Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using simplified bathymetry and SAR imagery in the validation of a hydraulic model for the Tagus River floodplain

ABSTRACT Araújo, M.A.V.C. ; Pestana, R. ; Matias, M. ; Roque, D. ; Trigo-Teixeira, A. , and Heleno, S. , 2016. Using simplified bathymetry and SAR imagery in the validation of a hydraulic model for the Tagus River floodplain. In: Vila-Concejo, A. ; Bruce, E. ; Kennedy, D.M. , and McCarroll, R.J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th International Coastal Symposium (Sydney, Australia). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 75, pp. 13 - 17. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. This work presents several approaches in the validation of the hydrodynamic model Tuflow on the simulation of flood extents and water levels, based on satellite SAR imagery. A methodology that uses a simplified bathymetry in the river main course is employed, which proves to be reliable and accurate for high-flow events. This was made possible as the digital terrain model was acquired in a dry period, accounting for large dry areas in the river bed, avoiding in this way the need of expensive river bathymetry surveys. Also, two methods are applied to the SAR imagery to extract the flood boundaries: visual interpretation followed by manual delimitation and an object-based algorithm approach. The hydraulic model is tested on a reach of the Tagus River, Portugal, where the largest flood inundation areas occur, using a historical flood event to verify its robustness and reliability. The accuracy of model prediction is done through comparisons of water levels at a hydrometric station and the determination of commission and omission errors of flood extent, between the reference SAR image and the predicted inundation. It was concluded that the methodology followed in this work is well suited for the hydraulic model validation.
The Impact of Board Characteristics on Firm Performance of Largest Listed Companies in Sri Lanka

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between selected board characteristics and firm performance on listed companies on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) in Sri Lanka. The study is performed on 41 non-financial and financial year’s ended on 31st March listed companies of CSE according to the highest market capitalization as of 20th January 2020. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and multivariate regression analysis are used to analyze the relationship between selected board characteristics and firm performance. As per the findings of this study, board composition is positively associated with Return on Asset (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE). However, the gender diversity of the board shows a negative relationship between ROA and ROE. Other selected board characteristics of this study (Board size, CEO duality, frequency of board meetings, directors’ shareholding, presence of nomination committee) demonstrate ambiguous results with ROA and ROE. The findings of the study are supportive for policymakers, especially the top-level management, and decision-makers in respect of obtaining strategic decisions about the firm to establish an effective board and evaluate the effectiveness of the board inside the firm. Moreover, it will be useful for regulators to strengthen prevailing governance mechanisms attributed to the board of directors (BOD). Additionally, the finding will contribute to narrowing the existing indefinite results regarding the relationship between board characteristics and firm performance.
Window of opportunity in rheumatoid arthritis – definitions and supporting evidence: from old to new perspectives

The therapeutic window of opportunity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is often referred to. However, some have questioned whether such a period, in which the disease is more susceptible to disease-modifying treatment, really exists. Observational studies are most frequently referenced as supporting evidence, but results of such studies are subject to confounding. In addition formal consensus on the definition of the term has never been reached. We first reviewed the literature to establish if there is agreement on the concept of the window of opportunity in terms of its time period and the outcomes influenced. Second, a systemic literature search was performed on the evidence of the benefit of early versus delayed treatment as provided by randomised clinical trials. We observed that the concept of the window of opportunity has changed with respect to timing and outcome since its first description 25 years ago. There is an ‘old definition’ pointing to the first 2 years after diagnosis with increased potential for disease-modifying treatment to prevent severe radiographic damage and disability. Strong evidence supports this concept. A ‘new definition’ presumes a therapeutic window in a pre-RA phase in which the biologic processes could be halted and RA development prevented by very early treatment. This definition is not supported by evidence, although is less well studied in trials. Some suggestions for future research in this area are made.
Benchmarking of Multi-Bridge-Channel FETs Toward Analog and Mixed-Mode Circuit Applications

