Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What can make an airspace unsafe? characterizing collision risk using multi-objective optimization

With the continued growth in Air Traffic, researchers are investigating innovative ways to increase airspace capacity while maintaining safety. A key safety indicator for an airspace is its Collision Risk estimate, which is compared against a Target Level of Safety (TLS) to provide a quantitative basis for judging the safety of operations in an airspace. However this quantitative value does not give an insight into the overall collision risk picture for an airspace, and how the risk changes given the interaction of a multitude of factors such as sector/traffic characteristics and controllers actions for flow management. In this paper, we propose an evolutionary framework with multi-objective optimization to evolve collision risk of air traffic scenarios. We attempt to identify, through evolutionary mechanism, the flight events resulting from Air Traffic Controller's actions that can lead to higher collision risks, thereby identifying the contributing factors or the events leading to collision risk. Computational experiments were conducted in an hi-fidelity air traffic simulation environment with collision risk model. Results indicate that “risk-free” traffic scenarios having collision risk below TLS can become “risk-prone” by few flight events, with Climb and Turn maneuvers, specifically during entering and exiting a sector, contributing significantly to increased collision risk.
Reliability of the Knee Smartphone-Application Goniometer in the Acute Orthopedic Setting

Abstract The standard goniometer (SG) is the most commonly used tool to assess range of motion (ROM) in patients with knee restrictions. Several medical applications have been designed to measure joint ROM. Little data are available on their reliability in the postoperative clinical setting. The purpose of this study was to assess whether a smartphone accelerometer-based knee goniometer application (App) is as reliable as the SG to measure knee ROM in clinical settings. A total of 60 subjects were included in this cross-sectional reliability trial. Overall, 20 healthy subjects (HS) and 20 acute postoperative patients (PO) underwent three active and three passive measurements in knee flexion and extension, using the SG and the smartphone knee goniometer App. To determine the fatigability of postoperative patients, a third group of 20 patients underwent a single active measurement in knee flexion and extension (PO1). Measurements were performed by three clinicians. For intraobserver reliability, mean intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values were higher for the App in all circumstances (overall mean SG 0.85, App 0.91), indicating an excellent correlation. For interobserver reliability, the highest ICC scores were in the PO1 group, with the App more consistent than the SG in all movements. Interobserver reliability was lower in the PO group versus PO1. Interobserver reliability was better for active ROM than for passive measurements. The overall concordance coefficient was very good to excellent with active measurements (range, 0.60–0.97). In conclusion, the App is a reliable tool for use in acute orthopedic care and offers better intra- and interobserver correlation scores for a single active measurement.
Mass hysteria among student performers: social relationship as a symptom predictor.

OBJECTIVE In April 1989 an outbreak of illness suddenly afflicted student performers in Santa Monica, Calif. , and an extensive investigation revealed no environmental cause. To clarify the details of the epidemic and determine whether mass hysteria occurred, the authors examined physical, psychological, and social factors that might have contributed to the outbreak. METHOD Participating middle- and high-school performers were surveyed; 93% (N = 519) responded; cases were defined as students who had one or more symptoms during the outbreak. A stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to determine significant predictors of illness. RESULTS Characteristic features of mass hysteria were present, including preponderance of illness in girls, symptom transmission by sight or sound, presence of hyperventilation, and evidence of psychological or physical stress. Symptomatic and asymptomatic groups differed in frequency of several physical and psychological variables, but observing a friend become sick was the best predictor of the development of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm earlier research demonstrating multiple psychological and physical factors that contribute to such outbreaks, particularly symptom transmission through social networks. Investigators should explore social transmission as an additional characteristic feature of mass hysteria in order to facilitate early identification of future outbreaks.
Draxin, an axon guidance protein, affects chick trunk neural crest migration

