Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Tropical Tropopause Layer Cooling on Atlantic Hurricane Activity

AbstractVirtually all metrics of Atlantic tropical cyclone activity show substantial increases over the past two decades. It is argued here that cooling near the tropical tropopause and the associated decrease in tropical cyclone outflow temperature contributed to the observed increase in tropical cyclone potential intensity over this period. Quantitative uncertainties in the magnitude of the cooling are important, but a broad range of observations supports some cooling. Downscalings of the output of atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) that are driven by observed sea surface temperatures and sea ice cover produce little if any increase in Atlantic tropical cyclone metrics over the past two decades, even though observed variability before roughly 1970 is well simulated by some of the models. Part of this shortcoming is traced to the failure of the AGCMs examined to reproduce the observed cooling of the lower stratosphere and tropical tropopause layer (TTL) over the past few decades. The authors .
Academically contingent self-worth and vulnerability: When approach self-validation goals are more threatening than avoidance self-validation goals

Abstract When are people who base their self-worth on academic competence vulnerable to negative outcomes such as anxiety and underperformance? One answer, according to decades of achievement goal research, seems obvious: when they aim to avoid demonstrating inability (called avoidance self-validation goals). Less clear is whether such vulnerability also exists when aiming to demonstrate ability (approach self-validation goals). Surprisingly, two studies found no evidence of vulnerability among participants who base self-worth on academics when avoidance self-validation goals were salient. Instead, it was when approach self-validation goals were salient that participants’ academically contingent self-worth most reliably predicted vulnerability. These results suggest that, within domains of contingency, people worry more about self-enhancement afforded by approach self-validation goals than about self-protection afforded by avoidance self-validation goals.
Two cases of emotional disorder after middle cerebral artery infarction showing distinct responses to antidepressant treatment

Many emotional disturbances such as post-stroke depression (PSD) and emotional incontinence (EI) commonly occur following cerebrovascular events. The efficacy of antidepressants for these conditions has been established but their comorbid treatment has not been well characterized. In the current study, the authors describe two cases of post-stroke emotional dysregulation; one case with EI; and the other with EI complicated by PSD. The authors describe their differential responses to treatment. Case 1 developed EI after an infarct due to occlusion of the penetrating branches of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA). Case 2 developed both PSD and EI after right MCA stem occlusion. Both patients were initially treated with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) paroxetine. Case 1 reacted promptly to SSRI treatment. However, Case 2 had only a partial response to paroxetine, even after many months of treatment. Adjunctive therapy with low-dose aripiprazole was eventually added, resulting in complete improvement of both EI and PSD after 2 additional months of treatment. Thus, Case 2 required a different treatment strategy than Case 1. These findings suggest that aripiprazole adjunctive therapy could be effective for some complex post-stroke emotional disorders.
The Architecture of Reward Value Coding in the Human Orbitofrontal Cortex

To ensure their survival, animals exhibit a number of reward-directed behaviors, such as foraging for food or searching for mates. This suggests that a core set of brain regions may be shared by many species to process different types of rewards. Conversely, many new brain areas have emerged over the course of evolution, suggesting potential specialization of specific brain regions in the processing of more recent rewards such as money. Here, using functional magnetic resonance imaging in humans, we identified the common and distinct brain systems processing the value of erotic stimuli and monetary gains. First, we provide evidence that a set of neural structures, including the ventral striatum, anterior insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and midbrain, encodes the subjective value of rewards regardless of their type, consistent with a general hedonic representation. More importantly, our results reveal reward-specific representations in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC): whereas the anterior lateral OFC, a phylogenetically recent structure, processes monetary gains, the posterior lateral OFC, phylogenetically and ontogenetically older, processes more basic erotic stimuli. This dissociation between OFC representations of primary and secondary rewards parallels current views on lateral prefrontal cortex organization in cognitive control, suggesting an increasing trend in complexity along a postero-anterior axis according to more abstract representations. Together, our results support a modular view of reward value coding in the brain and propose that a unifying principle of postero-anterior organization can be applied to the OFC.
From reflective learning to reflective practice: assessing transfer

ABSTRACT A key attribute of reflective practice is its capacity for on-going purposeful learning in relation to changing and demanding professional work. The teaching of reflective learning techniques in management education is intended to promote deep-level learning and the application of critical thinking to oneself, personal experience and the work environment. However, we lack empirical evidence that the teaching of reflective learning leads to enhanced reflective practice in professional work. This study provides an examination of reflection in work post formal education. It reports on interviews with 18 Human Resource professionals. Reflection does not get ‘left behind’ on completion of formal teaching but there is not an even or simple process of transfer to a work context. Likewise, there was not a slavish adherence to reflective techniques but rather some evidence that students were able to translate their learning into something meaningful for their practice.
DaRe: Data Recovery through Application Layer Coding for LoRaWAN

