Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Natural decadal variability of global vegetation growth in relation to major decadal climate modes

The ongoing climate change can modulate the behavior of global vegetation and influence the terrestrial biosphere carbon sink. Past observation-based studies have mainly focused on the linear trend or interannual variability of the vegetation greenness, but could not explicitly deal with the effect of natural decadal variability due to the short length of observations. Here we put the variabilities revealed by remote sensing-based global leaf area index (LAI) from 1982 to 2015 into a long-term perspective with the help of ensemble Earth system model simulations of the historical period 1850–2014, with a focus on the low-frequency variability in the global LAI during the growing season. Robust decadal variability in the observed and modelled LAI was revealed across global terrestrial ecosystems, and it became stronger toward higher latitudes, accounting for over 50% of the total variability north of 40°N. The linkage of LAI decadal variability to major natural decadal climate modes, such as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation decadal variability (ENSO-d), the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), and the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO), was analyzed. ENSO-d affects LAI by altering precipitation over large parts of tropical land. The PDO exerts opposite impacts on LAI in the tropics and extra-tropics due to the compensation between the effects of temperature and growing season length. The AMO effects are mainly associated with anomalous precipitation in North America and Europe but are mixed with long-term climate change impacts due to the coincident phase shift of the AMO which also induces North Atlantic basin warming. Our results suggest that the natural decadal variability of LAI can be largely explained by these decadal climate modes (on average 20% of the variance, comparable to linear changes, and over 40% in some ecosystems) which also can be potentially important in inducing the greening of the Earth of the past decades.
Treatment of on/off switches in the adjoint method: FDDA experiments with a simple model

The purpose of this study is to illustrate the feasibility of using the adjoint method in the data assimilation procedure, where the assimilation model involves on/off switches associated with physical processes. Although the assimilation model used in this study is very simple, it has the on/off switches that are typical in more sophisticated and realistic assimilation models. The calculus of variations is used to confirm that variational FDDA using the adjoint method allows the equations of the assimilation model to have a finite number of first-order discontinuous points. These points represent the on/off switches for which the Jacobian matrix of the model equation may not exist. In practice, when the on/off switches are involved, the gradient of the functional can be obtained by assuming that an infinitesimally small initial perturbation does not change the time interval within which the switching takes place. The time when the corresponding switching in the adjoint equations is performed is the same as that in the forward integration of the model equations, i.e., the switching time is determined by the basic state. Numerical experiments are then conducted using the aforementioned ideas in a simple one-dimensional convection model involving on/off switches associated with latent heat release. The implication of the numerical experiments is that there is no difficulty, in theory, in treating the on/off switches in the adjoint of the assimilation model. Rather, the success of the adjoint method is dependent on the numerical aspects of the implementation, such as the proper scaling of the variables.
Photon counting timing uniformity–unique feature of the silicon avalanche photodiodes K14

The paper reports on detailed tests of active area uniformity of three different single photon avalanche detectors (SPADs). Relative sensitivity, timing jitter, and relative detection delay have been measured for a series of points across the detection area; the resulting spatial profiles have been plotted and analysed. Unique features have been found in the case of silicon-based K14 SPADs: their active area is extremely uniform, especially with respect to the detection delay, in contrast to the remaining two SPADs, which exhibit significant fluctuations of the delay. The perfect uniformity of the K14 SPADs enables the detector to maintain its high temporal resolution of 40 ps FWHM even for large detection areas of 200 µm diameter.
Identification of the parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, in multiple tissues of epidemiological significance in the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana): Implications for environmental and vertical transmission routes

Background Trypanosoma cruzi, a parasitic protozoan, is endemic to the Americas and the causative agent of Chagas disease in humans. In South America, opossums facilitate transmission via infected anal gland secretions in addition to transmission via triatomine vectors. In North America, the Virginia opossum is a reservoir host for the parasite with transmission routes that are not clearly defined. The unique biology of this marsupial provides the opportunity to investigate vertical transmission in this wildlife species in situ. Our objectives were to investigate alternative routes of transmission that may facilitate spillover into other species and to determine if vertical transmission was evident. Methodology/Principal findings Virginia opossums were sampled at 10 trapping locations over a 10-month period in a 5-county region of north central Florida. Peripheral blood, fecal swabs, and anal gland secretions were collected from each adult individual, and peripheral blood was collected from joey opossums. Total DNA was extracted from each collected sample type, and T. cruzi infected individuals and the infecting Discrete Typing Unit (DTU) were identified using real time PCR methods. Adult Virginia opossums (n = 112) were infected with T. cruzi (51.8%, 95% CI [42.6–60.8%]) throughout the sampled period and at each location. T. cruzi DNA was found in each of the three biological sample types. Vertical transmission of T. cruzi was inferred in one litter of mother-dependent (n = 20, 5.0%, 95% CI [0.9–23.6%]) joey opossums where 2 joeys from this same litter were rtPCR positive for T. cruzi. Conclusions/Significance We inferred vertical transmission from mother to neonate which may serve to amplify the prevalence of T. cruzi in adult Virginia opossums. T. cruzi DNA was detected in the anal gland secretions of Virginia opossums. Infected anal gland secretions suggest a possible environmental route of transmission for T. cruzi via the deposition of contaminated feces and spraint at wildlife latrines. Only DTU1 was identified in the sampled population which is consistent with human autochthonous cases in the United States.
Nonlinear Color–Metallicity Relations of Globular Clusters. X. Subaru/FOCAS Multiobject Spectroscopy of M87 Globular Clusters

