Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Derivation and analysis of a high-resolution estimate of global permafrost zonation

Permafrost underlies much of Earth's surface and interacts with climate, eco-systems and human systems. It is a complex phenomenon controlled by climate and (sub-) surface properties and reacts to change with variable delay. Heterogeneity and sparse data challenge the modeling of its spatial distribution. Currently, there is no data set to adequately inform global studies of permafrost. The available data set for the Northern Hemisphere is frequently used for model evaluation, but its quality and consistency are difficult to assess. Here, a global model of permafrost extent and dataset of permafrost zonation are presented and discussed, extending earlier studies by including the Southern Hemisphere, by consistent data and methods, by attention to uncertainty and scaling. Established relationships between air temperature and the occurrence of permafrost are re-formulated into a model that is parametrized using published estimates. It is run with a high-resolution ( 6 km 2 or 9–14 % of the exposed land surface. The global permafrost area including Antarctic and sub-sea permafrost is estimated to be 16–21 × 10 6 km 2 . The global permafrost region, i.e. the exposed land surface below which some permafrost can be expected, is estimated to be 22 ± 3 × 10 6 km 2 . A large proportion of this exhibits considerable topography and spatially-discontinuous permafrost, underscoring the importance of attention to scaling issues and heterogeneity in large-area models.
A design of fibre channel node with PCI interface

Fibre Channel (FC) has been well applied in storage network and avionics environments. It is being implemented as one kind of avionics communication architecture for a variety of next generation aircrafts. However, a challenge engineers have to face is how to realize the complicated FC protocols in a feasible way. So, we propose a design of FC node. It adopts a FPGA module with PCI interface and a PowerPC module. In this way, it can achieve the mapping from the FC protocols to the engineering application. We have carried out some experiments to validate the data transfer rate of 1.0625Gbps and 2.125Gbps. The experimental results show that the proposed design has good performance at high-speed data transmission with the FC protocols, and flexible scalability.
Relationships among magnetic resonance imaging, histological findings, and IGF-I in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head in rabbits

ObjectiveTo study the relationships among magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histological findings, and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head in rabbits.MethodsThirty rabbits were randomly divided into experimental Group A (n=15) and control Group B (n=15). The 7.5 mg/kg (2 ml) of dexamethasone (DEX) and physiological saline (2 ml) were injected into the right gluteus medius muscle twice at one-week intervals in animals of Groups A and B, respectively. At 4, 8 and 16 weeks after obtaining an MRI, the rabbits were sacrificed and the femoral head from one side was removed for histological study of lacunae empty of osteocytes, subchondral vessels, and size of fat cells under microscopy, and the femoral head from the other side was removed for enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) for IGF-I.ResultsAt 4, 8 and 16 weeks after treatment, no necrotic lesions were detected in Group B, while they were detected in Group A. Light microscopy revealed that the fat cells of the marrow cavity were enlarged, subchondral vessels were evidently decreased, and empty bone lacunae were clearly increased. The IGF-I levels in Group A were significantly higher than those in Group B. At 8 weeks after the DEX injection, the MRI of all 20 femora showed an inhomogeneous, low signal intensity area in the femoral head, and at 16 weeks, the findings of all 10 femora showed a specific “line-like sign”. The MRI findings of all femora in Group B were normal.ConclusionMRI is a highly sensitive means of diagnosing early experimental osteonecrosis of the femoral head. However, the abnormal marrow tissues appeared later than 4 weeks when the expression of IGF-I increased. This reparative factor has an early and important role in response to steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head, and provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the pathology and designing new therapies.
A methodology for requirements engineering process development

Adoption of the most suitable requirements engineering (RE) process and selection of the most appropriate RE techniques for a given project is a common challenge faced by industry. This paper presents a methodology for RE process development for a given project. The novelty of this work is four-fold. First, a RE process knowledge base (REPKB) is established and it helps during RE process development. Second, a decision support mechanism is provided during RE process development. Third, this methodology uses three components: process building blocks, standard templates of the RE process and development guidelines, to help process development. Fourth, it explicitly links project characteristics with RE process development so that the most suitable RE process can be developed. The theory behind this methodology is described in the paper. Preliminary results suggest that the methodology is of valuable help to requirements engineers during RE process development and process customization.
Symmetric Instability, Inertial Oscillations, and Turbulence at the Gulf Stream Front

