Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monitoring NPP VIIRS on-orbit radiometric performance from TOA reflectance time series

The recently launched (October 28, 2011) Suomi NPP (National Polar-orbiting Partnership) satellite has been operating nominally to daily collect global data. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a key NPP sensor onboard the spacecraft. Similar to the heritage sensor MODIS, VIIRS has on-board calibration components including a solar diffuser (SD) and a solar diffuser stability monitor (SDSM) for the reflective solar bands (RSB), a V-groove blackbody for the thermal emissive bands (TEB), and a space view (SV) port for background. This study examines VIIRS reflective solar bands (RSB) calibration stability and performance using observed top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance time series collected from two approaches. The first is from comparison with a well-calibrated Aqua MODIS and the second is from overpasses over the widely used Liby-4 desert site. The VIIRS and MODIS comparison data is obtained from simultaneous nadir overpasses (SNO) for their spectrally matched bands. The reflectance trends over the Libya-4 site are extracted from 16-day repeatable orbits so each data point has the same viewing geometry relative to the site. The impact due to the band spectral differences between the two instruments is corrected based on MODTRAN5 simulations. Results of this study provide useful information on NPP VIIRS post-launch calibration assessment and preliminary analysis of its calibration stability and consistency for the first 1.5 years.
A Subphenotype-to-Genotype Approach Reveals Disproportionate Megalencephaly Autism Risk Genes

Among autistic individuals, a subphenotype with brain enlargement disproportionate to height (autism with disproportionate megalencephaly, or ASD-DM) seen at three years of age is associated with co-occurring intellectual disability and poorer prognoses later in life. However, many of the genes contributing to ASD-DM have yet to be delineated. In this study, we aim to identify additional ASD-DM associated genes to better define the genetic etiology of this subphenotype of autism. Here, we expand the previously studied sample size of ASD-DM individuals ten-fold by including probands from the Autism Phenome Project and Simons Simplex Collection, totaling 766 autistic individuals meeting the criteria for megalencephaly or macrocephaly and revealing 153 candidate ASD-DM genes harboring de novo protein-impacting variants. Our findings include thirteen high confidence autism genes and seven genes previously associated with DM. Five impacted genes have previously been associated with both autism and DM, including CHD8 and PTEN. By performing functional network analysis, we also narrowed in on additional candidate genes, including one previously implicated in ASD-DM (PIK3CA) as well as 184 additional genes previously implicated in ASD or DM alone. Using zebrafish as a model, we performed CRISPR gene editing to generate knockout animals for seven of candidate genes and assessed head-size and induced seizure activity differences. From this analysis, we identified significant morphological changes in zebrafish knockout models of two genes, ythdf2 and ryr3. While zebrafish knockout mutants model haploinsufficiency of assayed genes, we identified a de novo tandem duplication impacting YTHDF2 in an ASD-DM proband. Therefore, we also transiently overexpressed YTHDF2 by injection of in vitro transcribed human mRNA to simulate the patient-identified duplication. Following this, we observed increased head and brain size in the YTHDF2 overexpression zebrafish matching that of the proband, providing a functional link between YTHDF2 mutations and DM. Though discovery of additional mutations of ASD-DM candidate genes are required in order to fully elucidate the genetics associated with this severe form of autism, our study was able to provide support for YTHDF2 as a novel putative ASD-DM gene.
Sliding‐mode control of a three‐degrees‐of‐freedom nanopositioner

This paper presents the sliding‐mode control of a three‐degrees‐of‐freedom nanopositioner (Z, θx, θy). This nanopositioner is actuated by piezoelectric actuators. Capacitive gap sensors are used for position feedback. In order to design the feedback controller, the open‐loop characteristics of this nanopositioner are investigated. Based on the results of the investigation, each pair of piezoelectric actuators and corresponding gap sensors is treated as an independent system and modeled as a first‐order linear model coupled with hysteresis. When the model is identified and the hysteresis nonlinearity is linearized, a linear system model with uncertainty is used to design the controller. When designing the controller, the sliding‐mode disturbance (uncertainty) estimation and compensation scheme is used. The structure of the proposed controller is similar to that of a proportional integral derivative controller. Thus, it can be easily implemented. Experimental results show that 3‐nm tracking resolution can be obtained. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society
Déterminant relatif et la fonction Xi

