Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microbial life in deep granitic rock

Granitic rock has aquifers that run through faults and single or multiple fracture systems. They can orientate any way, vertically or horizontally and usually, only parts of hard rock fractures are water conducting. The remaining parts are filled by coatings of precipitated minerals, and clay and gouge material. Sampling hard rock is difficult and the risk of contamination due to intrusion of drilling fluids and cuttings in aquifers is obvious. A recent investigation of the potential for contamination of boreholes in granite during drilling operations, using molecular and growth methods, showed that predominating microorganisms in the drilling equipment were absent in groundwater from the drilled boreholes. The total number of bacteria found in subterranean granitic environments ranges from 103 up to 107 cells per ml groundwater, but the number of cultivable microorganisms is usually much lower. We have used culturing techniques with numeric taxonomy for the identification of cultivable microorganisms and the 16S rRNA gene technique to determine bacterial diversity in granitic groundwater. Members of the genera Bacillus, Desulfovibrio, Desulfomicrobium, Eubacterium, Methanomicrobium, Pseudomonas, Serratia and Shewanella have been found. Several biogeochemical processes in granitic rock have been demonstrated where microorganisms seem to be of major importance. One process is the mobilization of solid phase ferric iron oxy-hydroxides to liquid phase ferrous iron by iron reducing bacteria with organic carbon as electron donor. Another biogeochemical process found to be important is the reduction of sulfate to sulfide by sulfate reducing bacteria. They frequently appear in granitic aquifers at depths, and seem to prefer a moderate salinity, approximately 1%. When groundwater rich in ferrous iron, manganese(II) and reduced sulfur compounds reaches an oxygenated atmosphere such as an open tunnel, gradients suitable for chemolithotrophic bacteria develop. A third process is the conversion of carbon dioxide to organic material with hydrogen as the source of energy, possibly formed through radiolysis, mineral reactions or by volcanic activity. Recent results show that autotrophic methanogens, acetogenic bacteria and acetoclastic methanogens all are present and active in deep granitic rock. These observations announce the existence of a hydrogen driven deep biosphere in crystalline bedrock that is independent of photosynthesis. If this hypothesis is true, life may have been present and active deep down in the earth for a very long time, and it cannot be excluded that the place for the origin of life was a deep subterranean igneous rock environment (probably hot with a high pressure) rather than a surface environment.
Experimental evidence for crustal control over seismic fault segmentation

Strike-slip faults are generally described as continuous structures, while they are actually formed of successive segments separated by geometrical complexities. Although this along-strike segmentation is known to affect the overall dynamics of earthquakes, the physical processes governing the scale of this segmentation remain unclear. Here, we use analogue models to investigate the structural development of strike-slip faults and the physical parameters controlling segmentation. We show that the length of fault segments is regular along strike and scales linearly with the thickness of the brittle material. Variations of the rheological properties only have minor effects on the scaling relationship. Ratios between the segment length and the brittle material thickness are similar for coseismic ruptures and sandbox experiments. This supports a model where crustal seismogenic thickness controls fault geometry. Finally, we show that the geometrical complexity acquired during strike-slip fault formation withstands cumulative displacement. Thus, the inherited complexity impedes the formation of an ever-straighter fault, and might control the length of earthquake ruptures.
Self-Adaptation of a Heterogeneous Swarm of Mobile Robots to a Covered Area

An original swarm-based method for coordination of groups of mobile robots with a focus on the self-organization and self-adaptation of the groups is presented in this paper. The method is a nature-inspired decentralized algorithm that uses artificial pheromone marks and enables the cooperation of different types of independent reactive agents that operate in the air, on the ground, or in the water. The advantages of our solution include scalability, adaptability, and robustness. The algorithm worked with variable numbers of agents in the groups. It was resistant against failures of the individual robots. A transportation control algorithm that ensured the spreading of different types of agents across exploration space with different types of environments was introduced and tested. We established that our swarm control algorithm was able to successfully control three basic behaviors: space exploration, population management, and transportation. The behaviors were able to run simultaneously, and space exploration (the main goal) was never stopped or interrupted. All these features combined in a single algorithmic package represent a framework for future development of swarm-based agent systems applicable in a broad scope of environments. The results confirmed that the algorithm can be applied to monitoring, surveillance, patrolling, or search and rescue tasks.
The Effects of High Pressure on Whey Protein Denaturation and Cheese-Making Properties of Raw Milk

