Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cardiac Excitation and Contraction Dilated cardiomyopathy mutations in thin-ﬁlament regulatory proteins reduce contractility, suppress systolic Ca 2 (cid:2) , and activate NFAT and Akt signaling

Dilated cardiomyopathy mutations in thin-ﬁlament regulatory proteins reduce contractility, suppress systolic Ca 2 (cid:2) , and activate NFAT and Akt signaling. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 319: H306–H319, 2020. cardiomyopathy (DCM) is clinically characterized by dilated ventricular cavities and reduced ejection fraction, leading to heart failure and increased thromboembolic risk. Mutations in thin-ﬁlament regulatory proteins can cause DCM and have been shown in vitro to reduce contractility and myoﬁlament Ca 2 (cid:2) -afﬁnity. In this work we have studied the functional consequences of mutations in cardiac troponin T (R131W), cardiac troponin I (K36Q) and (cid:3) -tropomyosin (E40K) using adenovirally transduced isolated guinea pig left ventricular cardiomyocytes. We ﬁnd signiﬁcantly reduced fractional shortening with reduced systolic Ca 2 (cid:2) . Contraction and Ca 2 (cid:2) reuptake times were slowed, which contrast with some ﬁndings in murine models of myoﬁlament Ca 2 (cid:2) desensitization. We also observe increased sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca 2 (cid:2) load and smaller fractional SR Ca 2 (cid:2) release. This corresponds to a reduction in SR Ca 2 (cid:2) -ATPase activity and increase in sodium-calcium exchanger activity. We also observe dephosphorylation and nuclear translocation of the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), with concordant RAC- (cid:3) -serine/threonine protein kinase (Akt) phosphorylation but no change to extracellular signal (cid:2) regulated kinase activation in chronically paced cardiomyocytes expressing DCM mutations. These changes in Ca 2 (cid:2) handling and signaling are common to all three mutations, indicating an analogous pathway of disease pathogenesis in thin-ﬁlament sarcomeric DCM. Previous work has shown that changes to myoﬁlament Ca 2 (cid:2) sensitivity caused by DCM mutations are qualitatively opposite from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) mutations in the same genes. However, we ﬁnd several common pathways such as increased relaxation times and NFAT activation that are also hallmarks of HCM. This suggests more complex intracellular signaling underpinning DCM, driven by the primary mutation. that provide for recapitulate dysregulation in DCM disease pathogenesis. This study provides a direct comparison with our previous work on different mutations in the same genes that cause the phenotypically distinct HCM. As at the molecular level, the DCM and HCM subsets of mutations have opposing effects on contractile function, we postulated that thin-ﬁlament DCM mutations may cause distinct alterations in Ca 2 (cid:2) cycling and signaling compared with HCM mutations in the same model.
On the Asymptotic Equivalence Between Differential Hebbian and Temporal Difference Learning

In this theoretical contribution, we provide mathematical proof that two of the most important classes of network learningcorrelation-based differential Hebbian learning and reward-based temporal difference learningare asymptotically equivalent when timing the learning with a modulatory signal. This opens the opportunity to consistently reformulate most of the abstract reinforcement learning framework from a correlation-based perspective more closely related to the biophysics of neurons.
What can auditory neuroethology tell us about speech processing?

A systematic relationship between the acoustic structure and phonemic content of speech raises the possibility that processing strategies similar to those described in animals with highly specialized hearing may also operate in the human brain. This idea could be tested by analyzing animal communication calls into locus equations and using those as stimulus tools in neurophysiological studies of auditory neurons.
The optical constants of several atmospheric aerosol species: Ammonium sulfate, aluminum oxide, and sodium chloride

The optical constants of substances composing atmospheric aerosols are required to evaluate properly the effects of aerosols on the earth's radiation balance. We briefly review techniques for determining optical constants and also discuss pitfalls in using measured optical constants to simulate the optical constants of the real particles found in the atmosphere. We then compile the optical constants of (NH4)2SO4, Al2O3, and NaCl. The optical constants Of Al2O3 and NaCl are derived from values quoted in the literature. The optical constants of (NH4)2SO4 are derived partly from values quoted in the literature and partly from our own measurements.
Forcing of intraseasonal Kelvin waves in the equatorial Pacific

