Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of a Spaced Thinning in Mature Lodgepole Pine on Within-Stand Microclimate and Fine Fuel Moisture Content

Thinning mature forest stands to wide spacing is prescribed to reduce crown bulk density and likelihood of severe crown fi re behaviour. However, it may adversely affect surface fuel load, moisture content and within-stand wind, which infl uence sur- face fi re behaviour and crowning potential. Comparison of a mature lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.) stand in southeastern British Columbia to an adjacent stand with half the basal area removed by thinning to 4 m inter-tree spacing found a decrease in canopy interception of rainfall and increases in solar radiation, windspeed, and near-surface air temperature during peak fi re danger hours over 13 fi seasons. Moisture content of needle litter and fuel moisture sticks was measured in both stands in 2005. Between-treatment differences in moisture content of sticks and litter were greatest after rain, but decreased quickly as fuels dried, to very small at moderate fi re danger. Prediction of moisture content of lodgepole pine needle litter using the Canadian Fire Weather Index System also improved as fuels dried and worked well for both stands at moderate fi re danger. There was only one day at higher fi re danger during the study. Further studies should examine physical models of fuel moisture and microclimate under a wider range of stand densities, fuel types and climatic conditions.
House dust mite control measures in the treatment of asthma

Sensitization to the house dust mite (Dermataphagoides pteronyssinus) (HDM) is the most common risk factor associated with the development of asthma in adults and children. The effectiveness of HDM control measures in the treatment of asthma is not yet proven. The strategies for control for avoidance depend on our understanding of the biology of the HDM. The evidence suggests a favorable effect of transferring allergic asthmatic children to naturally low dust mite environments, such as at altitude or in hospital, but little to suggest that this can be replicated in general practice by simple practical measures such as mattress covers. However, a recent multi-allergen reduction approach has suggested benefits may be achievable. HDM densities tend to be high in warm, humid conditions in the home, which may be modified by external factors, such as ventilation. However, ventilation control to reduce indoor humidity has had inconsistent effects on dust mite levels and asthma. The challenge is to further refine the interventions in large placebo-controlled trials such that clinical outcomes may be more easily demonstrated.
Topographic scattering of the low‐mode internal tide in the deep ocean

We investigate the role of deep-ocean topography in scattering energy from the large spatial scales of the low-mode internal tide to the smaller spatial scales of higher modes. The complete Green function method, which is not subject to the restrictions of the WKB approximation, is used for the first time to study the two-dimensional scattering of a mode-1 internal tide incident on subcritical and supercritical topography of any form in arbitrary stratifications. For an isolated Gaussian ridge in a uniform stratification, large amplitude critical topography is the most efficient at mode-1 scattering and small amplitude topography scatters with an efficiency on the order of 5–10%. In a nonuniform stratification with a pycnocline, the results are qualitatively the same as for a constant stratification, albeit with the key features shifted to larger height ratios. Having validated these results by direct comparison with the results of nonlinear numerical simulations, and in the process demonstrated that WKB results are not appropriate for reasonable ocean predictions, we proceed to use the Green function approach to quantify the role of topographic scattering for the region of the Pacific Ocean surrounding the Hawaiian Islands chain. To the south, the Line Islands ridge is found to scatter ∼40% of a mode-1 internal tide coming from the Hawaiian Ridge. To the north, realistic, small-amplitude, rough topography scatters ∼5–10% of the energy out of mode 1 for transects of length 1000–3000 km. A significant finding is that compared to large extents of small-amplitude, rough topography a single large topographic feature along the path of a mode-1 internal tide plays the dominant role in scattering the internal tide.
Mobile Health Physical Activity Intervention Preferences in Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Study

