Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in the Deep Western Boundary Current at 53°N

AbstractSouthward transports in the deep western boundary current across 53°N, over 1949–99, are determined from a historical reconstruction. Long-term mean transports, for given water masses, for net southward transport (the southward component of the transport not including recirculation given in parentheses) are 4.7 ± 2.3 Sv (5.1 ± 2.4 Sv) (Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) for the Denmark Strait Overflow Water, 6.1 ± 2.7 Sv (6.8 ± 1.7 Sv) for the Iceland–Scotland Overflow Water, 6.5 ± 2.6 Sv (7.1 ± 1.8 Sv) for classical Labrador Sea Water, and 2.3 ± 1.9 Sv (2.7 ± 3.4 Sv) for upper Labrador Sea Water. The estimates take into account seasonal and interannual variability of the isopycnal positions and suggest the importance of including this factor. A strong correlation, 0.91, is found between variability of the total and baroclinic transports (with the barotropic velocity removed) at the annual time scale. This correlation drops to 0.32 if the baroclinic transports are, instead, computed based upon the use of a fixed le.
The Potential of 13C Isotopomers as a Test for the Vibrational Theory of Olfactory Sense Recognition

The continuing debate over the basis of odorant recognition with respect to the molecular shape (“lock and key”) theory versus the vibrational theory could potentially be resolved by the testing of 13C-labeled odorants. The application of 13C isotopomers is discussed herein by means of DFT-calculated IR vibrations and Gibbs' free energies (ΔG) for acetophenone and octan-1-ol, two odorants for which the 2D (deuterium) isotopomers have previously been shown to be discernible from their respective 1H (normal) counterparts by Drosophila melanogaster.
On elastic waves in prestressed solids

Simple explicit solutions of the dynamical equations for a prestressed solid under horizontal compression in a gravity field are derived to establish the magnitudes of two factors influencing seismic wave propagation velocities: (1) The overburden pressure which, at depth z, leads to wave velocity changes of order ρgz/μ, where ρ is rock density and μ is the rigidity. Compressional velocity increases with depth, whereas shear velocity decreases: at depths of the order of 150 km this effect is of the order of 5%. (2) The deviatoric stress, or stress difference P, which leads to anisotropic velocity changes of order P/μ; these depend both on the direction of propagation and the polarization of the waves. This phenomenon is only likely to be important for seismic theory under conditions approaching internal instability and buckling.
Excursion-Based Universal Approximations for the Erlang-A Queue in Steady-State

We revisit many-server approximations for the well-studied Erlang-A queue. This is a system with a single pool of i.i. d. servers that serve one class of impatient i.i. d. customers. Arrivals follow a Poisson process and service times are exponentially distributed as are the customers’ patience times. We propose a diffusion approximation that applies simultaneously to all existing many-server heavy-traffic regimes: quality and efficiency driven, efficiency driven, quality driven, and nondegenerate slowdown. We prove that the approximation provides accurate estimates for a broad family of steady-state metrics. Our approach is “metric-free” in that we do not use the specific formulas for the steady-state distribution of the Erlang-A queue. Rather, we study excursions of the underlying birth-and-death process and couple these to properly defined excursions of the corresponding diffusion process. Regenerative process and martingale arguments, together with derivative bounds for solutions to certain ordinary differential equations, allow us to control the accuracy of the approximation. We demonstrate the appeal of universal approximation by studying two staffing optimization problems of practical interest.
A General Framework for Consistency of Principal Component Analysis

A general asymptotic framework is developed for studying consis- tency properties of principal component analysis (PCA). Our frame- work includes several previously studied domains of asymptotics as special cases and allows one to investigate interesting connections and transitions among the various domains. More importantly, it enables us to investigate asymptotic scenarios that have not been considered before, and gain new insights into the consistency, subspace consistency and strong inconsistency regions of PCA and the boundaries among them. We also establish the corresponding convergence rate within each region. Under general spike covariance models, the dimension (or the number of variables) discourages the consistency of PCA, while the sample size and spike information (the relative size of the population eigenvalues) encourages PCA consistency. Our framework nicely illustrates the relationship among these three types of information in terms of dimension, sample size and spike size, and rigorously characterizes how their relationships affect PCA consistency.
Immunocompetence and Dietary Protein Intake in Early Infancy

