Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Allometric Models Based on Bayesian Frameworks Give Better Estimates of Aboveground Biomass in the Miombo Woodlands

The miombo woodland is the most extensive dry forest in the world, with the potential to store substantial amounts of biomass carbon. Efforts to obtain accurate estimates of carbon stocks in the miombo woodlands are limited by a general lack of biomass estimation models (BEMs). This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of most commonly employed allometric models for estimating aboveground biomass (AGB) in miombo woodlands, and to develop new models that enable more accurate estimation of biomass in the miombo woodlands. A generalizable mixed-species allometric model was developed from 88 trees belonging to 33 species ranging in diameter at breast height (DBH) from 5 to 105 cm using Bayesian estimation. A power law model with DBH alone performed better than both a polynomial model with DBH and the square of DBH, and models including height and crown area as additional variables along with DBH. The accuracy of estimates from published models varied across different sites and trees of different diameter classes, and was lower than estimates from our model. The model developed in this study can be used to establish conservative carbon stocks required to determine avoided emissions in performance-based payment schemes, for example in afforestation and reforestation activities.
A Refined Formula for the Allowable Soil Pressure Using Shear Wave Velocities

Based on a variety of case histories of site investigations, including extensive bore hole data, laboratory testing and geophysical prospecting at more than 550 construction sites, an empirical formulation is proposed for the rapid de- termination of allowable bearing pressure of shallow foundations in soils and rocks. The proposed expression corroborates consistently with the results of the classical theory and is proven to be rapid, and reliable. Plate load tests have been also carried out at three different sites, in order to further confirm the validity of the proposed method. It consists of only two soil parameters, namely, the in situ measured shear wave velocity and the unit weight. The unit weight may be also determined with sufficient accuracy, by means of other empirical expressions proposed, using P or S - wave velocities. It is indicated that once the shear and P-wave velocities are measured in situ by an appropriate geophysical survey, the allowable bearing pressure as well as the coefficient of subgrade reaction and many other elasticity parameters may be determined rapidly and reliably.
Supplemental Materials and Methods: Linker Ligation

In order to determine the precise nature of the small RNAs and verify that the miRNAs are generated by an endonucleolytic processing event rather than non-specific degradation, total RNA, or small RNA isolated using the miRvana kit (Ambion) was ligated on the 3' end to Linker1 (IDT) using T4 RNA ligase 2 truncated (NEB) as per the manufacturer's instructions. The ligated RNA was analyzed by RT-PCR using a combination of adapter (3' linker) and miRNA-specific primers (miR-1225 Forward, miR-1228 forward and miR-877 forward). Products were subsequently cloned and sequenced. This strategy only allows detection of molecules that have a 3' hydroxyl, like known miRNAs. Using this methodology we verified the predicted miR-877 mature miRNA (Supplemental Figure 2C), both mature miR-1228 and mature miR-1228* (Supplemental Figure 2B), and several species of mature miR-1225-5p with two to four guanines on the 3' end (Supplemental Figure 2A). Although the versions of miR-1225-5p previous sequenced from humans had six to seven guanines on the 3' end, the shorter miR-1225 sequence was previously detected in macaque (40). This data indicates 3' heterogeneity of miR-1225. Sequencing For mRNA transcripts, RT-PCR amplicons were sequenced directly using gene specific primers (See Supplemental Table 1). For miRNAs, stemloop RT-PCR products were inserted into the pGem-T Easy Vector (Promega) and sequenced using a T7 promoter primer. All sequencing was preformed at the Northwestern University Genomics Core Facility. In vitro Transcription Wild-type and Δss plasmids were used as templates in PCR reactions. The forward primers were T7ABCF1, T7LRP1, T7PKD1, T7DHX30 that are specific to the 5' end of the host gene and contain a T7 promoter sequence. The reverse primers were targeted to the exon following the mirtron/simtron (Gene specific reverse) or to the 3' end of the predominate miRNA species (miRNA specific reverse) in order to generate substrates that should be recognized by gene specific amplification or stemloop RT-PCR, respectively. The PCR products were used as templates for in vitro transcription with a T7 RNA polymerase (Promega) to make RNA transcripts. Transcription reactions were carried out in the presence of 32 P-UTP and 7Me-GpppG cap analog (NEB) to make pre-mRNA. RNA was purified by gel electrophoresis (80). The resulting synthetic RNA was reverse transcribed as described above and subjected to radiolabelled RT-PCR or stemloop RT-PCR. qRT-PCR Total RNA collected from HEK-293T cells transiently transfected with wild-type, Δss, or empty vector control (was as reverse transcribed using the Taqman microRNA reverse transcription kit …
Efficacy and Safety of Rituximab in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Sjögren Syndrome Patients With Refractory Thrombocytopenia

