Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Environmentally induced migration and the concepts vulnerability, resilience and adaptation to climate change

Diese Arbeit beschaftigt sich mit dem komplexen Zusammenhang zwischen menschlicher Migration und Klimawandel. Okologische Faktoren und im speziellen Klimawandel haben unterschiedliche Auswirkungen auf verschiedene soziale Gruppen und sozi-okologische Systeme. Ein Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es zu zeigen welche Rolle die ausgewahlten Konzepte Vulnerabilitat, Resilienz und Anpassung bezuglich der Auswirkungen von Klimawandel spielen. Eine Reihe von teilweise ahnlichen, teilweise sehr unterschiedlichen Theorien und Ansatze wird deshalb auf ihre Rolle bezuglich Auswirkungen von Klimawandel untersucht. Speziell die Implikationen der Theorien auf mogliche Migrationsentscheidungen werden untersucht. Das zweite Bestreben dieser Forschung ist es zu untersuchen wie die Konzepte Vulnerabilitat, Resilienz und Anpassung in relevanten Policy Empfehlungen vorkommen und was die Konzepte in ihrer jeweiligen Form implizieren. Um diese Forschungsfrage zu beantworten wird eine qualitative Inhaltsanalyse im zweiten Teil der Arbeit durchgefuhrt. Die beiden letzten Assessement Reports des Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), veroffentlich 2001 und 2007, stellen ein gutes Datenmaterial fur die angestrebte Untersuchung dar. Die beiden analysierten IPCC Berichte demonstrieren die ausschlaggebende Rolle von okonomischen Faktoren fur den jeweiligen Grad von Vulnerabilitat und Resilienz, jedoch betont der vierte Assessment Report von 2007 die Wichtigkeit von sozialen und institutionellen Parametern. Diese Abkehr von einseitig okonomistischen Erklarungsmustern stellt den grosten Unterschied zwischen den beiden IPCC Berichten dar. Die Ergebnisse dieser Recherche implizieren, dass die alarmistischen Vorhersagen von zusatzlichen Millionen Fluchtlingen auf Grund von verstarktem Klimawandel simplifizierend sind. Klimawandel stellt bezuglich des multikausalen Phanomens Migration lediglich einen zusatzlichen Faktor dar. Jedoch kann dieser zusatzliche Faktor in Kontexten von ohnehin sozial und politisch angespannten Situationen eine zusatzliche Belastung bedeuten.
Molecular and functional defects in kidneys of mice lacking collagen alpha 3(IV): implications for Alport syndrome

Collagen IV is a major structural component of all basal laminae (BLs). Six collagen IV alpha chains are present in mammals; alpha 1 and alpha 2(IV) are broadly expressed in embryos and adults, whereas alpha 3- 6(IV) are restricted to a defined subset of BLs. In the glomerular BL of the kidney, the alpha 1 and alpha 2(IV) chains are replaced by the alpha 3-5(IV) chains as development proceeds. In humans, mutation of the collagen alpha 3, alpha 4, or alpha 5(IV) chain genes results in a delayed onset renal disease called Alport syndrome. We show here that mice lacking collagen alpha 3(IV) display a renal phenotype strikingly similar to Alport syndrome: decreased glomerular filtration (leading to uremia), compromised glomerular integrity (leading to proteinuria), structural changes in glomerular BL, and glomerulonephritis. Interestingly, numerous changes in the molecular composition of glomerular BL precede the onset of renal dysfunction; these include loss of collagens alpha 4 and alpha 5(IV), retention of collagen alpha 1/2(IV), appearance of fibronectin and collagen VI, and increased levels of perlecan. We suggest that these alterations contribute, along with loss of collagen IV isoforms per se, to renal pathology.
Similarity modulated block estimation for image interpolation

