Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of model errors in convective transport on CO source estimates inferred from MOPITT CO retrievals

Estimates of surface fluxes of carbon monoxide (CO) inferred from remote sensing observations or free tropospheric trace gas measurements using global chemical transport models can have significant uncertainties because of discrepancies in the vertical transport in the models, which make it challenging to unequivocally relate the observations back to the surface fluxes in the models. The new Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) version 5 retrievals provide greater sensitivity to lower tropospheric CO over land relative to the previous versions and are, therefore, useful for evaluating vertical transport in models. We have assimilated the new MOPITT CO retrievals, using the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS)‐Chem model, to study the influence of vertical transport errors on inferred CO sources. We compared the source estimates obtained by assimilating the CO profiles, the column amounts, and the surface level retrievals for June–August 2006. The three different inversions produced large differences in the source estimates in regions of convection and strong CO emissions. The inversion using the CO profiles suggested an 85% increase in emissions in India/Southeast Asia, which exacerbated the model bias in the lower and middle troposphere, whereas using the surface level retrievals produced a 37% decrease in Indian/Southeast Asian emissions, which exacerbated the underestimate of CO in the upper troposphere. Globally, the inversion with the surface retrievals suggested a 22% reduction in emissions from the a priori estimate of 161 Tg CO/month (from combustion and the oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds), averaged in June–August 2006. The analysis results were validated with independent surface CO measurements from NOAA Global Monitoring Division (GMD) network and upper troposphere CO measurements from the Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an Instrumented Container (CARIBIC). We found that the inversion with the surface retrievals agreed best with surface CO data but produced the largest discrepancy with the CARIBIC aircraft data in the upper troposphere, suggesting the influence of vertical transport errors in the model. Our results show that the comparison of the a posteriori CO distributions obtained from the inversions using the surface and profile retrievals provides a means of characterizing the potential impact of the vertical transport biases on the source estimates and the CO distribution.
Warming up storage-level caches with bonfire

Large caches in storage servers have become essential for meeting service levels required by applications. These caches need to be warmed with data often today due to various scenarios including dynamic creation of cache space and server restarts that clear cache contents. When large storage caches are warmed at the rate of application I/O, warmup can take hours or even days, thus affecting both application performance and server load over a long period of time. We have created Bonfire, a mechanism for accelerating cache warmup. Bonfire monitors storage server workloads, logs important warmup data, and efficiently preloads storage-level caches with warmup data. Bonfire is based on our detailed analysis of block-level data-center traces that provides insights into heuristics for warmup as well as the potential for efficient mechanisms. We show through both simulation and trace replay that Bonfire reduces both warmup time and backend server load significantly, compared to a cache that is warmed up on demand.
Study protocol for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-Sitting and ExacerbAtions Trial (COPD-SEAT): a randomised controlled feasibility trial of a home-based self-monitoring sedentary behaviour intervention

Introduction An acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) marks a critical life event, which can lower patient quality of life and ability to perform daily activities. Patients with COPD tend to lead inactive and highly sedentary lifestyles, which may contribute to reductions in functional capacity. Targeting sedentary behaviour (SB) may be more attainable than exercise (at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity) for behaviour change in patients following an exacerbation. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a 2-week at-home intervention providing education and self-monitoring to reduce prolonged periods of SB in patients with COPD discharged following an acute exacerbation. Methods and analysis Patients will be randomised into 1 of 3 conditions: usual care (control), education or education+feedback. The education group will receive information and suggestions about reducing long periods of sitting. The education+feedback group will receive real-time feedback on their sitting time, stand-ups and step count at home through an inclinometer linked to a smart device app. The inclinometer will also provide vibration prompts to encourage movement when the wearer has been sedentary for too long. Data will be collected during hospital admission and 2 weeks after discharge. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with patients in the intervention groups to explore patient experiences. Interviews with healthcare staff will also be conducted. All data will be collected January to August 2016. The primary outcomes are feasibility and acceptability, which will be assessed by qualitative interviews, uptake and drop-out rates, reasons for refusing the intervention, compliance, app usage and response to vibration prompts. Ethics and dissemination The research ethics committee East Midlands Leicester-Central has provided ethical approval for the conduct of this study. The results of the study will be disseminated through appropriate conference proceedings and peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number ISRCTN13790881; Pre-results.
Multiresolution Image Parametrization for Improving Texture Classification

