Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Different Types of ENSO Years on Intensity Changes of Landfalling Tropical Cyclones over China

This study examines whether there are significant differences in intensity and destructiveness of landfalling tropical cyclones (TCs) over China in central Pacific warm (CPW), eastern Pacific warm (EPW) and La Niña (LA) years. By analyzing different seasons and locations of TCs making landfall over China, it was found that TCs in LA years generally had a larger power dissipation index (PDI) and may cause more disasters in China, while TCs in EPW years had a larger PDI over South China in autumn. A larger PDI of TCSC (landing location in Southern China) usually occurred in EPW years and a larger PDI of TCEC (landing location in Eastern China) occurred in LA years, compared with CPW years. The TCs in LA years were generally stronger, more frequent, and of longer duration over China, because of the positive relative humidity (RH) anomalies, the significant anomalous cyclone that occupied the South China Sea (SCS), and the easterly wind anomalies providing a beneficial steering flow for TCs making landfall. In EPW years, although TCs were less frequent, they had stronger intensity when making landfall and a longer lifetime over land which was mainly caused by a broad band of anomalous westerlies over the SCS giving rise to a belt of positive relative vorticity anomalies, as well as the slow translation speed of TCs before landfall supplying more energy for TCs to survive over land. Overall, we conclude that greater caution is warranted when TCs occur in LA and EPW years, as they may result in more serious disasters in China.
Cavity expansion model to estimate undrained shear strength in soft clay from dilatometer

The Dilatometer has rapidly become a common in situ test for evaluating geotechnical properties of clays. In general, current empirical correlations for most engineering properties are in part site specific and considerable scatter between estimated and measured values of soil properties has been reported. At the present time there are at least seven different empirical methods available for estimating undrained shear strength in clays from Dilatometer results. In this paper, a technique based on a simple cylindrical cavity expansion theory is proposed for predicting the undrained shear strength of soft and medium stiff saturated clays using the results of flat Dilatometer tests. The method uses an estimate of the excess pore water pressures generated by an advancing full-displacement probe to predict the penetration effective stress at the probe face. An estimate of the penetration effective stress on the face of the blade after penetration is obtained from (Po P2). A comparison between values estimated using this approach and undrained strength obtained by field vane tests at a several clay sites are presented and show excellent results. The proposed method appears to be superior to existing empirical methods for evaluating undrained strength from the DMT and is generally independent of the site.
Freeze-fracture studies of interendothelial junctions in the angle of the human eye.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to determine the structure and complexity of the intercellular junctions between trabecular endothelial cells and Schlemm's canal endothelial (SCE) cells as they exist in the normal human eye. Despite the probable relevance of these junctions to aqueous outflow, examination of these junctions has been limited to monkey eyes. METHODS Human eyes (< 24 hours after death) were fixed by immersion in modified Karnovsky's fluid. Radially oriented tissue-chopper sections (190 microns) were trimmed to contain only the trabecular meshwork, Schlemm's canal, and a narrow strip of the sclera. Specimens were processed for conventional electron microscopy and freeze-fracture. Replicas were produced in a freeze-fracture apparatus operated at -115 degrees C and 10(-7) torr. Thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. Micrographs were taken on a transmission electron microscope. RESULTS The trabecular endothelial cells were joined by gap junctions and short discontinuous junctional strands that partitioned predominantly with P-face. The strand pattern varied from short and isolated undulating strands to radiating arrays of short junctional strands. No continuous zonulae occludentes were observed. The SCE cells were joined by continuous tight junctions (tj) composed of discontinuous strands that rarely branched or anastomosed. The tj strands fractured preferentially with the E-face, where they were positioned at the bases of shallow valleys. On the P-face, a complementary system of shallow ridges was observed with few particles at their crests. Often, only a single continuous strand was present for long distances, with occasional short discontinuous strands running parallel to the single strand. Less often, short lengths of remarkably complex junctions, which occasionally branched or anastomosed, were also encountered. When more than one strand was present, numerous free endings and transjunctional pathways, described in monkey eyes as "slit-pores," were evident. CONCLUSION The overall structure of the junctions between endothelial cells of Schlemm's canal in the human eye was more complex, and thus less permeable, than that reported in the monkey eye. The role of slit-pores and other junctions of SCE and trabecular endothelial cells will require further investigation under conditions of flow and in glaucoma to determine if these junctions change in a manner that might influence outflow resistance.
Modeling the nonstationarity of VBR processes

