Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Severe Weather Prediction Using Storm Surrogates from an Ensemble Forecasting System

AbstractProbabilistic severe weather forecasts for days 1 and 2 were produced using 30-member convection-allowing ensemble forecasts initialized by an ensemble Kalman filter data assimilation system during a 32-day period coinciding with the Mesoscale Predictability Experiment. The forecasts were generated by smoothing the locations where model output indicated extreme values of updraft helicity, a surrogate for rotating thunderstorms in model output. The day 1 surrogate severe probability forecasts (SSPFs) produced skillful and reliable predictions of severe weather during this period, after an appropriate calibration of the smoothing kernel. The ensemble SSPFs exceeded the skill of SSPFs derived from two benchmark deterministic forecasts, with the largest differences occurring on the mesoscale, while all SSPFs produced similar forecasts on synoptic scales. While the deterministic SSPFs often overforecasted high probabilities, the ensemble improved the reliability of these probabilities, at the expense o.
An approach to obtain the generalized mixed linear stress function for known owa weights with artificial bee colony algorithm

OWA (Ordered Weighted Averaging) is a flexible aggregation operator which is come up with Yager to create a decision function in multicriteria decision making. It is possible to determine how optimistic or pessimistic the decision maker's opinion with the value obtained from the weights of this operator. The determination of OWA weights cannot provide characterization by itself. If it is desired to aggregate various sized objects in terms of generalization and reusability of OWA weights, a more general form is needed. In this study, we propose the parameterized piecewise linear stress function and the approach to characterize OWA weights. The stress function is expressed by parameters which are obtained by artificial bee colony algorithm. Also the weights are approximately found by using parameters.
Semi-empirical catalog of early-type galaxy-halo systems: dark matter density profiles, halo contraction and dark matter annihilation strength

With Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxy data and halo data from up-to-date N-body simulations within the ? CDM framework we construct a semi-empirical catalog (SEC) of early-type galaxy-halo systems by making a self-consistent bivariate statistical match of stellar mass (M) and velocity dispersion (? ) with halo virial mass (Mvir) as demonstrated here for the first time. We then assign stellar mass profile and velocity dispersion profile parameters to each system in the SEC using their observed correlations with M and ? Simultaneously, we solve for dark matter density profile of each halo using the spherical Jeans equation. The resulting dark matter density profiles deviate in general from the dissipationless profile of Navarro-Frenk-White or Einasto and their mean inner density slope and concentration vary systematically with Mvir. Statistical tests of the distribution of profiles at fixed Mvir rule out the null hypothesis that it follows the distribution predicted by dissipationless N-body simulations for Mvir1013.5 ? 14.5? M? These dark matter profiles imply that dark matter density is, on average, enhanced significantly in the inner region of halos with Mvir1013.5 ? 14.5? M? supporting halo contraction. The main characteristics of halo contraction are: (1) the mean dark matter density within the effective radius has increased by a factor varying systematically up to ? 3? 4 at Mvir = 1012? M? , and (2) the inner density slope has a mean of ? 1.3 with ? dm(r)r? and a halo-to-halo rms scatter of rms(? ) ~ 0.4? 0.5 for 1012? M? Mvir1013 ? 14? M? steeper than the NFW profile (? = 1). Based on our results we predict that halos of nearby elliptical and lenticular galaxies can, in principle, be promising targets for ? -ray emission from dark matter annihilation.
EXTRACTION OF ROAD ACCIDENT PATTERNS IN UTTARAKHAND USING NEURAL NETWORK

Aim of the study is the classification of vehicular road accident patterns using data mining in Uttarakhand state. Understanding the accidents on age based classification under which drivers and passengers are more likely to be killed or more severely injured in an automobile accident can help improve the overall driving safety situation. Data mining and non-trivial extraction of novel, implicit, and actionable knowledge from large data sets is an evolving technology which is a direct result of the increasing use of computer databases in order to store and retrieve information effectively. It also enables data exploration, data analysis, and data visualization of huge databases at a high level of abstraction, without a specific hypothesis in mind. Understanding the casualties and classifying the road accidents on gender basis can help in improving traffic safety conditions. This paper presents a data mining approaches to explore various factors for vehicular collision. We have used neural network to classify various road accident patterns that can in turn help in analyzing the road accidents and casualties according to age, gender and location within the state. Feed forward neural network is used to evaluate the various results regarding the related study. With the use of data mining techniques we will analyse and observe the large database having different records of vehicular road crashes in Uttarakhand state.
Legacy effects of tree mortality mediated by ectomycorrhizal fungal communities.

