Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measurement of thin film thermal conductivity using the laser flash method

We present a method to measure the in-plane thermal conductivity of thin films by the laser flash technique. The method uses a well-defined structure for the analysis. We have realized the structure by conformal deposition of ZnO films of different thicknesses using atomic layer deposition onto a 20 μm thick ion track etched polycarbonate membrane as substrate. By using this procedure we could determine the thermal conductivity of the deposited thin film from the total thermal diffusivity of the nanocomposite structures. The method has been used to obtain the in-plane thermal conductivity of the deposited ZnO layers within the thickness range of less than 100 nm.
Are Neanderthal Portraits Wrong?: Neanderthal Adaptations to Cold and Their Impact on Palaeolithic Populations

On the basis of comparisons between the relative thickness of the walls of Neanderthal limb bones to those of the average modern human and the observation that bone mass increases as modern individuals add weight, this thought-piece proposes redefi nitions of the appearance of cold-weather Neanderthals based on two biological adaptations to glacial climate. It suggests related biological and technological mechanisms for explaining the paucity of genetic or fossil evidence for extensive hybridisation between both early and recent Homo sapiens sapiens ('Moderns'), on the one hand, and northern and western 'classic' Neanderthals, on the other. Its 'insulation hypothesis' includes an explanation of why a population resulting from an admixture of Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans may have been constrained to the Levant between at least c. 120-92 ka bp (H. sapiens sapiens at Skhul and Qafzeh) and c. 45 ka (H. sapiens sapiens at Geula). It goes on to propose reasons for the replacement of the classic Neanderthal suite of features aft er H. sapiens sapiens and at least some Neanderthals began showing modern behavioural adaptations and encountered one another as Moderns spread into or developed in western Eurasia during the initial Upper Palaeolithic.
UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) Primary biliary cirrhosis

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an immune-mediated chronic cholestatic liver disease with a slowly progressive course. Without treatment, most patients eventually develop fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver and may need liver transplantation in the late stage of disease. PBC primarily affects women (female preponderance 9 – 10:1) with a prevalence of up to 1 in 1,000 women over 40 years of age. Common symptoms of the disease are fatigue and pruritus, but most patients are asymptomatic at first presentation. The diagnosis is based on sustained elevation of serum markers of cholestasis, i.e., alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase, and the presence of serum antimitochondrial antibodies directed against the E2 subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Histologically, PBC is characterized by florid bile duct lesions with damage to biliary epithelial cells, an often dense portal inflammatory
Resorción ósea en artritis reumatoidea: aspectos moleculares y correlación radiológica

Resumen La resorcion osea es un proceso fisiologico que puede verse incrementado en ciertas condiciones morbidas, una de ellas, la artritis reumatoidea (AR). Resientemente se ha descrito un conjunto de moleculas implicadas en el proceso: el sistema RANKL/RANK/OPG. RANKL expresado por osteoblastos y otras celulas, se une a su reseptor RANK sobre los precursores osteoclasticos favoreciendo su desarrollo, diferenciacion y posterior activacion. [Camargo JF, Tobon GJ, Anaya JM. Resorcion osea en artritis reumatoidea: aspectos moleculares y correlacion radiologica. MedUNAB 2003; 6:148-54]. Palabras clave: Artritis reumatoidea, osteoclastogenesis, RANK, RANKL, OPG.
Role of H2O in subduction-zone magmatism: New insights from melt inclusions in high-Mg basalts from central Mexico

