Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How processing affects relative reflection amplitudes

One objective of seismic data processing is to reduce both coherent and random noise contaminating the reflection data, so that the physical properties of the rocks and their contained fluids may be more readily estimated and/or imaged from trace amplitudes. During the processing, it can be important to preserve the relative amplitudes of reflection events, especially laterally (trace-to-trace), since several interpretive techniques are based on amplitude comparisons. Most prominently, AVO and AVA methods compare amplitudes from the same reflection or conversion event at different sourcereceiver offsets (AVO), or at different raypath angles (AVA). We describe here an empirical study in which physical model data were subjected to three commonly used processing techniques. The amplitudes along single reflections in those data were compared at each stage of processing. We found that, within the limits of measurement error, subtractive noise attenuation (radial trace filtering) and non-stationary deconvolution (Gabor deconvolution) have no significant effect on relative event amplitudes. As we might expect, however, a multi-trace process like F-X deconvolution, does affect relative event amplitudes and should probably be avoided in processing data for AVO.
Factors affecting domestic tourists’ repeat purchase intention towards accommodation in Malaysia

The hospitality and tourist industries depend on homestays and accommodations. Different factors, i.e., promotion strategies, service quality, cleanliness, and perceived health risks, influence tourists’ repeat purchase intention for accommodation. This study highlights different variables influencing domestic tourists’ accommodation repurchase decisions in Malaysia. Around 304 respondents from this quantitative survey are tourists who have already experienced choosing their accommodations during travel. Statistical Packages of Social science software (SPSS-23.0) were used to examine the data through multiple regression and descriptive approaches. The finding suggests that promotion, and services, can positively affect visitors’ purchasing decisions. However, there is a negative but statistically significant link between perceived health risk and repurchase decisions. Furthermore, the result revealed that the predictors of purchase decisions significantly influence selection. This study observed the undervalued quality of services and facilities provided by the hotel industry. The results identified that sustainable practices could enhance the impressive recovery of the tourism industry during and after the pandemic. Furthermore, cleanliness and cost are vital to be considered a primary quality service factor, reducing the perceived health risk, even if there is a pandemic. The study suggested that lodging providers could upgrade on-site facilities and acquire better promotion strategies. The study’s conclusions can increase satisfaction to avoid health risks in any circumstance and promote tourism.
Modern bridal femininity: Navigating niceness as a Princess Bride and a Bridezilla in the United States

Despite the widespread popularity of United States (US) weddings and the cultural significance assigned to modern brides, scant research has examined US bridal femininity—an important site of analysis for understanding contemporary norms and expectations of femininity, more generally. In response to this gap, drawing on constructivist grounded theory and poststructural feminism, the present study examined 18 heterosexual, predominantly White, middle-class, cisgender US brides’ experiences of their weddings. Analyses revealed that brides navigated expectations of niceness, engaging in both Princess Bride-like and “Bridezilla”-like behaviors and emotions. Implications for idealized femininity within a neoliberal context are considered.
Pulmonary Function in Patients with Solitary Spinal Metastases: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background This study aimed to evaluate the pulmonary function of patients with solitary spinal metastases with the intention of providing a data-driven basis to evaluate cardiopulmonary function in patients with spinal metastases in the future. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of 157 patients with solitary spinal metastases in our hospital from January 2010 to December 2018. This study analyzed the influence of different stages of solitary spinal involvement on respiratory function, based on the spinal segment invaded by the metastases. Results The highest proportion of solitary spinal metastases occurred at the thoracic level (49.7%), with the lowest proportion at the sacral level (3.9%). The largest number of patients were in the 60–69-year age group (34.6%). There was no significant difference in pulmonary function among patients with spinal metastases at different segments (all P > 0.05). The highest vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and forced vital capacity (FVC) were observed in patients who were overweight (all P < 0.05). There were no significant relationships between pulmonary respiratory function and body mass index (BMI) groups in male patient with spinal metastases. In female patients, the highest VC, FEV1, FVC, and maximum voluntary ventilation were observed in patients who were overweight (all P < 0.05). Conclusion Thoracic vertebral metastasis was the main type of solitary spinal metastatic tumor. Spinal metastases were more common at ages 60–69 years. There was no significant difference in pulmonary function among patients with spinal metastasis at different segments. Lung function was better in patients with spinal metastases who were overweight, especially in female patients.
The low-level structure and evolution of a dry arctic front over the central United States. Part I: Mesoscale observations

