Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
R-MFNet: Analysis of Urban Carbon Stock Change against the Background of Land-Use Change Based on a Residual Multi-Module Fusion Network

: Regional land-use change is the leading cause of ecosystem carbon stock change; it is essential to investigate the response of LUCC to carbon stock to achieve the strategic goal of “double carbon” in a region. This paper proposes a residual network algorithm, the Residual Multi-module Fusion Network (R-MFNet), to address the problems of blurred feature boundary information, low classiﬁcation accuracy, and high noise, which are often encountered in traditional classiﬁcation methods. The network algorithm uses an R-ASPP module to expand the receptive ﬁeld of the feature map to extract sufﬁcient and multi-scale target features; it uses the attention mechanism to assign weights to the multi-scale information of each channel and space. It can fully preserve the remote sensing image features extracted by the convolutional layer through the residual connection. Using this classiﬁcation network method, the classiﬁcation of three Landsat-TM/OLI images of Zhengzhou City (the capital of Henan Province) from 2001 to 2020 was realized (the years that the three images were taken are 2001, 2009, and 2020). Compared with SVM, 2D-CNN, and deep residual networks (ResNet), the overall accuracy of the test dataset is increased by 10.07%, 3.96%, and 1.33%, respectively. The classiﬁcation achieved using this method is closer to the real land surface, and its accuracy is higher than that of the ﬁnished product data obtained using the traditional classiﬁcation method, providing high-precision land-use classiﬁcation data for the subsequent carbon storage estimation research. Based on the land-use classiﬁcation data and the carbon density data corrected by meteorological data (temperature and precipitation data), the InVEST model is used to analyze the land-use change and its impact on carbon storage in the region. The results showed that, from 2001 to 2020, the carbon stock in the study area showed a downward trend, with a total decrease of 1.48 × 10 7 t. Over the course of this 19-year period, the farmland area in Zhengzhou decreased by 1101.72 km 2 , and the built land area increased sharply by 936.16 km 2 . The area of land transfer accounted for 29.26% of the total area of Zhengzhou City from 2001 to 2009, and 31.20% from 2009 to 2020. The conversion of farmland to built land is the primary type of land transfer and the most important reason for decreasing carbon stock. The research results can provide support, in the form of scientiﬁc data, for land-use management decisions and carbon storage function protections in Zhengzhou and other cities around the world undergoing rapid urbanization.
Azimuth-invariant Multi-view 3D Object

Difference between AeConv and previous works. The main difference between AeConv and previous works (e.g. DCN [1], STN [3] and MVDeTr [2]) is: the offset of AeConv is azimuth-equivalent and designed according to the inherent property of the BEV features, while the offset/transformation of the previous works is learned from the features. In practice, the learning of the offset is difficult in BEV space of multi-view 3D detection for the following reasons: (1) The offset/transformation convolution is translation-invariant, which is unfriendly for learning the azimuth-equivalent offset. (2) The projected BEV features are inaccurate and noisy because the depth predicted from the monocular camera is inaccurate. Experimentally, we replaced the convolution with DCN in BEV network, and the model crashed during training. Instead, the offset of AeConv is designed according to the radial symmetry of the BEV features, providing a strong prior to the network. It thus largely reduces the variability of data and the learning difficulty.
Chinese Society in the Age of Confucius (1000-250 Bc): The Archaeological Evidence

The Late Bronze Age (ca. 1000-250 BC) was a crucial period during which the Chinese Classics came into being and famous thinkers such as Confucius (ca. 551-479 BC) laid the intellectual foundations of traditional Chinese civilisation. Complementing and often challenging the surviving writings, Lothar von Falkenhausen develops a self-consciously archaeological perspective on the social conditions in this time. He analyses clan and lineage organisation, social stratification, gender and ethnic differences, as well as social change over time. Falkenhausen not only presents new data, but also thinks about these data in new ways, emphasisng the nexus between the social order and ritual practices and introducing anthropological approaches as-yet rarely tested in China.
Topological pressure of free semigroup actions for non-compact sets and Bowen's equation

Climenhaga showed the applicability of Bowen equation to arbitrary subset of a compact metric space. The main purpose of this paper is to generalize the main result of Climenhaga to free semigroup actions for non-compact sets. We introduce the notions of the topological pressure and lower and upper capacity topological pressure of a free semigroup action for non-compact sets by using the Caratheodory- Pesin structure. Some properties of these notions are given, followed by three main results. One is to characterize the Hausdorff dimension of arbitrary subset in term of the topological pressure by Bowen equation, whose points have the positive lower Lyapunov exponents and satisfy a tempered contraction condition, the other is the estimation of topological pressure of a free semigroup action on arbitrary subset of X and the third is the relationship between the upper capacity topological pressure of a skew-product transformation and the upper capacity topological pressure of a free semigroup action with respect to arbitrary subset.
Segmental arterial mediolysis: a commonly overlooked aetiology of acute abdominal pain

