Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 diagnostic approaches with an extensive focus on computed tomography in accurate diagnosis, prognosis, staging, and follow-up

Although a long time has passed since its outbreak, there is currently no specific treatment for COVID-19, and it seems that the most appropriate strategy to combat this pandemic is to identify and isolate infected individuals. Various clinical diagnosis methods such as molecular techniques, serologic assays, and imaging techniques have been developed to identify suspected patients. Although reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) has emerged as a reference standard method for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, the high rate of false-negative results and limited supplies to meet current demand are the main shortcoming of this technique. Based on a comprehensive literature review, imaging techniques, particularly computed tomography (CT), show an acceptable level of sensitivity in the diagnosis and follow-up of COVID-19. Indeed, because lung infection or pneumonia is a common complication of COVID-19, the chest CT scan can be an alternative testing method in the early diagnosis and treatment assessment of the disease. In this review, we summarize all the currently available frontline diagnostic tools for the detection of SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals and highlight the value of chest CT scan in the diagnosis, prognosis, staging, management, and follow-up of infected patients.
Regulation, CDO Exposures, and Debt Guarantees through the Financial Crisis

Collateralized debt obligations with asset backed securities as collateral (ABS CDOs) often get overshadowed in debates over causes of large commercial bank holding company (BHC) distress during the 2007–2009 crisis. For BHCs, the Recourse Rule made holding the highest rated ABS CDO tranches more favorable by lowering required capital. Large BHCs that commented on preliminary Recourse Rule proposals or issued CDOs had higher average estimated debt guarantees after Q2 2008, reaching a peak of nearly $3.49 billion or $6.73 billion, respectively. From Q2 2008 to Q1 2009, among trading assets, only CDO holdings have a large positive association with higher estimated debt guarantees for BHCs.
Examining the Effects of Self-Regulated Learning Skills on Digital Lifelong Learning Among Online Graduate Students

: Amid the COVID-19, educators noticed the resurgent importance of lifelong learning while delivering remote learning. The U.S. Department of Education indicated that self-regulated learning skills prepare learners for lifelong learning. The rapid development of advanced technology and the accelerated-expanding nature of workforce training will create ever-increasing demands for individuals to be self-regulated lifelong learners. Although self-regulated learning is vital to formal learning, it remains unexplored on how self-regulated learning skills may relate to nonformal and informal learning. Using a quantitative research design combining inferential and descriptive statistic methodology, this paper aims at examining the effects of self-regulated learning skills on graduate students. The major findings show that learners with high self-regulated learning skills might not necessarily have positive digital lifelong learning, particularly goal setting and time management to nonformal and informal learning.More specifically, participants had the highest self-regulated learning skill in environment structuring with the average score of 6.07 per item but a lowest self-regulated learning skill in task strategies with the average score of 4.13 per item. It is unavoidable for the agencies, educational institutions, and governments, to prepare digital lifelong learners by making learners more aware of the values and aims of nonformal and informal learning; and by recognizing lifelong learning.
Some Observing System Simulation Experiments with a Hybrid 3DEnVAR System for Storm-Scale Radar Data Assimilation

AbstractA hybrid three-dimensional ensemble–variational data assimilation (3DEnVAR) algorithm is developed based on the 3D variational data assimilation (3DVAR) and ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) programs with the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS). The method uses the extended control variable approach to combine the static and ensemble-derived flow-dependent forecast error covariances. The method is applied to the assimilation of simulated data from two radars for a supercell storm. Some sensitivity experiments are performed to answer questions about how flow-dependent covariance estimated from the forecast ensemble can be best used in the hybrid 3DEnVAR scheme. When the ensemble size is relatively small (with 5 or 10 ensemble members), it is found that experiments with a weaker weighting value for the ensemble covariance leads to better analysis results. Even when severe sampling errors exist, introducing ensemble-estimated covariances into the variational method still benefits the analysis. For.
Important Ice Processes Are Missed by the Community Earth System Model in Southern Ocean Mixed‐Phase Clouds: Bridging SOCRATES Observations to Model Developments

