Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Challenges and Opportunities for UAV-Based Digital Elevation Model Generation for Flood-Risk Management: A Case of Princeville, North Carolina

Among the different types of natural disasters, floods are the most devastating, widespread, and frequent. Floods account for approximately 30% of the total loss caused by natural disasters. Accurate flood-risk mapping is critical in reducing such damages by correctly predicting the extent of a flood when coupled with rain and stage gage data, supporting emergency-response planning, developing land use plans and regulations with regard to the construction of structures and infrastructures, and providing damage assessment in both spatial and temporal measurements. The reliability and accuracy of such flood assessment maps is dependent on the quality of the digital elevation model (DEM) in flood conditions. This study investigates the quality of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based DEM for spatial flood assessment mapping and evaluating the extent of a flood event in Princeville, North Carolina during Hurricane Matthew. The challenges and problems of on-demand DEM production during a flooding event were discussed. An accuracy analysis was performed by comparing the water surface extracted from the UAV-derived DEM with the water surface/stage obtained using the nearby US Geologic Survey (USGS) stream gauge station and LiDAR data.
Correction Method for the Observed Global Navigation Satellite System Ultra-Rapid Orbit Based on Dilution of Precision Values

For ultra-rapid orbits provided by the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), the key parameters, accuracy and timeliness, must be taken into consideration in real-time and near real-time applications. However, insufficient observations in later epochs appear to generate low accuracy in observed orbits, for which a correlation between the Dilution of Precision (DOP) of the orbit parameters and their accuracy is found. To correct the observed GNSS ultra-rapid orbit, a correction method based on the DOP values is proposed by building the function models between DOP values and the orbit accuracy. With 10-day orbit determination experiments, the results show that the observed ultra-rapid-orbit errors, generated by insufficient observations, can be corrected by 12–22% for the last three hours of the observed orbits. Moreover, considering the timeliness constraints in ultra-rapid-orbit determination, a DOP amplification factor is defined to weight the contribution of each tracking station and optimize the station distribution in the orbit determination procedure. Finally, six schemes are designed to verify the method and strategy in determining the ultra-rapid orbit based on one-month observations. The orbit accuracy is found to decrease by 1.27–6.34 cm with increasing amplification factor from 5–20%. Thus, the observed ultra-orbit correction method proposed is ideal when considering accuracy and timeliness in ultra-rapid orbit determination.
Forkhead box O3 promotes cell proliferation and inhibits myotube differentiation in chicken myoblast cells

ABSTRACT 1. In the poultry industry, growth performance is important due to its effects on economic value. Much effort has been put forth to achieve introgression of specific genes and DNA markers related to muscle proliferation and differentiation in selective breeding approaches. 2. This study investigated the biological functions of the gene Forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) during myogenic differentiation in chicken myoblast cells. FOXO3 was downregulated in primary chicken myoblast (pCM) cells by the piggyBac transposon-mediated microRNA (miRNA) knock-down (KD) system. 3. The pCM cells that were stably integrated into the FOXO3 KD expression vector showed significant downregulation of FOXO3 protein and mRNA levels. Expression levels of paired box protein Pax7 (Pax7) and target genes such as CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta and serum response element decreased in FOXO3 KD pCM cells. In addition, in the undifferentiated myoblast stage, there were no significant differences in cell morphology; however, proliferation rate in FOXO3 KD pCM cells was significantly lower during d 4 and 5 of in vitro culture. By contrast, when myotube differentiation was induced, FOXO3 KD pCM cells exhibited rapid initiation of myotube formation, higher expression of myogenin and desmin as myogenic indicators and a further differentiated phenotype than observed in regular pCM cells. 4. These results demonstrated that FOXO3 promotes cell proliferation and inhibits myotube differentiation in chicken myoblast cells. Therefore, the regulation of FOXO3 could be applied to improve muscle differentiation in commercial poultry.
Shifts of Hydrogen Metabolism From Methanogenesis to Propionate Production in Response to Replacement of Forage Fiber With Non-forage Fiber Sources in Diets in vitro

