Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling microwave interactions with crops and comparison with ERS-2 SAR observations

A comprehensive multilayer second-order radiative transfer model, driven entirely by intensive field observations, is used to show that second order terms contribute at most 0.5 dB to the backscattering coefficient at all polarizations from wheat and barley throughout the growing season and 1 dB to the copolar response of oilseed rape. Under these circumstances, an equivalent integrable first-order model, with coefficients derived from full model runs, can be formulated. This allows the role of each of the plant components in attenuating and scattering the radar signal to be clarified, and provides a basis for quantitative comparison of observed ERS-2 backscatter values with model calculations, taking full account of measurement uncertainties. Discrepancies between the two suggest that effective attenuation through mature cereal crops is overestimated by the model. This appears to be either an intrinsic failure of the radiative transfer formulation or (more likely) due to an inadequate adaptation of the notion of crop coverage to the microwave case. Nonplanarity of leaves is an important source of model error for oilseed rape.
Merging of Dirac points in a two-dimensional crystal

We study under which general conditions a pair of Dirac points in the electronic spectrum of a twodimensional crystal may merge into a single one. The merging signals a topological transition between a semimetallic phase and a band insulator. We derive a universal Hamiltonian that describes the physical properties of the transition, which is controlled by a single parameter, and analyze the Landau-level spectrum in its
Kinetic study of the gas-phase reaction of atomic chlorine with a series of aldehydes

Abstract. The reactions of Cl atoms with a series of unsaturated aldehydes have been investigated for the first time using a relative method. In order to obtain additional information for a qualitative structure versus reactivity discussion, we have also determined the rate coefficients for the reactions of atomic chlorine with their respective saturated aldehydes. These relative measurements were performed at room temperature and atmospheric pressure of air and N2, by using ethane, propene and 1-butene as reference compounds. The weighted average relative rate constants obtained, kCl±2σ (in units of cm3 molecule−1 s−1) were: trans-2-pentenal (1.31±0.19)×10−10; trans-2-hexenal (1.92±0.22)×10−10; trans-2-heptenal (2.40±0.29)×10−10; n-pentanal (2.56±0.27)×10−10; n-hexanal (2.88±0.37)×10−10; n-heptanal (3.00±0.34)×10−10. Finally, results and atmospheric implications are discussed and compared with the reactivity with OH and NO3 radicals.
Speedup, communication complexity and blocking-a La Recherche du Temps Perdu

The paper investigates the time lost in a parallel computation due to sequential and duplicated work, communication and control, and blocking. It introduces the concept of relative speedup and proposes characterizations of parallel algorithms based upon the communication complexity and the blocking model. The paper discusses the impact of the processor's architecture upon the measured speedup. It shows that a large speedup may be due to an inefficient sequential computation, e.g. due to the cache management, rather than to an efficient parallel computation. A model of parallel computations which takes into account sequential and duplicated work, communication and control and blocking is presented. The paper shows that the scalability of a parallel computation is determined by the communication complexity. The model is used to predict the asymptotic behavior, the maximum speedup and the optimal number of processors. An incore 3D FFT algorithm for distributed memory MIMD systems and a Chebyshev iterative algorithm for solving a linear system of equations are used to illustrate the concepts. <<ETX>>
Concomitant Exposure to Ovalbumin and Endotoxin Augments Airway Inflammation but Not Airway Hyperresponsiveness in a Murine Model of Asthma

Varying concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in ovalbumin (OVA) may influence the airway response to allergic sensitization and challenge. We assessed the contribution of LPS to allergic airway inflammatory responses following challenge with LPS-rich and LPS-free commercial OVA. BALB/c mice were sensitized with LPS-rich OVA and alum and then underwent challenge with the same OVA (10 µg intranasally) or an LPS-free OVA. Following challenge, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), airway responsiveness to methacholine and the lung regulatory T cell population (Treg) were assessed. Both OVA preparations induced BAL eosinophilia but LPS-rich OVA also evoked BAL neutrophilia. LPS-free OVA increased interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4 and IL-5 whereas LPS-rich OVA additionally increased IL-1β, IL-12, IFN-γ, TNF-α and KC. Both OVA-challenged groups developed airway hyperresponsiveness. TLR4-deficient mice challenged with either OVA preparation showed eosinophilia but not neutrophilia and had increased IL-5. Only LPS-rich OVA challenged mice had increased lung Tregs and LPS-rich OVA also induced in vitro Treg differentiation. LPS-rich OVA also induced a Th1 cytokine response in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.We conclude that LPS-rich OVA evokes mixed Th1, Th2 and innate immune responses through the TLR-4 pathway, whereas LPS-free OVA evokes only a Th2 response. Contaminating LPS is not required for induction of airway hyperresponsiveness but amplifies the Th2 inflammatory response and is a critical mediator of the neutrophil, Th1 and T regulatory cell responses to OVA.
Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems Software Process Improvement and Human Judgement Heuristics Software Process Improvement and Human Judgement Heuristics Jørgensen and Sjøberg: Software Process Improvement and Human Judgement Heuristics Special Issue Article @bullet Software Process Improv

