Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantifying sensitivity to droughts : an experimental modeling approach

Meteorological droughts like those in summer 2003 or spring 2011 in Europe are expected to become more frequent in the future. Although the spatial extent of these drought events was large, not all regions were affected in the same way. Many catchments reacted strongly to the meteorological droughts showing low levels of streamflow and groundwater, while others hardly reacted. Also, the extent of the hydrological drought for specific catchments was different between these two historical events due to different initial conditions and drought propagation processes. This leads to the important question of how to detect and quantify the sensitivity of a catchment to meteorological droughts. To assess this question we designed hydrological model experiments using a conceptual rainfall-runoff model. Two drought scenarios were constructed by selecting precipitation and temperature observations based on certain criteria: one scenario was a modest but constant progression of drying based on sorting the years of observations according to annual precipitation amounts. The other scenario was a more extreme progression of drying based on selecting months from different years, forming a year with the wettest months through to a year with the driest months. Both scenarios retained the observed intra-annual seasonality for the region. We evaluated the sensitivity of 24 Swiss catchments to these scenarios by analyzing the simulated discharge time series and modeled storage. Mean catchment elevation, slope and area were the main controls on the sensitivity of catchment discharge to precipitation. Generally, catchments at higher elevation and with steeper slopes appeared less sensitive to meteorological droughts than catchments at lower elevations with less steep slopes.
Computer-optimised smooth-torque current waveforms for switched-reluctance motors

The paper discusses the design of current waveforms for switched-reluctance motors, which give rise to a constant (ripple-free) torque. The waveforms are optimised by computer search techniques, to give the lowest RMS current per phase consistent with producing smooth torque. Furthermore, the waveforms are constrained to be within the converter's VA rating. Current waveforms and the associated voltage waveforms are given for an example motor over a wide speed range. At low speeds it is demonstrated that the waveforms increase the thermally limited output of the drive compared with 'conventional' low-speed current waveforms, in addition to providing smooth torque. However, they give less output than waveforms optimised to give the most, thermally limited, mean torque irrespective of torque ripple.
Cancer Therapy : Preclinical Akt Inhibitors MK-2206 and Nel fi navir Overcome mTOR Inhibitor Resistance in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma

Purpose: The mTOR pathway is constitutively activated in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). mTOR inhibitors have activity in DLBCL, although response rates remain low. We evaluated DLBCL cell lines with differential resistance to themTOR inhibitor rapamycin: (i) to identify gene expression profile(s) (GEP) associated with resistance to rapamycin, (ii) to understandmechanisms of rapamycin resistance, and (iii) to identify compounds likely to synergize with mTOR inhibitor. ExperimentalDesign:We sought to identify aGEPofmTOR inhibitor resistance by stratification of eight DLBCL cell lines with respect to response to rapamycin. Then, using pathway analysis and connectivity mapping, we sought targets likely accounting for this resistance and compounds likely to overcome it. We then evaluated two compounds thus identified for their potential to synergizewith rapamycin inDLBCLand confirmed mechanisms of activity with standard immunoassays. Results: We identified a GEP capable of reliably distinguishing rapamycin-resistant from rapamycinsensitive DLBCL cell lines. Pathway analysis identified Akt as central to the differentially expressed gene network. Connectivitymapping identified compounds targeting Akt as having a high likelihood of reversing theGEPassociatedwithmTOR inhibitor resistance.Nelfinavir andMK-2206, chosen for their Akt-inhibitory properties, yielded synergistic inhibitionof cell viability in combinationwith rapamycin inDLBCLcell lines, and potently inhibited phosphorylation of Akt and downstream targets of activated mTOR. Conclusions:GEP identifies DLBCL subsets resistant to mTOR inhibitor therapy. Combined targeting of mTOR and Akt suppresses activation of key components of the Akt/mTOR pathway and results in synergistic cytotoxicity. These findings are readily adaptable to clinical trials. Clin Cancer Res; 18(9);
Pleiotropic effects of sitagliptin versus voglibose in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled via diet and/or a single oral antihyperglycemic agent: a multicenter, randomized trial

