Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thermal-based modeling of coupled carbon, water, and energy fluxes using nominal light use efficiencies constrained by leaf chlorophyll observations

Abstract. Recent studies have shown that estimates of leaf chlorophyll content (Chl), defined as the combined mass of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b per unit leaf area, can be useful for constraining estimates of canopy light use efficiency (LUE). Canopy LUE describes the amount of carbon assimilated by a vegetative canopy for a given amount of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR) and is a key parameter for modeling land-surface carbon fluxes. A carbon-enabled version of the remote-sensing-based two-source energy balance (TSEB) model simulates coupled canopy transpiration and carbon assimilation using an analytical sub-model of canopy resistance constrained by inputs of nominal LUE (βn), which is modulated within the model in response to varying conditions in light, humidity, ambient CO2 concentration, and temperature. Soil moisture constraints on water and carbon exchange are conveyed to the TSEB-LUE indirectly through thermal infrared measurements of land-surface temperature. We investigate the capability of using Chl estimates for capturing seasonal trends in the canopy βn from in situ measurements of Chl acquired in irrigated and rain-fed fields of soybean and maize near Mead, Nebraska. The results show that field-measured Chl is nonlinearly related to βn, with variability primarily related to phenological changes during early growth and senescence. Utilizing seasonally varying βn inputs based on an empirical relationship with in situ measured Chl resulted in improvements in carbon flux estimates from the TSEB model, while adjusting the partitioning of total water loss between plant transpiration and soil evaporation. The observed Chl–βn relationship provides a functional mechanism for integrating remotely sensed Chl into the TSEB model, with the potential for improved mapping of coupled carbon, water, and energy fluxes across vegetated landscapes.
The MEF2–HDAC axis controls proliferation of mammary epithelial cells and acini formation in vitro

ABSTRACT The myocyte enhancer factor 2 and histone deacetylase (MEF2–HDAC) axis is a master regulator of different developmental programs and adaptive responses in adults. In this paper, we have investigated the contribution of the axis to the regulation of epithelial morphogenesis, using 3D organotypic cultures of MCF10A cells as a model. We have demonstrated that MEF2 transcriptional activity is upregulated during acini formation, which coincides with exit from the proliferative phase. Upregulation of the transcription of MEF2 proteins is coupled to downregulation of HDAC7, which occurs independently from changes in mRNA levels, and proteasome- or autophagy-mediated degradation. During acini formation, the MEF2–HDAC axis contributes to the promotion of cell cycle exit, through the engagement of the CDK inhibitor CDKN1A. Only in proliferating cells can HDAC7 bind to the first intron of the CDKN1A gene, a region characterized by epigenetic markers of active promoters and enhancers. In cells transformed by the oncogene HER2 (ERBB2), acini morphogenesis is altered, MEF2 transcription is repressed and HDAC7 is continuously expressed. Importantly, reactivation of MEF2 transcriptional activity in these cells, through the use of a HER2 inhibitor or by enhancing MEF2 function, corrected the proliferative defect and re-established normal acini morphogenesis. Summary: The HER2 oncogene alters the epithelial morphogenetic program and inhibits MEF2 transcriptional programs. Reactivation of MEF2s re-established normal acini morphogenesis.
SMA Actuator Priming using Resistance Feedback

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are a group of alloys that demonstrate the unique ability of returning back to a previously defined shape or size if subjected to the appropriate thermal procedure. They have been implemented as actuators in a wide range of applications spanning several fields such as robotics, aeronautics, automotive and even in medicine. Several controllers, linear and nonlinear, have been designed to control these actuators. However, controlling these actuators is no simple task as they are highly nonlinear due to the hysteresis inherent in them. In fact, their control depends on two important factors: the thermal conditions they are subjected to and the stress applied to them. The former can be further divided into air flow and ambient temperatures. These thermal conditions determine the amount of power needed to heat the SMA wire. In the SMA data sheets, manufacturers specify what they refer to as the “safe current” which is the maximum current value that can be applied to the SMA wire indefinitely without burning it. However, they specify this current value at room temperature and under certain convection conditions. In the work presented here, the focus was the control of SMA actuators under different ambient temperatures. Thus, in this research, the main goal was to design and implement a controller that will actuate, or contract, the SMA wire in approximately the same amount of time regardless of the ambient temperatures with a fixed load applied to it.
Characterization and modeling of a novel electro-hydraulic variable two-terminal mass device