In this work, we develop a stochastic model, GOP ARIMA (autoregressive integrated moving average for a group of pictures) for VBR processes with a regular GOP pattern. It explicitly incorporates the deterministic time-dependent behavior of frame-level VBR traffic. The GOP ARIMA model elaborately represents the interand intra-GOP sample autocorrelation structures and provides a physical explanation of observed stochastic characteristics of the empirical VBR process. We explain stochastic characteristics of the empirical VBR process, e.g., slowly decaying sample autocorrelations and strong correlations at the lags, based on the aspect of nonstationarity of the underlying process. The GOP ARIMA model generates synthetic traffic, which has the same multiplicative periodic sample autocorrelation structure as well as slowly decaying autocorrelations of the empirical VBR process. The simulation results show that the GOP ARIMA process very well captures the behavior of the empirical process in various respects: packet loss, packet delay, and frame corruption. Our work makes a contribution not only toward providing a theoretical explanation of the observed characteristics of the empirical VBR process but also toward the development of an efficient method for generating a more realistic synthetic sequence for various engineering purposes and for predicting future bandwidth requirements.
THE GEOGRAPHICAL PATTERN OF SPECIATION AND FLORAL DIVERSIFICATION IN THE NEOTROPICS: THE TRIBE SINNINGIEAE (GESNERIACEAE) AS A CASE STUDY

Abstract The geographical pattern of speciation and the relationship between floral variation and species ranges were investigated in the tribe Sinningieae (Gesneriaceae), which is found mainly in the Atlantic forests of Brazil. Geographical distribution data recorded on a grid system of 0.5 × 0.5 degree intervals and a near-complete species-level phylogenetic tree of Sinningieae inferred from a simultaneous analysis of seven DNA regions were used to address the role of geographical isolation in speciation. Geographical range overlaps between sister lineages were measured across all nodes in the phylogenetic tree and analyzed in relation to relative ages estimated from branch lengths. Although there are several cases of species sympatry in Sinningieae, patterns of sympatry between sister taxa support the predominance of allopatric speciation. The pattern of sympatry between sister taxa is consistent with range shifts following allopatric speciation, except in one clade, in which the overlapping distribution of recent sister species indicates speciation within a restricted geographical area and involving changes in pollinators and habitats. The relationship between floral divergence and regional sympatry was also examined by analyzing floral contrasts, phenological overlap, and the degree of sympatry between sister clades. Morphological contrast between flowers is not increased in sympatry and phenological divergence is more apparent between allopatric clades than between sympatric clades. Therefore, our results failed to indicate a tendency for sympatric taxa to minimize morphological and phenological overlap (geographic exclusion and/or character displacement hypotheses). Instead, they point toward adaptation in phenology to local conditions and buildup of sympatries at random with respect to flower morphology. Additional studies at a lower geographical scale are needed to identify truely coexisting species and the components of their reproductive isolation.
Identification of HIV-1 subtype G from Uganda.

HIV-1 subtype G was identified by the authors in the former Soviet Union, and is related to a sequence VI525 from Gabon. All told, subtype G isolates have been identified in the former Soviet Union, Gabon, Zaire, and Nigeria. A subtype G gag sequence has also been reported in Taiwan. This paper reports the first HIV-1 subtype G to be isolated from Uganda. Uganda has the highest reported incidence of HIV-1 infection in Africa, with HIV-1 subtypes A, B, C, and D having already been isolated in the country. The authors isolated and sequenced HIV-1 genetic subtype G from a Ugandan female patient with CDC stage IV disease and a CD4 count of 20/cu. mm. Although recently immigrated to the UK from Uganda, there is epidemiologic evidence that the patient was infected with HIV-1 in Uganda. The V3 region of the isolate had 35 amino acids, with the common African tetrapeptide GPGQ at the tip of the loop. There were deletions relative to other G subtype sequences in the V4 and V5 env regions. The phylogenetic relationship of UGJW3 with other HIV-1 strains was inferred using nucleotide sequences and the PHYLIP package. The C2-V5 env region of the isolate was found to cluster with the subtype G isolates from the former Soviet Union and the Gabon. These findings confirm the need for further examination of the distribution of HIV-1 genetic subtypes and the exploration of their biologic significance.
Cytosolic Aminopeptidases Influence MHC Class I-Mediated Antigen Presentation in an Allele-Dependent Manner1