This paper exemplifies how better knowledge about human judgement strategies known as heuristics can be used to improve software processes, especially estimation and prediction processes. Human judgement heuristics work well when they exploit a fit between their structure and the structure of the environment in which they are used. This use of environmental fit may lead to amazingly good judgements based on little information and simple computations compared with more formal approaches. Sometimes, however, the heuristics may lead to poor judgements. Knowing more about the strengths and weaknesses of human judgement heuristics we may be able to (1) know when to use formal process improvement approaches and when to use less expensive expert judgements, (2) support the experts in situations where the experts' judgements strategies are known to perform poorly, (3) improve the formal processes with elements from the experts' strategies, and (4) train the experts in the use of more optimal judgement strategies. A small-scale experiment was carried out to evaluate the use of the representativeness heuristic in a software development effort estimation context. The results indicate that the actual use of the representativeness heuristic differed very much among the estimators and was not always based on an awareness of fit between the structure of the heuristic and the structure of the environment. Estimation strategies only appropriate in low uncertainty development environments were used in high uncertainty environments. A possible consequence of this finding is that expert estimators should be trained in assessing how well previous software projects predict new software projects, i.e., the uncertainty of the environment, and how this uncertainty should impact the estimation strategy.
Peripheral arterial disease and intermittent claudication: efficacy of short-term upper body strength training, dynamic exercise training, and advice to exercise at home.

OBJECTIVE To compare the effect of two training programmes and advice to exercise at home on physiological adaptations in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). DESIGN 30 patients with a typical history of PAD and intermittent claudication were randomised to either an upper body strength training programme (UBST), a dynamic (walking, cycling, circuit) conventional exercise rehabilitation programme (CER), or advice to 'walk as much as possible at home' (CONT). Before and after intervention groups performed a standard graded treadmill exercise test (GTET) and a 6-minute walk test (SMWT) to determine peak physiological parameters and walking distances. Maximal walking distance (MWD), pain-free walking distance (PFWD), peak oxygen uptake (VO2) , heart rate and perceived pain were measured. RESULTS MWD on the GTET increased significantly in the CER group compared with the CONT and UBST groups (93.9 +/- 79% v. 7.0 +/- 19.8% v. 7.3 +/- 46%; CER v. UBST v. CONT p = 0.003). Similarly, peak VO2 increased with CER compared with the CONT and UBST groups (28.4 +/- 20 v. -6.2 +/- 15 v. -1.0 +/- 21%; CER v. UBST v. CONT p = 0.004). During the SMWT the CER and UBST groups improved in PFWD compared with the CONT group (37 +/- 47% v. 27 +/- 71% v. -30 +/- 29%; CER v. UBST v. CONT p = 0.03), and perceived pain decreased in the CER group compared with the UBST group (-24 +/- 39% v. 27 +/- 48%; CER v. UBST p = 0.01). CONCLUSION CER improves physiological parameters and walking distances more than UBST does. CER is effective within 6 weeks. Verbal encouragement to exercise is an ineffective form of management.
GABAA Receptor α and γ Subunits Shape Synaptic Currents via Different Mechanisms*

Background: GABAAR α2 and γ1 subunits are highly expressed in amygdala but their influence on synaptic currents is unknown. Results: α2 subunits increased GABA affinity thereby slowing current deactivation; γ1 subunits reduced synaptic receptor clustering. Conclusion: These subunits may differentially shape synaptic kinetics. Significance: Understanding how α2 and γ1 subunits shape synaptic currents may help us understand amygdala processing mechanisms. Synaptic GABAA receptors (GABAARs) mediate most of the inhibitory neurotransmission in the brain. The majority of these receptors are comprised of α1, β2, and γ2 subunits. The amygdala, a structure involved in processing emotional stimuli, expresses α2 and γ1 subunits at high levels. The effect of these subunits on GABAAR-mediated synaptic transmission is not known. Understanding the influence of these subunits on GABAAR-mediated synaptic currents may help in identifying the roles and locations of amygdala synapses that contain these subunits. Here, we describe the biophysical and synaptic properties of pure populations of α1β2γ2, α2β2γ2, α1β2γ1 and α2β2γ1 GABAARs. Their synaptic properties were examined in engineered synapses, whereas their kinetic properties were studied using rapid agonist application, and single channel recordings. All macropatch currents activated rapidly (<1 ms) and deactivated as a function of the α-subunit, with α2-containing GABAARs consistently deactivating ∼10-fold more slowly. Single channel analysis revealed that the slower current decay of α2-containing GABAARs was due to longer burst durations at low GABA concentrations, corresponding to a ∼4-fold higher affinity for GABA. Synaptic currents revealed a different pattern of activation and deactivation to that of macropatch data. The inclusion of α2 and γ1 subunits slowed both the activation and deactivation rates, suggesting that receptors containing these subunits cluster more diffusely at synapses. Switching the intracellular domains of the γ2 and γ1 subunits substantiated this inference. Because this region determines post-synaptic localization, we hypothesize that GABAARs containing γ1 and γ2 use different mechanisms for synaptic clustering.
Geographic Scope, Product Diversification and the Corporate Performance of Japanese Firms

