Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Dublin Statement on Water and Sustainable Development

Scarcity and misuse of fresh water pose a serious and growing threat to sustainable development and protection of the environment. Human health and welfare, food security, industrial development, and the ecosystems on which they depend, are all at risk, unless water and land resources are managed more effectively in the present decade and beyond than they have been in the past. Five hundred participants, including governmentdesignated experts from a hundred countries and representatives of eighty international, intergovernmental, and nongovernmental, organizations attended the International Conference on Water and the Environment (ICWE) in Dublin, Ireland, during 26-31 January 1992. The experts saw the emerging global water-resources picture as critical. At its closing session, the Conference adopted the Dublin Statement of which this is the Preamble and the Conference Report. The problems highlighted are not speculative in nature; nor are they likely to affect our planet only in the distant future. They are here and they affect all humanity and Nature now. The future survival of many millions of people demands immediate and effective action. The Conference participants call for fundamental new approaches to the assessment, development, and management, of freshwater resources, which can only be brought about through political commitment and involvement from the highest levels of government to the smallest communities. Commitment will need to be backed by substantial and immediate investments, public awareness campaigns, legislative and institutional changes, technology development, and capacity building programmes. Underlying all these must be a greater recognition of the interdependence of all peoples, and of their place in the natural world. In commending this Dublin Statement to the world leaders assembled at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, the Conference participants urged all governments to study carefully the specific activities and means of implementation recommended in the Conference Report, and to translate those recommendations into urgent-action programmes for Water and Sustainable Development. To obtain copies of the full statement and Conference report, please contact the undersigned.
Universal Portfolios

nwhere J, is an (m - 1) x (m - I) sensitivity matrix. Thus this portfolio strategy has the same exponential rate of growth as the apparently unachievable S*. 2121ni1ibniinijijijimi2bi1iiiimi2iiWe exhibit an algorithm for portfolio selection that asymptotically outperforms the best stock in the market. Let x= (x, x,&, x)t denote the performance of the stock market on day i, where x is the factor by which the jth stock increases on day i. Let b= ( b, b)t, b;k 0, b= 1, denote the proportion b of wealth invested in the j th stock on day i. Then S= IIn= bitx is the factor by which wealth is increased in n trading days. Consider as a goal the wealth S*= max IIn= btx that can be achieved by the best constant rebalanced portfolio chosen after the stock outcomes are revealed. It can be shown that Sn * exceeds the best stock, the Dow Jones average, and the value line index at time n. In fact, S* usually exceeds these quantities by an exponential factor. Let x, x, be an arbitrary sequence of market vectors. It will be shown that the nonanticipating sequence of portfolios db yields wealth such that , for every bounded sequence x, x&, and, under mild conditions, achieveiii2imiiibi1i2imijijijniinbi1in1212where J, is an (m - 1) x (m - I) sensitivity matrix. Thus this portfolio strategy has the same exponential rate of growth as the apparently unachievable S*. n
Trends in systemic sclerosis and systemic sclerosis-related pulmonary arterial hypertension mortality in the USA

There are limited data nationwide on the burden of systemic sclerosis (SSc)-related mortality. We aimed to determine recent trends in SSc and SSc-related pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) mortality overall and across population subgroups. Using death certificate data from the National Center for Health Statistics, we computed the age-adjusted mortality rates of SSc and SSc-SSc−PAH, a lethal prevailing complication, across demographic groups, geographic regions and comorbid cardiorespiratory conditions, and used Joinpoint regression analysis to calculate the average annual percentage change (APC) in mortality. From 2003 to 2016, 25 175 death records contained a code for SSc. Decedents were predominantly female (81%) and white (73%), with an average age of 66±14 years. The age-adjusted mortality rate decreased by 3% per year from 6.6 in 2003 to 4.3 per 1 000 000 population in 2016. Also, a decreasing trend was found when SSc was stratified by age, sex, race and geographic region. The prevalence of PAH was 23%. The odds of PAH were highest in female and black decedents, and in decedents with concomitant pulmonary embolism, cardiomyopathy and interstitial lung disease (ILD). SSc−PAH mortality remained stable from 2003 to 2008 then decreased by 3% per year from 2008 to 2016. In decedents with SSc−PAH, among all concomitant comorbidities, the mortality rate associated with ILD had the highest increase (average APC 6%, 95% CI 2%−10%). The mortality rate from SSc decreased from 2003 to 2016. Decreases in mortality rates were similar across demographic groups and geographic regions. SSc−PAH-related mortality remained stable. The death rate for SSc−ILD and concomitant PAH increased during this period. While SSc-PAH-related mortality remained stable, SSc-ILD and concomitant PAH mortality increased from 2003 to 2016 http://bit.ly/3d9G0pp
Linking Inflammation and Metabolism