The neural crest is a multipotent population of migratory cells that arises in the central nervous system and subsequently migrates along defined stereotypic pathways. In the present work, we analyzed the role of a repulsive axon guidance protein, draxin, in the migration of neural crest cells. Draxin is expressed in the roof plate of the chick trunk spinal cord and around the early migration pathway of neural crest cells. Draxin modulates chick neural crest cell migration in vitro by reducing the polarization of these cells. When exposed to draxin, the velocity of migrating neural crest cells was reduced, and the cells changed direction so frequently that the net migration distance was also reduced. Overexpression of draxin also caused some early migrating neural crest cells to change direction to the dorsolateral pathway in the chick trunk region, presumably due to draxin’s inhibitory activity. These results demonstrate that draxin, an axon guidance protein, can also affect trunk neural crest migration in the chick embryo.
HVDC electric field control by pressboard arrangement in oil-pressboard composite electrical insulation systems

By using the Finite Element Method (FEM), calculation techniques of electric field distribution for AC, DC voltages and DC polarity reversal conditions were developed in oil-pressboard (PB) composite insulation systems. By using PB layered models under HVDC conditions, it was recognized, the electric field distributions were remarkably controlled by PB arrangement in oil. In particular, it was clarified that both PB configurations and the conductivity ratios of oil and PB play critical roles for the electric field control effects. Moreover, the above discussions are extended to the DC polarity reversal conditions which will be the most critical for electrical insulation performance in AC/DC converter power transformers.
Rapamycin‐Induced Hypoxia Inducible Factor 2A Is Essential for Chondrogenic Differentiation of Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells

Amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells represent a major source of donor cells for cartilage repair. Recently, it became clear that mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibition has beneficial effects on cartilage homeostasis, but the effect of mTOR on chondrogenic differentiation is still elusive. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) modulation on the expression of SOX9 and on its downstream targets during chondrogenic differentiation of AFS cells. We performed three‐dimensional pellet culturing of AFS cells and of in vitro‐expanded, human‐derived chondrocytes in the presence of chondrogenic factors. Inhibition of mTORC1 by rapamycin or by small interfering RNA‐mediated targeting of raptor (gene name, RPTOR) led to increased AKT activation, upregulation of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) 2A, and an increase in SOX9, COL2A1, and ACAN abundance. Here we show that HIF2A expression is essential for chondrogenic differentiation and that AKT activity regulates HIF2A amounts. Importantly, engraftment of AFS cells in cell pellets composed of human chondrocytes revealed an advantage of raptor knockdown cells compared with control cells in their ability to express SOX9. Our results demonstrate that mTORC1 inhibition leads to AKT activation and an increase in HIF2A expression. Therefore, we suggest that mTORC1 inhibition is a powerful tool for enhancing chondrogenic differentiation of AFS cells and also of in vitro‐expanded adult chondrocytes before transplantation.
Sexual factors, venereal diseases, and the risk of intraepithelial and invasive cervical neoplasia

The relation between major indicators of sexual habits (age at first intercourse and total number of sexual partners), history of selected venereal diseases, and cervical neoplasia was investigated using data from a case‐control study of 206 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia compared with 206 age‐matched outpatient controls, and of 327 cases of invasive cancer compared with 327 control subjects in hospital for acute conditions unrelated to any of the established or suspected risk factors for cervical cancer. The relative risks increased with decreasing age at first intercourse and increasing number of sexual partners both for intraepithelial and for invasive cancers. The effects of these two variables were independent, since they were only marginally affected by reciprocal adjustment, or by allowance for several other identified potential distorting factors. The negative association with age at first intercourse was particularly strong in the case of invasive cancers, with risk estimates over five‐fold elevated for women reporting their first intercourse before age 18 compared with those aged over 22 years. This relation might be discussed in terms of multistage models of carcinogenesis, which predict that the incidence of epithelial carcinomas is a function of duration of exposure. In fact, when age was allowed for, the relative risks of cervical neoplasia were positively and strongly related with the total duration of the interval between age at diagnosis/interview and age at first intercourse. Clinical histories of several sexually transmitted diseases were positively associated with the risk of intraepithelial neoplasia. In particular, genital warts were reported by nine cases but no control subject. No such association, however, emerged for invasive carcinomas. Thus, the current findings confirm that, although intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive cervical cancer appear to share several important epidemiological features, the specific (infectious) agents implicated in dysplastic lesions probably differ to some extent from those causing invasive cancer.
Differential protein–protein interactions of LRRK1 and LRRK2 indicate roles in distinct cellular signaling pathways