Nous obtenons un analogue de la formule de Weyl (ou plutot sa version integree) pour les domaines non-bornes d'une variete riemannienne complete. Cet asymptotique concerne la fonction de decalage spectral de M. Krein. On donne aussi des formules reliant cette fonction et la ζ-regularisation du determinant de quelques operateurs.
DUAL FUNCTIONALITY IN LATER LIFE

Abstract Longevity and quality of life are core interests in gerontology, but debate has ensued as scholars have sought to integrate the two. I propose the concept of dual functionality to examine how humans reach advanced ages while maintaining both physical and cognitive function. Using a large national sample, my colleagues and I operationalize dual functionality and identify life course factors that predict it. Analyses of 33,310 respondents 50 years or older from the Health and Retirement Study show an estimated median age of 74 for loss of dual functionality. Lifetime stress exposure leads to earlier loss of dual functionality, even after adjustment for socioeconomic status and lifestyle factors. Estimates of dual-function life expectancy, moreover, reveal greater racial-ethnic disparities than those for life expectancy per se. Dual functionality may be useful for assessing the quality of longevity across societies and social categories and for identifying exceptional longevity.
Comparative treatment with hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a model of systemic loxoscelism in rats

Objective(s): Spiders of the Loxosceles genus, known as violin spiders, produce venom with dermonecrotic and systemic effects, as it is a species widely distributed in the world, its study represents a high medical relevance. Systemic loxoscelism, which occurs in 1 in 5 cases and is the most frequent in children, can be fatal, so the study of effective therapy is of great relevance. In the present study, we compared different therapeutic options to mitigate the systemic effects of Loxosceles boneti venom in a model in which prepubertal rats were used. Materials and Methods: A model of systemic intoxication by L. boneti venom was provoked in male Wistar rats. Study groups were formed: healthy control, with venom and untreated control, treatment with N-acetylcysteine, and/or hyperbaric oxygenation therapy. Subsequently, pathological analysis of the kidney and lung was performed. The oxidant-antioxidant response was evaluated, and molecular analysis of the COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes was performed. Results: Regenerative changes were observed at the cellular level in both treatments, being more noticeable in the hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) group. The anti-oxidant response was outstanding in the same group. Conclusion: Both treatments offer considerable benefits, however; further studies are needed to provide adequate therapeutics.
The initial value problem for tropical perturbations to a baroclinic atmosphere

Large-scale wave propagation ideas have proved extremely valuable in interpreting real and model data. These ideas have been developed in the context of barotropic models, and here the extension to baroclinic atmospheres is investigated. The dispersion of waves from an initial, large-scale, tropical perturbation to a baroclinic basic flow is studied using a direct approach. A 15-level, spectral, primitive equation model is integrated forward in time. Even in baroclinically unstable flows it is found that for a period, normally of order 12 days, the model yields what can be considered to be the direct response to the tropical perturbations. After this time baroclinic instability dominates. The basic flows are a resting atmosphere, a climatological westerly, an equatorial longitudinal modification to this, and a 3-D climatological December-February state. For the perturbations used here, equatorial Kelvin waves play only a very small role. The large-scale equatorial Rossby wave shows only small dispersion and tends to move with a Doppler-shifted phase speed which allows it to ‘accumulate’ to the east of an equatorial maximum of 10 ms−1 or more. Rossby wavetrains propagate into the middle and high latitude westerly regions. With the climatological flow, perturbations in the Indian Ocean-west Pacific sector trigger a modal structure in the North Pacific and wavetrain across North America very much as barotropic theory would suggest and similar to observed Pacific-North America (PNA) patterns. In such a flow the middle latitude waves tend to extend to the equator in the westerly regions of the east Pacific and Atlantic, in agreement with observed behaviour.
Optimising reporting of adverse events following immunisation by healthcare workers in Ghana: A qualitative study in four regions

