Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Decade Long, Multi-Scale Map Comparison of Fire Regime Parameters Derived from Three Publically Available Satellite-Based Fire Products: A Case Study in the Central African Republic

Although it is assumed that satellite-derived descriptions of fire activity will differ depending on the dataset selected for analysis, as of yet, the effects of failed and false detections at the pixel level and on an instantaneous basis have not been propagated through space and time to determine their cumulative impact on the characterization of individual fire regime parameters. Here we perform the first ever decade long, multi-scale map comparison of fire chronologies and fire seasonality derived from three publicly available satellite-based fire products: the MODIS active fire product (MCD14ML), the ATSR nighttime World Fire Atlas (WFA), and the MODIS burned area product (MCD45A1). Results indicate that: (i) the agreement between fire chronologies derived from two dissimilar satellite products improves as fire pixels are aggregated into coarser grid cells, but diminishes as the number of years included in the time series increases; and (ii) all three datasets provide distinctly different portraits of the onset, peak, and duration of the fire season regardless of the map resolution. Differences in regional, long-term fire regime parameters derived from the three datasets are attributed to the unique capability of each sensor and detection algorithm to recognize geographical gradients, seasonal oscillations, decadal trends, and interannual variability in active fire characteristics and burned area patterns. Since different satellite sensors and detection algorithm strategies are sensitive to different types of fires, we demonstrate that disagreements in fire regime maps derived from dissimilar satellite-based fire products can be used as an advantage to highlight spatial and temporal transitions in landscape fire activity. Given access to multiple, publically available datasets, we caution against describing fire regimes using a single satellite-based active fire or burned area product.
Gas Shepherding by an Infalling Satellite

I calculate the action of a satellite, infalling through dynamical friction, on a coplanar gaseous disk of finite radial extent. The disk tides, raised by the infalling satellite, couple the satellite and disk. Dynamical friction acting on the satellite then shrinks the radius of the coupled satellite-disk system. Thus, the gas is “shepherded” to smaller radii. In addition, gas shepherding produces a large surface density enhancement at the disk edge. If the disk edge then becomes gravitationally unstable and fragments, it may give rise to enhanced star formation. On the other hand, if the satellite is sufficiently massive and dense, the gas may be transported from ~100 pc to inside of 10 to tens of parsecs before completely fragmenting into stars. I argue that gas shepherding may drive the fueling of active galaxies and central starbursts, and I compare this scenario to competing scenarios. I argue that sufficiently large and dense super star clusters (acting as the shepherding satellites) can shepherd a gas disk down to 10 to tens of parsecs. Inside of 10 to tens of parsecs, another mechanism may operate, i.e., cloud-cloud collisions or a marginally (gravitationally) stable disk, that drives the gas ≲1 pc, where it can be viscously accreted, feeding a central engine.
The glycotope-specific RAV12 monoclonal antibody induces oncosis in vitro and has antitumor activity against gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma tumor xenografts in vivo

RAV12 is a chimeric antibody that recognizes an N-linked carbohydrate antigen (RAAG12) strongly expressed on multiple solid organ cancers. More than 90% of tumors of colorectal, gastric, and pancreatic origin express RAAG12, and a majority of these tumors exhibit uniform RAAG12 expression. RAV12 exhibits potent cytotoxic activity in vitro against COLO 205 colon tumor cells via an oncotic cell death mechanism. RAV12-treated COLO 205 cells undergo morphologic changes consistent with oncosis, including cytoskeletal rearrangement, rapid plasma membrane swelling, and cell lysis. RAV12 inhibited the growth of RAAG12-expressing gastrointestinal tumor xenografts in athymic mice. In the case of SNU-16 tumor cells, twice weekly treatment of established s.c. tumors with 10 mg/kg RAV12 caused a ∼70% suppression of tumor growth at the end of the study. This preclinical data has led to the initiation of a phase I/IIA clinical study of RAV12 in patients with metastatic or recurrent adenocarcinoma. [Mol Cancer Ther 2007;6(3):856–65]
Performance of PCN-Based Admission Control Under Challenging Conditions

Precongestion notification (PCN) is a packet-marking technique for IP networks to notify egress nodes of a so-called PCN domain whether the traffic rate on some links exceeds certain configurable bounds. This feedback is used by decision points for admission control (AC) to block new flows when the traffic load is already high. PCN-based AC is simpler than other AC methods because interior routers do not need to keep per-flow states. Therefore, it is currently being standardized by the IETF. We discuss various realization options and analyze their performance in the presence of flash crowds or with multipath routing by means of simulation and mathematical modeling. Such situations can be aggravated by insufficient flow aggregation, long round-trip times, on/off traffic, delayed media, inappropriate marker configuration, and smoothed feedback.
A study of the consistency between noncommutative quantum mechanics and Galilean isotropy