The effects of high pressure, from 100 to 400 MPa (14,500 to 58,000 psi) and applied for different periods (10 to 60 min), on the biochemical and microbiological characteristics of milk have been investigated. Particular attention was paid to modifications of the cheese-making properties. High pressure slightly improved the microbiological quality of milk without modifying the activity of native milk enzymes such as lactoperoxidase or plasmin. β-Lactoglobulin was denatured by pressures >100 MPa, but α-lactalbumin and bovine serum albumin were resistant to pressures ≤400 MPa for 60 min. Cheese yield, as estimated by centrifugation of curd, increased with pressurization at 300 and 400 MPa, reflecting incorporation of additional β-lactoglobulin and, especially, greater moisture retention. The coagulation time decreased as pressure increased ≤200 MPa and then increased again until at 400 MPa, reaching values comparable with those of the raw milk. High pressure treatment of milk can be an effective method for improving the coagulation characteristics of milk and for increasing the moisture retention of fresh cheese with a minimum of modification of other properties important for cheese making.
Diversity of Algorithm and Spectral Band Inputs Improves Landsat Monitoring of Forest Disturbance

Disturbance monitoring is an important application of the Landsat times series, both to monitor forest dynamics and to support wise forest management at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. In the last decade, there has been an acceleration in the development of approaches designed to put the Landsat archive to use towards these causes. Forest disturbance mapping has moved from using individual change-detection algorithms, which implement a single set of decision rules that may not apply well to a range of scenarios, to compiling ensembles of such algorithms. One approach that has greatly reduced disturbance detection error has been to combine individual algorithm outputs in Random Forest (RF) ensembles trained with disturbance reference data, a process called stacking (or secondary classification). Previous research has demonstrated more robust and sensitive detection of disturbance using stacking with both multialgorithm ensembles and multispectral ensembles (which make use of a single algorithm applied to multiple spectral bands). In this paper, we examined several additional dimensions of this problem, including: (1) type of algorithm (represented by processes using one image per year vs. all historical images); (2) spectral band choice (including both the basic Landsat reflectance bands and several popular indices based on those bands); (3) number of algorithm/spectral-band combinations needed; and (4) the value of including both algorithm and spectral band diversity in the ensembles. We found that ensemble performance substantially improved per number of model inputs if those inputs were drawn from a diversity of both algorithms and spectral bands. The best models included inputs from both algorithms, using different variants of shortwave-infrared (SWIR) and near-infrared (NIR) reflectance. Further disturbance detection improvement may depend upon the development of algorithms which either interrogate SWIR and NIR in new ways or better highlight disturbance signals in the visible wavelengths.
Nuclear Receptors as Targets for Drug Development: Preface

Nuclear receptors that are ligand-dependent transcription factors play various important roles on physiological functions in living things. It has now been about 20 years since the first nuclear receptors, glucocorticoid and estrogen receptors, were cloned. During these two decades, there have been many significant discoveries and advances such as cloning of other nuclear receptors, identification of endogenous ligands for orphan receptors, and profiling of target genes. Thus, the recent advances in studies of nuclear receptors are remarkable, and thus nuclear receptors should be considered to be important targets for drug development strategies. The reviews presented introduce recent advances in studies on the physiological roles of nuclear receptors and discuss their applications for drug development. The first article presented by Tsuchida and colleagues clearly demonstrates roles of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) , CBEB-binding protein (CBP), and adiponectin in obesity and diabetes using knockout mouse models. Their interesting article suggests that PPAR and CBP antagonists and adiponectin receptor agonists may be applicable for the treatment of obesity and diabetes. In the second article, Katayama and colleagues show roles of nuclear receptors on neural and hematopoietic stem cells. They also introduce the use of a unique technique, the lentiviral-vector-mediated RNA interference approach, to clarify the roles of nuclear receptors on stem cell differentiation and proliferation. The third article presented by Makishima summarizes the importance of nuclear receptors as regulators of cholesterol and bile acid metabolisms. The exciting article provides us with the new strategy of nuclear receptor-targeting therapy for hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. The molecular mechanism of crosstalk between PPAR and cytokines in differentiation is very important for considering stem cell fate. Takada and colleagues clearly show the critical role of cytokines on the decision of mesenchymal stem cell differentiation towards osteoblasts rather than adipocytes by suppressing PPAR function. Finally, Maeyama and colleagues, based on their pharmacological analysis, demonstrate the role of nuclear receptors in the differentiation and function of mast cells. Since mast cells play an important role in inflammation and allergic diseases, their observations are important considerations when developing a therapeutic strategy. This forum minireview is based on the symposium on “Nuclear Receptors on Diseases: Nuclear Receptors as Targets for Drug Development” at the 77th Annual Meeting of The Japanese Pharmacological Society held on March 8, 2004, Osaka. The authors would be happy if this forum minireview helps to increase understanding of the roles of nuclear receptors both in physiological process and diseases.
Stability of the Rel Homology Domain Is Critical for Generation of NF-κB p50 Subunit*

