Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ambient Ozone Pollution and Daily Mortality: A Nationwide Study in 272 Chinese Cities

Background: Few large multicity studies have been conducted in developing countries to address the acute health effects of atmospheric ozone pollution. Objective: We explored the associations between ozone and daily cause-specific mortality in China. Methods: We performed a nationwide time-series analysis in 272 representative Chinese cities between 2013 and 2015. We used distributed lag models and over-dispersed generalized linear models to estimate the cumulative effects of ozone (lagged over 0–3 d) on mortality in each city, and we used hierarchical Bayesian models to combine the city-specific estimates. Regional, seasonal, and demographic heterogeneity were evaluated by meta-regression. Results: At the national-average level, a 10-μg/m3 increase in 8-h maximum ozone concentration was associated with 0.24% [95% posterior interval (PI): 0.13%, 0.35%], 0.27% (95% PI: 0.10%, 0.44%), 0.60% (95% PI: 0.08%, 1.11%), 0.24% (95% PI: 0.02%, 0.46%), and 0.29% (95% PI: 0.07%, 0.50%) higher daily mortality from all nonaccidental causes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, coronary diseases, and stroke, respectively. Associations between ozone and daily mortality due to respiratory and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease specifically were positive but imprecise and nonsignificant. There were no statistically significant differences in associations between ozone and nonaccidental mortality according to region, season, age, sex, or educational attainment. Conclusions: Our findings provide robust evidence of higher nonaccidental and cardiovascular mortality in association with short-term exposure to ambient ozone in China. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1849
Prediction of cement strength: analysis and implementation in process quality control

Abstract The main purpose of the present article is to develop mathematical models predicting cement strength at 28 days based on early strength as well as on physical and chemical characteristics of cement types investigated. In parallel, a relatively extended analysis of a series of existing models is performed. Static and movable time horizon models have been built and implemented to real industrial conditions for the long-term. These tools are applied in conjunction with a proportional-integral controller regulating 28 days strength around a target. Performance of the models is investigated using typical statistical analysis. The implementation of these techniques in daily quality control has been demonstrated as an important factor of quality improvement by maintaining a low variance of 28 days strength.
Venation patterns of neotropical blueberries (Vaccinieae: Ericaceae) and their phylogenetic utility

The description of venation patterns in neotropical Vaccinieae has been problematic because of the lack of an operational definition. Moreover, the underlying homologies remain unknown across and within lineages, thus precluding the use of venation characters in phylogenetic analyses. Venation patterns are often obscured in herbarium and living specimens due to the characteristic coriaceous and thick nature of Ericaceae leaves. Therefore, to obtain an unobstructed view of the veins, leaf clearings of 16 putative generic lineages of Vaccinieae were prepared and described. The main venation patterns were then defined and traditional definitions of venation were discussed in the light of the observed patterns. Selected characters were scored and the evolution of venation characters was discussed using a phylogenetic framework derived from molecular data analyzed under Maximum Likelihood. Venation descriptions and photographs are provided for 33 species.
Implementation of an autonomous path planning & obstacle avoidance UGV using SLAM

Conceptual wise the word “Autonomous” associated with a machine means “a system that works without any intervention of human being” hence in today's era majority of the jobs are replaced by robots for performing numerous tasks i e manipulating objects from one place to another, path covering with detection of safe paths and wielding etc. These are the tasks which require maximum attention, accuracy and must have health/safety measurements hence in coming future one may see the availability of robots performing domestic as well as industrial tasks more than humans in various fields. Keeping this in view this research paper suggests an implementation of an autonomous path planning and obstacle avoidance robot using simultaneous mapping and localization SLAM algorithm. This paper may not only provide the study about the most frequent problems which are how to locate an Unmanned Ground Vehicle UGV and how to keep UGV on its path but in addition to this, it also suggests the incorporation of GPS module with SLAM based UGV for further coordination. After going through this paper one can understand the implementation of SLAM algorithm, how to create maps for path planning and last but not the least localization of obstacles.
Network Partition and Voltage Coordination Control for Distribution Networks With High Penetration of Distributed PV Units

In order to solve the voltage violation problem caused by high penetration of photovoltaic (PV) units in distribution power networks, this paper proposes a double-layer voltage control strategy based on the distribution network partition. By optimizing the active and reactive power outputs of PV units, the minimization objective of PV active power curtailment and network active power loss can be achieved. In the basis of community detection algorithm, a novel cluster performance index based on the electrical distance and regional voltage regulation capability is presented to partition a distribution network into several clusters. The proposed double-layer voltage control strategy combines the cluster autonomous optimization and distributed intercluster coordination optimization in different time scales. The cluster autonomous optimization can eliminate intracluster voltage violation rapidly by alternately updating the intracluster optimal solution and the virtual slack bus voltage. The distributed intercluster coordination optimization with a long-time scale is based on the alternating direction method of multipliers and realizes global optimal control through finite boundary data exchange among adjacent clusters. The effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method have been demonstrated via simulation tests on a real 10.5 kV feeder in China and the IEEE 123-bus system.
Classifying Individuals versus Organizations on Twitter

