Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Real-Time Travel Time Estimates Using Media Access Control Address Matching

Although travel time is a widely-used highway performance measure, it can be difficult to estimate. Since consumer electronics such as cell phones, MP3 players and global positioning system devices with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capability already contain unique digital fingerprints called media access control (MAC) addresses, they offer promise as a way to collect link travel times. This paper reports on the use of a prototype system to log and time-stamp wireless MAC addresses at selected sample locations. If these unique MAC addresses are simultaneously logged at multiple locations, the unique MAC addresses can be matched using traditional matching algorithms, and the difference in time stamps can be used to estimate travel time. A field study was conducted at arterial and freeway corridor locations in Indianapolis to evaluate the use of time-stamped MAC addresses acquired from Bluetooth devices to estimate freeway and arterial travel times. Findings indicate that travel time trends were easy to discern by visual inspection and demonstrate the feasibility of using MAC address matching for travel time estimation. Data from arterial highways showed a significantly larger variance compared to data from the freeways due to the impacts of traffic signals and the noise that is introduced when motorists divert from the network. Potential future applications of this technology are described.
Long telomeres: A new prognostic factor for severity in triple-negative breast cancer patients

Telomeres play an important role in various cancer types, where gradual telomere shortening associated with mitotic division leads to cell senescence and apoptosis in early steps of transformation [1]. Abnormal telomere length (TL) may have prognostic significance of malignancy and cancer risk. There is growing evidence from cancer susceptibility and population studies that points to a correlation between genetic variants that shorten TL and an increased risk of cancer [2]. By contrast, reduced telomere shortening induced by mutations in the POT1 gene, encoding a member of the shelterin complex involved in telomere maintenance, lead to long telomeres and tumour progression in several cancer types such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, colorectal cancer, melanoma, glioma and angiosarcoma [3]. In breast cancer, TL has been frequently evaluated but previous studies did not establish robust prognostic and/or predictive correlations between TL and any of the three main molecular subtypes [4]. Previously, short but not long telomeres were suggested to be associated with more aggressive breast cancer subtypes [5]. TL does not seem to be associated with increased breast cancer risk either [6,7]. Lack of significant evidence can be explained by the recent observation that chemotherapy affects TL [8]. Thus, treatment-naïve patients should be considered in the studies that aim to correlate TL with disease susceptibility or clinical course, since chemotherapy-modified TL can bias the true biological associations.
Analysis of Segregation Ratio Distortion and Linkage Mapping in Two Switchgrass F1 Populations: Lowland-lowland and Lowland-upland Using Genotyping by Sequencing Data

Background: Switchgrass is an emerging bioenergy crop due to its perennial nature, high biomass yield, and ability to grow in marginal land. The high genetic diversity in switchgrass germplasm can be exploited to capture favorable traits that increase the range of adaptation and biomass yield. Genetic diversity can be explored using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that next-generation sequencing has made possible for high-throughput genotyping. We used genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) of genomic fragments resulting from two methylation sensitive restriction enzymes: PstI and MspI . Two bi-parental F1 populations were developed from crosses between lowland B6 and lowland AP13 (AB population), and lowland B6 with upland VS16 genotypes (BV population), with a target number of 298 progenies in each population. Pseudo-testcross strategy was adopted to perform linkage analysis in these populations that are segregating for winter dormancy using single dose markers (SDA): heterozygous in one parent and homozygous in the other parent. We compared the amount of polymorphisms between the two crosses and examined the pattern of segregation distortion based on the SNPs data generated. Results: Two genetic maps were generated for each population, with 2772 markers in AB and 3766 markers in BV. The higher number of markers in the BV population was expected for since the parents originated from different ecotypes and verified to have the highest genetic distance. More segregation distortion was observed in markers located in the telomeric regions where more genes reside. More markers from the AB population exhibited segregation distortion compared to the BV, and the proportion of heterozygous alleles were significantly higher than homozygous alleles in AB population. The linkage maps showed strong collinearity with P. virgatum V5.1 reference genome with a very minimal number of markers originating from different chromosomes. Conclusion: Understanding the extent of segregation distortion in switchgrass crosses is important for the correct inclusion of markers based on their segregation ratio when constructing a linkage map. Switchgrass linkage maps should be a useful resource to dissect beneficial biomass traits linked to SNP markers.
Creating Incremental Models of Indoor Environments through Omnidirectional Imaging

