Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Change in terrestrial ecosystem water‐use efficiency over the last three decades

Defined as the ratio between gross primary productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET), ecosystem‐scale water‐use efficiency (EWUE) is an indicator of the adjustment of vegetation photosynthesis to water loss. The processes controlling EWUE are complex and reflect both a slow evolution of plants and plant communities as well as fast adjustments of ecosystem functioning to changes of limiting resources. In this study, we investigated EWUE trends from 1982 to 2008 using data‐driven models derived from satellite observations and process‐oriented carbon cycle models. Our findings suggest positive EWUE trends of 0.0056, 0.0007 and 0.0001 g C m−2 mm−1 yr−1 under the single effect of rising CO2 (‘CO2’), climate change (‘CLIM’) and nitrogen deposition (‘NDEP’), respectively. Global patterns of EWUE trends under different scenarios suggest that (i) EWUE‐CO2 shows global increases, (ii) EWUE‐CLIM increases in mainly high latitudes and decreases at middle and low latitudes, (iii) EWUE‐NDEP displays slight increasing trends except in west Siberia, eastern Europe, parts of North America and central Amazonia. The data‐driven MTE model, however, shows a slight decline of EWUE during the same period (−0.0005 g C m−2 mm−1 yr−1), which differs from process‐model (0.0064 g C m−2 mm−1 yr−1) simulations with all drivers taken into account. We attribute this discrepancy to the fact that the nonmodeled physiological effects of elevated CO2 reducing stomatal conductance and transpiration (TR) in the MTE model. Partial correlation analysis between EWUE and climate drivers shows similar responses to climatic variables with the data‐driven model and the process‐oriented models across different ecosystems. Change in water‐use efficiency defined from transpiration‐based WUEt (GPP/TR) and inherent water‐use efficiency (IWUEt, GPP×VPD/TR) in response to rising CO2, climate change, and nitrogen deposition are also discussed. Our analyses will facilitate mechanistic understanding of the carbon–water interactions over terrestrial ecosystems under global change.
Penalized weighted least-squares approach to sinogram noise reduction and image reconstruction for low-dose X-ray computed tomography

Reconstructing low-dose X-ray computed tomography (CT) images is a noise problem. This work investigated a penalized weighted least-squares (PWLS) approach to address this problem in two dimensions, where the WLS considers first- and second-order noise moments and the penalty models signal spatial correlations. Three different implementations were studied for the PWLS minimization. One utilizes a Markov random field (MRF) Gibbs functional to consider spatial correlations among nearby detector bins and projection views in sinogram space and minimizes the PWLS cost function by iterative Gauss-Seidel algorithm. Another employs Karhunen-Loeve (KL) transform to de-correlate data signals among nearby views and minimizes the PWLS adaptively to each KL component by analytical calculation, where the spatial correlation among nearby bins is modeled by the same Gibbs functional. The third one models the spatial correlations among image pixels in image domain also by a MRF Gibbs functional and minimizes the PWLS by iterative successive over-relaxation algorithm. In these three implementations, a quadratic functional regularization was chosen for the MRF model. Phantom experiments showed a comparable performance of these three PWLS-based methods in terms of suppressing noise-induced streak artifacts and preserving resolution in the reconstructed images. Computer simulations concurred with the phantom experiments in terms of noise-resolution tradeoff and detectability in low contrast environment. The KL-PWLS implementation may have the advantage in terms of computation for high-resolution dynamic low-dose CT imaging
Mental health service users’ experiences of returning to paid employment

Research into mental health and employment has focused largely on people who are unemployed. This paper reports the experiences of 20 clients of employment support agencies who had succeeded in returning to work. A number of barriers to getting back to work were identified, but receiving employment support could enable people to overcome them. There was consistency with previous studies of factors associated with high and low levels of job satisfaction. Even those participants who were less satisfied with their jobs identified benefits and none described any negative effects. The quality of the employment support provided was important, including advice and counselling during the job search, enabling informed choice about disclosure and support in work. Job retention targets are required for funding programmes in addition to placement targets. Further research into the timing and processes of disclosure and into occupational health screening processes would be helpful.
Physical exercise in multiple sclerosis: supportive care or a putative disease- modifying treatment

