Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydraulic Sorting of Heavy-Mineral Grains by Swash on a Medium-Sand Beach

ABSTRACT Hydraulic sorting of detrital mineral grains in the swash zone was investigated using data on sedimentology and flow dynamics obtained from Fishermans Beach, on the east coast of Australia. The beach is characteristically reflective, displaying a steep beach face composed of medium sand and virtually no surf zone. Samples were taken from two beds enriched in heavy minerals, and from the adjacent beds above and below. The mineralogy of the samples was determined, and measurements of grain size and settling velocity were obtained. The heavy-mineral grains had both a smaller intermediate diameter and a smaller settling velocity than the light-mineral grains; the difference between the two mineral types was typically in the range 0.25-0.50 and 2.0-2.5 cm s-1, respectively. On the basis of these sedimentological measurements alone, any one of three mineral sorting mechanisms could provide a feasible explanation for the development of the heavy-mineral-enriched beds: suspension sorting, entrainment sorting, or shear sorting. A numerical model for swash, based on the nonlinear shallow-water wave theory, is used to provide a quantitative description of flow dynamics in the swash zone at the time the heavy-mineral-enriched beds were formed. For the probable wave height responsible for producing the enriched beds, modeled maximum flow velocity and bed shear stress at the mid-swash position reached 3.5 m s-1 and 79.51 dynes cm-2, respectively. Given the shallow water depths and the lack of sorting in the horizontal direction of flow, suspension sorting does not seem to be of overriding importance at Fishermans Beach. The large bed shear stresses seem to also preclude entrainment sorting, because for most of the time all mineral types are predicted to be in motion. This contrasts with previous studies on finer-grained beaches, where entrainment sorting was favored, and suggests that beach type may play a role in determining the sorting mechanism operating at a particular location. Shear sorting was found to be feasible within the modeled flow constraints at Fishermans Beach, but it does not provide an entirely satisfactory explanation for the observed mineral sorting patterns. We contend that the inability to unequivocally identify the true sorting mechanism is more a reflection of our poor understanding of the operation of these sorting mechanisms, particularly within the swash zone, rather than an indication that any of these mechanisms are physically inoperative in the swash zone.
Coding for Satellite Communication

This paper discusses a number of coding techniques for future satellite communication; they include Reed-Solomon error decoding for message blocks, probabilistic decoding techniques for punctured convolutional codes, and planar Euclidean geometry difference set codes for random multiple access applications. The provision of code concatenation, helical interleaving, and simulation results of new punctured convolutional codes are included. A number of coded satellite systems that demonstrate the usefulness of coding in satellite communications are described.
High-Resolution Maps of Bathymetry and Benthic Habitats in Shallow-Water Environments Using Multispectral Remote Sensing Imagery

Coastlines, shoals, and reefs are some of the most dynamic and constantly changing regions of the globe. The emergence of high-resolution satellites with new spectral channels, such as the WorldView-2, increases the amount of data available, thereby improving the determination of coastal management parameters. Water-leaving radiance is very difficult to determine accurately, since it is often small compared to the reflected radiance from other sources such as atmospheric and water surface scattering. Hence, the atmospheric correction has proven to be a very important step in the processing of high-resolution images for coastal applications. On the other hand, specular reflection of solar radiation on nonflat water surfaces is a serious confounding factor for bathymetry and for obtaining the seafloor albedo with high precision in shallow-water environments. This paper describes, at first, an optimal atmospheric correction model, as well as an improved algorithm for sunglint removal based on combined physical and image processing techniques. Then, using the corrected multispectral data, an efficient multichannel physics-based algorithm has been implemented, which is capable of solving through optimization the radiative transfer model of seawater for bathymetry retrieval, unmixing the water intrinsic optical properties, depth, and seafloor albedo contributions. Finally, for the mapping of benthic features, a supervised classification methodology has been implemented, combining seafloor-type normalized indexes and support vector machine techniques. Results of atmospheric correction, remote bathymetry, and benthic habitat mapping of shallow-water environments have been validated with in situ data and available bionomic profiles providing excellent accuracy.
The Impact of Stronger Shareholder Control on Bondholders

