Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Smart Water Application Technology (SWAT™) Evaluation in Florida

Water used for turfgrass/landscape irrigation represents a significant portion of the total water used in Florida. This area of water use is increasing with population growth, which is projected to rise from 17 million to 20 million by 2015. If current water use trends continue, many areas will experience severe water shortages. Smart Water Application Technology (SWAT™) consists of irrigation controllers that establish or modify irrigation scheduling based on soil/weather variables. This paper summarizes the research carried out in Florida, regarding the use of ET controllers, soil moisture sensor controllers and rain sensors on turfgrass/landscape irrigation; and evaluates their effectiveness for irrigation water conservation. Testing locations range from plot scale on turfgrass and landscape material to cooperating home sites. Results have shown that controllers can cut irrigation as much as 90% during rainy periods and 41% during dry periods while maintaining turfgrass quality. Preliminary results in the residential arena show that soil moisture sensors and rain sensors could also save a significant amount of irrigation water when implemented (up to 50%). None of the SWAT™ controllers tested have shown a reduction in turfgrass/landscape quality when correctly set/implemented.
A novel prothrombin mutation in two families with prominent thrombophilia – the first cases of antithrombin resistance in a Caucasian population

V. DJORDJEV IC ,* M. KOVAC,†‡ P . MIL J IC ,†§ M. MURATA, ¶ A. TAKAGI , ¶ I . PRUNER ,* D . FRANCUSK I , * T . KOJ IMA ¶ and D . RADOJKOVIC* *Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade; †Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade; ‡Hemostasis Department, Blood Transfusion Institute of Serbia; §Clinic of Hematology, University Clinical Center, Belgrade, Serbia; and ¶Department of Pathophysiological Laboratory Sciences, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Japan
Design tools for reconfigurable embedded systems

This paper describes the developed hardware/software tools, libraries and design methods for FPGA-based embedded systems which include: a kernel prototyping board with the Xilinx Spartan 3 FPGA; a set of projects for reusable FPGA-based circuits; utilities for FPGA programming; software/hardware tools that provide support for reconfiguration; and programs enabling the designers to partition the functionality of the developed system between software, running on a PC computer, and hardware, implemented in FPGA. A special attention has been paid to data exchange between a host computer and the kernel prototyping board based on compression/decompression techniques. Examples of practical applications are also presented.
Robotics in scansorial environments

We review a large multidisciplinary effort to develop a family of autonomous robots capable of rapid, agile maneuvers in and around natural and artificial vertical terrains such as walls, cliffs, caves, trees and rubble. Our robot designs are inspired by (but not direct copies of) biological climbers such as cockroaches, geckos, and squirrels. We are incorporating advanced materials (e.g., synthetic gecko hairs) into these designs and fabricating them using state of the art rapid prototyping techniques (e.g., shape deposition manufacturing) that permit multiple iterations of design and testing with an effective integration path for the novel materials and components. We are developing novel motion control techniques to support dexterous climbing behaviors that are inspired by neuroethological studies of animals and descended from earlier frameworks that have proven analytically tractable and empirically sound. Our near term behavioral targets call for vertical climbing on soft (e.g., bark) or rough surfaces and for ascents on smooth, hard steep inclines (e.g., 60 degree slopes on metal or glass sheets) at one body length per second.
Measurement of 18-hydroxycorticosterone during adrenal vein sampling for primary aldosteronism.

