Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards automation of palynology 3: pollen pattern recognition using Gabor transforms and digital moments

The classification of pollen grains using texture information in combination with shape features is presented in this paper. The surface texture of pollen is characterised by using Gabor transforms, the geometric shape is described by using moment invariants, and the pollen grains are classified by an artificial neural network. In an experiment with five types of pollen grains, more than 97% of samples are correctly classified. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF WOODLAND USE AND CHANGE IN ZIMBABWE

ABSTRACT In this paper we use a conceptual box-and-arrow model for understanding woodland use in Zimbabwe in the context of the complex ecological-social-economic system of which it is part. Central themes within our model are: the policy framework; local institutions; land pressures; rural-urban relationships; the rise in tourism; increasing commercialisation of woodland products; drought; AIDS; and the status of the resource itself. We suggest that too little attention has been paid to the impacts of policy on woodland use and commercialisation, and that woodland use is seldom seen in the wider context of the entire household livelihood system. Conceptual models represent a tool for understanding the connections between the components of complex systems, but they need to be followed by more detailed simulation modelling, to understand both the dynamics of these systems and the possible outcomes of various interventions in them.
RNA and protein synthesis in human peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes purified from human peripheral blood synthesized RNA and proteins when placed in cell culture. Autoradiography of the cultured cells revealed that a majority of mature PMNs were engaged in macromolecule synthesis, and an analysis of newly synthesized proteins by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that many different polypeptide chains were synthesized by these cells. The rate of [3H]uridine incorporation and the pattern of newly synthesized proteins were modulated by Con A and glucocorticoids. These results suggest that in spite of their short lifetime and a large performed enzymatic apparatus, mature PMNs retain a substantial capacity for RNA and protein synthesis; and, further, that modulation of macromolecule synthesis forms part of the mechanism by which PMNs respond to inflammatory and anti-flammatory stimuli.
Correlates of Urinary Incontinence in Community‐Dwelling Older Latinos

The prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) has varied in the literature and is reflective of the definition and sampling methodologies used, as well as the age, ethnicity, and sex being studied. The aim of the current study was to measure the prevalence and correlates of UI in a sample of 572 older Latinos participating in Caminemos, a trial of a behavioral intervention to increase walking. Participants completed an in‐person survey and physical performance measures. UI was measured using the International Consultation on Incontinence item: “How often do you leak urine? ” Potential correlates of UI included sociodemographic variables, body mass index, smoking, physical activity, medical comorbidity, physical performance, activity of daily living (ADL) impairment, use of assistive ambulatory devices, health‐related quality of life (HRQoL), and depressive symptoms. The prevalence of UI in this sample was 26.9%. Women were more likely to report UI, as were those who were less physically active; used assistive ambulatory devices; and had depressive symptoms, greater medical comorbidity, worse physical performance, greater ADL impairment, worse cognitive function, and lower HRQoL. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that medical comorbidity was independently associated with higher rates of UI (odds ratio (OR)=1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.30–2.12), whereas better cognitive function (OR=0.73, 95% CI=0.57–0.93) and higher weighted physical activity scores (OR=0.77, 95% CI=0.60–0.98) were independently associated with lower rates of UI. UI is highly prevalent but not ubiquitous among community‐residing older Latinos, suggesting that UI is not an inevitable consequence of aging. Future studies should examine whether interventions that decrease comorbidity and cognitive decline and increase physical activity improve continence status.
ESO guideline for the management of extracranial and intracranial artery dissection

