Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regional CO2 fluxes inferred from mixing ratio measurements: estimates from flask air samples in central Kansas, USA

We estimated regional fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) using mixing ratios measured in a tallgrass prairie in central Kansas, USA over 3 yr (2002–2004). Glass flasks were used to collect whole air samples in the midafternoon for determining CO2 mixing ratios and their carbon isotopic composition. Regional CO2 fluxes were calculated assuming atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) approaches an equilibrium state on a monthly basis. CO2 mixing ratios derived from the marine boundary layer data were used as a proxy to represent those in the free troposphere, which allowed for determining a boundary layer CO2 gradient primarily resulting from surface exchange.We estimated temporal changes in the ABL height for this region on a monthly basis (600–1700 m asl for a 5-yr average between 1997 and 2001) from European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model data. Accordingly, we estimated the rate of entrainment (flux density) by interpolating NCAR/NCEP reanalysis data to the estimated ABL height. Our study differentiates from previous studies in several aspects: (1) we used flask-based mixing ratio measurements; (2) only discrete midday CO2 mixing ratio data were used to construct weekly CO2 gradients between free troposphere and the ABL and (3) we propose a new means for estimating monthly values of vertical transport. Modelled regional CO2 fluxes were compared to net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO2 fluxes measured by eddy covariance method. Assuming negligible verticalCO2 gradients between mid-ABL and the surface layer and with no correction applied, calculatedNEE showed a general agreement with measured NEE fluxes throughout the growing season. Using CO mixing ratio data, we show that fossil fuel burning contributed negligible CO2 fluxes in summer but partially explained the discrepancy between modelled regional CO2 fluxes and measured NEE in winter. This wintertime fossil fuel input was consistent with carbon isotope measurements of CO2.We demonstrate in this study that CO2 mixing ratios subsampled at midday in the surface layer can be used to gain insights into regional CO2 flux exchange in the U.S. Great Plains area.
An Integrated Study to Evaluate Debris Flow Hazard in Alpine Environment

Debris flows are among the most dangerous natural processes affecting the alpine environment due to their magnitude (volume of transported material) and the long runout. The presence of structures and infrastructures on alluvial fans can lead to severe problems in terms of interactions between debris flows and human activities. Risk mitigation in these areas requires identifying the magnitude, triggers, and propagation of debris flows. Here, we propose an integrated methodology to characterize these phenomena. The methodology consists of three complementary procedures. Firstly, we adopt a classification method based on the propensity of the catchment bedrocks to produce clayey-grained material. The classification allows us to identify the most likely rheology of the process. Secondly, we calculate a sediment connectivity index to estimate the topographic control on the possible coupling between the sediment source areas and the catchment channel network. This step allows for the assessment of the debris supply, which is most likely available for the channelized processes. Finally, with the data obtained in the previous steps, we modelled the propagation and depositional pattern of debris flows with a 3D code based on Cellular Automata. The results of the numerical runs allow us to identify the depositional patterns and the areas potentially involved in the flow processes. This integrated methodology is applied to a test-bed catchment located in Northwestern Alps. The results indicate that this approach can be regarded as a useful tool to estimate debris flow related potential hazard scenarios in an alpine environment in an expeditious way without possessing an exhaustive knowledge of the investigated catchment, including data on historical debris flow events.
Bone Loss and Physical Activity - A Bio Anthropological Perspective

Increased life expectancy on the one hand and dramatically reduced physical activity in daily life on the other hand are characteristic features of postmodern life. Consequently Homo sapiens is increasingly confronted with the problems associated with accelerated bone loss, osteoporosis and osteoporosis related fractures. This is true of Industrialised countries as well as of threshold countries. A major risk factor of osteoporosis and low bone mass is physical inactivity. Up to now, bone loss and osteoporosis are mainly focused on from a clinical viewpoint. In the present review a bioanthropological perspective of the association between physical inactivity and osteoporosis is provided. The problem is discussed from the viewpoint of life history theory, but also from the viewpoint of evolutionary biology, especially evolutionary medicine and paleopathology.
Lrp 4 in osteoblasts suppresses bone formation and promotes osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption

Bone mass is maintained by balanced activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Lrp4 (low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein 4) is a member of the LDL receptor family, whose mutations have been identified in patients with high–bone-mass disorders, such as sclerosteosis and van Buchem diseases. However, it remains unknown whether and how Lrp4 regulates bone-mass homeostasis in vivo. Here we provide evidence that Lrp4-null mutation or specific mutation in osteoblast-lineage cells increased cortical and trabecular bone mass, which was associated with elevated bone formation and impaired bone resorption. This phenotype was not observed in osteoclast-selective Lrp4 knockout mice. Mechanistic studies indicate that loss of Lrp4 function in osteoblast-lineage cells increased serum levels of sclerostin, a key factor for bone-mass homeostasis that interacts with Lrp4, but abolished the inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and osteoblastic differentiation by sclerostin. Concomitantly, sclerostin induction of RANKL (receptor activator of nuclear kappa B ligand) was impaired, leading to a lower ratio of RANKL over OPG (osteoprotegerin) (a key factor for osteoclastogenesis). Taken together, these results support the view for Lrp4 as a receptor of sclerostin to inhibit Wnt/β-catenin signaling and bone formation and identify Lrp4 as a critical player in bonemass homeostasis.
Quintessence models in supergravity

Scalar field models of quintessence typically require that the expectation value of the field today be of the order of the Planck mass, if we want them to explain the observed acceleration of the Universe. This suggests that we should be considering models in the context of supergravity. We discuss a particular class of supergravity models and analyze their behavior under different choices of the K\"ahler metric.
Faster convergence and reduction of overfitting in numerical hand sign recognition using DCNN

Hand signs and signals are the staple form of expression for the hearing and speech impaired people. Human Computer Interaction technology enable people to interact with computer machine using hand gestures. Common sign languages use separate hand signals to communicate different decimals. Recent developments in Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (DCNN) have opened the door to recognize and classify this visual form of gestures more accurately. In this paper, a layer-wise optimized neural network architecture is proposed where batch normalization contributes to faster convergence of training, and introduction of dropout technique mitigates data overfitting. Batch normalization forces each training batch toward zero mean and unit variance, leading to improved flow of gradients through the model and convergence in shorter time. Dropout forces neurons of neural network to regularize, resulting in reduced overfitting. A constructed numerical hand gesture data set is used for validating the claims based on American Sign Language system. The proposed model is shown to surpass other methods in classifying these numerical hand signs successfully.
Radiative Signatures of Parsec-Scale Magnetised Jets

Relativistic jets are launched from the immediate vicinity of black holes and can reach kilo-parsec scales. During their evolution from the smallest to the largest scales, they encounter different physical conditions (e.g., ambient configurations and magnetic fields) which can modify their morphology and dynamics. Using state-of-the-art relativistic magneto-hydrodynamical simulations and ray-tracing algorithms, we model the dynamics of jets along with their radiation microphysics, investigating the impact of magnetisation on the jet dynamics and the observed emission. During the post-processing procedure we account for the properties of the observing array (sparse uv-plane) and the imaging algorithm, enabling a more direct comparison between simulations and ground-or space-based very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations. The different jet models can be distinguished from the reconstructed radio images.
Theoretical Support for the Hydrodynamic Mechanism of Pulsar Kicks

The collapse of a massive star’s core, followed by a neutrino-driven, asymmetric supernova explosion, can naturally lead to pulsar recoils and neutron star kicks. Here, we present a two-dimensional, radiation-hydrodynamic simulation in which core collapse leads to significant acceleration of a fully formed, nascent neutron star via an induced, neutrino-driven explosion. During the explosion, an ~10% anisotropy in the low-mass, high-velocity ejecta leads to recoil of the high-mass neutron star. At the end of our simulation, the neutron star has achieved a velocity of ~150 km s^(-1) and is accelerating at ~350 km s^(-2), but has yet to reach the ballistic regime. The recoil is due almost entirely to hydrodynamical processes, with anisotropic neutrino emission contributing less than 2% to the overall kick magnitude. Since the observed distribution of neutron star kick velocities peaks at ~300–400 km s^(-1), recoil due to anisotropic core-collapse supernovae provides a natural, nonexotic mechanism with which to obtain neutron star kicks.
A study on performance of LDPC codes on power line communications

