Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dendroclimatic Potential of Plains Cottonwood (Populus deltoides Subsp. Monilifera) from the Northern Great Plains, USA

Abstract A new 368-year tree-ring chronology (A.D. 1643–2010) has been developed in western North Dakota using plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera) growing on the relatively undisturbed floodplain of the Little Missouri River in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We document many slow-growing living trees between 150–370 years old that contradict the common understanding that cottonwoods grow fast and die young. In this northern location, cottonwood produces distinct annual rings with dramatic interannual variability that strongly crossdate. The detrended tree-ring chronology is significantly positively correlated with local growing season precipitation and soil moisture conditions (r = 0.69). This time series shows periods of prolonged low radial tree growth during the known droughts of the instrumental record (e.g. 1931–1939 and 1980–1981) and also during prehistory (e.g. 1816–1823 and 1856–1865) when other paleoclimate studies have documented droughts in this region. Tree rings of cottonwood will be a useful tool to help reconstruct climate, streamflow, and the floodplain history of the Little Missouri River and other northern river systems.
Old Content and Modern Tools - Searching Named Entities in a Finnish OCRed Historical Newspaper Collection 1771-1910

Named Entity Recognition (NER), search, classification and tagging of names and name like frequent informational elements in texts, has become a standard information extraction procedure for textual data. NER has been applied to many types of texts and different types of entities: newspapers, fiction, historical records, persons, locations, chemical compounds, protein families, animals etc. In general a NER system's performance is genre and domain dependent and also used entity categories vary (Nadeau and Sekine, 2007). The most general set of named entities is usually some version of three partite categorization of locations, persons and organizations. In this paper we report first large scale trials and evaluation of NER with data out of a digitized Finnish historical newspaper collection Digi. Experiments, results and discussion of this research serve development of the Web collection of historical Finnish newspapers. Digi collection contains 1,960,921 pages of newspaper material from years 1771-1910 both in Finnish and Swedish. We use only material of Finnish documents in our evaluation. The OCRed newspaper collection has lots of OCR errors; its estimated word level correctness is about 70-75 % (Kettunen and P\"a\"akk\"onen, 2016). Our principal NER tagger is a rule-based tagger of Finnish, FiNER, provided by the FIN-CLARIN consortium. We show also results of limited category semantic tagging with tools of the Semantic Computing Research Group (SeCo) of the Aalto University. Three other tools are also evaluated briefly. This research reports first published large scale results of NER in a historical Finnish OCRed newspaper collection. Results of the research supplement NER results of other languages with similar noisy data.
Estimating mineralisation of organic nitrogen from biosolids and other organic wastes applied to soils in subtropical Australia

One major benefit of land application of biosolids is to supply nitrogen (N) for agricultural crops, and understanding mineralisation processes is the key for better N-management strategies. Field studies were conducted to investigate the process of mineralisation of three biosolids products (aerobic, anaerobic, and thermally dried biosolids) incorporated into four different soils at rates of 7–90 wet t/ha in subtropical Queensland. Two of these studies also examined mineralisation rates of commonly used organic amendments (composts, manures, and sugarcane mill muds). Organic N in all biosolids products mineralised very rapidly under ambient conditions in subtropical Queensland, with rates much faster than from other common amendments. Biosolids mineralisation rates ranged from 30 to 80% of applied N during periods ranging from 3.5 to 18 months after biosolids application; these rates were much higher than those suggested in the biosolids land application guidelines established by the NSW EPA (15% for anaerobic and 25% for aerobic biosolids). There was no consistently significant difference in mineralisation rate between aerobic and anaerobic biosolids in our studies. When applied at similar rates of N addition, other organic amendments supplied much less N to the soil mineral N and plant N pools during the crop season. A significant proportion of the applied biosolids total N (up to 60%) was unaccounted for at the end of the observation period. High rates of N addition in calculated Nitrogen Limited Biosolids Application Rates (850–1250 kg N/ha) resulted in excessive accumulation of mineral N in the soil profile, which increases the environmental risks due to leaching, runoff, or gaseous N losses. Moreover, the rapid mineralisation of the biosolids organic N in these subtropical environments suggests that biosolids should be applied at lower rates than in temperate areas, and that care must be taken with the timing to maximise plant uptake and minimise possible leaching, runoff, or denitrification losses of mineralised N.
Toxicity of Microcystin LR, a Cyclic Heptapeptide Hepatotoxin from Microcystis aeruginosa, to Rats and Mice

