Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Relationship between the Transmission of Different SARS-CoV-2 Strains and Air Quality: A Case Study in China

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a global public health concern for almost three years, and the transmission characteristics vary among different virus variants. Previous studies have investigated the relationship between air pollutants and COVID-19 infection caused by the original strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, it is unclear whether individuals might be more susceptible to COVID-19 due to exposure to air pollutants, with the SARS-CoV-2 mutating faster and faster. This study aimed to explore the relationship between air pollutants and COVID-19 infection caused by three major SARS-CoV-2 strains (the original strain, Delta variant, and Omicron variant) in China. A generalized additive model was applied to investigate the associations of COVID-19 infection with six air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO, NO2, and O3). A positive correlation might be indicated between air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, and NO2) and confirmed cases of COVID-19 caused by different SARS-CoV-2 strains. It also suggested that the mutant variants appear to be more closely associated with air pollutants than the original strain. This study could provide valuable insight into control strategies that limit the concentration of air pollutants at lower levels and would better control the spread of COVID-19 even as the virus continues to mutate.
TZD-Based Hybrid Molecules Act as Dual Anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Agents

Two distinct intracellular pathogens, namely Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and Toxoplasma gondii (Tg), cause major public health problems worldwide. In addition, serious and challenging health problems of co-infections of Tg with Mtb have been recorded, especially in developing countries. Due to this fact, as well as the frequent cases of resistance to the current drugs, novel anti-infectious therapeutics, especially those with dual (anti-Tg and anti-Mtb) modes of action, are needed. To address this issue, we explored the anti-Tg potential of thiazolidinedione-based (TZD-based) hybrid molecules with proven anti-Mtb potency. Several TZD hybrids with pyridine-4-carbohydrazone (PCH) or thiosemicarbazone (TSC) structural scaffolds were more effective and more selective than sulfadiazine (SDZ) and trimethoprim (TRI). Furthermore, all of these molecules were more selective than pyrimethamine (PYR). Further studies for the most potent TZD-TSC hybrids 7, 8 and 10 and TZD-PCH hybrid molecule 2 proved that these compounds are non-cytotoxic, non-genotoxic and non-hemolytic. Moreover, they could cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB), which is a critical factor linked with ideal anti-Tg drug development. Finally, since a possible link between Tg infection and the risk of glioblastoma has recently been reported, the cytotoxic potential of TZD hybrids against human glioblastoma cells was also evaluated. TZD-PCH hybrid molecule 2 was found to be the most effective, with an IC50 of 19.36 ± 1.13 µg/mL against T98G cells.
Dynamics of Seismic Pounding at Expansion Joints of Concrete Bridges

Motivated by a need to understand the effects of earthquake-induced pounding at thermal expansion joints of concrete bridges, the first part of this paper deals with collinear impact between concrete rods of the same cross section but different lengths. It is shown that (1) the coefficient of restitution between rods depends only on the length ratio and the damping ratio of the rod material and (2) the duration of impact is equal to the fundamental period of axial vibration of the shorter rod. These results are used in the second part of this paper to formulate a realistic yet simple analysis of seismic pounding in concrete bridges. In determining a suitable value of the coefficient of restitution, use is made of the strong-motion data recorded on a concrete bridge that experienced significant pounding during recent California earthquakes. It is shown that (1) seismic pounding generally reduces the column forces; (2) large impact forces generated in the superstructure are not transmitted to the bridge columns and foundations; and (3) pounding does not increase the longitudinal separation at the hinges.
A new one‐point quadrature enhanced assumed strain (EAS) solid‐shell element with multiple integration points along thickness—part II: nonlinear applications

