Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Testing the q-Theory of Anomalies

The q-theory explanations of asset pricing anomalies are quantitatively important. We perform a new asset pricing test by using GMM to minimize the difference between average stock returns in the data and average investment returns constructed from observable firm characteristics. Under various specifications, the model-implied average returns display similar magnitudes of dispersion across portfolios sorted on investment-to-asset and on size and book-to-market. But the predicted dispersions in average returns among portfolios sorted on earnings surprises are somewhat smaller in magnitude than those observed in the data
Regional ventilation redistribution measured by electrical impedance tomography during spontaneous breathing trial with automatic tube compensation

Objective. Automatic tube compensation (ATC) was developed to overcome the flow resistance of endotracheal tube and decrease the imposed work of breathing. Although ATC is used as an evidence-based strategy to predict successful weaning from assisted ventilation, the changes in regional ventilation distribution induced by this technique are not known. We hypothesized that continuous positive airway pressure plus ATC (CPAP + 100%ATC) could reactivate the respiratory muscles in patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) more effectively than volume assist-control mandatory ventilation (ACMV). Approach. A total of 16 PMV patients were included. Patients were ventilated under volume ACMV mode and subsequently under CPAP + 100%ATC for 50 min. Two periods of 5 min electrical impedance tomography (EIT) data at the end of each mode were analyzed. Main results. Tidal variations of electrical impedance determined by EIT during CPAP + 100%ATC were significantly smaller than during ACMV (p < 0.001), while no significant differences in end-expiratory lung impedance were found. Regional ventilation was distributed significantly more towards dorsal regions during CPAP + 100%ATC as indicated by the EIT-based index center of ventilation (46.2 ± 5.8 during ACMV versus 51.7 ± 6.5 during CPAP + 100%ATC, values in %, p < 0.001). However, the overall degree of ventilation inhomogeneity was not improved as indicated by the global inhomogeneity index (0.42 ± 0.09 during ACMV versus 0.42 ± 0.06 during CPAP + 100%ATC). The onset of ventilation was significantly less delayed during CPAP + 100%ATC in both ventral and dorsal regions as indicated by the ventilation delay index (ACMV versus CPAP + 100%ATC, 53.0 versus 42.6 in ventral; 50.2 versus 39.3 in dorsal regions; values in %, p < 0.001). Significance. Dorsal redistribution of ventilation and reduction of ventilation delay as identified by EIT indicate that CPAP + 100%ATC was effective in reactivating the respiratory muscles in the PMV patients of the present study.
Do Patient Characteristics Explain the Differences in Outcome Between Medically Treated Patients in SAMMPRIS and WASID ?

The Stenting and Aggressive Medical Management for Preventing Recurrent Stroke in Intracranial Stenosis (SAMMPRIS) trial demonstrated superiority of aggressive medical management over stenting. Additionally, the rate of the primary end point in the medical group in SAMMPRIS was much lower than predicted from the preceding Warfarin Aspirin Symptomatic Intracranial Disease (WASID) trial. Although the much lower primary event rate among the SAMMPRIS patients has been attributed to the benefits of aggressive medical management, an alternative explanation is that the patients in SAMMPRIS were at lower risk or different in other meaningful ways compared with the patients in WASID. We explored this hypothesis by performing a statistical analysis comparing the SAMMPRIS primary end point between patients in the 2 studies in which we evaluated Background and Purpose—The Stenting and Aggressive Medical Management for Preventing Recurrent Stroke in Intracranial Stenosis (SAMMPRIS) medical group had a much lower primary end point rate than predicted from the preceding Warfarin Aspirin Symptomatic Intracranial Disease (WASID) trial. This result has been attributed to the aggressive medical therapy used in SAMMPRIS, but an alternative hypothesis is that SAMMPRIS patients were at lower risk. We undertook analyses to evaluate these competing hypotheses. Methods—Using proportional hazards regression, we compared the SAMMPRIS primary end point between SAMMPRIS medical patients and WASID patients meeting the same qualifying criteria adjusted for confounding baseline characteristics. Results—The unadjusted comparison of the SAMMPRIS primary end point showed a significantly higher risk for WASID patients (P=0.009, logrank test) with 12 month Kaplan–Meier estimates of 21.9% in WASID and 12.6% in SAMMPRIS and hazard ratio 1.9 (95% confidence interval =1.2–3.0). The analyses identified the following confounding factors that varied between the studies and that conferred a higher risk: lack of statin use at enrollment (hazard ratio =1.8, 95% confidence interval =1.1–2.9, P=0.027) that was more prevalent among WASID patients (39% versus 14%, P<0.0001) and prior infarcts in the territory of the symptomatic vessel (hazard ratio =1.8, 95% confidence interval =1.1–2.9, P=0.023) that was more prevalent among SAMMPRIS patients (34% versus 22%, P=0.015). The hazard ratio for WASID versus SAMMPRIS adjusted for these 2 characteristics was 1.9 (95% confidence interval =1.1–3.2). Conclusions—After adjustment for confounding baseline characteristics, WASID patients had an almost 2-fold higher risk of the SAMMPRIS primary end point, which supports the hypothesis that the lower rate of the primary end point in the medical arm of SAMMPRIS compared with WASID patients was as a result of the aggressive medical management used in SAMMPRIS. Trial Registration––URL: http://www.clinicaltrials. gov. Unique identifier: NCT00576693. (Stroke. 2015;46:00-00. DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.009656.)
Organic Reserves in ropical Grasses under Grazing