In this work, an incremental clustering approach to obtain compact hierarchical models of an environment is developed and evaluated. This process is performed using an omnidirectional vision sensor as the only source of information. The method is structured in two loop closure levels. First, the Node Level Loop Closure process selects the candidate nodes with which the new image can close the loop. Second, the Image Level Loop Closure process detects the most similar image and the node with which the current image closed the loop. The algorithm is based on an incremental clustering framework and leads to a topological model where the images of each zone tend to be clustered in different nodes. In addition, the method evaluates when two nodes are similar and they can be merged in a unique node or when a group of connected images are different enough to the others and they should constitute a new node. To perform the process, omnidirectional images are described with global appearance techniques in order to obtain robust descriptors. The use of such technique in mapping and localization algorithms is less extended than local features description, so this work also evaluates the efficiency in clustering and mapping techniques. The proposed framework is tested with three different public datasets, captured by an omnidirectional vision system mounted on a robot while it traversed three different buildings. This framework is able to build the model incrementally, while the robot explores an unknown environment. Some relevant parameters of the algorithm adapt their value as the robot captures new visual information to fully exploit the features’ space, and the model is updated and/or modified as a consequence. The experimental section shows the robustness and efficiency of the method, comparing it with a batch spectral clustering algorithm.
A study on compensator to educe potential human skill

This paper deals with a new scheme of educing human potential skill from the viewpoint of transfer characteristics of human in manual control systems, in which a new compensator called "performance educer" works as an input filter of human. The fundamental idea of this paper is based on the previous works of the authors to represent skill level of human as a few aspects of transfer function. A preliminary experiment and its results are also shown in this paper by which the validity of performance educer is seen.
Civil Aircraft Aero-thermo-propulsive Performance Assessment by an Exergy Analysis of High-fidelity CFD-RANS Flow Solutions

A new exergy-based formulation is derived for the assessment of the aerothermopropulsive performance of civil aircraft. The choice of exergy is motivated by its ability to provide a well-established and consistent framework for the design of aerospace vehicles. The output of the derivation process is an exergy balance between the exergy supplied by a propulsion system or by heat transfer, the mechanical equilibrium of the aircraft, and the exergy outflow and destruction within the control volume. The theoretical formulation is subsequently numerically implemented in a Fortran code named ffx for the post-processing of CFD-RANS flow solutions. Unpowered airframe configurations are examined with grid refinement studies and a turbulence model sensitivity analysis is performed. A numerical correction is introduced and calibrated to obtain an accuracy similar to the near-field drag method. The code is thereby validated against well-tried methods of drag prediction and wind-tunnel tests, when available. The investigation of powered configurations demonstrates the ability of the approach for assessing the performance of configurations with aerothermopropulsive interactions. First, the formulation is validated for the simple case of a turbojet engine for which consistent figures of merit are exhibited. The method is also proved robust for assessing the overall performance of a boundary layer ingesting propulsion system placed on the upper surface of a simplified blended wing-body architecture. Moreover, this configuration enables the investigation of thermopropulsive interactions by the transfer of heat upstream of the propulsion system. Subsequently, the integration of a heat exchanger on a commercial aircraft is examined for which the exergy point of view provides guidelines for an efficient design. The ability of the formulation to consistently assess all these types of subsystems is a clear benefit of this method.
Risk Taking Analysis of Beginner Investors in East Java Indonesia

