Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Strategies for Enhancing Phytoremediation

The EPA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Information System (CERCLIS) currently lists more than 32,000 sites in need of containment and/or clean-up. ' Current site clean-up costs are variously estimated over a fourfold range. A recent study' estimates the resource requirements for clean-up of Superfund, RCRA, UST, DOD, DOE, state, and private sites under existing regulatory policy to be $750 billion dollars, with the range from $400 billion to $1.7 trillion. The range in these cost estimates arises from the uncertainty in future regulatory positions, differing efficacies of present remediation strategies, the absence of clean-up technology for several major pollutants, and the unknown potential of future technologies to reduce remediation costs. It has been estimated that a substantial decrease in remediation costs, and perhaps the only way to substantially lower the current estimates without major shifts in regulations, will depend on the development of new clean-up technologies, including in situ bioremediation strategies. ' What follows is a discussion of the rationale behind the development of plant-based remediation technology, or phytoremediation. Highlighted are the particular advantages of trees for use in phytoremediation and an overview of work in our laboratories.
The Influence of Different Beta‐Blocking Drugs on the Peripheral Circulation in Raynaud's Phenomenon and in Hypertension

In a double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled study, the authors investigated the effects of different β‐adrenoceptor blocking drugs on the peripheral circulation. A single intravenous injection of the nonselective β‐blocker propranolol (0.20 mg/kg), the β1‐selective adrenoceptor blocker metoprolol (0.25 mg/kg), and the nonselective β‐blocker with partial agonistic activity (PAA) pindolol (0.04 mg/kg) and of placebo (saline) was given to eight patients with a primary Raynaud's phenomenon and to nine untreated patients with primary hypertension. The authors measured finger skin temperature (FST), and laser Doppler estimated finger skin blood flux (LDF) before, during, and after a standardized finger cooling test, performed 25 minutes after the administration of the drugs. In both patient groups propranolol, metoprolol, and pindolol had no significant effect on FST and LDF in the first 25 minutes after administration both in comparison to baseline value and to placebo. Also, no significant differences were found in the recoveries of FST and LDF after cold challenge between all drugs and placebo in both groups. The authors conclude that no adverse effect of any type of β‐adrenoceptor blocker in comparison to placebo could be detected after a single administration on both the baseline finger skin perfusion and the recovery after cold‐induced vasoconstriction. In addition, the authors could not demonstrate a favorable effect of β1‐selectivity or PAA in comparison to a nonselective β‐adrenoceptor blocker without PAA, in any group.
A multicentre double‐blind comparative trial of fluvoxamine versus lorazepam in mixed anxiety and depression treated in general practice

Fluvoxamine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, was compared with lorazepam in a multicentre double‐blind, parallel group study in 112 general practice patients with mixed anxiety and depression. For inclusion, patients were required to have minimum baseline scores of 21 on the Montgomery‐Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and 11 on the Clinical Anxiety Scale (CAS). Treatment was for 6 weeks. There were no significant differences between treatments at any point except in an elderly subgroup in whom anxiety improved more rapidly with lorazepam. There were significant improvements in MADRS, CAS and global ratings compared with baseline at all subsequent assessments. Improvement continued during the whole treatment period. Lorazepam produced more sedation, whilst fluvoxamine produced significantly more nausea and vomiting; this was usually early in onset and, if tolerated, resolved during the course of the study. As it is now widely recognized that benzodiazepines should only be given in short courses of 2–4 weeks, the continued improvement up to 6 weeks has implications regarding choice of treatment.
From Endometrial Receptivity to Infertility