Successive droughts have resulted in extensive tree mortality in the southwestern United States. Recovery of these areas is dependent on the survival and recruitment of young trees. For trees that rely on ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) for survival and growth, changes in soil fungal communities following tree mortality could negatively affect seedling establishment. We used tree-focused and stand-scale measurements to examine the impact of pinyon pine mortality on the performance of surviving juvenile trees and the potential for mutualism limitation of seedling establishment via altered EMF communities. Mature pinyon mortality did not affect the survival of juvenile pinyons, but increased their growth. At both tree and stand scales, high pinyon mortality had no effect on the abundance of EMF inocula, but led to altered EMF community composition including increased abundance of Geopora and reduced abundance of Tuber. Seedling biomass was strongly positively associated with Tuber abundance, suggesting that reductions in this genus with pinyon mortality could have negative consequences for establishing seedlings. These findings suggest that while mature pinyon mortality led to competitive release for established juvenile pinyons, changes in EMF community composition with mortality could limit successful seedling establishment and growth in high mortality sites. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Markets with Consumer Switching Costs and Non-Linear Pricing

In a non-cooperative oligopoly model where firms use simple linear prices, Klemperer (1987) has shown that the existence of consumers’ switching costs may generate monopoly like prices, and thereby create substantial loss in welfare. We show that when allowing firms to use two-part tariffs, social optimal prices are always set and the size and distribution of switching costs only affect the distribution of surplus between fims and consumers.
Exploring mobile phone practices in social movements in South Africa – the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign

Mobile phones have developed explosively in Africa, with South Africa having one of the highest mobile phone penetrations in Sub-Saharan Africa. Mobile phones have introduced a set of new communicative and cultural practices. Innovative pricing models in Africa, such as ‘pay-as-you go’ and ‘please call me’ have helped to make mobile phones a part of the lives of many who are otherwise disconnected. Social justice movements in South Africa, often marginalized by mainstream communication systems, are increasingly using mobile phones to coordinate actions, mobilize and create networks despite the fact that most of these movements have their origins among deprived communities. This article analyses how the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign appropriates mobile phones and the impact of this appropriation on its roles and collective identities. In addition, the article examines how the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign has (re)appropriated and re-shaped the mobile phone to amplify traditional methods of mobilization; leading to the creation of what Henry Jenkins (2006) has called ‘convergence culture’. Drawing on social construction of technology and domestication theories, the article argues that mobile phones have not replaced traditional ways of mobilization, but have amplified them. In this regard, the use of both traditional mobilization tools and mobile phones strengthen mobilization activities and give new meaning to the mobile phone.
Globalization, Financial Development and Economic Growth

Widespread globalization and integration remove the borders but this leads to an increase in the income differences among countries. Today, the evaluation process of economic growth experience of countries shows that globalization degree of the economy is also important as the financial development. This paper investigates the relationship between financial development, globalization and economic growth for the case of the countries classified according to income levels over the period 1980-2010. After considering the panel characteristics of the dataset, long-run relationships among financial development, economic growth and the other key growth factors are analyzed by dynamic ordinary least squares method. The empirical results suggest that the effective policy applications are different according to the country classifications
The Use of microRNAs in the Management of Endometrial Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most important gynecological cancer in terms of incidence. microRNAs (miRs), which are post-transcriptional regulators implicated in a variety of cellular functions including carcinogenesis, are particularly attractive candidates as biomarkers. Indeed, several studies have shown that the miR expression pattern appears to be associated with prognostic factors in EC. Our objective is to review the current knowledge of the role of miRs in carcinogenesis and tumor progression and their association with the prognosis of endometrial cancer. Materials and Method: We performed a literature search for miR expression in EC using MEDLINE, PubMed (the Internet portal of the National Library of Medicine) and The Cochrane Library, Cochrane databases “Cochrane Reviews” and “Clinical Trials” using the following keywords: microRNA, endometrial cancer, prognosis, diagnosis, lymph node, survival, plasma, FFPE (formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded). The miRs were classified and presented according to their expression levels in cancer tissue in relation to different prognostic factors. Results: Data were collected from 74 original articles and 8 literature reviews which described the expression levels of 261 miRs in ECs, including 133 onco-miRs, 110 miR onco-suppressors, and 18 miRs with discordant functions. The review identified 30 articles studying the expression pattern of miR in neoplastic endometrial tissue compared to benign and/or hyperplastic tissues, 12 articles detailing the expression profile of miRs as a function of lymph node status, and 14 articles that detailed the expression pattern of miRs in endometrial tumor tissue according to overall survival or in the absence of recurrence. Conclusions: The findings presented here suggest that miR analysis merits a role as a prognostic factor in the management of patients with endometrial cancer.
Predicting Successful Catheter Drainage in Patients With Pancreatic Fistula After Pancreatoduodenectomy.

