Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Linear Backprop in non-linear networks

Backprop is the primary learning algorithm used in many machine learning algorithms. In practice, however, Backprop in deep neural networks is a highly sensitive learning algorithm and successful learning depends on numerous conditions and constraints. One set of constraints is to avoid weights that lead to saturated units. The motivation for avoiding unit saturation is that gradients vanish and as a result learning comes to a halt. Careful weight initialization and re-scaling schemes such as batch normalization ensure that input activity to the neuron is within the linear regime where gradients are not vanished and can ﬂow. Here we investigate backpropagating error terms only linearly. That is, we ignore the saturation that arise by ensuring gradients always ﬂow. We refer to this learning rule as Linear Backprop since in the backward pass the network appears to be linear. In addition to ensuring persistent gradient ﬂow, Linear Backprop is also favorable when computation is expensive since gradients are never computed. Our early results suggest that learning with Linear Backprop is competitive with Backprop and saves expensive gradient computations.
Volatility and hygroscopicity of aging secondary organic aerosol in a smog chamber

Abstract. The evolution of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) during (photo-)chemical aging processes was investigated in a smog chamber. Fresh SOA from ozonolysis of 10 to 40 ppb α-pinene was formed followed by aging with OH radicals. The particles' volatility and hygroscopicity (expressed as volume fraction remaining (VFR) and hygroscopicity parameter κ) were measured in parallel with a volatility and hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyzer (V/H-TDMA). An aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) was used for the chemical characterization of the aerosol. These measurements were used as sensitive parameters to reveal the mechanisms possibly responsible for the changes in the SOA composition during aging. A change of VFR and/or κ during processing of atmospheric aerosols may occur either by addition of SOA mass (by condensation) or by a change of SOA composition leading to different aerosol properties. The latter may occur either by heterogeneous reactions on the surface of the SOA particles, by condensed phase reactions like oligomerization or by an evaporation – gas-phase oxidation – recondensation cycle. The condensation mechanism showed to be dominant when there is a substantial change in the aerosol mass by addition of new molecules to the aerosol phase with time. Experiments could be divided into four periods based on the temporal evolution (qualitative changes) of VFR, κ and organic mass: O 3 induced condensation, ripening, and OH induced chemical aging first with substantial mass gain and then without significant mass gain. During the O 3 induced condensation the particles' volatility decreased (increasing VFR) while the hygroscopicity increased. Thereafter, in the course of ripening volatility continued to decrease, but hygroscopicity stayed roughly constant. After exposing the SOA to OH radicals an OH induced chemical aging with substantial mass gain started resulting in the production of at least 50 % more SOA mass. This new SOA mass was highly volatile and oxidized. This period was then followed by further OH induced chemical aging without significant mass gain leading to a decrease of volatility while hygroscopicity and SOA mass stayed roughly constant.
Circulation and water mass modification in the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence

Abstract The confluence between the Brazil Current and the Malvinas Current [the Brazil–Malvinas Confluence (BMC)] in the Argentine Basin is characterized by a complicated thermohaline structure favoring the exchanges of mass, heat, and salt between the subtropical gyre and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). Analysis of thermohaline properties of hydrographic sections in the BMC reveals strong interactions between the ACC and subtropical fronts. In the Subantarctic Front, Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW), Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW), and Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) warm (become saltier) by 0.4° (0.08), 0.3° (0.02), and 0.6°C (0.1), respectively. In the subtropical gyre, AAIW and North Atlantic Deep Water have cooled (freshened) by 0.4° (0.07) and 0.7°C (0.11), respectively. To quantify those ACC–subtropical gyre interactions, a box inverse model surrounding the confluence is built. The model diagnoses a subduction of 16 ± 4 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) of newly formed SAMW and AAIW under the subtro.
Seasonal and spatial variation of mesozooplankton biomass in Ushuaia and Golondrina bays (Beagle Channel, Argentina))

