Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detectability of Changes in the Walker Circulation in Response to Global Warming

AbstractChanges in the gradients in sea level pressure (SLP) and sea surface temperature (SST) along the equatorial Pacific are analyzed in observations and 101 numerical experiments performed with 37 climate models participating in the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). The ensemble of numerical experiments simulates changes in the earth’s climate during the 1870–2004 period in response to changes in natural (solar variations and volcanoes) and anthropogenic (well-mixed greenhouse gases, ozone, direct aerosol forcing, and land use) radiative forcings. A reduction in the zonal SLP gradient is present in observational records and is the typical response of the ensemble, yet only 26 out of the 101 experiments exhibit a reduced SLP gradient within 95% statistical confidence of the observed value. The multimodel response indicates a reduction of the Walker circulation to historical forcings, albeit an order of magnitude smaller than the observed value. There are multiple nonexcl.
Lung Parenchymal Mechanics in Health and Disease

The mechanical properties of lung tissue are important determinants of lung physiological functions. The connective tissue is composed mainly of cells and extracellular matrix, where collagen and elastic fibers are the main determinants of lung tissue mechanical properties. These fibers have essentially different elastic properties, form a continuous network along the lungs, and are responsible for passive expiration. In the last decade, many studies analyzed the relationship between tissue composition, microstructure, and macrophysiology, showing that the lung physiological behavior reflects both the mechanical properties of tissue individual components and its complex structural organization. Different lung pathologies such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, fibrosis, inflammation, and emphysema can affect the extracellular matrix. This review focuses on the mechanical properties of lung tissue and how the stress-bearing elements of lung parenchyma can influence its behavior.
Molecular Systems Biology Peer Review Process File the Clock Gene Circuit in Arabidopsis Includes a Repressilator with Additional Feedback Loops Transaction Report

(Note: With the exception of the correction of typographical or spelling errors that could be a source of ambiguity, letters and reports are not edited. The original formatting of letters and referee reports may not be reflected in this compilation.) Thank you again for submitting your work to Molecular Systems Biology. We have now heard back from the three referees who agreed to evaluate your manuscript. As you will see from the reports below, the referees find the topic of your study of potential interest. They raise, however, substantial concerns that preclude its publication in its present form. There was a clear divide between the first two reviewers, who were generally positive, and the last reviewer whose opinion was clearly negative. Nonetheless, it is clear that the reviewers, especially the second and the third actually raised some very similar concerns. Molecular Systems Biology now encourages reviewers to comment on each other's reports, and during this process the second reviewer wrote, "I can understand the points [of] the 3rd reviewer-for any physicist the parameter fitting is not satisfying. In fact, assuming, e.g., a certain topology, Hill coefficients of 2 and linear degradation kinetics makes the model somewhat arbitrary. However, there are no more comprehensive quantitative data available and thus the model cannot be perfect, but it can be useful. The proposed model seems to me close [to] the upper limit of what data and experiences allow. Thus deficiencies in parameter estimations could be tolerated if the biological insight is inspiring. " With these comments in mind, we highlight some important concerns that would need to be addressed in any revised manuscript. -Model parameters. As outlined by the first two reviewers is will be important to acknowledge the limitations of the current model and current parameter estimates, and provide information on the relative confidence of various model aspects. In addition, some attempt should be made to demonstrate that the key conclusions arising from this analysis (e.g. a repressive role for TOC1) are robust to reasonable variation in the parameter values.
Lambing Interval in Zero-Weaned West African Dwarf (WAD) Ewes Reared Intensively with Rams in a Humid Tropical Environment

This experiment was performed to determine lambing interval in a flock of West African Dwarf ewes run continuously with rams in complete confinement, in order to take advantage of “ram effect”, but without weaning (zero weaning) their lambs. Twenty-four (24) mature West African Dwarf ewes aged 18 to 24 months were run continuously with three (3) mature rams of the same breed and age range for two years, and managed in complete confinement. They were fed fresh, cut forages ( Panicum maximum, Gliricidia sepium and Leucaena leucocephala ) supplemented with a concentrate diet of Brewers’ Dried Grains (BDG), rice bran, palm kernel cake (PKC) and a vitamin/mineral premix. All 24 ewes (100%) lambed during the experimental period, and produced a total of 72 lambs in 63 lambing, giving a lambing rate of 114.30%. Average litter size (or prolificacy) was 1.14 lambs. Single births made up about 84% of all births, while twin births were about 16%. There were no triplets. The number of lambs born per ewe per year (fecundity) was approximately 1.50. Mean lambing interval was 242.93 ± 10.04 days (range, 174 to 291 days), and was slightly longer in male lambs (248.75 ± 11.72 days) compared with female lambs (236.29 ± 17.52 days), and in twin lambs (254.33 ± 17.39 days) than in single lambs (235.33 ± 12.25 days), although the differences were not significant (P>0.05). Mean postpartum interval to conception ranged from 27 days (once in only one ewe) to 144 days, and averaged 95.93 ± 10.03 days while the average re-breeding interval was 95.93 ± 10.03 days. Mean lamb birthweight was 1.90 ± 0.10kg. Mean live-weight gain to lambing was 4.88 ± 0.39kg, and higher, though non-significantly (P>0.05), in male lambs and twin births than in female and single lambs respectively. It was concluded that zero-weaned WAD ewes kept in complete confinement, and run continuously with rams are more likely to achieve three lamb crops in two years. Keywords: West African Dwarf ewes, lambing interval, lambs, rams, zero-weaning
Group cognition in computer-assisted collaborative learning