Although there is a growing body of data on H 2 O in arc magmas, there is still considerable uncertainty about the relationship between H 2 O and various incompatible elements during enrichment of the mantle wedge by subduction processes. We report data for H 2 O, other volatiles (CO 2 , S, Cl), and trace elements in olivine-hosted melt inclusions from high-Mg basalts in central Mexico that exhibit varying degrees of subduction-related enrichment. Most melt inclusions were trapped at low pressure, but rare inclusions (Mg# 65-78, olivine hosts Fo 8 5 - 9 0 ) trapped at upper to middle crustal pressures (1-6 kbar) contain high CO 2 (250-2120 ppm). The high-pressure inclusions indicate magmatic H 2 O contents from 1.3 to 5.2 wt%. Enrichment of H 2 O relative to Nb correlates positively with K/Nb, Ba/Nb, and La/Nb, indicating a clear link between H 2 O) and trace element enrichment of the mantle wedge. Our results show that fluxing of the wedge with an H 2 O-rich component from the subducted slab is important in formation of magmas that are enriched in large ion lithophile (LILE) and light rare earth (LREE) elements relative to high field strength elements (HFSE). In contrast, magmas with low LILEs and LREEs relative to HFSEs have relatively low H 2 O, and must have formed largely by decompression melting of unmodified mantle. Our data for volcanoes <50 km apart show evidence of significant variability in the composition of H 2 O-rich subduction components that are added to the mantle wedge beneath central Mexico.
THE UPPER PALEOLITHIC REVOLUTION

■ Abstract The transition from the Middle Paleolithic to the Upper Paleolithic is considered one of the major revolutions in the prehistory of humankind. Explanations of the observable archaeological phenomena in Eurasia, or the lack of such evidence in other regions, include biological arguments (the role of Cro-Magnons and the demise of the Neanderthals), as well as cultural-technological, and environmental arguments. The paper discusses issues of terminological ambiguities, chronological and geographical aspects of change, the emergence of what is viewed as the arch-types of modern forager societies, and the hotly debated and loaded issue of modern behavior. Finally, the various causes for the Upper Paleolithic revolution are enumerated, from the biological through the technocultural that relies on the analogy with the Neolithic revolution.
Pulmonary strongyloidiasis with lung abscess. Ineffectiveness of thiabendazole therapy.

Abstract A 70-year-old white man entered hospital complaining of low-grade, daily fever. weight loss, and weakness of 3 months duration. Positive findings were 14,000 leukocytes per mm3 with 3% eosinophils, and interstitial infiltration of the right midlung. Readmitted 13 weeks later, because of persistent fever, weakness, and cough, he had 15,150 leukocytes per mm3 with 5% eosinophils, 32% hematocrit, and radiographic evidence of cavitation in the area of infiltration in the right midlung. One month later, eggs and rhabditoid larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis were found in blood-streaked sputum. Thiabendazole was given at a dosage of 8 mg per pound of body weight, twice daily, for 3 weeks. Live rhabditoid larvae and eggs of S. stercoralis continued to be excreted in blood-streaked sputum, and filariform larvae were obtained in cultures of sputum. A stool specimen obtained at the end of thiabendazole therapy contained rhabditoid larvae. The patient died from massive hematemesis, 3 days after completion of therapy; an autopsy was not done. The patient received corticosteroid therapy for 1 month before the first sputum specimen was examined, until death, because he was believed to have carcinomatosis. We believe that this therapy may have induced autoinfection and may have inhibited the effectiveness of thiabendazole.
MODELING THE OXYGEN K ABSORPTION IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM: AN XMM-NEWTON VIEW OF Sco X-1

We investigate the X-ray absorption structure of oxygen in the interstellar medium by analyzing XMM-Newton observations of the low-mass X-ray binary Sco X-1. Simple models based on the O i atomic photoabsorption cross section from different sources are used to fit the data and evaluate the impact of the atomic data on the interpretation of the observations. We show that relatively small differences in the atomic calculations can yield spurious results, and that the most complete and accurate set of atomic cross sections successfully reproduce the observed data in the 21.0–24.5 Å wavelength region of the spectrum. Our fits indicate that the absorption is mainly due to neutral gas with an ionization parameter of ξ = 10−4 erg cm s−1 and an oxygen column density of NO ≈ (8–10) × 1017 cm−2. The models are able to reproduce both the K edge and the Kα absorption line from O i which are the two main features in this region. We find no conclusive evidence for absorption by anything other than atomic oxygen.
Buffer sizing theory for bursty TCP flows

In a router serving many TCP flows, queues will build up from time to time. The manner in which queues build up depends on the buffer space available and on the burstiness of the TCP traffic. Conversely, the traffic generated by a TCP flow depends on the congestion it sees at queues along its route. In order to decide how big buffers should be, we need to understand the interaction between these effects. This paper reviews the buffer-sizing theory in G. Raina and D. Wischik (2005) and extends it to cope with bursty TCP traffic. This enables us to explain an observation about TCP pacing made in A. Aggarwal et al. (2000)
Characteristics of Biochar-Amended Soil Cover for Landfill Gas Mitigation

