Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In-hospital mortality due to breakthrough COVID-19 among recipients of COVISHIELD (ChAdOx nCoV-19) and COVAXIN (BBV152)

Background: Multiple vaccines have received emergency-use authorization in different countries in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. India had started its vaccination campaign using the COVISHIELD (ChAdOx nCoV-19) and the COVAXIN (BBV152) vaccines. However, there is a lack of head-to-head comparisons of the different vaccines. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study during the second wave of the pandemic in India with predominant circulation of the delta strain of SARS-CoV-2. We enrolled adult patients who were hospitalized with breakthrough COVID-19 infection after vaccination. We compared in-hospital outcomes between patients who had received the COVISHIELD (n=181) or COVAXIN vaccines. Results: Between April and June 2021, a total of 353 patients were enrolled, among whom 181 (51.3%) received COVAXIN (156 partially vaccinated and 25 fully vaccinated) and 172 (48.7%) received COVISHIELD (155 partially vaccinated and 17 fully vaccinated). The in-hospital mortality did not differ between the recipients of COVISHIELD or COVAXIN in either the fully vaccinated [2 deaths (11.8%) vs 0 deaths (0%), respectively p=0.08] or the partially vaccinated cohorts [31 deaths (20%) vs 28 deaths (17.9%), respectively, p=0.65]. Conclusions: Patients who are hospitalized with breakthrough COVID-19 had similar in-hospital outcome irrespective of whether they received COVISHIELD or COVAXIN. Keywords: COVID-19, vaccine, ChAdOx nCoV-19, Covishield, BBV152, Covaxin
An unsupervised, online learning framework for moving object detection

Object detection with a learned classifier has been applied successfully to difficult tasks such as detecting faces and pedestrians. Systems using this approach usually learn the classifier offline with manually labeled training data. We present a framework that learns the classifier online with automatically labeled data for the specific case of detecting moving objects from video. Motion information is used to automatically label training examples collected directly from the live detection task video. An online learner based on the Winnow algorithm incrementally trains a task-specific classifier with these examples. Since learning occurs online and without manual help, it can continue in parallel with detection and adapt the classifier over time. The framework is demonstrated on a person detection task for an office corridor scene. In this task, we use background subtraction to automatically label training examples. After the initial manual effort of implementing the labeling method, the framework runs by itself on the scene video stream to gradually train an accurate detector.
The Dynamic Capabilities of Hidden Champions

Hidden Champions (HCs) are smalland medium-sized global market leaders that repeatedly show superior innovation capabilities and economic performance. However, empirical evidence on how the digital transformation may affect their success story remains scarce. I argue that HCs show stronger dynamic capabilities which enables them to be better prepared for the digital transformation than non-HCs firms. To test this hypothesis, I use data from the Mannheim Innovation Panel. This allows me to identify a representative set of German HCs and develop a firm digital readiness index, reflecting the use of important digital technologies and applications. An instrumental variable estimation suggests that higher levels of digital readiness lead to an increase in share of revenue from innovations and productivity. In combination with higher average digital readiness levels of HCs compared to non-HCs, my findings indicate that HCs may indeed be better prepared for the digital transformation.
Tepsankumpu revisited — pollen evidence of stable Eemian climates in Finnish Lapland

Several till‐covered organic deposits, principally lake gyttja, in Finnish Lapland have been correlated with the last (i.e. Eemian) interglacial on the basis of their lithostratigraphic position and pollen stratigraphy. Most of the sequences are short, but together with three longer sequences from Finnish Lapland and one from Swedish Lapland (Leveäniemi) they provide a complete picture of Eemian vegetational and climatic development. The Tepsankumpu site was revisited, and the till‐covered thick freshwater gyttja deposit was studied in detail for pollen in order to search for signals of rapid climatic fluctuations postulated for the earlier part of the Eemian on the basis of Greenland ice core studies. The Eemian pollen stratigraphy in Finnish Lapland closely resembles the Holocene pollen stratigraphy of the area. The abundance of spruce and alder pollen suggests, however, more northerly limits for forest vegetation zones during the Eemian than during the Holocene. Oak also grew closer to Lapland, indicating a wanner climate than during the Holocene climatic optimum. The Tepsankumpu pollen stratigraphy indicates climatic stability over the entire time‐span it covers, i.e. the major part of the interglacial. This finding is in conflict with results from Greenland GRIP ice core studies and interpretations of some Continental European Eemian pollen diagrams.
A rapid approach for automated comparison of independently derived stream networks

