Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extended BiDAF with Character-Level Embedding

With the rise of NLP and ML, we’ve seen much progress in regards to the task of machine comprehension and building robust question answering systems. we want to focus on investigating and improving the BiDAF model, starting from extending the baseline model by including character-level word embeddings. We then ran experiments using the improvements recommended in section 5.11 of the default project handout. Two major goals were accomplished: we implemented character-level embeddings and adjusted dropout rate and learning rate in addition to other hyper-parameters in order to improve our model. On our best model, we were able to achieve an F1 score of 65.106 and a EM score of 61.369 in the non-PCE division.
Learning a High-dimensional Linear Structural Equation Model via l1-Regularized Regression

This paper develops a new approach to learning high-dimensional linear structural equation models (SEMs) without the commonly assumed faithfulness, Gaussian error distribution, and equal error distribution conditions. A key component of the algorithm is component-wise ordering and parent estimations, where both problems can be eﬃciently addressed using (cid:96) 1 -regularized regression. This paper proves that sample sizes n = Ω( d 2 log p ) and n = Ω( d 2 p 2 /m ) are suﬃcient for the proposed algorithm to recover linear SEMs with sub-Gaussian and (4 m )-th bounded-moment error distributions, respectively, where p is the number of nodes and d is the maximum degree of the moralized graph. Further shown is the worst-case computational complexity O ( n ( p 3 + p 2 d 2 )), and hence, the proposed algo-rithm is statistically consistent and computationally feasible for learning a high-dimensional linear SEM when its moralized graph is sparse. Through simulations, we verify that the proposed algorithm is statistically consistent and computationally feasible, and it performs well compared to the state-of-the-art US, GDS, LISTEN and TD algorithms with our settings. We also demonstrate through real COVID-19 data that the proposed algorithm is well-suited to estimating a virus-spread map in China.
Adsorption of Radioactive I2 Gas onto Fly-ash Aerosol

The adsorption of radioactive elemental iodine (I2) gas onto fly-ash aerosol has been studied to provide basic data for the realistic and precise assessment of dose to the general public from radioiodine released from nuclear facilities.A mixture of fly-ash aerosol and 131I2 gas was passed through a cylindrical glass vessel so that particulate iodine was formed by adsorption of I2 onto aerosol. Then the concentrations of I2 and particulate iodine were measured.It was found that the adsorption reached an equilibrium state between 5 and 12min and that the proportion of iodine which was adsorbed on the aerosol decreased with increasing initial I2 concentration ranging over 10-13 to 10-19g/cm3.The adsorption isotherm of the aerosol for I2 gas approximately followed Freundlich isotherm. Using the adsorption isotherm, a theoretical equation was derived to explain the adsorption on the basis of FUCHS' theory on the evaporation of droplets. A sticking probability in the equation decreased with increasing adsorbed amount. The calculated results were in good agreement with the experimental ones.
Neural Interface for Web-Scale Knowledge

Neural Interface for Web-Scale Knowledge Minjoon Seo Co-Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Assistant Professor Hannaneh Hajishirzi Associate Professor Ali Farhadi Computer Science and Engineering Modern natural language tasks are increasingly dependent on external world knowledge. My PhD study has particularly focused on three challenges in this literature: making sense of unstructured knowledge, leveraging extremely large knowledge, and reasoning over the knowledge data. I will mainly discuss my approaches to tackle these challenges and how they can serve as an effective interface for interacting with the world knowledge. I will conclude with an argument that designing a seamless and universal knowledge interface is a crucial research goal that can better address knowledge-dependency problem in machine learning tasks.
The Determinants of Stock Return Using by Fama and French Three Factor Model (FF3FM) in IDX