ObjectiveRecent studies suggested a potential of rituximab (RTX) in treating autoimmune thrombocytopenia (AITP) secondary to autoimmune diseases. In this study, we retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of RTX therapy in patients with refractory AITP secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Sjögren syndrome (SS). MethodsTwenty-one SLE and/or SS patients with treatment-resistant AITP were treated once or repeatedly with RTX at the Rheumatology Clinic Renji Hospital, during the period March 2012 to June 2014. Clinical and laboratory variables recorded at every follow-up visit were analyzed. ResultsThe median age of all patients was 37.05 ± 3.15 years (range, 13–67 years; 20 female and 1 male). The median AITP duration before RTX treatment was 5.46 years. Previous treatments of 21 patients included immunosuppressive agents such as corticosteroids (n = 19), cyclosporine (n = 9), mycophenolate mofetil (n = 2), methotrexate (n = 3), cyclophosphamide (n = 2), vincristine (n = 3), and hydroxychloroquine (n = 15), and 7 patients received concomitantly intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. Two patients had undergone splenectomy without improvement. Seventeen patients (80.95%) were treated repeatedly with RTX during the follow-up period. The overall response rate to RTX treatment (including complete response, 52.38%; partial response, 28.57%) was 80.95%. A significant increase (P < 0.05) of platelet counts was seen after 1 month (median, 32.24 × 109/mL vs 66.53 × 109/mL). Relapses occurred mostly during the first 9 months, and maintaining duration of response was 10.27 months (range, 2–17 months) on average after the first RTX infusion. Antiplatelet antibodies, especially IgG isotype, decreased significantly (P < 0.05) after RTX treatment. No adverse effects were observed among 15 patients (71.4%); however, 2 cases died of severe pneumonia, and another developed lymphoma. ConclusionsRituximab is an additional potent therapeutic treatment option for SLE and SS patients with AITP refractory to conventional immunosuppressive treatments. For most patients, RTX was safe and well tolerated.
P o S ( L A T 2 0 0 6 ) 0 0 2 The search for the fundamental QCD string in anti

The (original) flat space “hadronic” string discovered prior to QCD had both dramatic successes and equally dramatic failures. This talk will show how Maldacena’s string/gauge duality conjecture offers a way out of the major failures. New QCD-like duals exhibit confinement and deconfinement at finite temperature, a qualitatively reasonable glueball and extended flux tube spectra as well as a domain wall mechanism for chiral symmetry breaking at strong coupling. Recently the hard components responsible for power behavior at wide angles and a unified treatment of soft (Regge)/hard(BFKL) Pomeron in high energy diffractive scattering has been identified at strong coupling. Lattice computations promise to provide more and more stringent “experimental” data to guide and test constructions of the fundamental QCD string.
Seagrass nutrient content