Abstract We study the impact of stronger shareholder control on bondholders. We find that the passage of shareholder-sponsored governance proposals causes a decline in credit default swap spreads, indicating a net positive effect on bondholders. Evidence suggests that the direct benefit of stronger shareholder control, through the “management disciplining” channel, is larger than the combined adverse effects of directly escalating shareholder-bondholder conflict and indirectly exacerbating exposure to shareholder opportunism. Results are stronger for firms with existing high levels of shareholder-bondholder conflict and for proposals that mitigate managerial entrenchment without exacerbating risk-shifting. Finally, stronger shareholder control improves credit ratings and operating performance in the long-term.
Disabled‐2 exhibits the properties of a cargo‐selective endocytic clathrin adaptor

Clathrin‐coated pits at the cell surface select material for transportation into the cell interior. A major mode of cargo selection at the bud site is via the μ2 subunit of the AP‐2 adaptor complex, which recognizes tyrosine‐based internalization signals. Other internalization motifs and signals, including phosphorylation and ubiquitylation, also tag certain proteins for incorporation into a coated vesicle, but the mechanism of selection is unclear. Disabled‐2 (Dab2) recognizes the FXNPXY internalization motif in LDL‐receptor family members via an N‐terminal phosphotyrosine‐binding (PTB) domain. Here, we show that in addition to binding AP‐2, Dab2 also binds directly to phosphoinositides and to clathrin, assembling triskelia into regular polyhedral coats. The FXNPXY motif and phosphoinositides contact different regions of the PTB domain, but can stably anchor Dab2 to the membrane surface, while the distal AP‐2 and clathrin‐binding determinants regulate clathrin lattice assembly. We propose that Dab2 is a typical member of a growing family of cargo‐specific adaptor proteins, including β‐arrestin, AP180, epsin, HIP1 and numb, which regulate clathrin‐coat assembly at the plasma membrane by synchronizing cargo selection and lattice polymerization events.
Describing Normal Variations of Head and Face by Using Standard Measurement and Craniofacial Variability Index (CVI) in Seven-Year-Old Normal Children

To define the line separating normal from abnormal craniofacial appearance is complex and difficult because there are many craniofacial measurement parameters, and there are also many factors that influence the craniofacial morphology, such as genetics and environmental influence. The aim of this study is to define the range of normal distribution of craniofacial morphology by using different numerical methods in seven-year-old students in Denizli, Turkey. For this purpose, height, weight and 20 defined craniofacial parameters (including face height, face width, face depth, eyes, nose, ear, mouth and head) of 61 female and 58 male (119 total) normal cases were measured. Every measurement was taken twice by the same investigator and the standard anthropometric methods of measurements were used. All data were recorded by computer and analyzed statistically. At the end, craniofacial variability index (CVI) was found 0.874 ± 0.338 in female, 0.824 ± 0.333 in male. Furthermore, the female results were compared to the male results. Parameters were correlated with each other. Seven years old is the beginning age for primary school in Turkey. So, it is an important year for initial diagnostic screening in children with facial syndromes, and it is also important for pre-and postsurgical assessments of children with craniofacial anomalies.
Prognostic significance of glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) down-regulation and correlation with aberrant promoter methylation in human gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND This study aimed at examining the association of gene silencing and promoter methylation of glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) and glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3) in gastric cancer cells and determined the clinical significance of GPX1 and GPX3 expression loss in gastric cancer tissue. MATERIALS AND METHODS Analysis of mRNA expression was carried out by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Methylation of the GPX1 promoter region was analyzed by bisulfite sequencing, and that of the GPX3 promoter region was analyzed by methylation-specific PCR (MSP). Tissue microarray-based immunohistochemistry of GPX1 and GPX3 in 1,163 resected gastric cancer specimens was performed to assess the associations with clinicopathological parameters. RESULTS Reduced GPX1 and GPX3 mRNA expression was associated with promoter methylation in gastric cancer cell lines. A correlation between DNA promoter methylation and loss of GPX1 expression was noted in 16 gastric cancer tissue samples (p=0.005). Loss of GPX1 and GPX3 proteins was found in 24.4% and 30.8% of gastric cancer tissues. Loss of GPX1 expression was significantly associated with advanced gastric cancer (p=0.039) and lymphatic invasion (p=0.010); loss of GPX3 expression was associated with advanced gastric cancer (p<0.001) and lymph node metastasis (p<0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that low expression of GPX1 was associated with poor cancer-specific survival (p=0.010). CONCLUSION Data from this study implicate aberrant hypermethylation of promoter regions of GPX1 and GPX3 as a mechanism for down-regulation of GPX1 and GPX3 mRNA expression in gastric cancer cells. Loss of GPX1 expression was associated with aggressiveness and poor survival in patients with gastric cancer.
Splashing liquids with ambient gas pressure

