Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surface‐subsurface model intercomparison: A first set of benchmark results to diagnose integrated hydrology and feedbacks

There are a growing number of large‐scale, complex hydrologic models that are capable of simulating integrated surface and subsurface flow. Many are coupled to land‐surface energy balance models, biogeochemical and ecological process models, and atmospheric models. Although they are being increasingly applied for hydrologic prediction and environmental understanding, very little formal verification and/or benchmarking of these models has been performed. Here we present the results of an intercomparison study of seven coupled surface‐subsurface models based on a series of benchmark problems. All the models simultaneously solve adapted forms of the Richards and shallow water equations, based on fully 3‐D or mixed (1‐D vadose zone and 2‐D groundwater) formulations for subsurface flow and 1‐D (rill flow) or 2‐D (sheet flow) conceptualizations for surface routing. A range of approaches is used for the solution of the coupled equations, including global implicit, sequential iterative, and asynchronous linking, and various strategies are used to enforce flux and pressure continuity at the surface‐subsurface interface. The simulation results show good agreement for the simpler test cases, while the more complicated test cases bring out some of the differences in physical process representations and numerical solution approaches between the models. Benchmarks with more traditional runoff generating mechanisms, such as excess infiltration and saturation, demonstrate more agreement between models, while benchmarks with heterogeneity and complex water table dynamics highlight differences in model formulation. In general, all the models demonstrate the same qualitative behavior, thus building confidence in their use for hydrologic applications.
Design of GUI-component energy profiler for android applications

Detailed profiling energy consumption method is essential for developing applications. Existing methods are able to estimate each method of an Android application. However, these methods cannot profile in terms of GUI (graphical user interface). In this paper, we propose an estimating energy consumption method for each GUI component of Android applications. Our proposed method inserts probes before and after the processes for each GUI component. The Estimated energy is calculated from the logs that recoded at the probes. We also present an automatic probing scheme utilizing data-flow analysis and searching source codes.
Modulation of Human β-Defensin-1 Production by Viruses

While initially identified as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptide, constitutively expressed in epithelia, human β-defensin (hBD)-1 is now recognized to have a more complex pattern of expression of its gene, DEFB1, as well as activities that extend beyond direct antimicrobial. These observations suggest a complex role for hBD-1 in the host defense against viral infections, as evidenced by its expression in cells involved in viral defense, and its gene regulation in response to viral challenge. This regulation is observed both in vitro and in vivo in humans, as well as with the murine homolog, mBD-1. While numerous reviews have summarized the existing literature on β-defensin gene expression and activity, here we provide a focused review of relevant studies on the virus-mediated regulation of hBD-1 and how this regulation can provide a crucial aspect of the innate immune defense against viral infection.
Prenatal Ethanol Exposure and Neocortical Development: A Transgenerational Model of FASD

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, or FASD, represent a range of adverse developmental conditions caused by prenatal ethanol exposure (PrEE) from maternal consumption of alcohol. PrEE induces neurobiological damage in the developing brain leading to cognitive-perceptual and behavioral deficits in the offspring. Alcohol-mediated alterations to epigenetic function may underlie PrEE-related brain dysfunction, with these changes potentially carried across generations to unexposed offspring. To determine the transgenerational impact of PrEE on neocortical development, we generated a mouse model of FASD and identified numerous stable phenotypes transmitted via the male germline to the unexposed third generation. These include alterations in ectopic intraneocortical connectivity, upregulation of neocortical Rzrβ and Id2 expression accompanied by both promoter hypomethylation of these genes and decreased global DNA methylation levels. DNMT expression was also suppressed in newborn PrEE cortex, providing further insight into how ethanol perturbs DNA methylation leading to altered regulation of gene transcription. These PrEE-induced, transgenerational phenotypes may be responsible for cognitive, sensorimotor, and behavioral deficits seen in humans with FASD. Thus, understanding the possible epigenetic mechanisms by which these phenotypes are generated may reveal novel targets for therapeutic intervention of FASD and lead to advances in human health.
Secured Storage for Dynamic Data in Cloud