Internet of Things (IoT) solutions are increasingly being deployed for smart applications. To provide good communication for the increasing number of smart applications, there is a need for low cost and long range Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technologies. LoRaWAN is an energy efficient and inexpensive LPWAN solution that is rapidly being adopted all around the world. However, LoRaWAN does not guarantee reliable communication in its basic configuration. Transmitted frames can be lost due to the channel effects and mobility of the end-devices. In this study, we perform extensive measurements on a new LoRaWAN network to characterise spatial and temporal properties of the LoRaWAN channel. The empirical outage probability for the farthest measured distance from the closest gateway of 7.5km in our deployment is as low as 0.004, but the frame loss measured at this distance was up to 70%. Furthermore, we show that burstiness in frame loss can be expected for both mobile and stationary scenarios. Frame loss results in data loss, since in the basic configuration frames are only transmitted once. To reduce data loss in LoRaWAN, we design a novel coding scheme for data recovery called DaRe, which extends frames with redundant information that is calculated from the data from previous frames. DaRe combines techniques from convolutional codes and fountain codes. We develop an implementation for DaRe and show that 99% of the data can be recovered with a code rate of 1/2 for up to 40% frame loss. Compared to repetition coding DaRe provides 21% more data recovery, and can save up to 42% energy consumption on transmission for 10 byte data units. DaRe also provides better resilience to bursty frame loss. This study provides useful results to both LoRaWAN network operators as well as developers of LoRaWAN applications. Network operators can use the characterisation results to identify possible weaknesses in the network, and application developers are offered a tool to prevent possible data loss.
Estimating Tipping Points in Feedback-Driven Financial Networks

Much research has been conducted arguing that tipping points at which complex systems experience phase transitions are difficult to identify. To test the existence of tipping points in financial markets, based on the alternating offer strategic model we propose a network of bargaining agents who mutually either cooperate or compete, where the feedback mechanism between trading and price dynamics is driven by an external “hidden” variable R that quantifies the degree of market overpricing. Due to the feedback mechanism, R fluctuates and oscillates over time, and thus periods when the market is underpriced and overpriced occur repeatedly. As the market becomes overpriced, bubbles are created that ultimately burst as the market reaches a crash tipping point Rc. The market starts recovering from the crash as a recovery tipping point Rr is reached. The probability that the index will drop in the next year exhibits a strong hysteresis behavior very much alike critical transitions in other complex systems. The probability distribution function of R has a bimodal shape characteristic of small systems near the tipping point. By examining the S&P500 index we illustrate the applicability of the model and demonstrate that the financial data exhibit tipping points that agree with the model. We report a cointegration between the returns of the S&P 500 index and its intrinsic value.
The modified group delay function and its application to phoneme recognition

We explore a new spectral representation of speech signals through group delay functions. The group delay functions by themselves are noisy and difficult to interpret owing to zeroes that are close to the unit circle in the z-domain and these clutter the spectra. A new modified group delay function (Yegnanarayan, B. and Murthy, H.A., IEEE Trans. Sig. Processing, vol.40, p.2281-9, 1992) that reduces the effects of zeroes close to the unit circle is used. Assuming that this new function is minimum phase, the modified group delay spectrum is converted to a sequence of cepstral coefficients. A preliminary phoneme recogniser is built using features derived from these cepstra. Results are compared with those obtained from features derived from the traditional mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC). The baseline MFCC performance is 34.7%, while that of the best modified group delay cepstrum is 39.2%. The performance of the composite MFCC feature, which includes the derivatives and double derivatives, is 60.7%, while that of the composite modified group delay feature is 57.3%. When these two composite features are combined, /spl sim/2% improvement in performance is achieved (62.8%). When this new system is combined with linear frequency cepstra (LFC) (Gadde, V.R.R. et al., The SRI SPINE 2001 Evaluation System. http://elazar.itd.nrl.navy.mil/spine/sri2/presentation/sri2001.html, 2001), the system performance results in another /spl sim/0.8% improvement (63.6%).
Risk, Return and Cash Flow Characteristics of Infrastructure Fund Investments

We analyze the risk, return and cash flow characteristics of infrastructure investments by using a unique dataset of deals done by private equity-like investment funds. We show that infrastructure deals have a performance that is higher than that of non-infrastructure deals, despite the lower default frequencies. However, we do not find that infrastructure deals offer more stable cash flows. Our study offers some evidence in favour of the hypothesis that higher infrastructure returns could be driven by higher market risk. In fact, these investments appear to be highly levered and their returns are positively correlated to public-equity markets, but uncorrelated to GDP growth. Our results also indicate that returns could be influenced by the regulatory framework as well as by defective privatization mechanisms. By contrast, returns are neither linked to inflation nor subject to the "money chasing deals" phenomenon.
Blunt Crack Band Propagation in Finite Element Analysis