Introduction Despite the emphasis on reporting of Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFIs) during didactic training sessions, especially prior to new vaccine introductions, it remains low in Ghana. We explored the factors underlying the under-reporting of AEFI by healthcare workers (HCWs) to provide guidance on appropriate interventions to increase reporting. Methods We conducted an exploratory descriptive in-depth study of the factors contributing to low reporting of AEFI among HCWs in four regions in Ghana. Key informant interviews (KII) were held with purposively selected individuals that are relevant to the AEFI reporting process at the district, regional, and national levels. We used KII guides to conduct in-depth interviews and used NVivo 10 qualitative software to analyse the data. Themes on factors influencing AEFI reporting were derived inductively from the data, and illustrative quotes from respondents were used to support the narratives. Results We conducted 116 KIIs with the health managers, regulators and frontline HCWs and found that lack of information on reportable AEFIs and reporting structures, misunderstanding of reportable AEFIs, heavy workload, cost of reporting AEFIs, fear of blame by supervisors, lack of motivation, and inadequate feedback as factors responsible for underreporting of AEFIs. Respondents suggested that capacity building for frontline HCWs, effective supervision, the provision of motivation and feedback, simplification of reporting procedures, incentives for integrating AEFI reporting into routine monitoring and reporting, standardization of reporting procedures across regions, and developing appropriate interventions to address the fear of personal consequences would help improve AEFI reporting. Conclusion From the perspectives of a broad range of key informants at all levels of the vaccine safety system, we found multiple factors (both structural and behavioural), that may impact HCW reporting of AEFI in Ghana. Improvements in line with the suggestions are necessary for increased AEFI reporting in Ghana.
Optimal Control Laws for Momentum-Wheel Desaturation Using Magnetorquers

E ARTH-pointing satellites are expected to maintain the localvertical/local-horizontal attitude in the presence of environmental disturbance effects. In many applications this is achieved by using momentum-wheel systems which continuously exchange angular momentum with the spacecraft (SC) body. Because of secular external disturbances, such as the aerodynamic and solar radiation pressure torque, thewheel will accumulate (or lose) angular momentum, drifting towards its maximum (or minimum) allowed speed limits. Hence, suitable control of the wheel’s angular momentum is required to counteract the influence of a persisting external disturbance torque. An external control torque must be applied to perform the wheel’s momentum dumping and force the angular velocity back into its allowable limits. Magnetic attitude control of spinning and momentum biased SC is one of the earliest techniques employed in attitude stabilization [1–4]. A number of relevant studies on wheel’s momentum dumping using magnetorquers are available, both for low earth orbiting (LEO) SC [5–11] and higher altitude satellites [12–14]. Whereas reaction thrusters allow rapid momentum dumping with a large propellant consumption, the use of magnetorquers provides a cheaper desaturation maneuver, without the use of any propellant. In this Note we derive the control laws for a satellite equippedwith magnetic dipoles which allow an optimal momentum-wheel desaturation. To this end, we minimize a cost function taking into account both the maneuvering time and the power consumption. The problem is solved through an indirect approach, and the dependence of the optimal control law on the SC orbital parameters and its characteristics is discussed. Also, the minimum time and the minimum power problem are solved by using a semi-analytical and a closed-form solution, respectively. A number of numerical simulations based on the proposed methodology have been applied to theALMASatMicrosatellite [15], whose program was established and developed at the University of Bologna in 2003.
TRIAXIAL DYNAMICAL MODELS OF ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES USING STACKEL POTENTIALS

