Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Introduction to Inverse Problems in Imaging

Part 1 Image deconvolution: some mathematical tools examples of image blurring the ill-posedness of image deconvolution regularization methods iterative regularization methods statistical methods. Part 2 Linear inverse problems: examples of linear inverse problems singular value decomposition (SVD) inversion methods revisited Fourier based methods for specific problems comments and concluding remarks. Part 3 Mathematical appendices. References.
The Effects of Traffic Composition on Freeway Crash Frequency by Injury Severity: A Bayesian Multivariate Spatial Modeling Approach

This study sets out to investigate the effects of traffic composition on freeway crash frequency by injury severity. A crash dataset collected from Kaiyang Freeway, China, is adopted for the empirical analysis, where vehicles are divided into five categories and crashes are classified into no injury and injury levels. In consideration of correlated spatial effects between adjacent segments, a Bayesian multivariate conditional autoregressive model is proposed to link no-injury and injury crash frequencies to the risk factors, including the percentages of different vehicle categories, daily vehicle kilometers traveled (DVKT), and roadway geometry. The model estimation results show that, compared to Category 5 vehicles (e.g., heavy truck), larger percentages of Categories 1 (e.g., passenger car) and 3 (e.g., medium truck) vehicles would lead to less no-injury crashes and more injury crashes. DVKT, horizontal curvature, and vertical grade are also found to be associated with no-injury and/or injury crash frequencies. The significant heterogeneous and spatial effects for no-injury and injury crashes justify the applicability of the proposed model. The findings are helpful to understand the relationship between traffic composition and freeway safety and to provide suggestions for designing strategies of vehicle safety improvement.
A cross-sectional evaluation of maternal and perinatal outcomes in pregnancies complicated with COVID-19

Background and Aim Pregnancy is considered a vulnerable period for women regarding increased risk of respiratory tract infections, altered immunity, and metabolic changes in their bodies. COVID-19 pandemic possesses a significant risk on pregnants, but the data on the disease course is insufficient. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the maternal and perinatal outcomes in pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19. Methods This is a cross-sectional study that evaluated the hospital records of pregnant women admitted to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of 19 Mayıs University Hospital between 01/04/2020 to 30/12/2021. Outcome measures were gestational week at birth, basal gestational and labor characteristics, delivery complications, and perinatal and maternal COVID-19 outcomes. Results Analyses of the data of 98 patients revealed that median age of the mothers was 30 years; 26.5% were primigravid, 43.9% were nulliparous, and 29.6% were primiparous. Three had twin pregnancies, 52% of the births were preterm, 88% were cephalic presentation, and 95.9% were cesarean deliveries.The most common delivery complications were acute fetal distress (51%), preterm premature rupture of membranes (50%), and neonatal asphyxia (49%). Gestational characteristics were similar between treatment groups for COVID-19, but patients admitted to intensive care unit and applied mechanical ventilation (11.2%) had significantly more preterm births, and perinatal complications including acute fetal distress (p=0.030), PPROM (p<0.001), neonatal asphyxia (p=0.021), and lower APGAR scores (p=0.002). Conclusion COVID-19 is a significant risk factor for pregnant women. This study showed that COVID-19 and pregnancy may induce adverse effects on each other. The data provided here will contribute to the growing body of epidemiological and clinical evidence on the interactions between COVID-19 and pregnancies.
Computer Controlled Systems: Analysis and Design with Process-orientated Models

I Operational transformations of functions of continuous and discrete arguments. - 1 Bilateral Laplace transforms. - 2 Operational transformations for discrete-time functions. - 3 Displaced pulse frequency response. - 4 Discrete LT for functions of a continuous argument. - II Linear periodic operators and systems. - 5 Linear time-invariant operators and systems. - 6 Linear periodic operators and systems. - 7 Analysis of linear periodic operators and systems. - 8 Stochastic analysis and H2-norm of LPO. - III Mathematical description of sampled-data systems in continuous time. - 9 Open-loop SD systems. - 10 Open-loop systems with a computer. - 11 Closed-loop systems with a single sampling unit. - 12 Systems with several sampling units. - IV Analysis of SD systems in continuous time. - 13 Open-loop systems under deterministic disturbances. - 14 Analysis of deterministic feedback SD systems. - 15 Analysis of SD systems under stochastic disturbances. - V Direct synthesis of SD systems. - 16 Quadratic optimization of open-loop SD systems. - 17 Direct design of feedback SD systems. - 18 Direct polynomial-design methods. - Appendices. - A Rational periodic functions. - A.1 Basic definitions. - A.2 Causal and limited rational periodic functions. - A.3 Zeros and poles of rational periodic functions. - A.4 Partial fraction expansion of limited rational periodic functions. - A.5 Boundedness of rational periodic functions. - A.6 Calculating integrals from rational periodic functions. - A.7 Integration of products of rational periodic functions. - A.8 Calculation of parameter integrals. - B DirectSD - a toolbox for direct design of SD systems. - B.1 Introduction. - B.2 Theoretical basis. - B. System description. - B.4 Optimal control under stochastic disturbances. - B.4. 1 Optimal digital filtering. - B.5 Design of optimal tracking systems. - B.5. 1 One degree of freedom systems. - B.5. 2 Systems with two controllers. - B.6 Other possibilities. - B.6. 1 Analysis of SD systems in continuous time. - B.6. 3 Demonstration programs. - B.7 Numerical examples. - B.7. 1 Design of optimal stabilizing system. - B.7. 2 Redesign problem. - B.8 Conclusions.
Effect of size on the eccentric compression performance of damaged square RC columns strengthened with CFRP: An experimental study