Antigenic peptides presented by MHC class I molecules are generated mainly by the proteasome in the cytosol. Several cytosolic aminopeptidases further trim proteasomal products to form mature epitopes or individual amino acids. However, the distinct function of cytosolic aminopeptidases in MHC class I Ag processing remains to be elucidated. In this study, we show that cytosolic aminopeptidases differentially affect the cell surface expression of MHC class I molecules in an allele-dependent manner in human cells. In HeLa cells, knockdown of puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase (PSA) by RNA interference inhibited optimal peptide loading of MHC class I molecules, and their cell surface expression was correspondingly reduced. In contrast, depletion of bleomycin hydrolase (BH) enhanced optimal peptide loading and cell surface expression of MHC class I molecules. We did not find evidence on the effect of leucine aminopeptidase knockdown on the MHC class I Ag presentation. Moreover, we demonstrated that PSA and BH influence the peptide loading and surface expression of MHC class I in an allele-specific manner. In the absence of either PSA or BH, the surface expression and peptide-dependent stability of HLA-A68 were reduced, whereas those of HLA-B15 were enhanced. The surface expression and peptide-dependent stability of HLA-A3 were enhanced by BH knockdown, although those of HLA-B8 were increased in PSA-depleted conditions.
Galaxies in Milgromian Dynamics

Polar ring galaxies are ideal objects with which to study the three-dimensional shapes of galactic gravitational potentials since two rotation curves can be measured in two perpendicular planes. Observational studies have uncovered systematically larger rotation velocities in the extended polar rings than in the associated host galaxies. In the dark matter context, this can only be explained through dark halos that are systematically flattened along the polar rings. Here, we point out that these objects can also be used as very e↵ective tests of gravity theories, such as those based on Milgromian dynamics (MOND). We run a set of polar ring models using both Milgromian and Newtonian dynamics to predict the expected shapes of the rotation curves in both planes, varying the total mass of the system, the mass of the ring with respect to the host, as well as the size of the hole at the center of the ring. We find that Milgromian dynamics not only naturally leads to rotation velocities being typically higher in the extended polar rings than in the hosts, as would be the case in Newtonian dynamics without dark matter, but that it also gets the shape and amplitude of velocities correct. Milgromian dynamics thus adequately explains this particular property of polar ring galaxies.
Provisional chapter Inter-Universal Entanglement

The concept of the multiverse changes many of the preconceptions made in the physics and cosmology of the last century, providing us with a new paradigm that has inevitably influence on major philosophical ideas. The creation of the universe stops being a singled out event to become part of a more general and mediocre process, what can be thought of as a new “Copernican turn” in the natural philosophy of the XXI century. The multiverse also opens the door to new approaches for traditional questions in quantum cosmology. The origin of the universe, the problem of the cosmological constant and the arrow of time, which would eventually depend on the boundary conditions that are imposed on the state of the whole multiverse, challenge us to adopt new and open-minded attitudes for facing up these problems.
Pain Frequency at Night Reflects Median Nerve Injury in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Median nerve compression at the wrist or carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common of all compression syndromes and should be diagnosed only when typical symptoms are associated with significant electrophysiological abnormalities (1). Although electrophysiological testing is accepted as a standard for the diagnosis of CTS, the studies point out that subjective symptoms are poorly correlated with changes of nerve conduction studies (NCS) of the median nerve (1-4). We undertook 138
Differential effects of BMI on diabetes risk among black and white Americans.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the associations of BMI and fat distribution with diabetes risk are modified by race. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (1971-1992), were used to investigate potential interactions of BMI and fat distribution with race. Incident diabetes was defined by self-report of physician-diagnosed diabetes, hospital and nursing home discharge records, and death certificates. RESULTS Among the 1,531 black and 9,852 white subjects who were nondiabetic at baseline, 1,139 (10.0%) developed diabetes during 20 years of follow-up. Although the cumulative risk of diabetes increased with baseline BMI in all four race-sex groups, the sex-specific odds ratios (ORs) for black:white subjects decreased with increasing BMI. In particular, for BMI of 22 kg/m2, the OR of diabetes for black:white individuals was 1.87 and 1.76 (P < 0.01) for men and women, respectively; for BMI of 32 kg/m2, the OR decreased to 0.99 and 1.20 (NS) for men and women, respectively. Skinfold ratio was also associated with increased diabetes risk in all race-sex groups, but did not modify the association between race and diabetes. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the effect of BMI on diabetes risk is different for black and white Americans, with a larger risk for blacks than whites at low BMI and an equivalent risk for both groups at high BMI. A lower degree of visceral adiposity among blacks at higher BMI or a greater impact of visceral adiposity among blacks at low BMI may help explain the interaction of race and BMI on diabetes risk.
The Relationship Between Body Composition and Bone Quality Measured with HR-pQCT in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Background: Bone is known to be impaired in chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients. Recent studies have shown that body composition (fat mass and lean mass) may impact bone health. Some of these effects may be related to mediators that are secreted by adipose tissue. Methods: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between body composition (dual x-ray absorptiometry [DEXA]) and adipokines (leptin, adiponectin), with bone density and microarchitecture assessed with high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) in chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients in a single-center prospective study. Results: Twenty-three patients with a median age of 61 years and body mass index (BMI) of 27 kg/m2 were recruited. On univariate analysis, age was negatively associated with total volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) (r = -0.75, p < 0.01), cortical vBMD (r = -0.85, p < 0.01), and cortical thickness (r = -0.71, p < 0.01). There was a negative association between leptin and cortical thickness (r = -0.48, p = 0.021). Fat mass (FM) was negatively correlated with cortical thickness (r = -0.52, p = 0.012). No association was found between bone parameters and dialysis duration, serum insulin, intact parathyroid hormone, osteocalcin, and adiponectin. The short dialysis vintage could in part explain the lack of correlation with bone parameters. In multivariate analysis, FM was significantly and negatively correlated with total vBMD, cortical and trabecular thickness. Conclusions: These data suggest that FM is negatively associated with bone quality in PD patients, supporting a relation between body composition and bone that is independent from other dialysis-associated complications. The relative contribution of the different fat deposits (visceral versus subcutaneous) needs to be assessed in future studies.
Bridging the Gap Between Conventional and Standardized Competency to Stand Trial (CST) Assessments: An Examination of Defendant Answers to Conventional CST Questions