Forty-one normal full-term infants were fed from birth, during the first 4.5 months of life, different diets based on two formulas similar in rough composition but basically different, the one being constituted only of cow milk protein and the other of soy protein. From each of the two formulas two different dilutions were prepared so that all diets supplied about 100 kcal/kg/day, but, respectively. 2.0 and 4.0 g/kg/day of cow milk protein and 2.0 and 5.0 g/kg/day of soy protein. After 4.5 months, growth in weight, length, and head circumference was normal and very similar in all infants. Gammaglobulin, immunoglobulin, transferrin, and some complement fractions (particularly C'3, C'1 INA, C'3 PA) were lower in infants receiving soy protein diets than in those receiving cow milk protein diets, and, within each type of diet, in those infants receiving lower amounts of protein. In particular, values of infants receiving 5.0 g/kg/day of soy protein were roughly comparable to those of infants receiving 2.0 g/kg/day of cow milk protein. B lymphocyte markers and reactivity did not show significant differences among the various groups. T lymphocyte markers and reactivity showed an impairment in soy protein diets (and in particular in 2.0 g/kg/day protein diets) with respect to cow milk diets. It was also observed that morbidity (mainly infections of upper respiratory tract) was higher in those infants who took soybean protein and in those who took lesser amount of protein.
Assessment and improvements of Geant4 hadronic models in the context of prompt-gamma hadrontherapy monitoring

Monte Carlo simulations are nowadays essential tools for a wide range of research topics in the field of radiotherapy. They also play an important role in the effort to develop a real-time monitoring system for quality assurance in proton and carbon ion therapy, by means of prompt-gamma detection. The internal theoretical nuclear models of Monte Carlo simulation toolkits are of decisive importance for the accurate description of neutral or charged particle emission, produced by nuclear interactions between beam particles and target nuclei. We assess the performance of Geant4 nuclear models in the context of prompt-gamma emission, comparing them with experimental data from proton and carbon ion beams. As has been shown in the past and further indicated in our study, the prompt-gamma yields are consistently overestimated by Geant4 by a factor of about 100% to 200% over an energy range from 80 to 310 MeV/u for the case of 12C, and to a lesser extent for 160 MeV protons. Furthermore, we focus on the quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) modeling of ion–ion collisions, in order to optimize its description of light nuclei, which are abundant in the human body and mainly anticipated in hadrontherapy applications. The optimization has been performed by benchmarking QMD free parameters with well established nuclear properties. In addition, we study the effect of this optimization on charged particle emission. With the usage of the proposed parameter values, discrepancies reduce to less than 70%, with the highest values being attributed to the nucleon–ion induced prompt-gammas. This conclusion, also confirmed by the disagreement we observe in the case of proton beams, indicates the need for further investigation on nuclear models which describe proton and neutron induced nuclear reactions.
rKLO8, a Novel Leishmania donovani – Derived Recombinant Immunodominant Protein for Sensitive Detection of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Sudan