This paper presents an improved coefficient of line correspondence (CLC) metric for automatically assessing the similarity of two different sets of linear features. Elevation-derived channels at 1:24,000 scale (24K) are generated from a weighted flow-accumulation model and compared to 24K National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) flowlines. The CLC process conflates two vector datasets through a raster line-density differencing approach that is faster and more reliable than earlier methods. Methods are tested on 30 subbasins distributed across different terrain and climate conditions of the conterminous United States. CLC values for the 30 subbasins indicate 44–83% of the features match between the two datasets, with the majority of the mismatching features comprised of first-order features. Relatively lower CLC values result from subbasins with less than about 1.5 degrees of slope. The primary difference between the two datasets may be explained by different data capture criteria. First-order, headwater tributaries derived from the flow-accumulation model are captured more comprehensively through drainage area and terrain conditions, whereas capture of headwater features in the NHD is cartographically constrained by tributary length. The addition of missing headwaters to the NHD, as guided by the elevation-derived channels, can substantially improve the scientific value of the NHD.
Nature and degree of aqueous alteration in CM and CI carbonaceous chondrites

We investigated the petrologic, geochemical, and spectral parameters that relate to the type and degree of aqueous alteration in nine CM chondrites and one CI (Ivuna) carbonaceous chondrite. Our underlying hypothesis is that the position and shape of the 3 μm band is diagnostic of phyllosilicate mineralogy. We measured reflectance spectra of the chondrites under dry conditions (elevated temperatures) and vacuum (10−8 to 10−7 torr) to minimize adsorbed water and mimic the space environment, for subsequent comparison with reflectance spectra of asteroids. We have identified three spectral CM groups in addition to Ivuna. “Group 1,” the least altered group as determined from various alteration indices, is characterized by 3 μm band centers at longer wavelengths, and is consistent with cronstedtite (Fe‐serpentine). “Group 3,” the most altered group, is characterized by 3 μm band centers at shorter wavelengths and is consistent with antigorite (serpentine). “Group 2” is an intermediate group between group 1 and 3. Ivuna exhibits a unique spectrum that is distinct from the CM meteorites and is consistent with lizardite and chrysotile (serpentine). The petrologic and geochemical parameters, which were determined using electron microprobe analyses and microscopic observations, are found to be consistent with the three spectral groups. These results indicate that the distinct parent body aqueous alteration environments experienced by these carbonaceous chondrites can be distinguished using reflectance spectroscopy. High‐quality ground‐based telescopic observations of Main Belt asteroids can be expected to reveal not just whether an asteroid is hydrated, but also details of the alteration state.
Why and How Can Hippocampal Transition Cells Be Used in Reinforcement Learning ?

In this paper we present a model of reinforcement learning (RL) which can be used to solve goal-oriented navigation tasks. Our model supposes that transitions between places are learned in the hippocampus (CA pyramidal cells) and associated with information coming from path-integration. The RL neural network acts as a bias on these transitions to perform action selection. RL originates in the basal ganglia and matches observations of reward-based activity in dopaminergic neurons. Experiments were conducted in a simulated environment. We show that our model using transitions and inspired by Q-learning performs more eﬃciently than traditional actor-critic models of the basal ganglia based on temporal diﬀerence (TD) learning and using static states.
Speciation and rate of photochemical NO and NO2 production in Antarctic snow

