Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Disaster Damage Estimation from Real-time Population Dynamics using Graph Convolutional Network (Industrial Paper)

Storm and flood disasters such as typhoons and torrential rains are becoming more intense and frequent. The national government and municipalities must respond to such natural disasters as soon as possible. When the scale of damage is large; however, it takes much time to investigate the severity of damage, and the initial response can be delayed. If we could precisely and rapidly estimate the severity of damage for each city at an early stage, the national government would be able to better support the municipalities, and consequently respond quickly to help citizens. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to estimate the severity of disaster damage within a short time period after a disaster occurs by exploiting real-time population data generated from cellular networks. First, we investigate the relationship between real-time population data and the severity of damage. Then, we design a Graph Convolutional Networks for Disaster Damage Estimation, called D2E-GCN, which fully exploits the directed and weighted characteristics of human mobility graph. We conduct an offline evaluation on real-world datasets including two typhoons that hit Japan. The evaluation results show that the proposed method outperforms baseline methods which do not consider the graph structure of cities, and the proposed method can estimate the severity of damage approximately 48 hours after typhoons passed. Moreover, we find the experimental insight that the estimation performance can be significantly affected by the graph construction method for GCN models.
SLA-Aware Adaptive Mapping Scheme in Bigdata Distributed Storage Systems

As data are processed by diverse clients ranging from urgent time-critical to best-effort, supporting different QoS (Quality of Service) becomes a vital component in a distributed storage system. In this paper, we propose a novel SLA (Service Level Agreement)-aware adaptive mapping scheme that can differentiate between urgent and normal clients based on their I/O requirements. The scheme basically divides storage into two regions, normal and urgent, which makes it feasible to isolate urgent clients from normal ones. In addition, it changes the size of the isolated region in an adaptive manner so that it can provide better performance to normal clients. Besides, we devise two techniques, called logical cluster and normal inclusion, to prevent interference caused by adaptability. We implement our scheme using the CRUSH (Controlled Replication Under Scalable Hashing) mapping algorithm in Ceph, a well-known distributed storage system. Evaluation results demonstrate that our proposal can comply with SLA requirements while providing better performance than the fixed mapping scheme.
Mutual referral policy for coordinating health care systems of different scales

We develop a model to formulate the mutual referral process in a health care system involving a city hospital and a community hospital, and derive the optimal mutual referral strategy between them in the subordination situation as a benchmark. We also concentrate on the subcontracting situation, where the city hospital plays a dominating role, offering contracts to induce the community hospital to follow the optimal mutual referral strategy. We introduce two complex contracts: fee-for-service via cost sharing (FFS-CS) and pay-for-performance via cost sharing (P4P-CS) to coordinate, and find that both contracts coordinate effectively, regardless of the scale of the system. In addition, we discuss four extreme cases: fee-for-service via no cost sharing (FFS-NCS), fee-for-service via total cost sharing (FFS-TCS), pay-for-performance via no cost sharing (P4P-NCS), and pay-for-performance via total cost sharing (P4P-TCS) and find that some can coordinate the health care system under certain circumstances, whereas others cannot. Through the numerical examples we discuss the applicability of the coordinating contracts and further find that FFS-CS outperforms P4P-CS in terms of applicability.
Human Action Recognition based on ST-GCN using Opticalflow and Image Gradient

In general, existing human action recognition algorithms use skeleton data as input. However, it is difficult to stably acquire accurate skeleton data. To compensate for this, in this paper, we propose a new algorithm that recognizes human action by using the optical flow and gradient of an image as input to the ST-GCN[1] model. In this algorithm, optical flow and gradient are expressed in descriptor style of HoG. In addition, each node of the network is connected to a region where optical flow and gradient are obtained. In order to obtain accurate motion and pose information, the entire graph structure is changed. And the nodes of the graph are defined so that the information obtained from the global region and the local region can be well combined. The performance of the algorithm was verified by testing ten selected actions from the NTU RGB+D data set. As a result, a high Top-1 recognition accuracy of 93.88% was obtained. The proposed algorithm is expected to be useful for CCTV surveillance systems. However, since the algorithm has been tested for only a small number of actions, it needs to be developed to recognize a larger number of actions that are generally used.
Comparison of aerodynamic models for Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