AbstractThe passage of a winter storm over the Gulf Stream observed with a Lagrangian float and hydrographic and velocity surveys provided a unique opportunity to study how the interaction of inertial oscillations, the front, and symmetric instability (SI) shapes the stratification, shear, and turbulence in the upper ocean under unsteady forcing. During the storm, the rapid rise and rotation of the winds excited inertial motions. Acting on the front, these sheared motions modulate the stratification in the surface boundary layer. At the same time, cooling and downfront winds generated a symmetrically unstable flow. The observed turbulent kinetic energy dissipation exceeded what could be attributed to atmospheric forcing, implying SI drew energy from the front. The peak excess dissipation, which occurred just prior to a minimum in stratification, surpassed that predicted for steady SI turbulence, suggesting the importance of unsteady dynamics. The measurements are interpreted using a large-eddy simulation .
Effect of budesonide/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy on asthma exacerbations

This randomised, double‐blind, 6‐month study compared budesonide/formoterol for maintenance and relief with salmeterol/fluticasone and a fixed maintenance dose of budesonide/formoterol, both with terbutaline for relief. Following a 2‐week run‐in, 3335 symptomatic adults and adolescents (mean FEV1 73% predicted, mean inhaled corticosteroid dose 745 μg/day) received budesonide/formoterol 160/4.5 μg one inhalation bid plus additional inhalations as needed, salmeterol/fluticasone 25/125 μg two inhalations bid plus as‐needed terbutaline or budesonide/formoterol 320/9 μg one inhalation bid plus as‐needed terbutaline. Budesonide/formoterol for maintenance and relief prolonged the time to first severe exacerbation requiring hospitalisation, emergency room treatment or oral steroids (primary variable) vs. fixed‐dose salmeterol/fluticasone and budesonide/formoterol (p = 0.0034 and p = 0.023 respectively; log‐rank test). Exacerbation rates were 19, 16 and 12 events/100 patients/6 months for salmeterol/fluticasone, fixed‐dose budesonide/formoterol and budesonide/formoterol for maintenance and relief, respectively, [rate reduction vs. fixed‐dose salmeterol/fluticasone (0.61; 95% CI 0.49–0.76, p < 0.001) and vs. fixed‐dose budesonide/formoterol (0.72; 95% CI 0.57–0.90, p = 0.0048)]. Budesonide/formoterol maintenance and relief patients used less inhaled corticosteroid vs. salmeterol/fluticasone and fixed‐dose budesonide/formoterol patients. All treatments provided similar marked improvements in lung function, asthma control days and asthma‐related quality of life. Budesonide/formoterol for maintenance and relief reduces asthma exacerbations and maintains similar daily asthma control at a lower overall drug load compared with fixed‐dose salmeterol/fluticasone and budesonide/formoterol.
Differentiation in Ferrar dolerites, Antarctica

Abstract Chemical and modal data from three sills, a dike, and a lava flow of Ferrar Dolerite from near McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, show that marked differentiation took place during crystallisation of the magma. Differentiation was controlled by the crystallisation and gravitational accumulation of orthopyroxene, resulting in the regular variation of magnesia from 22% to less than 1% and of silica from 47% to 67% in samples of rock from different heights in. the sills. The final products of differentiation are magnesia-poor, alkali-rich, and silica-rich pegmatoids and granophyres. Phase layering and progressive change of mineral composition are demonstrated by means of modal diagrams and optical determinations, and the Ferrar Dolerite differentiation trends are compared with those of other circum-Antarctic dolerites.
Strokelets: A Learned Multi-Scale Mid-Level Representation for Scene Text Recognition

In this paper, we are concerned with the problem of automatic scene text recognition, which involves localizing and reading characters in natural images. We investigate this problem from the perspective of representation and propose a novel multi-scale representation, which leads to accurate, robust character identification and recognition. This representation consists of a set of mid-level primitives, termed strokelets, which capture the underlying substructures of characters at different granularities. The Strokelets possess four distinctive advantages: 1) usability: automatically learned from character level annotations; 2) robustness: insensitive to interference factors; 3) generality: applicable to variant languages; and 4) expressivity: effective at describing characters. Extensive experiments on standard benchmarks verify the advantages of the strokelets and demonstrate the effectiveness of the text recognition algorithm built upon the strokelets. Moreover, we show the method to incorporate the strokelets to improve the performance of scene text detection.
Cyclic alternating pattern in peripubertal children.

