Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-resolution record of the Laschamp geomagnetic excursion at the Blake-Bahama Outer Ridge

SUMMARY Geomagnetic excursions are brief deviations of the geomagnetic field from behaviour expected during ‘normal secular’ variation. The Laschamp excursion at ∼41ka was one such deviation. Previously published records suggest rapid changes in field direction and a concurrent substantial decrease in field intensity associated with this excursion. Accurate dating of excursions, and determination of their durations from multiple locations, is vital to our understanding of global field behaviour during these deviations. We present here high-resolution palaeomagnetic records of the Laschamp excursion obtained from two Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Sites, 1061 and 1062 on the Blake-Bahama Outer Ridge (ODP Leg 172). High sedimentation rates (∼30‐40cmkyr −1 ) at these locations allow determination of transitional field behaviour during the excursion. Palaeomagnetic measurements of discrete samples from four cores reveal a single excursional feature, across an interval of 30cm, associated with a broader palaeointensity low. We determine the age and duration of the Laschamp excursion using a stratigraphy linked to the δ 18 O record from the Greenland ice cores. This chronology dates the Laschamp excursion at the Blake Ridge to 41.3ka. The excursion is characterized by rapid transitions (less than 200yr) between stable normal polarity and a partially reversed polarity state. The palaeointensity record is in good agreement between the two sites, revealing two prominent minima. The first minimum is associated with the Laschamp excursion at 41ka and the second corresponds to the Mono Lake excursion at ∼35.5ka. We determine that the directional excursion during the Laschamp at this location was no longer than ∼400yr, occurring within a palaeointensity minimum that lasted 2000yr. The Laschamp excursion at this location is much shorter in duration than the Blake and Iceland Basin excursions.
Comparison of Specific Properties of Engineering Materials

The purpose of this laboratory experiment was to use basic measurements of several different samples of engineering materials and calculate their specific properties. To this end the radius, length and mass of fourteen different specimens were measured. The yield strength, tensile strength and elastic modulus was provided for each material. From this data as well the measured dimensions the specific yield strength, tensile strength and modulus were calculated. The results of these calculations show that in general the metal specimen have the highest density, the ceramic sample had a relatively mid-range density and the polymer materials had the lowest density.
Device-based Approach to Prevention of Stroke in Atrial Fibrillation

Thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is a significant cause of stroke. The left atrial appendage (LAA) has been implicated in an overwhelming majority of these cases. LAA remodeling seen in AF, including interstitial fibrosis, increased volume, and endocardial fibroelastosis, and echocardiographic changes visualized with echocardiography, such as low emptying LAA peak flow velocity and mechanical discordance of the left atrium and LAA have been suggested as mechanisms of thromboembolism. The current mainstay of stroke prevention in high-risk patients with AF is oral anticoagulation agents, although the risk of major bleeds and difficulty for patients to remain within the therapeutic range remain major shortcomings. To address this need for alternative stroke prevention interventions, several percutaneous and epicardial devices have been developed and are under clinical investigation. Here, we review current clinical trials of surgical and device-based approaches to stroke prevention and the safety and efficacy data of the forerunners of LAA exclusion devices, including the recently Food and Drug Administration-approved Watchman, and present a discussion of future challenges.
Light in the Box: Reproducible Lighting Conditions for Solar-Powered Sensor Nodes

The restricted energy budget of energy-harvesting sensor nodes demands algorithms for adaptive duty-cycling. However, their comparison and development is hindered by the lack of reproducibility of environmental conditions. We enable replaying recorded light conditions by building an affordable light box. Our self-developed control circuit and high power LEDs allow us to repeatedly replay real environmental illumination data through current and voltage traces. This allows us to directly compare the behavior of nodes running different energy-aware and -predictive algorithms.
Spatial Postprocessing of Ensemble Forecasts for Temperature Using Nonhomogeneous Gaussian Regression