The aim of the present European Stroke Organisation guideline is to provide clinically useful evidence-based recommendations on the management of extracranial artery dissection (EAD) and intracranial artery dissection (IAD). EAD and IAD represent leading causes of stroke in the young, but are uncommon in the general population, thus making it challenging to conduct clinical trials and large observational studies. The guidelines were prepared following the Standard Operational Procedure for European Stroke Organisation guidelines and according to GRADE methodology. Our four recommendations result from a thorough analysis of the literature comprising two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing anticoagulants to antiplatelets in the acute phase of ischemic stroke and twenty-six comparative observational studies. In EAD patients with acute ischemic stroke, we recommend using intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) with alteplase within 4.5 hours of onset if standard inclusion/exclusion criteria are met, and mechanical thrombectomy in patients with large vessel occlusion of the anterior circulation. We further recommend early endovascular or surgical intervention for IAD patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Based on evidence from two phase 2 RCTs that have shown no difference between the benefits and risks of anticoagulants versus antiplatelets in the acute phase of symptomatic EAD, we strongly recommend that clinicians can prescribe either option. In post-acute EAD patients with residual stenosis or dissecting aneurysms and in symptomatic IAD patients with an intracranial dissecting aneurysm and isolated headache, there is insufficient data to provide a recommendation on the benefits and risks of endovascular/surgical treatment. Finally, nine expert consensus statements, adopted by 8 to 11 of the 11 experts involved, propose guidance for clinicians when the quality of evidence was too low to provide recommendations. Some of these pertain to the management of IAD (use of IVT, endovascular treatment, and antiplatelets versus anticoagulation in IAD with ischemic stroke and use of endovascular or surgical interventions for IAD with headache only). Other expert consensus statements address the use of direct anticoagulants and dual antiplatelet therapy in EAD-related cerebral ischemia, endovascular treatment of the EAD/IAD lesion, and multidisciplinary assessment of the best therapeutic approaches in specific situations.
Transgression, regression and fossil community succession

Recent paleoecological studies have emphasized the recognition of successional stages of level-bottom communities, but have neglected to point out techniques for distinguishing succession within a fossil community from the temporal and spatial replacement of one fossil community by another. The physical integrity of a marine level-bottom community is discernible, in most instances, through careful temporal and spatial study, and one community can be distinguished from another by judicious application of the ‘end-member’ concept. Community boundaries are only as distinct as the associated environmental stress gradient. Of first-order significance in understanding fossil community succession and replacement is appreciation of the basic asymmetry of the community dynamics involved in transgression-regression events. Of second-order importance is appreciation of the nature of the onshore-offshore environmental stress gradient, which, in turn, is controlled by the physical setting of transgression-regression (e.g. progradation versus eustatic control; high topographic relief versus low topographic relief, etc.). The application of the preceding concepts is shown by detailed study of community succession and replacement in the Cambridge Limestone (Upper Pennsylvanian), Guernsey County, Ohio.
The Volatile South: A Historical Geography of Presidential Elections in the South, 1872-1992

This paper investigates the historical geography of presidential elections in the South between 1872 and 1992. T-mode factor analysis of presidential election returns from the approximately 1,300 counties and county equivalents of 13 southern states is undertaken in order to identify geographical normal votes, or time periods characterized by substantial similarities in levels of support for Democratic Party presidential candidates across the region. The results are compared with previously published analyses which examine changes over time across the entire United States. The results identify the period following World War II as that in which the South emerged from its traditional Democratic Party dominance and became the vital and volatile electoral region that it is today. A region once virtually ignored in national presidential politics has emerged at the center of America's political landscape, and in recent years no presidential candidate has moved into the White House without attaining significant Electoral College support in the South.
Multiple Modes of Calcium-induced Calcium Release in Sympathetic Neurons I: Attenuation of Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca 2 Ϩ Accumulation at Low [ca 2 Ϩ ] I during Weak Depolarization

