Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perspectives on the immunologic microenvironment of astrocytomas

Background: The microenvironment of astrocytomas includes infiltrative inflammatory cells that are dynamic in nature, possibly reflecting tumor biology. We evaluated the inflammatory cell infiltrate in astrocytic tumors aiming for a better understanding of their immunobiology. Methods: Immunohistochemical expression of CD68, CD3, and CD20 was investigated in 21 glioblastomas, 21 anaplastic astrocytomas, 13 diffuse astrocytomas, and 18 pilocytic astrocytomas. The inflammatory infiltrate was classified based on microanatomic location as perivascular and intratumoral, and subsequently graded semiquantitatively. Results: Perivascularly, CD68-positive infiltrate was noted in 71.4% of glioblastomas compared with 14.3% of anaplastic astrocytomas ( P = 0.0001), 7.7% of diffuse astrocytomas ( P = 0.0001), and 33.3% of pilocytic astrocytomas ( P = 0.017). Intratumorally, 85.7% of glioblastomas exhib-ited CD68-positive infiltrate compared with 42.9% of anaplastic astrocytomas ( P = 0.004), 38.5% of diffuse astrocytomas ( P = 0.008), and 33.3% of pilocytic astrocytomas ( P = 0.001). Among diffusely infiltrating astrocytomas, intratumoral CD3-positive infiltrate was only associated with glioblastoma. A CD20-positive infiltrate was only detected in the perivascular space of a single case of diffuse astrocytoma. Conclusion: These data indicate a distinct immune profile in the glioblastoma microenvironment primarily related to the prevalence of macrophages. Thus, novel glioblastoma therapies should address this key CD68-positive population and its possible role in generating an antitumor immune response.
Temperature dependent CH3OCl formation in the reaction between CH3O2 and ClO

The reaction CH3O2 + ClO → CH3OCl + O2 (2b) has been investigated at temperatures of 295, 255, 230 and 215 K. The temperature dependent branching ratio for CH3OCl formation (α2b) is given by α2b = (T/300)−1.65 −0.223exp(411/T). The result at 200 K (ca 0.23) can be combined with our previous determination of the overall rate constant for the reaction between CH3O2 + ClO [Helleis et al, 1993] to calculate a channel specific rate constant for reaction 2b of ca (4.1±1) × 10−13 cm³ molecule−1 s−1 at the temperatures prevalent in the lower polar stratosphere at springtime.
Spatial patterns of Westerschelde meiobenthos

Abstract The meiobenthic fauna of the Westerschelde, a highly polluted and physically disturbed estuary in the south-west Netherlands, was investigated. Samples were taken in spring from six transects, including the intertidal, subtidal and channel area, and located along the salinity gradient. The samples were subdivided into slices to examine the vertical distribution of meiobenthos. Meiobenthos densities were higher in the intertidal than in most permanently submersed areas; the subtidal sites below 7 salinity were nearly devoid of meiobenthic life. Nematodes were by far the most abundant meiobenthic organisms in the intertidal, but were less dominant in the other areas. Gastrotrichs, turbellarians, copepods and large ciliates were usually more numerous in the subtidal and channels compared to the intertidal, both in relative and absolute terms. Vertical distribution of the meiobenthos was rather heterogeneous. Most intertidal stations exhibited a subsurface density peak, whereas in the subtidal and channel area, both subsurface and surface maxima were found. The nematode fauna was examined in more detail and the distributional characteristics of the most important species, with respect to salinity, grain size, water depth and sediment depth were reported. The majority of species had their centre of distribution in the intertidal, although some extended substantially into the subtidal zone. Only a few species had a predominantly subtidal distribution. Most nematode species penetrated relatively deep into the sediment and only some species were real surface dwellers. The nematode diversity per unit of surface reflected more or less the density differences and was higher in the intertidal than in the subtidal sites within a comparable salinity regime. When expressed per common number of individuals, however, there were no differences in diversity in the different areas. Canonical correspondence analysis showed sediment depth to be as important as water depth, salinity or sedimentary characteristics in the determination of community structure. Intertidal communities exhibited a well-developed community gradient with depth into the sediment, whereas the vertical structure of subtidal and channel stations was different from the intertidal zonation and in some cases showed a distorted pattern. This was probably caused by sediment disturbance due to higher current velocities and dredging activities in these regions. It is argued that, although at some subtidal sites a characteristic subtidal nematode population may persist, in many cases the sublittoral of the Westerschelde is either too dynamic an environment or food availability is too low to meet requirements for growth and reproduction of the nematodes. The populations are probably not self-sustaining but persist due to continuous replenishment from less harsh areas by means of the estuarine circulation.
Association of Supply Type with Fecal Contamination of Source Water and Household Stored Drinking Water in Developing Countries: A Bivariate Meta-analysis