Purpose A step-up strategy for diet therapy and/or single oral antihyperglycemic agent (OHA) regimens has not yet been established. The aim of this study was to evaluate hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) as a primary end point, and the pleiotropic effects on metabolic and cardiovascular parameters as secondary end points, of sitagliptin versus voglibose in patients with type 2 diabetes with inadequate glycemic control while on diet therapy and/or treatment with a single OHA. Methods In this multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel-group trial, a total of 260 patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes (HbA1c levels >6.9%) were randomly assigned to receive either sitagliptin (50 mg, once daily) or voglibose (0.6 mg, thrice daily) for 12 weeks. The primary end point was HbA1c levels. Results Patients receiving sitagliptin showed a significantly greater decrease in HbA1c levels (−0.78±0.69%) compared with those receiving voglibose (−0.30±0.78%). Sitagliptin treatment also lowered serum alkaline phosphatase levels and increased serum creatinine, uric acid, cystatin-C and homeostasis model assessment-β values. Voglibose increased low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels and altered serum levels of several fatty acids, and increased Δ-5 desaturase activity. Both drugs increased serum adiponectin. The incidence of adverse events (AEs) was significantly lower in the sitagliptin group, due to the decreased incidence of gastrointestinal AEs. Conclusions Sitagliptin shows superior antihyperglycemic effects compared with voglibose as a first-line or second-line therapy. However, both agents possess unique pleiotropic effects that lead to reduced cardiovascular risk in Japanese people with type 2 diabetes. Trial registration number UMIN 000003503.
A Novel Approach for the Detection of Drunken Driving using the Power Spectral Density Analysis of EEG

In today’s scenario, more and more people are required to travel back and forth to various places. With the increasing vehicular population and their movements on the roads, accidents are also steadily increasing. It has become a nightmare for the authorities to prevent /reduce such fatal accidents on the roads. But the authorities’ efforts are in vain. It is shocking to know the study results that around 50% of the road accidents are owing to drunken driving all over the world [1][2] . Any mechanism or device to reduce such deaths will be of great help. Drunken driving and its subsequent catastrophe can be avoided by monitoring the EEG of the driver. The power of the EEG signal in frontal region decreases with the increase in the amount of alcohol intake, and the power of the EEG signal in central, occipital region increases. Therefore, power spectral density can be used as a parameter to differentiate EEG of alcoholic from nonalcoholic, thereby reducing drunken driving. Results are presented to support this approach.
Framework for situation assessment and threat evaluation with application to an air defense scenario

In military environment an operator needs to evaluate the tactical environments in real-time and make decisions to protect the assets against the enemy threats by selecting the appropriate means to engage the enemy target. This work is related to the reconnaissance (including the automatic identification and classification) of targets with hostile behaviors in relation to one point of interest located on the ground. We propose an integrated framework based on Bayesian networks and automated planning tools, to generate the situation awareness to the decision maker being a decision making supporting tool with great potential to be applied in the surveillance of large areas.
Identification of Biochemical Network Modules Based on Shortest Retroactive Distances

Modularity analysis offers a route to better understand the organization of cellular biochemical networks as well as to derive practically useful, simplified models of these complex systems. While there is general agreement regarding the qualitative properties of a biochemical module, there is no clear consensus on the quantitative criteria that may be used to systematically derive these modules. In this work, we investigate cyclical interactions as the defining characteristic of a biochemical module. We utilize a round trip distance metric, termed Shortest Retroactive Distance (ShReD), to characterize the retroactive connectivity between any two reactions in a biochemical network and to group together network components that mutually influence each other. We evaluate the metric on two types of networks that feature feedback interactions: (i) epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling and (ii) liver metabolism supporting drug transformation. For both networks, the ShReD partitions found hierarchically arranged modules that confirm biological intuition. In addition, the partitions also revealed modules that are less intuitive. In particular, ShReD-based partition of the metabolic network identified a ‘redox’ module that couples reactions of glucose, pyruvate, lipid and drug metabolism through shared production and consumption of NADPH. Our results suggest that retroactive interactions arising from feedback loops and metabolic cycles significantly contribute to the modularity of biochemical networks. For metabolic networks, cofactors play an important role as allosteric effectors that mediate the retroactive interactions.
Describing the genetic architecture of epilepsy through heritability analysis

Epilepsy is highly heritable, but its genetic architecture is poorly understood. Speed et al. estimate the number of susceptibility loci, show that common variants account for the majority of heritability, and demonstrate that epilepsy consists of genetically distinct subtypes. They conclude that gene-based prediction models may have clinical utility in first-seizure settings.
Milliarcsecond-Scale Spectral Properties and Jet Motions in M 87

We have combined high resolution VLBI Space Observatory Programme (VSOP) data at 1.6 and 4.8GHz with Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) data at higher frequencies and with similar resolutions to study the spectral properties of the core of M 87 with milliarcsec resolution. The VSOP data allows a more accurate measurement of the turnover frequency, and hence more reliable determination of associated physical parameters of the source. Comparison of the images with previously published images yields no evidence for significant motions of components in the parsec-scale jet. In addition, the brightness temperatures obtained from modelfits to the core are well below the inverse Compton limit, suggesting that the radio emission we are observing is not strongly Doppler boosted.
The haloes of merger remnants