The objective of this study was to experimentally analyze the effect of size on the eccentric compression performance of damaged square Reinforced concrete (RC) columns reinforced with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) in a bid to improve the rationality of the design of CFRP-reinforced large concrete members. In the experiment, 18 square RC columns with proportional sizes were prepared, and the principle of the proportional changes in the size was strictly controlled. The effects of the size, eccentricity, pre-damage, and number of CFRP layers were considered in the experiment, and the bearing capacity, lateral deflection, rebar strain, CFRP strain, and failure modes of RC columns of different sizes before and after the reinforcement were studied. The experimental results showed that the CFRP reinforcement could improve the bearing capacity and deformability of damaged square RC columns under small eccentric compression; however, the reinforcement effect gradually decreased with increasing size. When the cross-sectional dimensions were 100, 200, and 300 mm, the bearing capacity increased by 26.17%, 17.27%, and 12.98%, respectively, and the ductility coefficient increased by 104%, 44.80%, and 35.20%, respectively.
ASSESSMENT OF GLACIER MASS BALANCE IN THE HIMALAYAN-KARAKORAM REGION

Mountain glaciers are susceptible to climate change. Most high-elevation glaciers, including the Himalayan glaciers, have been receding at an unprecedented rate in recent decades. Moreover, most mountain glaciers are found in the Himalayan areas, but field sampling and research efforts are limited due to logistical and financial constraints. From 1997 to 1999, just 6.8 km² of the 33,000 km² were examined in the Himalayan region. Previous studies indicated that Himalayan glaciers have been melting at an alarming rate over the past few decades. The objective of this paper is to review glacier changes, with an emphasis on mass balance changes in the Himalayan-Karakoram ranges, using 15 ISI journal articles published between 2008 and 2017. The acquired data on glacier mass balance was used to create a glacier mass balance change map for quantification using ArcGIS software and Landsat map as base map. The majority of the glaciers in the study area melted at various rates, with the most extensive glacier loss occurring in the west Himalayan highlands and the lowest occurring in the Karakoram region. Therefore, additional scientific research have to be conducted, and significant actions have to be taken at many different levels to prevent the continued loss of glaciers in this area.
A new statistical procedure for testing the presence of a significative correlation in the residuals of stable autoregressive processes

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the asymptotic behavior of the Durbin-Watson statistic for the general stable $p-$order autoregressive process when the driven noise is given by a first-order autoregressive process. We establish the almost sure convergence and the asymptotic normality for both the least squares estimator of the unknown vector parameter of the autoregressive process as well as for the serial correlation estimator associated with the driven noise. In addition, the almost sure rates of convergence of our estimates are also provided. Then, we prove the almost sure convergence and the asymptotic normality for the Durbin-Watson statistic. Finally, we propose a new bilateral statistical procedure for testing the presence of a significative first-order residual autocorrelation and we also explain how our procedure performs better than the commonly used Box-Pierce and Ljung-Box statistical tests for white noise applied to the stable autoregressive process, even on small-sized samples.
Extended Technology Acceptance Model for Digital Wallet Usage

Omni-present Internet access manipulates the current digital transformation. Digital wallet payment is one of the transformations that has reshaped the traditional payment methods and changed consumer’s behaviours in economic exchanges. The digital wallet has accelerated global digital payment volumes. With the situation of COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the adoption of digital wallets has increased due to most consumers reduce the usage of money in the form of physical coins or banknotes as a medium of exchange for products and services. There is a need to identify the underlying factors that encourage consumers to adopt digital wallets as only few studies have focused on digital wallets adoption in Malaysia. Furthermore, most studies use demographic factors such as age, experience and gender to moderate the relationship between determinants and behavioural intention on the adoption of digital wallets. Still, the findings of digital wallet adoption are inclusive. Since COVID-19 wreaks havoc on both global health and economy, therefore, this study proposes a framework and emphasises on the adoption of digital wallets using COVID-19 risk as the potential moderator to extent the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Besides, in this study, the proposed determinants include perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude and behavioural intention. Questionnaire will be distributed to a total of 140 respondents and converted into Google Form for data collection as it is the best way to reduce the physical contact amid COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed research framework will be analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The findings of the study are expected to provide insights and guidelines for government, retailers and future researchers for digital wallet adoption.
ANALYSIS OF MARKETING STRATEGIES IN INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS IN PERUMDA BPR BANK GRESIK

