Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modelling vegetation dynamics and their feedbacks over Southern Africa in response to climate change forcing

The importance of vegetation feedbacks to the atmosphere has been highlighted in many recent research studies. The influence of climate on vegetation has long been established, and climate has regularly been used to predict vegetation distribution. However, the influence of vegetation on climate is a relatively new research area. The need to understand vegetation-atmosphere interactions is growing in light of the increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and the change in climate associated with these increases. These linkages are analysed over southern Africa with the use of sophisticated computer models of the climate and vegetation. The models are used to explore some of the vegetation-atmosphere interactions for this region, but without attempting a definitive study of either system. This study is therefore an initial exploration of what is a very complex issue that requires a vast amount of research. The sensitivities of the vegetation and climate models to their input are tested. The MM5 regional climate model shows a significant sensitivity to a 20% change in surface albedo. This results in reduced transport of moisture into the interior of the sub-continent, which contributed towards increased temperatures over the interior. The Sheffield Dynamic Global Vegetation Model has been shown to accurately predict the vegetation distribution over southern Africa. The importance of fire is shown to influence the distribution of C4 Grassland and Deciduous Broadleaf Trees, which are the main plant functional types found in savannahs. Increasing precipitation favours tree plant functional types, while decreasing precipitation allows for the expansion of C4 Grasslands and desert encroachment. Increasing temperatures had a dramatic effect on the C3 Grassland/Shrubland, causing a contraction of their spatial extent. However, the most important factor that will influence future vegetation distribution has been shown to be carbon dioxide. The increased carbon dioxide concentrations predicted for 2070-2099 will result in a dramatic encroachment of woody vegetation into the grasslands and savannahs of southern Africa. At the moment, none of the current climate change predictions include a dynamic vegetation component that can respond to climate changes and feedback to the climate model. The changes in vegetation predicted here suggest that there will be changes in the feedbacks from the vegetation to the atmosphere, which will affect the climate. Future research should therefore focus on incorporating dynamic vegetation into climate models, preferably at a regional scale to assist impact studies. Policy makers and climate change impact researchers should therefore ensure that they use the most up-to-date climate change predictions available. Un ive rsi ty of Ca pe To wn
Noninvasive magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound for tendon disruption: an in vivo Animal study

Abstract Purpose Surgical resection of the tendon is an effective treatment for severe contracture. Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a non-invasive ultrasonic therapy which produces a focal increase in temperature, subsequent tissue ablation and disruption. We evaluated MRgFUS as a clinically translatable treatment modality to non-invasively disrupt in vivo porcine tendons. Material and methods In vivo Achilles tendons (n = 28) from 15–20kg Yorkshire pigs (n = 16) were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups of 600, 900, 1200 and 1500 J. Pretreatment range of motion (ROM) of the ankle joint was measured with the animal under general anesthesia. Following MRgFUS treatment, success of tendon rupture, ROM increase, temperature, thermal dosage, skin burn, and histology analyses were performed. Results Rupture success was found to be 29%, 86%, 100% and 100% for treatment energies of 600, 900, 1200 and 1500 J respectfully. ROM difference at 90° flexion showed a statistically significant change in ROM between 900 J and 1200 J from 16° to 27°. There was no statistical significance between other groups, but there was an increase in ROM as more energy was delivered in the treatment. For each of the respective treatment groups, the maximal temperatures were 58.4 °C, 63.3 °C, 67.6 °C, and 69.9 °C. The average areas of thermal dose measured were 24.3mm2, 53.2mm2, 77.8mm2 and 91.6mm2. The average areas of skin necrosis were 5.4mm2, 21.8mm2, 37.2mm2, and 91.4mm2. Histologic analysis confirmed tissue ablation and structural collagen fiber disruption. Conclusions This study demonstrated that MRgFUS is able to disrupt porcine tendons in vivo without skin incisions.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A SUSTAINED, BIOLOGICALLY HEALTHY ESTUARINE SYSTEM IN THE MIDST OF A HIGHLY POPULATED INDUSTRIAL AREA?

