Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Water storage and agricultural resilience to drought: historical evidence of the capacity and institutional limits in the United States

Food systems are particularly sensitive to changing precipitation patterns. Resilience via irrigation will depend on baseline conditions, water source, and institutional constraints which have not been studied jointly. We draw on over 100 years of agricultural production and weather data across the United States to identify the extent to which access to stored water—distinguished by its source and location—affects drought resiliency. Arid regions with access to stored water avoided the 13% losses in crop value experienced in irrigated areas with more limited storage during droughts. Humid regions are also beginning to adopt irrigation, but with less aggregate impact during drought. The incomplete governance of groundwater withdrawals in many areas allow resiliency in the near-term, but potentially at the expense of future water availability. Conversely, surface water rights allow for the widespread application of irrigation water, but with less resiliency during significant periods of drought.
Talent Selection Based on Sport-Specific Tasks Is Affected by the Relative Age Effects among Adolescent Handball Players

Talent selection is often affected by the relative age effects (RAEs), resulting in the overrepresentation of relatively older (vs. relatively younger) players among those selected. The use of sport-specific tasks is suggested to reduce RAEs during talent selection. Purpose: To test the hypothesis that talent selection including only sport-specific tasks is not affected by the RAEs and to analyse the body size and biological maturity of the top selection level according to relative age. Methods: Participants were U14 female (n = 5428) and U15 (n = 4408) male handball players participating in four programs consisting of four selection levels (local, county, regional, and national) grouped in bi-annual age. Handball-specific generic skills, position-specific technical drills and in-game performance were the selection criteria evaluated by experts and coaches. Body dimensions were measured and bone age, as an indicator of maturity, was estimated. The relative age quartile distributions within the bi-annual cohorts were examined using Chi-square and Odds Ratios. Results: In terms of all the registered players no RAEs were evident. However, the RAEs of moderate effect size were evident at the county level; χ2 = 53.2 (girls) and 66.4 (boys), OR = 2.5 and 3.3, respectively. The RAEs of a large effect size were found at the regional level; χ2 = 139.5 (girls) and 144.9 (boys), OR = 8.2 and 5.2, respectively. At national level, RAEs were still present, but with no further increase in the effect size. At the highest selection level, there were no differences in the anthropometric measures between the relatively older and younger players. Conclusion: The findings provide support to the hypothesis that the selection process exacerbates RAEs even when using only sport-specific selection criteria. The performance metrics in technical skills, but also coaching assessments are likely involved. In addition, an advanced maturity and/or an above-average body size increases the selection odds for relatively younger players.
Financialization, premature deindustrialization, and instability in Latin America

The paper analyses the relation between premature deindustrialization in Latin America and what is termed premature financialization. Premature financialization is defined as a turn to finance, organized as an industrial concern, which is a vehicle for accumulation before the process of industrialization has reached maturity. This contrasts with developed countries where financialization occurs after an advanced stage of economic and social development has been reached, and where the growth of the financial sector, beyond a certain threshold, can be detrimental to economic activity. The paper examines the consequences of premature financialization for investment, growth, and financial stability.
Lipid in Chips: A Brief Review of Liposomes Formation by Microfluidics

Abstract Liposomes are ubiquitous tools in biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, membrane science and artificial cell. Micro- and nanofabrication techniques have revolutionized the preparation of liposomes on the microscale. State-of-the-art liposomal formation on microfluidic chips and its associated applications are introduced in this review. We attempt to provide a reference for liposomal researchers by comparing various microfluidic techniques for liposomes formation.
Synergistic Attention for Ship Instance Segmentation in SAR Images

This paper takes account of the fact that there is a lack of consideration for imaging methods and target characteristics of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images among existing instance segmentation methods designed for optical images. Thus, we propose a method for SAR ship instance segmentation based on the synergistic attention mechanism which not only improves the performance of ship detection with multi-task branches but also provides pixel-level contours for subsequent applications such as orientation or category determination. The proposed method—SA R-CNN—presents a synergistic attention strategy at the image, semantic, and target level with the following module corresponding to the different stages in the whole process of the instance segmentation framework. The global attention module (GAM), semantic attention module(SAM), and anchor attention module (AAM) were constructed for feature extraction, feature fusion, and target location, respectively, for multi-scale ship targets under complex background conditions. Compared with several state-of-the-art methods, our method reached 68.7 AP in detection and 56.5 AP in segmentation on the HRSID dataset, and showed 91.5 AP in the detection task on the SSDD dataset.
What makes growth oriented small scale companies innovative? : a look at absorptive capacities.