Abstract. Rats (Sprague-Dawley) and mice (Balb/c) were given microcystin LR intraperitoneally and were killed at intervals up to 24 hr (rats) or 90 min (mice) and necropsied. The lowest consistently lethal dose was 160 μg/kg in rats and 100 μg/kg in mice. Rats that were clinically unaffected had no lesion. All clinically affected rats in all dose groups died (from 20 to 32 hr after toxin) and had similar hepatic lesions. Livers were enlarged and dark red beginning 40 to 60 min after toxin. Mild disassociation and rounding of centrilobular hepatocytes developed within 20 min. By 60 min after toxin, degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes involved most of the lobules except for small per portal zones. Weights of livers and kidneys were significantly increased. Eosinophilic fibrillar material filled renal glomerular capillaries as early as 9 hr after toxin. At 18 to 24 hr there was moderate vacuolation of proximal tubular epithelium with mild tubular dilatation. Beginning at 1 hr, intact hepatocytes and hepatic debris were present in pulmonary vessels. Analysis of serum revealed an increase in alanine aminotransferase 40 min after toxin; at 6 to 12 hr there were significant increases in alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine. Mice survived only 60 to 90 min after toxin. Hepatic lesions were similar to those in rats, but renal and pulmonary lesions were not seen.
Long‐term changes in ozone mini‐hole event frequency over the Northern Hemisphere derived from ground‐based measurements

Decadal changes of ozone mini‐hole event appearance over the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes are examined based on daily total ozone data from seven stations having long records (four decades or more) of ozone observations. The various threshold methods for accepting and rejecting the ozone minima as mini‐holes are examined. Mini‐hole event activity is seen to be rather stable when averaged over a decadal time scale if the mini‐holes are selected as large negative departures (exceeding 20%) relative to the moving long‐term total ozone reference. The results are compared with a previous ozone mini‐hole climatology derived from satellite data (TOMS measurements on board the Nimbus‐7 satellite for the period 1978–93). A nonlinear statistical model (MARS), which takes into account various total ozone dynamical proxies (from NCEP–NCAR reanalysis), is used to study dynamical factors responsible for the ozone extremes over Arosa in the period 1950–99. The model explains as much as 95% of the total variance of the ozone extremes. The model–observation differences averaged over the decadal intervals are rather smooth throughout the whole period analysed. It is suggested that the short‐term dynamical processes controlling the appearance of ozone extremes influenced the ozone field in a similar way before and after the onset of abrupt ozone depletion in the early 1980s. The analysis of the ozone profile and the tropopause pressure (from the ozonesondings over Hohenpeissenberg, 1966–99) during mini‐hole events shows ∼60% ozone reduction in the lower stratosphere and an approximately 50 hPa upward shift of the thermal tropopause there. Copyright © 2002 Royal Meteorological Society.
Six Sigma implementation : an empirical analysis of critical success factors and performance outcomes

Using cross-sectional and time series data, this paper analyzes empirically the relationship between Six Sigma implementation and firm Total Sales (TS), Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Sales (ROS), and Sales Growth (SG). A separate analysis examines Six Sigma’s impact on managerial perceptions of financial outcomes (ROI, cost reduction, and revenue enhancement). The key factors that moderate the relationship between Six Sigma implementation and firm performance are also considered. The data pertain to 50 companies (49 American, 1 South African) that have implemented Six Sigma for at least one year and represent nine different industries. The results indicate that a firm’s ability to track the status and financial outcomes of all Six Sigma projects, the maturity of the implementation, the selection of strategically-aligned projects, the integration of Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) into projects, and the breadth of the implementation have a statistically significant impact on subjective and/or objective performance measures. JEL Codes: M10, E32
Critical periods of suicide risk in Huntington's disease.