Data on nutrient contents of 27 seagrass species at 30 locations were compiled from the literature. Mean (f SE) concentrations of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in seagrass leaves were 33.6 2 0.31, 1.92 f 0.05, and 0.23 2 0.011 % dry wt, respectively. The median C:N:P ratio was 474 :24: 1, which represents a C:P ratio more than 4 times, and a N:P ratio more than 1.5 times that of oceanic seston. These ratios are, however, less than those previously reported for marine macrophytes (550 : 30 : 1) by Atkinson & Smith (1984). Nitrogen and phosphorus variability within species was large, but carbon contents exhibited little variability. Accordingly, carbon:nutrient (N and P) ratios were inversely related to changes in nutrient content, and the rate of change in C:N and C:P ratios with increasing nitrogen or phosphorus content in plant tissues should shift from high to small as nutrient supply meets the plant's demands. The median nitrogen and phosphorus contents reported here (1.8 % N and 0.20 % P as % DW) correctly discriminated between seagrass stands that did or did not respond to nutrient enrichment, thus offering a useful reference for comparisons of seagrass nutrient contents.
What does seeing the performer add? It depends on musical style, amount of stage behavior, and audience expertise

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of musical style, amount of stage behavior, audience expertise, and modality of presentation on structural, emotional, and summary ratings of piano performances. Twenty-four musically trained and 24 untrained participants rated two-minute excerpts of pieces by Bach, Chopin, and Copland, each performed by the same pianist, who was asked to vary his stage behavior from minimal to natural to exaggerated. Participants rated the performances under either audio-only or audiovisual conditions. The composer’s style had a consistently strong effect on the performance evaluations, highlighting the importance of careful repertoire selection. Moreover, the preferred degree of stage behavior depended on the style. The interaction between expertise, modality, and stage behavior revealed that non-musicians perceived differences across the three degrees of stage behavior only audiovisually and not in the audio-only condition. In contrast, musicians perceived these differences under both audiovisual and audio-only conditions, with the lowest ratings for minimal stage behavior. This suggests that varying the degree of stage behavior altered the quality of the performance. In addition, participants were asked to select two emotions that best characterized each performance. They preferentially chose more subtle emotions from Hevner’s (1936) Adjective Circle over the five general emotions of happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and tenderness traditionally used in music cognition studies, suggesting that these five emotions are less apt to describe the emotions conveyed through musical performance.
Design of a Hierarchy-Bus Based MPSoC on FPGA

The increasing system resources available on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) enable the integration of complex system on one programmable chip. This paper focuses on the design and implementation of a hierarchy-bus based multi-processor system-on-chip (MPSoC) integrating 4 ARM processors on FPGA. Experimental results had been obtained running at 60MHz with total area requiring 34% adaptive look-up tables (ALUTs) of Altera Stratix II EP2S180 and a maxim performance speedup of 3.2
Effect of Oral Administration of Magnesium on Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Normal and Streptozocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Background Cisplatin (CP) therapy as the most common potent chemotherapeutic process is accompanied by nephrotoxicity. The diabetic state may protect rat kidney against this toxicity, and magnesium (Mg) on the other hand may reduce the glucose level in diabetic animals. Objectives Current study was planned to investigate the effect of oral administration of magnesium supplementation on CP-induced nephrotoxicity in normal and Streptozocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Materials and Methods Male Wistar rats were divided into seven groups and underwent two experiment protocols. As protocol 1, group 1 was considered as the sham group. Group 2 (CP group) received CP (2 mg/kg/d) for five consecutive days. Group 3 (CP + Mg group) received magnesium sulphate (MgSO4, 10 g/L added to the drinking water) for 10 days and then treated with CP from sixth day. As protocol 2, animals received a single dose of STZ (65 mg/kg i.p.). Three days after diabetes induction, animals were divided into four groups; Groups 4 (D group), 5 (D + CP group), and 7 (D + Mg + CP group) followed the same manner as groups 1 to 3, respectively; and group 6 (D + Mg group) was treated with MgSO4 alone for 10 days. Finally, blood samples were obtained, and all animals were killed for kidney tissue investigation. Results CP administration in normoglycemic rats significantly elevated the serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) (P < 0.05). However, coadministration of CP and Mg statistically increased the serum levels of BUN and Cr in both normoglycemic and diabetic animals when compared to the rats treated with CP alone (P < 0.05), while the serum level of Mg was significantly increased in nondiabetic groups (P < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in serum and kidney levels of nitrite; as well as the testis weight between all normoglycemic groups, whereas Mg decreased kidney levels of nitrite in diabetic groups when accompanied by CP (P < 0.05). The kidney and serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) enhanced significantly in nondiabetic rats treated with Mg and CP (P < 0.05). Kidney tissue damage score (KTDS), kidney weight, and body weight loss were significantly different among normoglycemic groups (P < 0.05), and Mg promoted the KTDS in diabetic animals treated with CP. Conclusions Oral Mg supplementation did not protect the CP induced nephrotoxicity in diabetic rats.
Effects of experience on non-native speakers' production and perception of English vowels