The purpose of this study is to present the concept of the firm’s absorptive capacity as a multidimensional, dynamic construct to test the relationship with innovative capabilities in the context of growthoriented companies. The study draws on empirical results from 215 MSC status companies. The hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression analysis. Using two separate instruments to measure independent variable: absorptive capacity, and dependent variable: innovative capabilities. The results of the empirical tests give some support to the view that the flow of knowledge is crucial for sustaining innovative capabilities. The regression estimation shows that knowledge acquisition, knowledge dissemination and knowledge utilization were significantly reflected in the firm’s innovative capabilities. The finding of this study shed some light on the importance of the firm’s ability to acquire, disseminate and utilize knowledge effectively in order to achieve higher innovation.
Lonely, but Not Alone: Qualitative Study among Immigrant and Native-Born Adolescents

This paper explores loneliness as it is understood and experienced by adolescents, with a special focus on the importance of their migration status. We recruited students from five schools following a maximum variation sampling scheme, and we conducted 15 semi-structured, individual interviews with eighth-grade adolescents (aged 14–15 years) that were immigrants, descendants, and with a Danish majority background. A thematic analysis was applied with a special focus on differences and similarities in understanding and experiencing loneliness between adolescents with diverse migration status. The results showed more similarities than differences in loneliness. Generally, loneliness was described as an adverse feeling, varying in intensity and duration, and participants referenced distressing emotions. Feeling lonely was distinguished from being alone and characterized as an invisible social stigma. A variety of perceived social deficiencies were emphasized as causing loneliness, emerging in the interrelation between characteristics of the individual and their social context. The results add to the current literature by highlighting that it is not the presence of specific individual characteristics that causes loneliness; instead, loneliness is dependent on the social contexts the individual is embedded in. Differences across migration status were few and related to variations in the adolescents’ individual characteristics. The findings highlight the importance of (1) studying the characteristics of both the individual and the social context in research on the antecedents to adolescents’ loneliness, and (2) applying this perspective in other studies on the importance of migration status.
Fatigue and Fracture in Steel Bridges: Case Studies

More than twenty-five case studies and numerous photographs illustrate the wide variety of conditions that have fostered fatigue crack phenomena. The book is divided into two parts. The first deals with cracks that have formed as a result of low fatigue resistant details or large initial discontinuities. The large discontinuities often resulted because attachments were not considered as important as a groove welded tension flange. The welded joints that were used did not have adequate quality control requirements imposed on the welded joints. In several cases the structural detail created a cracklike geometric condition that was not recognized. The second part of the book deals with fatigue cracks that form as a result of unanticipated secondary or displacement-induced stresses. Those cracks have generally formed in small web gaps between attachments and the girder flanges. The interaction between the main longitudinal members and the transverse framing such as cross-frames, diaphragms, and floor beams has resulted in out-of-plane distortion in the web gap that was not anticipated. Out-of-plane distortion has developed from handling and shipping of individual members, as well as the interaction between intersecting elements under everyday traffic. A large number of fatigue cracks generally form in a given structure because many small gaps normally exist. (TRRL)
Autoantibodies from Patients with Scleroderma Renal Crisis Promote PAR-1 Receptor Activation and IL-6 Production in Endothelial Cells

Background. Scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) is a life-threatening complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Autoantibodies (Abs) against endothelial cell antigens have been implicated in SSc and SRC. However, their detailed roles remain poorly defined. Pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been found to be increased in SSc, but its role in SRC is unclear. Here, we aimed to determine how the autoantibodies from patients with SSc and SRC affect IL-6 secretion by micro-vascular endothelial cells (HMECs). Methods. Serum IgG fractions were isolated from either SSc patients with SRC (n = 4) or healthy individuals (n = 4) and then each experiment with HMECs was performed with SSc-IgG from a separate patient or separate healthy control. IL-6 expression and release by HMECs was assessed by quantitative reverse transcription and quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and immunoassays, respectively. The mechanisms underlying the production of IL-6 were analyzed by transient HMEC transfections with IL-6 promoter constructs, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, Western blots and flow cytometry. Results. Exposure of HMECs to IgG from SSc patients, but not from healthy controls, resulted in a time- and dose-dependent increase in IL-6 secretion, which was associated with increased AKT, p70S6K, and ERK1/2 signalling, as well as increased c-FOS/AP-1 transcriptional activity. All these effects could be reduced by the blockade of the endothelial PAR-1 receptor and/or c-FOS/AP-1silencing. Conclusions. Autoantibodies against PAR-1 found in patients with SSc and SRC induce IL-6 production by endothelial cells through signalling pathways controlled by the AP-1 transcription factor. These observations offer a greater understanding of adverse endothelial cell responses to autoantibodies present in patients with SRC.
Cross-cultural validation of UTAUT:the case of University VLEs in Jordan, Russia and the UK

