Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
REDD+: Quick Assessment of Deforestation Risk Based on Available Data

The evaluation of the future dynamics of deforestation is essential to creating the basis for the effective implementation of REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) initiatives. Such evaluation is often a challenging task, especially for countries that have to cope with a critical lack of data and capacities, higher uncertainties, and competing interests. We present a new modeling approach that makes use of available and easily accessible data sources to predict the spatial location of future deforestation. This approach is based on the Random Forest algorithm, which is a machine learning technique that enables evidence-based, data-driven decisions and is therefore often used in decision-making processes. Our objective is to provide a straightforward modeling approach that, without requiring cost-intensive assessments, can be applied in the early stages of REDD+, for a stepwise implementation approach of REDD+ projects in regions with limited availability of data, capital, technical infrastructure, or human capacities. The presented model focuses on building business-as-usual scenarios to identify and rank potentially suitable areas for REDD+ interventions. For validation purposes we applied the model to data from Nicaragua.
Sequences of Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. hominis strains associated with recurrent pneumonia vary at multiple loci

The sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. hominis strains from 7 of 15 AIDS patients were found to vary during discrete episodes of P. carinii pneumonia. Changes in the ITS sequence correlated with changes in the mitochondrial large-subunit rRNA sequence. The coincidence of changes in the sequences of the ITS, which is located in the nucleus, with changes in a mitochondrial gene excludes mutation as the cause of the genetic differences between P. carinii f. sp. hominis strains isolated during different episodes of P. carinii pneumonia and supports the hypothesis that recurrent P. carinii pneumonia is caused by reinfection rather than by reactivation of latent organisms. Thus, limiting the exposure of immunocompromised patients to P. carinii f. sp. hominis should help prevent P. carinii pneumonia.
On interference-aware cooperation policies for wireless ad hoc networks

In this paper we devise efficient optimization techniques to find optimal routing and scheduling policies for wireless ad hoc networks in the presence of multi-user interference and cooperative transmissions. Our focus is to assess the impact of interference among distinct data flows on optimal routing paths and related transmission schedules. In our reference scenario, all nodes have a single antenna and can cooperate in the transmission of packets. Given that, we first model the cooperative transmission problem using linear programming (LP). Thus, for an efficient solution, we reformulate the joint routing and scheduling problem as a single-pair shortest path problem, which is solved using the A* search algorithm through specialized heuristics. Simulation results of the obtained optimal policies confirm the importance of avoiding interfering paths and that interference-aware routing can substantially improve the network performance in terms of throughput and energy consumption, even when the number of interfering paths is small. Our models provide useful performance bounds for the design of distributed cooperative transmission protocols in ad hoc networks.
Costimulatory molecules in ocular cicatricial pemphigoid.

PURPOSE To examine normal and inflamed conjunctiva from patients with ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) for the presence of costimulatory molecule CD28 and its ligands B7-1 (CD80) and B7-2 (CD86). METHODS Conjunctival biopsy specimens from 12 patients with OCP and from five healthy persons undergoing cataract surgery were analyzed by light microscopy and immunohistochemical examination with monoclonal antibody probes for CD28, B7-1, and B7-2 molecules and for mononuclear cell subtypes. RESULTS Epithelium of OCP conjunctiva showed more Langerhans' cells, B7-1-positive (+) cells, and B7-2 expression (ratio of B7-2-positive cells to antigen-presenting cells). In the substantia propria, OCP specimens showed significantly increased numbers of T cells (CD3 +), macrophages (CD68+), CD28+ cells, B7-2+ cells (CD86+), Langerhans' cells (CD1a), and B7-1+ cells (CD80). Most of the B7-2+ cells, macrophages, and Langerhans' cells were located subepithelially. B7-2 expression was significantly higher in OCP conjunctival substantia propria compared with normal conjunctiva. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study indicate that the expression of the costimulatory molecule B7-2 is upregulated in conjunctiva of patients with active OCP. This increased subepithelial B7-2 expression may contribute to the sustained immune activation in OCP conjunctiva.
Explaining Adherence Success in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Ethnographic Study