A demonstration is given that the simplest model of quantum mechanics formulated on a plane non-commutative geometry endowed with a Galilean symmetry group in which the position and linear momentum-variable commutators are first order in the dynamical variables (and thus constitute a true Lie algebra) is incompatible with the hypothesis of spacial isotropy.
A logical approach to structure sharing in TAGs

Adi Palm Department of General Linguistics University of Passau D-94030 Passau 171 Tree adjoining grammars (TAG) represent a derivational formalism to construct trees from a given set of initial and auxiliary trees. We present a logical language that simultaneously describes the generated TAG-tree and the corresponding derivation tree. Based on this language we formulate constraints indicating whether a tree and a derivation tree mean a valid TAGgenerated tree. A method is presented that extracts the underlying TAG from an (imderspecified) TAG-tree and its derivation. This leads to an alternative approach of representing shared structures by means of TAGs. The result is a more general representation of movement which requires no indices since it basically makes use of the properties of the adjunction operation.
Essential Function of Dynamin in the Invasive Properties and Actin Architecture of v-Src Induced Podosomes/Invadosomes

The large GTPase dynamin plays a key role in endocytosis but is also localized at numerous actin rich sites. We investigated dynamin functions at podosomes/invadosomes, actin-based cellular adhesion structures implicated in tissue invasion. Podosomes/invadosomes are constituted of long F-actin bundles perpendicular to the substratum (actin cores), connected to randomly arranged F-actin fibers parallel to the substratum (actin cloud). We show here that dynamin depletion in v-Src-transformed fibroblasts triggers a massive disorganization of podosomes/invadosomes (isolated or in rosettes), with a corresponding inhibition of their invasive properties. The action of dynamin at podosomes/invadosomes requires a functional full-length protein, suggesting that the effects of dynamin at these sites and in membrane remodelling during endocytosis are mediated by similar mechanisms. In order to determine direct effect of dynamin depletion on invadosome, an optogenetic approach based on the photosensitizer KillerRed was developed. Acute dynamin photo-inactivation leads to a very rapid disorganization of invadosome without affecting focal adhesions. Dynamin therefore is a key regulator of the architecture of actin in podosomes/invadosomes.
The School District's Role in Educational Change

A on the role of the school district in educational change is not new, though there has been a resurgence of inquiry and discussion about the district role in recent years. A key difference between the early and current research relates to variation in the policy contexts and change environments in which the research was conducted. Research on the role of the district in educational change in the 1970s and the 1980s was generally undertaken in relation to what Fullan characterizes as the “innovation implementation” era of change (Fullan, 1985). Researchers considered the role that districts played in supporting the implementation of specific governmentand district-sponsored programs and practices. Berman and McLaughlin (1978), for example, found that some school districts adopted programs for bureaucratic motives (i.e., compliance) or opportunistic motives (e.g., access to funds, to appear “innovative”) and were less successful in facilitating the implementation of those programs than were districts that adopted programs as a means of solving previously identified problems in student and school performance. Louis, Rosenblum, and Molitor (1981) also associate higher degree of program implementation and continuation with problem-solving orientations and actions at the district level. Conceptually and practically, this research was problematic to the extent that it was interpreted as though districts and schools treated all changes equally and with equal success (Anderson, 1991). Research on how school districts and schools manage the reality of multiple innovations and continual improvement was in its infancy at this time (Anderson, 1991; Fullan, 1985; Fullan, Anderson, & Newton, 1986; Wallace, 1991). A further gap in the research literature from this era stemmed from the focus on teacher implementation of new programs and practices as the dependent variable and the relative lack of attention to evidence of impact on student learning. The linkage of leader actions to improvement in student learning remained hypothetical.
Probabilistic bug localization via statistical inference based on partially observed data

Upon the observation of a circuit failure, problematic circuit blocks and parameters need to be localized before they can be fixed or by-passed - this has traditionally been highly manual and problem-specific. In this paper, we present a bug localization methodology that automatically identifies and ranks potential root-causes probabilistically. We model linear and nonlinear sub-circuits using the corresponding probabilistic graphical models, and formulate the bug localization problem as a statistical inference problem given partially observed data. We infer the posterior distribution of underlying circuit parameters, which provides a statistical measure of whether the bug lies in each sub-circuit. We have verified this methodology on a high-speed I/O link circuit, and have demonstrated its effectiveness of root-causing circuit bugs.
Estimating and interpreting the instantaneous frequency of a signal. II. A/lgorithms and applications

