Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Earthquake Doublet in Kagoshima, Japan: Rupture of Asperities in a Stress Shadow

Two shallow moderate ( M ∼ 6) earthquakes occurred in the northwestern part of Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu, southern Japan. I discuss the effect of the stress change due to the first earthquake (26 March 1997) on the occurrence of the second earthquake (13 May 1997). The rupture characteristics of the two earthquakes are inferred in two steps to form the basis of the discussion. I first invert strong ground motion data to construct kinematic source models and then estimate the distribution of static stress drop from the derived dislocation distributions. The rupture process of the March event is simple and well described with rupture of a single asperity (patch of high stress drop). On the other hand, multiple asperities on conjugate faults ruptured during the May event. The maximum value of static stress drop for both earthquakes is about 4 MPa, and seems lower than those of other Japanese intraplate earthquakes. The hypocenter and the largest asperity of the May earthquake are located in a stress shadow caused by the March earthquake. Thus the rupture history of the May earthquake is difficult to explain with a static stress change model. Other mechanisms such as fluid migration and dynamic stresses were also investigated, but failed to explain the triggering. I propose the coupled effect of static change in shear stress and normal stress under the rate- and state-dependent friction law as a possible mechanism.
Allergic diseases and air pollution

The prevalence of allergic diseases has been increasing rapidly, especially in developing countries. Various adverse health outcomes such as allergic disease can be attributed to rapidly increasing air pollution levels. Rapid urbanization and increased energy consumption worldwide have exposed the human body to not only increased quantities of ambient air pollution, but also a greater variety of pollutants. Many studies clearly demonstrate that air pollutants potently trigger asthma exacerbation. Evidence that transportation-related pollutants contribute to the development of allergies is also emerging. Moreover, exposure to particulate matter, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide contributes to the increased susceptibility to respiratory infections. This article focuses on the current understanding of the detrimental effects of air pollutants on allergic disease including exacerbation to the development of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema as well as epigenetic regulation.
Adaptive Depth Bias for Soft Shadows

With shadow mapping the need of a suitable biasing technique due to shadow aliasing is indisputable. Dou et al. [Dou14] introduced a biasing technique that computes the optimal bias adaptively for each fragment. In this paper, we propose enhancements for this algorithm. First, we extend the algorithm for soft shadows, such as percentage closer ﬁltering (PCF) and percentage closer soft shadows (PCSS). Second, we minimize the projective aliasing by introducing a scale factor depending on the ratio between surface and light direction. We show that our enhancements increase the shadow quality and introduce only a small overhead.
A Distributed Architecture for Mobile Digital Games Based on Cloud Computing

Several fields in Computer Science use distributed computing to solve many intensive computational problems. Digital games use this approach mainly in multiplayer games, where a mainframe or cluster processes the majority of game logic. Single player games can also use distribute computing to process game logic and visualization algorithms, usually the tasks where digital games spend most of the processing time. By applying an approach based on distributed computing, games would have softer requirements regarding hardware, since the network cluster would be responsible for processing parts of game loop tasks. With the concept of cloud computing, games could rely on other computers to aid in processing their tasks. This work presents game-loop architecture for single-player or multiplayer games, using automatic load balancing and distributing game logic computation among several computers.
Greenhouse Gas Emission from Contrasting Management Scenarios in the Northern Corn Belt

The agricultural sector is a small but significant contributor to the overall anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and a major contributor of N 2 O emission in the United States. Land management practices or systems that reduce GHG emission would aid in slowing climate change. We measured the emission of CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O from three management scenarios: business as usual (BAU), maximum C sequestration (MAXC), and optimum greenhouse gas benefits (OGGB). The BAU scenario was chisel or moldboard plowed, fertilized, in a 2-yr rotation (corn [Zea mays L.]-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ]). The MAXC and OGGB scenarios were strip tilled in a 4-yr rotation (corn-soybean-wheat [Triticum aestivum L.]/alfalfa [Medicago sativa L.]-alfalfa). The MAXC received fertilizer inputs but the OGGB scenario was not fertilized. Nitrous oxide, CO 2 , and CH 4 emissions were collected using vented static chambers. Carbon dioxide flux increased briefly following tillage, but the impact of tillage was negligible when CO 2 flux was integrated across an entire year. The soil tended to be neutral to a slight CH 4 sink under these managements scenarios. The N 2 O flux during spring thaw accounted for up to 65% of its annual emission, compared with 6% or less due to application ofN fertilizer. Annual cumulative emissions of CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O did not vary significantly among these three management scenarios. Reducing tillage and increasing the length of the crop rotation did not appreciably change GHG emissions. Strategies that reduce N 2 O flux during spring thaw could reduce annual N 2 O emission.
Segment-based routing: an efficient fault-tolerant routing algorithm for meshes and tori

