Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exposure diversity as a design principle for recommender systems

ABSTRACT Personalized recommendations in search engines, social media and also in more traditional media increasingly raise concerns over potentially negative consequences for diversity and the quality of public discourse. The algorithmic filtering and adaption of online content to personal preferences and interests is often associated with a decrease in the diversity of information to which users are exposed. Notwithstanding the question of whether these claims are correct or not, this article discusses whether and how recommendations can also be designed to stimulate more diverse exposure to information and to break potential ‘filter bubbles’ rather than create them. Combining insights from democratic theory, computer science and law, the article makes suggestions for design principles and explores the potential and possible limits of ‘diversity sensitive design’.
Statistical convergence of the EM algorithm on Gaussian mixture models

We study the convergence behavior of the Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm on Gaussian mixture models with an arbitrary number of mixture components and mixing weights. We show that as long as the means of the components are separated by at least $\Omega(\sqrt{\min\{M,d\}})$, where $M$ is the number of components and $d$ is the dimension, the EM algorithm converges locally to the global optimum of the log-likelihood. Further, we show that the convergence rate is linear and characterize the size of the basin of attraction to the global optimum.
Variance estimates of wind plant capacity credit

As the utility industry adapts to meet the changing regulatory and business climate, it is becoming increasingly important for utilities to identify and quantify the risks in various aspects of doing business. To reduce the risk of depending too heavily on one specific type of generation or fuel, generation expansion planning techniques are incorporating methods of portfolio diversification theory. Financial option theory is also used to evaluate the relative costs of building now or building later. Applying these theories to utility planning helps utilities assess risks in the emerging competitive environment. Risk is typically measured as a variance. For example, the risk associated with an investment can be characterized by the rate-of-return variance. Many studies that calculate the capacity credit of a wind plant do not calculate its variance, and therefore ignore risk. A capacity credit that is calculated in this way can be far different than the long-term average value. This problem is compounded by the usual method of calculating capacity credit, which depends very heavily on the level of wind generation during the system peak hours. A small change in wind power during the peak can have a dramatic effect on the capacity credit. This problem is further compounded by the limited availability of multi-year wind data sets that can be used in utility production cost modeling. For example, a study that uses a single year of data and finds a 30% capacity credit may be based on a wind generation pattern that is not at all typical. Although the preferred approach would be to use many years of wind data to obtain a range of capacity credit estimates, this is not always possible. This paper describes a technique that can help generation planners evaluate the variance of the capacity credit for wind power plants when there is limited wind data, and also shows some results of these calculations.
Case Report: Ultraconservative Cad/Cam Ceramic Restorations for the Treatment of Developmental Enamel Defects

C l i n M e d International Library Citation: Pita A, Marinou G, Tsitrou E (2016) Case Report: Ultraconservative CAD/CAM Ceramic Restorations for the Treatment of Developmental Enamel Defects. Int J Oral Dent Health 2:034 Received: August 28, 2016: Accepted: November 01, 2016: Published: November 03, 2016 Copyright: © 2016 Pita A, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Pita et al. Int J Oral Dent Health 2016, 2:034
Effect of propolis in chicken diet on selected parameters of mineral profile.

The aim of the experiment was to monitor the effect of propolis extract on selected parameters of mineral profile (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chlorides) of Hubbard JV chickens. Chickens were divided into five groups (C, control; E1 – E4, experimental groups). Experimental chickens (n=10 in each group) received propolis in feed mixture in various doses as follows: E1 – 150 mg.kg; E2 – 450 mg.kg; E3 – 600 mg.kg; E4 – 800 mg.kg. Feeding period lasted 42 days. Propolis preparation caused a significant (P<0.05) decrease of serum phosphorus and magnesium content. Other parameters were not influenced (P>0.05) after propolis treatment.
Political uncertainty and FX volatility during US presidential elections: evidence from prediction market

