Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interaction of a peptide corresponding to the loop domain of the S2 SARS-CoV virus protein with model membranes

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) envelope spike (S) glycoprotein is responsible for the fusion between the membranes of the virus and the target cell. In the case of the S2 domain of protein S, it has been found a highly hydrophobic and interfacial domain flanked by the heptad repeat 1 and 2 regions; significantly, different peptides pertaining to this domain have shown a significant leakage effect and an important plaque formation inhibition, which, similarly to HIV-1 gp41, support the role of this region in the fusion process. Therefore, we have carried out a study of the binding and interaction with model membranes of a peptide corresponding to segment 1073–1095 of the SARS-CoV S glycoprotein, peptide SARSL in the presence of different membrane model systems, as well as the structural changes taking place in both the lipid and the peptide induced by the binding of the peptide to the membrane. Our results show that SARSL strongly partitions into phospholipid membranes and organizes differently in lipid environments, displaying membrane activity modulated by the lipid composition of the membrane. These data would support its role in SARS-CoV mediated membrane fusion and suggest that the region where this peptide resides could be involved in the merging of the viral and target cell membranes.
POTENTIAL OF IKONOS AND QUICKBIRD IMAGERY FOR ACCURATE 3D POINT POSITIONING, ORTHOIMAGE AND DSM GENERATION

This paper describes the processing of IKONOS and QUICKBIRD imagery of two different datasets in Switzerland for analyzing the geometric accuracy potential of these images for 3D point positioning, and orthoimage and DSM generation. The first dataset consists of panchromatic and multispectral IKONOS and QUICKBIRD images covering the region of Geneva. In the second area around Thun with a height range of ca. 1650 m, the dataset consisted of a triplet and a stereo pair with an overlap of 50 %. In both areas, laser DTM/DSM existed and in Geneva also aerial orthoimages. GCPs with an accuracy of 0.2-0.4 m have been used in both sites. The investigations for 3D point positioning included 4 different sensor models, different GCP measurement, variable number of control points and area covered by them. The results showed that the Rational Polynomial Coefficient (RPC) model compared to 2D and 3D affine models are more general and can model sufficiently imaging modes that depart from linearity. This is particular so for QUICKBIRD which needs after the use of RPCs an additional affine transformation in order to reach accuracies of 1m or less. With sufficient modeling, the planimetric accuracy was 0.4 – 0.5 m, even for few GCPs and only partly covering the images. Orthoimages were generated from both QUICKBIRD and IKONOS with an accuracy of 0.5-0.8 m, using a laser DTM. A sophisticated matching algorithm was employed in Thun. In spite of various difficult conditions like snow, long shadows, occlusions due to mountains etc., the achieved accuracy without any manual editing, was 1-5 m depending on the landcover type, while in open areas it was about 1 m. Under normal conditions, this accuracy could be pushed down to about 0.5 m. Thus, IKONOS, and to a lesser degree QUICKBIRD, could be an attractive alternative for DSM generation worldwide.
COMPUTATION OF STAGE‐DISCHARGE RELATIONSHIPS AFFECTED BY UNSTEADY FLOW

: The dynamic relationship between stage and discharge which is unique to a particular flood for a selected station along the river can be determined via a mathematical model based on the complete one-dimensional equations of unsteady flow, i.e., the equations for the conservation of mass and momentum of the flood wave, and the Manning equation which accounts for energy losses. By assuming the bulk of the flood wave moves as a kinematic wave, the need for spatial resolution of the flood can be eliminated, and only the time variation of either the discharge or stage at the selected station is necessary for the computation of the other. The mathematical model can be used in river forecasting to convert the forecast discharge hydrograph into a stage hydrograph which properly reflects the unique dynamic stage-discharge relationship produced by the variable energy slope of the flood discharge. The model can be used also in stream gaging to convert a recorded stage hydrograph into a discharge hydrograph which properly accounts for the effects of unsteady flow. The model is applied to several observed floods at selected stations along the Lower Mississippi, Red, and Atchafalaya Rivers. The root mean square errors between observed and computed discharges are in the range of 3 to 7 percent, values well within the accuracy of the observations. A simple, easily-applied graphical procedure is also provided for estimating the magnitude of the effect of the unsteady flow on stage-discharge ratings. As a general rule, the dynamic effect may be significant if the channel bottom slope is less than 0.001 ft/ft (about 5 ft/mi) when the rate of change of stage is greater than about 0.10 ft/hr.
Fast Bayesian Factor Analysis via Automatic Rotations to Sparsity