In this study, for the very first time developing of n- and p-type 3-D single-channel (SC) FinFET and gate-all-around (GAA) Multi-Bridge-Channel FETs (MBCFET) like nanowire FET (NWFET) and nanosheet FET (NSFET) are benchmarked towards device and circuit levels which are emulated with International Road map for Devices and Systems (IRDS) for sub-5-nm technology nodes. Compared to the FinFET, the MBCFETs exhibits higher ON-current (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I_{\mathrm {ON}})$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, switching ratio (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I_{\mathrm {ON}}/I_{\mathrm {OFF}})$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, lower subthreshold-swing (SS) and drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL). Except for extended parasitic capacitances (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$C_{\mathrm {para}})$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, our benchmarking results show that the NWFET and NSFET achieve the high-performance (HP) and low-power (LP) goals of IRDS. Furthermore, the NSFET delivers superior performance towards DC and analog/RF metrics. The cut-off frequency (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$f_{\mathrm {T}})$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and gain bandwidth product (GBW) are higher (because of high <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I_{\mathrm {ON}})$ </tex-math></inline-formula> in the case of NSFET, even though the capacitive effect is significant. Further, the logic circuit applications like CMOS inverter and ring oscillator (RO) circuits are analyzed and compared in detail. The CMOS inverters propagation delays (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\tau _{\mathrm {p}})$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is reduced to 31% from FinFET to NWFET and 12% from NWFET to NSFETs is noticed. Also, the NWFET and NSFET based ROs offer 39% and 56% high oscillation frequency (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$f_{\mathrm {osc}})$ </tex-math></inline-formula> compared to that of FinFET counterpart. Finally, the single stage current mirror performance and operational transconductance amplifiers (OTA) gain and common mode rejection ratio (CMRR) are carried out towards analog and mixed-mode circuit applications.
Low-dose radiotherapy promotes the formation of tertiary lymphoid structures in lung adenocarcinoma

Purpose A tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) refers to an organized infiltration of immune cells that is linked to a positive prognosis and improved response to immunotherapy. However, methods that promote TLS formation are limited and challenging to implement in clinical settings. In this study, we aimed to promote the formation and maturation of TLSs in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) by combining low-dose radiotherapy (LDRT) with immunotherapy. Methods Tissue sections from 198 patients who had undergone surgery were examined. Risk factors for patient survival were assessed, and the relationship between TLSs and five-year survival was analyzed. The Kras-LSL-G12D spontaneous lung cancer mouse model was used to screen the optimal irradiation dose (0/1/2 Gy whole lung irradiation) for promoting TLS formation. LDRT combined with anti-PD-1 was used to promote the formation and maturation of TLSs. Results TLS+, TLSHigh, TLS+GC+ and CD8High within TLS+ were associated with a favorable prognosis. LDRT increased the formation of early TLSs in the Kras-LSL-G12D lung cancer mouse model. In addition, LDRT combined with anti-PD-1 treatment can significantly improve the maturity of TLSs in mouse LUAD, resulting in greater antitumor effects. This antitumor effect was strongly associated with the number of CD8+ T cells within the TLSs. Conclusion We successfully applied LDRT combined with PD-1 inhibitor therapy for the first time, which increased both the quantity and maturity of TLSs in lung cancer. This approach achieved a promising antitumor effect.
Comparison of effects of modafinil and caffeine on fatigue-vulnerable and fatigue-resistant aircrew after a limited period of sleep deprivation