This paper studies the effects of political uncertainty on the conditional volatility of the return on the Trade Weighted US Dollar Index during the homestretches of the last seven US presidential elections. Using daily probability data drawn from the Iowa Electronic Markets, I document that, first of all, higher uncertainty about the election outcome is attributed to a higher volatility of the US Dollar. Secondly, my empirical findings suggest that higher probabilities for a Republican candidate might decrease the volatility. Thirdly, I conclude that the volatility of the US Dollar is higher during the elections which lead to a change in political control between the parties, and in which there is no incumbent candidate running for the presidency. Overall, the findings of my thesis shed light on the connection between market anxiety and the uncertainty that surrounds political elections, and imply that the foreign exchange rates react to the changing betting odds of the US presidential elections.
Predictors of Preeclampsia in Women in the Metformin in Gestational Diabetes(Mig) Study

Background: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), maternal obesity and pregnancy weight gain are associated with an increased risk of developing Preeclampsia (PE). The aim of this study was to examine the predictors of PE in women commencing pharmacotherapy for GDM in the Metformin in Gestational diabetes trial. Methods: Descriptive and logistic regression analyses examined the relationship between maternal enrolment characteristics and later development of PE. Results: 46 (6.3%) of 703 women developed PE. At enrolment ((30 (SD3.2) weeks gestation), women who later developed PE had higher HbA1c (6.14% (95%CI 5.84, 6.45) vs. 5.73% (95%CI 5.67, 5.78), P=0.003), fasting triglycerides (2.93 mmol/L (95%CI 2.57, 3.29) vs. 2.55mmol/L (95%CI 2.47, 2.62), P=0.03) and blood pressure. Their infants were born 9 days earlier (P<0.001) but were otherwise not different. In univariate analysis, the strongest positive predictors for PE were Polynesian ethnicity (OR 2.75 (95%CI 1.48, 5.09), P=0.001), personal or family history of PE (OR 2.65 (95%CI 1.36, 5.16), P=0.004), maternal HbA1c (OR 1.96 (95%CI 1.35, 2.89), P<0.001), triglycerides (OR 1.45 (95%CI 1.07,1.97), P=0.002), and weight gain from early pregnancy (OR 1.09 (95%CI 1.03,1.17), P=0.01). HDL-C was a negative predictor of PE (OR 0.29 (95%CI 0.09, 0.94), P=0.04). Following adjustment for Polynesian ethnicity and personal or family history of PE, and when further adjusted for HbA1c or early pregnancy BMI, these variables remained significant. Conclusion: Treatment allocation and BMI were not associated with risk of PE. Personal or family history of PE, Polynesian ethnicity, degree of hyperglycemia, maternal triglycerides and weight gain prior to treatment signal increased risk of subsequent PE in women needing pharmacotherapy for GDM.
Characteristics of Hail Events near the Sierras de Córdoba, Argentina

Argentina is a global hotspot for severe hailstorms, especially within the vicinity of the Andes Mountains and the Sierras de Córdoba. This hail activity results in substantial damage and economic loss in both urban areas and farms in the region. The RELAMPAGO (Remote sensing of Electrification, Lightning, And Mesoscale/microscale Processes with Adaptive Ground Observations) field campaign, which will take place during the austral summer of 2018, aims to deepen the understanding of the lifecycle of the region’s convective storms through direct observations. To assist in locating equipment and personnel for the project, this study presents a hail climatology which addresses the diurnal, annual, and spatial patterns of the region’s hail as well as trends in hail size and the type of damage. Thirty years of meteorological surface station data between 1 June 1987 and 31 May 2017 from 20 stations in the Mendoza, San Luis, and Córdoba provinces were supplemented with online newspaper and social media reports from 1 June 2013 to 31 May 2017. Both datasets show that hail reports peaked in the summer for Mendoza and San Luis, but this peak occurred in the spring for Córdoba, which was the province with the most hail reports. The two datasets disagree on the time of day hail most frequently occurred, however. The combined effects of topography and population likely influenced the spatial distribution of hail reports. This, in addition to the role of population density in hail reporting, highlights the potential for bias among the results.
Oxidative Stress and Dyslipidemia as Indicators of Pathogenesis of Preeclampsia in Pregnant Sudanese Women

