Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Volume and recurrence of submarine‐fan‐building turbidity currents

Submarine fans are archives of Earth‐surface processes and change, recording information about the turbidity currents that construct and sculpt them. The volume and recurrence of turbidity currents are of great interest for geohazard assessment, source‐to‐sink modelling, and hydrocarbon reservoir characterization. Yet, such dynamics are poorly constrained. This study integrates data from four Quaternary submarine fans to reconstruct the volume and recurrence of the formative turbidity currents. Calculated event volumes vary over four orders of magnitude (105 to 109 m3), whereas recurrence intervals vary less, from 50 to 650 years. The calculated turbidity‐current‐event volume magnitudes appear to be related to slope position and basin confinement. Intraslope‐fan deposits have small event volumes (ca 106 m3) while ponded‐fan deposits have very large event volumes (108 to 109 m3). Deposits in non‐ponded, base‐of‐slope environments have intermediate values (107 to 108 m3). Sediment bypass in intraslope settings and flow trapping in ponded basins likely account for these differences. There seems to be no clear relationship between event recurrence and basin confinement. Weak scaling exists between event volume and source‐area characteristics, but sediment storage in fluvial and/or intraslope transfer zones likely complicates these relationships. The methodology and results presented here are also applied to reconstruct the time of deposition of ancient submarine‐fan deposits of the Tanqua Karoo basin, South Africa. The volume and recurrence of submarine‐fan‐building turbidity currents form intermediate values between values measured in submarine canyons and channels (<105 m3 and <101 years) and on abyssal plains (>108 m3 and >103 years), indicating that small, frequent flows originating in submarine canyons often die out prior to reaching the fan, while rare and very large flows mostly bypass the fan and deposit sediment on the abyssal plain. This partitioning of flow volume and recurrence along the submarine sediment‐routing system provides valuable insights for better constraining geohazards, hydrocarbon resources and the completeness of the stratigraphic record.
High-Density Lipoprotein Function in Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Purpose High-density lipoproteins (HDL) have long been implicated in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, conflicting results have been reported with regard to the associations of AMD with HDL-cholesterol levels. The present study is the first to assess HDL composition and metrics of HDL function in patients with exudative AMD and control patients. Methods Blood samples were collected from 29 patients with exudative AMD and 26 age-matched control patients. Major HDL associated apolipoproteins were determined in apoB-depleted serum by immunoturbidimetry or ELISA, HDL-associated lipids were quantified enzymatically. To get an integrated measure of HDL quantity and quality, we assessed several metrics of HDL function, including cholesterol efflux capacity, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities using apoB-depleted serum from study participants. Results In our study, we observed that the HDL associated acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) was significantly increased in AMD patients (p<0.01), whereas all other assessed apolipoproteins including ApoA-I, apoA-II, apoC-II, apoC-III and apoE as well as major HDL associated lipids were not altered. HDL efflux capacity, anti-oxidative capacity and arylesterase activity were not different in AMD patients when compared with the control group. The ability of apoB-depleted serum to inhibit monocyte NF-κB expression was significantly improved in AMD patients (mean difference (MD) -5.6, p<0.01). Moreover, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity, a marker of vascular inflammation, was decreased in AMD subjects (MD -24.1, p<0.01). Conclusions The investigated metrics of HDL composition and HDL function were not associated with exudative AMD in this study, despite an increased content of HDL associated SAA in AMD patients. Unexpectedly, anti-inflammatory activity of apoB-depleted serum was even increased in our study. Our data suggest that the investigated parameters of serum HDL function showed no significant association with exudative AMD. However, we cannot exclude that alterations in locally produced HDL may be part of the AMD pathogenesis.
Increased Resistance of Contact Lens-Related Bacterial Biofilms to Antimicrobial Activity of Soft Contact Lens Care Solutions

Purpose: To determine if clinical and reference strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, and Staphylococcus aureus form biofilms on silicone hydrogel contact lenses and ascertain antimicrobial activities of contact lens care solutions. Methods: Clinical and American Type Culture Collection reference strains of P. aeruginosa, S. marcescens, and S. aureus were incubated with lotrafilcon A lenses under conditions that facilitate biofilm formation. Biofilms were quantified by quantitative culturing (colony-forming units, CFUs), and gross morphology and architecture were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. Susceptibilities of the planktonic and biofilm growth phases of the bacteria to 5 common multipurpose contact lens care solutions and 1 hydrogen peroxide care solution were assessed. Results: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, S. marcescens, and S. aureus reference and clinical strains formed biofilms on lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel contact lenses, as dense networks of cells arranged in multiple layers with visible extracellular matrix. The biofilms were resistant to commonly used biguanide-preserved multipurpose care solutions. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and S. aureus biofilms were susceptible to a hydrogen peroxide and a polyquaternium-preserved care solution, whereas S. marcescens biofilm was resistant to a polyquaternium-preserved care solution but susceptible to hydrogen peroxide disinfection. In contrast, the planktonic forms were always susceptible. Conclusion: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, S. marcescens, and S. aureus form biofilms on lotrafilcon A contact lenses, which in contrast to planktonic cells are resistant to the antimicrobial activity of several soft contact lens care products.
Changes of hepatitis B surface antigen variants in carrier children before and after universal vaccination in taiwan