Splashing occurs when a liquid drop hits the solid or fluid surface at a high velocity. The drop after the impact spreads and forms a corona with a thickened rim, which first develops annular undulations and then breaks into secondary droplets. We have many chances to see splashes in our daily life, e.g., milk crown, splashing paint, and raindrops falling onto a pool, whose characteristics of deformation have a significant impact on the visual reality of the phenomena. Many experimental studies have been conducted to find criteria on when splashing would occur, but the physical mechanisms of splashing are still not completely understood. It was only recently discovered that ambient gas pressure is a principal factor for creating such a splash. In this paper, therefore, we newly incorporate the ambient gas pressure effect into the Navier-Stokes equations through SPH fluid simulation for representing more accurate splashing dynamics. Our experiments demonstrated that the new approach requires very little additional computing cost to capture realistic liquid behaviors like fingering, which have not previously been attained by SPH nor most schemes for fluid simulation.
Corrections to MODIS Terra calibration and polarization trending derived from ocean color products

Remotely sensed ocean color products require highly accurate top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiances, on the order of 0.5% or better. Due to incidents both prelaunch and on-orbit, meeting this requirement has been a consistent problem for the MODIS instrument on the Terra satellite, especially in the later part of the mission. The NASA Ocean Biology Processing Group (OBPG) has developed an approach to correct the TOA radiances of MODIS Terra using spatially and temporally averaged ocean color products from other ocean color sensors (such as the SeaWiFS instrument on Orbview-2 or the MODIS instrument on the Aqua satellite). The latest results suggest that for MODIS Terra, both linear polarization parameters of the Mueller matrix are temporally evolving. A change to the functional form of the scan angle dependence improved the quality of the derived coefficients. Additionally, this paper demonstrates that simultaneously retrieving polarization and gain parameters improves the gain retrieval (versus retrieving the gain parameter only).
Nitrogen oxides emission related to urea broadcasting fertilization under conventional and no-tillage systems

The objective of this work was to evaluate the NO and N2O emissions up to five days after the first nitrogen broadcasting fertilization with urea in a cornfield, in a Red Latosol, under conventional and no-tillage systems. The level of nitrogen broadcasting fertilization was of 60 kg ha-1. The experiment was conducted at Embrapa Cerrados, Planaltina, DF, Brazil, in a randomized block design, with three replications, beeing the third corn crop in rotation with soybean. NO and N2O fluxes were measured using PVC chambers installed in each plot. Higher NO fluxes were found immediately after (5.4 ng N cm-2 h-1) and three days (4.8 ng N cm-2 h-1) after N fertilization and irrigation. In the first day after fertilization, the NO emission decreased significantly to 1.9 ng N cm-2 h-1, and after five days, reached 1.2 ng N cm-2 h-1. N2O fluxes values were below the detection limit of 0.6 ng N cm-2 h-1. No significant differences in nitrogen oxides fluxes were found between plots under conventional and no-tillage systems.
Level-set image processing methods in medical image segmentation

