Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flood frequency analysis of historical flood data under stationary and non-stationary modelling

Historical records are an important source of information on extreme and rare floods and fundamental to establish a reliable flood return frequency. The use of long historical records for flood frequency analysis brings in the question of flood stationarity, since climatic and land-use conditions can affect the relevance of past flooding as a predictor of future flooding. In this paper, a detailed 400 yr flood record from the Tagus River in Aranjuez (central Spain) was analysed under stationary and non-stationary flood frequency approaches, to assess their contribution within hazard studies. Historical flood records in Aranjuez were obtained from documents (Proceedings of the City Council, diaries, chronicles, memoirs, etc.), epigraphic marks, and indirect historical sources and reports. The water levels associated with different floods (derived from descriptions or epigraphic marks) were computed into discharge values using a one-dimensional hydraulic model. Secular variations in flood magnitude and frequency, found to respond to climate and environmental drivers, showed a good correlation between high values of historical flood discharges and a negative mode of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. Over the systematic gauge record (1913–2008), an abrupt change on flood magnitude was produced in 1957 due to constructions of three major reservoirs in the Tagus headwaters (Bolarque, Entrepenas and Buendia) controlling 80% of the watershed surface draining to Aranjuez. Two different models were used for the flood frequency analysis: (a) a stationary model estimating statistical distributions incorporating imprecise and categorical data based on maximum likelihood estimators, and (b) a time-varying model based on "generalized additive models for location, scale and shape" (GAMLSS) modelling, which incorporates external covariates related to climate variability (NAO index) and catchment hydrology factors (in this paper a reservoir index; RI). Flood frequency analysis using documentary data (plus gauged records) improved the estimates of the probabilities of rare floods (return intervals of 100 yr and higher). Under non-stationary modelling flood occurrence associated with an exceedance probability of 0.01 (i.e. return period of 100 yr) has changed over the last 500 yr due to decadal and multi-decadal variability of the NAO. Yet, frequency analysis under stationary models was successful in providing an average discharge around which value flood quantiles estimated by non-stationary models fluctuate through time.
Diverse functions of neuropeptide Y revealed using genetically modified animals

Neuropeptide Y (NPY), a peptide abundantly expressed in the mammalian nervous system, has been extensively studied using traditional pharmacological and behavioral models. Central administration of NPY or synthetic ligands for its receptors has indicated a role of NPY in anxiety-related behaviors, feeding, regulation of blood pressure, circadian rhythm and other functions. Some limitations inherent in pharmacological approaches, such as lack of selectivity of receptor antagonists, can be elegantly circumvented using genetically modified animals. For NPY, mice lacking NPY, the Y1, the Y2 or the Y5 receptors have been generated. In addition, both mice and rats overexpressing NPY in the central nervous system are available. Here, we review the research carried out so far in the NPY-field using genetically modified animals. Together, these models indicate that stress-related behaviors and regulation of voluntary alcohol intake perhaps are among the most important functions of central NPY, and may provide attractive targets for developing novel therapies in depression, anxiety disorders and alcohol dependence.
The Hollowing Out of Brazilian Metropolitan Governance As We Know It: Restructuring and Rescaling the Developmental State in Metropolitan Space

Despite regulatory and financial rollout of the state at a number of scales, and a strengthening of the institutional framework that guides territorial planning and management, Brazilian metropolitan governance continues to be characterized by fragmented and relatively competitive organizational structures. Likewise, the Brazilian metropolis is marked by economic dynamism and intense socio-spatial and environmental contradictions. Much of the mainstream literature on metropolitan governance has emphasized a natural “optimum” scale for planning and management in city-regions, articulated by public and private stakeholders aimed at the coordinated delivery of economic, social and environmental services. Combining the literature on new state spaces and critical Brazilian urban-regional studies, this paper provides an alternative framework to understand the impasse of Brazilian metropolitan areas, which is grounded within a geo-historic reading of the contradictory projects and strategies of the developmental state and the contested nature of metropolitan scale itself. Resumo Apesar de um aumento da atuacao do Estado, nas multiplas escalas, no campo da regulacao e do financiamento, e tambem considerando o fortalecimento do arcabouco institutional que norteia o planejamento e gestao territorial, a governanca metropolitana brasileira ainda se caracteriza pela presenca de estruturas relativamente fragmentadas e competitivas. Da mesma forma, a metropole brasileira e marcada pela confluencia entre o dinamismo economico e as contradicoes socioespaciais e ambientais. Grande parte da literatura hegemonica sobre governanca metropolitana tem enfatizada a existencia de uma escala natural, e “otica”, para nortear o planejamento e a gestao em cidades-regioes, que seria articulada por agentes publicos e privados em torno da provisao coordenada de uma serie de servicos economicos, sociais e ambientais. Procurando estabelecer um dialogo entre a literatura sobre escalas e regimes de organizacao e atuacao territorial do Estado e os estudos urbano-regionais brasileiros criticos, apresentamos um arcabouco teorico alternativo para compreender os impasses que cercam as areas metropolitanas brasileiras. A perspectiva apresentada neste artigo e baseada numa leitura geografica e historica acerca dos projetos e das estrategias contraditorios do Estado desenvolvimentista, e da natureza contestada da propria escala metropolitana.
Women's Perceptions of Leadership Roles within a Southern Baptist Congregation