CONTEXT In primary aldosteronism, elevated serum 18-hydroxycorticosterone (18OHB) suggests aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) rather than bilateral, idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA), but little is known about the relative production of 18OHB and aldosterone (A) in APAs compared with IHA. OBJECTIVES We measured 18OHB, A, and cortisol (F) in blood from adrenal vein sampling (AVS) studies. We compared the discriminatory power of gradients in 18OHB/A and 18OHB/F ratios with A/F ratio gradients for distinguishing APA from IHA. DESIGN, SETTING, AND SUBJECTS We measured 18OHB and A in excess serum from 23 AVS studies performed at our university hospitals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES We calculated the ratios 18OHB/A, 18OHB/F, and A/F for all specimens, and determined the adrenal vein gradients for these ratios. RESULTS The 18OHB/A ratios were much lower in blood draining APAs (2.17 +/- 0.62) than in blood draining the contralateral adrenals (12.96 +/- 12.76; P < 0.001) but similar to blood draining IHA adrenals (4.69 +/- 4.32; P = 0.02). In contrast, the 18OHB/F ratios were elevated in specimens from APAs (26.03 +/- 11.51) compared with IHA adrenals (9.22 +/- 5.18; P < 0.001) or the contralateral adrenals (6.23 +/- 2.97; P < 0.001). Using 18OHB/F gradient greater than two or 18OHB/A gradient less than 0.5 as criteria for lateralization, interpretations agreed with lateralizations based on A/F gradients in 21 of 23 cases. CONCLUSIONS High serum 18OHB in APA reflects augmented production of both 18OHB and A, not disproportionate 18OHB secretion relative to A. The 18OHB/A and 18OHB/F gradients are useful adjuncts but not as reliable as A/F gradients for A lateralization during AVS.
Homocysteine and risk of ischemic heart disease and stroke: a meta-analysis.

CONTEXT It has been suggested that total blood homocysteine concentrations are associated with the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke. OBJECTIVE To assess the relationship of homocysteine concentrations with vascular disease risk. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE was searched for articles published from January 1966 to January 1999. Relevant studies were identified by systematic searches of the literature for all reported observational studies of associations between IHD or stroke risk and homocysteine concentrations. Additional studies were identified by a hand search of references of original articles or review articles and by personal communication with relevant investigators. STUDY SELECTION Studies were included if they had data available by January 1999 on total blood homocysteine concentrations, sex, and age at event. Studies were excluded if they measured only blood concentrations of free homocysteine or of homocysteine after a methionine-loading test or if relevant clinical data were unavailable or incomplete. DATA EXTRACTION Data from 30 prospective or retrospective studies involving a total of 5073 IHD events and 1113 stroke events were included in a meta-analysis of individual participant data, with allowance made for differences between studies, for confounding by known cardiovascular risk factors, and for regression dilution bias. Combined odds ratios (ORs) for the association of IHD and stroke with blood homocysteine concentrations were obtained by using conditional logistic regression. DATA SYNTHESIS Stronger associations were observed in retrospective studies of homocysteine measured in blood collected after the onset of disease than in prospective studies among individuals who had no history of cardiovascular disease when blood was collected. After adjustment for known cardiovascular risk factors and regression dilution bias in the prospective studies, a 25% lower usual (corrected for regression dilution bias) homocysteine level (about 3 micromol/L [0.41 mg/L]) was associated with an 11% (OR, 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83-0.96) lower IHD risk and 19% (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.69-0.95) lower stroke risk. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis of observational studies suggests that elevated homocysteine is at most a modest independent predictor of IHD and stroke risk in healthy populations. Studies of the impact on disease risk of genetic variants that affect blood homocysteine concentrations will help determine whether homocysteine is causally related to vascular disease, as may large randomized trials of the effects on IHD and stroke of vitamin supplementation to lower blood homocysteine concentrations.
Mental models and programming aptitude

Predicting the success of students participating in introductory programming courses has been an active research area for more than 25 years. Until recently, no variables or tests have had any significant predictive power. However, Dehnadi and Bornat claim to have found a simple test for programming aptitude to cleanly separate programming sheep from non-programming goats. We briefly present their theory and test instrument. We have repeated their test in our local context in order to verify and perhaps generalise their findings, but we could not show that the test predicts students' success in our introductory program-ming course. Based on this failure of the test instrument, we discuss various explanations for our differing results and suggest a research method from which it may be possible to generalise local results in this area. Furthermore, we discuss and criticize Dehnadi and Bornat's programming aptitude test and devise alternative test instruments.
Relationship between seismicity and subsurface fluids, central Coast Ranges, California