Genetic studies show that LRRK2, and not its closest paralogue LRRK1, is linked to Parkinson's disease. To gain insight into the molecular and cellular basis of this discrepancy, we searched for LRRK1‐ and LRRK2‐specific cellular processes by identifying their distinct interacting proteins. A protein microarray‐based interaction screen was performed with recombinant 3xFlag‐LRRK1 and 3xFlag‐LRRK2 and, in parallel, co‐immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry was performed from SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma cell lines stably expressing 3xFlag‐LRRK1 or 3xFlag‐LRRK2. We identified a set of LRRK1‐ and LRRK2‐specific as well as common interactors. One of our most prominent findings was that both screens pointed to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF‐R) as a LRRK1‐specific interactor, while 14‐3‐3 proteins were LRRK2‐specific. This is consistent with phosphosite mapping of LRRK1, revealing phosphosites outside of 14‐3‐3 consensus binding motifs. To assess the functional relevance of these interactions, SH‐SY5Y‐LRRK1 and ‐LRRK2 cell lines were treated with LRRK2 kinase inhibitors that disrupt 14‐3‐3 binding, or with EGF, an EGF‐R agonist. Redistribution of LRRK2, not LRRK1, from diffuse cytoplasmic to filamentous aggregates was observed after inhibitor treatment. Similarly, EGF induced translocation of LRRK1, but not of LRRK2, to endosomes. Our study confirms that LRRK1 and LRRK2 can carry out distinct functions by interacting with different cellular proteins.
Developing epidemic of melanoma in the hispanic population of California

Hispanics comprise almost one‐third of the population of California, are the most rapidly increasing racial/ethnic group in the state, and represent almost one‐third of all Hispanics in the U.S. California has among the highest rates of melanoma in the world, yet little is known about trends in melanoma in its Hispanic population.
Extracting Optimal Performance from Dynamic Time Warping

Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) is a distance measure that compares two time series after optimally aligning them. DTW is being used for decades in thousands of academic and industrial projects despite the very expensive computational complexity, O(n2). These applications include data mining, image processing, signal processing, robotics and computer graphics among many others. In spite of all this research effort, there are many myths and misunderstanding about DTW in the literature, for example "it is too slow to be useful" or "the warping window size does not matter much. " In this tutorial, we correct these misunderstandings and we summarize the research efforts in optimizing both the efficiency and effectiveness of both the basic DTW algorithm, and of the higher-level algorithms that exploit DTW such as similarity search, clustering and classification. We will discuss variants of DTW such as constrained DTW, multidimensional DTW and asynchronous DTW, and optimization techniques such as lower bounding, early abandoning, run-length encoding, bounded approximation and hardware optimization. We will discuss a multitude of application areas including physiological monitoring, social media mining, activity recognition and animal sound processing. The optimization techniques are generalizable to other domains on various data types and problems.
Altered membrane electrical properties of smooth muscle cells from small cerebral arteries of hypertensive rats.

Certain electrophysiological properties of smooth muscle cells within middle cerebral arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and their normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) controls were recorded with glass microelectrodes. Under control conditions the smooth muscle cells of arteries from SHR rats exhibited fast and slow oscillations of the resting membrane potential (Em). In marked contrast the smooth muscle cells of WKY cerebral arteries were electrically quiescent. The Em vs. log [K]o relationship was similar for arteries from both SHR and WKY rats and extrapolated to similar [K]i values of 150-155 microM when determined under control conditions. When Em vs. log [K]o curves were obtained in the presence of ouabain to block electrogenic Na-K transport, the smooth muscle cells of SHR cerebral arteries exhibited a lower mean slope per decade change in [K]o (i.e., depolarized more at various concentrations of [K]o in the presence of ouabain) when compared to WKY. Arterial smooth muscle cells from SHR also depolarized to a greater extent when exposed to zero K+ solutions. The results of this study indicate that smooth muscle cells of cerebral arteries from SHR rats have a greater electrogenic Em component as well as altered ionic conductances for K+ and possibly Na+ both of which may contribute to their spontaneous electrical activity.
The Archaeology of the Roman Economy

