Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Extended Kalman Filter-Based Fusion Approach for High-Precision UAV Positioning in Extremely Confined Environments

For unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based smart inspection in extremely confined environments, it is impossible for precise UAV positioning with global positioning system, owing to the satellite signal block. Therefore, the ultrawideband (UWB)-based technology has attracted extensive attention under such circumstances. However, due to the unpredictable propagation condition and the time-varying operational environment, the localization performance oscillation caused by the changing measurement noise may lead to the instability of UAV. To mitigate the effects, in this article, a high-precision UAV positioning system which integrates the inertial measurement unit and UWB with the adaptive extended Kalman filter (EKF) is proposed. Compared with the traditional EKF-based approach, the estimated and recorded information from previous processes is exploited to adaptively estimate and further control the estimation of the noise covariance matrices for the performance improvement. Finally, simulations and experiments have been conducted in extremely confined environments. According to the results, the proposed algorithm can significantly improve the position update rate, the median positioning error, the 95${\text{th}}$ percentile positioning error, and the average standard deviation into 88 Hz, 0.102 m, 0.192 m, and 0.052 m, which is applicable for applications in focused environments.
Clinical biochemical and haemodynamic correlates of sodium sensitivity in essential hypertension.

: Factors contributing to the blood pressure (BP) response to changes in dietary sodium intake were studied in 25 patients with essential hypertension (EH). Relevant clinical, biochemical and haemodynamic variables were measured after two weeks on a low sodium diet (LS, 50 mmol) and after two weeks on a high sodium diet (HS, 300 mmol). BP was significantly higher during HS. The difference in mean arterial pressure between HS and LS (delta MAP) was taken as a measure of sodium sensitivity. delta MAP was directly related to age, initial BP, plasma noradrenaline during HS and changes in forearm vascular resistance. It was indirectly related to plasma aldosterone during LS. No correlation was found with renin or with the excretion of urinary kallikrein. It is concluded that sodium sensitivity in EH is related to age and blood pressure and is predominantly mediated by changes in vascular resistance to which aldosterone and adrenergic mechanisms are likely to contribute.
Assessing performance of a “nature‐based” foredune restoration project, Oceano Dunes, California, USA

The Oceano Dunes near Pismo Beach, California is part of a large transgressive dune system that extends up to 5 km inland and hosts a state park that has been managed for off‐highway vehicle recreation since 1982, although vehicle activity has existed in the dunes for almost 90 years. As a result, foredunes have been largely obliterated and sand surfaces in vehicle use areas are highly emissive of dust‐sized particles, causing frequent exceedances of state air quality standards. To reduce dust emissions from the dunes, a nature‐based foredune restoration strategy using five different treatments over a 20‐ha site was implemented in February 2020.
Game theory-based dynamic resource allocations scheme in virtual networks

ABSTRACT This paper deals with resource allocation challenge focusing on Infrastructure Providers (InPs) and Service Providers (SPs) in virtual network environments. In such environments, resources (storage space, bandwidth, CPU, …) can be reallocated easily between users, involving Cloud services widespread. However, while these resources come from physical network, the allocations are constrained. To maintain on demand resources provisioning, service providers must frequently deal with many parameters (use duration, price, availability, fidelity, …) which involve unfair and non-optimal allocation scheme. We propose two game theory-based solutions that allow physical infrastructure providers to assign resources to service providers. Whereas literature works consider only one type of resource, we consider several types, such as storage space, bandwidth, RAM and processor. We design a set of non-cooperative games between physical infrastructure providers and service providers. Simulation results show that our solutions optimize resource usage and service quality compared to the literature.
Finishing the Last Lap: Experimental Evidence on Strategies to Increase Attainment for Students Near College Completion

Nearly half of students who enter college do not graduate. The majority of efforts to increase college completion have focused on supporting students before or soon after they enter college, yet many students drop out after making significant progress towards their degree. In this paper, we report results from a multi-year, large-scale experimental intervention conducted across five states and 20 broad-access, public colleges and universities to support students who are late in their college career but still at risk of not graduating. The intervention provided these “near-completer” students with personalized text messages that encouraged them to connect with campusbased academic and financial resources, reminded them of upcoming and important deadlines, and invited them to engage (via text) with campus-based advisors. We find little evidence that the message campaign affected academic performance or attainment in either the full sample or within individual higher education systems or student subgroups. The findings suggest low-cost nudge interventions may be insufficient for addressing barriers to completion among students who have made considerable academic progress. The contents of this article were developed under grant R305N160026 from the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. We are grateful for the collaboration of our postsecondary system and institutional partners in the design and implementation of this intervention. Our thanks to Gabrielle Lohner for exceptional research assistance. We also thank David Deming, Josh Goodman, Bridget Terry Long, Erdal Tekin, seminar participants at the EPPE Colloquium at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and members of the College Completion Network for helpful comments and suggestions on earlier versions of this paper. All errors, omissions, and conclusions are our own.
The association between narcolepsy during pregnancy and maternal-fetal risk factors/outcomes