Measurements were made of NO and NO2, in controlled experiments to investigate their production from snow. Throughout a diurnal cycle, measurements were made of ambient air and air from inside a snowblock. Enhanced concentrations of NO and NO2 (up to 15 pptv and 32 pptv respectively) were measured inside the snowblock. The production rate inside the block varied with intensity of incident radiation, and reached a maximum of 1.1×106 molecs/cm³/s for NO and 2.1 × 106 molecs/cm³/s for NO2. A second experiment, in which the snowblock was alternately exposed to sunlight and then shaded, confirmed that the diurnal production was driven by photochemistry rather than some other diurnally varying factor. Concentrations of nitrate in the snowblock did not change as a result of 50 hours of experiments, confirming that if nitrate is the source reservoir, it can not be rapidly depleted. Snowpack production may contribute significantly to NOx concentrations in the Antarctic lower troposphere.
Consumption and Government-Budget Finance in a High-Deficit Economy

This paper characterizes empirically how government budget variables, such as spending, taxes, and deficits, affected private-sector consumption in the high-budget-deficit economy of Israel during the first half of the 1980s. The paper develops and estimates an intertemporal optimizing model of consumption choice by finite-lived individuals. The evidence supports this formulation against the Ricardian infinite-horizon case, but it does not support it when compared to the unrestricted relations in the data.
Systematic comparison of culture media uncovers phenotypic shift of primary human microglia defined by reduced reliance to CSF1R signaling

Efforts to understand microglia function in health and diseases have been hindered by the lack of culture models that recapitulate in situ cellular properties. In recent years, the use of serum‐free media with brain‐derived growth factors (colony stimulating factor 1 receptor [CSF1R] ligands and TGF‐β1/2) have been favored for the maintenance of rodent microglia as they promote morphological features observed in situ. Here we study the functional and transcriptomic impacts of such media on human microglia (hMGL). Media formulation had little impact on microglia transcriptome assessed by RNA sequencing which was sufficient to significantly alter microglia capacity to phagocytose myelin debris and to elicit an inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide. When compared to immediately ex vivo microglia from the same donors, the addition of fetal bovine serum to culture media, but not growth factors, was found to aid in the maintenance of key signature genes including those involved in phagocytic processes. A phenotypic shift characterized by CSF1R downregulation in culture correlated with a lack of reliance on CSF1R signaling for survival. Consequently, no improvement in cell survival was observed following culture supplementation with CSF1R ligands. Our study provides better understanding of hMGL in culture, with observations that diverge from those previously made in rodent microglia.
Monitoring Ras Interactions with the Nucleotide Exchange Factor Sos using Site-specific NMR Reporter Signals and Intrinsic Fluorescence

The activity of Ras is controlled by the inter-conversion between GTP-and GDP-bound forms, partly regulated by the binding of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Son of Sevenless (Sos). The details of Sos binding, leading to nucleotide exchange and subsequent dissociation of the complex, are not completely understood. Here, we used uniformly [ 15 N]-labeled Ras, as well as [ 13 C-methyl-M,I]-labeled Sos, for observing site-specific details of Ras:
Distributed discharge and sediment concentration predictions in the sub‐humid Ethiopian highlands: the Debre Mawi watershed