Background For effective control of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in East Africa, new rapid diagnostic tests are required to replace current tests with low sensitivity. The aim of this study is to improve diagnosis of VL in East Africa by testing a new antigen from an autochthonous L. donovani strain in Sudan. Methodology and Principle Findings We cloned, expressed and purified a novel recombinant protein antigen of L. donovani from Sudan, designated rKLO8, that contains putative conserved domains with significant similarity to the immunodominant kinesin proteins of Leishmania. rKLO8 exhibited 93% and 88% amino acid identity with cloned kinesin proteins of L. infantum (synonymous L. chagasi) (K39) and L. donovani (KE16), respectively. We evaluated the diagnostic efficiency of the recombinant protein in ELISA for specific detection of VL patients from Sudan. Data were compared with a rK39 ELISA and two commercial kits, the rK39 strip test and the direct agglutination test (DAT). Of 106 parasitologically confirmed VL sera, 104 (98.1%) were tested positive by rKLO8 as compared to 102 (96.2%) by rK39. Importantly, the patients' sera showed increased reactivity with rKLO8 than rK39. Specificity was 96.1% and 94.8% for rKLO8- and rK39 ELISAs, respectively. DAT showed 100% specificity and 94.3% sensitivity while rK39 strip test performed with 81.1% sensitivity and 98.7% specificity. Conclusion The increased reactivity of Sudanese VL sera with the rKLO8 makes this antigen a potential candidate for diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in Sudan. However, the suitability at the field level will depend on its performance in a rapid test format.
Elastic waves in finely layered sediments : The equivalent medium and generalized O'Doherty-Anstey formulas

We study the influence of elastic 1-D inhomogeneous random media (e.g., finely layered media with variable density and shear and compressional velocities) on the kinematics and dynamics of the transmitted obliquely incident P‐ and SV‐plane waves. Multiple scattering (resulting in localization and spatial dispersion of the elastic wavefield) is the main physical effect controlling the properties of the wavefield in such media. We analyze the wave propagation assuming the fluctuations of velocities and density to be small (of the order of 20% or smaller). We obtain explicit analytic solutions for the attenuation coefficient and phase velocity of the transmitted waves. These solutions are valid for all frequencies. They agree very well with results of numerical modeling. Our theory shows that fine elastic multilayering is characterized by a frequency‐dependent anisotropy. At typical acquisition frequencies this anisotropy differs significantly from the low‐frequency anisotropy described by the well‐known Bac.
Hysteresis in Two Sands and the Independent Domain Model

Hysteresis in the relations between moisture content, potential, and conductivity was measured on two sands, one fine grained and the other coarse and angular grained. Hydraulic conductivity was determined during steady flow at selected capillary potentials. Water uptake and release from the samples was measured volumetrically at equilibrium points using multistep increments of capillary potential. Sets of primary draining and wetting scanning curves were obtained for both sands. Anomalies existed in the total water release and uptake for both main branch and scanning curves of the coarse sand. Considerable hysteresis occurred in the moisture content-potential and conductivity-potential relationships but little, if any, hysteresis was observed in the moisture content-conductivity relationships. The independent domain theory of hysteresis predicted the scanning curves moderately well for the greater part of the hysteresis regions. Significant deviations were found in the high moisture content range in the fine grained sand.
Terrane characterisation and timing of metamorphism in the Otago Schist, New Zealand, using Rb‐Sr and K‐Ar geochronology

Abstract A Rb‐Sr whole‐rock study of the Otago Schist, southern South Island, New Zealand, parallels earlier K‐Ar dating and indicates a Jurassic age for schist metamorphism and initiation of uplift, and a Cretaceous age for completion of uplift and final closure of the isotopic systems. Initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios provide a useful fingerprinting method to enable determination of the terrane affinity (Torlesse or Caples) of the schist. Torlesse rocks range in initial 87Sr/86Sr from 0.7065 to 0.7098, consistent with a cratonic/felsic‐volcanic provenance. Caples rocks range in initial 87Sr/86Sr from 0.7035 to 0.7055, consistent with an intra‐oceanic volcanic arc provenance. The data provide strong support for geochemical correlation of the Caples Terrane with Pelorus and Waipapa Groups in the northern part of New Zealand.
Global HCH Usage with 1° × 1° Longitude/Latitude Resolution

