Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparison of sedimentary DNA and pollen from lake sediments in recording vegetation composition at the Siberian treeline

Reliable information on past and present vegetation is important to project future changes, especially for rapidly transitioning areas such as the boreal treeline. To study past vegetation, pollen analysis is common, while current vegetation is usually assessed by field surveys. Application of detailed sedimentary DNA (sedDNA) records has the potential to enhance our understanding of vegetation changes, but studies systematically investigating the power of this proxy are rare to date. This study compares sedDNA metabarcoding and pollen records from surface sediments of 31 lakes along a north–south gradient of increasing forest cover in northern Siberia (Taymyr peninsula) with data from field surveys in the surroundings of the lakes. sedDNA metabarcoding recorded 114 plant taxa, about half of them to species level, while pollen analyses identified 43 taxa, both exceeding the 31 taxa found by vegetation field surveys. Increasing Larix percentages from north to south were consistently recorded by all three methods and principal component analyses based on percentage data of vegetation surveys and DNA sequences separated tundra from forested sites. Comparisons of the ordinations using procrustes and protest analyses show a significant fit among all compared pairs of records. Despite similarities of sedDNA and pollen records, certain idiosyncrasies, such as high percentages of Alnus and Betula in all pollen and high percentages of Salix in all sedDNA spectra, are observable. Our results from the tundra to single‐tree tundra transition zone show that sedDNA analyses perform better than pollen in recording site‐specific richness (i.e., presence/absence of taxa in the vicinity of the lake) and perform as well as pollen in tracing vegetation composition.
Trends of international migration since 1965: what existing data reveal.

This study examined international migration trends during 1965-96, by region, for 218 countries in 1985. Data were obtained from UN databases of national censuses. Findings indicate that migrants increased from 75 to 120 million during 1965-90 (an annual growth rate of 1.9%). The number of international tourists rose from 69 to 454 million during this period. The growth rate of tourists has declined over time, while the growth rate of international migrants has increased over time. Variation between countries in the proportion of international migrants increased over time. Women's participation in international migration rose slightly from 46.6% to 47.7% during 1965-90. 90% of the migrant stock was concentrated in 55 countries in 1990, an increase from 44 countries in 1965. The changes are attributed potentially to growing diversification of countries in level of development, their stage in the nation building process, and the degree of integration in the global economy. The market economy industrialized countries have absorbed a disproportionate share of the migrant stock, while experiencing declines in their share of global population. One out of every 13 persons living in the West is an international migrant. Net migration rates vary widely between Western countries. The number of persons seeking asylum in the West increased during the 1980s and in traditional countries of immigration. Some countries were the main sources of migrants to 7 receiving countries during 1990-94. Origins and destinations have diversified in all regions since 1965, and trends can change quickly.
Apoptosis in the Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells as a Self-Limitation Process in Human Acute Pancreatitis

Background/Aim: Acute pancreatitis is primed and sustained by a chain of immuno-inflammatory factors. In this study, we investigated the possible existence of peripheral blood mononuclear cell apoptosis as a self-limitation mechanism in acute pancreatitis. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cell apoptosis was determined cytofluorometrically daily for 10 days from the onset of the illness in 27 consecutive patients (18 having mild uncomplicated acute pancreatitis and 9 having pancreatitis with complications) and was related to peripheral blood counts, including reticulocytes and reticulocyte fractions, and albumin, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein levels. Results: In the 18 patients with uncomplicated acute pancreatitis, the rate of peripheral blood apoptosis increased progressively until days 5–6 and then decreased. The 9 patients who developed complications showed levels of peripheral blood apoptosis stable across the five periods and lower than those with uncomplicated disease during the first four periods. This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.002) only on days 7–8. On days 9–10, the patients with complications showed higher levels of peripheral blood apoptosis than those with mild uncomplicated acute pancreatitis (p = 0.0005). Peripheral blood apoptosis was not significantly related to the other laboratory parameters, but there was a trend towards an inverse relation to reticulocytes and total leucocytes (p < 0.09). Conclusions: Peripheral blood apoptosis may act as a mechanism of self-limitation of the process of acute pancreatitis. Its effects, however, seem to be hampered and delayed by the presence of complications.
Identification in Immuno-Electron Microscopy of Solitary Multi-Polar Peripheral Neurons of Adult Opisthorchis viverrini by Antibody Against Rat Diacylglycerol Kinaseζ