Abstract Observations taken over the period 8–10 March 1992 during the Storm-scale Operational and Research Meteorology Fronts Experiment Systems Test in the central United States are used to document the detailed low-level structure and evolution of a shallow, dry arctic front. The front was characterized by cloudy skies to its north side and clear skies to its south side. It was essentially two-dimensional in the zone of intense observations. There was a significant diurnal cycle in the magnitude of the potential temperature gradient across both the subsynoptic and mesoscale frontal zones, but imposed upon an underlying, more gradual, increase over the three days. On the warm (cloudless) side. , the temperature increased and decreased in response to the diurnal heating cycle, while on the cold (cloudy) side the shape of the temperature decrease from its warm-side value (first dropping rapidly and then slowly in an exponential-like manner) remained fairly steady. The authors attribute the strong diurnal v.
Prevalence, Antibiotic Susceptibility Profile and Associated Factors of Group A Streptococcal pharyngitis Among Pediatric Patients with Acute Pharyngitis in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia

Background Streptococcus pyogenes (S. pyogenes) or group A streptococcus is a common cause of bacterial pharyngitis in children. Since it is difficult to distinguish between viral and bacterial pharyngitis using solely signs and symptoms, culture-based diagnosis and treatment are critical for avoiding serious complications. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, and associated factors of S. pyogenes among pediatric patients with acute pharyngitis. Methods A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from April to June 2021. Standard microbiological procedures were used to collect and process throat swabs and to isolate and identify S. pyogenes. The disc diffusion method was used for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Results A total of 215 children with acute pharyngitis were included in this study. Of these, 23 (10.7%) were culture positive for S. pyogenes. The presence of an inflamed tonsil, tonsillar exudate, scalariform rash, and dysphagia were associated with streptococcal pharyngitis. Children aged 5 to 15 were more susceptible to streptococcal throat infection than younger children. Penicillin, vancomycin, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, and ceftriaxone were effective against 100%, 95.7%, 95.7%, 91%, and 87% of isolates, respectively. In contrast, 56.5%, 39.1%, and 30.4% of isolates showed at least reduced susceptibility to tetracycline, erythromycin, and azithromycin, respectively. Conclusion Streptococcus pyogenes is responsible for 10.7% of acute pharyngitis cases among pediatric patients in the study area. Although all isolates remain sensitive to penicillin, many showed reduced susceptibility to tetracycline and macrolides. Therefore, prior to antibiotic prescription, screening children with acute pharyngitis for S. pyogenes and testing the antibiotic susceptibility of isolates is recommended.
Readout modes and automated operation of the Swift X-ray Telescope

The Swift X-ray Telescope (XRT) is designed to make astrometric, spectroscopic, and photometric observations of X-ray emission from Gamma-ray Bursts and their afterglows in the energy band 0.2-10 keV. In order to provide rapid-response, automated observations of these randomly occurring objects without ground intervention, the XRT must be able to observe objects covering some seven orders of magnitude in flux, extracting the maximum possible science from each one. This requires a variety of readout modes designed to optimise the information collected in response to shifting scientific priorities as the flux from the burst diminishes. The XRT will support four major readout modes: imaging, two timing modes and photon-counting, with several sub-modes. We describe in detail the readout modes of the XRT. We describe the flux ranges over which each mode will operate, the automated mode switching that will occur and the methods used for collection of bias information for this instrument. We also discuss the data products produced from each mode.
Boosting the stability of wavelet-based contrast enhancement of color images through gamma transformations

Abstract Contrast enhancement in color images can be problematic due to many causes as, e.g. generation of unnatural colors, inversion of the order between level lines of the three chromatic channels and so on. Since the human visual system automatically realizes an efficient local contrast enhancement, it is natural to take inspiration from its features to build models that improve contrast in digital color images. In recent years, it has been proven that it is possible to build a variational framework which serves as a unified home for color correction models which comply with the basic perceptual features of color perception. This framework was built in the spatial domain and then extended in the local frequency domain thanks to the use of wavelets. A noticeable characteristic of the wavelet perceptual color correction algorithm is the existence of a range of parameters for which its output images are artefact-free. In this paper we show how to boost the stability of this method through a suitable selection of a functional parameter.
Modeling auditory evoked potentials to complex stimuli