Segmental arterial mediolysis (SAM) is an uncommon condition and commonly missed diagnostic aetiology of acute abdominal pain, initially described in 1976. SAM is a non-inflammatory, non-atherosclerotic vasculopathy mostly involving the abdominal arteries with notable asymmetric involvement of the walls of the mesenteric arteries and their branches. Clinical presentation ranges from postprandial abdominal discomfort suggestive of mesenteric ischaemia to intra-abdominal bleeding. Pathophysiological explanation and prognosis of these cases are not well understood and therefore no clear guidelines for management exist. In this case report, we emphasise the imaging modalities used to reach the diagnosis and the management options available.
“Third‐culture kids”

The quest of globalizing business firms to find enough candidates with the requisite skills for foreign assignments may be met by former “third‐culture kids”. These are individuals who as adolescents have lived in a foreign country for a period of time. The cultural exposure, during their highly impressionable adolescence, may have made them absorb cultural and behavioral norms developing a cultural frame of references different from, but assembled by the cultures they have been exposed to; establishing a third culture. Testing this generally held belief empirically, characteristics of a group of British expatriate adolescents in Hong Kong were compared with those of local Hong Kong adolescents and local British adolescents residing in Britain. Controlling for the effects of age and gender, results showed that the British expatriate adolescents had distinct characteristics in terms of their perceptions of being international as well as their international mobility preferences and consequences. These findings support the claims and anecdotal evidence of the development of third‐cultureness. The potentially far‐reaching implications of these results for globalizing firms are discussed at length.
Cool to be Smart or Smart to be Cool? Understanding Peer Pressure in Education

We model and test two school-based peer cultures: one that stigmatizes effort and one that rewards ability. The model shows that either may reduce participation in educational activities when peers can observe participation and performance. We design a ﬁeld experiment that allows us to test for, and differentiate between, these two concerns. We ﬁnd that peer pressure reduces takeup of an SAT prep packagevirtuallyidenticallyacrosstwoverydifferenthighschoolsettings.However,theeffectsarisefromverydistinctmechanisms:adesiretohideeffortinonesettingandadesiretohidelowabilityintheother.
The management of indigenous knowledge in Swaziland, with specific reference to the Swaziland National Library Service (SNLS)

Indigenous knowledge systems (IKSs) have made positive contributions in agriculture; health care; medicine; food preparation and preservation; land use; education and a host of other activities in rural communities as well as in urban ones (Warren, 1991:26). Yet hardly a day goes by when an elderly man or woman does not die with all the wealth of knowledge, which is then buried beyond recovery. Therefore, there is a need for institutions, which are in the business of information like libraries and/or information centers to manage (collect, document, organize, store, disseminate) the indigenous knowledge for potential contribution in present and future endeavours. Ngulube (2002: 96) rightly points out that the loss of IK will “impoverish society”. The main aim of the study was to explore the issue if indigenous knowledge within the library and information sector, specifically within the Swaziland National Library Service; investigate if IK is managed; determine how it can best be managed in order to contribute positively to the community; and identify ways to best manage it. This study adopted the qualitative research methodology using the triangulation method, which allows the use of different data collection techniques. The study found that Swaziland National Library Service (SNLS) manages IK, but at a very low level. Lack of funds is one major issue that has been voiced as the biggest hindrance to Indigenous Knowledge Management and that Library and information professionals are not adequately trained to manage IK. The study also discovered that Library and information services in Swaziland are still very much book-based and very much westernized, such that only a select elite is catered for by the current services. Intellectual property rights are not dealt with, with respect to IK, From the findings, this study recommends that Library and information professionals include indigenous knowledge in the existing collection development policies or must design collection development policies that include IK
Coming Home: Media and Returning Diaspora in Israel and Germany

Examines the social and cultural integration of Russian-speaking Jews and Germans who immigrated to their respective historic homelands. Coming Home provides an extraordinary glimpse into the social and cultural integration of a unique category of immigrants—the returning Diaspora. During the 1990s Russian-speaking Jews and Germans returned to their respective historic homelands. Nelly Elias explores the social and cultural adaptation of these two groups by focusing on the roles played by their native language—Russian—and the language used by the media of each country. Based on one hundred in-depth interviews conducted with immigrants now living in both Israel and Germany, Coming Home considers media use to be an inseparable part of an immigrant’s adaptation strategy, simultaneously reflecting construction of a new social and cultural identity while also preserving their original cultural identities.
Estimation and Evaluation of Conditional Asset Pricing Models