Multi-megawatt Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) are experiencing an increased interest for floating offshore applications. However, VAWT development is hindered by the lack of fast, accurate and validated simulation models. This work compares six different numerical models for VAWTS: a multiple streamtube model, a double-multiple streamtube model, the actuator cylinder model, a 2D potential flow panel model, a 3D unsteady lifting line model, and a 2D conformal mapping unsteady vortex model. The comparison covers rotor configurations with two NACA0015 blades, for several tip speed ratios, rotor solidity and fixed pitch angle, included heavily loaded rotors, in inviscid flow. The results show that the streamtube models are inaccurate, and that correct predictions of rotor power and rotor thrust are an effect of error cancellation which only occurs at specific configurations. The other four models, which explicitly model the wake as a system of vorticity, show mostly differences due to the instantaneous or time averaged formulation of the loading and flow, for which further research is needed.
Pleiotropy Structures Plant Height and Seed Weight Scaling in Barley despite Long History of Domestication and Breeding Selection

Size scaling describes the relative growth rates of different body parts of an organism following a positive correlation. Domestication and crop breeding often target the scaling traits in the opposite directions. The genetic mechanism of the size scaling influencing the pattern of size scaling remains unexplored. Here, we revisited a diverse barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) panel with genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) profile and the measurement of their plant height and seed weight to explore the possible genetic mechanisms that may lead to a correlation of the two traits and the influence of domestication and breeding selection on the size scaling. Plant height and seed weight are heritable and remain positively correlated in domesticated barley regardless of growth type and habit. Genomic structural equation modeling systematically evaluated the pleiotropic effect of individual SNP on the plant height and seed weight within a trait correlation network. We discovered seventeen novel SNPs (quantitative trait locus) conferring pleiotropic effect on plant height and seed weight, involving genes with function in diverse traits related to plant growth and development. Linkage disequilibrium decay analysis revealed that a considerable proportion of genetic markers associated with either plant height or seed weight are closely linked in the chromosome. We conclude that pleiotropy and genetic linkage likely form the genetic bases of plant height and seed weight scaling in barley. Our findings contribute to understanding the heritability and genetic basis of size scaling and open a new venue for seeking the underlying mechanism of allometric scaling in plants.
Method of Resolution Participatory and Creative Problem. A different approach to art teaching in the subject of E.V.T.

The teaching methods of the subjects related to the artistic areas of the basic teaching in Portugal have been developed with the purpose of exploring new approaches of this dimension. The communication proposal presented in this essay frames on the theme: Childhood and Education: Project and Projects. So, we intend to start upon a real context, the second term of the basic teaching, in which we try to develop Excellence Practices of artistic and technologic teaching and learning, in a rural school of Alto Minho, belonging to the district of Braga. This teaching method starts in the problems solution process (MRP), in which we explore contents, competencies and goals in the sphere of the Art subject (EVT). So, in this context, we can infer that the MRP does not run out, since it is participative, on one hand, because it demands the child extend his amount of ideas through cooperation with his colleagues. On the other hand, the process we are referring to is creative, once this construction appears in a controlled environment (the classroom), without any kind of threat, where the child has also the possibility to try an enormous combination of learning situations. This intervention project emphasize the drawing importance, the written narrative and conceptual schemes, constructed by the child as plural ways of representation and communication of an idea together with the real nature of plastic expression.
Association between physical function and onset of coronary heart disease in a cohort of community-dwelling older populations: The Septuagenarians, Octogenarians, Nonagenarians Investigation with Centenarians study

Objective: Physical function is a strong predictor of the adverse outcomes in older populations. We prospectively examined the association of walking speed and handgrip strength with CHD in the community-dwelling older populations. The study cohort in Japan included 1272 older people free from heart disease at the baseline. Physical function was identified based on walking speed and handgrip strength assessment at the survey site. Any new case of CHD was obtained based on a self-reported doctor's diagnosis. Cox-proportion hazard models were adjusted for covariate factors to examine the CHD risk. Results: During the 7-year follow-up, 45 new cases of CHD were documented. Slow walking speed was strongly associated with CHD risk after adjusting for all confounding factors in the total participants and women (hazard ratio (HR)= 2.53, 95%confidence interval (CI), 1.20-5.33, p=0.015, and HR= 4.78, 95% CI,1.07-21.35, p=0.040, respectively), but not in men. Weak grip strength was associated with CHD after age-adjustment (HR= 2.45, 95%CI, 1.03-5.81, p=0.043) only in men. However, after additional multivariate adjustment, the associations were weaker. The results lead to the conclusion that, after multivariate adjustment for coronary heart disease, walking speed is a strong surrogate predictor of the CHD risk among older people.
Whole-genome identification of chemosensory genes in two sister blister beetles provides insights into chemosensory evolution