Cloud is a growing computing paradigm in which the services and resources are provisioned dynamically through internet. In cloud, the users’ data can be stored in the remotely located data servers that are maintained by cloud service providers to relieve the users from the local storage and maintenance. The major security challenge with cloud computing is that the users cannot have direct control over the remotely stored data. The imperative security concerns in cloud are the integrity and confidentiality of data. Many existing remote integrity checking methods fail to serve for the data that can be dynamically updated. To preserve the privacy of dynamically changing data, an efficient approach maintaining the confidentiality and assuring the integrity of data is proposed. In this scheme, public auditability is enabled by introducing a Third Party Auditor (TPA) for verifying the data integrity. It is ensured that the data stored in the untrusted cloud server is confidential and consistent by using a data encryption algorithm called 2-Keys Symmetric Encryption. Unlike other encryption algorithms, this encryption algorithm needs lesser computation overhead. Encryption and decryption algorithms are developed in java and Remote Method Invocation (RMI) concepts are used for communication between client and server. Simulation environment is set up with the eucalyptus tool. The performance analysis and simulation results prove that our proposed scheme is secure and proficient and it reduces the computation cost of server and verifier.
Sensitivity of the Semantic Fluency Subtest of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status

This study examined the concurrent validity of the Semantic Fluency subtest of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. Performance by cognitively impaired vs nonimpaired neurological patients was examined in relation to the performance of these groups on the Controlled Oral Word Association Test. Analyses indicated these tests are largely equivalent with respect to both sensitivity to neurocognitive dysfunction and discrimination of cognitively impaired from nonimpaired neurological patients. Findings support the psychometric validity of the Semantic Fluency subtest in the evaluation of brain dysfunction.
Serum uric acid concentration is linked to wearing-off fluctuation in Japanese Parkinson's disease patients.

BACKGROUND Serum uric acid (UA) concentration is linked to the risk of progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to examine the association between serum UA concentration and the occurrence of wearing-off fluctuation (WOF) in Japanese PD patients. METHODS A total of 123 Japanese patients with PD were enrolled in this study. We collected data on demographics, clinical features, medications, and laboratory findings including serum UA concentration, and examined the presence of WOF. The association between serum UA concentration and WOF was assessed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS After adjusting for possible confounders, it was found that the odds ratio (OR) for WOF decreased with increasing quartile of UA (highest quartile vs. lowest quartile, adjusted OR 0.218, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.053-0.891). This association was significant only in male PD patients, regardless of the use of sex-specific quartiles of UA. Additionally, disease duration (OR 7.80, 95% CI 2.62-23.17) and daily levodopa dosage (OR 4.06, 95% CI 1.45-11.38) were associated with the occurrence of WOF. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed that serum UA concentration was associated with the occurrence of WOF. Serum UA concentration may be a predictive factor for WOF.
Solar wind control of Jovian auroral emissions

[1] The combination of Galileo/PWS and Wind/WAVES observations allows the study of the flux density variation of the Jovian hectometric emissions (HOM) observed from 31 August 1996 until 24 October 1996. It is found that the HOM emission presents periodic features; each one is called a “HOM event. ” Such episodic emissions were concurrently observed by both experiments with similar spectral characteristics. The fluctuations of the Jovian hectometric emissions and the solar wind parameters are found to exhibit quasi-similar variations when a time lag of about 153 days is taken into consideration. Also, “HOM enhancements,” like the “injection events” first reported by Mauk et al. (1997), are found to occur at some specific longitudes. The occurrence of these magnetospheric events increases at two “active longitudes,” i.e., 45° CML and 180° CML. The solar wind seems to be at the origin of both phenomena. Solar particles go through the polar regions where they interact with the Jovian magnetic field and give rise in the auroral and equatorial regions to an increase of Jovian hectometric emissions and/or injection events.
Regulation of Arachidonic Acid Release by Calcium Influx in Human Endothelial Cells