Background Cancer survivors are at an elevated risk for several negative health outcomes, but physical activity (PA) can decrease those risks. Unfortunately, adherence to PA recommendations among survivors is low. Fitness mobile apps have been shown to facilitate the adoption of PA in the general population, but there are limited apps specifically designed for cancer survivors. This population has unique needs and barriers to PA, and most existing PA apps do not address these issues. Moreover, incorporating user preferences has been identified as an important priority for technology-based PA interventions, but at present there is limited literature that serves to establish these preferences in cancer survivors. This is especially problematic given the high cost of app development and because the majority of downloaded apps fail to engage users over the long term. Objective The aim of this study was to take a qualitative approach to provide practical insight regarding this population’s preferences for the features and messages of an app to increase PA. Methods A total of 35 cancer survivors each attended 2 focus groups; a moderator presented slide shows on potential app features and messages and asked open-ended questions to elicit participant preferences. All sessions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Three reviewers independently conducted thematic content analysis on all transcripts, then organized and consolidated findings to identify salient themes. Results Participants (mean age 63.7, SD 10.8, years) were mostly female (24/35, 69%) and mostly white (25/35, 71%). Participants generally had access to technology and were receptive to engaging with an app to increase PA. Themes identified included preferences for (1) a casual, concise, and positive tone, (2) tools for personal goal attainment, (3) a prescription for PA, and (4) an experience that is tailored to the user. Participants reported wanting extensive background data collection with low data entry burden and to have a trustworthy source translate their personal data into individualized PA recommendations. They expressed a desire for app functions that could facilitate goal achievement and articulated a preference for a more private social experience. Finally, results indicated that PA goals might be best established in the context of personally held priorities and values. Conclusions Many of the desired features identified are compatible with both empirically supported methods of behavior change and the relative strengths of an app as a delivery vehicle for behavioral intervention. Participating cancer survivors’ preferences contrasted with many current standard practices for mobile app development, including value-based rather than numeric goals, private socialization in small groups rather than sharing with broader social networks, and interpretation of PA data rather than merely providing numerical data. Taken together, these insights may help increase the acceptability of theory-based mHealth PA interventions in cancer survivors.
The Origin and Deformation of Some "Molar-Tooth" Structures in the Precambrian Belt-Purcell Supergroup

The most characteristic type of "molar-tooth" structure in the Belt-Purcell succession of western North America is briefly described and illustrated. It is interpreted as a system of originally linear, vertical calcite sheets or ribbons, locally united by horizontal members to form an open framework and attributed to some form of algal or allied organic activity. Subsequent to their formation in water-rich silts and silty clays at depths of less than 1.3 m. below the sedimentary interface, compaction crinkled the vertical sheets and, in some cases, produced structures resembling the ptygmatic veins in metamorphic rocks. The geometry and mechanism of deformation of isolated vertical sheets approximate to theoretical models used to investigate folding in rocks. Although these models can in principle be used to determine various properties of the calcite sheets, the available data permit an estimate of the "viscosity" only-of the order of 400-40,000 poise at the time of their formation. Further investigation of these structures is needed to establish their organic origin with certainty; to determine the environmental conditions controlling their formation; to explain their restriction to later Precambrian sequences; to investigate their possible use as a Precambrian form-fossil; and to compare their deformation more fully with theoretical models.
Distinctive Particle Motion of Surface Waves as a Diagnostic of Anisotropic Layering

Summary Surface waves propagating along particular directions in anisotropic media may have one of three distinctive particle motions indicating orientations of planes of anisotropic symmetry with respect to the direction of propagation and the free surface. The particle motion of surface waves in a medium with a horizontal plane of symmetry has been observed on seismograms and used to indicate the presence of such anisotropy within the Upper Mantle.
The Relationship of Orthodontic Treatment Need with Periodontal Status, Dental Caries, and Sociodemographic Factors