Recognition of the value of field archaeology to the ancient historian has been slow to arrive: the seminal importance of air photography to the economic historian first revealed in the pioneering work of O. G. S. Crawford went unnoticed for more than half a generation: almost thirty years after the publication of Bradford's Ancient Landscapes (1954) it was still possible for a work devoted to the subject of Roman agriculture to be totally devoid of any reference to archaeological evidence (see my review of R. Martin, Recherches sur les agronomes latins [1971] in JRS 62 [1972], 194). In this case it might be argued that the author's concerns were primarily literary and philosophical: two years later Sir Moses Finley angered many archaeologists by trotting out the by then hoary tale of the 39 sherds scattered over a site in Sweden, which had all belonged to a single bowl of terra sigillata. Specify, qualify, and where possible quantify those vague generalizations on trade in commodities! The anger has long since subsided, and the challenge has been taken up. With the arrival of sophisticated techniques of analysis, settlement patterns are being defined more rigorously, and the agrarian history of certain areas of Italy is in process of revision. In another area of the economy, that of seaborne commerce, underwater archaeology is helping forward our understanding of trade by sea, river and canal. The historian's task, in seeking access to the results of archaeological research, is no easy one: reports of important excavations and surveys are not always placed in easily-accessible journals. Kevin Greene's volume is the first attempt, at least in English, to meet what has become an obvious need. To historians accused of neglecting archaeological evidence in constructing models of the Roman economy, G. offers a handbook. The book consists of five chapters, dealing with transport, money, agriculture, land settlement, a composite chapter dealing with metals, stone and pottery, with a short introduction, and an equally brief summary.
Evolution of Weak Shock Waves in Perfectly Conducting Gases

This article aims at studying one dimensional unsteady planar and cylindrically symmetric flow involving shocks under the influence of magnetic field. The method of generalized wavefront expansion (GWE) is employed to derive a coupled system of nonlinear transport equations for the jump of field variables and of its spatial derivatives across the shock, which, in turn determine the evolution of wave amplitude and admit a solution that agrees with the classical decay laws of weak shocks. A closed form solution exhibiting the features of nonlinear steepening of the wave front. A general criterion for a compression wave to steepen into a shock is derived. An analytic expression elucidating how the shock formation distance is influenced by the magnetic field strength is obtained. Also, the effects of geometrical spreading and nonlinear convection on the distortion of the waveform are investigated in the presence of magnetic field.
Conductance-to-Current-Ratio-Based Parameter Extraction in MOS Leakage Current Models

A new procedure to extract the parameters of mathematical models that describe charge flow phenomena through thin dielectrics is proposed for characterizing undesirable leakage current mechanisms in modern MOSFETs' gates. The procedure's basis is the small signal conductance-to-current ratio of the I-V characteristics. It is an alternative to, and has advantages over, the other presently used methods that extract those models' parameters from the slope and intercept of phenomenon-specific linear plots. In contrast, this is a generic method that may be directly applied to the I-V characteristics, regardless of the specific leakage mechanism involved. The procedure inherently reduces by one the number of unknowns that needs to be determined during numerical optimization. In addition, it does not require, as other traditional methods do, a prior knowledge of the exact relationship between the applied voltage and the effective internal electric field strength, which in this case is determined together with the other parameters. The procedure is illustrated by three examples with different kinds of data: mathematically synthesized, Computer Aided Design simulated, and experimentally measured leakage I-V characteristics of MOS capacitors.
HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE INDUCED CHANGES IN THE CYTOARCHITECTURE OF PHEOCHROMOCYTOMA (PC‐12) CELLS