Background/purpose: Pre-eclampsia contributes remarkably to maternal, fetal, and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Hyperlipidemia in preeclampsia has been studied in relation to several factors. The objective of this study was to determine the role of oxidative stress and dyslipidemia as indicators in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Patients and methods: This was a cross-sectional (case-control) study conducted to evaluate the role of oxidative stress and dyslipidemia as indicators of pathogenesis and risks of preeclampsia in pregnant Sudanese women attending Wad- Medani Obstetrics and Gynecology Teaching Hospital. Result and conclusion: pregnant with an increase in BMI have a higher chance of developing PE. Low level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol define that dyslipidemia increasing the risk of PE. Decreased levels of NO and TAC might reflect the oxidative stress and likely contribute to the pathophysiological mechanisms of PE.
A Fast, Portable Computational Framework for Aerodynamic Simulations

—We develop a fast, user-friendly implementation of a potential ﬂow solver based on the unsteady vortex lattice method (UVLM). The computational framework uses the Python programming language which has easy integration with the scripts requiring computationally-expensive operations written in Fortran. The mixed-language approach enables high performance in terms of solution time and high ﬂexibility in terms of easiness of code adaptation to different system conﬁgurations and applications. This computational tool is intended to predict the unsteady aerodynamic behavior of multiple moving bodies (e.g., ﬂapping wings, rotating blades, suspension bridges.) subject to an incoming air. We simulate different aerodynamic problems to validate and illustrate the usefulness and effectiveness of the developed computational tool.
Bifurcation results for problems with fractional Trudinger-Moser nonlinearity

By using a suitable topological argument based on cohomological linking and by exploiting a Trudinger-Moser inequality in fractional spaces recently obtained, we prove existence of multiple solutions for a problem involving the nonlinear fractional laplacian and a related critical exponential nonlinearity. This extends the literature for the \begin{document} $N$ \end{document} -Laplacian operator.
Enhanced production of intracellular dextran dextrinase from Gluconobacter oxydans using statistical experimental methods

Optimization of the fermentation medium for DDase production by Gluconaobacter oxydans M5 was carried out in the shake flasks using two kinds of statistical methods. Four variables, namely glucose, tryptone, yeast extract and sodium chloride, were found to influence DDase production significantly by the Plackett-Burman screening. A four-factor five-level central composite design (CCD) was chosen to explain the combined effects of the four medium constituents. The optimum medium consisted of glucose (17.670 g/L), maltobiose (30 g/L), tryptone (12.198 g/L), yeast extract (13.528 g/L), ammonium nitrate (15 g/L), copper sulfate (0.01 g/L), zinc sulfate (0.01 g/L), and sodium chloride (0.009 g/L); the initial pH 6.0 was set prior to sterilization. The DDase yield obtained from optimized medium increased by 17-fold (0.238 U/mL) or so. Under these optimal conditions, the experimental values agreed with the predicted values, indicating that the chosen method of optimization of medium composition was efficient, relatively simple, time reducing and material saving.
Transformation of contrails into cirrus during SUCCESS

Three contrail systems were analyzed with geostationary satellite data to document the conversion of the contrails to cirrus clouds. Two unique contrails, a pair of figure eights and a NASA DC‐8 oval, were tracked for more than 7 hours. A cluster of contrails from commercial aircraft lasted over 17 hours. The figure eights produced a cirrus cloud having a maximum extent of 12,000 km²; the commercial cluster reached an area of ∼35,000 km². The contrail‐cirrus were thin with optical depths between 0.2 and 0.5. In all cases, cloud particle size increased as the contrails developed into cirrus clouds. The climatic impact of contrails will be greater than would be estimated if only linear contrails, those typically observed in satellite imagery, are considered. Additional research is required to obtain reliable statistics on contrail growth and lifetime.
The influence of TMP fibre flexibility on flocculation and formation