Mediante el uso del anticuerpos DGK para rata se determino un numero considerable de celulas inmunopositivas en el Opisthorchis viverrini (OV). Las celulas inmunopositivas aparecian solitarias y se distribuian simetricamente al eje longitudinal de la OV. Algunas estaban ubicadas en las proximidades de los organos internos como el utero, ovarios, testiculos, glandulas vitelinas e intestino. Las celulas inmunotenidas extendian sus procesos horizontalmente u oblicuamente al eje longitudinal de la OV. Por microscopia inmunoelectronica, las celulas inmunopositivas se caracterizaron por presentar mitocondrias intensamente tenidas, citoplasma con tincion debil e inmunonegatividad en nucleos pobres en cromatina. Tambien se observo en las celulas, vacuolas de diversos tamanos sin inmunorreactividad. Se encontraron procesos celulares sin inmunorreactividad para cerrar finamente todas las superficies de las celulas y procesos, y se continuaron con los procesos de particion intersticiales que contenian nucleos y agregacion de microfibrillas a cierta distancia de las envolturas citoplasmicas. El presente hallazgo sugiere la posibilidad de que las celulas inmunotenidas son neuronas perifericas envueltas por glia periferica y que la glia presenta origen mesenquimal debido a su continuidad citoplasmatica con los procesos de particion intersticiales. La naturaleza motora o sensorial de las neuronas aun no se ha dilucidado.
The Role of Natural Gas in a Low-Carbon Europe: Infrastructure and Supply Security

In this paper, we analyse infrastructure needs of the European natural gas market in response to decarbonisation of the European energy system. To this end, we use numerical modelling and apply the Global Gas Model. We investigate three pathways of future natural gas consumption: i) a decreasing natural gas consumption, following the scenarios of the EU Energy Roadmap 2050; ii) a moderate increase of natural gas consumption, along the lines of the IEA's New Policies Scenario; and iii) a temporary increase of natural gas use as a "bridge" technology, followed by a strong decrease after 2030. Our results show that current import infrastructure and intra-European transit capacity are sufficient to accommodate future import needs in all scenarios. This is despite a pronounced reduction of domestic production and a strong increase in import dependency. However, due to strong demand in Asia, Europe must increasingly rely on exports from Africa and the Caspian region, leading to new infrastructure capacity from these regions. When natural gas serves as a "bridge" technology, short-term utilisation rates of LNG import capacity temporarily increase instead of instigating large scale pipeline expansions
‘Managing successful change in the public sector’: a view from the consultants’ world

ABSTRACT Our paper presents the results of a survey on the perceptions of 680 Italian public-sector consultants on the drivers of successful organizational change according to Fernandez and Rainey’s model. The results show that the consultants mostly confirm the model, though recognizing that the various drivers have different degrees of relevance. A clear vision and plan for change and the top management’s commitment are seen as central in change processes, whereas interestingly, resource availability and a comprehensive approach to change appear to play a less relevant role.
WorkChoices and women workers

There is no question that Australia’s industrial relations system needs to continue adapting to international and national circumstances. Responding to the changing characteristics of Australian workers and their caring responsibilities, for example, is a central challenge. Moreover, as the feminisation of work reflects increasing pressure on women’s ability to balance work and non-work commitments, the imperative for family-friendly workplaces and a living wage mounts.
Retractions in the scientific literature: is the incidence of research fraud increasing?

Background Scientific papers are retracted for many reasons including fraud (data fabrication or falsification) or error (plagiarism, scientific mistake, ethical problems). Growing attention to fraud in the lay press suggests that the incidence of fraud is increasing. Methods The reasons for retracting 742 English language research papers retracted from the PubMed database between 2000 and 2010 were evaluated. Reasons for retraction were initially dichotomised as fraud or error and then analysed to determine specific reasons for retraction. Results Error was more common than fraud (73.5% of papers were retracted for error (or an undisclosed reason) vs 26.6% retracted for fraud). Eight reasons for retraction were identified; the most common reason was scientific mistake in 234 papers (31.5%), but 134 papers (18.1%) were retracted for ambiguous reasons. Fabrication (including data plagiarism) was more common than text plagiarism. Total papers retracted per year have increased sharply over the decade (r=0.96; p<0.001), as have retractions specifically for fraud (r=0.89; p<0.001). Journals now reach farther back in time to retract, both for fraud (r=0.87; p<0.001) and for scientific mistakes (r=0.95; p<0.001). Journals often fail to alert the naïve reader; 31.8% of retracted papers were not noted as retracted in any way. Conclusions Levels of misconduct appear to be higher than in the past. This may reflect either a real increase in the incidence of fraud or a greater effort on the part of journals to police the literature. However, research bias is rarely cited as a reason for retraction.
Eggshell-Derived Hydroxyapatite: A New Era in Bone Regeneration

