Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An empirical analysis of credit risk factors of the Slovenian banking system

The study presents the results of an analysis of credit risk factors of the Slovenian banking system. The objective of the empirical analysis is to establish which macroeconomic factors influence the systematic credit risk of the Slovenian banking loan portfolio. The research results have confirmed the main hypothesis that certain macroeconomic factors have a major influence on the examined credit risk.We could conclude that the credit risk of the loan portfolio depends on the employment or unemployment rate in Slovenia, on short and long-term interest rates of Slovenian banks and the Bank of Slovenia, and on the value of the Slovenian stock exchange index. We cannot claim that the examined credit risk depends on the inflation rate in Slovenia, the growth of GDP (industrial production), EUR and USD exchange rates or the growth of Slovenian import and export.
Creativity in Innovation Design: the roles of intuition, synthesis, and hypothesis*

Abstract In a highly technologically-advanced mature society, a shift in focus occurs from quantitative to qualitative innovation. This paper discusses this shift from the perspective of design. We address these future topics by showing our views or opinions, as well as by referring to some theories and arguments that have appeared up to the present in this regard. Concretely, we postulate that the design process comprises the stages of intuition or gut feeling, followed by analysis or synthesis, finally leading to the design outcome. Assuming that one of the factors that determines design creativity is whether the purpose or goal of a design is inside or outside of the design process, we also examine the aspects of these conditions. We then suggest the idea of an Innovation Design process model composed of two cycles: analytical design creation and synthetic design creation. In the former, a design solution is explored to fulfill a purpose or goal pre-assigned to a product from outside, leading to quantitative innovation. In the latter, hypothesization starting with an intuition or gut feeling leads to the design of a breakthrough product, leading to qualitative innovation. Finally, we present an outline of the design school (workshop) conducted based on these thoughts.
The Explicit Formula and a Propagator

I give a new derivation of the Explicit Formula for the general number field K, which treats all primes in exactly the same way, whether they are discrete or archimedean, and also ramified or not. In another token, I advance a probabilistic interpretation of Weil's positivity criterion, as opposed to the usual geometrical analogies or goals. But in the end, I argue that the new formulation of the Explicit Formula signals a specific link with Quantum Fields, as opposed to the Hilbert-Polya operator idea (which leads rather to Quantum Mechanics).
Rigorous Hitting Times for Binary Mutations

In the binary evolutionary optimization framework, two mutation operators are theoretically investigated. For both the standard mutation, in which all bits are flipped independently with the same probability, and the 1-bit-flip mutation, which flips exactly one bit per bitstring, the statistical distribution of the first hitting times of the target are thoroughly computed (expectation and variance) up to terms of order l (the size of the bitstrings) in two distinct situations: without any selection, or with the deterministic (1 + l)-ES selection on the OneMax problem. In both cases, the 1-bit-flip mutation convergence time is smaller by a constant (in terms of l) multiplicative factor. These results extend to the case of multiple independent optimizers.
Aggression, emotional intelligence and well-being among judo players: A comparative study

Aggression, emotional intelligence and well being are the important factors that significantly effect the performance of an individual specially sports persons. These variables can affect or enhance the overall performance of a sports person. With the importance of these variables, the present study was conducted to analyze the aggression, emotional intelligence and well being among judo players. A purposive survey method was used for the study. A sample of total 200 judo players (players who won position at Haryana senior state championship and M.D.U., Rohtak, K.U., Kurukshetra and C.D.L.U. Sirsa) was selected. For assessing the variables of the study, the Aggression Scale developed by Km. Roma Pal, Sports Emotional intelligence test by Agashe and Helode and PGI General Well being Measure developed by Dr. Santosh K. Verma and Ms. Amita Verma were used. The analysis was done by using independent sample t test. Results show there was significant difference in aggression between male and females. Thus, it can be concluded that male judo players are found to be more aggressive than their counterpart female judo players and no significant difference on emotional intelligence and well being between male and female Judo Players. Further it can be suggested that in future there should be a study which compare players who secured first position with those who secured second and third position.
Automatic segmentation of jaw from panoramic dental X-ray images using GVF snakes

Panoramic radiographs or dental X-rays are still a prominent tool used by the dentists for dental diagnosis. Accurate segmentation and reconstruction of each tooth from panoramic radiographs can play very significant role in early diagnosis and treatment that helps physicians to make a better decision. Panoramic radiographs contain regions outside of the jaw, which make segmentation of teeth very time consuming and complex. Automatic segmentation of jaw is necessary to avoid such complexity and to reduce time. Due to the absence of substantial difference of pixel intensity between different structures and absence of strong edges in panoramic radiographs, segmentation of jaw is still perplexing. In this paper, we use the gradient information to segment the jaw regardless of the position and size of the jaw. Our algorithm for segmentation of jaw has four steps: k-means clustering, detection of points around the jaw (proposed), gradient vector flow (GVF) snakes and correction by making the shape of the segmented area oval. K-means clustering followed by thresholding and detection of points around the jaw (proposed) is used to find suitable points for initialization of the GVF snakes. Then, GVF snakes are initialized with the detected points to segment the jaw. Finally, correction is performed by making the shape of the segmented area oval.
Changing perceptions of disability through sport: the case of Singaporean wheelchair basketball