For pt.I see ibid., vol.80, no.4, p.520-38 (1992). The concept of instantaneous frequency (IF) is extended to discrete-time signals. The specific problem explored is that of estimating the IF of frequency-modulated (FM) discrete-time signals embedded in Gaussian noise. Well-established methods for estimating the IF include differentiation of the phase and smoothing thereof, adaptive frequency estimation techniques such as the phase locked loop (PLL), and extraction of the peak from time-varying spectral representations. More recently, methods based on a modeling of the signal phase as a polynomial have been introduced. These methods are reviewed, and their performance compared on both simulated and real data. Guidelines are given as to which estimation method should be used for a given signal class and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). >
Rapid Estimation of Binding Activity of Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin to Human and Avian Receptors

A critical step for avian influenza viruses to infect human hosts and cause epidemics or pandemics is acquisition of the ability of the viral hemagglutinin (HA) to bind to human receptors. However, current global influenza surveillance does not monitor HA binding specificity due to a lack of rapid and reliable assays. Here we report a computational method that uses an effective scoring function to quantify HA-receptor binding activities with high accuracy and speed. Application of this method reveals receptor specificity changes and its temporal relationship with antigenicity changes during the evolution of human H3N2 viruses. The method predicts that two amino acid differences at 222 and 225 between HAs of A/Fujian/411/02 and A/Panama/2007/99 viruses account for their differences in binding to both avian and human receptors; this prediction was verified experimentally. The new computational method could provide an urgently needed tool for rapid and large-scale analysis of HA receptor specificities for global influenza surveillance.
Decoder-Optimised Progressive Edge Growth Algorithms for the Design of LDPC Codes with Low Error Floors

A novel construction for irregular low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes based on a modification of the Progressive Edge Growth (PEG) algorithm is presented. Edge placement of the PEG algorithm is enhanced by use of the Sum-Product algorithm in the design of the parity-check matrix. The proposed algorithm is highly flexible in block length and rate. The codes constructed by the proposed methods are tested in the AWGN channel and significant performance improvements are achieved. The flexibility of the proposed decoder optimisation operation is then shown by its use in modifying the Improved PEG (IPEG) algorithm to achieve further performance gains.
Running head : Planning of manual tracking accounts for eye velocity

26 Accurate motor planning in a dynamic environment is a critical skill for humans because we are often 27 required to react quickly and adequately to the visual motion of objects. Moreover, we are often in 28 motion ourselves and this complicates motor planning. Indeed, the retinal and spatial motions of an 29 object are different because of the retinal motion component induced by self-motion. Many studies 30 investigated motion perception during smooth pursuit and concluded that eye velocity is partially taken 31 into account by the brain. Here we investigate whether the eye velocity during ongoing smooth pursuit 32 is taken into account for the planning of visually guided manual tracking. We had ten human 33 participants manually track a target while in steady state smooth pursuit towards another target such 34 that the difference between the retinal and spatial target motion directions could be large, depending 35 both on the direction and speed of the eye. We used a measure of initial arm movement direction to 36 quantify whether motor planning occurred in retinal coordinates (not accounting for eye motion) or was 37 spatially correct (incorporating eye velocity). Results showed that the eye velocity was nearly fully 38 taken into account by the neuronal areas involved in the visuomotor velocity transformation (between 39 75% and 102%). In particular, these neuronal pathways accounted for the non-linear effects due to the 40 relative velocity between the target and the eye. In conclusion, the brain network transforming visual 41 motion into a motor plan for manual tracking adequately uses extra-retinal signals about eye velocity. 42
Assessing the performance of the Swiss Panel LIVES Calendar: Evidence from a pilot study

The use of life-history calendar methods in survey resaerch has been growing during the last couple of decades. This study presents a series of tests on the Swiss Panel LIVES Calendar (SPLC) aiming to understand the quality of the tool in collecting the expected data. The SPLC is a paper and pencil tool specifically designed for the first wave of the third sample of Swiss Household Panel to study life trajectories in relation to the concept of vulnerability. Thus, the SPLC is designed to be moderately standardized and relatively quick to complete, providing sufficient information on respondent’s life trajectories in the domains of residential moves, cohabitation, intimate relationship, family, occupation, and health. The performance of the tool has been assessed using coherence and completeness indicators and by comparing the data collected through different modes, different sub-samples of the populations, and a previous survey (Family tiMes) which used the calendar method. Results showed a good performance of the SPLC both in terms of internal coherence and completeness. SPLC data are robust across modes and comparable to life-history calendar data collected with interactive face-to-face interviews. ∗davide.morselli@unil.ch
A gravitationally lensed z = 2.515 star-forming galaxy.