Objective We sought to determine whether narcolepsy in pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal-fetal outcomes. Material and Methods A retrospective, cross-sectional analysis was performed using the nationwide inpatient sample (NIS) for the period 2008-2017. The primary exposure was narcolepsy with cataplexy, narcolepsy type 1 (NT1), and without cataplexy, narcolepsy type 2 (NT2), and the endpoints were a composite of maternal-fetal outcomes or risk factors. Results A total of 7,742 hospitalizations among pregnant women with narcolepsy were identified (prevalence = 17.6 per 100,000), of which 6,769 (88%) were diagnosed with NT2. Statistically significant positive associations were found between narcolepsy and the following conditions: obesity (odds ratio (OR): 2.99, confidence interval (CI): 2.4-3.74), anemia (OR=1.41, CI: 1.13-1.77), pre-pregnancy hypertension (OR=1.93, CI: 1.37-2.7), pre-pregnancy diabetes (OR=1.7, CI: 1.08-2.84), and gestational hypertension (OR=1.58, CI: 1.13-2.20) in the ICD-9 group. Similar findings were noted in the ICD-10 group with the exception of gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, and anemia. Conclusion Given these important findings, we propose a global approach of screening for narcolepsy among women of reproductive age with pre-existing risk factors prior to conception to minimize pregnancy complications.
Seasonal forecasting of tropical storms using the Met Office GloSea5 seasonal forecast system

The variability and predictability of tropical storm activity in the Met Office fully coupled atmosphere–ocean Global Seasonal Forecast System 5 (GloSea5) is assessed. GloSea5 is a high‐resolution seasonal forecast system with an atmospheric horizontal grid of 0.83° longitude × 0.55° latitude (∼53 km at 55°N) and 0.25° in the global ocean. The performance of the system is assessed in terms of its ability to retrospectively predict the observed tropical storm climatology and its response to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Results are compared to the predecessor system GloSea4 (∼120 km atmospheric horizontal resolution) and observational analyses over the common period of the operational hindcast for both systems: 1996–2009. A supplementary assessment of GloSea5 for the period 1992–2013 is then performed to evaluate skill of tropical storm predictions in the Northern Hemisphere as well as landfall frequency along two regions, the US coast and the Caribbean, over a longer period. GloSea5 is able to reproduce key tropical storm characteristics, such as their geographical distribution, seasonal cycle and interannual variability, as well as spatial changes in storm track density with ENSO. GloSea5 shows statistically significant skill for predictions of tropical storm numbers and accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index in the North Atlantic, western Pacific, Australian region and South Pacific. Statistically significant skill is also found for predictions of landfall frequency along the Caribbean coastline. Skill is similar using either the direct counting of landfalling storms in the model, or by inferring landfall rates from the Atlantic basin‐wide storm count. We find no skill for predictions of landfall along the US coast. Results suggest the potential for operational seasonal tropical storm forecasts throughout the Tropics.
More Time, Carrot-and-Stick, or Piling Coffins? Estimating the Role of Factors Overcoming COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Poland and Lithuania in the Years 2021–2022

In this study, motivation for late (from 2021-W22, i.e., 24 July 2021) uptake of the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine among adults in Poland and Lithuania is indirectly measured in order to avoid social-desirability bias or rationalisation in retrospect of prior decisions. Weekly vaccine uptake is modeled as if vaccine hesitant people were late adopters of a new product, with a fitted non-linear trend representing steadily decreasing interest. Before the analysed period, the vaccine uptake among Polish and Lithuanian adults was almost identical. Vaccination simply explainable by the trend was responsible for the vaccination of an additional 19.96% and 19.06% adults, respectively. The fear incurred by spikes in consecutive waves of infection motivated 3.20% and 3.89% more people, respectively, while the COVID-19 passport, introduced only in Lithuania, convinced an additional 13.98% of the overall population. The effect of the COVID passport was the biggest in the 18–24 age group, and the least visible among people aged 80 or more. In the latter group, other factors also had a limited impact, with merely 1.32% tempted by the one-time €100 payment offered to everybody aged 75 or more.
Specialization versus diversity: The role of city size in tourist cities