Twitter user accounts include a range of different user types. While many individuals use Twitter, organizations also have Twitter accounts. Identifying opinions and trends from Twitter requires the accurate differentiation of these two groups. Previous work (McCorriston et al., 2015) presented a method for determining if an account was an individual or organization based on account profile and a collection of tweets. We present a method that relies solely on the account profile, allowing for the classification of individuals versus organizations based on a single tweet. Our method obtains accuracies comparable to methods that rely on much more information by leveraging two improvements: a character-based Convolutional Neural Network, and an automatically derived labeled corpus an order of magnitude larger than the previously available dataset. We make both the dataset and the resulting tool available.
Lilliputian mutant of maize lacks cell elongation and shows defects in organization of actin cytoskeleton.

The maize mutant lilliputian is characterized by miniature seedling stature, reduced cell elongation, and aberrant root anatomy. Here, we document that root cells of this mutant show several defects in the organization of actin filaments (AFs). Specifically, cells within the meristem lack dense perinuclear AF baskets and fail to redistribute AFs during mitosis. In contrast, mitotic cells of wild-type roots accumulate AFs at plasma membrane-associated domains that face the mitotic spindle poles. Both mitotic and early postmitotic mutant cells fail to assemble transverse arrays of cortical AFs, which are characteristic for wild-type root cells. In addition, early postmitotic cells show aberrant distribution of endoplasmic AF bundles that are normally organized through anchorage sites at cross-walls and nuclear surfaces. In wild-type root apices, these latter AF bundles are organized in the form of symmetrically arranged conical arrays and appear to be essential for the onset of rapid cell elongation. Exposure of wild-type and cv. Alarik maize root apices to the F-actin drugs cytochalasin D and latrunculin B mimics the phenotype of lilliputian root apices. In contrast to AFs, microtubules are more or less normally organized in root cells of lilliputian mutant. Collectively, these data suggest that the LILLIPUTIAN protein, the nature of which is still unknown, impinges on plant development via its action on the actin cytoskeleton.
3He spin filter based polarized neutron capability at the NIST Center for Neutron Research

A 3He neutron spin filter (NSF) program for polarized neutron scattering was launched in 2006 as part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) Expansion Initiative. The goal of the project was to enhance the NCNR polarized neutron measurement capabilities. Benefitting from more than a decade's development of spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) at NIST, we planned to employ SEOP based 3He neutron spin filters for the polarized neutron scattering community. These 3He NSF devices were planned for use on different classes of polarized neutron instrumentation at the NCNR, including triple-axis spectrometers (TAS), small-angle neutron scattering instruments (SANS), reflectometers, and wide-angle polarization analysis. Among them, the BT-7 thermal TAS, NG-3 SANS, and MAGIK reflectometer have already been in the user program for routine polarized beam experiments. Wide-angle polarization analysis on Multi-Axis Crystal Spectrometer (MACS) has been developed for user experiments. We describe briefly the SEOP systems dedicated for polarized beam experiments and polarizing neutron development for each instrument class. We summarize the current status and polarized neutronic performance for each instrument. We present a 3He NSF hardware and software interface to allow for synchronization of 3He polarization inversion (neutron spin flipping) and free-induction decay (FID) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements with neutron data collection.
A Sensitivity Study on the Effects of Particle Chemistry, Asphericity and Size on the Mass Extinction Efficiency of Mineral Dust in the Earth's Atmosphere: From the Near to Thermal IR