The global usage of technical HCH and lindane in 1980 and 1990 are presented. The total global usage for technical HCH was estimated to be 40 000 t in 1980 and 29 000 t in 1990, and for lindane it was 5900 t in 1980 and 4000 t in 1990. Based on these data, the global usage of both α-HCH and γ-HCH were calculated. The total usage of α-HCH was around 28 000 t in 1980 and 20 400 t in 1990, while the total usage of γ-HCH was around 11 900 t in 1980 and 8400 t in 1990. The ratio of γ-HCH to α-HCH was 0.43 in 1980 and 0.41 in 1990. The usage data on countries are then mapped to a grid system with 1° × 1° longitude/latitude resolution to be useful for modeling. It is suggested that banning usage of technical HCH by a number of countries, such as China in the early 1980s and the former Soviet Union in the beginning of 1990s, may contribute to the decline of the atmospheric concentrations of both α-HCH and γ-HCH in 1992−1993. While many countries banned use of technical HCH in 1980s, lindane was still used by many.
Simulation of the impacts of three management regimes on carbon sinks in rubber and oil palm plantation ecosystems of South-Western Cameroon.

The impacts of managed, extended and complete rotation on carbon sequestration in rubber and oil palm plantations were simulated using the CO2FIX V.2 model, using degraded farmland carbon stocks as a baseline. Results showed that the extended rotation resulted in higher C-sequestration in rubber (264 Mg C/ha), and the complete rotation (88 Mg C/ha) for the oil palm plantation. There was better soil carbon recovery in rubber under the extended rotation, and better recovery in palms under a complete rotation. With respect to soil carbon fractions, fine litter had the highest value in rubber (19 Mg C/ha) and coarse litter in palms (63 Mg C/ha) all under complete rotation. Humus was the most permanently increasing soil carbon component, with the best sinks at 9 and 12 Mg C/ha in rubber and palm under the extended rotation respectively. Inclusion of such systems into post Kyoto Treaties, with incentives from carbon credits could be indispensable in alleviating rural poverty and expanding on forestry projects that mitigate climate change. Key words:
LTE/SAE Model and its Implementation in NS 2

Expectation and requirements for future wireless communication systems continue to grow and evolve. Thus, 3GPP has considered LTE/SAE to ensure its competitiveness in the future. In LTE/SAE, one of the recurring problems is dimensioning and testing. Modeling is an effective way to solve the problem because model is easy to generate test scenarios and inexpensive in changing test configurations and running test cases. This paper is to introduce how to build an accurate enough LTE/SAE model in NS 2 so that other optimization features can be tested. This open source model includes traffic model and network model. The network model concentrates on the air interface and S1 interface. In the end of the paper, one example is given to demonstrate how to use the model.
Athletes and eating disorders: the National Collegiate Athletic Association study.

OBJECTIVE To present findings from a collaborative study with the National College Athletic Association regarding the prevalence of disordered eating among student athletes. METHOD 1,445 student athletes from 11 Division 1 schools were surveyed using a 133-item questionnaire. RESULTS Results indicated that 1.1% of the females met DSM-IV criteria for bulimia nervosa versus 0% for males. None of the student athletes met DSM-IV criteria for anorexia nervosa. 9.2% of the females were identified as having clinically significant problems with bulimia versus . 01% of the males. 2.85% of the females were identified as having a clinically significant problem with anorexia nervosa versus 0% for males. 10.85% of the females reported binge eating on a weekly or greater basis versus 13.02% of the males 5.52% of the females reported purging behavior (vomiting, laxatives, diuretics) on a weekly or greater basis versus 2.04% for the males. DISCUSSION Results from the current investigation are more conservative than previous studies of student athletes, but comparable to another large study of elite Norwegian athletes. Reasons for these differences are discussed. Clearly female athletes report more difficulty with disordered eating than male athletes. Some specific risk factors for female athletes are discussed.
Power-efficient joint compressed sensing of multi-lead ECG signals

Compressed Sensing (CS) is a new acquisition-compression paradigm for low-complexity energy-aware sensing and compression. By merging both sampling and compression, CS is very promising to develop practical ultra-low power readout systems for wireless bio-signal monitoring devices, where large amounts of sensor data need to be transferred through power-hungry wireless links. Lately CS has been successfully applied for real-time energy-aware single-lead ECG compression on resource-constrained Wireless Body Sensor Network (WBSN) motes [1]. Building on our previous work, in this paper we propose a new and promising approach for joint compression of multi-lead ECG signals, where strong correlations exist between them. This situation that exhibit strong correlations, can be exploited to reduce even further amount of data to be transmitted wirelessly, thus addressing the important challenge of ultra-low-power embedded monitoring of multi-lead ECG signals.
The Birds of Africa