Global climate models (GCMs) are challenged by difficulties in simulating cloud phase and cloud radiative effect over the Southern Ocean (SO). Some of the new‐generation GCMs predict too much liquid and too little ice in mixed‐phase clouds. This misrepresentation of cloud phase in GCMs results in weaker negative cloud feedback over the SO and a higher climate sensitivity. Based on a model comparison with observational data obtained during the Southern Ocean Cloud Radiation and Aerosol Transport Experimental Study, this study addresses a key uncertainty in the Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2) related to cloud phase, namely ice formation in pristine remote SO clouds. It is found that sea spray organic aerosols (SSOAs) are the most important type of ice nucleating particles (INPs) over the SO with concentrations 1 order of magnitude higher than those of dust INPs based on measurements and CESM2 simulations. Secondary ice production (SIP) which includes riming splintering, rain droplet shattering, and ice‐ice collisional fragmentation as implemented in CESM2 is the dominant ice production process in moderately cold clouds with cloud temperatures greater than −20°C. SIP enhances the in‐cloud ice number concentrations (Ni) by 1–3 orders of magnitude and predicts more mixed‐phase (with percentage occurrence increased from 15% to 21%), in better agreement with the observations. This study highlights the importance of accurately representing the cloud phase over the pristine remote SO by considering the ice nucleation of SSOA and SIP processes, which are currently missing in most GCM cloud microphysics parameterizations.
Consistent element‐free Galerkin method

An element‐free Galerkin (EFG) method with linear, quadratic and cubic approximations, which can exactly, in a numerical sense, pass the corresponding patch tests is proposed and is named as consistent EFG (CEFG) method. The development of this method is based on the Hu–Washizu three‐field variational principle. Numerical integration schemes with corrected nodal derivatives at quadrature points are proposed according to the satisfaction of the orthogonality condition between stress and strain difference. Thus, the method is variationally consistent. The consistency of the corrected nodal derivatives and the satisfaction of patch test conditions are theoretically proved and also numerically validated. Numerical results show that the proposed CEFG method greatly improves the numerical performance of the EFG method in terms of accuracy, convergence, efficiency and stability, especially the proposed cubic CEFG method, which shows exceptional accuracy and convergence. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Post-gay identities: narrative analysis of homomasculinity among gay and queer men in Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT The development of queer theory in gender studies has provided multiple possibilities to investigate different aspects of gender construction and performance among people who identify as different from the dominant heterosexual norm. This narrative inquiry examines the identities of gay and queer men in Aotearoa New Zealand, as narrated in semi-structured interviews, with most of them recorded via virtual interactions during the COVID-19 lockdown in March-April of 2020. Narrative analysis of the participants’ stories focuses on how gay and queer individuals navigate their lives as non-normative men who are Othered by traditional, hegemonic and hierarchical masculinity. This research explores how these narratives of post-gay identities contest and move beyond heteronormativity, striving for a liberated presentation of individual self where sexuality is no longer a defining characteristic but one of many on a spectrum.
Fractional-Order Sliding Mode Load Frequency Control and Stability Analysis for Interconnected Power Systems With Time-Varying Delay

The universal use of open communication networks in interconnected power systems has changed the constant delay in the formerly dedicated channels into time-varying delay. The delay will deteriorate the dynamic performance of the load frequency control and lead to system frequency instability. This paper presents a fractional-order sliding mode controller for interconnected power systems with time-varying delay and performs stability analysis based on the Lyapunov direct method. Firstly, fractional-order integral sliding mode control is used to improve the stability of interconnected power systems containing time-varying delay. This expands the delay margin by taking advantage of the scalability of the fractional-order to the sliding mode surface. Then, the Riemann-Liouville fractional-order Lyapunov functional is introduced to stability analysis. This reduced the conservatism of the stability analysis by adjusting the upper limit of the functional integral. Lastly, combining Lyapunov's theory and integral inequality to obtain the stability conditions of the time-varying delay power system described by linear matrix inequality, and bring the stability margin of the system. The simulation results show that the designed controller can guarantee that the maximum delay time of the system is less than a predefined upper limit. The proposed control strategy obtains a larger stability margin than the other four scenarios. Additional simulation study was also conducted to verify its robustness to load variations and wind fluctuations.
On the Structure of Minimal Sets of Relatively Nonexpansive Mappings