Abstract This study assessed the effect of English-language experience on non-native speakers' production and perception of English vowels. Twenty speakers each of German, Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean, as well as a control group of 10 native English (NE) speakers, participated. The non-native subjects, who were first exposed intensively to English when they arrived in the United States (mean age=25years), were assigned to relatively experienced or inexperienced subgroups based on their length of residence in the US (M=7.3vs. 0.7years). The 90 subjects' accuracy in producing English /i I e ae/ was assessed by having native English-speaking listeners attempt to identify which vowels had been spoken, and through acoustic measurements. The same subjects also identified the vowels in syntheticbeat-bit(/i/-/ I /) andbat-bet(/ae/-/e/) continua. The experienced non-native subjects produced and perceived English vowels more accurately than did the relatively inexperienced non-native subjects. The non-native subjects' degrees of accuracy in producing and perceiving English vowels were related. Finally, both production and perception accuracy varied as a function of native language (L1) background in a way that appeared to depend on the perceived relation between English vowels and vowels in the L1 inventory.
Connection management without retaining information

Managing a connection between two hosts in a network is an important service to provide in order to make the network useful for many applications. The two main sub-problems are the management of serial incarnations of a connection and the transfer of messages within an incarnation. This paper investigates whether it is necessary for connection management protocols to retain state information across node crashes and between incarnations. <<ETX>>
Modeling of SiGe HBTs with (fT, fmax) of (340, 560) GHz based on physics-based scalable model parameter extraction

Compact model results for SiGe HBTs with an fT of 340 GHz and an fmax of 560 GHz are presented with a focus on geometry scalable modeling and the corresponding abilities for a detailed evaluation of process performance. The parameter extraction is outlined with an emphasis on device scaling and parasitic series resistance extraction. Very accurate model results are obtained for single geometry devices as well as for transistors with a wide distribution of emitter geometries, allowing a deembedding of the corresponding 1D HBT performance.
Delimbing hybrid poplar prior to processing with a flail/chipper

Processing whole trees into pulp chips with chain flail delimber/debarker/chippers (DDCs) is costly. Production rates of DDCs are limited by the residence time required to remove limbs and bark. Using a pull-through delimber, we delimbed trees prior to flailing and chipping, with the objective of speeding up the latter processes. Pre-delimbing increased the productivity of the DDC by about 10 percent. The reduced cost of flail/chipping did not cover the additional cost of delimbing with the machine mix tested, but changes to equipment and operating conditions might improve the situation. In the test configuration, the delimber processed 175 trees per productive hour, about half as many as the DDC. Delimbing separated about 35 dry pounds of limbs per tree, which may have higher value than the mixture of limb and bark residues produced by the DDC from whole trees.
Effects of Heat Input on Microstructure, Corrosion and Mechanical Characteristics of Welded Austenitic and Duplex Stainless Steels: A Review

The effects of input heat of different welding processes on the microstructure, corrosion, and mechanical characteristics of welded duplex stainless steel (DSS) are reviewed. Austenitic stainless steel (ASS) is welded using low-heat inputs. However, owing to differences in the physical metallurgy between ASS and DSS, low-heat inputs should be avoided for DSS. This review highlights the differences in solidification mode and transformation characteristics between ASS and DSS with regard to the heat input in welding processes. Specifically, many studies about the effects of heat energy input in welding process on the pitting corrosion, intergranular stress, stresscorrosion cracking, and mechanical properties of weldments of DSS are reviewed.
The Effect of Performance-Based Financial Incentives on Improving Health Care Provision in Burundi: A Controlled Cohort Study

