Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clutch sizes of the Spectacled Eider on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska

Nesting patterns of the Spectacled Eider Somateria fischeri on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta appear to be dictated by the timing and duration of the spring break-up period. Late springs which retarded nest site availability reduced both nesting density and clutch size. Available information suggests that female Spectacled Eiders return to previously used nesting areas. Renesting of this species has not been recorded on the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta but has been observed on their Siberian nesting grounds. Observations suggest that only adult females nest on the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta however nesting of sub-adult females appears to occur in Siberian nesting areas.
HIGH CAPACITY NETWORK LINK EMULATION USING NETWORK PROCESSORS

Network link emulation constitutes an important part of network emulation, wherein links in the topology are emulated to subject the network traffic to different bandwidths, latencies, packet loss distributions, and queuing models. Increasingly, experimenters are creating topologies with substantial emulation bandwidths; contributed both by a large number of low-speed links and a small number of high-speed links. It is a significant challenge for a link emulator to meet this requirement in real time. Existing solutions for link emulation use general-purpose PC-class machines; the well-understood hardware and software PC platform make it attractive for quick implementation and easy deployment. A PC architecture is largely optimized for compute bound applications with large amounts of exploitable instruction-level parallelism (ILP) and good memory reference locality. Networking applications, on the other hand, have little ILP and instead exhibit a coarser packet-level parallelism. In this thesis, we propose using network processors for building high capacity link emulators. Network processors are programmable processors that employ a multithreaded, multiprocessor architecture to exploit packet-level parallelism, and have instruction sets and hardware support geared towards efficient implementation of common networking tasks. To evaluate our proposal, we have designed and implemented a link emulator, LinkEM, on the IXP1200 network processor. We present the design and a mapping of LinkEM’s tasks across the multiple microengines and hardware threads of the IXP1200. We also give a detailed evaluation of LinkEM, which includes validating its emulation accuracy, and measuring its emulation throughput and link multiplexing capacity. Our evaluation shows that LinkEM has a factor of between 1.6 and 4.6 higher throughput for small packets, and link multiplexing capacity between 1.4 and 2.6 higher for low bandwidth links than Dummynet, a popular PC based link emulator, on a comparable PC platform.
Management of syncope in the Emergency Department: a single hospital observational case series based on the application of European Society of Cardiology Guidelines.

AIMS The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of introducing a European Society of Cardiology guideline-based Integrated Care Plan (ICP) for Syncope on hospital admissions and referral patterns to an outpatient Syncope Management Unit, of patients presenting to an Emergency Department (ED) with a syncopal episode and to determine the underlying causes of syncope. METHODS AND RESULTS This study is a single-centre observational case series of consecutive adult patients presenting to the ED over a 5-month period. Two hundred and fourteen of 18 898 patients (1.1%) had a syncopal episode, 110 (51.4%) of whom were admitted. Forty-six (41.8%) admissions were indicated by the ICP. All potential cardiac syncope cases were admitted. There was a 500% increase in the overall number of referrals to the Syncope Management Unit with a small increase in the number of unnecessary referrals. CONCLUSION The introduction of an ICP for syncope was not associated with any cases with potential adverse outcomes being lost to follow-up and resulted in increased referral rates to the syncope unit. However, hospitalization rates for syncope remain high, and a large number of patients requiring early outpatient assessment were not referred. There remains a need to develop further interventions to guide appropriate and safe syncope management in the ED.
Eigenfaces vs . Fisherfaces : Recognition Using Class Speci c Linear Projection

We develop a face recognition algorithm which is insensitive to gross variation in lighting direction and facial expression. Taking a pattern classi cation approach, we consider each pixel in an image as a coordinate in a high-dimensional space. We take advantage of the observation that the images of a particular face under varying illumination direction lie in a 3-D linear subspace of the high dimensional feature space { if the face is a Lambertian surface without self-shadowing. However, since faces are not truly Lambertian surfaces and do indeed produce self-shadowing, images will deviate from this linear subspace. Rather than explicitly modeling this deviation, we project the image into a subspace in a manner which discounts those regions of the face with large deviation. Our projection method is based on Fisher's Linear Discriminant and produces well separated classes in a low-dimensional subspace even under severe variation in lighting and facial expressions. The Eigenface technique, another method based on linearly projecting the image space to a low dimensional subspace, has similar computational requirements. Yet, extensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed \Fisherface" method has error rates that are signi cantly lower than those of the Eigenface technique when tested on the same database.
Technology usage of off-campus undergraduates for library social media engagement