Recent research on instructional technology has focused increasingly on the potential of computer support to promote collaborative learning. Socio-cultural theories have been imported from cognate fields to suggest that cognition and learning take place at the level of groups and communities as well as individuals. Various positions on this issue have been proposed and a number of theoretical perspectives have been recommended. In particular, the concept of common ground has been developed to explain how meanings and understandings can be shared by multiple individuals. This paper takes a critical look at the concept of shared meaning as it is generally used and proposes an empirical study of how group cognition is constituted in practice.
Quantitative approach in the spectral reflectance-lithostratigraphy of the Wind River and southern Bighorn basins, Wyoming

Abstract A procedure developed for quantifying spectral variability was applied to visible and near-infrared spectra from a database of the Wind River and Bighorn basins. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) of 94 sedimentary rock spectra distinguished shales, sandstones, limestones, dolostones, bedded gypsum and bentonites from 25 stratigraphic units. However, only twelve spectrally distinct groups were delineated because of lithological homogeneity. Albedo and slope characteristics of the spectra were found to be related to the first and second PC, respectively, and absorption bands related to the remaining components. A second PCA phase, using vertically scaled spectra to minimize the albedo variability, indicated space distributions that enhanced major absorption features in the ncar-infrared region. Parameters describing absorption bands were also calculated from spectral continuum. The best parameters for spectra discrimination were band depths at 1900, 2200 and 2300 nm, in agreement with the PCA res.
Optimal Geometrical Set for Automated Marker Placement to Virtualized Real-Time Facial Emotions

In recent years, real-time face recognition has been a major topic of interest in developing intelligent human-machine interaction systems. Over the past several decades, researchers have proposed different algorithms for facial expression recognition, but there has been little focus on detection in real-time scenarios. The present work proposes a new algorithmic method of automated marker placement used to classify six facial expressions: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and surprise. Emotional facial expressions were captured using a webcam, while the proposed algorithm placed a set of eight virtual markers on each subject’s face. Facial feature extraction methods, including marker distance (distance between each marker to the center of the face) and change in marker distance (change in distance between the original and new marker positions), were used to extract three statistical features (mean, variance, and root mean square) from the real-time video sequence. The initial position of each marker was subjected to the optical flow algorithm for marker tracking with each emotional facial expression. Finally, the extracted statistical features were mapped into corresponding emotional facial expressions using two simple non-linear classifiers, K-nearest neighbor and probabilistic neural network. The results indicate that the proposed automated marker placement algorithm effectively placed eight virtual markers on each subject’s face and gave a maximum mean emotion classification rate of 96.94% using the probabilistic neural network.
Testis-expressed cluster of microRNAs 959-964 controls spermatid differentiation in Drosophila

MicroRNAs are a wide class of ∼22 nt non-coding RNAs of metazoans capable of inhibiting target mRNAs translation by binding to partially complementary sites in their 3’UTRs. Due to their regulatory potential, miRNAs are implicated in functioning of a broad range of biological pathways and processes. Here we investigate the functions of the miR-959-964 cluster expressed predominantly in testes of Drosophila melanogaster. The deletion of miR-959-964 resulted in male sterility due to the disturbance of the spermatid individualization process. Analysis of the transcriptome by microarray followed by luciferase reporter assay revealed didum, for, fdl and CG10512 as the targets of miR-959-964. Moreover, the deletion of miR-959-964 is accompanied by a decreased the expression of genes responsible for microtubule-based movement and spermatid differentiation. Thus, we suggest that miR-959-964 can control the process of spermatid individualization by direct and indirect modulating the expression of different components of the individualization process. In addition, we have shown that in comparison to other miRNAs, the rate of evolution of the testis-specific miR-959-964 cluster is unusually high, indicating its possible involvement in speciation via reproductive isolation.
Skin‐Electrode Impedance and Its Effect on Recording Cardiac Potentials

