Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Holding China Together: Political Localism Versus Institutional Restraints: Elite Recruitment in the Jiang Era

This chapter studies the formation of the new national and provincial elites during the era of Jiang Zemin. The focus is on two trends that have been unfolding in parallel, but in tension with each other. The first trend is growing political localism; the second is the strengthening of institutional control in an attempt to limit the abuses of power based on local interests and personal political networks. Political localism is stronger and more legitimate today than ever before in the history of the People's Republic of China. Indeed, more generally, through the reform era – but especially since about 1997 – conflicts of interest between regions, factions, and social groups have come more out in the open than ever before. At the same time, new institutional mechanisms have been put in place to limit favoritism and abuse of power by particularistic (including localistic) interest groups. The central government has made continual efforts to coordinate the multifaceted political demands raised by various regions and by new socioeconomic forces in this fast-changing country. China's political and economic life during the Jiang era is filled with several seemingly contradictory trends. This is particularly evident in the recruitment of political leaders. On one hand, informal networks are ubiquitous in the formation of the new leadership. These networks includ regionally based groups ( tongxiang , or fellow provincials), particularly the notorious Shanghai Gang, and those based on kinship with top leaders in Beijing ( taizi , or princelings). Such favoritism and nepotism, however, have also caused a growing public demand, especially from backward inland regions, for a more representative leadership.
Characterizing the role of autaptic feedback in enhancing precision of neuronal firing times

In a chemical synapse, information flow occurs via the release of neurotransmitters from a presynaptic neuron that triggers an Action potential (AP) in the postsynaptic neuron. At its core, this occurs via the postsynaptic membrane potential integrating neurotransmitter-induced synaptic currents, and AP generation occurs when potential reaches a critical threshold. This manuscript investigates feedback implementation via an autapse, where the axon from the postsynaptic neuron forms an inhibitory synapse onto itself. Using a stochastic model of neuronal synaptic transmission, we formulate AP generation as a first-passage time problem and derive expressions for both the mean and noise of AP-firing times. Our analytical results supported by stochastic simulations identify parameter regimes where autaptic feedback transmission enhances the precision of AP firing times consistent with experimental data. These noise attenuating regimes are intuitively based on two orthogonal mechanisms - either expanding the time window to integrate noisy upstream signals; or by linearizing the mean voltage increase over time. Interestingly, we find regimes for noise amplification that specifically occur when the inhibitory synapse has a low probability of release for synaptic vesicles. In summary, this work explores feedback modulation of the stochastic dynamics of autaptic neurotransmission and reveals its function of creating more regular AP firing patterns.
A detailed palaeomagnetic study of the oldest (≈15 Myr) lava sequences in Northwest Iceland

SUMMARY We have determined the directions of primary remanence in over 400 lava flows in the northwestern peninsula of Iceland (near 66.1°N, 23.3°W). These lavas were sampled in 16 profiles spread across 75 km, at the stratigraphic level of the oldest (approximately 15 Myr in age) of several distinctive lignite-bearing sediments in the peninsula. We find that the pattern of polarity reversals in the lava pile is broadly similar in these profiles but it is generally not possible to trace short polarity zones and excursions over more than a few kilometres laterally. Our results, which also include measurements on the lignite sediments at three sites, are consistent with previous suggestions that these sediment beds represent a time gap of the order of 0.2 Myr between the lavas above and below. The mean virtual geomagnetic pole of this collection is ‘far-sided’ by approximately 7°, and the scatter of individual poles is greater than that in palaeomagnetic surveys on younger lava series in Iceland.
The neural basis of swap errors in working memory

