Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sedimentology of Late Holocene fluvial levee and point-bar deposits from the Cambodian tract of the Mekong River

The study of channel margin deposits is crucial to better understand fluvial systems and has significant social and economic implications. This paper describes sedimentological features of Late Holocene levee and point-bar deposits from five excellent outcrop exposures along the Cambodian tract of the Mekong River. Point-bar deposits show a typical fining-upward trend with low-angle inclined bedding and consist of gravelly sand, sand and mud beds. Levee deposits show a typical coarsening-upward or no clear vertical grain-size trend and consist of mud and very fine sand beds. Channel margin deposits formed in the outer river bend show a simple levee element, whereas inner bend deposits show more complex architecture with combinations of point-bar and levee elements. Water-level fluctuations play a fundamental role in the construction of point-bar and levee architecture; the resulting deposits show evidence of strong river currents with rapid sedimentation alternating with evidence of subaerial exposure with no sedimentation. This combination of sedimentary features can also form in other environments, but is distinctive of channel margin deposits forming in climates with a pronounced seasonality, including large and perennial rivers in tropical savannah climate areas.
Understanding deep convolutional networks

Deep convolutional networks provide state-of-the-art classifications and regressions results over many high-dimensional problems. We review their architecture, which scatters data with a cascade of linear filter weights and nonlinearities. A mathematical framework is introduced to analyse their properties. Computations of invariants involve multiscale contractions with wavelets, the linearization of hierarchical symmetries and sparse separations. Applications are discussed.
Heterozygosity of genes on the sex chromosome regulates Candida albicans virulence

In the mouse model for systemic infection, natural a/α strains of C. albicans are more virulent and more competitive than their spontaneous MTL‐homozygous offspring, which arise primarily by loss of one chromosome 5 homologue followed by duplication of the retained homologue (uniparental disomy). Deletion of either the a or α copy of the MTL locus of natural a/α strains results in a small decrease in virulence, and a small decrease in competitiveness. Loss of the heterozygosity of non‐MTL genes along chromosome 5, however, results in larger decreases in virulence and competitiveness. Natural MTL‐homozygous strains are on average less virulent than natural MTL‐heterozygous strains and arise by multiple mitotic cross‐overs along chromosome 5 outside of the MTL region. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that a competitive advantage of natural a/α strains over MTL‐homozygous offspring maintains the mating system of C. albicans.
Nfatc1 Coordinates Valve Endocardial Cell Lineage Development Required for Heart Valve Formation

Rationale: Formation of heart valves requires early endocardial to mesenchymal transformation (EMT) to generate valve mesenchyme and subsequent endocardial cell proliferation to elongate valve leaflets. Nfatc1 (nuclear factor of activated T cells, cytoplasmic 1) is highly expressed in valve endocardial cells and is required for normal valve formation, but its role in the fate of valve endocardial cells during valve development is unknown. Objective: Our aim was to investigate the function of Nfatc1 in cell-fate decision making by valve endocardial cells during EMT and early valve elongation. Methods and Results: Nfatc1 transcription enhancer was used to generate a novel valve endocardial cell–specific Cre mouse line for fate-mapping analyses of valve endocardial cells. The results demonstrate that a subpopulation of valve endocardial cells marked by the Nfatc1 enhancer do not undergo EMT. Instead, these cells remain within the endocardium as a proliferative population to support valve leaflet extension. In contrast, loss of Nfatc1 function leads to enhanced EMT and decreased proliferation of valve endocardium and mesenchyme. The results of blastocyst complementation assays show that Nfatc1 inhibits EMT in a cell-autonomous manner. We further reveal by gene expression studies that Nfatc1 suppresses transcription of Snail1 and Snail2, the key transcriptional factors for initiation of EMT. Conclusions: These results show that Nfatc1 regulates the cell-fate decision making of valve endocardial cells during valve development and coordinates EMT and valve elongation by allocating endocardial cells to the 2 morphological events essential for valve development.
Why Is Remote Sensing of Amazon Forest Greenness So Challenging

The prevalence of clouds and aerosols and their impact on satellite-measured greenness levels of forests in southern and central Amazonia are explored in this article using 10 years of NASA Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) greenness data: normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI). During the wet season (October-March), cloud contamination of greenness data is pervasive;
Evaluation of the Harmony Soundprocessor in Combination With the Speech Coding Strategy HiRes 120