ABSTRACT Rotational post hoc transformations have traditionally played a key role in enhancing the interpretability of factor analysis. Regularization methods also serve to achieve this goal by prioritizing sparse loading matrices. In this work, we bridge these two paradigms with a unifying Bayesian framework. Our approach deploys intermediate factor rotations throughout the learning process, greatly enhancing the effectiveness of sparsity inducing priors. These automatic rotations to sparsity are embedded within a PXL-EM algorithm, a Bayesian variant of parameter-expanded EM for posterior mode detection. By iterating between soft-thresholding of small factor loadings and transformations of the factor basis, we obtain (a) dramatic accelerations, (b) robustness against poor initializations, and (c) better oriented sparse solutions. To avoid the prespecification of the factor cardinality, we extend the loading matrix to have infinitely many columns with the Indian buffet process (IBP) prior. The factor dimensionality is learned from the posterior, which is shown to concentrate on sparse matrices. Our deployment of PXL-EM performs a dynamic posterior exploration, outputting a solution path indexed by a sequence of spike-and-slab priors. For accurate recovery of the factor loadings, we deploy the spike-and-slab LASSO prior, a two-component refinement of the Laplace prior. A companion criterion, motivated as an integral lower bound, is provided to effectively select the best recovery. The potential of the proposed procedure is demonstrated on both simulated and real high-dimensional data, which would render posterior simulation impractical. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
Differences in Axis I and II comorbidity between bipolar I and II disorders and major depressive disorder.

OBJECTIVE To obtain a comprehensive view of differences in current comorbidity between bipolar I and II disorders (BD) and (unipolar) major depressive disorder (MDD), and Axis I and II comorbidity in BD in secondary-care psychiatric settings. METHOD The psychiatric comorbidity of 90 bipolar I and 101 bipolar II patients from the Jorvi Bipolar Study and 269 MDD patients from the Vantaa Depression Study were compared. We used DSM-IV criteria assessed by semistructured interviews. Patients were inpatients and outpatients from secondary-care psychiatric units. Comparable information was collected on clinical history, index episode, symptom status, and patient characteristics. RESULTS Bipolar disorder and MDD differed in prevalences of current comorbid disorders, MDD patients having significantly more Axis I comorbidity (69.1% vs. 57.1%), specifically anxiety disorders (56.5% vs. 44.5%) and cluster A (19.0% vs. 9.9%) and C (31.6% vs. 23.0%) personality disorders. In contrast, BD had more single cluster B personality disorders (30.9% vs. 24.6%). Bipolar I and bipolar II were similar in current overall comorbidity, but the prevalence of comorbidity was strongly associated with the current illness phase. CONCLUSIONS Major depressive disorder and BD have somewhat different patterns in the prevalences of comorbid disorders at the time of an illness episode, with differences particularly in the prevalences of anxiety and personality disorders. Current illness phase explains differences in psychiatric comorbidity of BD patients better than type of disorder.
Ambient Intelligence in the Production and Retail Sector: Emerging Opportunities and Potential Pitfalls

This paper provides an introduction into the evolution of information and communication technology and illustrates its usage in the work domain. The paper is sub-divided into two parts. The first part gives an overview over the different phases of information processing in the work domain. It starts by charting the past and present usage of computers in work environments and shows current technological trends, which are likely to influence future business applications. The second part starts by briefly describing, how the usage of computers changed business processes in the past, and presents first Ambient Intelligence applications based on identification and localization information, which are already used in the production and retail sector. Based on current systems and prototype applications, the paper gives an outlook of how Ambient Intelligence technologies could change business processes in the future.
Dynamic Voltage Scaling in a FPGA-Based System-on-Chip

This paper presents a DVS (Dynamic Voltage Scaling) enabled SoC (System-on-Chip) processing platform based on the Leon3 open-source processor and dynamically reconfigurable clock synthesis technology available in Virtex-4 Xilinx FPGAs. A special DVS monitor unit maintains correct operation of the processor core at a given voltage by tracking the behavior of an internal delay line and stopping the processor clock through a digital clock management (DCM) macroblock when a timing error is about to occur. Upon detection of a new valid working point the DVS monitor unit reconfigures the main DCM to synthesize a new frequency-adjusted CPU clock signal and reactivates the processor. The energy savings and operation range of the technology are evaluated in the context of video coding applications by executing different motion estimation kernels.
Deep Bayesian Active Learning with Image Data

