Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Happy Moves, Sad Grooves: Using Theories of Biological Motion and Affect to Design Shape-Changing Interfaces

The design of shape-changing interfaces to show emotions relies on craft skill with few clear guidelines. Through two experiments, we explore how to design such interfaces using theories of the relation between biological motion and affect. In the first experiment, 19 participants viewed six shape-changing behaviors that varied the velocity, fluidity, direction, and orientation of the movement of an extrusion from a small box in accordance with existing theories of affective motion. Participants were able to recognize four of the six intended basic Ekman emotions (sadness, fear, happiness, surprise) with above-chance probability. The second experiment used 36 shape-changing behaviors that systematically varied speed, regularity of motion, and direction. For each behavior, 23 participants rated valence, arousal, and dominance. Speed, direction, and orientation impacted emotion ratings significantly and in the predicted directions. These results offer an initial basis for the systematic design of emotions in shape-changing interfaces.
Climate change in the Fertile Crescent and implications of the recent Syrian drought

Significance There is evidence that the 2007−2010 drought contributed to the conflict in Syria. It was the worst drought in the instrumental record, causing widespread crop failure and a mass migration of farming families to urban centers. Century-long observed trends in precipitation, temperature, and sea-level pressure, supported by climate model results, strongly suggest that anthropogenic forcing has increased the probability of severe and persistent droughts in this region, and made the occurrence of a 3-year drought as severe as that of 2007−2010 2 to 3 times more likely than by natural variability alone. We conclude that human influences on the climate system are implicated in the current Syrian conflict. Before the Syrian uprising that began in 2011, the greater Fertile Crescent experienced the most severe drought in the instrumental record. For Syria, a country marked by poor governance and unsustainable agricultural and environmental policies, the drought had a catalytic effect, contributing to political unrest. We show that the recent decrease in Syrian precipitation is a combination of natural variability and a long-term drying trend, and the unusual severity of the observed drought is here shown to be highly unlikely without this trend. Precipitation changes in Syria are linked to rising mean sea-level pressure in the Eastern Mediterranean, which also shows a long-term trend. There has been also a long-term warming trend in the Eastern Mediterranean, adding to the drawdown of soil moisture. No natural cause is apparent for these trends, whereas the observed drying and warming are consistent with model studies of the response to increases in greenhouse gases. Furthermore, model studies show an increasingly drier and hotter future mean climate for the Eastern Mediterranean. Analyses of observations and model simulations indicate that a drought of the severity and duration of the recent Syrian drought, which is implicated in the current conflict, has become more than twice as likely as a consequence of human interference in the climate system.
Analysis of the emission of very small dust particles from Spitzer spectro-imagery data using blind signal separation methods

Context: This work was conducted as part of the SPECPDR program, dedicated to the study of very small particles and astrochemistry, in Photo-Dissociation Regions (PDRs). Aims: We present the analysis of the mid-IR spectro-imagery observations of Ced 201, NCG 7023 East and North-West and ? Ophiuchi West filament. Methods: Using the data from all four modules of the InfraRed Spectrograph onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope, we produced a spectral cube ranging from 5 to 35 ? m, for each one of the observed PDRs. The resulting cubes were analysed using Blind Signal Separation methods (NMF and FastICA). Results: For Ced 201, ? Ophiuchi West filament and NGC 7023 East, we find that two signals can be extracted from the original data cubes, which are 5 to 35 ? m spectra. The main features of the first spectrum are a strong continuum emission at long wavelengths, and a broad 7.8 ? m band. On the contrary, the second spectrum exhibits the classical Aromatic Infrared Bands (AIBs) and no continuum. The reconstructed spatial distribution maps show that the latter spectrum is mainly present at the cloud surface, close to the star whereas the first one is located slightly deeper inside the PDR. The study of the spectral energy distribution of Ced 201 up to 100 ? m suggests that, in cool PDRs, the 5-25 ? m continuum is carried by Very Small Grains (VSGs). The AIB spectra in the observed objects can be interpreted as the contribution of neutral and positively-charged Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Conclusions: We extracted the 5 to 25 ? m emission spectrum of VSGs in cool PDRs, these grains being most likely carbonaceous. We show that the variations of the mid-IR (5-35 ? m) spectra of PDRs can be explained by the photo-chemical processing of these VSGs and PAHs, VSGs being the progenitors of free PAHs. This work is based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with NASA. Spectra are only available in electronic form (FITS files) at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat? J/A+A/469/575
Gender‐related changes in increase of dopaminergic neurons in the olfactory bulb of Parkinson's disease patients