Food is good for you--but only up to a point. In fact, the complications of excess nutrients and consequent obesity represent major factors influencing human health. Obesity, metabolic diseases like diabetes, and exposure to excess nutrients are all associated with inflammatory responses. Wellen et al. suspected that there might be natural regulatory factors that limit inflammation during fluctuations in nutrient load. They therefore conducted gene expression screens and identified STAMP2 [six-transmembrane protein of prostate 2, also known as TNF-induced adipose-related protein (TIARP) or six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 4 (STEAP)] as a protein whose mRNA was decreased in adipose tissue of obese animals lacking proinflammatory signaling by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα). Expression of STAMP2 mRNA and protein in adipose tissue was increased after feeding of normal, but not obese, mice. When expression of STAMP2 was decreased with RNAi in cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes, the cells showed an increased inflammatory response (cytokine production) in response to excess glucose or stimulation with TNFα, which correlated with impaired responses of the cells to insulin. In STAMP2–/– mice, the authors observed increased inflammatory responses when they intraperitoneally administered glucose and lipid. Even when fed on a normal diet, the STAMP2–/– mice showed changes in body weight, glucose metabolism, and lipid metabolism characteristic of metabolic disease, including fat accumulation, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance. The molecular mechanisms by which STAMP2 functions remain to be determined. The protein has metalloreductase activity and appears to function in cellular uptake of iron and copper. Whatever its mechanism of action, the authors argue that STAMP2 appears to have a central role in coordination of nutrient balance and metabolism with inflammatory responses. K. E. Wellen, R. Fucho, M. F. Gregor, M. Furuhashi, C. Morgan, T. Lindstad, E. Vaillancourt, C. Z. Gorgun, F. Saatcioglu, G. S. Hotamisligil, Coordinated regulation of nutrient and inflammatory responses by STAMP2 is essential for metabolic homeostasis. Cell 129, 537-548 (2007). [Online Journal]
The Dark Side of Unregulated Artificial Intelligence: Evidence from Online Marketplace Lending

Using a unique, order-level data set on artificial intelligence (AI) versus human bidding for a Chinese online market place lending platform, we uncover serious ethical challenges of the unregulated AI. We find AI “skims off the cream” through (1) strategic information provision, (2) fast trading, and (3) price manipulation. In a regression discontinuity design, we show individual investor returns decrease and borrowers pay more in financing costs due to AI cream-skimming. Further evidence reveals a misalignment of interest when a platform’s private interest in loan origination exceeds its expected loss in management fees. We also discuss the corresponding regulatory strategies.
PERFORMANCE TRADE-OFFS AMONG TROPICAL TREE SEEDLINGS IN CONTRASTING MICROHABITATS

