Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Hepatitis D Virus Genotype Iii among Yucpa Indians in Venezuela

The complete genome sequences of hepatitis D virus (HDV) strains isolated from three Yucpa Amerindians in Venezuela were determined and found to be genotype III. Comparison of these three genotype III sequences demonstrated the presence of a hypervariable region containing numerous substitutions, insertions/deletions and a highly conserved region containing the self-cleavage domains , which have been reported previously for genotypes I and II. Amino acid changes within the first 90 amino acids of the hepatitis D antigen (HDAg) were found in the genotype III sequences, while the remainder of the HDAg-coding sequence was conserved. The secondary structure for the RNA-editing site differed between genotypes I and III. It was concluded that the serious delta hepatitis outbreaks characterized epidemiologically in the Yucpa Amerindians were caused by HDV genotype III isolates that were related to HDV genotype III isolates from other regions of South America. Hepatitis D virus (HDV) is a subviral agent that needs the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) to be infectious. Because of an increased risk of fulminant hepatitis and progression to serious liver disease, HDV super-or co-infection is a major health risk for persons with chronic and acute HBV infection and for populations that have a high carrier rate of HBV. HDV is composed of a 1n7 kb covalently closed, circular, negative-sense RNA surrounded by a hepatitis D antigen (HDAg) capsid and a lipid bilayer containing the HBV surface antigen The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences reported in this paper are AB037947–AB037949. A single open reading frame for the HDAg is contained on the positive-sense strand of HDV RNA (Wang et al., 1986). Three phylogenetically distinct genotypes (I, II and III) of HDV that have different geographical distributions have been identified. There have been reports of severe or fulminant hepatitis with unique clinical and morphological features in the northern regions of South America as far back as the 1930s. These infections, commonly known as Santa Marta hepatitis or Labrea hepatitis, have been identified as HBV and HDV super-or co-infections (Ljunggren et al. Hepatitis outbreaks with these clinical features and serological markers occurred in an epidemic identified in the Yucpa Amerindians in the northwestern portion of Venezuela between 1979 and 1981 (Hadler et al., 1984). In this study, the complete HDV genome isolated from three individuals who developed hepatitis during this outbreak was sequenced and evaluated. Serum samples from the three individuals, who were residents of three …
Journal Pre-proof Epileptiform discharges triggered with direct electrical stimulation for treatment-resistant depression: Factors that modulate risk and treatment considerations

Stage 1 of the clinical trial involved iEEG recording with subacute electrodes, inpatient stimulation-response mapping, and iEEG biomarker discovery. Ten depth electrodes were implanted with distal contacts in bilateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), subgenual cingulate (SGC), hippocampus, amygdala, and ventral capsule. Prior to initiating stimulation, rare epileptiform discharges were observed from the left hippocampus. A stimulation safety survey was first performed using low-frequency stimulation (0.5 Hz) at increasing amplitudes (1, 3, 6 mA, 100  s, 30 s; charge densities of 2.0, 6.0, 11.9  C/cm 2 , respectively). Epileptiform afterdischarges were observed when stimulating the left hippocampus, left amygdala, and left ventral capsule at 6mA. Additional safety testing was performed with high-frequency stimulation (100 Hz) using short durations (1 and 3 s) and increasing amplitudes (1, 3, 6 mA, 100  s). Afterdischarges were observed at 6 mA within the right OFC; mesial temporal structures were excluded from high-frequency testing given frequent afterdischarges during low-frequency stimulation. Stimulation-mapping was subsequently performed at amplitudes and regions determined safe, i.e
High‐resolution (space, time) anthropogenic heat emissions: London 1970–2025

The anthropogenic heat emissions generated by human activities in London are analysed in detail for 2005–2008 and considered in context of long‐term past and future trends (1970–2025). Emissions from buildings, road traffic and human metabolism are finely resolved in space (30 min) and time (200 × 200 m2). Software to compute and visualize the results is provided. The annual mean anthropogenic heat flux for Greater London is 10.9 W m−2 for 2005–2008, with the highest peaks in the central activities zone (CAZ) associated with extensive service industry activities. Towards the outskirts of the city, emissions from the domestic sector and road traffic dominate. Anthropogenic heat is mostly emitted as sensible heat, with a latent heat fraction of 7.3% and a heat‐to‐wastewater fraction of 12%; the implications related to the use of evaporative cooling towers are briefly addressed. Projections indicate a further increase of heat emissions within the CAZ in the next two decades related to further intensification of activities within this area. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
The Influence of Adjuvants Used in Regional Anesthesia on Lidocaine-Induced Neurotoxicity In Vitro

