Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Science and Society : Tiie Roie of Long-Term Studies in Environmentai Stewardsiiip

Long-term research should play a crucial role in addressing grand challenges in environmental stewardship. We examine the efforts of five Long Term Ecological Research Network sites to enhance policy, management, and conservation decisions for forest ecosystems. In these case studies, we explore the approaches used to inform policy on atmospheric deposition, public land management, land conservation, and urban forestry, including decisionmaker engagement and integration of local knowledge, application of models to analyze the potential consequences of policy and management decisions, and adaptive management to generate new knowledge and incorporate it into decisionmaking. Efforts to enhance the role of long-term research in informing major environmental challenges would benefit from the development of metrics to evaluate impact; stronger partnerships among research sites, professional societies, decisionmakers, and journalists; and greater investment in efforts to develop, test, and expand practice-based experiments at the interface of science and society.
PAC-learning Bounded Tree-width Graphical Models

We show that the class of strongly connected graphical models with tree-width at most k can be properly efficiently PAC-learnt with respect to the Kullback-Leibler Divergence. Previous approaches to this problem, such as those of Chow ([1]), and Hoffgen ([7]) have shown that this class is PAC-learnable by reducing it to a combinatorial optimization problem. However, for k > 1, this problem is NP-complete ([15]), and so unless P=NP, these approaches will take exponential amounts of time. Our approach differs significantly from these, in that it first attempts to find approximate conditional independencies by solving (polynomially many) submodular optimization problems, and then using a dynamic programming formulation to combine the approximate conditional independence information to derive a graphical model with underlying graph of the tree-width specified. This gives us an efficient (polynomial time in the number of random variables) PAC-learning algorithm which requires only polynomial number of samples of the true distribution, and only polynomial running time.
Status of marine protected areas in the Mediterranean sea

The main aim of this report is to assess progress towards a network of ecologically representative and effectively managed MPAs that meets international obligations for conservation of the Mediterranean Sea. Specifically, results of this survey were used to measure Mediterranean progress towards the CBD targets of establishing a coherent network of MPAs by 2012 and to protect at least 10% of the Mediterranean Sea by 2010.
Pathology of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

&NA; This study is based on 15 cases examined by the author. The majority of the infants were found in a prone position. Thymus was enlarged in all cases. Its enlargement of the lower portion overlying the basal portion of the heart formed an unyielding, tense membrane. In prone position, the heavy ventricles fell forward, producing angulation and kinking against this membrane and inhibited the filling of the heart or irritated the heart, producing arrythmia and cardiac arrest.
Effect of Dipolar Interactions for Domain-Wall Dynamics in Magnetic Thin Films

We study the effect of long-range dipolar forces on the dynamics and morphology of domain walls in magnetic thin films by numerical simulations of the spin-1 random-field Ising model. By studying the size distribution of avalanches of domain-wall motion arising as a response to quasistatic external driving, we observe a crossover from the case dominated by short-range interactions to another universality class where the long-range dipolar forces become important. This crossover is accompanied with a change of the domain-wall morphology from a rough wall to walls with a zigzag structure.
Composition and hygroscopicity of the Los Angeles Aerosol: CalNex

Aircraft‐based measurements of aerosol composition, either bulk or single‐particle, and both subsaturated and supersaturated hygroscopicity were made in the Los Angeles Basin and its outflows during May 2010 during the CalNex field study. Aerosol composition evolves from source‐rich areas in the western Basin to downwind sites in the eastern Basin, evidenced by transition from an external to internal mixture, as well as enhancements in organic O : C ratio, the amount of organics and nitrate internally mixed on almost all particle types, and coating thickness on refractory black carbon (rBC). Transport into hot, dilute outflow regions leads to significant volatilization of semivolatile material, resulting in a unimodal aerosol comprising primarily oxygenated, low‐volatility, water‐soluble organics and sulfate. The fraction of particles with rBC or soot cores is between 27 and 51% based on data from a Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) and Aerosol Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer (ATOFMS). Secondary organics appear to inhibit subsaturated water uptake in aged particles, while CCN activity is enhanced with photochemical age. A biomass‐burning event resulted in suppression of subsaturated hygroscopicity but enhancement in CCN activity, suggesting that BB particles may be nonhygroscopic at subsaturated RH but are important sources of CCN. Aerosol aging and biomass burning can lead to discrepancies between subsaturated and supersaturated hygroscopicity that may be related to mixing state. In the cases of biomass burning aerosol and aged particles coated with secondary material, more than a single parameter representation of subsaturated hygroscopicity and CCN activity is needed.
The impact of a health IT changeover on Medical Imaging Department work processes and turnaround times

