Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of Air Pollution with the Number of Common Respiratory Visits in Children in a Heavily Polluted Central City, China

Children’s respiratory health is vulnerable to air pollution. Based on data collected from June 2019 to June 2022 at a children’s hospital in Zhengzhou, China, this study utilized Spearman correlation analysis and a generalized additive model (GAM) to examine the relationship between daily visits for common respiratory issues in children and air pollutant concentrations. Results show that the number of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), pneumonia (PNMN), bronchitis (BCT), and bronchiolitis (BCLT) visits in children showed a positive correlation with PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO while exhibiting a negative correlation with temperature and relative humidity. The highest increases in PNMN visits in children were observed at lag 07 for NO2, SO2, and CO. A rise of 10 μg/m3 in NO2, 1 μg/m3 in SO2, and 0.1 mg/m3 in CO corresponded to an increase of 9.7%, 2.91%, and 5.16% in PNMN visits, respectively. The effects of air pollutants on the number of BCT and BCLT visits were more pronounced in boys compared to girls, whereas no significant differences were observed in the number of URTI and PNMN visits based on sex. Overall, air pollutants significantly affect the prevalence of respiratory diseases in children, and it is crucial to improve air quality to protect the children’s respiratory health.
Identification of the glaciers and mountain naturally dammed lakes in the Pskem, the Kashkadarya and the Surhandarya River basins, Uzbekistan, using ALOS satellite data

The glacierized area of Uzbekistan is represented in three river basins – the Pskem, the Kashkadarya and the Surhandarya. This study considers the present state of the glaciers and high-mountain lakes distribution in this area based on the analysis and validation of advanced land observing satellite (ALOS)/advanced visible and near infrared radiometer type 2 (AVNIR-2) satellite data. Between the 1960s and the 2010s, the glacierized area decreased by 23% in the Pskem River basin (including the Maydantal), by 49% in the Kashkadarya and by 40% in the Surhandarya (including the Sangardak and the Tupalang) River basins. The retreat fairly slowed in the 1980s–2010s. There are 75 glacial lakes and 35 rock-dammed lakes (including landslide-dammed ones) in the Pskem River basin, 45% of all the lakes covering the area less than 0.002 km2; 13 glacial lakes and 4 rock-dammed lakes in the Kashkadarya and 34 glacial lakes and 16 rock-dammed lakes in the Surhandarya River basins. The landslide rock-dammed Ikhnach Upper Lake lost 0.04 km2 in size from 1 August 2010 to 30 August 2010 because of the seepage through the rock dam and 0.10 km2 from 1 August to 18 October 2013.
Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response to Seasonal Modulation of Ocean Color: Impact on Interannual Climate Simulations in the Tropical Pacific

The ability to use remotely sensed ocean color data to parameterize biogenic heating in a coupled ocean-atmosphere model is investigated. The model used is a hybrid coupled model recently developed at the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC) by coupling an ocean general circulation model with a statistical atmosphere model for wind stress anomalies. The impact of the seasonal cycle of water turbidity on the annual mean, seasonal cycle, and interannual variability of the coupled system is investigated using three simulations differing in the parameterization of the vertical attenuation of downwelling solar radiation: (i) a control simulation using a constant 17-m attenuation depth, (ii) a simulation with the spatially varying annual mean of the satellite-derived attenuation depth, and (iii) a simulation accounting for the seasonal cycle of the attenuation depth. The results indicate that a more realistic attenuation of solar radiation slightly reduces the cold bias of the model. While a realistic attenuation of solar radiation hardly affects the annual mean and the seasonal cycle due to anomaly coupling, it significantly affects the interannual variability, especially when the seasonal cycle of the attenuation depth is used. The seasonal cycle of the attenuation depth interacts with the low-frequency equatorial dynamics to enhance warm and cold anomalies, which are further amplified via positive air-sea feedbacks. These results also indicate that interannual variability of the attenuation depths is required to capture the asymmetric biological feedbacks during cold and warm ENSO events.
Geophysical and Hyperspectral Data Fusion Techniques for In‐Field Estimation of Soil Properties