The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the influence of market, size, and value factors in the Fama and French Three Factor Model (FF3FM) on stock return of LQ45 companies from 2014 to 2018. The population of this study are all the LQ45 companies listed in the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). The sampling technique used is purposive sampling, which resulted in 10 companies as the samples. The results of this study indicate that beta has a significant positive effect on stock return. Firm size has a significant negative effect, while book-to-market ratio has a positive but not significant effect on stock return. From the results of this research, it can be indicated that FF3FM is still considered as a potential asset pricing model in IDX.
Adsorption of Lignocelluloses Dissolved in Prehydrolysis Liquor of Kraft-Based Dissolving Pulp Process on Oxidized Activated Carbons

The prehydrolysis stage is essential in producing high-purity cellulose from the kraft-based process and is effective in removing hemicelluloses from wood chips. To convert hemicelluloses and other dissolved materials of the prehydrolysis liquor (PHL) into value-added products, they must first be recovered from the PHL. In this work, we investigated the use of activated carbon (AC) to adsorb such materials from the PHL. The adsorption of hemicelluloses on unmodified AC was significantly higher in neutral than acidic environment. To improve the adsorption performance of AC, the AC was oxidized with H2O2 or H2SO4. The H2O2- and H2SO4-modified ACs prepared under milder conditions had higher capacities than those prepared under stronger conditions for adsorbing hemicelluloses, lignin, and furfural. Additionally, the modifications increased the adsorption rate of dissolved materials on the AC, especially that of hemicelluloses. Oxidized activated carbon is a promising adsorbent for lignocellulosic materials of.
Band rearrangement through the 3 D-Dirac equation with boundary conditions , and the corresponding topological change March 19 , 2021

Rearrangement of energy bands against a parameter is studied through the 3D-Dirac equation on a ball in R3 under the APS and the chiral bag boundary conditions on the boundary two-sphere, where APS is an abbreviation of Atiyah-Patodi-Singer. The notion of spectral flow and its extension is introduced to characterize the energy eigenvalue redistribution against the parameter, which reflects an analytical property of edge eigenstates. It is shown that though band rearrangement takes place the net spectral flow is zero (1+(−1) = 0) for both boundary conditions. The corresponding semi-quantum Hamiltonian defined on the 3D momentum space is studied in parallel and it is shown that a change against the parameter is observed in the mapping degree defined for the semi-quantum model Hamiltonian, which is viewed as reflecting a topological property of the bulk eigenstates of the full quantum system. Specifically, there are two mappings assigned, for which changes in mapping degree take the values ±1. The present correspondence is viewed as a bulk-edge correspondence.
Reusability of P3 Facial Filter in a Pandemic Emergency: A 3D Analysis of Filter Microstructure with X-ray Microtomography Images after Dry Heat and UV Sterilization Procedures

Objective: Our goal is to evaluate the effects of heat and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation on P3 facial respirator microstructure. Intervention: P3 facial filters were exposed to dry heat and UV sterilization procedures. Methods: P3 facial filter samples underwent a standardized sterilization process based on dry heat and UV irradiation techniques. We analyzed critical parameters of internal microstructure, such as fiber thickness and porosity, before and after sterilization, using 3D data obtained with synchrotron radiation-based X-ray computed microtomography (micro-CT). The analyzed filter has two inner layers called the “finer” and “coarser” layers. The “finer” layer consists of a dense fiber network, while the “coarser” layer has a less compact fiber network. Results: Analysis of 3D images showed no statistically significant differences between the P3 filter of the controls and the dry heat/UV sterilized samples. In particular, averages fiber thickness in the finer layer of the control and the 60° dry heated and UV-irradiated sample groups was almost identical. Average fiber thickness for the coarser layer of the control and the 60° dry heated and UV-irradiated sample groups was very similar, measuring 19.33 µm (±0.47), 18.33 µm (±0.47), and 18.66 µm (±0.47), respectively. There was no substantial difference in maximum fiber thickness in the finer layers and coarser layers. For the control group samples, maximum thickness was on average 11.43 µm (±1.24) in the finer layer and 59.33 µm (±6.79) in the coarser layer. Similarly, the 60° dry heated group samples were thickened 12.2 µm (±0.21) in the finer layer and 57.33 µm (±1.24) in the coarser layer, while for the UV-irradiated group, the mean max thickness was 12.23 µm (±0.90) in the finer layer and 58.00 µm (±6.68) in the coarser layer. Theoretical porosity analysis resulted in 74% and 88% for the finer and coarser layers. The finer layers’ theoretical porosity tended to decrease in dry heat and UV-irradiated samples compared with the respective control samples. Conclusions: Dry heat and UV sterilization processes do not substantially alter the morphometry of the P3 filter samples’ internal microstructure, as studied with micro-CT. The current study suggests that safe P3 filter facepiece reusability is theoretically feasible and should be further investigated.
EFFECT OF CASH TURNOVER, RECEIVABLES TURNOVER AND INVENTORY TURNOVER ON THE LEVEL OF LIQUIDITY