Fil: Biancalana, Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Bahia Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografia. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografia; Argentina
Heat Exchanger Fouling and Cleaning : Fundamentals and Applications Engineering Conferences International Year 2003 Fouling Characteristics of a Light Australian Crude Oil

Australian crude oils, which generally contain little asphaltenes, nevertheless give rise to fouling in refinery pre-heat trains. In this research, fouling of a series of such crude oils and their blends is being assessed. The present work focuses on thermal fouling resulting from heating Gippsland crude oil at moderate temperatures. The oil is maintained under nitrogen at a pressure of 379 kPa, and re-circulated at bulk temperatures of 80-120C through an electrically heated annular probe at velocities in the range 0.25 to 0.65 m/s with surface temperatures from 180260°C. Experiments are run for periods up to 90 hours at constant heat flux. Fouling is detected by the increase of wall temperature of the probe. The oil is characterized by its filterable solids content, density and viscosity both before and after the fouling run. The trends in fouling rates are compared to predictions of the thresholdfouling model proposed by Ebert and Panchal (1995). Data on deposit composition are presented, and the fouling mechanism discussed.
Influence of photon angular momentum on ultrafast demagnetization in nickel

The role of pump helicity in laser-induced demagnetization of nickel thin films is investigated by means of pump-probe time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect in the polar geometry. Although the data display a strong dependency on pump helicity during pump-probe temporal overlap, this is shown to be of nonmagnetic origin and not to affect the demagnetization. By accurately fitting the demagnetization curves, we show that demagnetization time ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{M}$ and electron-phonon equilibration time ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{E}$ are not affected by pump helicity. Thereby, our results exclude direct transfer of angular momentum to be relevant for the demagnetization process and prove that the photon contribution to demagnetization is less than 0.01%.
INVITED PAPER: NORTH AMERICAN GRASSLAND BIRDS: AN UNFOLDING CONSERVATION CRISIS?

Abstract The widespread and ongoing declines of North American bird populations that have affinities for grassland and grass–shrub habitats (hereafter referred to as grassland birds) are on track to become a prominent wildlife conservation crisis of the 21st century. There is no single cause responsible for the declines of grassland birds. Rather, a cumulative set of factors such as afforestation in the eastern United States, fragmentation and replacement of prairie vegetation with a modern agricultural landscape, and large-scale deterioration of western U.S. rangelands are the major causes for these declines. The North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) is a set of comprehensive and coordinated strategic actions modeled on the Joint Venture initiatives that were used to successfully implement the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The NABCI is emerging as a potential broad-scale solution for conserving populations of grassland birds. Coordinating grassland bird conservation efforts with initiatives to stabilize and increase upland game birds that have strong affinities for grassland habitats—such as quail and prairie grouse—presents additional opportunities to leverage funding and resources that will positively impact virtually all species of North American grassland birds.
Smallholder Pigs Production Systems in Tanzania

Pig production is becoming increasingly important in Eastern Africa in recent years. Two studies were carried out in Mbozi and Mbeya rural districts to characterise smallholder pig production systems and associated pig management practises. A participatory rural appraisal (PRA), involving 279 pigs-keeping households in nine villages and a cross sectional survey using a random sample of 300 pig farmers in 30 villages of the study districts, were used to collect data. Important economic activities were crop farming, livestock keeping, petty business, casual labour and artisan works in that order. The mean farm size and number of pigs per household was 2 ± 2.7 ha and 4.9 ± 4.2 pigs, respectively. The largest categories of pig herd structure were breeding females followed by piglets. Age, marital status, household size and land size of household head had significant influence on the pig herd size (P < 0.05). Pig farmers practised three main types of pig management systems, namely, total confinement, semi confinement and free range/herding. Each system had specific management practices in relation to feeding and housing. The frequencies of these systems varied significantly (P < 0.01) by socio-economic factors, such as, educational status of household head, land size and herd sizes of pigs, goats and cattle. The authors recommend effective use of locally available resources and careful consideration of existing farming systems for sustainable development of smallholder pig production.
Assessment of Genetic Variation in Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) Using PCR Based Markers