The study extends research on the geographic scope, product diversification and performance relationship by exploring both the antecedents and consequences of geographic scope (multinationality). In so doing, it addresses a fundamental criticism of the geographic scope-performance relationship; namely, that the observed positive relationship between geographic scope and performance is spurious because it is the possession of proprietary assets that are the foundation of superior performance, not expansion into international markets per se. We tested the research model with data on the corporate performance of 399 Japanese manufacturing firms. In the Partial Least Squares analyses used to examine the study's six main hypotheses, we demonstrate that geographic scope was positively associated with firm profitability, even when the competing effect of proprietary assets on firm performance was considered. Further, we find that performance was not related to the extent of product diversification; although investment levels in rent-generating, proprietary assets were related to the extent of product diversification.
Strand breakage in rat liver DNA and its repair following administration of cyclic nitrosamines.

Sedimentation of hepatic DNA in neutral and alkaline sucrose gradients has been used to detect double- and single-strand “breaks,” respectively, following administration of the hepatocarcinogens, nitrosomorpholine, nitrosopiperidine, and dinitrosopiperazine to rats. With each compound, the relationship between initial damage to DNA and dose and the time course of restoration of high-molecular-weight DNA (“repair”) were established. Changes in the velocity sedimentation of DNA prepared 4 hr after administration of from 1 to 100 mg/kg body weight nitrosomorpholine were observed in both alkaline and neutral sucrose gradients. The single-strand damage to DNA was not completely repaired 14 days after treatment while the double-strand breaks were more rapidly repaired. Injection of similar doses of either of the other two cyclic compounds also caused single-strand breaks in liver DNA which required at least 6 days for repair. These compounds had no effect on the velocity sedimentation of DNA on neutral sucrose gradients. High doses of the respective parent cyclic amines, morpholine, piperidine, and piperazine, did not cause strand breaks in DNA. The data are discussed with particular reference to the possibility that the cyclic nitrosamines examined may be metabolized by rat liver with the formation of species capable of alkylating DNA.
The Effectiveness of Education for Sustainable Development

Perhaps the most important issue in our time is how to sustain our planet’s resources, while developing wealth and well-being for a growing population. This monumental task has been defined in the concept of sustainable development (SD). During the last few decades the world communities have agreed upon addressing SD through international treaties. As a response Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has been launched as an answer to cope with sustainability. However, empirical studies are a missing link in the discourse around ESD, where decisions and implementation strategies are heavily based on policy recommendations and gut feelings by practitioners. We used data from 2413 students in grades 6, 9, and 12 from 51 schools across Sweden to study the effectiveness of ESD. In line with the current debate on the definition of ESD, we quantified the extent to which teaching can be labeled as holistic and/or pluralistic. Through a series of descriptive analyses and the estimation of structural equation models, our results indicate that ESD can indeed impact on student outcomes in terms of their sustainability consciousness. The results of this study reveal the key role ESD plays in addressing SD, paving the way for a more sustainable future.
Does the Longer Application of Anodal-transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Increase Corticomotor Excitability Further? A Pilot Study

Introduction: Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) of the primary motor cortex (M1) has been shown to be effective in increasing corticomotor excitability. Methods: We investigated whether longer applications of a-tDCS coincide with greater increases in corticomotor excitability compared to shorter application of a-tDCS. Ten right-handed healthy participants received one session of a-tDCS (1mA current) with shorter (10 min) and longer (10+10 min) stimulation durations applied to the left M1 of extensor carpi radialis muscle (ECR). Corticomotor excitability following application of a-tDCS was assessed at rest with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) elicited motor evoked potentials (MEP) and compared with baseline data for each participant. Results: MEP amplitudes were increased following 10 min of a-tDCS by 67% (p = 0.001) with a further increase (32%) after the second 10 min of a-tDCS (p = 0.005). MEP amplitudes remained elevated at 15 min post stimulation compared to baseline values by 65% (p = 0.02). Discussion: The results demonstrate that longer application of a-tDCS within the recommended safety limits, increases corticomotor excitability with after effects of up to 15 minutes post stimulation.
Increasing Blood Glucose Variability Is a Precursor of Sepsis and Mortality in Burned Patients