Abstract The Wheelchair Basketball Association of Singapore (WBAS) was formed in 2007 with the vision of promoting societal awareness of disability and encouraging interaction on the basketball court between people with and without disabilities. This paper investigates the prevailing attitudes of Singaporeans towards disability today and ascertains how Singaporean wheelchair basketball has so far impacted this. Two key personnel in the WBAS organization were interviewed to provide an informed perspective on the general opinions of both the government and the Singaporean public with regard to people with disabilities (PWDs). A semi-structured interview format was utilized with a grounded theory approach used to analyse the data. In addition, one of the authors became a person without disability player in the WBAS so that insider interviews and focus groups with athletes with disabilities could be conducted. Results demonstrate that efforts to outreach and educate Singaporeans, particularly its youth, about disability are present. However, there is a great deal of work to do. The authors recommend that more action research involving government, institutional and community levels be coordinated to construct policies to further work towards promoting societal awareness of disability and encouraging interaction with people with disabilities.
Negotiating The Maze: Confronting Dysphagia Together With My Stroke-Afflicted Family Member

Aim: To generate a descriptive theory grounded in the responses of family caregivers caring for their family stroke survivors with dysphagia during hospitalization. Design and Method: A qualitative study employing the grounded theory method was used. Fifteen family caregivers participated in comprehensive interviews. The interview data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Findings: ‘Negotiating the maze: Confronting dysphagia with my stroke-afflicted family member’ was the core category guiding the care process for dysphagia family members among caregivers. After surviving stroke, the caregivers felt ‘more confusion less rejoicing’ as the antecedent condition. The following three interaction categories were identified: (1) ‘being overwhelmed by nasogastric (NG) tube issues’; (2) ‘searching for the right helper and information’; and (3) ‘food culture conflicts with the formula diet administered through the NG tube’. Additionally, ‘Maintaining positivity’ described the consequence of this process. Conclusions: This study highlights the critical perspective of family members who care for dysphagia stroke survivors in the hospital. Participants were under tremendous pressure during the disease treatment process. However, all attempted to maintain a positive attitude and treasured the chance to accompany their family members. Clinical Relevance: These findings can assist health professionals in charting the effects of dysphagia and in understanding the problems and needs according to the subjective perspectives of family caregivers. They can also provide a necessary foundation for comprehensive care interventions for family caregivers of stroke survivors with dysphagia.
Traffic prediction, data compression, abnormal data detection and missing data imputation: An integrated study based on the decomposition of traffic time series

This papers discusses the decomposition of road traffic time series and its benefits. The purposes of this paper are trifold. First, we provide an integrated framework for studying traffic prediction, data compression, abnormal data detection and missing data imputation problems, so that the relations between different problems can be revealed. In this part, we summarize several our works in this direction that had been finished in the last decade. Second, we discuss three most popular detrending methods: simple average detrending, principal component analysis (PCA) based detrending, as well as wavelet based detrending, and account for their intrinsic differences. Third, we present a new finding about trend modeling. We show that the detrending based prediction models previously designed for isolated sensor also work well for multiple sensors. Moreover, we define the so called short-term trend and explain why prediction accuracy can be improved at the points belonging to short trends, when the traffic information from multiple sensors is appropriately used. This new finding indicates that the trend modeling is not only a technique to specify the temporal pattern of traffic flow time series but is also related to the spatial relation of traffic flow time series.
Construction and commissioning of the SDHCAL technological prototype

This proceeding presents the SDHCAL technological prototype. This prototype is a 1 1 1:3m3 high-granularity semi-digital Hadronic calorimeter using GRPC as sensitive medium. It is one of the two HCAL options considered by the ILD collaboration to be proposed for the detector of the future International Linear Collider project. The prototype has been achieved and successfully operated within the CALICE collaboration. The prototype has all the features needed to meet the ILD requirements : power-pulsed embedded electronics, auto-triggering capability, cost-effective technology.
Group Telephone Consultation After Online Self-Administered Training: Acceptability and Feasibility

