Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Review of Protocols for Fiducial Reference Measurements of WaterLeaving Radiance for Validation of Satellite Remote-Sensing Data over Water

This paper reviews the state of the art of protocols for measurement of waterleaving radiance in the context of fiducial reference measurements (FRM) of water reflectance for satellite validation. Measurement of water reflectance requires the measurement of waterleaving radiance and downwelling irradiance just above water. For the former there are four generic families of method, based on: 1) underwater radiometry at fixed depths; or 2) underwater radiometry with vertical profiling; or 3) abovewater radiometry with skyglint correction; or 4) onwater radiometry with skylight blocked. Each method is described generically in the FRM context with reference to the measurement equation, documented implementations and the intramethod diversity of deployment platform and practice. Ideal measurement conditions are stated, practical recommendations are provided on best practice and guidelines for estimating the measurement uncertainty are provided for each protocolrelated component of the measurement uncertainty budget. The state of the art for measurement of waterleaving radiance is summarized, future perspectives are outlined, and the question of which method is best adapted to various circumstances (water type, wavelength) is discussed. This review is based on practice and papers of the aquatic optics community for the validation of water reflectance estimated from satellite data but can be relevant also for other applications such as the development or validation of algorithms for remote-sensing estimation of water constituents including chlorophyll a concentration, inherent optical properties and related products.
Four Dimensional Mapping of Vegetation Moisture Content Using Dual-Wavelength Terrestrial Laser Scanning

Recently, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has shown potential in measuring vegetation biochemical traits in three dimensions (3D) by using reflectance derived from backscattered intensity data. The 3D estimates can provide information about the vertical heterogeneity of canopy biochemical traits which affects canopy reflectance but cannot be measured from spaceborne and airborne optical remote sensing data. Leaf equivalent water thickness (EWT), a metric widely used in vegetation health monitoring, has been successfully linked to the normalized difference index (NDI) of near and shortwave infrared wavelengths at the leaf level. However, only two previous studies have linked EWT to NDI at the canopy level in field campaigns. In this study, an NDI consisting of 808 and 1550 nm wavelengths was used to generate 3D EWT estimates at the canopy level in a broadleaf mixed-species tree plot during and after a heatwave. The relative error in EWT estimates was 6% across four different species. Temporal changes in EWT were measured, and the accuracy varied between trees, a factor of the errors in EWT estimates on both dates. Vertical profiles of EWT were generated for six trees and showed vertical heterogeneity and variation between species. The change in EWT vertical profiles during and after the heatwave differed between trees, demonstrating that trees reacted in different ways to the drought condition.
The Impact of Brain Lateralization and Anxiety-Like Behaviour in an Extensive Operant Conditioning Task in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Several studies in mammals, birds, and fish have documented better cognitive abilities associated with an asymmetrical distribution of cognitive functions in the two halves of the brain, also known as ‘functional brain lateralization’. However, the role of brain lateralization in learning abilities is still unclear. In addition, although recent studies suggest a link between some personality traits and accuracy in cognitive tasks, the relation between anxiety and learning skills in Skinner boxes needs to be clarified. In the present study, we tested the impact of brain lateralization and anxiety-like behaviour in the performance of an extensive operant conditioning task. Zebrafish tested in a Skinner box underwent 500 trials in a colour discrimination task (red vs. yellow and green vs. blue). To assess the degree of lateralization, fish were observed in a detour test in the presence of a dummy predator, and anxiety-like behaviour was studied by observing scototaxis response in an experimental tank divided into light and dark compartments. Although the low performance in the colour discrimination task did not permit the drawing of firm conclusions, no correlation was found between the accuracy in the colour discrimination task and the behaviour in the detour and scototaxis tests. This suggests that neither different degrees of asymmetries in brain lateralization nor anxiety may significantly impact the learning skills of zebrafish.
Investigation on Surface Properties of Mn-Doped CdSe Quantum Dots Studied by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

In this work, we report on the effects of incorporating manganese (Mn) dopant into different sizes of cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs), which improves the electronic and optical properties of the QDs for multiple applications such as light-emitting diodes, lasers, and biological labels. Furthermore, the greener inverse Micelle method was implemented using organic ligand, which is oleic acid. This binding of the surface enhanced the QDs’ surface trap passivation of Mn-doped CdSe, which then increased the quantity of the output. In addition, the inverse Micelle technique was used successfully to dope Mn into CdSe QDs without the risk of Mn dopants being self-purified as experienced by wurtzite CdSe QDs. Also, we report the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results and analysis of zinc blended manganese-doped cadmium selenide quantum dots (Mn-doped CdSe QDs), which were synthesized with physical sizes that varied from 3 to 14 nm using the inverse Micelle method. The XPS scans traced the existence of the Se 3d and Cd 3d band of CdSe crystals with a 54.1 and 404.5 eV binding energy. The traced 640.7 eV XPS peak is proof that Mn was integrated into the lattice of CdSe QDs. The binding energy of the QDs was related to the increase in the size of the QDs.
Integrating LiDAR, Multispectral and SAR Data to Estimate and Map Canopy Height in Tropical Forests