Modeling the nonstationarity of image signals is one of the challenging issues for image interpolation. In this paper, we propose a similarity probability modeling to faithfully characterize the nonstationarity of image signals, and present a novel image interpolation algorithm based on the proposed model. The missing pixels are estimated in groups by weighted block estimation. The weight of each pixel inside the block is defined as the similarity probability between itself and the centered to-be-interpolated pixel. It is demonstrated by the experimental results that the proposed method preserves the edge structures of the interpolated images better than the state-of-the-art interpolation methods. Annoying artifacts nearby the sharp edges are also greatly reduced.
Electrolyte Depletion in White-nose Syndrome Bats

The emerging wildlife disease white-nose syndrome is causing widespread mortality in hibernating North American bats. White-nose syndrome occurs when the fungus Geomyces destructans infects the living skin of bats during hibernation, but links between infection and mortality are underexplored. We analyzed blood from hibernating bats and compared blood electrolyte levels to wing damage caused by the fungus. Sodium and chloride tended to decrease as wing damage increased in severity. Depletion of these electrolytes suggests that infected bats may become hypotonically dehydrated during winter. Although bats regularly arouse from hibernation to drink during winter, water available in hibernacula may not contain sufficient electrolytes to offset winter losses caused by disease. Damage to bat wings from G. destructans may cause life-threatening electrolyte imbalances.
Towards security policy decisions based on context profiling

With the increasing popularity of personal mobile devices like smartphones, more and more ordinary users create and consume valuable, private and sensitive data such as photos, videos, messages, documents as well as access credentials for various resources and services. Without proper access control policies, such data may be disclosed in ways that the user did not intend. Although various applications and services support the possibility of fine-grained security and privacy policies, end users are not capable of understanding or adjusting the policies to suit their needs. In this position paper we argue that context information can be used to infer likely access control policies. We motivate by briefly describing three usage scenarios where context related to the location of a device can be used to set access control policies. We argue that a simple measure like the "familiarity" of a device and/or context can be calculated and used to infer appropriate policy settings. Finally, we report on our experience in using context observations collected from the devices of two test participants over a period of time.
The effect of daily baked bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) consumption on the plasma lipid levels of young, normo-cholesterolaemic men

1. Thirteen normo-cholesterolaemic male students consumed one 450 g can of baked beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) in tomato sauce, daily, for 14 d as part of their normal diet. After a 14 d washout period, eleven of the students went on to consume one 440 g can of spaghetti in tomato sauce, daily, for 14 d. 2. Fasting blood samples were taken frequently for measurement of plasma cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, triacylglycerols, glucose, insulin and C-peptide. Diet diaries (3 d) were completed by the subjects during each period. 3. Consumption of beans and spaghetti led to a significant reduction in the amount of fat eaten daily (P < 0.05). Bean consumption also resulted in significant increases in protein, fibre and sugar intakes (P < 0.02, P < 0.001 and P < 0.05 respectively). 4. During the bean-eating period the mean total plasma cholesterol level of the students fell significantly from 5.1 to 4.5 mmol/l (P < 0.02). No reduction in plasma cholesterol occurred during the spaghetti-eating period. 5. HDL-cholesterol levels fell significantly during both periods (P < 0.001), but HDL:total cholesterol ratio was significantly reduced only during the spaghetti-eating period (P < 0.001). Neither beans nor spaghetti affected triacylglycerol, insulin or C-peptide levels. 6. The benefits of a legume-rich diet are discussed.
Blended Threats: A New Era in Anti-Virus Protection

Abstract We live in a new era of blendedthreats, worm viruses, and sev-eral new breeds of maliciousmobile code that are more dangerous thanever. Such viruses no longer simply damageuser files, but can rapidly attack companynetworks, deface Web sites, and create dis-tributed denial-of-service attacks. A goodexample was the worm virus Nimda thatcaused billions of dollars worth of clean-upcosts in the fall of 2001.
Recombinant Human Transgenic Antithrombin in Cardiac Surgery: A Dose-finding Study

