Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impacts of elevated CO2 concentration on the productivity and surface energy budget of the soybean and maize agroecosystem in the Midwest USA

The physiological response of vegetation to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) modifies productivity and surface energy and water fluxes. Quantifying this response is required for assessments of future climate change. Many global climate models account for this response; however, significant uncertainty remains in model simulations of this vegetation response and its impacts. Data from in situ field experiments provide evidence that previous modeling studies may have overestimated the increase in productivity at elevated [CO2], and the impact on large‐scale water cycling is largely unknown. We parameterized the Agro‐IBIS dynamic global vegetation model with observations from the SoyFACE experiment to simulate the response of soybean and maize to an increase in [CO2] from 375 ppm to 550 ppm. The two key model parameters that were found to vary with [CO2] were the maximum carboxylation rate of photosynthesis and specific leaf area. Tests of the model that used SoyFACE parameter values showed a good fit to site‐level data for all variables except latent heat flux over soybean and sensible heat flux over both crops. Simulations driven with historic climate data over the central USA showed that increased [CO2] resulted in decreased latent heat flux and increased sensible heat flux from both crops when averaged over 30 years. Thirty‐year average soybean yield increased everywhere (ca. 10%); however, there was no increase in maize yield except during dry years. Without accounting for CO2 effects on the maximum carboxylation rate of photosynthesis and specific leaf area, soybean simulations at 550 ppm overestimated leaf area and yield. Our results highlight important model parameter values that, if not modified in other models, could result in biases when projecting future crop–climate–water relationships.
Operating Systems Support for Planetary-Scale Network Services

PlanetLab is a geographically distributed overlay network designed to support the deployment and evaluation of planetary-scale network services. Two high-level goals shape its design. First, to enable a large research community to share the infrastructure, PlanetLab provides distributed virtualization, whereby each service runs in an isolated slice of PlanetLab's global resources. Second, to support competition among multiple network services, PlanetLab decouples the operating system running on each node from the network-wide services that define PlanetLab, a principle referred to as unbundled management. This paper describes how Planet-Lab realizes the goals of distributed virtualization and unbundled management, with a focus on the OS running on each node.
Testing for non-linearity in daily sterling exchange rates

A number of tests for non-linear dependence in time series are presented and implemented on a set of 10 daily sterling exchange rates covering the entire post Bretton-Woods era until the present day. Irrefutable evidence of non-linearity is shown in many of the series, but most of this dependence can apparently be explained by reference to the GARCH family of models. It is suggested that the literature in this area has reached an impasse, with the presence of ARCH effects clearly demonstrated in a large number of papers, but with the tests for non-linearity which are currently available being unable to classify any additional non-linear structure.
Evolving Artificial Neural Networks for Medical Applications

Artiicial neural network (ANN) architecture design has been one of the most tedious and diicult tasks in ANN applications due to the lack of satisfactory and systematic methods of designing a near optimal architecture. Evolutionary algorithms have been shown to be very eeective in evolving novel ANN architectures for various problems. This paper proposes a new method for evolving ANN architectures and weights at the same time. The new method has been applied to four real-world data sets in the medical domain and achieved very good results. The traditional trial-and-error approach to designing ANNs has been replaced by an automatic evolutionary system which can nd a near optimal architecture and connection weights for a problem.
Experientia Docet: Professionals Play Minimax in Laboratory Experiments ∗

We study how professional players and college students play zero-sum two-person strategic games in a laboratory setting. We first ask professionals to play a 2 × 2 game that is formally identical to a strategic interaction situation that they face in their natural environment. Consistent with their behavior in the field, they play very close to the equilibrium of the game. In particular, (i) they equate their strategies' payoffs to the equilibrium ones and (ii) they generate sequences of choices that are serially independent. In sharp contrast, however, we find that college students play the game far from the equilibrium predictions. We then study the behavior of professional players and college students in the classic O'Neill 4 × 4 zero-sum game, a game that none of the subjects has encountered previously, and find the same differences in the behavior of these two pools of subjects. The transfer of skills and experience from the familiar field to the unfamiliar laboratory observed for professional players is relevant to evaluate the circumstances under which behavior in a laboratory setting may be a reliable indicator of behavior in a naturally occurring setting. From a cognitive perspective, it is useful for research on recognition processes, intuition, and similarity as a basis for inductive reasoning. Copyright The Econometric Society 2008.
Protecting electronic commerce from distributed denial-of-service attacks

