Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recent advances in understanding the Arctic climate system state and change from a sea ice perspective: a review

Abstract. Sea ice is the central component and most sensitive indicator of the Arctic climate system. Both the depletion and areal decline of the Arctic sea ice cover, observed since the 1970s, have accelerated since the millennium. While the relationship of global warming to sea ice reduction is evident and underpinned statistically, it is the connecting mechanisms that are explored in detail in this review. Sea ice erodes both from the top and the bottom. Atmospheric, oceanic and sea ice processes interact in non-linear ways on various scales. Feedback mechanisms lead to an Arctic amplification of the global warming system: the amplification is both supported by the ice depletion and, at the same time, accelerates ice reduction. Knowledge of the mechanisms of sea ice decline grew during the 1990s and deepened when the acceleration became clear in the early 2000s. Record minimum summer sea ice extents in 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2012 provide additional information on the mechanisms. This article reviews recent progress in understanding the sea ice decline. Processes are revisited from atmospheric, oceanic and sea ice perspectives. There is strong evidence that decisive atmospheric changes are the major driver of sea ice change. Feedbacks due to reduced ice concentration, surface albedo, and ice thickness allow for additional local atmospheric and oceanic influences and self-supporting feedbacks. Large-scale ocean influences on Arctic Ocean hydrology and circulation are highly evident. Northward heat fluxes in the ocean are clearly impacting the ice margins, especially in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic. There is little indication of a direct and decisive influence of the warming ocean on the overall sea ice cover, due to an isolating layer of cold and fresh water underneath the sea ice.
Human Cortical Areas Activated by Odorants : a Study by MEG and EEG

The olfactory projections into the cerebral cortex and their function in humans have not been revealed until recently because of the absence of appropriate measurement of human brain activities. However, recent development of brain imaging technique allows us to investigate the cerebral activities of living humans and the study of olfactory processing has already started. Zattore et al. [1] reported that by using PET, cerebral blood flow increased in the piriform cortices of both hemisphere and in the right orbitofrontal cortex after various kinds of odors were presented to human subjects. Other studies also noted the same results by using fMRI [2, 3]. Those PET and fMRI techniques strictly show the activated area of brain, however, they have the defect of low temporal resolution. By using the electrophysiological approaches, such as EEG and magnetoencephalography (MEG), it will be possible to estimate the activated areas by odor stimuli with the rigid latencies. Several studies using MEG have been reported [4-7]. But olfactory monomodal stimulation has been very difficult. Using a sophisticated olfactometer (Kobal's olfactometer) by which only olfactory sensation is caused without any other sensation, such as tactile, Kettenmann et al., reported that the region between the superior temporal plane and the parainsula cortex in both hemispheres was identified at latencies corresponding to P1 component of the olfactory evoked potentials (OEP), anterior central parts of insular cortex in dominantly left hemisphere to N1, and superior temporal sulci (STS) bilaterally to P2 [5]. In the study, these neocortical activities in each hemisphere were separately measured by 37channnel SQUID system. The main aim of the present study was to trace the activated cortical areas by olfactory stimulation from moment to moment by using a whole head type of SQUID system. We attempted to record olfactory evoked magnetic fields (OEMf) and OEP at the same time. Thus we investigated the activated cortical areas corresponding to the OEP responses. 2 Methods
Cystine/Glutamate Exchange Regulates Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Presynaptic Inhibition of Excitatory Transmission and Vulnerability to Cocaine Seeking

Withdrawal from chronic cocaine reduces extracellular glutamate levels in the nucleus accumbens by decreasing cystine/glutamate exchange (xc-). Activating xc- with N-acetylcysteine restores extracellular glutamate and prevents cocaine-induced drug seeking. It was hypothesized that the activation of xc- prevents drug seeking by increasing glutamatergic tone on presynaptic group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR2/3) and thereby inhibiting excitatory transmission. In the first experiment, the capacity of glutamate derived from xc- to regulate excitatory transmission via mGluR2/3 was determined. Physiological levels of cystine (100-300 nm) were restored to acute tissue slices from the nucleus accumbens or prefrontal cortex. Cystine increased glutamate efflux and decreased miniature EPSC (mEPSC) and spontaneous EPSC (sEPSC) frequency as well as evoked EPSC amplitude. These effects of cystine were presynaptic, because there was no change in mEPSC or sEPSC amplitude, and an increase in the evoked EPSC paired-pulse facilitation ratio. The cystine-induced reduction in EPSCs was reversed by blocking either xc- or mGluR2/3. In the second experiment, blocking mGluR2/3 prevented the ability of N-acetylcystine to inhibit the reinstatement of drug seeking in rats trained to self-administer cocaine. These data demonstrate that nonsynaptic glutamate derived from xc- modulates synaptic glutamate release and thereby regulates cocaine-induced drug seeking.
The development of measures of process harmonization