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of orthodontic malocclusion with periodontal status, dental caries, and sociodemographic status. Our study population consisted of a sample of 836 school children (384 male and 452 female, aged 11–14 years). Four experienced orthodontists and two experienced periodontists performed the clinical examinations. The Treatment Priority Index (TPI), Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN), decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) scores, and a questionnaire that surveyed socio-demographic status of students were used. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were used to measure the association between variables. TPI scores showed that 36.4% of the students had normal occlusion, while 41.2% had slight, 15.7% had definite, 4% had severe, and 2.7% had very severe malocclusion. TPI values did not show any significant differences between pupils in different age, gender, socioeconomic status groups, and CPITN scores, whereas there was a significant relationship between TPI and DMFT scores. The orthodontic treatment need was not significantly correlated with CPITN or socio-demographic status; however, the correlation coefficient showed a significant relationship between TPI and DMFT scores.
TOWARDS THE INTEGRATION OF SUBSURFACE FLOW AND OVERLAND FLOW IN GULLY HEAD EXTENSION: ISSUES FROM A CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR GULLY EROSION EVOLUTION

A conceptual model for gully erosion evolution conceives that, on the same hillslope, erosive incisions connected and disconnected to the main drainage net may integrate into a unique channel. At the moment of the integration, the synergetics of overland flow and subsurface flow would trigger a stage of accelerated erosion rates. The tendency to the integration proposed by the model has been verified in the field in a potentially integrative gully erosion system. Erosive features named “regressive alcoves” have been studied for the last six months on an experimental field site. Most of the gully head expansion was associated to the retreat of the “regressive alcoves”. The interaction in time, at the same place, of different mechanisms, was responsible for the accelerated retreat of the gully head. “Regressive alcoves” seem to be erosive features in which overland and subsurface flow tend to reach a synergetic interaction.
Essential Role for the d-Asb11 cul5 Box Domain for Proper Notch Signaling and Neural Cell Fate Decisions In Vivo

ECS (Elongin BC-Cul2/Cul5-SOCS-box protein) ubiquitin ligases recruit substrates to E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes through a SOCS-box protein substrate receptor, an Elongin BC adaptor and a cullin (Cul2 or Cul5) scaffold which interacts with the RING protein. In vitro studies have shown that the conserved amino acid sequence of the cullin box in SOCS-box proteins is required for complex formation and function. However, the in vivo importance of cullin boxes has not been addressed. To explore the biological functions of the cullin box domain of ankyrin repeat and SOCS-box containing protein 11 (d-Asb11), a key mediator of canonical Delta-Notch signaling, we isolated a zebrafish mutant lacking the Cul5 box (Asb11Cul). We found that homozygous zebrafish mutants for this allele were defective in Notch signaling as indicated by the impaired expression of Notch target genes. Importantly, asb11Cul fish were not capable to degrade the Notch ligand DeltaA during embryogenesis, a process essential for the initiation of Notch signaling during neurogenesis. Accordingly, proper cell fate specification within the neurogenic regions of the zebrafish embryo was impaired. In addition, Asb11Cul mRNA was defective in the ability to transactivate a her4::gfp reporter DNA when injected in embryos. Thus, our study reporting the generation and the characterization of a metazoan organism mutant in the conserved cullin binding domain of the SOCS-box demonstrates a hitherto unrecognized importance of the SOCS-box domain for the function of this class of cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases and establishes that the d-Asb11 cullin box is required for both canonical Notch signaling and proper neurogenesis.
Wall Shear Stress in the Early Stage of Unsteady Turbulent Pipe Flow

Conventionally, wall shear stress in an unsteady turbulent pipe flow is decomposed into a quasi-steady component and an “unsteady wall shear stress” component. Whereas the former is evaluated by using “standard” steady flow correlations, extensive research has been carried out to develop methods to predict the latter leading to various unsteady friction models. A different approach of decomposition is used in the present paper whereby the wall shear in an unsteady flow is split into the initial steady value and perturbations from it. It is shown that in the early stages of an unsteady turbulent pipe flow, these perturbations are well described by a laminar-flow formulation. This allows simple expressions to be derived for unsteady friction predictions, which are in good agreement with experimental and computational results.
A Simple and Affordable Method to Create Nonsense Mutation Clones of p53 for Studying the Premature Termination Codon Readthrough Activity of PTC124