In this article, we study the structure of minimal sets of relatively non-expansive mappings. We consider the cyclic and the noncyclic cases and show that results alike to the celebrated Goebel-Karlovitz lemma for non-expansive self-mappings can be obtained for relatively non-expansive mappings.
A Look Ahead Lanczos Algorithm for Unsymmetric Matrices

Abstract : The two sided Lanczos algorithm is known to suffer from serious breakdowns. These occur when the associated moment matrix does not permit triangular factorization. We modify the algorithm slightly so that it corresponds to using a 2 X 2 'pivot' in triangular factorization whenever a 1 X 1 pivot would be dangerous. The incidence of breakdown is greatly reduced. The price paid is that the tridiagonal matrix produced by the algorithm now has bumps whenever a 2 X 2 pivot is used. (Author)
Three-Dimensional Instability of Nonlinear Viscous Symmetric Circulations.

A spectral model is developed to study the three-dimensional instability of nonlinear viscous symmetric circulations. Two-dimensional solutions of steady nonlinear viscous symmetric circulations are found to be unstable in three dimensions. Four types of unstable modes are identified. The type I mode is characterized by horizontally tilted bands, similar to the tilted primary mode obtained previously by other investigators. This mode may be viewed as a gradual emergence of the tilted primary mode in three dimensions. The remaining three modes are highly three-dimensional and emerge consecutively as the basic-state Richardson number decreases significantly below the critical value. Implications of these modes to the possible secondary instabilities of tilted primary nonlinear circulations are discussed.
On the Sn I and Sn II Stark broadening

The Stark widths (W) of 12 neutral and 16 singly ionized tin (Sn I and Sn II, respectively) spectral lines have been measured in a laboratory helium plasma at 13 000 K electron temperature and 5.1 × 1022 m−3 electron density. Many of them are the first data in the literature. At mentioned plasma conditions, the Stark broadening has been found to be the dominant mechanism in line shape formation. The modified version of the linear, low-pressure, pulsed arc was used as a plasma source operated in helium with tin atoms, as impurities, evaporated from tin cylindrical plates located in the homogeneous part of the discharge, providing conditions free of self-absorption. Our Sn II W values are compared to the recent theoretical data calculated on the basis of the modified semi-empirical approach and, also, to the existing experimental W values. Our normalized Stark widths are much smaller (up to a factor of 4, on average) than those measured in a laser-produced plasma and in a plasma created by the shock-wave tubes. An agreement, within the accuracy of the experiment and uncertainties of the used theoretical approach, with the recent calculated W data was found. Our normalized Sn I Stark widths are much smaller than those observed in the mentioned plasma sources.
A Variational Method in Potential Flows with a Free Surface

Abstract : The steady oscillatory irrotational motion of an inviscid incompressible fluid is described by a boundary-value problem of elliptic type. A variational form of this problem has been made here the basis of a numerical method. The problem is simplified assuming that the amplitudes of the generated waves are small compared with their wave lengths. The numerical satisfaction of the radiation boundary condition has been investigated. Some sample problems with known solutions have been treated first in order to test the method. All the results for two-dimensional motion and for heaving motion of an axisymmetric body in infinite or finite depths show very good agreement with existing results. In addition, some diffraction problems in two dimensions with homogeneous fluid or stratified fluids are solved, and also a problem with nonuniform depth.
Tropical-Extratropical Geopotential Height Teleconnections during the Northern Hemisphere Winter