Even though active learning forms an important pillar of machine learning, deep learning tools are not prevalent within it. Deep learning poses several difficulties when used in an active learning setting. First, active learning (AL) methods generally rely on being able to learn and update models from small amounts of data. Recent advances in deep learning, on the other hand, are notorious for their dependence on large amounts of data. Second, many AL acquisition functions rely on model uncertainty, yet deep learning methods rarely represent such model uncertainty. In this paper we combine recent advances in Bayesian deep learning into the active learning framework in a practical way. We develop an active learning framework for high dimensional data, a task which has been extremely challenging so far, with very sparse existing literature. Taking advantage of specialised models such as Bayesian convolutional neural networks, we demonstrate our active learning techniques with image data, obtaining a significant improvement on existing active learning approaches. We demonstrate this on both the MNIST dataset, as well as for skin cancer diagnosis from lesion images (ISIC2016 task).
Obesity, Adipokines, and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Health in Men Study

Background— Obesity is associated with occlusive artery disease but is not considered a risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). We investigated the association between anthropometric measures of obesity, serum adipokines, and AAA. Methods and Results— As part of a population study, we screened 12 203 men 65 to 83 years of age for AAA using ultrasound; 875 had an AAA (≥30 mm). Cardiovascular risk factors and waist and hip circumference were recorded. Serum adipokines were measured in 952 men, 318 of whom had an AAA. Waist circumference (odds ratio [OR], 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06 to 1.22) and waist-to-hip ratio (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.37) were independently associated with AAA after adjustment for other known risk factors. The association was stronger for AAA ≥40 mm (waist-to-hip ratio: OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.26 to 1.85). Serum resistin concentration was strongly independently associated with AAA (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.32 to 1.76) and aortic diameter (&bgr;=0.19, P<0.0001). Serum adiponectin was associated with AAA ≥30 mm (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.50) but not AAA ≥40 mm (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.77 to 1.39). Serum leptin was not associated with AAA. Conclusions— Measures of obesity are independently associated with AAA. Serum resistin concentrations were more strongly associated with aortic diameter than adipokines that are more intimately associated with adiposity. Further studies are required to investigate the mechanisms linking resistin and AAA.
Design Considerations in  $\hbox{MgB}_{2}$-Based Superconducting Coils for Use in Saturated-Core Fault Current Limiters

Saturated-core fault current limiters (FCLs) are devices that have many applications and potential for use within power networks. At a commercial scale, these devices require high H-field magnets to saturate the steel core, which can typically only be achieved through the use of superconducting coils. Here, we present several challenges that arise in the application of superconducting coils in FCLs and discuss how to address these issues through a case study MgB2-based coil. It is found that significant ac magnetic fields, Lorentz forces, and Joule heating in components occur during normal and fault operations; however, these issues can be mitigated when properly addressed.
Failure of extinction of fear responses in posttraumatic stress disorder: evidence from second-order conditioning.

OBJECTIVES Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by the re-experiencing of a traumatic event, although the trauma itself occurred in the past. The extinction of the traumatic response might be impeded if trauma reminders maintain fear responses by their association with the original trauma through second-order conditioning. METHOD A differential conditioning paradigm with a trauma-specific picture, used as an acquired unconditioned stimulus, and graphic representations, used as conditioned stimuli, were employed in 14 PTSD patients, 15 trauma-exposed subjects without PTSD, and 15 healthy comparison subjects. The authors used event-related potentials of electroencephalogram (EEG), self-report measures, skin conductance responses, heart rate, and startle modulation to assess the differential conditioned response among subjects. RESULTS Trauma-exposed subjects with and without PTSD but not healthy comparison subjects showed successful differential conditioning to the trauma-relevant cue indicative of second-order conditioning. Only PTSD patients exhibited enhanced conditioned responses to the trauma reminder during acquisition and impaired extinction as evident in more negative evaluations of the conditioned stimuli associated with a trauma reminder as well as enhanced peripheral and brain responses. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that PTSD may be maintained by second-order conditioning where trauma-relevant cues come to serve as unconditioned stimuli, thus generalizing enhanced emotional responses to many previously neutral cues and impeding extinction. The extinction deficit in PTSD patients observed in this study underlines the need for therapies focusing on the extinction of learned responses, such as behavioral treatment, with or without the addition of pharmacological substances that enhance the extinction of a learned response.
Storms drive altitudinal migration in a tropical bird