The paper examines the impact of specialization and diversity on economic growth of tourist cities. Industrial diversity is decomposed into two parts, related and unrelated diversity (UV). The paper constructs a panel threshold model with city size as the threshold variable, and empirically tests the nonlinear effects of specialization and diversity on economic growth of tourist cities from the perspective of city size. The results show that: First, tourism specialization has a positive impact on economic growth of tourist cities, and there is a double threshold effect based on city size. When the city size exceeds two thresholds, tourism specialization plays a significant role in promoting economic growth of tourist cities. Second, related diversity (RV) has a positive impact on economic growth of tourist cities, and there is no threshold effect based on city size. Third, the impact of unrelated diversity on economic growth of tourist cities has a single threshold effect based on city size. Specifically, when the city size is lower than the threshold value, unrelated diversity inhibits economic growth of tourist cities. Otherwise, unrelated diversity will promote economic growth of tourist cities. The conclusions are still valid after a series of robustness tests. The paper highlights that local governments of tourist cities should not pursue absolute tourism specialization or industrial diversity, but should design and adjust industrial structure reasonably according to the city size.
Natural regeneration potential of the degraded Krkonose forest

Self-regulating mechanisms and natural regeneration capacities still exist in the Krkonosˇe National Park, although the magnitude of these varies with altitude. A study of changes after forest decline and clear-cut with respect to the establishment of pioneer trees, changes in the herb layer, changes in humus profile characteristics and soil base status was conducted in the Krkonosˇe Mountains National Park in order to evaluate potentials for natural regeneration in forests affected by severe atmospheric deposition. Pioneer trees establish in both the upper and the lower supramontane zones. Even lowland species such as Fagus sylvatica appear to rejuvenate at high altitude, although in low numbers. Cover values of Betula pendula increase during clear-cut development, partly because they are avoided by deer; those of Sorbus aucuparia remain low due to browsing. In the upper supramontane zone changes in the herb layer are not significant: Calamagrostis villosa is dominant in (already declined) forests and remains so in clear-cut areas. In the lower supramontane zone Vaccinium myrtillus has its optimum in forests, while Deschampsia flexuosa strongly increases in clear-cut areas. Pioneer herbs establish after clear-cut. During clear-cut development, LF horizons decrease, due to a shift in input from low-decomposable spruce needles to easily decomposable grass (and later pioneer) litter. H horizons increase because of continuing decomposition and organic matter transfer from F to H horizons. At higher altitude, these processes occur at a lower rate. Pioneer trees have ameliorating effects on the soil via an increase in base elements and pH compared to spruce forests. There are only few indications that pioneer trees are severely hampered by dense grass carpets, which may occur in particular microhabitats escaping attention in the larger plot descriptions. High grass covers instead seem to have stimulating effects on seedling establishment via the improvement of the humus profile, which continues after pioneer trees grow up. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Development and Clinical Applications of Oral Arsenic Trioxide for Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia and Other Diseases

Appreciation of the properties of arsenic trioxide (ATO) has redefined the treatment landscape for acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) and offers promise as a treatment for numerous other diseases. The benefits of ATO in patients with APL is related to its ability to counteract the effects of PML::RARA, an oncoprotein that is invariably detected in the blood or bone marrow of affected individuals. The PML::RARA oncoprotein is degraded specifically by binding to ATO. Thus ATO, in combination with all-trans retinoic acid, has become the curative treatment for ATO. The multiple mechanisms of action of ATO has also paved the way for application in various condition encompassing autoimmune or inflammatory disorders, solid organ tumours, lymphomas and other subtypes of AML. The development of oral formulation of ATO (oral ATO) has reduced costs of treatment and improved treatment convenience allowing widespread applicability. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of action of ATO, the development of oral ATO, and the applications of oral ATO in APL and other diseases.
Macro-Level Determinants of Entrepreneurship and Endogeneity Bias – A Methodological Contribution

The eclectic theory of entrepreneurship has identified several macro-determinants of national entrepreneurial activities. Taking advantage of the availability of new databases, several recent empirical studies have sought to test these determinants in multicountry studies using multivariate regression models. Due to the lack of consensus around their results, this paper posits that this empirical literature may be subject to endogeneity bias, which seriously threatens its accuracy, consistency, and reliability, as well as the effectiveness of the resulting management and policy recommendations. Consequently, we methodologically demonstrate why and how endogeneity occurs in these studies by analyzing their empirical and theoretical models. We also provide a step-by-step guide to help researchers understand how to detect and correct endogeneity using IV techniques applied to a panel data analysis of the macro-determinants of early-stage entrepreneurship in a sample of 48 countries between 2000 and 2019. A ‘toolkit’ of generic STATA software commands specifying the tests, methods, and assumptions performed in this analysis is included. In doing so, we aim to raise awareness of endogeneity bias among researchers and to empirically guide future studies in order to avoid its hazards. Finally, after correcting for endogeneity, our analysis identifies the protection of property rights, entrepreneurial culture, income, and economic development as the most consistent macro-determinants of early-stage entrepreneurship, providing important policy and business insights.
Development of Risk Management Mechanism and the System of Risk Metrics to Evaluate and Enhance the Long-Term Orientation of the Strategies of Non-Financial Companies