Ten-year time series of sea surface temperature (SST), 20°C depth, and zonal winds measured by moored buoys across the equatorial Pacific are used to define the intraseasonal (30- to 90-day period) Kelvin waves. The Kelvin waves are observed to be forced west of the date line and propagate at a speed of 2.4 m s−1, with high zonal coherence over at least 10,000 km. They form a major component of thermocline depth variability in the east-central Pacific. The intraseasonal-band variance has a low-frequency modulation both at the annual and interannual frequencies; higher amplitudes are observed in boreal fall/winter and during the onset phase of El Nino warm events. The oceanic intraseasonal variability and its low-frequency modulation are coherent with atmospheric intraseasonal variations (the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO)), which are known to propagate eastward into the Pacific from the Indian Ocean as part of a planetary-scale signal. The life cycle of an individual or series of MJOs is determined by a combination of factors including tropical SSTs over the warm pool regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and interaction with the planetary-scale atmospheric circulation. Thus the intraseasonal Kelvin waves should be taken as an aspect of a global phenomenon, not simply internal to the Pacific. The oceanic intraseasonal variability peaks at periods near 60–75 days, while the corresponding atmospheric variations have somewhat higher frequencies (35- to 60-day periods). We show that this period offset is potentially related to the zonal fetch of the wind compared to the frequency-dependent zonal wavelength of the Kelvin wave response. A simple model is formulated that suggests an ocean-atmosphere coupling by which zonal advection of SST feeds back to the atmosphere; the model duplicates the steplike advance of warm water and westerly winds across the Pacific at the onset of the El Nino of 1991–1992. The key dynamics of the model is that the atmosphere responds rapidly to the state of the ocean, but the ocean's response to the atmosphere is lagged because it is an integral over the entire wind forcing history felt by the wave. This results in a nonlinear ordinary differential equation that allows a net nonzero lowfrequency ocean signal to develop from zero-mean sinusoidal forcing at intraseasonal frequencies.
Wind-Generated Power Input to the Deep Ocean: An Estimate Using a 1/10° General Circulation Model

Abstract Recent studies on the wind-generated power input to the geostrophic and nongeostrophic ocean circulation components have used expressions derived from Ekman dynamics. The present work extends and unifies previous studies by deriving an expression from the kinetic energy budget of the upper layer based on the primitive equations. Using this expression, the wind-generated power available to the deep ocean is estimated from an integration with the 1/10° ocean general circulation model of the Earth Simulator Center. The result shows that the total power generated by the wind at the sea surface is about 3.8 TW. About 30% of this power (1.1 TW) is passed through a surface layer of about 110-m thickness to the ocean beneath. Approximating the wind-generated power to the deep ocean using Ekman dynamics produces two large errors of opposite signs, which cancel each other to a large extent.
Response of coastal Antarctic phytoplankton to solar radiation and ammonium manipulation: An in situ mesocosm experiment

We tested the role of solar irradiance and ammonium inputs on phytoplankton bloom formation in Antarctic coastal waters (62°39.576′ S; 60°22.408′ W, Livingston Island, South Sethlands) through the combination of a large‐scale, in situ mesocosm experiment and a small‐scale experiment. Phytoplankton growth, nutrient use, and biomass development remained low at ambient irradiances and increased greatly (greater than thirtyfold) to yield large (up to 93 μg chlorophyll a l−1) phytoplankton blooms in response to moderate shading. The phytoplankton communities tested were light limited when irradiance was reduced below 30% of the incident irradiance and stressed by high irradiance at the full ambient irradiance. Ammonium additions greatly stimulated phytoplankton growth, biomass, and stimulated the use of the large nitrate pool present in the Antarctic waters and lead to a decline in the specific UV absorption by mycosporine‐like amminoacids. The small‐scale experiment confirmed the role of UV irradiance in inhibiting phytoplankton growth and the capacity of ammonium inputs to overcome this inhibition. The alleviation of the high‐irradiance stress by ammonium additions provided evidence of a key role of ammonium inputs in allowing phytoplankton to resume growth and nutrient use. The results demonstrate that there is a narrow window of irradiance where phytoplankton growth is adequate and that coastal Antarctic phytoplankton communities, examined here, are either light limited or stressed by high irradiance at irradiances outside this range. More research is needed to analyze the interplay between light climate, ammonium, and bloom initiation in Antarctic coastal waters to test the generality of the results obtained.
Temporal profiles of nerve growth factor beta-subunit level in rat brain regions after transient ischemia.

