Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of norathyriol, isolated from Tripterospermum lanceolatum, on A23187-induced pleurisy and analgesia in mice.

A23187-induced pleurisy in the mouse was demonstrated in this study. The protein leakage, leukocyte accumulation, LTB4 and PGE2 production in the pleural cavity of mice were increased by A23187 in a dose-dependent manner. At 7.5 nmole A23187 intrapleural injection, the protein level peaked at 0.5-2 h, PMN leukocytes accumulation peaked at 3-4 h, and LTB4 and PGE2 production peaked at 0.5-1 h. In this in vivo model we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of norathyriol, isolated from Tripterospermum lanceolatum. A23187-induced protein leakage was reduced by norathyriol (ID50 was about 30.6 mg/kg i.p.), indomethacin and BW755C. A23187-induced PMN leukocytes accumulation was suppressed by norathyriol (ID50 was about 16.8 mg/kg, i.p.) and BW755C, while enhanced by indomethacin. Like BW755C, norathyriol reduced both LTB4 and PGE2 production (ID50 was about 18.6 and 29.1 mg/kg i.p., respectively), while indomethacin reduced PGE2 but not LTB4 generation. We also demonstrated the analgesic effect of norathyriol on the acetic acid-induced writhing response. Acetic acid-induced writhing response was depressed by norathyriol (ID50 was about 27.9 mg/kg i.p.), indomethacin and ibuprofen. These results suggest that norathyriol, like BW755C, might be a dual, yet weak, cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathway blocker. The inhibitory effect of norathyriol on the A23187-induced pleurisy and acetic acid-induced writhing response in mice is proposed to be dependent on the reduction of eicosanoids mediators formation in the inflammatory site.
Analysis of Soil Erosion Reduction Effect of Rice Straw Mat by the SWAT Model

The purpose of this study is to evaluate sediment yield reduction under various field slope conditions with rice straw mat. The Vegetative Filter Strip Model-W (VFSMOD-W) and Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) were used for simulation of sediment yield reduction effect of rice straw mat. The Universe Soil Loss Equation Practice factor (USLE P factor), being able to reflect simulation of rice straw mat in the agricultural field, were estimated for each slope with VFSMOD-W and measured soil erosion values under 5, 10, and 20 % slopes. Then with the regression equation for slopes, USLE P factor was derived and used as input data for each Hydrological Response Unit (HRU) in the SWAT model. The SWAT Spatially Distributed-HRU (SD-HRU) pre-processor module was utilized, moreover, in order to consider spatial location and topographic features (measured topographic features by field survey) of all HRU within each subwatershed in the study watershed. Result of monthly sediment yield without rice straw mat (Jan. 2000 - Aug. 2007) was 814.72 ton/month, and with rice straw mat (Jan. 2000 - Aug. 2007) was 526.75 ton/month, which was reduced as 35.35 % compared without it. Also, during the rainy season (from Jun. to Sep. 2000 - 2007), when without vs. with rice straw mat, monthly sediment indicated 2,109.54 ton and 1,358.61 ton respectively. It showed about 35.60 % was reduced depending on rice straw mat. As shown in this study, if rice straw mat is used as a Best Management Practice (BMP) in the sloping fields, rainfall-driven sediment yield will be reduced effectively.
Sensitivity and specificity of the CASPAR criteria for psoriatic arthritis in a family medicine clinic setting.

To the Editor: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthritis associated with psoriasis with an estimated prevalence in the United States of 0.25%1. The prevalence of PsA in patients with psoriasis is 30%2. Since the prevalence of psoriasis in North America is 2%, the estimated population prevalence of PsA of 0.25% is probably an underestimate3. PsA is thus underdiagnosed. This may be due to the lack of recognition of the condition in family practice and dermatology practice. The original diagnostic criteria of Moll and Wright are the simplest and the most frequently used4. In order to make the diagnostic criteria…
Craving to Quit: Psychological Models and Neurobiological Mechanisms of Mindfulness Training as Treatment for Addictions the Birth of an Addiction Though the Centrality of Craving Remains Controversial

