Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Probability Density Functions as Botanical-Climatological Transfer Functions for Climate Reconstruction

Abstract We present a new procedure, the pdf method (pdf=probability density function), for reconstructing Quaternary climate utilizing botanical data. The procedure includes the advantages of the indicator species method by considering the fossil and modern presence and absence of taxa rather than their frequencies, thus avoiding the need for modern analog plant communities. Overcoming the problematic use of absolute limits to describe climate response ranges is the main progress of the pdf method in comparison to the indicator species method. This advantage results from estimating probability density functions (pdfs) for monthly mean January and July temperature conditional on the present day occurrence of single taxa. Gaussian distributions sufficiently approximate pdfs of many, although not all, studied taxa. On the assumption of statistical independence, the procedure calculates a joint pdf as the product of the pdfs of the individual taxa. This algorithm weights each taxon according to the extent of its climate response range expressed by its covariance structure. We interpret the maximum of the resulting pdf as the most likely climate and its confidence interval as the uncertainty range. To avoid an artificial reduction of uncertainty arising from the use of numerous similar pdfs, a preselection method is proposed based on the Mahalanobis distance between pdfs. The pdf method was applied to the Carpinus phase of a profile from Gröbern, Germany, that spans the last interglaciation (Eemian). The reconstructed most probable January and July temperatures of about 0.0°C and 18.4°C barely differ from the modern values of −0.5°C and 18.3°C.
Heterologous Expression of Platycodon grandiflorus PgF3′5′H Modifies Flower Color Pigmentation in Tobacco

Flavonoid-3′,5′-hydroxylase (F3′5′H) is the key enzyme for the biosynthesis of delphinidin-based anthocyanins, which are generally required for purple or blue flowers. Previously, we isolated a full-length cDNA of PgF3′5′H from Platycodon grandiflorus, which shared the highest homology with Campanula medium F3′5′H. In this study, PgF3′5′H was subcloned into a plant over-expression vector and transformed into tobacco via Agrobacterium tumefaciens to investigate its catalytic function. Positive transgenic tobacco T0 plants were obtained by hygromycin resistance screening and PCR detection. PgF3′5′H showed a higher expression level in all PgF3′5′H transgenic tobacco plants than in control plants. Under the drive of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter, the over-expressed PgF3′5′H produced dihydromyricetin (DHM) and some new anthocyanin pigments (including delphinidin, petunidin, peonidin, and malvidin derivatives), and increased dihydrokaempferol (DHK), taxifolin, tridactyl, cyanidin derivatives, and pelargonidin derivatives in PgF3′5′H transgenic tobacco plants by ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) analysis, resulting in a dramatic color alteration from light pink to magenta. These results indicate that PgF3′5′H products have F3′5′H enzyme activity. In addition, PgF3′5′H transfer alters flavonoid pigment synthesis and accumulation in tobacco. Thus, PgF3′5′H may be considered a candidate gene for gene engineering to enhance anthocyanin accumulation and the molecular breeding project for blue flowers.
Ice sheet altimeter processing scheme

Abstract The analysis of altimeter data over non-ocean surfaces is complicated by the effects of topography and the dielectric properties of the surface. The philosophy behind the processing (for the U.K.-Earth Observation Data Centre) of altimeter data over ice sheets and shelves is explained and a description of the function and performance of the algorithms used is provided. The methods available for waveform retracking and slope correction, which represent the primary difference between ocean and land altimeter data analysis, are discussed in detail. Results from their operation with Seasat altimeter data and a simulated surface profile are provided to indicate their likely performance with ERS-1 data. The contents and structure of the ice sheet data product is described and its intended applications discussed. Future modifications and calibration/validation of the data are also considered.
Final Report: Conservation assessment and mapping products for GPLCC priority fish taxa