Recent years have witnessed a marked increase in interest by researchers and practitioners in the concept of process harmonization. However, they fail to present performance measures to evaluate the extent of process harmonization achieved after implementing harmonization initiatives. At a process level, measures provide information to control and manage processes in order to improve them. Given the importance of process harmonization in process improvement as has been attributed in the literature, there is a need of measures to evaluate to what extent processes are harmonized (i.e. to what extent differences and inconsistencies are eliminated). The aim of this study is to develop and validate a set of operational measures to evaluate the level of harmonization of business processes in an organization. The research approach was composed of two phases: First, an exploratory phase to derive a measurement model composed by a set of measures of process harmonization; and second, a confirmatory phase to empirically assess the measurement model derived. As a result, a valid and reliable hierarchical measurement model was developed composed by a second order formative construct "process harmonization" and three first order reflective constructs: representing data, resources and IT-related measures. Keywords: harmonization, business process, hierarchical measurement model, partial least squares
What Makes a Good Citizen? An Examination of Personality and Organizational Commitment as Predictors of Organizational Citizenship Behavior

What Makes a Good Citizen? An Examination of Personality and Organizational Commitment as Predictors of Organizational Citizenship Behavior. (May 2010) Kristen Michelle Watrous-Rodriguez, B.A., University of Houston; M.S., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Mindy E. Bergman This study utilized the meta-theoretical framework developed by McCrae and Costa in 1996 that explains individual differences in human nature and the theory regarding the role of individual differences in task performance and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) proposed by Motowidlo, Borman, and Schmit in 1997, to examine the interrelationships among the Big Five personality traits (conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, emotional stability, and openness to experience), three components of organizational commitment (affective, normative, continuance), and OCB. Two samples were included; Sample 1 (N = 133) consisted of employed undergraduate students and their coworkers and Sample 2 (N = 241) consisted of older, more stably employed adults. Participants in both samples completed measures of personality, organizational commitment, and OCB. Further, in Sample 1, coworker participants provided a rating of the primary participants’ OCB. Four sets of analyses were conducted to examine: 1) personality-OCB relationships, 2) organizational commitment-OCB relationships, 3) personality-organizational commitment
Baclofen for outpatient treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

TO THE EDITOR: We read with great interest the article by Asplund et al (“3 Regimens for alcohol withdrawal and detoxification,” J Fam Pract 2004; 53:545–554) about regimens in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). The authors underline that inpatient treatment is significantly more costly than outpatient treatment, and they also correctly suggest that in an outpatient setting, most patients experience greater social support and the freedom to continue working or maintain their daily lives. Regarding pharmacotherapy, the authors correctly state that benzodiazepines are the treatment of choice for AWS; they also suggest the anticonvulsants carbamazepine and valproic acid as alternatives. Moreover, they cite other types of medications such as alpha-adrenergic agonists, betablockers, and calcium channel blockers. However, among the new drugs potentially useful in AWS treatment, the authors do not mention baclofen. Our group recently showed that baclofen, a GABA(B) receptor agonist, is able to suppress alcohol withdrawal symptoms, both in animals and in humans. It is also effective in reducing voluntary alcohol intake in alcohol-preferring rats, and alcohol craving and intake in alcoholics. Baclofen-treated alcoholic patients showed no serious side effects, and no patients reported craving for the drug or needed an increase in the dose. These data have been recently replicated by Flannery and collegues. Moreover, regarding AWS treatment in an outpatient setting, we have shown that baclofen is able to rapidly suppress AWS symptoms—after the first administration—and so baclofen-treated patients reported a rapid improvement in well-being and resolution of psychological distress. Consequently, patients were able to return home in a short time; moreover, because all patients underwent therapy with baclofen in an outpatient setting, the cost of treatment was very low. We think baclofen is a promising drug in the clinical treatment of alcoholism, particularly given the possibility of using it singly instead of many different drugs, and in maintaining long-term abstinence. Although future investigations are needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of baclofen in the treatment of AWS, its use in treating alcoholdependency merits further investigation.
Criterion Validity of Common Career Interest Inventories: Relative Efficacy with High School Seniors