This research was conducted with the aim of: 1) To analyze the effect of cash turnover on liquidity; 2) To analyze the effect of accounts receivable turnover on liquidity; 3) To analyze the effect of inventory turnover on liquidity. This type of research used in this study is casual associative research (causal associative research). The population of this research are property, real estate, and building construction companies which are included in the Kompas 100 index which are listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in the period 2013-2018. The sampling technique is using purposive sampling technique. The analytical method used to test hypotheses is multiple regression analysis. The results of the study show that: 1) cash turnover has a negative effect on liquidity measured by cash ratio; 2) accounts receivable turnover has a positive effect on liquidity measured by cash; 3) inventory turnover has an influence on liquidity measured by cash ratio.
Effect of Trigonella foenum graecum seed as feed additive on growth, haematological responses and resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila in Cyprinus carpio fingerlings

A study was conducted to assess the potential effects of Trigonella foenum graecum (fenugreek), as a feed additive on the growth performance, immuno-haematological responses and protection against the bacterial pathogen, Aeromonas hydrophilla in Cyprinus carpio fingerlings. A control diet and a series of test diets incorporating fenugreek seed at 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% were prepared and fed to the fish daily for eight-weeks. Growth (weight gain, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio, feed conversion ratio), haematological (WBC, RBC, haematocrit, haemoglobin content) and biochemical parameters (serum total protein, albumin, globulin, albumin: globulin ratio, blood glucose) were examined among the various treatment groups. The results showed that fenugreek seed as an additive significantly improved survival, weight gain and feed conversion ratio as well as reduced mortalities in the treated groups as compared to the control. Significant increase in erythrocytes, leucocytes, haematocrit, and haemoglobin were observed in treated fish. Significantly higher (p<0.05) serum protein and globulin levels were observed in treated fish groups over the control. Moreover, feeding fenugreek based diet resulted in a reduction in serum glucose in treated fish. In conclusion, fenugreek seed as a feed additive led to the improvement of growth and enhanced the immunity of Cyprinus carpio against Aeromonas hydrophilla infection which is an indication that it could be used as an alternative to antibiotics.
Should Central Banks Lend to Local Governments in Times of Crisis? Evidence from the Federal Reserve’s Covid-19 Municipal Liquidity Facility

In the spring of 2020, the United States Federal Reserve responded to the emerging Covid-19 crisis by establishing the Municipal Liquidity Facility (MLF), an unprecedented program designed to support local governments through large-scale purchases of municipal securities. In this paper, I estimate the effects of this program on municipal borrowing costs and secondary market transaction costs. Using city population cutoffs for MLF eligibility as a treatment identification mechanism, I perform difference-in-differences analyses to estimate these causal effects. I find that the Federal Reserve’s policy announcement modestly reduced municipal bond yields when considering a narrow bandwidth of cities just above and just below the population eligibility cutoff. Moreover, the policy significantly reduced effective spreads between buyers’ prices and sellers’ prices, suggesting that liquidity conditions improved in the municipal bond market. Subsequent analyses of heterogeneous treatment effects reveal that these effects were mixed, however. The policy reduced yields and effective spreads for revenue bonds, but not for general obligation bonds. I conclude by discussing the efficacy of the MLF and proposing avenues for future research.
Multifocal Intraocular Lens Exchange in Patients with Ocular Comorbidities: Indications and Outcomes