Inadequate management in recent times has been considered the main factor contributing to pasture degradation. A major reason for this is related to gross errors of grazing management as a consequence of the lack of knowledge of ecophysiological limits of forage. This review aimed to approach the importance of organic reserves for grasses under grazing. Therefore, the predominant effect of animal grazing is the reduction of leaf area which impacts on carbohydrate and nitrogen reserves and consequently the growth of tillers, leaves and roots. Grass growth after defoliation is related to organic reserves and rate of photosynthesis. The latter is affected by the level of canopy light interception of and by the reminiscent leaf area index. When grazing management is carried out with respect to the physiological limits of grass growth, the rate of dry matter accumulation will be quick and constant. In this aspect, grazing management consists of seeking an efficient balance between plant growth and consumption which will reflect on animal productivity. Therefore, a balance point among frequency and intensity of defoliation must be found to achieve greater animal production concerning the ecophysiological limits of the forage plants. So the challenge will be to find a balance between frequency and intensity of grazing to achieve greater production of animals respecting the eco-physiological limits of forage plants for each forage grass individually.
OPE-SR: Orthogonal Position Encoding for Designing a Parameter-free Upsampling Module in Arbitrary-scale Image Super-Resolution

A. OPE Theory Our proposed Orthogonal Position Encoding (OPE) is constructed using four basic functions {cos(ux) cos(vy), cos(ux) sin(vy), sin(ux) cos(vy), sin(ux) sin(vy)} where u and v are frequencies greater than or equal to zero. These functions represent the real form of the 2D-Fourier basis for a periodic and continuous 2D signal. Representing real 2D signals with complex 2D-Fourier basis, we use the conjugate symmetry to derive the real form basis. Our derivation extends the real form basis of 1D-Fourier transform [7, Chap. 3.3. 1] to the 2D case. Suppose fXY (x, y) represents a periodic and continuous complex signal in 2D, where X and Y is the minimum positive period for xand y-axis, respectively. In our paper, we set X = Y = 2. Applying the Fourier and inverse Fourier transforms, we have:
Hedgehog Signaling Regulates MyoD Expression and Activity*