There is great interest in the development of inexpensive and rapid soil mapping methods for precision agriculture applications. Proximal and remote soil sensing are particularly valuable for this purpose, and there is great scope for their synergic use. The objective of this study was to compare different methods allowing the joint exploitation of hyperspectral satellite data and geophysical data for estimating soil properties at the field scale. Soil samples were collected in an agricultural field in Central Italy for the determination of several soil properties. Satellite images were acquired by the CHRIS‐PROBA sensor, both under bare soil conditions and when the field was covered by a wheat crop. Geophysical data were obtained by the automatic resistivity profiling method (ARP), providing apparent soil electrical resistivity of the 0 to 50 cm layer. Regression‐kriging (RK), partial least square regression (PLSR), and a combination of PLSR with geostatistics through kriging of the PLSR residuals (PLSR‐K) were applied to estimate soil properties by employing all combinations of the available covariates. A multiple jack‐knifing procedure was used for a statistical comparison of the ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) statistics across 300 replicates. Clay, sand, and available soil water content were estimated with a sufficient degree of accuracy (RPD > 1.4), especially when using the RK technique. PLSR‐K estimated these variables with intermediate ability by using only remote sensing covariates and obtained, in most cases, better results than PLSR. For other soil variables, the prediction ability was unsatisfactory (RPD < 1.4) due to smaller sample and range and weaker correlation with the covariates.
Oceanic Subarctic Fronts of the Central Pacific: Structure of and Response to Atmospheric Forcing

Abstract The oceanic fronts in the subarctic region of the central North Pacific are investigated and related to atmospheric forcing. The thermohaline structure indicates a near balance between horizontal temperature and salinity gradients, resulting in weak density gradients and the absence of baroclinic jets. Large temperature inversions are found inside the permanent subarctic halocline and pycnocline, which are attributed to overrunning of cool, low-salinity water from the north over warmer, more saline water from the west. During summer, a shallow SOFAR channel is found between the bottom of the seasonal pycnocline and the top of the permanent pycnocline. The frontal structure in the latitude belt between 39° and 47°N is complicated and is characterized by multiple thermohaline and sound velocity fronts. Frontogenesis in the mid-Pacific depends strongly upon differential advection of the Ekman type. During fan, characteristic magnitudes of temperature frontogenesis due to this cause are 1°C (100 km)−.
Modeling CDRX and MDRX during hot forming of zircaloy-4

A recently developed full field level-set model of continuous dynamic recrystallization is applied to simulate zircaloy-4 recrystallization during hot compression and subsequent heat treatment. The influence of strain rate, final strain and initial microstructure is investigated, by experimental and simulation tools. The recrystallization heterogeneity is quantified. This enables to confirm that quenched microstructures display a higher extent of heterogeneity. The simulation results replicate satisfactorily experimental observations. The simulation framework is especially able to capture such recrystallization heterogeneity induced by a different initial microstructure. Finally, the role of intragranular dislocation density heterogeneities over the preferential growth of recrystallized grains is pointed out thanks to additional simulations with different numerical formulations.
In situ observations and model calculations of black carbon emission by aircraft at cruise altitude

The exhaust aerosol of two aircraft at cruise was extensively characterized in the size range from 0.003 to 2 μm for plume ages ≤2 s. The black carbon (BC) exhaust aerosol of an older technology engine (Rolls-Royce/Snecma M45H Mk501) consisted of a primary BC mode with a modal diameter of 0.035 μm and a mode of coagulated BC particles with a peak near 0.15–0.16 μm in diameter. The total number density at the nozzle exit plane was 3×107 cm−3. In contrast, a modern technology engine (CFM International CFM56-3B1) emitted far smaller BC particles with a primary mode at 0.025 μm and a coagulated mode at 0.15 μm, as well as fewer particles by number with a concentration of 9×106 cm−3. The single-scattering albedo of the jet exhaust aerosol was 0.035 ± 0.02 inside the plume, indicating a dominant contribution of ultrafine (D<0.1 μm) BC particles to light extinction. Black carbon number emission indices EI(N) varied from 3.5×1014 (CFM56-3B1) to 1.7×1015 kg−1 (M45H Mk501) with corresponding mass emission indices EI(BC) of 0.011 and 0.1 g kg−1. Previously reported corresponding values for a CF6-80C2A2 engine were 6×1014 kg−1 and 0.023 g kg−1, respectively. A comparison between EI(BC) values calculated by a new correlation method and measured data shows an excellent agreement, with deviations <10% at cruise conditions. By extending the EI(BC) calculation method to a globally operating aircraft fleet, a fleet-averaged emission index EI(BC) = 0.038 g kg−1 is calculated.
Lithospheric stress, deformation, and tectonic cycles: the disruption of Pangaea and the closure of Tethys