Abstract. To determine a plausible range of mass extinction efficiencies (MEE) of terrestrial atmospheric dust from the near to thermal IR, sensitivity analyses are performed over an extended range of dust microphysical and chemistry perturbations. The IR values are subsequently compared to those in the near-IR, to evaluate spectral relationships in their optical properties. Synthesized size distributions consistent with measurements, model particle size, while composition is defined by the refractive indices of minerals routinely observed in dust, including the widely used OPAC/Hess parameterization. Single-scattering properties of representative dust particle shapes are calculated using the T-matrix, Discrete Dipole Approximation and Lorenz-Mie light-scattering codes. For the parameterizations examined, MEE ranges from nearly zero to 1.2 m2 g−1, with the higher values associated with non-spheres composed of quartz and gypsum. At near-IR wavelengths, MEE for non-spheres generally exceeds those for spheres, while in the thermal IR, shape-induced changes in MEE strongly depend on volume median diameter (VMD) and wavelength, particularly for MEE evaluated at the mineral resonant frequencies. MEE spectral distributions appear to follow particle geometry and are evidence for shape dependency in the optical properties. It is also shown that non-spheres best reproduce the positions of prominent absorption peaks found in silicates. Generally, angular particles exhibit wider and more symmetric MEE spectral distribution patterns from 8–10 μm than those with smooth surfaces, likely due to their edge-effects. Lastly, MEE ratios allow for inferring dust optical properties across the visible-IR spectrum. We conclude the MEE of dust aerosol are significant for the parameter space investigated, and are a key component for remote sensing applications and the study of direct aerosol radiative effects.
A general algorithm for flexible active power control of photovoltaic systems

The maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is generally implemented in grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) power plants to maximize the energy yield. However, as the penetration level increases, challenging issues such as overloading and overvoltage arise in PV applications. Accordingly, a constant power generation (CPG) operation, in which the PV output power is limited to a specific value, has been imposed by some grid regulators to alleviate the integration challenges. In that case, the combined operation of MPPT and CPG is required, which increases the complexity of the controller design. To generalize the two control objectives, a flexible active power control algorithm that combines both MPPT and CPG operating modes is proposed. The proposed algorithm can optimize the performance in both modes (i.e., MPPT and CPG). By adjusting the voltage-step between two consecutive operating points, fast dynamics and low-power oscillations can be obtained. The performance of the proposed strategy is evaluated through simulations and experiments under different irradiance and power reference profiles.
Defensive coloration in plants: a review of current ideas about anti-herbivore coloration strategies.

In addition to the many anti-herbivore defense mechanisms, plants have probably also adopted various types of defensive coloration: (1) undermining herbivorous insect camouflage, (2) aposematic (warning) coloration of thorny and poisonous plants, (3) camouflage, (4) insect and dead leaf mimicry, (5) various unexplained types of leaf variegation, (6) delayed leaf greening, and (7) signaling about trees' defensive quality by red and yellow autumn leaves. At this initial stage of study of defensive plant coloration, many additional types and aspects of defensive plant coloration very likely remain experimentally unexplored, and even not recognized and described. Visually oriented animals were the selective agent for such types, by attacking defended and non-defended genotypes differentially. Many of the defensive types of coloration certainly perform various physiological functions concomitantly.
Can wildfire serve as an ecohydrologic threshold‐reversal mechanism on juniper‐encroached shrublands

Woody plant encroachment on water‐limited lands can induce a shift from biotic (plant)‐controlled resource retention to abiotic (physical)‐driven losses of critical soil resources. The biotic‐to‐abiotic shift occurs where encroachment propagates connectivity of runoff processes and amplified cross‐scale erosion that, in‐turn, promote ecohydrologic resilience of the post‐encroachment community. We investigated these relationships for woodland‐encroached sagebrush steppe in the Great Basin, USA, and evaluated wildfire as a mechanism to reverse the post‐encroachment soil erosion feedback. We measured vegetation, soil properties, and runoff/erosion from experimental plots on burned and unburned areas of a late‐succession woodland 1 and 2 years post‐fire. Our findings suggest that the biotic‐to‐abiotic shift and amplified cross‐scale erosion occur where encroachment‐induced bare ground exceeds 50–60% and bare gaps between plant bases frequently extend beyond 1 m. The trigger for amplified cross‐scale erosion is formation of concentrated flow within the degraded intercanopy between trees. Burning in this study decreased ecohydrologic resilience of the late‐succession woodland through herbaceous recruitment 2 years post‐fire. Increased intercanopy herbaceous productivity decreased connectivity of bare ground, improved infiltration, and reduced erosion, but the study site remained vulnerable to runoff and erosion from high‐intensity rainfall. We conclude that burning can reduce woodland ecohydrologic resilience and that woodland encroachment‐induced structural and functional ecohydrologic attributes may persist during high‐intensity storms for an undetermined period post‐fire. We cannot conclude whether wildfire reverses the woodland‐induced soil erosion feedback on sagebrush rangelands. However, our results suggest that wildfire may provide a restoration pathway for sagebrush steppe by reducing woodland ecohydrologic resilience over time. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Insulin and IGF1 Receptors Are Essential for XX and XY Gonadal Differentiation and Adrenal Development in Mice