Computers get faster every year, but the demand for computing resources seems to grow at an even faster rate. Depending on the problem domain, this demand for more power can be satisfied by either, massively parallel computers, or clusters of computers. Common for both approaches is the dependence on high performance interconnect networks such as Myrinet, Infiniband, or 10 Gigabit Ethernet. While high throughput and low latency are key features of interconnection networks, the issue of fault-tolerance is now becoming increasingly important. As the number of network components grows so does the probability for failure, thus it becomes important to also consider the fault-tolerance mechanism of interconnection networks. The main challenge then lies in combining performance and fault-tolerance, while still keeping cost and complexity low. This paper proposes a new deterministic routing methodology for tori and meshes, which achieves high performance without the use of virtual channels. Furthermore, it is topology agnostic in nature, meaning it can handle any topology derived from any combination of faults when combined with static reconfiguration. The algorithm, referred to as segment-based routing (SR), works by partitioning a topology into subnets, and subnets into segments. This allows us to place bidirectional turn restrictions locally within a segment. As segments are independent, we gain the freedom to place turn restrictions within a segment independently from other segments. This results in a larger degree of freedom when placing turn restrictions compared to other routing strategies. In this paper a way to compute segment-based routing tables is presented and applied to meshes and tori. Evaluation results show that SR increases performance by a factor of 1.8 over FX and up*/down* routing
A new method for quantitative determination of polysaccharides in the yeast cell wall. Application to the cell wall defective mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A reliable acid hydrolysis method for quantitative determination of the proportion of β‐glucan, mannan and chitin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall is reported together with a simple extraction procedure to quantify within a standard error of less than 2% the proportion of the wall per gram of cell dry mass. This method is an optimized version of Saeman's procedure based on sulfuric acid hydrolysis of complex polysaccharides. It resulted in an almost complete release of glucose, mannose and glucosamine residues from cell wall polysaccharides. After complete removal of sulfate ions by precipitation with barium hydroxide, the liberated monosaccharides were separated and quantified by high performance anion‐exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection. The superiority of this method over the hydrolysis in either trifluoroacetic or hydrochloric acid resides in its higher efficiency regarding the release of glucose from β1,6‐glucan and of glucosamine from chitin. The sulfuric acid method was successfully applied to determine the β‐glucan, mannan and chitin contents in cell walls of genetically well‐characterized yeast mutants defective in cell wall biosynthesis, and in Schizosaccharomyces pombe cell walls. The simplicity and reliability of this procedure make it the method of choice for the characterization of cell walls from S. cerevisiae mutants generated in the EUROFAN programme, as well as for other pharmacological and biotechnological applications. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane at a Marine Methane Seep in a Forearc Sediment Basin off Sumatra, Indian Ocean

A cold methane seep was discovered in a forearc sediment basin off the island Sumatra, exhibiting a methane-seep adapted microbial community. A defined seep center of activity, like in mud volcanoes, was not discovered. The seep area was rather characterized by a patchy distribution of active spots. The relevance of anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) was reflected by 13C-depleted isotopic signatures of dissolved inorganic carbon. The anaerobic conversion of methane to CO2 was confirmed in a 13C-labeling experiment. Methane fueled a vital microbial community with cell numbers of up to 4 × 109 cells cm−3 sediment. The microbial community was analyzed by total cell counting, catalyzed reporter deposition–fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD–FISH), quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). CARD–FISH cell counts and qPCR measurements showed the presence of Bacteria and Archaea, but only small numbers of Eukarya. The archaeal community comprised largely members of ANME-1 and ANME-2. Furthermore, members of the Crenarchaeota were frequently detected in the DGGE analysis. Three major bacterial phylogenetic groups (δ-Proteobacteria, candidate division OP9, and Anaerolineaceae) were abundant across the study area. Several of these sequences were closely related to the genus Desulfococcus of the family Desulfobacteraceae, which is in good agreement with previously described AOM sites. In conclusion, the majority of the microbial community at the seep consisted of AOM-related microorganisms, while the relevance of higher hydrocarbons as microbial substrates was negligible.
Multitarget fatty acid amide hydrolase/cyclooxygenase blockade suppresses intestinal inflammation and protects against nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug‐dependent gastrointestinal damage