The auditory evoked potential (AEP) is an electrical signal th t can be recorded from electrodes attached to the scalp of a human subject when a sou nd is presented. The signal is considered to reflect neural activity in response t o the acoustic stimulation and is a well established clinical and research tool to objec tiv ly assess the function and integrity of the auditory nervous system. However, the p ysiological generation of AEPs represents a complicated interaction between linea r and nonlinear cochlear and neural processes and is not well understood in humans. Th is thesis presents and evaluates a phenomenological model of AEP generation th at can predict key experimental observations of recorded AEPs. The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of the different stages of auditory sig nal processing and their effects on AEP generation. In recent years, there has been a push both clinically and in r esearch towards using realistic and complex stimuli, such as speech, to electroph ysiologically assess the human hearing. However, to interpret the AEP generation to c omplex sounds, the potential patterns in response to simple stimuli needs to be understood. Therefore, the model was used to simulate auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) evoked by classic stimuli like clicks, tone bursts and chirps. The ABR s to these simple stimuli were compared to literature data and the model was shown to pr edict the frequency dependence of tone-burst ABR wave-V latency and the level-d ependence of ABR wave-V amplitude for clicks and chirps varying sweeping rat es. The model was also evaluated based on ABR recordings evoked by speech syllable s, and was shown to account for the differences in the responses observed betwe en the stimuli. It was demonstrated that the generation of the syllable-evoked AB Rs was highly influenced by cochlear and afferent neural processing, which supporte d th importance of cochlear processing for the generation of AEPs. A second major contribution of this study was the investigat ion of whether auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) can be used to assess human c ochlear compression. Sensorineural hearing impairments is commonly associated with a loss of outer haircell functionality, and a measurable consequence is the dec reased amount of cochlear
Different Approaches to Ergogenic, Pre-, and Probiotic Supplementation in Sports with Different Metabolism Characteristics: A Mini Review

Sport disciplines with different metabolic characteristics require different dietary approaches. Bodybuilders or sprinters (“anaerobic” athletes) need a high-protein diet (HPD) in order to activate muscle protein synthesis after exercise-induced muscle damage and use nitric oxide enhancers (such as citrulline and nitrates) to increase vasodilatation, whereas endurance athletes, such as runners or cyclists (“aerobic” athletes), prefer a high-carbohydrate diet (HCHD), which aims to restore the intramuscular glycogen, and supplements containing buffering agents (such as sodium bicarbonate and beta-alanine). In both cases, nutrient absorption, neurotransmitter and immune cell production and muscle recovery depend on gut bacteria and their metabolites. However, there is still insufficient data on the impact of an HPD or HCHD in addition to supplements on “anaerobic” and “aerobic” athletes’ gut microbiota and how this impact could be affected by nutritional interventions such as pre- and probiotic therapy. Additionally, little is known about the role of probiotics in the ergogenic effects of supplements. Based on the results of our previous research on an HPD in amateur bodybuilders and an HCHD in amateur cyclists, we reviewed human and animal studies on the effects of popular supplements on gut homeostasis and sport performance.
Large eddy simulation study of turbulent kinetic energy and scalar variance budgets and turbulent/non-turbulent interface in planar jets

Spatially developing planar jets with passive scalar transports are simulated for various Reynolds (Re = 2200, 7000, and 22 000) and Schmidt numbers (Sc = 1, 4, 16, 64, and 128) by the implicit large eddy simulation (ILES) using low-pass filtering as an implicit subgrid-scale model. The budgets of resolved turbulent kinetic energy k and scalar variance ⟨ φ ′ 2 ⟩ ? > are explicitly evaluated from the ILES data except for the dissipation terms, which are obtained from the balance in the transport equations. The budgets of k and ⟨ φ ′ 2 ⟩ ? > in the ILES agree well with the DNS and experiments for both high and low Re cases. The streamwise decay of the mean turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate obeys the power low obtained by the scaling argument. The mechanical-to-scalar timescale ratio Cϕ is evaluated in the self-similar region. For the high Re case, Cϕ is close to the isotropic value (Cϕ = 2) near the jet centerline. However, when Re is not large, Cϕ is smaller than 2 and depends on the Schmidt number. The T/NT interface is also investigated by using the scalar isosurface. The velocity and scalar fields near the interface depend on the interface orientation for all Re. The velocity toward the interface is observed near the interface facing in the streamwise, cross-streamwise, and spanwise directions in the planar jet in the resolved velocity field.
The Question of Phase Retrieval in Optics

It is generally asserted that valuable phase information is irretrievably lost in the squaring operation required to obtain the intensity from the amplitude distribution in the image of a star formed by a lens. In this paper the phase reconstruction is studied under the constraint that the aperture of the lens be finite. It is shown that in some cases the phase reconstruction is unique; and that in other cases there is finite or denumerable infinite number of discrete solutions. Conversely, it is proved that every non-negative function that is integrable and band-limited can be realized as the intensity distribution in the image of a star formed by a lens.
A‐posteriori error estimates for the finite element method