To strengthen the health care delivery, the Burundian Government in collaboration with international NGOs piloted performance-based financing (PBF) in 2006. The health facilities were assigned - by using a simple matching method - to begin PBF scheme or to continue with the traditional input-based funding. Our objective was to analyse the effect of that PBF scheme on the quality of health services between 2006 and 2008. We conducted the analysis in 16 health facilities with PBF scheme and 13 health facilities without PBF scheme. We analysed the PBF effect by using 58 composite quality indicators of eight health services: Care management, outpatient care, maternity care, prenatal care, family planning, laboratory services, medicines management and materials management. The differences in quality improvement in the two groups of health facilities were performed applying descriptive statistics, a paired non-parametric Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test and a simple difference-in-difference approach at a significance level of 5%. We found an improvement of the quality of care in the PBF group and a significant deterioration in the non-PBF group in the same four health services: care management, outpatient care, maternity care, and prenatal care. The findings suggest a PBF effect of between 38 and 66 percentage points (p<0.001) in the quality scores of care management, outpatient care, prenatal care, and maternal care. We found no PBF effect on clinical support services: laboratory services, medicines management, and material management. The PBF scheme in Burundi contributed to the improvement of the health services that were strongly under the control of medical personnel (physicians and nurses) in a short time of two years. The clinical support services that did not significantly improved were strongly under the control of laboratory technicians, pharmacists and non-medical personnel.
Stagnation and Infall of Dense Clumps in the Stellar Wind of τ Scorpii

Observations of the B0.2 V star τ Scorpii have revealed unusual stellar wind characteristics: redshifted absorption in the far-ultraviolet O VI resonance doublet up to ~+250 km s-1 and extremely hard X-ray emission implying gas at temperatures in excess of 107 K. We describe a phenomenological model to explain these properties. We assume the wind of τ Sco consists of two components: ambient gas in which denser clumps are embedded. The clumps are optically thick in the UV resonance lines primarily responsible for accelerating the ambient wind. The reduced acceleration causes the clumps to slow and even infall, all the while being confined by the ram pressure of the outflowing ambient wind. We calculate detailed trajectories of the clumps in the ambient stellar wind, accounting for a line radiation driving force and the momentum deposited by the ambient wind in the form of drag. We show that these clumps will fall back toward the star with velocities of several hundred km s-1 for a broad range of initial conditions. The velocities of the clumps relative to the ambient stellar wind can approach 2000 km s-1, producing X-ray-emitting plasmas with temperatures in excess of (1-6) × 107 K in bow shocks at their leading edge. The infalling material explains the peculiar redshifted absorption wings seen in the O VI doublet. Of order 103 clumps with individual masses mc ~ 1019-1020 g are needed to explain the observed X-ray luminosity and also to explain the strength of the O VI absorption lines. These values correspond to a mass-loss rate in clumps of c ~ 10-9 to 10-8 M☉ yr-1, a small fraction of the total mass-loss rate ( ~ 3 × 10-8 M☉ yr-1). We discuss the position of τ Sco in the H-R diagram, concluding that τ Sco is in a crucial position on the main sequence. Hotter stars near the spectral type of τ Sco have too powerful winds for clumps to fall back to the stars, and cooler stars have too low mass-loss rates to produce observable effects. The model developed here can be generally applied to line-driven outflows with clumps or density irregularities.
EMULATION OF COMPLEX NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURES FOR LARGE-SCALE TESTING OF DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS

Current testing solutions for distributed systems lack methods to reproduce the conditions found in complex network infrastructures. We argue that the emulation of multi-level topologies and fine-grained network behavior is necessary to provide an adequate testbed for experiments with distributed systems. Therefore, we developed an extensible emulation environment called NESSEE, which emulates application behavior as well as network aspects. Evaluation results show its applicability for large-scale tests. Furthermore, the developed NESSEE platform is actually used by our industry partner Citrix Online for testing video conferencing systems.