Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Source‐to‐sink analysis in an active extensional setting: Holocene erosion and deposition in the Sperchios rift, central Greece

We present a source‐to‐sink analysis to explain sediment supply variations and depositional patterns over the Holocene within an active rift setting. We integrate a range of modelling approaches and data types with field observations from the Sperchios rift basin, Central Greece that allow us to analyse and quantify (1) the size and characteristics of sediment source areas, (2) the dynamics of the sediment routing system from upstream fluvial processes to downstream deposition at the coastline, and (3) the depositional architecture and volumes of the Holocene basin fill. We demonstrate that the Sperchios rift comprises a ‘closed’ system over the Holocene and that erosional and depositional volumes are thus balanced. Furthermore, we evaluate key controls in the development of this source‐to‐sink system, including the role of pre‐existing topography, bedrock erodibility and lateral variations in the rate of tectonic uplift/subsidence. We show that tectonic subsidence alone can explain the observed grain size fining along the rift axis resulting in the downstream transition from a braided channel to an extensive meander belt (>15 km long) that feeds the fine‐grained Sperchios delta. Additionally, we quantify the ratios of sediment storage to bypass for the two main footwall‐sourced alluvial fan systems and relate the fan characteristics to the pattern and rates of fault slip. Finally, we show that ≥40% of the sediment that builds the Sperchios delta is supplied by ≤22% of the entire source area and that this can be primarily attributed to a longer‐term (~106 years) transient landscape response to fault segment linkage. Our multidisciplinary approach allows us to quantify the relative importance of multiple factors that control a complex source‐to‐sink system and thus improve our understanding of landscape evolution and stratigraphic development in active extensional tectonic settings.
From medicine to poison: how flexible strategic environmental assessment may be? Lessons from a non-regulated SEA system

ABSTRACT Empirical research dedicated to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is mostly grounded on SEA systems guided by legal requirements, clearly stated procedures and systematic use of SEA to policy- and plan-making. Nevertheless, a considerable parcel of SEA practice is currently occurring in countries with no specific legislation or guidance to be followed, i.e. non-regulated SEA systems. Therefore, it is important to understand how SEA is performing in these countries and to establish whether related SEA systems are subject to the same premises and perspectives of effectiveness that have been reported in literature so far. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the state-of-practice in Brazil, based on best practice analysis of SEA reports and interviews, reporting empirical evidence regarding the use of SEA and its related timing, procedural performance and key players involved. Main findings reveal an isolated instrument, embroidered in a disperse and unclear framework, poorly coordinated and highly sensitive to circumstances. Provision of a structured system, indicating clear purposes of SEA, systematic procedures and stakeholder’s responsibilities are suggested as potentially relevant measures to balance current system’s flexibility, thus fostering SEA effectiveness.
Risk of sudden cardiac death in relation to season-specific cold spells: a case–crossover study in Finland

Objective To test a priori hypothesis of an association between season-specific cold spells and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Methods We conducted a case–crossover study of 3614 autopsy-verified cases of SCD in the Province of Oulu, Finland (1998–2011). Cold spell was statistically defined by applying an individual frequency distribution of daily temperatures at the home address during the hazard period (7 days preceding death) and 50 reference periods (same calendar days of other years) for each case using the home coordinates. Conditional logistic regression was applied to estimate ORs for the association between the occurrence of cold spells and the risk of SCD after controlling for temporal trends. Results The risk of SCD was associated with a preceding cold spell (OR 1.33; 95% CI 1.00, 1.78). A greater number of cold days preceding death increased the risk of SCD approximately 19% per day (OR 1.19; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.32). The association was strongest during autumn (OR 2.51; 95% CI 1.27 to 4.96) and winter (OR 1.70; 95% CI 1.13 to 2.55) and lowest during summer (OR 0.42; 95% CI 0.15 to 1.18) and spring (OR 0.89; 95% CI 0.45 to 1.79). The association was stronger for ischaemic (OR 1.55; 95% CI 1.12 to 2.13) than for non-ischaemic SCD (OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.32 to 1.45) verified by medicolegal autopsy. Conclusions Our results indicate that there is an association between cold spells and SCD, that this association is strongest during autumn, when the weather event is prolonged, and with cases suffering ischaemic SCD. These findings are subsumed with potential prevention via weather forecasting, medical advice and protective behaviour.
Blood Platelets Are Assembled Principally at the Ends of Proplatelet Processes Produced by Differentiated Megakaryocytes