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease affecting young adults and leading to considerable disability. For many years, patients have been advised to avoid physical activity. Today, however, an increasing number of studies have shown beneficial effects of exercise training in MS. It has been reported that such programs not only improve fitness parameters but can also enhance quality of life and beneficially affect some suggestive disability measures. Pilot studies even indicate a neuroprotective potential. This review summarizes the findings of the major clinical trials on exercise in MS. Possible biological effect mediators, such as neurotrophic factors or anti-inflammatory cytokines, will be discussed. Exercise management guidelines will be proposed and possible further research strategies are presented.
Dependable information infrastructures as complex adaptive systems

Information infrastructures, such as the Internet and Computational Grids, have enabled a networked computing and communication environment. Although many organizations depend on network‐centric information operations to support critical missions, existing information infrastructures provide little guarantee of the dependability of network‐centric computing and communication. This paper discusses some problems with the dependability of existing information infrastructures, such as stateless or centralized resource management. A Complex Adaptive Systems approach to dependability of futuristic information infrastructures is then presented with emphasis on the detection of emergent states at the regional and global levels of these infrastructures, and the self‐synchronized control of such infrastructures in response to emergent states. The key concept underlying our control strategy at the regional or global level is that the two attributes of the Complex Adaptive System in a dynamic environment, accessibility to many states and sensitivity to small perturbation, present us with an opportunity to manipulate the system's dynamics. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 6: 225–237, 2003
Partial and approximate symmetry detection for 3D geometry

"Symmetry is a complexity-reducing concept [. ]; seek it every-where. " - Alan J. PerlisMany natural and man-made objects exhibit significant symmetries or contain repeated substructures. This paper presents a new algorithm that processes geometric models and efficiently discovers and extracts a compact representation of their Euclidean symmetries. These symmetries can be partial, approximate, or both. The method is based on matching simple local shape signatures in pairs and using these matches to accumulate evidence for symmetries in an appropriate transformation space. A clustering stage extracts potential significant symmetries of the object, followed by a verification step. Based on a statistical sampling analysis, we provide theoretical guarantees on the success rate of our algorithm. The extracted symmetry graph representation captures important high-level information about the structure of a geometric model which in turn enables a large set of further processing operations, including shape compression, segmentation, consistent editing, symmetrization, indexing for retrieval, etc.
Structural Dynamics Within and Between Organizations.

I am grateful to many colleagues for their comments on previous versions of this manuscript. Special thanks to Eric Abrahamson, R. Kabaliswaran, Michael Rosen, and the reviewers and editors of ASQ for helpful discussions along the way. The development of this paper was supported in part by a grant from the Tenneco Fund Program at the Graduate School of Business Administration, New York University. Theories of structure have artificially segregated various streams of research on intraorganizational and interorganizational relations. This paper recasts the concept of structure as an instantaneous correspondence between an infrastructure, a sociostructure, and a superstructurethree manifestations of collective life joined through a dynamic juxtaposition of technological solutions, political exchanges, and social interpretations in and around organizations. These levels are shown to describe reflexive yet partially autonomous realmswhose progressive interrelatedness is governed by processes of convergence and divergence, thereby supporting both stability and change in social relationships within organizations, populations, and communities. Ultimately, it is argued, structuring can be understood as a dialectical unfolding of relations between embedded social actors that translates individual action into societal consequences.
Character recognition experiments using Unipen data

