Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Parental Age and Lifespan Influence Offspring Recruitment: A Long-Term Study in a Seabird

Recent studies of wild populations provide compelling evidence that survival and reproduction decrease with age because of senescence, a decline in functional capacities at old ages. However, in the wild, little is known about effects of parental senescence on offspring quality. We used data from a 21-year study to examine the role of parental age on offspring probability of recruitment in a long-lived bird, the blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii). Offspring probability of recruiting into the breeding population varied over the life of parents and effects age were similar in mothers and fathers. Offspring recruitment was high when parents were roughly 6–12 years old and low before and after then. Effects of parental age on offspring recruitment varied with lifespan (parental age at last reproduction) and previous breeding experience. Offspring recruitment from young and old parents with long reproductive lifespans was greater than that of offspring from parents with short lifespans at young and old ages. For parents with little previous breeding experience recruitment of offspring decreased with their hatch date, but experienced parents were no similarly affected. We found evidence of terminal effects on offspring recruitment in young parents but not in older parents, suggesting that senescence is more likely a gradual process of deterioration than a process of terminal illness. Failure to recruit probably reflects mortality during the first years after independence but also during the fledgling transition to full independence. Our results show effects of parental age and quality on offspring viability in a long-lived wild vertebrate and support the idea that wild populations are composed of individuals of different quality, and that this individual heterogeneity can influence the dynamics of age-structured populations.
Transformation of surface acoustic waves into boundary waves in Piezoelectric/Metal/Dielectric structures

A universal technique was developed for analysis of SAW and boundary waves (BW) in Piezoelectric/Metal/ Dielectric structures with uniform metal film sandwiched between piezoelectric substrate and dielectric overlay, and dielectric overlay thickness varying between zero and infinite value. This technique was applied to 128°YX LN with Cu and silica glass films. For each mode propagating in this structure, continuous transformation of the wave polarization and distribution of its energy along the vertical axis were analyzed as functions of metal and dielectric film thickness. The found dependences reveal the mechanisms of wave transformation from SAW to BW.
Exploring Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Models Using Vis5D

A distributed client/server system can be used to visualize very large simulation data sets. An example of a very large simulation data set is a 100-year simulation of the Earth's coupled atmosphere-ocean system. This model run was produced by an Argonne National Laboratory/University of Wisconsin collaborative project that is studying atmosphere-ocean coupling dynamics to understand the intrinsic low-frequency variability of the climate system. This understanding is crucial for the prediction and detec tion of human impacts on the Earth's climate. To visually explore this simulation, an IBM SP-2 is used as a data server and a pair of SGI Onyxes driving a CAVE are used as a graphics client. The SP-2 server divides the data set into sections that will fit in the memory of the graphics client. The data set is divided along the time axis. One data set section covers the entire 100-year span of the simula tion at reduced-time resolution, while the other data set sections cover short subintervals at full-time resolution. The visualization user interface allows users to switch between low and high time resolution.
Delay and recurrent neural networks: Computational cybernetics of systems biology?

Science of Neural Networks, and even much more so computing applications, have undergone developments beyond any predictions since McCullock-Pitts artificial neuron (1943) up via Hopfield's neurons (1982, 1984) to Kasabov spiking-neurons neucube (2014) and evolving connectionist systems (2003). Still computational functionality of all kinds of neural network implies guaranteed operating steady-state equilibrium is fast-reached first. On the other side of this spectrum Science of Neurophysiology yielded insights converging to Systems Biology approach Gayton-Hall (2006). It appeared, on the crossroad of these findings with Kolmogorov's representation superposition and Hilbert's Thirteen problem certain rater delicate subtle issues emerged Sprecher (2017). This paper gives one perception of these issues and suggested a revised view on the foundations of past developments, possibly by re-thinking own stability results for recurrent neural networks which possess time-varying delays.
Experimental evaluation of cluster quality measures

Selecting a “good” clustering solution is one of the major difficulties in clustering data as there are many possible clustering solutions for a given problem, including solutions that contain varying numbers of clusters. Our objective is to select measures of clustering quality that can be applied in a multi-objective optimisation context. Such measures may represent potentially conflicting objectives but should give rise to the “best” clustering solutions from which the user can select a compromise solution. There exists a wide range of cluster quality measures for assessing the quality of a given clustering solution. We begin by summarise some of these. We then propose an experimental evaluation to capture the robustness of different measures under changing conditions. Our experimental setup includes the creation of a number of synthetic clustering solutions which are then degraded in a systematic manner. We measure how the degradation of each measure correlates with the degradation of the solutions according to an external quality measure evaluation. We consider as good those measures that show good correlation. In this context, measures based upon the concept of connectivity show good performance in comparison to others.
The Treatment of Pelvic Discontinuity with Acetabular Cages

