Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decentralized Policy Coordination in Mobile Sensing with Consensual Communication

In a typical mobile-sensing scenario, multiple autonomous vehicles cooperatively navigate to maximize the spatial–temporal coverage of the environment. However, as each vehicle can only make decentralized navigation decisions based on limited local observations, it is still a critical challenge to coordinate the vehicles for cooperation in an open, dynamic environment. In this paper, we propose a novel framework that incorporates consensual communication in multi-agent reinforcement learning for cooperative mobile sensing. At each step, the vehicles first learn to communicate with each other, and then, based on the received messages from others, navigate. Through communication, the decentralized vehicles can share information to break through the dilemma of local observation. Moreover, we utilize mutual information as a regularizer to promote consensus among the vehicles. The mutual information can enforce positive correlation between the navigation policy and the communication message, and therefore implicitly coordinate the decentralized policies. The convergence of this regularized algorithm can be proved theoretically under certain mild assumptions. In the experiments, we show that our algorithm is scalable and can converge very fast during training phase. It also outperforms other baselines significantly in the execution phase. The results validate that consensual communication plays very important role in coordinating the behaviors of decentralized vehicles.
Easterly Waves and Perturbations, a Reappraisal

Abstract Analyses of tropical perturbations in the Atlantic Region (commonly referred to as easterly waves), utilizing observations from meteorological satellites, reveal that five distinctly different cloud distributions occur. These patterns are both linear (similar to the classic Riehl model of the easterly wave) and vortical. The vortical patterns appear roost frequently and are often related to a closed cyclonic circulation in the mid-troposphere. Calculations of the horizontal and vertical distributions of divergence and vorticity indicative of the mid-tropospheric circulation in an intense disturbance are shown.
Mechanism of magnetic recovery in the disorder-order transformation of Fe70Al30 mechanically deformed alloys

The degree of order in $\mathrm{Fe}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{Al}$ intermetallic alloys has an important influence on their magnetic properties. Moreover, the deformation of ordered alloys causes a dramatic increase of magnetization. If deformed alloys are heated, their magnetic properties decrease again. The reordering process was monitored by neutron diffraction, M\"ossbauer spectroscopy, and calorimetric measurements on the ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{70}{\mathrm{Al}}_{30}$ crushed alloy. This indicates that the reordering process occurs in two stages. In the first $(150\char21{}200\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\mathrm{C})$ new small B2 phase domains are nucleated due to vacancy migration. A second reordering stage occurs between 300 and $450\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\mathrm{C}$, where dislocation motion induces B2 domain growth and A2 phase elimination. The main mechanism responsible for this decrease of magnetization during the reordering process is the decrease of the disordered A2 phase content in the alloy.
Measurements of turbulent velocity fluctuations in a planar Couette cell

The anisotropy of turbulent velocity fluctuations in a planar Couette cell has been investigated by using homodyne photon correlation spectroscopy (HCS). We find that 〈δvq(l)〉, the mean velocity difference between two points separated by a distance l, is consistent with the scaling behavior 〈δvq(l)〉∝l0.55. These measurements were made at a Reynolds number Re much greater than Rec, where the subcritical transition first occurs. The HCS technique was also used to measure Rec itself.
A physical model of parallel whistler-mode propagation in a weakly relativistic plasma

The process of parallel whistler-mode propagation in a weakly relativistic plasma is interpreted in terms of the periodic energy exchange between wave field and perturbed electron currents. The physical meaning of the thermal and relativistic corrections to the value of the refractive index of these waves in a cold plasma is considered in detail.
Rolled-over Credit Cycles

Canonical macroeconomic and financial models require credit to be equal to its fundamental component, i.e., the net present value of the net flows to creditors. According to this conventional view, credit booms are expected to precede increased flows to creditors. However, data suggests the opposite. To rationalize the novel empirical findings, we develop a model with financial frictions and heterogeneous firms, allowing firms to roll over a fraction of credits indefinitely. We show that an increase in indefinite rollover credit raises the aggregate credit and output while depressing the credit’s fundamental component through firms’ precautionary savings.
Feasibility study of mobile phone photography as a possible outcome measure of systemic sclerosis-related digital lesions