We investigated performance trade-offs among seedlings of nine tropical tree species during a five-year field experiment. Seedlings were grown in eight microhabitat types composed of paired gap and shaded understory sites in each of four soil types. We defined performance trade-offs relevant to coexistence as significant pairwise rank reversals for species performance between contrasting situations, of which we characterize three types: microhabitat, fitness component, and ontogenetic. Only 2 of 36 species pairs exhibited microhabitat trade-offs or reversed rankings for survival or relative growth rate (RGR) among microhabitats, and only one species pair reversed performance ranks among soil types. We found stronger evidence for rank reversals between fitness components (survival and RGR), particularly in gap vs. understory environments, suggesting a general trade-off between shade tolerance (survival in shade) and gap establishment (RGR in gaps). Third, the most frequent rank reversals between species pairs occurred between early and later ontogenetic stages, especially between fitness components in contrasting microhabitats. Overall, 15 of 36 pairs of potentially competing species exhibited some type of seedling performance trade-off, two species pairs never outperformed one another, and for 19 species pairs one species was a consistent better performer. We suggest that ontogenetic trade-offs, in concert with microhabitat and fitness component trade-offs, may contribute to species coexistence of long-lived organisms such as tropical trees.
Barley (Hordeum vulgare) seed dormancy as related to glumella characteristics

Dormancy of freshly harvested barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Sonja) caryopses results mainly from glumellae which fix oxygen by polyphenol oxidase (EC 1.14.18.1)-mediated oxidation of phenolic compounds present in high amounts. The breaking of dormancy during dry storage is not due to qualitative or quantitative modifications of the phenols or polyphenol oxidases. Glumellae of dormant caryopses start to take up oxygen at the beginning of inbibition, whereas those of non-dormant caryopses start to take up oxygen only after about 10 h. That delay should allow germination.
Sidedness and the Urgency to Borrow in the Interbank Market

We study the motivations of traders in the interbank market around the 2007-09 subprime crisis. We develop a new methodology that measures the funding liquidity needs of banks and reveals the underlying urgency to trading. We find that the dispersion of beliefs and urgency to borrow lead sovereign CDS spreads and react to non-standard central bank interventions introduced during the crisis. Our results map the linkages between the interbank market and sovereigns and shed light on the channels that give rise to the sovereign-bank nexus.
ADAM12 and α9β1 Integrin Are Instrumental in Human Myogenic Cell Differentiation

Knowledge on molecular systems involved in myogenic precursor cell (mpc) fusion into myotubes is fragmentary. Previous studies have implicated the a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) family in most mammalian cell fusion processes. ADAM12 is likely involved in fusion of murine mpc and human rhabdomyosarcoma cells, but it requires yet unknown molecular partners to launch myogenic cell fusion. ADAM12 was shown able to mediate cell-to-cell attachment through binding α9β1 integrin. We report that normal human mpc express both ADAM12 and α9β1 integrin during their differentiation. Expression of α9 parallels that of ADAM12 and culminates at time of fusion. α9 and ADAM12 coimmunoprecipitate and participate to mpc adhesion. Inhibition of ADAM12/α9β1 integrin interplay, by either ADAM12 antisense oligonucleotides or blocking antibody to α9β1, inhibited overall mpc fusion by 47–48%, with combination of both strategies increasing inhibition up to 62%. By contrast with blockade of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1/α4β1, which also reduced fusion, exposure to ADAM12 antisense oligonucleotides or anti-α9β1 antibody did not induce detachment of mpc from extracellular matrix, suggesting specific involvement of ADAM12–α9β1 interaction in the fusion process. Evaluation of the fusion rate with regard to the size of myotubes showed that both ADAM12 antisense oligonucleotides and α9β1 blockade inhibited more importantly formation of large (≥5 nuclei) myotubes than that of small (2–4 nuclei) myotubes. We conclude that both ADAM12 and α9β1 integrin are expressed during postnatal human myogenic differentiation and that their interaction is mainly operative in nascent myotube growth.
Treatment with α-Galactosylceramide Attenuates the Development of Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is an end-stage disorder for which efficacious therapeutic options are not readily available. Although its pathogenesis is poorly understood, pulmonary fibrosis occurs as a result of various inflammations. NKT cells modulate inflammation because of their ability to produce large amounts of cytokines by stimulation with their glycolipid ligand. In the present study, we investigated the effects of α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer), a selective NKT cell ligand, on the development of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Treatment of mice with α-GalCer prolonged their survival under bleomycin administration by attenuating the development of pulmonary fibrosis. The protective effects of α-GalCer were associated with an increase in the pulmonary level of IFN-γ and a decrease in the pulmonary level of fibrogenic cytokines such as TGF-β and connective tissue growth factor. The initial pulmonary inflammation caused by bleomycin was also attenuated by α-GalCer with the reduction of the macrophage inflammatory protein-2 level. The protective effects of α-GalCer were markedly reduced in mice lacking NKT cells or as a result of treatment with anti-IFN-γ Ab. These results suggest that α-GalCer suppresses bleomycin-induced acute pulmonary inflammation and thus attenuates the development of pulmonary fibrosis possibly by regulating several cytokine levels.
Salicylic acid priming in Hedysarum carnosum and Hedysarum coronarium reinforces NaCl tolerance at germination and the seedling growth stage