Background: Neurotoxic properties of local anesthetics can rarely lead to irreversible neuronal damage as in cauda equina syndrome. Clinically, local anesthetics are often combined with adjuvants to improve or prolong the anesthetic effect, whereas the impact of such adjuvants on lidocaine-induced apoptosis is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the influence of different adjuvants on the neurotoxicity of lidocaine. Methods: Human neuroblastoma cells and primary rat astrocytes were incubated for 24 hrs with lidocaine at a toxic concentration alone and in combination with morphine, sufentanil, clonidine, epinephrine, neostigmine, ketamine, and midazolam. Subsequently, the rates of cell death and early apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry in neuroblastoma cells, whereas astrocyte viability was analyzed by mitochondrial activity assay. In addition, isobolograms were calculated to describe the additive effects of lidocaine with ketamine or midazolam, respectively. Results: Coadministration of lidocaine with sufentanil, clonidine, epinephrine, and neostigmine did not alter the rates of cell death compared with cells treated with lidocaine alone. Morphine improved the viability of astrocytes only at concentrations beyond those occurring clinically. In contrast, coincubation of lidocaine with ketamine or midazolam led to significantly increased rates of cell death. The combined toxicity of ketamine and lidocaine was additive, whereas the combined toxicity of midazolam and lidocaine was subadditive. Conclusions: Sufentanil, clonidine, epinephrine, and neostigmine do not influence the neurotoxicity of lidocaine in vitro. Morphine may have some cytoprotective effect at concentrations greater than those seen intrathecally in humans. In contrast, ketamine and midazolam increase the neurotoxicity of lidocaine in vitro, presumably by additive induction of mitochondrial apoptosis.
Environmental and transport supply chain evaluation with sustainable value stream mapping

Today’s more socially aware consumers are fuelling the need for industry to be more corporately responsible. Managers seeking to improve business processes must now not just aim to deliver commercial gains, but also ensure this is in harmony with the environment. This paper takes one business process improvement technique incorporated within the Lean Thinking paradigm, Value Stream Mapping, and introduces sustainability metrics to its methodology. It draws on systems theory to assert that lean thinking is holistic in nature and illustrates that supply chain waste reduction can be complimentary to improved environmental performance.
A Visual Analytics Agenda

Researchers have made significant progress in disciplines such as scientific and information visualization, statistically based exploratory and confirmatory analysis, data and knowledge representations, and perceptual and cognitive sciences. Although some research is being done in this area, the pace at which new technologies and technical talents are becoming available is far too slow to meet the urgent need. National Visualization and Analytics Center's goal is to advance the state of the science to enable analysts to detect the expected and discover the unexpected from massive and dynamic information streams and databases consisting of data of multiple types and from multiple sources, even though the data are often conflicting and incomplete. Visual analytics is a multidisciplinary field that includes the following focus areas: (i) analytical reasoning techniques, (ii) visual representations and interaction techniques, (iii) data representations and transformations, (iv) techniques to support production, presentation, and dissemination of analytical results. The R&D agenda for visual analytics addresses technical needs for each of these focus areas, as well as recommendations for speeding the movement of promising technologies into practice. This article provides only the concise summary of the R&D agenda. We encourage reading, discussion, and debate as well as active innovation toward the agenda for visual analysis.
Independent human mesenchymal stromal cell-derived extracellular vesicle preparations differentially affect symptoms in an advanced murine Graft-versus-Host-Disease model

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) harvested from cell culture supernatants of human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) suppress acute inflammation in preclinical models of various diseases. Furthermore, they promote regeneration of damaged tissues. Following successful clinical treatment of a steroid-refractory Graft-versus-Host-Disease (GvHD) patient with EVs prepared from conditioned media of human bone marrow (BM)-derived MSCs, we aim to improve MSC-EV production and quality control towards clinical application. Observing functional differences of independent MSC-EV preparations in vitro, we established an optimized murine GvHD model for the analysis of independent MSC-EV preparations in vivo. To this end, T cell depleted allogeneic BM cells co-transplanted with naïve allogeneic spleen-derived T cells induced GvHD symptoms with reproducible strengths in mice being preconditioned by ionizing irradiation. Administration of MSC-EV preparations with confirmed in vitro immune modulatory properties at three consecutive days significantly suppressed GvHD symptoms. In contrast, application of MSC-EV preparations lacking these in vitro immune modulating capabilities failed to suppress GvHD symptoms. Thus, our results reveal therapeutic differences among independent MSC-EV preparations that had been produced in a standardized manner. Thus, given this functional heterogeneity, any individual MSC-EV preparation considered for the clinical application should be evaluated for its potency prior to administration to patients.
An Introduction to Tree-Ring Dating