The rumen microbial complex adaptive mechanism invalidates various methane (CH4) mitigation strategies. Shifting the hydrogen flow toward alternative electron acceptors, such as propionate, was considered to be a meaningful mitigation strategy. A completely randomized design was applied in in vitro incubation to investigate the effects of replacing forage fiber with non-forage fiber sources (NFFS) in diets on methanogenesis, hydrogen metabolism, propionate production and the methanogenic and bacterial community. There are two treatments in the current study, CON (a basic total mixed ration) and TRT (a modified total mixed ration). The dietary treatments were achieved by partly replacing forage fiber with NFFS (wheat bran and soybean hull) to decrease forage neutral detergent fiber (fNDF) content from 24.0 to 15.8%, with the composition and inclusion rate of other dietary ingredients remaining the same in total mixed rations. The concentrations of CH4, hydrogen (H2) and volatile fatty acids were determined using a gas chromatograph. The archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA genes were sequenced by Miseq high-throughput sequencing and used to reveal the relative abundance of methanogenic and bacterial communities. The results revealed that the concentration of propionate was significantly increased, while the concentration of acetate and the acetate to propionate ratio were not affected by treatments. Compared with CON, the production of H2 increased by 8.45% and the production of CH4 decreased by 14.06%. The relative abundance of Methanomassiliicoccus was significantly increased, but the relative abundance of Methanobrevibacter tended to decrease in TRT group. At the bacterial phylum level, the TRT group significantly decreased the relative abundance of Firmicutes and tended to increase the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes. The replacement of forage fiber with NFFS in diets can affect methanogenesis by shifting the hydrogen flow toward propionate, and part is directed to H2 in vitro. The shift was achieved by a substitution of Firmicutes by Bacteroidetes, another substitution of Methanobrevibacter by Methanomassiliicoccus. Theoretical predictions of displacements of H2 metabolism from methanogenesis to propionate production was supported by the dietary intervention in vitro.
Implementing lazy functional languages on stock hardware: the Spineless Tagless G-machine

Abstract The Spineless Tagless G-machine is an abstract machine designed to support non-strict higher-order functional languages. This presentation of the machine falls into three parts. Firstly, we give a general discussion of the design issues involved in implementing non-strict functional languages. Next, we present the STG language, an austere but recognizably-functional language, which as well as a denotational meaning has a well-defined operational semantics. The STG language is the ‘abstract machine code’ for the Spineless Tagless G-machine. Lastly, we discuss the mapping of the STG language onto stock hardware. The success of an abstract machine model depends largely on how efficient this mapping can be made, though this topic is often relegated to a short section. Instead, we give a detailed discussion of the design issues and the choices we have made. Our principal target is the C language, treating the C compiler as a portable assembler.
Noise–Seeded Developmental Pattern Formation in Filamentous Cyanobacteria

Under nitrogen-poor conditions, multicellular cyanobacteria such as Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 undergo a process of differentiation, forming nearly regular, developmental patterns of individual nitrogen-fixing cells, called heterocysts, interspersed between intervals of vegetative cells that carry out photosynthesis. Developmental pattern formation is mediated by morphogen species that can act as activators and inhibitors, some of which can diffuse along filaments. We survey the limitations of the classical, deterministic Turing mechanism that has been often invoked to explain pattern formation in these systems, and then, focusing on a simpler system governed by birth-death processes, we illustrate pedagogically a recently proposed paradigm that provides a much more robust description of pattern formation: stochastic Turing patterns. We emphasize the essential role that cell-to-cell differences in molecular numbers—caused by inevitable fluctuations in gene expression—play, the so called demographic noise, in seeding the formation of stochastic Turing patterns over a much larger region of parameter space, compared to their deterministic counterparts.
Power-frequency magnetic fields at 50 Hz do not affect fertility and development in rats and mice

ABSTRACT In the present study, the effects of power-frequency magnetic fields (PF-MF) on fertility and development were investigated in rats and mice. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats and C57BL/6J mice were divided into four groups: a sham exposure group and 30-µT, 100-µT and 500-µT PF-MF exposure groups. The rats were exposed for 24 weeks, and the exposure time for mice ranged from 18 d to 12 weeks, dependent on the different investigated end points. The rats and mice were exposed for 20 h/d. Plasma hormone levels in rats and mice were analyzed. Furthermore, pregnancy rates and implanted embryos were recorded in pregnant mice. Finally, the neonatal growth of mice was evaluated. The results showed that none of the three intensities affected the body weight and paired ovary weight in female rats. Meanwhile, none of the three intensities affected the body weight, weights of paired testes, weights of paired epididymis and sperm count in male rats. Similarly, no significant differences were found in plasma sex hormone levels between the different PF-MF exposure groups and the sham exposure group. In addition, the pregnancy rates and implanted embryos were not significantly different between the four groups. Moreover, PF-MF exposures had no effects on either the number of fetuses in pregnant mice or the growth and development of neonatal mice.
Improving Worst-Case Delay Analysis for Traffic of Additional Stream Reservation Class in Ethernet-AVB Network