When making decisions in a cluttered world, humans and other animals often have to hold multiple items in memory at once – such as the different items on a shopping list. Psychophysical experiments in humans and other animals have shown remembered stimuli can sometimes become confused, with participants reporting chimeric stimuli composed of features from different stimuli. In particular, subjects will often make “swap errors” where they misattribute a feature from one object as belonging to another object. While swap errors have been described behaviorally, their neural mechanisms are unknown. Here, we elucidate these neural mechanisms through trial-by-trial analysis of neural population recordings from posterior and frontal brain regions while monkeys perform two multi-stimulus working memory tasks. In these tasks, monkeys were cued to report the color of an item that either was previously shown at a corresponding location (requiring selection from working memory) or will be shown at the corresponding location (requiring attention to a position). Animals made swap errors in both tasks. In the neural data, we find evidence that the neural correlates of swap errors emerged when correctly remembered information is selected incorrectly from working memory. This led to a representation of the distractor color as if it were the target color, underlying the eventual swap error. We did not find consistent evidence that swap errors arose from misinterpretation of the cue or errors during encoding or storage in working memory. These results suggest an alternative to established views on the neural origins of swap errors, and highlight selection from and manipulation in working memory as crucial – yet surprisingly brittle – neural processes.
Trafficking dynamics of VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and NRP1 1 in human endothelial cells

22 The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family of cytokines are key drivers of blood vessel growth and remodeling. These ligands act via multiple VEGF receptors (VEGFR) and co- 24 receptors such as Neuropilin (NRP) expressed on endothelial cells. These membrane-associated 25 receptors are not solely expressed on the cell surface, they move between the surface and 26 intracellular locations, where they can function differently. The location of the receptor alters its 27 ability to ‘see’ (access and bind to) its ligands, which regulates receptor activation; location also 28 alters receptor exposure to subcellularly localized phosphatases, which regulates its deactivation. 29 Thus, receptors in different subcellular locations initiate different signaling, both in terms of 30 quantity and quality. Similarly, the local levels of co-expression of other receptors alters 31 competition for ligands. Subcellular localization is controlled by intracellular trafficking processes, 32 which thus control VEGFR activity; therefore, to understand VEGFR activity, we must understand 33 receptor trafficking. Here, for the first time, we simultaneously quantify the trafficking of VEGFR1, 34 VEGFR2, and NRP1 on the same cells - specifically human umbilical vein endothelial cells 35 (HUVECs). We build a computational model describing the expression, interaction, and trafficking 36 of these receptors, and use it to simulate cell culture experiments. We use new quantitative 37 experimental data to parameterize the model, which then provides mechanistic insight into the 38 trafficking and localization of this receptor network. We show that VEGFR2 and NRP1 trafficking 39 is not the same on HUVECs as on non-human ECs; and we show that VEGFR1 trafficking is not 40 the same as VEGFR2 trafficking, but rather is faster and weighted to intracellular expression, due 41 to faster internalization and lower recycling, resulting in increased overall degradation. As a 42 consequence, the VEGF receptors are not evenly distributed between the cell surface and 43 intracellular locations, with a very low percentage of VEGFR1 being on the cell surface. Our 44 findings have implications both for the sensing of extracellular ligands and for the composition of 45 signaling complexes at the cell
Surface crosslinking of virus-like particles increases resistance to proteases, low pH, and mechanical stress for mucosal applications

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are emerging as nano-scaffolds in a variety of biomedical applications including the delivery of vaccine antigens to mucosal surfaces. These soft, colloidal, and proteinaceous structures (capsids) are nevertheless susceptible to mucosal environmental factors which limit their usefulness. We addressed this issue by crosslinking multiple capsid surface reactive residues using polyethylene glycol tethers. Surface crosslinking enhanced the colloidal stability and mechanical strength of VLPs against low pH, proteases, and mechanical agitation, while it did not interfere with function as vaccine. Chemical crosslinking thus offers a viable means to enhance the resilience of VLPs in mucosal applications.
Diet and chemical defenses of the Sonoran Desert toads