Megakaryocytes release mature platelets in a complex process. Platelets are known to be released from intermediate structures, designated proplatelets, which are long, tubelike extensions of the megakaryocyte cytoplasm. We have resolved the ultrastructure of the megakaryocyte cytoskeleton at specific stages of proplatelet morphogenesis and correlated these structures with cytoplasmic remodeling events defined by video microscopy. Platelet production begins with the extension of large pseudopodia that use unique cortical bundles of microtubules to elongate and form thin proplatelet processes with bulbous ends; these contain a peripheral bundle of microtubules that loops upon itself and forms a teardrop-shaped structure. Contrary to prior observations and assumptions, time-lapse microscopy reveals proplatelet processes to be extremely dynamic structures that interconvert reversibly between spread and tubular forms. Microtubule coils similar to those observed in blood platelets are detected only at the ends of proplatelets and not within the platelet-sized beads found along the length of proplatelet extensions. Growth and extension of proplatelet processes is associated with repeated bending and bifurcation, which results in considerable amplification of free ends. These aspects are inhibited by cytochalasin B and, therefore, are dependent on actin. We propose that mature platelets are assembled de novo and released only at the ends of proplatelets, and that the complex bending and branching observed during proplatelet morphogenesis represents an elegant mechanism to increase the numbers of proplatelet ends.
Self-Organization Based Clustering in MANETs Using Zone Based Group Mobility

The dynamic network topology and mobile nature of nodes can cause challenges regarding connectivity and routing. Clustering in mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) is one of the effective ways to organize a network according to the network topological changes. In this paper, we propose a self-organization-based clustering scheme in MANET using zone-based group mobility to improve scalability and stability of overall network. This proposed algorithm utilizes the bio-inspired behavioral study of birds flocking for the formation and maintenance of clusters in MANETs. A dynamic mechanism for cluster size management is taken into account to reduce network congestion and improve the performance of the MANETs in group mobility. For proper use of resources and to reduce extra energy consumption, an algorithm is also proposed to handle the isolated nodes. Simulation result shows that proposed algorithm reduces the energy consumption and improves the network lifetime along with more robustness.
Finite-state multimodal integration and understanding

Multimodal interfaces are systems that allow input and/or output to be conveyed over multiple channels such as speech, graphics, and gesture. In addition to parsing and understanding separate utterances from different modes such as speech or gesture, multimodal interfaces also need to parse and understand composite multimodal utterances that are distributed over multiple input modes. We present an approach in which multimodal parsing and understanding are achieved using a weighted finite-state device which takes speech and gesture streams as inputs and outputs their joint interpretation. In comparison to previous approaches, this approach is significantly more efficient and provides a more general probabilistic framework for multimodal ambiguity resolution. The approach also enables tight-coupling of multimodal understanding with speech recognition. Since the finite-state approach is more lightweight in computational needs, it can be more readily deployed on a broader range of mobile platforms. We provide speech recognition results that demonstrate compensation effects of exploiting gesture information in a directory assistance and messaging task using a multimodal interface.
Clinical utility and consumer considerations for the use of once-daily nevirapine extended release for HIV infection treatment

An extended-release formulation of nevirapine (NVP-XR) has been developed with the aim of simplifying antiretroviral treatment regimens and improving patients’ adherence with a single daily intake. The VERxVE and TRANxITION clinical trials have demonstrated the noninferiority of NVP-XR compared with nevirapine immediate-release (NVP-IR) on viral load after 24 and 48 months of treatment. The tolerance profiles of NVP-XR and NVP-IR are similar. Simplifying the treatment dosage for NVP would likely improve adherence to antiretroviral treatments.
The spectrum of management practices in nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage: A survey of high-volume centers in the United States

Background: There is a considerable variety of management practices for nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (ntSAH) across high-volume centers in the United States. We sought to design a survey which would highlight areas of controversy in the modern management of ntSAH and identify specific areas of interest fo further study. Methods: A questionnaire on management practices in ntSAH was formulated using a popular web-based survey tool (SurveyMonkey™, Palo Alto, CA) and sent to endovascular neurointerventionists and cerebrovascular surgeons who manage a high volume of these patients annually. Two-hundred questionnaires were delivered electronically, and after a period of 2 months, the questionnaire was resent to nonresponders. Results: Seventy-three physicians responded, representing a cross-section of academic and other high-volume centers of excellence from around the country. On average, the responding interventionists in this survey each manage approximately 100 patients with ntSAH annually. Over 57% reported using steroids to treat this patient population. Approximately 18% of the respondents use intrathecal thrombolytics in ntSAH. Over 90% of responding physicians administer nimodipine to all patients with ntSAH. Over 40% selectively administer antiepileptic drugs to patients with ntSAH. Several additional questions were posed regarding the methods of detecting and treating vasospasm, as well as the indications for CSF diversion in patients with ntSAH further demonstrating the great diversity in management. Conclusion: This survey illustrates the astonishing variety of treatment practices for patients with ntSAH and underscores the need for further study.
The Effect of α +-Thalassaemia on the Incidence of Malaria and Other Diseases in Children Living on the Coast of Kenya