Seismicity is irregularly distributed in the central Coast Ranges of California, with several large areas having virtually no seismic activity since 1968. Aseismic areas correlate with zones of abnormally high pore fluid pressures (AHPs) >130% of hydrostatic. Level line surveys suggest that aseismic areas have experienced significant historical uplift. Moreover, these aseismic areas show a remarkable correlation with perennial saline springs that represent technically expelled formation fluid, as indicated by their perennial flow, δ18O and δD enrichment to +6.3‰ and −13‰ respectively, elevated [B] to 331 ppm, and chemistry dominated by Na and Cl. Aseismic areas are dominantly located at the center of structural blocks that are under compression and are bounded by major faults and seismicity belts. Volumetric strain within these blocks creates pockets of overpressured formation fluid that greatly reduce seismic activity while promoting aseismic uplift. Seismic cross sections reveal three-dimensional pockets of aseismicity that are floored and surrounded by scattered hypocenters. We suggest that overpressured formation fluids originate at depths of 1 to 7 km within these pockets, on the basis of Na-K-Ca geothermometry estimates that are consistent with stratigraphic information and available drill hole data. These overpressured fluid pockets may also influence seismicity on major faults, such as the upper 3 km of the active Greenville fault, which is relatively aseismic where it separates two overpressured pockets. Decreasing flow rates observed at some saline springs may represent a local transition to a period of increased seismic activity. While many studies have linked generation of earthquakes to man-made fluid overpressures, our data show that the dominant, long-term effect of AHPs is to reduce seismicity and promote uplift.
Genotoxicity of Metal Nanoparticles: Focus on In Vivo Studies

Genotoxicity of Metal Nanoparticles: Focus on In Vivo Studies With increasing production and application of a variety of nanomaterials (NMs), research on their cytotoxic and genotoxic potential grows, as the exposure to these nano-sized materials may potentially result in adverse health effects. In large part, indications for potential DNA damaging effects of nanoparticles (NPs) originate from inconsistent in vitro studies. To clarify these effects, the implementation of in vivo studies has been emphasised. This paper summarises study results of genotoxic effects of NPs, which are available in the recent literature. They provide indications that some NP types cause both DNA strand breaks and chromosomal damages in experimental animals. Their genotoxic effects, however, do not depend only on particle size, surface modification (particle coating), and exposure route, but also on exposure duration. Currently available animal studies may suggest differing mechanisms (depending on the duration of exposure) by which living organisms react to NP contact. Nevertheless, due to considerable inconsistencies in the recent literature and the lack of standardised test methods - a reliable hazard assessment of NMs is still limited. Therefore, international organisations (e.g. NIOSH) suggest utmost caution when potential exposure of humans to NMs occurs, as long as evidence of their toxicological and genotoxic effect(s) is limited. Genotoksičnost metalnih nanočestica: osvrt na podatke istraživanja in vivo S povećanjem proizvodnje i primjene niza različitih nanomaterijala (NM) raste i potreba istraživanja njihovih mogućih citotoksičnih i genotoksičnih učinaka kao i drugih štetnih učinaka na zdravlje u uvjetima profesionalne ili opće izloženost ljudi. Indikacije potencijanog oštećenja DNA kojeg uzrokuju nanočestice u velikoj mjeri proizlaze iz nedosljednih in vitro ispitivanja. Kako bi se razjasnili ti učinci, naglašena je potreba provedbe in vivo ispitivanja. Ovaj pregledni rad sažima rezultate procjene genotoksičnih učinaka nanočestica koji su objavljeni u novijoj stručnoj i znanstvenoj literaturi. Navedeni rezultati pokazuju da određene nanočestice uzrokuju lomove u molekuli DNA i oštećuju kromosome u eksperimentalnim životinjama. Njihovi genotoksični učinci ne ovise samo o veličini čestice, modifikaciji površine (oblaganje čestice) i načinu izlaganja, već i o trajanju izloženosti nanočesticama. Postojeća istraživanja provedena na životinjama upućuju na različite mehanizme koji ovise o trajanju izlaganja i pomoću kojih živi organizmi reagiraju na doticaj s nanočesticama. Međutim postoje brojne nedosljednosti u novijoj literaturi, a standardne testne metode nisu dostupne pa je stoga pouzdanija procjena opasnosti od izlaganja nanomaterijalima u ljudi još uvijek veoma ograničena. Stoga se u međunarodnim dokumentima savjetuje oprez prilikom svakog izlaganja ljudi nanomaterijalima kako bi se spriječili mogući opći toksični genotoksični učinci.
Recovering from Selection Bias in Causal and Statistical Inference