This paper presents experiments that compare the performances of several versions of a regional-fuzzy representation (RFR) developed for cursive handwriting recognition (CHR). These experiments are conducted using a common neural network classifier namely a multilayer perceptron (MLP) trained with backpropagation. Results are given for isolated digits, isolated lower-case letters and lower-case letters extracted from phrases, from the Unipen database. Data set Train-R01/V07 is used for training while DevTest-R01/V02 is used for testing. The best overall representation yields recognition rates of respectively 97.0% and 85.6% for isolated digits and lower case, and 84.4% for lower-case extracted from phrases.
A teachers’ training program accompanying the “School Fruit Scheme” fruit distribution improves children’s adherence to the Mediterranean diet: an Italian trial

Abstract The effects of a nutrition education program, led by trained teachers within the Italian School Fruit Scheme, were evaluated. Pre–post intervention children’s adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) was assessed by the KIDMED test. A representative cluster sample of 494 fourth grade students from thirteen Italian schools in the three areas of low (North), medium (Centre) and high (South) prevalence of overweight and obesity was investigated. Within the same schools, the intervention group (n = 395) received the program, the control group (n = 99) did not. In the intervention group, the proportion of children with high adherence to the MD significantly increased in the total sample, females and South in the post-intervention; no significant changes in levels of adherence related to ponderal status were detected. A significant increase was found, particularly, in the proportion of children who improved their frequency of consumption of fruit and vegetables (FV) daily, especially in the South.
Biocompatible and Ultra-Flexible Inorganic Strain Sensors Attached to Skin for Long-Term Vital Signs Monitoring

Wearable electronics have attracted much attention and are experiencing rapid growth in recent years. Such devices are expected to stay closer to the human body (i.e., attached to the skin) for better performance. Therefore, ultra-flexibility of such devices is necessary in order to make the sensor conform to the human body when the devices are used for healthcare monitoring. Here, we present a biocompatible and ultra-flexible strain sensor for pulse and body motion real-time and long-term measurement. The sensor, fabricated and integrated on a semi-permeable substrate with good biocompatibility and waterproofness, is mechanically invisible for the human. It owns good linearity (r2 = 0.997), good repeatability, low resistance (350 Ω), and short response time (less than 100 ms). The sensor is designed with the shear lag theory, obtaining greater measuring range but still with good linearity. The liquid transfer printing method is used for thin-film sensing part and soft substrate integration in order to avoid damage. The sensor shows better performance and higher precision in motion and pulse monitoring than other similar sensors. The in vitro experiments demonstrate that the sensor is more suitable for long-term health monitoring at medical grade.
Self-schemas and possible selves as predictors and outcomes of risky behaviors in adolescents.

BACKGROUND Although there is extensive evidence that the self-concept changes in many important ways during the adolescent years and that these changes influence behavioral choices, the majority of studies completed to date have been based on a static model in which the self-concept is viewed solely as an antecedent of the risky behaviors. OBJECTIVES To investigate the pattern of relationships between three components of the self-concept--the popular, the conventional, and the deviant selves--and risky behaviors in a sample of middle adolescents during their transition from junior high to high school. METHODS A sample of 160 adolescents completed questionnaires measuring the content of their self-schemas and possible selves and involvement in four risky behaviors (tobacco and alcohol use, sexual intercourse, poor school performance) during the winter of eighth and ninth grades. RESULTS Popular self-schema score in the eighth grade positively predicted ninth grade risky behaviors. Risky behavior involvement in the eighth grade predicted ninth-grade deviant self-schema and possible self-scores. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the self-concept may not only play a role in the early stages of engagement in the risky behaviors but may also be one means through which the behaviors become structuralized into potentially enduring aspects of the self.
Effects of dietary restriction on adipose mass and biomarkers of healthy aging in human