The ability of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to inhibit cyclooxygenase (Cox)‐1 and Cox‐2 underlies the therapeutic efficacy of these drugs, as well as their propensity to damage the gastrointestinal (GI) epithelium. This toxic action greatly limits the use of NSAIDs in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other chronic pathologies. Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) degrades the endocannabinoid anandamide, which attenuates inflammation and promotes GI healing. Here, we describe the first class of systemically active agents that simultaneously inhibit FAAH, Cox‐1, and Cox‐2 with high potency and selectivity. The class prototype 4 (ARN2508) is potent at inhibiting FAAH, Cox‐1, and Cox‐2 (median inhibitory concentration: FAAH, 0.031 ± 0.002 μM; Cox‐1, 0.012 ± 0.002 μM; and Cox‐2, 0.43 ± 0.025 μM) but does not significantly interact with a panel of > 100 off targets. After oral administration in mice, ARN2508 engages its intended targets and exerts profound therapeutic effects in models of intestinal inflammation. Unlike NSAIDs, ARN2508 causes no gastric damage and indeed protects the GI from NSAID‐induced damage through a mechanism that requires FAAH inhibition. Multitarget FAAH/Cox blockade may provide a transformative approach to IBD and other pathologies in which FAAH and Cox are overactive. —Sasso, O. , Migliore, M. , Habrant, D. , Armirotti, A. , Albani, C. , Summa, M. , Moreno‐Sanz, G. , Scarpelli, R. , Piomelli, D. Multitarget fatty acid amide hydrolase/cyclooxygenase blockade suppresses intestinal inflammation and protects against nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug‐dependent gastrointestinal damage. FASEB J. 29, 2616‐2627 (2015). www.fasebj. org
Correlated Failures in Fault-Tolerant Computers

In two repairable ground-based fault-tolerant computer systems in which constraints on switchover time permitted manual switching as a back-up the correlated failures were an important cause of system outage. In one of the systems a distinction could be made between outages that occurred when one computer was undergoing scheduled maintenance and outages that occurred while one computer was being repaired. The failure rate of the active computer was at least four times higher in the latter case. Several possible causes are described but could not be confirmed from the available data. In some situations, correlated failures call for a reliability model different than the commonly described models for imperfect coverage.
A 66‐year tropical cyclone record for south‐east Africa: temporal trends in a global context

This study investigates changes in the frequency and timing of tropical cyclone landfalls over the south‐west Indian Ocean during the last 66 years. Little is known about the spatial and temporal trends of such storm landfalls during recent historical times, specifically the last ca. 100 years. By analysing three storm track records spanning periods of 66–161 years, we establish that much of the perceived change in storm numbers can be attributed to improvements in storm detection methods over the past century. Furthermore, we find no statistically significant trends in the frequency of tropical cyclone landfalls over Madagascar and Mozambique over the past 6 decades, despite more comprehensive records during the most recent period. There is, however, considerable interannual variability in the number of storms making landfall over the countries investigated; most probably driven by cyclical atmospheric forcing, including El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Quasi‐Biennial Oscillation (QBO). Recent trends indicate an increasing number of tropical cyclones tracking to the south of Madagascar, potentially associated with the southward shift of the 26 °C isotherm, combined with a decrease in the steering flow during La Niña years.
Comparing different EV charging strategies in liberalized power systems

Electric vehicles (EVs) can be an important building block of future power systems due to the flexibility of the charging process. In liberalized power systems, the objectives of using this flexibility vary for different actors in the system. In this paper we formulate the optimization problem of EV charging from the perspective of three different actors: 1) consumers (represented by an aggregator), 2) distribution network operators and 3) wind power producers. The respective objectives of these actors can be summarized as minimizing charge costs, minimizing network losses and maximizing profits on a day-ahead market. The results show that the three different perspectives lead to markedly different EV demand profiles. These differences are partly caused by the fact that, due to its stochastic nature, wind power generation weakens the correlation between electricity prices, network load and imbalance volumes.
Infobright Analytic Database Engine Using Rough Sets and Granular Computing

We discuss the usage of the paradigms of rough sets and granular computing in the core components of the Infobright's database engine. Having data stored in the form of compressed blocks of attribute values, our query execution methods utilize compact information about those blocks' contents instead of brute-force data decompression. The paper contains examples of algorithms implemented with the aim to minimize the need of accessing the compressed data in such operations as filtering, joining and aggregating.
A framework for multiparty communication types