It is widely recognized that distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks can disrupt electronic commerce and cause large revenue losses. However, effective defenses continue to be mostly unavailable. We describe and evaluate VIPnet, a novel value-added network service for protecting e-commerce and other transaction-based sites from DDoS attacks. In VIPnet, e-merchants pay Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to carry the packets of the e-merchants' best clients (called VIPs) in a privileged class of service (CoS), protected from congestion, whether malicious or not, in the regular CoS. VIPnet rewards VIPs with not only better quality of service, but also greater availability. Because VIP rights are client- and server-specific, cannot be forged, are usage-limited, and are only replenished after successful client transactions (e.g., purchases), it is impractical for attackers to mount and sustain DDoS attacks against an e-merchant's VIPs. VIPnet can be deployed incrementally and does not require universal adoption. Experiments demonstrate VIPnet's benefits.
Kinetics and Extent of T Cell Activation as Measured with the Calcium Signal

We have characterized the calcium response of a peptide–major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-specific CD4+ T lymphocyte line at the single cell level using a variety of ligands, alone and in combination. We are able to distinguish four general patterns of intracellular calcium elevation, with only the most robust correlating with T cell proliferation. Whereas all three antagonist peptides tested reduce the calcium response to an agonist ligand, two give very different calcium release patterns and the third gives none at all, arguing that (a) antagonism does not require calcium release and (b) it involves interactions that are more T cell receptor proximal. We have also measured the time between the first T cell–antigen-presenting cell contact and the onset of the calcium signal. The duration of this delay correlates with the strength of the stimulus, with stronger stimuli giving a more rapid response. The dose dependence of this delay suggests that the rate-limiting step in triggering the calcium response is not the clustering of peptide–MHC complexes on the cell surface but more likely involves the accumulation of some intracellular molecule or complex with a half-life of a few minutes.
Monsoon and dust signals recorded in Dasuopu glacier, Tibetan Plateau

During summer 1997, a 15 m firn core was recovered from Dasuopu glacier (28°23′ N, 85°44′ E; 7000 m a.s.l.) on the northwest margin of Xixabarngma Feng in the central Himalaya. Oxygen isotope values and concentrations of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , NH 4 + , SO 4 2− and NO 3 − were measured over the 10 years of snow accumulation captured in the firn core. The seasonal variations of δ 18 O values and major-ion concentrations in the Dasuopu core indicate that summer monsoon and dust signals are clearly recorded in Dasuopu glacier. Annual variations in δ 18 O values are controlled by the amount effect, with more negative (i.e. lighter) δ 18 O values representing summer monsoon precipitation characteristic of tropical regions. Higher concentrations of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ and SO 4 2− reflect the influx of mineral aerosols from the vast arid and semi-arid desert regions to the north and west during the spring dust-storm period. High spring concentrations of NH 4 + and NO 3 − appear to reflect changes in regional biogenic-source strength.
Macroeconomic-Driven Prepayment Risk and the Valuation of Mortgage-Backed Securities

We introduce a reduced-form modeling framework for mortgage- backed securities in which we solve for the implied prepayment function from the cross section of market prices. From the implied prepayment function, we find that prepayment rates are driven not only by interest rates, but also by two macroeconomic factors: turnover and rate response. Intuitively, turnover represents prepayments for exogenous reasons like employment-related moves, household income shocks, and foreclosures, while rate response reflects frictions faced by borrowers in refinancing into a lower rate. We find that the implied turnover and rate response measures are in fact significantly related to macroeconomic measures such as consumption growth, the unemployment rate, housing values, credit availability, and market uncertainty. Implied prepayments are substantially higher than actual prepayments, providing direct evidence of significant prepayment risk premia in mortgage-backed security prices. We analyze the properties of the prepayment risk premium and find that it is almost entirely due to compensation for turnover risk. We also find evidence that mortgage- backed security prices were significantly affected by Fannie Mae credit risk and the Federal Reserve’s Quantitative Easing Programs.
A Report on the Triune Continuum Paradigm and on its Foundational Theory of Triune Continuum

This paper familiarizes the audience with the Triune Continuum Paradigm, a paradigm that provides philosophically supported theoretical foundations for system modeling in general and in particular for Information Systems engineering. The paper presents theoretical foundations of the paradigm; in particular it presents some of the key features of the theory of Triune Continuum, one of the three theories that contribute to the definition of the paradigm.
Consequence of Cerebral Embolism After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Compared With Contemporary Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement: Effect on Health-Related Quality of Life