Implantation of the blastocyst in endometrium requires establishment of a coordinated molecular dialogue between the embryo and the endometrium. Factors instrumental in the preparation of a receptive endometrium are derived from the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. These factors modulate the expression of genes that drive the endometrium throughout the characteristic menstrual cycles. During each menstrual cycle, a series of coordinated, architectural, morphological, cytochemical, and molecular changes ultimately lead to the preparation of a receptive endometrium during the putative "receptive period" or "implantation window. " It is during this critical period that a proper dialogue can be established between an intrusive blastocyst and a receptive endometrium. If, for any reason, this dialogue is not established or is perturbed, the embryo is aborted. The natural fate of the receptive endometrium, in the absence of implantation, is development of a second set of changes that ultimately lead to menstruation. The identity of the molecular repertoire that makes endometrium receptive to implantation and/or lead to menstruation is being revealed and broadly includes cytokines, heat shock factors, adhesion molecules and matrix metalloproteases. We identified a novel gene of the transforming growth factor-beta, superfamily of molecules, the so-called endometrial bleeding--associated factor or ebaf, whose expression is confined to the late secretory and menstrual phases. Various forms of female infertility were associated with dysregulated expression of ebaf during the implantation window. The findings show an occult molecular defect of endometrial receptivity that seems to be due to dysregulated and premature expression of a member of the premenstrual molecular repertoire. The dysregulated expression of ebaf may assist in the identification, prognostication, and monitoring of treatment of infertile women.
A hierarchical transactive control architecture for renewables integration in Smart Grids

In this paper, we propose a hierarchical transactive control architecture that combines market transactions at the higher levels with inter-area and unit-level control at the lower levels. A model of the overall grid is introduced, with dynamics at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. With a goal of ensuring frequency regulation using optimal allocation of resources in the presence of uncertainties in renewables and load, a hierarchical control methodology is presented.
Presence of B‐7.2 (CD86) and lack of B7‐1 (CD80) on myelin‐phagocytosing MHC‐II positive rat microglia are associated with nondestructive immunity in vivo

Myelin‐associated epitopes are targets of destructive T‐cell responses during autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. However, autoimmune T cells do not respond in a destructive way to mechanically induced axonal degeneration despite myelin phagocytosis and presentation by local microglia. Using entorhinal cortex lesion, a model of axonal degeneration and reactive sprouting, we now show that myelin phagocytosing microglia up‐regulate MHC‐II and B7‐2 but lack expression of B7‐1, a costimulatory molecule related to destructive immunity. In zones of retrograde axonal degeneration, where axons undergo secondary damage and later contribute to the sprouting response, MHC‐II/B7‐2‐positive microglia are still found at 90 days postlesion. These cells exhibit the ramified morphology of resting microglia in the presence of CD4/B7‐2‐positive α/β T cells. Thus, in contrast to autoimmune brain disease, axonal degeneration lacks a signal to induce B7‐1 on microglial cells and the recruited T cells do not induce microglial activation. Differences in B7‐phenotype of local antigen presenting cells might provide an explanation for the important finding that autoimmune T cells elicit protective rather than destructive effects following axonal degeneration in the CNS.
Being There in the Midst of the Story: How Immersive Journalism Affects Our Perceptions and Cognitions

Immersive journalism in the form of virtual reality (VR) headsets and 360°-video is becoming more mainstream and is much touted for inducing greater "presence" than traditional text. But, does this presence influence psychological outcomes of reading news, such as memory for story content, perceptions of credibility, and empathy felt toward story characters? We propose that two key technological affordances of VR (modality and interactivity) are responsible for triggering three presence-related cognitive heuristics (being-there, interaction, and realism), which influence news readers' memory and their perceptions of credibility, empathy, and story-sharing intentions. We report a 3 (storytelling medium: VR vs. 360°-video vs. Text) × 2 (story: "The displaced" and "The click effect") mixed-factorial experiment, in which participants (N = 129) experienced two New York Times stories (that differed in their emotional intensity) using one of the three mediums (VR, 360°-video, Text). Participants who experienced the stories using VR and 360°-video outperformed those who read the same stories using text with pictures, not only on such presence-related outcomes as being-there, interaction, and realism, but also on perceived source credibility, story-sharing intention, and feelings of empathy. Moreover, we found that senses of being-there, interaction, and realism mediated the relationship between storytelling medium and reader perceptions of credibility, story recall, and story-sharing intention. These findings have theoretical implications for the psychology of virtual reality, and practical applications for immersive journalism in particular and interactive media in general.
Rates of erosion and topographic evolution of the Sierra Nevada, California, inferred from cosmogenic 26Al and 10Be concentrations