In response to stimuli, endothelial cells release arachidonic acid, a lipid precursor of various vasoactive substances. We have investigated the relationships between cytosolic Ca<sup>2+</sup> movements and arachidonic acid release in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Histamine, a receptor-dependent agonist, and thapsigargin, a specific inhibitor of sarco-/endoplasmic Ca<sup>2+</sup> pumps, time- and dose-dependently increased the release of [1-<sup>14</sup>C]-arachidonic acid. This release was inhibited by AACOCF<sub>3</sub>, a selective inhibitor of cytosolic phospholipase A<sub>2</sub> (PLA<sub>2</sub>). In the absence of Ca<sup>2+</sup> influx, arachidonic acid release was suppressed in both histamine- and thapsigargin-stimulated cells, despite marked elevations of cytosolic Ca<sup>2+</sup> concentration ([Ca<sup>2+</sup>]<sub>i</sub>). In the presence of Ca<sup>2+</sup> influx, arachidonic acid release was reduced in cells treated with BAPTA, an intracellular Ca<sup>2+</sup> buffer, or with SK&F 96365, a receptor-operated Ca<sup>2+</sup> channel blocker. Arachidonic acid release was analyzed as a function of the two successive phases of Ca<sup>2+</sup> response to stimulation: Ca<sup>2+</sup> peak and plateau phase, reflecting Ca<sup>2+</sup> mobilization from internal stores and Ca<sup>2+</sup> influx, respectively. The amount of arachidonic acid released was directly related to [Ca<sup>2+</sup>]<sub>i</sub> values measured at the influx phase with a 80 nM [Ca<sup>2+</sup>]<sub>i</sub> threshold, similar to that reported for PLA<sub>2</sub> translocation. This suggests that Ca<sup>2+</sup> entry from the extracellular space is essential for activating cytosolic PLA<sub>2</sub> in human endothelial cells.
Diagnosis of hand, foot, and mouth disease caused by EV71 and other enteroviruses by a one‐step, single tube, duplex RT‐PCR

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is caused mainly by enterovirus 71 (EV71) and other enteroviruses (EVs) such as Coxsackie A16 in China. EV71 infection can lead to severe clinical manifestations and even death. Other EVs, however, generally cause mild symptoms. Thus, early and accurate distinction of EV71 from other EVs for HFMD will offer significant benefits. A one‐step, single tube, duplex RT‐PCR assay is described in the present study to detect simultaneously EV71 and other EVs. The primers used for the duplex RT‐PCR underwent screening and optimization. The detection threshold was 0.001 TCID50/ml for EV71 and 0.01 TCID50/ml for other EVs. The positive rate of enterovirus detection in 165 clinical samples reached 68.5%, including 46.1% for EV71 and 22.4% for other EVs. Of all the severe HFMD cases, EV71 was responsible for 85.3% cases. The positive rate of EV71 fell markedly by day 8 after onset. In addition, sequencing of EV71 specific amplicons from duplex RT‐PCR revealed that C4a was the predominant subgenotype of EV71 circulating in Nanjing, China. The accuracy and reliability of the assay suggest strongly that the one‐step, single tube, duplex RT‐PCR will be useful for early diagnosis and monitoring of EV71 and other EV infections. J. Med. Virol. 84:1803–1808, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Effect of Keyword Method on Vocabulary Retension of Senior High School EFL Learners in Iran

This study aimed at investigating the effect of keyword method, as one of the mnemonic strategies, on vocabulary retention of Iranian senior high school EFL learners. Following a quasi-experimental design, the study used thirty eight (n=38) female senior high school students in grade four from two intact classes at a public high school. The students were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group was instructed through the keyword method and the control group learned vocabulary through the traditional method. To analyze the data, paired-samples t-test and independent samples t-tests were run. It was found that students in the experimental group significantly outperformed the students in the control group in vocabulary retention by keyword method. Also, a significant difference was found between the performance of the keyword group and traditional group in delay recall posttest. Overall, this study illustrated that the use of keyword method can largely reduce learners' problems in the acquisition and retention of L2 words. The findings of this research may have pedagogical implications for teachers and learners. Keywords: Keyword method, mnemonic strategies, vocabulary retention, EFL learners
Functional morphology of the hindlimb of tupaiids (Mammalia, Scandentia) and its phylogenetic implications