With the increase in the number of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and future requirements for vehicle functions, two SR (Stream Reservation) traffic classes may not be sufficient to ensure fulfilment of constraints for multiple traffic types with individual timing requirements transmitted in the Ethernet-AVB (Audio Video Bridging) networks. The goal of this paper is to determine the worst-case delay for an additional SR traffic class under the CBS (Credit-Based Shaper) algorithm. Delay evaluation is based on the impact analysis of CBS on different priority flows, particularly depending on when the credits of both SR class A and B drain from the worst-case perspective. More specifically, both the impact of CBS and the evolution trends of credit on different priority class flows are first analyzed from the worst-case perspective. Then, for an additional SR class, two types of worst-case delay models are established with the CBS configuration suggestions. Finally, an approach to calculate the worst-case queuing delay is proposed. Moreover, the worst-case end-to-end delay is determined by the network calculus approach and simulation. Numerical results show that the delay bounds of our models are tighter than those of other models, which is beneficial to the development of Ethernet-AVB for in-vehicle networking.
The intergenerational transmission of partnering

As divorce and cohabitation dissolution in the US have increased, partnering has expanded to the point that sociologists describe a merry-go-round of partners in American families. Could one driver of the increase in the number of partners be an intergenerational transmission of partnering? We discuss three theoretical perspectives on potential mechanisms that would underlie an intergenerational transmission of partnering: the transmission of economic hardship, the transmission of marriageable characteristics and relationship skills, and the transmission of relationship commitment. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Child and Young Adult study (NLSY79 CYA) and their mothers in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79), we examined the intergenerational transmission of partnering, including both marital and cohabitating unions, using prospective measures of family and economic instability as well as exploiting sibling data to try to identify potential mechanisms. Even after controlling for maternal demographic characteristics and socioeconomic factors, the number of maternal partners was positively associated with offspring’s number of partners. Hybrid sibling Poisson regression models that examined sibling differential experiences of maternal partners indicated that there were no differences between siblings who witnessed more or fewer maternal partners. Overall, results suggested that the transmission of poor marriageable characteristics and relationship skills from mother to child may warrant additional attention as a potential mechanism through which the number of partners continues across generations.
Carving Out Evolutionary Paths Towards Greater Complexity

We really know of only a single intelligence abstraction approach that truly does work, the one based on the interconnection of spatio-temporal signal integrators in a vast graph: Neural Network . We also know of only one method that was able to generate such abstracted intelligence: Evolution . The proof that this abstraction and this generative method works is us, you and I, the result of billions of years of trial and error. There is nothing mystical about the human brain, it is but a vast graph of signal integrators, carved out in flesh through billions of years of evolution. In this paper we discuss: intelligence abstraction based on neural networks, complex-valued artificial neurons and their computational potential to be equivalent to biological ones, the approaches that could result in the generation of such intelligent graphs of interconnected complex-valued neurons, an architecture of infomorphs whose brains are complex-valued neural substrates, and why an ALife approach on high enough granularity level is our best chance of evolving organisms that are truly intelligent.
Studying transportation problems with the SMARTS simulator (demo paper)

Microscopic traffic simulators play a major role to carry research on transportation problems. Microscopic traffic simulation is powerful because it enables efficient analysis of complex traffic problems to the highest level of detail. We developed Scalable Microscopic Adaptive Road Traffic Simulator (SMARTS) [14] that can perform large-scale simulations at a high speed by utilizing distributed computing resources. Previous results show that SMARTS can run 1.14 times faster than real time when simulating one million vehicles for the city of Melbourne on 30 distributed processors, while producing highly accurate simulation results. SMARTS' pluggable architecture allows it to be easily extended to simulate specific scenarios of interest to users. In this demonstration we show how SMARTS can be used to simulate an intersection design, the P-turn, in a major intersection of Melbourne. Our simulation shows the impact of the design on the traffic flow, confirming the justification for introduction of the particular intersection. The demo can be used as a template for future use of the simulator for other traffic problems.
Domain Scoping for Subject Matter Experts

Exploring web and in particular social media data is an essential task to many of the subject matter experts in order to discover content around their subject of interest. It is important to provide them with a tool to deﬁne their scope of vocabulary, i.e what to search for, and suggest them commonly used terms besides the serendipitous terms allowing them to deﬁne their scope of explorations. This paper presents meth-ods on constructing “domain models” which are families of keywords and extractors to enable focus on social media documents relevant to a project using multiple channels of information extraction.
Road Traffic Injuries and Fatalities among Drivers Distracted by Mobile Devices