The objective of this research is to determine the application of marketing strategies in increasing the number of customers at PERUMDA BPR Bank Gresik. A qualitative descriptive method was implemented in this research, which is intended to collect facts and elaborate in a detailed and thorough manner according to the problem to be solved. SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, dan Threats) was also employed in this research to find out the strategy conducted by PERUMDA BPR Bank Gresik in increasing the number of customers. The results show that company situation is in Quadrant I (+,+), Progressivity, PERUMDA BPR Bank Gresik carried out economic and trustworthy services to implement the company vision and mission. This position indicates that the company is in a strong position and is already on track. In the future, company still needs to make efforts to maintain this position.
How applicable are scaling laws in predicting slum populations in urban systems? Evidence from India

Recently, we have seen new developments in our understanding of the emergence and organization of cities and urban systems, including application of scaling laws to urban areas. A recent wave of studies has observed consistent behavior of multiple urban measures that scale with city size across geographic and sectoral contexts. However, the extant evidence is lacking in two important ways: first, a wide variety of urban measures still remain unexplored, and second, there is limited evidence from developing countries. This paper offers new evidence on both these fronts: i) applying scaling laws to predict slum population in cities, an urban measure that remains largely unexplored, and ii) applying them in the context of a developing country, India. Results suggest that population alone is not sufficient to predict slum population in India. Conversely, I use empirical results from scaling laws to test established slum growth theories that have influenced policymaking globally for decades, despite having limited empirical evidence to support them. I also show that scaling exponents are sensitive to the way we define urban systems, of which cities are a part, an issue that has been raised in the ongoing methodological debate on urban scaling laws. I believe that findings presented in this paper have implications for advancement of slum theories as well as urban scaling laws by offering new empirical evidence and mechanisms through which such scaling might happen in the context of slums.
An Empirical Study of Macroeconomic Factors and Stock Returns in the Context of Economic Uncertainty News Sentiment Using Machine Learning

Stock markets accurately reflect countries’ economic health, and stock returns are tightly related to economic indices. One popular area of financial research is the factors that influence stock returns. Several investigations have frequently cited macroeconomic factors, among numerous elements. Therefore, this study focuses on the empirical analysis of the relationship between macroeconomic factors and stock market returns. When a stock market becomes increasingly volatile, it becomes susceptible to economic uncertainty news, and information on social media platforms. Thus, we incorporated a new dimension of economic uncertainty news sentiment (EUNS) for stock return predictions. We employed the daily data ofgold index, crude oil price, interest rate, exchange rate, and stock returns for a set of countries from January 2010 to December 2020. Subsequently, to compute coefficients, we conducted a regression analysis using one of the more sophisticated approaches: single-layer neural networks and ordinary least square regression. In addition, we only computed EUNS for the period of the fiscal budget announcement for the US, Turkey, and Hong Kong. The results indicate that the gold index, interest rate, and exchange rate are highly significant and negative macroeconomic factors for all analyzed countries. These findings also indicate that EUNS is important and detrimental for projecting stock returns.
“The Second Sentencing”: A Qualitative Exploration of Women Going Up for Parole

Most prior studies of parole hearings focus on the parole board members’ vantage point rather than the parole-seeking individual. When parole-seeking individuals’ experiences are explored, the research typically uses male samples with few women. Therefore, little is known about parole-seeking women’s experiences. Using a thematic analysis and data from 15 interviews with system-involved women, the current study examines their parole hearing experiences and reflections. Findings contribute to the literature on parole-seeking individuals by explaining women’s feelings throughout the process, the support they receive, and how they prepared for their hearing. The findings inform recommendations for future research and practical implications.
Technological potential of indigenous lactic isolates of an Algerian artisanal cheese: J’ben Elgafs