Skin-electrode impedance was measured for four different types of conventional electrocardiographic electrodes applied under different conditions. All types of contacts were frequency dependent; a decrease in impedance was found with increasing frequency. Occasionally, impedance values at a frequency range of 6 to 100 cycles per second were in the tens of thousands of ohms with all electrode types. Tracings obtained under working conditions were evaluated to determine the influence of skin-electrode impedance on the recorded data. Single channel electrocardiographs accurately recorded cardiac potentials; however, simultaneously recorded multiple channel data had considerable distortion in half of the subjects. Frank vectorcardiograms demonstrated significant amplitude loss in half of the patients, with the most prominent distortion occurring in the T wave as compared to QRS. The inclusion of a buffer amplifier between the skin-electrode contacts and the resistor network produced distortionfree tracings. The inclusion of such devices is suggested to obviate any potential error produced by the highest skin-electrode impedance contact values obtained under working conditions.
An increasing prevalence of hearing impairment and associated risk factors over three decades of the Alameda County Study.

OBJECTIVES This study assessed changes in the prevalence of hearing impairment in persons aged 50 years and older over the past 30 years and identified risk factors. METHODS Age-adjusted hearing impairment prevalence rates at four time intervals were calculated from the Alameda County Study (n = 5108). Logistic regression models analyzed risk factors from 1974 for 1994 incident hearing impairment. RESULTS The prevalence of hearing impairment nearly doubled between 1965 and 1994. The increase was significantly greater for men. The higher incidence was associated with potentially high-noise-exposure occupations for men and with symptoms and conditions associated with ototoxic drug use for both men and women. Exercise was protective. CONCLUSIONS Given the serious health and social consequences of hearing impairment, its increasing prevalence is cause for concern.
A seismic refraction and gravity study of the earth's crust in British Columbia

Abstract Explosion refraction studies have been carried out in areas adjacent to Vancouver Island, including the Strait of Georgia and Johnstone Strait and along the west coast of the Island. A refraction line has also been observed from a large explosion in Seymour Narrows, eastward through the mountains and for some distance across the plains of Alberta. Although the surficial strata complicate the interpretation, a series of short refraction profiles consistently reveal the presence of an intermediate layer with velocity of about 6.8 km/sec. in the coastal area. The depth to the upper boundary of this layer varies from about 11 km. along the west coast of the Island to less than 5 km. in the Strait of Georgia and along the east side of the Island. The longer range observations parallel to the coast indicate this layer to be more than 40 km. thick. On the profile eastward through the mountains a velocity of 7.8 km/sec. has been found for Pn , from an unreversed profile, with a crustal thickness of approximately 30 km.
Deformation retrieval in large areas based on multibaseline DInSAR algorithm: a case study in Cangzhou, northern China

The DInSAR technique with a multibaseline is becoming popular nowadays to investigate slow urban deformation. In this paper, we focus on deformation retrieval in large areas, including urban and suburban areas. Based on the multibaseline DInSAR algorithm proposed by Mora, three extensions are derived. First, least‐squares adjustment and error‐controlling methods are used to obtain stable deformation velocity and height error estimations. The least‐squares QR factorizaiton algorithm is emphasized to solve large, linear, and sparse functions. Second, a new complex network is presented to limit noise effects on the Delaunay triangular network. Third, by combining complex and Delaunay networks, large‐area deformation is investigated, from centre urban areas to suburban areas. The enhanced algorithm is performed to investigate the subsidence of Cangzhou, Hebei province (northern China) during 1993–1997 by using 9 ERS SLC data. The experimental results show serious subsidence in the region and are validated by levelling data and groundwater wells data. Compared with levelling data, the estimation errors of linear deformation velocity in urban areas are in the range of (−2, 2) mm year−1, and in suburban areas, the errors are in the range of (−26, 15) mm year−1, which is sufficiently feasible to determine the status of subsidence relative to the maximum deformation velocity of about −100 mm year−1. The subsidence centres in urban areas are consistent with the spatial distribution of groundwater wells, which provides evidence that groundwater overexploitation is the main cause of subsidence in Cangzhou. The closure of wells will be a good way to control subsidence in the future.
Hypergraph Representation of Lambda-Terms

Substitution in the λ-calculus is a subtle operation. In a formal description, Barendregt's variable convention is assumed to avoid variable capture, but such an assumption is not well suited for implementation on computers. We introduce graph representation and manipulation of λ-terms, in which bound and free variables are encoded by using hyperlinks with different attributes. A graph type called hlground is generalized to identify the scope of a term n in substitution m[x := n], which enables bound variables and free variables to have suitable behavior during the substitution. Our representation of the λ-terms are readable and the definition of substitution in this technique is free from any side conditions on the freeness and freshness of variables.
Segmentation and Sampling of Moving Object Trajectories Based on Representativeness