This study is to determine financial behavior, especially risk taking of beginner investors in East Java, Indonesia. It is to test the variables of financial literacy, overconfidence and risk perception that affect the risk taking of beginner investors. The population in this study was all beginner investors in East Java, Indonesia. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling, using a sample of 150 respondents. This study used a survey and the analysis technique used was multiple linear regressions. The results showed that financial literacy had a significant positive effect on risk taking, overconfidence had a significant positive effect on risk taking but risk perception had a significant negative effect on risk taking. Based on the research results, it shows that financial literacy, overconfidence and risk perception are important factors that must be considered in making risk decisions, especially in the application of risk management.
Role-specific critical success factors in incident management : case energy management system company

Korhonen, Antti Juhani Role-specific Critical Success Factors in Incident Management / Antti Korhonen Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2010. 86 pages Master’s thesis in Information Systems Science The main goal of the thesis is to find out the Critical Success Factors (CSF) for the roles involved in the Incident Management Process (IMP). As Incident Management is often among the first IT service management processes that organizations implement, more understanding on the process is needed. The thesis approaches the subject based on the roles involved in the process. To define the subject matter, the emerging branch of services science is presented based on literature along with the concepts of IT service management and Service Level Agreements (SLA). The presentation of IMP is based on the IT service management frameworks of ITIL and CobiT. Even though the frameworks have increased in popularity, there is still only a limited amount of scientific research on them. This thesis consists of two separate presentations of role-specific CSFs for IMP. The first presentation is a collection of CFSs derived from the frameworks with some additions from existing scientific research. The second presentation is based on interviews with employees working in the roles of IMP at a case study company, an energy management system company. The CSFs of the two presentations are quite similar when they are compared to each other. However, for some of the CSFs in the second presentation, the interviewees gave more specific definitions as they related to the case study company.
PRESTRESSED CONCRETE HIGHWAY PAVEMENT AT DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: RESEARCH PROGRESS REPORT TO ONE HUNDRED DAYS

THIS FIRST PRESTRESSED 24-FOOT HIGHWAY PAVEMENT IN THE U.S.A. HAS 6-INCH SLABS FROM 400 TO 760 FEET LONG BETWEEN TRANSVERSE STEEL BULKHEAD DOWELED JOINTS. TWELVE 1/2-INCH 7-WIRE STRANDS WERE POST-TENSIONED AT BOTH ENDS OF EACH SLAB TO 29,000 POUNDS IN THREE STEPS. THE 200-PSI LONGITUDINAL PRESTRESS PREVENTED TRANSVERSE CRACKS AT EARLY AGE. A DOUBLE LAYER OF POLYETHYLENE ON THE CEMENT-TREATED BASE REDUCED FRICTION. STUDIES OF SLAB MOVEMENTS GAVE FRICTION COEFFICIENTS OF ABOUT 0.5 FOR THE DAILY FRICTIONAL RESTRAINT STRESSES. IN THREE SLABS, THE STRANDS WERE IN STEEL TUBING, GROUTED AFTER PRESTRESSING; IN THREE, THE PREFABRICATED TENDONS WERE GREASED AND PLASTIC ENCASED. HAVING THE STRANDS ONE-HALF INCH BELOW MID-DEPTH PREVENTED SLAB LIFT AT THE ENDS. STRAND FRICTION WAS 16 POUNDS PER FOOT IN STEEL TUBING, BUT 40 POUNDS IN THE PLASTIC. AT MID-LENGTH OF THE 760-FOOT SLAB, STRAND TENSION WAS UNDER 14,000 POUNDS, AND THE 95-PSI PRESTRESS WAS TOO LOW TO PREVENT TENSION DURING CONTRACTION. A CRACK OPENED NEAR MID-LENGTH DURING A 60-DEGREE TEMPERATURE DROP. CONTROLLED TESTS WITH 10- AND 17-TON AXLE LOADS BEFORE OPENING THE ROAD REVEALED FOUNDATION CONSOLIDATIONS UNDER INITIAL AXLE LOADS. THE HIGHEST LOAD STRESSES WERE UNDER WHEELS AT PAVEMENT AND JOINT EDGES.
EPIDEMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF PATIENTS WITH COVID-19 IN RUSSIA.