Introduction: Literature suggests pilots experience fatigue differently. So-called fatigue-resistant or -vulnerable individuals might also respond differently to countermeasures or stimulants. This study, which is part of a larger randomized controlled clinical trial, aims to investigate the effect of caffeine and modafinil on fatigue-resistant and -vulnerable pilots. Methods: This study included 32 healthy employees of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, who completed three test days, separated by at least 7 days. After a regular work day, the subjects were randomly administered either 300 mg caffeine, 200 mg modafinil or placebo at midnight. Hereafter the subjects performed the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT), vigilance and tracking test (VigTrack) and Stanford sleepiness scale (SSS) six times until 8 a.m. the next day. Subjects were ranked on the average number of lapses on the PVT during the placebo night and divided into three groups: fatigue-vulnerable (FVUL), -intermediate (FINT) and -resistant (FRES), with 11, 10 and 11 subjects in each group, respectively. Area under the curve (AUC) of the PVT, VigTrack and SSS during the test nights were calculated, which were used in univariate factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA). Tukey’s HSD post hoc tests were used to differentiate between the groups. Results: A significant effect of treatment was found in the ANOVA of both PVT parameters, VigTrack mean reaction time and SSS. There was a statistically significant effect of fatigue group on all PVT parameters and VigTrack mean percentage omissions, where FINT and FRES scored better than FVUL. There was a significant interaction effect between treatment and fatigue group for PVT number of lapses. This is congruent for the AUC analyses in which for all parameters (except for the SSS) the performance of the FVUL group was consistently worse than that of the FINT and FRES groups. Discussion: This study demonstrates that the performance of individuals with different fatigue tolerances are differently affected by simulants after a limited period of sleep deprivation. The classification of fatigue tolerance through PVT lapses when sleep deprived seems to be able to predict this.
Impact of Abnormal Audit Fees on Earnings Management Practices: Evidence from Non-Financial Listed Companies in Sri Lanka

Abnormal audit fees could be claimed to be an incentive to compromise the independence of an external auditor, which impairs the quality of an audit. Alternatively, some have argued that abnormal audit fees reflect the additional effort of the auditors to reduce earnings management practices. Hence, this study aimed to examine the relationship between abnormal audit fees and the degree of earnings management of non-financial listed companies in Sri Lanka. Using a quantitative approach in the positivistic paradigm, descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, regression analyses, and panel regression analyses were performed in assessing the level and identifying the relationship between abnormal audit fees and earnings management. Results indicated that the abnormal audit fees in the Sri Lankan context are comparatively higher than in selected developing and developed countries and that degree of earnings management vary over time. Moreover, none of the analyses performed showed a statistically significant relationship between abnormal audit fees and the degree of earnings management in Sri Lanka. The findings of this study are expected to provide insights to regulatory bodies, audit firms, investors, and other stakeholders. Regulators and policymakers could take steps to discourage excessive audit fees, as well as address the usage of unwarranted earnings management practices. Furthermore, external auditors' efforts to curtail excessive earnings management practices should be further examined. This study is a pioneering effort to identify whether there is a relationship between abnormal audit fees and earnings management in Sri Lanka, and thus it is expected to add to the extant literature, especially in a developing country context.
Detection-Driven Exposure-Correction Network for Nighttime Drone-View Object Detection

Drone-view object detection (DroneDet) models typically suffer a significant performance drop when applied to nighttime scenes. Existing solutions attempt to employ an exposure-adjustment module to reveal objects hidden in dark regions before detection. However, most exposure-adjustment models are only optimized for human perception, where the exposure-adjusted images may not necessarily enhance recognition. To tackle this issue, we propose a novel Detection-driven Exposure-correction network for nighttime DroneDet, called DEDet. The DEDet conducts adaptive, nonlinear adjustment of pixel values in a spatially fine-grained manner to generate DroneDet-friendly images. Specifically, we develop a fine-grained parameter predictor (FPP) to estimate pixelwise parameter maps of the image filters. These filters, along with the estimated parameters, are used to adjust pixel values of the low-light image based on nonuniform illuminations in drone-captured images. In order to learn the nonlinear transformation from the original nighttime images to their DroneDet-friendly counterparts, we propose a progressive filtering module that applies recursive filters to iteratively refine the exposed image. Furthermore, to evaluate the performance of the proposed DEDet, we have built a dataset NightDrone to address the scarcity of the datasets specifically tailored for this purpose. Extensive experiments conducted on four nighttime datasets show that DEDet achieves a superior accuracy compared with the state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods. Furthermore, ablation studies and visualizations demonstrate the validity and interpretability of our approach. Our NightDrone dataset can be downloaded from https://github.com/yuexiemail/NightDrone-Dataset.
New Generation Ingot Crane Design, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Prototype Manufacturing