Abstract This study aimed to explore the technology usage of off-campus undergraduate students for library social media engagement. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 245 off-campus university students at Adeleke University. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis. The findings suggest that off-campus undergraduate students are ready for library social media engagement, with Facebook being the most commonly used platform. However, among the off-campus students, the study found that working students tend to engage less frequently with the library social media than non-working students. The major hindrance to off-campus students’ engagement with the library’s social media is their busy schedule, followed by a lack of time. The study recommends that libraries prioritize Facebook more as a social media platform for engaging with off-campus undergraduate students.
The characteristics of inducible defenses influence predator-prey dynamics

Empirical and theoretical studies suggest inducible and evolving defenses have different effects on predator-prey dynamics. However, theory for inducible defenses does not account for differences in response stimuli, reversibility, and within-generation versus transgenerational responses. We use predator-prey models to explore how these characteristics influence the effects of inducible defenses on stability and predator-prey oscillations. We find that while inducible defenses are typically stabilizing, defenses responding to any stimuli (predator density, conspecific and predator densities, predation rates, or the fitness gradient) can be destabilizing. Also, while induced defenses typically shorten predator-prey phase lags, defenses that respond to prey densities or the fitness gradient can increase the lags. Our theory helps explain why inducible defenses are less likely to be destabilizing and increase phase lags than evolving defenses: inducible defenses typically have negative feedbacks of the trait on its own dynamics whereas evolving defenses under disruptive selection can have positive feedbacks.
Thyroid hormones mediate the impact of early-life stress on ventral tegmental area gene expression and behavior

Proper thyroid function is essential to the developing brain, including dopamine neuron differentiation, growth, and maintenance. Stress across the lifespan impacts thyroid hormone signaling and anxiety disorders and depression have been associated with thyroid dysfunction (both hypo- and hyper-active). However, less is known about how stress during postnatal development impacts thyroid function and related brain development. Our previous work in mice demonstrated that early-life stress (ELS) transiently impinged on expression of a transcription factor in dopamine neurons shown to be regulated by thyroid hormones. We hypothesized that thyroid hormone signaling may link experience of ELS with transcriptional dysregulation within the dopaminergic midbrain, and ultimately behavior. Here, we find that ELS transiently increases thyroid-stimulating hormone levels (inversely related to thyroid signaling) in both male and female mice at P21, an effect which recovers by adolescence. We next tested whether transient treatment of ELS mice with synthetic thyroid hormone (levothyroxine, LT4) could ameliorate the impact of ELS on sensitivity to future stress, and on expression of genes related to dopamine neuron development and maintenance, thyroid signaling, and plasticity within the ventral tegmental area. Among male mice, but not females, juvenile LT4 treatment prevented hypersensitivity to adult stress. We also found that rescuing developmental deficits in thyroid hormone signaling after ELS restored levels of some genes altered directly by ELS, and prevented alterations in expression of other genes sensitive to the second hit of adult stress. These findings suggest that thyroid signaling mediates the deleterious impact of ELS on VTA development, and that temporary treatment of hypothyroidism after ELS may be sufficient to prevent future stress hypersensitivity.
Immulina as an Immunostimulatory Supplement: Formulation and Pharmacological Studies

Abstract Immulina is a commercially available extract of Arthrospira platensis enriched with bacterial lipoproteins that acts as a potent Toll-like receptor 2 agonist. However, the immunostimulatory effect of Immulina is not well understood in vivo . Here, to devise an Immulina formulation suitable for in vivo oral gavage dosing, Immulina nanosuspension was prepared and freeze-dried to yield lyophilized nano-Immulina, which had an average particle size of around 300 nm and fully retained the bioactivity as a Toll-like receptor 2 agonist. Compared to the regular Immulina powder, lyophilized nano-Immulina notably accelerated the dissolution in aqueous media. Immulina nanosuspension was found to stimulate the production of proinflammatory cytokines in murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and macrophages. The immune response to Immulina was investigated in healthy mice by longitudinally monitoring the phagocytic activity of circulating neutrophils as a surrogate marker. Following daily oral ingestion of Immulina nanosuspension (10 mg/mouse/day), the phagocytic activity of circulating neutrophils was significantly elevated, suggesting an important mechanism for Immulina to enhance innate immunity.
The safety and immunogenicity to inactivated COVID-19 vaccine in patients with hyperlipemia