Active epidemic process in Russia started in the March, 2020 after beginning the local transmission. At the end of June approximately 650 thousands COVID-19 cases were recorded in Russia. Aim of study: epidemical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 in Russia Materials and methods: statistic analysis of database of COVID-19 in Russia during the first half of 2020. Majority of cases in a group aged 0-17 years old was mild. Patients > 65 years and above were registered with a moderate and severe forms of COVID-19, what shows that this group needs a special attention. The biggest part of all the cases was in a group of people of employable age. This fact shows that control of restrictive measures has to be performed as a main stream in this group. In case of delayed initial medical service COVID-19 had more moderate and severe forms.
How Notice-and-Takedown Regimes Create Markets for Music on YouTube: An Empirical Study

In theory, notice-and-takedown regimes can lower transaction costs by facilitating communication between users and copyright owners, especially where content filtering automates much of the process. This market study tests the transaction costs theory by tracking 90 songs on YouTube that reached number one on the U.S., French, and Brazilian pop charts from 1930 to 1960. The data collected includes the identity of the uploader, type of upload, number of views, date of upload, and monetization status. YouTube uploads of a sample of 385 popular songs from 1919-1926 are also charted. An analysis of the data demonstrates that the DMCA safe harbor system as applied to YouTube helps maintain public access to many old songs by allowing those possessing copies (primarily infringers) to communicate relatively costlessly with copyright owners to satisfy the market of potential listeners.
Impact of mobility aids on people with multiple sclerosis

The use of mobility assistive (MAT) devices has been pointed out as important factors to improve impaired mobility. The overall purpose of the study was to investigate the benefits of a new MAT device among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). This dissertation was based on three studies that investigated characteristics of MAT devices mostly used by adults with MS and the compliance of scooters, popular MAT devices among this population within three studies.The first study was a systematic literature review of research related to the use of mobility assistive technology (MAT) devices among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Results of this systematic review showed that there are limited numbers of articles with higher levels of evidence were found in regards to use of MAT benefits specifically for adults with MS. The second study investigated the impact of MAT devices on quality of life, community participation and satisfaction with MAT devices of this population. We collected information of participants who came to two specialized seating and mobility clinics in Western Pennsylvania and MS support groups. Overall, participants' reported an increase in physical independence among participants who received new MAT devices. Satisfaction with MAT device at follow up increased particularly among participants who transitioned from non-wheeled to wheeled MAT devices. The third study investigated compliance of 4 scooter models with ANSI/RESNA standards. Our results suggest that scooters currently available may not meet ANSI/RESNA standards. These results have serious implications to the users who rely on these devices to conduct their daily activities. Furthermore, these results indicate that the regulatory framework to ensure these devices are safe may need to be revised.
Technical efficiency and socioeconomic effects on poverty dynamics among cassava-based farming households in rural Nigeria

ABSTRACT Despite a large scale government investment to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, rural poverty remains widespread in Nigeria. However, technical efficiency effects on the transitory poverty have not received much attention in the poverty literature in Nigeria due to lack of nationally representative panel data that can track the poverty status of households over time. Using a two-wave panel data between 2010 and 2015, technical efficiency and socioeconomic effects on poverty dynamics of cassava-based rural farming households in Nigeria was investigated. Results showed that 14.9% of the cassava farming households moved into poverty while 31.6% exited poverty. In the long run, the probability that rural cassava-based farmers would be non-poor (74%) was higher than those remaining in poverty. Two out of five (42.2%) cassava-based farmers who were always poor exited technical inefficiency. A large number of farmers were actively involved in mono-cropping and mixed cropping but 29.7%, 26.0% and 16.6% of those involved in mono-cropping were always poor, entered and exited poverty, respectively. Tertiary education, marital status, access to extension, farm size, membership of association, farming systems and technical efficiency were factors influencing poverty transitions in rural Nigeria.
Anti-capitalism: A Beginner's Guide