We obtained spectra of some 140 globular clusters (GCs) associated with the Virgo central cD galaxy M87 with the Subaru/FOCAS MOS mode. The fundamental properties of GCs such as age, metallicity, and α-element abundance are investigated by using simple stellar population models. It is confirmed that the majority of M87 GCs are as old as, more metal-rich than, and more enhanced in α-elements than the Milky Way GCs. Our high-quality, homogeneous data set enables us to test the theoretical prediction of inflected color–metallicity relations (CMRs). The nonlinear-CMR hypothesis entails an alternative explanation for the widely observed GC color bimodality, in which even a unimodal metallicity spread yields a bimodal color distribution by virtue of nonlinear metallicity-to-color conversion. The newly derived CMRs of old, high-signal-to-noise-ratio GCs in M87 (the V − I CMR of 83 GCs and the M−T2 CMR of 78 GCs) corroborate the presence of the significant inflection. Furthermore, from a combined catalog with the previous study on M87 GC spectroscopy, we find that a total of 185 old GCs exhibit a broad, unimodal metallicity distribution. The results corroborate the nonlinear-CMR interpretation of the GC color bimodality, shedding further light on theories of galaxy formation.
Automated detection of toxicophores and prediction of mutagenicity using PMCSFG algorithm

Maximum common substructures (MCS) have received a lot of attention in the chemoinformatics community. They are typically used as a similarity measure between molecules, showing high predictive performance when used in classification tasks, while being easily explainable substructures. In the present work, we applied the Pairwise Maximum Common Subgraph Feature Generation (PMCSFG) algorithm to automatically detect toxicophores (structural alerts) and to compute fingerprints based on MCS. We present a comparison between our MCS‐based fingerprints and 12 well‐known chemical fingerprints when used as features in machine learning models. We provide an experimental evaluation and discuss the usefulness of the different methods on mutagenicity data. The features generated by the MCS method have a state‐of‐the‐art performance when predicting mutagenicity, while they are more interpretable than the traditional chemical fingerprints.
Transient rheological response and morphology evolution of immiscible polymer blends

The response of semi-concentrated model blends (10% disperse phase), consisting of slightly viscoelastic polymers, on a stepwise increase in shear rate is investigated. During the initial stage of the response droplets deform into fibrils. The shear and normal stress transients during the deformation process are modeled by combining the approach of Doi and Ohta with the affine deformation theory for single droplet behaviour. In the proposed equations the scaling relations of Doi and Ohta for transient stresses are preserved. They do not contain any fitting parameter. First, the model predictions are compared with experimental results on model blends. Good agreement is found under conditions for which affine deformation is expected. Second the applicability of the scaling relations of the Doi–Ohta theory is verified experimentally. Although the scaling laws should only apply for 50:50 mixtures of Newtonian liquids with equal viscosity, the experiments show that they hold as well for semiconcentrated system.
NON-CAUSALITY IN COINTEGRATED SYSTEMS: REPRESENTATION ESTIMATION AND TESTING

This paper addresses the problem of representing noncausality between two sets of cointegrated variables. In this case, maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters may be derived based on Johansen's approach. Likelihood ratio tests for noncausality are derived, which are different depending on the distributions of the unit roots in the marginal subsystem and the autoregressive part of the conditional subsystem. These tests are chi-squared-distributed. A Monte Carlo experiment illustrates t he advantages of the proposed approach when compared to the usual approach based on VAR's in levels. Copyright 1992 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd
On the improvement of heart rate prediction using the combination of singular spectrum analysis and copula-based analysis approach