Abstract Simultaneous and lagged correlation statistics have been calculated between time series of seasonal height anomalies at selected stations and extratropical grid-point anomalies in both hemispheres. The tropical stations in two major tropical precipitation zones, the Indo-China maritime continent and Africa, are well correlated with each other. These stations are also correlated with stations in the North Pacific and Australia, but the coefficients are smaller. The correlations between height anomalies at any of these stations and Northern Hemisphere height anomalies show a well-defined global pattern. Depending upon the location of the stations, the pattern is either a Pacific North American (PNA), a Tropical Northern Hemisphere (TNH) pattern or a mixed pattern having both elements. All three patterns, PNA, TNH and WPO (Western Pacific Oscillation), have been linked to tropical variations. The correlations between height anomalies at these well-correlated stations and the Southern Hemisphere heig.
Strong Self‐Trapped Exciton Emission and Highly Efficient Near‐Infrared luminescence in Sb3+‐Yb3+ Co‐doped Cs2AgInCl6 Double Perovskite

Yb3+ doped lead‐free double perovskites (DPs) with near‐infrared (NIR)‐emitting have attracted extensive attention due to their wide application prospects. Unfortunately, they still suffer from weak NIR emission due to undesirable resonance energy transfer between the sensitizers and Yb3+ ions. Herein, a new effective NIR‐emitting DP is developed by co‐doping Sb3+ and Yb3+ into Cs2AgInCl6. Experiments and theoretical calculations reveal that induced by co‐doping Sb3+ ions, the self‐trapped excitation (STE) emission intensity of Cs2AgInCl6 is greatly enhanced by 240 times, and the STE emission shifts from 600 nm to 660 nm, which contributes to a larger spectral overlap between STE emission and the absorption of Yb3+ ions. As a result, the absolute NIR photoluminescence quantum yield reaches an unprecedented 50% in lead‐free DPs via high‐efficiency STE sensitization (>30%). The excellent optical performance of Cs2AgInCl6: Sb, Yb with high ambient, thermal and light stability makes it suitable for application in night‐vision devices. Moreover, an ingenious dual‐modal optical information encryption based on the combination of visible and NIR fluorescence printing patterns utilizing Cs2AgInCl6: Sb and Cs2AgInCl6: Sb, Yb respectively is successfully demonstrated. This study provides inspiration for designing highly efficient NIR‐emitting Ln3+‐doped DPs and illustrates their great potential in versatile optoelectronic applications.
Flow Instabilities in Non-Uniformly Heated Helium Jet Arrays Used for Divertor PFCs

Abstract Due to a lack of prototypical experimental data, little is known about the off-normal behavior of recently proposed divertor jet cooling concepts. This article describes a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study on two jet array designs to investigate their susceptibility to parallel flow instabilities induced by non-uniform heating and large increases in the helium outlet temperature. The study compared a single 25-jet helium-cooled modular divertor (HEMJ) thimble and a micro-jet array with 116 jets. Both have pure tungsten armor and a total mass flow rate of 10 g/s at a 600 °C inlet temperature. We investigated flow perturbations caused by a 30 MW/m2 off-normal heat flux applied over a 25 mm2 area in addition to the nominal 5 MW/m2 applied over a 75 mm2 portion of the face. The micro-jet array exhibited lower temperatures and a more uniform surface temperature distribution than the HEMJ thimble. We also investigated the response of a manifolded nine-finger HEMJ assembly using the nominal heat flux and a 274 mm2 heated area. For the 30 MW/m2 case, the micro-jet array absorbed 750 W in the helium with a maximum armor surface temperature of 1280 °C and a fluid/solid interface temperature of 801 °C. The HEMJ absorbed 750 W with a maximum armor surface temperature of 1411 °C and a fluid/solid interface temperature of 844 °C. For comparison, both the single HEMJ finger and the micro-jet array used 5-mm-thick tungsten armor. The ratio of maximum to average temperature and variations in the local heat transfer coefficient were lower for the micro-jet array compared to the HEMJ device. Although high heat flux testing is required to validate the results obtained in these simulations, the results provide important guidance in jet design and manifolding to increase heat removal while providing more even temperature distribution and minimizing non-uniformity in the gas flow and thermal stresses at the armor joint.
Latitudinal and temporal characteristics of pulsating auroras