Abstract Intra-plate stress is governed on a global scale by plate boundary configuration and the disposition of continents. When continents are assembled into Pangaea-type masses, they are in deviatoric tension and predisposed to rifting and splitting along weak zones and where tension is locally enhanced by compensated uplifts. When continents are dispersed, they are, mainly, in deviatoric compression when local and minor thrusting and strike-slip faulting occur. Cyclic assembly, disruption, separation and reassembly of continental fragments causes a globally episodic, perhaps even periodic, repetition and synchroneity of tectonic events, alkaline and mafic magmatism and sea-level changes.
Toeplitz Structure In Slant-stack Inversion

I derive fast and accurate algorithms for the computation of the least-squares inverses of some time-invariant Radon tranforms such zs the slant-stack. The efficiency of the algorithms results from the observation that the matrix of normal equations has a Toeplitz structure, even for data that are irregularly sampled or non-uniformly weighted in offset. To ensure the numerical stability of the least-squares inverse, I introduce a sampling rate in ray-parameter that depends on frequency and corresponds to a uniform sampling in wavenumber.
High-temperature elastic softening of orthopyroxene and seismic properties of the lithospheric upper mantle

SUMMARY Mineralogical models suggest that low velocity zones of the upper mantle may be accounted for by elasticity of dry rocks along geotherms away from the mid-oceanic ridges (MOR) while, closer to MOR, anelasticity plays a significant role in reducing shear wave velocities VS and generating attenuation. We investigate the potential influence of elastic softening, precursor of high-temperature phase transition in orthopyroxenes, on the seismic properties of the upper mantle. In situ Brillouin and Raman spectroscopy were used to evidence pre-transitional behaviour at high temperature in natural San Carlos orthopyroxene. Pre-transitional behaviour induces a large softening of the acoustic and low frequency modes, resulting in a large anharmonic decrease of sound velocities, similar to that observed in the MgSiO3 end-member orthoenstatite. The high-temperature high-pressure phase diagram of enstatite is revised to account for the new phase transition, and a simple model is developed to evaluate elastic softening effects on the upper-mantle seismic properties, whose results depend much on the as yet poorly constrained pressure and compositional dependence of the phase transition boundary. Within the tested range of parameters, OPx softening is likely to affect the seismic properties of mantle rocks at depths shallower than 80 km in hot regions. Thus elastic softening of pyroxene is unlikely to affect the LVZ or continental lithospheric mantle unless the transition temperature is drastically reduced by incorporation of aluminium in orthopyroxene. It will contribute to a decrease of VS near MOR, hot spots and evolved continental rifts, where it can explain part of the non-linear high-temperature decrease of VS in the lithospheric oceanic mantle. It will affect the magnitude of anelastic effects and the nature of the likely mechanisms of attenuation required to match seismological observations.
Weight thresholded regularized robust coding for vision sensing-based hand gesture detection in collaborative robotics

Vision sensing-based hand gesture recognition is considered an important contemporary research problem of collaborative robotics in a human-robot coexisting environment. The problem becomes more complex in challenging environments, where a robot needs to correctly recognize a human gesture to perform navigation or some other designated job, even in the presence of poor illumination conditions, occlusion, etc. This work proposes a novel approach of successfully utilizing regularized robust coding (RRC)-based models to solve such hand gesture detection problems in real-life, challenging situations. The RRC model is used for robust regression of a signal or image and is known as an improvement over the classical sparse representation-based classification (SRC) model. In this work, we propose three novel variants of weight thresholding mechanism in conjunction with RRC (named WTRRC algorithms) which essentially employ more error-tolerant concepts of logistic functions for weight update, when the dictionary is formed by real-world, photometrically irregular hand gesture images. Extensive case studies in real-world environments (i) with poor illumination, and (ii) with both poor illumination and occlusions firmly establish superior performances of the proposed WTRRC variants compared to other state-of-the-art algorithms in such collaborative robotics problems.
Effects of postural threat on the scaling of anticipatory postural adjustments in young and older adults