Selection bias is caused by preferential exclusion of units from the samples and represents a major obstacle to valid causal and statistical inferences; it cannot be removed by randomized experiments and can rarely be detected in either experimental or observational studies. In this paper, we provide complete graphical and algorithmic conditions for recovering conditional probabilities from selection biased data. We also provide graphical conditions for recoverability when unbiased data is available over a subset of the variables. Finally, we provide a graphical condition that generalizes the backdoor criterion and serves to recover causal effects when the data is collected under preferential selection.
Observations of atmospheric ozone at 110.836 GHz

The 60,6−61,5 ozone transition at 110.836 GHz has been detected in absorption and in emission in the earth's atmosphere. At zenith the peak absorption was approximately 3.0% of the continuum. Comparisons of the measured profiles have been made with calculated ones based on previous theoretical treatments and measurements of parameter values.
Framework for evaluating loop invariant detection games in relation to automated dynamic invariant detectors

Abstract : Software has a huge and negative impact on the economy. Formal verification is an effective method to check whether a piece of software contains certain kinds of errors. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) started the Crowd Sourced Formal Verification (CSFV) program to propose a new model for formal verification by using five online games. CSFV aims to explore whether an online game player with no formal verification expertise can achieve formal verification more efficiently than through conventional processes. We observe that, currently, no quality criteria exist to measure CSFV gamers efforts. The study suggests that machine detectability of a solution detected by a gamer indicates poor quality for that solution. The solutions in one of the games, StormBound, were selected for examination. An automated tool was developed to check the machine detectability of the solutions, and 78 percent of the assertions were seen to be machine detectable.
Isolation and characterization of multivesicular bodies from rat hepatocytes: an organelle distinct from secretory vesicles of the Golgi apparatus

Hepatocytes of estradiol-treated rats, which express many low density lipoprotein receptors, rapidly accumulate intravenously injected low density lipoprotein in multivesicular bodies (MVBs). We have isolated MVBs and Golgi apparatus fractions from livers of estradiol-treated rats. MVB fractions were composed mainly of large vesicles, approximately 0.55 micron diam, filled with remnantlike very low density lipoproteins, known to be taken up into hepatocytes by receptor- mediated endocytosis. MVBs also contained numerous small vesicles, 0.05- 0.07 micron in diameter, and had two types of appendages: one fingerlike and electron dense and the other saclike and electron lucent. MVBs contained little galactosyltransferase or arylsulfatase activity, and content lipoproteins were largely intact. Very low density lipoproteins from Golgi fractions, which are derived to a large extent from secretory vesicles, were larger than those of MVB fractions and contained newly synthesized triglycerides. Membranes of MVBs contained much more cholesterol and less protein than did Golgi membranes. We conclude that two distinct lipoprotein-filled organelles are located in the bile canalicular pole of hepatocytes. MVBs, a major prelysosomal organelle of low density in the endocytic pathway, contain remnants of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, whereas secretory vesicles of the Golgi apparatus contain nascent very low density lipoproteins.
Real-Time Reconfigurable Subthreshold CMOS Perceptron

In this paper, a new, real-time reconfigurable perceptron circuit element is presented. A six-transistor version used as a threshold gate, having a fan-in of three, producing adequate outputs for threshold of T = 1,2 and 3 is demonstrated by chip measurements. Subthreshold operation for supply voltages in the range of 100-350 mV is shown. The circuit performs competitively with a standard static complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) implementation when maximum speed and energy delay product are taken into account, when used in a ring oscillator. Functionality per transistor is, to our knowledge, the highest reported for a variety of comparable circuits not based on floating gate techniques. Statistical simulations predict probabilities for making working circuits under mismatch and process variations. The simulations, in 120-nm CMOS, also support discussions regarding lower limits to supply voltage and redundancy. A brief discussion on how the circuit may be exploited as a basic building block for future defect tolerant mixed signal circuits, as well as neural networks, exploiting redundancy, is included.
Comparative Analysis of Detection Algorithms for Corner and Blob Features in Image Processing