Mutants ofadeterminant of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) identified in vaccinated children pose a potential threat to long‐term success of vaccination programs. We examined the mutants of adeterminant (residues 110‐160) of HBsAg in hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA–positive children identified during previous serosurveys in Taipei undertaken just before (1984), 5 years after (1989), and 10 years after (1994) universal vaccination began. In HBV DNA–positive children from 3 surveys, the prevalence of adeterminant mutants increased from 8 of 103 (7.8%) in 1984 to 10 of 51(19.6%) in 1989 and 9 of 32 (28.1%) in 1994 and was higher in those fully‐vaccinated than unvaccinated (12/33 vs. 15/153,P= .0003). Most amino acid changes of the variants clustered in residues 125‐129 and 140‐149. In all 27 children with detectable mutants, the mean age of those vaccinated was younger than those unvaccinated (4.8 ± 3.8 vs. 7.9 ± 2.3 yrs,P< .05); and mutations occurred in a region with greatest local hydrophilicity (residues 140‐149) more frequently in those vaccinated than in those unvaccinated (10/12 vs. 6/15,P= .0253). More mutated residues and more mutations at neutralizing epitopes, such as N146, C147, T148, and C149, were found in the 1994 survey. Vaccinated children may contract variant infections through vertical or horizontal transmission. Universal vaccination has accelerated an accumulation of HBsAgadeterminant mutants with amino acid changes critical for immune escape in vaccinated children who became carriers, suggesting that new vaccination strategies should be considered.
Physical Design Factors Contributing to Patient Falls.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to identify physical design elements that contribute to potential falls in patient rooms. METHODS An exploratory, physical simulation-based approach was adopted for the study. Twenty-seven subjects, older than 70 years (11 male and 16 female subjects), conducted scripted tasks in a mockup of a patient bathroom and clinician zone. Activities were captured using motion-capture technology and video recording. After biomechanical data processing, video clips associated with potential fall moments were extracted and then examined and coded by a group of registered nurses and health care designers. Exploratory analyses of the coded data were conducted followed by a series of multivariate analyses using regression models. RESULTS In multivariate models with all personal, environmental, and postural variables, only the postural variables demonstrated statistical significance-turning, grabbing, pushing, and pulling in the bathroom and pushing and pulling in the clinician zone. The physical elements/attributes associated with the offending postures include bathroom configuration, intravenous pole, door, toilet seat height, flush, grab bars, over-bed table, and patient chair. CONCLUSIONS Postural changes, during interactions with the physical environment, constitute the source of most fall events. Physical design must include simultaneous examination of postural changes in day-to-day activities in patient rooms and bathrooms. Among discussed testable recommendations in the article, the followings design strategies should be considered: (a) designing bathrooms to reduce turning as much as possible and (b) designing to avoid motions that involve 2 or more of the offending postures, such as turning and grabbing or grabbing and pulling, and so on.
Implementation and evaluation of a low-power sound-based user activity recognition system

The paper presents a prototype of a wearable, sound-analysis based, user activity recognition device. It focuses on low-power realization suitable for a miniaturized implementation. We describe a tradeoff analysis between recognition performance and computation complexity. Furthermore, we present the hardware prototype and the experimental evaluation of its recognition performance. This includes frame by frame recognition, event detection in a continuous data stream and the influence of background noise.
A linear-optical proof that the permanent is #P-hard

One of the crown jewels of complexity theory is Valiant's theorem that computing the permanent of an n×n matrix is #P-hard. Here we show that, by using the model of linear-optical quantum computing—and in particular, a universality theorem owing to Knill, Laflamme and Milburn—one can give a different and arguably more intuitive proof of this theorem.
Short-term sleep loss decreases physical activity under free-living conditions but does not increase food intake under time-deprived laboratory conditions in healthy men.