Fibre flexibility is often anticipated to play a role in fibre flocculation phenomena. In this study, 3 thermomechanical pulps (TMPs) were sampled along a post-refining line. The only fibre morphological property that varied was fibre flexibility. These TMP samples were then tested for fibre flocculation and sheet formation tendency. The measurements clearly showed that fibre flocculation decreased and sheet formation uniformity increased with increasing fibre flexibility. The beneficial effect of fibre flexibility was larger at high consistency. These results support the elastic energy storage theory within flocs, which states that the more rigid the fibre, the stronger the flocs. Papermakers may take advantage of the beneficial effect of fibre flexibility on sheet formation through a careful tuning of post-refining.
Ghettos in Canada's cities? Racial segregation, ethnic enclaves and poverty concentration in Canadian urban areas

Recent literature suggests a growing relationship between the clustering of certain visible minority groups in urban neighbourhoods and the spatial concentration of poverty in Canadian cities, raising the spectre of ghettoization. This paper examines whether urban ghettos along the U.S. model are forming in Canadian cities, using census data for 1991 and 2001 and borrowing a neighbourhood classification system specifically designed for comparing neighbourhoods in other countries to the U.S. situation. Ecological analysis is then performed in order to compare the importance of minority concentration, neighbourhood classification and housing stock attributes in improving our understanding of the spatial patterning of low-income populations in Canadian cities in 2001. The findings suggest that ghettoization along U.S. lines is not a factor in Canadian cities and that a high degree of racial concentration is not necessarily associated with greater neighbourhood poverty. On the other hand, the concentration of apartment housing, of visible minorities in general, and of a high level of racial diversity in particular, do help in accounting for the neighbourhood patterning of low income. We suggest that these findings result as much from growing income inequality within as between each visible minority group. This increases the odds of poor visible minorities of each group ending up in the lowest-cost, least-desirable neighbourhoods from which they cannot afford to escape (including social housing in the inner suburbs). By contrast, wealthier members of minority groups are more mobile and able to self-select into higher-status ‘ethnic communities’. This research thus reinforces pleas for a more nuanced interpretation of segregation, ghettoization and neighbourhood dynamics.
WETLAND HYDRODYNAMICS AND LONG-TERM USE OFSPRING MIGRATION AREAS BY LESSER SCAUPIN EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA

Lesser scaup (Aythya ajJinis [Eyton]) populations remain below their long-term average despite improved habitat conditions along spring migration routes and at breeding grounds. Scaup are typically associated with large, semipermanent wetlands and exhibit regional preferences along migration routes. Identifying consistently used habitats for conservation and restoration is complicated by irregular wetland availability due to the dynamic climate. We modeled long-term wetland use by lesser scaup in eastern South Dakota based on surveys conducted during below-average (1987-1989) and above-average (1993-2002) water condition years. Wetland permanence, longitude, and physiographic region were all significant determinants of use (P < 0.01). Long-term use was best described by a quadratic equation including wetland surface area variability, an index of wetland hydrodynamics that is linked to productivity, biodiversity, and value to waterfowl. Contrary to previous findings, our study shows that over the long term, lesser scaup are more than twice as likely to use permanent wetlands as they are semipermanent wetlands. The northern region of South Dakota's Prairie Coteau, which holds the highest density of hydrologically dynamic permanent wetlands, should be considered an area of conservation concern for lesser scaup. The criteria we identified may be used to identify important lesser scaup habitats in other regions of the Prairie Pothole Region.
Transportation in a Climate-Constrained World

This book discusses the impact of transportation on climate change, and presents some measures that could be taken to mitigate the impact. The introduction mentions that all major transportation modes are covered. The chapter headings are as follows: 1. Introduction - From Local Impacts to Global Change; 2. The Global Demand for Passenger Travel; 3. Greenhouse Gas Emission Implications of Travel Demand; 4. Road Vehicle Technology; 5. Aircraft Technology; 6. Alternative Transportation Fuels; 7. Policy Measures for Greenhouse Gas Mitigation; and 8. Future Prospects and Policy Choices.
USE OF NEAR INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY FOR INTRAMUSCULAR FAT SELECTION IN RABBITS