A new development for components of collisionless stellar systems in a triaxial Stackel potential is presented. The non-rotating Abel components introduced by Dejonghe & Laurent are generalized. Two families of components with internal net rotation about the long or short axis of the ellipsoidal figure are described. The simple Abel character of the non-rotating components is no longer conserved when rotation is included. The rotating components can be used to build realistic three-integral dynamical models of elliptical galaxies with rotation. A triaxial dynamical model is proposed for the E2 galaxy Centaurus A. A good fit to the photometry and to planetary nebulae kinematical data (rotation and velocity dispersion on the photometric major and minor axes) is obtained. The total mass for our model of Cen A amounts to ∼ 41 × 1010 M⊙, half of which is dark mass.
Novel theory on mach-bands and gradient formation in early vision

Recognizing objects of interest in real-world scenes is a principal computational goal of the primate visual system. This process involves the representation of object surfaces in the first visual areas of the neocortex. Luminance gradients are usually superimposed on object surfaces, what complicates the recovery of the surface reflectance functions on the one hand, but may provide valuable information about surface texture and surface curvature one the other hand. Consequently, there should be a way to recognize and represent luminance gradients independently from object surfaces. However, there is no corresponding theory available up to now. Here we present a two-stage architecture which is compatible with this idea. The first stage involves the detection of luminance gradients in a given intensity image, which are subsequently recovered in the second stage. By means of a novel diffusion paradigm, our architecture is capable of building representations of arbitrary sized luminance gradients from sparse local measurements of gradient evidence. Since our architecture both predicts psychophysical data on Mach bands, and successfully processes real-world scenes, it constitutes a potential computational theory on how luminance gradients are processed and represented in the first visual areas of the brain.
Marked Improvement in A1C Levels After Initiation of Intermittently Scanned Continuous Glucose Monitoring Is Maintained Over 4 Years in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

Objective This study aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of long-term use of intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring (isCGM) in adult patients with type 1 diabetes. Design and methods In this retrospective real-world study, 689 patients with type 1 diabetes who were >18 years of age and using isCGM were identified from the electronic patient records in North Karelia, Finland. A1C data were collected before and after the initiation of isCGM. The primary outcome was a change in the mean A1C over time after isCGM started. Results The greatest reductions in the mean A1C levels were observed 6 months (−0.54% [−5.9 mmol/mol], P <0.001) and 12 months (−0.42% [−4.6 mmol/mol], P <0.001) after the initiation of isCGM. Reduction in A1C remained significant for 4 years, although the mean reduction in A1C was −0.18% (−2.05 mmol/mol) (P = 0.009) at 48 months compared with baseline. In a subgroup analysis, patients with a baseline A1C >9% (75 mmol/mol) benefited the most from initiation of isCGM (reduction −0.97% [−10.6 mmol/mol], P <0.001, at 12 months and −0.92% [−10.1 mmol/mol], P <0.001, at 48 months). Neither sex nor age at the start of isCGM were correlated with A1C reduction. Conclusion Use of isCGM improves A1C levels significantly in adult patients with type 1 diabetes. Significant reduction in A1C persisted over 4 years of use, although the effect diminished over time.
Profile of Cigarette and Drug Use Status in Population of Tabari Cohort Study

Background: The study of the smoking and drug use profile of the Tabari cohort enrolment phase, the outcomes of which will be evaluated in the coming years, has proper comprehensiveness. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the cigarette and drug use status in the population of the Tabari cohort study (TCS). Methods: In this study, the profile of cigarette and drug use in the TCS was evaluated. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 24 using percentage, mean, and standard deviation, chi-square, and independent t test. Findings: The frequency of daily smoking in the entire population was 9.1%, and the frequencies in men and women were 21.5% and 0.6%, respectively (P<0.001). The frequency of exposure to smoking in the home, at present or in the past, in the entire population was 30.5%, and in the populations living in urban and mountainous areas were 35.4% and 19.8%, respectively (P<0.001). The mean age at first use of cigarettes in the entire population was 20.50±7.61, whereas the mean age of regular smoking was 23.19±8.02. Furthermore, the frequency of experiencing drug abuse in the total population was 6.1%, and the frequencies in men and women were 14.1% and 0.7%, respectively. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, cigarette smoking and drug use are significant in men, and overall exposure of the Tabari cohort population to tobacco and drugs in the home is high. If effective prevention is not on the agenda, a significant proportion of the future outcomes in this population may be attributable to these risk factors.
Generalized hydrodynamics and shock waves

