Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity of the Ocean’s Climate to Diapycnal Diffusivity in an EMIC. Part I: Equilibrium State

Abstract The diapycnal diffusivity in the ocean is one of the least known parameters in current climate models. Measurements of this diffusivity are sparse and insufficient for compiling a global map. Inferences from inverse methods and energy budget calculations suggest as much as a factor of 5 difference in the global mean value of the diapycnal diffusivity. Yet, the climate is extremely sensitive to the diapycnal diffusivity. In this paper the sensitivity of the current climate to the diapycnal diffusivity is studied, focusing on the changes occurring in the ocean circulation. To this end, a coupled model with a three-dimensional ocean with idealized geometry is used. The results show that, at equilibrium, the strength of the thermohaline circulation in the North Atlantic scales with the 0.44 power of the diapycnal diffusivity, in contrast to the theoretical value based on scaling arguments for uncoupled models of 2/3. On the other hand, the strength of the circulation in the South Pacific scales with .
A weak scattering model for tone haystacking

The scattering of sound by turbulence in a jet shear layer is considered. Spectral broadening or ‘haystacking’ is the process whereby the turbulent, timevarying inhomogeneities in the ∞ow scatter tonal sound flelds, which decreases the level of the incident tone, but increases the broadband level around the frequency of the tone. The scattering process is modelled analytically, using high-frequency asymptotic methods and a weak-scattering assumption. Analytical models for the far-fleld spectral density of the scattered fleld are derived for two cases: (1) any polar angle including inside the cone of silence; (2) polar angles outside the cone of silence. At polar angles outside the cone of silence, the predictions from the two models are very similar, but using the second model it is considerably simpler to evaluate the far-fleld spectral density. Simulation results are compared to experimental data, albeit only at a polar angle of 90 ‐ . The model correctly predicts the behaviour of the scattered fleld as a function of jet velocity and tone frequency. Also simulations at other polar angles and a parametric study are presented. These simulations indicate how the ‘haystacking’ is predicted to vary as a function of the polar angle, and also as a function of the characteristic length, time and convection velocity scales of the turbulence contained in the jet shear layer. Spectral broadening is a phenomenon whereby a tonal sound fleld interacts with a random time-varying scattering medium, with the result that power is lost from the tone and distributed into a broadband fleld around the tone frequency. Spectral broadening has been observed in far-fleld measurements of turbine tones, and to a lesser extent, fan tones radiated from the rear of a turbofan engine. The efiect is caused by the interaction of the tones radiated from the engine exhaust duct with the turbulence in the jet shear layers. Turbulent jet shear layers are formed between the hot core jet and cold bypass streams, and also between the bypass and ∞ight streams. Sound radiated from the exhaust propagates through these turbulent shear layers, and owing to the unsteady nature of turbulent ∞ow, this can scatter sound over a range of frequencies. The resulting scattered broadband fleld, known colloquially as a ‘haystack’, can be measured well above the jet-noise broadband at some engine conditions. In the context of this work, when the proportion of scattered energy is small relative to the energy that remains in the tone, this is termed ‘weak scattering’. An example of the spectrum from a tonal fleld which has undergone ‘weak’ spectral broadening is shown in flgure 1, which is taken from the experimental work of Candel, Guedel, & Julienne. 1 The level of the tone is around 20dB above that of the haystacks. However, spectral broadening can lead to the disappearance of the tone itself, replaced by a broadband hump. In the context of this work, this would be termed ‘strong scattering’.
Diagnostic Value of Multiple Tumor Markers for Patients with Esophageal Carcinoma