Much effort has been devoted to developing variable stiffness and variable damping devices for semi-active structural vibration control. However, little research has been done for variable inertial mass mainly caused by the mechanical terminal limit of the mass component. Based on the two-terminal mass scheme, we propose an electro-hydraulic approach to realizing a novel device with variable two-terminal mass. In this study, the flywheel that is traditionally handled by one physical terminal is manipulated by two terminals of a hydraulic cylinder-control-motor system. The transmission ratio of the system is adjusted using an electro-hydraulic proportional valve. Through modeling the ideal dynamic behavior, it is confirmed that the equivalent inertial mass between two terminals of the component can be made variable. To further understand its mechanical characteristics, a prototype device is developed and tested on a test rig. Triangular and sinusoidal excitation signals are employed respectively to identify the model parameters. The results show that the proposed model can describe the dynamic characteristics of the variable two-terminal mass device well. The proposed design and modeling schemes pave the way towards the semi-active variable inertial mass control of vibration systems.
18F-FDG PET/CT in Staging Patients with Locally Advanced or Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Comparison to Conventional Staging

The prognosis of patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) remains poor. We prospectively investigated the impact of 18F-FDG PET/CT at initial staging in this clinical setting and compared PET/CT performance with that of conventional distant work-up. Methods: During 60 mo, consecutive patients with LABC (clinical T4 or N2–N3 disease) underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT. The yield was assessed in the whole group and separately for noninflammatory and inflammatory cancer. The performance of PET/CT was compared with that of a conventional staging approach including bone scanning, chest radiography, or dedicated CT and abdominopelvic sonography or contrast-enhanced CT. Results: 117 patients with inflammatory (n = 35) or noninflammatory (n = 82) LABC were included. 18F-FDG PET/CT confirmed N3 nodal involvement in stage IIIC patients and revealed unsuspected N3 nodes (infraclavicular, supraclavicular, or internal mammary) in 32 additional patients. Distant metastases were visualized on PET/CT in 43 patients (46% of patients with inflammatory carcinoma and 33% of those with noninflammatory LABC). Overall, 18F-FDG PET/CT changed the clinical stage in 61 patients (52%). Unguided conventional imaging detected metastases in only 28 of the 43 patients classified M1 with PET/CT (65%). 18F-FDG PET/CT outperformed conventional imaging for bone metastases, distant lymph nodes, and liver metastases, whereas CT was more sensitive for lung metastases. The accuracy in diagnosing bone lesions was 89.7% for planar bone scanning versus 98.3% for 18F-FDG PET/CT. The accuracy in diagnosing lung metastases was 98.3% for dedicated CT versus 97.4% for 18F-FDG PET/CT. Conclusion: 18F-FDG PET/CT had the advantage of allowing chest, abdomen and bone to be examined in a single session. Almost all distant lesions detected by conventional imaging were depicted with PET/CT, which also showed additional lesions.
Inside the clustering window for random linear equations

We study a random system of cn linear equations over n variables in GF(2), where each equation contains exactly r variables; this is equivalent to r‐XORSAT. Previous work has established a clustering threshold, cr∗ for this model: if c=cr∗−ϵ for any constant ϵ>0 then with high probability all solutions form a well‐connected cluster; whereas if c=cr∗+ϵ , then with high probability the solutions partition into well‐connected, well‐separated clusters (with probability tending to 1 as n→∞ ). This is part of a general clustering phenomenon which is hypothesized to arise in most of the commonly studied models of random constraint satisfaction problems, via sophisticated but mostly nonrigorous techniques from statistical physics. We extend that study to the range c=cr∗+o(1) , and prove that the connectivity parameters of the r‐XORSAT clusters undergo a smooth transition around the clustering threshold.
Human Gamma Band Activity and Perception of a Gestalt