Strategic conservation planning for broad, multi-species landscapes benefits from a data-driven approach that emphasizes persistence of all priority species’ populations and utilized landscapes, while simultaneously accounting for human uses. This study presents such an assessment for priority fishes of the Great Plains of the United States. Species distribution models for 28 priority fish species were created and incorporated into a prioritization framework using the open source software Zonation, accounting for species-specific connectivity needs and current fish habitat condition. Multiple additional assessments were then produced that i. ) identify distinct species management units based on distance and compositional similarity of stream segments containing priority species, ii. ) compare results of ranking species’ conservation values at the local (state) and global scale, and iii. ) provide ‘bang-for-buck’ perspectives, emphasizing richness of priority species, at state and major basin scales. Together, these analyses are intended to aid managers in effective allocation of conservation action with regards to imperiled fishes of the Great Plains. Implementation of a broad-scale multi-species approach such as this complements traditional reactive management and restoration by encouraging cooperation and coordination among stakeholders and partners, increasing efficiency of future monitoring and management efforts.
Research on imaging ranging algorithm base on constraint matching of trinocular vision

Binocular stereo vision is a common passive ranging method, which directly simulates the approach of human visual. It can flexibly measure the stereo information in a complex condition. However there is a problem that binocular vision ranging accuracy is not high , one of the reasons is the low precision of the stereo image pairs matching . In this paper, based on trinocular vision imaging ranging algorithm of constraint matching, we use trinocular visual ranging system which is composed of three parallel placed cameras to image and achieve distance measurement of the target. we use calibration method of Zhang to calibrate the cameras, firstly, the three cameras are calibrated respectively, then using the results to get three groups binocular calibration. Thereby the relative position information of each camera are obtained. The using of the information obtained by the third camera can reduce ambiguity of corresponding points matching in a Binocular camera system. limiting search space by the epipolar constraint and improve the matching speed, filtering the distance information , eliminate interference information which brings by the feature points on the prospect and background to obtain a more accurate distance result of target. Experimental results show that, this method can overcome the limitations of binocular vision ranging , effectively improving the range accuracy.
A COMPARISON OF THE LEISURE LIFESTYLES OF CHINESE AND AMERICAN GRADUATE STUDENTS AT THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

The purpose of the research is to examine the leisure lives of Chinese graduate students at Penn State University as they compare with those of American graduate students. Current and desired leisure activities, perceived constraints, and feasible improvements were addressed for both cultural groups. Both Chinese and American male and female graduate students showed consensus in terms of their ratings of the importance of their current leisure activities, desired leisure activities and perceived constraints. However, none of them demonstrated consensus in terms of feasible improvements in their leisure. Future research should involve students from other institutions and from other countries, along with additional demographic and other data that would help explain within-group differences.
EMBANKMENT DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION IN COLD REGIONS

This book is a state-of-the-practice report on embankment design and construction in cold regions involving either permafrost or seasonal frost areas. The similarities and differences of the two types of areas are considered. Embankment case histories in both types of climatic regions are presented. Other topics include embankment stabilization techniques. A review of geotechnical thermal analysis is presented. Special considerations involving construction materials and field placement are discussed.
Mineral Solubilizing Rhizobacterial Strains Mediated Biostimulation of Rhodes Grass Seedlings