In this work the recently proposed Reduced Enhanced Solid‐Shell (RESS) finite element, based on the enhanced assumed strain (EAS) method and a one‐point quadrature integration scheme, is extended in order to account for large deformation elastoplastic thin‐shell problems. One of the main features of this finite element consists in its minimal number of enhancing parameters (one), sufficient to circumvent the well‐known Poisson and volumetric locking phenomena, leading to a computationally efficient performance when compared to other 3D or solid‐shell enhanced strain elements. Furthermore, the employed numerical integration accounts for an arbitrary number of integration points through the thickness direction within a single layer of elements. The EAS formulation comprises an additive split of the Green–Lagrange material strain tensor, making the inclusion of nonlinear kinematics a straightforward task. A corotational coordinate system is used to integrate the constitutive law and to ensure incremental objectivity. A physical stabilization procedure is implemented in order to correct the element's rank deficiencies. A variety of shell‐type numerical benchmarks including plasticity, large deformations and contact are carried out, and good results are obtained when compared to well‐established formulations in the literature. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The canonical solution operator of $ {\bar \partial } $ on weighted spaces with holomorphic coefficients

On weighted spaces with strictly plurisubharmonic weightfunctions the canonical solution operator of $ {\bar \partial } $ and the $ {\bar \partial } $‐Neumann operator are bounded. In this paper we find a class of strictly plurisubharmonic weightfunctions with certain growth conditions, so that they are Hilbert‐Schmidt operators between weighted spaces with different weightfunctions, if they are restricted to forms with holomorphic coefficients. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
High-Order Accurate Discontinuous Finite Element Solution of the 2D Euler Equations

This paper deals with a high-order accurate discontinuous finite element method for the numerical solution of the Euler equations. The method combines two key ideas which are at the basis of the finite volume and of the finite element method, the physics of wave propagation being accounted for by means of Riemann problems and accuracy being obtained by means of high-order polynomial approximations within elements. We focus our attention on two-dimensional steady-state problems and present higher order accurate (up to fourth-order) discontinuous finite element solutions on unstructured grids of triangles. In particular we show that, in the presence of curved boundaries, a meaningful high-order accurate solution can be obtained only if a corresponding high-order approximation of the geometry is employed. We present numerical solutions of classical test cases computed with linear, quadratic, and cubic elements which illustrate the versatility of the method and the importance of the boundary condition
A modern approach to probability theory

This textbok is designed for graduate students in probability theory. It merges measure theory with probability theory, and rather than deal only with "random variables" it also looks at "random objects". There is a chapter of introductory material for advanced topics, as well as over 1000 exercises, ranging from gambling theory to concrete calculations involving random sets. All of the problems in the exercises are designed to help students get beyond mere rote learning of theorems and proofs to a deep intuitive feel for the far-reaching implications of the theory. Solutions are provided for approximately a quarter of the exercises.
Time‐series photometric spot modelling – VI. A new computer code and its application to 23 years of photometry of the active giant IM Pegasi

We present and apply a new computer program named SpotModeL to analyze single and multiple bandpass photometric data of spotted stars. It is based on the standard analytical formulae from Budding and Dorren. The program determines the position, size, and temperature of up to three spots by minimizing the fit residuals with the help of the Marquardt-Levenberg non-linear least-squares algorithm. We also expand this procedure to full time-series analysis of differential data, just as real observations would deliver. If multi-bandpass data are available, all bandpasses can be treated simultaneously and thus the spot temperature is solved for implicitly. The program may be downloaded and used by anyone. In this paper, we apply our code to an ≈23 year long photometric dataset of the spotted RS CVn giant IM Peg. We extracted and modelled 33 individual light curves, additionally, we fitted the entire V dataset in one run. The resulting spot parameters reflect the long term light variability and reveal two active longitudes on the substellar point and on the antipode. The radius and longitude of the dominant spot show variations with 29.8 and 10.4 years period, respectively. Our multicolour data suggests that the spot temperature is increasing with the brightening of the star. The average spot temperature from V, IC is 3550 ± 150 K or approximately 900 K below the effective temperature of the star.
Three‐dimensional radiative transfer in midlatitude cirrus clouds