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to identify predictors for successful minimally invasive catheter drainage (ie, survival without relaparotomy) for pancreatic fistula after pancreatoduodenectomy. METHODS Included were consecutive patients undergoing catheter drainage as first intervention for pancreatic fistula after pancreatoduodenectomy (2005-2013) in 9 Dutch centers. Possible prognostic factors for successful catheter drainage (ie, survival without relaparotomy) were selected using Akaike information criterion. RESULTS Included were 227 patients after 2196 pancreatoduodenectomies. Primary catheter drainage was successful in 175 (77%) of 227 patients. Multivariable logistic regression revealed the following negative prognostic factors for success: male sex (odds ratio [OR], 0.46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21-1.00; P = 0.049), higher age (for every 5 years over 50; OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.57-0.84; P < 0.001), and respiratory failure at time of catheter drainage (OR, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.03-0.33; P < 0.001). A prognostic model incorporating these factors yielded an area under the curve of 0.76 and demonstrated a success range of 98% to 14%. CONCLUSIONS Male sex, higher age, and respiratory failure are associated with a low success rate of catheter drainage in patients with pancreatic fistula after pancreatoduodenectomy. These patients might benefit from an intensified postoperative monitoring for early detection and management of pancreatic fistula to prevent respiratory failure.
An ATR and CHK1 kinase signaling mechanism that limits origin firing during unperturbed DNA replication

Significance The 50,000 origins that replicate the human genome are selected from an excess of licensed origins. Firing licensed origins that would otherwise be passively replicated is a simple mechanism to recover DNA replication between stalled replication forks. This plasticity in origin use promotes genome stability if an unknown mechanism prevents a subset of origins from firing during unperturbed DNA replication. We describe ATR and CHK1 kinase signaling that suppresses a CDK1 kinase-dependent phosphorylation on the chromatin protein RIF1. The CDK1 kinase-dependent phosphorylation of RIF1 disrupts its interaction with PP1 phosphatase. Thus, ATR and CHK1 stabilize an interaction between RIF1 and PP1 that counteracts CDC7 and CDK2 kinase signaling at licensed origins. This mechanism limits origin firing during unperturbed DNA replication. DNA damage-induced signaling by ATR and CHK1 inhibits DNA replication, stabilizes stalled and collapsed replication forks, and mediates the repair of multiple classes of DNA lesions. We and others have shown that ATR kinase inhibitors, three of which are currently undergoing clinical trials, induce excessive origin firing during unperturbed DNA replication, indicating that ATR kinase activity limits replication initiation in the absence of damage. However, the origins impacted and the underlying mechanism(s) have not been described. Here, we show that unperturbed DNA replication is associated with a low level of ATR and CHK1 kinase signaling and that inhibition of this signaling induces dormant origin firing at sites of ongoing replication throughout the S phase. We show that ATR and CHK1 kinase inhibitors induce RIF1 Ser2205 phosphorylation in a CDK1-dependent manner, which disrupts an interaction between RIF1 and PP1 phosphatase. Thus, ATR and CHK1 signaling suppresses CDK1 kinase activity throughout the S phase and stabilizes an interaction between RIF1 and PP1 in replicating cells. PP1 dephosphorylates key CDC7 and CDK2 kinase substrates to inhibit the assembly and activation of the replicative helicase. This mechanism limits origin firing during unperturbed DNA replication in human cells.
Molecular Phylogenetics of Lentibulariaceae Inferred from Plastid rps16 Intron and trnL-F DNA Sequences: Implications for Character Evolution and Biogeography

Abstract Phylogenetic relationships among 75 species of Lentibulariaceae, representing the three recognized genera, were assessed by cladistic analysis of DNA sequences from the plastid rps16 intron and the trnL-F region. Sequence data from the two loci were analyzed both separately and in combination. Consensus trees from all analyses are congruent, and parsimony jackknife results demonstrate strong support for relationships both between and within each of the three demonstrably monophyletic genera. The genus Pinguicula is sister to a Genlisea-Utricularia clade, the phylogenetic structure within this clade closely follows Taylor's recent sectional delimitations based on morphology. Three principal clades are shown within Utricularia, with the basal sections Polypompholyx and Pleiochasia together forming the sister lineage of the remaining Utricularia species. Of the fundamental morphological specializations, the stoloniferous growth form apparently arose independently within Genlisea and Utricularia three times, and within Utricularia itself, perhaps more than once. The epiphytic habit has evolved independently at least three times, in Pinguicula, in Utricularia section Phyllaria, and within the two sections Orchidioides and Iperua (in the latter as bromeliad tank-epiphytes). The suspended aquatic habit may have evolved independently within sections Utricularia and Vesiculina. Biogeographic optimization on the phylogeny demonstrates patterns commonly associated with the boreotropics hypothesis and limits the spatial origin of Lentibulariaceae to temperate Eurasia or tropical America. Communicating Editor: Matt Lavin
Glucokinase activation as antidiabetic therapy: effect of nutraceuticals and phytochemicals on glucokinase gene expression and enzymatic activity