Gender differences in dopaminergic related neurodegenerative diseases have hardly been studied until now. It is generally accepted that more men than women suffer from Parkinson's disease. One of the most prevalent symptoms in Parkinson's patients, hyposmia, does not show gender differences, while normally the sense of smell is better developed in females. Whether the change in dopamine in the olfactory bulb contributes equally to hyposmia in male and female Parkinson's patients is the subject of the present study. In a stereological study the total number of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurons in the olfactory bulbs of male and female Parkinson's patients and age‐matched controls has been estimated. The present stereological study shows that the number of tyrosine hydroxylase positive cells in control females is significantly lower than those in control males. The number of dopaminergic cells in the olfactory bulbs of both male and female Parkinson's patients equals that of healthy males of the same age group. We therefore conclude that the hyposmia in Parkinson's disease patients cannot simply be ascribed to dopamine in the olfactory bulb. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society
Advances in Bacteriophage-Mediated Control of Plant Pathogens

There is continuing pressure to maximise food production given a growing global human population. Bacterial pathogens that infect important agricultural plants (phytopathogens) can reduce plant growth and the subsequent crop yield. Currently, phytopathogens are controlled through management programmes, which can include the application of antibiotics and copper sprays. However, the emergence of resistant bacteria and the desire to reduce usage of toxic products that accumulate in the environment mean there is a need to develop alternative control agents. An attractive option is the use of specific bacteriophages (phages), viruses that specifically kill bacteria, providing a more targeted approach. Typically, phages that target the phytopathogen are isolated and characterised to determine that they have features required for biocontrol. In addition, suitable formulation and delivery to affected plants are necessary to ensure the phages survive in the environment and do not have a deleterious effect on the plant or target beneficial bacteria. Phages have been isolated for different phytopathogens and have been used successfully in a number of trials and commercially. In this paper, we address recent progress in phage-mediated control of plant pathogens and overcoming the challenges, including those posed by CRISPR/Cas and abortive infection resistance systems.
Dynamique spatio-temporelle du nuage larvaire du gastéropode introduit Crepidula Fornicata au sein d'une baie mégatidale, la baie de Morlaix (France)