Humans suffer heavily from substance use disorders and other addictions. Despite much effort that has been put into understanding the mechanisms of the addictive process, treatment strategies have remained suboptimal over the past several decades. Mindfulness training, which is based on ancient Buddhist models of human suffering, has recently shown preliminary efficacy in treating addictions. These early models show remarkable similarity to current models of the addictive process, especially in their overlap with operant conditioning (positive and negative reinforcement). Further, they may provide explanatory power for the mechanisms of mindfulness training, including its effects on core addictive elements, such as craving, and the underlying neurobiological processes that may be active therein. In this review, using smoking as an example, we will highlight similarities between ancient and modern views of the addictive process, review studies of mindfulness training for addictions and their effects on craving and other components of this process, and discuss recent neuroimaging findings that may inform our understanding of the neural mechanisms of mindfulness training. Addictions are one of the costliest human conditions, having significant effects on mental, physical, and economic health. For example, the economic tolls of alcoholism typically range from 1% to 3% but can be as high as 6% of a country's gross domestic product (Rehm et al., 2009). Also, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States, accounting for one in five deaths annually (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2008). Given the impact of these disorders, much convergent work has been done to identify the mechanistic underpinnings of addictions and to develop effective treatments In this article, using nicotine dependence as an example (given the large amount of research that has been done regarding its mechanistic underpinnings), we will outline current psychological models of addiction. We will also highlight how our current understanding of the addictive process relates to Buddhist psychological models of human suffering. Further, we will review studies of mindfulness training (MT) for addictions and discuss insights that they might provide with regards to targeting core components of the addictive process. Finally , we will relate these to recent neuroimaging studies of MT: how together, these may provide critical links between psychological models of addiction, the key components of the addictive process that MT targets, and the neurobiological mechanisms thereunder. Acquisition of nicotine dependence is a complex process, developed in part from the formation …
Soil Quality Monitoring: Examples of Existing Protocols

Many forestry and agricultural agencies and organizations worldwide have developed soil monitoring and quality standards and guidelines to ensure future sustainability of land management. These soil monitoring standards are typically developed in response to international initiatives such as the Montreal Process, the Helsinki Ministerial Conference,or in support of Best Management Practices program development and Code of Forest Practices regulations. This paper describes international (Australia, New Zealand, Canada,and the European Union) and U.S. efforts and perspectives on soil quality monitoring, and offers suggestions on how to use the existing USDA Forest Service standards and modify them for future relevance.
Effect of degradability of protein supplements on voluntary intake and nitrogen retention in young cattle fed grass silage

Grass silage was offered ad libitum to twelve 4-month-old British Friesian steers in an incomplete Latin-square experiment. The silage was given either alone or supplemented isonitrogenously with 50 g fish meal or 63 g groundnut meal per kg silage dry matter. Both protein supplements significantly increased the intakes of dry matter and organic matter by an amount about equivalent to the (calculated) contribution of the supplement ( P P The digestibility coefficients of dry matter and of organic matter were significantly increased by supplementation ( P P P
Sympathetic control of BP and BP variability in borderline hypertensive rats on high- vs. low-salt diet