To determine the role of nerve growth factor (NGF) in ischemic brain damage, we measured the temporal and regional changes in the level of NGF in the hippocampal subfields, the cerebral cortex, the striatum, and the septum at 1, 2, 7, and 30 days after transient forebrain ischemia using a highly sensitive sandwich-type enzyme immunoassay system for the beta-subunit of mouse 7S NGF (beta-NGF). We also analyzed glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity in the hippocampus to ascertain the contribution of reactive astrocytes to NGF production after an ischemic insult. In the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus, the level of beta-NGF decreased slightly 2 days after ischemia (not significant), at which time CA1 pyramidal cell loss began to occur, and increased by 40% 30 days after ischemia (p less than 0.05). A marked increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes in the CA1 subfield 2-30 days after ischemia suggests that the reactive astrocytes participated in a gradual increase in the level of beta-NGF after recirculation. The level of beta-NGF in the dentate gyrus decreased transiently 2 days (p less than 0.05) and 7 days (p less than 0.01) after ischemia, followed by recovery to the level of control animals 30 days after ischemia. The level of beta-NGF in the septum gradually decreased 7 days (-27%, p less than 0.05) and 30 days (-43%, p less than 0.01) after ischemia. The levels of beta-NGF in the cerebral cortex and striatum remained unaltered throughout the observation period. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Is extraembryonic angiogenesis in the chick embryo controlled by the endoderm? A morphology study.

The area vasculosa of the chick embryo is subdivided into two concentric zones: the inner transparent area pellucida vasculosa (AVP) and the less transparent surrounding area opaca vasculosa (AOV). The different optical properties of these zones are caused by the different morphology of the endoderm, which consists of flat cells in the APV and of high-prismatic cells containing large yolk vacuoles in the AOV. The present study describes how this endodermal subdivision of the area vasculosa is related to the development of the extraembryonic vascular pattern. By injection of ink into the vascular system of chick embryos at stages 12 to 20 (Hamburger and Hamilton 1951 "HH"), it has been demonstrated that the vascular net of the area vasculosa from stage 14 (HH) onwards develops into different patterns in APV and AOV. The small loops of uniform capillary vessels of stage 13 (HH) are widened due to the rapid expansion of the extraembryonic mesoderm. In the AOV from stage 14 (HH) onwards numerous small blood vessels sprout into the enlarged intervascular spaces. This process is maximal at stage 17 (HH). In contrast, the blood vessels of the APV remain largely unbranched. These findings suggest that the development of the extraembryonic vascular pattern is controlled by the endodermal pattern. To test this hypothesis, both zones (APV and AOV) were examined by light microscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, in vivo observations and by treatment with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). TEM examinations show that the ultrastructural organization of the APV mesoderm is different from that of the AOV: The splanchnopleuric cells of the APV form a continuous cover around the endothelial cells connected by numerous desmosomes, whereas the splanchnopleuric cells of the AOV are frequently separated by gaps. The largest gaps are seen in the small blood vessels at stage 17 (HH). These results should be considered in relation to the dynamic changes in the vascular pattern of the AOV. The endodermal cells of APV and AOV are two different populations. In vivo observation of the endodermal transition from APV to AOV detected no transformations of APV cells into AOV cells or vice versa. The borderline between the zones is stable. The AOV endoderm, having been overgrown by the expanding mesoderm, stops proliferating almost completely, whereas the proliferation of the APV endoderm is unaffected by contact with the mesoderm. The rate of its proliferation is approximately as high as that of the AOV prior to contact with the expanding mesoderm (results after treatment with BrdU). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A Sorghum Mutant Resource as an Efficient Platform for Gene Discovery in 1 Grasses 2

Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L . Moench) is a versatile C4 crop and a model for research in 21 family Poaceae. High-quality genome sequence is available for the elite inbred line 22 BTx623, but functional validation of genes remains challenging due to the limited 23 genomic and germplasm resources available for comprehensive analysis of induced 24 mutations. In this study, we generated 6,400 pedigreed M 4 mutant pools from ethyl 25 methane sulfonate (EMS)-mutagenized BTx623 seeds through single-seed descent. 26 Whole-genome sequencing of 256 phenotyped mutant lines revealed > 1.8 million 27 canonical EMS-induced mutations, affecting >95% of genes in the sorghum genome. The 28 vast majority (97.5%) of the induced mutations were distinct from natural variations. To 29 demonstrate the utility of the sequenced sorghum mutant resource, we performed reverse 30 genetics to identify eight genes potentially affecting drought tolerance, three of which 31 had allelic mutations and two of which exhibited exact co-segregation with the phenotype 32 of interest. Our results establish that a large-scale resource of sequenced pedigreed 33 mutants provides an efficient platform for functional validation of genes in sorghum, 34 thereby accelerating sorghum breeding. Moreover, findings made in sorghum could be 35 readily translated to other members of the Poaceae via integrated genomics approaches. 36
Static characterizations of reservoirs: refining the concepts of connectivity and continuity

Static descriptive measures can be used to quantify characteristics of a 3D reservoir model. These static measures may have implications for the prediction or interpretation of dynamic performance and can draw attention to geological uncertainties that may impact flow behaviours. This study reviews, modifies and introduces techniques to characterize the spatial distribution of permeability in reservoir models, with emphasis placed on connectivity and continuity analysis. Topics include: the relationship between connectivity and percolation theory; definition of types of reservoir connectivity; methods of measuring connectivity; connectivity as a function of distance; connectivity maps; categorical classifications of connectivity; types of reservoir path lengths; and continuity lines. The key factors controlling reservoir connectivity are identified. Static measures can be used to locate regions of higher sweep efficiency and lower tortuosity that are connected to the wells.
Rock type leaves topographic signature in landslide‐dominated mountain ranges

The idea that hillslopes in active mountain belts are limited to a threshold inclination by the rate of landsliding has guided landscape evolution models for over a decade. However, widely applied topographic diagnostics of threshold hillslopes remain debated and unverified. This study relates landslide occurrence to hillslope metrics of several active mountain ranges throughout New Zealand, which are formed in uniform greywacke and its schist derivative. All these ranges share a distinctive peak in hillslope inclination despite order‐of‐magnitude variations in rates of rock uplift and precipitation, landslide density, and extent of Quaternary glaciation. Comparison with landslide‐dominated terrain in different lithologies highlights this peak as diagnostic of rock type, reflecting a conspicuous tendency in hillslope evolution to adjust to rock‐mass strength irrespective of the intensity of tectonic and climatic forcing. This finding expands the model perspective that only undisturbed strength‐equilibrium slopes may adjust to their rock‐mass strength.
A theoretical discussion of time domain magnitudes: The Prague formula for Ms and the mantle magnitude Mm

A combination of surface wave theory and phase-stationary asymptotics is used to relate the time domain amplitude a(t) of a strongly dispersed wave and the moment M0 of the source. This approximation is valid at sufficiently large distances, over 10° for 20-s Rayleigh waves. We apply this formalism to justify theoretically the Prague formula for Ms. Assuming a Rayleigh Q of 297, we can successfully model the theoretical distance correction as 1.66 log10 Δ in the range 20–160°. We also predict a relation of the form log10 M0 = Ms + 19.46, in good agreement with reported empirical values. Finally, we show that the theory requires Ms to be described by the product (aT); the use of the ratio (a/T) is a partial and ad hoc compensation for a large number of frequency-dependent terms ignored in the Prague formula. The same formalism can be applied to the inversely dispersed branch of mantle Rayleigh waves, between periods of 60 and 230 s. We provide the theoretical justification for the use of time domain measurements to obtain a mantle magnitude, and in particular for the modeling of the ratio a/A of the time domain and spectral amplitudes as 2/T, at distances ranging from 20 to 120°. At greater distances, and in particular for multiple passages, an additional distance correction must be effected.
Outcomes of Cleft Palatal Repair for Internationally Adopted Children PEDIATRIC / CRANIOFACIAL