Abstract: Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are learning platforms within universities aiming to facilitate and enhance students’ learning. In order to increase the chances for success of VLEs implementation it is essential to identify the factors which influence the students’ decision making as far as accepting and using VLEs are concerned. In this paper we are applying one of the most popular models, the so‑called Uniﬁed Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model developed by Venkatesh et al. (2003) to identify and test the underlying factors influencing VLE acceptance and use. UTAUT is a relatively new model sparsely applied in cross‑cultural settings and in the context of Higher Education (Straub, 2009). We are testing the model in four business schools in universities in three different countries: the UK, Russia and Jordan. The results show that although all items from the original UTAUT questionnaire have their place in the final groupings obtained through the factor analysis, the ‘clean’ agglomeration of items into groups shown by the original paper and a few others could not be replicated in the individual countries or in the overall sample despite the good sample size obtained in our study. The paper raises a question about the replicability of the original results and calls for reconsideration of the way the model is applied.
Imaging Features and Morphology of Synovial Chondromatosis of the Spine-Case Report

A 61 year-old female presented with complains of a painful feeling in her back for about a year, during the last several months the pain symptoms progressively worsened. The patient was admitted to the N.N. Blokhin National Medical Cancer Center for prospective diagnosis and treatment strategy. The core biopsy with computer navigation was performed. Grossly, small fragments of grey-white irregular soft cartilaginous tissue were observed. Basic routinely processed slides showed discrete clusters of hyaline cartilage without prominent cytologic atypia of chondrocytes, small foci of dystrophic calcifications. Even without evidence of malignancy, the tissue was suggested to be “suspicious for low-grade chondrosarcoma” [5]. Abstract
Aircraft Conceptual Design Synthesis

Notation. Preface. Chapter 1. The design process. Chapter 2. Aircraft configuration. Chapter 3. Flight regime and powerplant considerations. Chapter 4. Fuselage layout. Chapter 5. Configuration of the wing. Chapter 6. Basic lift, drag and mass representations. Chapter 7. Performance estimation. Chapter 8. Parametric analysis and optimisation. Chapter 9. Analysis of concept design. Addendum 1. Landing gear considerations. Addendum 2. Logitudinal control and stability surfaces. Addendum 3. Lateral control and stability surfaces. Addendum 4. Mass prediction. Addendum 5. Examples of synthesis procedure. Index. Spreadsheets.
Identification through meaning-making: identity enactment towards organizational commitment

ABSTRACT This article explores the role of self-definition in identity enactment leading to organizational commitment. The current research employs an in-depth qualitative analysis to uncover the processes through which employees’ self-definitions evolve in the identification process. Informants for this project are selected from the members of a manufacturing organization in Australia. The findings show that employees’ desire to develop meaningful self-definition in relation to their profession or/and organization leads to a strong identification. Furthermore, the current research explores that strong identification provides employees with the meaning required for identity enactment, which, in turn, results in the enhancement of their commitment to the organization. This article offers a significant contribution to the literature in Human Resource Development (HRD) by illuminating the mechanisms through which employees’ identities are shaped in relation to their profession and organization. HRD professionals can apply the findings to enhance employee commitment. Of central importance to HRD practitioners is the finding that employees will develop desirable organizational commitment if they can develop a meaningful identity with their profession within the organization. Thus, HRD practitioners should focus on developing practices that provide meanings through which employees can create a sense of belonging to their organization.
Residual Quantization for Low Bit-Width Neural Networks