Indian mustard ( Brassica juncea L.) is an important oilseed crop with oil content ranging from 30 to 48 percent. However, presence of high erusic acids, glucosinolates and saturated fatty acids and also narrowed genetic base of existing varieties confines its use. The present investigation was undertaken to explore the diversity among Indian mustard genotypes (varieties) using molecular markers. We used RAPD and EST based SSRs as the markers for assessment of genetic variation among 23 genotypes of Brassica juncea L. cultivated in North India. In order to be sure about the authenticity of primers especially RAPDs, four other genotypes of different Brassica species were also considered for this investigation. To determine the discriminatory power of the RAPD primers, polymorphism percentage, PIC, MI and Rp were calculated. Finally the cluster analysis was done to determine the genetic diversity among the 27 genotypes, which includes 4 genotypes of other Brassica species. The polymorphism percentage of more than 91% and 86.66% was observed using the fifteen reproducible RAPDs and three EST SSRs respectively. Moreover the PIC values observed corresponds to 0.303, with 4.44 marker index and 6.89 resolving power for RAPDs, however, SSRs showed the PIC value of 0.281, with 0.94 marker index and 0.269 resolving power. The parameters calculated to estimate the discriminatory power presented a significant correlation and their high values depict the potential of primers for distinguishing the genotypes. The cluster analysis based on UPGMA separated the genotypes in two major groups. To the best of our expectations, all the genotypes of Brassica juncea are grouped in one major cluster and genotypes of other Brassica species are grouped in different cluster. Based on these preliminary results, the diverse genotypes can be used as a genetic stock for improvement of this crop in future breeding programs.
SDSS-IV MaNGA : the spatial distribution of star formation and its dependence on mass, structure and environment

We study the spatially resolved star formation of 1494 galaxies in the SDSS-IV MaNGA Survey. Star formation rates (SFRs) are calculated using a two-step process, using H α in star-forming regions and Dn4000 in regions identified as active galactic nucleus/low-ionization (nuclear) emission region [AGN/LI(N)ER] or lineless. The roles of secular and environmental quenching processes are investigated by studying the dependence of the radial profiles of specific star formation rate on stellar mass, galaxy structure, and environment. We report on the existence of ‘centrally suppressed’ galaxies, which have suppressed Specific Star Formation Rate (SSFR) in their cores compared to their discs. The profiles of centrally suppressed and unsuppressed galaxies are distributed in a bimodal way. Galaxies with high stellar mass and core velocity dispersion are found to be much more likely to be centrally suppressed than low-mass galaxies, and we show that this is related to morphology and the presence of AGN/LI(N)ER like emission. Centrally suppressed galaxies also display lower star formation at all radii compared to unsuppressed galaxies. The profiles of central and satellite galaxies are also compared, and we find that satellite galaxies experience lower specific star formation rates at all radii than central galaxies. This uniform suppression could be a signal of the stripping of hot halo gas in the process known as strangulation. We find that satellites are not more likely to be suppressed in their cores than centrals, indicating that the core suppression is an entirely internal process. We find no correlation between the local environment density and the profiles of star formation rate surface density.
Impact of feeders and drinker devices on pig performance, water use, and manure volume

Results: In Experiment One, water disappearance (L per pig per day) was 4.49 for the wet/dry feeder versus 6.06 for the dry feeder plus nipple drinker. In Experiment Two, water disappearance was 4.90 L per pig per day for the swinging drinker versus 5.50 for the gate-mounted drinker. In Experiment Three, water disappearance was cooling was provided to all pens of pigs within a facility by means of a thermostatically controlled drip system with intermittent dripping initiated at 27°C (80.6°F). Water used for cooling was not metered, but the same system serviced all pens within a building with one control and a similar setup in each pen.
Does household expenditure on education in India depend upon the returns to education