Specifically, the book tackles the question: Who exactly are the anti-capitalists and what do they want? Simon Tormey examines the ideas of the various components that make up the movement: the anarchists and Marxists, the greens and environmentalists, the anti-corporate activists and autonomists, among many others. He looks in detail at how the movement operates its reliance on a unique combination of word-of-mouth, the internet, and communications technology. The examples he draws on include the efforts of the Zapatistas, who helped the indigenous peoples of the Chiapas region of Mexico to establish an autonomous zone beyond the clutches of the Mexican state.
Consistency and change in Finnish broadcasting policy : the implementation of digital television and lessons from the Canadian experience

Konsistens och forandring i finlandsk etermediapolitik. Implementering av digital television och en jamforelse med Kanada Avhandlingen handlar om hur det finlandska televisionssystemet forandrades i slutet av 1990-talet fran en nationell institution till ett dualistiskt system som praglas av stark marknadsorientering. Syftet med avhandlingen ar att forsta pa vilket satt en sa snabb forandring kunde ske och analysera de institutionella faktorerna bakom utvecklingen. Pa teoretisk niva diskuteras tesen om det nara sambandet mellan statliga politiska institutioner och rundradioverksamhetens institutioner. Avhandlingen bestar av tva fallstudier. Den forsta satter fokus pa de forsta aren av den finlandska televisionens digitaliseringsprocess som startade med starka industriell-nationalistiska motiveringar. Analysen, som baserar pa offentliga dokument, stracker sig framtill hosten 2001 da de digitala televisionssandningarna startade och regeringspropositionen om den nya kommunikationsmarknadslagen lamnades till riksdagen. Dessa policy-processer analyseras som en ”marknadisering” av de traditionella styrningsprinciper och ideer gallande finlandsk rundradioverksamheten. En jamforelse mellan Finlands och Kanadas nationella rundradiopolitik gor att man kan koppla slutsatserna till den internationella utvecklingen. Jamforelsen visar hur kommunikationspolitiska linjen i de tva landerna har kommit att likna varandra trots att landernas tv-system och deras styrordningar ar mycket olika. Exemplet med Kanada visar att den sarskilda teknologin inte ar viktig utan snarare de kommersiella intressen som star bakom och som beslutsfattare garna doljer i en nationalistisk retorik. Studien visar att det ar viktigt att beakta vilken tyngd man i politiken ger de tva sidor som rundradioverksamheten bestar av: sandningsteknologin och verksamheten som en speciell kulturform. Nationalstatens handlingsutrymme minskar inom faltet om malet ar att vara framgangsrik i konkurrensen i den nya internationella ekonomin. Enligt de nyliberalistiska principer som det politiska systemet overlag har tillagnat sig det ar onskvard men ocksa helt inhemska institutionella traditioner och praxis som foljdes i den finlandska digitaliseringsprocessen framjade utvecklingen som ledde till att nastan alla ursprungliga nationella syften foll sonder.
Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health

Every day, over 200 million Americans consume food products made of wheat. As a result, over 100 million of them experience some form of adverse health effect, ranging from minor rashes and high blood sugar to the unattractive stomach bulges that preventive cardiologist William Davis calls "wheat bellies. " According to Davis, that excess fat has nothing to do with gluttony, sloth, or too much butter: It's due to the whole grain wraps we eat for lunch. After witnessing over 2,000 patients regain their health after giving up wheat, Davis reached the disturbing conclusion that wheat is the single largest contributor to the nationwide obesity epidemic - and its elimination is key to dramatic weight loss and optimal health. In "Wheat Belly", Davis exposes the harmful effects of what is actually a product of genetic tinkering and agribusiness being sold to the public as "wheat" - and provides readers with a user-friendly, step-by-step plan to navigate a new, wheat-free lifestyle. Informed by cutting-edge science and nutrition, along with case studies from men and women who have experienced life-changing transformations in their health after waving goodbye to wheat, "Wheat Belly" is an illuminating look at what is truly making people sick and an action plan to clear our plates of this seemingly benign ingredient.