Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiple treatment comparison meta-analyses: a step forward into complexity

: The use of meta-analysis has become increasingly useful for clinical and policy decision making. A recent development in meta-analysis, multiple treatment comparison (MTC) meta-analysis, provides inferences on the comparative effectiveness of interventions that may have never been directly evaluated in clinical trials. This new approach may be confusing for clinicians and methodologists and raises specific challenges relevant to certain areas of medicine. This article addresses the methodological concepts of MTC meta-analysis, including issues of heterogeneity, choice of model, and adequacy of sample sizes. We address domain-specific challenges relevant to disciplines of medicine, including baseline risks of patient populations. We conclude that MTC meta-analysis is a useful tool in the context of comparative effectiveness and requires further study, as its utility and transparency will likely predict its uptake by the research and clinical community.
SAR Interferometry for Volcano Monitoring: 3D-PSI Analysis and Mitigation of Atmospheric Refractivity

Advanced SAR interferometric techniques are developed in order to retrieve surface deformation signals at active volcanoes. The persistent scatterer interferometry method is investigated and demonstrated. An effective method using numerical weather data for the mitigation of the atmospheric delay due to vertical stratification is developed: the direct integration method. A multi-track fusion algorithm based on the iterative closest point algorithm is developed and investigated.
The Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Challenges and limits of its integration in the Baltic region

Mainly based on a field research carried out in 2012 by an international research group, this paper aims to understand why it seems so difficult for Kaliningrad to get fully integrated in the Baltic region, although the conditions for the development of cross-border cooperation (CBC) and regional integration exist. The relative isolation of Kaliningrad from the rest of the Baltic region is caused by its particular status as a subject of disagreement between Russia and the European Union and by institutional policy. But there are also purely local reasons for that situation. The weak integration of Kaliningrad in Baltic exchange networks is also caused by the persistence of adverse geopolitical orientations in the local populations and persistent stereotypes in the public opinion.
or from Norges Bank, Subscription service,

In this paper the effects of a changing age distribution on aggregate consumption are analysed. This is done by estimating a Norwegian consumption function which controls for age structure effects. The model is estimated on quarterly time series data from 1968(3) to 1998(4). The results show that changes in the age composition affect aggregate consumption significantly, giving support to the predictions of the Life Cycle Hypothesis that young adults and old persons have a higher average propensity to consume than the middle-aged. The consumption model encompasses a model which does not control for age composition effects.
Auctions Versus Negotiations in Procurement: An Empirical Analysis

Should the buyer of a customized good use competitive bidding or negotiation to select a contractor? To shed light on this question, we offer a framework that compares auctions with negotiations. We then examine a comprehensive data set of private sector building contracts awarded in Northern California during the years 1995-2000. The analysis suggests a number of potential limitations to the use of auctions. Auctions perform poorly when projects are complex, contractual design is incomplete and there are few available bidders. Furthermore, auctions stifle communication between buyers and the sellers, preventing the buyer from utilizing the contractor's expertise when designing the project. Some implications of these results for procurement in the public sector are discussed.
Three-level ANPC rectifier loss calculation and balance control method

Traditional three-level neutral-point clamped converter has the problem of the uneven loss distribution, which restricts the increase of converter capacity. Three-level active neutral-point clamped (3L-ANPC) converter can reduce the imbalance of power device loss distribution. At present, three traditional SPWM modulation strategies are used in single-phase three-level ANPC modulation. Considering the loss distribution, it is generally required to input the current and voltage sampling values in real-time and calculate the temperature of the switching device online for control or collect the temperature of the switching device in real-time for feedback control, which is more complicated to realize. This paper proposes a modulation scheme based on two carrier cycles, combined with traditional SPWM1 and 2, to analyze the switching conditions and loss characteristics of each switching device in this scheme. The simulation of a single-phase three-level ANPC rectifier was built, and the experiment was carried out on the Yuankuan HIL semi-physical platform. The results show that this scheme is simple, easy to implement, and can effectively reduce the loss distribution imbalance.
Emigration, Remittances and Labor Force Participation in Mexico