The potential use of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for the determination of intramuscular fat (IMF) content in rabbit selection programmes was evaluated. One hundred and thirty seven rabbits from three different synthetic lines slaughtered between 5 and 61 weeks of age were used for NIR calibration. Longissimus muscles (LM) were homogenised, freeze-dried and scanned by NIRS reflectance and total lipid content was chemically analysed. Calibration equation parameters reported appropriate results for IMF (cross-validation standard error, SECV=0.07g/100g muscle; cross-validation coefficient of determination, R 2 =0.98 and residual predictive deviation of cross-validation, RPD=7.57). Another 88 rabbits were used to study the suitability of NIR spectroscopy in selection programmes. Intramuscular fat was measured in LM using chemical and NIRS analyses. Descriptive statistics showed that NIRS could be a proper technique to average comparison, but regression analyses (R 2 =0.92) and rank correlation measures, especially Kendall's tau-b correlation coefficient (0.83), indicated that NIRS may not be accurate enough to predict individual genetic values and produce ranking of animals. However, NIRS technique could be applied in truncated selection where the efficiency of the method is measured by the response to selection. Selection can be done on second parities using the IMF value of two full sibs of first parities. Ten females and 5 males can be selected as parents to establish a new population of 40 females and 5 males. The IMF values were similar between animals selected on the basis of chemically-determined IMF and NIRS-predicted IMF content. Results of the experiment confirmed the potential of NIRS for the determination of IMF content in rabbit selection programmes instead of using laborious chemical methods
Experimental evidence of the rear capture of aerosol particles by raindrops

Abstract. This article presents new measurements of the efficiency with which aerosol particles of accumulation mode size are collected by a 1.25 mm sized raindrop. These laboratory measurements provide the link to reconcile the scavenging coefficients obtained from theoretical approaches with those from experimental studies. We provide here experimental proof of the rear capture mechanism in the flow around drops, which has a fundamental effect on submicroscopic particles. These experiments thus confirm the efficiencies theoretically simulated by Beard (1974). Finally, we propose a semi-analytical expression to take into account this essential mechanism to calculate the collection efficiency for drops within the rain size range.
Direct Multivariable Control of Modular Multilevel Converters

While Modular Multilevel Converters (MMC) have become state of the art in many high power/high voltage applications like HVDC, other important future applications (i.e. multiterminal-DC-grids, wind parks, electric ships, …) are still under development. The increased number of variables available for essentially improved control of MMC has to be made accessible and fully used by improved control concepts. Future progress in hardware, especially smaller submodule capacitors, is tightly interrelated to progress of control performance. The same applies to fully electronic fault management and protection at system level, which will be very valuable and important in future. A novel multivariable control concept for MMC, according to these requirements, is presented and explained. Its performance is investigated by extensive simulation results.
Antimicrobial activity and antioxidant potential of the methanolic leaf extracts of three cultivars of date palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera) from Saudi Arabia

The date palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera) is one of the oldest cultivated plants ever known; it is considered as the life tree for Arabs. However, no adequate information about the bioactivity of the leaves. In this study, the methanol extract of leaves demonstrated the presence of some compounds with potential biomedical properties for human, which were cardiac steroids, flavonoids, phenols/polyphenols, phytosterols, quinines, saponins, tannins and resin. The results of the antimicrobial test indicate that the methanol leaf extracts of the three date palm cultivars contained potential antibacterial agents, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria and no antifungal effect detected against Candida albicans. The most susceptible bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus cereus and Enterococcus faecalis, respectively.The antioxidant activities of extracts of different leaf cultivars obtained with methanol were also investigated, using DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-2-picrymhydrasyl hydrate)radical-scavenging activity assay, all extracts exhibited considerable antioxidant potential. The current investigation suggests that leaves of date palm can be used as a promising source for natural antibacterial and antioxidant drugs.