Particular biblical scriptures are used to justify the Southern Baptist Convention’s position on leadership, including female ordination. The author uses interviews to examine how women within a Southern Baptist congregation in Southeast Georgia assign meaning to leadership roles and understand particular biblical scripture. The interviews revealed (1) knowledge gaps between the women’s stated beliefs and their basic knowledge of their faith, and (2) contradictions between their views and their practices. The interviewees rationalized these gaps and contradictions using explanations of cultural memes and religious male hegemony. The respondents defined leadership in various ways, yet few recognized the power and authority involved in leadership roles. INDEX WORDS: Southern Baptist women, Ordination of women, Leadership, Gender equality, Knowledge gap, Religious male hegemony, Cultural memes,
A polynomial approach to the synthesis of observers for nonlinear systems

This paper discusses the problem of transforming the single-input single-output nonlinear control system into the nonlinear observer (input-output injection) form using the notion of adjoint polynomials. Such a polynomial approach to the synthesis of observers results in the transparent and elegant way for the computation of the one-forms needed to solve the problem.
Alternative Modes of Binding of Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase 1 to Free DNA and Nucleosomes*

Background: Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) modulates chromatin structure and is activated upon DNA damage. Results: PARP-1 differentiates between nucleosomes and DNA in its binding affinity and is activated to different degrees. Conclusion: PARP-1 engages different DNA-binding modules with nucleosomes and DNA. Significance: The role of PARP-1 as a chromatin architectural protein and responder in DNA repair is reflected in different binding modes. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) is an abundant nuclear protein that binds chromatin and catalyzes the transfer of ADP-ribose groups to itself and to numerous target proteins upon interacting with damaged DNA. The molecular basis for the dual role of PARP-1 as a chromatin architectural protein and a first responder in DNA repair pathways remains unclear. Here, we quantified the interactions of full-length PARP-1 and its N-terminal half with different types of DNA damage and with defined nucleosome substrates. We found that full-length PARP-1 prefers nucleosomes with two linker DNA extensions over any other substrate (including several free DNA models) and that the C-terminal half of PARP-1 is necessary for this selectivity. We also measured the ability of various substrates to activate PARP-1 activity and found that the most important feature for activation is one free DNA end rather than tight interaction with the activating nucleic acid. Our data provide insight into the different modes of interaction of this multidomain protein with nucleosomes and free DNA.
Using Genetic Distance to Infer the Accuracy of Genomic Prediction

The prediction of phenotypic traits using high-density genomic data has many applications such as the selection of plants and animals of commercial interest; and it is expected to play an increasing role in medical diagnostics. Statistical models used for this task are usually tested using cross-validation, which implicitly assumes that new individuals (whose phenotypes we would like to predict) originate from the same population the genomic prediction model is trained on. In this paper we propose an approach based on clustering and resampling to investigate the effect of increasing genetic distance between training and target populations when predicting quantitative traits. This is important for plant and animal genetics, where genomic selection programs rely on the precision of predictions in future rounds of breeding. Therefore, estimating how quickly predictive accuracy decays is important in deciding which training population to use and how often the model has to be recalibrated. We find that the correlation between true and predicted values decays approximately linearly with respect to either FST or mean kinship between the training and the target populations. We illustrate this relationship using simulations and a collection of data sets from mice, wheat and human genetics.
Graphical fisheye views of graphs

A fisheye lens is a very wide angle lens that shows places nearby in detail while also showing remote regions in successively less detail. This paper describes a system for viewing and browsing planar graphs using a software analog of a fisheye lens. We first show how to implement such a view using solely geometric transformations. We then describe a more general transformation that allows hierarchical, structured information about the graph to modify the views. Our general transformation is a fundamental extension to the previous research in fisheye views.
Effects of cigarette smoke extract on human airway smooth muscle cells in COPD

