Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Soil nitrogen status as a regulator of carbon substrate flows through microbial communities with elevated CO2

[1] To assess how microbial processing of organic C inputs to forest soils may be influenced by elevated CO2 and altered N dynamics, we followed the fate of 13C-labeled substrates in soils from the Duke Free Air Carbon Enrichment site where differences in soil N status have been imposed by 7 years of N amendments. Heterotrophic respiration and δ13C of respired CO2-C and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) were measured to track activities of microbial groups and estimate a relative measure of substrate use efficiency (PLFA-based SUE). Results indicate an increased proportion of fungal and actinomycete activity in elevated CO2 soils, which varied with substrate. The negative effect of N on vanillin phenolic-C incorporation into actinomycete PLFA suggests legacies of fertilization can mitigate increased C flow into actinomycetes with elevated CO2. Further, the fourfold increase in PLFA-based SUE for vanillin phenolic-C in elevated CO2 soils that received N suggests future enhanced N limitation in elevated CO2 soils may promote enhanced respiratory loss relative to incorporation of some C-substrates into microbial biomass. These short-term incubations did not reveal greater loss of soil organic carbon via respiration or shifts in SUE with elevated CO2. However, observed relative increases in activity of actinomycetes and fungi with elevated CO2 and mitigation of this effect on actinomycetes with N amendments suggests that elevated CO2 and predicted N limitation may alter the fate of slow-turnover soil organic matter (SOM) in two competing ways. Investigations need to focus on how these microorganisms may increase slow-turnover substrate use while possibly enhancing the prevalence of microbial cell wall structures that can serve as precursors of stabilized SOM.
Cornea The Effect of a p 38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Inhibitor on Cellular Senescence of Cultivated Human Corneal Endothelial Cells

Citation: Hongo A, Okumura N, Nakahara M, Kay EP, Koizumi N. The effect of a p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor on cellular senescence of cultivated human corneal endothelial cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2017;58:3325–3334. DOI:10.1167/iovs.16-21170 PURPOSE. We have begun a clinical trial of a cell-based therapy for corneal endothelial dysfunction in Japan. The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of a p38 MAPK inhibitor for prevention cellular senescence in cultivated human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs).
Involving end-users in the development and implementation of a web-based, physical activity platform for elderly.

Physical activity is an important health behavior when it comes to preventing or slowing down disablement caused by ageing and chronic diseases. With the LIFE project we aspired to support pre-frail older adults to deploy and maintain a physical active lifestyle by integrating existing on- and offline services via a web-based self-management platform. Contrary to the often applied top-down ‘waterfall’ methods used to develop such web-based interventions, we applied a bottom up inspired procedure. Targeted end users (elderly and (health) professionals) were involved from the early beginnings. In this way their knowledge, preferences and needs could influence the design, functionality and implementation of the platform. The applied process, inspired on Design Thinking, comprised seven rounds. These rounds were not all planned in detail at the start of the project; outcomes of the first sessions guided the goals and structure of the successive steps. We experienced that it was relatively easy to get elderly and professionals involved and to let them influence the development of the platform. However, the participants had a specific interest in maintaining their active lifestyle and many of them had already implemented physical exercises as part of their daily routine. They were enthusiastic about the offline modules offered by the platform, but did not use the online modules at home because of usability issues, the lack of discipline, the feeling of insecurity and the lack of a social component. (aut. ref.)
Fooling Some of the Public some of the Time? A Test for Weak Rationality with Heterogeneous Information Levels

Past research demonstrates that economic expectations of mass publics are related to political and policy outcomes. However, these studies often assume the public possesses the same information levels and capabilities, and some inappropriately equate a prospective orientation with the ability to make unbiased forecasts. In this article the authors relax the information-homogeneity assumption and use education level as a proxy for heterogeneity. These heterogeneous education (information) levels are used in a test for unbiased forecasting (i.e., weak rational expectations) in inflation expectations data from the Institute of Social Research's Survey of Consumer Attitudes and Behavior. The period of analysis is January 1978 to December 1993. The descriptive evidence indicates that the members of better-educated strata are more accurate in predicting future movements in actual inflation. The more rigorous tests show that only the most educated exhibit any evidence of weak rational expectations. This suggests that the often contradictory results of past studies may be partly attributable to the information homogeneity assumption. On a broader level, the findings reflect the mass public's varying abilities to hold elected officials accountable
Health and Environmental Impacts of Dyes: Mini Review

The textile industry is one of the important industries which generates large amount of industrial effluents each year causing the main source of water pollution which is not only harmful for aquatic life but also mutagenic to human. The aim of this work is to give an overview on the health and environmental impact of dyes as pollutants as well as; the most recent treatment techniques of textile effluents wastewater.
Environmental and spatial predictors of species richness and abundance in coral reef fishes