This paper deals with low density parity check (LDPC) codes on power line communication (PLC). PLC is very attractive for achieving high-rate in-home networks. The noise in power lines is modeled as cyclostationary Gaussian noise processes. In order to achieve reliable communication using power lines, error control techniques need to be taken against the particular noise. We examine the effects of LDPC codes on power line noise environments. The result indicates that LDPC codes have enough capability to limit the influence of the power line noise. It also provides that an accurate SNR estimation technique is required to achieve "good" decoding performance. Furthermore, we find that the performance of LDPC codes is superior to that of turbo codes under the power line noise environments.
Genotypic specificity of walnut (Juglans regia L.) pollen germination on different germination media

The pollen of three walnut cultivars ('Geisenheim 139', 'Geisenheim 251' and 'Elit') was germinated on the culture media designed by combining different concentrations of agar (0.6 and 0.8%), sucrose (10, 15 and 20%), boric acid (0, 300 and 600 ppm) and calcium chloride (0, 50 and 100 ppm). A total of 54 combinations of these substances for each of the cultivars were tested in order to develop the most suitable medium for in vitro pollen germination tests in walnut. Walnut pollen germination was significantly affected by genotype and agar, sucrose, boric acid and calcium chloride concentrations in the medium. The average pollen germination percentage was the highest (13.4%) in cv. 'Geisenheim 251' and the lowest (6.8%) in cv. 'Geisenheim 139'. Significant interactions were observed between the germination medium components, as well as between cultivars and germination medium. The optimum germination medium for 'Geisenheim 139' pollen contained 0.6% agar, 20% sucrose, 600 ppm boric acid and 0% calcium chloride. The pollen of cvs. 'Elit' and 'Geisenheim 251' gave maximum germination on the medium containing 0.6% agar, 15% sucrose, 300 ppm boric acid and 50 ppm calcium chloride.
DIVISION OF THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Two parties may agree to a mutually binding contract that will govern their behavior after an uncertain event becomes known. As there is no agent who can both observe this uncertain outcome and enforce the contract, contingent agreements are precluded. However, the parties recognize that the uncertain event will be common knowledge for them, and that they will be able to renegotiate the contract voluntarily, provided that they both gain in doing so. When structuring the original contract they can foresee this renegotiation phase. Efficient contracts are those that perform best, when taking this into account. This paper studies the form of such efficient contracts. It is shown that it is always better to have a contract than it is to have none, no matter which party has the preponderence of bargaining strength in the renegotiation phase. We also study whether renegotiation can substitute completely for the absence of contingent contracts. We characterize a family of cases where it can. And we present some "second-best" results in others, where it cannot. * This research was supported by National Science Foundation grant number IRI-85-07291. The authors thank Michael Whinston and John Moore for comments on the earlier version.
The Benefits of Balance: Credibility, the Rule of Law, and Investment in Latin America

Research surrounding political institutions and credible commitment to the rule of law is integral to recent efforts to tie democracy to economic development. I identify the determinants of rule-of-law perceptions in Latin America and argue that constraining elected officials facilitates a commitment to democracy that makes government policies credible. I also argue that aspects of politics leading to deadlock might have a hidden upside in generating policy credibility. I test my arguments against pooled cross-sectional, time series data for twenty Latin American countries between 1996 and 2012. Ultimately, my research demonstrates the benefits of functioning checks and balances among elected officials for the rule of law and provides a uniform framework linking democratic inputs to legal and economic outcomes.
Information Needs of Sesame Farming Households in Selected Agricultural Zones of Katsina State, Nigeria