Developing accurate methods to map vegetation structure in tropical forests is essential to protect their biodiversity and improve their carbon stock estimation. We integrated LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), multispectral and SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) data to improve the prediction and mapping of canopy height (CH) at high spatial resolution (30 m) in tropical forests in South America. We modeled and mapped CH estimated from aircraft LiDAR surveys as a ground reference, using annual metrics derived from multispectral and SAR satellite imagery in a dry forest, a moist forest, and a rainforest of tropical South America. We examined the effect of the three forest types, five regression algorithms, and three predictor groups on the modelling and mapping of CH. Our CH models reached errors ranging from 1.2–3.4 m in the dry forest and 5.1–7.4 m in the rainforest and explained variances from 94–60% in the dry forest and 58–12% in the rainforest. Our best models show higher accuracies than previous works in tropical forests. The average accuracy of the five regression algorithms decreased from dry forests (2.6 m +/− 0.7) to moist (5.7 m +/− 0.4) and rainforests (6.6 m +/− 0.7). Random Forest regressions produced the most accurate models in the three forest types (1.2 m +/− 0.05 in the dry, 4.9 m +/− 0.14 in the moist, and 5.5 m +/− 0.3 the rainforest). Model performance varied considerably across the three predictor groups. Our results are useful for CH spatial prediction when GEDI (Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation lidar) data become available.
Constructing CP-Nets from Users Past Behaviors

While recommender systems over time have significantly improved the task of finding and providing the best service for users in various domains, there are still some limitations regarding the extraction of users’ preferences from their behaviors when they are dealing with a specific service provider. In this paper we propose a framework to automatically extract and learn users’ conditional and qualitative preferences by considering past behavior without asking any information from the users. To do that, we construct a CP-net modeling users’ preferences via a procedure that employs multiple Information Criterion score functions within an heuristic algorithm to learn a Bayesian network. The approach has been validated experimentally on a dataset of real users and the results are promising.
Quantifying Spatiotemporal Patterns and Major Explanatory Factors of Urban Expansion in Miami Metropolitan Area During 1992-2016

Urban expansion is one of the most dramatic forms of land transformation in the world and it is one of the greatest challenges in achieving sustainable development in the 21st century. Previous studies analyzed urbanization patterns in areas with rapid urban expansion while urban areas with low to moderate expansion have been overlooked, especially in developed countries. In this study, we examined the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban expansion patterns in South Florida, United States (US) over the last 25 years (1992–2016) using Remote Sensing and GIS techniques. The main goal of this paper was to investigate the degree and spatiotemporal patterns of urban expansion at different administrative level in the study area and how spatiotemporal variance in different explanatory factors influence urban expansion in this region. More specifically, this research quantifies the rates, types, intensity, and landscape metrics of urban expansion in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Palm Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area (Miami MSA) which is the 7th largest MSA and 4th largest urbanized area in the US using remote sensing (satellite imageries) data from National Land Cover Datasets (NLCD) and Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) at 30 m spatial resolution. We further investigated the urban growth patterns at the county and city areas that are located within this MSA to portray the local ‘picture’ of urban growth in this region. Urban expansion in this region can be divided into two time periods: pre-2001 and post-2001 where the former experienced rapid urban expansion and the later had comparatively slow urban expansion. Results suggest that infilling was the dominant type of urban expansion followed by edge-expansion and outlying. Results from landscape metrics represent that newly developed urban lands became more aggregated and simplified in form as the time progressed in the study region. Also, new urban lands were generated away from the east coast and historic cities which eventually created new urban cores. We also used correlation analysis and multiple linear stepwise regression to address major explanatory factors of spatiotemporal change in urban expansion during the study period. Although the influence of factors on urban expansion varied temporally, Population and Distance to Coast were the strongest variables followed by Distance to Roads and Median Income that influence overall urban expansion in the study area.
The Face of Early Cognitive Decline? Shape and Asymmetry Predict Choice Reaction Time Independent of Age, Diet or Exercise