Introduction The ability to scale anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) according to the predicted size of the upcoming movement is reduced with aging. While age-related changes in central set may be one reason for this effect, an individual’s emotional state might also contribute to changes in anticipatory postural control. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether an altered emotional state, as elicited through postural threat, alters the scaling of APAs during a handle pull movement in young and older adults. It was hypothesized that the presence of postural threat would lead to more homogenous APAs (i.e., less scaling of APAs) across a range of pulling forces. Methods Young (n = 23) and older adults (n = 16) stood on top of a force plate that was mounted to a motorized platform. From this position, participants performed a series of handle pull trials without (no threat) or with (threat) the possibility of receiving a postural perturbation in the form of an unpredictable surface translation. Handle pulls were performed at force levels between 50 and 90% of maximum force. For each trial, the magnitude and timing of the APA were quantified from center of pressure (COP) recordings as well as electromyographic (EMG) activity of the soleus and medial gastrocnemius. The scaling of APAs with respect to force exertion was then determined through regression analyses and by comparing APAs during pulls of lower versus higher force. Results and discussion As evidenced by their smaller slope of the regression line between various dependent measures (i.e., COP velocity, soleus EMG onset latency, and soleus EMG amplitude) and the pulled forces, older adults demonstrated less scaling of APAs than the young. However, increases in arousal, anxiety and fear of falling due to postural threat, only minimally altered the scaling of APAs. Regardless of age, the slope of the regressions for none of the measures were affected by threat while only the soleus and medial gastrocnemius EMG onsets demonstrated significant force × threat interaction effects. These results suggest that the decreased ability to scale APAs with aging is unlikely to be due to changes in emotional state.
Graph‐based change detection in geographic information using VHR satellite images

In this paper we examine a system based on computer vision for automated detection of change and anomalies in GIS road networks using very high resolution satellite images. The system consists of a low‐level feature detection process, which extracts road junctions, and a high‐level matching process, which uses graph matching to find correspondences between the detected image information and the road vector data. The matching process is based on continuous relaxation labelling. It is driven by spatial relations between the objects and takes into account different errors that can occur. The result is an object‐to‐object mapping between image and vector dataset. The mapping result can be used to calculate a rubbersheeting transformation which is able to compensate for local distortions. A measure of change is defined based on the number of null assignments. We show how combined with a condition to characterize acceptable errors, this measure is useful and reliable to characterize inconsistencies between image and vector data.
Kohti luotettavaa vaikuttavuuden mittaamista

nettu jo yli 30 vuotta (8). Voidaankin kysyä, tie­ detäänkö suomalaisessa terveydenhuollossa, mi­ ten potilaat kokevat hoidon hyödyttäneen heitä? Terveydenhuollon arjessa tuotettua terveys­ hyötyä ja sen pysyvyyttä arvioitaessa tarvitaan potilaan omaa arviota esimerkiksi oireiden ja terveyteen liittyvän elämänlaadun muutoksista toimenpiteen jälkeen. Tällaisen potilaslähtöisen hyödyn arvottaminen potilaan itsensä näkökul­ masta mahdollistaa hoidon vaikuttavuuden tai hoidon lopputulosten tutkimisen (9,10). Nykyään tulisikin siirtyä pelkästä terveyden­ huollon tuotoksen, eli tuotetun toiminnan ja käy ­ tetyn rahan välisen suhteen, mittaamisesta lop­ putulosten tai vaikuttavuuden mittaamiseen. Pelk kä tuottavuuden mittaaminen ei ota kantaa, miten resurssien allokaatio on muodostunut eikä tuotetun toiminnan määrä välttämättä ole ver­ rannollinen tuotetun terveyshyödyn määrään. Tämä vaatii potilaskeskeistä ajattelua ja mittaa­ maan juuri sitä mikä on potilaan mielestä merki­ tyksellistä hänen terveydelleen.
PROMPT: A Small Walking Robot for Planetary Exploration