In the paper an innovative alternative to automatic image parametrization on multiple resolutions, based on texture description with specialized association rules, and image evaluation with machine learning methods is presented. The algorithm ArTex for parameterizing textures with association rules belonging to structural parametrization algorithms was developed. In order to improve the classification accuracy a multiresolution approach is used. The algorithm ARes for finding more informative resolutions based on the SIFT algorithm is described. The presented algorithms are evaluated on several public domains and the results are compared to other well-known parametrization algorithms belonging to statistical and spectral parametrization algorithms. Significant improvement of classification results was observed when combining parametrization attributes at several image resolutions for most parametrization algorithms. Our results show that multiresolution image parametrization should be considered when improvement of classification accuracy in textural domains is required. These resolutions have to be selected carefully and may depend on the domain itself.
Safety and occlusion rates of surgical treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature from 1990 to 2011

Background and purpose Surgical clipping of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) has recently been challenged by the emergence of endovascular treatment. We performed an updated systematic review and meta-analysis on the surgical treatment of UIAs, in an attempt to determine the aneurysm occlusion rates and safety of surgery in the modern era. Methods A detailed protocol was developed prior to conducting the review according to the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. Electronic databases spanning January 1990–April 2011 were searched, complemented by hand searching. Heterogeneity was assessed using I2, and publication bias with funnel plots. Surgical mortality and morbidity were analysed with weighted random effect models. Results 60 studies with 9845 patients harbouring 10 845 aneurysms were included. Mortality occurred in 157 patients (1.7%; 99% CI 0.9% to 3.0%; I2=82%). Unfavourable outcomes, including death, occurred in 692 patients (6.7%; 99% CI 4.9% to 9.0%; I2=85%). Morbidity rates were significantly greater in higher quality studies, and with large or posterior circulation aneurysms. Reported morbidity rates decreased over time. Studies were generally of poor quality; funnel plots showed heterogeneous results and publication bias, and data on aneurysm occlusion rates were scant. Conclusions In studies published between 1990 and 2011, clipping of UIAs was associated with 1.7% mortality and 6.7% overall morbidity. The reputed durability of clipping has not been rigorously documented. Due to the quality of the included studies, the available literature cannot properly guide clinical decisions.
An Adaptive Successive Cancellation List Decoder for Polar Codes with Cyclic Redundancy Check

In this letter, we propose an adaptive SC (Successive Cancellation)-List decoder for polar codes with CRC. This adaptive SC-List decoder iteratively increases the list size until at least one survival path can pass CRC. Simulation shows that the adaptive SC-List decoder provides significant complexity reduction. We also demonstrate that polar code (2048, 1024) with 24-bit CRC decoded by our proposed adaptive SC-List decoder with very large maximum list size can achieve a frame error rate FER ≤ 10-3{-3} at Eb/No = 1.1dB, which is about 0.25dB from the information theoretic limit at this block length.
THE EFFECT OF SPECIMEN GEOMETRY ON J SUB IC

Rigid-plastic slip line field analysis shows that fully plastic flow fields and hydrostatic stress elevation are greatly influenced by geometry. This argues against a one parameter fracture criterion, such as the critical J value, which purports to work in the plastic range. Two specimen geometries, a center cracked panel and a bend bar were tested to provide a critical evaluation of the critical J value concept. An intermediate strength Ni-Cr-Mo-V rotor steel was used in the investigation. Results show that the critical J value is a consistent fracture criterion for plane strain behavior for essentially elastic to fully plastic conditions. This work supports the contention that a plastic crack tip singularity is a dominant consideration for crack initiation even in fully plastic bodies. Bend bars of two thicknesses were tested to show that nearly plane strain behavior can be achieved with conventional geometries as much as an order of magnitude smaller than sizes required for linear elastic plane strain fracture toughness tests. The method used for calculating the J integral for experimental load versus deflection curves is explained in detail. /Author/
Extracting Geo-Semantics About Cities From OpenStreetMap

Access to high quality and updated data is crucial to assess and contextualize city state of affairs. The City Data Pipeline uses diverse Open Data sources to integrate statistical information about cities. The resulting incomplete dataset is not directly usable for data analysis. We exploit data from a geographic information system, namely OpenStreetMap, to obtain new indicators for cities with better coverage. We show that OpenStreetMap is a promising data source for statistical data about cities.
Updates to BioSamples database at European Bioinformatics Institute