Moving Object Databases (MOD), although ubiquitous, still call for methods that will be able to understand, search, analyze, and browse their spatiotemporal content. In this paper, we propose a method for trajectory segmentation and sampling based on the representativeness of the (sub)trajectories in the MOD. In order to find the most representative subtrajectories, the following methodology is proposed. First, a novel global voting algorithm is performed, based on local density and trajectory similarity information. This method is applied for each segment of the trajectory, forming a local trajectory descriptor that represents line segment representativeness. The sequence of this descriptor over a trajectory gives the voting signal of the trajectory, where high values correspond to the most representative parts. Then, a novel segmentation algorithm is applied on this signal that automatically estimates the number of partitions and the partition borders, identifying homogenous partitions concerning their representativeness. Finally, a sampling method over the resulting segments yields the most representative subtrajectories in the MOD. Our experimental results in synthetic and real MOD verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme, also in comparison with other sampling techniques.
JAK2 Exon 14 Skipping in Patients with Primary Myelofibrosis: A Minor Splice Variant Modulated by the JAK2-V617F Allele Burden

Background Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is an acquired clonal disease of the hematopoietic stem cell compartment, characterized by bone marrow fibrosis, anemia, splenomegaly and extramedullary hematopoiesis. About 60% of patients with PMF harbor a somatic mutation of the JAK2 gene (JAK2-V617F) in their hematopoietic lineage. Recently, a splicing isoform of JAK2, lacking exon 14 (JAK2Δ14) was described in patients affected by myeloproliferative diseases. Materials and Methods By using a specific RT-qPCR method, we measured the ratio between the splicing isoform and the JAK2 full-length transcript (JAK2+14) in granulocytes, isolated from peripheral blood, of forty-four patients with PMF and nine healthy donors. Results We found that JAK2Δ14 was only slightly increased in patients and, at variance with published data, the splicing isoform was also detectable in healthy controls. We also found that, in patients bearing the JAK2-V617F mutation, the percentage of mutated alleles correlated with the observed increase in JAK2Δ14. Homozygosity for the mutation was also associated with a higher level of JAK2+14. Bioinformatic analysis indicates the possibility that the G>T transversion may interfere with the correct splicing of exon 14 by modifying a splicing regulatory sequence. Conclusions Increased levels of JAK2 full-length transcript and a small but significant increase in JAK2 exon 14 skipping, are associated with the JAK2-V617F allele burden in PMF granulocytes. Our data do not confirm a previous claim that the production of the JAK2Δ14 isoform is related to the pathogenesis of PMF.
The P-wave upper mantle structure beneath an active spreading centre: the Gulf of California

Summary. Detailed analysis of short-period travel-time, dT/dδ and wave-form data reveals the upper mantle structure beneath an oceanic ridge to depths of 900 km. More than 1400 digital seismograms from earthquakes in Mexico and central America recorded at SCARLET yield 1753 travel times and 58 direct measurements of dT/dδ as well as high-quality, stable waveforms. The 29 events combine to form a continuous record section from 9° to 40° with an average station spacing of less than 5 km. First the travel times are inverted using the tau method of Bessonova et al.; the resultant model is adjusted to agree with the experimental p-δ values. Further constraints arise from the observed relative amplitudes of mantle phases, which are modelled by trial and error using WKBJ synthetic seismograms (Chapman; Wiggins). Model GCA, which is appropriate for western Mexico north of 20° latitude, is similar to existing upper mantle models for shield, tectonic-continental, and arc-trench regimes below 400 km, but differs significantly in the upper 350 km. GCA velocities are very low in this depth range; the model ‘catches up’ with the others with a very large velocity gradient from 225 to 390 km. This well-resolved feature is consistent with the shear-wave model TNA for western North America of Grand & Helmberger. The abundant data from 20° to 30° control the detailed shape of the 660-km discontinuity. Very large velocity gradients lie both above (620-660 km) and below (661-680km) a 2.8 per cent velocity change.
Evidence for a Common Evolutionary Origin of Coronavirus Spike Protein Receptor-Binding Subunits

ABSTRACT Among different coronavirus genera, the receptor-binding S1 subunits of their spike proteins differ in primary, secondary, and tertiary structures. This study identified shared structural topologies (connectivity of secondary structural elements) in S1 domains of different coronavirus genera. The results suggest that coronavirus S1 subunits share a common evolutionary origin but have attained diverse sequences and structures following extensive divergent evolution. The results also increase understanding of the structures and functions of coronavirus S1 domains whose tertiary structures are currently unknown.