Abstract It is of urgent need to understand the safety and effectiveness of novel coronavirus (COVID-19)-inactivated vaccine in patients with hyperlipidemia (HLD). However, data on the safety and immune response of SARS-CoV-2-inactivated vaccine in HLD patients are limited. In this prospective study, 105 patients with HLD and 74 healthy controls (HCs) were selected. Within 16–168 days after inoculation-inactivated vaccine, the anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD) IgG and SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) were evaluated, respectively. Flow cytometry was performed to evaluate RBD-specific B cells and memory B cells. There was no significant difference between HLD patients and HCs in adverse events (AEs) within 7 days after vaccination, and no serious AEs occurred. The seropositivity rates and titers of two Abs (anti-RBD IgG and CoV-2 NAbs) were lower in HLD patients than in HCs (all, p < 0.05). HLD showed significantly lower frequencies of RBD-specific B cells than HCs (p = 0.040). However, in high cholesterol, high triglyceride, mixed (MiX), and lipid control (HC) subgroups, there was no significant difference in the seropositivity rates and titers of the both Abs. Through mixed factor analysis shows that days between the second dose and sample collection/antibody measurement were associated with the lower anti-RBD IgG antibody levels. In conclusion, inactivated COVID-19 vaccine is safe and well tolerated for HLD patients, but the humoral immune may be limited.
RELATIVE MEASUREMENTS: ELECTRICAL ANALOGY AND LARGE GRAPHS

We examine the problem of estimating vector-valued variabl es from noisy measurements of the difference between certain pairs of them. This problem, whi ch is naturally posed in terms of a measurement graph, arises in applications such as sensor network lo calization, time synchronization, and motion consensus. We obtain a characterization on the minimum possible covari ance of the estimation error when an arbitrarily large number of measurements are available. Th is covariance is shown to be equal to a matrixvalued effective resistance in an infinite electrical netwo rk. Covariance in large finite graphs converges to this effective resistance as the size of the graphs increase s. This convergence result provides the formal justification for regarding large finite graphs as infinite gr aphs, which can be exploited to determine scaling laws for the estimation error in large finite graphs. Furthermore, these results indicate that in large networks, estimation algorithms that use small subse ts of all the available measurements can still obtain accurate estimates.
Abstract, modality-specific and experience-dependent coding of affect in the human brain

Emotion and perception are tightly intertwined, as affective experiences often arise from the appraisal of sensory information. Nonetheless, whether the brain encodes emotional instances using a sensory-specific code or in a more abstract manner is unclear. Here, we answer this question by measuring the association between emotion ratings collected during a unisensory or multisensory presentation of a full-length movie and brain activity recorded in typically-developed, congenitally blind and congenitally deaf participants. Emotional instances are encoded in a vast network encompassing sensory, prefrontal, and temporal cortices. Within this network, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex stores a categorical representation of emotion independent of modality and experience, and the posterior superior temporal cortex maps valence using an abstract code. Sensory experience more than modality impacts how the brain organizes emotional information outside supramodal regions, suggesting the existence of a scaffold for the representation of emotional states where sensory inputs during development shape its functioning.
Single-molecule visualization of twin-supercoiled domains generated during transcription

Transcription-coupled supercoiling of DNA is a key factor in chromosome compaction and the regulation of genetic processes in all domains of life. It has become common knowledge that, during transcription, the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RNAP) induces positive supercoiling ahead of it (downstream) and negative supercoils in its wake (upstream), as rotation of RNAP around the DNA axis upon tracking its helical groove gets constrained due to drag on its RNA transcript. Here, we experimentally validate this so-called twin-supercoiled-domain model with in vitro real-time visualization at the single-molecule scale. Upon binding to the promoter site on a supercoiled DNA molecule, RNAP merges all DNA supercoils into one large pinned plectoneme with RNAP residing at its apex. Transcription by RNAP in real time demonstrates that up- and downstream supercoils are generated simultaneously and in equal portions, in agreement with the twin-supercoiled-domain model. Experiments carried out in the presence of RNases A and H, revealed that an additional viscous drag of the RNA transcript is not necessary for the RNAP to induce supercoils. The latter results contrast the current consensus and simulations on the origin of the twin-supercoiled domains, pointing at an additional mechanistic cause underlying supercoil generation by RNAP in transcription.
Effect of different levels of boron and molybdenum on growth and yield of mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek (cv. Baisakhi Mung)] in red and laterite zone of West Bengal.

A field experiment was conducted during 1999 and 2000 kharif (rainy) season in a sandy loam soil (mixed hyperthermic paleudalfs) at Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur in the Red and Laterite zone of West Bengal to investigate the effect of four levels of boron and three levels of molybdenum on growth and yield of Mung Bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek (cv. Baisakhi Mung)]. Boron, molybdenum and their combined application significantly improved all the growth and yield attributing characters of Mungbean. The synergistic influence of these two micronutrients helped augmenting growth and yield of the crop.
Final Results of a Study Evaluating the Course of Distress Scores During Radiotherapy for Malignant Diseases

