Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
First known image of Cucurbita in Europe, 1503-1508.

BACKGROUND The genus Cucurbita (pumpkin, squash, gourd) is native to the Americas and diffused to other continents subsequent to the European contact in 1492. For many years, the earliest images of this genus in Europe that were known to cucurbit specialists were the two illustrations of C. pepo pumpkins that were published in Fuchs' De Historia Stirpium, 1542. Images of fruits of two Cucurbita species, drawn between 1515 and 1518, were recently discovered in the Villa Farnesina in Rome. FINDINGS An even earlier image of Cucurbita exists in the prayer book, Grandes Heures d'Anne de Bretagne, illustrated by Jean Bourdichon in Touraine, France, between 1503 and 1508. This image, which shows a living branch bearing flowers and fruits, had not been examined and analysed by cucurbit specialists until now. The image is identified as depicting Cucurbita pepo subsp. texana. Unlike some of the fruits of Cucurbita depicted in the Villa Farnesina a decade later, this image does not depict an esculent and does not constitute evidence of early European contact with New World agriculture. Based on the descriptive, ecological and geographical accounts of C. pepo subsp. texana in the wild, the idea is considered that the image was based on an offspring of a plant found growing along the Gulf Coast of what is now the United States.
Achieving greenhouse gas emission reductions in developing countries through energy efficient lighting projects in the clean development mechanism (CDM)

Energy efficiency can help address the challenge of increasing access to modern energy services, reduce the need for capital-intensive supply investments as well as mitigating climate change. Efficient lighting is a promising sector for improving the adequacy and reliability of power systems and reducing emissions in developing countries. However, these measures are hardly represented in the CDM portfolio. The COP/MOP decision to include programs of activities in the CDM could open the door to the implementation of a large number of energy efficiency projects in developing countries. Since GHG reductions are essentially the emission equivalent of energy savings, the CDM can benefit from long established energy efficiency methodologies for quantifying energy savings and fulfilling CDM methodological requirements. The integration of the CDM into energy efficiency programs could help spur a necessary transformation in the lighting market.
Towards a distributed service-oriented business rules system

Businesses are changing rapidly and organizations tend to act worldwide and are increasingly becoming distributed over the continents. As a consequence, distributed software systems have to keep track with rapidly changing markets. Business rules provide support for capturing some knowledge that changes frequently. Current business rule systems manage and execute business rules, however, typically lack support for increasingly distributed software systems, in particular, with respect to flexibility and reuse of business rules across distributed rule engines. In this paper we propose a service-oriented distributed business rules system that manages and deploys business rules to various business rule engines. Furthermore, we present the design and some implementation aspects of a service-oriented business rules system based on WS-coordination. The system supports management and deployment of business rules to various business rules engines. Furthermore, we present a framework that unifies the access to several heterogeneous business rules engines, and we propose a solution that automatically generates and provisions Web services for executing business rules managed by a business rule engine.
A very cool brown dwarf in UKIDSS DR1

We report the discovery of a very cool brown dwarf, ULAS J003402.77−005206.7 (ULAS J0034−00), identified in the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey First Data Release. We provide optical, near-infrared, and mid-infrared photometry of the source, and two near-infrared spectra. Comparing the spectral energy distribution of ULAS J0034−00 to that of the T8 brown dwarf 2MASS J04151954−0935066 (2MASS J0415−09), the latest type and coolest well-studied brown dwarf to date, with effective temperature Teff ∼ 750 K, we find evidence that ULAS J0034−00 is significantly cooler. First, the measured values of the near-infrared absorption spectral indices imply a later classification, of T8.5. Secondly, the H − [4.49] colour provides an empirical estimate of the effective temperature of 540 < Teff < 660 K (± 2σ range). Thirdly, the J- and H-band peaks are somewhat narrower in ULAS J0034−00, and detailed comparison against spectral models calibrated to 2MASS J0415−09 yields an estimated temperature lower by 60 <� T eff < 120 K relative to 2MASS J0415−09 i.e. 630 < Teff < 690 K (± 2σ ), and lower gravity or higher metallicity according to the degenerate combination −0.5 <� (log g − 2[m/H]) < −0.25 (± 2σ ). Combining these estimates, and considering systematics, it is likely the temperature lies in the range 600 < Teff < 700 K. Measurement of the parallax will allow an additional check of the inferred low temperature. Despite the low inferred Teff we find no evidence for strong absorption by NH3 over the wavelength range 1.51‐1.56 μm. Evolutionary models imply that the mass and age are in the ranges 15‐36 MJup and 0.5‐8 Gyr, respectively. The measured proper motion, of 0.37 ± 0.07 arcsec yr −1 , combined with the photometrically
Continuous execution: the VisiProg environment