Abstract Diabetes represents an important public health problem. Recently, new molecular targets have been identified and exploited to treat this disease. Due to its pivotal role in glucose homeostasis, glucokinase (GCK) is a promising target for the development of novel antidiabetic drugs; however, pharmacological agents that modulate GCK activity have been linked to undesirable side-effects, limiting its use. Interestingly, plants might be a valuable source of new therapeutic compounds with GCK-activating properties and presumably no adverse effects. In this review, we describe biochemical characteristics related to the physiological and pathological importance of GCK, as well as the mechanisms involved in its regulation at different molecular levels. Posteriorly, we present a compendium of findings supporting the potential use of nutraceuticals and phytochemicals in the management of diabetes through modulation of GCK expression and activity. Finally, we propose critical aspects to keep in mind when designing experiments to evaluate GCK modulation properly.
Enhancing STEM awareness for pre-service teachers: A recruitment initiative

The shortage of engineers in the United States has been the focus of numerous recent reports. Results from a recent Intel funded study showed a lack of familiarity with the engineering field as one of the key barriers. Recognition of this has resulted in a growing movement to create awareness and intensify outreach efforts by engineering/STEM educational programs across the country. One potential solution is to train middle and high school teachers in STEM areas so they can influence young students. This seems promising, considering the majority of K-12 teachers have limited to no training in engineering and the implementation of specialized programs or efforts is often prohibitive due to limited resources. This paper documents the activities and results of a Pre-Service Teacher Workshop at Texas A&M International University. This workshop addressed the limited knowledge of secondary teachers about engineering degrees and careers. Participants, for example, were made aware of the difference between the Scientific Inquiry Method and the engineering design process and other concepts taught in college engineering courses. Fourteen participants successfully completed the workshop. This paper provides details about the workshop, including the topics covered. Results of preand postworkshop surveys are also presented and discussed.
Value chain development for mountainous areas: Relation between animal breed and territory. The case of H’mong beef in Cao Bang, Vietnam

In a market economy, poor breeding farmers usually face many difficulties due to the lack of information exchange in advanced technology and science, market and breeding experience. Cao Bang Province in the mountainous North of Viet Nam has the highest household poverty ratio, with 40% in 2007. The H’mong minority settled recently in the agro-ecological setting of the high mountains of Northern Vietnam, including Cao Bang, with small-scale land; therefore intensive livestock has become a main source for their livelihood. Cao Bang has two main local cattle races namely, “Small yellow” and “H’mong” registered in the Vietnam animal breed Atlas. H’mong beef accounts for 30% number of total animal. H’mong beef is indigenous breed, fairly weight, mature male beef weigh 400 – 600 kg, fresh red meat, and smooth muscle, special sweet tasting. This local H’mong beef has good meat quality but this quality value is not known by supermarket in cities due to the weak coordination in beef value chain. An actionresearch by CASRAD/CIRAD funded by IFAD (Superchain project) and aiming to link rural poor households to supermarkets and other quality chains has selected the H’mong beef value chain. The objective is to develop small scale H’mong beef farming in groups, and link them to high value chains becoming a localized production cluster, in a way which is suitable to breeding conditions in mountainous areas. The approach is based on the theories of Institutional economics and collective action (Dao the Anh et al., 2007). Collective actions of small scale farmers may reduce transaction costs; increase the size of commodities in trading and the possibility of market access of the farmers. It is also based on value chain analyze (Kaplinsky et al. 2001; Gereffi et al., 2003). Characteristics of transactions, in particular in terms of quality, and the supplier’s capacity will create different regulating structures of the value chains. The supply capacity in terms of quantity and quality is the key barrier of participation of the poor into the value chain.
Mexican Meat Demand at the Table Cut Level: Estimating a Censored Demand System in a Complex Survey

Demand elasticities at the table cut level are computed from a Mexican survey of household incomes and weekly expenditures, which is a stratified sample. A censored demand system is estimated incorporating stratification variables and it results in unbiased parameter and elasticity estimates, which can be interpreted as estimates of all Mexican meat-consuming households. Their standard errors are rigorously approximated by bootstrapping. Several indicators of heterogeneous meat-cut demands are found. Volumes traded differ among the table cuts of meats; the probability of buying a particular meat cut changes across meat cuts and geographical regions; and cases of substitutability and complementarity are identified within and across meat categories.