STUDY OBJECTIVES The aim of this study is to complement the data on the expression and characteristics of cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) events in children, specifically in the peripubertal age group of 8 to 12 years and to analyze the association of CAP events with arousals. The study of CAP and arousal is a useful tool for assessing sleep instability and fragmentation in children. DESIGN Descriptive study. PARTICIPANTS Ten sex-matched healthy children, aged 8 to 12 years, underwent standard polysomnography after 1 adaptation night in the sleep laboratory. Sleep stages, CAP, and arousals were analyzed according to standard international rules. RESULTS The mean CAP rate was 62.1% +/- 10.8% and the mean CAP cycle duration, 24.6 +/- 2.1 minutes. CAP A1 phase was the most numerous (85.5% +/- 3.9%), whereas the A2 phase was 9.1% +/- 4.7%, and the A3 phase as 5% +/- 2.3%, (P < .01). Differences between boys and girls were detected by analysis of variance, namely increases of phase A2 and A3 subtypes in girls (P < .001). Stronger phase A1 subtype expression in slow-wave sleep was verified in both sexes. Positive correlation between electroencephalogram arousals and the sum of phase A2 and A3 subtypes was also present. The overall CAP rate is higher in this age group than the rate previously reported in children aged 6 to 10 years (62.1% +/- 10.8% vs 33.4% +/- 5.3%). CONCLUSIONS Our study provides normative data on CAP in children aged 8 to 12 years and indicates that age and Tanner stages must both be considered when investigating peripubertal children.
Sub-400 °C Si2H6 Passivation, HfO2 Gate Dielectric, and Single TaN Metal Gate: A Common Gate Stack Technology for In0.7Ga0.3As and Ge1-xSnx CMOS

We report a novel common gate-stack solution for In<sub>0.7</sub>Ga<sub>0.3</sub>As n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (nMOSFETs) and Ge<sub>0.97</sub>Sn<sub>0.03</sub> p-channel metaloxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (pMOSFETs), featuring sub-400 °C Si<sub>2</sub>H<sub>6</sub> passivation, sub-1.75-nm capacitance equivalent thickness (CET), and single TaN metal gate. By incorporating Si<sub>2</sub>H<sub>6</sub> passivation, an ultrathin SiO<sub>2</sub>/Si interfacial layer is formed between the high-k gate dielectric and the high mobility InGaAs and GeSn channels. The In<sub>0.7</sub>Ga<sub>0.3</sub>As nMOSFET and Ge<sub>0.97</sub>Sn<sub>0.03</sub> pMOSFET show drive currents of ~143 and ~69μA/μm, respectively, at |V<sub>DS</sub>| and |V<sub>GS</sub> - V<sub>TH</sub>| of 1V for a gate length L<sub>G</sub> of 4 μm. At an inversion carrier density N<sub>inv</sub> of 10<sup>13</sup> cm<sup>-2</sup>, In<sub>0.7</sub>Ga<sub>0.3</sub>As nMOSFETs and Ge<sub>0.97</sub>Sn<sub>0.03</sub> pMOSFETs show electron and hole mobilities of ~495 and ~230cm<sup>2</sup>/V·s, respectively. At N<sub>inv</sub> of 4 × 10<sup>12</sup> cm<sup>-2</sup>, electron and hole mobility values of ~705 and ~ 346cm<sup>2</sup>/V·s are achieved. Symmetric V<sub>TH</sub> is realized by choosing a metal gate with midgap work function, and CET of less than 1.75nm is demonstrated with a gate-leakage current density (JG) of less than 10<sup>-4</sup>A/cm<sup>2</sup> at a gate bias of V<sub>TH</sub> ± 1V. Using this gate-stack, a Ge<sub>0.95</sub>Sn<sub>0.05</sub> pMOSFET with the shortest L<sub>G</sub> of 200nm is also realized. Drive current of ~680μA/μm is achieved at V<sub>DS</sub> of -1.5V and V<sub>GS</sub> - V<sub>TH</sub> of -2V, with peak intrinsic transconductance G<sub>m,int</sub> of ~492μS/μm at V<sub>DS</sub> of -1.1V.
Indoor Tanning Dependence in Young Adult Women

