Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pleistocene environments, climate, and human activity in Britain during Marine Isotope Stage 7: insights from Oak Tree Fields, Cerney Wick, Gloucestershire

Investigations at Oak Tree Fields, Cerney Wick, Gloucestershire, in western England have revealed a sequence of fluvial deposits dating from Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 to 5. At the base of the sequence, a series of gravel and sand facies were deposited, initially as part of a meandering river. Reductions in flow energy of the latter and avulsion led to the development of short‐lived channels and episodic backwater environments, the deposits of which are recorded as Facies Associations 1–3. Poorly sorted, probably colluvial deposits formed beyond the limit of the channel (Facies Association 4). Mollusca, Coleoptera, plant macrofossils, pollen and vertebrates recovered from the channel facies indicate broadly similar climatic conditions throughout accretion. Temperature ranges derived from mutual climatic range analysis of the Coleoptera almost completely overlap with those of Cerney Wick at the present day, albeit that winters may have been cooler when the channel was active. Further, the floral and faunal data suggest that the meandering river flowed through an open grassland environment, the latter heavily grazed by large vertebrates, most notably mammoth. Most of the botanical and faunal remains, together with four optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) age estimates ranging from 225 ± 23 to 187 ± 19 ka, suggest correlation of the channel deposits with MIS 7. The basal deposits (Facies Association 1) yielded the majority of vertebrate remains and all the lithic artefacts, most of which seem likely to have travelled only a short distance. Although only a few artefacts were recovered, they add to the relatively limited evidence of human activity from the upper Thames. The channel deposits are overlain by sheet gravels (Facies Association 5) which are attributed to the Northmoor Member of the Upper Thames Formation. These were likely to have been deposited as bedload in a braided stream environment, while two OSL age estimates of 129 ± 14 and 112 ± 11 ka suggest accumulation during MIS 5.
4D‐Var assimilation of MERIS total column water‐vapour retrievals over land

Experiments with the active assimilation of total column water‐vapour retrievals from Envisat MERIS observations have been performed at the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), focusing on the summer 2006 African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA) field campaign period. A mechanism for data quality control, observation error definition and variational bias correction has been developed so that the data can be safely treated within 4D‐Var, like other observations that are currently assimilated in the operational system. While data density is limited due to the restriction to daylight and cloud‐free conditions, a systematic impact on mean moisture analysis was found, with distinct regional and seasonal features. The impact can last 1‐‐2 days into the forecast but has little effect on forecast accuracy in terms of both moisture and dynamics. This is mainly explained by the weak dynamic activity in the areas of largest data impact. Analysis and short‐range forecast evaluation with radiosonde observations revealed a strong dependence on radiosonde type. Compared with Vaisala RS92 observations, the addition of MERIS total column water‐vapour observations produced neutral to positive impact, while contradictory results were obtained when all radiosonde types were used in generating the statistics. This highlights the issue of radiosonde moisture biases and the importance of sonde humidity bias correction in numerical weather prediction (NWP). Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society
Detecting DIF: Many Paths to Salvation

Confucius pointed out that the first step toward wisdom is calling things by the right name. The term Differential Item Functioning (DIF) did not arise fully formed from the miasma of psychometrics, it evolved from a variety of less accurate terms. Among its forebears was "item bias" but that term has a pejorative connotation that does not always apply to DIF; also, bias requires an external criterion, whereas DIF is an internal measure. This is roughly analogous to the distinctions between validity and reliability. One proposed term, Differential Item Performance, had all the characteristics desired, but the acronym DIP caused concern. And so "Functioning" replaced "Performing" and DIF was born. Our point here is to note that the name "Differential Item Difficulty" (DID) was never seriously considered. DIF is a broader concept. We are concerned if an item functions differently in two groups, and that concern is manifest if the differential performance is in difficulty, in discrimination, or in other aspects that might be more difficult to characterize. However, all of these possible ways for differential performance are not of equal concern. Difficulty is certainly the most important, with the others stringing along behind. And so it is not surprising that the most commonly used method for detecting DIF, the Mantel-Haenszel statistic (MH), focuses all of its power on a single parameter that measures the difference in difficulty. But there are many other methods. How are we to evaluate their efficacy? It seems to us that there are several important criteria that can be used to judge any proposed detection scheme:
NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF ICE ACCRETION ON AIRFOIL