In this study, the effect of 100 µM salicylic acid (SA) priming on Hedysarum coronarium (a cosmopolitan species) and Hedysarum carnosum (a species endemic to Tunisian salt flats) subjected to 200 mM of NaCl at germination and seedling growth stages was analyzed. SA priming had a beneficial effect on germination, which was related to imbibition rather than reserve mobilisation, since the dry biomass of cotyledons was unchanged by salt stress and SA priming. The results showed that SA priming at the seedling growth stage alleviated salt-induced oxidative stress by reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2 content. In addition, the two species demonstrated differential H2O2 detoxification with the stimulation of catalase (CAT) activity in both species, but guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) stimulation was found to only occur in H. coronarium. Surprisingly, H. coronarium seedlings proved to be more tolerant to NaCl stress than H. carnosum seedlings. SA priming reinforced the salt tolerance of H. coronarium at both germination and seedling growth stages.
Quantitative sampling of stream fish assemblages: Single- vs multiple-pass electrofishing

Abstract Stream fish assemblages were sampled by multiple-pass electrofishing and supplementary seine netting in 31 sites in the Johnstone River, north Queensland and 28 sites in the Mary River, southeastern Queensland to determine the sampling effort required to adequately describe the assemblages in terms of fish abundances, species composition and assemblage structure. A significantly greater proportion of the total number of fishes present at each site was collected by the first electrofishing pass in the Mary River (46%) than in the Johnstone River (37%) and this difference was suggested to be due to higher water conductivity in the former river. The mean proportion of the total species richness detected by the first pass was also significantly higher in the Mary River than in the Johnstone River (89% and 82%, respectively). Multivariate comparisons offish assemblage structure revealed that data collected by the first electrofishing pass poorly estimated the actual assemblage structure within a site and that up to three passes were required for estimates of assemblage structure to stabilize. This effect was evident for comparisons based on both absolute abundance and relative abundance data and was particularly marked for comparisons based on presence/absence data. This latter result suggests that, even though most species were detected on the first pass, the addition of rare species by subsequent passes had an important effect on the resultant description of assemblage structure. Supplementary seine netting had a greater effect on the determination of assemblage structure in the Mary River than in the Johnstone River. The results are discussed with reference to sampling design in studies of stream fish assemblages and a sampling protocol is recommended that enables the accurate determination of abundance, richness and assemblage structure in small- to medium-sized streams.
Prevalence and Incidence of Metabolic Syndrome in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a predictor of several diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, dyslipidemia, stroke, osteoarthritis, certain cancers, and death leading to public health concern in most societies. We aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence and incidence of MetS in Iranian population through a meta-analysis study. We included cross-sectional and cohort studies to estimate the overall prevalence and incidence rates of MetS in Iran National databases including MagIran, Science Information Database, IranMedex, and international databases including Medline, Web of Sciences, and Scopus were searched up to October 2017. Finally, 125 studies were included. The total sample size was 472,401 with a mean age of 38 ± 7.8 years. The overall pooled prevalence and incidence rate among the general population of Iran was 0.26 (95% CI: 0.26, 0.29) and 97.96 (95% CI: 75.98, 131.48), respectively. The pooled prevalence of MetS was higher in females and in urban areas. The highest and lowest prevalence of MetS was obtained by the Iranian definition criteria (0.43) and the NHANES III (0.12). The highest and lowest incidence rates of MetS were obtained by IDF (144.07 per 1000) and the JIS (89.73 per 1000). The prevalence of MetS was higher in women and those living in urban areas. Furthermore, the prevalence of MetS increased with increasing age in both genders.
Maximizing Light Utilization Efficiency and Hydrogen Production in Microalgal Cultures