Three different types of cirrus cloud field, reconstructed in three dimensions directly from midlatitude observations by a cirrus stochastic model, are used to study the effects of three‐dimensional radiative transfer in both the long‐wave and short‐wave spectral regions. Calculations of three‐dimensional radiative transfer (3D), the independent column approximation (ICA) and the plane‐parallel approximation are compared to quantify the effects on heating rates, radiative fluxes and related properties. Locally the heating rate difference between 3D and ICA reaches more than 10 K day−1 in both the long‐wave and short‐wave, depending upon the distributions of ice water content, which indicates that horizontal radiation transport plays an important role in structures of heating rate. The domain‐averaged heating profiles of 3D agree within a few tenths of a K day−1 with ICA but show a systematic low bias. The domain‐averaged heating rates in cloud layers are increased in 3D by up to 7% in the long‐wave and more than 20% in the short‐wave. The root‐mean‐square differences at individual points are up to ten times larger than the corresponding domain‐averaged differences, representing the cancellation of opposing 3D effects. The ICA biases in long‐wave net flux and emissivity have their maximum values (∼2–3%) near cloud top for the thinnest cloud with lowest fractional coverage. In general, ICA tends to reduce the reflected upwelling short‐wave flux at the top of clouds; the layer‐averaged albedo at cloud top agrees with 3D within 1%, although the corresponding RMS difference may differ by up to 30% from 3D at high solar zenith angles. Similar results are found for whole‐sky (cloudy plus clear) short‐wave reflectances and transmittances for which ICA agrees with 3D within 5%. For domain‐averaged short‐wave absorptance, however, ICA errors can reach 20%. The corresponding RMS differences may differ by up to 50% in reflectance and transmittance but exceed 200% in absorptance. The effects of solar zenith angle are also discussed. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society
Kalman Filtering-Based Probabilistic Nowcasting of Object-Oriented Tracked Convective Storms

AbstractThe weather radar–based object-oriented convective storm tracking is a standard approach for analyzing and nowcasting convective storms. However, the majority of current storm-tracking algorithms provide nowcasts only in a deterministic fashion with limited ability to estimate the related uncertainties.This paper proposes a method for probabilistic nowcasting of convective storms that addresses the issue of uncertainty of nowcasts. The approach first utilizes a two-dimensional radar-based storm identification and tracking algorithm in conjunction with the Kalman filtering of noisy measurements of storm centroid with the continuous white noise acceleration model. The resulting smoothed estimates of storm centroid and velocity components and their error covariance values are then applied to nowcast the probability of storm occurrence.To verify the approach, 20–60-min nowcasts were computed every 5 min using composite weather radar data in Finland including approximately 22 000 tracked storms. The ve.
Spatiotemporal Variations of Surface Deformation, Shallow Creep Rate, and Slip Partitioning Between the San Andreas and Southern Calaveras Fault

The Calaveras Fault (CF) branches from the San Andreas Fault (SAF) near San Benito, extending sub‐parallel to the SAF for about 50 km with only 2–6 km separation and diverging northeastward. Both the SAF and CF are partially coupled, exhibit spatially variable aseismic creep and have hosted moderate to large earthquakes in recent decades. Understanding how slip partitions among the main fault strands of the SAF system and establishing their degree of coupling is crucial for seismic hazard evaluation. We perform a timeseries analysis using more than 5 years of Sentinel‐1 data covering the Bay Area (May 2015–October 2020), specifically targeting the spatiotemporal variations of creep rates around the SAF‐CF junction. We derive the surface creep rates from cross‐fault InSAR timeseries differences along the SAF and CF including adjacent Sargent and Quien Sabe Faults. We show that the variable creep rates (0–20 mm/yr) at the SAF‐CF junction are to first order controlled by the angle between the fault strike and the background stress orientation. We further examine the spatiotemporal variation of creep rates along the SAF and CF and find a multi‐annual coupling increase during 2016–2018 the subparallel sections of both faults, with the CF coupling change lagging behind the SAF by 3–6 months. Similar temporal variations are also observed in both b‐values inferred from declustered seismicity and aseismic slip rates inferred from characteristic repeating earthquakes.
Frequency map analysis and particle accelerators

The development of frequency map analysis in particle accelerators is reviewed. In many examples, the frequency map is folded at large amplitudes. The fold is a singularity in the frequency map that induces a change of the signature of the torsion. When the torsion is non definite, the dynamical behavior of the beam needs to be studied very precisely, as directions of fast escape may occur.
Harper-Dorn Creep — a Myth?