We hypothesised that the response to cigarette smoke in airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells from smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) would be intrinsically different from smokers without COPD, producing greater pro-inflammatory mediators and factors relating to airway remodelling. ASM cells were obtained from smokers with or without COPD, and then stimulated with cigarette smoke extract (CSE) or transforming growth factor-&bgr;1. The production of chemokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were measured by ELISA, and the deposition of collagens by extracellular matrix ELISA. The effects of CSE on cell attachment and wound healing were measured by toluidine blue attachment and cell tracker green wound healing assays. CSE increased the release of CXCL8 and CXCL1 from human ASM cells, and cells from smokers with COPD produced more CSE-induced CXCL1. The production of MMP-1, -3 and -10, and the deposition of collagen VIII alpha 1 (COL8A1) were increased by CSE, especially in the COPD group which had higher production of MMP-1 and deposition of COL8A1. CSE decreased ASM cell attachment and wound healing in the COPD group only. ASM cells from smokers with COPD were more sensitive to CSE stimulation, which may explain, in part, why some smokers develop COPD. Cigarette smoke extract induces airway remodelling-associated changes in airway smooth muscle cells in COPD patients http://ow.ly/wK0ey
Mucopolysaccharidosis type VI: Structural and clinical implications of mutations in N‐acetylgalactosamine‐4‐sulfatase

Mucopolysaccharidosis type VI (MPS‐VI) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder caused by the deficiency of N‐acetylgalactosamine‐4‐sulfatase (4S; or ARSB). Mutations in the 4S gene are responsible for 4S deficiency, which leads to the intralysosomal storage of partially degraded glycosaminoglycans, dermatan sulfate, and chondroitin 4‐sulfate. To date, a total of 45 clinically relevant mutations have been identified in the human 4S gene. Missense mutations are the largest group, with 31 identified mutations. Nonsense mutations and small insertions or deletions comprise the remainder, with seven mutations each. Six polymorphisms have also been reported: two amino acid substitutions and four silent transitions. Mapping of the missense mutations onto the 4S structure shows that they are distributed throughout the three subunits of the mature 4S polypeptide. Mutations have been identified in active site residues, in residues adjacent to the active site, in potential substrate binding residues, in residues exposed on the surface, and in residues buried within the protein core. Missense mutations have also been identified in disulfide crosslinks. Molecular modeling of MPS‐VI mutations onto the 4S structure suggests that the majority cause 4S deficiency via destabilization and the consequent reduction of 4S protein concentration. The vast majority of MPS‐VI mutant alleles are either unique to a patient or are present in a small number of patients. So far, no common mutations have been described. Therefore, screening of the general population for MPS‐VI alleles will be difficult. Hum Mutat 18:282–295, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Greedy type algorithms for RIP matrices. A study of two selection rules

Some consequences of the Restricted Isometry Property (RIP) of matrices have been applied to develop a greedy algorithm called "ROMP" (Regularized Orthogonal Matching Pursuit) to recover sparse signals and to approximate non-sparse ones. These consequences were subsequently applied to other greedy and thresholding algorithms like "SThresh", "CoSaMP", "StOMP" and "SWCGP". In this paper, we find another consequence of the RIP property and use it to analyze the approximation to k-sparse signals with Stagewise Weak versions of Gradient Pursuit (SWGP), Matching Pursuit (SWMP) and Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (SWOMP). We combine the above mentioned algorithms with another selection rule similar to the ones that have appeared in the literature showing that results are obtained with less restrictions in the RIP constant, but we need a smaller threshold parameter for the coefficients. The results of some experiments are shown.
Dendritic cell immunizations alone or combined with low doses of interleukin‐2 induce specific immune responses in melanoma patients

Dendritic cell (DC)‐based therapy has proved to be effective in patients with a variety of malignancies. However, an optimal immunization protocol using DCs and the best means for delivering antigens has not yet been described. In this study, 20 patients with malignant melanoma in stages III or IV were vaccinated with autologous DCs pulsed with a melanoma cell lysate, alone (n = 13) or in combination with low doses of subcutaneous (s.c.) interleukin (IL)‐2 injections (n = 7), to assess toxicity, immunological and clinical responses. Monocyte‐derived DCs were morphological, phenotypic and functionally characterized in vitro. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), harvested from patients either prior to and after the treatment, were analysed using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent spot (ELISPOT). After vaccination, 50% of the patients tested (seven of 13) from the first group and (three of seven) from the second, showed an increase in interferon (IFN)‐γ production in response to allogeneic melanoma cell lines but not to controls. Four of five tested human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐A2+ patients with anti‐melanoma activity also showed specific T cell responses against peptides derived from melanoma‐associated antigens. Delayed type IV hypersensitivity reaction (DTH) against melanoma cell lysate was observed in six of 13 patients from the group treated with DC vaccines only and four of seven from the group treated with the combination of DCs and IL‐2. Significant correlations were found between DTH‐positive responses against tumour lysate and both disease stability and post‐vaccination survival on the stage IV patients. There were no toxicities associated with the vaccines or evidence of autoimmunity including vitiligo. Furthermore, no significant enhancement was observed as a result of combining DC vaccination with IL‐2. Our data suggest that autologous DCs pulsed with tumour lysate may provide a standardized and widely applicable source of melanoma specific antigens for clinical use. It is safe and causes no significant side effects and has been demonstrated to be partially efficient at triggering effective anti‐melanoma immunity.
OORS : An Object-Oriented Rewrite System with Applications in Retargetable Code Generation and Optimization