In recent years, many people have been working from home due to the exceptional circumstances concerning the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It has also negatively influenced general health and quality of life. Therefore, physical activity has been gaining much attention in preventing the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus. For planning an effective physical activity for different clients, physical activity intensity and load degree needs to be appropriately adjusted depending on the individual’s physical/health conditions. Heart rate (HR) is one of the most critical health indicators for monitoring exercise intensity and load degree because it is closely related to the heart rate. Heart rate prediction estimates the heart rate at the next moment based on now and other influencing factors. Therefore, an accurate short-term HR prediction technique can deliver efficient early warning for human health and decrease the happening of harmful events. The work described in this article aims to introduce a novel hybrid approach to model and predict the heart rate dynamics for different exercises. The results indicate that the combination of singular spectrum analysis (SSA) and the Clayton Copula model can accurately predict HR for the short term.
Mapping HPV 16 Sub-Lineages in Anal Cancer and Implications for Disease Outcomes

The incidence of anal cancer is rising worldwide. As identified in cervical cancer management, an improvement in the early detection and management of anal pre-cancer is essential. In other cancers associated with human papillomavirus (HPV), HPV 16 sub-lineages have been shown to be associated with disease status and prognosis. However, in anal cancer, they have been under-explored. A total of 119 HPV 16-positive anal cancer lesions diagnosed between 2009 and 2018 in Scotland and 134 HPV 16-positive residual rectal swabs from asymptomatic men collected in 2016/7 were whole genome sequenced. The association of HPV 16 sub-lineages with underlying disease status (cancer vs. asymptomatic) and overall survival in anal cancer samples was assessed (comparing A1 vs non-A1 sub-lineages). A1 was the dominant sub-lineage present in the anal cancer (76.5%) and the asymptomatic (76.1%) cohorts. A2 was the second most dominant sub-lineage in both groups (16.8% and 17.2%, respectively). We did not observe significant associations of sub-lineage with demographics, clinical variables or survival (A1 vs. non-A1 sub-lineages (HR 0.83, 0.28–2.46 p = 0.743)). HPV 16 sub-lineages do to not appear to cluster with disease vs asymptomatic carriage or be independently associated with outcomes in anal cancer patients. Further international studies on anal HPV sub-lineage mapping will help to determine whether this is a consistent observation.
Compact Features in a Complete Sample of Radio Sources

The occurrence of compact features in a complete sample of 3 CR sources, as revealed by interplanetary scintillation at 8r5 MHz, is described. It is found that ' hot spots ' having a typical size of 5 kpc commonly exist in sources of high luminosity. Hot spots account for at least half the total radiation in many high luminosity sources when the overall extent of the source is around 100 kpc. Sources having an extent exceeding about 200 kpc do not usually contain prominent hot spots and are of lower luminosity. The significance of these facts is discussed in relation to the beam model of extragalactic radio sources. distributions of weak, intermediate and strong scintillators.
An Introduction to a Compatible Spectral Discretization Method

In this paper I try to explain what one means when one refers to ’compatible’ or ’mimetic’ discretization methods. I will show why this approach is so appealing from a computational and physical point of view. In this respect, this is not really a scientific paper, although some new ideas will be presented, but – as the title suggests – an introduction to a new way of looking at discretization methods. This papers shows the path from physical modeling, to a representation in terms of differential forms, algebraic topological cochains with an implementation in terms of an orthogonal polynomials.
Active Power Control of DPC Based Operation of Three Phase Inverter Under Stand-Alone Mode

Abstract This paper presents the successful application of direct power control (DPC) based algorithm in the DC–AC conversion of a standalone system. This algorithm is successful at the smooth variation of active power in the standalone mode of operation of renewable power generating system. Thus, it can supply the variable nature of power demand. The algorithm also successfully rejects the variation of DC voltage at the input of the inverter. The power output of the inverter in this standalone mode is successfully maintained during this condition. So, it can be said that the DPC in the standalone mode, is flexible enough to adopt the fluctuation of the DC voltage. It has also been seen that the inverter operating with DPC-based control can deliver constant power at the load end even under fluctuating load impedance. The claims stated, in theory, are successfully justified in both simulation and real-time environment.
Adaptive end‐effector pose control for tomato harvesting robots