Objective: The Advanced Bionics Harmony BTE processor was developed to support the new speech coding strategy HiRes 120 with a resolution of 120 channels based on "current steering. " Compared with the previous Auria, the front end has been re-designed and power consumption reduced. Study Design: HiRes 120 as well as the impact of the improved Harmony processing concerning a better speech understanding were evaluated. Subject's performance was evaluated using a test battery of the Hochmair-Schulz-Moser (HSM) sentence test and questionnaires regarding general sound quality, music perception, battery life time and processor handling. Patients: In the first study group, 11 postlingually deafened adult subjects participated with a minimum of 9 months experience. The second study group consisted of 14 postlingually deafened adult subjects with a minimum of 2 years experience. Interventions: Tested were the 2 speech coding strategies HiRes and HiRes 120 on the Harmony and the clinical system, respectively. Main Outcome Measures: Speech perception tests in quiet, in CCITT noise, as well as with a competing talker, questionnaires regarding sound quality and handling and perceptual channel tests. Results: A total of 84% showed a clear preference for the Harmony processor compared with their previous processor with HiRes. The speech test results showed a 7.7% average increase in the HSM sentence test with 5 dB SNR competing talker. Conclusion: The majority of the subjects wanted to change to the new Harmony processor because of a better understanding in everyday life, handling, and improved battery-life time.
Serum beta2-microglobulin level is a significant predictor of mortality in maintenance haemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND Beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)-M) is recognized as a surrogate marker of middle-molecule uraemic toxins and is a key component in the genesis of dialysis-associated amyloidosis. Few studies have evaluated the association of beta(2)-M levels with clinical outcome in dialyzed patients. METHODS The prognostic implication of serum beta(2)-M levels for the survival of haemodialysis patients was examined in 490 prevalent haemodialysis patients (60.1 +/- 11.8 years, haemodialysis duration of 87.4 +/- 75.7 months, 288 males and 202 females; 24% diabetics). The patients were divided into two groups according to their serum beta(2)-M levels: lower beta(2)-M group (n = 245) with serum beta(2)-M <32.2 mg/L (the median serum beta(2)-M) and higher beta(2)-M group (n = 245) with that >or=32.2 mg/L. RESULTS During the follow-up period of 40 +/- 15 months, there were 91 all-cause deaths, and out of them, 36 were from cardiovascular diseases. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that all-cause mortality in the higher beta(2)-M group was significantly higher compared to that in the lower beta(2)-M group (P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses showed that serum beta(2)-M level was a significant predictor for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08; P = 0.005), and for non-cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.10; P = 0.006), after adjustment for age, gender, haemodialysis duration, the presence of diabetes, serum albumin and serum C-reactive protein. CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that the serum beta(2)-M level is a significant predictor of mortality in haemodialysis patients, independent of haemodialysis duration, diabetes, malnutrition and chronic inflammation, suggesting the clinical importance of lowering serum beta(2)-M in these patients.
Characterization and age determination of Quaternary volcanism in the southern Ankaratra region (central Madagascar) through novel approaches in luminescence dating

This work introduces two novel approaches for the application of luminescence dating techniques to Quaternary volcanic eruptions: crystalline xenoliths from lava flows are demonstrated to be basically suitable for luminescence dating, and a set of phreatic explosion deposits from the Late Quaternary Vakinankaratra volcanic field in central Madagascar is successfully dated with infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL). Using a numerical model approach and experimental verification, the potential for thermal resetting of luminescence signals of xenoliths in lava flows is demonstrated. As microdosimetry is an important aspect when using sample material extracted from crystalline whole rocks, autoradiography using image plates is introduced to the field of luminescence dating as a method for detection and assessment of spatially resolved radiation inhomogeneities. Determinations of fading rates of feldspar samples have been observed to result in aberrant g-values if the pause between preheat and measurement in the delayed measurements was kept short. A systematic investigation reveals that the phenomenon is caused by the presence of three signal components with differing individual fading behaviour. As this is restricted to short pauses, it is possible to determine a minimal required delay between preheating and measurement after which the aberrant behaviour disappears. This is applied in the measuring of 12 samples from phreatic explosion deposits from the Antsirabe – Betafo region in the Late Quaternary Vakinankaratra volcanic field. The samples were taken from stratigraphically correlatable sections and appear to represent at least three phreatic events, one of which created the Lac Andraikiba maar near Antsirabe. The obtained ages indicate that the eruptive activity in the region started in the Late Pleistocene between 113.9 and 99.6 ka. A second layer in the Betafo area is dated at approximately 73 ka and the Lac Andraikiba deposits give an age between 63.9 and 50.7 ka. The youngest phreatic layer is dated between 33.7 and 20.7 ka. These ages are the first recorded direct ages of such volcanic deposits, as well as the first and only direct ages for the Late Quaternary volcanism in the Vakinankaratra volcanic field. This illustrates the huge potential of this new method for volcanology and geochronology, as it enables direct numerical dating of a type of volcanic deposit which has not been successfully directly dated by any other method so far.
Nontree routing for reliability and yield improvement [IC layout]