1445 Families in the United States adopted approximately 230,000 foreign-born children over the past two decades.1 For many of these children, speech and language development can be complicated by their age at adoption,2,3 the switch in language and culture if a native language has developed,3 and environmental deprivation in some orphanages.4,5 Although many internationally adopted children make rapid speech and language gains in the preschool years, some do not.6 Cleft lip–cleft palate or cleft palate is an additional obstacle to normal speech and language development. An increasing number of internationally adopted children are presenting to cleft and craniofacial centers with unrepaired cleft lip–cleft palate or cleft palate.7 For these children, velopharyngeal competence is the most important outcome following palatal repair. Velopharyngeal insufficiency, characterized by hypernasal resonance and
Bryophytes from the last interglacial /glacial cycle, Jameson Land, East Greenland

Subfossil bryophyte remains from Jameson Land, central East Greenland reveal diverse moss floras from the Langelandselv interglacial and the Hugin So interstadial. Around 30 species are reported as new subfossils from Greenland, indicating our insufficient knowledge of earlier bryophyte floras in the area. Among the species found from the Langelandselv interglacial. Several are southern and do not reach as far north as Jameson Land today, thus indicating a slightly warmer climate than at present in the area. The climate indications for the Hugin So interstadial are less clear, and further studies are necessary before delinitivc conclusions can he drawn. A large proportion of the found taxa indicate mineral-rich or intermediately mineral-rich conditions. Several wetland species indicate moving water, and a few sometimes or exclusively (Sanionia nivalis) occur in connection with late snow beds or meltwater brooks. Abundant material or the Polytrichaceae and of Racomitrum indicates that more or less unstable soil. with sparse vascular plant cover, was relatively abundant.
Possible involvement of GABAergic mechanism in protective effect of melatonin against sleep deprivation–induced behaviour modification and oxidative damage in mice

Sleep is an important physiological process responsible for the maintenance of physical, mental and emotional health of a living being. Sleep deprivation is considered risky for several pathological diseases such as anxiety and motor and cognitive dysfunctions. Sleep deprivation has recently been reported to cause oxidative damage. This study has been designed to explore the possible involvement of the GABAergic mechanism in protective effects of melatonin against 72‐h sleep deprivation‐induced behaviour modification and oxidative damage in mice. Mice were sleep‐deprived for a period of 72 h using the grid over water suspended method. Animals were divided into groups of 6–8 animals each. Melatonin (5 and 10 mg/kg), flumazenil (0.5 mg/kg), picrotoxin (0.5 mg/kg) and muscimol (0.05 mg/kg) were administered for 5 days starting 2 days before 72‐h sleep deprivation. Various behavioural tests (plus maze, zero maze, mirror chamber, actophotometer) and body weight assessment followed by oxidative stress parameters (malondialdehyde level, glutathione, catalase, nitrite and protein) were carried out. The 72‐h sleep deprivation caused significant anxiety‐like behaviour, weight loss, impaired locomotor activity and oxidative damage as compared with naïve (without sleep deprivation). Treatment with melatonin (5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg, ip) significantly improved locomotor activity, weight loss and antianxiety effect as compared with control (sleep‐deprived). Biochemically, melatonin treatment significantly restored reduced glutathione, catalase activity, attenuated lipid peroxidation and nitrite level as compared with control animals (72‐h sleep‐deprived). Flumazenil (0.5 mg/kg) and picrotoxin (0.5 mg/kg) pretreatments with a lower dose of melatonin (5 mg/kg) significantly antagonized the protective effect of melatonin. However, muscimol (0.05 mg/kg) pretreatment with melatonin (5 mg/kg, ip) potentiated the protective effect of melatonin which was significant as compared with their effect per se. This study suggests that GABAergic modulation is involved in the protective action of melatonin against sleep deprivation‐induced anxiety‐like behaviour and associated oxidative damage.