Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Widening Participation in Higher Education: A Quantitative Analysis

Higher education (HE) participation has expanded dramatically in England over the last half century. Yet although participation has been rising, ‘widening participation’ in HE remains a major policy issue. Of particular concern is whether expansion of HE has led to improvements in the representation of previously under-represented groups, such as materially deprived students and ethnic minority students.
ResearchAttention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) and glial integrity : an exploration of associations of cytokines and kynurenine metabolites with symptoms and attention

Background: In contrast to studies of depression and psychosis, the first part of this study showed no major differences in serum levels of cytokines and tryptophan metabolites between healthy children and those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder of the combined type (ADHD). Yet, small decreases of potentially toxic kynurenine metabolites and increases of cytokines were evident in subgroups. Therefore we examined predictions of biochemical associations with the major symptom clusters, measures of attention and response variability. Methods: We explored systematically associations of 8 cytokines (indicators of pro/anti-inflammatory function) and 5 tryptophan metabolites with symptom ratings (e.g. anxiety, opposition, inattention) and continuous performance test (CPT) measures (e.g. movement, response time (RT), variability) in 35 ADHD (14 on medication) and 21 control children. Predictions from linear regressions (controlled by the false discovery rate) confirmed or disconfirmed partial correlations accounting for age, body mass and socio-economic status. Results: (1) Total symptom ratings were associated with increases of the interleukins IL-16 and IL-13, where relations of IL-16 (along with decreased S100B) with hyperactivity, and IL-13 with inattention were notable. Opposition ratings were predicted by increased IL-2 in ADHD and IL-6 in control children. (2) In the CPT, IL-16 related to motor measures and errors of commission, while IL-13 was associated with errors of omission. Increased RT variability related to lower TNF-α, but to higher IFN-γ levels. (3) Tryptophan metabolites were not significantly related to symptoms. But increased tryptophan predicted errors of omission, its breakdown predicted errors of commission and kynurenine levels related
Affine trajectory correction for nonholonomic mobile robots

Planning trajectories for nonholonomic systems is difficul t and computationally expensive. When facing unexpected events, it may therefore be preferable to deform in some way the initially planned trajectory rather than to re-plan ent irely a new one. We suggest here a method based on affine transformations to make such deformat ions. This method is exact and fast: the deformations and the resulting trajectories c an be computed algebraically, in one step, and without any trajectory re-integration. To demonstrate the possibilities offered by this new method, we use it to derive position correction, orientation correction, obstacle avoidance and feedback control algorithms for the general class of planar wheeled robots and for a tridimensional underwater vehicle.
Edinburgh Research Explorer Information about Complex Fingertip Parameters in Individual Human Tactile Afferent Neurons

Although information in tactile afferent neurons represented by firing rates has been studied extensively over nearly a century, recent studies suggest that precise spike timing might be more important than firing rates. Here, we used information theory to compare the information content in the discharges of 92 tactile afferents distributed over the entire terminal segment of the fingertip when it was contacted by surfaces with different curvatures and force directions representative of everyday manipulations. Estimates of the information content with regard to curvature and force direction based on the precise timing of spikes were at least 2.2 times and 1.6 times, respectively, larger than that of spike counts during a 125 ms period of force increase. Moreover, the information regarding force direction based on the timing of the very first elicited spike was comparable with that provided by spike counts and more than twice as large with respect to object shape. For all encoding schemes, afferents terminating close to the stimulation site tended to convey more information about surface curvature than more remote afferents that tended to convey more information about force direction. Finally, coding schemes based on spike timing and spike counts overall contributed mostly independent information. We conclude that information about tactile stimuli in timing of spikes in primary afferents, even if limited to the first spikes, surpasses that contained in firing rates and that these measures of afferents’ responses might capture different aspects of the stimulus.
A Generalized Reinforcement-Learning Model: Convergence and Applications