Purpose: To investigate all cases of multifocal intraocular lens (MFIOL) exchange, with specific focus on indications for exchange and evaluation of postoperative outcomes, in a tertiary care, multi-specialty ophthalmology practice.Setting/Venue: Academic Referral Center/Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi – Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesMethods: This retrospective case series identified all patients that presented to a large academic practice over a 4-year period that were intolerant to MFIOL technology and thus required intraocular lens (IOL) exchange. All patients reported poor vision despite correction of reversible ocular comorbidities, including dry eye and residual refractive error. Outcomes reviewed include subjective visual complaints, IOL-type, visual acuity, refractive error, ocular comorbidities, and surgical outcomes. Endpoints examined include mean uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), mean corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), mean refractive spherical equivalent (MRSE), and residual refractive astigmatism. Results: Six eyes of five patients required MFIOL exchange. All IOL’s exchanged were trifocal IOL’s. IOL exchange occurred between 6 to 72 months following primary phacoemulsification. Each patient had multiple ocular comorbidities, ranging from keratoconjunctivitis sicca to longstanding intermediate uveitis and macular pathology. Postoperatively, subjective visual complaints resolved in all patients. Objective mean changes in UDVA, CDVA, MRSE and residual astigmatism were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Thorough preoperative evaluation is required prior to MFIOL placement in order to rule out ocular comorbidities that may impair visual quality. In patients with MFIOL intolerance due to irreversible ocular comorbidities, IOL exchange to a monofocal IOL is safe, effective, and results in subjective improvement in vision.
Electronic Journal of Qualitative Theory of Differential Equations

In this paper we focus on the null controllability problem for the heat equation with the so-called inverse square potential and a memory term. To this aim, we first establish the null controllability for a nonhomogeneous singular heat equation by a new Carleman inequality with weights which do not blow up at t = 0. Then the null controllability property is proved for the singular heat equation with memory under a condition on the kernel, by means of Kakutani’s fixed-point theorem.
Do Performance Goals and Development, Feedback and Recognition, and a Climate of Trust Improve Employee Engagement in Small Businesses in the United States?

Small businesses are the predominant contributors to the U.S. economy, yet they face many challenges to remain competitive and sustainable. There are several reasons a small business could fail, including a lack of human resources, limited financial resources, competition, technological advancements, disaster, and globalization. Improving employee performance by getting them engaged and productive in their work is an issue that cannot be overlooked for small businesses to function and remain competitive. There is limited empirical evidence that explains the dimensions of performance management and employee engagement in small businesses. However, how small businesses sustain their long-term performance remains uncertain. This study sought to bring together two previously distinct constructs: overall employee engagement and overall performance management, characterized by performance goals and development, a climate of trust, and feedback and recognition. The research was correlational in nature. A survey was conducted to generate and analyze data gathered from 121 employees of small businesses located in the United States. A series of Pearson correlation analyses confirmed the existence of statistically significant positive relationships between employee engagement and each variable of performance management, namely performance goals and development, feedback and recognition, and climate of trust. Notwithstanding these positive correlations, a multiple regression model with the three performance management variables as independent variables and employee engagement as the dependent variable suggested that there was a statistically significant regression model F(3, 117) = 32.34, p < . 001, R = . 453, explaining 45.3% of the variability in employee engagement. Nonetheless, this model confirmed that the variables performance goals and development and climate of trust were not statistically significant in the model (p > .05). In other words, only the feedback and recognition variable was statistically significant in the regression model, suggesting that it explained most of the variability in engagement, including that already explained by the other two variables. Overall, the outcome of this study suggests that small businesses implementing performance management processes have more engaged employees. The conclusions drawn from these findings suggest that overall performance management and overall employee engagement contribute to small business productivity and organizational success.
Clinical Characteristics and Predictors of Mortality for Young Adults with Severe COVID-19: A Retrospective Study