A propagating smeared crack band of blunt front is much simpler to model by finite elements than a sharp interelement crack, especially when the propagation direction is unknown. For concrete or rock, a smeared crack band is also more realistic. A strength criterion is generally used for the propagation, but this is not objective because of a strong spurious dependence of results on the chosen element size, Three objective methods, which avoid the use of singularity elements, are proposed. Method A is based on the rate of energy release by the blunt crack band. In method B, the usual strength criterion is used but an adjustment of the strength value according to the element size is proposed. In method C, the propagation direction and crack advance are determined by fitting the Mode I asymptotic series to nodal displacements around the crack front, using an optimization subroutine. Special merits of each method are analyzed and solutions of example problems are compared with exact ones.
Generalized Minimum Variance Controller as a Velocity Loop Controller of a Casting Drum Drive in a Polyester Manufacturing Line

The vast majority of controllers found in manufacturing plants use a combination of Proportional, Integral and Derivative (PID) control. These controllers are easily understood, and there are only three controller values to set up when attempting to achieve an acceptable system response. This paper looks at one industrial application of a PI controller, controlling the speed of a casting drum in a polyester manufacturing plant. The desired objective of the controller is to minimize the variance of the casting drum speed when in steady state. It therefore makes sense to compare a Generalized Minimum Variance Controller with the present PI to see if any improvements can be achieved. NOMENCLATURE s V is the supply voltage, IR is the voltage drop across the motor winding resistance dt di L is the voltage drop across the winding inductance E is the back emf generated by the motor rotation. ω b K = back emf. b K is the back emf constant ω represents the angular velocity. m T equals the motor torque m K is the motor torque constant a I is the armature current. J is the inertia in kgm 2 α is the angular acceleration dt dω in rad/s T Σ is the sum of the torques acting on the drum. E T is the torque developed by the motor L T is the load torque β is the coefficient of dynamic friction L = length of web m E = Young's modulus S = cross section area. V is the downstream roller velocity 2 V is the upstream roller velocity 1 T is the downstream web tension 1 T is the upstream web tension 2 σ is the variance of a white noise input signal
The Large-Scale Neural Network for Spatial Attention Displays Multifunctional Overlap But Differential Asymmetry

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to determine the brain regions activated by two types of covert visuospatial attentional shifts: one based on exogenous spatial priming and the other on foveally presented cues which endogenously regulated the direction of spatial expectancy. Activations were seen in the cortical and subcortical components of a previously characterized attentional network, namely, the frontal eye fields, posterior parietal cortex, the cingulate gyrus, the putamen, and the thalamus. Additional activations occurred in the anterior insula, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, temporo-occipital cortex in the middle and inferior temporal gyri, the supplementary motor area, and the cerebellum. Direct comparisons showed a nearly complete overlap in the location of activations resulting from the two tasks. However, the spatial priming task displayed a more pronounced rightward asymmetry of parietal activation, and a conjunction analysis showed that the area of posterior parietal cortex jointly activated by both tasks was more extensive in the right hemisphere. Furthermore, the posterior parietal and temporo-occipital activations were more pronounced in the task of endogenous attentional shifts. The results show that both exogenous (based on spatial priming) and endogenous (based on expectancy cueing) shifts of attention are subserved by a common network of cortical and subcortical regions. However, the differences between the two tasks, especially in the degree of rightward asymmetry, suggests that the pattern of activation within this network may show variations that reflect the specific attributes of the attentional task.
The relationship between eosinophilia and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature infants at less than 34 weeks' gestation

Purpose Eosinophilia is common in premature infants, and its incidence increases with a shorter gestation period. We investigated the clinical significance of eosinophilia in premature infants born at <34 weeks gestation. Methods We analyzed the medical records of premature infants born at <34 weeks gestation who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital between January 2003 and September 2010. Eosinophilia was defined as an eosinophil percentage of >3% of the total leukocytes. Perinatal parameters and clinical parameters were also analyzed. Results Of the 261 infants born at <34 weeks gestation, 22.4% demonstrated eosinophilia at birth. The eosinophil percentage peaked in the fourth postnatal week at 7.5%. The incidence of severe eosinophilia increased after birth up to the fourth postnatal week when 8.8% of all patients had severe eosinophilia. Severity of eosinophilia was positively correlated with a lower gestational age, birth weight, and Apgar score. Respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, nephrocalcinosis, intraventricular hemorrhage, and sepsis were associated with a higher eosinophil percentage. The eosinophil percentage was significantly higher in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia from the first postnatal week and the percentage was the highest in the fourth postnatal week, with the maximal difference being 4.1% (P<0.001). Conclusion Eosinophilia is common in premature infants and reaches peak incidence and severity in the fourth postnatal week. The eosinophil percentage was significantly higher in bronchopulmonary dysplasia patients from the first postnatal week. Severe eosinophilia was significantly associated with the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia even after adjusting for other variables.
Effects of N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide on hTERT expression in the bronchial epithelium of cigarette smokers.