Sympathetic control of BP and BP variability in borderline hypertensive rats on high- vs. low-salt diet. Am. J. Physiol. 277 ( Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 46): R650–R657, 1999. —This experiment tested the effect of a high-salt diet on the interaction between arterial blood pressure (BP) and sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) at rest and during a controlled behavioral stress at an early stage in the development of hypertension in borderline hypertensive rats (BHR). Ten rats were maintained on a high-salt diet (8% NaCl) while 14 were fed a low-salt diet (0.8% NaCl) for 8 wk. They were trained in a Pavlovian paradigm by following a conditional stimulus tone (CS 1 ) with a 0.5-s shock. SNA and BP were measured by implanted electrodes around the left renal nerve and a catheter in the femoral artery, respectively. There were no detectable between-group differences in BP or in BP variability in the resting animal at the end of the 8-wk dietary treatment. Moreover, there were no signiﬁcant between-group differences in the changes in SNA evoked by the CS 1 tone. Conversely, the amplitude of the initial conditional increase in BP was signiﬁcantly ( P , 0.05) larger in the high-salt (6 6 0.6 mmHg; mean 6 SEM) compared with the low-salt (4 6 0.4 mmHg) group. In addition, the BP excursion (peak/trough) during CS 1 was larger in the high (18.2 6 6.1 mmHg)- vs. low-salt (5.8 6 0.4 mmHg) diet-fed subjects. The ratio of the average percent change in mean BP to the average percent change in SNA at the beginning of CS 1 was 0.029 6 0.004 for the low-salt group and 0.041 6 0.006 for the high-salt group. We ﬁnd that, before the development of overt hypertension, the enhanced conditional BP response in the high-salt BHR appears to reside at the interface between changes in SNA and the effector response and not within the central nervous system. These observations help explain the increasing BP variability typically observed with the development of hypertension in humans.
Authigenic K-Feldspar in the Permo-Triassic of northwest Britain: a pilot oxygen isotope study

One of the most important authigenic precipitates found in the Permo-Triassic sediments of northwest Britain is K-feldspar. The feldspar is an extremely pure orthoclase end-member of composition Or99 to Or100 occurring as whole overgrowths on mostly fresh detrital grains or as pore-filling adularia. This phase is common in many basins in western Scotland and Northern Ireland. Petrographic studies show that the K-feldspar is an early diagenetic phase, whose precipitation commenced before compaction was completed (McKeever 1990; Parnell 1992). The K-feldspar occupies up to 4% of rock volume, and is important in inhibiting porosity and permeability in potential gas reservoirs. Pores are infilled and pore-throats are blocked within large volumes of sandstone (Fig. Ala-f). Given the abundance of the authigenic K-feldspar, it was considered plausible that it could be separated out and subjected to 18O/16O and K/Ar isotope analysis. To date, only oxygen isotope analyses have been achieved on a sample from the Permian Thornhill Sandstone Formation in Dumfries & Galloway, in which overgrowths occur on nearly all detrital feldspar grains. The Thornhill Sandstone Formation includes tabular and trough-shaped, cross-stratified sets representing aeolian dune deposits in which authigenic K-feldspar appears to be particularly common. By analysing the oxygen isotope composition of authigenic mineral phases it is possible to determine the oxygen isotope composition of the pore water from which that phase precipitated. The procedure used for the separation and isolation of the K-feldspar overgrowths from their detrital cores is described in detail in McKeever (1990). Oxygen isotope analyses were performed on
Boys Will Be Boys: Gender, Overconfidence, and Common Stock Investment

Theoretical models predict that overconfident investors trade excessively. We test this prediction by partitioning investors on gender. Psychological research demonstrates that, in areas such as finance, men are more overconfident than women. Thus, theory predicts that men will trade more excessively than women. Using account data for over 35,000 households from a large discount brokerage, we analyze the common stock investments of men and women from February 1991 through January 1997. We document that men trade 45 percent more than women. Trading reduces men's net returns by 2.65 percentage points a year as opposed to 1.72 percentage points for women.
The Pristine Myth: The Landscape of the Americas in 1492

The myth persists that in 1492 the Americas were a sparsely populated wilder- ness, "a world of barely perceptible human disturbance. " There is substantial evidence, however, that the Native American landscape of the early sixteenth century was a humanized landscape almost everywhere. Populations were large. Forest composition had been modified, grasslands had been created, wild- life disrupted, and erosion was severe in places. Earthworks, roads, fields, and settle- ments were ubiquitous. With Indian depopu- lation in the wake of Old World disease, the environment recovered in many areas. A good argument can be made that the human pres- ence was less visible in 1750 than it was in 1492.
Thermal expansion of Mg2SiO4 ringwoodite at high pressures