High glycemic variability, rather than a mean glucose level, is an important factor associated with sepsis and hospital mortality in critically ill patients. In this retrospective study we analyze the blood glucose data of 172 nondiabetic patients 18–60 yrs old with second and third-degree burns of total body surface area greater than 30% and 5%, respectively, admitted to ICU in 2004–2008. The analysis identified significant association of increasing daily glucose excursion (DELTA) accompanied by evident episodes of hyperglycemia (>11 mmol/l) and hypoglycemia (<2.8 mmol/l), with sepsis and forthcoming death, even when the mean daily glucose was within a range of acceptable glycemia. No association was found in sepsis complication and hospital mortality with doses of intravenous insulin and glucose infusion. A strong increase in DELTA before sepsis and death is treated as fluctuation amplification near the onset of dynamical instability.
Measuring competence?: exploring firm effects in pharmaceutical research

Renewed interest in the resource-based theory of the firm has focused attention on the role of heterogeneous organizational ‘competence’ in competition. This paper attempts to measure the importance of these effects in the context of pharmaceutical research. We distinguish between ‘component’ and ‘architectural’ competence, and using internal firm data at the program level from 10 major pharmaceutical companies show that together the two forms of competence appear to explain a significant fraction of the variance in research productivity across firms. Our results raise some intriguing questions about the nature of competencies and the ways in which they diffuse over time.
When self-report trumps science: Effects of confessions, DNA, and prosecutorial theories on perceptions of guilt.

For many wrongfully convicted individuals, DNA testing presents a new and invaluable means of exoneration. In several recently documented cases, however, innocent confessors were tried and convicted despite DNA evidence that excluded them. In each of these cases, the prosecutor proposed a speculative theory to explain away the mismatched confession and exculpatory DNA. Three studies were conducted that pitted confessions against DNA test results. Study 1 showed that people in general trust DNA evidence far more than self-report, including a defendant’s confession. Using student and adult community samples, Studies 2 and 3 showed that in cases in which the defendant had confessed to police but was later exculpated by DNA, prosecutorial theories spun to reconcile the contradiction attenuated the power of exculpatory DNA, significantly increasing perceptions of the defendant’s culpability, the rate of conviction, and the self-reported influence of the confession. Implications and suggestions for reform are discussed.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Out of mind , out of sight : language affects perceptual vividness in memory

We examined whether language affects the strength of a visual representation in memory. Participants studied a picture, read a story about the depicted object, and then selected out of two pictures the one whose transparency level most resembled that of the previously presented picture. The stories contained two linguistic manipulations that have been demonstrated to affect concept availability in memory, i.e., object presence and goal-relevance. The results show that described absence of an object caused people to select the most transparent picture more often than described presence of the object. This effect was not moderated by goal-relevance, suggesting that our paradigm tapped into the perceptual quality of representations rather than, for example, their linguistic availability. We discuss the implications of these findings within a framework of grounded cognition. Citation: Vandeberg L, Eerland A, Zwaan RA (2012) Out of Mind, Out of Sight: Language Affects Perceptual Vividness in Memory. PLoS ONE 7(4): e36154. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0036154 Editor: Kevin Paterson, University of Leicester, United Kingdom Received February 8, 2012; Accepted March 27, 2012; Published April 30, 2012 Copyright: 2012 Vandeberg et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: The authors have no support or funding to report. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: vandeberg@fsw.eur. nl
Drought Adaptation in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China: Actions, Planning, Pathways and Barriers

The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NX region) of Northwestern China is threatened by increased meteorological drought induced by climate change (CC) and constraints on water supply from the Yellow River. Thus, the NX region is representative of attempts to adapt to CC and variability in China’s arid regions. Field visits, a questionnaire and in situ inspections were conducted in 2012–2014 to understand people’s perception and awareness of drought and its impact, particularly with respect to adaptation strategies. We mainly focused on drought adaptation actions and planning implemented at the government level under the double pressures of drought and allocation. We described a suitable adaptation pathway for socio-economic sustainable development and discussed existing adaptation barriers. Construction of modern efficient water-saving agriculture lies at the core of drought adaptation, with socio-economic sustainable development being the ultimate goal. To achieve this, policies and institutional, engineering, technological, structural and social initiatives and measures—classified into macro adaptation strategies and specific coping measures—are implemented. Adaptation often encounters obstacles, e.g., policy issues from household contract responsibility systems, funding difficulties of low-income farmers, traditional behavioral habits and low education and literacy levels among farmers. The adaptation pathway involves the construction of modern efficient water-saving agriculture. Agricultural water savings are then transferred to developed industries, which back-feed socio-economic sustainable development in the NX region.