Reinforcement learning is the process by which an autonomous agent uses its experience interacting with an environment to improve its behavior. The Markov decision process (MDP) model is a popular way of formalizing the reinforcement-learning problem, but it is by no means the only way. In this paper, we show how many of the important theoretical results concerning reinforcement learning in MDPs extend to a generalized MDP model that includes MDPs, two-player games and MDPs under a worst-case optimality criterion as special cases. The basis of this extension is a stochastic-approximation theorem that reduces asynchronous convergence to synchronous convergence. Keywords: Reinforcement learning, Q-learning convergence, Markov games
Color Attributes and Mineralogical Characteristics, Evaluated by Radiometry, of Highly Weathered Tropical Soils

Highly weathered soils are important around the world. Determination of their observed colors and acquisition of spectral curves were used to study their mineralogy. Color was determined through visual comparison with Munsell Soil Color Charts, and soils spectral characterization was made with an infrared intelligent spectroradiometer (IRIS) covering a spectral window from 300 to 3000 nm. The variables of color behaved differently among soils. The Munsell hue was related to hematite content and the hematite/goethite ratio (Hm/Gt), and the Munsell value to organic content of goethitic soils. The Munsell chroma was related to the presence of Fe oxides, giving an idea of relative amounts of either hematite or goethite. Regression equations relating color indices showed that the redness factor (RF) gave the highest determination coefficients to estimate hematite content and Hm/Gt, and reconfirmed that redness saturation occurs with increasing hematite amounts. The typical minerals of these soils showed characteristic absorption bands in their spectral curves. Absorption bands of 450 and 900 nm for Fe oxides, 2200 nm for kaolinite and 2280 for gibbsite, were distinctive features of the main minerals present. Organic matter decreased the intensity of reflectance for most soils and, under its influence, the characteristic bands of goethite practically disappeared while the ones for hematite, kaolinite, and gibbsite were attenuated. High amounts of hematite decreased the reflectance factor strongly as compared with the soil organic matter (SOM). Qualitative mineralogy of highly weathered soils was assessed by radiometry using measurements in the visible and near infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Olfactory and trigeminal thresholds and nasal resistance to airflow.

Nasal congestion associated with the common cold or allergy is associated with a decreased sensitivity of the sense of smell. This study was designed to detect any relationship between nasal resistance to airflow and the ability to detect odors presented to the nose. In particular we were interested to determine if the asymmetrical nasal resistance to airflow associated with the nasal cycle influenced nasal thresholds to menthol which is detected by trigeminal nerves and vanillin which is detected by olfactory nerves. Nasal resistance to airflow and the thresholds for L-menthol and vanillin were measured for each nasal passage in 17 normal volunteer subjects. Nasal resistance to airflow was asymmetrical due to the nasal cycle with a resistance on the high side of 0.94 +/- 0.15 Pa/cm3 s (mean +/- S.E. n = 17). and 0.48 +/- 0.04 Pa/cm3 s on the low side. The range of unilateral nasal resistances varied from 0.31-2.55 Pa/cm3 s. Despite these variations in nasal resistance to airflow no relationship was found between nasal resistance to airflow and thresholds for menthol or vanillin. Since threshold and nasal resistance are not related in normal subjects this may indicate that it is not the level of nasal congestion that affects the sense of smell in nasal infection and allergy, but some other factor related to the inflammatory response of the nasal mucosa.
SUPPRESSION OF ADJUVANT DISEASE IN THE RAT BY HETEROLOGOUS ANTILYMPHOCYTE GLOBULIN