We discuss the optical spectrum of a multiply-imaged arc resolved by HST in the $z$=0.175 cluster A2218. The spectrum, obtained with LDSS-2 on the 4.2m William Herschel telescope, reveals the source to be a galaxy at a redshift $z$=2.515 in excellent agreement with the value predicted by Kneib et al. (1996) on the basis of their inversion of a highly-constrained mass model for the lensing cluster. The source is extremely blue in its optical-infrared colours, consistent with active star formation, and the spectrum reveals absorption lines characteristic of a young stellar population. Of particular significance is the absence of Lyman-$\alpha$ emission but the presence of a broad Lyman-$\alpha$ absorption. The spectrum is similar to that of other, much fainter, galaxies found at high redshift by various techniques and illustrates the important role that lensing can play in detailed studies of the properties of distant galaxies.
Differential impact of Ink4a and Arf on hematopoietic stem cells and their bone marrow microenvironment in Bmi1-deficient mice

The polycomb group (PcG) protein Bmi1 plays an essential role in the self-renewal of hematopoietic and neural stem cells. Derepression of the Ink4a/Arf gene locus has been largely attributed to Bmi1-deficient phenotypes in the nervous system. However, its role in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal remained undetermined. In this study, we show that derepressed p16Ink4a and p19Arf in Bmi1-deficient mice were tightly associated with a loss of self-renewing HSCs. The deletion of both Ink4a and Arf genes substantially restored the self-renewal capacity of Bmi1−/− HSCs. Thus, Bmi1 regulates HSCs by acting as a critical failsafe against the p16Ink4a- and p19Arf-dependent premature loss of HSCs. We further identified a novel role for Bmi1 in the organization of a functional bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. The BM microenvironment in Bmi1−/− mice appeared severely defective in supporting hematopoiesis. The deletion of both Ink4a and Arf genes did not considerably restore the impaired BM microenvironment, leading to a sustained postnatal HSC depletion in Bmi1−/−Ink4a-Arf−/− mice. Our findings unveil a differential role of derepressed Ink4a and Arf on HSCs and their BM microenvironment in Bmi1-deficient mice. Collectively, Bmi1 regulates self-renewing HSCs in both cell-autonomous and nonautonomous manners.
Attitudes Toward Women in Health Care Organizations: A Turkish Case Study

Abstract The aim of this article is to examine the health care employees’ attitudes toward women in health care organizations in Turkey. It was measured using a 25-item scale by Spence, Helmreich, and Stapp (1973). The study was conducted on 541 employees: 279 males and 262 females. Structural equation model (SEM) was applied to analyze the relationship between gender, marital status, and income and attitudes toward woman. The result of this analysis showed that the relations between gender, marital status, and income and attitudes toward woman were statistically significant. All three hypotheses were statistically supported. This result indicated that employees’ marital status and (monthly) income significantly predicted their scores of attitudes toward woman in a positive direction. Besides, employees’ gender significantly predicted their scores of attitudes toward woman in an inverse direction. Future research can focus on investigating the effects of the attitudes toward women on other elements (e.g., performance, motivation, job satisfaction) or a wider sample to reach more generalized results.
Oligopolisic Business-to-Business E-Market and Welfare

We examine the effect of an oligopolistic upstream electronic market on upstream and downstream prices. The analysis highlights the two sources of competition that a firm that source from an electronic market (e-market firm) face: competition with less efficient firms that source traditionally (t-market firms) and competition among e-market firms. When size of the upstream e-market is small, the first effect dominates and there is higher profits with lower upstream prices in the e-market. When size of the emarket becomes very large, the second effect makes e-market firms less profitable than t-market firms even though e-market price may start to increase (as market size increases). As consequence, e-market will never completely eliminate the upstream t-market and downstream price can increase when e-market grows beyond a certain size.
Leadership: An Exploration of the Influence of Written Language

The concept of leadership is versatile, and its interpretation varies in every field. For some, an example of a leader is a student who chooses to spend his or her time researching and addressing certain larger issues,such as the college mental health problem (Aller, 2017). For others, an individual might stand as a representation of the essence of leadership as Arthur Henry King does for Gardner and Christian(2017). Some aspects of these interpretations are consistent no matter the context, including the idea that a leader is inspirational. That being said, a few interpretations of the word "leadership" are accepted across the board. In this essay, I will discuss some people who possessed exemplary leadership qualities and how they changed history through their writing. It is my belief that the most influential leaders do not seek to attain followers, but to inspire conversation for change.