Experimental research in the Ethiopian highlands found that saturation excess induced runoff and erosion are common in the sub‐humid conditions. Because most erosion simulation models applied in the highlands are based on infiltration excess, we, as an alternative, developed the Parameter Efficient Distributed (PED) model, which can simulate water and sediment fluxes in landscapes with saturation excess runoff. The PED model has previously only been tested at the outlet of a watershed and not for distributed runoff and sediment concentration within the watershed. In this study, we compare the distributed storm runoff and sediment concentration of the PED model against collected data in the 95‐ha Debre Mawi watershed and three of its nested sub‐watersheds for the 2010 and 2011 rainy seasons. In the PED model framework, the hydrology of the watershed is divided between infiltrating and runoff zones, with erosion only taking place from two surface runoff zones. Daily storm runoff and sediment concentration values, ranging from 0.5 to over 30 mm and from 0.1 to 35 g l−1, respectively, were well simulated. The Nash Sutcliffe efficiency values for the daily storm runoff for outlet and sub‐watersheds ranged from 0.66 to 0.82, and the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency for daily sediment concentrations were greater than 0.78. Furthermore, the model uses realistic fractional areas for surface and subsurface flow contributions, for example between saturated areas (15%), degraded areas (30%) and permeable areas (55%) at the main outlet, while close similarity was found for the remaining hydrology and erosion parameter values. One exception occurred for the distinctly greater transport limited parameter at the actively gullying lower part of the watershed. The results suggest that the model based on saturation excess provides a good representation of the observed spatially distributed runoff and sediment concentrations within a watershed by modelling the bottom lands (as opposed to the uplands) as the dominant contributor of the runoff and sediment load. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hierarchy and sea ice mechanics: A case study from the Beaufort Sea

Hierarchy implies that the study of sea ice can be divided into analysis of subsets of processes based on scale and their interaction with adjacent scales. We apply these concepts to regional sea ice dynamics. The apparent self-similar property of ice floes seen in aircraft or satellite images argues for an aggregate nature of sea ice, that viscouslike regional behavior arises from discrete floe interactions. However, for some regions and some times, characteristic behavior, where lead patterns seen in basin-wide advanced very high resolution radiometer images appear to be related to coastal orientation hundreds of kilometers away, suggests that small regional scale processes O(10 km) and discontinuities in the velocity or stress state along boundaries can affect the larger-scale sea ice distribution and dynamics O(500 km). Thus sea ice displays both aggregate type behavior and discontinuous type behavior based on the history of forcing and shape of the enclosing basin. The appropriate matching of atmospheric processes to sea ice processes in air-ice interaction is through the sea ice deformation field rather than the response of ice velocity to the local wind. This is because atmospheric forcing and sea ice deformation have matching energetic scales at several hundred kilometers and timescales of days. An example of northerly winds during the April 1992 Arctic Leads Experiment period suggests discontinuous type behavior upwind of the Alaska coast followed by a general opening behavior with easterly winds. There appear to be natural scale divisions between climate scale sea ice processes of O(100–300 km) which resolve aggregate behavior, regional scale O(10–50 km) which is necessary to resolve observed shearing behavior, and the floe scale O(1 km). Because the climate scale is two levels removed from the floe scale, care must be exercised in using ice properties from the floe scale in climate scale models; ice strength is an example of such a scale dependent parameter.
ENGAGEMENT OF DIRECTORS REPRESENTING LARGE INVESTORS ON ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING

This paper aims at examining the role performed by representatives of large investors on environmental reporting, since they represent the highest proportion of directors among European countries. Additionally, we make a distinction between those representatives of controlling shareholders appointed by bank and insurance companies and those appointed by mutual funds, investment funds and pension funds, because they have different motivations, characteristics and incentives and, consequently, their role on boards and their influence on environmental disclosure may be dissimilar, as our results suggest. Our research offers a deep analysis revealing the role played by representatives of controlling owners in listed firms’ decisions to disclose environmental information. Thus, our findings show the engagement with the stakeholders of a particular type of directors sits on boards concerning environmental disclosure.
Cogenetic relationship of the Yangkou gabbro-to-granite unit, Su-Lu terrane, eastern China, and implications for UHP metamorphism