Background Individuals living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa generally take more than 90% of prescribed doses of antiretroviral therapy (ART). This number exceeds the levels of adherence observed in North America and dispels early scale-up concerns that adherence would be inadequate in settings of extreme poverty. This paper offers an explanation and theoretical model of ART adherence success based on the results of an ethnographic study in three sub-Saharan African countries. Methods and Findings Determinants of ART adherence for HIV-infected persons in sub-Saharan Africa were examined with ethnographic research methods. 414 in-person interviews were carried out with 252 persons taking ART, their treatment partners, and health care professionals at HIV treatment sites in Jos, Nigeria; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and Mbarara, Uganda. 136 field observations of clinic activities were also conducted. Data were examined using category construction and interpretive approaches to analysis. Findings indicate that individuals taking ART routinely overcome economic obstacles to ART adherence through a number of deliberate strategies aimed at prioritizing adherence: borrowing and “begging” transport funds, making “impossible choices” to allocate resources in favor of treatment, and “doing without. ” Prioritization of adherence is accomplished through resources and help made available by treatment partners, other family members and friends, and health care providers. Helpers expect adherence and make their expectations known, creating a responsibility on the part of patients to adhere. Patients adhere to promote good will on the part of helpers, thereby ensuring help will be available when future needs arise. Conclusion Adherence success in sub-Saharan Africa can be explained as a means of fulfilling social responsibilities and thus preserving social capital in essential relationships.
Adaptive tracking control with application to a flexible transmission system

This contribution examines the performance of a two-degrees-of-freedom controller with limited adaptive features when applied to a benchmark problem for robust control. A general design procedure is explained and exemplified before simulations are carried out. Simulations indicate that the controller has potential to perform well if applied on the real-world system. However, if the reference-response bandwidth is increased, sudden load changes may lead to unacceptable transients.
Cloche, an early acting zebrafish gene, is required by both the endothelial and hematopoietic lineages.

Endothelial and hematopoietic cells appear synchronously on the extra-embryonic membranes of amniotes in structures known as blood islands. This observation has led to the suggestion that these two ventral lineages share a common progenitor. Recently, we have shown in the zebrafish, Danio rerio, that a single cell in the ventral marginal zone of the early blastula can give rise to both endothelial and blood cells as well as to other mesodermal cells (Stainier, D. Y. R., Lee, R. K. and Fishman, M. C. (1993). Development 119, 31-40; Lee, R. K. K. , Stainier, D. Y. R. , Weinstein, B. M. and Fishman, M. C. (1994). Development 120, 3361-3366). Here we describe a zebrafish mutation, cloche, that affects both the endothelial and hematopoietic lineages at a very early stage. The endocardium, the endothelial lining of the heart, is missing in mutant embryos. This deletion is selective as evidenced by the presence of other endothelial cells, for example those lining the main vessels of the trunk. Early cardiac morphogenesis proceeds normally even in the absence of the endocardium. The myocardial cells form a tube that is demarcated into chambers, beats rhythmically, but exhibits a reduced contractility. This functional deficit is likely due to the absence of the endocardial cells, although it may be a direct effect of the mutation on the myocardial cells. Cell transplantation studies reveal that the endothelial defect, i.e. the endocardial deletion, is a cell-autonomous lesion, consistent with the possibility that cloche is part of a signal transduction pathway. In addition, the number of blood cells is greatly reduced in cloche mutants and the hematopoietic tissues show no expression of GATA-1 or GATA-2, two key hematopoietic transcription factors that are first expressed during early embryogenesis. These results show that cloche is involved in the genesis and early diversification of the endothelial and blood lineages, possibly by affecting a common progenitor cell population.
Mesotherapy and Phosphatidylcholine Injections: Historical Clarification and Review