Although there is growing support for the integration of Internet-based and in-person modalities for teaching clinical skills in psychology, few studies have examined the benefits of widely scalable complementary telephone-based strategies. This study was an investigation of the feasibility and acceptability of a group telephone-consultation protocol used within a large, randomized trial of online cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) training. Posttraining-feedback questionnaires collected from consultees indicated that they found telephone consultation to be both feasible and acceptable in acquiring clinical skills. A mixed-methods review of the feedback-questionnaire data along with qualitative analysis of posttraining-consultant interviews revealed key findings about the structure, format, and function of consultation, as well as barriers to successful implementation. Based on these findings, telephone consultation is a promising methodology for enhancing large-scale, online clinical training in psychology.
An Analysis of Variable-Speed Wind Turbine Power-Control Methods with Fluctuating Wind Speed

Variable-speed wind turbines (VSWTs) typically use a maximum power-point tracking (MPPT) method to optimize wind-energy acquisition. MPPT can be implemented by regulating the rotor speed or by adjusting the active power. The former, termed speed-control mode (SCM), employs a speed controller to regulate the rotor, while the latter, termed power-control mode (PCM), uses an active power controller to optimize the power. They are fundamentally equivalent; however, since they use a different controller at the outer control loop of the machine-side converter (MSC) controller, the time dependence of the control system differs depending on whether SCM or PCM is used. We have compared and analyzed the power quality and the power coefficient when these two different control modes were used in fluctuating wind speeds through computer simulations. The contrast between the two methods was larger when the wind-speed fluctuations were greater. Furthermore, we found that SCM was preferable to PCM in terms of the power coefficient, but PCM was superior in terms of power quality and system stability.
Slim Disks with Transition Regions and Applications to Microquasars and Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies

Slim disks have been received much attention because of the increasing evidence of supercritical accreting objects. In this paper, we make an attempt to construct a unified model in which the viscosity and the dimensionless accretion rate can span rather wide ranges. We replace blackbody radiation under the diffusion approximation with a bridged formula that accounts for both blackbody radiation and thermal bremsstrahlung in optically thick and thin cases, respectively. Thus this allows us to investigate the structures of and the emergent spectra from slim disks in a wider parameter space covering transition regions from optically thick to optically thin. We show that there is a maximum transition radius, roughly Rtr,max/Rg ~ 50 when /C ~ 15. The emergent spectra from the unified model of the accretion disk have been calculated. A simple model of the hot corona above the slim disk is taken into account for the hard X-ray spectrum in this paper based on the work of Wang and Netzer. We have applied the present model to the microquasar GRS 1915+105 and the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies RE J1034+396 and Ark 564. Our model can explain well the broadband X-ray spectra of narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies, microquasars, and possible ultraluminous compact X-ray sources. The present model can be widely applied to candidates for supercritical accreting objects.
Particle dynamics and the development of string-like motion in a simulated monoatomic supercooled liquid.

The microscopic details of local particle dynamics is studied in a glass-forming one component supercooled liquid modeled by a Dzugutov potential developed for simple metallic glass formers. Our main goal is to investigate particle motion in the supercooled liquid state, and to ascertain the extent to which this motion is cooperative and occurring in quasi-one-dimesional, string-like paths. To this end we investigate in detail the mechanism by which particles move along these paths. In particular, we show that the degree of coherence--that is, simultaneous motion by consecutive particles along a string--depends on the length of the string. For short strings, the motion is highly coherent. For longer strings, the motion is highly coherent only within shorter segments of the string, which we call "microstrings. " Very large strings may contain several microstrings within which particles move simultaneously, but individual microstrings within a given string are temporally uncorrelated with each other. We discuss possible underlying mechanism for this complex dynamical behavior, and examine our results in the context of recent work by Garrahan and Chandler [Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 035704 (2002)] in which dynamic facilitation plays a central role in the glass transition.
Family socioeconomic status, parental expectations, and adolescents’ academic achievements: a case of China

ABSTRACT This study examines direct and indirect effects of family socioeconomic status (SES) and parental expectations on adolescents’ mathematics and problem-solving achievement in mainland China. SES here is composed of family wealth, home educational resources, and parental education. Over 5,000 ninth-grade students in 5 geographical districts of China participated in the study and were assessed by using the items adapted from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Results from structural equation modelling indicated that 2 components of SES – home educational resources and parental education – positively predicted parental expectations; however, the 3rd component – family wealth – negatively predicted parental expectations. Family wealth, parental education, and parental expectations significantly predicted mathematics achievement, and home educational resources, parental education, and parental expectations significantly predicted problem-solving achievement. The 3 components of SES also had significant indirect effects on both mathematics and problem-solving achievement through parental expectations, and the effect of family wealth was a suppression effect. These results were further discussed from Chinese cultural contexts.
Role of the Midbrain Periaqueductal Gray in Maternal Nurturance and Aggression: c-fos and Electrolytic Lesion Studies in Lactating Rats