Planetary exploration has already taken place for several years now using wheeled rovers. However, even though successful, these missions are limited to relatively flat and sedentary grounds. The areas explored are very interesting, but are of less importance from the point of view of searching for potential traces of life when compared to certain riskier zones. It is well understood that space agencies cannot afford the risk of using costly robots in these zones of uncommon geology. It is therefore anticipated that space exploration will evolve towards the use of small low-cost robots mobile enough to be used on rough terrains rich in geological information. This paper presents a small walking robot platform that was developed based on requirements provided by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Biochemical Response and Gene Expression to Water Deficit of Croatian Grapevine Cultivars (Vitis vinifera L.) and a Specimen of Vitis sylvestris

The biochemical response and gene expression in different grapevine cultivars to water deficit are still not well understood. In this study, we investigated the performance of four traditional Croatian Vitis vinifera L. cultivars (‘Plavac mali crni’, ‘Istrian Malvasia’, ‘Graševina’, and ‘Tribidrag’), and one wild (Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris) genotype exposed to water deficit (WD) for nine days under semi-controlled conditions in the greenhouse. Sampling for biochemical and gene expression analyses was performed at days six and nine from the beginning of WD treatment. The WD affected the accumulation of metabolites with a significant increase in abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), and proline in the leaves of the stressed genotypes when the WD continued for nine days. Lipid peroxidation (MDA) was not significantly different from that of the control plants after six days of WD, whereas it was significantly lower (297.40 nmol/g dw) in the stressed plants after nine days. The cultivar ‘Istrian Malvasia’ responded rapidly to the WD and showed the highest and earliest increase in ABA levels (1.16 ng mg−1 dw, i.e., 3.4-fold increase compared to control). ‘Graševina’ differed significantly from the other genotypes in SA content at both time points analyzed (six and nine days, 47.26 and 49.63 ng mg−1 dw, respectively). Proline level increased significantly under WD (up to 5-fold at day nine), and proline variation was not genotype driven. The expression of aquaporin genes (TIP2;1 and PIP2;1) was down-regulated in all genotypes, coinciding with the accumulation of ABA. The gene NCED1 (9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase) related to ABA was up-regulated in all genotypes under stress conditions and served as a reliable marker of drought stress. This work suggests that the stress response in metabolite synthesis and accumulation is complex, treatment- and genotype-dependent.
Turbulent exchange coefficients for the ice/ocean interface in case of rapid melting

In the marginal ice zones, drifting sea ice encounters large ocean heat fluxes and melting rates. However, as found from modelling studies and observations of ice melting, double diffusive effects at the ice/ocean interface limit the melting rates. In this paper, direct measurements of turbulent heat and salt fluxes from the marginal ice zone during rapid melting are presented. The strength of double diffusion is found to be significant and close to the range suggested from other studies. Calculated melting rates when double diffusive effects are present are compared to melting rates calculated from a traditional bulk parameterization of ocean heat flux for a range of temperatures and friction velocities often encountered within the marginal ice zones. This comparison shows that by ignoring double diffusive effects, melting rates are overestimated by several cm per day, which may have a significant impact on a predicted future ice cover.
Sensitivity Equalization and Dynamic Range Expansion with Multiple Optofluidic Microbubble Resonator Sensors

A novel multi-optofluidic microbubble resonator (OMBR) sensitivity equalization method is presented that equalizes the sensing signal from different OMBRs. The method relies on the fact that the ratio of the wavelength shifts to the bulk refractive index sensitivity (BRIS) does not depend on the physical dimensions of the OMBR. The proof of concept is experimentally validated and the sensing signals from individual OMBRs can be directly compared. Furthermore, a wide dynamic range of sensing with favorable consistency and repeatability is achieved by piecing together signals from 20 OMBRs for HIV-1 p24 antigen detection from 50 fg/mL to 100 ng/mL (2.1 fM to 4.2 nM), indicating significant potential for practical applications, such as in drug screening and disease diagnosis.