[1] Unit cell volumes of Mg2SiO4 ringwoodite were measured at temperatures from 300 to 2000 K and pressure from 15 to 24 GPa and at a temperature of 300 K and pressure from 0 to 21 GPa. The measurements were conducted using a Kawai-type multianvil apparatus that is equipped with an oscillation system to obtain high-quality diffraction pattern against grain growth. We obtained the following relations and parameters describing the pressure-volume-temperature relations of Mg2SiO4 ringwoodite. The unit cell volume of Mg2SiO4 ringwoodite at 0 GPa and 300 K is 524.8(1) A3 (values in parentheses are errors). Fixing the isothermal bulk modulus to 182 GPa, its pressure derivative is 4.6(2). The thermal expansion coefficient at 0 GPa is α0 = 2.57(9) × 10−5 + 1.42(8) × 10−8 (T − 300) K−1, where T is absolute temperature in K, and its logarithmic volume dependence, Anderson-Gruneisen parameter, is 6.9(4). The temperature derivative of the isothermal bulk modulus is (∂KT/∂T) = −0.029(1) GPa K−1. The Debye temperature, Θ, is 846(26) K. The Gruneisen parameter and its logarithmic volume dependence are 1.93(3) and 3.5(3), respectively. The adiabatic temperature gradient in the mantle largely depends on temperature. That in the model Mg2SiO4 mantle increases from 0.29 to 0.40 K km−1 when temperature increases from 1600 to 2000 K.
Dust detection from ground‐based observations in the summer global dust maximum: Results from Fennec 2011 and 2012 and implications for modeling and field observations

In boreal summer, the central Sahara is the dustiest place on Earth. Fennec supersite 1 is located within the dust maximum. With two field seasons completed, June 2011 (intensive observation period (IOP) 1) and June 2012 (IOP2), we now have an initial measure of their representativeness. Although the number of dust event hours in IOP2 is up to 169 h (60%) more than in IOP1, the relative importance of the different dust mechanisms is the same. In both years, emission by cold pool outflows from deep convection causes most dust, followed by dust advection, monsoon surges, low‐level jet emission and lastly dry convective plumes. Given the dominance of cold pools, it is very important that they be incorporated in dust modeling efforts over the region. Because cold pools frequently occur at night and are associated with cloud cover, instruments that can monitor in these conditions are particularly valuable in this region. Sun photometer aerosol optical depth retrievals, for example, are only available for 23% (41%) of the time cold pool emission occurs at the supersite in IOP1 (IOP2). Deployment of instrumentation in remote regions being difficult and expensive, choosing the optimal instrument payload pays dividends. With this motivation, we evaluate the different dust detection instrumentation deployed at the supersite and develop an approach which can identify and characterize individual dust emission mechanisms with a high degree of success purely from routine meteorological observations and remote sensing. This identification is, however, much more challenging in the case of dust advection.
Shadow education: private supplementary tutoring and its implications for policy makers in Asia

The concept of shadow education may be unfamiliar, but should hold no terrors. This is a review of a book about private tuition. The book has been co-published by the Asian Development Bank and the Comparative Education Research Centre of the University of Hong Kong. It can be downloaded free of charge from www.hku. hk/cerc The book uses the metaphor of the shadow because much private supplementary tutoring mimics the mainstream. As the curriculum of the mainstream changes, so does the curriculum in the shadow. And as the mainstream expands, so does the shadow. The important role of education in economic and social development has long been recognised by policy makers. However, they have concentrated on mainstream schools and universities and have neglected the role of shadow education. Shadow education refers only to tutoring in academic subjects that are assessed for advancement in education systems. This tutoring is provided for a fee and takes place outside standard school hours. The focus excludes tutoring in sports, music or other non-examined activities. It also excludes free tutoring by teachers, family members or others. The book provides a comprehensive coverage of the scale and nature of shadow education. Professor Mark Bray has researched the subject over a long period. Each of his books has added new knowledge and insights, to the extent that he easily merits recognition as the world’s foremost authority in this field. Chad Lykins also has significant experience in connected fields.
Diurnal Variation of Tropical Cyclone Rainfall in the Western North Pacific in 2008–2010