AbstractStatistical postprocessing techniques are commonly used to improve the skill of ensembles from numerical weather forecasts. This paper considers spatial extensions of the well-established nonhomogeneous Gaussian regression (NGR) postprocessing technique for surface temperature and a recent modification thereof in which the local climatology is included in the regression model to permit locally adaptive postprocessing. In a comparative study employing 21-h forecasts from the Consortium for Small Scale Modelling ensemble predictive system over Germany (COSMO-DE), two approaches for modeling spatial forecast error correlations are considered: a parametric Gaussian random field model and the ensemble copula coupling (ECC) approach, which utilizes the spatial rank correlation structure of the raw ensemble. Additionally, the NGR methods are compared to both univariate and spatial versions of the ensemble Bayesian model averaging (BMA) postprocessing technique.
West Nile Virus from Female and Male Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Subterranean, Ground, and Canopy Habitats in Connecticut

Abstract In total, 93,532 female mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) were captured in traps placed in subterranean (catch basin), ground (≈ 1.5 m above ground), and canopy (≈7.0 m above ground) habitats in Stamford and Stratford, CT, during 2003–2005. Culex pipiens L. was the most abundant (64.8%) of the 31 species identified. Significantly greater numbers of Cx. pipiens were captured in canopy-placed mosquito magnet experimental traps, and significantly greater numbers were collected in catch basin-placed (Centers for Disease Control) CDC traps than in CDC traps placed elsewhere. Culex restuans Theobald was captured in significantly greater numbers in traps placed in catch basins. Aedes vexans (Meigen), Aedes cinereus Meigen, and Aedes cantator (Coquillett) were significantly more abundant in ground traps. In total, 429 isolations of West Nile virus (WNV) were made from seven species of mosquitoes from late June through the end of October during 2003 through 2005. Three hundred ninety-eight (92.8%) isolates were from Cx. pipiens. Others were from Cx. restuans (n = 16), Culex salinarius Coquillett (n = 5), Ae. vexans (n = 4), Ae. cantator (n = 3), Aedes triseriatus (Say) (n = 2), and Ae. cinereus (n = 1). Multiple isolates from Cx. pipiens were made each week, primarily during the later part of July through the end of September. Weekly minimum infection rates (MIRs) were lower in 2004 (highest weekly MIR = 7.1) when no human cases were reported in Connecticut in comparison with 2003 and 2005 (highest weekly MIR = 83.9) when human cases were documented. Frequencies of infected pools were significantly higher in Cx. pipiens captured in traps in the canopy and significantly higher in catch basin placed traps than in traps at ground level. The physiological age structure of Cx. pipiens captured in the canopy was significantly different from that of Cx. pipiens collected in catch basins. Invariably, Cx. pipiens captured in the canopy were nulliparous or parous with ovaries in Christophers’ stage 2, whereas 58.7% of the females captured in catch basins possessed ovaries filled with mature oocytes in Christophers’ stage 5. Our results suggest that females in the canopy are seeking hosts, and after digestion of the bloodmeal and development of mature oocytes, they descend to catch basins for shelter and deposition of eggs. WNV was isolated from three, one, and two pools of male Cx. pipiens captured in catch basin-, ground-, and canopy-placed traps, respectively, and from six nulliparous Cx. pipiens females collected in the canopy. Weekly MIR ranged from 1.2 to 31.1 per 1,000 male specimens. These data show that mosquitoes become infected by means other than by blood feeding, possibly by transovarial transmission. The placement of traps in tree canopies and in catch basins can be used to augment current practices of placement of traps near the ground for surveillance of mosquitoes infected with WNV and for studies of the ecology of WNV.
"Musica Sull'Acqua": A motion tracking based sonification of an aquarium in real time

This paper presents a temporary multimedia installation set up at the Civic Aquarium of Milan . Thanks to four web cameras located in front of the tropical ﬁshpond, ﬁsh are tracked and their movements are used to control a number of music-related parameters in real time. In order to process multiple video streams, the open-source programming language Processing has been employed. Then, the soni-ﬁcation is implemented by a Pure Data patch. The communication among the parts of the system has been realized through Open Sound Control (OSC) messages. This paper describes the key concepts, the musical idea, the de-sign phase and the implementation of this installation, discussing also the major critical aspects.
Analogy Generation with HowNet