Background The α-thalassaemias are the commonest genetic disorders of humans. It is generally believed that this high frequency reflects selection through a survival advantage against death from malaria; nevertheless, the epidemiological description of the relationships between α-thalassaemia, malaria, and other common causes of child mortality remains incomplete. Methods and Findings We studied the α +-thalassaemia-specific incidence of malaria and other common childhood diseases in two cohorts of children living on the coast of Kenya. We found no associations between α +-thalassaemia and the prevalence of symptomless Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia, the incidence of uncomplicated P. falciparum disease, or parasite densities during mild or severe malaria episodes. However, we found significant negative associations between α +-thalassaemia and the incidence rates of severe malaria and severe anaemia (haemoglobin concentration < 50 g/l). The strongest associations were for severe malaria anaemia (> 10,000 P. falciparum parasites/μl) and severe nonmalaria anaemia; the incidence rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for α +-thalassaemia heterozygotes and homozygotes combined compared to normal children were, for severe malaria anaemia, 0.33 (95% CI, 0.15,0.73; p = 0.006), and for severe nonmalaria anaemia, 0.26 (95% CI, 0.09,0.77; p = 0.015). Conclusions Our observations suggest, first that selection for α +-thalassaemia might be mediated by a specific effect against severe anaemia, an observation that may lead to fresh insights into the aetiology of this important condition. Second, although α +-thalassaemia is strongly protective against severe and fatal malaria, its effects are not detectable at the level of any other malaria outcome; this result provides a cautionary example for studies aimed at testing malaria interventions or identifying new malaria-protective genes.
Histone Crosstalk Directed by H2B Ubiquitination Is Required for Chromatin Boundary Integrity

Genomic maps of chromatin modifications have provided evidence for the partitioning of genomes into domains of distinct chromatin states, which assist coordinated gene regulation. The maintenance of chromatin domain integrity can require the setting of boundaries. The HS4 insulator element marks the 3′ boundary of a heterochromatin region located upstream of the chicken β-globin gene cluster. Here we show that HS4 recruits the E3 ligase RNF20/BRE1A to mediate H2B mono-ubiquitination (H2Bub1) at this insulator. Knockdown experiments show that RNF20 is required for H2Bub1 and processive H3K4 methylation. Depletion of RNF20 results in a collapse of the active histone modification signature at the HS4 chromatin boundary, where H2Bub1, H3K4 methylation, and hyperacetylation of H3, H4, and H2A.Z are rapidly lost. A remarkably similar set of events occurs at the HSA/HSB regulatory elements of the FOLR1 gene, which mark the 5′ boundary of the same heterochromatin region. We find that persistent H2Bub1 at the HSA/HSB and HS4 elements is required for chromatin boundary integrity. The loss of boundary function leads to the sequential spreading of H3K9me2, H3K9me3, and H4K20me3 over the entire 50 kb FOLR1 and β-globin region and silencing of FOLR1 expression. These findings show that the HSA/HSB and HS4 boundary elements direct a cascade of active histone modifications that defend the FOLR1 and β-globin gene loci from the pervasive encroachment of an adjacent heterochromatin domain. We propose that many gene loci employ H2Bub1-dependent boundaries to prevent heterochromatin spreading.
The Vallecas Project: A Cohort to Identify Early Markers and Mechanisms of Alzheimer’s Disease

Introduction Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major threat for the well-being of an increasingly aged world population. The physiopathological mechanisms of late-onset AD are multiple, possibly heterogeneous, and not well understood. Different combinations of variables from several domains (i.e., clinical, neuropsychological, structural, and biochemical markers) may predict dementia conversion, according to distinct physiopathological pathways, in different groups of subjects. Methods We launched the Vallecas Project (VP), a cohort study of non-demented people aged 70–85, to characterize the social, clinical, neuropsychological, structural, and biochemical underpinnings of AD inception. Given the exploratory nature of the VP, multidimensional and machine learning techniques will be applied, in addition to the traditional multivariate statistical methods. Results A total of 1169 subjects were recruited between October 2011 and December 2013. Mean age was 74.4 years (SD 3.9), 63.5% of the subjects were women, and 17.9% of the subjects were carriers of at least one ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene. Cognitive diagnoses at inclusion were as follows: normal cognition 93.0% and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) 7.0% (3.1% amnestic MCI, 0.1% non-amnestic MCI, 3.8% mixed MCI). Blood samples were obtained and stored for future determinations in 99.9% of the subjects and 3T magnetic resonance imaging study was conducted in 89.9% of the volunteers. The cohort is being followed up annually for 4 years after the baseline. Conclusion We have established a valuable homogeneous single-center cohort which, by identifying groups of variables associated with high risk of MCI or dementia conversion, should help to clarify the early physiopathological mechanisms of AD and should provide avenues for prompt diagnosis and AD prevention.
Confining phase superpotentials for SO/Sp gauge theories via geometric transition