La dispersion est un processus majeur dans la dynamique et l'evolution des populations d'especes marines. Pour les invertebres a cycle bentho-pelagique, la larve est generalement le principal vecteur de dispersion. Dans le cas particulier des especes introduites, aux cotes des activites humaines, les capacites de dispersion naturelles conferees par les larves pelagiques sont un element essentiel pour leur expansion. L'objectif principal de cette these etait d'etudier la dynamique spatio-temporelle des larves du gasteropode invasif Crepidula fornicata et son role sur la dynamique des populations benthiques adultes en baie Morlaix. Par une etude de la distribution spatiale du pool larvaire de C. fonicata a l'echelle de la baie Morlaix, nous avons montre que le recrutement local pourrait etre limite par l'interaction entre la position des adultes benthiques et l'hydrodynamisme tres actif, expliquant ainsi le caractere peu expansif de cette population. L'analyse de la dynamique temporelle du pool larvaire pendant trois annees consecutive a montre (1) la presence majoritaire de petites larves durant les mois de debut d'annee, lorsque que le recrutement est tres faible et (2) la presence plus tardive dans l'annee de larves de plus grandes tailles durant le pic de recrutement, ce qui suggere l'existance d'un fort couplage larves-adultes durant les mois d'ete Au cours de cette meme etude, l'observation de larves crepidules dans des conditions de temperature tres differentes (entre 9 et 17°C) nous a amene a considerer la temperature comme un parametre cle de la dynamique du pool larvaire. Un serie d'experiences en laboratoire a permis de montrer en autre le fort impact des temperatures rencontrees in situ sur le developpement larvaire. Considerant la duree de vie larvaire (PLD) comme un indicateur des distances potentielles de dispersion (i.e. transport larvaire), une estimation des variations de PLD en fonction des variation de temperatures durant la periode de reproduction a mis en evidence l'existence d'une forte saisonnalite dans les capacites dispertives de l'espece. Ces resultats suggerent l'existence d'une saison plus propice a la dispersion (longue PLD) et d'une saison plus propice au recrutement local (PLD courte). L'application de cette approche a d'autres site colonises en Europe a montre que les tres basses temperature hivernales rencontrees dans les sites situes au nord pouvaient compromettre l'existence d'une saison propice a la dispersion. Nos resultats suggerent finalement que dans la perspective d'un rechauffement climatique dans les sites nordiques, les capacites dispertives de l'espece pourraient etre accrues, augmentant ses potentialites d'expansion.
A New Validation Method for X-ray Mammogram Registration Algorithms Using a Projection Model of Breast X-ray Compression

Establishing spatial correspondence between features visible in X-ray mammograms obtained at different times has great potential to aid assessment and quantitation of change in the breast indicative of malignancy. The literature contains numerous non- rigid registration algorithms developed for this purpose, but existing approaches are flawed by the assumption of inappropriate 2-D transformation models and quantitative estimation of registration accuracy is limited. In this paper, we describe a novel validation method which simulates plausible mammographic compressions of the breast using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) derived finite element model. By projecting the resulting known 3-D displacements into 2-D and generating pseudo-mammograms from these same compressed magnetic resonance (MR) volumes, we can generate convincing images with known 2-D displacements with which to validate a registration algorithm. We illustrate this approach by computing the accuracy for two conventional nonrigid 2-D registration algorithms applied to mammographic test images generated from three patient MR datasets. We show that the accuracy of these algorithms is close to the best achievable using a 2-D one-to-one correspondence model but that new algorithms incorporating more representative transformation models are required to achieve sufficiently accurate registrations for this application.
Sir Charles Lyell's travels in New Brunswick, Canada, in 1852

Abstract Geologist Sir Charles Lyell made a brief visit to New Brunswick, Canada, during his 1852 visit to North America. Lyell traveled to Albert Mines during the peak of the albertite controversy, visited the Reversing Falls and graphite mines in Saint John, and took a steamboat trip up the Saint John River to Fredericton where he visited his friend, Lieutenant Governor Sir Edmund Head. Lyell’s friendship with Head likely had a long-term effect on the development of geological sciences in New Brunswick and Canada. New Brunswick newspapers followed Charles Lyell’s travels through the province and expressed hope that Lyell’s observations on the geology of New Brunswick would cast a favourable opinion on the province’s geological wealth and foster economic development. Resume Le geologue Sir Charles Lyell a effectue un bref arret au Nouveau-Brunswick, Canada, au cours de sa visite de 1852 en Amerique du Nord. Lyell s’est rendu a Albert Mines au moment culminant de la controverse au sujet de l’albertite; il a visite les chutes reversibles et les mines de graphite de Saint-Jean; et il a remonte en vapeur le fleuve Saint-Jean jusqu’a Fredericton, ou il a rendu visite a son ami, le lieutenant-gouverneur Sir Edmund Head. L’amitie de Lyell et Head a probablement eu un effet de longue duree sur l’essor des sciences de la terre au Nouveau-Brunswick et au Canada. Les journaux du Nouveau-Brunswick ont suivi les deplacements de Charles Lyell a l’interieur de la province; ils ont exprime l’espoir que les observations de Lyell sur la geologie du Nouveau-Brunswick engendreraient une opinion favorable sur la richesse geologique de la province et qu’elles favoriseraient le developpement economique.
Hourly variations in planktonic larval concentrations on the inner shelf: Emerging patterns and processes

