Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Sensor Data Fusion System Based on k-Nearest Neighbor Pattern Classification for Structural Health Monitoring Applications

Civil and military structures are susceptible and vulnerable to damage due to the environmental and operational conditions. Therefore, the implementation of technology to provide robust solutions in damage identification (by using signals acquired directly from the structure) is a requirement to reduce operational and maintenance costs. In this sense, the use of sensors permanently attached to the structures has demonstrated a great versatility and benefit since the inspection system can be automated. This automation is carried out with signal processing tasks with the aim of a pattern recognition analysis. This work presents the detailed description of a structural health monitoring (SHM) system based on the use of a piezoelectric (PZT) active system. The SHM system includes: (i) the use of a piezoelectric sensor network to excite the structure and collect the measured dynamic response, in several actuation phases; (ii) data organization; (iii) advanced signal processing techniques to define the feature vectors; and finally; (iv) the nearest neighbor algorithm as a machine learning approach to classify different kinds of damage. A description of the experimental setup, the experimental validation and a discussion of the results from two different structures are included and analyzed.
The influence of binarity on dust obscuration events in the planetary nebula M 2-29 and its analogues

The central star of the planetary nebula (CSPN) M 2-29 shows an extraordinary R Coronae Borealis-like fading event in its optical lightcurve. The only other CSPN to show these events are CPD-56 ◦ 8032 (Hen 3-1333) and V651 Mon (NGC 2346). Dust cloud formation in the line of sight appears responsible but the exact triggering mechanism is not well understood. Understanding how planetary nebulae (PNe) trigger dust obscuration events may help understand the same process in a wide range of objects including Population-I WC9 stars, symbiotic stars and perhaps asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars with long secondary periods (LSPs). A binary scenario involving an eccentric, wide companion that triggers dust formation via interaction at periastron is a potential explanation that has been suggested for LSP variables. Model fits to the lightcurves of CPD-56 ◦ 8032 and M 2-29 show the dust forms in excess of 70 AU at the inner edge of a dust disk. In the case of CPD-56 ◦ 8032 this radius is far too large to coincide with a binary companion trigger, although a binary may have been responsible for the formation of the dust disk. We find no direct evidence to support previous claims of binarity in M 2-29 either from the OGLE lightcurve or deep medium-resolution VLT FLAMES spectroscopy of the CSPN. We classify the CSPN as Of(H) with Teff = 50 ± 10 kK and log g = 4.0 ± 0.3. We find a mean distance of 7.4 ± 1.8 kpc to M 2-29 at which the MV = −0.9 mag CSPN could potentially hide a subgiant luminosity or fainter companion. A companion would help explain the multiple similarities with D � -type symbiotic stars whose outer nebulae are thought to be bona-fide PNe. The 7.4 kpc distance, oxygen abundance of 8.3 dex and Galactic coordinates (� = 4.0, b = −3.0) prove that M 2-29 is a Galactic Bulge PN and not a Halo PN as commonly misconceived.
Inteligencia emocional y rendimiento académico en futuros maestros de la Universidad de Extremadura