An apparatus for producing coherent radiation ranging from X-rays to the far ultraviolet (i.e., 1 Kev to 10 eV) utilizing the Compton scattering effect. A photon beam from a laser is scattered on a high energy electron bunch from a pulse power linac. The short wavelength radiation produced by such scattering has sufficient intensity and spatial coherence for use in high resolution applications such as microscopy.
Development and characterization of a chromotomosynthetic hyperspectral imaging system

Abstract : A chromotomosynthetic imaging (CTI) methodology based upon mathematical reconstruction of a set of 2-D spectral projections to collect high-speed (100 Hz) 3-D hyperspectral data cube has been proposed. The CTI system can simultaneously provide usable 3-D spatial and spectral information, provide high-frame rate slitless 1-D spectra, and generate 2-D imagery equivalent to that collected with no prism in the optical system. The wavelength region where prism dispersion is highest (500 nm) is most sensitive to loss of spectral resolution in the presence of systematic error, while wavelengths 600 nm suffer mostly from a shift of the spectral peaks. The quality of the spectral resolution in the reconstructed hyperspectral imagery was degraded by as much as a factor of two in the blue spectral region with less than 1 deg total angular error in mount alignment in the two axes of freedom. Even with no systematic error, spatial artifacts from the reconstruction limit the ability to provide adequate spectral imagery without specialized image reconstruction techniques as targets become more spatially and spectrally uniform.
Characterization of CoCas9 nuclease from Capnocytophaga ochracea

ABSTRACT Cas9 nucleases are widely used for genome editing and engineering. Cas9 enzymes encoded by CRISPR-Cas defence systems of various prokaryotic organisms possess different properties such as target site preferences, size, and DNA cleavage efficiency. Here, we biochemically characterized CoCas9 from Capnocytophaga ochracea, a bacterium that inhabits the oral cavity of humans and contributes to plaque formation on teeth. CoCas9 recognizes a novel 5’-NRRWC-3’ PAM and efficiently cleaves DNA in vitro. Functional characterization of CoCas9 opens ways for genetic engineering of C. ochracea using its endogenous CRISPR-Cas system. The novel PAM requirement makes CoCas9 potentially useful in genome editing applications.
Cenomanian ammonite fauna from the Mosby sandstone of central Montana

_. ——————— ___ —— ___________________________________________ ——— _____ 45 Introduction. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 45 Stratigraphy of Mosby sandstone member of Colorado shale--__-_-_____-_-_-_______-_-_-_____---_-_-_-----------_-_ 45 Age of Mosby sandstone member________________________________________________________________________________ 46 Localities from which fossils have been collected_______________________________________________________-_______-___ 47 Description of species. _________________________________________________________________________________________ 47 References. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 54 Index. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 55
Oritavancin in vitro activity against Gram-positive organisms from European medical centers: a 10-year longitudinal overview from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program (2010–2019)

Abstract To assess oritavancin in vitro activity against clinically relevant Gram-positive pathogens in European (EU) hospitals, a total of 51,531 consecutive and unique clinical isolates collected in 2010–2019 were evaluated. All isolates were tested by CLSI broth microdilution methods. The key resistance phenotypes differed considerably between Eastern Europe (E-EU) and Western Europe (W-EU), respectively: methicillin-resistant (MR) Staphylococcus aureus 27.7%/22.9%; multidrug resistant (MDR) S. aureus, 19.7%/15.2%; MR coagulase-negative staphylococci, 77.3%/61.9%; vancomycin-resistant enterococci (E. faecium), 44.2%/20.9%; and MDR E. faecium, 63.8%/55.4%. There were no substantive differences in oritavancin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for the different species/organism groups over time or by EU region. Oritavancin inhibited 99.9% and 99.1% of all S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci at 0.12 mg/L, respectively, and all isolates of E. faecalis and E. faecium at ≤0.5 mg/L. Oritavancin susceptibility rates against β-hemolytic and Viridans group streptococci isolates were 98.1% and 99.4%, respectively. Oritavancin had potent activity in vitro against this contemporary collection of European Gram-positive isolates from 2010 to 2019.
The association between BMI and serum uric acid is partially mediated by gut microbiota