(1) Background: A premature termination codon (PTC) can be induced by a type of point mutation known as a nonsense mutation, which occurs within the coding region. Approximately 3.8% of human cancer patients have nonsense mutations of p53. However, the non-aminoglycoside drug PTC124 has shown potential to promote PTC readthrough and rescue full-length proteins. The COSMIC database contains 201 types of p53 nonsense mutations in cancers. We built a simple and affordable method to create different nonsense mutation clones of p53 for the study of the PTC readthrough activity of PTC124. (2) Methods: A modified inverse PCR-based site-directed mutagenesis method was used to clone the four nonsense mutations of p53, including W91X, S94X, R306X, and R342X. Each clone was transfected into p53 null H1299 cells and then treated with 50 μM of PTC124. (3) Results: PTC124 induced p53 re-expression in H1299-R306X and H1299-R342X clones but not in H1299-W91X and H1299-S94X clones. (4) Conclusions: Our data showed that PTC124 more effectively rescued the C-terminal of p53 nonsense mutations than the N-terminal of p53 nonsense mutations. We introduced a fast and low-cost site-directed mutagenesis method to clone the different nonsense mutations of p53 for drug screening.
A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background: Stenosing tenosynovitis (STS) is a chronic aseptic inflammation caused by mechanical friction. The main clinical manifestations are local pain and limited activity of the affected parts, which reduce people’s quality of life. The clinical effect of acupotomy in the treatment of STS is significant, and the operation is simple and the side effect is small. But there are many kinds of acupotomology, and there is a lack of comparative study between different Acupotomology. In this study, the effectiveness of 4 commonly used needle knife therapies (v-knife, oblique knife, crochet knife, flat knife) was ranked by the method of network meta. Methods:CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Sinomed, PubMed, and Cochrane Library were searched to collect randomized controlled trials of v-knife, oblique knife, crochet knife, and flat knife in the treatment of STS. The search time limit is from the date of establishment to October 15, 2021. Revman5.3, gemtc 0.14. 3, and stata14.2 were used for data analysis, and Cochrane bias risk assessment tool was used to screen and evaluate the quality of included literatures. Conclusion: Objective to provide evidence-based medicine evidence for clinical selection of the best needle knife treatment scheme for STS. Abbreviations: RCTs = randomized controlled trials, STS = stenosing tenosynovitis.
A Short and Somewhat Personal History of Yukon Glacier Studies in the Twentieth Century

Glaciological exploration of the Yukon for scientific purposes began in 1935, with the National Geographic Society’s Yukon Expedition led by Bradford Washburn and the Wood Yukon Expedition led by Walter Wood. However, Project “Snow Cornice,” launched by Wood in 1948, was the first expedition to have glacier science as its principal focus. Wood’s conception of the “Icefield Ranges Research Project” led the Arctic Institute of North America (AINA) to establish the Kluane Lake Research Station on the south shore of Kluane Lake in 1961. Virtually all subsequent field studies of Yukon glaciers were launched from this base. This short history attempts to document the trajectory of Yukon glacier studies from their beginnings in 1935 to the end of the 20th century. It describes glaciological programs conducted from AINA camps at the divide between Hubbard Glacier and the north arm of Kaskawulsh Glacier and at the confluence of the north and central arms of Kaskawulsh Glacier, as well as the galvanizing influence of the 1965 – 67 Steele Glacier surge and the inception and completion of the long-term Trapridge Glacier study. Excluded or minimized in this account are scientific studies that were conducted on or near glaciers, but did not have glaciers or glacier processes as their primary focus.
Mass Balance of Antarctica and Sea Level Change