In this study, the hindlimb of 12 species of tupaiids was analyzed functionally and compared to that of primates, dermopterans, and chiropterans. Many aspects of the tupaiid hindlimb vary in relation to differential substrate use. These differences include width of the ilium, shape of the acetabulum, size of the anterior inferior iliac spine, size of the greater and third trochanters, depth of the femoral condyles, shape of the patellar groove, and size of the tibial tuberosity. The hindlimb of the arboreal Ptilocercus lowii, the only ptilocercine, is better adapted for arboreal locomotion, whereas that of tupaiines is better adapted for rapid terrestrial (or scansorial) locomotion. The hindlimb of Ptilocercus seems to be habitually flexed and has more joint mobility, a condition necessary for movement on uneven, discontinuous arboreal supports. The tarsus of Ptilocercus facilitates inversion of the foot and its grasping hallux is capable of a great range of abduction. Tupaiines, on the other hand, are characterized by more extended hindlimbs and less mobility in their joints. These restricted joints limit movements more to the parasagittal plane, which increases the efficiency of locomotion on a more even and continuous surface like the ground. The hindlimb of tupaiines is adapted for powerful flexion and extension. Even the most arboreal tupaiines remain similar to terrestrial tupaiines in their hindlimb morphology, which probably reflects the terrestrial ancestry of Tupaiinae (but not Tupaiidae). Many attributes of the tupaiid hindlimb, especially those of the foot, reflect the arboreal ancestry of Tupaiidae and it is proposed that the ancestral tupaiid was arboreal like Ptilocercus. Also, compared to the hindlimb character states of tupaiines, those of Ptilocercus are more similar to those of other archontans, and it is proposed that the hindlimb features of Ptilocercus are primitive for the Tupaiidae. Hence, Ptilocercus should be considered in any phylogenetic analysis that includes Scandentia. J. Morphol. 254:149–185, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Energy management algorithm for solar-powered energy harvesting wireless sensor node for Internet of Things

The solar powered energy harvesting sensor node is a key technology for Internet of Things (IoT), but currently it offers only a small amount of energy storage and is capable of harvesting only a trivial amount of energy. Therefore, new technology for managing the energy associated with this sensor node is required. In particular, it is important to manage the transmission interval because the level of energy consumption during data transmission is the highest in the sensor node. If the proper transmission interval is calculated, the sensor node can be used semi-permanently. In this study, the authors propose an energy prediction algorithm that uses the light intensity of fluorescent lamps in an indoor environment. The proposed algorithm can be used to accurately estimate the amount of energy that will be harvested by a solar panel using a weighted average for light intensity. Then, the optimal transmission interval is calculated using the amount of predicted harvested energy and residual energy. The results from the authors' experimental testbeds show that their algorithm's performance is better than the existing approaches. The energy prediction error of their algorithm is approximately 0.5%.
Semi-automatic image annotation of street scenes

Scene labeling enables very sophisticated and powerful applications for autonomous driving. Training classifiers for this task would not be possible without the existence of large datasets of pixelwise labeled images. Manually annotating a large number of images is an expensive and time consuming process. In this paper, we propose a new semi-automatic annotation tool for scene labeling tailored for autonomous driving. This tool significantly reduces the effort of the annotator and also the time spent to annotate the data, while at the same time it offers the necessary features to produce precise pixel-level semantic labeling. The main contribution of our work represents the development of a complex annotation framework able to generate automatic annotations for 20 classes, which the user can control and modify accordingly. Automatic annotations are obtained in two separate ways. First, we employ a pixelwise fully-connected Conditional Random Field (CRF). Second, we perform grouping of similar neighboring superpixels based on 2D appearance and 3D information using a boosted classifier. Polygons represent the manual correction mechanism for the automatic annotations.
Dimension reduction based on Canonical Correlation Analysis technique to classify sleep stages of sleep apnea disorder using EEG and ECG signals