The study examined information needs of sesame farming households in selected agricultural zones of Katsina state, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used in selecting 170 sesame farmers across Katsina state. Data were obtained with the aid of a well-structured interview schedule, and analyzed using percentages, mean, chi-square and PPMC. Results revealed that average age, household size and farm size were 39±11.5, 9.11±5.7 and 2.00±1.78 respectively. Majority were males (95.0%), married (89.3%) and had Quranic education (64.3%). Sesame farmers got information through personal experience (􀀀 􀀁2.65), radio/television (􀀀 􀀁2.12) as well as friends and neighbour (􀀀 􀀁2.09). The most important information needs of respondents were on improved seed varieties (􀀀 􀀁2.77), fertilizer and manure application (􀀀 􀀁 2.75), better storage strategies (􀀀 􀀁2.68) and agricultural insurance (􀀀 􀀁2.67). The following constraints to accessing information on sesame production were identified, including inadequate extension contact (􀀀 􀀁 1.92), poor communication network (􀀀 􀀁1.87) and lack of agricultural-based television programmes (􀀀 􀀁1.68). Farm size (r = -0.178, p = 0.036) had significant relationship with respondents’ information needs. There is the need for extension programme to be revitalized in Katsina State with the aim of addressing the common needs of farmers on economically important crops such as sesame. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016. v7n1s1p204
A new Sensorless Control for the Switched Reluctance Machine

This paper presents a new method for determination of the rotor position of the switched reluctance machine (SRM). With this it is possible to eliminate the use of the positions encoder, which is usually necessary to control the SRM. The method is based on a machine model, which includes the phase voltage equation. It can be calculated in real time. Additionally for better dynamic performance a new digital control loop is proposed. The advantages of this method are simplicity, it requires low computation time, and it gives accurate sensorless rotor position for motor operation as well as generator operation
Observation of Suppressed Interdiffusion in FeRh/FePt-Ta Bilayer Thin Films

FeRh/FePt bilayers on MgO (100) substrates were fabricated by rf-magnetron sputtering, and the magnetic properties and microstructures of the bilayers were studied in terms of Ta addition to the storage layer. Compared to undoped FeRh/FePt bilayers, FeRh/FePt-Ta bilayer films showed improved magnetic properties and lower degree of interdiffusion. The FeRh/FePt-Ta bilayers clearly demonstrated the AFM-FM transition. Reduced interdiffusion by Ta segregation along grain boundaries was speculated to be a possible cause for the observed improvement in magnetic properties when fabricated at high temperature.
Harmonization and Side Payments in Political Cooperation

For two districts or countries that try to internalize externalities, I analyze a bargaining game under private information. I derive conditions for when it is efficient with uniform policies across regions—with and without side payments— and when it is efficient to prohibit side payments in the negotiations. While policy differentiation and side payments allow the policy to better reflect local conditions, they create conflicts between the regions and, thus, delay. The results also describe when political centralization outperforms decentralized cooperation, and they provide a theoretical foundation for the controversial "uniformity assumption" traditionally used by the fiscal federalism literature. (JEL C78, D72, D82, H77)
Sharp maximal inequalities for conditionally symmetric martingales and Brownian motion

Let B=(B t ) t≥0 be a standard Brownian motion. For c>0, k>0, let T(c, k)=inf{t≥0 : max s≤t B s −cB t ≥k}, T*(c, k)=inf{t≥0 : max s≤t |B s |−c|B t |≥k}. We show that for the c>0 and k>0, both T(c, k) and T*(c, k) are finite almost everywhere. Moreover T(c, k) and T*(c, k)∈L p/2 if and only of c 1, and for all c>0 when p≤1. These results have analogues for simple random walks
A Study of Drug Transport in the Vitreous Humor: Effect of Drug Size; Comparing Micro- and Macro-scale diffusion; Assessing Vitreous Models; and Obtaining In Vivo Data