Abstract Objective Clinical trials assessing systemic sclerosis (SSc)-related digital ulcers have been hampered by a lack of reliable outcome measures of healing. Our objective was to assess the feasibility of patients collecting high-quality mobile phone images of their digital lesions as a first step in developing a smartphone-based outcome measure. Methods Patients with SSc-related digital (finger) lesions photographed one or more lesions each day for 30 days using their smartphone and uploaded the images to a secure Dropbox folder. Image quality was assessed using six criteria: blurriness, shadow, uniformity of lighting, dot location, dot angle and central positioning of the lesion. Patients completed a feedback questionnaire. Results Twelve patients returned 332 photographs of 18 lesions. Each patient sent a median of 29.5 photographs [interquartile range (IQR) 15–33.5], with a median of 15 photographs per lesion (IQR 6–32). Twenty-two photographs were duplicates. Of the remaining 310 images, 256 (77%) were sufficiently in focus; 268 (81%) had some shadow; lighting was even in 56 (17%); dot location was acceptable in 233 (70%); dot angle was ideal in 107 (32%); and the lesion was centred in 255 (77%). Patient feedback suggested that 6 of 10 would be willing to record images daily in future studies, and 9 of 10 at least one to three times per week. Conclusion Taking smartphone photographs of digital lesions was feasible for most patients, with most lesions in focus and central in the image. These promising results will inform the next research phase (to develop a smartphone monitoring application incorporating photographs and symptom tracking).
Empirical Likelihood in Partial Linear Error-in-Covariable Model with Censored Data

Abstract This article considers the estimation issue in a partial linear model with error-in-covariable and censored response. The proposed estimator of the parametric function in the model has been proved to be asymptotically normal in the literature. In this article, we shall apply the empirical likelihood method into the censored partial linear model with error-in-covariable. In particular, an empirical log-likelihood ratio of β is proposed and shown to have a limiting distribution of a weighted sum of independent chi-square distribution, which can be used to construct an approximate confidence region for β. Some simulation studies are conducted to compare the empirical likelihood method and normal approximation-based method, which indicate that the former is better.
Bayesian Point Estimation and the PERT Scheduling of Stochastic Activities

Conventional PERT procedures frequently introduce undesirable and often indeterminant biases into the derived time statistics of large-scale complex projects. An alternative scheduling procedure BPERT is developed, employing an activity-based time estimation loss structure and a cost-minimization criterion. Bayesian point estimates are formulated for beta-distributed activity duration times minimizing the potential losses of misestimation. Viewed as certainty equivalents, these time estimates are then aggregated to yield a single project completion time. “Crashing” is introduced, and us implications for BPERT examined. An illustrative example contrasts PERT and BPERT.
Predicting Retention: Sociodemographic, Motivational, and Perceived Social Support Factors

: Low student retention becoming problematic issue in many education institutions in the midst of increasingly fierce competition in higher education. Low student retention reflects educational providers capability in equipping their students to prepare their future. This study examines this issue through sociodemographic factors, motivational, and perceived social support so that strategies can be formulated to increase student retention. Using quantitative research method with first-year student research respondents, the research employed questionnaire in assessing students demographic properties, Academic Motivation Scale (AMS-Indonesian), Academic Retention Scale (ARS), and Multi-dimensional Social Support Scale (MSPSS). Statistical analysis showed that internal motivation and social support contribute significantly toward student retention; while sociodemographic factors do not contribute directly toward student retention. However, there are some interesting findings: 1) Levels of spending is positively correlated with motivation, especially intrinsic and amotivation (reversed); 2) Mother’s level of education, but not father’s, is positively correlated with intrinsic motivation; 3) Students’ whose mothers are working tend to have higher retention on self-related aspect, and motivation on both intrinsic and extrinsic. The conclusion is that first-year students with clear academic goals and perceived sources of support for their academic activities will help to survive and therefore avoid dropping out of college.
Animal research, ethical boundary‐work, and the geographies of veterinary expertise