Summary Objectives: To assess the impact of introducing a new Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) and Radiology Information System (RIS) on: (i) Medical Imaging work processes; and (ii) turnaround times (TATs) for x-ray and CT scan orders initiated in the Emergency Department (ED). Methods: We employed a mixed method study design comprising: (i) semi-structured interviews with Medical Imaging Department staff; and (ii) retrospectively extracted ED data before (March/ April 2010) and after (March/April 2011 and 2012) the introduction of a new PACS/RIS. TATs were calculated as: processing TAT (median time from image ordering to examination) and reporting TAT (median time from examination to final report). Results: Reporting TAT for x-rays decreased significantly after introduction of the new PACS/RIS; from a median of 76 hours to 38 hours per order (p<.0001) for patients discharged from the ED, and from 84 hours to 35 hours (p<.0001) for patients admitted to hospital. Medical Imaging staff reported that the changeover to the new PACS/RIS led to gains in efficiency, particularly regarding the accessibility of images and patient-related information. Nevertheless, assimilation of the new PACS/RIS with existing Departmental work processes was considered inadequate and in some instances unsafe. Issues highlighted related to the synchronization of work tasks (e.g., porter arrangements) and the material set up of the work place (e.g., the number and location of computers). Conclusions: The introduction of new health IT can be a “double-edged sword” providing improved efficiency but at the same time introducing potential hazards affecting the effectiveness of the Medical Imaging Department. Citation: Georgiou A, Prgomet M, Lymer S, Hordern A, Ridley4 L, Westbrook J.The impact of a health IT changeover on Medical Imaging Department work processes and turnaround times: a mixed method study. Appl Clin Inform 2015; 6: 443–453 http://dx.doi. org/10.4338/ACI-2015-01-RA-0014
Web-Enabled Robots

In this article, we describe and discuss the use of information that is available in the World Wide Web and intended for human use as a knowledge resource for autonomous service robots. To this end, we introduce several categories of Web sites that can serve as information sources and explain which kinds of information they provide. We then investigate several information processing methods that can access these Web sites to provide robots with necessary knowledge for performing everyday manipulation tasks. The use of the Web as a knowledge resource is a promising alternative to the hard and tedious task of coding comprehensive specific knowledge bases for robots.
Drawbacks and Prognostic Value of Formulas Estimating Renal Function in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure and Systolic Dysfunction

Background— Renal function is an important risk marker for morbidity and mortality in chronic heart failure (CHF) and is often estimated with the use of creatinine-based formulas. However, these formulas have never been validated in a wide range of CHF patients. We validated 3 commonly used formulas estimating glomerular filtration rate (GFR) with true GFR in CHF patients. Furthermore, we compared the prognostic value of these formulas for cardiovascular outcome with that of true GFR during 12 months of follow-up. Methods and Results— In 110 CHF patients (age, 57±11.7 years; left ventricular ejection fraction, 0.27±0.09; NYHA class, 2.5±0.9), we measured 125I-iothalamate clearance. Cockcroft-Gault (GFRcg), Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), and simplified MDRD (sMDRD) equations were used as creatinine-based renal function estimations. Furthermore, 24-hour creatinine clearance (CrCl) was determined. CrCl and GFRcg were the most accurate. MDRD was most precise formula, although it was also highly biased. All formulas overestimated in the lower ranges and underestimated in the upper ranges of the GFR corrected for body surface area. The predictive performance of the formulas was best in severe CHF (NYHA classes III and IV). The prognostic value of CrCl and MDRD for cardiovascular outcome was comparable to that of GFR, the sMDRD was slightly less, and the GFRcg had a significantly worse prognostic value. Conclusions— In the more severe ranges of CHF, creatinine-based formulas and CrCl corrected for body surface area appeared to be more precise and accurate in estimating true GFR corrected for body surface area. The MDRD formula is the most precise and has a good prognostic value, whereas the sMDRD is slightly less accurate but uses fewer parameters, which makes this formula a practical alternative in clinical practice.
Impaired astrocytic extracellular matrix distribution under congenital hypothyroidism affects neuronal development in vitro