Concentrations of cosmogenic 26Al and 10Be in cave sediments and bedrock surfaces, combined with studies of landscape morphology, elucidate the topographic history of the southern Sierra Nevada over the past 5 Ma. Caves dated by 26Al/10Be in buried sediments reveal that river incision rates were moderate to slow between c. 5 and 3 Ma (≤0·07 mm a−1), accelerated between 3 and 1·5 Ma (c. 0·3 mm a−1), and then have subsequently become much slower (c. 0·02 mm a−1). Although the onset of accelerated incision coincides in time with both postulated Pliocene tectonism and pronounced global climate change, we argue that it primarily represents the response to a discrete tectonic event between 3 and 5 Ma. Dated cave positions reveal that, prior to 3 Ma, river canyons displayed up to 1·6 km of local relief, suggesting that Pliocene rock uplift elevated pre‐existing topography. Renewed incision beginning c. 3 Ma deepened canyons by up to 400 m, creating narrow inner gorges. Tributary streams exhibit strong convexities, indicating that the transient erosional response to Pliocene uplift has not yet propagated into upland surfaces. Concentrations of 26Al and 10Be in bare bedrock show that upland surfaces are eroding at slow rates of c. 0·01 mm a−1. Over the past c. 3 Ma, upland surfaces eroded slowly while adjacent rivers incised rapidly, increasing local relief. Although relief production probably drove at least modest crestal uplift, considerable pre‐Pliocene relief and low spatially averaged erosion rates suggest that climatically driven rock uplift is not sufficient to explain all uplift implied by tilted markers at the western edge of the range. Despite the recent pulse of erosion, spatially averaged erosion rates are low, and have probably acted to preserve the broad topographic form of the Sierra Nevada throughout much of the late Cenozoic. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PERSONNES SEROPOSITIVES NE SOUFFRANT DAUCUNE AUTRE MST ET SUIVANT UN TRAITEMENT ANTIRETROVIRAL EFFICACE NE TRANSMETTENT PAS LE HIV PAR VOIE SEXUELLE

sekretariat@ekaf.ch Apres avoir pris connaissance des faits scientifiques, a la demande de la Commission d’experts clinique et therapie VIH et sida (CCT) de l’Office federal de la sante publique (OFSP) et apres avoir longuement delibere, la Commission federale pour les problemes lies au sida (CFS) arrive a la conclusion suivante: Une personne seropositive ne souffrant d’aucune autre MST et suivant un traitement antiretroviral (TAR) avec une viremie entierement supprimee (condition designee par «TAR efficace» ci-apres) ne transmet pas le VIH par voie sexuelle, c’est-a-dire qu’elle ne transmet pas le virus par le biais de contacts sexuels. Cette affirmation reste valable a condition que: – la personne seropositive applique le traitement antiretroviral a la lettre et soit suivie par un medecin traitant; – la charge virale (CV) se situe en dessous du seuil de detection depuis au moins six mois (autrement dit: la viremie doit etre supprimee depuis au moins six mois); – la personne seropositive ne soit atteinte d’aucune autre infection sexuellement transmissible (MST).
Storage, sedentism and the Eurasian Palaeolithic record

What is the connection between storage and sedentism in hunter-gatherer societies? What is the pattern of ethnography? What other patterns show themselves in Late Palaeolithic Eurasia, in those late hunter-gatherer adaptations that are precursors of Holocene food production? And is material storage a necessary and a sufficient condition for hunter-gatherer sedentism?
The anti-hepatitis B virus activities, cytotoxicities, and anabolic profiles of the (-) and (+) enantiomers of cis-5-fluoro-1-[2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-oxathiolan-5-yl]cytosine