Abstract In this paper, two image processing methods for use in medical image processing based on the level set method are described. The theoretical bases are described and the methods are applied to a set of sample computed tomography images. The results are then compared. The results indicate that the Chan-Vese method is more useful for image segmentation in medicine than the distance-regulated method owing to both the significant differences in calculation time and the quality of results obtained for noisy images.
Comparative Value-Relevance of GAAP, IBES, S&P Core, Cash Earnings and Cash Flows

This study examines the impact the global financial crisis had on the value relevance of GAAP and non-GAAP earnings. We adopt the Ohlson (1995) valuation and CAR models to test the value relevance and information content of alternative earnings measures. We use six different earnings measures comprising IBES earnings, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) core earnings, cash earnings, cash flows from operations, earnings from operations adjusted to exclude special items under GAAP and income before extraordinary items under GAAP. We draw our sample from US publicly traded firms between 2002 and 2010. Our sample is partitioned into Financial and non-Financial firms, and S&P 500 and non-S&P 500 firms. The results show that investors place greater value relevance on GAAP earnings during the GFC period relative to the pre-GFC period.
Culture of social media interactions amongst modern students: Analysis of the social network vk.com, university groups "Overheard..." with big data

This article outlines the prospects of sociological study of culture in social media interactions amongst modern students with the sample analysis of the content in a social network - vk.com, group "Overheard. ". The framework of empirical analysis and data collection methods are based on modern information technologies. The research is in progress, full results are to be published later.
Assessment of arterial stiffness in clinical practice.

There has been much recent interest in the relationship between arterial stiffness and cardiovascular disease. Pulse pressure and pulse wave velocity, surrogate measures of arterial stiffness, indicate that arterial stiffness increases both with age and in certain disease states that are themselves associated with increased cardiovascular risk, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolaemia and end‐stage renal failure.1 As changes can be detected before the appearance of clinically apparent vascular disease, arterial stiffness may act either as a marker for the development of future atherosclerotic disease, or may be more directly involved in the process of atherosclerosis. Arterial stiffening has been particularly implicated in the development of isolated systolic hypertension, a disease mainly affecting the elderly population and associated with considerable excess morbidity and mortality. Arterial stiffness may be measured using a variety of different techniques, although at present the majority of measurements are made for experimental and physiological studies rather than in clinical practice. However, it is likely that over the next few years measurement of arterial stiffness will become an increasingly important part of the process of risk assessment, and may possibly also improve the monitoring of therapy in patients with conditions such as isolated systolic hypertension. Therefore, it will become necessary for physicians both in primary care and hospital practice to understand the importance of arterial stiffness and the techniques available for its clinical assessment, which will be the focus of this review. Assessment of the arterial pulse has always been an important part of clinical examination, and the ancients recognized that changes in the character of the pulse indicated the presence of disease. However, the ‘golden era’ of the pulse was the 19th century. With the development of the sphygmograph by Marey2 and its refinement over the next few years by Mahomed,3 Broadbent4 and …
Thermophily in the Geobacteraceae: Geothermobacter ehrlichii gen. nov., sp. nov., a Novel Thermophilic Member of the Geobacteraceae from the “Bag City” Hydrothermal Vent