Background—Incidence of cerebral microinfarcts is higher after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) compared with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). It is unknown whether these lesions persist and what direct impact they have on health-related quality of life. The objective was to identify predictors of cerebral microinfarction and measure their effect on health-related quality of life during 6 months after TAVI when compared with SAVR. Methods and Results—Cerebral MRI was conducted at baseline, post procedure, and 6 months using diffusion-weighted imaging. Health-related quality of life was measured at baseline, 30 days, and 6 months with short form-12 health outcomes and EuroQol 5 dimensions questionnaires. One hundred eleven patients (TAVI, n=71; SAVR, n=40) were studied. The incidence (54 [77%] versus 17 [43%]; P=0.001) and number (3.4±4.9 versus 1.2±1.8; P=0.001) of new microinfarcts were greater after TAVI than after SAVR. The total volume per microinfarct was smaller in TAVI than in SAVR (0.23±0.24 versus 0.76±1.8 mL; P=0.04). The strongest associations for microinfarction were: TAVI (arch atheroma grade: r=0.46; P=0.0001) and SAVR (concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting: r=−0.33; P=0.03). Physical component score in TAVI increased after 30 days (32.1±6.6 versus 38.9±7.0; P<0.0001) and 6 months (40.4±9.3; P<0.0001); the improvement occurred later in SAVR (baseline: 34.9±10.6; 30 days: 35.9±10.2; 6 months: 42.8±11.2; P<0.001). After TAVI, there were no differences in the short form-12 health outcome scores according to the presence or size of new cerebral infarction. Conclusions—Cerebral microinfarctions are more common after TAVI compared with SAVR but seem to have no negative effect on early (30 days) or medium term (6 months) health-related quality of life. Aortic atheroma (TAVI) and concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (SAVR) are independent risk factors for cerebral microinfarction.
Differentiating computer-related addictions and high engagement

This paper discusses the difference between computing-related addictions and high engagement in computing activities. The results of two studies are reviewed, one involving factor analysis of paper questionnaire items concerning computing in general, and one involving web-based questionnaire items concerning a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. Across both data sets, it is shown that items tapping euphoria, cognitive salience and tolerance appear to indicate high engagement (a high degree of non-pathological involvement) rather than addiction. It is therefore suggested that these criteria, which have been used to classify pathological gambling behaviours, should not be adapted for use in classifying pathological computing behaviours, as has sometimes been done. It is argued that, while thoughts and behaviours surrounding computing may occupy a large amount of the time of people who are highly engaged with a computing activity, this cannot be considered pathological in the absence of deleterious effects on their lives. It is shown that including these types of criteria in schemes to classify people as addicted can lead to over-estimates in the number of people who are addicted to any particular computing activity. On the other hand, it is argued that people whose behaviours lead to interpersonal conflict, who experience withdrawal symptoms when not performing an activity, whose attempts to curtail their behaviour end in relapse and reinstatement, and whose behaviours result in self-neglect can be considered to be addicted to a computing activity.
Properties of the Short Term Memory Structure

Properties of a short term memory structure are discovered in the data of Rubin, Hinton and Wenzel (1999): Cued-recall probability and search time are linearly related from 6 seconds to 666 seconds after stimulus presentation with a zero probability of cued-recall at 2.6 seconds and a 100% recall probability at 1.3 seconds. This linear relationship defines a short term memory structure which is a moving structure: the memory structure travels away from the starting point of the search (suggesting that the starting points of the search and storage are the same), decaying with a rate proportional to the time it takes to find the structure. The travel speed is slower than Brownian motion. The incorrect recall time saturates, giving an upper limit for the number of neurons involved in the short term memory structure of 3*108 using an interneuron transfer time or 4 msecs or 3*106 using an neuron-neuron transfer time of 20msecs.
Far infrared spectroscopy of carbonate minerals

Abstract This study presents far infrared spectra in the range 650-70 cm-1 of 18 common and rare carbonate minerals. Mineral samples of known provenance are selected and physically characterized to determine the purity of the crystalline phase and their composition. The fine ground mineral powders are embedded in polyethylene pellets, and their transmittance spectra are collected with a Fourier spectrometer. The far infrared spectra of different carbonate minerals from the same structural group have well-defined similarities. Observed shifts generally manifest the mass effect of the constituent metal cations. Remarkable spectral differences occur for different carbonates in the far IR region and may serve as fingerprints for mineral identification and are more useful identifiers of carbonate species than those in any other infrared range. For some of the minerals studied here, like kutnohorite, artinite, gaylussite, and trona, no far infrared spectra to that extend (up to 70 cm-1) have been found in literature.
Quantitative analysis of processive RNA degradation by the archaeal RNA exosome