The effect of antilymphocyte globulin (ALG) on adjuvant arthritis, an immunologically induced disease in the rat, was studied. ALG was prepared from the serum of rabbits immunized against rat lymphocytes. Adjuvant arthritis was induced in rats by a single intracutaneous injection of Freund's complete adjuvant; after 9 to 12 days, all control rats developed polyarthritis. Administration of antilymphocyte globulin about the time of adjuvant injection produced marked inhibition of clinical disease. Some suppression was apparent even when ALG was started after the onset of arthritis. Rats receiving ALG remained conspicuously healthy compared to controls. Urinary findings and renal histology showed no evidence of nephritis. The results of serum corticosterone determinations made it unlikely that adrenal stimulation contributed to the actions of ALG. Antilymphocyte preparations lowered peripheral lymphocyte counts and suppressed primary antibody responses to sheep erythrocytes, but had little effect on the skin reaction to PPD, even in rats protected from arthritis. All rats given ALG developed antibodies to rabbit globulin; there was no evidence that ALG inhibited the appearance of antibodies to itself, and prior hyperimmunization of rats with rabbit globulin did not interfere with the biological activity of ALG subsequently injected. Antisera produced separately against lymph node and thymus cells had identical properties with regard to agglutination of lymphocytes and thymus cells. Administered to rats, these preparations were equally potent in lowering lymphocyte counts and suppressing both adjuvant arthritis and the primary antibody response to sheep erythrocytes. It is concluded that ALG, as used in these experiments, is a potent immunosuppressive agent without obvious toxic effects.
Sap flow of Artemisia ordosica and the influence of environmental factors in a revegetated desert area: Tengger Desert, China

Artemisia ordosica is considered as an excellent sand‐fixing plant in revegetated desert areas, which plays a pertinent role in stabilizing the mobile dunes and sustaining the desert ecosystems. Stem sap flows of about 10‐year‐old Artemisia ordosica plants were monitored continuously with heat balance method for the entire growing season in order to understand the water requirement and the effects of environmental factors on its transpiration and growth. Environment factors such as solar radiation, air temperatures, relative humidity, wind speed and precipitation were measured by the eddy covariance. Diurnal and seasonal variations of sap flow rate with different stem diameters and their correlation with meteorological factors and reference evapotranspiration were analysed. At the daily time scale, there was a significantly linear relationship between sap flow rate and reference evapotranspiration with a correlation coefficient of R2 = 0·6368. But at the hourly time scale, the relationship of measured sap flow rate and calculated reference evapotranspiration (ET0) was affected by the precipitation. A small precipitation would increase the sap flow and the ET0; however, when the precipitation is large, the sap flow and ET0 decrease. Leaf area index had a coincident variation with soil water content; both were determined by the precipitation, and meteorological factors were the most significant factors that affected the sap flow of Artemisia ordosica in the following order: solar radiation > vapour pressure deficit > relative humidity > air temperature > wind speed. The close correlation between daily sap flow rate and meteorological factors in the whole growing season would provide us an accurate estimation of the transpiration of Artemisia ordosica and rational water‐carrying capacity of sand dunes in the revegetated desert areas. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hydrogeological characterization of the south oyster bacterial transport site using geophysical data

A multidisciplinary research team has conducted a field‐scale bacterial transport study within an uncontaminated sandy Pleistocene aquifer near Oyster, Virginia. The overall goal of the project was to evaluate the importance of heterogeneities in controlling the field‐scale transport of bacteria that are injected into the ground for remediation purposes. Geochemical, hydrological, geological, and geophysical data were collected to characterize the site prior to conducting chemical and bacterial injection experiments. In this paper we focus on results of a hydrogeological characterization effort using geophysical data collected across a range of spatial scales. The geophysical data employed include surface ground‐penetrating radar, radar cross‐hole tomography, seismic cross‐hole tomography, cone penetrometer, and borehole electromagnetic flowmeter. These data were used to interpret the subregional and local stratigraphy, to provide high‐resolution hydraulic conductivity estimates, and to provide information about the log conductivity spatial correlation function. The information from geophysical data was used to guide and assist the field operations and to constrain the numerical bacterial transport model. Although more field work of this nature is necessary to validate the usefulness and cost‐effectiveness of including geophysical data in the characterization effort, qualitative and quantitative comparisons between tomographically obtained flow and transport parameter estimates with hydraulic well bore and bromide breakthrough measurements suggest that geophysical data can provide valuable, high‐resolution information. This information, traditionally only partially obtainable by performing extensive and intrusive well bore sampling, may help to reduce the ambiguity associated with hydrogeological heterogeneity that is often encountered when interpreting field‐scale bacterial transport data.
On Passive Data Link Layer Fingerprinting of Aircraft Transponders