Neural network quantization has shown to be an effective way for network compression and acceleration. However, existing binary or ternary quantization methods suffer from two major issues. First, low bit-width input/activation quantization easily results in severe prediction accuracy degradation. Second, network training and quantization are always treated as two non-related tasks, leading to accumulated parameter training error and quantization error. In this work, we introduce a novel scheme, named Residual Quantization, to train a neural network with both weights and inputs constrained to low bit-width, e.g., binary or ternary values. On one hand, by recursively performing residual quantization, the resulting binary/ternary network is guaranteed to approximate the full-precision network with much smaller errors. On the other hand, we mathematically re-formulate the network training scheme in an EM-like manner, which iteratively performs network quantization and parameter optimization. During expectation, the low bit-width network is encouraged to approximate the full-precision network. During maximization, the low bit-width network is further tuned to gain better representation capability. Extensive experiments well demonstrate that the proposed quantization scheme outperforms previous low bit-width methods and achieves much closer performance to the full-precision counterpart.
Blended EAP professionals in corporatized higher educational institutions: a critical grounded theory

As momentous changes continue to sweep across higher education, tertiary-level English for Academic Purposes (EAP) has experienced a time of challenging and sometimes painful professional transition. In many Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) around the world, EAP units have been transferred from academic departments to administrative offices responsible for international student recruitment and entrepreneurial talent development. The new locus of conflict for many teachers of EAP has centered on the significant disconnect between them and their new administrative managers about the purposes of second language pedagogy. This thesis is a qualitative grounded theory study situated within these restive dynamics. Drawing from in-depth interviews of over ninety informants at eleven higher educational institutions in the UK, Japan and the United States, I focus upon the new middle managers of EAP units, referred to in this thesis as Blended EAP Professionals (BLEAPs). I develop a Critical Grounded Theory about the processes and strategies BLEAPs use to survive in corporatized HEIs while working with international students and Teachers of EAP (TEAPs). It was discovered during the course of analysis that, even while BLEAPs are often responsible for teaching EAP classes, those who succeed in corporatized HEIs dedicated most of their energies to processes identified as Hunting & Gathering, Weighing & Measuring, and Molding & Shaping. All of these are linked to a basic social process, which is theorized to be that of Struggling to Manage and to Lead. This thesis discusses each of these processes in detail, and after explaining how the data used in this grounded theory study was philosophically construed, methodologically structured and theoretically analyzed, I consider the implications of this theory for Tertiary EAP as the profession approaches the middle of the 21st century.
Combined spatial frequency spectroscopy analysis with visible resonance Raman for optical biopsy of human brain metastases of lung cancers

The purpose of this study is to examine optical spatial frequency spectroscopy analysis (SFSA) combined with visible resonance Raman (VRR) spectroscopic method, for the first time, to discriminate human brain metastases of lung cancers adenocarcinoma (ADC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) from normal tissues. A total of 31 label-free micrographic images of three types of brain tissues were obtained using a confocal micro-Raman spectroscopic system. VRR spectra of the corresponding samples were synchronously collected using excitation wavelength of 532[Formula: see text]nm from the same sites of the tissues. Using SFSA method, the difference in the randomness of spatial frequency structures in the micrograph images was analyzed using Gaussian function fitting. The standard deviations, [Formula: see text] calculated from the spatial frequencies of the micrograph images were then analyzed using support vector machine (SVM) classifier. The key VRR biomolecular fingerprints of carotenoids, tryptophan, amide II, lipids and proteins (methylene/methyl groups) were also analyzed using SVM classifier. All three types of brain tissues were identified with high accuracy in the two approaches with high correlation. The results show that SFSA–VRR can potentially be a dual-modal method to provide new criteria for identifying the three types of human brain tissues, which are on-site, real-time and label-free and may improve the accuracy of brain biopsy.
High-speed imaging reveals the bimodal nature of dense core vesicle exocytosis

During exocytosis, the fusion of secretory vesicle with plasma membrane forms a pore that regulates release of neurotransmitter and peptide. Heterogeneity of fusion pore behavior has been attributed to stochastic variation in a common exocytic mechanism, implying a lack of biological control. Using a fluorescent false neurotransmitter (FFN), we imaged dense core vesicle (DCV) exocytosis in primary mouse adrenal chromaffin cells at millisecond resolution and observed strikingly divergent modes of release, with fast events lasting <30 ms and slow events persisting for seconds. Dual imaging of slow events shows a delay in the entry of external dye relative to FFN release, suggesting exclusion by an extremely narrow pore <1 nm in diameter. Unbiased comprehensive analysis shows that the observed variation cannot be explained by stochasticity alone, but rather involve distinct mechanisms, revealing the bimodal nature of DCV exocytosis. Further, loss of calcium sensor synaptotagmin 7 increases the proportion of slow events without changing the intrinsic properties of either class, indicating the potential for independent regulation. The identification of two distinct mechanisms for release capable of independent regulation suggests a biological basis for the diversity of fusion pore behavior.