Abstract : The overall mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet has been estimated by comparison of the best available data on input in the form of snowfall with output in the form of ice flux through gates at or near the margin of the ice sheet. Surface melt is a negligible contributor to mass balance and has been ignored. Bottom melt under large ice shelves remains a major source of uncertainty. We conclude that there is probably an excess input of 2-25% of the total input, equivalent to a sea level lowering of 0.1-1.1 mm yr-l. Although errors remain, it becomes increasingly clear that an antarctic contribution to current sea level rise is unlikely. We attribute a reported iceberg flux that is larger than the mass input to a non-equilibrium breakback of the fronts of the ice shelves.
Estimation of optical properties of arctic haze using a numerical model

Abstract The optical parameters of Arctic haze, such as the scattering and the absorption coefficients and the asymmetry factor, have been estimated using a theoretical haze model. The Aden and Kerker solution for spherical nuclei coated with a spherical shell was employed to account for the observed sulphuric acid coating on Arctic aerosols. Six original aerosol materials are considered; four are natural and two are anthropogenic in origin (sulphuric acid and soot). The relative humidity is varied between 0 and 99% and the effects of anthropogenic substances are examined. Carbonaceous material can increase the absorption coefficient by up to a factor 5 in the visible range, while sulphuric acid significantly increases the growth of particles and affects all of the optical parameters. The haze model is found to be consistent with available measurements of aerosol characteristics and optical parameters. The haze model is then used to convert a vertical profile of the extinction coefficient to a profile of .
Interannual variability in the mid- and low-latitude western North Pacific

Abstract Twenty-two years (1967–88) of hydrographic data collected by the Japan Meteorological Agency along the 137°E meridian and surface wind data compiled by Florida State University (FSU) were analyzed to study the interannual variability in the western North Pacific. In the midlatitude region north of 22°N, the dominant signal in the dynamic height field was the interannual path variations of the Kuroshio. Whereas the eastward transport of the Kuroshio itself had no significant changes between the straight-path and meander-path years, the net transport of the Kuroshio system including recirculations showed a 30% increase during the meander-path years. In the straight-path years when the net transport was small, the Kuroshio tended to take a straight path with a strong recirculation developed to the south. The interannual path variations of the Kuroshio strongly influenced the water-mass movement in the midlatitudes. During the Kuroshio meander years, we found that a significant portion of the North P.
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Meteorites

Foreword 1. Cosmic dust - interplanetary dust particles 2. The fall of meteorites 3. External morphology of meteorites 4. Classification of meteorites: a historical viewpoint 5. Primitive meteorites: the chondrites 6. Chondrites: a closer look 7. Primitive meteorites: the carbonaceous chondrites 8. Differentiated meteorites: the achondrites 9. Differentiated meteorites: irons and stony-irons 10. Meteorites and the early solar system 11. Asteroid parent bodies 12. Terrestrial impact craters Appendices.
Vulnerability Assessment of Environmental and Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources in Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Sultanate of Oman

Climate change and its consequences present one of the most important threats to water resources systems which are vulnerable to such changes due to their limited adaptive capacity. Water resources in arid mountain regions, such as Al Jabal Al Akhdar; northern Sultanate of Oman, are vulnerable to the potential adverse impacts of environmental and climate change. Besides climatic change, current demographic trends, economic development and related land use changes are exerting pressures and have direct impacts on increasing demands for water resources and their vulnerability. In this study, vulnerability assessment was carried out using guidelines prepared by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Peking University to evaluate four components of the water resource system: water resources stress, water development pressure, ecological health, and management capacity. The calculated vulnerability index (VI) was high, indicating that the water resources are experiencing levels of stress. Ecosystem deterioration was the dominant parameter and management capacity was the dominant category driving the vulnerability on water resources. The vulnerability assessment will support policy and decision makers in evaluating options to modify existing policies. It will also help in developing long-term strategic plans for climate change mitigation and adaptation measures and implement effective policies for sustainable water resources management, and therefore the sustenance of human wellbeing in the region.