Neuronal oscillations in the gamma band (above 30 Hz) have been proposed to be a possible mechanism for the visual representation of objects. The present study examined the topography of gamma band spectral power and event-related potentials in human EEG associated with perceptual switching effected by rotating ambiguous (bistable) figures. Eleven healthy human subjects were presented two rotating bistable figures: first, a face figure that allowed perception of a sad or happy face depending on orientation and therefore caused a perceptual switch at defined points in time when rotated, and, second, a modified version of the Rubin vase, allowing perception as a vase or two faces whereby the switch was orientation-independent. Nonrotating figures served as further control stimuli. EEG was recorded using a high-density array with 128 electrodes. We found a negative event-related potential associated with the switching of the sad–happy figure, which was most pronounced at central prefrontal sites. Gamma band activity (GBA) was enhanced at occipital electrode sites in the rotating bistable figures compared with the standing stimuli, being maximal at vertical stimulus orientations that allowed an easy recognition of the sad and happy face or the vase–faces, respectively. At anterior electrodes, GBA showed a complementary pattern, being maximal when stimuli were oriented horizontally. The findings support the notion that formation of a visual percept may involve oscillations in a distributed neuronal assembly.
A Tandem Queue Model for Two-Server Resequencing System ∗

A two-server resequencing system has two heterogeneous servers and two buffers. One is an arrival buffer, which holds incoming jobs waiting for service. The other is a resequencing buffer, which resequences served jobs back to their arrival orders before departure. Such a system can be modeled as a two-stage tandem queue where the jobs are always kept in the arrival orders but the servers swap the positions upon any job departure. With the assumption of phase-type distributions for job interarrival and service time, the Markovian properties of the state transition is preserved in the model. The stationary probability distribution and the stationary conditions are obtained by the matrix-geometric solution approach. The performance is evaluated in five numerical experiments. The main conclusions are: a small resequencing buffer reduces the mean delay of the jobs significantly; the burstness of arrival traffic has positive influence on the mean delay; a heterogeneous system with more-balanced servers achieves better performance; and the slow server in a less-balanced system has negative effect which might eventually “starve” the fast server under heavy traffic load.
Oxygen‐evoked Na+ transport in rat fetal distal lung epithelial cells

1 Monolayer cultures of rat fetal distal lung epithelial (FDLE) cells generated larger spontaneous short circuit currents (ISC) when maintained (48 h) at neonatal alveolar PO2 (100 mmHg) than at fetal PO2 (23 mmHg). When cells were shifted between these atmospheres in order to impose a rise in PO2 equivalent to that seen at birth, no rise in ISC was seen after 6 h but the response was fully established by 24 h. 2 Studies of basolaterally permeabilised cells revealed a small rise in apical Na+ conductance (GNa) 6 h after PO2 was raised but no further change had occurred by 24 h. A substantial rise was, however, seen after 48 h. 3 Reporter gene assays showed that no activation of the α‐ENaC (epithelial Na+ channel α‐subunit) promoter was discernible 24 h after PO2 was raised but increased transcriptional activity was seen at 48 h. 4 Studies of apically permeabilised cells showed that a small rise in Na+ pump capacity was evident 6 h after PO2 was raised and, in common with the rise in ISC, this effect was fully established by 24 h. The rise in ISC thus develops 6‐24 h after PO2 is raised and is due, primarily, to increased Na+ pump capacity. 5 The increase in GNa thus coincides with activation of the α‐ENaC promoter but these effects occur after the rise in ISC is fully established and so cannot underlie this physiological response. The increased transcription may be an adaptation to increased Na+ transport and not its cause.
Image fusion algorithm based on fractal dimension and contrast in multi-wavelet transform domain