This work consists in the simulation of the ice accretion in the leading edge of aerodynamic profiles and our proposed model encompasses: geometry generation, calculation of the potential flow around the body, boundary layer thickness computation, water droplet trajectory computation, heat and mass balances and the consequent modification of the geometry by the ice growth. The flow calculation is realized with panel methods, using only segments defined over the body contour. The viscous effects are considered using the Karman-Pohlhausen method for the laminar boundary layer. The local heat transfer coefficient is obtained by applying the Smith-Spalding method for the thermal boundary layer. The ice accretion limits and the collection efficiency are determined by computing water droplet trajectories impinging the surface. The heat transfer process is analyzed with an energy and a mass balance in each segment defining the body. Finally, the geometry is modified by the addition of the computed ice thickness to the respective panel. The process by repeating all the steps. The model validation is done using a selection of problems with experimental solution, CIRA (the CESAR project). Hereinafter, results are obtained for different aerodynamic profiles, angles of attack and meteorological parameters.
Treating COVID-19: Targeting the Host Response, Not the Virus

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), inexpensive generic drugs like statins, ACE inhibitors, and ARBs, especially if used in combination, might be the only practical way to save the lives of patients with severe COVID-19. These drugs will already be available in all countries on the first pandemic day. Because they target the host response to infection instead of the virus, they could be used to save lives during any pandemic. Observational studies show that inpatient statin treatment reduces 28–30-day mortality but randomized controlled trials have failed to show this benefit. Combination treatment has been tested for antivirals and dexamethasone but, with the exception of one observational study in Belgium, not for inexpensive generic drugs. Future pandemic research must include testing combination generic drug treatments that could be used in LMICs.
Policy Optimization Adaptive Dynamic Programming for Optimal Control of Input-Affine Discrete-Time Nonlinear Systems

In this article, a policy optimization adaptive dynamic programming (POADP) method is developed for optimal control of discrete-time unknown nonlinear systems, where the iterative control policy is parameterized to optimize the iterative <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Q$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-function directly. The relaxed condition for the learning rate is given to guarantee the convergence of the present algorithm. Furthermore, the Polyak– ojasiewicz inequality is introduced to analyze the optimality, i.e., the iterative <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Q$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-function converges to the optimum within a given computational threshold under a finite iteration, and the rate of convergence (i.e., the required minimum number of iterations) for the developed POADP method is also illustrated. To ease real implementations, the iterative <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Q$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-function and the iterative control policy are approximated by employing an actor–critic structure. Then, an experiment-based method is developed to obtain the initial weights of actor–critic structure. Finally, numerical simulation results of two examples are provided to validate the effectiveness of the POADP algorithm.
Experimental study of magnetohydrodynamic flows in electrically coupled bends

An experimental study of a magnetohydrodynamic flow in a system of n (n[les ]5) U-bends is presented. The bends are electrically coupled via common electrically conducting walls parallel to the external magnetic field. In the test section the fluid flows perpendicular–parallel–perpendicular to the magnetic field. The Hartmann number M varies in the range 6×102[les ]M[les ]2.4×103, and the interaction parameter N in the range 102[les ]N[les ]4.3×104. The experimental data for the wall electric potentials and the pressure have been compared with the theoretical asymptotic values calculated for N[Gt ]M3/2[Gt ]1. This assumption in theory ensures the inertialess nature of the flow. For n=1 the agreement between the theory and the experiment is good. With increasing number of bends quantitative (for n=3) and then qualitative (for n=5) disagreement appears. For the first time in strong-field magnetohydrodynamics this disagreement has been observed on the Hartmann walls, i.e. walls perpendicular to the field. The experimental results for the wall potential indicate that for n=5 in some of the ducts parallel to the field qualitatively different flow patterns are established than those predicted by the asymptotic inertialess theory. The flow in the core depends on N, i.e. is of inertial nature. In the whole range of N investigated there is only a slight tendency of the wall potential to approach theoretical values. This demonstrates the stability of the new flow pattern and that even such high values of N as 4.3×104 are insufficient for the core flow to be inertialess. A strong dependence of the pressure drop on N has been observed in all the flow configurations investigated. The dependence of the inertial part of the pressure drop in each bend scales with N−1/3, as long as N−1/3[Lt ]1. This is characteristic of electromagnetic–inertia interaction in the boundary and internal layers parallel to the field. A linear increase of the pressure drop with the number of coupled bends has been observed, confirming qualitatively previous theoretical results. The effects of magnetic field inclination and different flow distribution between bends have also been studied.
A robust representation of linear prediction coefficients