To date, program development environments have been static rather than dynamic. Even emerging interactive, integrated program development environments, like the Cornell Program Synthesizer, view program editing and execution as essentially independent activities. We envision an even more dynamic environment in which the functionality (input/output relationship) of a network of programs, an individual program, or a program segment can be viewed “continuously” with editing changes to either the program input or program body. This is the VisiCalc concept extended to program development environments (VisiProg). In this paper, this “dynamic” approach to program development, testing and debugging is addressed, and considerations for the user interface are discussed. The latter includes a workstation with a flexible windowing system, three-dimensional views of programs, insertion of program control and observation points, and dynamic program slicing for “viewing” program execution. An existing prototype and current development activities are also discussed.
Testing for Stochastic Cointegration and Evidence for Present Value Models

Using the stochastic integration/cointegration framework of Harris, McCabe and Leybourne (2002) we revisit the problem of assessing the empirical evidence for or against the present value class of models in the bond and stock markets. This framework allows for volatility in excess of that catered for by the conventional integration/cointegration paradigm by introducing nonlinear heteroscedasticity. We propose a test for stochastic cointegration against the alternative of no cointegration and a secondary test for stationary cointegration against the heteroscedastic alternative. Asymptotic distributions of these tests under their respective null hypotheses are derived and consistency under their respective alternatives is established. In contrast to conventional cointegration tests, which we show via simulation are unreliable in the presence of the kind of volatility typical of financial data, our tests are able to uncover new cointegration evidence in favour of the present value model, particularly in the bond market.
Poorly Understood Aspects of Striated Muscle Contraction

Muscle contraction results from cyclic interactions between the contractile proteins myosin and actin, driven by the turnover of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Despite intense studies, several molecular events in the contraction process are poorly understood, including the relationship between force-generation and phosphate-release in the ATP-turnover. Different aspects of the force-generating transition are reflected in the changes in tension development by muscle cells, myofibrils and single molecules upon changes in temperature, altered phosphate concentration, or length perturbations. It has been notoriously difficult to explain all these events within a given theoretical framework and to unequivocally correlate observed events with the atomic structures of the myosin motor. Other incompletely understood issues include the role of the two heads of myosin II and structural changes in the actin filaments as well as the importance of the three-dimensional order. We here review these issues in relation to controversies regarding basic physiological properties of striated muscle. We also briefly consider actomyosin mutation effects in cardiac and skeletal muscle function and the possibility to treat these defects by drugs.
Ear Recognition using Improved Non-Negative Matrix Factorization

An improved non-negative matrix factorization with sparseness constraints (INMFSC) is proposed by imposing an additional constraint on the objective function of NMFSC, which can control the sparseness of both the basis vectors and the coefficient matrix simultaneously. The update rules to solve the objective function with constraints are presented. Research of ear recognition and its application is a new subject in the field of biometrics authentication. In practical application, ear is maybe partially occluded by hair etc. So the proposed INMFSC is applied on ear recognition with normal images and partially occluded images. Experiment results show that, compared with the traditional NMFSC, the proposed method not only obtains higher recognition rate, but also improves the sparseness and the orthogonality of coefficient matrix
Demand forecasting in smart grids

Data analytics in smart grids can be leveraged to channel the data downpour from individual meters into knowledge valuable to electric power utilities and end-consumers. Short-term load forecasting (STLF) can address issues vital to a utility but it has traditionally been done mostly at system (city or country) level. In this case study, we exploit rich, multi-year, and high-frequency annotated data collected via a metering infrastructure to perform STLF on aggregates of power meters in a mid-sized city. For smart meter aggregates complemented with geo-specific weather data, we benchmark several state-of-the-art forecasting algorithms, including kernel methods for nonlinear regression, seasonal and temperature-adjusted auto-regressive models, exponential smoothing and state-space models. We show how STLF accuracy improves at larger meter aggregation (at feeder, substation, and system-wide level). We provide an overview of our algorithms for load prediction and discuss system performance issues that impact real time STLF. ® 2014 Alcatel-Lucent.
The Safe Administration of Medicine website ( SAM ) : A website to create the glue between theory and practice

Accurate medicine calculation and administration is an essential skill in clinical nursing practice but one that is often difficult for undergraduate nurses to learn. The reasons for this difficulty are unclear, but may include factors such as the diversity of experience and learning abilities of student groups. Our teaching team has devised a web-based solution to assist students in achieving competence in this complex learning area. The website is designed to enable the practice of safe medicine administration to be mapped within the curriculum, thereby setting standards for teaching and learning and centralising resources for students and staff.
Power Tensions in Health Information System Integration in Developing Countries: The Need for Distributed Control