The Sonoran Desert Toad (Incilius alvarius) is the only animal known to secrete the psychedelic compound 5-MeO-DMT as a chemical defense, but the source of 5-MeO-DMT in I. alvarius remains unknown. Some amphibians endogenously produce chemical defenses while others acquire them from specialized diets. In this study we analyzed toxin gland secretions and diet profiles from wild I. alvarius and sympatric anurans from native and urban habitats around Tucson, Arizona to explore possible links between diet and 5-MeO-DMT production. All I. alvarius secreted high concentrations of 5-MeO-DMT, whereas other sympatric toads did not. The diet of I. alvarius was similar to that of sympatric anurans, indicating that I. alvarius does not exhibit relative dietary specialization. Slight dietary differences between I. alvarius in native and urbanized habitats were observed. Taken together, these lines of evidence suggest that diet is not directly linked to 5-MeO-DMT production, and support the alternative hypotheses that Sonoran Desert toads synthesize 5-MeO-DMT endogenously or via a microbial symbiont.
Link between lipid remodeling and ESCRT-III function in multivesicular body formation

Despite a tremendous amount of work, it is still unclear how the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT)-III complex acts in membrane remodeling and abscission. Here we present evidence that a change in membrane composition could be connected to ESCRT-III function during multivesicular body (MVB) formation. The central observation was a strong synergistic effect of two mutations on the turnover of an endocytic cargo protein. One mutation deletes Tms1, a yeast SERINC homologue. Human SERINC3 and SERINC5 are HIV-1 restriction factors and have been shown to act as scramblases, flipping phospholipids between membrane leaflets. The other mutation deletes the Vps68 subunit of the Vps55/Vps68 complex, which loosely resembles Tms1 in its overall structure. The strong synergistic effect suggests that Tms1 and Vps55/Vps68 perform a similar function. Since we could also show that Vps55 and Tms1 physically interact with ESCRT-III, we propose that a scramblase is recruited to ESCRT-III and plays a role in intraluminal vesicles formation at MVBs.
TAF7L REGULATES EARLY STAGES OF MALE GERM CELL DEVELOPMENT

Male germ cell development is dependent on the orchestrated regulation of gene networks. TATA-box binding protein associated factors (TAFs) facilitate interactions of TATA-binding protein with the TATA element, which is known to coordinate gene transcription during organogenesis. TAF7 like (Taf7l) is situated on the X chromosome and has been implicated in testis development. We examined the biology of TAF7L in testis development using the rat. Taf7l was prominently expressed in preleptotene to leptotene spermatocytes. To study the impact of TAF7L on the testis we generated a global loss-of-function rat model using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. Exon 3 of the Taf7l gene was targeted. A founder was generated possessing a 110 bp deletion within the Taf7l locus, which resulted in a frameshift and the premature appearance of a stop codon. The mutation was effectively transmitted through the germline. Deficits in TAF7L did not adversely affect pregnancy or postnatal survival. However, the Taf7l disruption resulted in male infertility due to compromised testis development and failed sperm production. Mutant germ cells suffer meiotic arrest at the zygotene stage, with defects in sex body formation and meiotic sex chromosome inactivation. This testis phenotype was more pronounced than previously described for the subfertile Taf7l null mouse. We conclude that TAF7L is essential for male germ cell development in the rat.
Developmental origin and local signals cooperate to determine septal astrocyte identity

Astrocyte specification during development is influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, but the precise contribution of each remains poorly understood. Here we show that septal astrocytes from Nkx2.1 and Zic4 expressing progenitor zones are allocated into non-overlapping domains of the medial (MS) and lateral septal nuclei (LS) respectively. Astrocytes in these areas exhibit distinctive molecular and morphological features tailored to the unique cellular and synaptic circuit environment of each nucleus. Using single-nucleus (sn) RNA sequencing, we trace the developmental trajectories of cells in the septum and find that neurons and astrocytes undergo region and developmental stage-specific local cell-cell interactions. We show that expression of the classic morphogens Sonic hedgehog (Shh) and Fibroblast growth factors (Fgfs) by MS and LS neurons respectively, functions to promote the molecular specification of local astrocytes in each region. Finally, using heterotopic cell transplantation, we show that both morphological and molecular specifications of septal astrocytes are highly dependent on the local microenvironment, regardless of developmental origins. Our data highlights the complex interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic factors shaping astrocyte identities and illustrates the importance of the local environment in determining astrocyte functional specialization.
Satellite and ground-based pasture production assessment in Niger: 1986-1988