We perform collisionless N-body simulations of 1:1 galaxy mergers, using models which include a galaxy halo, disc and bulge, focusing on the behaviour of the halo component. The galaxy models are constructed without recourse to a Maxwellian approximation. We investigate the effect of varying the galaxies’ orientation, their mutual orbit and the initial velocity anisotropy or cusp strength of the haloes upon the remnant halo density profiles and shape, as well as on the kinematics. We observe that the halo density profile (determined as a spherical average, an approximation we find appropriate) is exceptionally robust in mergers, and that the velocity anisotropy of our remnant haloes is nearly independent of the orbits or initial anisotropy of the haloes. The remnants follow the halo anisotropy ‐ local density slope (β‐γ ) relation suggested by Hansen & Moore in the inner parts of the halo, but β is systematically lower than this relation predicts in the outer parts. Remnant halo axis ratios are strongly dependent on the initial parameters of the haloes and on their orbits. We also find that the remnant haloes are significantly less spherical than those described in studies of simulations which include gas cooling.
Leadership in Transition? Issues of Representation and Youth in British Muslim Communities

Abstract Set within the context of post 9/11 attention to Islamic radicalism and increasedgovernmental focus on race relations in Northern England (in the wake of 2001‘riots’), this paper aims to explore the issues of leadership and representation inBritish Muslim communities, and establish a basis upon which to look at newforms of leadership and their conjunction with existing leadership systems.Governmental attention to ‘community leadership’ calls into question what isexpected or demanded of community leaders, and who may be legitimatelydescribed as a ‘leader’. It also raises issues of consultation, and why there isapparently a need for a different type of community leader within minoritycommunities than within the majority population. The growing participation of Muslim youth in political organisations hasprompted questions about the effectiveness of elder male-dominated ethnicrepresentation in democratic structures, especially where efforts to improve ‘racerelations’ require the involvement of ‘community leaders’. The paper draws on arich history of British race and ethnicity related sociological literature to establishsome key questions about youth and contemporary transitions in leadership inBritish Muslim communities. Particular emphasis is placed upon concepts ofcommunity cohesion and social control, and the construction of popular notions ofcommunities incapacitated by intergenerational tensions.
DNA methylome and transcriptome sequencing in human ovarian granulosa cells links age-related changes in gene expression to gene body methylation and 3ʹ-end GC density

Diminished ovarian function occurs early and is a primary cause for age-related decline in female fertility; however, its underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study investigated the roles that genome and epigenome structure play in age-related changes in gene expression and ovarian function, using human ovarian granulosa cells as an experimental system. DNA methylomes were compared between two groups of women with distinct age-related differences in ovarian functions, using both Methylated DNA Capture followed by Next Generation Sequencing (MethylCap-seq) and Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS); their transcriptomes were investigated using mRNA-seq. Significant, non-random changes in transcriptome and DNA methylome features are observed in human ovarian granulosa cells as women age and their ovarian functions deteriorate. The strongest correlations between methylation and the age-related changes in gene expression are not confined to the promoter region; rather, high densities of hypomethylated CpG-rich regions spanning the gene body are preferentially associated with gene down-regulation. This association is further enhanced where CpG regions are localized near the 3ʹ-end of the gene. Such features characterize several genes crucial in age-related decline in ovarian function, most notably the AMH (Anti-Müllerian Hormone) gene. The genome-wide correlation between the density of hypomethylated intragenic and 3ʹ-end regions and gene expression suggests previously unexplored mechanisms linking epigenome structure to age-related physiology and pathology.
Exploring the influential antecedents of actual use of internet banking services in Indonesia

With the emergence of electronic banking use, satisfaction and trust become crucial and prominent factors in determining online banking success, whereas consumers' reluctance in directing their decisions to adopt and use e-commerce has remarked the significant aspect of trust, security, and privacy in either traditional and online commerce systems. This study proposes an extended framework based on the DeLone and McLean's IS Success Model incorporated into the development of consumer's usage and behaviors towards Internet-based banking services in Indonesia. The results of this study show that security was the most important concern for user satisfaction, which in turn strongly affected Internet banking usage in Indonesia. Satisfaction influenced both consumer's trust and usage significantly. Interestingly, trust was found insignificant on Internet banking usage. The study will derive conclusions including subsequent discussions and implications.
Popularity equilibrium: Testing a general theory of local campaign effectiveness