Background: Hedgehog (Hh) signaling regulates skeletal myogenesis; however, the molecular mechanisms involved are not fully understood. Results: Gli2, a transactivator of Hh signaling, associates with MyoD gene elements, regulating MyoD expression, and binds to MyoD protein, regulating its ability to induce myogenesis. Conclusion: Hh signaling is linked to MyoD gene expression and MyoD protein function. Significance: Novel mechanistic insight is gained into the Hh-regulated myogenesis. The inhibition of MyoD expression is important for obtaining muscle progenitors that can replenish the satellite cell niche during muscle repair. Progenitors could be derived from either embryonic stem cells or satellite cells. Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is important for MyoD expression during embryogenesis and adult muscle regeneration. To date, the mechanistic understanding of MyoD regulation by Hh signaling is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the Hh effector, Gli2, regulates MyoD expression and associates with MyoD gene elements. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments in pluripotent P19 cells show that Gli2 activity is sufficient and required for efficient MyoD expression during skeletal myogenesis. Inhibition of Hh signaling reduces MyoD expression during satellite cell activation in vitro. In addition to regulating MyoD expression, Hh signaling regulates MyoD transcriptional activity, and MyoD activates Hh signaling in myogenic conversion assays. Finally, Gli2, MyoD, and MEF2C form a protein complex, which enhances MyoD activity on skeletal muscle-related promoters. We therefore link Hh signaling to the function and expression of MyoD protein during myogenesis in stem cells.
Interbasin freshwater, heat and salt transport through the boundaries of the East and South China Seas from a variable-grid global ocean circulation model

The monthly and annual mean freshwater, heat and salt transport through the open boundaries of the South and East China Seas derived from a variable-grid global ocean circulation model is reported. The model has 1/6° resolution for the seas adjacent to China and 3° resolution for the global ocean. The model results are in fairly good agreement with the existing estimates based on measurements. The computation shows that the flows passing through the South China Sea contribute volume, heat and salt transport of 5.3 Sv, 0.57 PW and 184 Ggs−1, respectively (about 1/4) to the Indonesian Throughflow, indicating that the South China Sea is an important pathway of the Pacific to Indian Ocean throughflow. The volume, heat and salt transport of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea is 25.6 Sv, 2.32 PW and 894 Ggs−1, respectively. Less than 1/4 of this transport passes through the passage between Iriomote and Okinawa. The calculation of heat balance indicates that the South China Sea absorbs net heat flux from the sun and atmosphere with a rate of 0.08 PW, while the atmosphere gains net heat flux from the Baohai, Yellow and East China Seas with a rate of 0.05 PW.
Single‐crystal equation of state of phase D to lower mantle pressures and the effect of hydration on the buoyancy of deep subducted slabs

An understanding of the physical properties of the hydrous magnesium silicate phase D is important for the interpretation of the seismic anomalies observed in subducted slabs and to evaluate the effect of hydration on slab dynamics. Here we report the equation of state of phase D (Mg1.1Si1.8H2.5O6) up to 65 GPa obtained from high‐precision single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. A single‐crystal of phase D was loaded in a diamond anvil cell using helium as pressure transmitting medium to ensure quasi‐hydrostatic conditions during the entire data collection. The volume of phase D decreases smoothly over the entire pressure range, without the anomalies in the compressibility reported at 40 GPa in previous powder diffraction studies. If existing in phase D, a hydrogen bond symmetrization transition as predicted by first‐principles calculation is therefore not associated with anomalies in the volume compression behavior. The isothermal bulk modulus KT and its pressure derivative K′T obtained from the fitting of the unit cell volumes using a third‐order Birch‐Murnaghan equation of state are KT = 151.4 ± 1.2 GPa and K′T = 4.89 ±0.08, respectively. This bulk modulus is in good agreement with a recent single‐crystal Brillouin scattering experiment. The presence of 16 vol. % of phase D in hydrous peridotite lithologies reduces the density by up to 2.6% at upper most lower mantle pressure‐temperature conditions (1273 K and 30 GPa), phase D is thus a potential candidate to influence the buoyancy of hydrated stagnant slabs below the transition zone.
Laminar Natural Convection in Air-Filled Rectangular Cavities With and Without Partitions on Walls