In developing countries the rise of obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders, such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, reflects the changes in lifestyle habits and wrong dietary choices. Dietary restriction (DR) regimens have been shown to extend health span and lifespan in many animal models including primates. Identifying biomarkers predictive of clinical benefits of treatment is one of the primary goals of precision medicine. To monitor the clinical outcomes of DR interventions in humans, several biomarkers are commonly adopted. However, a validated link between the behaviors of such biomarkers and DR effects is lacking at present time. Through a systematic analysis of human intervention studies, we evaluated the effect size of DR (i.e. calorie restriction, very low calorie diet, intermittent fasting, alternate day fasting) on health-related biomarkers. We found that DR is effective in reducing total and visceral adipose mass and improving inflammatory cytokines profile and adiponectin/leptin ratio. By analysing the levels of canonical biomarkers of healthy aging, we also validated the changes of insulin, IGF-1 and IGFBP-1,2 to monitor DR effects. Collectively, we developed a useful platform to evaluate the human responses to dietary regimens low in calories.
Intraoperative Systolic Blood Pressure Variability Predicts 30-day Mortality in Aortocoronary Bypass Surgery Patients

Background:Few data support an association between blood pressure variability and clinical outcomes during cardiac surgery. We tested the hypothesis that intraoperative systolic blood pressure variability outside a targeted blood pressure range predicts 30-day mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods:Electronically captured blood pressure data from 7,504 consecutive coronary bypass surgery procedures between September 1, 1996, and December 31, 2005, were divided into development and validation cohorts. Systolic blood pressure variability episodes outside a blood pressure range (e.g., higher than 135 or lower than 95 mmHg) were characterized by number of episodes, magnitude of episode, duration of episode, and magnitude × duration of excursion (i.e., area under the curve). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess 30-day mortality association. The most predictive mortality risk characteristic and blood pressure range was tested in the validation cohort. Results:A total of 3.1 million intraoperative blood pressure evaluations were analyzed. Systolic blood pressure variability was derived in 5,038 patients and validated in 2,466 patients (8% without cardiopulmonary bypass and 6% with valve procedure). Among all tested indices of blood pressure variability, mean duration of systolic excursion (outside a range of 105–130 mmHg) was most predictive of 30-day mortality (odds ratio = 1.03 per minute, 95% CI 1.02–1.39, P < 0.0001). Conclusions:Intraoperative blood pressure variability is associated with 30-day postoperative mortality in patients undergoing aortocoronary bypass surgery.
Information search tactics

As part of the study of human information search strategy, the concept of the search tactic, or move made to further a search, is introduced. Twenty-nine tactics are named, defined, and discussed in four categories: monitoring, file structure, search formulation, and term. Implications of the search tactics for research in search strategy are considered. The search tactics are intended to be practically useful in information searching. This approach to searching is designed to be general, yet nontrivial; it is applicable to both bibliographic and reference searches and in both manual and on-line systems.
Application of softcomputing technique for frequency control of the power system in a deregulated environment

The present paper discusses the load frequency control problem of a two-area multi-unit all-hydropower system in a deregulated scenario. Upon application of small load disturbance to such all-hydro system, the frequency is disturbed and the system becomes unstable. To stabilize such a multi-unit hydro system an HVDC tie-line in parallel with existing EHVAC system is considered between the control areas. Efforts have been made to design dual mode controller whose gains are optimized using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The system model is developed by incorporating various types of market transactions. From the investigations carried out, it can be reveal that the designed controller is able to match the load demand with generations in a deregulated scenario in a more effective manner. Furthermore the robustness of the designed controller is also checked by varying the system parameters +25% from the nominal values.
Two conventional protein kinase C isoforms, α and βI, are involved in the ATP‐induced activation of volume‐regulated anion channel and glutamate release in cultured astrocytes