Although migration is a widespread and taxonomically diverse behaviour, the ecological factors shaping migratory behaviour are poorly understood. Like other montane taxa, many birds migrate along elevational gradients in the tropics. Forty years ago, Alexander Skutch postulated that severe storms could drive birds to migrate downhill. Here, we articulate a novel mechanism that could link storms to mortality risks via reductions in foraging time and provide, to our knowledge, the first tests of this hypothesis in the White-ruffed Manakin (Corapipo altera), a small partially migratory frugivore breeding on the Atlantic slope of Costa Rica. As predicted, variation in rainfall was associated with plasma corticosterone levels, fat stores, plasma metabolites and haematocrit. By collecting data at high and low elevation sites simultaneously, we also found that high-elevation residents were more adversely affected by storms than low elevation migrants. These results, together with striking temporal capture patterns of altitudinal migrants relative to storms, provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence that weather-related risks incurred by species requiring high food intake rates can explain altitudinal migrations of tropical animals. These findings resolve conflicting evidence for and against food limitation being important in the evolution of this behaviour, and highlight how endogenous and exogenous processes influence life-history trade-offs made by individuals in the wild. Because seasonal storms are a defining characteristic of most tropical ecosystems and rainfall patterns will probably change in ensuing decades, these results have important implications for understanding the ecology, evolution and conservation of tropical animals.
Multi-objective optimization of doping profile in semiconductor design

A crucial task in designing semiconductor devices is to provide a doping profile that assures specific electrical properties. This research work is focused in redesigning doping profiles of semiconductor devices in order to obtain an increased output current; however, large doping levels can degenerate the devices and hence a trade-off between doping profile deviation and output current should be found. The doping profile optimization in semiconductor has been tackled as a multi-objective optimization problem using the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II). We focus on silicon diodes and MOSFET devices; firstly, we redesign the doping profile of diodes in order to obtain a trade-off between doping profile deviation and output current. Secondly, we find a trade-off between current and temperature for a MOSFET device. The experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach to face this class of problems in electronic design automation.
Slip partitioning of the Calaveras Fault, California, and prospects for future earthquakes

Examination of main shock and microearthquake data from the Calaveras fault during the last 20 years reveals that main shock hypocenters occur at depths of 8–9 km near the base of the zone of microearthquakes. The spatial pattern of pre-main shock microseismicity surrounding the Coyote Lake and Morgan Hill hypocenters is similar to the pattern of the post-main shock microseismicity. Microseismicity extends between depths of 4 and 10 km and defines zones of concentrated microseismicity and aseismic zones. Estimates of the fault regions which slipped during the Coyote Lake and Morgan Hill earthquakes as derived from seismic radiation coincide with zones which are otherwise aseismic. We propose that these persistent aseismic zones represent stuck patches which slip only during moderate earthquakes. From the pattern of microearthquake locations we recognize six aseismic zones where we expect future main shocks will rupture the Calaveras fault. From an analysis of historic seismic data we establish the main shock rupture history for each aseismic zone and identify two zones that are the most likely sites for the next M > 5 earthquakes. The first zone is located near Gilroy and was last ruptured by a M5.2 earthquake in 1949. The second zone is located south of Calaveras Reservoir and north of the 1988 M5.1 Alum Rock earthquake. It has not slipped seismically since at least 1903, and the size of the aseismic region is sufficiently large to sustain a M5.5 earthquake.
Tegaserod (HTF 919) stimulates gut motility in normal horses.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY It has been shown that the selective 5-HT4 receptor agonist tegaserod induces an increase in frequency and amplitude of contractions in isolated muscle preparations of equine ileum and pelvic flexure. OBJECTIVES To investigate the effects of tegaserod on gut motility and transit of spheres in normal horses. METHODS Six mature Freiberger horses were kept under standardised conditions. Effects of tegaserod (0.02 mg/kg bwt i.v. b.i.d. for 2 days) or vehicle on intestinal transit of barium-filled spheres, defaecation and gut sounds were studied in a cross-over design. Spheres were given via stomach tube prior to the first dosing of tegaserod or vehicle. Faeces were collected every 3 h and spheres eliminated were identified radiologically in the faeces. RESULTS Tegaserod significantly accelerated the gastrointestinal (GI) transit time of spheres and increased the frequency of defaecation and scores of gut sounds compared to vehicle. The compound was well tolerated; no effects on behaviour, body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate and clinical laboratory data were observed. CONCLUSIONS Tegaserod efficaciously stimulated motility and accelerate GI transit in healthy horses. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE Tegaserod may offer therapeutic potential in horses suffering from impaction or paralytic ileus.
Spontaneous coronary artery dissection: a rare diagnosis in a postmenopausal woman

We report a case of a 50-year-old ex-smoker, postmenopausal woman presenting with an acute myocardial infarction caused by a spontaneous coronary artery dissection of a long ‘wrap-around’ left anterior descending coronary artery. After the diagnostic coronary angiography, she was treated medically with subsequent improvement.