The BioSamples database at the EBI (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/biosamples) provides an integration point for BioSamples information between technology specific databases at the EBI, projects such as ENCODE and reference collections such as cell lines. The database delivers a unified query interface and API to query sample information across EBI’s databases and provides links back to assay databases. Sample groups are used to manage related samples, e.g. those from an experimental submission, or a single reference collection. Infrastructural improvements include a new user interface with ontological and key word queries, a new query API, a new data submission API, complete RDF data download and a supporting SPARQL endpoint, accessioning at the point of submission to the European Nucleotide Archive and European Genotype Phenotype Archives and improved query response times.
Robust DREEM factor analysis

It is with great interest that I read the letter Ng et al. (2014) titled ‘Adapt surgical training to the European Working Time Directive’, suggesting that there are various means to tackle the impending crisis in surgical training due to the impact of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD). The authors have correctly highlighted that simulation has been demonstrated to be of great value to surgical trainees. This has been suggested in literature, and is recommended by Ng et al. (2014) as a potential route to solving this issue. Surgical trainees have in the past constructed a variety of low-tech DIY simulators for laparoscopic surgery, for example, as well as practicing various techniques in wet and dry lab settings for quite some years. While there is a trend in simulation training to use more technologically advanced and more complex simulation, this has not been shown to provide any increased benefit over the simpler models (Steigerwald et al. 2014). Furthermore, the burden of cost in establishing a valid simulation program, as well as maintaining it is often underestimated, and limits its practical application, especially when placed in the context of strict budgetary controls (Calhoon et al. 2014). Finally, as a surgeon, my first priority is to the patient and to patient safety. I require my training to adequately prepare me for undertaking the operations as a consultant, in order to ensure competence and maintain standards. It is worth noting that there is an increasing trend for trainees to pursue posttraining fellowships to achieve that requirement. As the use of simulation training has increased, so has our understanding of them. I believe that the assumption that the reduced clinical training can be countered by increased simulation is not valid. They are a useful adjunct to training, but cannot replace clinical experience. This issue has arisen by a change in the structure of training due to the EWTD. In order to reach a satisfactory resolution it is necessary, in my view, to address the structure of the program as a whole, rather than make subtle adjustments of unproven efficacy.
Weakly Supervised PatchNets : Learning Aggregated Patch Descriptors for Scene Recognition

In this paper, we propose a hybrid representation, which leverages the great discriminative capacity of CNNs and the efficiency of descriptor encoding scheme scene recognition. We make three main contributions. First, we train an end-to-end PatchNet in a weakly supervised manner, in order to extract the discriminative deep descriptors of local patches. Second, we design a novel VSAD encoding approach. With the help of semantic predictions from PatchNet, it can effectively aggregate deep local-patch descriptors into a global image representation. Finally, we evaluate our approach on two standard scene recognition benchmarks to show the effectiveness, i.e., MIT Indoor67 (86.2%) and SUN397 (73.0%).
Robust Sparse Representation for Incomplete and Noisy Data

Owing to the robustness of large sparse corruptions and the discrimination of class labels, sparse signal representation has been one of the most advanced techniques in the fields of pattern classification, computer vision, machine learning and so on. This paper investigates the problem of robust face classification when a test sample has missing values. Firstly, we propose a classification method based on the incomplete sparse representation. This representation is boiled down to an l1 minimization problem and an alternating direction method of multipliers is employed to solve it. Then, we provide a convergent analysis and a model extension on incomplete sparse representation. Finally, we conduct experiments on two real-world face datasets and compare the proposed method with the nearest neighbor classifier and the sparse representation-based classification. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method has the superiority in classification accuracy, completion of the missing entries and recovery of noise.
VNPR system using artificial neural network

Vehicle number plate recognition (VNPR) is a technique used to extract the license plate from a sequence of images. The extracted information in the database can be used in the applications like electronic payment systems such as toll payment, parking lots etc. An effective VNPR can be implemented based on the quality of the acquired images. It is used for real time application and it has to recognize the number plates of all types under different environmental conditions. Different algorithms has been used which depends on the features present in the images. It should be generalised to extract different types of license plate from the images. In this paper we propose a new method which is robust enough to recognize the characters from the number plates with help of artificial neural network. This algorithm is practical for the front view and rear view of orientation of the vehicle.
Rapid disappearance of statin, a nonproliferating and senescent cell- specific protein, upon reentering the process of cell cycling

