Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A 2,300-year-long annually resolved record of the South American summer monsoon from the Peruvian Andes

Decadal and centennial mean state changes in South American summer monsoon (SASM) precipitation during the last 2,300 years are detailed using an annually resolved authigenic calcite record of precipitation δ18O from a varved lake in the Central Peruvian Andes. This unique sediment record shows that δ18O peaked during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) from A.D. 900 to 1100, providing evidence that the SASM weakened considerably during this period. Minimum δ18O values occurred during the Little Ice Age (LIA) between A.D. 1400 and 1820, reflecting a prolonged intensification of the SASM that was regionally synchronous. After the LIA, δ18O increased rapidly, particularly during the current warm period (CWP; A.D. 1900 to present), indicating a return to reduced SASM precipitation that was more abrupt and sustained than the onset of the MCA. Diminished SASM precipitation during the MCA and CWP tracks reconstructed Northern Hemisphere and North Atlantic warming and a northward displacement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) over the Atlantic, and likely the Pacific. Intensified SASM precipitation during the LIA follows reconstructed Northern Hemisphere and North Atlantic cooling, El Niño-like warming in the Pacific, and a southward displacement of the ITCZ over both oceans. These results suggest that SASM mean state changes are sensitive to ITCZ variability as mediated by Western Hemisphere tropical sea surface temperatures, particularly in the Atlantic. Continued Northern Hemisphere and North Atlantic warming may therefore help perpetuate the recent reductions in SASM precipitation that characterize the last 100 years, which would negatively impact Andean water resources.
What is Wrong with the DSM?

The DSM is the main classification of mental disorders used by psychiatrists in the United States and, increasingly, around the world. Although widely used, the DSM has come in for fierce criticism, with many commentators believing it to be conceptually flawed in a variety of ways. This paper assesses some of these philosophical worries. The first half of the paper asks whether the project of constructing a classification of mental disorders that ‘cuts nature at the joints’ makes sense. What is mental disorder? Are types of mental disorder natural kinds (that is, are the distinctions between them objective and of fundamental theoretical importance, as are, say, the distinctions between the chemical elements)? The second half of the paper addresses epistemic worries. Even if types of mental disorder are natural kinds there may be reason to doubt that the DSM will come to reflect their natural structure. In particular, I examine the extent to which the DSM is theory-laden, and look at how it has been shaped by social and financial factors. Ultimately, I conclude that although the DSM is of immense practical importance it is not likely to become the best possible classification of mental disorders.
Detection and analysis of tupaia hepatocytes via mAbs against tupaia serum albumin

On the basis of its close phylogenetic relationship with primates, the development of Tupaia belangeri as an infection animal model and drug metabolism model could provide a new option for preclinical studies, especially in hepatitis virus research. As a replacement for primary human hepatocytes (PHHs), primary tupaia hepatocytes (PTHs) have been widely used. Similar to human serum albumin, tupaia serum albumin (TSA) is the most common liver synthesis protein and is an important biomarker for PTHs and liver function. However, no detection or quantitative method for TSA has been reported. In this study, mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) 4G5 and 9H3 against TSA were developed to recognize PTHs, and they did not show cross-reactivity with serum albumin from common experimental animals, such as the mouse, rat, cow, rabbit, goat, monkey, and chicken. The two mAbs also exhibited good performance in fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis and immunofluorescence (IF) detection of PTHs. A chemiluminescent enzyme immune assay method using the two mAbs, with a linear range from 96.89 pg/ml to 49,609.38 pg/ml, was developed for the quantitative detection of TSA. The mAbs and the CLEIA method provide useful tools for research on TSA and PTHs.
Patient perceptions of risky drinking: Knowledge of daily and weekly low-risk guidelines and standard drink sizes

Background Effective intervention for risky drinking requires that clinicians and patients know low-risk daily and weekly guidelines and what constitutes a “standard drink. ” The authors hypothesized that most patients lack this knowledge, and that education is required. Methods Following primary care visits, patients completed anonymous exit questionnaires that included the 3 Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test—Consumption (AUDIT-C) questions, “How many drinks (containing alcohol) can you safely have in one day? ” and questions about size, in ounces, of a standard drink of wine, beer, and liquor. Descriptive analyses were done in Stata. Results Of 1,331 respondents (60% female, mean age: 49.6, SD = 17.5), 21% screened positive on the AUDIT-C for risky drinking. Only 10% of those accurately estimated daily low-risk limits, with 9% accurate on weekly limits, and half estimated low-risk limits at or below guidelines. Fewer than half who checked “Yes” to “Do you know what a ‘standard drink’ is? ” provided accurate answers for beer, wine, or liquor. Patients with a positive screen were twice as likely to say they knew what a standard drink is, but only a third gave accurate estimates. When asked about plans in the next month regarding change in drinking behavior, 23% with a positive AUDIT-C indicated they were at least considering a change. Conclusions Most patients in primary care don't know specifics of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) guidelines for low-risk drinking. Exploring patient perceptions of low-risk guidelines and current drinking behavior may reveal discrepancies worth discussing. For risky drinkers, most of whom don't know daily and weekly low-risk guidelines or standard drink sizes, education can be vital in intervening. Findings suggest the need for detailed and explicit social marketing and communication on exactly what low-risk drinking entails.
The effect of variety on consumer preferences: The role of need for cognition and recommended alternatives