BACKGROUND Telomerase activation plays a critical role in tumorigenesis. To determine the role of telomerase in early lung carcinogenesis and as a potential biomarker in chemoprevention trials, we analyzed the expression of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase catalytic subunit (hTERT) in bronchial biopsy specimens from cigarette smokers who were enrolled in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled chemoprevention trial of N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4-HPR). METHODS We obtained biopsy specimens from six predetermined sites in the bronchial tree from the 57 participants, before treatment and 6 months after treatment with 4-HPR or placebo. We used in situ hybridization to examine hTERT messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in 266 pretreatment (baseline) and post-treatment site-paired biopsy specimens from 27 patients in the 4-HPR-treated group and from 30 patients in the placebo-treated group. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS At baseline, 62.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 53.9% to 71%) of the biopsy specimens obtained from the group treated with 4-HPR and 65.2% (95% CI = 57.4% to 73.1%) of the biopsy specimens obtained from the placebo-treated group expressed hTERT mRNA. After 6 months, 45.6% (95% CI = 36.9% to 54.3%) of the biopsy specimens obtained from the 4-HPR-treated group and 68.1% (95% CI = 60.4% to 75.8%) of the biopsy specimens obtained from the placebo-treated group expressed hTERT mRNA. The reduction in hTERT expression observed between the two treatment groups over time was statistically significant (P =.01) when we used the biopsy site as the unit of analysis, but not when we used the individual as the unit of analysis (P =.37). CONCLUSIONS Telomerase is frequently reactivated in the lungs of cigarette smokers. The modulation of hTERT expression in 4-HPR-treated smokers suggests that a novel molecular mechanism underlies the potential chemopreventive properties of 4-HPR. hTERT expression is a promising potential biomarker for risk assessment and for the evaluation of the efficacy of chemopreventive agents in lung carcinogenesis.
METHODS FOR TESTING AND EVALUATING SURVEY QUESTIONS

An examination of survey pretesting reveals a paradox. On the one hand, pretesting is the only way to evaluate in advance whether a questionnaire causes problems for interviewers or respondents. Consequently, both elementary textbooks and experienced researchers declare pretesting indispensable. On the other hand, most textbooks offer minimal, if any, guidance about pretesting methods, and published survey reports usually provide no information about whether questionnaires were pretested and, if so, how, and with what results. Moreover, until recently there was relatively little methodological research on pretesting. Thus pretesting’s universally acknowledged importance has been honored more in the breach than in the practice, and not a great deal is known about many aspects of pretesting, including the extent to which pretests serve their intended purpose and lead to improved questionnaires. Pretesting dates to the founding of the modern sample survey in the mid-1930s or shortly thereafter. The earliest in journals are 1940, time pretests established. In that
Do Ownership and Firm Performance Proxies Matter ? An Empirical study of the relation of Ownership Structure and Firm Performance

This paper examines the choices of ownership and firm performance proxies on the relation of ownership structure and firm performance. Based on a sample of 364 of the Forbes 800 firms in 1997, my results suggest that the choices of ownership and performance proxies affect the relation of ownership structure and firm performance. While the management ownership seems to exhibit an inverted U-shaped relation with the Tobin’s q ratio, it does not seem to correlate linearly or non-linearly with the accounting return to assets. The ownership concentration does not seem to exhibit any linear or non-linear relation with firm performance proxies (Tobin’s q and accounting return to asset). Second Draft: December 1999 First Draft: July 1999
A Bag of Words Based Approach for Classification of HEp-2 Cell Images

In this work we present an automatic HEp-2 cell image classification technique that exploits different spatial scaled image representation and sparse coding of SIFT and SURF features. The proposed method is applied on the ICIP2013 dataset in the I3A workshop, which is held in ICPR 2014 conference. Experiments are designed to capture the accuracies on training set with cross validation method. Additionally, the prior information on positive and intensity levels of cells are used to boost the overall performance. Finally, different number of iterations on learning the dictionary is studied to find the optimum one.