The laminar natural convection in air-filled rectangular cavities rith and without a partition on the wall was experimentally investigated. Temper~ture measurements and fl.ow visualizations were performed for cases with heated /and cooled vertical walls (corresponding to global Grashof numbers GrH of approximately 1.4 x 108 to 1.8 x 108) and non-dimensional top wall temperatures Or of 0.52 (insulated) to 2.3. In the rectangular cavities without the partition and with aspect ratios of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0, the heated top wall caused the natural convection boundary layer fl.ow to separate from either the top wall (for the cases with Or ;S 1.2) or the heated vertical wall (for the cases with Or ,2: 1.2) due to the negative buoyancy force. For the cases with Or ,2: 1.2, there is an anti-clockwise recirculating fl.ow in the upper left corner region. The extent of the recirculating fl.ow decreased with an increase of the aspect ratio. The temperature gradient in the core region, d000 /d(y/ H), increased with an increase of Or. For a given aspect ratio, d000 /d(y/ H) changed more rapidly with the change in Or for the cases with Or ;S 1.2 compared to the cases with Or ,2: 1.2. The increase in d000 / d(y / H) was more significant for the smaller aspect ratio cavity. The temperature profiles predicted from the similarity solutions proposed by Kulkarni et al. [1] and from the non-similarity model developed by Chen and Eichhorn [2] for natural convection on an isothermal vertical wall in a stratified environment were compared to the measurements in the current cases. These models were not
Short‐term effects of simvastatin on bile acid synthesis and bile lipid secretion in human subjects

To test whether de novo synthesis of cholesterol is a limiting factor for bile acid synthesis, we studied the acute effect of simvastatin, an inhibitor of HMG–coenzyme A reductase (the limiting step of cholesterol synthesis) on bile acid synthesis and biliary lipid secretion in subjects with interrupted enterohepatic circulation. In these conditions bile acid synthesis is derepressed and is assumed to equal biliary bile acid secretion. Five cholecystectomized patients fitted with T‐tubes were studied. All subjects were administered simvastatin (80 mg as a single dose) 5 days after surgery. Bile was collected in 3‐hr intervals for 15 hr before and 30 hr after the administration of the drug. During the experiment we kept the enterohepatic circulation of bile acid interrupted by inflating an occludable balloon inserted, during cholecystectomy, in the common bile duct. Simvastatin induced significant decreases of plasma total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, from 163 ± 29 mg/dl and 97 ± 24 mg/dl of the pretreatment value to 144 ± 30 mg/dl and 82 ± 22 mg/dl 18 hr after simvastatin administration, respectively. Bile flow tended to increase after simvastatin, and the mean values from the third to the 15th hour after simvastatin administration (22.1 ± 1.9 ml/hr) were significantly greater than the mean values of the pretreatment period (19.9 ± 2.8 ml/hr). Concomitantly biliary bile acid, cholesterol and phospholipid concentrations fell from basal values of 15.9 ± 5.1, 2.3 ± 0.3 and 5.5 ± 0.3 mmol/L to mean values, after treatment, of 9.0 ± 3.5, 1.9 ± 0.5 and 3.0 ± 0.9 mmol/L, respectively. Cholesterol saturation index increased from a mean value of 1.51 ± 0.31 in the pretreatment period to 1.98 ± 0.52 after simvastatin. Bile acid output decreased from a mean pretreatment value of 308.0 ± 79.1 μmol/hr to 191.9 ± 69.2 μmol/hr after simvastatin administration. Secretion rates of phospholipids decreased to a lesser extent, whereas cholesterol output remained constant. No correlation was found between bile acid output and bile flow, phospholipid secretion and cholesterol secretion. A significant correlation was present between phospholipid and cholesterol secretion. Our data show that, in conditions of derepressed bile acid synthesis, acute inhibition of HMG–coenzyme A reductase activity induces decreased bile acid synthesis and excretion. Our findings may suggest that the availability of newly synthesized cholesterol is a critical factor for bile acid synthesis and secretion but not for cholesterol secretion; alternatively HMG–coenzyme A reductase and cholesterol 7α‐hydroxylase, the rate‐limiting step of bile acid synthesis, may be coordinately regulated at the transcriptional level. (HEPATOLOGY 1994;19:882–888.)
European isotherms move northwards by up to 15 km year−1: using climate analogues for awareness‐raising

Little use has been made up till now of the concept of climate analogues to link the present and the past, i.e. places whose current climate (‘target’ locations) is similar to that experienced some decades ago at distant locations (‘reference’ sites). Indeed, most research up till now has focused on analogues between present and future climates. Here we assess at what period of time the climate at a target station in Europe has reached—or will reach—that of a reference location, and show that the velocity of northward‐moving isotherms can attain 15 km year−1. Such displacements in space imply that temperatures at many target sites in Europe have already exceeded those experienced by stations located 300–500 km to the south in the last half‐century. Such results can serve to better portray what a rapidly changing climate means to a lay audience, and can provide useful information to the policy‐making community.
Coupled isotopic and process‐based modeling of gaseous nitrogen losses from tropical rain forests