Abstract The standing crop of herbaceous biomass produced during the 2-4 month summer rainy season by the annual grasses in the Sahel zone provides an indication of resource availability for livestock for the following 9-month dry season. Combined use of NOAA advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) local area coverage (LAC) satellite data and biomass data, obtained through vegetation sampling of 25-100 km2 areas, allowed the development of a method for biomass assessment in Niger. Vegetation sampling involved both visual estimates and clipped plots (double sampling). The relationship between time-integrated normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) statistics derived from NOAA AVHRR LAC data (dependent variable) and total herbaceous biomass (independent variable) was obtained through regression analysis. An inverse prediction was used to estimate biomass from the satellite data. Biomass maps and statistics of the grasslands were produced for the end of each rainy season: 1986, 1987 and 1988.
Derivation of split window algorithm and its sensitivity analysis for retrieving land surface temperature from NOAA-advanced very high resolution radiometer data

Retrieval of land surface temperature (LST) from advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) data is an important methodology in remote sensing. Several split window algorithms have been proposed in last two decades. In this paper we intend to present a better algorithm with less parameters and high accuacry. The algorithm involves only two essential parameters (transmittance and emissivity). The principle and method for the linearization of Planck's radiance equation, the mathematical derivation process of the algorithm, and the method for determining the atmospheric transmittance are discussed with details. Sensitivity analysis of the algorithm has been performed for evaluation of probable LST estimation error due to the possible errors in transmittance and emissivity. Results from the analysis indicate that the proposed algorithm is able to provide an accurate estimation of LST from AVHRR data. Assuming an error of 0.05 in atmospheric transmittance estimate and 0.01 in ground emissivity for the two AVHRR thermal channels, the average LST error with the algorithm is 1.1°C. Two methods have been used to validate the proposed algortihm. Comparison has also been done with the existing 11 algorithms in literature. Results from validation and comparison using the standard atmospheric simulation for various situations and the ground truth data sets demonstrate the applicability of the algorithm. According to the root mean square (RMS) errors of the retrieved LSTs from the measured or assumed LSTs, the proposed algorithm is among the best three. Considering the insignificant RMS error difference among the three, the proposed algorithm is better than the other two because they require more parameters for LST retrieval. Validation with standard atmospheric simulation indicates that this algorithm can achieve the accuacry of 0.25°C in LST retrieval for the case without error in both transmittance and emissivity estimates. The accuary of this algorithm is 1.75°C for the ground truth data set without precise in situ atmospheric water vapor contents. The accuracy increases to 0.24°C for another ground truth data set with precise in situ atmospheric water vapor contents. The much higher accuracy for this data set confirms the appplicability of the proposed algorithm as an alternative for the accurate LST retrieval from AVHRR data.
Prediction of tropical cyclone genesis using a vortex merger index

We propose a new method for detecting tropical cyclone genesis at an early stage by supposing merger of mesoscale midlevel vortices to be a common precursor event. The merger event serves as a selection mechanism and is a possible explanation of why only a small fraction of cloud clusters which meet the necessary conditions actually develop into tropical cyclones. The detection procedure uses satellite IR images which are available in near real‐time. After tests using data for the Bay of Bengal basin for the years 1999–2001, a real‐time test was conducted for the post‐monsoon 2002 and pre‐monsoon 2003 seasons. We found that the method was successful in detecting the formation of tropical cyclones 04B (2002) and 01B (2003) about 48 hours before they reached storm strength, and no storm escaped detection.
Spreading of the Western Mediterranean Deep Water after winter 2005: Time scales and deep cyclone transport