This paper analyses whether the amount households spend on education depends upon the returns to education prevalent in the region in which they live. To this end, we estimated rates of return to education separately for boys and girls in 33 states and UTs in India. These rates of return were then included in our education expenditure model. Our results clearly indicated that the rate of return to education was highly significant in increasing the amount spent on education by the household both for boys and girls. However, we find that the impact of this variable is much larger at secondary level and for girls.
From integrable to chaotic systems: Universal local statistics of Lyapunov exponents

Systems where time evolution follows a multiplicative process are ubiquitous in physics. We study a toy model for such systems where each time step is given by multiplication with an independent random matrix with complex Gaussian elements, the complex Ginibre ensemble. This model allows to explicitly compute the Lyapunov exponents and local correlations amongst them, when the number of factors M becomes large. While the smallest eigenvalues always remain deterministic, which is also the case for many chaotic quantum systems, we identify a critical double scaling limit for the rest of the spectrum. It interpolates between the known deterministic behaviour of the Lyapunov exponents for (or N fixed) and universal random matrix statistics for (or M fixed), characterising chaotic behaviour. After unfolding, this agrees with Dyson's Brownian motion starting from equidistant positions in the bulk and at the soft edge of the spectrum. This universality statement is further corroborated by numerical experiments, multiplying different kinds of random matrices. It leads us to conjecture a much wider applicability in complex systems, that display a transition from deterministic to chaotic behaviour.
Reduction of Asymmetric Information Through Corporate Governance Mechanisms - The Importance of Ownership Dispersion and International Orientation

Research Question/Issue: Is the reduction of asymmetric information through Corporate Governance mechanisms more important for some listed companies than for others? The purpose of this study is to examine how differences in "ownership dispersion" and "international orientation" affect the particular use of the Corporate Governance mechanisms "transparency" and "board independence" in listed companies. Research Findings/Insights: Our findings are based on a Danish dataset which includes 100 listed companies. We find that transparency is a more important Corporate Governance mechanism for companies with an international orientation, while differences in ownership dispersion do not affect the use of this mechanism. In contrast, we find that board independence is a more important Corporate Governance mechanism for companies with dispersed ownership while international orientation has less importance. Theoretical/Academic Implications: The study contributes to an improved understanding of the circumstantial relationship between good Corporate Governance and good corporate performance. This is important in order to interpret differences in prior research findings and provide insight for the design of future studies of the seemingly endogenous nature of many Corporate Governance relationships. Practitioner/Policy Implications: The requirement to adhere to the "comply or explain rules" for Corporate Governance has become commonplace for listed companies. The study provides insight into valid reasons for differences in compliance. Regulators and other capital market participants should acknowledge that companies may differ in their use of Corporate Governance mechanisms for various reasons, including differences in ownership dispersion and international orientation
Quantitative Determination of LPG Hydrocarbons by Modified Packed Column Adsorbent of Gas Chromatography Via Full Factorial Design

In this study, a new silica gel based adsorbent was fabricated and its ability in separation and quantification of alkanes mixture was investigated. Silica gel (SiO2) is a polar absorbent which is mainly used to separate polar compounds. Also, the carbon materials such as activated carbon and recently carbon nanotube (CNTs), have been widely used for separation of nonpolar materials. Carbon nanotubes are nanosized carbon-based sorbents that have a high surface area and a large aspect ratio and are known to be stable at high temperatures. It is, therefore, conceivable to use of their unique properties in gas chromatography. Optimization of gas chromatography with modified and unmodified columns was investigated by full factorial design. According to the results of proposed design, the temperature, flow rate and carrier gas are known to be important factors affecting performance. In this work, a MWCNT-Silica gel nanocomposite was prepared by Sol-Gel process and it was used as stationary phase in gas chromatography for separation of alkanes mixture. In first part, ability of silica gel adsorbent was studied and then results were compared with new MWCNT-Silica gel nanocomposite. Finally, a quantitative investigation was done on a LPG sample and propane, 2-methylpropane, n-butane, 2,2-dimethylpropane, 2-methylbutane and n-pentane were measured by standard addition. Finally, the greatest difference between the response profiles in modified and unmodified column was determined.
A Survey of Managerial Perspective on Corporate Dividend Policy: Evidence from Turkish Listed Firms