A new robust parametric formulation to predictive coding is introduced. The linear prediction filter coefficients are transformed here into a set of weighted line frequencies. The positive weights play the dual role of a new set of parameters and simultaneously they exhibit the relative importance of the associated line frequencies. This new representation is shown to be always stable under quantization.
A Review of: “Clinical Prediction Models: A Practical Approach to Development, Validation, and Updating, by E. W. Steyerberg”

When thinking about statistical developments in prognostic modeling, my thoughts immediately turn to the excellent work of Harrell (2001), who emphasized the need to use good statistical practice in all aspects of empirical modeling: for example, avoiding dichotomizing of continuous variables, using appropriate strategies to handle missing data, adopting modern estimation techniques that incorporate shrinkage, and the need for proper model validation using simulationbased techniques. Steyerberg, who cites Harrell’s work as an important inspiration for his book, uses all of these ideas to form a principled strategy for the development of clinical prediction models. The introductory chapter presents an overview of this strategy, consisting of seven themes, which can be described as: (1) the definition of the prediction problem and research question; (2) the coding of the outcome of interest and predictors; (3) model specification; (4) estimation and inference; (5) examination of model performance in terms of model fit; (6) examination of predictive properties and dealing with overfitting; and (7) the presentation of results. While Harrell’s earlier work also focused on developing a strategy, Steyerberg’s book is aimed at a much more applied audience. The book is filled with many practical examples, and as possible statistical techniques are explained using text rather than mathematical notation, the material should be accessible to epidemiologists, public health researchers, and applied biostatisticians. The remainder of the book is divided into four parts, the first of which (Chapters 2–6) considers motivating examples, an overview of study design, and a review of basic statistical modeling techniques that could be used in prediction modeling. The second part of the book (Chapters 7–18), focuses on providing a series of modern regression techniques, illustrated by various examples, which form the basis of the seven-part strategy. Part III (Chapters 19–21) examines generalizability or the external validity of prediction models. Finally, Chapters 22–24 consider a series of case studies. The application areas and motivating examples described in Chapter 2 provide a good idea about the overall scope of problems that are addressed in the book. Examples include public health interventions in breast cancer; therapeutic decision making (replacement of risky heart valves); adjustment for covariates in randomized control trials; propensity score adjustment to examine the effect of statins on mortality rates; and the use of case-mix adjustment when comparing health care providers. Chapter 3 addresses design, rightly focusing on the need
Seabird surveillance: combining CCTV and artificial intelligence for monitoring and research

Ecological research and monitoring need to be able to rapidly convey information that can form the basis of scientifically sound management. Automated sensor systems, especially if combined with artificial intelligence, can contribute to such rapid high‐resolution data retrieval. Here, we explore the prospects of automated methods to generate insights for seabirds, which are often monitored for their high conservation value and for being sentinels for marine ecosystem changes. We have developed a system of video surveillance combined with automated image processing, which we apply to common murres Uria aalge. The system uses a deep learning algorithm for object detection (YOLOv5) that has been trained on annotated images of adult birds, chicks and eggs, and outputs time, location, size and confidence level of all detections, frame‐by‐frame, in the supplied video material. A total of 144 million bird detections were generated from a breeding cliff over three complete breeding seasons (2019–2021). We demonstrate how object detection can be used to accurately monitor breeding phenology and chick growth. Our automated monitoring approach can also identify and quantify rare events that are easily missed in traditional monitoring, such as disturbances from predators. Further, combining automated video analysis with continuous measurements from a temperature logger allows us to study impacts of heat waves on nest attendance in high detail. Our automated system thus produces comparable, and in several cases significantly more detailed, data than those generated from observational field studies. By running in real time on the camera streams, it has the potential to supply researchers and managers with high‐resolution up‐to‐date information on seabird population status. We describe how the system can be modified to fit various types of ecological research and monitoring goals and thereby provide up‐to‐date support for conservation and ecosystem management.
A model wavefunction including electron correlation for the ground state of the helium isoelectronic sequence