Background Access to safe drinking water is essential for health. Monitoring access to drinking water focuses on water supply type at the source, but there is limited evidence on whether quality differences at the source persist in water stored in the household. Objectives We assessed the extent of fecal contamination at the source and in household stored water (HSW) and explored the relationship between contamination at each sampling point and water supply type. Methods We performed a bivariate random-effects meta-analysis of 45 studies, identified through a systematic review, that reported either the proportion of samples free of fecal indicator bacteria and/or individual sample bacteria counts for source and HSW, disaggregated by supply type. Results Water quality deteriorated substantially between source and stored water. The mean percentage of contaminated samples (noncompliance) at the source was 46% (95% CI: 33, 60%), whereas mean noncompliance in HSW was 75% (95% CI: 64, 84%). Water supply type was significantly associated with noncompliance at the source (p < 0.001) and in HSW (p = 0.03). Source water (OR = 0.2; 95% CI: 0.1, 0.5) and HSW (OR = 0.3; 95% CI: 0.2, 0.8) from piped supplies had significantly lower odds of contamination compared with non-piped water, potentially due to residual chlorine. Conclusions Piped water is less likely to be contaminated compared with other water supply types at both the source and in HSW. A focus on upgrading water services to piped supplies may help improve safety, including for those drinking stored water. Citation Shields KF, Bain RE, Cronk R, Wright JA, Bartram J. 2015. Association of supply type with fecal contamination of source water and household stored drinking water in developing countries: a bivariate meta-analysis. Environ Health Perspect 123:1222–1231; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/ehp.1409002
Determination of plant-available phosphorus by the iron hydroxide-impregnated filter paper (Pi) soil test

The use of iron hydroxide-impregnated filter paper (Pᵢ) strips as a collector for phosphorus (P) in soil suspension offers a new approach to soil testing for plant-available P. To correlate the Pᵢ test with crop response, four soils ranging in pH from 4.5 to 8.2 were incubated with three rates of P either as triple superphosphate (TSP) or central Florida phosphate rock (CFPR), and P was measured in these soils by the Pᵢ, Bray 1, Bray 2, double acid, Olsen, water, and resin extraction methods. Two successive crops of maize (Zea mays L.) were grown on these soils in greenhouse pots, and the dry matter yield and P uptake by maize were correlated with the soil test values. The Pᵢ gave highly significant correlation with crop response in all four soils. Across all soils, P source, rates of application and crops, Pᵢ gave the best correlation (0.870) with P uptake and dry matter yield. The next best correlation with dry matter yield was that of Olsen extractable P. The Pᵢ test showed potential as a tool for prediction of P fertilizer requirements in soils.
Possible direct cloud‐to‐ionosphere current evidenced by sprite‐initiated secondary TLEs