Minerals play a dynamic role in plant growth and development. However, most of these mineral nutrients are unavailable to plants due to their presence in fixed forms, which causes significant losses in crop production. An effective strategy to overcome this challenge is using mineral solubilizing bacteria, which can convert insoluble forms of minerals into soluble ones that plants can quickly assimilate, thus enhancing their availability in nutrient-depleted soils. The main objective of the present study was to isolate and characterize mineral solubilizing rhizobacteria and to assess their plant growth-promoting potential for Rhodes grass. Twenty-five rhizobacterial strains were isolated on a nutrient agar medium. They were characterized for solubilization of insoluble minerals (phosphate, potassium, zinc, and manganese), indole acetic acid production, enzymatic activities, and various morphological traits. The selected strains were also evaluated for their potential to promote the growth of Rhodes grass seedlings. Among tested strains, eight strains demonstrated strong qualitative and quantitative solubilization of insoluble phosphate. Strain MS2 reported the highest phosphate solubilization index, phosphate solubilization efficiency, available phosphorus concentration, and reduction in medium pH. Among tested strains, 75% were positive for zinc and manganese solubilization, and 37.5% were positive for potassium solubilization. Strain MS2 demonstrated the highest quantitative manganese solubilization, while strains MS7 and SM4 reported the highest solubilization of zinc and potassium through acidifying their respective media. The strain SM4 demonstrated the most increased IAA production in the presence and absence of L-tryptophan. The majority of strains were positive for various enzymes, including urease, catalase protease, and amylase activities. However, these strains were negative for coagulase activity except strains SM7 and MS7. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, six strains, namely, SM2, SM4, SM5, MS1, MS2, and MS4, were identified as Bacillus cereus, while strains SM7 and MS7 were identified as Staphylococcus saprophyticus and Staphylococcus haemolyticus. These strains significantly improved growth attributes of Rhodes grass, such as root length, shoot length, and root and shoot fresh and dry biomasses compared to the uninoculated control group. The present study highlights the significance of mineral solubilizing and enzyme-producing rhizobacterial strains as potential bioinoculants to enhance Rhodes grass growth under mineral-deficient conditions sustainably.
Thermal microwave radiances from horizontally finite clouds of hydrometeors

Microwave brightness temperatures emerging from horizontally finite clouds of hydrometeors have been computed by means of an analytical model. The analytical model is sufficiently fast that simulations of multifarious aspects of this problem can be easily evaluated. The results of these computations were compared with the results of Monte Carlo simulations, and the agreement was found to be satisfactory. The results of the present computations show that radiation emerging from the sides of isolated hydrometeor clouds causes the brightness temperature of such clouds to differ markedly from the brightness temperature of plane parallel clouds. If, however, the effect of the underlying surface is included in the computations of upwelling radiances, then the microwave brightness temperatures of finite clouds depart somewhat less from the plane parallel cloud results. Radiances emerging from hydrometeor clouds over land are less sensitive to the effects of horizontally finite geometry than are radiances emerging from comparable clouds over water. The effect of the finite field of view of satellite-borne microwave radiometers on measured brightness temperatures is considered; it is shown that ambiguities of the order of a factor of 2 in the inferred mean rainfall rate can occur if a rain cloud does not fill the radiometer field of view.
Learning Robust Point Representation for 3D Non-Rigid Shape Retrieval

Content-based 3D object retrieval is a challenging problem in computer vision and graphics, especially for non-rigid 3D shapes. This article proposes a multiview-based robust point representation approach for 3D non-rigid shape retrieval. First, we propose an efficient local descriptor called the local point histogram, which is robust to non-rigid changes in shape. Second, we encode local point histogram features into high-level point features (HPF) using Fisher vectors. Finally, we present an efficient feature fusion method that can further enhance the performance of 3D non-rigid shape retrieval. We extensively tested our approach on two benchmark 3D non-rigid shape datasets, including the SHREC2015 non-rigid shape and SHREC2015 canonical forms. Our method achieves 98.33% and 90.55% retrieval accuracy on the SHREC2015 non-rigid shape and SHREC2015 canonical forms datasets, surpassing previous state-of-the-art methods by nearly 2% and 7%, respectively. In addition, we further tested our method on the well-known 3D rigid shape dataset ModelNet, and the experimental results demonstrate that our method is also effective for 3D rigid shape retrieval. We also combine the proposed HPF shape features with deep convolutional features for the 3D rigid shape retrieval task, achieving a retrieval performance comparable to the prior state-of-the-art methods, which indicates a strong complementarity between HPF shape features and deep convolutional features.
Hs1Cas12a and Ev1Cas12a confer efficient genome editing in plants