In order to make full use of texture features of image when fusing images, and taking into account the inherent advantages of fractal theory in this respect, a novel image fusion algorithm, which used fractal dimension and directional contrast, based on multi-wavelet transform was proposed in this paper. This fusion algorithm decomposed original images needed to be fused by multi-wavelet transform firstly, then fractal dimensions of the corresponding decomposing low-frequency coefficients were calculated by Differential Box Counting method, and the low frequency fusion rule based on fractal dimension was set up. The high frequency parts were fused by selecting method or weighted averaging method according to the directional contrast values. The fusing experiment using this algorithm to IR image and visible light image was done. In order to illustrate the performance of the algorithm, particularly the impact of introduction of fractal theory on the fusion performance, the result of those fusion algorithms that only uses multi-wavelets transform were given as well. Moreover, the objective indexes, which are image entropy, standard deviation and quality measure, were adopted to evaluate the comparative results of evaluating fusion quality. The results show that the leading of fractal dimension into image fusion processing is effective, and it performs obviously better in increasing the amount of information, the standard deviation and the quality of fused image.
Reliance on God's Help Scale as a Measure of Religious Trust—A Summary of Findings

This paper gives a summary of findings from studies using the five-item Reliance on God’s Help (RGH) scale, which was developed a decade ago as an integral part of a comprehensive measure to differentiate between external and internal adaptive coping strategies. It has been used for both healthy and diseased persons. We will summarize data on internal reliability scores and the distribution of mean values for the respective items in the different study samples. Also, we will present a structural equation model (SEM) to confirm the scale’s validity. Our analysis shows that the RGH scale is a short, valid, and reliable measure of a person’s strong basic trust in God (faith), regardless of what life brings. The items do not address aspects such as well-being, inner peace, or specific moods. Thus, it is important to note that the RGH scale was not per se associated with indicators of well-being or health-related quality of life, indicating distinct dimensions.
Multi-Stage Open Peer Review: Scientific Evaluation Integrating the Strengths of Traditional Peer Review with the Virtues of Transparency and Self-Regulation

The traditional forms of scientific publishing and peer review do not live up to all demands of efficient communication and quality assurance in today’s highly diverse and rapidly evolving world of science. They need to be advanced and complemented by interactive and transparent forms of review, publication, and discussion that are open to the scientific community and to the public. The advantages of open access, public peer review, and interactive discussion can be efficiently and flexibly combined with the strengths of traditional scientific peer review. Since 2001 the benefits and viability of this approach are clearly demonstrated by the highly successful interactive open access journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP, www.atmos-chem-phys.net) and a growing number of sister journals launched and operated by the European Geosciences Union (EGU, www.egu.eu) and the open access publisher Copernicus (www.copernicus.org). The interactive open access journals are practicing an integrative multi-stage process of publication and peer review combined with interactive public discussion, which effectively resolves the dilemma between rapid scientific exchange and thorough quality assurance. Key features and achievements of this approach are: top quality and impact, efficient self-regulation and low rejection rates, high attractivity and rapid growth, low costs, and financial sustainability. In fact, ACP and the EGU interactive open access sister journals are by most if not all standards more successful than comparable scientific journals with traditional or alternative forms of peer review (editorial statistics, publication statistics, citation statistics, economic costs, and sustainability). The high efficiency and predictive validity of multi-stage open peer review have been confirmed in a series of dedicated studies by evaluation experts from the social sciences, and the same or similar concepts have recently also been adopted in other disciplines, including the life sciences and economics. Multi-stage open peer review can be flexibly adjusted to the needs and peculiarities of different scientific communities. Due to the flexibility and compatibility with traditional structures of scientific publishing and peer review, the multi-stage open peer review concept enables efficient evolution in scientific communication and quality assurance. It has the potential for swift replacement of hidden peer review as the standard of scientific quality assurance, and it provides a basis for open evaluation in science.
Upper Bounds for Newton’s Method on Monotone Polynomial Systems, and P-Time Model Checking of Probabilistic One-Counter Automata