We propose to introduce redundant interconnects for manufacturing yield and reliability improvement. By introducing redundant interconnects, the potential for open faults is reduced, at the cost of increased potential for short faults. Overall, manufacturing yield and fault tolerance can be improved. We focus on a postprocessing, tree-augmentation approach, which can be easily integrated in current physical design flows. Our contributions are as follows. 1) We formulate the problem as a variant of the classical two-edge-connectivity augmentation problem in which we take into account such practical issues as wirelength increase budget, routing obstacles, and the use of Steiner points. 2) We show that an optimum solution can always be found on the Hanan grid defined by the terminals and the corners of the feasible routing region. 3) We give a compact integer program formulation which is solved in practical runtime by the commercial optimization package CPLEX for nets with up to 100 terminals. 4) We give a well-scaling greedy algorithm which has a practical runtime up to 1000 terminals, and comes on the average within 1%-2% of the optimum computed by CPLEX. 5). We give a comprehensive experimental study comparing the solution quality and runtime of our methods with the best methods reported in the literature.
Reduction by Cefodizime of the Pulmonary Inflammatory Response Induced by Heat-Killed Streptococcus pneumoniae in Mice

ABSTRACT It has recently become apparent that overwhelming inflammatory reactions contribute to the high mortality rate associated with pneumococcal infection in immunocompetent hosts. Cefodizime (CEF) is an antibiotic that seems to be endowed with immunomodulating properties. To investigate the influence of CEF on the pulmonary inflammatory response induced by Streptococcus pneumoniae, we infected mice with repeated intranasal inoculations of 107 CFU of heat-killed fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled bacteria, which are insensitive to the killing properties of the drug. CEF downregulated but did not abolish the strong polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) recruitment induced by S. pneumoniae. PMN recruitment was not primarily mediated by leukotriene B4 in this model. The drug did not interfere with intrinsic mechanisms of phagocytosis by PMNs and alveolar macrophages. CEF totally abrogated the pneumococcus-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The drug also prevented IL-6 release in lung homogenates and partly inhibited TNF-α, but it did not interfere with IL-1α secretion in the lungs of infected mice. The fractional and selective downregulation of inflammatory cells and cytokines by CEF suggests cell-specific and intracellular specific mechanisms of interaction of the drug. The immunomodulatory properties of CEF may help restrain excessive inflammatory reactions, thus contributing to the reported good clinical efficacy of the drug against lower respiratory tract infections.
Water-repellent and anti-ice deposition coatings

Thick snow or ice adhering to the surface of an antenna used for radio communication can impede telecommunication, so methods to reduce the build-up of snow and ice are needed. We have studied the use of water-repellent coatings to prevent snow and ice sticking, and in this paper, we report our results of tests on ice adhesion and how it is affected by the contact angle, surface roughness and thermodynamics. And we obtained the results as following: (1) A new type of water-repellent coating exhibited a contact angle of 150 degrees. (2) The surface free energy of the water-repellent coating has a linear relationship with the ice adhesion. (3) The larger the surface roughness of high wettability materials, the larger the adhesion, and the larger the surface roughness of water-repellent coatings, the smaller the adhesion.
Hepatitis A booster vaccine in children after infant immunization

Background. Hepatitis A vaccine provides long term protection against hepatitis A infection in adults and children older than 2 years of age. Few data are available regarding children younger than 2 years of age. Methods. Children who were vaccinated in infancy with hepatitis A vaccine were revaccinated at 4 years of age, and antibody titers were followed. Forty-four subjects who had been vaccinated with hepatitis A vaccine [Havrix, 360 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay units (EU)] at the age of 2, 4 and 6 months were revaccinated with 720 EU of inactivated hepatitis A vaccine (Havrix) at 4 years of age. Results. Geometric mean titer (GMT) of 44 evaluable cases was 41 mIU/ml and 34 children (77.3%) were seropositive before the booster dose. Postvaccination blood samples were obtained from 37 cases. One month after booster dose GMT increased to 2884 mIU/ml, and all subjects were seropositive. Ten seronegative cases also seroconverted. The GMT of the seropositive cases showed anamnestic response after the booster dose (57 mIU/ml before booster dose, 5623 mIU/ml after the booster). No serious adverse event was seen after the booster dose. Conclusion. We conclude that childhood hepatitis A virus revaccination after infant immunization is highly immunogenic and safe.
Probing the underwater acoustic communication channel off Rottnest Island, Western Australia