We sought to determine if acetabular cages prevented rerevision and loosening in acetabular reconstructions in the setting of pelvic discontinuity. We followed 15 patients with 16 acetabular cage reconstructions for an average 5 years (range, 2-8 years). Acetabular classifications included two Type 2C, six Type IIIA, and eight Type IIIB. We assessed Merle d'Aubigné scores, rerevisions, radiographic loosening, and complications. We treated seven patients with structural allograft and six patients with cancellous allograft. Five hips (31%) were revised or resected because of aseptic loosening (4 hips) and sepsis (1 hip) at an average 46 months. Three additional hips were loose. Merle d'Aubigné scores for pain and walking increased from 3.7 points preoperatively to 6.8 points at the final followup. Complications included one infection, four nerve palsies, and one dislocation. Acetabular cages in the setting of pelvic discontinuity were associated with a high failure rate at intermediate-term followup.Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Association between Periodontopathogens and CRP Levels in Patients with Periodontitis in Serbia

Background and aims Recent epidemiological studies have shown that individuals with periodontitis have a significantly higher risk of developing coronary heart disease, which might be attributed to the complex microbiota in the dental plaque. Periodontopathogens have been reported as risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This study evaluated association of chronic periodontitis and periodontopathogens with CRP in systemically healthy Serbian adults. Materials and methods Serum C-reactive protein levels were measured in 24 patients with moderate periodontitis, 26 patients with severe periodontitis, and 25 periodontally healthy subjects. Periodontal health indicators included gingival bleeding on probing and periodontal disease status. Patients with moderate periodontitis had low attachment loss and pocket depths of <4 mm. Patients with severe periodontitis had high AL and pocket depth of >5 mm. The control group with healthy gingiva had gingival sulcus of <2 mm and no attachment loss. Presence of periodontopathogens in subgingival plaque samples was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. Results The periodontal parameters and CRP levels were significantly higher in the patients with periodontitis. Patients who had both severe and moderate periodontitis had higher mean CRP levels. The percentage of subjects with elevated CRP leves of >5 mol/L was greater in the higher clinical AL group compared to the group with less attachment loss. Presence of periodontopathogens was also associated with elevated CRP levels and poor periodontal status. Conclusion PD and subgingival periodontopathogens are associated with increased CRP levels. These findings suggest that periodontal infection may contribute to systemic inflammatory burden in otherwise healthy individuals.
Three‐dimensional model studies of the effect of NO x emissions from aircraft on ozone in the upper troposphere over Europe and the North Atlantic

A mesoscale chemistry transport model is coupled to a numerical weather prediction model (NWP) for Europe and the North Atlantic. It is applied to show that air traffic emissions significantly increase the concentrations of NOx as well as the net chemical formation rate of ozone over both the Atlantic Ocean and over central Europe. The time period studied was July 1–10, 1991, a period characterized by a high-pressure ridge over North Europe. In convection the vertical gradient of NOx is strongly reduced because the midtropospheric concentrations increase. In the updraft region of convective plumes, chemical ozone formation up to 1.8 ppbv/h is calculated in the upper troposphere, and this is about a factor 50 higher than the average for 10.5 km over continental Europe during the 10-day period. The high production rates are not sustained for more than a few hours, and it would be difficult to identify the effect of the process in a local measurement of the ozone concentration. The calculations indicate that 10–25 molecules of O3 (0.03–0.05 ppb/h) are generated on the average per NOx molecule emitted from aircraft (2–3 ppt/h). On convective days over regions with significant surface sources of NOx, ozone formation in the upper troposphere due to NOx brought there by convection, outweighs the role of aircraft NOx emissions. The net chemical formation rate of ozone across the model domain depends on the boundary concentrations of NOx and O3, but the change in the upper troposphere in the net chemical formation rate of ozone induced by aircraft NOx emissions is quite independent of the concentrations of NOx or O3.
Do the same genes underlie parallel phenotypic divergence in different Littorina saxatilis populations?