Background:Defects of maxillofacial skeleton lead to personal (functional and aesthetic), social and behavioral problems; which make the person to isolate from the main stream of society. So, bone regeneration is the need for proper structure, function, and aesthetics following cyst enucleation, trauma, and tumor ablative surgery; which helps for overall health of the individual. Aim and Objectives:The preliminary study is planned to evaluate and compare the efficacy of eggshell-derived hydroxyapatite (EHA) and synthetic hydroxyapatite (SHA) following cystectomy. Material and Methods:Microwave-processed calcium deficient EHA and commercially available SHA are used for grafting. Total 20 patients enrolled in this study, consisting 10 in each group between 20 and 45 years of age. All the patients were evaluated for bone regeneration at first, second, third, and sixth month's interval, postsurgically, using radiovisiograph and clinical parameters. Results:The bone formation characteristics vary at second month when compared to SHA. This difference may be because of the kinetics involved in the regeneration pattern. The pattern of bone healing was trabecular after third month, indicating complete bone formation. The study showed constant raise of density and remained same at the end of study period. Conclusions:Both EHA and SHA graft materials are equally efficient in early bone regeneration. Within the limitations of this study the EHA showed promising results. Which indicates the eggshell waste-bio mineral is worthwhile raw material for the production of HA and is a Go Green procedure. Eggshell-derived hydroxyapatite is economic, compared with SHA.
Event-Triggering Containment Control for a Class of Multi-Agent Networks With Fixed and Switching Topologies

This paper investigates the event-triggering containment control of multi-agent networks with fixed and switching topologies, where there exist interactions between the leaders. Two cases are studied, respectively: One is that the leaders are opinionated. Then each leader will converge to its initial goal and the followers converge to the convex hull formed by the leaders. The other is that the leaders are not opinionated. Then the leaders will not insist on their initial goals and converge to some compromising states due to the interactions among them, while the followers still converge to the convex hull formed by the leaders. By means of pull-based event-triggering control, the event-triggering containment control problems of multi-agent systems with fixed and switching topologies are investigated, respectively. Finally, simulations are given to illustrate the theoretical results.
Molecular cloning and expression profiling of optineurin in the rhesus monkey.

PURPOSE It has been shown that mutations in the optineurin (OPTN) gene are involved in the etiology of adult-onset primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). In view of close similarities between human and nonhuman primate ocular development and function, the rhesus monkey is considered a suitable model for human visual system research. Therefore, this study was conducted to clone the orthologue of the human OPTN gene in the rhesus monkey (Rh-OPTN) and to determine its genomic organization. A further purpose was to establish Rh-OPTN protein expression profiles and tissue distribution in the rhesus anterior segment, retina, and optic nerve. METHODS The Rh-OPTN gene was cloned and its genomic structure determined. The mRNA expression pattern was examined by Northern blot analysis. The protein's cellular localization, ocular expression, and tissue distribution were established by immunolabeling. RESULTS The Rh-OPTN gene has 13 exons and encodes for a 571-amino-acid protein. Both cDNA and amino acid sequences are 96% identical with the human OPTN. Northern blot analysis revealed prominent expression of two different transcripts in heart, brain, kidney, lung, spleen, skeletal muscle, and small intestine. Cellular and tissue distribution of Rh-OPTN protein were highly similar to its human and mouse homologous proteins. CONCLUSIONS The optineurin gene and protein are evolutionary conserved between humans and the rhesus monkey. High similarity of ocular expression and tissue distribution between the two optineurin proteins suggests that this nonhuman primate is a suitable model for the pathophysiology and treatment of human glaucomatous optic neuropathy.
Duodenal fat intensifies the perception of heartburn

BACKGROUND Patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) frequently report that meals high in fat worsen heartburn. Nevertheless, studies to determine whether high fat meals promote gastro-oesophageal reflux have produced conflicting and equivocal conclusions. PATIENTS AND METHODS To determine, alternatively, whether fat in the small intestinal lumen intensifies the perception of heartburn, we studied 11 patients with typical heartburn from GORD. After being placed on omeprazole to suppress endogenous acid, these fasting subjects underwent oesophageal perfusions with graded doses of HCl at pH values of 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5. Oesophageal perfusions were conducted while the duodenum was perfused with saline (control) and again with fat at 8 g/h. RESULTS Time to onset, intensity, and severity of heartburn varied with dose of oesophageal acid (p<0.01). Time to onset was significantly (p<0.01) shorter, and intensity and severity of heartburn significantly (p<0.05) greater, during duodenal perfusion with fat. CONCLUSION We conclude that duodenal fat intensifies the perception of heartburn.
Optimisation des systèmes énergétiques sous contraintes technologiques