The upright crouched, or kyphotic, nursing posture of lactating rats is dependent on suckling stimulation from pups. Because of the neuroanatomical connections of the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and its sensorimotor integration of the analogous lordosis posture displayed by sexually receptive female rats, the possible role of the PAG in kyphosis was investigated using c-fosimmunocytochemistry and electrolytic lesions. Lactating rats interacting with and nursing a litter of suckling pups showed greater Fos-immunoreactive nuclei in the lateral and ventrolateral caudal PAG (cPAGl,vl) compared with dams receiving nonsuckling somatosensory, distal, or no stimulation from pups. In contrast, this pattern was not evident in the rostral PAG, where the highest Fos levels occurred in nonsuckled dams, or in five other brainstem sites with either no group differences (peripeduncular, dorsal raphe, and pontine nuclei) or negligible Fos (ventral tegmental area, spinal trigeminal nuclei). After bilateral electrolytic lesions of the cPAGl,vl during gestation or on day 7 postpartum, active maternal behaviors, such as retrieval and licking of pups, and total nursing time were essentially normal. Kyphotic nursing, however, was reduced by 85%, nursing in prone and supine postures increased substantially, and 24 hr litter weight gains were reduced, particularly early in lactation (by 26%). Furthermore, lesioned rats attacked a strange male twice as often as controls did, which is suggestive of reduced fearfulness. These results extend the known roles of the PAG in reproductive and defensive behaviors to the postural control of suckling-induced kyphotic nursing and the modulation of maternal aggression.
Augmented Chemistry: Interactive Education System

knowledge delivery methods in education should move away from memory based learning to more motivated and creative education. This paper will emphasize on the advantages tangible interaction can bring to education. Augmented Chemistry provides an efficient way for designing and interacting with the molecules to understand the spatial relations between molecules. For Students it is very informative to see actual molecules representation 3D environment, inspect molecules from multiple viewpoints and control the interaction of molecules.We present in this paper an Augmented Reality system for teaching spatial relationships and chemical-reaction problem-solving skills to school-level students based on the VSEPR theory. Our system is based on inexpensive webcams and open-source software. We hope this willgenerate more ideas for educators and researcher to explore Augmented Reality technology in the field of interactive education.
Oxidative stress-induced epigenetic changes associated with malignant transformation of human kidney epithelial cells

Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) in humans is positively influenced by oxidative stress status in kidneys. We recently reported that adaptive response to low level of chronic oxidative stress induces malignant transformation of immortalized human renal tubular epithelial cells. Epigenetic alterations in human RCC are well documented, but its role in oxidative stress-induced malignant transformation of kidney cells is not known. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the potential role of epigenetic changes in chronic oxidative stress-induced malignant transformation of HK-2, human renal tubular epithelial cells. The results revealed aberrant expression of epigenetic regulatory genes involved in DNA methylation (DNMT1, DNMT3a and MBD4) and histone modifications (HDAC1, HMT1 and HAT1) in HK-2 cells malignantly transformed by chronic oxidative stress. Additionally, both in vitro soft agar assay and in vivo nude mice study showing decreased tumorigenic potential of malignantly transformed HK-2 cells following treatment with DNA de-methylating agent 5-aza 2’ dC further confirmed the crucial role of DNA hypermethyaltion in oxidative stress-induced malignant transformation. Changes observed in global histone H3 acetylation (H3K9, H3K18, H3K27 and H3K14) and decrease in phospho-H2AX (Ser139) also suggest potential role of histone modifications in increased survival and malignant transformation of HK-2 cells by oxidative stress. In summary, the results of this study suggest that epigenetic reprogramming induced by low levels of oxidative stress act as driver for malignant transformation of kidney epithelial cells. Findings of this study are highly relevant in potential clinical application of epigenetic-based therapeutics for treatments of kidney cancers.
Low- frequency gravitational waves from cosmological compact binaries

We consider gravitational waves emitted by various populations of compact binaries at cosmological distances. We use population synthesis models to characterize the properties of double neutron stars, double black holes and double white dwarf binaries as well as white dwarf-neutron star, white dwarf-black hole and black hole-neutron star systems. We use the observationally determined cosmic star formation history to reconstruct the redshift distribution of these sources and their merging rate evolution. The gravitational signals emitted by each source during its early-inspiral phase add randomly to produce a stochastic background in the low frequency band with spectral strain amplitude between ∼ 10 Hz and ∼ 5 × 10 Hz at frequencies in the interval [∼ 5 × 10 − 5 × 10] Hz. The overall signal which, at frequencies above 10 Hz, is largely dominated by double white dwarf systems, might be detectable with LISA in the frequency range [1− 10] mHz and acts like a confusion limited noise component which might limit the LISA sensitivity at frequencies above 1 mHz.