Este trabajo examina la emigracion, las remesas y la participacion de la fuerza laboral en Mexico durante la decada de los noventa. Se utilizan dos tipos de familias para el analisis: (a) hogares rurales de Mexico durante 2000, que varian de acuerdo a si han enviado inmigrantes a los Estados Unidos, o recibido remesas de los Estados Unidos, y (b) personas de Mexico durante 1990 y 2000 que hayan nacido en Estados con una alta o baja exposicion a la emigracion hacia Estados Unidos = This paper, examines emigration, remittances, and labor-force participation in Mexico during the 1990s. It uses two samples of households for the analysis: (a) rural households in Mexico in 2000, which vary according to whether they have sent migrants to the United States or received remittances from the United States, and (b) individuals in Mexico in 1990 and 2000 born in states with either high-exposure or low-exposure to U.S. emigration = Este trabalho examina a imigracao, envio de dinheiro e a participacao da forca de trabalho mexicana durante a decada dos noventa. Sao utilizados dois tipos de familia para analise: (a) locais rurais, durante 2000, com pessoas vivendo nos Estados Unidos ou, que receberam dinheiro daquele pais; e (b) pessoas vivendo no Mexico em 1990 e 2000, nascidas em estados com alta ou baixa exposicao a imigracao aos Estados Unidos
Study of Influencing Factors on CFD Method and Separated Flow by the Virtual Static Captive Test

In this paper, Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) methods are adopted to predict the manoeuvring behaviour of the KCS benchmark model. At first instance, the model is calibrated on the basis of three factors namely (a) turbulence model, (b) grid size and (c) time step. Secondly, a Static Oblique Towing Test (OTT) that utilises the SST K-ω turbulence model with a grid number of 1.64 million and a time step of 0.01 s is conducted. The maximum difference of the lateral force between the port and starboard ship sides is observed at x/Lpp = 0.055. Finally, application of Reynold Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) and Dettached Eddy Simulation (DES) CFD models indicates that the latter may be preferable in terms of capturing the oblique flow field.
Estimate Raw Water Salinity for the Tigris River for a Long Time Using a Mathematical Model

The measurement data of the raw water quality of Tigris River were statistically analyzed to measure the salinity value in relation to the selected raw water quality parameters. The analyzed data were collected from five water treatment plants (WTPs) assembled alongside of the Tigris River in Baghdad: Al-Karkh, Al-Karama, Al-Qadisiya, Al-Dora, and Al-Wihda for the period from 2015 to 2021. The selected parameters are total dissolved solid (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), pH and temperature. The main objective of this research is to predicate a mathematical model using SPSS software to calculate the value of salinity along the river, in addition, the effect of electrical conductivity on the salinity value was estimated. Multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN) models were used to estimate the mathematical models for calculating water salinity value in Tigris River and to present the highest effective parameter that effect on water salinity. In general, the results showed an increase in the water salinity level downstream of the Tigris River towards the south of Baghdad and the EC is the most significant effect on water salinity, and MLR and ANN analyses present a good indication of the mathematical models with highest coefficient of correlation (R2) as (0.999 and 0.998), respectively. In addition, the regression equations proved good performance in predicting the salinity value with error percentage less than 10% for all WTPs.
Effect of memristor’s potentiation-depression curves peculiarities in the convergence of physical perceptrons

Neuromorphic computing aims to emulate the architecture and information processing mechanisms of the mammalian brain. This includes the implementation by hardware of neural networks. Oxide-based memristor arrays with cross-bar architecture appear as a possible physical implementation of neural networks. In this paper, we obtain experimental potentiation-depression (P-D) curves on different manganite-based memristive systems and simulate the learning process of perceptrons for character recognition. We analyze how the specific characteristics of the P-D curves affect the convergence time -characterized by the EPOCHs-to-convergence (ETC) parameter- of the network. Our work shows that ETC is reduced for systems displaying P-D curves with relatively low granularity and non-linear and asymmetric response. In addition, we also show that noise injection during the synaptic weight actualization further reduces the ETC. The results obtained here are expected to contribute to the optimization of hardware neural networks based on memristors cross-bar arrays.
Estimation of multi-state models with missing covariate values based on observed data likelihood