BACKGROUND Mesotherapy was originally conceived in Europe as a method of utilizing cutaneous injections containing a mixture of compounds for the treatment of local medical and cosmetic conditions. Although mesotherapy was traditionally employed for pain relief, its cosmetic applications, particularly fat and cellulite removal, have recently received attention in the United States. Another treatment for localized fat reduction, which was popularized in Brazil and uses injections of phosphatidylcholine, has been erroneously considered synonymous with mesotherapy. Despite their attraction as purported “fat-dissolving” injections, the safety and efficacy of these novel cosmetic treatments remain ambiguous to most patients and physicians. OBJECTIVE To distinguish mesotherapy from phosphatidylcholine injections by reviewing their history and the relevant experimental or clinical findings. METHODS A comprehensive search of Medline indexed literature and conference proceedings. RESULTS All the published studies evaluating the clinical efficacy of traditional mesotherapy currently originate from Europe. These reports focus primarily on musculoskeletal pain and vascular disease, rather than cosmetic applications. Although experimental data suggest that a number of traditional mesotherapy ingredients may theoretically reduce fat, these effects have not been supported in peer-reviewed studies. An increasing number of reports demonstrate that subcutaneous injections of a formula containing phosphatidylcholine combined with its emulsifier, deoxycholate, are effective in removing small collections of adipose tissue. Cell lysis, resulting from the detergent action of deoxycholate, may account for this clinical effect. CONCLUSIONS Mesotherapy is distinct from a method of treating adipose tissue with subcutaneous injections of deoxycholate alone or in combination with phosphatidylcholine. Additional clinical and experimental studies are necessary to more definitively establish the safety and efficacy of these treatments.
On the scalar curvature for the noncommutative four torus

The scalar curvature for noncommutative four tori T^4_Θ, where their flat geometries are conformally perturbed by a Weyl factor, is computed by making the use of a noncommutative residue that involves integration over the 3-sphere. This method is more convenient since it does not require the rearrangement lemma and it is advantageous as it explains the simplicity of the final functions of one and two variables, which describe the curvature with the help of a modular automorphism. In particular, it readily allows to write the function of two variables as the sum of a finite difference and a finite product of the one variable function. The curvature formula is simplified for dilatons of the form sp, where s is a real parameter and p∈C∞(T^4_Θ) is an arbitrary projection, and it is observed that, in contrast to the two dimensional case studied by Connes and Moscovici, J. Am. Math. Soc. 27(3), 639-684 (2014), unbounded functions of the parameter s appear in the final formula. An explicit formula for the gradient of the analog of the Einstein-Hilbert action is also calculated.
Role of Muscle Mass and Muscle Quality in the Association Between Diabetes and Gait Speed

OBJECTIVE Older people with type 2 diabetes are at high risk of mobility disability. We investigated the association of diabetes with lower-limb muscle mass and muscle quality to verify whether diabetes-related muscle impairments mediate the association between diabetes and low walking speed. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 835 participants (65 years old and older) enrolled in the InCHIANTI (Invecchiare in Chianti, aging in the Chianti area) population-based study. Total, muscular, and fat cross-sectional areas of the calf and relative muscle density were measured using peripheral quantitative computerized tomography. Indicators of muscle performance included knee-extension torque, ankle plantar flexion and dorsiflexion strength, lower-extremity muscle power, and ankle muscle quality (ratio of ankle strength to the muscle area [kilograms per centimeters squared]). Gait performance was assessed by 4- and 400-m walking speed. Diabetes was ascertained by standard American Diabetes Association criteria. RESULTS Prevalence of diabetes was 11.4%. After adjustment for age and sex, participants with diabetes had lower muscle density, knee and ankle strength, and muscle power and worse muscle quality (all P < 0.05). Diabetic participants were also slower on both 4-m (β: −0.115 ± 0.024 m/s, P < 0.001) and 400-m (β:−0.053 ± 0.023 m/s, P < 0.05) walking tests. In multivariable linear regression models, lower-limb muscle characteristics accounted for 24.3 and 15.1% of walking speed difference comparing diabetic and nondiabetic subjects in the 4- and 400-m walks, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In older persons, diabetes is associated with reduced muscle strength and worse muscle quality. These impairments are important contributors of walking limitations related to diabetes.
A Test of Subordinates' Achievement and Affiliation Needs as Moderators of Leader Path-Goal Relationships