This study was carried out to identify indigenous lactic acid bacteria from artisan cheese made from raw milk of indigenous cows in order to select potential starter cultures. Nine cheese samples prepared during the periods of milk production which is relative to the abundance of grass in the rangelands, i.e. three samples per season, in summer and autumn 2019 (medium season), in winter (low season) and in spring 2020 (high season), are produced according to traditional techniques and without exogenous seeding. 25 strains are presumptively identified using the reaction REP-PCR with primer (GTG) 5. The results are then confirmed by sequencing the 16S rDNA. Molecular identification reveals the presence of the species Lactococcus lactis , Enterococcus faecalis , Leuconostoc mesenteroides , and finally the isolates of Lactobacillus (Lb) represented by Lb. casei , Lb. fermentum and Lb. acidophilus . Coded isolates of Lactococcus lactis (STRD4) and Enterococcus faecalis (SMRB1) show good acidification capacity and the ability to produce antimicrobial compounds, while coded isolates of Lb. acidophilus (SA3) have good proteolytic capacity and produce exopolysaccharides, and the coded isolates (SHWI2, SHWI3) belonging to the species Leuconostoc mesenteroides , use citrate and produce diacetyl and acetoin. These strains appear to be interesting candidates for addition to the starter culture. This study provided a better understanding of the role of indigenous LAB in the quality of artisanal cheeses and the possibility of using the selected isolates as a potential starter culture for cheese production under controlled conditions.
Examining the Relationships Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Student Generational Status, and Exam Performance in Emerging Adult Undergraduates

Objectives: We aimed to understand how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) correlated with undergraduates’ examination performance, while looking at the contributions of attentional control and resilience. Methods: Students aged 18–25 years were recruited from first-year Psychology classes (Total N = 488). ACE scores, as well as the Attention Control Scale and the Brief Resilience Scale, were measured in conjunction with students’ first exam score of the semester. Results: Participants with no (0) and high (4+) ACE burden had higher resilience compared to those with moderate (1–3) ACE burden. Higher examination scores related to greater levels of attentional control, but no relationship was found with resilience or ACEs. Conclusions: Contrary to predictions, ACEs were related to resilience but in a non-linear fashion. Students with highest ACE burden require further study to understand factors contributing to their academic and personal resilience.
Stress Training Efficacy in an Aviation Context

Stress is regularly introduced in training to prepare troops for stressful environments and situations, although there is very little empirical evidence for stress training's effectiveness, implementation and pedagogy. Twenty novice participants were recruited and assigned to either a stress-trained (cold pressor), treatment group or a control group. Stress training was effective at improving the treatment group’s performance during a final criterion session on an aircraft navigation task compared to the control group. In addition, the stress-trained group showed lower criterion heart rate variability, skin conductance, and subjective stress ratings compared to the control group. This research demonstrates stress training as a viable approach for preparing military members for stressful flight environments and combat, in general. Further research addressing the generalization of these results to novel, real-world stressors is proposed. mitigated.
Transonic inviscid flows past thin airfoils: A new numerical method and global stability analysis using MatLab

In this paper we discuss a novel accurate method for computing transonic flow over lifting and non-lifting aerofoils as governed by the steady Kárman-Guderlay equation. The method is based on using finite-differences in the streamwise direction combined with spectral collocation in the other direction. This is combined with Newton iteration and a direct method for the resulting linear system. The method is fast and very robust and we are able to compute steady flows with strong shocks. Some examples considering both the symmetric and the non symmetric cases are shown and grid size study is also presented. The work has been extended to discuss the stability of the computed flows using methods based on a global stability analysis. This leads to a generalized eigenvalue problem and some results are presented. One advantage of the current approach is that for small grid sizes it is possible do the analysis using MATLAB.
Do Lensing Statistics Rule Out a Cosmological Constant?

We present new calculations of gravitational lensing statistics in view of recent revisions in our knowledge of the luminosity function and internal velocity dispersion of E/S0 galaxies that work as effective lenses for background high-redshift QSOs. We show that the theoretical prediction of the lensing statistics is much smaller than previously expected. In sharp contrast to earlier statistics supporting an Ω0 = 1 universe, the small lensing probability reported from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Snapshot Lens Survey is in best agreement with a low-density, flat universe with Ω0 ≃ 0.2 and Ω0 + λ0 = 1. The age of this universe, combined with the HST measurement of a high value for the Hubble constant H0, can be reconciled with the age of the oldest globular clusters in the Milky Way.
Instability of a front with a layer of uniform potential vorticity

The linear stability of a front whose lower layer has a uniform potential vorticity is investigated. The results are compared with the unstable modes of a frontal model which consists of two homogeneous flows with an interacting interface. Unstable modes with a phase speed close to the velocity of the basic flow in the lower layer, which exist in the frontal model of two homogeneous flows, are stabilized in the present model. This feature is explained by the absence of Rossby waves in the reduced one-layer problem of the lower layer resulting from the uniformity of its potential vorticity. The results show that the stability of a front is strongly affected by the potential vorticity distribution. Careful attention is needed for the application of the frontal model with uniform potential vorticity, which is a critical situation.