Resumen:Diversos estudios muestran la importancia de formar a los futuros maestros, tanto en la adquisición de una clara conciencia emocional, como en la reflexión de su propia tarea docente. Mediante una metodología cuantitativa, y más concretamente a partir de un diseño transversal, en nuestro trabajo se pretende evaluar el nivel de inteligencia emocional (atención, claridad y reparación emocional) de los maestros en formación inicial y analizar la relación existente entre el rendimiento académico y la inteligencia emocional en una muestra constituida por 500 estudiantes de los Grados de Maestro en Educación Primaria y Maestro en Educación Infantil de la Facultad de Educación de Badajoz de la Universidad de Extremadura (España) mediante el test de autoinforme TMMS-24 de Fernández-Berrocal, Extremera y Ramos (2004). Los resultados encontrados permitieron afirmar que existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas en el nivel de claridad y reparación emocional según el sexo y en el nivel de inteligencia emocional según el Grado en el que se encuentran matriculados los futuros maestros y según el itinerario realizado en el último curso universitario. Además, encontramos una relación positiva y estadísticamente significativa entre el nivel de inteligencia emocional de los maestros en formación inicial y su rendimiento académico universitario. Abstract:Several studies show the importance of educating future teachers, both in acquiring a clear emotional awareness and reflection of their own teaching. The main aim of the present study is to evaluate the level of emotional intelligence (care, emotional clarity and repair) that teachers in Initial Teacher Training have. Furthermore, an analysis of the relationship between academic achievement and emotional intelligence will be carried out. The methodology employed is quantitative, specifically a cross-sectional design. The sample analyzed consists of 500 students of the Degree in Primary Education and Degree in Nursery Education in the Faculty of Education (Badajoz) at the University of Extremadura (Spain). The main tool used is the self-test TMMS-24 (Fernández-Berrocal, Extremera & Ramos, 2004). Results support the conclusion that there are statistically significant differences in the level of clarity and emotional repair depending on the gender as well as differences in the level of emotional intelligence depending on the degree they study and the specialty they are enrolled in. Finally, we found a positive and statistically significant relationship between the level of emotional intelligence of teachers in initial teacher training and their academic performance.
Effects of vitamin C and E supplementation on oxidative stress and liver toxicity in rats fed a low-fat ethanol diet

We compared the preventive capacity of high intakes of vitamin C (VC) and vitamin E (VE) on oxidative stress and liver toxicity in rats fed a low-fat ethanol diet. Thirty-two Wistar rats received the low fat (10% of total calories) Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet as follows: either ethanol alone (Alc group, 36% of total calories) or ethanol in combination with VC (Alc + VC group, 40 mg VC/100 g body weight) or VE (Alc + VE group, 0.8 mg VE/100 g body weight). Control rats were pair-fed a liquid diet with the Alc group. Ethanol administration induced a modest increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), conjugated dienes (CD), and triglycerides but decreased total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP) in plasma. VE supplementation to alcohol-fed rats restored the plasma levels of AST, CD, and TRAP to control levels. However, VC supplementation did not significantly influence plasma ALT, AST, or CD. In addition, a significant increase in plasma aminothiols such as homocysteine and cysteine was observed in the Alc group, but cysteinylglycine and glutathione (GSH) did not change by ethanol feeding. Supplementing alcohol-fed rats with VC increased plasma GSH and hepatic S-adenosylmethionine, but plasma levels of aminothiols, except GSH, were not influenced by either VC or VE supplementation in ethanol-fed rats. These results indicate that a low-fat ethanol diet induces oxidative stress and consequent liver toxicity similar to a high-fat ethanol diet and that VE supplementation has a protective effect on ethanol-induced oxidative stress and liver toxicity.
Anticipation of Negative Pictures Enhances the P2 and P3 in Their Later Recognition

Anticipation of emotional pictures has been found to be relevant to the encoding of the pictures as well as their later recognition performance. However, it is as yet unknown whether anticipation modulates neural activity in the later recognition of emotional pictures. To address this issue, participants in the present study were asked to view emotional (negative or neutral) pictures. The picture was preceded by a cue which indicated the emotional content of the picture in half of the trials (the anticipated condition) and without any cues in the other half (the unanticipated condition). Subsequently, participants had to perform an unexpected old/new recognition task in which old and novel pictures were presented without any preceding cues. Electroencephalography data was recorded during the recognition phase. Event-related potential results showed that for negative pictures, P2 and P3 amplitudes were larger in the anticipated as compared to the unanticipated condition; whereas this anticipation effect was not shown for neutral pictures. The present findings suggest that anticipation of negative pictures may enhance neural activity in their later recognition.
The Physiologic Effects of Digoxin Under Steady‐state Drug Conditions in Newborn and Adult Sheep