Background/Aim: Patients who receive radiotherapy (RT) may experience significant distress. This study investigated distress scores during RT for a variety of malignancies. Patients and Methods: Distress thermometers (scores of 0-10 points) were completed by 927 patients at baseline and end of RT. Six characteristics were evaluated for changes of distress scores including age, sex, Karnofsky performance score (KPS), tumor type, intent of treatment, and previous RT. Results: Mean distress scores were 4.9 (±2.7) at baseline and 4.6 (±2.7) at the end of RT; mean change was −0.3 (±2.8) points. On univariable analysis, increased distress (≥2 points) was significantly associated with KPS 90-100 (p<0.001) and curative intent (p=0.040). Trends were found for age ≤64 years (p=0.062), head-and-neck cancer (p=0.076), and no prior RT (p=0.055). In patients with baseline scores ≤5 points, deterioration rates were 30-47%. Conclusion: Psychological support should be offered to all patients undergoing RT. This would benefit particularly patients with risk factors for increased distress.
Fe-TAMLs as a new class of small molecule peroxidase probes for correlated light and electron microscopy

We introduce Fe-TAML, a small molecule-based peroxidase as a versatile new member of the correlated fluorescence and electron microscopy toolkit. The utility of the probe is demonstrated by high resolution imaging of newly synthesized DNA (through biorthogonal labeling), genetically tagged proteins (using HaloTag), and untagged endogenous proteins (via immunostaining). EM visualization in these applications is facilitated by exploiting Fe-TAML’s catalytic activity for the deposition of localized osmiophilic precipitates based on polymerized 3,3’-diaminobenzidine. Optimized conditions for synthesizing and implementing Fe-TAML based probes are also described. Overall, Fe-TAML is a new chemical biology tool that can be used to visualize diverse biomolecular species along nanometer and micron scales within cells.
Heroes and villains: opposing narrative roles engage neural synchronization in the lateral inferior frontal gyrus

Neuroscientific studies have highlighted the role of the default mode network (DMN) in processing narrative information. Here, we examined whether the neural synchronization of the DMN tracked the appearances of characters with different narrative roles (i.e., protagonists versus antagonists) when viewing highly engaging, socially rich audiovisual narratives. Using inter-subject correlation analysis on two independent, publicly available movie-watching functional magnetic resonance imaging datasets (Sherlock and The Grand Budapest Hotel), we computed whole-brain neural synchronization during the appearance of the protagonists and antagonists. Results showed that the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), which are components of the DMN, had higher ISC values during the appearance of the protagonists compared to the antagonists. Importantly, these findings were commonly observed in both datasets. We discuss the present results in the context of information integration and emotional empathy, which are relevant functions known to be supported by the DMN. Our study presents generalizable evidence that regions within the DMN – particularly the IFG and OFC – show distinctive synchronization patterns due to differences in narrative roles.
An analysis of recent rainfall conditions in eastern Africa

This article examines recent rainfall conditions in two sectors of eastern Africa, the summer rainfall region and the equatorial rainfall region with rainy seasons in the boreal spring and boreal autumn. The analysis covers the years 1998–2014 and is carried out using TRMM 3B43 Version 7 rainfall estimates. In both regions, extensive periods of anomalously low rainfall and prolonged drought have prevailed since roughly 2008. Prior to that time, only three periods of drought are noteworthy 1998/1999, 2000, and 2005. The post‐2008 drought conditions were interrupted by floods in both regions in February 2010 and in several years in the equatorial region. This rapid alternation between extremes creates additional hardships on the population. Two notable results emerge from this analysis. One is the tendency for similar trends in interannual variability in both regions, despite vastly different rainfall regimes. The other is the persistence of recent droughts through several rainy seasons. The implication of these results is that one or more factors in interannual variability is operative in all seasons. This could account for the common trends in the equatorial and summer rainfall regions.
Inhibitory feedback enables predictive learning of multiple sequences in neural networks

Anticipating future events is a key computational task for neuronal networks. Experimental evidence suggests that reliable temporal sequences in neural activity play a functional role in the association and anticipation of events in time. However, how neurons can differentiate and anticipate multiple spike sequences remains largely unknown. We implement a learning rule based on predictive processing, where neurons exclusively fire for the initial, unpredictable inputs in a spiking sequence, leading to an efficient representation with reduced post-synaptic firing. Combining this mechanism with inhibitory feedback leads to sparse firing in the network, enabling neurons to selectively anticipate different sequences in the input. We demonstrate that intermediate levels of inhibition are optimal to decorrelate neuronal activity and to enable the prediction of future inputs. Notably, each sequence is independently encoded in the sparse, anticipatory firing of the network. Overall, our results demonstrate that the interplay of self-supervised predictive learning rules and inhibitory feedback enables fast and efficient classification of different input sequences.