abstract Many cells express ryanodine receptors (RyRs) whose activation is thought to amplify depolarization-evoked elevations in cytoplasmic Ca 2 ϩ concentration ([Ca 2 ϩ ] i) through a process of Ca 2 ϩ-induced Ca 2 ϩ release (CICR). In neurons, it is usually assumed that CICR triggers net Ca 2 ϩ release from an ER Ca 2 ϩ store. However, since net ER Ca 2 ϩ transport depends on the relative rates of Ca 2 ϩ uptake and release via distinct pathways, weak activation of a CICR pathway during periods of ER Ca accumulation would have a totally different effect: attenua-tion of Ca 2 ϩ accumulation. Stronger CICR activation at higher [Ca 2 ϩ ] i could further attenuate Ca 2 ϩ accumulation or trigger net Ca 2 ϩ release, depending on the quantitative properties of the underlying Ca 2 ϩ transporters. This and the companion study investigate which of these CICR " modes " operate during depolariza-tion-induced Ca 2 ϩ entry in sympathetic neurons. The present study focuses on small [Ca 2 ϩ ] i elevations (less than ‫ف‬ 350 nM) evoked by weak depolarization. The following two approaches were used: (1) Ca 2 ϩ fluxes were estimated from simultaneous measurements of [Ca 2 ϩ ] i and I Ca in fura-2–loaded cells (perforated patch conditions), and (2) total ER Ca concentrations ([Ca] ER) were measured using X-ray microanalysis. Flux analysis revealed triggered net Ca 2 ϩ release during depolarization in the presence but not the absence of caffeine, and [Ca 2 ϩ ] i responses were accelerated by SERCA inhibitors, implicating ER Ca 2 ϩ accumulation, which was confirmed by direct [Ca] ER measurements. Ryanodine abolished caffeine-induced CICR and enhanced depolarization-induced ER Ca 2 ϩ accumulation, indicating that activation of the CICR pathway normally attenuates ER Ca 2 ϩ accumulation, which is a novel mechanism for accelerating evoked [Ca 2 ϩ ] i responses. Theory shows how such a low gain mode of CICR can operate during weak stimulation and switch to net Ca 2 ϩ release at high [Ca 2 ϩ ] i , a transition demonstrated in the companion study. These results emphasize the importance of the relative rates of Ca 2 ϩ uptake and release in defining ER contributions to depolarization-induced Ca 2 ϩ signals. key words: calcium signaling • endoplasmic reticulum • caffeine • ryanodine • electron probe X-ray mi-croanalysis I N T R …
Development of mucosal adjuvants for intranasal vaccine for H5N1 in ﬂ uenza viruses

: An increasing number of infections of highly pathogenic avian inﬂ uenza virus (H5N1) in humans has been reported in South-East Asia and other areas of the world. High mortality ( (cid:2) 60%) of this viral infection and its pathosis of systemic infection are features of this new human disease. Moreover, there is great concern that this avian H5N1 virus could cause a pandemic of new inﬂ uenza in humans, once it acquires the ability for human to human transmission. To prevent such highly contagious infectious diseases as inﬂ uenza, it is essential to prepare effective vaccines. Especially in the case of new inﬂ uenza virus, we cannot predict the strain which will cause the pandemic. In such a situation, a vaccine that induces cross-protective immunity against variant viruses is extremely important. However currently used parenteral seasonal inﬂ uenza vaccine is strain-speciﬁ c, and is less effective against variant viruses. In order to overcome the weakness of current vaccines we need to learn from the immune responses induced by natural infection with inﬂ uenza viruses. In the case of mucosally acquired acute respiratory infection such as inﬂ uenza, mucosal immunity induced by natural infection plays important role in protection against the infection, as mucosal secretory IgA antibody plays an important role in cross-protection. In this review we describe the advantages and development of mucosal vaccine against highly pathogenic H5N1 inﬂ uenza viruses.
DISEÑO SIMULTÁNEO DE UNA ETAPA DE EXTRACCIÓN DE CARACTERÍSTICAS Y UN CLASIFICADOR BASADO EN HMM

A hidden Markov model (HMM) – based methodology for simultaneous design of extraction and classification stages is presented. Such a methodology is based on the minimum classification error (MCE) algorithm. The feature extraction is model state – dependent and is optimized using the same criterion of parameter estimation of the HMM. Validation is carried out over an automatic detection of pathological voices problem. The result shows that the MCE training improves the accuracy against the classical maximum likelihood training. The proposed methodology diminished the similarity between models of different classes and improves the performance system.
A comparison of Greenland ice-sheet volume changes derived from altimetry measurements