Tree-ring dating, or dendrochronology, is the study of the chronological sequence of annual growth rings in trees. This book--a seminal study in its field--provides a simple yet eloquent introduction to the discipline, explaining what a dendrochronologist does both in the field and in the laboratory. Authors Stokes and Smiley first explain the basic principles of tree-ring dating, then describe details of the process, step by step, from the time a sample is collected until it is incorporated into a master chronology. The book focuses on coniferous evergreens of the Southwest, particularly pinons, because they have wide geographic distribution, constitute a large population, and show excellent growth response to certain controlling factors. The book is specifically concerned with the task of establishing a calendar date for a wood or charcoal specimen. This concise but thorough explication of an important discipline will make dendrochonology more meaningful to students and professionals in archaeology, forestry, hydrology, and global change.
Climate change, population trends and groundwater in Africa

Abstract Global climate change is affecting Africa, as it is every other continent and region of the world. The absolute poverty of a large proportion of the continent's people renders them highly vulnerable to changes in climate. Mitigation of climate change is a global imperative. However, numerous other changes continue apace, notably population growth, natural resource degradation, and rural—urban migration. Probably 50% or more of the continent's population rely on groundwater. This paper explores the relative impacts of changes in climate, demography and land use/cover on groundwater resources and demands. It concludes that the climate change impacts are likely to be significant, though uncertain in direction and magnitude, while the direct and indirect impacts of demographic change on both water resources and water demand are not only known with far greater certainty, but are also likely to be much larger. The combined effects of urban population growth, rising food demands and energy costs, and consequent demand for fresh water represent real cause for alarm, and these dwarf the likely impacts of climate change on groundwater resources, at least over the first half of the 21st century.
Rainfall partitioning within semiarid juniper communities: effects of event size and canopy cover

Partitioning bulk rainfall into canopy interception, litter interception, stemflow and throughfall allows an estimate of the physical impact of trees on the local hydrologic budget. Despite recognition of the potentially large effect of interception and associated processes on the hydrologic budget, few, if any, studies have quantitatively evaluated the multiple components simultaneously in semiarid savannas, nor have the effects of rainfall intensity within storms been rigorously evaluated. We monitored interception and rainfall partitioning in individual Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei Buchholz) canopies at ten sites over a 3‐year period. Averaged over all ten sites for 2700 total rain events, about 35% of the bulk rainfall falling on juniper trees was intercepted by the tree canopy, 5% was intercepted by the coarse litter and duff beneath the tree, 55% reached the ground surface as direct and released throughfall, and 5% was redirected to the base of the tree as stemflow. Small amounts of rainfall (<2·5 mm) were entirely captured by the canopy and evaporated to the atmosphere, contributing nothing to soil water under juniper trees. Low intensity rainfall (e.g. 13 mm over a 19‐h period) that could conceivably benefit the local plant community was largely intercepted by the tree canopy (>60% interception). High intensity rainfall was less influenced by juniper canopies. At high intensities (e.g. > 70 mm over a 15‐h period) only 20% of the bulk precipitation was intercepted by the canopy and litter. The hourly pattern of rainfall within extended storms demonstrated periods with low intensity and periods with high intensity. The interception rates during these periods closely mimic the rates seen in similar intensity short duration storms. Canopy and litter interception effectively reduced the beneath‐canopy precipitation from 600 to 360 mm in the western region and from 900 to 540 mm in the eastern region. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Airborne measurement of atmospheric aerosol particles in the lower troposphere over the central United States