Compression creep tests with changes in stress were performed to determine the stress exponent n of the creep rate in the steady state of deformation of pure Al at 923 K, i.e. close to the melting point. The tests confirm that n increases with decreasing σ and e. The decrease in n to 1 reported in the literature and associated with an autonomous dislocation mechanism of viscous deformation called Harper-Dorn creep could not be reproduced.
On Judging the Significance of Differences by Examining the Overlap Between Confidence Intervals

To judge whether the difference between two point estimates is statistically significant, data analysts often examine the overlap between the two associated confidence intervals. We compare this technique to the standard method of testing significance under the common assumptions of consistency, asymptotic normality, and asymptotic independence of the estimates. Rejection of the null hypothesis by the method of examining overlap implies rejection by the standard method, whereas failure to reject by the method of examining overlap does not imply failure to reject by the standard method. As a consequence, the method of examining overlap is more conservative (i.e., rejects the null hypothesis less often) than the standard method when the null hypothesis is true, and it mistakenly fails to reject the null hypothesis more frequently than does the standard method when the null hypothesis is false. Although the method of examining overlap is simple and especially convenient when lists or graphs of confidence intervals have been presented, we conclude that it should not be used for formal significance testing unless the data analyst is aware of its deficiencies and unless the information needed to carry out a more appropriate procedure is unavailable.
Locally axisymmetric turbulence

The failure of local isotropy to describe the experimentally obtained derivative moments in turbulent shear flows has previously been well-documented, but is briefly reviewed. The same data are then used to evaluate the hypothesis that the turbulence is locally axisymmetric. Locally axisymmetric turbulence is defined herein as turbulence which is locally invariant to rotations about a preferred axis. The derivative moment relations are derived from the general form of the two-point velocity correlation tensor near the origin for axisymmetric turbulence. These are used to derive relations for the rate of dissipation of kinetic energy, the mean-square vorticity, and the components of each. Almost all of the experimental derivative moment data are shown to be consistent with these equations, and thus with local axisymmetry.
Measurement of rotational iron losses in electrical sheet

A large portion of the stator core of a rotating electric machine is subjected to magnetic flux that rotates in the plane of the laminations. Iron losses under rotating flux conditions can differ considerably from those due to alternating fields. It has long been suspected that this difference may be responsible for some of the discrepancy between predictions of no-load core loss at the design stage and values obtained by factory test. At present, no international standard exists for determining iron losses due to rotational flux. This paper describes an apparatus capable of making such measurements and briefly reviews the state of the art in this area of research. Measured loss curves are given for seven grades of nonoriented (NO) electrical sheet.
Cloud Timescales and Orographic Precipitation

Abstract Orographic precipitation is studied by analyzing the sensitivity of numerical simulations to variations in mountain height, width, and wind speed. The emphasis is on upslope lifting over isolated mountains in cold climates. An attempt is made to capture the essential steady-state volume-averaged cloud physics in a pair of coupled nonlinear algebraic equations. To do this, single-pathway snow formation models are analyzed with both linear and nonlinear accretion formulations. The linear model suggests that the precipitation efficiency is determined by three timescales—the advection timescale (τa), fallout timescale (τf), and a constant timescale for snow generation (τcs). Snow generation is controlled by the ratio of τcs/τa and the fraction of the snow that falls to the ground is controlled by the ratio of τf/τa. Nonlinear terms, representing accretion, reduce the utility of the timescale concept by introducing a threshold or “bifurcation” point, that is, a critical condensation rate that separate.
Far-infrared lines from H II regions: Abundance variations in the galaxy