Contrary to popular belief, receiving a diagnosis of a devastating fatal disease does not exacerbate, and may even alleviate, the risk of suicide. Suicidal ideation was examined in 4,171 individuals in the Huntington Study Group database. Participants were grouped according to a standardized neurological examination from 0 (i.e., normal examination) to 3 (definite Huntington's disease). Patients with an unequivocal diagnosis of Huntington's disease were further divided by stage of disease, from stage 1 (early) to stage 5 (end stage). Findings showed that the frequency of suicidal ideation doubled from 9.1% in at-risk persons with a normal neurological examination to 19.8% in at-risk persons with soft neurological signs and increased to 23.5% in persons with "possible Huntington's disease. " In persons with a diagnosis of Huntington's disease, 16.7% had suicidal ideation in stage 1, and 21.6% had suicidal ideation in stage 2, whereas the proportion of Huntington's disease patients with suicidal ideation diminished thereafter. Findings suggest two critical periods for increased risk of suicide in Huntington's disease. The first critical period is immediately before receiving a formal diagnosis of Huntington's disease, and the second is in stage 2 of the disease, when independence diminishes. Although the underlying mechanisms of suicidal ideation in Huntington's disease are poorly understood, it is critical for health care providers to be aware of periods during which patients may be at an increased risk.
A Comprehensive Assessment of Repaglinide Metabolic Pathways: Impact of Choice of In Vitro System and Relative Enzyme Contribution to In Vitro Clearance

Repaglinide is presently recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a clinical CYP2C8 probe, yet current in vitro and clinical data are inconsistent concerning the role of this enzyme in repaglinide elimination. The aim of the current study was to perform a comprehensive investigation of repaglinide metabolic pathways and assess their contribution to the overall clearance. Formation of four repaglinide metabolites was characterized using in vitro systems with differential complexity. Full kinetic profiles for the formation of M1, M2, M4, and repaglinide glucuronide were obtained in pooled cryopreserved human hepatocytes, human liver microsomes, human S9 fractions, and recombinant cytochrome P450 enzymes. Distinct differences in clearance ratios were observed between CYP3A4 and CYP2C8 for M1 and M4 formation, resulting in a 60-fold M1/M4 ratio in recombinant (r) CYP3A4, in contrast to 0.05 in rCYP2C8. Unbound Km values were within 2-fold for each metabolite across all in vitro systems investigated. A major system difference was seen in clearances for the formation of M2, which is suggested to be a main metabolite of repaglinide in vivo. An approximately 7-fold higher unbound intrinsic clearance was observed in hepatocytes and S9 fractions in comparison to microsomes; the involvement of aldehyde dehydrogenase in M2 formation was shown for the first time. This systematic analysis revealed a comparable in vitro contribution from CYP2C8 and CYP3A4 to the metabolism of repaglinide (<50%), whereas the contribution of glucuronidation ranged from 2 to 20%, depending on the in vitro system used. The repaglinide M4 metabolic pathway is proposed as a specific CYP2C8 probe for the assessment of drug-drug interactions.
TCP performance issues over wireless links

This article discusses the problems arising when the TCP/IP protocol suite is used to provide Internet connectivity over existing and emerging wireless links. Due to the strong drive toward wireless Internet access through mobile terminals, these problems must be carefully studied in order to build improved systems. We review wireless link characteristics using wireless LANs and cellular communications systems as examples. We then outline the performance problems of the TCP/IP protocol suite when employed over those links, such as degraded TCP performance due to mistaking wireless errors for congestion. We present various proposals for solving these problems and examine their benefits and limitations. Finally, we consider the future evolution of wireless systems and the challenges that emerging systems will impose on the Internet protocol suite.
Mode of Cenozoic east‐west extension in Tibet suggesting a common origin of rifts in Asia during the Indo‐Asian collision