Treatment of vision impairing diseases involves drug transport through the vitreous humor. Diffusion cells were used to measure macro-scale (mutual) diffusivity (Dm) to understand how solute size affects diffusion through the vitreous humor of rabbit and porcine eyes. Solutes examined included timolol maleate, dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DMSP), sodium fluorescein, and FITC-dextrans (4, 40, and 150kDa). Diffusivity was inversely dependent on solute size. The Dm's of small solutes in the vitreous were 30 – 65% of that in PBS, while the Dm's of large solutes were 40 – 60% of that in PBS. Extrapolations to the human eye produced similar results using diffusivities based on either species. We used Diffusion Ordered NMR Spectroscopy to measure micro-scale (self) diffusivity (Ds) of DMSP through vitreous humor. The Ds and Dm were significantly different in PBS, but similar in vitreous. A method for obtaining in vivo imagery and data of vitreous fluorophore distribution is also presented.
An Evolutionary Theory for the Variability Hypothesis

An elementary biostatistical theory based on a selectivity-variability principle is proposed to address a question raised by Charles Darwin, namely, how one sex of a sexually dimorphic species might tend to evolve with greater variability than the other sex. Briefly, the theory says that if one sex is relatively selective then from one generation to the next, more variable subpopulations of the opposite sex will generally tend to prevail over those with lesser variability. Moreover, the perhaps less intuitive converse also holds: if a sex is relatively non-selective, then less variable subpopulations of the opposite sex will prevail over those with greater variability. This theory requires certain regularity conditions on the distributions, but makes no assumptions about differences in means between the sexes, nor does it presume that one sex is selective and the other non-selective. Two mathematical models of the selectivity-variability principle are presented: a discrete-time one-step probabilistic model of short-term behavior with an example using normally distributed perceived fitness values; and a continuous-time deterministic model for the long-term asymptotic behavior of the expected sizes of the subpopulations with an example using exponentially distributed fitness levels.
Spatiotemporally resolved imaging of streamer discharges in air generated in a wire-cylinder reactor with (sub)nanosecond voltage pulses

We use (sub)nanosecond high-voltage pulses to generate streamers in atmospheric-pressure air in a wire-cylinder reactor. We study the effect of reactor length, pulse duration, pulse amplitude, pulse polarity, and pulse rise time on the streamer development, specifically on the streamer distribution in the reactor to relate it to plasma-processing results. We use ICCD imaging with a fully automated setup that can image the streamers in the entire corona-plasma reactor. From the images, we calculate streamer lengths and velocities. We also develop a circuit simulation model of the reactor to support the analysis of the streamer development. The results show how the propagation of the high-voltage pulse through the reactor determines the streamer development. As the pulse travels through the reactor, it generates streamers and attenuates and disperses. At the end of the reactor, it reflects and adds to itself. The local voltage on the wire together with the voltage rise time determine the streamer velocities, and the pulse duration the consequent maximal streamer length.
Antioxidant activity and inhibition of meat lipid oxidation by soy protein hydrolysates obtained with a microbial protease.

Enzymatic proteolysis is helpful to release bioactive peptides encrypted in food proteins. The antioxidant capability of soy protein isolate (SPI) hydrolyzed with a novel protease preparation from Chryseobacterium sp. kr6 was investigated. The antioxidant capacity of the hydrolysates was evaluated using radical-scavenging and metal-chelating assays. Maximum values for scavenging of 2,2’-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid and 2,2-diphenyl1-picrylhydrazyl radicals reached 88% and 78%, respectively. The Fe2+-chelating ability of SPI hydrolysates reached higher values at 1 h hydrolysis (61%), decreasing thereafter; and the maximum reducing power was observed after 6 h hydrolysis. The SPI hydrolysates (10 mg/mL) were able to inhibit the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in pork (62% inhibition) and salmon (65% inhibition) as model systems. These hydrolysates might be applied as natural antioxidants delaying the lipid oxidation and therefore improving quality and increasing the shelf-life of food products.
VIA in cervical cancer screening

In developing countries cancer cervix is the leading cause of cancer death in females. Effective screening contributes to decrease mortality. Lack of resources is main factor for failure of effective screening for cervical cancer. VIA, visual inspection of cervix with acetic acid application is low cost approach for cervical cancer screening in low income countries. Key-words: Cancer, Cervix, Pap smear, Screening, VIA