The path-goal theory of leadership proposes that situational and subordinates' characteristics moderate the effectiveness of various leader behaviors. A great deal of research has been devoted to the examination of situational moderators. This study tested the moderating influences of subordinates' needs for achievement and affiliation on the relationships between instrumental and supportive leadership and subordinates' satisfaction. Using a sample of 298 Army and Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets, need for achievement, but not need for affiliation, was found to moderate the influences of both leader behaviors on subordinate satisfaction. Individuals with high need for achievement were demonstrated to prefer instrumental leadership, whereas individuals' with low need for achievement preferred supportive leader behaviors. Implications of these results, and the need for future research concerning the moderating properties of subordinates' characteristics on path-goal relationships, are discu.
Various Diversity Combining Techniques with LDPC Codes in MIMO-OFDM

OFDM with MIMO is the most efficient and commonly used technology. In MIMO system multiple antennas arrays used across transmitter and receiver side. OFDM with MIMO technology provide reliable communication and efficient manner of signal reception across receiver. In MIMO technology Bit rate error very high due to Multi-path fading effect of channel. In this paper new technique is proposed to reduce Bit rate. The proposed technique uses LDPC filter with OFDM along diversity methods. LDPC filter is used in OFDM to reduce bit rate error and calculate performance in terms of BER for receive combing technique such as MRC. Since MRC provide excellent reduction in BER as compare to SC and EGC. The proposed technique is implemented in MATLAB and result shows that proposed technique will reduce bit rate error in MIMO-OFDM.
Effects of repeated dosing of methyl mercury on in vivo protein synthesis in isolated neurones.

: Wistar rats were given orally methyl mercury in daily doses for up to 45 days. Animals receiving 5 mg methyl mercury/kg developed weight loss after 20 doses. The neuronal in vivo protein synthesis was affected in both groups given 1 and 5 mg methyl mercury/kg. Weight loss, early toxic signs and a decreased protein synthesis all seem to occur at a cerebellar mercury level between 3–6 μg Hg/g.
First-order kinetics of muscle oxygen consumption, and an equivalent proportionality between QO2 and phosphorylcreatine level. Implications for the control of respiration

In frog sartorius muscle, after a tetanus at 20 degrees C, during which an impulse-like increase occurs in the rate of ATP hydrolysis, the rate of O2 consumption (QO2) reaches a peak relatively quickly and then declines monoexponentially, with a time constant not dependent on the tetanus duration (tau = 2.6 min in Rana pipiens and 2.1 min in Rana temporaria). To a good approximation, these kinetics are those of a first-order impulse response, and the scheme of reactions that couple O2 consumption to extramitochondrial ATP hydrolysis thus behaves as a first-order system. It is first deduced and then demonstrated directly that while QO2(t) is monoexponential, it changes in parallel with the levels of creatine and phosphorylcreatine, with proportionality constants +/- 1/tau p, where p is the P/O2 ratio in vivo. From this, it is further deduced that the mitochondrial creatine kinase (CK) reaction is pseudo-first order in vivo. The relationship between [creatine] and QO2 predicted by published models of the control of respiration is markedly different from that actually observed. As shown here, the first-order kinetics of QO2 are consistent with the hypothesis that respiration is rate-limited by the mitochondrial CK reaction; this has as a corollary the "creatine shuttle" hypothesis.
Some morphologic, histochemical, and chemical observations on chemodectomas and the normal carotid body, including a study of the chromaffin reaction and possible ganglion cell elements