From the form of the exact ground-state wavefunction psi , of a helium-like atom, the dependence on the first power of the interparticle coordinates r1, r2 and r12 is easily obtained. The authors construct a simple model wavefunction phi that (a) agrees with the exact wavefunction to first order in r1, r2 and r12, (b) is finite everywhere, is normalisable and satisfies the derivative cusp conditions as r1, r2 or r12 to 0, and (c) satisfies the virial theorem. If the exact wavefunction psi is written psi = phi chi , then chi satisfies a transformed Schrodinger equation, H' chi =E chi where H' has no poles at the electron-nucleus or electron-electron coalescences. It is shown, by a linear transformation of the interparticle coordinates, that all integrals required for the evaluation of the energy reduce to products of gamma functions.
A qualitative analysis of solutions to microelectromechanical systems with curvature and nonlinear permittivity profile

ABSTRACT An investigation of qualitative properties of solutions to microelectromechanical systems with nonlinear permittivity profile is established. The considered problem is described by a quasilinear evolution equation for the displacement of a membrane, coupled with an elliptic moving boundary problem for the electrostatic potential between the moving membrane and a rigid ground plate. The system is shown to be well-posed locally in time for arbitrary values λ of the applied voltage. For small values of λ the solution exists even globally in time such that the membrane never touches down on the ground plate. In addition to those fundamental results concerning existence and uniqueness of solutions, sufficient conditions are specified which guarantee non-positivity of the membrane's displacement on the one hand and the occurrence of a singularity after a finite time T on the other hand.
The model matching problem for periodic discrete-time systems

In this paper, the model matching problem via state feedback is studied for discrete-time periodic systems. It is shown that, under some zero-matching conditions, it is possible to assign a target input-output periodic system by means of a periodic state-feedback control law. Furthermore, this entails that a periodic system can be converted into a closed-loop time-invariant system via state feedback.
Risk Factors for Emergency Department Presentations after the Initiation of Opioid Analgesics in Non-Cancer Patients in Korea: A Nationwide Study

Background and Objectives: Opioid use in Korea is lower than in other developed countries. However, recent studies have reported an increase in opioid prescriptions and the number of chronic opioid users. The current status of adverse events (AEs) associated with opioid analgesics in Korea is unclear. This nested case–control study aimed to evaluate the influence of opioid analgesic use patterns on all emergency department (ED) visits and opioid-related ED visits after opioid analgesic initiation using the national claims database. Materials and Methods: Adult non-cancer patients who initiated non-injectable opioid analgesics (NIOA) between January 2017 and June 2018 were included. We defined the case group as patients who visited the ED within six months of opioid initiation, and the control group was selected in a 1:1 ratio using an exact matching method. Results: A total of 97,735 patients (13.58%) visited the ED within six months of NIOA initiation. Nearly 32% of cases were linked to opioid-related AEs. The most frequent AEs were falls and fractures (61.27%). After adjusting for covariates, opioid initiation at the ED was associated with all-cause or opioid-related ED visits (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 3.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.09–3.29; aOR = 3.82, 95% CI = 3.62–4.04, respectively). Chronic NIOA use was associated with all-cause and opioid-related ED visits (aOR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.23–1.40; aOR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.39–1.76, respectively). Conclusion: This study found that 13% of non-cancer patients visited the ED within six months of NIOA initiation. In addition, the NIOA use pattern was significantly associated with all-cause and opioid-related ED visits.
Time-Varying Functional Connectivity of Rat Brain during Bipedal Walking on Unexpected Terrain

The cerebral cortex plays an important role in human and other animal adaptation to unpredictable terrain changes, but little was known about the functional network among the cortical areas during this process. To address the question, we trained 6 rats with blocked vision to walk bipedally on a treadmill with a random uneven area. Whole-brain electroencephalography signals were recorded by 32-channel implanted electrodes. Afterward, we scan the signals from all rats using time windows and quantify the functional connectivity within each window using the phase-lag index. Finally, machine learning algorithms were used to verify the possibility of dynamic network analysis in detecting the locomotion state of rats. We found that the functional connectivity level was higher in the preparation phase compared to the walking phase. In addition, the cortex pays more attention to the control of hind limbs with higher requirements for muscle activity. The level of functional connectivity was lower where the terrain ahead can be predicted. Functional connectivity bursts after the rat accidentally made contact with uneven terrain, while in subsequent movement, it was significantly lower than normal walking. In addition, the classification results show that using the phase-lag index of multiple gait phases as a feature can effectively detect the locomotion states of rat during walking. These results highlight the role of the cortex in the adaptation of animals to unexpected terrain and may help advance motor control studies and the design of neuroprostheses.