Parallel patterns of adaptive divergence and speciation are cited as powerful evidence for the role of selection driving these processes. However, it is often not clear whether parallel phenotypic divergence is underlain by parallel genetic changes. Here, we asked about the genetic basis of parallel divergence in the marine snail Littorina saxatilis, which has repeatedly evolved coexisting ecotypes adapted to either crab predation or wave action. We sequenced the transcriptome of snails of both ecotypes from three distant geographical locations (Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom) and mapped the reads to the L. saxatilis reference genome. We identified genomic regions potentially under divergent selection between ecotypes within each country, using an outlier approach based on FST values calculated per locus. In line with previous studies indicating that gene reuse is generally common, we expected to find extensive sharing of outlier loci due to recent shared ancestry and gene flow between at least two of the locations in our study system. Contrary to our expectations, we found that most outliers were country specific, suggesting that much of the genetic basis of divergence is not shared among locations. However, we did find that more outliers were shared than expected by chance and that differentiation of shared outliers is often generated by the same SNPs. We discuss two mechanisms potentially explaining the limited amount of sharing we observed. First, a polygenic basis of divergent traits might allow for multiple distinct molecular mechanisms generating the same phenotypic patterns. Second, additional, location‐specific axes of selection that we did not focus on in this study may produce distinct patterns of genetic divergence within each site.
Metagenomic ventures into outer sequence space

Sequencing DNA or RNA directly from the environment often results in many sequencing reads that have no homologs in the database. These are referred to as “unknowns," and reflect the vast unexplored microbial sequence space of our biosphere, also known as “biological dark matter. " However, unknowns also exist because metagenomic datasets are not optimally mined. There is a pressure on researchers to publish and move on, and the unknown sequences are often left for what they are, and conclusions drawn based on reads with annotated homologs. This can cause abundant and widespread genomes to be overlooked, such as the recently discovered human gut bacteriophage crAssphage. The unknowns may be enriched for bacteriophage sequences, the most abundant and genetically diverse component of the biosphere and of sequence space. However, it remains an open question, what is the actual size of biological sequence space? The de novo assembly of shotgun metagenomes is the most powerful tool to address this question.
Hepatic failure after injury - a common pathogenesis with sclerosing cholangitis?

OBJECTIVE Hepatic failure after trauma occurs in about 5 - 10 % of multiple injured patients. Mortality rate remains high and liver dysfunction might deteriorate to complete liver failure and contribute to multi organ failure (MOF). Pathogenesis is multifactorial and distinct mechanisms are unknown. METHODS To get further knowledge about pathogenesis of posttraumatic liver failure we investigated clinical course, inflammatory mediators, ERCP and histologic findings in 7 patients [6 male, 1 female, mean age 45.7 +/- 12.1 years, mean ISS 38.4 +/- 10.8 pts. (range 25-58 pts.)] that evolved hepatic failure after major trauma. Mortality rate was 14 %. RESULTS All patients presented with a prolonged shock period after trauma and severe respiratory failure requiring differentiated ventilatory support and prone positioning. Onset of significant bilirubinemia (> 2.0 mg/dl) was day 3 to 16 days (median 11 days) after trauma. Past medical history did not reveal any underlying liver disease in all patients. Pro-and anti-inflammatory parameters like WBC, Procalcitonin, IL-4, IL-10, IL-11, IL-12, and IL-18 remained close to healthy control values. CRP was elevated but did not correlate with Bilirubin. Transaminases (ALT, AST) remained close to normal values but increased during the further course, whereas alkaline phosphatase (aP) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gGT) were already significantly elevated even before Bilirubin (gammaGT: 394 +/- 317 U/l; controls: < 56 U/l; aP 557 +/- 311 U/l; controls: < 127 U/l). Although no cholestasis was proven in ultrasound and CT investigations, all patients underwent ERCP and liver biopsy. Here, all patients presented uniform signs of multiple strictures of the intrahepatic bile ducts and sclerosing cholangitis. CONCLUSIONS Our data provide evidence that sclerosing cholangitis contributes to liver failure after trauma. The pathomorphologic picture can not distinguish between shock liver and sclerosing cholangitis. Ischemia during posttraumatic shock might be an early trigger of hepatic failure, supported by further contributing factors such as catecholamines, parenteral nutrition, and bacterial translocation. As specific therapy for sclerosing cholangitis does not exist yet, prevention of triggers is central to avoid progressive hepatic failure in those patients. Further prospective studies have to prove whether sclerosing cholangitis is commonly involved in the pathogenesis of liver failure after trauma and shock. If so, one might speculate that early therapy with ursodeoxycholic acid might be effective thus reducing incidence and/or severity of hepatic failure in the future.
Soil microbial biomass-Interpretation and consideration for soil monitoring

Since 1970, measurement of the soil microbial biomass (SMB) has been widely adopted as a relatively simple means of assessing the impact of environmental and anthropogenic change on soil microorganisms. The SMB is living and dynamic, and its activity is responsible for the regulation of organic matter transformations and associated energy and nutrient cycling in soil. At a gross level, an increase in SMB is considered beneficial, while a decline in SMB may be considered detrimental if this leads to a decline in biological function. However, absolute SMB values are more difficult to interpret. Target or reference values of SMB are needed for soil quality assessments and to allow ameliorative action to be taken at an appropriate time. However, critical values have not yet been successfully identified for SMB. This paper provides a conceptual framework which outlines how SMB values could be interpreted and measured, with examples provided within an Australian context.
GIS and Society: Towards a Research Agenda