Photometric observations of pulsating aurora were made from four locations on a magnetic meridian. These observations are used to develop a set of physical characteristics with which to test theoretical mechanisms for the production of pulsations. The period, absolute intensity, and amplitude of auroral pulsations are described for seven nights of observation and illustrate the development of pulsating aurora displays in invariant latitude and magnetic time.
Maintainability of Structures in Nonhomogeneous Markov Systems Under Cyclic Behavior and Input Control

We study the problem of n-step maintainability of the structure in a nonhomogeneous Markov system (NHMS), which undergoes a cyclic behavior of n steps under input control. The family of n-step maintainable structures is determined as a convex hull of $k^n $ points in $\mathbb{R}^k $, where k is the number of states of the NHMS. We also provide applications of the present results to a large British firm and a University system.
Sur un théorème spectral et son application aux noyaux lipchitziens

The aim of this note is to point out that the Ionescu Tulcea and Marinescu theorem can be reinforced, using a Nussbaum formula for the essential spectral radius of an operator. In this stronger version, this theorem is suitable for the spectral analysis of lipschitzian, positive, not necessarily markovian kernels, Ruelle theorem follows. As an application to Probability Theory, a large deviation theorem is proved
An Efficient Graph Convolution Network for Skeleton-Based Dynamic Hand Gesture Recognition

Dynamic hand gesture recognition has evolved as a prominent topic of computer vision research due to its vast applications in human–computer interaction, robotics, and other domains. Although there are numerous related recognition studies, the state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods are over-parametrized. Specifically, the number of model parameters is quite large, which results in high-computational costs. This work, referring to Song’s ResGCN, designs an efficient and lightweight graph convolutional network (GCN), named ResGCNeXt. ResGCNeXt learns rich features from skeleton information and achieves high accuracy with less number of model parameters. First, three data preprocessing strategies according to motion analysis are designed to provide sufficient features for the recognition model. Then, an efficient GCN structure combining bottleneck and group convolution is designed to reduce the number of model parameters without loss of accuracy. Furthermore, an attention block called SENet-part attention (SEPA) is added to improve channel and spatial feature learning. This study is validated on two benchmark data sets, and the experimental results show that ResGCNeXt provides competitive performance, especially, in significantly reducing the number of model parameters. Compared to HAN-2S, which is one of the best SOTA methods, our method has half model parameters and a 0.3% higher recognition rate.
Charged hadron transverse momentum spectra in Au+Au and d+Au collisions at 200 GeV per nucleon pair

The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) collides Au ions at a center of mass energy of 200 GeV per nucleon pair, which produces the most energetic collisions yet seen in the laboratory. RHIC has also collided proton beams and deuteron+gold beams. By studying these collisions important information about hadronic matter under extreme conditions and quantum chromodynamics (QCD) can be collected. One of the predictions of QCD is that at very high energy densities the quarks and gluons within hadrons will become deconfined and form a Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP). These densities are thought to be achievable with Au+Au collisions at RHIC energies. Another prediction theorizes that before the collision, the very high energies of the nuclei will create a condensate of the low momentum gluons within the nuclei before any collisions occur. This condensate is termed the Color Glass Condensate (CGC). Both of these predictions can be tested by studying the transverse momentum, PT, spectra of charged hadrons produced in the heavy ion collisions. This thesis presents data on PT spectra collected using the PHOBOS detector at RHIC. PHOBOS is capable of measuring a wide range of momenta using a silicon based double armed spectrometer located in a strong magnetic field. The results show a strong suppression of a factor of 4 5 in the nuclear modification factor, RAA at high PT as predicted in a QGP. This suppression is absent in d+Au collisions, where RdA has a value consistent with unity from mid to high PT. A QGP is not expected to form from d+Au collisions, so no suppression would be expected. When RdA is calculated for different rapidities, a suppression is seen as the rapidity in the deuteron fragmentation region increases. This has been predicted to be seen if a CGC does form in the colliding nuclei. Thesis Supervisor: Gunther Roland Title: Associate Professor