We find that several recently proposed consumption-based models of stock returns, when evaluated using an optimal set of managed portfolios and the associated model-implied conditional moment restrictions, fail to capture key features of risk premiums in equity markets. To arrive at these conclusions, we construct an optimal GMM estimator for models in which the stochastic discount factor (SDF) is a conditionally affine function of a set of priced risk factors. Further, for the (often relevant) case where a researcher is proposing a generalized SDF relative to some null model, we show that there is an optimal choice of managed portfolios to use in testing the null against the proposed alternative.
Delivery of loaded MR1 monomer results in efficient ligand exchange to host MR1 and subsequent MR1T cell activation

MR1-restricted T cells have been implicated in microbial infections, sterile inflammation, wound healing and cancer. Similar to other antigen presentation molecules, evidence supports multiple, complementary MR1 antigen presentation pathways. To investigate ligand exchange pathways for MR1, we used MR1 monomers and tetramers loaded with 5-(2-oxopropylideneamino)-6-d-ribitylaminouracil (5-OP-RU) to deliver the antigen. Using MR1-deficient cells reconstituted with wild-type MR1 or MR1 molecules that cannot bind 5-OP-RU, we show that presentation of monomer-delivered 5-OP-RU is dependent on cellular MR1 and requires the transfer of ligand from the soluble molecule onto MR1 expressed by the antigen presenting cell. This mode of antigen delivery strengthens the evidence for post-ER ligand exchange pathways for MR1, which could represent an important avenue by which MR1 acquires antigens derived from endocytosed pathogens.
Improving Bi-level Optimization Based Methods with Inspiration from Humans' Classroom Study Techniques

In humans’ classroom learning, many effective study techniques, e.g., the Feynman technique, peer questioning, have been developed to improve learning outcomes. We are interested in investigating whether these techniques can inspire the development of ML training strategies to improve bi-level optimization (BLO) based methods. To-wards this goal, we develop a general framework, Skillearn, which consists of basic elements such as learners, interaction functions, learning stages, etc. These elements can be flexibly configured to create various training strategies, each emulating a study technique of humans. In case studies, we apply Skillearn to create new training strategies, by emulating the Feynman technique and peer questioning, which are two broadly adopted techniques in humans’ classroom learning. These training strategies are used for improving two BLO based applications including neural architecture search and data weighting. Experiments on various datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods.
Bible Theory or Biblical Living: What are Christian Schools Providing for Families with Children with Special Needs?

Abstract Private Christian elementary and secondary schools, along with Bible training and Bible exercises, have been a part of the United States and international community since the 1800s. This article examines these questions: (1) What Biblically-based principles are in evidence in Christian schools’ treatment of children with special needs; and (2) how do Christian schools work with the parents of these children. Results from the Christian schools that participated in this study indicate although that they were attending to their children with special needs, these schools may actually be missing many more students who are in need of services. Abstract rivate Christian elementary and secondary schools, along with Bible training and Bible exercises, have been a part of the United States and international community since the 1800s. This article examines these questions: (1) What Biblically-based principles are in evidence in Christian schools’ treatment of children with special needs; and (2) how do Christian schools work with the parents of these children. Results from the Christian schools that participated in this study indicate although that they were attending to their children with special needs, these schools may actually be missing many more students who are in need of services. father’s story as a first-person narrative. This is his
Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

Background and Purpose —This scientific statement provides an overview of the evidence on vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia. Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia of later life are common. Definitions of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), neuropathology, basic science and pathophysiological aspects, role of neuroimaging and vascular and other associated risk factors, and potential opportunities for prevention and treatment are reviewed. This statement serves as an overall guide for practitioners to gain a better understanding of VCI and dementia, prevention, and treatment. years, based on preclinical, neuropathologic, neuroimaging, physiological, and epidemiological studies. Transdisciplinary, translational, and transactional approaches are recommended to further our understanding of this entity and to better characterize its neuropsychological profile. There is a need for prospective, quantitative, clinical-pathological-neuroimaging studies to improve knowledge of the pathological basis of neuroimaging change and the complex interplay between vascular and Alzheimer disease pathologies in the evolution of clinical VCI and Alzheimer disease. Long-term vascular risk marker interventional studies beginning as early as midlife may be required to prevent or postpone the onset of VCI and Alzheimer disease. Studies of intensive reduction of vascular risk factors in high-risk groups are another important avenue of research. ( Stroke . 2011;42:2672-2713.)
Size distributions of slums across the globe using different data and classification methods