Abstract Continuous-time multi-state models are commonly used to study diseases with multiple stages. Potential risk factors associated with the disease are added to the transition intensities of the model as covariates, but missing covariate measurements arise frequently in practice. We propose a likelihood-based method that deals efficiently with a missing covariate in these models. Our simulation study showed that the method performs well for both “missing completely at random” and “missing at random” mechanisms. We also applied our method to a real dataset, the Einstein Aging Study.
Effect of Surface Drip Irrigation and Polymer Addition on Some Physical Soil Characteristics, Growth and Yield Characteristics of Cauliflower

The study was conducted during the fall season at the research station of the University of Anbar - College of Agriculture, cauliflower seedlings were planted on 10/2/2021 in a soil with a sandy loam mixture texture, this research aimed to study the effect of the two irrigation methods, which are surface drip irrigation (IC) and partial drying of the soil surface (IP) and the addition of polymer in the following proportions, They are without adding MO, 0,3%ML, and 0,6%MH in bulk density, porosity, weighted diameter, plant height, leaf area, and total yield, The experimental treatments were distributed using the factorial experiment within the randomized complete block, and the results of the study showed that the method of partial drying of the soil surface was significantly superior to the rest of the treatments by giving it the lowest average of the bulk density values 1,25 mg,g-3 and the highest average of the porosity values at 50,79%, and an increase in the average values of the weighted diameter, plant height, leaf area and total yield at 0,36 mm, 50,33 cm, 10,58 dm plant-1 and 33,61 tons ha-1, respectively, The effect of the polymer treatments on the above traits, the polymer addition treatment was significantly superior by 0,6% by giving it the lowest apparent density at 1,22 Mg,g-3 and the highest mean of the porosity values, which was 52,17%, 11,79 dm per plant-1 and 34,17 tons per hectare-1, respectively,
Numerical Investigation on Drag and Vortex Induced Vibration Characteristics of Multiple Cylinders

The drag and vortex induced vibration (VIV) characteristics of a multiple cylinder are investigated using the detached eddy simulations. The multiple cylinders consist of a single main cylinder and twin auxiliary cylinders for a deep sea mining riser. Tandem and side-by-side arrangements are tested and compared with the single cylinder. The drag characteristics are investigated with the stationary case in the range of 0.5∼2.0 × 105 in Reynolds number (Re). The drag of the tandem arrangement shows smaller drag than those of the single cylinder while it’s consisted with the three cylinders. The stationary vortexes are observed at the clearance between the main and auxiliary cylinder which make the tandem arrangement become airfoil-like section as a total which induce the smallest drag than the other cases. The VIV characteristics are studied with the cases of forced oscillation in the cross-flow direction. The damping and added mass coefficients in cross-flow direction are estimated from the time series of the lift forces. Flow field analysis reveal the difference in VIV characteristics due to the variety of the arrangements and the single pipe.
Percutaneous recanalization of totally occluded coarctation of the aorta in children using Brockenbrough needle and covered stents

Percutaneous treatment of totally occluded coarctation of the aorta has been reported predominantly in adults. The success and challenges of this procedure in children is reported in few patients. We report an outcome of percutaneous treatment of three children with completely occluded coarctation of the aorta. The age range was 9-14 years. All the patients had upper limb hypertension. One case had severe left ventricular dysfunction. In all cases, a pediatric Brockenbrough needle and a covered stent were implanted. Recanalization and implantation of a covered stent was successful in all patients. One of these patients developed transient postcoarctectomy syndrome. Percutaneous recanalization of totally occluded coarctation of the aorta using Brockenbrough needle and a covered stent in children is feasible and effective.
Physiognomic and taphonomic studies in New Zealand and Australia : implications for the use of palaeobotany as a tool for palaeoclimate estimation