Astrocytes clearly play a role in neuronal development. An indirect mechanism of thyroid hormone (T3) in the regulation of neuronal development mediated by astrocytes has been proposed. T3 alters the production and organization of the extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and proteoglycans, producing a high‐quality substrate for neuronal differentiation. The present study investigated the effect of hypothyroidism on the astrocyte production of fibronectin (FN) and laminin (LN) as well as their involvement in neuronal growth and neuritogenesis. Our results demonstrated that the amount of both FN and LN were significantly reduced in cultures of hypothyroid astrocytes from rat cerebellum compared with normal cells. This effect was accompanied by reduced numbers of neurons and neuritogenesis. Similarly, the proportions of neurons and neurons with neurites were reduced in cultures on ECM prepared from hypothyroid astrocytes in comparison with normal cells. The proportion of both normal and hypothyroid neurons is strongly reduced in astrocyte ECM compared with cocultures on astrocyte monolayers, suggesting that extracellular factors other than ECM proteins are involved in this process. Moreover, treatment of hypothyroid astrocytic cultures with T3 restored the area of both FN and LN immunostaining to normal levels and partially reestablished neuronal survival and neuritogenesis. Taken together, our results demonstrated that hypothyroidism involves impairment of the astrocytic microenvironment and affects the production of ECM proteins. Thus, hypothyroidism is implicated in impaired neuronal development. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Low-Voltage SRAM Sense Amplifier With Offset Cancelling Using Digitized Multiple Body Biasing

With continued CMOS technology scaling down, transistors exhibit higher degrees of variation and mismatch, resulting in a larger offset voltage. A large offset voltage will enlarge bitline swing, increasing dynamic power consumption during a read operation and degrading the sensing decision correct rate and operation speed. Thus, the offset voltage is the most critical metric for static random access memory sense amplifiers (SAs), mainly arising from transistor threshold voltage mismatch. Here we propose an offset-cancelling technique with digitized multiple body biasing. In this scheme, SA transistor threshold voltage mismatch is compensated by adjusting the body bias voltage digitally and repeatedly. Simulation results in 130-nm CMOS technology show that the proposed calibration technique can reduce the standard deviation of the offset voltage by over four times comparing to a conventional SA, with about 6.5% and 1.6% area power overhead of a 6-kbit prototype chip introduced.
A multi-site mechanism model for studying Pb and Cu retention from aqueous solutions by Fe-Mg-rich clays

ABSTRACT The retention mechanisms of metal ions during interaction of clay with metal-rich aqueous solutions is usually investigated by sorption isotherms. Although classical isotherm models may provide sufficient information about the characteristics of the solid–liquid system, they do not distinguish among the various retention mechanisms. This study presents a methodological approach of combining batch experiment data and geochemical modelling for the characterization of the interaction of Mg-Fe-rich clay materials with monometallic solutions of Pb and Cu. For this purpose, a palygorskite clay (PCM), an Fe-smectite clay (SCM) and a natural palygorskite-Fe-smectite mixed clay (MCM) were assessed for their effectiveness as metal ion sorbents. The sorption capacity of the materials follows the order MCM > SCM > PCM and ranges between 27.6–52.1 mg g–1 for Pb and 7.7–17.6 mg g–1 for Cu. Based on the experimental results that allowed the speciation calculations, fitting of sorption isotherms and the investigation of relationships between protons, Mg and the metals studied we suggest that a combination of sorption mechanisms occurs during the interaction of clay materials with metal solutions. These involve surface complexation, ion exchange and precipitation of solid compounds onto the solid surface. A three-term isotherm model was employed to quantify the role of each of the above mechanisms in the overall retention process. The superior performance of mixed clay among the materials tested is attributed to the synergetic effect of exchange in the interlayer and specific sorption on the clay edges.
ENSURING DATA INTEGRITY IN CLOUD DATA STORAGE