This paper investigates the development of a tomato‐harvesting robot operating on a plant factory and primarily studies the reachable pose of tomatoes in the nondexterous workspace of manipulator. The end‐effector can only reach the tomatoes with reachable poses when the tomatoes are within the nondexterous workspace. If the grasping pose is not reachable, it will lead to grasping failure. An adaptive end‐effector pose control method based on a genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to find a reachable pose. The inverse kinematic solution based on analysis method of the manipulator is analyzed and the objective function of whether the manipulator has a solution or not is obtained. The grasping pose is set as an individual owing to the position of the tomatoes is fixed and the grasping pose is variable. The GA is used to solve until a pose that can make the inverse kinematics have a solution is generated. This pose is the reachable grasping pose of the tomato at this position. The quintic interpolation polynomial is used to plan the trajectory to avoid damage to tomatoes owing to fast approaching speed and a distance based background filtering method is proposed. Experiments were performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The radius of the workspace of the UR3e manipulator with the end‐effector increased from 550 to 800 mm and the grasping range expanded by 208%. The harvesting success rate using the adaptive end‐effector pose control method and trajectory planning method was 88%. The cycle of harvesting a tomato was 20 s. The experimental results indicated that the proposed tomato‐recognition and end‐effector pose control method are feasible and effective.
Taylor series derivation of nonstationary wavefield extrapolators

Summary A Taylor series approach is used to derive two elemental and complementary wavefield extrapolators directly from the Helmholtz equation (i.e. the wave equation after a temporal Fourier transform). These extrapolators are for vertical propagation when velocity varies arbitrarily in the horizontal direction. The Helmholtz equation provides two alternative and exact pseudodifferential operator forms for the second derivative with respect to the vertical coordinate. These lead to alternative but approximate pseudodifferential operators for the n th vertical derivative as required in the Taylor series. When these approximate operators are substituted into the Taylor series, the series can be summed to give the two alternative extrapolators: PSPI (phase shift plus interpolation) and NSPS (nonstationary phase shift). The resulting extrapolators are Fourier integral operators and are approximate unless velocity is constant when they both simplify to ordinary phase shift. An investigation of the accuracy of these approximations is done using the composition theorem of pseudodifferential operators. The result suggests that NSPS and PSPI produce errors that are complementary in that they tend to cancel when the extrapolations are averaged together. A numerical example supports this conclusion.
Improvements in the Probabilistic Prediction of Tropical Cyclone Rapid Intensification with Passive Microwave Observations

AbstractThe probabilistic prediction of tropical cyclone (TC) rapid intensification (RI) in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific Ocean basins is examined here using a series of logistic regression models trained on environmental and infrared satellite-derived features. The environmental predictors are based on averaged values over a 24-h period following the forecast time. These models are compared against equivalent models enhanced with additional TC predictors created from passive satellite microwave imagery (MI). Leave-one-year-out cross validation on the developmental dataset shows that the inclusion of MI-based predictors yields more skillful RI models for a variety of RI and intensity thresholds. Compared with the baseline forecast skill of the non-MI-based RI models, the relative skill improvements from including MI-based predictors range from 10.6% to 44.9%. Using archived real-time data during the period 2004–13, evaluation of simulated real-time models is also carried out. Unlike in the model develo.
Geospatial analysis of flood emergency evacuation sites in Accra

Cities face frequent flood disasters with devastating impact on lives and property. Geospatial analysis using high elevation points can help to map out emergency evacuation centres for decision making on flood risk management. This research maps and analyses flood emergency evacuation centres in Accra. The objectives of this research were to map out flood hazard and vulnerable settlements, analyse the spatial distribution and identify the optimal locations for flood emergency evacuation sites. The data for this study comprises digital elevation models, stream networks, settlement data, flood risk zone maps of the study site and existing documents on flood disaster risk of the study area. This study adopted the weighted linear combination method to estimate site suitability for emergency evacuation sites. ArcGIS 10.6 was used to analyse the data. The research found that the optimal locations for potential evacuation centres are unevenly distributed between 300 m and 400 m above sea level, most which are in the north-eastern and north-western parts of Accra. The results can contribute to research, policy and decision-making on flood risk management in Accra and other localities with similar conditions. The research further contributes to literature on flood risk management and geographic information system. Contribution This research is useful as mapping could increase awareness of evacuation sites to speed up rapid response to immediate impacts of flood events. The findings of the study will facilitate future decisions for demarcating potential flood emergency evacuation sites. The overall aim of this study is to contribute to literature, policy, spatial analysis and the practice of flood risk management in the study area. The research findings can also be applied to other flood-prone areas with similar contexts as the study site.
Remyelination in Multiple Sclerosis: Findings in the Cuprizone Model

Remyelination therapies, which are currently under development, have a great potential to delay, prevent or even reverse disability in multiple sclerosis patients. Several models are available to study the effectiveness of novel compounds in vivo, among which is the cuprizone model. This model is characterized by toxin-induced demyelination, followed by endogenous remyelination after cessation of the intoxication. Due to its high reproducibility and ease of use, this model enjoys high popularity among various research and industrial groups. In this review article, we will summarize recent findings using this model and discuss the potential of some of the identified compounds to promote remyelination in multiple sclerosis patients.