Recognition that GIS is a social technology implies that the GIS research agenda should be broadened to incorporate questions of the social imbeddedness and impact of GIS. Research into these questions can draw on the complementary skills of GIS specialists and social theorists. GIS as we know it is not the only form it could have taken, but has followed a direction of development shaped by technical and social conditions. GIS represents the world in certain ways that privilege instrumental logic over other ways of knowing. GIS can have significant consequences affecting the outcome of social problems which it is employed to solve, depending on differential access to GIS and information, and on what is defined as information. Such issues suggest a rich agenda for future research.
Crowd event detection based on motion vector intersection points

This paper presents an event detection approach in crowd surveillance videos based on motion vector intersection points. It contains three steps: firstly, to extract the local motion vectors by feature tracking. Secondly, to select appropriate pairs of motion vectors and calculate three types of intersection points which represent the spatial character of crowd event. And the final step is to obtain the intersection point clusters by density based clustering, and then to detect the events by searching the most possible candidate and voting. Experimental results show that the presented approach can effectively detect the concurrent events of different densities and within different ranges controlled by parameters. The results also show that the proposed approach is robust to illumination, shadows and noise from event itself.
DC-DC converter CSI fed BLDC motor for defence applications

This paper presents a Buck Converter based CSI fed BLDC Motor for Defense applications. The aim of the work is to reduce the cost and size of a brushless dc motor (BLDC) drives as well as increase the reliability and ruggedness of that drive. Traditional BLDC drives use Voltage Source Inverter (VSI) that utilize hard switching, thereby generating switching losses and entail the use of large heat sinks. VSI needs a huge dc link capacitor that is inherently unreliable and is one the most expensive components of drive. Hence, a Current Source Inverter (CSI) is used to replace the hard switching by soft switching, thereby eliminating the heat sinks as well as the large dc link capacitor. A controlled rectifier together with a large inductor act as the current source, the only disadvantage is the large value of the dc link inductor and the huge number of turns needed to achieve these values of the inductances lead to huge resistive losses. Therefore, it is shown that it is possible to replace the controller rectifier and the large inductor with a suitable Buck converter based current source inverter switching at high frequencies and much smaller value of the dc link inductor without increasing the current ripples. Hence, it is possible to have the advantage of using a CSI as well as reduce the value of the dc link inductor without a corresponding increase in the heat sink. The effectiveness of the VSI and CSI fed BLDC motor schemes are verified through the simulation results.
Crust and upper mantle structure of the Eurasian continent from the phase velocity and Q of surface waves

A review of studies using surface waves to determine crust and upper mantle structures of the Eurasian continent is presented. The results of these studies have assisted in the analysis of a new set of propagation data for lateral variation of phase velocity and Q on the continent. A Rayleigh wave phase velocity regionalization based on crustal conditions and topography is proposed involving five continental provinces: Indian Shield, Northern Platforms and Shields, Forelands and Coastal Plains, Tectonic, and Plateau. Phase velocities in the Indian Shield are 20% higher than velocities in the Plateau province at 26-s period and 5% higher at 90-s period. Stable platforms of northern Asia have significantly higher phase velocities than those of tectonic provinces out to 150-s period. Shear velocity structures that incorporate published crustal structures and satisfy the regionalized dispersion curves and reported Sn velocities are presented. Surface wave amplitudes are shown to be strongly affected by horizontal refraction, causing focusing of ray paths, defocusing, and multipathing. Three very different average Rayleigh wave Q curves over periods of 25–60 s are obtained for stable northern platforms and tectonic provinces east and west of Central Asia. Interpretations of the observations are given in terms of intrinsic Q of the medium. The Q models as well as shear velocity models are discussed in the light of Eurasia's tectonic history.
A Framework for Evaluating ICT Security Awareness

ICT resources are important assets of any organization and the protection of these resources are equally important. To be able to protect themselves and their profitability, many organizations have established information security awareness programs. In order for a security awareness program to add value to an organization and at the same time make a contribution to the field of information security it is necessary to have a set of methods to study and measure its effect. This paper gives an overview of a suggested framework for evaluating ICT security awareness. Following a brief description of the framework, a more detailed overview on the identification of areas to be evaluated, using a value focused assessment, will be presented. Comments on possible system generated information, that may be used to assist with the evaluation of security behavior of users, will also be presented.