Mouse sex determination provides an attractive model to study how regulatory genetic networks and signaling pathways control cell specification and cell fate decisions. This study characterizes in detail the essential role played by the insulin receptor (INSR) and the IGF type I receptor (IGF1R) in adrenogenital development and primary sex determination. Constitutive ablation of insulin/IGF signaling pathway led to reduced proliferation rate of somatic progenitor cells in both XX and XY gonads prior to sex determination together with the downregulation of hundreds of genes associated with the adrenal, testicular, and ovarian genetic programs. These findings indicate that prior to sex determination somatic progenitors in Insr;Igf1r mutant gonads are not lineage primed and thus incapable of upregulating/repressing the male and female genetic programs required for cell fate restriction. In consequence, embryos lacking functional insulin/IGF signaling exhibit (i) complete agenesis of the adrenal cortex, (ii) embryonic XY gonadal sex reversal, with a delay of Sry upregulation and the subsequent failure of the testicular genetic program, and (iii) a delay in ovarian differentiation so that Insr;Igf1r mutant gonads, irrespective of genetic sex, remained in an extended undifferentiated state, before the ovarian differentiation program ultimately is initiated at around E16.5.
Multivariable DG Impedance Modeling and Reshaping for Impedance Stabilization of Active Distribution Networks

Stability of inverter-based distributed generation units (DGs) is highly dependent on the grid impedance. This paper proposes an adaptive control algorithm for optimally reshaping DG output impedance so that the system dynamic performance is improved. Such adaptation is essential for managing variations in grid impedance and changes in DG operating conditions. The proposed algorithm is generic so that it can be applied for both grid-connected and islanded DGs. It involves mainly two design stages. First, the multivariable DG output impedance is derived mathematically and verified using a frequency sweep identification method. The grid impedance is also estimated using the refined instrumental variable for continuous-time system identification algorithm so that the impedance stability criteria can be formulated. In the second stage, multi-objective programming is formulated using the $ {\varepsilon }-$ constraint method in order to minimize the system response time while obtaining a robust damping performance. The proposed algorithm has been validated in both grid-connected and isolated distribution networks, with the use of OPAL real-time simulators via a hardware-in-the-loop application.
Active noise control at a virtual acoustic energy density sensor in a three-dimensional sound field

A common problem in local active noise control is that the zone of quiet centered at the physical microphone is too small to extend to the desired location of attenuation, such as an observer’s ear . The physical microphone must therefore be placed at the desired location of attenuation, which is often inconvenient. Vir tual microphones overcome this by shifting the zone of quiet away from the physical microphone to a desired location of attenuation, referred to as the virtual location. In an effort to extend the zone of quiet generated at the virtual location, a virtual acoustic energy density method is developed in this paper for use in a three-dimensional sound fie ld. This virtual energy density method uses a modified version of the remote microphone technique to estimate the total aco ustic energy density at a virtual location. Experimental results of active noise control at a virtual acoustic energ y density sensor and a virtual microphone in a three-dimensional sound field are presented for comparison. Minimisin g the total virtual acoustic energy density with the active noise control system is shown to create a spatially extended zone of quiet at a fixed virtual location compared to virtual pressure control.
Genetic Algorithms as Global Random Search Methods: An Alternative Perspective

Genetic algorithm behavior is described in terms of the construction and evolution of the sampling distributions over the space of candidate solutions. This novel perspective is motivated by analysis indicating that the schema theory is inadequate for completely and properly explaining genetic algorithm behavior. Based on the proposed theory, it is argued that the similarities of candidate solutions should be exploited directly, rather than encoding candidate solutions and then exploiting their similarities. Proportional selection is characterized as a global search operator, and recombination is characterized as the search process that exploits similarities. Sequential algorithms and many deletion methods are also analyzed. It is shown that by properly constraining the search breadth of recombination operators, convergence of genetic algorithms to a global optimum can be ensured.
Neuroscience of Exercise: From Neurobiology Mechanisms to Mental Health

The neuroscience of exercise is a growing research area that is dedicated to furthering our understanding of the effects that exercise has on mental health and athletic performance. The present study examined three specific topics: (1) the relationship between exercise and mental disorders (e.g. major depressive disorder, dementia and Parkinson's disease), (2) the effects of exercise on the mood and mental health of athletes, and (3) the possible neurobiological mechanisms that mediate the effects of exercise. Positive responses to regular physical exercise, such as enhanced functional capacity, increased autonomy and improved self-esteem, are frequently described in the recent literature, and these responses are all good reasons for recommending regular exercise. In addition, physical exercise may improve both mood and adherence to an exercise program in healthy individuals and might modulate both the performance and mental health of athletes. Exercise is associated with the increased synthesis and release of both neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors, and these increases may be associated with neurogenesis, angiogenesis and neuroplasticity. This review is a call-to-action that urges researchers to consider the importance of understanding the neuroscience of physical exercise and its contributions to sports science.