The project addressed the following technical barrier from the Biological Hydrogen Production section of the Fuel Cell Technologies Program Multi-Year Research, Development and Demonstration Plan: Low Sunlight Utilization Efficiency in Photobiological Hydrogen Production is due to a Large Photosystem Chlorophyll Antenna Size in Photosynthetic Microorganisms (Barrier AN: Light Utilization Efficiency).
Effect of chronic ammonium nitrate addition on the ectomycorrhizal community in a black spruce

Observed modifications of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) communities have been connected to the increased N deposi- tions of the 20th century. Because of their narrow niche width, small disturbances of soil conditions can produce greater ef- fects on the fungal species than on their host trees. This study investigated the ECM community in a black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) stand subjected to long-term additions of 9 and 30 kg N·ha -1 ·year -1 of ammonium nitrate, representing 3 and 10 times the atmospheric N deposition at the site, respectively. Root tip vitality and ECM presence were detected on samples collected from the organic horizon and ECM were classified into morphotypes according to their morphological and anatomical characters. In the control, 80.6% of the root tips were vital, 76.5% of them showing ECM colonization. Higher root tip vitality and mycorrhization were observed in the treated plots. Forty-one morphotypes were identified, most of them detected at the higher N inputs. Results diverging from the expectations of a reduction in ECM presence and diver- sity could be related to a higher growth rate of the trees following fertilization. The repeated application of small N doses could have been a better imitation of natural inputs from atmospheric deposition and could have provided more reliable re- sponses of ECM to treatment.
New insight into Parkinson’s disease‐related impairment of the automatic control of upright stance

Parkinson's disease (PD) affects the automatic control of body movements. In our study, we tested PD‐related impairments in automatic postural control in quiet upright stance. Twenty PD patients (mean age: 60 ± 8 years; Hoehn and Yahr: 2.00 ± 0.32, on‐drug) and twenty age‐matched controls (61 ± 7 years) were recruited. We studied interrelations between center‐of‐pressure movements, body movements (head, neck, and lower back), eye movements and variability of pupil size. Participants performed two fixation tasks while standing, during which they looked at: (a) a cross surrounded by a white background; and (b) a cross surrounded by a structured visual background (images used: rooms in houses). PD patients exhibited stronger and weaker correlations between eye and center‐of‐pressure/body movement variables than age‐matched controls in the white and structured fixation tasks, respectively. Partial correlations, controlling for variability of pupil size showed that PD patients used lower and greater attentional resources than age‐matched controls to control their eye and center‐of‐pressure/body movements simultaneously in the white fixation and structured fixation tasks, respectively. In the white fixation task, PD patients used attentional resources to optimize visuomotor coupling between eye and body movements to control their posture. In the structured fixation task, the salient visual stimuli distracted PD patients’ attention and that possibly affected postural control by deteriorating the automatic visuomotor coupling. In contrast, age‐matched controls were able to use surrounding visual background to improve the automatic coupling between eye and center‐of‐pressure movements to control their posture. These results suggest that cluttered environments may distract PD patients and deteriorate their postural control.