Background Various studies assessing the diagnostic value of serum tumor markers in patients with esophageal cancer remain controversial. This study aims to comprehensively and quantitatively summarize the potential diagnostic value of 5 serum tumour markers in esophageal cancer. Methods We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM), through February 28, 2013, without language restriction. Studies were assessed for quality using QUADAS (quality assessment of studies of diagnostic accuracy). The positive likelihood ratio (PLR) and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) were pooled separately and compared with overall accuracy measures using diagnostic odds ratios (DORs) and symmetric summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves. Results Of 4391 studies initially identified, 44 eligible studies including five tumor markers met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis, while meta-analysis could not be conducted for 12 other tumor markers. Approximately 79.55% (35/44) of the included studies were of relatively high quality (QUADAS score≥7). The summary estimates of the positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR) and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) for diagnosing EC were as follows: CEA, 5.94/0.76/9.26; Cyfra21-1, 12.110. 59/22.27; p53 antibody, 6.71/0.75/9.60; SCC-Ag, 7.66/0.68/12.41; and VEGF-C, 0.74/0.37/8.12. The estimated summary receiver operating characteristic curves showed that the performance of all five tumor markers was reasonable. Conclusions The current evidence suggests that CEA, Cyfra21-1, p53, SCC-Ag and VEGF-C have a potential diagnostic value for esophageal carcinoma.
Defining biological communication

Communication is ubiquitous in biology, and agreement on terms essential for scientific progress. Yet there is no agreed definition of biological communication. Definitions couched in terms of adaptation are often used, but there is significant variability in exactly which criteria are invoked. An alternative is to define communication in terms of information transfer. This article reviews the merits of these approaches, and argues that the former is to be preferred, so long as we demand that both the signal and the response be adaptive, rather than just one or the other, as is common. Specific concerns with the definition are addressed, and it is then explained why an account of communication predicated on information transfer is necessarily derivative upon such an approach. Other alternatives and some variants of the adaptationist definition are also briefly discussed.
Higher anthocyanin intake is associated with lower arterial stiffness and central blood pressure in women.

BACKGROUND Although a high intake of some flavonoid subclasses may reduce cardiovascular disease mortality, data regarding the in vivo mechanisms of action are limited. OBJECTIVE We examined associations between habitual flavonoid intakes and direct measures of arterial stiffness, central blood pressure, and atherosclerosis. DESIGN In a cross-sectional study of 1898 women aged 18-75 y from the TwinsUK registry, intakes of total flavonoids and their subclasses (flavanones, anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, polymers, flavonols, and flavones) were calculated from validated food-frequency questionnaires by using an updated and extended USDA database. Direct measures of arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis included central systolic blood pressure (cSBP), central diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure (MAP), augmentation index, pulse wave velocity (PWV), and intima-media thickness. RESULTS In multivariate analyses, a higher anthocyanin intake was associated with significantly lower cSBP (mean ± SE: -3.0 ± 1.4 mm Hg for quintile 5 compared with quintile 1; P-trend = 0.02), MAP (-2.3 ± 1.2 mm Hg for quintile 5 compared with quintile 1; P-trend = 0.04), and PWV (-0.4 ± 0.2 m/s for quintile 5 compared with quintile 1; P-trend = 0.04), whereas a higher flavone intake was associated with a lower PWV (-0.4 ± 0.2 m/s for quintile 5 compared with quintile 1; P-trend = 0.04). Although a higher wine and berry intake was associated with a lower PWV, no associations were observed for total and other flavonoid subclasses. CONCLUSIONS These data, which include direct measures of arterial stiffness and thickness, suggest that higher intake of anthocyanins and flavones are inversely associated with lower arterial stiffness. The intakes of anthocyanins associated with these findings could be incorporated into the diet by the consumption of 1-2 portions of berries daily and are, therefore, relevant for public health strategies to reduce cardiovascular disease risk.
Circulating Spexin Levels Negatively Correlate With Age, BMI, Fasting Glucose, and Triglycerides in Healthy Adult Women