Slower reaction time is a measure of cognitive decline and can occur as early as 24 years of age. We are interested if developmental stability predicts cognitive performance independent of age and lifestyle (e.g., diet and exercise). Developmental stability is the latent capacity to buffer ontogenetic stressors and is measured by low fluctuating asymmetry (FA). FA is random—with respect to the largest side—departures from perfect morphological symmetry. The degree of asymmetry has been associated with physical fitness, morbidity, and mortality in many species, including humans. We expected that low FA (independent of age, diet and exercise) will predict faster choice reaction time (i.e., correct keyboard responses to stimuli appearing in a random location on a computer monitor). Eighty-eight university students self-reported their fish product consumption, exercise, had their faces 3D scanned and cognitive performance measured. Unexpectedly, increased fish product consumption was associated with worsened choice reaction time. Facial asymmetry and multiple face shape variation parameters predicted slower choice reaction time independent of sex, age, diet or exercise. Future work should develop longitudinal interventions to minimize early cognitive decline among vulnerable people (e.g., those who have experienced ontogenetic stressors affecting optimal neurocognitive development).
Knowledge and application of APGAR score among residents in a tertiary hospital

Introduction: The APGAR score rapidly assesses the condition of the newborn at birth and is a predictor of neonatal mortality. Despite the fact that this scoring system is limited by inter and intra-observer variation, its knowledge is essential to residents involved in newborn care at delivery. This study was therefore carried out to determine the knowledge and application of the APGAR score by these residents. Materials and Methods: The questionnaire-based survey was conducted at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and administered to all consecutive residents in pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology (O and G), anesthesia, family medicine and public health. Domains assessed both knowledge and application of the APGAR scoring system. Data analyzed with the Epi Info 3.5. 1 and P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Of the 74 completed questionnaires, 21 were filled by Pediatric residents, 27 by O and G residents and 26 by other residents. Residents with 10-15 years of work experience had a significantly higher mean score on their knowledge compared with those with <10 years work experience (P = 0.015). The mean application score was significantly higher among the Pediatric residents compared with the O and G and other residents (P = 0.015). Using linear regression, there was a significant association between the knowledge and application of the APGAR scoring system - coefficient = 0.179, P ≤ 0.001. Conclusion: Adequate knowledge and application of the APGAR scoring system by residents who use it frequently is necessary to avoid its misuse. Training and retraining of these residents on the correct use of the APGAR score during neonatal resuscitation is important to ensure adequate knowledge and its proper application.
A divergent transcriptional landscape underpins the development and functional branching of MAIT cells

Characterizing MAIT cell development led to the identification of key regulators that specify MAIT cell fate in the thymus. Charting MAIT cell development Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are a distinct subset of T cells that recognize vitamin B metabolites presented by MHC class I–related protein (MR1). Here, using bulk and single-cell RNA- seq and flow cytometric analysis, Koay et al. have characterized the development of murine and human MAIT cells. In addition to providing us a clearer picture of MAIT cell development in the thymus, their studies have uncovered several molecules that play key roles in regulating this process. Using knockout mouse strains, they have confirmed the functions some of these molecules, including SAP (SLAM adaptor protein), SATB1, CXCR6, and CCR7 in regulating MAIT cell development. MR1-restricted mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells play a unique role in the immune system. These cells develop intrathymically through a three-stage process, but the events that regulate this are largely unknown. Here, using bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing–based transcriptomic analysis in mice and humans, we studied the changing transcriptional landscape that accompanies transition through each stage. Many transcripts were sharply modulated during MAIT cell development, including SLAM (signaling lymphocytic activation molecule) family members, chemokine receptors, and transcription factors. We also demonstrate that stage 3 “mature” MAIT cells comprise distinct subpopulations including newly arrived transitional stage 3 cells, interferon-γ–producing MAIT1 cells and interleukin-17–producing MAIT17 cells. Moreover, the validity and importance of several transcripts detected in this study are directly demonstrated using specific mutant mice. For example, MAIT cell intrathymic maturation was found to be halted in SLAM-associated protein (SAP)–deficient and CXCR6-deficient mouse models, providing clear evidence for their role in modulating MAIT cell development. These data underpin a model that maps the changing transcriptional landscape and identifies key factors that regulate the process of MAIT cell differentiation, with many parallels between mice and humans.
Surgical Experience with Closure of an Isolated PDA at Muhimbili Cardiothoracic Unit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Background : This study describes our experience in the management of isolated patent ductus arteriosus; complications and mortality rate. Further it describes the innovative technique for the closure of the duct. Methods : We retrospectively recruited all patients’ files that underwent PDA closure from May 2008 to July 2011 in all these patients clinical evaluation and confirmation of diagnosis was made by echocardiography. There were two-treatment group. The first group underwent a standard surgical closure and these were 26 patients this group was obtained from the usual and routinely done PDA ligation. The second group also comprised 26 patients who had undergone a modified closure technique as illustrated by Kirklin1. Patients’ age, sex duration of illness, stage of the disease as classified by New York Heart Association, ventricular function as depicted by left ventricular ejection fraction, any associated lesion were noted. During operation, confirmation of the PDA was done and the total operation time (TOT), total duration of ventilation (VT), and any complication were noted. The total duration of intensive care stay and the postoperative period stay in the ward were noted. Patients had been followed at six months interval for two years; in which during follow up evaluation for their cardiac status to exclude congestive heart failure, presence of residual PDA had been done. All data were entered in a structured data sheet and analyses using Spss window 17 statistical program. Results : A total of 52 patients with clinical diagnosis of PDA, 26 patients in each treatment group of either standard closure or new closure technique. Female patients had outnumbered male patients by 5.5 folds. A total of 46.1% of patients were under five years old. A relatively younger population of patients was seen with the new closure technique as compared to patients in the standard closure technique (p=0.02). Similarly a correspondingly less heavier weight was noted in patients who underwent new closure technique as compared to those who had standard closure technique(p=0.03). Long- term follow up of patients with their treatment modalities it was found that 3 patients and 2 patients had residue lesion and congestive cardiac failure respectively who were exclusively in the standard closure technique, none of such complications were seen with the new closure technique (p=0.04). With such evidence, the practice to date has been the new closure technique for definitive surgical treatment for PDA. Conclusion Open surgery for PDA closure remains the procedure of choice for facility and technically deprived countries. The approach and the technique of closure that minimize the postoperative complications is a challenge from centre to centre. However this study with a new closure in which a purse string on the ampulla of the PDA followed by a silk ligature has proved to be efficient and reliable technique that leaves no residual lesion with no long term complications. Key words : Closure, Isolated, Patent, ductus arteriosus, PDA
Discovery of fossil asteroidal ice in primitive meteorite Acfer 094