Statin, a 57,000-D protein characteristically found in nonreplicating cells, was identified by a monoclonal antibody produced by hybridomas established from mice injected with extracts of in vitro aged human fibroblasts (Wang, E., 1985, J. Cell Biol., 100:545-551). Fluorescence staining with the antibody shows that the expression of statin disappears upon reinitiation of the process for cell replication. The rapid de-expression is observed in fibroblasts involved in the in vitro wound-healing process, as well as in cells that have been subcultured after trypsinization and replated from a confluent culture. Kinetic analysis shows that 50% of the cell population lose their statin expression at 12 h after replating, before the actual events of mitosis. Immunogold labeling with highly purified antibodies localizes the protein at the nuclear envelope in nonreplicating cells, but not in their replicating counterparts. Immunoblotting analysis confirms the disappearance of statin in cells that have reentered the cycling process. Using the technique of flow cytometry to examine the large number of nonreplicating fibroblasts in confluent cultures, we have found that statin is mostly expressed in those cells showing the least amount of DNA content, whose growth is blocked at the G0/G1 stage of the cell cycle. This close correlation is rapidly altered once the cells are released from the confluent state. These results suggest that the expression of statin may be regulated by a fine mechanism controlling the transition from the nonreplicating to the replicating state, and that the protein is structurally associated with the nuclear envelope.
Reaching consensus in the sense of probability

This paper studies consensus for a team of networked agents with stochastic interactions. Specifically, consensus in the sense of probability is investigated for both fixed and switching interaction graphs that are chosen randomly from some given set. In the static case, a lower bound for the probability of consensus is calculated when each interaction graph is equally likely to be selected among set containing all possible undirected graphs. It is then shown that the (exact) probability of consensus for n agents is strictly increasing with respect to n, whenever n ≥ 3. For the case of a randomly switching directed interaction graph, the probability of consensus is equal to the probability of an event that is critical for reaching consensus under a deterministic setting. In addition, the equivalence of consensus 1) with probability 1, 2) in probability, and 3) in the r-th mean is demonstrated without requiring an i.i. d. process and linear system dynamics.
An Agent Architecture That Combines Backward and Forward Reasoning

We present a proof procedure that combines backward reasoning with logic programs and forward reasoning with integrity constraints. We illustrate the use of the proof procedure as the inference engine underlying agents. Roughly speaking, the backward reasoning component of the proof procedure is responsible for the deliberative behaviour of agents, whereas the forward reasoning component is responsible for their reactive behaviour.
Electron-Beam (E-Beam) Processing as a Means of Achieving High Performance Composite Structures

Abstract : Electron-beam (E-beam) curing is among the key out-of-autoclave technologies being explored for future advanced composite and adhesive applications. E-beam irradiation curing is capable of rapid and through-thickness curing of composite samples up to 2-in thickness, eliminating the need for long cure cycles in the autoclave. However, current resin and adhesive chemistries are optimized for cure by thermal initiation, which involves slow ramps and long cure cycles, particularly for thermoset composites based on epoxides. Therefore, in order to provide improved performance in composite systems cured by E-beam irradiation, a program was undertaken to investigate performance and formulation effects in two E-beam curable systems. One system, a free-radical-cured acrylic system, introduces the concept of interpenetrating network structures as a means of meeting performance requirements in E-beam-processed composites. The second resin system incorporates cationic curing of epoxides induced through Lewis acid or cation generating initiators. Additionally, a new approach to toughened interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) based on simultaneous cure using both free-radical and cationic-cure mechanisms is proposed along with initial experimental characterizations. The results of formulation and processing modifications on key properties of adhesives, resins, and composites structures are demonstrated.
Cooperation of neighboring PEs in clustered architectures

Clustered architectures which intend to process data within a localized PE are one of the approaches to increase the performance under the difficulties of the wire delay problems. The performance of clustered architectures depends on the amount of parallel execution of instructions and the amount of inter-PE communication to synchronize dependent instructions. In this paper, we propose an arrangement of PEs cooperating with the adjacent PEs by means of adding communication structures between the adjacent PEs in order to relax the inter-PE communication and workload imbalance in an effective manner. We evaluate the proposed configurations and compare them with the existing one so far considered. The results show that the proposed adjacent forwarding network configuration with the instruction steering scheme that concerns both the register fanout and available free register can achieve higher instructions per clock (IPC) with the small number of registers per PE than the other configurations.