In order to meet future demands in increasingly congested airspaces, the world's aviation authorities are currently upgrading their air-traffic management systems. The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) protocol is at the core of the Next Generation Air Transportation (NextGen) system, and an increasingly large number of aircraft use ADS-B to broadcast data to their surroundings. In this paper, we use differences in the implementation of aircraft transponders to fingerprint their wireless drivers. In particular, without any modification to either aircraft or the off-the-shelf ADS-B receivers that we use, we develop a passive fingerprinting technique that accurately and efficiently identifies the wireless implementation by exploiting variations in their transmission behavior. We perform an evaluation of our fingerprinting technique that shows it both quickly and accurately fingerprints aircraft transponders using real-world aircraft data. Furthermore, through cross-referencing our fingerprints with open source aircraft databases, we are able to infer potential aircraft types and fleet combinations, as well as general market proliferation of different transponder implementations. Finally, we discuss implications for the security and privacy of our approach as well as potential mitigating factors.
Intestinal Epithelial TLR-4 Activation Is Required for the Development of Acute Lung Injury after Trauma/Hemorrhagic Shock via the Release of HMGB1 from the Gut

The mechanisms that lead to the development of remote lung injury after trauma remain unknown, although a central role for the gut in the induction of lung injury has been postulated. We hypothesized that the development of remote lung injury after trauma/hemorrhagic shock requires activation of TLR4 in the intestinal epithelium, and we sought to determine the mechanisms involved. We show that trauma/hemorrhagic shock caused lung injury in wild-type mice, but not in mice that lack TLR4 in the intestinal epithelium, confirming the importance of intestinal TLR4 activation in the process. Activation of intestinal TLR4 after trauma led to increased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, enterocyte apoptosis, and the release of circulating HMGB1, whereas inhibition of ER stress attenuated apoptosis, reduced circulating HMGB1, and decreased lung injury severity. Neutralization of circulating HMGB1 led to reduced severity of lung injury after trauma, and mice that lack HMGB1 in the intestinal epithelium were protected from the development of lung injury, confirming the importance of the intestine as the source of HMGB1, whose release of HMGB1 induced a rapid protein kinase C ζ–mediated internalization of surface tight junctions in the pulmonary epithelium. Strikingly, the use of a novel small-molecule TLR4 inhibitor reduced intestinal ER stress, decreased circulating HMGB1, and preserved lung architecture after trauma. Thus, intestinal epithelial TLR4 activation leads to HMGB1 release from the gut and the development of lung injury, whereas strategies that block upstream TLR4 signaling may offer pulmonary protective strategies after trauma.
CHINESE URBAN POPULATION ESTIMATES

City populations (P) can be estimated from measurements of built-up urban areas (A) using LANDSAT images. Regression models developed from 1951–56 data for Chinese cities are of the form P=aAb. The models exhibit varying degrees of success when used with LANDSAT area measurements to obtain 1970 population estimates for selected cities in the range of 400,000–3,000,000 people. Further improvements of these models are achieved by the incorporation of up-to-date population statistics and the exclusion of cities with more than 2,500,000 people. Linear regression models were found to be more appropriate for large, regional centers.
Middle to Late Jurassic Tectonic Evolution of the Klamath Mountains, California-Oregon