Ar-Ge projesi kapsamında bu çalışma, demir çelik sektörü başta olmak üzere döküm ve haddehane parçalarında kullanılması amaçlanan yeni nesil külçe vincin tasarımını, analizini ve prototip üretimini kapsamaktadır. Tasarımı BVS Ar-Ge Merkezi bünyesinde yürütülen külçe proses vinci, müşteri organizasyonunun ihtiyaçlarına göre özel olarak hazırlanmış özel ekipmanları bünyesinde barındıran özel bir proses vincidir. Külçe vinci, erimiş metalin istenilen parça geometrisine göre özel blok kalıplara dökülmesi, proses gereksinimlerine göre kalıbın istenilen pozisyona taşınması, ideal soğuma süresinden sonra kalıbın çıkarılması (soyulması) ve kalıptan çıkarma işlemlerinin tamamını gerçekleştirir. elde edilen blok dökümlerin ve yarı mamul ürünlerin kaldırılması ve taşınması. Proses bazlı üretim proseslerinin proses adımları dikkate alındığında insan gücü sadece bir operatörün kontrol panelindeki faaliyetleri ile sınırlıdır. Ar-Ge projesi kapsamında külçe prosesli vinç taşıyıcı kiriş grubunun belirlenen yük durumlarında hem analitik hem de Sonlu Elemanlar Analiz Yöntemleri (FEA) kullanılarak sınır koşulları çerçevesinde maksimum gerilme ve sehim değerleri belirlendi. Ayrıca vinç sektöründe öncü bir yenilik olan taşıyıcı üçlü kiriş grubunun kritik bölgeleri için Von Mises gerilme koşulları araştırılmıştır. Analiz sonucunda hem sehim hem de kritik gerilme durumları dikkate alındığında tasarım koşulları açısından olumsuz bir durum gözlemlenmemiştir. Bu bağlamda yeni nesil külçe vincinin tasarımı ve prototip imalatı, hem ithalat ikamesini azaltacak hem de ülkemizde döküm alanında faaliyet gösteren firmaların hem iş gücü hem de iş güvenliği açısından daha rekabetçi düzeyde faydalanmasına katkı sağlayacaktır. operasyonel üretim süreci.
Techniques in chitosan extraction from indigenous crab and utilization in bio-filtration of crude oil polluted water

The techniques for chitosan extraction from indigenous crabs were assessed using physicochemical properties of the chitosan, and its utilization in the treatment of crude oil polluted water was investigated. Physicochemical properties, heavy metal analytic method (AAS), and hydrocarbon analysis (GC-MS method) of the water samples were employed for this investigation. Results obtained from the physical and chemical properties of the chitosan extracted from indigenous crabs (Scylla species) showed a comparable percentage yield (53% and 50%) compared to synthetic chitosan (72%). The pH values obtained from the chitosan ranged from 6.9 – 13.0, while the percentage degree of deacetylation (DDA) ranged from 60 – 75%. The water quality obtained from Ochani River, filtered with chitosan, yielded the best result with chitosan C compared to chitosan B. The heavy metal content in the polluted Ochani River was totally removed with the control (synthetic chitosan A) compared to chitosan C, which showed a comparably reduction. However, the bio-filtration with chitosan B also revealed better reduction compared to chitosan A. The study established that irrespective of the crude method applied in the extraction of the chitosan from indigenous crabs, its efficacy in treating crude oil-polluted Ochani River was highly impactful.
Fertility among Northern Nigeria women and associated factors: Negative binomial regression model approach