Feature detection is very important to image processing area. In this paper we compare and analyze some characteristics of image processing algorithms for corner and blob feature detection. We also analyze the simulation results through image matching process. We show that how these algorithms work and how fast they execute. The simulation results are shown for helping us to select an algorithm or several algorithms extracting corner and blob feature.
REGULARITY “ IN LARGE ” FOR THE 3 D SALMON ’ S PLANETARY GEOSTROPHIC MODEL OF OCEAN DYNAMICS By Chongsheng Cao and

It is well known, by now, that the three-dimensional non-viscous planetary geostrophic model, with vertical hydrostatic balance and horizontal Rayleigh friction, coupled to the heat diffusion and transport, is mathematically ill-posed. This is because the no-normal flow physical boundary condition implicitly produces an additional boundary condition for the temperature at the literal boundary. This additional boundary condition is different, because of the Coriolis forcing term, than the no heat flux physical boundary condition. Consequently, the second order parabolic heat equation is over determined with two different boundary conditions. In a previous work we proposed one remedy to this problem by introducing a fourth-order artificial hyper-diffusion to the heat transport equation and proved global regularity for the proposed model. Another remedy for this problem was suggested by R. Salmon by introducing an additional Rayleigh-like friction term for the vertical component of the velocity in the hydrostatic balance equation. In this paper we prove the global, for all time and all initial data, wellposedness of strong solutions to the three-dimensional Salmon’s planetary geostrophic model of ocean dynamics. That is, we show global existence, uniqueness and continuous dependence of the strong solutions on initial data for this model. MSC Subject Classifications: 35Q35, 65M70, 86-08,86A10.
Chironomid Evidence for Late-Glacial Climatic Reversals in Maine

Abstract Previously published pollen studies from Maine have not identified any late-glacial reversals despite evidence for them from adjacent areas. The distribution and abundance of midge flies are strongly correlated with summer surface-water temperatures. We analyzed fossils of larval midge flies from the sediments of two ponds (Trout and Tilley) from Maine. Each site reveals a major and a minor oscillation during which inferred summer surface-water temperatures fell by 7-13°C and 2.1-2.6°C, respectively. We tentatively correlate these events with the Younger Dryas cooling and Killarney Oscillation reported from adjacent Maritime Canada, where they have been AMS 14C-dated at 10,770-10,000 and 11,160-10,910 yr B.P., respectively. A third oscillation occurs at the northernmost site, Tilley Pond, and may represent the effects of a local ice advance in northern Maine.
An xpath-based discourse analysis module for spoken dialogue systems

This paper describes an XPath-based discourse analysis module for Spoken Dialogue Systems that allows the dialogue author to easily manipulate and query both the user input's semantic representation and the dialogue context using a simple and compact formalism. We show that, in managing the human-machine interaction, the discourse context and the dialogue history are effectively represented as Document Object Model (DOM) structures. DOM defines interfaces that dialogue scripts can use to dynamically access and update the content, the structure and the style of the documents. In general, this approach applies also to richer multimedia and multimodal interactions where the interpretation of the user input depends on a combination of input modalitie.
Coronavirus Escape from Heptad Repeat 2 (HR2)-Derived Peptide Entry Inhibition as a Result of Mutations in the HR1 Domain of the Spike Fusion Protein

ABSTRACT Peptides based on heptad repeat (HR) domains of class I viral fusion proteins are considered promising antiviral drugs targeting virus cell entry. We have analyzed the evolution of the mouse hepatitis coronavirus during multiple passaging in the presence of an HR2-based fusion inhibitor. Drug-resistant variants emerged as a result of multiple substitutions in the spike fusion protein, notably within a 19-residue segment of the HR1 region. Strikingly, one mutation, an A1006V substitution, which consistently appeared first in four independently passaged viruses, was the main determinant of the resistance phenotype, suggesting that only limited options exist for escape from the inhibitory effect of the HR2 peptide.