In this study, biochar-amended soil cover was investigated to enhance reduction of CH4 emissions from landfills. This paper presents physical and chemical characteristics of biochar-amended soils. Specifically, moisture content, organic content, ash content, pH, particle size distribution, Atterberg limits, specific gravity, and permeability tests were conducted with biochar alone, soil alone, and biochar-amended soils. Moreover, batch experiments were performed using biochar alone, soil alone, and biochar-amended soils to quantify the effects of biochar amendment on adsorption of CH4. The batch testing showed that the maximum methane adsorbed in biochar-amended soil was higher than that for soil alone, due to the adsorption of CH4 to biochar, providing favorable conditions for methanotrophic oxidation to improve CH4 degradation within the cover.
Microtubules are acetylated in domains that turn over slowly.

Tubulin is subject to a post-translational acetylation reaction that is thought to be correlated with increased stability of the modified microtubules (MTs). We sought to test directly the stability of acetylated MTs by determining their specific rate of turnover. We used human fibroblasts, which contain a subset of MTs that display terminal and internal domains of acetylation. The turnover of acetylated domains was analysed by microinjecting cells with biotinylated brain tubulin and determining, by triple-label immunofluorescence, the progress of incorporation of biotinylated tubulin into acetylated and non-acetylated domains. Within two minutes after injection, biotinylated domains were contiguous with virtually all observed non-acetylated MT ends but were not contiguous with terminal acetylated domains, demonstrating that the former were growing while the latter were not. Ten minutes after injection, many MTs lacking acetylated domains had incorporated biotinylated subunits uniformly while most MTs containing acetylated domains remained unlabelled, indicating that non-acetylated MTs were turning over while most acetylated domains were not. One hour after injection, virtually all non-acetylated MTs were labelled with biotin whereas approximately half of the acetylated domains contained biotin, demonstrating that acetylated domains turned over much more slowly than the non-acetylated, bulk array. Non-acetylated MT regions flanking acetylated domains also lacked hapten, indicating that acetylation modified discrete regions along stable MTs. Sixteen hours after injection, cells that had not entered mitosis still retained acetylated domains that had not turned over (13% of all acetylated domains), indicating that acetylated domains can be extremely long-lived. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Explaining Sectoral and Spatial Variations in Growth Pro-poorness in Nigeria

This paper examines the sectoral and spatial variations in growth pro-poorness in Nigeria, using the Shapley decomposition, the Ravallion-Huppi decomposition and the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition. The results show that spatial and sectoral variations in pro-poor growth are a result of inequality and shift in population, human capital (spatial variation only) and structural factors (sectoral variation only). In addition, the paper finds that the zones and sectors with moderate growth have high poverty-growth elasticity, while zones and sectors with high growth have low poverty-growth elasticity. Thus, spatial and sectoral variations in growth pro-poorness result in weak response of poverty to growth in Nigeria.
A SPECULATIVE MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF THE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGIC SYSTEM