Companies that are performing innovation-focused strategies or experiencing digital transformation are exposed to significant long-term risks. The untimely and inefficient management of these risks leads to the destruction of the company’s value and calls into question its survival. This is often underpinned by companies following strategic management with a short-term horizon. Such “strategic myopia” prevents timely identification and treatment of strategic risks and destroys value due to physical and intellectual capital investment restrictions. However, the existing mechanisms of setting up risk management architecture neither addresses the lengths of the horizon and the alignment of the horizon with the strategic objectives, state of the environment and stakeholder expectations nor provides the tools for evaluating the horizon of the firm’s strategy. Moreover, existing systems of evaluating short-termism rely only on financial and governance metrics and do not address environmental and social factors. We closed these gaps and developed a strategic risk-controlling mechanisms to set up the risk management architecture that expanded “conventional” risk management analysis and addressed the “strategic myopia”. We also worked out the critical tool of the mechanism—the system of key risk metrics (SKRI) aimed at assessing the degree of a company’s following of long-term strategic orientation. Finally, we tested it on a sample of Russian non-financial companies. Testing results revealed a strong and positive correlation between the management’s decision to follow a long-term strategic focus and the growth of companies’ long-term value (measured by economic value added (EVA)). SKRI can be utilized in strategic risk controlling to assess the company’s propensity to follow a short-term horizon, evaluate its ability to maintain sustainable value creation, and develop recommendations to stakeholders to expand its strategic focus.
Estimation and Inference by Compact Coding

SUMMARY The systematic variation within a set of data, as represented by a usual statistical model, may be used to encode the data in a more compact form than would be possible if they were considered to be purely random. The encoded form has two parts. The first states the inferred estimates of the unknown parameters in the model, the second states the data using an optimal code based on the data probability distribution implied by those parameter estimates. Choosing the model and the estimates that give the most compact coding leads to an interesting general inference procedure. In its strict form it has great generality and several nice properties but is computationally infeasible. An approximate form is developed and its relation to other methods is explored.
Gromov Witten invariants of exploded manifolds

This paper describes the structure of the moduli space of holomorphic curves and constructs Gromov Witten invariants in the category of exploded manifolds. This includes defining Gromov Witten invariants relative to normal crossing divisors and proving the associated gluing theorem which involves summing relative invariants over a count of tropical curves.
Lung cancer with brain metastases remaining in continuous complete remission due to pembrolizumab and temozolomide: a case report

Background Immunotherapy has been shown to improve the overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without driver gene mutations. However, monotherapy with immunotherapy alone or combined with chemotherapy in NSCLC patients with untreated brain metastases (BM) is still under debate. Data regarding treatment of BM with immunotherapy and temozolomide (TMZ) in patients with NSCLC is rare. Case Presentation A 60-year-old male due to cough and expectoration presented in our hospital. Chest computed tomography (CT), brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and immunohistochemistry of a mediastinal lymph node biopsy were administered, he was diagnosed with stage IIIB lung adenocarcinoma. Without driver gene mutations, he was treated with platinum-based chemotherapy because he refused to accept concurrent radiation therapy (RT). Heavy cough companied with hemoptysis and chest CT scan both revealed progressive disease (PD) after 6 cycles of chemotherapy. Immunotherapy was consequently considered, while two metastatic lesions in the brain were confirmed after combined treatment of pembrolizumab with docetaxel. TMZ was administered in combination with pembrolizumab (200 mg, day 1). A new metastasis in the right occipital lobe was detected on a scan 1 month later, though the other 2 lesions continued to shrink. The treatment was continued, MRI and CT scans suggested complete response (CR) was achieved for both the BM and lung lesions after 3 cycles. Consolidation therapy with TMZ and pembrolizumab (100 mg) per month was considered for another 7 months. Maintenance monotherapy with pembrolizumab (100 mg) was selected because of his stable CR status. At 59 months since diagnosis, the patient remains alive, with CR for both the primary lesions and BM. The patient experienced slight numbness on each side of his feet. There was no occurrence of adverse effects greater than grade 3. Conclusions The data indicates that immunotherapy combined with TMZ for untreated BM in NSCLC patients maybe an efficient and safe decision making therapeutic choice. Despite the encouraging efficacy of the combination, it is an isolated case and the speculation of synergism need to be proved in further pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies even in large randomized controlled trials.