ABSTRACT More than 900 million people worldwide live in slums. These slums mainly can be found in cities of the global south and are characterized by poor living conditions and usually insufficient access to basic infrastructure such as water or energy. In order to improve the living conditions of slum inhabitants, information about the number, location and size of the slums is required to plan supply infrastructure. We therefore identify morphological slums in eight different cities in Africa, South America and Asia, using remote sensing data and analyse their size distributions. We show that 84.6% of all observed morphological slums have a size between 0.001 and 0.1 km2. These results rely on a consistent approach using a clear ontology and conceptual frame for classification. However, classification methods for these underserved areas differ. We show slum classifications based on different methods reveal a strong dependency between the particular method and the resulting size distribution. The study shows the relevance of remote sensing for the investigation of slums and the results can be used for infrastructure planning, as infrastructure improvement projects are often limited to the large known slums. Whereas, the large number of small slums distributed across the city is often neglected.
Cali-NCE: Boosting Cross-modal Video Representation Learning with Calibrated Alignment

With the large-scale video-text datasets being collected, learning general visual-textual representation has gained increasing attention. While recent methods are designed with the assumption that the alt-text description naturally conveys the meaning and context of the video in semantics (i.e. well aligned with each other), it is unlikely to be satisfied for the Internet data, which potentially harms the quality of the learned visual-textual representation. To address this challenge, we first revisit three mainstream approaches: correspondence modeling, contrastive learning and predictive coding, demonstrating that a simple co-training strategy with these methods leads to a clear improvement in performance. To further explore the complementary nature of different training strategies, we propose a simple yet effective joint training framework that factorizes the total objective into conditional ones, termed as Cali-NCE 1. Our method first estimates confidence scores for measuring the correspondence between video and text descriptions, and the scores are later used to calibrate the sample weightings during contrastive training. Through extensive experiments, we show that the proposed approach achieves state-of-the-art performance on multiple downstream tasks: text-to-video retrieval, video action recognition, and video retrieval.
Notes for a New Guide to Keynes (I): Wages, Aggregate Demand, and Employment

I revisit the General Theory’s discussion of the role of wages in employment determination through the lens of the New Keynesian model. The analysis points to the key role played by the monetary policy rule in shaping the link between wages and employment, and in determining the welfare impact of enhanced wage ‡exibility. I show that the latter is not always welfare improving.
Why Out-of-Distribution detection experiments are not reliable - subtle experimental details muddle the OOD detector rankings

Reliable detection of out-of-distribution (OOD) instances is becoming a critical requirement for machine learning systems deployed in safety-critical applications. Recently, many OOD detectors have been developed in the literature, and their performance has been evaluated using empirical studies based on well-established benchmark datasets. However, these studies do not provide a conclusive recommendation because the performance of OOD detection depends on the benchmark datasets. In this work, we want to question the reliability of the OOD detection performance numbers obtained from many of these empirical experiments. We report several experimental conditions that are not controlled and lead to signiﬁcant changes in OOD detector performance and rankings of OOD meth-ods. These include the technicalities related to how the DNN was trained (such as seed, train/test split, etc.), which do not change the accuracy of closed-set DNN models but may signiﬁcantly change the performance of OOD detection methods that rely on representation from these DNNs. We performed extensive sensitivity studies in image and text domains to quantify the instability of OOD performance measures due to unintuitive experimental factors. These factors need to be more rigorously controlled and accounted for in many current OOD experiments. Experimental studies in OOD detection should improve methodological standards regarding experiment control and replication.
Benchmarking multimodel terrestrial water storage seasonal cycle against GRACE observations over major global river basins

The increasing reliance on global models for evaluating climate and human-induced impacts on the hydrological cycle underscores the importance of assessing their reliability. Hydrological models provide valuable data on ungagged river basins or basins with limited gauge networks. The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability of 13 global models using the 15 Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites total water storage (TWS) seasonal cycle for 29 river basins in different climate zones. Results show that the simulated seasonal total water storage change (TWSC) does not compare well with GRACE even in basins within the same climate zone. The models overestimated the seasonal amplitude in most boreal basins and underestimated it in tropical, arid, and temperate zones. In cold basins, the modeled phase of TWSC precedes that of GRACE by up to 2-3 months. However, it lags the GRACE phase by one month over temperate, arid to semi-arid basins. 20 There was good agreement between GRACE and model amplitudes in the tropical zone. With the findings and analysis, we concluded that R2 models with optimized parametrizations have a better correlation with GRACE than the reverse scenario. This signifies an enhancement in the predictive capability of models regarding the variability of TWSC. The seasonal