Parties and candidates target campaign resources where they are most likely to pay electoral dividends. At the individual level it has been shown that some individuals are more likely to be persuaded by campaign contacts than others. In a parallel tradition of measuring campaign effectiveness at the macro level, previous research has demonstrated that local candidate campaign effort measured is significantly related to electoral performance. However, while there is evidence suggestive of macro level effects, there is little systematic evidence about the district level conditions under which campaign efforts are most productive. Drawing on extensive data across six UK general elections between 1992 and 2015, we advance a theory of local campaign efficacy and test a general model of popularity equilibrium. We demonstrate that there is a curvilinear relationship between the underlying level of party support in an electoral district and the intensity of the district-level campaign – there is a ‘sweet-spot’ for maximizing the returns of campaign effort.
Obstetricians/Gynecologists' Problems in Sickness Certification Consultations: Two Nationwide Surveys

Objective. To explore experiences by physicians working in obstetrics, gynecology, or maternal healthcare (O/Gs) of problems in sickness certification consultations and differences between two years. Material and Methods. Answers by O/Gs to two Swedish nationwide surveys, in 2008 (n = 1037) and 2012 (n = 992), were analyzed for frequencies and severity of problems and organizational support in sickness certification consultations. Results. One-third of O/Gs found sickness certifications problematic every week. The most frequent problem was patients requesting sick notes for reasons other than work incapacity due to disease/injury (2008: 21%; 2012: 16%). The most problematic were assessing work capacity (2008 and 2012: 52%) and having different opinion from that of the patient about need for sick leave (2008: 51%; 2012: 46%). In 2012, 27% used the national sickness certification guidelines weekly, compared to 9% in 2008. A larger proportion in 2012 than 2008 reported that the guidelines facilitated contacts with patients and different stakeholders. Conclusions. Although O/Gs perceived sickness certification as problematic, there was less perceived severity of problems in 2012 compared to 2008, possibly because interventions regarding sickness certification have been introduced in Sweden recent years. Still, more organizational support, for example, time and supervision, are needed to enhance O/Gs' sickness certification practices.
Theories of Fairness and Reciprocity

Most economic models are based on the self-interest hypothesis that assumes that all people are exclusively motivated by their material self-interest. In recent years experimental economists have gathered overwhelming evidence that systematically refutes the self-interest hypothesis and suggests that many people are strongly motivated by concerns for fairness and reciprocity. Moreover, several theoretical papers have been written showing that the observed phenomena can be explained in a rigorous and tractable manner. These theories in turn induced a new wave of experimental research offering additional exciting insights into the nature of preferences and into the relative performance of competing theories of fairness. The purpose of this paper is to review these recent developments, to point out open questions, and to suggest avenues for future research.
Systematic Effects and a New Determination of the Primordial Abundance of 4He and dY/dZ from Observations of Blue Compact Galaxies

We use spectroscopic observations of a sample of 82 H II regions in 76 blue compact galaxies to determine the primordial helium abundance Yp and the slope dY/dZ from the Y-O/H linear regression. To improve the accuracy of the dY/dZ measurement, we have included new spectrophotometric observations of 33 H II regions that span a large metallicity range, with oxygen abundance 12 + log(O/H) varying between 7.43 and 8.30 (Z☉/30 ≤ Z ≤ Z☉/4). Most of the new galaxies were selected from the First Byurakan, the Hamburg/SAO, and the University of Michigan objective prism surveys. For a subsample of seven H II regions, we derive the He mass fraction taking into account known systematic effects, including collisional and fluorescent enhancements of He I emission lines, collisional excitation of hydrogen emission, underlying stellar He I absorption, and the difference between the temperatures Te(He II) in the He+ zone and Te(O III) derived from the collisionally excited [O III] lines. We find that the net result of all the systematic effects combined is small, changing the He mass fraction by less than 0.6%. By extrapolating the Y versus O/H linear regression to O/H = 0 for seven H II regions of this subsample, we obtain Yp = 0.2421 ± 0.0021 and dY/dO = 5.7 ± 1.8, which corresponds to dY/dZ = 3.7 ± 1.2, assuming the oxygen mass fraction to be O = 0.66Z. In the framework of the standard big bang nucleosynthesis theory, this Yp corresponds to Ωbh2 = 0.012, where h is the Hubble constant in units of 100 km s-1 Mpc-1. This is smaller at the 2 σ level than the value obtained from recent deuterium abundance and microwave background radiation measurements. The linear regression slope dY/dO = 4.3 ± 0.7 (corresponding to dY/dZ = 2.8 ± 0.5) for the whole sample of 82 H II regions is similar to that derived for the subsample of seven H II regions, although it has a considerably smaller uncertainty.