46XY dup (10) (q22.3q23.2)].
Endothelial Function and Arterial Stiffness Relate to Functional Outcomes in Adolescent and Young Adult Fontan Survivors

Background Fontan survivors demonstrate diminished vascular function and functional outcomes, but the relationships between these measures have not been established. Methods and Results We performed a cross‐sectional study of 60 Fontan survivors (52% male) with a mean age of 13.9±4.1 years and mean Fontan duration of 9.9±4.2 years. Multimodality assessment of endothelial function (reactive hyperemia index and flow‐mediated dilation) and arterial stiffness (augmentation index and baseline pulse amplitude) was performed with peripheral arterial tonometry and brachial flow‐mediated dilation. Aerobic capacity was determined using cardiopulmonary exercise testing; mean peak and percentage of predicted oxygen consumption (VO2) were 27.8±7.6 mL/kg per minute and 71.0±21.2%, respectively. Quality of life and physical activity were assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) and the Physical Activity Questionnaire. Vascular measures served as predictor variables, whereas functional measures served as outcome variables. In all cases, worse vascular measures were associated with worse functional measures. Flow‐mediated dilation–derived reactive hyperemia index (P<0.05) was positively associated with VO2 at anaerobic threshold. Peripheral arterial tonometry–derived baseline pulse amplitude (P<0.05) was negatively associated with the ratio of minute ventilation to carbon dioxide at anaerobic threshold. Flow‐mediated dilation–derived reactive hyperemia index and peripheral arterial tonometry–derived augmentation index (P<0.05) were positively and negatively associated, respectively, with peak VO2. Maximum flow‐mediated dilation (P<0.05) was positively associated with Physical Activity Questionnaire score. Peripheral arterial tonometry–derived augmentation index and baseline pulse amplitude (P<0.05) were negatively associated with parent‐reported PedsQL total and physical heath summary scores. Conclusions Increased arterial stiffness and decreased endothelial function are associated with lower aerobic capacity, physical activity, and quality of life in adolescent and young adult Fontan survivors. Understanding the cause–effect relationship between vascular function and functional outcomes is an important next step.
Inhibition of inducible NO synthase, cyclooxygenase‐2 and interleukin‐1β by torilin is mediated by mitogen‐activated protein kinases in microglial BV2 cells

Background and purpose: Traditionally, the stem and root bark of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica (Ulmaceae) have been known to be anti‐inflammatory in Korea. Anti‐inflammatory effects of torilin, isolated from this plant and the underlying mechanisms were examined by using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated microglial BV2 cells.