The NF-κB transcription factor p50 and the Rel protein-specific transcription inhibitor p105 are both encoded by the nfkb1 gene. The p50 protein is incorporated within the N-terminal portion of p105 and is a unique product of proteasomal processing. Because proteasome-mediated proteolysis generally results in complete degradation of the substrate, how p50 survives the proteasomal processing remains unknown. Survival of proteasomal processing has also been observed recently for the yeast transcription factors SPT23 and MGA2, but the mechanism is also unclear. Here we show evidence that stability of the Rel homology domain (RHD) within the N-terminal portion of the NF-κB 1 protein is required for p50 generation. We demonstrated that proteolysis initiated at an internal location of the NF-κB 1 protein, which normally generates p50, degrades the N-terminal portion of the NF-κB 1 protein when the RHD is destabilized. Our findings highlight the critical role of the unique structure of the RHD for the survival of p50 during proteosomal processing.
Constitutive Phosphorylation of the Parkinson's Disease Associated α-Synuclein*

α-Synuclein has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease, since rare autosomal dominant mutations are associated with early onset of the disease and α-synuclein was found to be a major constituent of Lewy bodies. We have analyzed α-synuclein expression in transfected cell lines. In pulse-chase experiments α-synuclein appeared to be stable over long periods (t 1 2 54 h) and no endoproteolytic processing was observed. α-Synuclein was constitutively phosphorylated in human kidney 293 cells as well as in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. In both cell lines phosphorylation was highly sensitive to phosphatases, since okadaic acid markedly stabilized phosphate incorporation. Phosphoamino acid analysis revealed that phosphorylation occurred predominantly on serine. Using site-directed mutagenesis we have identified a major phosphorylation site at serine 129 within the C-terminal domain of α-synuclein. An additional site, which was phosphorylated less efficiently, was mapped to serine 87. The major phosphorylation site was located within a consensus recognition sequence of casein kinase 1 (CK-1). In vitro experiments and two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping provided further evidence that serine 129 was phosphorylated by CK-1 and CK-2. Moreover, phosphorylation of serine 129 was reducedin vivo upon inhibition of CK-1 or CK-2. These data demonstrate that α-synuclein is constitutively phosphorylated within its C terminus and may indicate that the function of α-synuclein is regulated by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation.
POM@MOF Hybrids: Synthesis and Applications

The hybrid materials that are created by supporting or incorporating polyoxometalates (POMs) into/onto metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have a unique set of properties. They combine the strong acidity, oxygen-rich surface, and redox capability of POMs, while overcoming their drawbacks, such as difficult handling, a low surface area, and a high solubility. MOFs are ideal hosts because of their high surface area, long-range ordered structure, and high tunability in terms of the pore size and channels. In some cases, MOFs add an extra dimension to the functionality of hybrids. This review summarizes the recent developments in the field of POM@MOF hybrids. The most common applied synthesis strategies are discussed, together with major applications, such as their use in catalysis (organocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and photocatalysis). The more than 100 papers on this topic have been systematically summarized in a handy table, which covers almost all of the work conducted in this field up to now.
Macroeconomic policies in Brazil before and after the 2008 global financial crisis: Brazilian policy-makers still trapped in the New Macroeconomic Consensus guidelines

Even though the New Macroeconomic Consensus (NMC) guidelines have been under review by mainstream economists from developed countries since the 2008 global financial crisis, Brazilian policy-makers are still following these old recommendations. The NMC was adapted in Brazil in 1999 as a policy arrangement known as the macroeconomic tripod: a combination of inflation targeting, floating exchange rates and targets for the primary fiscal surplus. The theoretical basis of this policy arrangement is thus closely aligned to that of the NMC: a reduced (if any) role for fiscal policy and an exclusive focus on price stability for monetary policy. Particularly with respect to the experience of inflation targeting in Brazil, by implementing a vector autoregression model for the period 2000–17, we show that (i) inflation dynamics are mostly cost-push rather than demand-pull; (ii) inflation rates show low sensitivity to changes in interest rates; and (iii) the main variables negatively affected by an increase in the Brazilian policy rate are the nominal exchange rate (i.e. the Brazilian real tends to appreciate) and output growth. It follows that the macroeconomic tripod is unsuitable to the Brazilian economy, especially considering that, as it is also shown in this article, such arrangement has contributed to perpetuating trends of high real interest rates, domestic currency overvaluation and low economic growth in Brazil in the last two decades. The article ends calling for a new macroeconomic arrangement to reverse these adverse long-term trends.
The Price Puzzle and the Hysteresis Hypothesis: SVEC Analysis for the US Economy