ABSTRACT Little is known about the microbiology of the “Bag City” hydrothermal vent, which is part of a new eruption site on the Juan de Fuca Ridge and which is notable for its accumulation of polysaccharide on the sediment surface. A pure culture, designated strain SS015, was recovered from a vent fluid sample from the Bag City site through serial dilution in liquid medium with malate as the electron donor and Fe(III) oxide as the electron acceptor and then isolation of single colonies on solid Fe(III) oxide medium. The cells were gram-negative rods, about 0.5 μm by 1.2 to 1.5 μm, and motile and contained c-type cytochromes. Analysis of the 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequence of strain SS015 placed it in the family Geobacteraceae in the delta subclass of the Proteobacteria. Unlike previously described members of the Geobacteraceae, which are mesophiles, strain SS015 was a thermophile and grew at temperatures of between 35 and 65°C, with an optimum temperature of 55°C. Like many previously described members of the Geobacteraceae, strain SS015 grew with organic acids as the electron donors and Fe(III) or nitrate as the electron acceptor, with nitrate being reduced to ammonia. Strain SS015 was unique among the Geobacteraceae in its ability to use sugars, starch, or amino acids as electron donors for Fe(III) reduction. Under stress conditions, strain SS015 produced copious quantities of extracellular polysaccharide, providing a model for the microbial production of the polysaccharide accumulation at the Bag City site. The 16S rDNA sequence of strain SS015 was less than 94% similar to the sequences of previously described members of the Geobacteraceae; this fact, coupled with its unique physiological properties, suggests that strain SS015 represents a new genus in the family Geobacteraceae. The name Geothermobacter ehrlichii gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed (ATCC BAA-635 and DSM 15274). Although strains of Geobacteraceae are known to be the predominant Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms in a variety of Fe(III)-reducing environments at moderate temperatures, strain SS015 represents the first described thermophilic member of the Geobacteraceae and thus extends the known environmental range of this family to hydrothermal environments.
Demand Response for Imported and Domestic Poultry Meat Products to Food Safety Regulations in Japan : An Application of the Almost Ideal Demand System Model

This study estimates the response of Japanese consumers f demand for poultry meat to the food safety regulations at the border using the almost ideal demand system (AIDS) with a particular focus on the maximum residue limits (MRL) on pesticides and veterinary drugs. The AIDS model allows for differing demand response to the food safety regulations across goods from different origins as consumers tend to rearrange their consumption within a product category. The results indicate the asymmetry of the demand response to a change in MRLs and avian-influenza bans. Tightening the MRLs reduces domestic demand for poultry meat as well as demand for imports from China and the US, and increases demand for imports from Brazil. Thus, the assessment of the impact of regulatory policies needs to take consumers f flexible rearrangement of bundles into account.
Surface acoustic wave, electric boundary conditions, velocity control, sensors

A possibility of a phase velocity of a surface acoustic wave control by a metal screen near a substrate surface is described in this paper. Dependences of a phase velocity on a distance between a screen and a substrate are calculated for some substrates. Approximating expressions for these dependences are determined. An application of this phenomenon for force sensors is shown.
Destruction of Pancreatic β-Cells by Transgenic Induction of Prostaglandin E2 in the Islets*

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is characterized by insulin resistance of peripheral tissues and dysfunction of pancreatic β-cells. Furthermore, the number of pancreatic β-cells decreases as a secondary effect of advanced type 2 diabetes, although the molecular mechanism has not been elucidated. Recently, it has been shown that hyperglycemic conditions induce the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in pancreatic islets and increase the downstream product prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). To investigate whether high glucose-induced PGE2 has an adverse effect on pancreatic β-cells, we generated transgenic mice (RIP-C2mE) that express cyclooxygenase-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 in their β-cells using the rat insulin-2 gene promoter (RIP). The homozygous RIP-C2mE (Tg/Tg) mice showed severe hyperglycemia from six weeks of age. Although the heterozygous RIP-C2mE (Tg/-) mice showed normal blood glucose levels throughout their lifetime, this level increased significantly compared with that of wild-type mice when glucose was loaded. The relative number of β-cells to the total islet cell number was reduced to 54 and 14% in the RIP-C2mE (Tg/-) and (Tg/Tg) mice, respectively, whereas that in the wild-type mice was 84%. Importantly, the proliferation rate in the islets of the RIP-C2mE (Tg/Tg) mice at four weeks of age decreased significantly in comparison to that in the wild-type mice. Because β-cells replicate not only during the postnatal period but also in the adult pancreas at a basal level, it is possible that increased PGE2 signaling thus contributes to the reduction of the pancreatic β-cell mass through inhibition of proliferation, thereby aggravating diabetes further.