Abstract Context Spexin is a newly identified neuropeptide that is involved in satiety control, glucose, and lipids metabolism. It has also been related to human diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, whether spexin changes with age or not is still unclear. Objective The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between circulating spexin levels and age and to study their interaction effects on body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose, and -lipids. Design and Participants This is a cross-sectional study, including 68 healthy adult women whose ages are in a wide range (minimum: 23; median: 38.5; maximum: 64). Outcome Measures The serum spexin levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, urea, and creatinine were measured by routine biochemical test. Shapiro-Wilk’s test, Spearman and Pearson correlation analyses, χ2 test, and two-way analysis of variance were used to interpret the data. Results Serum spexin levels are significantly correlated with age (Spearman r = −0.277, P = 0.022), BMI (Spearman r = −0.445, P < 0.001), fasting glucose (Spearman r = −0.302, P = 0.014), and TG (Spearman r = −0.324, P = 0.008). Spexin levels independently predict the risk of high BMI and high fasting glucose. No interaction effects of spexin and age on BMI and fasting glucose were found. Conclusions Circulating spexin levels decrease with age, suggesting a possible role of this peptide in aging-related functions and disorders. Further investigations are needed to expand the clinical significance of this finding.
Economic Literacy: An International Comparison

This article uses international panel data on 55 countries from 1995 to 2008, merging indicators of economic literacy with a large set of macroeconomic and institutional variables. Results show that there is substantial heterogeneity of financial and economic competence across countries, and that human capital indicators (PISA test scores and college attendance) are positively correlated with economic literacy. Furthermore, inhabitants of countries with more generous social security systems are generally less literate, lending support to the hypothesis that the incentives to acquire economic literacy are related to the amount of resources available for private accumulation.
Measuring Risky Driving Behavior Using an mHealth Smartphone App: Development and Evaluation of gForce

Background Naturalistic driving studies, designed to objectively assess driving behavior and outcomes, are conducted by equipping vehicles with dedicated instrumentation (eg, accelerometers, gyroscopes, Global Positioning System, and cameras) that provide continuous recording of acceleration, location, videos, and still images for eventual retrieval and analyses. However, this research is limited by several factors: the cost of equipment installation; management and storage of the large amounts of data collected; and data reduction, coding, and analyses. Modern smartphone technology includes accelerometers built into phones, and the vast, global proliferation of smartphones could provide a possible low-cost alternative for assessing kinematic risky driving. Objective We evaluated an in-house developed iPhone app (gForce) for detecting elevated g-force events by comparing the iPhone linear acceleration measurements with corresponding acceleration measurements obtained with both a custom Android app and the in-vehicle miniDAS data acquisition system (DAS; Virginia Tech Transportation Institute). Methods The iPhone and Android devices were dashboard-mounted in a vehicle equipped with the DAS instrumentation. The experimental protocol consisted of driving maneuvers on a test track, such as cornering, braking, and turning that were performed at different acceleration levels (ie, mild, moderate, or hard). The iPhone gForce app recorded linear acceleration (ie, gravity-corrected). The Android app recorded gravity-corrected and uncorrected acceleration measurements, and the DAS device recorded gravity-uncorrected acceleration measurements. Lateral and longitudinal acceleration measures were compared. Results The correlation coefficients between the iPhone and DAS acceleration measurements were slightly lower compared to the correlation coefficients between the Android and DAS, possibly due to the gravity correction on the iPhone. Averaging the correlation coefficients for all maneuvers, the longitudinal and lateral acceleration measurements between iPhone and DAS were rlng=0.71 and rlat=0.83, respectively, while the corresponding acceleration measurements between Android and DAS were rlng=0.95 and rlat=0.97. The correlation coefficients between lateral accelerations on all three devices were higher than with the corresponding longitudinal accelerations for most maneuvers. Conclusions The gForce iPhone app reliably assessed elevated g-force events compared to the DAS. Collectively, the gForce app and iPhone platform have the potential to serve as feature-rich, inexpensive, scalable, and open-source tool for assessment of kinematic risky driving events, with potential for research and feedback forms of intervention.
Subclinical Bovine Coccidiosis in Al -Baha Area, Saudi Arabia