HE SITES AND MORPHOLOGIC APPEARANCES T of chemodectomas are now well known.29 The most common site of origin is the carotid body, but tumors have also been found associated with the glomus jugulare, the glomus intravagale, the aortic-pulmonary bodies, along the femoral canal, in the eye, in the mandible, in the retroperitoneum, and in the ileal mesentery.317 The carotid body itself was first described by Haller,2l who thought it was a sympathetic ganglion. It has been regarded by different authors as a ductless gland, a chromaffin body, a paraganglion, and a cavernous vascular organ: tumors arising from it have been classified as “adenomas,” “chromaffinomas,” “nonchromaflin paragangliomas,” and “endotheliomas,” as well as by the more general term of “chemodectomas. ”~4 Its true function as a chemoreceptor organ was first suggested by de Castro9 on the basis of his morphologic studies, and this has been confirmed physiologically. * The embryology of the human and animal carotid bodies has been extensively studied but their exact derivation remains uncertain and controversial. I t is generally agreed that the carotid body first appears as a condensation of
Are conventions solutions to uncertainty? contrasting visions of social coordination

In recent years, there has been an increase in research on conventions motivated by the game-theoretic contributions of the philosopher David Lewis. Prior to this surge in interest, discussions of convention in economics had been tied to the analysis of John Maynard Keynes's writings. These literatures are distinct and have very little overlap. Yet this confluence of interests raises interesting methodological questions. Does the use of a common term, convention, denote a set of shared concerns? Can we identify what differentiates the game theoretic models from the Keynesian ones? This paper maps out the three most developed accounts of convention within economics and discusses their relations with each other in an attempt to provide an answer.
HERSCHEL OBSERVATIONS OF EXTRAORDINARY SOURCES: ANALYSIS OF THE FULL HERSCHEL/HIFI MOLECULAR LINE SURVEY OF SAGITTARIUS B2(N)

A sensitive broadband molecular line survey of the Sagittarius B2(N) star-forming region has been obtained with the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI) instrument on the Herschel Space Observatory, offering the first high spectral resolution look at this well-studied source in a wavelength region largely inaccessible from the ground (625–157 μm). From the roughly 8000 spectral features in the survey, a total of 72 isotopologues arising from 44 different molecules have been identified, ranging from light hydrides to complex organics, and arising from a variety of environments from cold and diffuse to hot and dense gas. We present a local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) model to the spectral signatures of each molecule, constraining the source sizes for hot core species with complementary Submillimeter Array interferometric observations and assuming that molecules with related functional group composition are cospatial. For each molecule, a single model is given to fit all of the emission and absorption features of that species across the entire 480–1910 GHz spectral range, accounting for multiple temperature and velocity components when needed to describe the spectrum. As with other HIFI surveys toward massive star-forming regions, methanol is found to contribute more integrated line intensity to the spectrum than any other species. We discuss the molecular abundances derived for the hot core where the LTE approximation is generally found to describe the spectrum well, in comparison to abundances derived for the same molecules in the Orion KL region from a similar HIFI survey. Notably, we find significantly higher abundances of amine- and amide-bearing molecules (CH3NH2, CH2NH, and NH2CHO) toward Sgr B2(N) than Orion KL and lower abundances of some complex oxygen-bearing molecules (CH3OCHO in particular). In addition to information on the chemical composition of the hot core, the strong far-infrared dust continuum allows a number of molecules to be detected in absorption in the Sgr B2(N) envelope for the first time at high spectral resolution, and we discuss the possible physical origin of the kinematic components observed in absorption. Additionally, from the detection of new HOCO+ transitions in absorption compared to published HCO+ isotopic observations, we discuss constraints on the gas-phase CO2 abundance and compare this to observations of the ice composition in the Galactic center region, and to CO2 abundance estimates toward other high-mass star-forming regions. The reduced HIFI spectral scan and LTE model are made available to the public as a resource for future investigations of star-forming regions in the submillimeter and far-infrared.