Background Acquired antithrombin III (AT) deficiency may render heparin less effective during cardiac surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The authors examined the pharmacodynamics and optimal dose of recombinant human AT (rh-AT) needed to maintain normal AT activity during CPB, optimize the anticoagulant response to heparin, and attenuate excessive activation of the hemostatic system in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods Thirty-six patients scheduled to undergo elective primary coronary artery bypass grafting and who had received heparin for 12 h or more before surgery were enrolled in the study. Ten cohorts of three patients each received rh-AT in doses of 10, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 175, or 200 U/kg, a cohort of six patients received 150 U/kg of rh-AT, and a control group of six patients received placebo. Results Antithrombin III activity exceeded 600 U/dl before CPB at the highest dose (200 U/kg). Doses of 75 U/kg rh-AT normalized AT activity to 100 U/dl during CPB. Activated clotting times during CPB were significantly (P < 0.0001) greater in patients who received rh-AT (844 ± 191 s) compared with placebo patients (531 ± 180 s). Significant (P = 0.001) inverse relations were observed between rh-AT dose and both fibrin monomer (r = −0.51) and D-dimer (r = −0.51) concentrations. No appreciable adverse events were observed with any rh-AT doses used in the study. Conclusions Supplementation of native AT with transgenically produced protein (rh-AT) in cardiac surgical patients was well tolerated and resulted in higher activated clotting times during CPB and decreased levels of fibrin monomer and D-dimer.
Distributing probability over nondeterminism

We study the combination of probability and nondeterminism from a categorical point of view. In category theory, nondeterminism and probability are repre sented by suitable monads. Those two monads do not combine well, as they are. To overcome this prob lem we introduce the notion of indexed valuations. This notion is used to define a new monad t h t can be combined with the usual nondeterministic monad via a categorical distributive law . We give an equational characterization of our construction. We discuss the computational meaning of i ndexed valuations, and we show how they can be used by giving a denotational semantics of a simpl e i perative language.
A video database of human faces under near Infra-Red illumination for human computer interaction applications

Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is an evolving area of research for coherent communication between computers and human beings. Some of the important applications of HCI as reported in literature are face detection, face pose estimation, face tracking and eye gaze estimation. Development of algorithms for these applications is an active field of research. However, availability of standard database to validate such algorithms is insufficient. This paper discusses the creation of such a database created under Near Infra-Red (NIR) illumination. NIR illumination has gained its popularity for night mode applications since prolonged exposure to Infra-Red (IR) lighting may lead to many health issues. The database contains NIR videos of 60 subjects in different head orientations and with different facial expressions, facial occlusions and illumination variation. This new database can be a very valuable resource for development and evaluation of algorithms on face detection, eye detection, head tracking, eye gaze tracking etc. in NIR lighting.
A Deviation from the Bipolar-Tetrapolar Mating Paradigm in an Early Diverged Basidiomycete

In fungi, sexual identity is determined by specialized genomic regions called MAT loci which are the equivalent to sex chromosomes in some animals and plants. Usually, only two sexes or mating types exist, which are determined by two alternate sets of genes (or alleles) at the MAT locus (bipolar system). However, in the phylum Basidiomycota, a unique tetrapolar system emerged in which four different mating types are generated per meiosis. This occurs because two functionally distinct molecular recognition systems, each encoded by one MAT region, constrain the selection of sexual partners. Heterozygosity at both MAT regions is a pre-requisite for mating in both bipolar and tetrapolar basidiomycetes. Tetrapolar mating behaviour results from the absence of genetic linkage between the two regions bringing forth up to thousands of mating types. The subphylum Pucciniomycotina, an early diverged lineage of basidiomycetes encompassing important plant pathogens such as the rusts and saprobes like Rhodosporidium and Sporidiobolus, has been so far poorly explored concerning the content and organization of MAT loci. Here we show that the red yeast Sporidiobolus salmonicolor has a mating system unlike any previously described because occasional disruptions of the genetic cohesion of the bipolar MAT locus originate new mating types. We confirmed that mating is normally bipolar and that heterozygosity at both MAT regions is required for mating. However, a laboratory cross showed that meiotic recombination may occur within the bipolar MAT locus, explaining tetrapolar features like increased allele number and evolution rates of some MAT genes. This pseudo-bipolar system deviates from the classical bipolar–tetrapolar paradigm and, to our knowledge, has never been observed before. We propose a model for MAT evolution in the Basidiomycota in which the pseudo-bipolar system may represent a hitherto unforeseen gradual form of transition from an ancestral tetrapolar system to bipolarity.
Position Matters: Network Centrality Considerably Impacts Rates of Protein Evolution in the Human Protein–Protein Interaction Network