The anti-hepatitis B (anti-HBV) activities of the (-) and (+) enantiomers of cis-5-fluoro-1-[2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-oxathiolan-5-yl]cytosine (2'-deoxy-3'-thia-5-fluorocytosine [FTC]) were studied by using an HBV-transfected cell line (HepG2 derivative 2.2.15, subclone P5A). The (-) isomer was found to be a potent inhibitor of viral replication, with an apparent 50% inhibitory concentration of 10 nM, while the (+) isomer was found to be considerably less active. Both isomers showed minimal toxicity to HepG2 cells (50% inhibitory concentration, > 200 microM) and showed minimal toxicity in the human bone marrow progenitor cell assay. In accord with the cellular antiviral activity data, the 5'-triphosphate of (-)-FTC inhibited viral DNA synthesis in an endogenous HBV DNA polymerase assay, while the 5'-triphosphate of the (+) isomer was inactive. Unphosphorylated (-)-FTC did not inhibit product formation in the endogenous assay, suggesting that the antiviral activity of the compound is dependent on anabolism to the 5'-triphosphate. Both (-)- and (+)-FTC were anabolized to the corresponding 5'-triphosphates in chronically HBV-infected HepG2 cells. The rate of accumulation and the steady-state concentration of the 5'-triphosphate of (-)-FTC were greater. Also, (-)-FTC was not a substrate for cytidine deaminase and, therefore, is not subject to deamination and conversion to an inactive uridine analog. The (+) isomer is, however, a good substrate for cytidine deaminase.
Sexual Victimization Using Latent Class Analysis

Sexual victimization is prevalent in the United States and overrepresented among adolescents. Research typically assesses victimization on a continuum of severity and rarely examines patterns of victimization within an individual. Using latent class analysis, the present study investigated whether meaningful classes of sexual victimization could be found based on the tactic used and severity of sexual behavior. Personal characteristics and psycho-behavioral outcomes were explored as they related to victimization classes. Peer sexual coercion experiences were examined among 657 racially diverse high school and college students, and four classes were identified: non-victims (54%), manipulated and forced fondle/intercourse (27%), poly-victimization (9.5%), and forced fondling (9.5%). Sexual victimization classes were significantly characterized in regards to childhood sexual abuse, gender, and age. The poly-victimization class (i.e., verbal coercion, substance facilitated, and physical force resulting in completed intercourse) showed the greatest level of psycho-behavioral consequences with significantly lower self-esteem, higher psychological distress, and more sexual risk taking than all other classes. The manipulated and forced class also showed significantly lower self-esteem than non-victims. Findings provide important implications for understanding patterns of sexual victimization and related consequences to help target interventions more effectively.
Pancreatic arterial anatomy: depiction with dual-phase helical CT.

PURPOSE To determine the efficacy of arterial phase helical computed tomography (CT) for the depiction of small pancreatic arteries. MATERIALS AND METHODS Arterial phase helical CT (3-mm collimation, 1-mm reconstruction interval) was performed during power injection of 180 mL of ioversol at 5 mL/sec. Two radiologists reviewed 100 consecutive arterial phase helical CT scans of the pancreas in patients with normal glands and recorded the frequency of visualization of the major visceral (celiac, hepatic, splenic, gastroduodenal, superior mesenteric) and small pancreatic (dorsal pancreatic, right branch of the dorsal pancreatic, pancreaticomagna, caudal pancreatic, transverse pancreatic, anterior and posterior arcade, and inferior pancreaticoduodenal) arteries. RESULTS Scans in 87 patients were technically satisfactory and were included in the analysis. The major visceral arteries were seen in all patients. The following secondary pancreatic arteries were seen: dorsal pancreatic, 82 (94%) patients; pancreaticomagna, 45 (52%); caudal pancreatic, 34 (39%); transverse pancreatic, 36 (41%); right branch of the dorsal pancreatic, eight (9%); anterior arcade, 47 (54%); posterior arcade, 63 (72%); and inferior pancreaticoduodenal, 73 (84%). CONCLUSION Small pancreatic arteries can be delineated on arterial phase helical CT scans by using optimized techniques.
Memory-efficient H.264/AVC CAVLC for fast decoding