Subclinical bovine coccidiosis is an economic problem worldwide because they appear normal outwardly, but developmental stages damage the absorptive surface of the intestine and weaken the immune system. Information on the occurrence, diversity and economic losses due to Eimeria infection in cattle is lacking in Al-Baha area. The objective of this work was to study prevalence of subclinical bovine coccidia, throughout Al-Baha area and to evaluate various factors that might potentially influence prevalence and rate of pathogen excretion.
The Goldilocks Conundrum: The ‘Just Right’ Conditions for Design to Achieve Impact in Public and Third Sector Projects

What are the most important conditions necessary for a design-led approach to innovation or transformation to flourish in an organization? This paper introduces and discusses three ‘just right’ conditions for design to achieve the desired impact in the context of public and third sector projects, where third sector refers to a broad range of community and volunteer groups. The paper draws on a six-month Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded project, aimed at identifying and mapping the impact and value of design in public and third sector organizations. Our research insights are derived from six case studies that were co-created with the project participants of service innovation projects. The case studies were selected based on three criteria: 1) an acknowledged value that design-led approaches have brought to the project; 2) access to a triangulated base of stakeholders: service users, service commissioners and service designers; 3) projects that cover a range of sectors from healthcare, mental well-being, youth services and social care across England, Scotland and Australia. In total eighteen conditions were identified and the ten most important conditions were selected and ranked by the research participants through a workshop validation session. We further clustered these into three overarching themes: community building, capacity, and leadership based on the authors’ previous experiences with public service innovation projects. This research suggests that community building is valued above leadership and capacity as the most important condition for design to have the greatest impact in innovation and transformation projects.
A test of the hydraulic limitation hypothesis in fast‐growing Eucalyptus saligna

The hydraulic limitation hypothesis proposes that (1) reduced growth in taller trees is caused by decreased photosynthesis resulting from a decrease in hydraulic conductance promoted by a longer root-to-leaf flow path, and (2) this mechanism reduces stand productivity after canopy closure. This hypothesis was tested by comparing the physiology of 7 m (1 year) and 26 m (5 year) Eucalyptus saligna plantations where above-ground productivity for the 26 m trees was approximately 69% of that for the 7 m trees, and water and nutrients were not limiting. The study compared whole tree physiology [water flux (Q 1 ), average crown conductance (G T ), crown hydraulic conductance per unit leaf area (K L ), carbon isotope discrimination (δ 13 C)] and leaf physiology under light saturation (leaf water potential at the canopy top (Ψ LEAF ), photosynthetic capacity (A max ), and photosynthesis (A) and stomatal conductance (g s ). K L was 50% lower in the taller trees, but whole tree Q 1 and G T were the same for the 7 m and 26 m trees. Photosynthetic capacity was the same for leaves at the canopy top, but δ 13 C was -1.8‰ lower for the 26 m trees. A and g, were either lower in the taller trees or equal, depending on sampling date. The taller trees maintained 0.8 MPa lower Ψ LEAF during the day and had 2.6-times higher sapwood area per unit leaf area; these factors compensated for the effects of increased height and gravitational potential in the taller trees to maintain higher G T . The hydraulic limitation hypothesis (as originally stated) failed to explain the sharp decline in net primary productivity after canopy closure in this study. The effects of increased height appear to be a universal hydraulic problem for trees, but compensation mitigated these effects and maintained Q 1 and G T in the present study. Compensation may induce other problems (such as lower Ψ LEAF or higher respiratory costs) that could reduce carbon gain or shift carbon allocation, and future studies of hydraulic limitation should consider compensation and associated carbon costs. In this study, the combination of similar G T and lower δ 13 C for the 26 m trees suggests that total crown photosynthesis was lower for the 26 m trees, perhaps a result of the lower Ψ LEAF .
Cancer Patients Enrolled in a Smoking Cessation Clinical Trial: Characteristics and Correlates of Smoking Rate and Nicotine Dependence