Background: There is mounting evidence that young people can develop a dependence on indoor tanning, but research on factors associated with indoor tanning dependence remains limited. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated factors associated with indoor tanning dependence in a community sample of 389 non-Hispanic white young adult women ages 18 to 30 who had indoor tanned ≥1 time in the past year. Participants completed measures of indoor tanning dependence, including the modified CAGE and modified Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-IV psychiatric screening assessments, indoor tanning behavior and beliefs, and behavioral and psychiatric comorbidity. Results: Overall, 22.6% of the sample screened positive for indoor tanning dependence. In multivariable analyses, indoor tanning dependence was associated with younger age of indoor tanning initiation [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.79; P = 0.017], indoor tanning ≥20 times in the past year (aOR = 3.03; P = 0.015), stronger beliefs about the benefits of tanning (aOR = 2.15; P = 0.004), greater perceived susceptibility to indoor tanning risks (aOR = 2.72; P < 0.001), stronger beliefs about physical appearance (aOR = 1.73; P = 0.037), and depressive symptoms (aOR = 3.79; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Indoor tanning dependence among young, non-Hispanic white women is associated with behaviors that increase the risk of skin cancer, beliefs favoring the perceived benefits of tanning, and comorbid risks such as stronger beliefs about physical appearance and depressed mood. Impact: Comprehensive skin cancer prevention efforts should address indoor tanning dependence among young women and its leading risk factors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(11); 1636–43. ©2017 AACR.
Some aspects of the three-dimensional heat island in Moscow

The thermal climate in Moscow was studied for 1990. Air temperatures near the surface were analysed for a number of locations representing different land‒use types. The urban–rural temperature differences ranged mainly between 1° and 3°C, with an absolute maximum of 9·8°C. In summer, the heat island intensity exceeded 3°C on 29 per cent of all early morning observations, confirming the widely held view that anticyclonic conditions generate strong heat islands. Temperature variations within the city were small, with a notable exception of the urban park; in winter, the lee periphery of the city was often warmer than the urban centre. Vertical temperature profiles in the lowest 500—14m were studied using data obtained at the Ostankino TV tower at seven levels. Although the daytime profiles throughout the year and the nocturnal profiles in winter confirmed observations elsewhere, the nocturnal summer profiles were unlike those registered in other urban areas with an unexpectedly high frequency of strong ground‒based inversions. In July and August, ground‒based inversions were registered on 57 per cent of all nocturnal observations. This phenomenon can be explained by the ‘open’ street geometry that is typical of Moscow and a reduced (in comparison with winter) input of artificial heat. ©1997 Royal Meteorological Society. INt.J.Climatol. , Vol. 17, 1451-1465 (No. of Figures:8 No. of Tables: 5 No. of References: 15)
A dynamic shift of VEGF isoforms with a transient and selective progesterone-induced expression of VEGF189 regulates angiogenesis and vascular permeability in human uterus

A key mechanism underlying physiological angiogenesis of the human endometrium is its ability to regenerate the vascular capillary network and to perform vascular remodeling (i.e., development of spiral arteries). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is associated with angiogenesis and capillary permeability in this tissue. VEGF is expressed as several spliced variants, its main human isoforms contain 121 and 165 aa; 17β-estradiol (E2) increases endometrial VEGF, possibly in all isoforms. Here we show that progesterone (P) selectively increases the expression of the VEGF189 (V189) isoform in the human uterus. V189 is identified in the conditioned medium of stromal cells treated with E2 + P; its presence in this in vitro model of decidual stromal cells is detected after 6–8 days, using ELISA, and after 8–10 days, using Western blot analysis with different antibodies, including one specific for V189. The secretion pattern of V189 parallels that of the decidual protein IGFBP-1. V189 is secreted as a native isoform, as compared with the migration of recombinant V189 by SDS/PAGE. In situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry, performed on the same biopsies, suggest that decidual cells express V189 during the mid-late secretory phase of the menstrual cycle and early gestation. Finally, using an in vivo permeability assay, we show that native V189 increases capillary permeability. These observations demonstrate that P regulates V189 expression in decidual cells, which could have important implications for understanding uterine vascular remodeling and implantation, and may be relevant in a range of disease states such as edema and irregular bleeding.
Anatomic and Physiologic Heterogeneity of Subgroup-A Auditory Sensory Neurons in Fruit Flies