As part of health sector reform, most developing countries are in the process of restructuring the Health Information Systems (HIS) by way of standardizing and integrating various vertical reporting systems. Nevertheless, the pressure resulting from the vertical systems supported by donors renders the integration goal challenging and unachievable. While many studies have argued for the heterogeneity of interests and multiple data needs of the donors as the major cause of the problem, this paper argue for more detailed and critical analysis of the problem. To contribute to this, the paper emphasize the need to understand the main actors involved in the process in terms of the resources and rules available to them; and their implication in the HIS integration venture. By drawing on an empirical case study and Structuration Theory concepts, the paper identified the dialectic power relations between the actors resulting from the asymmetric ownership and control of resources and rules. To alleviate the power tensions, the paper proposed i) the need to build shared meaning of the integration process through communication approaches ii) and the need to distribute the control of the integrated HIS using modularization approach facilitating ‘the tapping on’ of the resources available to each group of actors.
Blind Channel Estimation Using Maximum Likelihood In OFDM Systems

A new blind channel estimation scheme for OFDM systems is based on the maximum likelihood (ML) principle. The approach combines different modulation schemes on adjacent subcarriers, such as BPSK and QPSK, to resolve phase ambiguity. By avoiding the use of secondand higher-order statistics, a very fast convergence rate is achieved. In this paper the maximum likelihood (ML) is used for symbol-time and carrierfrequency offset estimator in orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. It also shows the results for bit error rate and signal to noise ratio. In the uplink of such systems users must be aligned in time and frequency to maintain the orthogonality of the subcarriers. Redundant information contained within the cyclic prefix enables this estimation without additional pilots. Simulations show that the frequency estimator may be used in a tracking mode and the time estimator in an acquisition mode. It is important to note that probability of error( POE) is proportional to Eb/No, which is a form of signal-to-noise ratio.
The Role of Inspiratory Muscle Training in Sickle Cell Anemia Related Pulmonary Damage due to Recurrent Acute Chest Syndrome Attacks

Background. The sickling of red blood cells causes a constellation of musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and pulmonary manifestations. A 32-year-old gentleman with sickle cell anemia (SCA) had been suffering from recurrent acute chest syndrome (ACS). Aim. To examine the effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on pulmonary functions, respiratory and peripheral muscle strength, functional exercise capacity, and quality of life in this patient with SCA. Methods. Functional exercise capacity was evaluated using six-minute walk test, respiratory muscle strength using mouth pressure device, hand grip strength using hand-held dynamometer, pain using Visual Analogue Scale, fatigue using Fatigue Severity Scale, dyspnea using Modified Medical Research Council Scale, and health related quality of life using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QOL measurement. Results. A significant improvement has been demonstrated in respiratory muscle strength, functional exercise capacity, pain, fatigue, dyspnea, and quality of life. There was no admission to emergency department due to acute chest syndrome in the following 12 months after commencing regular erythrocytapheresis. Conclusion. This is the first report demonstrating the beneficial effects of inspiratory muscle training on functional exercise capacity, respiratory muscle strength, pain, fatigue, dyspnea, and quality of life in a patient with recurrent ACS.
Does Agglomeration Matter Everywhere?: New Firm Location Decisions in Rural and Urban Markets

We test whether commonly used measures of agglomeration economies encourage new firm entry in both urban and rural markets. Using new firm location decisions in Iowa and North Carolina, we find that measured agglomeration economies increase the probability of new firm entry in both urban and rural areas. Firms are more likely to locate in markets with an existing cluster of firms in the same industry, with greater concentrations of upstream suppliers or downstream customers, and with a larger proportion of college‐educated workers in the local labor supply. Firms are less likely to enter markets with no incumbent firms in the sector or where production is concentrated in relatively few sectors. The same factors encourage both stand‐alone start‐ups and establishments built by multiplant firms. Commuting decisions exhibit the same pattern as new firm entry with workers commuting from low to high agglomeration markets. Because agglomeration economies are important for rural firm entry also, policies encouraging new firm entry should focus on relatively few job centers rather than encouraging new firm entry in every small town.
Public Opposition to Foreign Acquisitions of Domestic Companies: Evidence from the United States and China