Retargeting a compiler’s back end to a new architecture is a time-consuming process. This becomes an evident problem in the area of programmable graphics hardware (graphics processing units, GPUs) or embedded processors, where architectural changes are faster than elsewhere. We propose the object-oriented rewrite system OORS to overcome this problem. Using the OORS language, a compiler developer can express the code generation and optimization phase in terms of costannotated rewrite rules supporting complex non-linear matching and replacing patterns. Retargetability is achieved by organizing rules into profiles, one for each supported target architecture. Featuring a rule and profile inheritance mechanism, OORS makes the reuse of existing specification possible. This is an improvement regarding traditional approaches. Altogether OORS increases the maintainability of the compiler’s back end and thus both decreases the complexity and reduces the effort of the retargeting process. To show the potential of this approach, we have implemented a code generation and a code optimization pattern matcher supporting different target architectures using the OORS language and introduced them in a GPU compiler.
Secure communication in the low-SNR regime: A Characterization of the energy-secrecy tradeoff

Secrecy capacity of a multiple-antenna wiretap channel is studied in the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. Expressions for the first and second derivatives of the secrecy capacity with respect to SNR at SNR = 0 are derived. Transmission strategies required to achieve these derivatives are identified. In particular, it is shown that it is optimal in the low-SNR regime to transmit in the maximum-eigenvalue eigenspace of Φ = H<inf>m</inf><sup>†</sup> H<inf>m</inf> − N<inf>m</inf>/N<inf>e</inf> H<inf>e</inf><sup>†</sup> H<inf>e</inf> where H<inf>m</inf> and H<inf>e</inf> denote the channel matrices associated with the legitimate receiver and eavesdropper, respectively, and N<inf>m</inf> and N<inf>e</inf> are the noise variances at the receiver and eavesdropper, respectively. Energy efficiency is analyzed by finding the minimum bit energy required for secure and reliable communications, and the wideband slope. Increased bit energy requirements under secrecy constraints are quantified. Finally, the impact of fading is investigated.
A monoclonal antibody against meningococcus group B polysaccharides distinguishes embryonic from adult N-CAM

The neural cell adhesion molecules (N-CAM) occur chiefly in two molecular forms that are selectively expressed at various stages of development. Highly sialylated forms prevalent in embryonic and neonatal brain are gradually replaced by less sialylated forms as development proceeds. Here we describe a monoclonal antibody raised against the capsular polysaccharides of meningococcus group B (Men B) which specifically distinguishes embryonic N-CAM from adult N-CAM. This antibody recognizes alpha 2-8-linked N-acetylneuraminic acid units (NeuAc alpha 2-8). Immunoblot together with immunoprecipitation experiments with cell lines or tissue extracts showed that N-CAM are the major glycoproteins bearing such polysialosyl units. Moreover we could not detect any sialoglycolipid reactive with this antibody in mouse brain or in the neural cell lines examined. By indirect immunofluorescence staining this anti-Men B antibody decorated cells such as AtT20 (D16/16), which expressed the embryonic forms of N-CAM, but not cells that expressed the adult forms. In primary cultures this antibody allowed us to follow the embryonic-to-adult conversion in individual cells. In addition, the existence of cross-reactive polysialosyl structures on Men B and N-CAM in embryonic brain cells for caution in efforts to develop immunotherapy against neonatal meningitis.
The Risk of Stroke Following Coronary Revascularization - a Population-based Long-term Follow-up Study

Objective : To study the incidence and risk factors of stroke after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Design : During 1983-1992, coronary revascularization procedures ( n = 2160) were recorded in patients aged 35-64 years as part of the population-based FINMONICA Myocardial Infarction Register. The FINMONICA Stroke Register and National Hospital Discharge Register were used to ascertain subsequent stroke events in such patients. Results : During the average follow-up of 5.83 years, 155 patients (7.2%) had a stroke. The cumulative incidence of stroke was 1.55% in the first year after revascularization and varied between 0.8 and 1.4% during subsequent years. In Cox proportional hazard models the relative risk of stroke was 3.01 ( p = 0.0007) for a previous stroke, 2.61 ( p = 0.0001) for diabetes mellitus, 2.15 ( p = 0.007) for low income (compared with high income), 2.06 ( p = 0.03) for male sex, and 1.43 ( p = 0.02) for a 10-year increment in age. Conclusion : The incidence of stroke during the first year after revascularization was five times higher than among the age- and sex-matched general population. Patients with a previous stroke, diabetes mellitus, advanced age, male sex and low socioeconomic status need special attention because of increased risk of stroke after CABG or PTCA.