This study was based on the 2 conflicting perspectives of the existing literature: whether or not large variety will weaken or strengthen consumer preferences. In this research we identified need for cognition as a key factor moderating the effect of variety on consumer preferences, and examined the role that recommended alternatives play. Implications are discussed based on the research results.
Integrating Context of Statements within Description Logics

We address the problem of providing contextual information about a logical formula (eg provenance, date of validity, or confidence) and representing it within a logical system. In this case, it is needed to rely on a higher order or non standard formalism, or some kind of reification mechanism. We explore the case of reification and formalize the concept of contextualizing logical statements in the case of Description Logics. Then, we define several properties of contextualization that are desirable. No previous approaches satisfy all of the them. Consequently, we define a new way of contextually annotating statements. It is inspired by NdFluents, which is itself an extension of the 4dFluents approach for annotating statements with temporal context. In NdFluents, instances that are involved in a contextual statement are sliced into contextual parts, such that only parts in the same context hold relations to one another, with the goal of better preserving inferences. We generalize this idea by defining contextual parts of relations and classes. This formal construction better satisfies the properties, although not entirely. We show that it is a particular case of a general mechanism that NdFluents also instantiates, and present other variations.
Critical oxygen delivery during cardiopulmonary bypass in dogs: pulsatile vs. non‐pulsatile blood flow

Background and objective: To determine the minimal oxygen delivery and pump flow that can maintain systemic oxygen uptake during normothermic (37°C) pulsatile and non‐pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass in dogs. Methods: Eighteen anaesthetized dogs were randomly assigned to receive either non‐pulsatile (Group C; n = 9) or pulsatile bypass flow (Group P; n = 9). Oxygen delivery was reduced by a progressive decrease in pump flow, while arterial oxygen content was maintained constant. In each animal, critical oxygen delivery was determined from plots of oxygen uptake vs. oxygen delivery and from plots of blood lactate vs. oxygen delivery using a least sum of squares technique. Critical pump flow was determined from plots of lactate vs. pump flow. Results: At the critical point, oxygen delivery obtained from oxygen uptake was 7.7 ± 1.1 mL min−1 kg−1 in Group C and 6.8 ± 1.8 mL min−1 kg−1 in Group P (n.s.). These values were similar to those obtained from lactate measurements (Group C: 7.8 ± 1.6 mL min−1 kg−1; Group P: 7.6 ± 2.0 mL min−1 kg−1). Critical pump flows determined from lactate measurements were 55.6 ± 13.8 mL min−1 kg−1 in Group C and 60.8 ± 13.9 mL min−1 kg−1 in Group P (n.s.). Conclusions: Oxygen delivery values greater than 7‐8 mL min−1 kg−1 were required to maintain oxygen uptake during normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass with either pulsatile or non‐pulsatile blood flow. Elevation of blood lactate levels during bypass helps to identify inadequate tissue oxygen delivery related to insufficient pump flow.
Screen space anisotropic blurred soft shadows

Generating soft shadows by area light sources is important for rendering a realistic scene in computer graphics. One of the methods for real time rendering of soft shadows is Screen-space percentage-closer soft shadows(SSPCSS)[MohammadBagher et al. 2010] which improved the performance of PCSS[Fernando 2005] when the light source is large, by using separable Gaussian filtering in screen space. However, SSPCSS does not consider the angle between a normal vector of a shadowed surface and a viewing vector. Therefore, it causes different soft shadows by viewpoints. Our algorithm solves this problem by using anisotropic Gaussian blurs which depend on the normal vectors of the surfaces (Fig. 1).
A Dynamic User-Friendly Interactive Interface for Adaptive e-Learning: A Real-Time and Non-interference Diagnostic Technique

This research suggests a new diagnostic technique of assessing and measuring learners' learning effort in dynamic, real-time and non-interference approach in instructional process for adaptive e-learning. The learning effort curve, a user-friendly interface in dual graphic and numerical format, is developed by this technique to enhance effective interaction between instructors and learners and navigate adaptive e-learning. Both learners and instructors are able to perceive the instructional condition continuously through the instructional process at real-time base without interference.
Parameterized Maximum and Average Degree Approximation in Topic-Based Publish-Subscribe Overlay Network Design