Introduction A substantial proportion of cancer patients continue to smoke after their diagnosis but few studies have evaluated correlates of nicotine dependence and smoking rate in this population, which could help guide smoking cessation interventions. Aim This study evaluated correlates of smoking rate and nicotine dependence among 207 cancer patients. Methods A cross-sectional analysis using multiple linear regression evaluated disease, demographic, affective, and tobacco-seeking correlates of smoking rate and nicotine dependence. Smoking rate was assessed using a timeline follow-back method. The Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence measured levels of nicotine dependence. Results A multiple linear regression predicting nicotine dependence showed an association with smoking to alleviate a sense of addiction from the Reasons for Smoking scale and tobacco-seeking behavior from the concurrent choice task (p < .05), but not with affect measured by the HADS and PANAS (p > .05). Multiple linear regression predicting prequit showed an association with smoking to alleviate addiction (p < .05). ANOVA showed that Caucasian participants reported greater rates of smoking compared to other races. Conclusions The results suggest that behavioral smoking cessation interventions that focus on helping patients to manage tobacco-seeking behavior, rather than mood management interventions, could help cancer patients quit smoking.
Exchange transfusion for severe malaria: evidence base and literature review.

BACKGROUND Exchange transfusion (ET) has biologic plausibility as an adjunct to antimalarial drugs in treating severe malaria and has been used for decades despite limited evidence of its efficacy in improving survival. We examined the efficacy of ET as an adjunct treatment for severe malaria using US surveillance data and reviewed the literature to update recommendations. METHODS Patients with severe malaria reported to the US national malaria surveillance system during 1985-2010 were matched, and survival outcomes were compared between patients receiving and not receiving ET. The literature review used search terms "severe malaria" and "exchange transfusion. " Case reports and series, observational and case-control studies, and meta-analysis were included. RESULTS One hundred one patients receiving ET were matched to 314 patients not receiving ET. There was no statistically significant association between ET and survival outcome (odds ratio, 0.84; 95% confidence interval, .44-1.60). We found 87 articles, mostly case reports or series, showing successful use of ET, likely reporting bias. There were 12 comparative studies, most of which were retrospective cohort studies, underpowered with no significant differences in survival. A previously published meta-analysis of 8 comparative studies found no significant survival differences. Adverse events were rarely reported but included acute respiratory distress syndrome, ventricular fibrillation, and hypotension. CONCLUSIONS Despite rapid parasite clearance times resulting from ET, there is no evidence for efficacy of ET as adjunctive therapy in severe malaria. Adjunct ET cannot be recommended. When rapidly acting antimalarials, specifically artemisinins, become more widely available, the biologic plausibility argument for ET will become less relevant.
A Brain–Computer Interface Based on Miniature-Event-Related Potentials Induced by Very Small Lateral Visual Stimuli

Goal: Traditional visual brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) preferred to use large-size stimuli to attract the user's attention and elicit distinct electroencephalography (EEG) features. However, the visual stimuli are of no interest to the users as they just serve as the hidden codes behind the characters. Furthermore, using stronger visual stimuli could cause visual fatigue and other adverse symptoms to users. Therefore, it's imperative for visual BCIs to use small and inconspicuous visual stimuli to code characters. Methods: This study developed a new BCI speller based on miniature asymmetric visual evoked potentials (aVEPs), which encodes 32 characters with a space-code division multiple access scheme and decodes EEG features with a discriminative canonical pattern matching algorithm. Notably, the visual stimulus used in this study only subtended 0.5° of visual angle and was placed outside the fovea vision on the lateral side, which could only induce a miniature potential about 0.5 μV in amplitude and about 16.5 dB in signal-to-noise rate. A total of 12 subjects were recruited to use the miniature aVEP speller in both offline and online tests. Results: Information transfer rates up to 63.33 b/min could be achieved from online tests (online demo URL: https://www.youtube.com/edit? o=U&video_id=kC7btB3mvGY). Conclusion: Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of using very small and inconspicuous visual stimuli to implement an efficient BCI system, even though the elicited EEG features are very weak. Significance: The proposed innovative technique can broaden the category of BCIs and strengthen the brain-computer communication.