Cas12a, also known as Cpf1, is a highly versatile CRISPR-Cas enzyme that has been widely used in genome editing. Unlike its well-known counterpart, Cas9, Cas12a has unique features that make it a highly efficient genome editing tool at AT-rich genomic regions. To enrich the CRISPR-Cas12a plant genome editing toolbox, we explored 17 novel Cas12a orthologs for their genome editing capabilities in plants. Out of them, Ev1Cas12a and Hs1Cas12a showed efficient multiplexed genome editing in rice and tomato protoplasts. Notably, Hs1Cas12a exhibited greater tolerance to lower temperatures. Moreover, Hs1Cas12a generated up to 87.5% biallelic editing in rice T0 plants. Both Ev1Cas12a and Hs1Cas12a achieved effective editing in poplar T0 plants, with up to 100% of plants edited, albeit with high chimerism. Taken together, the efficient genome editing demonstrated by Ev1Cas12a and Hs1Cas12a in both monocot and dicot plants highlights their potential as promising genome editing tools in plant species and beyond.
Episodic enhancement of phytoplankton stocks in New Zealand subantarctic waters: Contribution of atmospheric and oceanic iron supply

Around 30% of oceanic waters are high nitrate low chlorophyll (HNLC) where low iron levels limit algal growth. HNLC waters have mainly been studied using shipboard and lab experiments. Since 1997, remote‐sensing of phytoplankton via SeaWiFS Ocean Color has permitted monitoring of the constancy of this “HNLC condition,” i.e., spatial homogeneity and low temporal variability of chlorophyll over annual cycles. These trends can be exploited, as episodic iron inputs should be conspicuous by subsequent expression as iron‐elevated algal stocks. Subantarctic (SA) waters near New Zealand are HNLC, and the proximity of the arid Australian landmass, and the iron‐rich Subtropical Front, provide natural laboratories to detect episodic atmospheric and oceanic iron supply, respectively. Two approaches were used: Oceanic supply was inferred from episodic increases in chlorophyll concentrations in SA waters, detected using Ocean Color archives. Additional archives were used to confirm the oceanic provenance of iron supply, and identify supply mechanism(s). Atmospheric supply was assessed using data on source areas and loads for dust storms monitored in central Australia. Dust transport and its fate was assessed using air mass forward trajectories and SeaWiFS Ocean Color and Aerosol Optical Depth maps. During 1997–2001, episodic elevated chlorophyll events occurred in SA waters southeast of New Zealand. There was no evidence of these events being mediated by atmospheric iron supply; however, neither wind‐driven lateral advection or vertical mixing alone could account for these episodes. Dust storms, over this period sent plumes either into high iron SubTropical (ST) waters or into SA waters in early spring, when cells are probably light‐ rather than iron‐limited.
Effect of Different Types of External Guide Vanes on the Performance of High-Pressure Centrifugal Compressor

In order to reduce exit swirl and obtain the desired Mach number, axial exit guide vanes (EGV) are often employed in a centrifugal compressor. NASA CC3 compressor, with wedge vane diffuser and without EGV, is considered as the base model for the analysis and validation. An axial flow domain with exit guide vane is added to this base model after the diffuser outlet to study the effect on the compressor performance. The performance of exit guide vane with different profiles: flat plate, symmetric wedge, circular arc, and airfoil vane profiles by maintaining the same chord, number of vanes, and flow angle of the vanes are studied. Numerical simulations are carried out with 60 number of exit guide vanes for all four types of vanes. Among several combinations, when the centrifugal compressor is equipped with 60 circular arc vanes as EGV, the efficiency and pressure recovery values at the design point have increased by 6.5% and 8.9%, respectively.
Human Operation Augmentation through Wearable Robotic Limb Integrated with Mixed Reality Device

Mixed reality technology can give humans an intuitive visual experience, and combined with the multi-source information of the human body, it can provide a comfortable human–robot interaction experience. This paper applies a mixed reality device (Hololens2) to provide interactive communication between the wearer and the wearable robotic limb (supernumerary robotic limb, SRL). Hololens2 can obtain human body information, including eye gaze, hand gestures, voice input, etc. It can also provide feedback information to the wearer through augmented reality and audio output, which is the communication bridge needed in human–robot interaction. Implementing a wearable robotic arm integrated with HoloLens2 is proposed to augment the wearer’s capabilities. Taking two typical practical tasks of cable installation and electrical connector soldering in aircraft manufacturing as examples, the task models and interaction scheme are designed. Finally, human augmentation is evaluated in terms of task completion time statistics.
Nonlinear Influence of Mesoscale Land Use on Weather and Climate