Confocal microscopy, in association with three‐dimensional reconstruction, revealed that microtubules and microfilaments in differentiating PC‐12 cells were disrupted in a dose‐dependent manner following pressure treatment. Hydrostatic pressure caused cell rounding, microtubule and microfilament disorganization, neurite retraction and the formation of a microtubule ring adjacent to the cell surface. Volume analysis from computer‐generated reconstructed cells, at atmospheric pressure, showed that the apparent volume of microtubules and microfilaments, normalized to 100 units, was 22 and 11 respectively. At 4000 and 8000psi, the apparent microtubule volume was reduced to 16 and 12 units, respectively, and the apparent microfilament volume was reduced to 8 and 5 units, respectively. Thus, the apparent microtubule and microfilament volumes in PC‐12 cells decreased as pressure increased. In the presence of taxol and phalloidin which stabilize the cytoarchitecture, cells resist the effects of hydrostatic pressure. In the presence of colchicine and cytochalasin D compounds which destabilize the cytoarchitecture, cells are more susceptible to the disrupting effects of hydrostatic pressure. The effects of hydrostatic pressure on cell morphology were reversible.
Avian evolution, Gondwana biogeography and the Cretaceous–Tertiary mass extinction event

The fossil record has been used to support the origin and radiation of modern birds (Neornithes) in Laurasia after the Cretaceous–Tertiary mass extinction event, whereas molecular clocks have suggested a Cretaceous origin for most avian orders. These alternative views of neornithine evolution are examined using an independent set of evidence, namely phylogenetic relationships and historical biogeography. Phylogenetic relationships of basal lineages of neornithines, including ratite birds and their allies (Palaeognathae), galliforms and anseriforms (Galloanserae), as well as lineages of the more advanced Neoaves (Gruiformes, Caprimulgiformes, Passeriformes and others) demonstrate pervasive trans–Antarctic distribution patterns. The temporal history of the neornithines can be inferred from fossil taxa and the ages of vicariance events, and along with their biogeographical patterns, leads to the conclusion that neornithines arose in Gondwanaprior to the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event.
Zebrafish second heart field development relies on progenitor specification in anterior lateral plate mesoderm and nkx2.5 function

Second heart field (SHF) progenitors perform essential functions during mammalian cardiogenesis. We recently identified a population of cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) in zebrafish expressing latent TGFβ-binding protein 3 (ltbp3) that exhibits several defining characteristics of the anterior SHF in mammals. However, ltbp3 transcripts are conspicuously absent in anterior lateral plate mesoderm (ALPM), where SHF progenitors are specified in higher vertebrates. Instead, ltbp3 expression initiates at the arterial pole of the developing heart tube. Because the mechanisms of cardiac development are conserved evolutionarily, we hypothesized that zebrafish SHF specification also occurs in the ALPM. To test this hypothesis, we Cre/loxP lineage traced gata4+ and nkx2.5+ ALPM populations predicted to contain SHF progenitors, based on evolutionary conservation of ALPM patterning. Traced cells were identified in SHF-derived distal ventricular myocardium and in three lineages in the outflow tract (OFT). We confirmed the extent of contributions made by ALPM nkx2.5+ cells using Kaede photoconversion. Taken together, these data demonstrate that, as in higher vertebrates, zebrafish SHF progenitors are specified within the ALPM and express nkx2.5. Furthermore, we tested the hypothesis that Nkx2.5 plays a conserved and essential role during zebrafish SHF development. Embryos injected with an nkx2.5 morpholino exhibited SHF phenotypes caused by compromised progenitor cell proliferation. Co-injecting low doses of nkx2.5 and ltbp3 morpholinos revealed a genetic interaction between these factors. Taken together, our data highlight two conserved features of zebrafish SHF development, reveal a novel genetic relationship between nkx2.5 and ltbp3, and underscore the utility of this model organism for deciphering SHF biology.