Cloud Computing is the newest fast growing technology in the current era due to its easy manageable services. Cloud computing provides on demand network oriented services to centrally organised computing resources with great efficiency and minimal efforts. As cloud computing achieved through network access, there arises a lot of security concerns related to cloud computing. All data resides in centralized cloud data storage. This cannot be completely trustworthy . Cloud computing paradigm brings a lot of security challenges which are still to be resolved. The main concern is about the Integrity of data in cloud data storage. If a cloud service provider modify or delete our data from the storage due to some private problem then in that case how will we be able to verify that our data is modified or how will we be able to generate proofs that our data has been altered. These all are very serious issues related to Cloud computing . So in this paper we have discussed the current security mechanism to ensure the integrity of data in cloud storage. We have suggested a third party auditing mechanism to verify the integrity of data periodically without accessing the whole data. In prior mechanism to ensure the remote data integrity, there are also issues as some do not support public audibility and some do not support dynamic data operations. In this paper we have discussed all aspects of current mechanism as well as the third party involvement which resolves both public audibility and dynamic data operations.
Horizontal mucosal thickness at implant sites as it correlates with the integrity and thickness of the buccal bone plate.

OBJECTIVES To histologically assess the association between the horizontal mucosal thickness (MT) at implant sites with the integrity and thickness of the buccal bone plate in a canine model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two-piece titanium implants were placed at chronic-type lateral ridge defects. The resulting vestibular dehiscence-type defects (vertical dimensions of 2-8 mm) were left untreated. After a submerged healing period of 2 and 8 weeks (n = 6 fox hounds each), dissected blocks were processed for histomorphometrical analyses [e.g. MT, bone thickness (BT) and residual defect length]. RESULTS Linear regression revealed significant associations between vestibular MT and BT values after 2 (R2 = 0.22, B = -0.37, P < 0.0001) and 8 weeks (R2 = 0.37, B = -0.45, P < 0.001) of healing. CONCLUSION The present analysis has pointed to an inverse relationship between horizontal MT and BT values at the vestibular aspect of submerged titanium implants. MT was most pronounced in the absence of a buccal bone plate.
ASCOGREGARINE PARASITES AS POSSIBLE BIOCONTROL AGENTS OF MOSQUITOES

The seemingly ubiquitous presence of gregarine parasites in numerous mosquito taxa (Table 1; Chen 1999) suggests that consideration of these parasites as biological control agents may be a worthwhile endeavor. However, because most studies prior to 1985 did not demonstrate significant fitness (e.g., mortality, adult size) differences between infected and non-infected mosquitoes, Beier and Craig (1985) deemed in their overview of gregarine parasites of mosquitoes that ‘‘There is no evidence that gregarines can be used to control mosquitoes, and no evidence that gregarines in their natural habitat have a significant negative impact on populations of their normal host. ’’ (p 182) However, the authors did suggest that because ‘‘conventional strategies for controlling container-breeding mosquitoes are not effective, the possibility of using gregarines in unnatural mosquito hosts should not be ruled out. ’’ A number of additional studies have since been published that have examined the pathogenicity of gregarine parasites both for natural and nonnatural hosts, as well as for hosts reared in stressful vs. non-stressful environments. This paper reviews the outcomes of these studies and addresses whether the prospects of using gregarines as mosquito biological control agents have changed with these recent findings.
BYOO : Build Your Own Overlay