Background: Commonly known as blister beetles or Spanish fly, there are more than 1,500 species in the Meloidae family (Coleoptera:Tenebrionoidea) that produce the potent defensive blistering agent cantharidin, which has recently been exploited for cancer therapy. Hycleus cichorii and Hycleus phaleratus are exploited as traditional Chinese medicine over 2,000 years due to their ability to biosynthesize cantharidin. These blister beetles share highly similar environments and ecological niches. To understand the role of the chemosensory system in speciation and evolution in the beetles, we identified the chemosensory gene families in whole genome of both blister beetle comprehensively. Results: We identified 29 OBPs, 10 CSPs, 116 ORs, 80 GRs, and 35 IRs in H. phaleratus and 30 OBPs, 10 CSPs, 191 ORs, 92 GRs and 42 IRs in H. cichorii. The 7 groups of beetles’ ORs were recovered, but a new pattern of ORs in Coleoptera were surfaced, due to lack of whole OR repertoire for comparison to T. castaneum before. The OR number is varied, identified in H. cichorii 64% more than that in H. phaleratus (191 VS 116), which maybe an evolution event between these blister beetle’s speciation. A major Hycleus-specific expansion clade of bitter GRs is evident based on our phylogenetic tree, in which, clustered more than 50% Hycleus-bitter GRs. All the ten clade of beetles’ antennal IR identified in both Hycleus beetles. Interestingly, IR75 and IR41a were obviously expensed compare to other insects. Conclusions: The GR and IR expansion events may promote Hycleus genus evolution. Our data will provide a basis for future species protection and speciation focusing on the blister beetle.
Towards green high capacity optical networks

The demand for fast, secure, energy efficient high capacity networks is growing. It is fuelled by transmission bandwidth needs which will support among other things the rapid penetration of multimedia applications empowering smart consumer electronics and E-businesses. All the above trigger unparallel needs for networking solutions which must offer not only high-speed low-cost "on demand" mobile connectivity but should be ecologically friendly and have low carbon footprint. The first answer to address the bandwidth needs was deployment of fibre optic technologies into transport networks. After this it became quickly obvious that the inferior electronic bandwidth (if compared to optical fiber) will further keep its upper hand on maximum implementable serial data rates. A new solution was found by introducing parallelism into data transport in the form of Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) which has helped dramatically to improve aggregate throughput of optical networks. However with these advancements a new bottleneck has emerged at fibre endpoints where data routers must process the incoming and outgoing traffic. Here, even with the massive and power hungry electronic parallelism routers today (still relying upon bandwidth limiting electronics) do not offer needed processing speeds networks demands. In this paper we will discuss some novel unconventional approaches to address network scalability leading to energy savings via advance optical signal processing. We will also investigate energy savings based on advanced network management through nodes hibernation proposed for Optical IP networks. The hibernation reduces the network overall power consumption by forming virtual network reconfigurations through selective nodes groupings and by links segmentations and partitionings.
Robust 2D localization of low-frequency calls in shallow waters using modal propagation modelling

We propose a new method to localize low-frequency calls in 2D in shallow waters from a sparse array of hydrophones using modal propagation modelling. An analysis of modal propagation modelling of transients signals in shallow water environment shows that the dispersive behaviour of the waveguide can be exploited to design a robust localization scheme without requiring any knowledge of the acoustics properties of the environment (bottom and water column) nor any simulation of propagation, The localization scheme also does not require synchronization of the array and is therefore independent of any clock drift. Promising results are obtained for Northern right whale gunshot calls from 'Bay of Fundy data set of the 2003 Workshop on Detection and Localization of Marine Mammals Using Passive Acoustics. '.
Supply chain integration patterns and operational performance: a plant-level survey-based analysis

Though most scholars recognise that supply chain integration (SCI) can contribute to improving operational performance, previous studies on the SCI-performance link showed mixed results and several questions on this issue remain still open. In line with a configurational perspective, this study investigates whether plants adopting multiple integration practices (i.e. full SCI adopters) perform better than plants implementing only some selected SCI practices (i.e. partial adopters) and plants which do not implement any SCI practice (i.e. non-adopters). In addition, it analyses whether partial adopters show a superior performance compared to non-adopters. Analyses based on a sample of 317 manufacturing plants reveal that full adopters perform better than non-adopters, in terms of quality, delivery, flexibility and efficiency. Among partial adopters, a particular SCI pattern, characterised by a high level of internal integration and supply chain planning, differs from non-adopters in terms of delivery, and shows results similar to full adopters in terms of quality and efficiency. More surprisingly, the other patterns of partial adopters do not significantly differ from non-adopters in any performance dimensions, and underperform full adopters in each performance. This suggests that in order to maximise SCI benefits companies should lever on multiple integration practices, and that in some cases focusing only on selected integration activities can be useless. A further interesting implication is that companies can cumulatively increase their operational performance towards a full exploitation of SCI benefits by following a certain sequence of SCI practices.
Leaving Buddhism