Analogy is a powerful boundary-transcending process that exploits a conceptual system's ability to perform controlled generalization in one domain and re-specialization into another. The result of this semantic leap is the transference of meaning from one concept to another from which metaphor derives its name (literally: to carry over). Such generalization and respecialization can be achieved using a variety of representations and techniques, most notably abstraction via a taxonomic backbone, or selective projection via structure-mapping on propositional content. In this paper we explore the extent to which a bilingual lexical ontology for English and Chinese, called HowNet, can support both approaches to analogy.
DcR3, a new biomarker for sepsis, correlates with infection severity and procalcitonin

Early diagnosis of sepsis is critical for successful treatment. The clinical value of DcR3 in early diagnosis of sepsis was determined in a dynamic follow-up study. Alterations in plasma levels of DcR3, PCT, CRP, and IL-6 were measured by ELISA and compared among patients with sepsis (n = 134), SIRS (n = 60) and normal adults (n = 50). Correlations and dynamic patterns among the biomarkers, APACHE II scores, clinical outcomes, and pathogens were also examined. Plasma DcR3 was significantly increased in sepsis compared to SIRS and normal adults (median 3.87 vs. 1.28 and 0.17 ng/ml). The elevated DcR3 could be detected in 97.60% sepsis patients 1–2 days prior to the result of blood culture reported. For diagnosis of sepsis, the sensitivity was 97.69% and specificity 98.04%; and for differential diagnosis of sepsis from SIRS, the sensitivity was 90.77% and specificity 98.40%. DcR3 level was positively correlated with severity of sepsis (rs = 0.82). In 41 patients who died of sepsis, DcR3 elevated as early as 1–2 days before blood culture and peaked on day 3 after blood culture performed. In 90% of sepsis patients, the dynamic alteration pattern of DcR3 was identical to that of PCT, while pattern of 10% patients differed in which clinical data was consistent with DcR3. In 13% sepsis patients, while PCT remained normal, DcR3 levels were at a high level. DcR3 levels had no difference among various pathogens infected. DcR3, a new biomarker, will aid in early diagnosis of sepsis and monitoring its outcome, especially when sepsis patients were PCT negative.
Improved antlion optimization algorithm via tournament selection

From the measurement point of view, it is observed that antlion optimization algorithm (ALO) runs slower than other heuristic algorithms and it needs to be improved in terms of optimality and accuracy. For this reason, improved antlion optimization algorithm via tournament selection (IALOT) is presented in this study. IALOT, ALO, particle swarm optimization (PSO) and artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithms have been evaluated using benchmark test functions such as time, optimality, accuracy, CPU time, number of function evaluations (NFE), mean best solution and standard deviation. In summary, elite antlion selection, random walks, and other parts of the antlion optimization algorithm have been developed. As a result, the IALOT algorithm has shown better results than ALO algorithm.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN DENTISTRY INDIRECT MAXILLARY SINUS ELEVATION AND SIMULTANEOUS IMPLANT PLACEMENT: A THREE YEAR FOLLOW UP

Dental implants are used to replace both the form and the function of missing teeth. To be a candidate for the dental implant procedure, a patient must have sufficient bone in the maxillary to support these implants. The presence of inadequate bone quality and quantity often complicates implant placement in posterior maxilla. Among the surgical therapeutic solutions, Indirect sinus floor elevation technique along with augmentation by bone-graft material in the maxillary sinus to increase the height and width of the available bone is well-accepted and a predictable technique to treat the loss of vertical bone height in the posterior maxilla. One such case of bilateral maxillary sinus elevation along with simultaneous implant placement has been
Home noninvasive positive pressure ventilation with built-in software in stable hypercapnic COPD: a short-term prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial

Background The benefits of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in patients with hypercapnic COPD are controversial. It is presumed that methodology and appropriate use of NIV ventilator might be crucial for the outcomes. With the new built-in software, the performance of NIV can be monitored at home, which can guarantee the compliance and appropriate use. This study investigated effects of home use of NIV in hypercapnia in COPD patients using the NIV ventilator with built-in software for monitoring. Methods The current multicenter prospective, randomized, controlled trial enrolled patients with stable GOLD stages III and IV hypercapnic COPD. Patients were randomly assigned via a computer-generated randomization sequence, with a block size of four patients, to continue optimized treatment (control group) or to receive additional NPPV (intervention group) for 3 months. The primary outcome was arterial carbon dioxide pressure (PaCO2). Data were derived from built-in software and analyzed every 4 weeks. Analysis was carried out with the intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02499718. Results Patients were recruited from 20 respiratory units in China from October 1, 2015, and recruitment was terminated with a record of the vital statistics on May 31, 2016. A total of 115 patients were randomly assigned to the NPPV group (n=57) or the control group (n=58). Patients complied well with NPPV therapy (mean [± standard deviation] day use 5.6±1.4 h). The mean estimation of leaks was 37.99±13.71 L/min. The changes in PaCO2 (−10.41±0.97 vs −4.32±0.68 mmHg, P=0.03) and 6-min walk distance (6MWD) (38.2% vs 18.2%, P=0.02) were statistically significant in the NPPV group versus the control group. COPD assessment test (CAT) showed a positive trend (P=0.06) in favor of the NPPV group. Pulmonary function and dyspnea were not different between groups. Conclusion Ventilators equipped with built-in software provided methodology for monitoring NIV use at home, which could facilitate the improvement of compliance and quality control of NIV use. It was shown that three months use of NIV at home could reduce the PaCO2 and improve exercise tolerance (6MWD) in chronic hypercapnic COPD patients.
Effects of Substitution, and Adding of Carbohydrate and Fat to Whey-Protein on Energy Intake, Appetite, Gastric Emptying, Glucose, Insulin, Ghrelin, CCK and GLP-1 in Healthy Older Men—A Randomized Controlled Trial

Protein-rich supplements are used widely for the management of malnutrition in the elderly. We reported previously that the suppression of energy intake by whey protein is less in older than younger adults. The aim was to determine the effects of substitution, and adding of carbohydrate and fat to whey protein, on ad libitum energy intake from a buffet meal (180–210 min), gastric emptying (3D-ultrasonography), plasma gut hormone concentrations (0–180 min) and appetite (visual analogue scales), in healthy older men. In a randomized, double-blind order, 13 older men (75 ± 2 years) ingested drinks (~450 mL) containing: (i) 70 g whey protein (280 kcal; ‘P280’); (ii) 14 g protein, 28 g carbohydrate, 12.4 g fat (280 kcal; ‘M280’); (iii) 70 g protein, 28 g carbohydrate, 12.4 g fat (504 kcal; ‘M504’); or (iv) control (~2 kcal). The caloric drinks, compared to a control, did not suppress appetite or energy intake; there was an increase in total energy intake (drink + meal, p < 0.05), which was increased most by the M504-drink. P280- and M504-drink ingestion were associated with slower a gastric-emptying time (n = 9), lower ghrelin, and higher cholecystokinin (CCK) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) than M280 (p < 0.05). Glucose and insulin were increased most by the mixed-macronutrient drinks (p < 0.05). In conclusion, energy intake was not suppressed, compared to a control, and particularly whey protein, affected gastric emptying and gut hormone responses.
Blind deconvolution of images with model discrepancies using maximum a posteriori estimation with heavy-tailed priors

Single image blind deconvolution aims to estimate the unknown blur from a single observed blurred image and recover the original sharp image. Such task is severely ill-posed and typical approaches involve some heuristic or other steps without clear mathematical explanation to arrive at an acceptable solution. We show that a straight- forward maximum a posteriori estimation incorporating sparse priors and mechanism to deal with boundary artifacts, combined with an efficient numerical method can produce results which compete with or outperform much more complicated state-of-the-art methods. Our method is naturally extended to deal with overexposure in low-light photography, where linear blurring model is violated.
Live migration on ARM-based micro-datacentres

Live migration, underpinned by virtualisation technologies, has enabled improved manageability and fault tolerance for servers. However, virtualised server infrastructures suffer from significant processing overheads, system inconsistencies, security issues and unpredictable performance which makes them unsuitable for low-power and resource-constraint computing devices that processing latency-sensitive, “Big-data”-type data. Consequently, we ask: “How do we eliminate the overhead of virtualisation whilst still retaining its benefits? ” Motivated by this question, we investigate a practical approach for a bare-metal live migration scheme for ARM-based instances low-power servers and edge devices. In this paper, we position ARM-based bare-metal live migration as a technique that will underpin the efficiency on edge-computing and on Micro-datacentres. We also introduce our early work on identifying three key technical challenges and discuss their solutions.
Longitudinal assessment of intraocular pressure in premature infants