Objective: The 2020 sustainable development progress report shows that human population growth is a critical barrier to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). There are very few studies on determinants of fertility particularly looking at the northern part of Nigeria that has a relatively high fertility level compared with the southern part of the country. This study therefore is aimed at identifying the factors associated with fertility among women in northern Nigeria. Methods: The data for this study was from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2018. The number of children ever born by women aged 15 – 49 years and other variables who lived in Northern Nigeria were extracted and analyzed using Negative Binomial Regression, where the level of significance was 0.05. Results: There were variations in factors associated with fertility among the geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Age of the respondents, sex of household head, wealth index, religion, ethnicity, use of family planning (FP) method, and child death experience were among the factors associated with fertility. Women with no/lower education, early marriage, being Muslim and Hausa/Fulani ethnic background experienced high fertility (p<0.05). Conclusion: Attention to the factors mentioned above and intervention programmes designed to reduce fertility are indispensable. Education of female children should be given extra attention as this will empower them to be more informed. Hence, achieving SDGs will become a reality.
Simulating estimation of California fossil fuel and biosphere carbon dioxide exchanges combining in situ tower and satellite column observations

We report simulation experiments estimating the uncertainties in California regional fossil fuel and biosphere CO2 exchanges that might be obtained by using an atmospheric inverse modeling system driven by the combination of ground‐based observations of radiocarbon and total CO2, together with column‐mean CO2 observations from NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO‐2). The work includes an initial examination of statistical uncertainties in prior models for CO2 exchange, in radiocarbon‐based fossil fuel CO2 measurements, in OCO‐2 measurements, and in a regional atmospheric transport modeling system. Using these nominal assumptions for measurement and model uncertainties, we find that flask measurements of radiocarbon and total CO2 at 10 towers can be used to distinguish between different fossil fuel emission data products for major urban regions of California. We then show that the combination of flask and OCO‐2 observations yields posterior uncertainties in monthly‐mean fossil fuel emissions of ~5–10%, levels likely useful for policy relevant evaluation of bottom‐up fossil fuel emission estimates. Similarly, we find that inversions yield uncertainties in monthly biosphere CO2 exchange of ~6%–12%, depending on season, providing useful information on net carbon uptake in California's forests and agricultural lands. Finally, initial sensitivity analysis suggests that obtaining the above results requires control of systematic biases below approximately 0.5 ppm, placing requirements on accuracy of the atmospheric measurements, background subtraction, and atmospheric transport modeling.
Parametric cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in takotsubo syndrome: a case report

Abstract Background Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) causes angina with ventricular dysfunction that can mimic acute coronary syndrome. Normal coronary angiography leads to cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in the diagnostic pathway. Historically, TTS was thought to be associated with the absence of late gadolinium enhancement on CMR. This case report highlights the presence of late gadolinium enhancement in a case of TTS while demonstrating the other characteristic findings, including quantitative parametric T1/T2 mapping. Case summary A 69-year-old lady was admitted with chest pain and shortness of breath. She was found to have classical TTS with the characteristic wall motion abnormalities on echocardiogram, left ventricular angiogram, and CMR. Her CMR also demonstrated strongly positive myocardial T1/T2 mapping that matched the wall motion abnormalities and the less frequently described positive early and late gadolinium enhancement. Discussion This case highlights the diagnostic pathway in TTS and the ability of CMR to make a diagnosis in myocardial infarction with non-obstructed coronary arteries. We describe the characteristic cardiac imaging features of TTS while discussing the positive late gadolinium enhancement patterns that may help confirm the diagnosis.
A preliminary review of certain families of Diptera from the Florissant Miocene beds

The dipterous families Bibionidae, Stratiomyidae, and Empididae of the Florissant (Miocene) shales are reviewed, and keys are given to all the known species. One new genus and five new species, three of these representing genera new to the Florissant shales, are described. The generic position of three species is discussed, and two new combinations are proposed. The venation of all new species is shown, in part or entirely, by line drawings. A study of certain Diptera from the Miocene shales of Florissant has revealed new species represented by specimens which are well enough preserved to justify description. It is the purpose of this paper to describe these, and to give, as nearly as possible at the present time, a review of the families Bibionidae, Stratiomyidae, and Empididae as they occur in these deposits. To this end, a study has been made of the Cockerell types in the University of Colorado Museum, to which the curator, Mr. H. G. Rodeck, has kindly given me access. I am also indebted to Dr. F. M. Carpenter and the Museum of Comparative Zoology for the loan of much good material. Types of the species described herein are, unless otherwise stated, the property of the University of Colorado Museum.