Video‐rate images of sprites observed from Langmuir Laboratory show slow, upward discharges from the cloud to the mesosphere following the sprite discharge. A single high‐time‐resolution (1000 fps) measurement of the tip of the upward discharge shows that it terminates at the base of the preceding sprite and persists for a total of ∼50 ms, compared to the sprite lifetime of ∼6 ms. Photometer data show that these events are likely to be predominantly blue. We propose a mechanism by which, in conjunction with intra‐cloud activity following the causative CG discharge, charge is moved within the sprite body from the ionosphere to the lower altitude edge of the sprite at ∼50 km; this transfer of charge lowers the upper capacitive plate, whereupon a second breakdown is facilitated between the cloud‐top and this charged plate, inducing electrical current between the cloud and the mesosphere and initiating the observed luminous discharges.
Polymorphisms of the ACSL1 Gene Influence Milk Production Traits and Somatic Cell Score in Chinese Holstein Cows

Simple Summary Milk production traits of cows are important economic indicators of the livestock industry. Many dairy farms strive to improve the quality of their milk. Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1) is a gene related to lipid metabolism. It is widely found in various organisms and can affect fat content and protein content in milk. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) refers to the polymorphism of DNA sequence caused by a single nucleotide variation at the gene level, which plays a vital function in the genetic study of milk production traits in dairy cows. Our study identified six SNPs of the ACSL1 gene in Chinese Holstein cows, which were related to milk yield, milk fat content, milk protein content and somatic cell score (SCS) to some extent. In summary, the pleiotropic effects of bovine ACSL1 for milk production traits were found in this paper, which will provide a reference for Chinese Holstein cow breeding selection and high economic benefits. Abstract Improving the quality of milk is a challenge for zootechnicians and dairy farms across the globe. Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1) is a significant member of the long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase gene family. It is widely found in various organisms and influences the lactation performance of cows, including fat percentage, milk protein percentage etc. Our study was aimed to investigate the genetic effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ACSL1 on milk production traits. Twenty Chinese Holstein cows were randomly selected to extract DNA from their blood samples for PCR amplification and sequencing to identify SNPs of the bovine ACSL1 gene, and six SNPs (5’UTR-g.20523C>G, g.35446C>T, g.35651G>A, g.35827C>T, g.35941G>A and g.51472C>T) were discovered. Then, Holstein cow genotyping (n = 992) was performed by Sequenom MassARRAY based on former SNP information. Associations between SNPs and milk production traits and somatic cell score (SCS) were analyzed by the least-squares method. The results showed that SNP g.35827C>T was in high linkage disequilibrium with g.35941G>A. Significant associations were found between SNPs and test-day milk yield (TDMY), fat content (FC), protein content (PC) and SCS (p < 0.05). Among these SNPs, SNP 5’UTR-g.20523C>G showed an extremely significant effect on PC and SCS (p < 0.01). The SNP g.35446C>T showed a statistically significant effect on FC, PC, and SCS (p < 0.01), and also TDMY (p < 0.05). The SNP g.35651G>A had a statistically significant effect on PC (p < 0.01). The SNP g.35827C>T showed a highly significant effect on TDMY, FC, and SCS (p < 0.01) and significantly influenced PC (p < 0.05). Lastly, SNP g.51472C>T was significantly associated with TDMY, FC, and SCS (p < 0.05). In summary, the pleiotropic effects of bovine ACSL1 for milk production traits were found in this paper, but further investigation will be required on the intrinsic correlation to provide a theoretical basis for the research on molecular genetics of milk quality traits of Holstein cows.
Avaliação dos dados decendiais de precipitação e temperatura máxima e mínima do ar simulados pelo modelo ECMWF para o estado de São Paulo