Computable a-posteriori error estimates for finite element solutions are derived in an asymptotic form for h 0 where h measures the size of the elements. The approach has similarity to the residual method but differs from it in the use of norms of negative Sobolev spaces corresponding to the given bilinear (energy) form. For clarity the presentation is restricted to one-dimensional model problems. More specifically, the source, eigenvalue, and parabolic problems are considered involving a linear, self-adjoint operator of the second order. Generalizations to more general one-dimensional problems are straightforward, and the results also extend to higher space dimensions; but this involves some additional considerations. The estimates can be used for a practical a-posteriori assessment of the accuracy of a computed finite element solution, and they provide a basis for the design of adaptive finite element solvers.
The role of psychopathological symptoms in lumbar stenosis: A prediction model of disability after lumbar decompression and fusion

Introduction Pre-operative psychological factors may influence outcome after spine surgery. The identification of patients at risk of persisting disability may be useful for patient selection and possibly to improve treatment outcome. Methods Patients with neurogenic claudication associated with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) performed a psychological assessment before lumbar decompression and fusion (LDF) surgery. The following tests were administrated: Visual Analogic Scale; Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90-R), Short Form-36 and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). The primary outcome was ODI score lower than 20. A cross correlation matrix (CCM) was carried out with significant variables after univariate analysis and a linear logistic regression model was calculated considering the most significant variable. Results 125 patient (61 men and 64 women) were included in the study. Seven parameters of the SCL-90-R scale showed statistical significance at the univariate analysis: obsessivity (p < 0.001), Current Symptom Index (p = 0.001), Global Severity Index (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.001), positive Symptom Total (p = 0.002), somatization (p = 0.001) and anxiety (p = 0.036). Obsessivity was correlated with other significant parameters, except GSI (Pearson’s correlation coefficient = 0.11). The ROC curve for the logistic model considering obsessivity as risk factor, has an area under the curve of 0.75. Conclusion Pre-operative psychopathological symptoms can predict persistence of disability after LDF for DLSS. Future studies will evaluate the possibility of modifying post operative outcome through targeted treatment for psychological features emerged during pre-operative assessment.
Thermodynamically consistent hydrodynamic computational models for high-Knudsen-number gas flows

In high-Knudsen-number flows nonequilibrium effects become dominant and the use of Navier–Stokes–Fourier equations becomes questionable since they are based on small deviation from local thermodynamic equilibrium. In this paper new hydrodynamic computational models are proposed for modeling gases in the transition regime. They are based on Eu’s generalized hydrodynamic equations and it turns out that they apply in all Mach numbers and satisfy the second law of thermodynamics to every order of approximation. In order to learn more about the new equations a model equation similar to the Burgers’ equation is studied. From this analysis new insight into constitutive relations of various hydrodynamic equations has been gained. In addition, a convergent iterative method for solving the highly nonlinear constitutive equations is developed. Finally, the shock structure and slip flow problems are computed by using high resolution numerical schemes and issues of extending the one-dimensional solver to multidimensio.
The 'Bad Behavior Index': A Composite Measure of the Development Hindering Behavior of Individuals and Institutions

Composite indices have become a popular tool for providing a quantitative, simplified, and visualized representation of complex phenomena. An example of such is the Human Development Index (HDI) which ranks countries by their level of development. The primary limitation of the HDI is its narrow scope, which hinders its effectiveness at explaining why some nations are more developed than others. The discussion as to why some nations are more developed than others goes back as far as the 14th century, where Ibn Khaldun developed a theory which aims to explain why civilizations rise and fall. Some of the hypotheses which seek to answer this question point to the importance of economic freedoms, absence of corruption, high investment in human capital, and the importance of institutions etc. to development. One hypothesis which has not been properly studied regards the culpability of individual and institutional behavior. The purpose of this study is to introduce a composite measure of the development hindering behavior of individuals and institutions, i.e., the Bad Behavior Index (BBI). The methodology of this study is influenced by the Mazziotta & Pareto framework for composite indices. The index weights have been computed by integrating expert opinion with the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP). The findings of this study suggest that African countries engage in the highest level of bad behavior, which subsequently leads to their poor socio-economic development, whereas Northern countries engage in the least level of bad behavior. The study also finds that the most important drivers for socio-economic development are low levels of corruption, high levels of knowledge creation, strict application of the rule of law, high levels of social cohesion, and high levels of political stability.