Abstract This paper demonstrates that the influence of mesoscale landscape spatial variability on the atmosphere must be parameterized (or explicitly modeled) in larger-scale atmospheric model simulations including general circulation models. The mesoscale fluxes of heat that result from this variability are shown to be of the same order of magnitude but with a different vertical structure than found for the turbulent fluxes. These conclusions are based on experiments in which no phase changes of water were permitted. When, for example, cumulus clouds organized in response to the landscape pattern develop, the mesoscale influence on larger-scale climate is likely to be even more important. To parameterize surface thermal inhomogeneities, the influence of landscape must be evaluated using spectral analysis or an equivalent procedure. For horizontal scales much less than the local Rossby radius, based on the results of Dalu and Pielke, the surface heat fluxes over the different land surfaces can be proporti.
Genetic and Pharmacological Blockade of Sigma-1 Receptors Attenuates Inflammation-Associated Hypersensitivity during Acute Colitis in CD1 Mice

Sigma-1 receptors (σ1Rs) are implicated in nociception, including pain sensitization, and inflammation. We assessed the role of σ1Rs on acute colitis-associated hypersensitivity using both genetic (constitutive knockout) and pharmacological blockade of the receptor. Colitis was induced in CD1 wild-type (WT) and σ1R KO mice (exposure to dextran sodium sulfate, 3%). A von Frey test was used to assess referred mechanosensitivity (abdominal and plantar withdrawal responses). The effects of the selective σ1R antagonists BD1063 and E-52862 were also assessed in WT animals. The expression of immune and sensory-related markers (RT-qPCR, Western blot) was assessed in the colon and lumbosacral spinal cord. The genetic ablation or pharmacological blockade of σ1Rs attenuated acute colonic inflammation in a similar manner. Mechanosensitivity was similar in WT and σ1R KO mice before colitis. In WT mice, but not in σ1R KO, colitis was associated with the development of referred mechanical hypersensitivity, manifested as a reduction in the withdrawal thresholds to mechanical probing (paw and abdominal wall). In WT mice, BD1063 and E-52862 blocked colitis-associated hypersensitivity. A genotype- and treatment-related differential regulation of sensory-related markers was detected locally (colon) and within the spinal cord. σ1Rs are involved in the development of acute intestinal inflammation and its associated referred mechanical hypersensitivity. The selective modulation of sensory-related pathways within the colon and spinal cord might be part of the underlying mechanisms. These observations support the pharmacological use of σ1R antagonists for the treatment of intestinal inflammation-induced hypersensitivity.
Extraction of linear features in SAR images for geographical map updating in a tropical forest context

In this paper, a new linear features (LF) extraction method is proposed to update old geographical maps using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. This method is dedicated to the context of tropical rain forest where LF such as roads or railways often appear as long segments poorly contrasted and partially hidden in a homogeneous environment. Most classical SAR road extractors operate locally in the spatial domain using a point to point approach that does not take into account the “a priori information” provided by old maps. Moreover, often developed in a different context, they are not well adapted to the extraction of long segments which are most of the time difficult to follow, even for trained human operators. To overcome these problems, the proposed method is based on the Localized Radon Transform (LRT) which performs limited boundary geometrical integrals along straight lines. In the transformed domain, LF have a specific signature: they appear as strongly contrasted structures, easier to extract with a constant false alarm rate operator: the ratio of local mean. The “a priori information” is integrated by two parameters issued from the old map: the approximate direction angle and the minimum length of the LF. Experimental results show the robustness of this method with respect to the poor radiometric contrast and hidden parts. According to these results, this method can be proposed as a complementary tool to detect LF in SAR images.