In the more mature, inductive stages of a developing science, the scientist usually makes use of his data only to accept or reject specific hypotheses. He is seldom willing to follow where the data lead, as was true of the earlier, descriptive stages in the science’s development; he wishes to lead the data. The debility was well pointed out, if slightly bitterly, by Magoun (1963), about the reception given c. 1950 to the early RNA, DNA theorizing: “The Zeitgeist of that period was not a favorable one, however, for such enlightened views. ” The answer to this problem is that when a science reaches its inductive, or explanatory, phases, the scientist should continue to follow and speculate upon the path indicated by the data as well as to formulate his specific hypotheses. This is, of course, more easily said than done. The logical process of this scientific philosophy has been outlined elsewhere by the author ( 1966). In order to pursue such a process, the evolving mathematical model (for what is such a model but the abstraction and conceptual repackaging of some subset of characteristics of the phenomenon in question? ) must not spring from or even be tied to a “method,” i.e., a restricted set of conceptual tools, but must be methodologically eclectic. If we think of a model in the way just introduced, and let us do so for the remainder of this paper, the essence of science is the process of architecting a set of evolving models. If these evolutionary models are to have eclectic properties, they may most efficiently be formed by modeling multidisciplinary theory, not by “multidisciplinizing,” or coordinating, extant narrowly defined specific models. In addition, it should be clearly recognized that the logic and planning and the subsequent analysis and inference may well, and rightfully, exceed ‘the datagathering process in time spent. The opposite is too often the case; vast amounts of talent and funds are expended to gather data for purposes not clearly thought out in advance, and often much of the information that remains is cast down the drain by cursory or, worse, erroneous analytic techniques and sloppy inferential logic. Let us consider several reasons for comprehensive modeling. These reasons will be listed but not discussed, since their meaning is obvious either immediately or upon a moment’s reflection: 1. The most basic reason, implicit above in the “architecture of science” concept, has been said succinctly by Harmon and Lewis ( 1966) : A model represents a “coherent, parsimonious description of nature. ” 2. A formal modeling effort forces clarity of thought and advance planning on the experimenter. 3. Through system modeling, the experimenter will find it difficult to divorce his work from its position in the organizational structure of major theories; he is
Class IA phosphoinositide 3-kinases are obligate p85-p110 heterodimers

Class IA phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) signal downstream of tyrosine kinases and Ras and control a wide variety of biological responses. In mammals, these heterodimeric PI3Ks consist of a p110 catalytic subunit (p110α, p110β, or p110δ) bound to any of five distinct regulatory subunits (p85α, p85β, p55γ, p55α, and p50α, collectively referred to as “p85s”). The relative expression levels of p85 and p110 have been invoked to explain key features of PI3K signaling. For example, free (i.e., non-p110-bound) p85α has been proposed to negatively regulate PI3K signaling by competition with p85/p110 for recruitment to phosphotyrosine docking sites. Using affinity and ion exchange chromatography and quantitative mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that the p85 and p110 subunits are present in equimolar amounts in mammalian cell lines and tissues. No evidence for free p85 or p110 subunits could be obtained. Cell lines contain 10,000–15,000 p85/p110 complexes per cell, with p110β and p110δ being the most prevalent catalytic subunits in nonleukocytes and leukocytes, respectively. These results argue against a role of free p85 in PI3K signaling and provide insights into the nonredundant functions of the different class IA PI3K isoforms.
A novel Aurora B kinase inhibitor with potent anticancer activity either as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy.

9568 Background: Aurora kinases are serine/threonine kinases that play a key role in regulating mitosis. Elevated expression of two of the human homologues, Aurora A and B, has been reported in a wide variety of tumors and frequently correlates with a poor prognosis. Aurora B has been reported to play an important role at the spindle checkpoint. Compound 677 is a novel, selective inhibitor of Aurora B that targets cell division in proliferating tumor cells. We elected to test Compound 677 as a novel cancer therapy. METHODS Hct116 colon cancers with intact p53 (p53+/+), absent p53 (p53-/-) and absent p21 (p21-/-), were treated with increasing concentrations of Compound 677 as a single agent and in combination with chemotherapy. RESULTS Colony formation analyses revealed an IC50 of 4 nM for p53+/+ cells while p53-/- and p21-/- cells displayed increased sensitivity to Compound 677 (IC50 2.0 and 1.5 nM, respectively). Flow cytometric analysis of each cell line, indicated polyploidy with 16 N and 32 N cells with 677 concentrations as low as 5 nM, as early as 15 hours after drug exposure, accompanied by inhibition of phosphohistone H3 (an Aurora B substrate). Compound 677 induced multinucleation of p53+/+ cells at the first cell cycle, followed by failure of cell division. Normal bipolar spindles were formed, but chromatin segregation was inhibited. Apoptosis was not significant up to 6 days post treatment. Colony formation assays using Compound 677 in combination with SN-38 (the active metabolite of CPT-11), docetaxel, vinorelbine, gemcitabine, oxaliplatin or 5-fluorouracil revealed a more than additive effect with all combinations. However, SN-38 and gemcitabine administered prior to Compound 677 inhibited multinucleation, antagonizing the effects of combination therapy. CONCLUSIONS Compound 677 is a potent inhibitor of cell growth in proliferating cancer cells, both as a single agent and in combination with chemotherapy. Initial studies suggest that administration sequence may influence the outcome when an Aurora B kinase inhibitor is co-administered with chemotherapy. Further work is ongoing to optimise scheduling. [Table: see text].
Characteristics of pregnant women who engage in binge alcohol consumption.