A central computational problem for analyzing and model checking various classes of infinite-state recursive probabilistic systems (including quasi-birth-death processes, multitype branching processes, stochastic context-free grammars, probabilistic pushdown automata and recursive Markov chains) is the computation of termination probabilities, and computing these probabilities in turn boils down to computing the least fixed point (LFP) solution of a corresponding monotone polynomial system (MPS) of equations, denoted x=P(x). It was shown in Etessami and Yannakakis [2009] that a decomposed variant of Newton’s method converges monotonically to the LFP solution for any MPS that has a nonnegative solution. Subsequently, Esparza et al. [2010] obtained upper bounds on the convergence rate of Newton’s method for certain classes of MPSs. More recently, better upper bounds have been obtained for special classes of MPSs [Etessami et al. 2010, 2012]. However, prior to this article, for arbitrary (not necessarily strongly connected) MPSs, no upper bounds at all were known on the convergence rate of Newton’s method as a function of the encoding size |P| of the input MPS, x=P(x). In this article, we provide worst-case upper bounds, as a function of both the input encoding size |P|, and ε > 0, on the number of iterations required for decomposed Newton’s method (even with rounding) to converge to within additive error ε > 0 of q*, for an arbitrary MPS with LFP solution q*. Our upper bounds are essentially optimal in terms of several important parameters of the problem. Using our upper bounds, and building on prior work, we obtain the first P-time algorithm (in the standard Turing model of computation) for quantitative model checking, to within arbitrary desired precision, of discrete-time QBDs and (equivalently) probabilistic 1-counter automata, with respect to any (fixed) ω-regular or LTL property.
The mood of Chinese Pop music: Representation and recognition

Music mood recognition (MMR) has attracted much attention in music information retrieval research, yet there are few MMR studies that focus on non‐Western music. In addition, little has been done on connecting the 2 most adopted music mood representation models: categorical and dimensional. To bridge these gaps, we constructed a new data set consisting of 818 Chinese Pop (C‐Pop) songs, 3 complete sets of mood annotations in both representations, as well as audio features corresponding to 5 distinct categories of musical characteristics. The mood space of C‐Pop songs was analyzed and compared to that of Western Pop songs. We also explored the relationship between categorical and dimensional annotations and the results revealed that one set of annotations could be reliably predicted by the other. Classification and regression experiments were conducted on the data set, providing benchmarks for future research on MMR of non‐Western music. Based on these analyses, we reflect and discuss the implications of the findings to MMR research.
Reliability of Cervix Elastography in the Late First and Second Trimester of Pregnancy

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the reliability of cervical elastography as a new ultrasound tool for cervical stiffness assessment in pregnancy. Materials and Methods: Pilot prospective cohort study including 10 consecutive unselected pregnancies in the late first and second trimester. Ultrasound was performed by two blinded experienced operators using a 9-MHz vaginal probe. One raw dataset per patient was acquired by each operator after two cycles of gentle compression and relaxation of the cervix. Strain values were independently assessed by each operator using commercial offline analysis software (TDI-Q: Tissue Doppler Imaging – Quantification, Toshiba Medical Systems). The interobserver reliability of strain measurements was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The mean ± SD gestational week of the study population was 19 ± 4.1. Raw data acquirement and strain evaluation were feasible in all ten patients. In total, 40 strain measurements were performed: 20 for each operator (10 for self-acquired raw data and 10 for raw data acquired by the other operator). The mean strain value was 0.33 ± 0.05, the mean of the differences among the measurements was 10.77 % ± 4.41 %. The obtained interobserver ICC agreement values comparing the different subsets of strain measurement ranged between 0.91 and 0.96. Conclusion: Late first and second trimester cervical elastography was shown to be feasible and to have a high interobserver reliability. Its clinical value needs to be assessed in further studies on selected obstetric populations.