This is the eighth and final volume in the authoritative Birds of Africa series. It covers the Malagasy region which comprises Madagascar and the various islands and archipelagos of the Indian Ocean including the Seychelles, the Comoros, Mauritius and Reunion. Every resident and migrant species is covered in full detail, comparable to other volumes in the series, and with a colour map for each species. Vagrants are treated in less detail. All species are illustrated on a beautiful series of 64 colour plates, with original artwork from John Gale and Brian Small.This is a major work of reference on the birds of the region and will remain the standard text for many years to come. "
Paleogene of the Huanghekou Sag in the Bohai Bay Basin, NE China: deposition–erosion response to a slope break system of rift lacustrine basins

The sequence architecture and depositional systems of the Paleogene lacustrine rift succession in the Huanghekou Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, NE China were investigated based on seismic profiles, combined with well log and core data. Four second‐order or composite sequences and seven third‐order sequences were identified. The depositional systems identified in the basin include: fan delta, braid delta, meander fluvial delta, lacustrine and sublacustrine fan. Identification of the slope break was conducted combining the interpretation of faults of each sequence and the identification of syndepositional faults, based on the subdivision of sequence stratigraphy and analysis of depositional systems. Multiple geomorphologic units were recognized in the Paleogene of the Huanghekou Sag including faults, flexures, depositional slope break belts, ditch‐valleys and sub‐uplifts in the central sag. Using genetic division principles and taking into consideration tectonic features of the Paleogene of the Huanghekou Sag, the study area was divided into the Northern Steep Slope/Fault Slope Break System, the Southern Gentle Slope Break System and T10 Tectonic Slope Break System/T10 Tectonic Belt.
Ocean dynamics and tropical Pacific climate change in ocean reanalyses and coupled climate models

The role of ocean dynamics in tropical Pacific climate change is studied using an ensemble run of Simple Ocean Data Assimilation—sparse input version 1 (SODAsi.1) and the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) historical runs. An eight-member ensemble of ocean reanalyses (SODAsi.1) from 1871 to 2008 is produced by using forcing from eight ensemble members of an atmospheric reanalysis. The long-term trends of tropical Pacific surface temperature, wind stress, subsurface temperature, and strength of the subtropical cells (STCs) are analyzed. The ensemble reanalysis shows that there is a slight cooling trend of surface and subsurface temperature in the central tropical Pacific due to enhanced tropical Pacific circulation. The STCs, which consist of equatorial upwelling, Ekman transport, extratropical subduction, and pycnocline transport from the subtropical to the tropical region, strengthen from 1900 to 2008. When the STCs are accelerated, equatorial upwelling increases bringing cold water from the subsurface that cools the surface. An increasing trend in convergence transport is mainly from the Southern Hemisphere. In contrast with the reanalysis most of the CMIP5 models have warming trends at the surface and the transport of the STCs has a decreasing trend. The CMIP5 models also underestimate tropical Pacific Ocean circulation relative to the reanalysis that is mostly due to differences in wind forcing.
Binge Drinking Trajectories from Adolescence to Young Adulthood: The Effects of Peer Social Network

This study investigates an association between social network characteristics and binge drinking from adolescence to young adulthood, utilizing National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 7,966) and employing social network and longitudinal analysis. Lower integration and socialization with alcohol-using peers had immediate risks of binge drinking during adolescence; however, over time, the effects of socialization with alcohol-using peers had the most dramatic reduction. The most prestigious adolescents had the highest longitudinal risks of binge drinking, although they had no immediate risk. Alcohol consumption-related interventions overlooking longitudinal dynamics of social networks may not effectively prevent adolescents from binge drinking in young adulthood.