Volume‐regulated anion channels (VRACs) are activated by cell swelling and are permeable to inorganic and small organic anions, including the excitatory amino acids glutamate and aspartate. In astrocytes, ATP potently enhances VRAC activity and glutamate release via a P2Y receptor‐dependent mechanism. Our previous pharmacological study identified protein kinase C (PKC) as a major signaling enzyme in VRAC regulation by ATP. However, conflicting results obtained with potent PKC blockers prompted us to re‐evaluate the involvement of PKC in regulation of astrocytic VRACs by using small interfering RNA (siRNA) and pharmacological inhibitors that selectively target individual PKC isoforms. In primary rat astrocyte cultures, application of hypoosmotic medium (30% reduction in osmolarity) and 20 μM ATP synergistically increased the release of excitatory amino acids, measured with a non‐metabolized analog of l‐glutamate, d‐[3H]aspartate. Both Go6976, the selective inhibitor of Ca2+‐sensitive PKCα, βI/II, and γ, and MP‐20‐28, a cell permeable pseudosubstrate inhibitory peptide of PKCα and βI/II, reduced the effects of ATP on d‐[3H]aspartate release by ∼45–55%. Similar results were obtained with a mixture of siRNAs targeting rat PKCα and βI. Surprisingly, down‐regulation of individual α and βI PKC isozymes by siRNA was completely ineffective. These data suggest that ATP regulates VRAC activity and volume‐sensitive excitatory amino acid release via cooperative activation of PKCα and βI.
Reliability and accuracy improvement on the input system of the projection GUI for autonomous mobile robots

In conventional methods to operate a robot, buttons or a touch panel mounted on the robot has been used in many cases. However, there are some problems: e.g., users have to approach near by the robot, an operation screen whose size is larger than the robot size cannot be mounted on the robot, etc. To solve such problems, the projection GUI was developed as an interface to be implemented to a mobile robot of which the operation screen was projected on floors and walls by a projector. The operation commands to the robot were able to be given by pointing on the screen with foot and hand. However, the reliability and accuracy are not enough for some applications. In this paper, we propose more reliable and accurate input system for the projection GUI by detecting a toe and a fingertip of the user.
Graphical models for online solutions to interactive POMDPs

We develop a new graphical representation for interactive partially observable Markov decision processes (I-POMDPs) that is significantly more transparent and semantically clear than the previous representation. These graphical models called interactive dynamic influence diagrams (I-DIDs) seek to explicitly model the structure that is often present in real-world problems by decomposing the situation into chance and decision variables, and the dependencies between the variables. I-DIDs generalize DIDs, which may be viewed as graphical representations of POMDPs, to multiagent settings in the same way that I-POMDPs generalize POMDPs. I-DIDs may be used to compute the policy of an agent online as the agent acts and observes in a setting that is populated by other interacting agents. Using several examples, we show how I-DIDs may be applied and demonstrate their usefulness.
ASPP1/2 Regulate p53-Dependent Death of Retinal Ganglion Cells through PUMA and Fas/CD95 Activation In Vivo

The transcription factor p53 mediates neuronal death in a variety of stress-related and neurodegenerative conditions. The proapoptotic activity of p53 is tightly regulated by the apoptosis-stimulating proteins of p53 (ASPP) family members: ASPP1 and ASPP2. However, whether ASPP1/2 play a role in the regulation of p53-dependent neuronal death in the CNS is currently unknown. To address this, we asked whether ASPP1/2 contribute to the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) using in vivo models of acute optic nerve damage in mice and rats. Here, we show that p53 is activated in RGCs soon after injury and that axotomy-induced RGC death is attenuated in p53 heterozygote and null mice. We demonstrate that ASPP1/2 proteins are abundantly expressed by injured RGCs, and that short interfering (si)RNA-based ASPP1 or ASPP2 knockdown promotes robust RGC survival. Comparative gene expression analysis revealed that siASPP-mediated downregulation of p53-upregulated-modulator-of-apoptosis (PUMA), Fas/CD95, and Noxa depends on p53 transcriptional activity. Furthermore, siRNA against PUMA or Fas/CD95 confers neuroprotection, demonstrating a functional role for these p53 targets in RGC death. Our study demonstrates a novel role for ASPP1 and ASPP2 in the death of RGCs and provides evidence that blockade of the ASPP–p53 pathway is beneficial for central neuron survival after axonal injury.