Leaving Buddhism is a theme seldom addressed in Buddhist studies. Buddhism is generally perceived as a tolerant religion and followers are encouraged to scrutinise the Buddhist teachings and are free to leave the Buddhist faith. Buddhism does not sanction violence against apostates, there is no formal religious pretext for apostasy and Buddhism has not developed a concept of apostasy. However, for people who do apostasies from Buddhism, the worst consequences they suffer tend to be negative reactions from the family, including the risk of being ignored and shut out from family and community activities. The Buddha’s (c. 480 bce–c. 400 bce)1 attitude to apostasy is represented by an account of a meeting with one of the Buddha’s attendants Sunakkhatta. He was a disciple of the Buddha, but after a while he became dissatisfied with the Buddha’s practice and decided to renounce the teacher and his teaching. Sunakkhatta came to the Buddha and said: “Lord, I am leaving you, I am no longer living by your teachings. ” The Buddha responded to this declaration by asking Sunakkhatta following questions: “Did I ever say to you; come, live by my teachings? ” Sunakkhatta: “No Lord. ” The Buddha: “Then did you ever say to me that you wished to live by my teachings? ” Sunakkhatta: “No Lord. ” The Buddha: “That being the case, who are you and what are you giving up, you foolish man? ” (Digha Nikaya, iii 2–3). Sunakkhatta’s defection occurred when the Buddha was eighty years old and that was his last year in life (Batchelor 2015: 172). Neither in this case nor others did the Buddha suggest that apostates should be punished. The Buddhist traditions are so wide, diverse and multiplex that it often makes sense to refer to Buddhism in the plural form (see Strong 2015). Buddhism(s) is broadly divided into Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions and these traditions are historically evolved and culturally embodied. Because of the great diversity within the Buddhist traditions, this chapter on
Reliability studies of integrated modular engine system designs

A study was performed to evaluate the reliability of Integrated Modular Engine (IME) concepts. Comparisons were made between networked IME systems and non-networked discrete systems using expander cycle configurations. Both redundant and non-redundant systems were analyzed. Binomial approximation and Markov analysis techniques were employed to evaluate total system reliability. In addition, Failure Modes and Effects Analyses (FMEA), Preliminary Hazard Analyses (PHA), and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) were performed to allow detailed evaluation of the IME concept. A discussion of these system reliability concepts is also presented.
Reliability analysis of voltage instability risk indicator based on a novel real‐time identification algorithm

This paper focuses the performance and robustness of an algorithm recently proposed in the literature for real-time voltage instability risk indication. Based on local phasor measurements, the real-time identification of the proximity of the equivalent Thevenin impedance seen from an EHV bus and its load impedance is the key to recognize the voltage instability risk at the time it is approaching. The paper highlights the impact of the dynamics of on-load tap changing transformers and generators over-excitation limiters on the Thevenin equivalent identification (and consequently on the timely voltage instability indication). The paper also shows the high reliability of the algorithm with respect to load characteristics and to critical load profiles corresponding to very large perturbations. The paper presents simulation results obtained from a detailed dynamic model of an equivalent single-generator system, as well as from the actual Italian EHV network. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A polyhedral beam‐tracing method for modeling ultrawideband indoor radio propagation

A three‐dimensional convex polyhedral beam‐tracing method for modeling ultrawideband indoor radio channels is presented.The model enables a fast and unambiguous generation of all propagation paths between the transmitter and the receiver over an 850‐MHz bandwidth. To validate the model, its results are compared with measurements. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:904–909, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26670
Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the Hydroclimatology of Western Canada—Review and Prospects

The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is a large-scale climate system feature that influences the surface climate and hydrology of western North America. In this paper, we review the literature describing the PDO and demonstrate its effects on temperature, precipitation, snowfall, glacier mass balance, and streamflow with a focus on western Canada, and particularly British Columbia. We review how the PDO index was developed and discuss other North Pacific climate patterns that resemble the PDO. The impacts of PDO on glacier mass balance and streamflow from retrospective studies are also reviewed and illustrated with specific examples from BC. We assess the current state of knowledge regarding the PDO and provide a critical assessment of its use in hydroclimatology. This information should provide insight on the sensitivity of projects to climatic variability.
DEPENDENCE OF DISTORTION-PRODUCT OTOACOUSTIC EMISSION COMPONENTS ON PRIMARY-LEVEL RATIO

Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) were evaluated in normal hearing subjects using logarithmically sweeping tones (2s/octave), which maintained a constant frequency ratio (f2/f1= 1.22). The levels of the two major components were extracted using a least-squares fit procedure, which permits dynamic fitting of the delay of a given component. While the shape of the extracted generator component input/output function depends on the paradigm, the magnitude of the reflection component tends to saturate at low and moderate levels (which does not depend on primary level ratio). Changes in fine-structure frequency also depends on the primary ratio and appears to be related to the growth of the generator component.