Abstract The proteins of any organism evolve at disparate rates. A long list of factors affecting rates of protein evolution have been identified. However, the relative importance of each factor in determining rates of protein evolution remains unresolved. The prevailing view is that evolutionary rates are dominantly determined by gene expression, and that other factors such as network centrality have only a marginal effect, if any. However, this view is largely based on analyses in yeasts, and accurately measuring the importance of the determinants of rates of protein evolution is complicated by the fact that the different factors are often correlated with each other, and by the relatively poor quality of available functional genomics data sets. Here, we use correlation, partial correlation and principal component regression analyses to measure the contributions of several factors to the variability of the rates of evolution of human proteins. For this purpose, we analyzed the entire human protein–protein interaction data set and the human signal transduction network—a network data set of exceptionally high quality, obtained by manual curation, which is expected to be virtually free from false positives. In contrast with the prevailing view, we observe that network centrality (measured as the number of physical and nonphysical interactions, betweenness, and closeness) has a considerable impact on rates of protein evolution. Surprisingly, the impact of centrality on rates of protein evolution seems to be comparable, or even superior according to some analyses, to that of gene expression. Our observations seem to be independent of potentially confounding factors and from the limitations (biases and errors) of interactomic data sets.
Homogenization of regional river dynamics by dams and global biodiversity implications

Global biodiversity in river and riparian ecosystems is generated and maintained by geographic variation in stream processes and fluvial disturbance regimes, which largely reflect regional differences in climate and geology. Extensive construction of dams by humans has greatly dampened the seasonal and interannual streamflow variability of rivers, thereby altering natural dynamics in ecologically important flows on continental to global scales. The cumulative effects of modification to regional-scale environmental templates caused by dams is largely unexplored but of critical conservation importance. Here, we use 186 long-term streamflow records on intermediate-sized rivers across the continental United States to show that dams have homogenized the flow regimes on third- through seventh-order rivers in 16 historically distinctive hydrologic regions over the course of the 20th century. This regional homogenization occurs chiefly through modification of the magnitude and timing of ecologically critical high and low flows. For 317 undammed reference rivers, no evidence for homogenization was found, despite documented changes in regional precipitation over this period. With an estimated average density of one dam every 48 km of third- through seventh-order river channel in the United States, dams arguably have a continental scale effect of homogenizing regionally distinct environmental templates, thereby creating conditions that favor the spread of cosmopolitan, nonindigenous species at the expense of locally adapted native biota. Quantitative analyses such as ours provide the basis for conservation and management actions aimed at restoring and maintaining native biodiversity and ecosystem function and resilience for regionally distinct ecosystems at continental to global scales.
The effects of non-linearities on shear stress in periodic flow in axi-symmetric vessels

In this paper, a power series and a Fourier series approach is used to solve the governing equations of motion in an elastic axi-symmetric vessel, assuming that blood is an incompressible Newtonian fluid. The time averaged flow has shown to be greater than the steady state flow leading to a larger wall shear stress. Oscillations can also be observed, which is not present in the steady state solution. This is due to the nonlinear momentum terms causing interaction between the harmonics.
Two Cases of Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type I-Associated Myelopathy/Tropical Spastic Paraparesis Caused by Living-Donor Renal Transplantation