The antennal ear of the fruit fly detects acoustic signals in intraspecific communication, such as the courtship song and agonistic sounds. Among the five subgroups of mechanosensory neurons in the fly ear, subgroup-A neurons respond maximally to vibrations over a wide frequency range between 100 and 1,200 Hz. The functional organization of the neural circuit comprised of subgroup-A neurons, however, remains largely unknown. In the present study, we used 11 GAL4 strains that selectively label subgroup-A neurons and explored the diversity of subgroup-A neurons by combining single-cell anatomic analysis and Ca2+ imaging. Our findings indicate that the subgroup-A neurons that project into various combinations of subareas in the brain are more anatomically diverse than previously described. Subgroup-A neurons were also physiologically diverse, and some types were tuned to a narrow frequency range, suggesting that the response of subgroup-A neurons to sounds of a wide frequency range is due to the existence of several types of subgroup-A neurons. Further, we found that an auditory behavioral response to the courtship song of flies was attenuated when most subgroup-A neurons were silenced. Together, these findings characterize the heterogeneous functional organization of subgroup-A neurons, which might facilitate species-specific acoustic signal detection.
Structure and assembly of the SF 3 a splicing factor complex of U 2 snRNP

SF3a is an evolutionarily conserved heterotrimeric complex essential for pre-mRNA splicing. It functions in spliceosome assembly within the mature U2 snRNP (small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle), and its displacement from the spliceosome initiates the first step of the splicing reaction. We have identified a core domain of the yeast SF3a complex required for complex assembly and determined its crystal structure. The structure shows a bifurcated assembly of three subunits, Prp9, Prp11 and Prp21, with Prp9 interacting with Prp21 via a bidentate-binding mode, and Prp21 wrapping around Prp11. Structureguided biochemical analysis also shows that Prp9 harbours a major binding site for stem-loop IIa of U2 snRNA. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the assembly of U2 snRNP. The EMBO Journal (2012) 31, 1579–1590. doi:10.1038/ emboj.2012. 7; Published online 7 February 2012 Subject Categories: RNA; structural biology
Neural Network and Bandless Hysteresis Approach to Control Switched Capacitor Active Power Filter for Reduction of Harmonics

This paper proposes a combination of neural network and a bandless hysteresis controller, for a switched capacitor active power filter (SCAPF), to improve line power factor and to reduce line current harmonics. The proposed active power filter controller forces the supply current to be sinusoidal, in phase with line voltage, and has low current harmonics. Two main controls are proposed for it: neural network detection of harmonics and bandless digital hysteresis switching algorithm. A mathematical algorithm and a suitable learning rate determine the filter's optimal operation. A digital signal controller (TMS320F2812) verifies the proposed SCAPF, implementing the neural network and bandless hysteresis algorithms. A laboratory SCAPF system is built to test its feasibility. Simulation and experimental results are provided to verify performance of the proposed SCAPF system.
Conodonts in the Upper Ordovician Keisley Limestone of northern England: taxonomy, biostratigraphical significance and biogeographical relationships

The classical fauna from the Keisley Limestone, one of the first Upper Ordovician conodont faunas described from the UK, is re‐evaluated based on relatively abundant collections of well‐preserved conodont elements representing 20 multielement taxa. Common taxa are representatives of Amorphognathus duftonus, Birksfeldia circumplicata, Eocarniodus aff. E. gracilis, Hamarodus brevirameus, Scabbardella altipes, Strachanognathus parvus and several coniform species. These occur with more rare specimens of, among others, Aphelognathus nudus, Amorphognathus aff. A. ordovicicus, Dapsilodus mutatus, Icriodella prominens, Icriodella rhodesi sp. nov. and Protopanderodus liripipus. One new species is proposed, and the concepts of Birksfeldia, Gamachignathus, Icriodella and Notiodella are discussed. It is proposed that Birksfeldia is a senior synonym of Gamachignathus and Notiodella a junior synonym of Icriodella. The described Keisley species association, which represents the A. ordovicicus Zone and is of late Katian (Ka4) age, is closely similar to those of the Boda Limestone of south‐central Sweden and some other European faunas, but coeval shallow‐water faunas from eastern North America differ in several respects from these European faunas. Biostratigraphy and carbon isotope chemostratigraphy indicate that most of the Keisley Limestone is of late Katian age.