A fast decoding method is presented for memory-efficient context-based adaptive variable length coding (CAVLC). The CAVLC algorithm in H.264/MPEG-4 AVC significantly increased the compression ratio compared with variable length coding (VLC) of conventional video coding standards such as H.263 and MPEG-4 visual because of adaptive use of neighboring blocks' context. Implementation of the CA VLC decoding algorithm, however, is much more complicated than existing VLC decoding methods because of frequent access to the unstructured VLC tables, adaptive switching of tables, and five syntax elements. Especially in mobile video terminals such as digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) and digital video broadcasting-handheld (DVB-H) player, conventional CAVLC decoding algorithms result in increased power consumption due to frequent memory access. This paper presents a new CA VLC decoding method using arithmetic operations instead of the conventional table look-up method that requires a lots of memory access. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has 50% higher speed and 95% less memory access comparing with three conventional CAVLC algorithms, such as table look-up by sequential search, table look-up by binary search, and Moon's method
Early stages of bipolar disorder: characterization and strategies for early intervention.

OBJECTIVE To characterize the early stages of bipolar disorder (BD), defined as the clinical prodrome/subsyndromal stage and first-episode phase, and strategies for their respective treatment. METHODS A selective literature search of the PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and ISI databases from inception until March 2014 was performed. Included in this review were articles that a) characterized prodromal and first-episode stages of BD or b) detailed efficacy and safety/tolerability of interventions in patients considered prodromal for BD or those with only one episode of mania/hypomania. RESULTS As research has only recently focused on characterization of the early phase of BD, there is little evidence for the effectiveness of any treatment option in the early phase of BD. Case management; individual, group, and family therapy; supportive therapy; and group psychoeducation programs have been proposed. Most evidence-based treatment guidelines for BD do not address treatment specifically in the context of the early stages of illness. Evidence for pharmacotherapy is usually presented in relation to illness polarity (i.e., manic/mixed or depressed) or treatment phase. CONCLUSIONS Although early recognition and treatment are critical to preventing unfavorable outcomes, there is currently little evidence for interventions in these stages of BD.
Premedication with cimetidine and metoclopramide

A randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled parallel study was conducted in adult females to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combination of cimetidine 300 mg orally and metoclopramide 10 or 20 mg intravenously in reducing pre‐operative residual gastric volume and raising gastric pH. The effect of pre‐operative metoclopramide on postoperative nausea and vomiting was also investigated. Oral cimetidine was given approximately 2–2.5 hours before, and intravenous metoclopramide either 15 or 30 minutes prior to induction of anaesthesia. The study showed that placebo‐treated patients undergoing outpatient operations have an increased risk of acid aspiration because of high residual gastric volume and low pH and increased risk of serious pulmonary injury should acid aspiration occur. Metoclopramide 10 or 20 mg intravenously prior to induction of anaesthesia was effective in reducing the residual gastric volume significantly, but not in raising pH. The combination of cimetidine and metoclopramide, as well as cimetidine alone, reduced the risk factors of acid aspiration by raising gastric pH and reducing residual volume. No anti‐emetic effect of metoclopramide was observed. Higher doses of metoclopramide (20 mg) produced significant side effects (pushing. dizziness, extrapyramidal side effects), but were only marginally more effective than 10 mg doses in reducing residual gastric volume.
The utility of various windowing capabilities for single-task and multi-task environments

Computer systems offering windowing environments have been readily embraced by the computer user community. These capabilities have become so popular in recent years, that even the more traditional command-line systems such as IBM PCs are offering windowing environments. The question arises as to whether or not a windowing environment is appropriate for any and all user environments. This question has particular importance for computer systems that control complex processes and hazardous environments, such as Nuclear Power Plants or Space Station Freedom. Both of these examples represent multitasking environments where there is a large cognitive load on the user. It has been argued that the task of window management poses additional processing loads on the user. In fact, during the early definition of the Space Station Freedom human-computer interface, NASA's astronaut office strongly opposed a windowing environment, partially for "safety" reasons. It was felt that the windowing capabilities were dangerous in an environment where critical information could be accidently hidden, "lost", etc. It was also felt that managing the display of information was an unnecessary additional task.