In rare instances, recipients of organ transplants from human T-lymphotropic virus type I- (HTLV-I-) positive donors reportedly developed neurologic symptoms due to HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM). We present herein two cases of HAM associated with renal transplantation from HTLV-I seropositive living-donors. The first patient was a 42-year-old woman with chronic renal failure for twelve years and seronegative for HTLV-I. She underwent renal transplantation with her HTLV-I seropositive mother as the donor, and she developed HAM three years after the transplantation. The second patient was a 65-year-old man who had been suffering from diabetic nephropathy. He was seronegative for HTLV-I and underwent renal transplantation one year previously, with his HTLV-I seropositive wife as the donor. He developed HAM eight months after renal transplantation. Both cases showed neurological improvements after the immunomodulating therapies. We tried to shed some light on the understanding of immunological mechanisms of transplantation-associated HAM, focusing on therapeutic strategies based on the immunopathogenesis of the condition.
Regression forecasting model to improve localization accuracy

Location information with a high level of accuracy is a crucial component in many of the emerging services provided to users by wireless and mobile networks. The proposed mathematical models for localization focus on modeling the localization error itself, and overlook the potential correlation between successive localization measurement errors. In this paper, we first investigate the correlation between successive positioning measurements, and then take this correlation into consideration when modeling positioning error. We propose a p-order Gauss-Markov model to predict the future position of a mobile node from its current mobility statistics, and use the Yule Walker equations to determine the degree of correlation between a node's future position and its past positions. Using vehicular networks as a case study, we investigate the existence of correlation for two datasets representing the mobility traces of two vehicles over a period of time. We prove the existence of correlation between successive measurements in the two datasets, and show that the time correlation between measurements can have a value up to 4 minutes. Through simulations, we validate the robustness of our model and show that it is possible to use the first-order Gauss-Markov model, which has the least complexity, and still maintain an accurate estimation of a vehicle's location over time. Our model can assist in providing better modeling of positioning errors and can be used as a prediction tool to improve the performance of classical localization algorithms such as the Kalman filter.
Metabolic Alterations in Parkinson's Disease after Thalamotomy, as Revealed by 1H MR Spectroscopy

Objective To determine, using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) whether thalamotomy in patients with Parkinson's disease gives rise to significant changes in regional brain metabolism. Materials and Methods Fifteen patients each underwent stereotactic thalamotomy for the control of medically refractory parkinsonian tremor. Single-voxel 1H MRS was performed on a 1.5T unit using a STEAM sequence (TR/TM/TE, 2000/14/20 msec), and spectra were obtained from substantia nigra, thalamus and putamen areas, with volumes of interest of 7-8ml, before and after thalamotomy. NAA/Cho, NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr metabolite ratios were calculated from relative peak area measurements, and any changes were recorded and assessed. Results In the substantia nigra and thalamus, NAA/Cho ratios were generally low. In the substantia nigra of 80% of patients (12/15) who showed clinical improvement, decreased NAA/Cho ratios were observed in selected voxels after thalamic surgery (p < 0.05). In the thalamus of 67% of such patients (10/15), significant decreases were also noted (p < 0.05). Conclusion Our results suggest that the NAA/Cho ratio may be a valuable criterion for the evaluation of Parkinson's disease patients who show clinical improvement following surgery. By highlighting variations in this ratio, 1H MRS may help lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiologic processes occurring in those with Parkinson's disease.
Symbol-wise beamforming for MIMO-OFDM transceivers in the presence of co-channel interference and spatial correlation

In MIMO-OFDM communications over channels subject to co-channel interference, beamforming (BF) is conventionally applied independently to all subcarriers. Whilst this approach maximises mutual information, it is highly computationally complex. Symbol-wise BF considerably reduces the complexity by carrying out BF in the time domain. In this paper, we generalise symbol-wise BF to take co-channel interference into account. Maximising the mutual information is infeasible in this case and instead, we propose a novel iterative algorithm that maximises the SINR before OFDM demodulation. Computer simulations show that the performance loss relative to subcarrier-wise BF reduces with decreasing frequency selectivity or increasing spatial correlation.