Despite research suggesting that use of forensic assessment instruments of competency to stand trial (CST) can improve the integrity of forensic conceptualizations (Rogers & Johansson-Love, 2009), the majority of evaluators do not use these measures in CST evaluations (Nicholson & Norwood, 2000). The purpose of this study is to bridge the gap between competency evaluations based on a conventional interview and those conducted with the aid of a standardized forensic assessment instrument. To this end, we utilized an archival sample of 704 criminal defendants (543 males, 161 females) ordered to undergo evaluations of CST. In the overall sample, as well as in 2 comparison groups comprised of individuals with psychotic disorders and mental retardation, we coded evaluee responses to 45 conventional competency questions relating to factual understanding, rational understanding, and ability to cooperate with counsel. We present accuracy rates to these questions across competent and incompetent groups in an effort to provide information that can make conventional interviews more evidence-based. Using relative risk ratios, we also sought to identify the questions most associated with evaluator opinions of incompetency. Overall, the results indicated fairly consistent trends that questions relating to rational understanding and ability to cooperate with counsel were the most associated with competence. We discuss how the relative risk ratio findings and descriptive information can be used to make conventional competency interviews more objective and empirically based by providing evaluators with a normative reference point for commonly asked competency questions.
Improved Protection for Children in Forward-Facing Restraints During Side Impacts

Objective:This study aims to determine the potential for improved child occupant protection in side impacts that can be obtained using rigid and semi-rigid anchorage systems and the addition of energy-absorbing padding in the side structures of child restraints. Methods:This study uses a comprehensive set of simulated side impacts to evaluate the potential for improved side impact protection in forward-facing child restraints. Factors investigated included methods of anchoring the restraint to the vehicle, energy-absorbing materials in the side structure of restraints, and design features of the restraints such as side wing geometry and seat belt routing. Results:The results show clearly that completely rigid lower attachment of restraints offers the potential for great reductions in head injury risk, which anchorage systems employing a combination of a rigid anchorage bar and webbing attached to a child restraint cannot match. The addition of energy absorbing material in the side structure of restraint systems is effective when the head is fully contained within an adequately designed side wing structure. For restraints anchored by seat belts and loop style semi rigid anchorage straps, belt routing has the potential to significantly affect occupant head excursion. Conclusions: The results suggest that current child restraint standards and consumer testing protocols do not adequately encourage best practice design of child restraints for side impact protection.
Spatial and seasonal heterogeneity in understory light conditions caused by differential leaf flushing of deciduous overstory trees

In a deciduous broad-leaved forest, we investigated the seasonality and heterogeneity of understory light conditions in relation to the leaf phenology of overstory trees. Fisheye photographs were taken from spring to autumn to estimate direct and indirect light conditions above the understory. Spatial variation in daily direct photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) was highest in late May, when the early and the intermediate-flushing trees had finished flushing and the late-flushing trees had just started flushing. After whole canopy closure, spatial variation in direct PPFD became low. Thus, asynchronous overstory leaf flushing in spring resulted in spatial heterogeneity in understory light conditions. These results suggest that the leaf phenological patterns of overstory trees are an important factor in the formation of the understory community.