1 RESUMO A agricultura possui dependencia direta das condicoes do tempo e do clima. Estas afetam todas as etapas das atividades agricolas, desde o preparo do solo ate a colheita. De modo a acompanhar estes efeitos, sao utilizados dados meteorologicos, que sao provenientes de estacoes automaticas ou convencionais. Devido a dificuldade de acesso aos dados em tempo quase-real, problemas tecnicos e a baixa densidade de estacoes meteorologicas no Brasil, a utilizacao de dados provenientes de modelos atmosfericos, como o do ECMWF ( European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast ) tem se mostrado como uma alternativa. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a precisao e acuracia do modelo atmosferico ECMWF pela comparacao de dados decendiais simulados de precipitacao, temperatura maxima e minima do ar aos observados por mapas interpolados de estacoes meteorologicas do estado de Sao Paulo no periodo entre 2005 e 2010. Esta comparacao foi feita pixel a pixel possibilitando, alem da analise geral para o estado, uma analise regional das estimativas feitas pelo ECMWF. Como resultado, observou-se que o modelo ECMWF simula satisfatoriamente (maior parte dos resultados com R² > 0,60; d > 0,7; RMSE 0.60, d > 0.7, RMSE < 5oC and < 50 mm; Es < 5°C and < 24 mm) in period and ECMWF model can be recommended for use in the Sao Paulo state. Keywords : meteorological data, accuracy, statistics index, ground truth.
A study of porosity and permeability using a lattice Boltzmann simulation

We explicitly calculate the absolute (single‐phase) permeability of simulated granular rocks as the pore space is evolved by various diagenetic schemes. Our goal is to match our computed curves to laboratory measurements of porosity‐permeability relationships in real rocks. To achieve this goal we model rock as a dense random pack of identical spherical grains with diagenetic cement deposited in the pore space. The positions of the sphere centers in our numerical model are taken from experimental measurements (the Finney pack). The diagenesis is simulated in various ways: uniform cement deposition on the surface of each grain (uniform growth of the grains); cement deposition at grain contacts; cement deposition away from grain contacts; random filling of the pore spaces; and various combinations of these. Permeability is computed by explicitly modeling Stokes flow in the simulated pore space using a lattice Boltzmann method. Our simulations produce distinctively different porosity‐permeability relationships which are characteristic of the cement deposition pattern. The distinctive porosity‐permeability relationships found in laboratory measurements of real rocks are matched by certain simulation schemes.
Stable warm tropical climate through the Eocene Epoch

Earth's climate cooled from a period of extreme warmth in the early Eocene Epoch (ca. 50 Ma) to the early Oligocene (ca. 33 Ma), when a large ice cap first appeared on Antarctica. Evidence from the planktonic foraminifer oxygen isotope record in deep-sea cores has suggested that tropical sea-surface temperatures declined by 5-10 degrees over this interval, eventually becoming much cooler than modern temperatures. Here we present paleotemperature estimates from foraminifer isotopes and the membrane lipids of marine Crenarcheota from new drill cores in Tanzania that indicate a warm and generally stable tropical climate over this period. We reinterpret the previously published isotope records in the light of comparative textural analysis of the deep-sea foraminifer shells, which shows that in contrast to the Tanzanian material, they have been diagenetically recrystallized. We suggest that increasingly severe alteration of the deep-sea plankton shells through the Eocene produced a diagenetic overprint on their oxygen isotope ratios that imparts the false appearance of a tropical sea-surface cooling trend. This implies that the long-term Eocene climatic cooling trend occurred mainly at the poles and had little effect at lower latitudes.
Event-related potentials to unattended changes in facial expressions: detection of regularity violations or encoding of emotions?