Abstract Diurnal variation of tropical cyclone (TC) rainfall in the western North Pacific (WNP) is investigated using the high-resolution Climate Prediction Center's morphing technique (CMORPH) products obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). From January 2008 to October 2010, 72 TCs and 389 TC rainfall days were reported by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center's (JTWC) best-track record. The TC rain rate was partitioned using the Objective Synoptic Analysis Technique (OSAT) and interpolated into Local Standard Time (LST). Harmonic analysis was applied to analyze the diurnal variation of the precipitation. Obvious diurnal cycles were seen in approximately 70% of the TC rainfall days.
Gravity waves generated by a tropical cyclone during the STEP tropical field program: A case study

Overflights of a tropical cyclone during the Australian winter monsoon field experiment of the Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange Project (STEP) show the presence of two mesoscale phenomena: a vertically propagating gravity wave with a horizontal wavelength of about 110 km and a feature with a horizontal scale comparable to that of the cyclone's entire cloud shield (wavelength of 250 km or greater). The larger feature is fairly steady, though its physical interpretation is ambiguous. The 110-km gravity wave is transient, having maximum amplitude early in the flight and decreasing in amplitude thereafter. Its scale is comparable to that of 100-to 150-km-diameter cells of low satellite brightness temperatures within the overall cyclone cloud shield; these cells have lifetimes of 4.5 to 6 hours. Aircraft flights through the anvil show that these cells correspond to regions of enhanced convection, higher cloud altitude, and upwardly displaced potential temperature surfaces. A three-dimensional transient linear gravity wave simulation shows that the temporal and spatial distribution of meteorological variables associated with the 110-km gravity wave can be simulated by a slowly moving transient forcing at the anvil top having an amplitude of 400–600 m, a lifetime of 4.5–6 hours and a size comparable to the cells of low brightness temperature. The forcing amplitudes indicate that the zonal drag due to breaking mesoscale transient convective gravity waves is definitely important to the westerly phase of the stratopause semiannual oscillation and possibly important to the easterly phase of the quasi-biennial oscillation. There is strong evidence that some of the mesoscale gravity waves break below 20 km as well. The effect of this wave breaking on the diabatic circulation below 20 km may be comparable to that of above-cloud diabatic cooling.
Recent observed climate change over the Arabian Peninsula

[1] We have examined trends in temperature and precipitation parameters for the Arabian Peninsula (AP) during the last 2 to 3 decades. The data set has been carefully quality controlled and checked for homogeneity. Although of low density (21 stations) and relatively short time period, a clear picture of climate change in the region has emerged. The general pattern of the AP mean annual temperature trend is one of warming, with 14 of 21 stations show statistically significant warming at 0.05 level and most at 0.001 level and only one (Seeb) showing statistically significant cooling. The highest statistically significant mean annual warming trends are found in Oman (Sur = 1.03°C decade−1) and Emirates (Dubai = 0.81°C decade−1). The season of maximum warming in mean temperature is March to April. The highest monthly mean temperature trend in the AP occurs in Sur in May (1.47°C decade−1). There is a broad statistically significant increase in mean annual maximum temperature in AP in 12 out of 21 stations, with the highest trends in central and eastern/southeastern AP. Only SW AP and the Gulf of Oman do not show warming. The highest monthly maximum temperature trend in the AP occurs in Bahrain in March (2.27°C decade−1). The second highest significant warming trends are reported in Doha in February (1.54°C decade−1). For minimum temperature, 16 out of 21 stations show statistically significant warming trends, with the highest annual trends observed in the Emirates (Dubai = 1.24°C decade−1), northwest Oman (Sohar = 1.17°C decade−1) and Qatar (Doha = 1.13°C decade−1). The highest monthly minimum temperature warming rate occurred in October. Both Dubai and Kuwait reported the highest significant rate of 2.00°C decade−1. The general mean annual diurnal temperature range trend is negative in the AP, with six out of 21 stations show statistically significant negative trends while three stations show statistically significant positive trends. Trends in mean annual precipitation are significant at only two stations which show a decrease in precipitation.