﻿ Measurements of surface uplift rate potentially hold the key to understanding the tectonics of mountain belts and areas of uplift. Wolfe (1993) compiled a multicharacter data set (CLAMP) of the physiognomy of woody dicotyledon leaves with a view to using it to extract climatic information from fossil floras. The limited extent of this data set, along with the anomalous behaviour of some outliers cause me to question the global relationship between physiognomy and climate which has been implicitly assumed in all analyses of the data conducted to date. Additional data collected from native vegetation in New Zealand and Australia are compared to the CLAMP data set. These data include samples along altitudinal transects and from different forest types growing in the same climatic regime. In addition taphonomic samples were collected from lake bottom sediments and their physiognomic signals compared to those of the adjacent living vegetation. The possibility that the relationship between climate and physiognomy is sufficiently non-linear that only local relationships should be sought is investigated. To estimate the climate at a certain flora, resemblance functions are used to select physiognomically similar sites. Estimations of climate are formed using only these sites. The power of this approach to estimate mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, mean growing season precipitation, and moist enthalpy is investigated using the modern sites, and varying the number of nearest neighbours and dimensions used as well as the type of ordination. The collection of altitudinal transects has allowed the study of physiognomic change with altitude. Because these transects were collected over a very restricted area it was possible to observe this change without the superimposed effects of changing continentality and variation in latitude. In addition studies made of adjacent floras in similar climatic regimes and taphonomic studies of leaves in lacustrine sediments has allowed the beginning of a realistic assessment of possible errors in climate estimation for fossil sites. Fossil sites examined using CLAMP and related methods are re-examined using the nearest neighbour approach.
Cálculo de la evapotranspiración en un bosque boreal

The objective of this paper is to show an operational method for determining evapotranspiration in a boreal forest using remote sensing data. The specific purpose is to estimate the aerodynamic resistance to be used in the energy-balance equation. As a result, we have obtained this value for a boreal forest, (32,3±1,6 s m-1). It was also compared with values for different forest given in the bibliography.
Round Table—The new geophysics: Shear-wave splitting provides a window into the crack-critical rock mass

In this article, I suggest a new style of geophysics as a critical system, which has profound implications for almost all aspects of prefracturing deformation in the crust, particularly reservoir characterization, time-lapse seismics, and hydrocarbon recovery. One of the most important features of the new geophysics for the oil industry is that the high-resolution details of fluid-saturated reservoirs and rocks vary with time and place. Current techniques using conventional technology and conventional geophysics may well be near their limit in resolution. Further enhancements will monitor the new geophysics where sensitivity to seemingly negligible disturbances is expected, and has now been observed.
Solar-terrestrial relationships and the earth environment in the last millennia : Villa Monastero, 25 June-5 July 1985

Introduction (G. Cini Castagnoli). Our present knowledge of the heliosphere (D.S. Intriligator). Solar radiation in the near-Earth environment (H. Friedman). Theory of solar variation (D.O. Gough). Evidence for solar variability from historical records (F.R. Stephenson). The history of the Earth's rotation as determined from eclipses and occulations (F.R. Stephenson). Historical supernovae (F.R. Stephenson). Radioisotopes in natural archives: information about the history of the solar-terrestrial system (J. Beer). Radiocarbon in tree rings (H.E. Suess). Stability of the cyclic behaviour of the Sun in the past millennia (G. Cini Castagnoli). Theoretically expected variations in the terrestrial cosmic-ray production rates of isotopes (D. Lal). Interesting geophysical applications of terrestrial long-lived cosmogenic stable and radioactive isotopes (D. Lal). Time series analysis with power spectrum and cyclograms (M. Galli). Time series, radiocarbon and varves (C.P. Sonett). Geomagnetism and palaeomagnetism: an outline (S.K. Runcorn). Thermoluminescence in sediments: a tool for environmental investigations (G. Cini Castagnoli and G. Bonino). The global carbon cycle, a part of the Earth system (H. Oeschger). Les principales sources solaires de l'activite geomagnetique et leur relation au cycle a l'echelle seculaire (J.-P. Legrand and P.-A. Simon). Climate of the Hudson Bay region and effects of solar activity, volcanic dust and lunar nodal tidal signal (J. Guiot). Cosmic rays and solar activity since 1955 (M.A. Shea and D.F. Smart). Large-scale interplanetary perturbations and their influence on the galactic cosmic-ray modulation (N. Iucci, M. Parisi, M. Storini and G. Villoresi). The thermal balance of the Earth (O. Vittori).
THE GENUS DISCOCYCLINA (FORAMINIFERIDA) FROM THE EOCENE OF THE TATRA MTS, POLAND