Aim We developed predictive models of coral reef fish species richness and abundance that account for both broad-scale environmental gradients and fine-scale biotic processes, such as dispersal, and we compared the importance of absolute geographical location (i.e. geographical coordinates) versus relative geographical location (i.e. distance to domain boundaries). Location Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Methods Four annual surveys of coral reef fishes were combined with a 0.01°-resolution grid of environmental variables including depth, sea surface temperature, salinity and nutrient concentrations. A principal component-based method was developed to select candidate predictors from a large number of correlated variables. Generalized linear mixed-effects models (GLMMs) were used to gauge the respective importance of the different spatial and environmental predictors. An error covariance matrix was included in the models to account for spatial autocorrelation. Results (1) Relative geographical descriptors, represented by distances to the coast and to the barrier reef, provided the highest-ranked single model of species richness and explained up to 36.8% of its deviance. (2) Accounting for spatial autocorrelation doubled the deviance in abundance explained to 71.9%. Sea surface temperature, salinity and nitrate concentrations were also important predictors of abundance. Spatially explicit predictions of species richness and abundance were robust to variation in the spatial scale considered during model calibration. Main conclusions This study demonstrates that distance-to-domain boundaries (i.e. relative geographical location) can offer an ecologically relevant alternative to geographical coordinates (i.e. absolute geographical location) when predicting biodiversity patterns, providing a proxy for multivariate and complex environmental processes that are often difficult or expensive to estimate.
Cyclic steady states of treaded rolling bodies

The analysis of spinning axisymmetric bodies undergoing finite deformation is useful for understanding the behavior of a wide variety of engineering systems – for example, rolling tires. However, progress beyond the axisymmetric case has been lacking. In this work, we present a methodology for the treatment of treaded rolling bodies by devising a Newton–Krylov shooting scheme for the computation of cyclic steady states of motion. The scheme advocated permits one to determine the entire transient (cyclically steady) motion of a spinning treaded body with consideration of viscoelasticity as well as contact. We demonstrate the viability of the method through three examples, (1) a viscoelastic cylinder with eight sinusoidal tread blocks, (2) a viscoelastic cylinder with 16 square tread blocks, and (3) a viscoelastic oval in which repeated contact and separation from a rigid plane excites distinct transient vibrational modes in the body during each cycle. For practical values of the viscoelastic relaxation time, the new approach is found to converge faster than the naïve approach of evolving an initial guess over many cycles until a cyclic steady state is reached. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
It's lonely at the top: Biodiversity at risk to loss from climate change

Climate change is a serious immediate and long-term threat to wildlife species. State and federal agencies are working with universities and non-government organizations to predict, plan for, and mitigate such uncertainties in the future. Endemic species may be particularly at-risk as climate-induced changes impact their limited geographic ranges. The Madrean Archipelago is characterized by high levels of endemism, natural fragmentation, and increasingly poor connectivity among the mesic montane islands within an arid matrix of low elevation deserts and grasslands. The region already has experienced an increase in temperature and this trend is predicted to accelerate over the remainder of the century. We assessed patterns of elevational distribution of reptiles and mammals within the Madrean Archipelago. We examined incremental temperature increases and determined how much reptilian and mammalian biodiversity is at-risk to be lost from montane islands due to elevational and geographic restriction. We estimate that 15 to 20% of all reptile and mammal diversity is at risk of loss by 2100 based solely on predicted patterns of upslope migration of biotic communities driven primarily by climate change. With this significant proportion of native species, we suggest that this emphasizes the need to continue traditional management actions focused on habitat improvement, restoration and connectivity for the majority of species in combination with innovative and active management strategies directed at the subset that is most at risk of extirpation.
The Acute Phase Response Affected Traditional Measures of Micronutrient Status in Rural Zambian Children during a Randomized , Controlled Feeding Trial 1 , 2

The acute phase response (APR) to infection can alter blood-based indicators of micronutrient status. Data from a 3-mo randomized, controlled feeding trial in rural Zambian children (n = 181, aged 3–5 y) were used to determine the impact of the APR on indicators of vitamin A and iron status using baseline and final blood samples. Concentrations of acute phase proteins were categorized as raised C-reactive protein (CRP; >5 and >10 mg/L) only, both raised CRP and a1–acid glycoprotein (AGP; >1.2 g/L), raised AGP only, and neither CRP nor AGP raised to identify the respective stages of infection: incubation, early convalescence, convalescence, and healthy state. Data were insufficient to examine the incubation stage of infection. A CRP concentration of >5 mg/L was an effective elevation cutoff point in this population to show impact on micronutrient markers. Time did not affect hemoglobin, serum ferritin, or serum retinol concentrations (P > 0.05). During early convalescence, hemoglobin decreased (14–16%; P # 0.05), serum ferritin increased (279–356%; P # 0.05), and serum retinol decreased (20–30%; P # 0.05). Serum retinol concentrations did not change during convalescence; however, hemoglobin remained depressed (4–9%) and serum ferritin was elevated (67–132%) (both P # 0.05). Modified relative dose response values were unaffected by the APR (P > 0.05) but increased between time points (16%; P # 0.05), indicating a decrease in liver vitamin A reserves on the background of a semiannual vitamin A supplementation program. The observed prevalence of anemia and vitamin A deficiency assessed by serum retinol concentration was higher during the APR (P # 0.05). It is important to consider the impact of infection on dietary interventions and to adjust for acute phase proteins when assessing iron status or vitamin A status by serum retinol concentration alone in children. J. Nutr. 144: 972–978, 2014.
Determining Optimal Discount Policies in B2B Relationships