ABSTRACT Obesity is a risk factor for the development of hyperuricemia, both of which were related to gut microbiota. However, whether alterations in the gut microbiota lie in the pathways mediating obesity’s effects on hyperuricemia is less clear. Body mass index (BMI) and serum uric acid (SUA) were separately important indicators of obesity and hyperuricemia. Our study aims to investigate whether BMI-related gut microbiota characteristics would mediate the association between BMI and SUA levels. A total of 6,280 participants from Guangdong Gut Microbiome Project were included in this study. Stool samples were collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results revealed that BMI was significantly and positively associated with SUA. Meanwhile, BMI was significantly associated with the abundance of 102 gut microbial genera, 16 of which were also significantly associated with SUA. The mediation analysis revealed that the association between BMI and SUA was partially mediated by the abundance of Proteobacteria (proportion mediated: 0.94%, P < 0.05). At the genus level, 25 bacterial genera, including Ralstonia, Oscillospira, Faecalibacterium, etc., could also partially mediate the association of BMI with SUA (the highest proportion is mediated by Ralstonia, proportion mediated: 2.76%, P < 0.05). This study provided evidence for the associations among BMI, gut microbiota, and SUA, and the mediation analysis suggested that the association of BMI with SUA was partially mediated by the gut microbiota. IMPORTANCE Using 16S rRNA sequencing analysis, local interpretable machine learning technique analysis and mediation analysis were used to explore the association between BMI with SUA, and the mediating effects of gut microbial dysbiosis in the association were investigated. Using 16S rRNA sequencing analysis, local interpretable machine learning technique analysis and mediation analysis were used to explore the association between BMI with SUA, and the mediating effects of gut microbial dysbiosis in the association were investigated.
Sampling-based Motion Planning: Analysis and Path Quality

One of the fundamental tasks robots have to perform is planning their motions while avoiding collisions with obstacles in the environment. This is the central topic of the thesis. We restrict ourselves to motion planning for two- and three-dimensional rigid bodies and articulated robots moving in static and known virtual environments. This thesis has been divided into two parts. The first part deals with comparing and analyzing sampling-based motion planning techniques, in particular variants of the Probabilistic Roadmap Method (PRM). The PRM consists of two phases: a construction and a query phase. In the construction phase, a roadmap (graph) is built, approximating the motions that can be made in the environment. First, a free random sample is created. Such a sample describes a particular placement of the moving object (robot) in the workspace. Then, a simple local planner is employed to connect the sample to some neighbors. Samples and connections are added to the graph until the roadmap is dense enough. In the query phase, the start and goal samples are connected to the graph. The path is obtained by a Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm. Many variants of the PRM have been developed over the past decade. Using both time-based as well as reachability-based analysis, we compare some of the most prominent techniques. The results are surprising in the sense that techniques often perform differently than claimed by the designers. In addition, contrary to general belief, the main challenge is not getting the free space covered but getting the nodes connected, especially when the problems get more complicated, e.g. when a narrow passage is present. By using this knowledge, we can tackle the narrow passage problem by incorporating a more powerful local planner, a refined neighbor selection strategy and a hybrid sampling strategy. The analysis also shows why the PRM successfully deals with many motion planning problems. The second part deals with quality aspects of paths and roadmaps. A good path is relatively short, keeps some distance (clearance) from the obstacles, and is smooth. We will provide algorithms that increase path clearance. A big advantage of these algorithms is that high-clearance paths can now be efficiently created without using complex data structures and algorithms. We also elaborate on algorithms that successfully decrease path length. Then, we introduce the Reachability Roadmap Method which creates small roadmaps for two- and three-dimensional problems. Such a small roadmap has many advantages over a roadmap that is created by the PRM. In particular, the method assures low query times, low memory consumption, and the roadmap can be optimized easily. The algorithm also ensures that a path is always found (if one exists) at a given resolution. We unify the techniques to create high-quality roadmaps for interactive virtual environments. That is, we use the Reachability Roadmap Method to create an initial roadmap. We add useful cycles to provide alternative routes and short paths, and we add clearance to the roadmap to obtain high-clearance paths in real-time.
Rural-born Fijians and Indo-Fijians in Suva: a study of movements and linkages