There are large number of communication paradigms such as multicast and anycast that are useful for distributed applications. The spectrum of such communication paradigms is larger than immediately apparent from the names used to identify these communication paradigms. None of these communication paradigms are universally available in the global Internet. To use these paradigms in applications programmers have to compose them using point-to-point communication or use third party modules that do so. Application level overlay networks have been used to implement some of these communication paradigms. These works indicate the vast design space behind the implementation of each of these multiparty communication paradigms over the wide area Internet. Application programmers should be able to make use of communication paradigms independent of their implementations and the implementors of communication paradigms should be able to explore the design space of implementing them. The lack of three components inhibits achieving these goals: a naming system that can accommodate current and future communication paradigms, a common application programmer's interface (API), and a system to deploy the implementations of communication paradigms. This dissertation describes a framework named MayaJala, based on the novel notion of multiparty communication types, that addresses these issues; multiparty communication types are the precisely defined counterparts of multiparty communication paradigms. MayaJala consists of two main components: a communication type system and a middleware system. The multiparty communication type system provides a mechanism to precisely identify communication paradigms. It also provides the ability to explore useful properties such as the equivalence of two communication types and conformance of one communication type to another. This allows applications to use different implementations of conforming communication types and not just different implementations of a single communication type. The multiparty communication type system also yields a common and simple interface sufficient for all the communication types. The middleware allows dynamic deployment of implementations transparent to the applications and also provides common functionality required by these implementations. The middleware provides support to implement communication types using application-level overlay networks. The middleware, together with the idea of multiparty communication types, facilitates the deployment of implementations of communication types without any coordination of the processes that participate in a session. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Identification of Erythrocyte p55/MPP1 as a Binding Partner of NF2 Tumor Suppressor Protein/Merlin

Neurofibromatosis type 2 is an inherited disorder characterized by the development of benign and malignant tumors on the auditory nerves and central nervous system with symptoms including hearing loss, poor balance, skin lesions, and cataracts. Here, we report a novel protein-protein interaction between NF2 protein (merlin or schwannomin) and erythrocyte p55, also designated as MPP1. The p55 is a conserved scaffolding protein with postulated functions in cell shape, hair cell development, and neural patterning of the retina. The FERM domain of NF2 protein binds directly to p55, and surface plasmon resonance analysis indicates a specific interaction with a kD value of 3.7 nM. We developed a specific monoclonal antibody against human erythrocyte p55, and found that both p55 and NF2 proteins are colocalized in the non-myelin-forming Schwann cells. This finding suggests that the p55-NF2 protein interaction may play a functional role in the regulation of apico-basal polarity and tumor suppression pathways in non-erythroid cells.
CANTERBURY DAIRYING - A STUDY IN LAND USE CHANGE AND INCREASING PRODUCTION

The purpose of this research was to quantify the extent of the increase in dairy farming in Canterbury, New Zealand, and to examine factors that have led to the changes in land use and production. In this paper we present data on land use change, production and productivity, together with product price data for the alternative activities. Data were obtained from a variety of printed sources and personal communications. Between 1980 and 2009 the land used for dairying in Canterbury increased from about 20,000 ha to nearly 190,000 ha. Per cow and per hectare production also increased both in absolute terms and also relative to elsewhere in New Zealand. Total production increased about fifteen fold during this period. On a national basis Canterbury produced 15% of New Zealand’s milk in 2008-09 compared to 2% in 198283. Drivers of this land use change were the development of irrigation, lower land prices relative to elsewhere in New Zealand, the adoption of new technologies and reduced profitability of some aspects of traditional farming systems. It is suggested that, given the current price relativities and some further irrigation development, the Canterbury land area involved in dairy farming could double in the next 20 years.
Heurísticas para Aprimorar o Método BMW e suas Variantes

Nos ultimos anos, pesquisas relacionadas ao processamento de consultas em maquinas de busca tem sido realizadas com o objetivo de desenvolver metodos que reduzam o seu custo. Este trabalho visa propor modificacoes para melhorar o desempenho do algoritmo Block-Max WAND (BMW), um dos algoritmos mais eficientes propostos na literatura. O algoritmo BMW utiliza heuristicas para descartar documentos da resposta durante o processamento de consultas, o que torna sua execucao extremamente veloz. Nesta dissertacao, serao propostas e experimentadas modificacoes nas heuristicas de descarte de documentos e reducao na quantidade de memoria utilizada para processar consultas pelo algoritmo BMW e suas variantes, buscando-se assim ganhos de desempenho.
The Nephrotic Syndrome Series

Copyright 2003, Turner White Communications, Inc., 125 Strafford Avenue, Suite 220, Wayne, PA 19087-3391, www.turner-white.com. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Turner White Communications, Inc. The editors are solely responsible for selecting content. Although the editors take great care to ensure accuracy, Turner White Communications, Inc., will not be liable for any errors of omission or inaccuracies in this publication. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Turner White Communications, Inc. NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER: This publication has been developed without involvement of or review by the American Board of Internal Medicine. The Nephrotic Syndrome