The physiologic response to the chronic administration of digoxin was studied in 12 adult and 13 newborn sheep. Vascular pressures, cardiac output, isovolumic contraction phase indexes and systolic time intervals were measured before and after 2 weeks of digoxin therapy. Physiologic measurements were correlated with drug levels in plasma and myocardium. Resting myocardial function in newborns exceeded that in ewes. In ewes, the heart rate decreased from 98 to 74 beats/min, the preejection period (PEP) decreased from 76 to 57 msec, the ratio of PEP to left ventricular ejection time (LVET) decreased from 0.323 to 0.223 and dP/dt max increased from 2415 to 3460 mm Hg. sec-' as plasma concentrations of digoxin increased to a mean of 1.8 ng/ml. Although the final steady-state plasma concentration of digoxin in newborn lambs averaged 1.7 ng/ml, cardiac output, PEP, PEP/LVET and dP/dt max did not change significantly from baseline values. These studies suggest that developmental differences in the physiologic response to digoxin are due either to a limited capacity for improvement in myocardial contractility shortly after birth or to an agerelated difference in the effect of digoxin on myocardial tissue.
Does Employment Protection Reduce Productivity? Evidence from U.S. States

Theory predicts that mandated employment protection may reduce productivity by distorting production choices. We use the adoption of wrongful-discharge protection by state courts in the US from 1970 to 1999 to evaluate the empirical link between dismissal costs and productivity. Drawing on establishment-level data from the Census Bureau, our estimates suggest that wrongful-discharge protection reduces employment flows and firm entry rates. Moreover, plants engage in capital deepening and experience a decline in total factor productivity, indicative of altered production techniques. Evidence of strong contemporaneous growth in employment, however, leads us to view our findings as suggestive but tentative.
Improving Robust Model Selection Tests for Dynamic Models

We propose an improved model selection test for dynamic models using a new asymptotic approximation to the sampling distribution of a new test statistic. The model selection test is applicable to dynamic models with very general selection criteria and estimation methods. Since our test statistic does not assume the exact form of a true model, the test is essentially non-parametric once competing models are estimated. For the unknown serial correlation in data, we use a Heteroscedasticity & Autocorrelation-Consistent (HAC) variance estimator, and the sampling distribution of the test statistic is approximated by the fixed-b asymptotic approximation. The asymptotic approximation depends on kernel functions and bandwidth parameters used in HAC estimators. We compare the finite sample performance of the new test with the bootstrap methods as well as with the standard normal approximations, and show that the fixed-b asymptotics and the bootstrap methods are markedly superior to the standard normal approximation for a moderate sample size for time series data. An empirical application for foreign exchange rate forecasting models is presented, and the result shows the normal approximation to the distribution of the test statistic considered appears to overstate the data's ability to distinguish between two competing models. Copyright The Author(s). Journal compilation Royal Economic Society 2010.
The Relative Orientation of Nuclear Accretion and Galaxy Stellar Disks in Seyfert Galaxies

We use the difference (δ) between the position angles of the nuclear radio emission and the host galaxy major axis to investigate the distribution of the angle (β) between the axes of the nuclear accretion disk and the host galaxy disk in Seyfert galaxies. We provide a critical appraisal of the quality of all measurements, and find that the data are limited by observational uncertainties and biases, such as the well known deficiency of Seyfert galaxies of high inclination. There is weak evidence that the distribution of δ for Seyfert 2 galaxies may be different (at the 90% confidence level) from a uniform distribution, while the Seyfert 1 δ distribution is not significantly different from a uniform distribution or from the Seyfert 2 δ distribution. The cause of the possible nonuniformity in the distribution of δ for Seyfert 2 galaxies is discussed. Seyfert nuclei in late-type spiral galaxies may favor large values of δ (at the ~96% confidence level), while those in early-type galaxies show a more or less random distribution of δ. This may imply that the nuclear accretion disk in noninteracting late-type spirals tends to align with the stellar disk, while that in early-type galaxies is more randomly oriented, perhaps as a result of accretion following a galaxy merger. We point out that biases in the distribution of inclination translate to biased estimates of β in the context of the unified scheme. When this effect is taken into account, the distributions of β for all Seyferts together, and of Seyfert 1s and 2s separately, agree with the hypothesis that the radio jets are randomly oriented with respect to the galaxy disk. The data are consistent with the expectations of the unified scheme, but do not demand it.
Carotid intima-media thickness and plaque occurrence in predicting stable angiographic coronary artery disease