A series of airborne measurements of atmospheric aerosols were made in four seasonal field periods over the central United States as a part of Central U.S. RADM Test and Assessment Intensives (CURTAIN). The primary objective of the CURTAIN aerosol measurements was to provide a data base for evaluation of the Regional Acid Deposition Model (RADM). Aerosol size distributions were measured at two altitudes of about 1450 and 2450 m above sea level (asl) over the size range 0.1–16 μm, using two Particle Measuring Systems, Inc., probes, an active scattering aerosol spectrometer probe and a forward scattering spectrometer probe, mounted on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration King Air research aircraft. Aerosol samples were also collected by a 2.5-cm filter pack system for subsequent elemental analysis by X ray fluorescence (XRF). The average aerosol number concentration reached a maximum in summer at both low and high altitudes. The average aerosol number concentration was minimized during fall at low altitude and during winter at high altitude. The coarse particle mode of the aerosol volume distributions displayed a drastic seasonal change, with a winter volume geometric median diameter (VGMD) of 4.34 μm and a summer VGMD of 9.21 μm. The summer peak in the coarse-mode VGMD and volume concentration is attributed to increased windblown dust particles and the presence of liquid water as part of the aerosol volume under high relative humidity conditions. No significant latitudinal dependence was found in the CURTAIN aerosol data at low and high-altitude, during the day or night, or from season to season. The CURTAIN aerosol data are influenced differently by the mixed layer from season to season. In winter, high-altitude aerosol data were collected above the top of the mixed layer. Therefore the vertical profile of aerosol concentration shows a general decrease above the base of the mixed layer temperature inversion. In summer, high-altitude aerosol data were collected within the mixed layer. The vertical distribution of aerosol number concentration was rather constant during summer. XRF elemental analysis performed on the collected aerosol samples shows that fine-fraction Fe and K are fairly strongly correlated with accumulation mode mass during summer. This indicates that soil and agricultural fertilizer aerosol sources are important contributors. Correlations for fine and coarse masses with various atmospheric parameters are calculated. Positive correlations with temperature and relative humidity are found. Low wind speed and east winds are correlated with higher fine mass.
Consequences of rapid icesheet melting on the 5 Sahelian population vulnerability

Classification : 1 SOCIAL SCIENCES: Sustainability Science 2 PHYSICAL SCIENCES: Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences 3 4 Consequences of rapid ice-sheet melting on the 5 Sahelian population vulnerability 6 7 Author Affiliation: 8 Dimitri Defrance (1,2), Gilles Ramstein (1), Sylvie Charbit (1), Mathieu Vrac (1), Adjoua Moïse 9 Famien (3,2), Benjamin Sultan (2), Didier Swingedouw (4), Christophe Dumas (1), François 10 Gemenne (5,6), Jorge Alvarez-Solas (7), and Jean-Paul Vanderlinden (5) 11 12 (1) LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France 13 (2) Sorbonne Universités, UPMC CNRS-IRD-MNHN, LOCEAN/IPSL, Paris, France 14 (3) LAPA, Université Félix Houphouet Boigny, Abidjan, Côte-d’Ivoire 15 (4) EPOC, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France 16 (5) CEARC, OVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Guyancourt, France 17 (6) The Hugo Observatory, FNRS, University of Liège, Belgium 18 (7) PalMA Group, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain 19
Particles in our air : concentrations and health effects

It is no secret that the burning of fossil fuels causes air pollution and adversely affects the health of the human population. Since the mid-1980s, research has been providing insight about the health consequences of particulate air pollution. Generated by the use of fossil energy, respirable-sized particles pose a major threat to our environment and health. In this book the hypothesis that fossil fuels are the primary culprit is examined in detail, including the nature, generation and transport of particulate air pollution. The authors cite studies on animals and epidemiological studies - those showing acute effect soon after exposure and those exhibiting chronic effects decades later - and include models describing mechanisms by which the effects of fine particulates can be induced. Through its inquiry, this book makes clear that present levels of air pollution, even in countries with aggressive environmental controls, are a health hazard that must be contended with.
The sixteenth century Alderney crystal: a calcite as an efficient reference optical compass?

The crystal recently discovered in the 1592 sunken Elizabethan ship is shown to be an Iceland spar. We report that two main phenomena, with opposite effects, explain the good conservation and the evolution of this relatively fragile calcite crystal. We demonstrate that the Ca2+–Mg2+ ion exchanges in such a crystal immersed in sea water play a crucial role by limiting the solubility, strengthening the mechanical properties of the calcite, while the sand abrasion alters the crystal by inducing roughness of its surface. Although both phenomena have reduced the transparency of the Alderney calcite crystal, we demonstrate that Alderney-like crystals could really have been used as an accurate optical sun compass as an aid to ancient navigation, when the Sun was hidden by clouds or below the horizon. To avoid the possibility of large magnetic errors, not understood before 1600, an optical compass could have helped in providing the sailors with an absolute reference. An Alderney-like crystal permits the observer to follow the azimuth of the Sun, far below the horizon, with an accuracy as great as ±1°. The evolution of the Alderney crystal lends hope for identifying other calcite crystals in Viking shipwrecks, burials or settlements.