Abstract We compare rates of surface-elevation change on the Greenland ice sheet derived from European Remote-sensing Satellite-2 (ERS-2) radar-altimeter data with those obtained from laser-altimeter data collected over nearly the same time periods. Radar-altimeter data show more rapid thickening (9 ± 1 cm a−1 above 1500 m elevation in the north, and 3 ± 1 cm a−1 above 2000 m in the south) than the laser estimates, possibly caused by a lifting of the radar-reflection horizon associated with changes in the snowpack, such as those caused by progressively increased surface melting, as summer temperatures rise. Over all the ice sheet above 2000 m, this results in an ERS-derived volume balance ∼75 ± 15 km3 a−1 more positive than that from laser data. This bias between laser and radar estimates of elevation change varies spatially and temporally, so cannot at present be corrected without independent surveys such as those presented here. At lower elevations, comparison of detailed repeat laser surveys over Jakobshavn Isbræ with ERS results over the same time interval shows substantial ERS underestimation of ice-thinning rates. This results partly from missing data because of ‘bad’ radar waveforms over the very rough surface topography, and partly from the tendency for large radar footprints to sample preferentially local high points in the topography, thus missing regions of most rapid thinning along glacier depressions.
Chapter 1 Introduction: Cultural Politics of User-Generated Encyclopaedias: Comparing Chinese Wikipedia and Baidu Baike

Finally, I will articulate the theoretical and policy implications of the findings in Chapter 7. The findings fill various gaps in our understanding of the Chinese-language Internet. In particular, they show where and how the cultural-political boundaries manifest themselves. It discusses how geolinguistic arrangements are critical for our understanding of how information is ordered and for its boundaries. Geolinguistic processability, or the overall socio-technical processes and outcomes that process linguistic and geographic specificity of information, matters for defining the centre and boundaries of information–rich societies.7. 1 Understanding the Chinese-language Internet 3007.2 Implications for research and policy 3107.3 Understanding the geolinguistic dynamics of knowledge and information 316
Low cholesterol as a risk factor for primary intracerebral hemorrhage: A case–control study

Introduction: An inverse association between serum cholesterol and the risk of hemorrhagic stroke has been noted in epidemiological studies. We performed a case–control study to assess the relationship between primary intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and low serum cholesterol. Materials and Methods: Prospectively recruited fully evaluated patients with ICH were compared with a control group based in a primary care practice, i.e. age- and sex-matched individuals attending the routine preventive health check-up. Low cholesterol was defined by the sex-specific lowest quintile of the population. Results: The proportion of ICH patients with low cholesterol was significantly higher than the controls (68% vs. 43%). Mean total cholesterol was also signficantly low in ICH patients compared with controls (177 mg/dL vs. 200 mg/dl; P-value = 0.0006). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and triglycerides were also significantly low in ICH patients compared with controls. Mean LDL-C in the ICH patient group was 114 mg/dL, whereas it was 128.5 mg/dL in the control group (P-value = 0.016). There was no significant difference in the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels in both groups. In a subgroup analysis, both men and women in the ICH group had a significantly low mean cholesterol compared with the control group. Although lower mean cholesterol was seen in both young and older individuals in the ICH group than in controls, the difference was significant only in the older group (age >45 years). In multivariate analysis, presence of low cholesterol remained a significant predictor of hemorrhage. The odds ratio of low cholesterol in the hemorrhage cases was 2.75 (95% CI = 1.44–5.49) unadjusted and 2.15 (1.13–4.70) adjusted for age and hypertension. Conclusions: This study confirms an increased risk of primary ICH associated with low cholesterol both in men and women, especially in older individuals.
A Comparative Study of Head Circumference of Infants in Two Ethnic Groups