Far-infrared lines of (N III) (57 microns), (O III) (52, 88 microns), (Ne III) (36 microns), and (S III) (19, 33 microns) have been measured in the H II regions G1.13 - 0.11, W31B, G23.95 + 0.15, G25.38 - 0.18, G29.96 - 0.02, W43, W51e, S156, S158, NGC 3576, NGC 3603, and G298.22-0.34. These observations were made with the facility Cryogenic Grating Spectrometer on the Kuiper Airborne Observatory to examine variations in abundances throughout the Galaxy. Previously published observations of G0.095 + 0.012, G333.60 - 0.21, G45.13 + 0.14A, K3-50, and M17 are also discussed. The giant H II region 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) was observed for comparison. Fluxes for (Ne II) (12.8 microns), (S IV) (10.5 microns), and the radio free-free continuum were collected from the literature for those sources. Electron densities were estimated from FIR line-pair ratios, and ionic abundances were estimated from the FIR line and radio fluxes. The excitation was estimated from the O(2+)/S(2+) ratio. Corrections for unseen ionization stages were calculated with the use of constnat-density H II region models. The validity and range of applicability of such semiempirical ionization correction schemes are discussed. The abundances with respect to hydrogen exhibit gradients with R(sub G) comparable to those previously measured for our Galaxy and for other galaxies. The overall gradients are d (log N/H)/dR = -0.10 +/- 0.02 dex/kpc, d(log Ne/H)/dR = -0.08 +/- 0.02 dex/kpc and d(log S/H)/dR = 0.07 +/- 0.02 dex/kpc. Compared to the Orion Nebula, the intermediate R(sub G) H II regions with 6 is less than R(sub G) is less than 11 kpc have similar or lower S/H and N/O ratios. The N/O ratios in the inner Galaxy are more than twice those observed in the Orion Nebula and intermediate R(sub G) H II regions. In fact, all the abundance ratios are as well or better fitted by a step fit with two levels than by a linear gradient. As has been noted in previous studies, the N/O ratio estimated from infrared observations of the doubly ionized N and O lines in H II regions is larger than the ratio estimated from optical observations of the singly ionized N and O lines. The Ne(2+)/O(2+) ratio is observed to be essentially constant over a wide range of excitation. This contradicts predictions of model H II regions calculated with the use of Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (LTE) model stellar atmospheres. We conclude that these stellar atmospheres significantly underestimate the actual emergent fluxes for energies greater than 41 eV.
Multi‐locus
 DNA
 metabarcoding reveals seasonality of foraging ecology of western spotted skunks in the Pacific Northwest

There are increasing concerns about the declining population trends of small mammalian carnivores around the world. Their conservation and management are often challenging due to limited knowledge about their ecology and natural history. To address one of these deficiencies for western spotted skunks ( Spilogale gracilis ), we investigated their diet in the Oregon Cascades of the Pacific Northwest during 2017 – 2019. We collected 130 spotted skunk scats opportunistically and with detection dog teams and identified prey items using DNA metabarcoding and mechanical sorting. Western spotted skunk diet consisted of invertebrates, such as wasps, millipedes, and gastropods; vertebrates, such as small mammals, amphibians, and birds; and plants, such as Gaultheria , Rubus , and Vaccinium . Diet also consisted of items, such as black-tailed deer, that were likely scavenged. Comparison in diet by season revealed that spotted skunks consumed more insects during the dry season (June – August), particularly wasps (75% of scats in the dry season), and mar-ginally more mammals during the wet season (September – May). We observed a similar diet in areas with no record of human disturbance and areas with a history of logging at most spatial scales, but scats collected in areas with older forest within a skunk ’ s
Some results on the behavior of the solutions of a linear delay difference equation with periodic coefficients

Some new results on the asymptotic behavior, the nonoscillation and the stability of a class of linear delay difference equations with periodic coefficients and constant delays are given. The coefficients have a common period and the delays are multiples ,of this period. The results are obtained via a positive root of an associated equation, which is in a sense the corresponding characteristic equation. The application in the special case of constant coefficients of the results obtained is also presented.