ABSTRACT This paper shows that monetary policy tightening may lead to an increase in the level of prices. To demonstrate this, we apply SVEC modelling to US monthly data for the 1959–2018 period and endorse the ‘hysteresis hypothesis’ which assumes that monetary policy produces long-lasting effects on unemployment and prices. Contrary to what has been argued by Hanson (2004. ‘The “Price Puzzle” Reconsidered.’ Journal of Monetary Economics 51 (7): 1385–1413) and Castelnuovo and Surico (2010. ‘Monetary Policy, Inflation Expectations and the Price Puzzle.’ The Economic Journal 120 (549): 1262–1283), the phenomenon known as the ‘price puzzle’ or ‘Gibson paradox’ is confirmed both in the pre-1979 and post-1982 periods, showing that the paradox is independent of the active/passive behaviour of the Central Bank. Our findings detect a cost channel of monetary policy demonstrating that a change in the interest rates by monetary authorities may have an effect on income distribution.
Influence of fertilizer on southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella, infestation and damage to field corn

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers have differing effects on southwestern corn borer (SWCB). Diatraea grandiosella Dyar, densities and damage to field corn, Zea mays L. Nitrogen fertilization of corn is associated with an increase in number of stalks infested and girdled by corn borers, while addition of P has the opposite effect. When combinations of N and P were applied, there were no significant differences in SWCB infestation or damage from plots receiving no fertilizer. The effect of combinations of N and P on SWCB were intermediate to either element alone.
A CRC-Based Classifier Micro-Engine for Efficient Flow Processing in SDN-Based Internet of Things

In the Internet of things (IoT), network devices and mobile systems should exchange a considerable amount of data with negligible delays. For this purpose, the community has used the software-defined networking (SDN), which has provided high-speed flow-based communication mechanisms. To satisfy the requirements of SDN in the classification of communicated packets, high-throughput packet classification systems are needed. A hardware-based method of Internet packet classification that could be simultaneously high-speed and memory-aware has been proved to be able to fill the gap between the network speed and the processing speed of the systems on the network in traffics higher than 100 Gbps. The current architectures, however, have not been successful in achieving these two goals. This paper proposes the architecture of a processing micro-core for packet classification in high-speed, flow-based network systems. By using the hashing technique, this classifying micro-core fixes the length of the rules field. As a result, with a combination of SRAM and BRAM memory cells and implementation of two ports on Virtex®6 FPGAs, the memory usage of 14.5 bytes per rule and a throughput of 324 Mpps were achieved in our experiments. Also, the performance per memory of the proposed design is the highest as compared to its major counterparts and is able to simultaneously meet the speed and memory-usage criteria.
Minocycline Intravenous for the Treatment of Serious Infections Due to Gram-Negative Nonpseudomonal Bacteria, Including Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Burkholderia cepacia

Background: Data on the role of minocycline intravenous (IV) in the treatment of serious gram-negative infections under real-world conditions are sparse. This study sought to provide evidence of real-world practices, including outcomes and safety. Methods: A multicenter observational study was conducted of 71 consecutive adult inpatients enrolled at 6 geographically diverse US hospitals between May 2015 and February 2018 who were treated with minocycline IV for gram-negative infections for at least 48 hours as monotherapy or combination therapy. Results: Infections included pneumonia (51%) and bacteremia (25%). The most prevalent gram-negative pathogens included Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (52%), Acinetobacter baumannii (30%), and Burkholderia complex (10%). In vitro susceptibility to minocycline was 100% for S. maltophilia. Clinical plus microbiologic response was observed in 80% of evaluable patients. Treatment of 29 evaluable patient infections due to S. maltophilia resulted in a clinical response rate of 79% and a microbiologic response rate of 72%. All patients with bacteremia due to S. maltophilia responded to minocycline IV. Therewere 17 (24%) in-hospital deaths of which 8 responded to minocycline. Minocycline was well tolerated. Conclusions: Minocycline demonstrated that high in vitro susceptibility against problematic gram-negative pathogens and administered as an IV formulation was associated with good clinical and microbiologic outcomes alone or in combination in a seriously ill patient population.
The drifting of honey-bees

1. Most of the bees which drift do so during their orientation flights and before they become regular foragers. 2. Bees emerging in August and September drift less than those emerging earlier in the year. 3. Drifting varies considerably in different circumstances, and may be extensive. 4. Drones drift two to three times as frequently as workers. 5. An individual bee is more likely to drift from a small to a large colony than vice versa, but the greater number of bees flying from the large colonies may result in a net gain in bees by the smaller ones. 6. When hives are arranged in repetitive patterns, bees drift to hives occupying similar positions in the pattern to their own. When hives are arranged in rows, bees from the centre colonies drift more than those at the end, resulting in the latter colonies gaining numerically. In some circumstances, more bees drift to hives in one direction than in the opposite direction. 7. Facing hives in different directions and painting them different colours considerably reduces drifting, the facing of hives in different directions being of the greater significance.