RNA exosomes are large multisubunit assemblies involved in controlled RNA processing. The archaeal exosome possesses a heterohexameric processing chamber with three RNase-PH-like active sites, capped by Rrp4- or Csl4-type subunits containing RNA-binding domains. RNA degradation by RNA exosomes has not been studied in a quantitative manner because of the complex kinetics involved, and exosome features contributing to efficient RNA degradation remain unclear. Here we derive a quantitative kinetic model for degradation of a model substrate by the archaeal exosome. Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods for parameter estimation allow for the comparison of reaction kinetics between different exosome variants and substrates. We show that long substrates are degraded in a processive and short RNA in a more distributive manner and that the cap proteins influence degradation speed. Our results, supported by small angle X-ray scattering, suggest that the Rrp4-type cap efficiently recruits RNA but prevents fast RNA degradation of longer RNAs by molecular friction, likely by RNA contacts to its unique KH-domain. We also show that formation of the RNase-PH like ring with entrapped RNA is not required for high catalytic efficiency, suggesting that the exosome chamber evolved for controlled processivity, rather than for catalytic chemistry in RNA decay.
Usefulness of whole-body (18)F-FDG PET in patients with suspected metastatic brain tumors.

UNLABELLED The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of whole-body (18)F-FDG PET imaging in the differentiation of metastatic brain tumor from primary brain tumor and in the localization of the primary lesion in patients with metastatic brain tumor. METHODS The subjects consisted of 127 patients (77 men, 50 women; mean age +/- SD, 55 +/- 12 y) with brain masses that were suspected to be metastatic brain tumors on radiologic studies: 77 with confirmed metastatic brain tumor and 50 with primary brain tumor. Whole-body (18)F-FDG PET was performed on all patients. When the abnormal lesion was detected outside the brain, we interpreted the brain lesion as metastatic brain tumor. RESULTS In 61 of the 77 patients with metastatic brain tumor, primary lesions were detected using whole-body (18)F-FDG PET. Of the remaining 16 patients (all false-negative cases), 7 were classified as metastases of unknown origin. In 47 of the 50 patients with primary brain tumor, whole-body (18)F-FDG PET did not show any other abnormal lesions. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy of PET for the detection of primary origin were 79.2%, 94.0%, 95.3%, 74.6%, and 85.0%, respectively. The most common primary origin of metastatic brain tumors on PET examination was lung cancer (48/61, 78.7%). The concordance rate between (18)F-FDG PET and conventional radiologic work-up was 80% in identifying primary lesion. Unknown bone or bone marrow metastases and unsuspected distant metastases were found in 14 patients (18%) and 24 patients (31%), respectively, on PET examination. CONCLUSION Screening the patients with suspected metastatic brain tumors using whole-body (18)F-FDG PET could be helpful in differentiating metastatic brain tumor from primary brain tumor and in detecting the primary lesion.
Sustained release of acyclovir from nano-liposomes and nano-niosomes: An in vitro study

The present study was designed to develop and compare acyclovir containing nano-vesicular liposomes and niosomes based on cholesterol, soya L-α-lecithin and nonionic surfactant, span 20. The effort was made to study in vitro whether acyclovir-loaded nanovesicles could sustain the release of the drug by increasing residence time and thus, acyclovir could reduce its dose-related systemic toxicity. There were good vesicular distributions in both of the niosomes and the liposomes. The obtained vesicles were within 1 μm and about 35% of them were within a size of 100 nm. The percentage of drug loading varied and the niosomal vesicles contained more drug as compared with the liposomes. When the in vitro drug release was compared, it was found that the liposomes released about 90% drug in 150 min whereas the drug release was just 50% from the niosomal vesicles in 200 min. Again, the niosomes showed better stability compared with the liposomes. Thus, niosome could be a better choice for intravenous delivery of acyclovir.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Senior Mentor Program

Abstract At the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine, we developed a voluntary senior-mentor program, the Senior Teacher Educator Partnership (STEP), for first- and second-year medical students. Using qualitative research methods, we examined the impact of STEP on medical students' attitudes and then assessed the congruence of what is learned through STEP with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to provide care to the elderly patient. STEP was found to be a successful strategy for teaching themes of recognizing the elderly within an ecological context, enhancing sympathy and empathy, emphasizing respect for elderly persons, and gaining an appreciation that aging is an individualized process. New areas identified for student learning experiences included understanding the complexity of the health care system and its impact on elderly patients, understanding the payment system, and developing skills in assessment and care coordination. A model is described for continuous enhancement of educational programs to be used to improve educational experience in geriatrics.