Cenozoic rifts in Tibet were traditionally interpreted as a result of topographic collapse of the Tibetan Plateau, reaching the maximum elevation that can be supported by its mechanical strength. Recent studies have emphasized possible similarities between rifting in Tibet and extension in the Basin and Range of the western United States. However, when examined in detail, one finds that spacing of long (>100 km) rifts in Tibet (∼100–300 km) is significantly greater than that in the Basin and Range (∼20–40 km). From south to north, rift spacing decreases systematically: from 191±67 km in the Himalaya south of the Indus-Yalu suture to 146±34 km in south Tibet between the Indus-Yalu and Bangong-Nujiang sutures and farther north to 101±31 km in central Tibet between the Bangong-Nujiang and Jinsha sutures. Instability analysis suggests that the mantle lithosphere must have been involved in east-west Tibetan extension. Specifically, the widely spaced rifts in The Himalaya and Tibet may have been related to the presence of a relatively light crust (density <∼2.90 g cm−3) and a strong mantle lithosphere (∼40 km thick and a factor of 5 stronger than the upper crust). The observed systematic decrease in rift spacing can be explained by the known decrease in the crustal thickness in Tibet, from ∼70–80 km in The Himalaya in the south to ∼50–55 km in central Tibet in the north. A regional comparison of rifts in east Asia suggests that both the involvement of the mantle lithosphere and the age of rift initiation are similar for Tibetan rifts, the Baikal rift, and the Shanxi graben. This implies that topographic collapse or a convective event in the mantle cannot be the sole cause for the development of the Tibetan rifts. A regional boundary condition applied throughout east Asia must be required.
Apoptosis and Necrosis Occur in Separate Neuronal Populations in Hippocampus and Cerebellum after Ischemia and Are Associated with Differential Alterations in Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Signaling Pathways

It was evaluated whether postischemic neurodegeneration is apoptosis and occurs with alterations in phosphoinositide-linked metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) and their associated signaling pathways. A dog model of transient global incomplete cerebral ischemia was used. The CA1 pyramidal cells and cerebellar Purkinje cells underwent progressive delayed degeneration. By in situ end-labeling of DNA, death of CA1 and Purkinje cells was greater at 7 days than 1 day after ischemia, whereas death of granule neurons in dentate gyrus and cerebellar cortex was greater at 1 than at 7 days. Ultrastructurally, degenerating CA1 pyramidal neurons and cerebellar Purkinje cells were necrotic; in contrast, degenerating granule neurons were apoptotic. In agarose gels of regional DNA extracts, random DNA fragmentation coexisted with internucleosomal fragmentation. By immunoblotting of regional homogenates, mGluR1α, mGluR5, phospholipase Cβ (PLCβ), and Gαq/11 protein levels in hippocampus at 1 and 7 days after ischemia were similar to control levels, but in cerebellar cortex, mGluR1α and mGluR5 were decreased but PLCβ was increased. By immunocytochemistry, mGluR and PLCβ immunoreactivity dissipated in CA1 and cerebellar Purkinje cell/ molecular layers, whereas immunoreactivities for these proteins were enhanced in granule neurons. It was concluded that neuronal death after global ischemia exists as two distinct, temporally overlapping forms in hippocampus and cerebellum: necrosis of pyramidal neurons and Purkinje cells and apoptosis of granule neurons. Neuronal necrosis is associated with a loss of phosphoinositide-linked mGluR transduction proteins, whereas neuronal apoptosis occurs with increased mGluR signaling.
Contemporary and Post-glacial Rates of Aeolian Deposition in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada

Contemporary and post-glacial rates of aeolian deposition are determined for three small catchments that straddle the alpine-subalpine ecotone in the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. From process measurement over a single year, the mean annual regional (allochthonous) rate of aeolian deposition for the catchments is estimated to be approximately 11 g m -2 . The average rate of annual deposition over the post-glacial period is calculated from the soil profiles to be c. 6 g m -2 , although fallout rates are likely to have varied significantly over the Holocene epoch due to changes in climate and catchment conditions. It would appear that the vegetated ground strata in these catchments are net receivers of aeolian dust fallout. Consequently, many of the soils are cumulic in nature and protect the bedrock in these catchments from subaerial weathering. These results have implications for sediment transfers in alpine and subalpine environments in southwestern British Columbia.
An Infeasible-Interior-Point Predictor-Corrector Algorithm for Linear Programming

A predictor-corrector method is proposed for solving standard form linear programming problems starting from initial points that strictly satisfy the positivity constraints, but do not necessarily satisfy the equality constraints. The algorithm is globally convergent under the assumption that the linear program has an optimal solution. Under some additional assumptions on the starting point we prove that $\epsilon $-feasibility and $\epsilon $-complementarily can be obtained in $O( n \ln ( \frac{1}{\epsilon } )) $ iterations.
Fingerprinting particle origins according to their size distribution at a UK rural site

[1] This paper presents an examination of the source signature or origin signature represented by particle number size distributions and modal diameters measured at a rural receptor site in southern England which receives air from a range of polluted and less polluted origins. At this site, particle number size distributions (11–450 nm) with smaller modal diameters ( 50 nm) correspond to anthropogenic emissions from local or more remote activities and long range transport. Nucleation mode and aged-nucleation mode particles (mainly from 18 to 33 nm) were mostly new particles from nucleation. Accumulation mode particles (90–120 nm) were associated with aged polluted air masses, two thirds of which arrived from continental Europe. Aitken mode particles had different origins with different signatures. Some of them corresponded to local vehicular emissions and in this case the distributions are typically bimodal. Particle number size distributions with the smallest Aitken modal diameters (around 44 nm) corresponded to background particles in westerly maritime air masses; possibly new particles formed upwind. Particle number size distributions with the largest Aitken modal diameters (around 67 nm) were transported from anthropogenic sources that are thought to be mainly within the UK.
Large time asymptotics of growth models on space-like paths I: PushASEP

We consider a new interacting particle system on the one-dimensional lattice that interpolates between TASEP and Toom's model: A particle cannot jump to the right if the neighboring site is occupied, and when jumping to the left it simply pushes all the neighbors that block its way. We prove that for flat and step initial conditions, the large time fluctuations of theheight function of the associated growth model along any space-like path are described by the Airy 1 and Airy 2 processes. This includes fluctuations of the height profile for a fixed time and fluctuations of a tagged particle's trajectory as special cases.
Classification and Representation via Separable Subspaces: Performance Limits and Algorithms

We study the classification performance of Kronecker-structured (K-S) subpsace models in two asymptotic regimes and develop an algorithm for fast and compact K-S subspace learning for better classification and representation of multidimensional signals by exploiting the structure in the signal. First, we study the classification performance in terms of <italic>diversity order</italic> and pairwise geometry of the subspaces. We derive an exact expression for the diversity order as a function of the signal and subspace dimensions of a K-S model. Next, we study the <italic> classification capacity</italic>, the maximum rate at which the number of classes can grow as the signal dimension goes to infinity. Then, we describe a fast algorithm for <italic>Kronecker-structured learning of discriminative dictionaries</italic> (K-SLD<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^2$</tex-math></inline-formula>). Finally, we evaluate the empirical classification performance of K-S models for the synthetic data, showing that they agree with the diversity order analysis. We also evaluate the performance of K-SLD<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^2$ </tex-math></inline-formula> on synthetic and real-world datasets showing that the K-SLD<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^2$</tex-math></inline-formula> balances compact signal representation and good classification performance.