Planktonic larvae are unlikely to be randomly distributed over time or in space. Fluctuations in larval density may result from a variety of physical and biological processes. To identify relatively high-frequency patterns of larval variation for an inner-shelf environment, zooplankton were sampled hourly for 3 d using an automated plankton pump. Moored ∼80 cm above bottom, the pump was located in 8 m of water on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Densities of all larval groups were highly variable: 5-746 m -3 for barnacle cyprids, 0-668 m -3 for polychaetes, 0-516 m -3 for bivalves, 6-414 m -3 for gastropods, and 0-86 m -3 for bryozoan cyphonautes. Moreover, maximal and submaximal peaks were nearly coincident for all taxa. One hypothesis to explain these results involves passive larval transport by wind-driven cross-shelf flows (upwelling and downwelling). Larval concentrations were persistently low in warm, downwelled water and highest during a period of cool, upwelled water. During upwelling, however, maximal and submaximal peaks for each taxon corresponded with brief relaxation events, dominated by downwelling-favorable winds. Thus, larvae tracking with cool water would have been moved upslope then offshore at the surface by upwelling currents or to the bottom by downwelling flows. A second hypothesis involves active diel vertical migration (DVM). During the cool-water period, peaks in near-bottom larval density occurred near noon, consistent with daytime descent. Daily peaks were not always separated by 24 h, however, probably due to modulation of DVM by physical processes (e.g., cross- or alongshelf advection or mixing). These relatively simple patterns of variation in larval abundance are surprising, given the complex hydrodynamic processes that typically operate on the inner shelf.
Topographic wiring of the retinotectal connection in zebrafish

The zebrafish retinotectal projection provides an attractive model system for studying many aspects of topographic map formation and maintenance. Visual connections initially start to form between 3 and 5 days postfertilization, and remain plastic throughout the life of the fish. Zebrafish are easily manipulated surgically, genetically, and chemically, and a variety of molecular tools exist to enable visualization and control of various aspects of map development. Here, we review zebrafish retinotectal map formation, focusing particularly on the detailed structure and dynamics of the connections, the molecules that are important in map creation, and how activity regulates the maintenance of the map. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 75: 542–556, 2015
Factors affecting sheet and rill erosion

This paper discusses the two principal processes by which sheet erosion occurs and the six factors which effect the magnitude of the losses. The processes are raindrop impact and transportation of soil particles by flowing water. The factors are length and per cent slope, cropping, soil, management and rainfall. The relative effectiveness of each of the three main conservation practices in control of erosion, contour farming, strip cropping, and terracing is presented. The factors and practices are combined in a rational erosion equation for calculating field soil loss for use in application of conservation practices and in assessing land program benefits.
Stress-induced recovery of fears and phobias.

Accounts of human fears and phobias based on current conditioning models using data from adults are examined and found wanting. Instead, the characteristics of human phobias resemble the kind of learning found during the amnesic period of infancy. As certain neural systems mature, conditioning begins to exhibit adult characteristics: context dependency, sharp generalization, and rapid extinction. Although direct behavioral control by the early learning systems wanes, the adult learning system seems to be structured at least/partially through the lasting influence of infantile experience. Under (hormonal) stress, residues of early experience are reinstated and incorporated into adult memory where they directly control behavior. This control exhibits infantile characteristics. The evidence suggests that once acquired, such conditional fears might never be eliminated using traditional extinction or countercondit ioning procedures. The view leads to a renewed emphasis upon the role of experience in human development, accepting the disproportionate importance of infant experience as the foundation upon which subsequent learning and cognitive function rest. It is plain from clinical experience that certain patients experience critical incidents in which the fear has an onset. What is particularly interesting is the fact that quite frequently these same people have been exposed to the same stimulus repeatedly in the past without acquiring the fear. It seems that for acute onset fears, there are certain psychological states in which the person is vulnerable to the acquisition of fears. To take a clinical example, in those agoraphobic patients who report an acute onset of fear, one needs to know why the fear arose on the day that it did, at the time that it did. And why do they acquire a fear
Analysis of Unstable Operation in a Basic Delta Modulator for PWM Control