Sleep stage scoring is the first step to diagnostic of sleep disorders and it is scored by the conventional method known as the visual sleep stage scoring based on human. To assist the sleep physician in evaluating of patients, a new automatic sleep stage classification system needs to be developed. So this is the aim of this work based on Electroencephalography (EEG) and Electrocardiography (ECG) for Sleep apnea patients. This article proposes two importance topics, the first is the new feature of EEG signal using a simple statistical technique and the results prove that the various sleep stages can be discriminated more clearly at significant levels (p<<0.05). Second, the dimension reduction is proposed based on the Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) technique that explores possible correlated multi-sources to improve the sleep stages classification at 95.42% accuracy by using random forest classification. The results show that our proposed method has ability to develop a new sleep stage classification assistance.
Accuracy of a new photo-refractometer in young and adult patients.

BACKGROUND Photorefraction can be carried out in both eyes simultaneously from a distance and is therefore suitable for examination of children. This study evaluated the accuracy of a commercially available photo-refractometer (Power Refractor, Plusoptix, Erlangen, Germany) and investigated whether the working distance relaxes the accommodation sufficiently without cycloplegia. METHODS Photo-refractometer readings were compared to cycloplegic retinoscopy. Because of the limited working range the group of patients consisted of low and moderate ametropic eyes within a spherical power of -7.0 to +5.0 D. One hundred and ninety-two eyes from 104 patients (2-81 years) were photo-refracted under cycloplegia. A subgroup of 83 eyes from 46 patients was additionally refracted without cycloplegia. RESULTS Under cycloplegia, the Power Refractor measured the spherical equivalent slightly below that of cycloplegic retinoscopy (too much minus). The mean difference in spherical equivalent was -0.12+/-0.91 D (SD). The mean difference of cylindrical power was -0.17+/-0.73 D. The mean weighted axis difference was 0.61+/-0.71 D which is comparable to an axis deviation of 18 degrees at a cylinder power of 1.00 D. Without cycloplegia, the mean difference of the spherical equivalent was -0.73+/-1.25 D. The mean difference of cylindrical power was -0.20+/-0.65 D. The mean weighted axis difference was 0.44+/-0.58 D which is comparable to an axis deviation of 13 degrees at a cylinder power of 1.00 D. CONCLUSIONS Without cycloplegia, the spherical equivalent of the Power Refractor tends to be underestimated due to uncontrolled accommodation, especially in children. Cycloplegia improves the accuracy in evaluating the spherical equivalent, but decreases the accuracy of cylinder power and axis.
Differences in microbial signatures between rectal mucosal biopsies and rectal swabs

There is growing evidence the microbiota of the large bowel may influence the risk of developing colorectal cancer as well as other diseases including type-1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases and irritable bowel syndrome. Current sampling methods to obtain microbial specimens, such as feces and mucosal biopsies, are inconvenient and unappealing to patients. Obtaining samples through rectal swabs could prove to be a quicker and relatively easier method, but it is unclear if swabs are an adequate substitute. We compared bacterial diversity and composition from rectal swabs and rectal mucosal biopsies in order to examine the viability of rectal swabs as an alternative to biopsies. Paired rectal swabs and mucosal biopsy samples were collected in un-prepped participants (n = 11) and microbial diversity was characterized by Terminal Restriction Fragment Length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) of the 16S rRNA gene. Microbial community composition from swab samples was different from rectal mucosal biopsies (p = 0.001). Overall the bacterial diversity was higher in swab samples than in biopsies as assessed by diversity indexes such as: richness (p = 0.01), evenness (p = 0.06) and Shannon’s diversity (p = 0.04). Analysis of specific bacterial groups by qPCR showed higher copy number of Lactobacillus (p < 0.0001) and Eubacteria (p = 0.0003) in swab samples compared with biopsies. Our findings suggest that rectal swabs and rectal mucosal samples provide different views of the microbiota in the large intestine.