The emerging field of underwater acoustic communication networks is under-pinned by accurate knowledge on the timevarying distortion of acoustic signals by the ocean. This paper reports on time-varying underwater acoustic channel responses measured over ranges of 100m to 10km in 50m deep water south-west of Rottnest Island, Western Australia, for 9-15kHz band signals. The channel response measurement techniques are described, including post-processing by correlative channel probing. The measured channel response spreading function is presented which conveys the spectrum of Doppler frequency shifts imparted by the ocean environment to transmitted data signals.
Effect of DHA supplementation during pregnancy on maternal depression and neurodevelopment of young children: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT Uncertainty about the benefits of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for pregnant women and their children exists, despite international recommendations that pregnant women increase their DHA intakes. OBJECTIVE To determine whether increasing DHA during the last half of pregnancy will result in fewer women with high levels of depressive symptoms and enhance the neurodevelopmental outcome of their children. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A double-blind, multicenter, randomized controlled trial (DHA to Optimize Mother Infant Outcome [DOMInO] trial) in 5 Australian maternity hospitals of 2399 women who were less than 21 weeks' gestation with singleton pregnancies and who were recruited between October 31, 2005, and January 11, 2008. Follow-up of children (n = 726) was completed December 16, 2009. INTERVENTION Docosahexaenoic acid-rich fish oil capsules (providing 800 mg/d of DHA) or matched vegetable oil capsules without DHA from study entry to birth. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES High levels of depressive symptoms in mothers as indicated by a score of more than 12 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at 6 weeks or 6 months postpartum. Cognitive and language development in children as assessed by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition, at 18 months. RESULTS Of 2399 women enrolled, 96.7% completed the trial. The percentage of women with high levels of depressive symptoms during the first 6 months postpartum did not differ between the DHA and control groups (9.67% vs 11.19%; adjusted relative risk, 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70-1.02; P = .09). Mean cognitive composite scores (adjusted mean difference, 0.01; 95% CI, -1.36 to 1.37; P = .99) and mean language composite scores (adjusted mean difference, -1.42; 95% CI, -3.07 to 0.22; P = .09) of children in the DHA group did not differ from children in the control group. CONCLUSION The use of DHA-rich fish oil capsules compared with vegetable oil capsules during pregnancy did not result in lower levels of postpartum depression in mothers or improved cognitive and language development in their offspring during early childhood. TRIAL REGISTRATION anzctr.org. au Identifier: ACTRN12605000569606.
A review of induction motors signature analysis as a medium for faults detection

This paper is intended as a tutorial overview of induction motors signature analysis as a medium for fault detection. The purpose is to introduce in a concise manner the fundamental theory, main results, and practical applications of motor signature analysis for the detection and the localization of abnormal electrical and mechanical conditions that indicate, or may lead to, a failure of induction motors. The paper is focused on the so-called motor current signature analysis (MCSA) which utilizes the results of spectral analysis of the stator current. The paper is purposefully written without "state of the art" terminology for the benefit of practicing engineers in facilities today who may not be familiar with signal processing.
The Effects of Land Use and Climate Change on the Water Yield of a Watershed in Colombia

Land use and climate are two determinant factors of water yield within a watershed. Understanding the effects of these two variables is key for the decision-making process within watersheds. Hydrologic modeling can be used for this purpose and the integration of future climate scenarios to calibrated models widens the spectrum of analysis. Such types of studies have been carried out in many areas of the world, including the Amazon Basin of South America. However, there is a lack of understanding on the effect of land use/land cover and climate change on Andean watersheds of this continent. Our study focused on the evaluation of water yield under different land use and climate scenarios using the semi-distributed hydrological model known as the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. We worked on the Tona watershed (Colombia, South America), the most important source of water for a metropolitan population. Our results compared water yield estimates for historical conditions (1987–2002) with those of future combined scenarios for land use and climate for the 2006–2050 period. The modeling effort produced global estimates of water yield (average annual values) and, at the subwatershed level, identified strategic areas on which the protection and conservation activities of water managers can be focused.
Personals attitudes towards robot assisted health care - a pilot study in 111 respondents.

BACKGROUND The aim of this survey was to examine health care professional's attitudes towards technology involving support from artificial intelligence (AI), robots and humanoids. Within 10-15 years, every third student has to choose occupation within the health care sector to obtain the current personal level, due to the aging population and retirement within the health service sector. MATERIAL & METHODS The preliminary investigation interviews presented a wide range of activities. These were nursing tasks, service tasks, monitoring/alarms, telemedicine and social communication. First, a five minutes presentation movie was presented. The movie demonstrated expected personal needs in the future and what robots and AI can do today and tomorrow. After this presentation, the 111 respondents, from different representative care institutions, replied on a questionnaire that dealt with selected areas identified above. The questions included different views of robots as supported aids in healthcare. RESULTS & DISCUSSION The respondents were overall negative using AI and robot technology related to caring activities. However, all groups were positive in using robots in service tasks, monitoring/alarms, telemedicine communication. Of 29 assertions, 18 were mostly positive and 13 of them were over 70 % positive. The frequency of positive and negative attitudes, were similar in the central areas. Within the caring area, a positive robot assisted task requires an interaction (collaboration): caregiver-robot-individual and subsequently, within the nursing area; robot assisted tasks must involve a certain degree of human caring.