It is widely known that the end-to-end performance of interdomain paths can be fickle due to BGP’s indifference to performance metrics and its slow responses to attacks and failure events. Prior research has established overlay networking and ISP-assisted tunneling as attractive solutions to override problematic BGP routes and bypass troublesome ASes. However, ISPs have seemed hesitant in adopting them, possibly because of an unclear business case. As a result, end users cannot take advantage of these solutions. In this paper, we propose and make an empirical case for the novel concept that an enterprise builds its own performance-enhancing overlay network through renting intermediate nodes from a cloud service provider. We conduct a measurement study using seven data centers of a global cloud provider and dozens of PlanetLab and residential end points, across five continents. The results show that more than 62% of the measured Internet paths when given the option of using one of four possible overlay nodes can have consistent throughput improvements, by at least 25% (with a median of 2.92 times), at a tenth of the cost of leasing private lines of comparable performance. Furthermore, we demonstrate the feasibility of leveraging multi-path TCP to auto-extract performance gain from a set of overlay paths, without having to explicitly choose the best path, which can be a daunting task due to fluctuating network conditions. Finally, we discuss practical deployment issues, such as how to tunnel through NATs and firewalls.
Effect of Artemether-Lumefantrine Policy and Improved Vector Control on Malaria Burden in KwaZulu–Natal, South Africa

Background Between 1995 and 2000, KwaZulu–Natal province, South Africa, experienced a marked increase in Plasmodium falciparum malaria, fuelled by pyrethroid and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance. In response, vector control was strengthened and artemether-lumefantrine (AL) was deployed in the first Ministry of Health artemisinin-based combination treatment policy in Africa. In South Africa, effective vector and parasite control had historically ensured low-intensity malaria transmission. Malaria is diagnosed definitively and treatment is provided free of charge in reasonably accessible public-sector health-care facilities. Methods and Findings We reviewed four years of malaria morbidity and mortality data at four sentinel health-care facilities within KwaZulu–Natal's malaria-endemic area. In the year following improved vector control and implementation of AL treatment, malaria-related admissions and deaths both declined by 89%, and outpatient visits decreased by 85% at the sentinel facilities. By 2003, malaria-related outpatient cases and admissions had fallen by 99%, and malaria-related deaths had decreased by 97%. There was a concomitant marked and sustained decline in notified malaria throughout the province. No serious adverse events were associated causally with AL treatment in an active sentinel pharmacovigilance survey. In a prospective study with 42 d follow up, AL cured 97/98 (99%) and prevented gametocyte developing in all patients. Consistent with the findings of focus group discussions, a household survey found self-reported adherence to the six-dose AL regimen was 96%. Conclusion Together with concurrent strengthening of vector control measures, the antimalarial treatment policy change to AL in KwaZulu–Natal contributed to a marked and sustained decrease in malaria cases, admissions, and deaths, by greatly improving clinical and parasitological cure rates and reducing gametocyte carriage.
Proximal nodes: a model to query document databases by content and structure

A model to query document databases by both their content and structure is presented. The goal is to obtain a query language that is expressive in practice while being efficiently implementable, features not present at the same time in previous work. The key ideas of the model are a set-oriented query language based on operations on nearby structure elements of one or more hierarchies, together with content and structural indexing and bottom-up evaluation. The model is evaluated in regard to expressiveness and efficiency, showing that it provides a good trade-off between both goals. Finally, it is shown how to include in the model other media different from text.
Spring-Legged Locomotion on uneven Ground: A Control Approach to keep the running Speed constant

We present a feedforward control for spring-legged systems in uneven terrain which keeps the running speed constant. The control uses the unique transformation between ground level and flight time to automatically adapt the system parameters during flight to the actual ground level without having to detect it. We further demonstrate how this control for constant speed running can simultaneously be combined with other control strategies in spring-legged systems to adapt their behavior to a desired locomotion task.