This monograph examines the movement experience of Fijians and Indo-Fijians resident in several areas of Suva the largest urban centre in Fiji. The mobility patterns existing linkages of the movers with places of origin future residential intentions family structure commitment to the urban area and perceived advantages and disadvantages of areas of rural origin and urban destination are investigated. An attempt is made to determine whether the moves are permanent or temporary in nature. Data are from a 1977-1978 survey of 400 household heads (EXCERPT)
Strategic Sourcing: Theory and Evidence from Economics and Business Management

Abstract : This report describes a review of the economics and business management literatures on issues related to outsourcing. It discusses recommendations regarding the selection of activities for outsourcing and, given the decision to outsource, how to structure contracts and manage buyer/seller relationships. It should be of interest to managers and analysts concerned with support matters in the Air Force, especially those involved with outsourcing and privatization, and to support services managers and contracting officials in the other military departments and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Strategies for monitoring the bacteriological quality of water supply in distribution systems

Monitoring strategies for characterizing the bacteriological quality of water in the distribution system require a complete understanding of a variety of interrelated aspects that include treated water quality, water-supply retention in storage and infrastructure deterioration in the distribution system. A study of field data from several water-supply utilities was used to highlight some innovative interpretations of compliance monitoring data. Major perceptions include: The use of a 5% coliform frequency of occurrence limit highlights compliance significance in those situations where there are clusters of positive samples containing less than 4 coliforms per 100 mL. Unfortunately, this presence/absence concept does not provide any indication of the magnitude of a contamination event.
Development and validation of a sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS-based method for the analysis of folylpolyglutamate synthetase enzymatic activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells: application in rheumatoid arthritis and leukemia patients.

BACKGROUND Folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS) is a crucial enzyme in both cellular folate homeostasis and the intracellular retention of folate analogue drugs like methotrexate (MTX), which is commonly used for the treatment of (pediatric) leukemia and the anchor drug in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment. To date, assessment of FPGS catalytic activity relies on assays utilizing radioactive substrates which are labor-intensive and require relatively large numbers of cells. Here, we describe a non-radioactive, UHPLC-MS/MS-based method allowing sensitive and accurate measurements of FPGS activity in low cell numbers (i.e. 1 - 2 x 10) of biological specimens, including leukemic blast cells of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) patients and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of RA patients. METHODS The UHPLC-MS/MS assay was validated with two CCRF-CEM human leukemia cells, one proficient and one deficient in FPGS activity. Linearity of time and protein input were tested by measuring FPGS activity at 30 - 180 minutes incubation time and 10 - 300 µg protein extract. In addition, FPGS enzyme kinetic parameters were assessed. RESULTS The FPGS enzymatic assay showed a linear relation between FPGS activity and protein input (R ≥ 0.989) as well as incubation time (R ≥ 0.996). Moreover, the UHPLC-MS/MS method also allowed evaluation of FPGS enzyme kinetic parameters revealing Km values for the substrates MTX and L-glutamic acid of 64 µmol/L and 2.2 mmol/L, respectively. Mean FPGS activity of ALL blast cells (n=4) was 3-fold higher than CCRF-CEM cells and 44-fold and 88-fold higher than PBMCs from MTX-naive (n=9) and MTX-treated RA patients (n=6), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, given its sensitivity with low cell numbers and avoidance of radioactive substrates, UHPLC-MS/MS-based analysis of FPGS activity may be eligible for routine therapeutic drug monitoring of MTX in RA and leukemia for therapy (non)response evaluations.
Synthesis of Maximally-Permissive Supervisors for the Range Control Problem