AbstTact. - Twelve species of the genus Discocydina Giimbel, 1868 from a series of dolomitic sandstones and siltstones are described, along with Upper Lutetian and Lower Bartonian organodetrital limestones from the area of Mt. Hruby Regiel in the Tatra Mts. The mode of life and environment of discocyclines are dealt with and burrows of crabs encased by tests of discocyclines described.
Approche multi-échelle de la formation des particules secondaires

Dans le cadre de l’etude de l’evolution du systeme climatique terrestre, comprendre la composition gazeuse et particulaire de l’atmosphere est un enjeu majeur dans notre comprehension de la Terre et de son atmosphere, de son passe et de son evolution a venir. Les aerosols secondaires, i.e. formes par nucleation, representent la source la plus importante en nombre des aerosols atmospheriques mais predire ou, quand et en quelle proportion ces aerosols sont formes dans l’atmosphere demeure a ce jour un exercice peu fiable. C’est dans ce contexte que cette etude s’est attachee a completer nos connaissances des processus conduisant a la formation et a la croissance des particules atmospheriques secondaires. Des etudes realisees a partir de mesures de terrain a long terme sur differents sites d’altitude en Europe ont permis de mettre en evidence differentes speciations verticales de la nucleation demontrant que ce phenomene semble etre jusqu’a deux fois plus frequents a la frontiere avec la basse troposphere libre que dans la couche limite planetaire. D’autre part ces memes etudes ont pu mettre en evidence que les mecanismes conduisant a la nucleation de nouvelles particules se differencient avec l’altitude impliquant un role plus important de la voie de formation induite par les ions ainsi que des composes organiques volatils. La contribution de cette derniere famille de composes a la nucleation a ete egalement testee durant plusieurs campagnes d’experimentation en systemes reactifs ainsi qu’en chambre de simulation atmospherique. Differents comportements et parametrisation de la nucleation selon la nature chimique du compose parent ont pu etre mis en evidence. Enfin, des etudes numeriques realisees a partir de donnees de terrain et d’experimentation ont permis d’explorer, d’infirmer, de confirmer et de proposer differentes approches numeriques afin de simuler les evenements de formation des aerosols secondaires.
Global Human Resource Development

I. FOUNDATIONS FOR GLOBAL HRD. 1. Globalization and HRD. 2. Culture and HRD. II. PRACTICES OF GLOBAL HRD. 3. Developing Training Programs for International Settings. 4. Delivery of Training Programs Around the World. 5. Consulting Across Cultures. 6. Administration of Global HRD Programs. III. HRD IN GLOBAL ORGANIZATIONS. 7. HRD in Global Corporations. 8. Public and Nonprofit Global Organizations. 9. HRD and Globalizing the Organization. IV. HRD PRACTICES AND PROGRAMS AROUND THE WORLD. 10. Western Europe. 11. Eastern Europe. 12. Middle East and North Africa. 13. Africa. 14. South Central Asia. 15. East Asia. 16. Japan. 17. South Pacific Region. 18. Canada. 19. Latin America and Caribbean. 20. United States of America. V. ENTERING THE GLOBAL HRD FIELD. 21. Career Opportunities in Global HRD. 22. Competencies for the Effective Global HRD Practitioner. 23. Preparation for Global HRD Assignments. VI. FUTURE OF GLOBAL HRD. 24. Global HRD Megatrends. Subject Index. Name Index.