Background Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and plaque formation have been used as surrogate end-points for evaluating the regression and/or progression of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, but their predictive value for stable coronary artery disease (CAD) is inconclusive. Methods Carotid ultrasonography was performed in patients who underwent noninvasive multislice computed tomography (MSCT) angiography for CAD suspected, due to chest pain. CIMT and plaque formation on the left and right common carotid arteries (CCAs), carotid bulb (CB), and proximal internal carotid arteries (ICAs) were evaluated, and the relationship between angiographic CAD, CIMT, and plaque formation was determined. Results 120 patients (95 male; 25 female), with a mean age ± standard deviation of 61 ± 11 years (range: 35–89 years) were recruited. Because age had a significant impact on CAD (r = 0.191; P = 0.036), CCA plaques (r = 0.368; P = 0.001), ICA plaques (r = 0.334; P = 0.004), and mean CIMT (r = 0.436; P = 0.001), patients were divided into two groups aged <60 years and ≥60 years. In the <60 years group, CIMT-CB was significantly higher in patients with CAD (P = 0.041), while in the ≥60 years group, mean CIMT, CIMT-CCA, and CIMT-CB were significantly higher in patients with CAD (P < 0.05, for each). In both groups, the occurrence of carotid plaques was significantly higher in patients with CAD than in those without CAD (P < 0.007, for each). After controlling for other risk factors, carotid plaques were an independent predictor of CAD in both groups (P < 0.05, for each), while CIMT-CB could independently predict CAD only in patients ≥60 years old (P = 0.031). Conclusion Our findings suggest that carotid plaques are a strong predictor of stable CAD. However, CIMT-CB could predict stable CAD only in patients over 60 years of age.
Gençlik Kamplarında Görev Yapan Liderlerin İletişim Becerilerinin Değerlendirilmesi

Bu arastirma Genclik ve Spor Bakanligi’na bagli genclik kamplarinda gorev yapan kamp liderlerinin iletisim becerilerinin degerlendirilmesi amaciyla yapilmistir. Tanimlayici turdeki arastirmanin orneklemini 400 aktif lider olusturmustur. Veri toplama araci olarak kisisel bilgi formu ile Korkut (1996) tarafindan gelistirilen Iletisim Becerilerini Degerlendirme Olcegi (IBDO)’nin yer aldigi anket formu kullanilmistir. Arastirmamizda sorularin Cronbach alfa degeri 0.93 olarak bulunmustur. Verilerin analizinde bagimsiz gruplarda t testi ve ANOVA kullanilmistir. Kamp liderlerin IBDO toplam puan ortalamasi 106.0±12.5 olarak belirlenmis ve iyi duzeyde bulunmustur. Liderlerin iletisim becerisinden aldiklari puanlar genclik kampinda gorev yapma suresi arttikca artmaktadir ve bu fark anlamlidir (p 0.05).
Fungal removal of gaseous hexane in biofilters packed with poly(ethylene carbonate) pine sawdust or peat composites

The removal of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in biofilters packed with organic filter beds, such as peat moss (PM) and pine sawdust (PS), frequently presents drawbacks associated to the collapse of internal structures affecting the long‐term operation. Poly(ethylene ether carbonate) (PEEC) groups grafted to these organic carriers cross linked with 4,4′‐methylenebis(phenylisocyanate) (MDI) permitted fiber aggregation into specific shapes and with excellent hexane sorption performance. Modified peat moss (IPM) showed very favorable characteristics for rapid microbial development. Water‐holding capacity in addition to hexane adsorption almost equal to the dry samples was obtained. Pilot scale hexane biofiltration experiments were performed with the composites after inoculation with the filamentous fungus Fusarium solani. During the operation of the biofilter under non‐aseptic conditions, the addition of bacterial antibiotics did not have a relevant effect on hexane removal, confirming the role of fungi in the uptake of hexane and that bacterial growth was intrinsically limited by an adequate performance of the composites. IPM biofilter had a start‐up period of 8–13 days with concurrent CO2 production of ∼90 g m−3 h−1 at day 11. The final pressure drop after 70 days of operation was 5.3 mmH2O m−1 reactor. For modified pine sawdust (IPS) packed biofilter, 5 days were required to develop an EC of about 100 g m−3 h−1 with an inlet hexane load of ∼190 g m−3 h−1. Under similar conditions, 12–17 days were required to observe a significant start‐up in the reference perlite biofilter to reach gradually an EC of ∼100 g m−3 h−1 at day 32. Under typical biofiltration conditions, the physical–chemical properties of the modified supports maintained a minimum water activity (aw) of 0.925 and a pH between 4 and 5.5, which allowed the preferential fungal development and limited bacterial growth. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2008;100: 864–871. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tyrosine kinase gene fusions in cancer: translating mechanisms into targeted therapies