The flow of capital across borders is one of the core subjects of International Political Economy research, but there has been little research into the determinants of support for and opposition to inward foreign direct investment (FDI) flows. This is an important oversight because cross border investments are a growing area of international economic activity, and increasingly the subject of important international negotiations. In order to study this topic, we embedded a conjoint experiment in a survey that we fielded in the United States and China. Our experiment asked respondents to evaluate hypothetical acquisitions of domestic companies by foreign firms, and produced several important results. First, Chinese respondents were less opposed to foreign acquisitions of domestic firms than American respondents. Second, reciprocity matters; respondents were consistently more likely to oppose foreign acquisitions when the foreign firm’s home country does not provide reciprocal market access. Third, in both countries, economic factors had a smaller influence on the levels of opposition to foreign acquisitions than non-economic factors.
Spectral Noise Gate Technique Applied to Birdsong Preprocessing on Embedded Unit

This paper proposes an approach for audio preprocessing and noise removal from recordings obtained in natural environments. The method is inspired in the acoustic signature of the audio, and aims to preprocess the recordings of bird songs obtained directly in the field. Using the Spectral Noise Gate technique, the undesired noise is removed on a real application in real time during the recording using an embedded environment. In addition, important statistic features of the audio signal are computed. The main purpose on approach is to eliminate the manual and tedious process of preparing the audio recordings done in the field in order to make them ready to be used as input in other tasks, such as the automatic classification of bird species from recorded bird songs. This is necessary because classification results depend widely from the quality of the input data.
General moment theorems for nondistinct unrestricted partitions

A well-known result from Hardy and Ramanujan [“Aysmptotic formulae in combinatory analysis,” Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. 17, 75 (1918)] gives an asymptotic expression for the number of possible ways to express an integer as the sum of smaller integers. In this vein, we consider the general partitioning problem of writing an integer n as a sum of summands from a given sequence Λ of nondecreasing integers. Under suitable assumptions on the sequence Λ, we obtain results using associated zeta functions and saddle-point techniques. We also calculate higher moments of the sequence Λ as well as the expected number of summands. Applications are made to various sequences, including those of Barnes and Epstein types. These results are of potential interest in statistical mechanics in the context of Bose–Einstein condensation.
What is Best for Workers? The Implications of Workplace and Human Resource Management Practices Revisited

Drawing on a 2003–2004 random household telephone survey of 750 Canadian workers, I explore the implications of work and human resource (HR) practices for six aspects of the quality of working life. I find “traditional” HR practices, associated with the bureaucratic model predominant after World War II and with union representation, to have strong positive implications for workers. Participative workplace practices also have strong positive implications, although these are largely limited to information sharing in the union sector. The actual organization of work (e.g., teams), contingent pay, and “new” HR practices, associated with the “new” HRM of the 1980s, all make little difference. Comparison of these findings with those from a comparable 1998 survey of 508 Canadian workers and a parallel 2003 survey of 450 English workers suggest, however, that the implications of work and HR practices may be historically and institutionally contingent and thus should be interpreted using a historical/institutional perspective.
Testing the effect of marketing strategy alignment and triple-A supply chain on performance in Egypt

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of triple-A supply chain and marketing strategy alignment on the performance by collecting and analyzing data from the textile industry in Egypt. Design/methodology/approach – A research model is proposed which describes the impact marketing strategy alignment, triple-A supply chain on supply chain performance and organizational performance. The proposed research model and hypotheses were tested using correlation analysis and structural equation modeling based on data collected from 153 companies working in the Egyptian textile industry. Findings – The results of the study support that organizational performance is positively associated supply chain performance. Also supply chain performance is directly affected by triple-A supply chain and marketing strategy alignment. Research limitations/implications – The data used in this study were collected from 153 companies working in the Egyptian textile industry. The generalization of the study result.
Transient shear banding in entangled polymers: A study using the Rolie-Poly model

Spatially inhomogeneous shear flow occurs in entangled polymer solutions, both as steady state shear banding and transiently after a large step strain or during startup to a steady uniform shear rate. Theoretically, steady state shear banding is a hallmark of models with a nonmonotonic constitutive relation between total shear stress and applied shear rate, but transient banding is sometimes seen in fluids that do not shear band at steady state. We model this behavior using the diffusive Rolie-Poly model in a Newtonian solvent, whose steady state constitutive behavior can be monotonic or nonmonotonic depending on the degree of convective constraint release. We study monotonic steady state constitutive behavior. Linear stability analysis of the startup to a sufficiently high shear rate shows that spatial fluctuations are unstable at early times. There is a strong correlation between this instability and the negative slope of the (time dependent) constitutive curve. If the time integral of the most unstable.