We investigate the supervisor synthesis problem for centralized partially-observed discrete event systems subject to safety specifications. It is well known that this problem does not have a unique supremal solution in general. Instead, there may be several incomparable locally maximal solutions. One then needs a mechanism to select one locally maximal solution. Our approach in this paper is to consider a lower bound specification on the controlled behavior, in addition to the upper bound for the safety specification. This leads to a generalized supervisory control problem called the range control problem. While the upper bound captures the (prefix-closed) legal behavior, the lower bound captures the (prefix-closed) minimum required behavior. We provide a synthesis algorithm that solves this problem by effectively constructing a maximally-permissive safe supervisor that contains the required lower bound behavior. This is the first algorithm with such properties, as previous works solve either the maximally-permissive safety problem (with no lower bound), or the lower bound containment problem (without maximal permissiveness).
Digest: Banding together to battle adversaries has its consequences *

Why did life evolve from single‐celled to multicellular organisms? Could there be advantages to this transition? What about associated fitness costs? Kapsetaki and West found that although multicellularity allows Chlorella sorokiniana to avoid predation from similarly‐sized predators, it also reduces their competitiveness when resources are limited.
Transit passenger segmentation using travel regularity mined from Smart Card transactions data

Transit passenger market segmentation enables transit operators to target different classes of transit users to provide customized information and services. The Smart Card (SC) data, from Automated Fare Collection system, facilitates the understanding of multiday travel regularity of transit passengers, and can be used to segment them into identifiable classes of similar behaviors and needs. However, the use of SC data for market segmentation has attracted very limited attention in the literature. This paper proposes a novel methodology for mining spatial and temporal travel regularity from each individual passenger’s historical SC transactions and segments them into four segments of transit users. After reconstructing the travel itineraries from historical SC transactions, the paper adopts the Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Application with Noise (DBSCAN) algorithm to mine travel regularity of each SC user. The travel regularity is then used to segment SC users by an a priori market segmentation approach. The methodology proposed in this paper assists transit operators to understand their passengers and provide them oriented information and services.
Development and Evaluation of Passive Integrated Transponder Tag Technology, 2000-2002.

Since 1984, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in cooperation with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has conducted a research project to develop and evaluate technology for passive-integrated-transponder tags (PIT tags) throughout the Columbia River Basin (CRB). Work conducted as part of this project between October 2000 and September 2002 (FY01 and FY02) was divided into seven individual elements, which are covered separately in this report. The efforts by personnel associated with this project have produced and will continue to produce products that aid resource stakeholders in assessing the effectiveness of actions taken to enhance the survival of juvenile and adult salmonids. These products and their uses include: (1) Survival and migration timing information on stocks to evaluate water management strategies and fish passage/collection facilities; (2) Data needed for the management and restoration of salmonids and other fish stocks listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA); (3) Information required for the management of multiple species in a variety of habitats; and (4) Tools that enable fisheries researchers and managers to address previously unanswerable questions and critical uncertainties These products are also used in genetic, physiology, behavior, and captive broodstock research on endangered species. The continued development of PIT-tag technology willmore » enable researchers and fisheries managers to address issues expressed in both of NMFS biological opinions for operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS)(NMFS 1995a, 2000) and the proposed Snake River Recovery Plan (NMFS 1995b; tasks 2.1.d, 2.3.b.4, 2.4.a, 2.6.c.2, and 2.9.d). « less