Gaseous nitrogen (N) losses remove fixed N from the biosphere and play an important role in regulating Earth's climate system. Current techniques for measuring gaseous N fluxes are still limited, however, and many uncertainties remain. We used the natural isotopes of N, 15N/14N, to constrain process‐based model (DAYCENT, the daily version of CENTURY) estimates of gaseous N emissions from terrestrial ecosystems. The isotope model considers two scenarios. In the first, soil 15N/14N is a linear function of a fraction of gaseous N losses. In the second, underexpression of denitrification's isotope effect is considered, and soil 15N/14N is determined by both the fraction of gaseous losses and the proportion of NO3− consumed locally by denitrification. We examined the coupled process‐ and isotope‐based model along two Hawaiian rain forest gradients which span a range of tropical climates, soil biogeochemical ages, and ecosystem 15N/14N. Under most conditions (mean annual precipitation (MAP) <4050 mm), modeled soil 15N/14N ratios agreed well with measurements (r2 = 0.89), consistent with full expression of denitrification's isotope effect (scenario 1). In very wet sites (MAP ≥ 4050 mm), locally complete NO3− consumption appears to lower the isotopic expression of denitrification at ecosystem levels, resulting in soil 15N/14N ratios that approach those of the N inputs (i.e., scenario 2). Replacing modeled gaseous N emissions with field‐based measures of oxidized N, gas fluxes (NOx + N2O) resulted in consistently lower estimates of soil 15N/14N ratios across the forests. This points to a missing gas N loss term (i.e., N2), inadequate coverage of spatial and temporal heterogeneity by empirical measures, or both. These results demonstrate the potential for soil N isotopes to constrain N gas fluxes at large geographic scales, providing a quantitative tracer of gaseous N emissions from land.
Sea-Level Changes over the Past 1,000 Years in the Pacific

The absence of good information about sea-level change for the past 1,000 years in the Pacific is unfortunate given our much clearer understanding of the earlier Holocene and the past ~ 100 years. Yet such information is needed if we are to be able to properly understand the causes of late Neogene sea-level changes and to understand the environmental effects of predicted future changes. Data are selected from sites in American Samoa, Fiji, the Gambier Islands, Guam, Kosrae, New Zealand, Rota and the Tuamotus which have been tectonically stable for the past thousand years. These data are plotted and a sea-level envelope drawn to characterise the most probable Pacific-wide course of sea-level change for the last millennium. Sea level was close to its present level ~ 1000 years BP, then rose to perhaps 0.9 m above around 700 BP. This period of sea-level rise coincided with a period of warming named the Little Climatic Optimum. The transition to the Little Ice Age, when sea level stood lower, was marked by a transition around 690 BP when sea level (and ground temperatures) fell rapidly. A lack of data from the following ~ 200 years suggest that sea level was lower than the level to which it rose during the early part of the Little Ice Age. A gradual fall occurred during the later part of the Little Ice Age to as much as -0.9 m below present some 200 BP. The last part of the millennium has been characterized by a net rise of sea level. Several anomalous dates from the sites examined are most probably explicable by post-emergence contamination of reef limestones.
Problem Structure Analysis of Irrigation Systems in the Upper West Region of Ghana

Ghana’s agricultural sector is heavily dependent on rainfall, but the rainfall pattern is erratic, making the sector a high-risk venture for many investors. The Upper West Region annually experiences a short rainy season and a relatively long dry season (i.e., October to April). Irrigation is therefore essential for enhancement of agricultural production. A number of earth embankments have been constructed as dams and dugouts have been excavated throughout the region to create water reservoirs for irrigation, especially for dry season farming. However, the irrigation facilities are beset with problems. This paper presents a problem structure analysis of the irrigation systems in the region with the aim of proposing a feasible and sustainable scheme of irrigation