This research deals with the question of which discounts (when and how much) a supplier needs to offer to a set of heterogeneous customers to maximize his profit. The supplier has a possibility to regulate the demand using discounts — to increase the demand in periods when the product is produced and to lower the demand in periods with no production of the product. Savings for the supplier arise from reduction of set up and inventory cost, but the buyer gets extra inventory cost. The discount offered by the supplier should be large enough to make the buyer order anyway at the period wanted by the supplier. The major assumptions of this study are the following: • Monopolistic situation of the firm or very high barriers for switching suppliers imply that price levels of other firms need not be considered here.
Optical mapping of single-molecule human DNA in disposable, mass-produced all-polymer devices

We demonstrate all-polymer injection molded devices for optical mapping of denaturation–renaturation (DR) patterns on long, single DNA-molecules from the human genome. The devices have channels with ultra-low aspect ratio, only 110 nm deep while 20 μm wide, and are superior to the silica devices used previously in the field. With these polymer devices, we demonstrate on-chip recording of DR images of DNA-molecules stretched to more than 95% of their contour length. The stretching is done by opposing flows Marie et al (2013 Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 110 4893–8). The performance is validated by mapping 20 out of 24 Mbp-long DNA fragments to the human reference genome. We optimized fabrication of the devices to a yield exceeding 95%. This permits a substantial economies-of-scale driven cost-reduction, leading to device costs as low as 3 USD per device, about a factor 70 lower than the cost of silica devices. This lowers the barrier to a wide use of DR mapping of native, megabase-size DNA molecules, which has a huge potential as a complementary method to next-generation sequencing.
An Ontology of Good Governance . A Political Theory Approach

In the public discourse of European and international institutions the word 'government' seems to be replaced by 'governance'. While there is a very traditional liberal approach in political theory claiming that to govern means to exercise political power, it is not clear what governance means. In public administration theories, governance is used to imply statecraft that is the exercise of governmental responsibilities. The connotation of governance was borrowed from management and implies, in politics, to scale down big governments. The entire governance process tends to be depoliticized as the debates over basic democratic values have been overshadowed in the European Union context. Starting with Plato's definition of good governance, which he describes as right order, this paper aims to explore the ontology of (good) governance from a political theory perspective.
The benefits and risks of Echinacea in treatment of common cold and influenza

The common cold is one of the world’s most prevalent illnesses in adults and children. This upper respiratory tract infection is caused by different kinds of agents. Effects on health, well-being, and productivity are significant. Preparations made from plants of the genus Echinacea are widely used for the prevention and treatment of colds. Three species of Echinacea used for medicinal purposes are Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, and Echinacea pallida. The beneficial effects of Echinacea are thought to be due to its immunomodulatory activity, most notably activation of macrophages, polymorphonuclear leukocytes and natural killer cells. Many clinical trials, including a number of blind randomized trials, have reported health benefits. Although these studies show beneficial effects, recommendations on Echinacea use cannot be made due to lack of product standardization and variability in dosage, sample size and methodological quality used in the trials. Therefore, well-designed studies with consistent standardized measures are required for assessment of the efficacy of Echinacea in treatment of common cold and influenza.
Studies on bacteriological Profile of some meat products

A total of 100 random samples of meat products represented by luncheon, frozen minced meat, kofta, and sausage (25 ofeach) were collected from different supermarket’s shops in Tanta city These products subjected to bacteriologicalexamination as Aerobic Plate Count (APC), Coliform Count, Staph. aureus count and isolation and identification ofSalmonellae and E-Coli. The result revealed that minced meat showed relatively higher mean values of Aerobic PlateCount as well as Coliform Count (6.07± 0.1) log CFU/g and (3.1±.1) log CFU/g, respectively than the other products.While, it was the lowest one in Staph aureus count (2.2 ± .07) log CFU/g. Regarding to Salmonellae and E-Coli could bedetected in 40% & 32% &12% & 28% & 16% & 24% of minced meat, kofta and sausage, respectively On the other hand,luncheon samples were free from Salmonella and E-coli
Sexual differences in spectral sensitivity and wing colouration of 13 species of Japanese Thecline butterflies (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