Professional school counselors frequently use career interest inventories as part of a comprehensive guidance program to help students create a post-secondary school plan. The present study evaluates the validity of three commonly used interest inventories, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Self-Directed Search, and Strong Interest Inventory on field of study choice for graduating high school seniors (N = 616) from a large, suburban high school in Texas. Students identified their intended postsecondary field of study category, were randomly assigned using stratification to three groups, and each group completed a different inventory. Group membership was evaluated to establish covariate balance on a wide variety of indicators. Data from each group was evaluated to determine the extent to which the inventory predicted the chosen field of study, as well as Other and Undeclared categories using logistic regression models. None of the inventory models suggest that the inventory accurately predicts Other or Undeclared outcomes. For students selecting intended postsecondary fields of study, the Self Directed Search predicts such outcomes better than other measures. Professional school and career counselors should consider the SDS in addition to narrative counseling strategies to add greater precision with career decision making among clients and students.
Common Complications in the Crit ical ly I l l Patient

Critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are subject to many complications associated with the advanced therapy required to treat their serious illnesses. Many complications are health care-associated infections (HAIs) related to indwelling devices. These complications include ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CA-UTI). Surgical site infection (SSI) is also a common complication amongst surgical ICU (SICU) patients. Another common complication is venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolus (PE). National efforts to prevent each of these complications are under
Two Arginines in the Cytoplasmic C-terminal Domain Are Essential for Voltage-dependent Regulation of A-type K+ Current in the Kv4 Channel Subfamily*

Contributions of the C-terminal domain of Kv4.3 to the voltage-dependent gating of A-type K+ current (IA) were examined by (i) making mutations in this region, (ii) heterologous expression in HEK293 cells, and (iii) detailed voltage clamp analyses. Progressive deletions of the C terminus of rat Kv4.3M (to amino acid 429 from the N terminus) did not markedly change the inactivation time course of IA but shifted the voltage dependence of steady state inactivation in the negative direction to a maximum of -17 mV. Further deletions (to amino acid 420) shifted this parameter in the positive direction, suggesting a critical role for the domain 429–420 in the voltage-dependent regulation of IA. There are four positively charged amino acids in this domain: Lys423, Lys424, Arg426, and Arg429. The replacement of the two arginines with alanines (R2A) resulted in -23 and -13 mV shifts of inactivation and activation, respectively. Additional replacement of the two lysines with alanines did not result in further shifts. Single replacements of R426A or R429A induced -15 and -10 mV shifts of inactivation, respectively. R2A did not significantly change the inactivation rate but did markedly change the voltage dependence of recovery from inactivation. These two arginines are conserved in Kv4 subfamily, and alanine replacement of Arg429 and Arg432 in Kv4.2 gave essentially the same results. These effects of R2A were not modulated by co-expression of the K+ channel β subunit, KChIPs. In conclusion, the two arginines in the cytosolic C-terminal domain of α-subunits of Kv4 subfamily strongly regulate the voltage dependence of channel activation, inactivation, and recovery.
Log-normality and Skewness of Estimated State/Action Values in Reinforcement Learning

Under/overestimation of state/action values are harmful for reinforcement learning agents. In this paper, we show that a state/action value estimated using the Bellman equation can be decomposed to a weighted sum of path-wise values that follow log-normal distributions. Since log-normal distributions are skewed, the distribution of estimated state/action values can also be skewed, leading to an imbalanced likelihood of under/overestimation. The degree of such imbalance can vary greatly among actions and policies within a single problem instance, making the agent prone to select actions/policies that have inferior expected return and higher likelihood of overestimation. We present a comprehensive analysis to such skewness, examine its factors and impacts through both theoretical and empirical results, and discuss the possible ways to reduce its undesirable effects.
Design of optical nanoantennas with the surface integral equation method of moments

Numerical computations using surface integral equation formulations solved by the method of moments are carried out in order to demonstrate that these techniques are useful tools for optical nanoantennas design. It is shown that almost frequency independent directivity patterns can be obtained over a large bandwidth for judiciously designed log-periodic nanoantennas.
Experimental and Numerical Study of the Effect of Viscoelasticity on Delamination in a Plastic IC Package