The Yangkou gabbro-to-granite complex is a petrotectonic unit of the Su-Lu ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic terrane in eastern China. It consists of lherzolites, metagabbro–eclogites, metagranodiorites and deformed granites. Whether or not the felsic members of the complex have undergone UHP metamorphism as is recorded in the metagabbro–eclogites is significant to understanding the relationship between eclogite and host rock. The metagabbro–eclogites have low εNd (220 Ma) values (−17 to −12) at the time of UHP metamorphism, indicating that their protoliths are old mafic intrusive rocks emplaced in a continental domain. Geochemical and isotopic studies for the Yangkou unit suggest that the protoliths of the unit (except eclogites) represent a cogenetic magmatic suite, produced by differentiation of a mafic parental magma. The parental magma was derived from melting of a long-term enriched mantle, and was emplaced into a crustal level during continental extension at c. 700–800 Ma. The cogenetic relationship for the protoliths of the unit suggests that the metagranodiorites and deformed granites were also subducted to extreme mantle depths along with the metagabbro–eclogites at c. 220 Ma. The lherzolites, however, are genetically not related to the mafic protoliths; they represent ‘mantle xenoliths’ of tectonic origin.
Effects of air mass origin on Arctic cloud microphysical parameters for April 1998 during FIRE.ACE

[1] Observations collected in April 1998 using the Canadian Convair-580 during the First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment-Arctic Cloud Experiment (FIRE.ACE) are used to study cloud microphysics over the Arctic Ocean. Cloud microphysical parameters in climate models are specified as either constants or specific relationships based on cloud systems originating from either the ocean or land. The Arctic Ocean during winter and spring is mainly covered with ice. Because of this condition, the influence of the Arctic Ocean on cloud systems can be very different as compared to that of the midlatitude ocean. Air mass back-trajectories calculated from the Canadian Meteorological Center (CMC) model outputs were used to define the origin of air masses as either the Pacific Ocean (PO) or the Arctic Ocean (AO). The uncertainty in specifying the origin of the air mass was less than 20%. The PO mean aerosol number concentration (Na) from the aircraft measurements was larger (108 cm−3) than for the AO cases (41 cm−3). The PO mean droplet number concentration (Nd) was 48 cm−3 in comparison to 77 cm−3 for the AO cases. The droplet effective radii (reff) for the AO and PO cases were 9.3 and 5.6 μm, respectively. Liquid water content (ice water content) changed from 0.05 (0.01) g m−3 for the AO cases to 0.13 (0.03) g m−3 for the PO cases. The averaged ice crystal number concentration was 20 L−1 for the PO cases and 10 L−1 for the AO cases. For April 1998, a statistical significance test on mean values at the 85% confidence level showed that the AO and PO cases had distinct microphysical and aerosol characteristics.
Ethogram and classification of the mating and egg-laying behaviour of the Southeast Asian apple snail Pilavirescens (Deshayes, 1824) (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Caenogastropoda, Ampullariidae)

﻿Abstract The status of the indigenous Southeast Asian apple snails belonging to the genus Pila is of concern due to their fast rate of population decline, possibly as a result of multiple factors including habitat loss or disturbance and the introduction of globally-invasive apple snails, Pomacea spp. Conservation actions, including captive breeding of the native Pila species, have been suggested as urgent remedial practices, but the lack of knowledge regarding the fundamental reproductive biology of indigenous Pila spp. makes such practices difficult. In the present study, observations on the mating and egg-laying behaviour of an economic valuable apple snail native to Southeast Asia, P.virescens, were conducted using video recording to examine and describe their reproductive behaviour under a laboratory condition. A total of 15 types of mating and seven egg-laying behaviour were recorded. The mating sequence which subsequently resulted in egg laying was comprised of seven types of major sequential behaviour: mate probing, mounting, shell circling, positioning, insemination posture, sheath withdrawal and dismounting. Rejection of mating attempts by the female was frequently observed. Egg laying occurred during either day or night. A sequence of seven distinct types of behaviour were performed during oviposition: climbing, positioning, forming a temporary tube, mucous secreting, egg depositing, leaving and resting. Overall, these results provide an understanding of the egg-laying behavioural process and highlight its complexity in P.virescens. In addition, detailed ethograms of mating and egg-laying behaviour were derived. These will promote further systematic comparative studies of the reproductive behaviour of apple snails.