OBJECTIVE To characterize pregnant women who engage in binge drinking and to identify other risk behaviour that these women engage in. DESIGN Observational study based on retrospective review of records. SETTING A telephone and outpatient counselling service in Toronto that advises pregnant women about exposure to drugs, chemicals, radiation and infections during pregnancy and lactation. PARTICIPANTS All pregnant women who sought counselling concerning fetal risk of exposure to binge drinking from 1985 to 1994 as well as those counselled by telephone from 1993 to 1994, and an equal number of control women who sought counselling. OUTCOME MEASURES Information about binges, demographic factors, history of elective and spontaneous abortion, and use of psychotropic drugs and cigarettes as well as marijuana, cocaine and other illicit drugs. RESULTS Of the 3800 women seen in the clinic, 119 (3.1%) reported binge drinking during pregnancy; of the 19,991 women counselled by telephone, 153 (0.8%) reported binge drinking during pregnancy. The mean number of drinks per binge was 7.2 (standard deviation 2.5). None of the women was an alcoholic; 83.1% had binged fewer than 10 times during their pregnancy. A large majority (84.0%) of the women had a binge early in the first trimester (before 6 weeks' gestation). In comparison with control women, the women who had engaged in binge drinking were significantly younger (mean 30.0 v. 27.9 years, p < 0.0001) and more likely to be single (12.2% v. 54.6%, p < 0.0001), to be white (69.2% v. 92.9%, p < 0.004), to smoke (19.3% v. 57.1%, p < 0.0001) and to use cocaine (1.1% v. 11.0%, p < 0.0001), marijuana (3.0% v. 19.3%, p < 0.0001) and other illicit drugs (0.7% v. 9.2%, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Pregnant women who report binge alcohol consumption often report use of cigarettes, cocaine, marijuana and other illicit drugs as well, all of which represent a significant risk to the fetus. Rigorous efforts should be made to prevent the socially accepted binge consumption of alcohol among young, sexually active women.
Intense Cardiac Troponin Surveillance for Long-Term Benefits Is Cost-Effective in Patients Undergoing Open Abdominal Aortic Surgery: A Decision Analysis Model

BACKGROUND:Strategies to limit adverse cardiac events after vascular surgery continue to evolve. Early recognition and treatment of myocardial ischemia may be a key to improving postoperative survival rates. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) screening is an effective means of surveillance for postoperative myocardial ischemic injury and has long-term prognostic value. METHODS:We designed a Markov-based decision analysis model to determine the cost-effectiveness of routine surveillance with cTnI on postoperative Days 0, 1, 2, and 3, with an aim to institute tight heart rate control (60–65 bpm) with close monitoring and coronary care in the intensive care unit for 5 days in patients with cTnI >1.5 ng/mL. The key input variables obtained from published literature were as follows: probability of myocardial infarction, 0.049; cost of cTnI surveillance, $357; cost and efficacy of interventions, $13,145 and 0.55, respectively. The time horizon was lifetime and the target population being individuals aged 65 yr (median) undergoing elective open abdominal aortic surgery. The perspective for analysis was third-party payer. RESULTS:The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for cTnI surveillance was $12,641 per quality-adjusted life year compared with standard care without cTnI surveillance. During one-way sensitivity analysis, probability of myocardial infarction and efficacy of interventions were found to influence the cost-effectiveness. Multivariate sensitivity analysis with second-order Monte Carlo simulation revealed that cTnI surveillance was favored in 90.75% of simulations at a commonly used threshold of $50,000 per quality-adjusted life year. CONCLUSIONS:In patients presenting for elective open abdominal aortic surgery, intensive surveillance with cTnI and early institution of aggressive &bgr;-blockade is cost-effective.