BACKGROUND Short sleep duration is correlated with an increased risk of developing obesity and cardiovascular disease, but the mechanisms behind this relation are largely unknown. OBJECTIVE We aimed to test the hypothesis that acute sleep loss decreases physical activity while increasing food intake, thereby shifting 2 crucial behavioral components of energy homeostasis toward weight gain. DESIGN In 15 healthy, normal-weight men, spontaneous physical activity was registered by accelerometry during the entire experiment, and food intake as well as relevant hormones were assessed during a 15-h daytime period after 2 nights of regular sleep (bed time: 2245-0700) and after 2 nights of restricted sleep (bed time: 0245-0700). Experiments were performed in a crossover design. RESULTS Sleep restriction significantly decreased physical activity during the daytime spent under free-living conditions after the first night of sleep manipulation (P = 0.008). Also, intensities of physical activity were shifted toward lower levels, with less time spent with intense activities (P = 0.046). Total energy intake, feelings of hunger, and appetite as well as ghrelin and leptin concentrations during day 2 remained unaffected by acute sleep restriction. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to our expectation, short-term sleep loss neither increased food intake nor affected concentrations of the hunger-regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin. However, the observed decrease in daytime physical activity may point to another potentially important behavioral mechanism for the health-impairing influence of sleep loss.
Effects of tumour necrosis factor on human tumour xenografts in nude mice.

Recombinant human tumour necrosis factor (rHuTNF) when injected intraperitoneally into nude mice bearing subcutaneous tumour xenografts (breast and bowel) had no significant antitumour activity (six different tumours were tested). The same dose administered locally at the tumour site resulted in complete regression and cure of the majority of tumours. Macroscopic evidence of tumour necrosis was rarely seen but microscopically a peritumoral cuff of host inflammatory cells surrounded the dying tumour cells within four days of the start of therapy. The combination of rHuTNF (i.p.) with recombinant human gamma-interferon (rHuIFN-gamma) (i.p.) led to significant tumour inhibition in only one of three xenografts tested. Combination of rHuTNF (i.p.) and HuIFN-alpha (s.c.) resulted in significant inhibition in all of three xenografts tested. Human ovarian tumours were grown in the peritoneal cavity of nude mice. The biological behaviour of this cancer closely resembled the human disease, the xenografts growing as solid tumours and/or ascites. When rHuTNF or rHuIFN-gamma were given intraperitoneally at the time of tumour cell injection most mice survived, whereas control mice died in 4-8 weeks. Once the disease was established (seven days or more after injection) either agent alone was ineffective. In the combined results of three experiments with one xenograft, with a total of 21 mice in each group, cumulative survival at 154 days was 0% for control mice and 5% and 15% for mice treated with 1 microgram/day rHuTNF or 5 X 10(4) U/day rHuIFN-gamma, respectively, when therapy was started seven days after tumour cell injection. Combining the two agents led to a cumulative survival of 85%. This combination cured 40% of mice by 21 days after tumour cell injection. With a further two ovarian cancer xenografts, the combination of rHuTNF and rHuIFN-gamma produced a significant survival advantage.
The 2002–2003 El Niño recorded in Australian cave drip waters: Implications for reconstructing rainfall histories using stalagmites

A 30‐month study of drip hydrochemistry from Kooringa Cave, eastern Australia, revealed a clear geochemical response to the 2002–2003 El Niño. Through the drought, drip discharge fell to base flow, drip Ca2+ concentrations fell by half and drip Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca increased in a co‐varying pattern. Calcite Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca predicted from drip waters displayed a marked increase through, and just beyond, the period of greatest moisture deficit. The results suggest that stalagmites from shallow caves in drought‐sensitive eastern Australia potentially preserve a valuable record of El Niño‐La Niña history.
Prejudice From Thin Air

Two experiments provide initial evidence that specific emotional states are capable of creating automatic prejudice toward outgroups. Specifically, we propose that anger should influence automatic evaluations of outgroups because of its functional relevance to intergroup conflict and competition, whereas other negative emotions less relevant to intergroup relations (e.g., sadness) should not. In both experiments, after minimal ingroups and outgroups were created, participants were induced to experience anger, sadness, or a neutral state. Automatic attitudes toward the in- and outgroups were then assessed using an evaluative priming measure (Experiment 1) and the Implicit Association Test (Experiment 2). As predicted, results showed that anger created automatic prejudice toward the outgroup, whereas sadness and neutrality resulted in no automatic intergroup bias. The implications of these findings for emotion-induced biases in implicit intergroup cognition in particular, and in social cognition in general, are considered.
Polarimetric calibration of the SIR-C C-band channel using active radar calibrators and polarization selective dihedrals

A polarimetric calibration experiment of Shuttle Imaging Radar C (SIR-C) is carried out using several different calibration targets. These are C-band polarimetric active radar calibrators (PARCs), polarization selective dihedrals (PSDs), 22.5/spl deg/ rotated dihedrals, and a trihedral. A novel polarimetric calibration algorithm is proposed that combines existing algorithms and uses one PARC and two PSDs. An error evaluation example is shown to estimate the typical hardware error value of the calibration targets allowable for a given calibration error. The novel algorithm gives polarimetric calibration results comparable to those obtained using the existing algorithm for three PARCs. Since PSDs work at frequencies lower than design frequency, and hence can be commonly used at multiple frequency bands, the simple addition of just one more frequency band PARC allows polarimetric calibration of a dual-frequency polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) by means of the proposed algorithm.
A Malaria Diagnostic Tool Based on Computer Vision Screening and Visualization of Plasmodium falciparum Candidate Areas in Digitized Blood Smears