This paper studies dynamics of a delta modulator for PWM control. In order to analyze the circuit dynamics we derive a one-dimensional return map of switching time. The map is equivalent to a circle map in wide parameter region and its nonperiodic behavior corresponds to undesired asynchronous operation of the circuit. We then present a simple stabilization method of the system operations by means of periodic compulsory switching. The mechanism of the stabilization is considered from viewpoints of bifurcation. Using a simple test circuit, typical operations are confirmed experimentally.
Microbiota Dynamics and Diversity at Different Stages of Industrial Processing of Cocoa Beans into Cocoa Powder

ABSTRACT We sampled a cocoa powder production line to investigate the impact of processing on the microbial community size and diversity at different stages. Classical microbiological methods were combined with 16S rRNA gene PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, coupled with clone library construction, to analyze the samples. Aerobic thermoresistant spores (ThrS) (100°C; 10 min) were also isolated and characterized (identity, genetic diversity, and spore heat resistance), in view of their relevance to the quality of downstream heat-treated cocoa-flavored drinks. In the nibs (broken, shelled cocoa beans), average levels of total aerobic microorganisms (TAM) (4.4 to 5.6 log CFU/g) and aerobic total spores (TS) (80°C; 10 min; 4.3 to 5.5 log CFU/g) were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) as a result of alkalizing, while fungi (4.2 to 4.4 log CFU/g) and Enterobacteriaceae (1.7 to 2.8 log CFU/g) were inactivated to levels below the detection limit, remaining undetectable throughout processing. Roasting further decreased the levels of TAM and TS, but they increased slightly during subsequent processing. Molecular characterization of bacterial communities based on enriched cocoa samples revealed a predominance of members of the Bacillaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, and Enterococcaceae. Eleven species of ThrS were found, but Bacillus licheniformis and the Bacillus subtilis complex were prominent and revealed great genetic heterogeneity. We concluded that the microbiota of cocoa powder resulted from microorganisms that could have been initially present in the nibs, as well as microorganisms that originated during processing. B. subtilis complex members, particularly B. subtilis subsp. subtilis, formed the most heat-resistant spores. Their occurrence in cocoa powder needs to be considered to ensure the stability of derived products, such as ultrahigh-temperature-treated chocolate drinks.
Low-Level Temperature Inversions of the Eurasian Arctic and Comparisons with Soviet Drifting Station Data

Abstract Seasonal and regional variations in characteristics of the Arctic low-level temperature inversion are examined using up to 12 years of twice-daily rawinsonde data from 31 inland and coastal sites of the Eurasian Arctic and a total of nearly six station years of data from three Soviet drifting stations near the North Pole. The frequency of inversions, the median inversion depth, and the temperature difference across the inversion layer increase from the Norwegian Sea eastward toward the Laptev and East Siberian seas. This effect is most pronounced in winter and autumn, and reflects proximity to oceanic influences and synoptic activity, possibly enhanced by a gradient in cloud cover. East of Novaya Zemlya during winter, inversions are found in over 95% of all soundings and tend to be surface based. For all locations, however, inversions tend to he most intense during winter due to the large deficit in surface net radiation. The strongest inversions are found over eastern Siberia, and reflect the ef.