Purpose: To investigate the longitudinal change in intraocular pressure (IOP) in premature infants and to establish a normative IOP value. Methods: Forty premature infants with a gestational age (GA) of 26 weeks were enrolled in this longitudinal study. Measurements were taken initially at 28 weeks postconceptional age (PCA) and at 2-week intervals up to 40 weeks PCA. Intraocular pressure was measured with a hand-held tonometer (Tono-Pen XL; Reichert Inc.). Results: From 40 (22 male, 18 female) premature Caucasian infants, seven (for each eye) IOP measurements were obtained. Mean GA was 26 weeks and mean birthweight was 820 ± 112 grams. The mean IOP was 15.1 ± 1.2 mm Hg and 14.9 ± 1.1 mm Hg for the right and left eyes, respectively. The mean IOP in both eyes for all measurements was 15.0 ± 1.1 mm Hg. At 28 weeks PCA, 9 (22.5%) preterm infants had IOP values greater than 20 mm Hg. The mean IOPs at 28 weeks, 30 weeks, 32 weeks, 34 weeks, 36 weeks, 38 weeks, and 40 weeks PCA were 18.7 ± 1.1 mm Hg, 16.9 ± 0.9 mm Hg, 15.3 ± 0.9 mm Hg, 14.1 ± 1.3 mm Hg, 13.7 ± 1.3 mm Hg, 13.4 ± 1.4 mm Hg, and 13.1 ± 1.3 mm Hg, respectively. A significant decrease in IOP measurements was found up to 34 weeks PCA, with no significant decline in IOP measurements after that point (F = 109.7, p<0.01). There was a negative correlation between IOP and PCA (r = −0.712, p<0.01). Conclusions: The mean IOP of premature infants was 15.0 ± 1.1 mm Hg and IOP values decreased significantly up to 34 weeks PCA, indicating a decline trend approaching the term period.
Iron Wear Particle Content Measurements in Process Liquids Using Micro Channel – Inductive Method

A detection chip is designed and manufactured to study the relationship between iron wear particle content in hydraulic oil and the detected variation of average inductance, which detects content of iron wear particle by means of micro channel - inductive. Through experiments, we obtained inductive values in the cases. The case is that the sizes of iron wear particle are the same, while the content of iron wear particle are different. Thus the curve between content of iron wear particle content and variation of average inductance was drawn. Experimental results show that the inductance value increases with the increase of the iron wear particle content in hydraulic oil. Experiments prove that the way is feasible for the detection of iron wear particle content in hydraulic oil. This study has an important significance for the realization of iron wear particle content detection in hydraulic oil.
LABORATOIRE INFORMATIQUE , SIGNAUX ET SYSTÈMES DE SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS UMR 7271 A NOTE ON ARITHMETIC CONSTRAINT PROPAGATION

We consider the resolution by constraint programming of lar ge problems, i.e. involving millions of constraints, which mainly imply arithmetic constraints, like shortest path problems or other related problems. We show that a simple constraint p rogramming model is not competitive with dedicated algorithms (or dedicated constraints). This mainly comes from the propaga tion mechanism, i.e. the ordering along which the constraints ar e revised. Thus, we propose a modification of this propagatio n mechanism integrating the main ideas of the dedicated algorithm s. We give some experiments for the shortest path problem and more general problems which confirms the robustness of our approa ch. Last, we give some results showing that only a few variabl es are considered more than once during a propagation step.
Rational BRDF

Over the last two decades, much effort has been devoted to accurately measuring Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Functions (BRDFs) of real-world materials and to use efficiently the resulting data for rendering. Because of their large size, it is difficult to use directly measured BRDFs for real-time applications, and fitting the most sophisticated analytical BRDF models is still a complex task. In this paper, we introduce Rational BRDF, a general-purpose and efficient representation for arbitrary BRDFs, based on Rational Functions (RFs). Using an adapted parametrization, we demonstrate how Rational BRDFs offer 1) a more compact and efficient representation using low-degree RFs, 2) an accurate fitting of measured materials with guaranteed control of the residual error, and 3) efficient importance sampling by applying the same fitting process to determine the inverse of the Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) generated from the BRDF for use in Monte-Carlo rendering.