Publish/subscribe communication systems where nodes subscribe to many different topics of interest are becoming increasingly more common. Designing overlay networks that connect the nodes subscribed to each distinct topic is hence a fundamental problem in these systems. For scalability and efficiency, it is important to keep the degree of the nodes in the publish/subscribe system low. Ideally one would like to be able not only to keep the average degree of the nodes low, but also to ensure that all nodes have equally the same degree, giving rise to the following problem: Given a collection of nodes and their topic subscriptions, connect the nodes into a graph with low average and maximum degree such that for each topic t, the graph induced by the nodes interested in t is connected. We present the first polynomial time parameterized sub linear approximation algorithm for this problem. We also propose two heuristics for constructing topic connected networks with low average degree and constant diameter and validate our results through simulations. In fact, the results in this section are a refinement of the preliminary results by Onus and Richa in INFOCOM’09.
[The microfracture technic in the management of complete cartilage defects in the knee joint].

Full thickness defects of the articular cartilage rarely heal spontaneously. While some patients do not develop clinically significant problems from chondral defects, most eventually develop degenerative changes associated with the cartilage damage over time. Techniques to treat chondral defects include abrasion, drilling, tissue autografts, allografts, and cell transplantation. The senior author has developed a procedure referred to as the "microfracture. " This technique enhances chondral resurfacing by providing a suitable environment for tissue regeneration and by taking advantage of the body's own healing potential. This technique has now been used in more than 1400 patients. Specially designed awls are used to make multiple perforations, or "microfractures", into the subchondral bone plate. The perforations are made as close together as necessary, but not so close that one breaks into another. Consequently, the microfracture holes are approximately three to four millimeters apart (or 3 to 4 holes per square centimeter). Importantly, the integrity of the subchondral bone plate is maintained. The released marrow elements form a "super clot" which provides an enriched environment for tissue regeneration. Follow up with long term results of more than 8 years have been positive and very encouraging.
Strength, power, and postural control in seniors: Considerations for functional adaptations and for fall prevention

Abstract The ageing neuromuscular system is affected by structural and functional changes that lead to a general slowing down of neuromuscular performance and an increased risk of falling. As a consequence, the process of ageing results in a reduced ability to develop maximal and explosive force, as well as in deficits in static and dynamic postural control. A decrease in the number and size of type II fibres in particular accounts for the age-related decline in muscle mass (sarcopaenia) and strength performance. Multiple denervation and re-innervation processes of muscle fibres seem to be responsible for the reduced number of muscle fibres. Recently, it has been suggested that it is not the decline in motoneurons that accounts for the loss in number of muscle fibres but the disturbed potential of fibre regeneration and re-innervation. Furthermore, an age-related reduction in the number of satellite cells has also been associated with sarcopaenia. The ability to compensate for platform and gait perturbations deteriorates with ageing as reflected in longer onset latencies and inefficient postural responses. All sites within the somatosensory system are affected by ageing and therefore contribute to postural instability. However, morphological changes of muscle spindles appear primarily to be responsible for the impaired ability to compensate for balance threats in old age. Given these neuromuscular limitations in old age, it is important to apply adequate training interventions that delay or even reverse the onset of these constraints. Strength training has the potential to enhance maximal as well as explosive force production capacity. This is accomplished by neural factors, including an improved recruitment pattern, discharge rate, and synchronization of motor units. Furthermore, an increase in number of satellite cells most likely accounts for training-induced muscle hypertrophy. Recent studies have investigated the impact of balance training in old age on the ability to develop maximal and explosive force. In addition, the effects of balance training on reflex activity during gait perturbations were also examined. Increases in maximal and explosive force production capacity and an improved ability to compensate for gait perturbations were observed. It is evident from the literature that researchers are increasingly studying the effects of more specifically designed training programmes on performance in populations of older adults. Thus, in the near future, strength training could be replaced by high-velocity forms of power training and balance training by perturbation-based training programmes. It is hypothesized that this new approach is more efficient in terms of fall prevention than the traditional approach.
MIMO capacity in hallways and adjacent rooms

Channel capacity in a waveguide with mode coupling is limited by a keyhole effect caused by the propagation mechanism. The coupling among the propagating modes reduces the channel rank, and at sufficient distances between the transmitter and receiver, the channel rank converges to 1. Measurements of the received power and channel capacity along a hallway and in rooms beside it, show a decrease of capacity with distance, which is explained by the keyhole effect in the hallway.
Methylated Flavonoids Have Greatly Improved Intestinal Absorption and Metabolic Stability