Discovery of fossil asteroidal ice in a meteorite provides new insight into asteroid formation in the early Solar System. Carbonaceous chondrites are meteorites believed to preserve our planet’s source materials, but the precise nature of these materials still remains uncertain. To uncover pristine planetary materials, we performed synchrotron radiation–based x-ray computed nanotomography of a primitive carbonaceous chondrite, Acfer 094, and found ultraporous lithology (UPL) widely distributed in a fine-grained matrix. UPLs are porous aggregates of amorphous and crystalline silicates, Fe─Ni sulfides, and organics. The porous texture must have been formed by removal of ice previously filling pore spaces, suggesting that UPLs represent fossils of primordial ice. The ice-bearing UPLs formed through sintering of fluffy icy dust aggregates around the H2O snow line in the solar nebula and were incorporated into the Acfer 094 parent body, providing new insight into asteroid formation by dust agglomeration.
Acute infectious Diarrhea in Pediatirc Patients

Acute diarrhea is one of the most common diseases that are seen in pediatric patients. In the management of acute diarrhea, several differential diagnostic criteria should be considered based on clinical and/or laboratory findings. These criteria include : 1 normal variant stool versus diarrhea 2 infectious versus non-infectious condition and 3 bacterial versus non-bacterial etiology. The use of antibiotics should be considered to manage diarrhea caused by bacteria accompanying fever and bloody diarrhea in the following cases : 1 patients with serious clinical course, 2 under three months, 3 immunocompromised patients, 4 patients with nutritional deficiency and 5 patients presenting with moderate-to-severe dehydration. In patients presenting with the symptoms suspected to be bacterial origin, whose clinical course is not serious, antibiotic therapy is not necessary. These patients are easily manageable at OPD level. Moreover, except for some cases in which the use of antibiotics is inevitable, pediatric diarrhea can be managed by providing the suitable foods alone with no necessity of other specific drugs. Accordingly, it is crucial not so much to depend on the drugs as to provide appropriate foods including oral rehydration solution(ORS) with no further episodes of diarrhea. Special attention should be paid to the fact that younger pediatric patients will undergo nutritional deficiency unless acute diarrhea is properly managed. (Korean J Pediatr 2005;48:235-250)
The Role of Molecular Chaperones in the Etiology and Treatment of Psychiatric Diseases in the Elderly

xi Chapter One: Introduction 1 Alzheimer’s Disease 2 Alzheimer’s as a psychiatric disease 2 What should we target? 3 What kind of tau should we target? 4 How should we target soluble tau? 7 Molecular Chaperones 8 What are molecular chaperones? 8 Protein misfolding occurs despite chaperones 8 Molecular chaperone levels or activity? 9 FKBP5 and Psychiatric Diseases 10 Mood and anxiety disorders in the elderly 10 FKBP5 11 Discovery of SNPs in the FKBP5 gene 12 Gene x environment in FKBP5 14 Why is FKBP5 relevant to aging 15 References 16