The correlation between dorsal wing colours and spectral sensitivity of the compound eyes of 13 species of thecline butterflies, consisting of 8 sexually monomorphic and 5 dimorphic species, was investigated. Spectral reflectance of the dorsal surfaces of the wings was measured using a spectrophotometer and spectral sensitivities using electroretinography. All 13 species examined showed a common basic pattern of spectral sensitivity with a primary peak at a wavelength of 440-460 nm. Detailed analyses of the deviations in sensitivity from the basic pattern revealed a correlation in monomorphic species with conspicuous wing hues, especially in males.
Does culture influence learning styles in higher education

This paper develops a framework for understanding the relationships between approaches to learning adopted by students in the context of higher education and the culture of the country they were brought up in. The paper, after examining the more widely used Kolb's learning styles, opts for another categorisation, namely the so called learning approaches developed by Entwistle and others (for example, Entwistle and Ramsden, 1983; Biggs, 1987; Entwistle, 1992; Tait, Entwistle and McCune, 1998; Biggs, Kember and Leung, 2001). Each of the main categories of learning approaches identified by his school, namely, deep, surface apathetic, and strategic are related to Hofstede's cultural dimensions, namely, power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, long vs. short time orientation and masculinity vs. femininity and a series of hypotheses developed that could be tested in cross cultural samples. This study would give practical hints on students moving out to study in different cultures (e.g. for higher education) and for teachers dealing with students from multiple cultures.
Sympathy and phonological opacity

A central idea in rule-based phonology is the serial derivation (Chomsky & Halle 1968). In a serial derivation, an underlying form passes through a number of intermediate representations on its way to the surface: [Scheme here] Implementational details can differ: the order of rules might be stipulated or it might be derived from universal principles; the steps might be called ‘rules’, ‘cycles’ or ‘levels’; the steps might involve applying rules or enforcing constraints. But, details aside, the defining characteristic of a serial derivation, in the sense I will employ here, is the pre-eminence of the chronological metaphor: the underlying form is transformed into a succession of distinct, accessible intermediate representations on its way to the surface. I will call any theory with this property ‘serialism’.
Ab initio potentials of F + Li2 accessible at ultracold temperatures

Ab initio calculations for the strongly exoergic Li{sub 2}+F harpoon reaction are presented using density-functional theory, complete active space self-consistent field, and multireference configuration interaction methods to argue that this reaction would be an ideal candidate for investigation with ultracold molecules. The lowest six states are calculated with the aug-correlation-consistent polarized valence triple-zeta basis set and at least two can be accessed by a ground rovibronic Li{sub 2} molecule with zero collision energy at all reaction geometries. The large reactive cross section (characteristic of harpoon reactions) and chemiluminescent products are additional attractive features of these reactions.
When Do U.S. Workers First Experience Unionization? Implications for Revitalizing the Labor Movement

Debates over revitalizing the U.S. labor movement often overlook when workers are first unionized. This article analyzes the frequency and nature of workers’ first unionized jobs by tracking a cohort of individuals from age 15/16 to 40/41. Though workers are most likely to be unionized when they are in their forties, this article shows that surprising numbers of individuals first encounter unionization in their jobs at a much younger age. These results highlight the importance of experiential union membership models as well as life-cycle union representation strategies that recognize the young age at which many workers are first unionized.
Autolytic Release of Mannoproteins from Cell Walls of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary: Autolysis of purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell walls resulted in the release of several components thought to be mannoprotein in nature, since they were retained by Concanavalin A-Sepharose. The most abundant was a 29 kDal molecule which was also a major species among mannoproteins solubilized by the β-glucanase complex Zymolyase. There was a concomitant release of glucose and mannose oligosaccharides and of β-glucanase activity. Glucanase and protease inhibitory treatments considerably lowered the release of mannoproteins. The use of different protease inhibitors during autolytic incubations interfered with at least two proteases (one of them being a cysteine protease) apparently involved in the solubilization and partial degradation of mannoproteins from the walls.
Animal Communication Theory: Information and influence in sender–receiver models, with applications to animal behaviour

All options are possible here: an information-based approach might be good in the human case and bad in the animal case. It might be bad in both, or good in both. In an article in the New York Times in 2011, Simon Blackburn admiringly notes that biologists studying animal signals have moved beyond a simple representationalist view, and he hopes that philosophers of language will follow their lead. An information-based view might even be bad in the human case and good in the animal case, because the complexities of human language use have overwhelmed a simpler information-carrying role that still exists in animal signaling. In the animal case, a shift in thinking about communication was linked to a shift in thinking about cooperation. Early work on animal communication was done within a framework that took cooperation and group-level adaptation as common. 3