The geochronology, stratigraphy, and spatial relationships of Middle and Late Jurassic terranes of the Klamath Mountains strongly suggest that they were formed in a single west-facing magmatic arc built upon older accreted terranes. A Middle Jurassic arc complex is represented by the volcanic rocks of the western Hayfork terrane and consanguineous dioritic to peridotitic plutons. New U/Pb zircon dates indicate that the Middle Jurassic plutonic belt was active from 159 to 174 Ma and is much more extensive than previously thought. This plutonic belt became inactive just as the 157 Ma Josephine ophiolite, which lies west and structurally below the Middle Jurassic arc, was generated. Late Jurassic volcanic and plutonic arc rocks (Rogue Formation and Chetco intrusive complex) lie outboard and structurally beneath the Josephine ophiolite; U/Pb and K/Ar age data indicate that this arc complex is coeval with the Josephine ophiolite. Both the Late Jurassic arc complex and the Josephine ophiolite are overlain by the “Galice Formation,” a Late Jurassic flysch sequence, and are intruded by 150 Ma dikes and sills. The following tectonic model is presented that accounts for the age and distribution of these terranes: a Middle Jurassic arc built on older accreted terranes undergoes rifting at 160 Ma, resulting in formation of a remnant arc/back-arc basin/island arc triad. This system collapsed during the Late Jurassic Nevadan Orogeny (150 Ma) and was strongly deformed and stacked into a series of east-dipping thrust sheets. Arc magmatism was active both before and after the Nevadan Orogeny, but virtually ceased at 140 Ma.
An unusual clast in lunar meteorite MacAlpine Hills 88105: A unique lunar sample or projectile debris?

Lunar meteorite MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 88105 is a well‐studied feldspathic regolith breccia dominated by rock and mineral fragments from the lunar highlands. Thin section MAC 88105,159 contains a small rock fragment, 400 × 350 μm in size, which is compositionally anomalous compared with other MAC 88105 lithic components. The clast is composed of olivine and plagioclase with minor pyroxene and interstitial devitrified glass component. It is magnesian, akin to samples in the lunar High Mg‐Suite, and also alkali‐rich, akin to samples in the lunar High Alkali Suite. It could represent a small fragment of late‐stage interstitial melt from an Mg‐Suite parent lithology. However, olivine and pyroxene in the clast have Fe/Mn ratios and minor element concentrations that are different from known types of lunar lithologies. As Fe/Mn ratios are notably indicative of planetary origin, the clast could either (1) have a unique lunar magmatic source, or (2) have a nonlunar origin (i.e., consist of achondritic meteorite debris that survived delivery to the lunar surface). Both hypotheses are considered and discussed.
Accounting for the effect of horizontal gradients in limb measurements of scattered sunlight

Limb measurements provided by the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectrometer for Atmospheric CHartog- raphY (SCIAMACHY) on the ENVISAT satellite allow re- trieving stratospheric profiles of various trace gases on a global scale, among them BrO for the first time. For limb observations in the UV/VIS spectral region the instrument measures scattered light with a complex distribution of light paths: the light is measured at different tangent heights and can be scattered or absorbed in the atmosphere or reflected by the ground. By means of spectroscopy and radiative transfer modelling these measurements can be inverted to retrieve the vertical distribution of stratospheric trace gases. The fully spherical 3-D Monte Carlo radiative transfer model "Tracy-II" is applied in this study. The Monte Carlo method benefits from conceptual simplicity and allows re- alizing the concept of full spherical geometry of the atmo- sphere and also its 3-D properties, which is important for a realistic description of the limb geometry. Furthermore it al- lows accounting for horizontal gradients in the distribution of trace gases. In this study the effect of horizontally inhomogeneous dis- tributions of trace gases along flight/viewing direction on the retrieval of profiles is investigated. We introduce a tomo- graphic method to correct for this effect by combining con- secutive limb scanning sequences and utilizing the overlap in their measurement sensitivity regions. It is found that if hor- izontal inhomogenity is not properly accounted for, typical errors of 20% for NO2 and up to 50% for OClO around the altitude of the profile peak can arise for measurements close to the Arctic polar vortex boundary in boreal winter.