This work is dedicated to the study of the propagation of the Western Mediterranean Deep Water (WMDW) formed in the Gulf of Lions during the exceptional winter 2005. A simulation of the 1998-2008 period has been carried out with an eddy-resolving Ocean General Circulation Model of the Mediterranean Sea, driven by interannual high-resolution air-sea fluxes. This study first presents a validation of the recently improved model configuration against satellite observations. Then, we assess the ability of the model to reproduce the particularly intense deep convection event of winter 2005 in the Gulf of Lions. A huge volume of very dense water is formed in the simulations at that time (annual formation rate of about 3 Sv). The thermohaline characteristics of the new WMDW allow a monitoring of its deep propagation. We identify several deep cyclones as mainly responsible of the fast spreading of the WMDW southwards in the Western Mediterranean. By comparing Eulerian and Lagrangian approaches, we estimate different transport times of the WMDW by these cyclonic eddies and compare them to those deduced from several observations. Finally, we argue that these cyclones favour the propagation of the WMDW thermohaline characteristics towards the Channel of Sardinia and decrease the volume of WMDW which can reach the Strait of Gibraltar.
How Relevant Is Volatility Forecasting for Financial Risk Management? How Relevant Is Volatility Forecasting for Financial Risk Management?

The Wharton Financial Institutions Center provides a multidisciplinary research approach to the problems and opportunities facing the financial services industry in its search for competitive excellence. The Center's research focuses on the issues related to managing risk at the firm level as well as ways to improve productivity and performance. The Center fosters the development of a community of faculty, visiting scholars and Ph.D. candidates whose research interests complement and support the mission of the Center. The Center works closely with industry executives and practitioners to ensure that its research is informed by the operating realities and competitive demands facing industry participants as they pursue competitive excellence. Copies of the working papers summarized here are available from the Center. If you would like to learn more about the Center or become a member of our research community, please let us know of your interest. and may be freely reproduced for educational and research purposes, so long as it is not altered, this copyright notice is reproduced with it, and it is not sold for profit. Abstract: It depends. If volatility fluctuates in a forecastable way, then volatility forecasts are useful for risk management; hence the interest in volatility forecastability in the risk management literature. Volatility forecastability, however, varies with horizon, and different horizons are relevant in different applications. Existing assessments are plagued by the fact that they are joint assessments of volatility forecastability and an assumed model, and the results vary not only with the horizon, but also with the model. To address this problem, we develop a model-free procedure for measuring volatility forecastability across horizons. Perhaps surprisingly, we find that volatility forecastability decays quickly with horizon. Volatility forecastability, although clearly of relevance for risk management at the very short horizons relevant for, say, trading desk management, may not be important for risk management more generally. Acknowledgments: Greg Hopper and Keith Sill provided helpful discussion. All remaining inadequacies are ours alone. We thank the National Science Foundation, the Sloan Foundation and the University of Pennsylvania Research Foundation for support. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the International Monetary Fund.
Modelling the effects of changes in rainfall event characteristics on TSS loads in urban runoff

The effect of changes in rainfall event characteristics on urban stormwater quality, which was described by total suspended solids (TSS), was studied by means of computer simulations conducted with the Storm Water Management Model for a climate change scenario for northern Sweden. The simulation results showed that TSS event loads depended mainly on rainfall depth and intensity, but not on antecedent conditions. Storms with low‐to‐intermediate depths and intensities showed the highest sensitivity to changes in rainfall input, both for percentage and absolute changes in TSS wash‐off loads, which was explained by the contribution of pervious areas and supply limitations. This has significant implications for stormwater management, because those relatively frequent events generally carry a high percentage of the annual pollutant load. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.