This research paper examines the corporate dividend payout behaviours of non-financial firms from Istanbul Stock Exchange (Borsa Istanbul). Survey method is conducted to investigate managerial views on corporate dividend policy. The study investigates whether the evidence in Turkish stock market on dividend policy is similar to the European and the U.S. firms’ results which are reported earlier by other studies, and moreover in what extent Lintner’s (1956) findings on dividends is supported by today’s listed firms in an emerging market. The financial managers from 38 firms out of 216 non financial companies responded the survey. The results show that there is a significant positive relationship between cash dividends and earnings. Earnings are viewed as the most important factor in dividend decision like in European and the U.S. firms. Sustainable change in earnings, stability and level of future earnings, and the desire to distribute a proportion of earnings to shareholders are the common determinants of dividend policy. The majority of the respondents reports that they target dividends. Dividend yield is the most common measure for dividend targeting. Share repurchases are not viewed as alternative to dividend payouts unlike the U.S. firms. The study finds supporting evidences for bird-in the-hand and signalling hypotheses, and Lintner’s model.
Beta Cell Replacement Therapy

Type 1 Diabetes mellitus (T1D) is an autoimmune disorder caused by destruction of pancreatic beta cells which produce insulin. Current estimates have shown that T1D affects about 0.4 to 0.8% of the population worldwide accounting for 5-10% of all diabetes cases (Stock and Bluestone, 2004). It is seen as an increasing health hazard. For T1D, exogenous insulin administration is the most widely used treatment. However, this treatment has several limitations including development of secondary health complications over time. There are several approaches already in practice to replace the damaged beta cells in T1D. They include whole organ pancreas or isolated islet cell transplantation. Several novel approaches are currently in development such as expansion of adult beta cells and stem/progenitor cells which can be transformed into beta cells. This review summarizes recent progress made in beta cell replacement therapy for T1D. Diabetes mellitus has been known for thousands of years. Diabetes comes from an ancient Greek word coined by Arataeus of Cappadocia, and mellitus from the Latin word honey associated with sweet urine. (Medvei, 1993). The pathogenesis of T1D has been attributed to an autoimmune response. Currently the mechanism that triggers this disease is still unknown, but it seems to be a combination of environmental and genetic factors. T-cells in the host’s body become sensitized to protein that naturally occurs in the beta cells of the pancreas and the immune system begins to mount a specific attack leading to destruction of the islets of Langerhans. Several candidate proteins have been identified including GAD65, insulin, and ZnT8 (Harlan et al., 2009, Shapiro et al., 2003). Reducing the autoimmune effect in beta cell replacement is very important, but before moving onto the strategies for beta cell replacement therapy it is important to describe the standard therapy for T1D and how it falls short of providing for all the needs of diabetic patients. Exogenous insulin therapy continues to be the leading therapy for T1D today, but there are several complications associated with it. However, even intensive monitoring of blood glucose and injection of insulin is not enough to halt the secondary complications of diabetes (Harlan et al., 2009). Diabetes mellitus can decrease patients’ lifespan, especially in severe cases. Lowered blood sugar levels, which can result if too much insulin is administered, can also lead to a hypoglycemic episode (Cooke and Plotnick, 2008). These episodes are typified by ketoacidosis, where in an effort to find energy, the body burns fatty acids leading to the production of acidic ketones that can be detected by an alcoholic smell on the breath. Hypoglycemic episodes can lead to coma and even death, and is considered