• Introduction • Tyrosine kinase inhibitors • Fusion gene structure and expression • Loss of wild‐type alleles • Oligomerization triggers TK activation • Inhibitory domain deletion • Signalling pathways • Recruitment of additional molecules by the fusion partner • Stabilization and degradation • Conclusion
Effects of learning capacity and knowledge base on executive decision formation for IT adoption: an empirical study of small and medium-sized organizations

This paper investigates the influence of organizational knowledge resource and learning capacity on the assimilation of information technology in small business context. We propose that in small business context organizational assimilation of new technology is dependent on the top executives’ decision to adopt the technology, which in turn is affected by their attitudes toward the technology. A survey methodology was used. Our empirical study Wang, Teo, Wei, Sia and Lee Organizational Learning and Knowledge Base in IT adoption 1 validates that top executives’ attitudes toward an information technology innovation mediate the influence of organizational learning capacity and knowledge resource on top executives’ adoption intention. The study has important implications for the research of technological advancement of small businesses. It also sheds some light on the research of organizational learning and information technology diffusion.
Investigation of maxout networks for speech recognition

We explore the use of maxout neuron in various aspects of acoustic modelling for large vocabulary speech recognition systems; including low-resource scenario and multilingual knowledge transfers. Through the experiments on voice search and short message dictation datasets, we found that maxout networks are around three times faster to train and offer lower or comparable word error rates on several tasks, when compared to the networks with logistic nonlinearity. We also present a detailed study of the maxout unit internal behaviour suggesting the use of different nonlinearities in different layers.
Articulatory controllable speech modification based on Gaussian mixture models with direct waveform modification using spectrum differential

In our previous work, we have developed a speech modification system capable of manipulating unobserved articulatory movements by sequentially performing speech-to-articulatory inversion mapping and articulatory-to-speech production mapping based on a Gaussian mixture model (GMM)-based statistical feature mapping technique. One of the biggest issues to be addressed in this system is quality degradation of the synthetic speech caused by modeling and conversion errors in a vocoderbased waveform generation framework. To address this issue, we propose several implementation methods of direct waveform modification. The proposed methods directly filter an input speech waveform with a time sequence of spectral differential parameters calculated between unmodified and modified spectral envelop parameters in order to avoid using vocoderbased excitation signal generation. The experimental results show that the proposed direct waveform modification methods yield significantly larger quality improvements in the synthetic speech while also keeping a capability of intuitively modifying phoneme sounds by manipulating the unobserved articulatory movements.
The Pressure-confined Wind of the Massive and Compact Super Star Cluster M82-A1

The observed parameters of the young super star cluster M82-A1 and its associated compact H II region are here shown to indicate a low heating efficiency or immediate loss, through radiative cooling, of a large fraction of the energy injected by stellar winds and supernovae during the early evolution of the cluster. This implies a bimodal hydrodynamic solution, which leads to a reduced mass deposition rate into the ISM, with a much reduced outflow velocity. We also show here that in order to match the observed parameters of the H II region associated with M82-A1, the resulting star cluster wind should be confined by a high-pressure interstellar medium. The cluster wind parameters, together with the location of the reverse shock, its cooling length, and the radius of the standing outer H II region, are derived analytically. All of these properties are then confirmed with a semianalytical integration of the flow equations, which provides also us with the run of the hydrodynamic variables as a function of radius. The impact of the results is discussed and extended to other massive and young super star clusters surrounded by a compact H II region.