In this paper, the generalized hydrodynamic equations are applied to calculate the shock profiles, shock widths, and calortropy production (energy dissipation) for a Maxwell and variable hard sphere gas. Shock solutions are shown to exist for all Mach numbers ${(N}_{M})$ studied, ranging up to ${N}_{M}=10,$ but this upper Mach number can be in principle extended to infinity. This is in contrast to the Grad moment equation method [H. Grad, Commun. Pure Appl. Math, 5, 257 (1952)] which does not admit shock solutions for ${N}_{M}g~1.65$ and to the method of Anile and Majorana [A. M. Anile and A. Majorana, Meccanica 16, 149 (1982)] and Weiss [W. Weiss, Phys. Rev. E 52, R5760 (1995)] who also used moment equations and found the shock solutions do not exist for ${N}_{M}g~2.09$ and ${N}_{M}g~1.887,$ respectively. The difference of the present theory from the aforementioned theories lies in the closure relations used for higher-order moments. The nonlinear factor in the dissipation terms in the flux evolution equations of generalized hydrodynamics significantly contributes to producing the shock width increasing with the Mach number. The results calculated are comparable with the Monte Carlo simulation results and the results by various closures of the Mott-Smith method. The present method is also applied to calculate the experimental shock widths for argon and found to give results in good agreement with experiments. The energy dissipation is shown to increase with ${N}_{M}$ as ${(N}_{M}\ensuremath{-}{a)}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}},$ where $a$ and \ensuremath{\alpha} are positive constants.
Investigation of high-temperature black body BB3200

During an international comparison of radiation temperature measurements performed at the AllRussian Institute for Optophysical Measurements (VNIIOFI), Moscow, in June 1997 by participants from the VNIIOFI, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Teddington, and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig, detailed measurements of the characteristics of two different types of high-temperature black-body source took place. Both of the black bodies consisted of a pyrolytic-graphite cavity and differed only in the design of the electrodes, which were either axial or coaxial. All investigations were carried out covering a temperature range from 1380 K to 3100 K. The electrical characteristics of the black bodies were investigated at all temperature points; and measurements of the temperature drift were performed to determine the stability of the systems in constant-current mode and in optical-feedback control mode. The uniformity of the black-body radiation field was measured in the radiance mode by using narrowband, interference-filter-based radiometers with imaging optics from the NPL and in the irradiance mode by using broadband-filter detectors from the PTB to scan the irradiated area. The results confirm the suitability of the BB3200 for both radiance and irradiance measurements at national metrological institutes.
Multivariate Techniques for Specifying Tree-Growth and Climate Relationships and for Reconstructing Anomalies in Paleoclimate

Project: Dendroclimatic History of the United States, Contract: E-41-70(N) / 1970 Final Report Prepared for: Laboratory for Environmental Data Research, Environmental Data Service, Weather Bureau, Environmental Science Services Administration, United States Department of Commerce / November 9, 1970
Adaptive bilateral filtering for image denoising

In this paper, an adaptive approach for bilateral filtering, based on estimation of the range filtering parameter using homogeneity measurements is introduced for image denoising. For each pixel, the homogeneity measurement is performed utilizing its local neighbors considering different directions, and the range parameter is estimated from the variance of the most homogeneous blocks. In order to reduce the residual noise, the filtering operation is carried out in an iterative manner. A stopping criterion using the structural similarity index is provided. Experiments are carried out using various standard images and the results show that the proposed method is more effective in reducing additive white Gaussian noise as compared to several recently introduced denoising techniques in terms of the peak signal-to-noise ratio and structural similarity index with a reduced computational requirement.