Anthropometric parameters serve as useful adjuncts to other observations in evaluating intrauterine as well as infantile growth and development. Determination of measurements with regard to Head Circumference of infants during first year of life is important for the assessment of physical growth. Range of anthropometric measurements in each parameter is different in different races. Earlier reported work indicates that socioeconomic and nutritional status affects the growth even within the ethnic groups. The present study is taken as a longitudinal study conducted periodically in infants (0-12 months) of two contrasting groups- Jat Sikh and Bania communities of Punjab belonging to similar socioeconomic status. Head circumference was measured with the help of measuring tape. Earlier studies indicated that racial factors of growth could be modified to some extent by improved socioeconomic status and nutrition. Since both groups compared in this study were belonging to similar socioeconomic status hence nutritional status of these groups was also similar. It was observed that Bania male as well as female infants had smaller head circumference as compared to their Jat Sikh counterparts. This change may be attributed to sedentary life style among the urban population.
MAPKThe Regulation of Th1 Responses by the p38

IL-12 is a dimeric cytokine that is produced primarily by APCs. In this study we examined the role that the p38 MAPKs (MAPK/ p38) play in regulating IL-12 production. We show that inhibition of p38 dramatically increased IL-12 production upon stimulation, while decreasing TNF- a . This reciprocal effect on these two cytokines following MAPK/p38 inhibition occurred in many different APCs, following a variety of different stimuli. IL-12 production was also increased in macrophages treated with small interfering RNA to limit p38 a expression, and in macrophages deﬁcient in MKK3, a kinase upstream of p38. The increase in IL-12 production following MAPK/p38 inhibition appears to be due to enhanced IL-12 (p40) mRNA stability. We show that MAPK/p38 inhibition can promote Th1 immune responses and thereby enhance vaccine efﬁcacy against leishmaniasis. In a mouse model of Leishmania major infection, vaccination with heat-killed L. major plus CpG and SB203580 elicited complete protection against infection compared with heat-killed L. major plus CpG without SB203580. Thus, this work suggests that MAPK/p38 inhibitors may be applied as adjuvants to bias immune responses and improve vaccinations against intracellular pathogens. The Journal of Immunology , 2010, 185: 6205–6213. following the manufacturers’ instructions. The relative differences among samples were determined using the DD C T methods as previously described (14, 15). The C T value for GAPDH gene was used to normalize loading in the RT-PCRs. A DD C T value was then obtained by subtracting control D C T values from the corresponding experi- mental D C T . The DD C T values were converted to fold difference compared with the control by raising 2 to the DD C T power. An unpaired Student t test was used for statistical analysis. The p values , 0.05 were considered to be statistically signiﬁcant.
Geology of Permian rocks in the western phosphate field; The Phosphoria, Park City, and Shedhorn formations in the western phosphate field

Abstract The Phosphoria Formation of Permian age consists of chert, carbonaceous mudstone, and phosphorite in its typical area in southeastern Idaho. These rocks intertongue with, and pass laterally into, sandstone in south-central Montana and northwestern Ywoming, carbonate rock in west-central Wyoming, and carbonate rock and subordinate sandstone in northwestern Wyoming, carbonate rock in west-central Wyoming, and carbonate rock and subordinate sandstone in northeastern Utah; thin tongues of phosphatic and cherty rocks, however, persist over all of these areas. The carbonate rocks in turn intertongue with, and pass laterally into, greenish gray and red beds in eastern Wyoming, southeastern Montana, eastern Utah, and northwestern Colorado. The plan of nomenclature developed to describe these rocks and their relationships has the following chief elements: (1) it retains the name Phosphoria Formation for the chert-mudstone-pbosphonte facies and identifies as tongues of the Phosphoria Formation rocks of these lithologic types that interfinger with sandstone and carbonate rock along the fringe of the phosphate field; (2) it retains the name Park City Formation (Permian) for the sequence of carbonate rock and sandstone in Utah, restores this name for similar carbonate rock in west-central Wyoming, and identifies as tongues of the Park City Formation beds of carbonate rock that interfinger with other formations in Idaho, western Wyoming, and Montana: and (3) the plan introduces a new name, the Shedhorn Sandstone, for sandstones of Phosphoria age in northwestern Wyoming and adjacent parts of Montana and identifies as tongues of the Shedhorn Sandstone the beds of sandstone that interfinger with the Phosphoria and Park City Formations in northwestern Wyoming and southwestern Montana.