Background and objective: Little is yet known whether pathogenesis of COVID-19 is different between young and elder patients. Our study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and provide predictors of mortality for young adults with severe COVID-19.Methods: A total of 77 young adults with confirmed severe COVID-19 were recruited retrospectively at Tongji Hospital. Clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, treatment and outcomes were obtained from electronic medical records. The prognostic effects of variables were analyzed using logistic regression model.Results: In this retrospective cohort, non-survivors showed higher incidence of dyspnea and co-existing laboratory abnormalities, compared with young survivals in severe COVID-19. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that lymphopenia, elevated level of d-dimer, hypersensitive cardiac troponin I (hs-CTnI) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were independent predictors of mortality in young adults with severe COVID-19. Further analysis showed that severely young adults with two or more factors abnormalities above would be more prone to death. The similar predictive effect of above four factors had been observed in all-age patients with severe COVID-19.Conclusion: Lymphopenia, elevated level of d-dimer, hs-CTnI and hs-CRP predicted clinical outcomes of young adults with severe COVID-19.
Students’ Attitude Towards Entrepreneurship Education in Edo State: A Case of Three Tertiary Institutions

Every country faces the challenges posed by unemployment and shrinking economies and while some are winning, more are actually in and out of recession as the years roll by. This trend has opened up the need to help more people become entrepreneurial. Entrepreneurship will help improve job availability. The population of the study consisted of all final year students from three tertiary institutions in Edo state. The population of the final year students in these three tertiary institutions was about 30,000 during the 2019/2020 academic section from which a sample of 529 respondents were randomly selected using the simple random sampling technique. The study revealed among others that there is significant difference between gender as well as area of study and student’s attitude towards entrepreneurship education; and also that there is no significant difference between age and students’ attitude towards entrepreneurship education. The study recommends that students should be assisted to have free hands-on-training in industries of their choice during holidays so they can practicalize the theories learnt in class and that the lectures and practical sections should be made more attractive by giving specialized training to entrepreneurship educators and resource persons.
Long-term trends of satellite-based fine-mode aerosol optical depth over the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, over two decades (2001–2020)

Air pollution over the Seto Inland Sea (SIS) is among the most severe of any region in Japan and is considered to be affected by both long-range and local pollution. To unravel the long-term trends of aerosol pollution over this region, in this study, measurements from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer instrument onboard the Terra satellite were analyzed over two decades, from 2001 to 2020. Fine-mode aerosol optical depth (AODf) was calculated to estimate the amount of aerosol produced by anthropogenic emissions. The results showed that the AODf over the SIS increased from 2001 to 2004, had a flat trend from 2005 to 2009, and decreased from 2010 to 2020. To clarify the impact of long-range transport from the Asian continent to the SIS, the AODf over the Yellow Sea was also investigated and was found to increase and level off during the 2000s, after which it decreased, especially after 2014. This decrease can be attributed to emission regulations in China. The above analysis suggests that the aerosol pollution status in the SIS during the late 2010s was similar to that during the early 2000s. Over the SIS, the lowest AODf value was found in 2020, with the values in January–March and June–July approximately 30% and 30%–60% lower than the average values during the same periods in 2018–2019, respectively. The reduction found in January–March could be related to the decline in the long-range transport with restrictions on human activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the reduction during June–July could be related to the decline of local emission sources. Considering the large SO2 decline in 2020, regulations on SO2 emitted from ships that started from 1 January 2020 are one possible factor for the improvement of aerosol pollution over the SIS in 2020.