Context: With increasing ownership of mobile devices (i.e., cell phones and smartphones), it is important to better understand the role of these devices in motor vehicle collision (MVC)-related trauma. Aims: The primary objective was to synthesize evidence on the proportion of drivers injured or killed in an MVC attributed to driver distraction by a mobile device. As a secondary objective, we assessed for associations between injury risk and mobile device use while driving. Settings and Design: This study was a systematic review. Subjects and Methods: We searched five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, TRIS, and Web of Science) and the gray literature to identify reports of drivers injured (regardless of the severity) or killed in MVCs attributed to mobile device-related distraction by the driver. We evaluated study and driver characteristics, as well as associations between injury risk and mobile device use by drivers. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics were used to report study characteristics. The proportion of injuries related to driver distraction by mobile devices was calculated for each study. Results: Overall, 4907 articles were screened, of which 13 met eligibility criteria. The median proportion of distracted-driving-related trauma was 3.4% (range: 0.04% to 44.7%). Three studies evaluated the association between mobile device use and road traffic injury; all found use of a mobile device while driving significantly increased crash risk. Conclusions: The proportion of road traffic injuries and fatalities attributed to driver distraction by a mobile device ranges from 0.04% to 44.7%. Studies were subject to limitations in the collection of reliable data on distraction-related MVCs.
An Analysis of Blocking Methods for Private Record Linkage

The ﬁeld of Big Data Analytics has led to many important advances; however, these analyses often involve linking databases that contain personal identiﬁable information, and this raises privacy concerns. The sensitive information of individuals can be stolen by attackers and identities can be exploited. The ﬁeld of Private Record Linkage seeks to mitigate these risks. Our previous work in this area has established the effectiveness of a fuzzy string similarity metric for linking records while the data within those records remains encrypted both on disk and in memory. The work presented here further contributes to the PRL ﬁeld by analyzing the performance of various blocking methods on encrypted names that attempt to optimize the number of comparisons between the queries and database while maintaining a high rate of accuracy.
Suppression of Drug Resistance Reveals a Genetic Mechanism of Metabolic Plasticity in Malaria Parasites

Unique and essential aspects of parasite metabolism are excellent targets for development of new antimalarials. An improved understanding of parasite metabolism and drug resistance mechanisms is urgently needed. The antibiotic fosmidomycin targets the synthesis of essential isoprenoid compounds from glucose and is a candidate for antimalarial development. Our report identifies a novel mechanism of drug resistance and further describes a family of metabolic regulators in the parasite. Using a novel forward genetic approach, we also uncovered mutations that suppress drug resistance in the glycolytic enzyme PFK9. Thus, we identify an unexpected genetic mechanism of adaptation to metabolic insult that influences parasite fitness and tolerance of antimalarials. ABSTRACT In the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, synthesis of isoprenoids from glycolytic intermediates is essential for survival. The antimalarial fosmidomycin (FSM) inhibits isoprenoid synthesis. In P. falciparum, we identified a loss-of-function mutation in HAD2 (P. falciparum 3D7_1226300 [PF3D7_1226300]) as necessary for FSM resistance. Enzymatic characterization revealed that HAD2, a member of the haloacid dehalogenase-like hydrolase (HAD) superfamily, is a phosphatase. Harnessing a growth defect in resistant parasites, we selected for suppression of HAD2-mediated FSM resistance and uncovered hypomorphic suppressor mutations in the locus encoding the glycolytic enzyme phosphofructokinase 9 (PFK9). Metabolic profiling demonstrated that FSM resistance is achieved via increased steady-state levels of methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway and glycolytic intermediates and confirmed reduced PFK9 function in the suppressed strains. We identified HAD2 as a novel regulator of malaria parasite metabolism and drug sensitivity and uncovered PFK9 as a novel site of genetic metabolic plasticity in the parasite. Our report informs the biological functions of an evolutionarily conserved family of metabolic regulators and reveals a previously undescribed strategy by which malaria parasites adapt to cellular metabolic dysregulation. IMPORTANCE Unique and essential aspects of parasite metabolism are excellent targets for development of new antimalarials. An improved understanding of parasite metabolism and drug resistance mechanisms is urgently needed. The antibiotic fosmidomycin targets the synthesis of essential isoprenoid compounds from glucose and is a candidate for antimalarial development. Our report identifies a novel mechanism of drug resistance and further describes a family of metabolic regulators in the parasite. Using a novel forward genetic approach, we also uncovered mutations that suppress drug resistance in the glycolytic enzyme PFK9. Thus, we identify an unexpected genetic mechanism of adaptation to metabolic insult that influences parasite fitness and tolerance of antimalarials.
Beat-by-Beat Getting Fit: Leveraging Pervasive Self-Tracking of Heart Rate in Self-Management of Health

Understanding own body performance and factors influencing it is a challenge, especially because the complex environments we live in influence this performance, and, when relying only on our subjective, momentary observations and feelings, we may easily draw wrong conclusions. Fortunately, nowadays we can access devices and services for self-tracking of own body and its performance in context. In this paper I present an example of own idiographic study of self-tracking of heart rate (HR) and daily life activities along a period of 3 consecutive months. I present the study challenges, as well as I discuss the lessons learned from self-tracking for self-management of my health. I discuss my aim of generalization of such a study approach towards a larger population.