To better understand the relationship between the chemical structure and biological fate of dietary polyphenols, the hepatic metabolic stability and intestinal absorption of methylated polyphenols, in comparison with unmethylated polyphenols, were investigated in pooled human liver S9 fraction and human colon adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells. Consistent with previous in vivo studies, the two well known unmethylated polyphenols resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene) and quercetin (3,5,7,3′,4′-pentahydroxyflavone) were rapidly eliminated by the S9 fraction in the presence of the appropriate cofactors for conjugation and oxidation. In contrast, the methylated flavones, i.e., 7-methoxyflavone, 7,4′-dimethoxyflavone, 5,7-dimethoxyflavone, and 5,7,4′-trimethoxyflavone, were relatively stable, indicating high resistance to hepatic metabolism. The corresponding unmethylated flavones, i.e., 7-hydroxyflavone, 7,4′-dihydroxyflavone, chrysin (5,7-dihydroxyflavone), and apigenin (5,7,4′-trihydroxyflavone), were rapidly eliminated because of extensive glucuronidation and/or sulfation just as resveratrol and quercetin were. The rate of intestinal absorption was evaluated using Caco-2 cells grown in porous inserts. The methylated flavones showed approximately 5- to 8-fold higher apparent permeability (Papp, 22.6–27.6 × 10–6 cm s–1) of apical to basolateral flux than the unmethylated flavones (Papp, 3.0–7.8 × 10–6 cm s–1). The lower Papp values for the unmethylated flavones correlated with their extensive metabolism in the Caco-2 cells. Thus, combined use of the hepatic S9 fraction and Caco-2 cells will be useful for predicting the oral bioavailability of dietary polyphenols. The higher hepatic metabolic stability and intestinal absorption of the methylated polyphenols make them more favorable than the unmethylated polyphenols to be developed as potential cancer chemopreventive agents.
Predicting genre labels for artist using FreeDB

This paper explores the value of FreeDB as a source of genre and music similarity information. FreeDB is a public, dynamic, uncurated database for identifying and labelling CDs with album, song, artist and genre information. One quality of FreeDB is that there is high variance in, e.g., the genre labels assigned to a particular disc. We investigate here the ability to use these genre labels to predict a more constrained set of “canonical” genres as decided by the curated but private database AllMusic (i.e. multi-class learning). This work is relevant for study in music similarity: we present an automatic, data-driven method for embedding artists in a continuous space that corresponds to genre similarity judgements over a large population of music fans. At the same time, we observe that FreeDB is a valuable resource to researchers developing music classification algorithms; it serves as a reference for what music is popular over a large population, and provides relevant targets for supervised learning algorithms.
Depression in the workplace: An economic cost analysis of depression-related productivity loss attributable to job strain and bullying

Depression represents an increasing global health epidemic with profound effects in the workplace. Building a business case via the quantification of potentially avertable costs is essential to convince organizations to address depression at work. Our study objectives were to: (1) demonstrate a process path whereby job strain and bullying are related to productivity loss via their effects on depression; (2) estimate the costs to employers of sickness absence and presenteeism that are associated with depression; (3) investigate the relationship between depression severity and costs; and (4) estimate the contribution of job strain and bullying to depression-related productivity loss. A population-based telephone survey was conducted across two Australian states (N = 2074), with a one-year follow-up (cohort design). Results confirmed job strain and bullying affected productivity via depressive symptoms. Total national annual employer costs for lost productivity due to depression were estimated at $AUD8 billion per annum, most of which was due to mild depression. We calculated a population-attributable risk (PAR) estimate of 8.7% for depression attributable to bullying and job strain, equating to $AUD693 million in preventable lost productivity costs per annum. Findings suggest that even sub-clinical levels of depression represent a significant productivity and economic burden not previously recognized.
Hijacker: Efficient static software instrumentation with applications in high performance computing: Poster paper

Static Binary Instrumentation is a technique that allows compile-time program manipulation. In particular, by relying on ad-hoc tools, the end user is able to alter the program's execution flow without affecting its overall semantic. This technique has been effectively used, e.g., to support code profiling, performance analysis, error detection, attack detection, or behavior monitoring. Nevertheless, efficiently relying on static instrumentation for producing executables which can be deployed without affecting the overall performance of the application still presents technical and methodological issues. In this paper, we present Hijacker, an open-source customizable static binary instrumentation tool which is able to alter a program's execution flow according to some user-specified rules, limiting the execution overhead due to the code snippets inserted in the original program, thus enabling for the exploitation in high performance computing. The tool is highly modular and works on an internal representation of the program which allows to perform complex instrumentation tasks efficiently, and can be additionally extended to support different instruction sets and executable formats without any need to modify the instrumentation engine. We additionally present an experimental assessment of the overhead induced by the injected code in real HPC applications.
"More like these": growing entity classes from seeds

We present a corpus-based approach to the class expansion task. For a given set of seed entities we use co-occurrence statistics taken from a text collection to define a membership function that is used to rank candidate entities for inclusion in the set. We describe an evaluation framework that uses data from Wikipedia. The performance of our class extension method improves as the size of the text collection increases.