Ce manuscrit, support a la defense d’une habilitation a diriger les recherches (HDR), couvre des contributions a l’etude de systemes energetiques fondes sur le vecteur electricite. Ces apports sont ancres dans une realite applicative et tentent donc de montrer au travers d’exemples les moyens d’optimiser la conduite de tels procedes en tenant compte des contraintes technologiques inherentes. Plusieurs aspects sont couverts : la recherche d’architectures adaptees, la recherche des structures de controle associees, la recherche de l’etat du systeme au travers des seules variables mesurees pour realiser le controle du systeme. Les preuves de concept sont developpees autour de la pile a combustible, d’electro generateurs utilisant la pile a combustible comme source principale, de variateurs pour entrainement electromecanique fonde sur des machines synchrones a aimants. Ces apports ont ete decrits dans une petite vingtaine d’articles de revues internationales et une bonne soixantaine de communications dans des conferences internationales. Au niveau des perspectives, ces clefs vers l’optimisation de systemes energetiques sous contraintes technologiques peuvent etre reinvesties et approfondies dans les micro-reseaux en particulier les futurs reseaux domestiques qui pourraient s’appuyer sur une distribution continue et une forte production locale.
Self-Disclosure through Weblogs and Perceptions of Online and "Real-life" Friendships among Female Bloggers

The current study examined female bloggers' perceptions of online and "real-life" same-sex friendships and examined relationships between self-disclosure through blogs and perceptions of the two types of friendships. Three hundred seven female bloggers (M age = 34.56 years) completed an online survey regarding friendship satisfaction and perceptions of intimacy-promoting interaction patterns in friendships. One hundred respondents' weblogs were analyzed for self-disclosure. Self-reported self-disclosure was positively correlated with number of online friendships and satisfaction with online friendships. Although participants reported having close online friends, they perceived real-life friendships as more likely than online friendships to possess intimacy-promoting interaction patterns. These perceptions did not differ as a function of self-disclosure through blogging, although bloggers who were categorized as higher in disclosure were more satisfied with online friendships than were bloggers who were categorized as lower in disclosure. These results suggest a relationship between self-disclosure through blogging and online relationship satisfaction among women in middle adulthood but that these women perceive real-life friendships as more likely to offer interaction patterns that foster intimacy.
Holocaust archaeologies: approaches and future directions

those selected, by and large Nazi genocidal aims against the Hungarian Jews were not completely hindered. According to Buggeln, camp research has not systematically progressed beyond groundbreaking work carried out around and since the millennium by Orth and others. While he acknowledges the important contributions made by magisterial encyclopedic works, such as Ort des Terrors or the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, he makes a significant effort to synthesize the results and to assess the complex as a whole.
Treatment of a large defect of the chest wall in a child using a negative pressure wound dressing

Vacuum-assisted closure(VAC®) is a simple wound healing tool in plastic surgery. We report a large thoracic defect in a child, in which the VAC® was used to cover an exposed polytetrafluoroethylene prosthesis. The VAC® saved the prosthesis and induced complete granulation of the wound, which healed completely in five weeks.
Regulatory power, post-crisis transatlantic disputes, and the network structure of the financial industry

Abstract The international financial crisis was followed by waves of domestic regulatory reforms, first and foremost, in the United States and the European Union. Post-crisis financial regulation was sometimes different across jurisdictions. Moreover, the United States and the European Union sought in various ways to (re)assert their regulatory power not only vis-à-vis the market, but also with regard to other jurisdictions, which often resisted the projection of regulatory power beyond national borders. Consequently, a handful of important post-crisis transatlantic regulatory disputes emerged concerning E.U. rules on hedge funds, U.S. rules on bank structure and E.U. and U.S. rules on over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives. These disputes mainly involved the terms of access to each other's markets, the equivalence between domestic rules, and the extraterritorial effects of those rules. Some of these disputes were also intra-E.U. disagreements, whenever the preferences of the United Kingdom were different from those of Continental countries and similar to those of the United States. The network structure of the financial industry and the patterns of financial interdependence across the Atlantic amplified the extra territorial effects of domestic reforms, but at the same time triggered an active involvement of the transnational financial industry in the management and, eventually, the settlement of these disputes.
Robust stability, stabilization and L2-gain analysis of uncertain switched linear systems

This paper considers the robust stability, stabilization and L2-gain analysis of switched linear systems in the simultaneous presence of uncertainty and exogenous disturbance inside subsystems. State feedback and output feedback controllers, together with minimal dwell time (MDT) based switching signal, are designed to achieve the objective that, on the one hand, the closed-loop system without exogenous disturbance input is robustly asymptotically stable with respect to system uncertainty, and on the other hand, the closed-loop system with the presence of exogenous disturbance input has a pre-given L2-gain with respect to the input-output relationship with the input be the exogenous disturbance and the output be the system's given quantities. The control synthesis is performed by means of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), and thus it is numerically tractable.