Introduction Microscopy is the gold standard for diagnosis of malaria, however, manual evaluation of blood films is highly dependent on skilled personnel in a time-consuming, error-prone and repetitive process. In this study we propose a method using computer vision detection and visualization of only the diagnostically most relevant sample regions in digitized blood smears. Methods Giemsa-stained thin blood films with P. falciparum ring-stage trophozoites (n = 27) and uninfected controls (n = 20) were digitally scanned with an oil immersion objective (0.1 µm/pixel) to capture approximately 50,000 erythrocytes per sample. Parasite candidate regions were identified based on color and object size, followed by extraction of image features (local binary patterns, local contrast and Scale-invariant feature transform descriptors) used as input to a support vector machine classifier. The classifier was trained on digital slides from ten patients and validated on six samples. Results The diagnostic accuracy was tested on 31 samples (19 infected and 12 controls). From each digitized area of a blood smear, a panel with the 128 most probable parasite candidate regions was generated. Two expert microscopists were asked to visually inspect the panel on a tablet computer and to judge whether the patient was infected with P. falciparum. The method achieved a diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 95% and 100% as well as 90% and 100% for the two readers respectively using the diagnostic tool. Parasitemia was separately calculated by the automated system and the correlation coefficient between manual and automated parasitemia counts was 0.97. Conclusion We developed a decision support system for detecting malaria parasites using a computer vision algorithm combined with visualization of sample areas with the highest probability of malaria infection. The system provides a novel method for blood smear screening with a significantly reduced need for visual examination and has a potential to increase the throughput in malaria diagnostics.
Dynamics of Short Sea Wave Spectrum Estimated From Microwave Radiometric Measurements

This paper presents some results of the experiment CAPMOS'05 performed on an oceanographic research platform in the Black Sea. The platform, located 600 m offshore, was equipped with a set of contact and remote sensing instruments. Conventional contact sensors were used for direct measurements of atmosphere and sea boundary layer parameters (wind speed and direction, air temperature, water temperature and salinity profiles, etc.), whereas microwave and infrared band radiometers were used for remote sensing measurements of surface temperature and wave parameters. In particular, microwave Ka-band radiometer measurements were applied for gravity-capillary wave spectrum retrieval using the original techniques based on angular measurements. The spectrum component evolution under unstable wind conditions has been investigated. It has been demonstrated that the spectral components in the vicinity of the maximum of the wave curvature are the most sensitive to the wind-velocity variations.
A Comparative Study on Multiple Comparison Procedures

The topic of Multiple Comparison Procedures (MCPs) is receiving nowadays a growing theoretical and applicative attention in both industrial and scientific problems. This issue arises when we consider a response variable of interest and we wish to compare more than two treatments in order to find out possible significant differences among them. In this paper we propose a comparative simulation study in order to compare the power performance of the FWE controlling MCPs proposed in the literature in order to provide a practical contribute for the choice of the different techniques in different possible data scenarios.
A Necessary Role of miR-221 and miR-222 in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Neointimal Hyperplasia

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) comprise a novel class of endogenous, small, noncoding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression. Functionally, an individual miRNA is as important as a transcription factor because it is able to regulate the expression of its multiple target genes. Recently, miR-221 and miR-222 have been found to play a critical role in cancer cell proliferation. However, their roles in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) biology are currently unknown. In the present study, the time course changes and cellular distribution of miR-221 and miR-222 expression were identified in rat carotid arteries after angioplasty, in which their expression was upregulated and localized in VSMCs in the injured vascular walls. In cultured VSMCs, miR-221 and miR-222 expression was increased by growth stimulators. Knockdown of miR-221 and miR-222 resulted in decreased VSMC proliferation in vitro. Using both gain-of-function and loss-of-function approaches, we found that p27(Kip1) and p57(Kip2) were 2 target genes that were involved in miR-221– and miR-222–mediated effect on VSMC growth. Finally, knockdown of miR-221 and miR-222 in rat carotid arteries suppressed VSMC proliferation in vivo and neointimal lesion formation after angioplasty. The results indicate that miR-221 and miR-222 are novel regulators for VSMC proliferation and neointimal hyperplasia. These findings may also represent promising therapeutic targets in proliferative vascular diseases.
Information Security in the Cloud: Should We be Using a Different Approach?

Since the inception of cloud computing, security researchers have been active in addressing the question of cloud information security, which has seen the development of a wide range of technical solutions. The same can be said for non-cloud information security research which has been active for a far longer period of time. Yet, year on year, security breaches continue to increase, both in volume and in value. The business architecture of a company comprises people, process and technology. Is it not time to consider a different approach?