We examine a large N duality via geometric transition for = 1 SO/Sp gauge theories with superpotential for adjoint chiral superfield. In this paper, we find that the large N gauge theories are exactly analyzed for the classical quartic superpotentials by the finite rank SO/Sp gauge theories. With this classical superpotentials, we evaluate the confining phase superpotentials using the Seiberg-Witten theory. In the dual theory, we calculate the superpotential generated by the R-R and NS-NS 3-form fluxes. As the non-trivial examples, we discuss for SO(6), SO(8) and Sp(4) gauge theories. In these cases we have the perfect agreement of the confining phase superpotentials up to the 4th order of the glueball superfields.
Ieee Transactions on Software Engineering Quantifying the Effect of Code Smells on Maintenance Effort

—Context: Code smells are assumed to indicate bad design that leads to less maintainable code. However, this assumption has not been investigated in controlled studies with professional software developers. Aim: This paper investigates the relationship between code smells and maintenance effort. Method: Six developers were hired to perform three maintenance tasks each on four functionally equivalent Java systems originally implemented by different companies. Each developer spent three to four weeks. In total, they modified 298 Java files in the four systems. An Eclipse IDE plug-in measured the exact amount of time a developer spent maintaining each file. Regression analysis was used to explain the effort using file properties, including the number of smells. Results: None of the 12 investigated smells was significantly associated with increased effort after we adjusted for file size and the number of changes; Refused Bequest was significantly associated with decreased effort. File size and the number of changes explained almost all of the modeled variation in effort. Conclusion: The effects of the 12 smells on maintenance effort were limited. To reduce maintenance effort, a focus on reducing code size and the work practices that limit the number of changes may be more beneficial than refactoring code smells.
Fast-FMI: Non-reference image fusion metric

In this paper, we present a non-reference image fusion metric based on the mutual information of image features. Whereas a recent metric proposed by the author called FMI achieves such a goal, the algorithm is complex and has high memory requirements for its calculations. This paper shows how to modify the model of FMI, and proposes a faster algorithm to achieve similar results. The new algorithm achieves a significant complexity reduction in comparison to the previous model. Various experiments prove the efficiency of the algorithm in consistency with the subjective criteria. Matlab source code for this metric is provided at http://www.mathworks. com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/45926.
Salivary Response to Lemon Juice as a Measure of Introversion in Children

The relationship between introversion, as measured by the Junior Eysenck Personality Inventory, and salivation to lemon juice was examined with 10 boys and 10 girls at CA 8, 10, and 12. Boys salivated significantly more than girls to lemon juice stimulation (P < .05), but comparable sex differences also occurred in salivation to water by control Ss. Introversion correlated . 43 (P < .01) with salivation for all 25 girls but not for boys (r = .19). Ss who were in the upper third of the total group on extraversion showed significantly less salivation to lemon juice than did Ss in the lower third (P < .025), which is consistent with Eysenck's theoretical analysis.
Hadoop high availability through metadata replication

Hadoop is widely adopted to support data intensive distributed applications. Many of them are mission critical and require inherent high availability of Hadoop. Unfortunately, Hadoop has no high availability support yet, and it is not trivial to enhance Hadoop. Based on thorough investigation of Hadoop, this paper proposes a metadata replication based solution to enable Hadoop high availability by removing single point of failure in Hadoop. The solution involves three major phases: in initialization phase, each standby/slave node is registered to active/primary node and its initial metadata (such as version file and file system image) are caught up with those of active/primary node; in replication phase, the runtime metadata (such as outstanding operations and lease states) for failover in future are replicated; in failover phase, standby/new elected primary node takes over all communications. The solution presents several unique features for Hadoop, such as runtime configurable synchronization mode. The experiments demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of our solution.
A survey of acute complications associated with endotracheal intubation.

NE of the most common complaints after endotracheal intubation for surgical anesthesia is the sore throat in the immediately postoperative soreness continues, but with lessening for from to hours. The seldom require pallia-tive treatment, and they are not accompanied or followed by permanent disability. In a rare instance, a fibrous adenoma may appear on the vocal cords, but the possibility of this complication is no contraindication to endotracheal intubation whenever it is appropriate for the anesthetic and surgical procedures contemplated. This survey in to review our experience with the postoperative adverse effects of endotracheal intubation, including sore throat, rhinitis, laryngitis, and tracheitis, and to discover, if possible, the causes. Examination of the patients revealed that lesions ranged from manifestations to frank chemical irritations. The analysis included study of as well as