Visual mismatch negativity (vMMN), a component in event-related potentials (ERPs), can be elicited when rarely presented “deviant” facial expressions violate regularity formed by repeated “standard” faces. vMMN is observed as differential ERPs elicited between the deviant and standard faces. It is not clear, however, whether differential ERPs to rare emotional faces interspersed with repeated neutral ones reflect true vMMN (i.e., detection of regularity violation) or merely encoding of the emotional content in the faces. Furthermore, a face-sensitive N170 response, which reflects structural encoding of facial features, can be modulated by emotional expressions. Owing to its similar latency and scalp topography with vMMN, these two components are difficult to separate. We recorded ERPs to neutral, fearful, and happy faces in two different stimulus presentation conditions in adult humans. For the oddball condition group, frequently presented neutral expressions (p = 0.8) were rarely replaced by happy or fearful expressions (p = 0.1), whereas for the equiprobable condition group, fearful, happy, and neutral expressions were presented with equal probability (p = 0.33). Independent component analysis (ICA) revealed two prominent components in both stimulus conditions in the relevant latency range and scalp location. A component peaking at 130 ms post stimulus showed a difference in scalp topography between the oddball (bilateral) and the equiprobable (right-dominant) conditions. The other component, peaking at 170 ms post stimulus, showed no difference between the conditions. The bilateral component at the 130-ms latency in the oddball condition conforms to vMMN. Moreover, it was distinct from N170 which was modulated by the emotional expression only. The present results suggest that future studies on vMMN to facial expressions should take into account possible confounding effects caused by the differential processing of the emotional expressions as such.
TEM observations of several spinel-garnet assemblies: toward the rheology of the transition zone

In order to better identify the mineral phase which controls the rheology of the transition zone (between 410 and 660 km depth) transmission electron microscopy observations were made on several coexisting spinel-garnet assemblies: alkremite xenolith; pyrope-rich – MgO:1.1Al2O3 spinel assembly deformed at 1173K, 800 MPa in a Griggs apparatus; (Mg,Fe)3(Al,Mg,Si)2Si3O12 majorite – (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 spinel assembly synthesized in a laser heated diamond anvil cell. It was found that garnet crystals systematically remain undeformed while spinel crystals are plastically deformed. These results are in accord with the assumption that the rheology of majorite is stronger than the rheology of spinel, in the conditions of the transition zone.
Particle‐size dependent bipolar charging of Martian regolith simulant

The intense dust devils and dust storms on Mars are believed to generate large electrostatic fields that significantly alter geophysical and geochemical processes on the planet. The existence of such fields must be related to a mechanism by which charged dust separates by polarity; it has been widely hypothesized that this separation originates from a particle‐size dependence of the charge polarity, but this effect has never been demonstrated. To address this issue, we carry out experiments on the triboelectric charging of Martian regolith simulant (JSC‐1 Mars), using a fluid flow apparatus wherein only particle‐particle interactions occur, as is the case in Martian dust events. Our experiments show direct evidence that smaller particles tend to charge negatively and larger particles tend to charge positively, which provides a mechanism for the charge separation that creates electric fields in Martian dust events.
Regional climate impacts of the Southern Annular Mode

Previous work on the influence of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) on surface climate has focused mainly on individual countries. In this study we use station observations of temperature and rainfall to identify the influence of the SAM on land regions over the whole of the Southern Hemisphere. We demonstrate that the positive phase of the SAM is associated with a significant cooling over Antarctica and much of Australia, and a significant warming over the Antarctic Peninsula, Argentina, Tasmania and the south of New Zealand. The positive phase of the SAM is also associated with anomalously dry conditions over southern South America, New Zealand and Tasmania, due to the southward shift of the stormtrack; and to anomalously wet conditions over much of Australia and South Africa. These influences on populated regions of the Southern Hemisphere may have implications for weather and seasonal forecasting, and for future climate change.
Polity and Ecology in Formative Period Coastal Oaxaca

In this edited volume, Joyce brings together the work of 12 investigators on the ecological conditions and sociopolitical changes during the Formative Period in coastal Oaxaca, Mexico. Each chapter considers a different topic related to the reconstruction of the Formative period coastal Oaxacan world. The book is organized into 10 chapters that address environment, subsistence, social complexity, burial practices, public ceremonial activities, governance, production and exchange, and religion and ritual. Overall, the stated goal of the volume is to provide a synthesis of work on Formative period and demonstrate that this coastal region was the center of an early complex urban state. Joyce provides a history of archaeological work in the lower Ŕıo Verde valley region and a review of the sociopolitical developments in lower Ŕıo Verde valley history. Coastal Oaxaca appears to have been only sparsely occupied prior to the late Middle Formative (700–400 BC). Over time, popula-