Over the glass transition temperature, epoxy molding compound strongly exhibits viscoelastic behavior which causes its Young's modulus to be not only temperature-dependent but also time-dependent. In the present study, the viscoelastic properties of epoxy molding compound such as Prony coefficients, relaxation time and time-temperature shift factors are used for the delamination analysis. At the same time, end-notched flexure tests have been conducted at high temperatures under different loading rates for the investigation of the effect of viscoelasticity on the interface delamination between epoxy molding compound and copper. It is found that the energy release rate can still be a criterion for the viscoelastic bimaterial interface crack problem during lead-free solder reflow process. Furthermore, the critical energy release rate is rate-dependent and usually the critical energy release rate increases with the increase of loading rate for the interface delamination between epoxy molding compound and copper.
On the double-mode RR Lyrae variables of the Sculptor dwarf galaxy

Frequency analysis of more than 300 stars of the ogle data base on Sculptor galaxy has led to the discovery of 18 double-mode RR Lyrae (RRd) variables. This yields a 20% incidence rate for double-mode pulsation among the variables previously classified as first overtone RR Lyrae stars in this galaxy. Most of the RRd stars cover the period range of 0. 47 < P0 < 0. 49 but there are two stars with longer periods of ≈ 0. 54. All variables fit well in the pattern of the P0 → P1/P0 diagram, spanned by the RRd stars of the Galactic globular clusters and those of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). It follows from our previous investigations that the luminosities and masses of the RRd stars in Galactic globular clusters and in the LMC are almost independent of metallicity. By assuming that the Sculptor RRd variables also obey this rule, with the aid of the pulsation equations we estimate their metallicities. For most of the stars we get (Fe/H)≈ −1.5, which is the same value as that obtained from a semi-empirical method for the average metallicity of the fundamental mode (RRab) stars. Two RRd stars have considerably lower metallicities, but even those are within the range corresponding to the RRab stars. The narrower metallicity range of the RRd stars is in agreement with their observed luminosity range, which is about three times smaller than that of the RRab stars.
Vancomycin Treatment of Infective Endocarditis Is Linked with Recently Acquired Obesity

Background Gut microbiota play a major role in digestion and energy conversion of nutrients. Antibiotics, such as avoparcin (a vancomycin analogue), and probiotics, such as Lactobacillus species, have been used to increase weight in farm animals. We tested the effect of antibiotics given for infective endocarditis (IE) on weight gain (WG). Methodology/Principal Findings Forty-eight adults with a definite diagnosis of bacterial IE (antibiotic group) were compared with forty-eight age-matched controls without IE. Their body mass index (BMI) was collected at one month before the first symptoms and one year after hospital discharge. The BMI increased significantly and strongly in vancomycin-plus-gentamycin–treated patients (mean [±SE] kg/m2, +2.3 [0.9], p = 0.03), but not in controls or in patients treated with other antibiotics. Seventeen patients had a BMI increase of ≥10%, and five of the antibiotic group developed obesity. The treatment by vancomycin-plus-gentamycin was an independent predictor of BMI increase of ≥10% (adjusted OR, 6.7; 95% CI, 1.37–33.0; p = 0.02), but not treatment with other antibiotics. Weight gain was particularly high in male patients older than 65 who did not undergo cardiac surgery. Indeed, all three vancomycin-treated patients with these characteristics developed obesity. Conclusions/Significance A major and significant weight gain can occur after a six-week intravenous treatment by vancomycin plus gentamycin for IE with a risk of obesity, especially in males older than 65 who have not undergone surgery. We speculate on the role of the gut colonization by Lactobacillus sp, a microorganism intrinsically resistant to vancomycin, used as a growth promoter in animals, and found at a high concentration in the feces of obese patients. Thus, nutritional programs and weight follow-up should be utilized in patients under such treatment.
PAS Domain Receptor Photoactive Yellow Protein Is Converted to a Molten Globule State upon Activation*

Biological signaling generally involves the activation of a receptor protein by an external stimulus followed by protein-protein interactions between the activated receptor and its downstream signal transducer. The current paradigm for the relay of signals along a signal transduction chain is that it occurs by highly specific interactions between fully folded proteins. However, recent results indicate that many regulatory proteins are intrinsically unstructured, providing a serious challenge to this paradigm and to the nature of structure-function relationships in signaling. Here we study the structural changes that occur upon activation of the blue light receptor photoactive yellow protein (PYP). Activation greatly reduces the tertiary structure of PYP but leaves the level secondary structure largely unperturbed. In addition, activated PYP exposes previously buried hydrophobic patches and allows significant solvent penetration into the core of the protein. These traits are the distinguishing hallmarks of molten globule states, which have been intensively studied for their role in protein folding. Our results show that receptor activation by light converts PYP to a molten globule and indicate stimulus-induced unfolding to a partially unstructured molten globule as a novel theme in signaling.