Abstract The veterinary profession has been relatively understudied in social science, though recent work has highlighted the geographic dimensions of veterinary expertise. This paper draws on in‐depth qualitative interviews with Named Veterinary Surgeons (NVSs) working in UK animal research to demonstrate how and why they distinguish between ethical aspects of veterinary work in the spaces of the laboratory and general clinical practice. The paper mobilises the sociological concept of ethical boundary‐work to help understand how animal research – often assumed to represent a contentious ethical space – is constructed positively as a space for veterinary work. Findings suggest first, that NVSs differentiate between laboratory veterinary‐work and clinical work based on the scale at which veterinary expertise functions in the provision of healthcare to animals. Second, NVSs highlight a geography of veterinary authority in which veterinary expertise is felt to be more successfully applied in the laboratory compared with the clinic, where professional expertise competes with other sources of information and clients' finances and behaviours. Third, NVSs articulate a geography of consistency in which veterinary care in the laboratory is claimed to be more consistent between animals, as opposed to in the clinic, where animal experience may be influenced by individual owner characteristics. Overall, we show how through engaging in this kind of ethical boundary‐work NVSs are not only presenting a form of scientific practice as ‘ethical’, they are also constructing a professional topology of veterinary practice and expertise. Finally, the paper argues for greater attentiveness to veterinary geographies beyond the more routine spaces of veterinary practice.
Applications of a maximised cross-correlation technique for resolving velocity fields in laboratory experiments

SummaryIn this study a maximised cross-correlation technique is applied to two very different experiments. The first is a laminar, slowly developing experiment where the main scales of the motion are comparable to the image size. Here extensive use of multiple passes with the technique and various filters are applied to replace erroneous measurements. The second experiment has both laminar and turbulent regions of flow, and in addition, many of the scales of motion are smaller than the correlation window size. Mean velocities are resolved in this application, as well as a qualitative impression of the turbulent fluctuations.The results from the experiments are discussed, along with the parameters available and how they affect the efficiency of the process. In addition pre- and post-processing options for the technique are examined. The technique proves a viable method that provides good results while using commonly available hardware.
Effects of a Diabetes Self-Management Education Program on Glucose Levels and Self-Care in Type 1 Diabetes: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

(1) Background: Several factors have been associated with the success of health education programs, such contact time, with better results being obtained from more intensive programs and early outcome measurement. Nurses play an essential role in educating patients with diabetes both in disease-management, therapeutic education, and healthy lifestyles promotion as well as emotion management. The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-led educational program based on patients with type 1 diabetes; (2) Methods: An experimental, two-group comparison design, 69 patients participated in the intervention group and 62 in control group. The control group received routine health education and follow-up. The intervention group received intensive educational program led by nurses. The effects were evaluated after 1 and 3 months of intervention; (3) Results: The differences between groups in sensor usage, knowledge, and diabetes self-care three months after the educational program were significant; (4) Conclusions: The program could help type 1 diabetes patients to improve the control rates for blood glucose. The continuous glucose monitoring sensor allowed knowing which parameters improved one and three months after the intervention. The hypothesis of the influence of the emotional state on glucose levels was confirmed.
Electron Collision Cross Sections for the Tetraethoxysilane Molecule and Electron Transport Coefficients in Tetraethoxysilane–O2 and Tetraethoxysilane–Ar Mixtures

A consistent set of low energy electron collision cross sections for tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) molecule has been derived from the measured electron transport coefficients (electron drift velocity W , density-normalized longitudinal diffusion coefficient ND L , ratio of the longitudinal diffusion coefficient to the electron mobility D L /µ, and Townsend first ionization coefficient α/ N ) in pure TEOS molecule and those calculated by using an electron swarm study and a two-term approximation of the Boltzmann equation for energy. The electron transport coefficients calculated using the derived set are consistent with the experimental data over a wide range of E / N values (ratio of the electric field E to the neutral number density N ). The present set of electron collision cross sections for the TEOS molecule, therefore, is the best available so far for quantitative numerical modeling plasma discharges for processing procedures with materials containing TEOS molecules. Electron transport coefficients in TEO.
Coherence-enhanced synchrotron radiology : refraction versus diffraction mechanisms.

Tests performed in different regimes reveal the interplay of two edge-enhancement mechanisms in radiological images taken with coherent synchrotron light. The relative weight of the two mechanisms, related to refraction and to Fresnel edge diffraction, can be changed in a controlled way. This makes it possible to obtain different images of the same object with complementary information.
The Effects of Soluble Dietary Fibers on Glycemic Response: An Overview and Futures Perspectives

The properties of each food, composition, and structure affect the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Dietary fiber (DF), especially viscous DF, can contribute to a reduction in the glycemic response resulting from the consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods. Target and control of postprandial glycemic values are critical for diabetes prevention and management. Some mechanisms have been described for soluble DF action, from the increase in chyme viscosity to the production of short-chain fatty acids resulting from fermentation, which stimulates gastrointestinal motility and the release of GLP-1 and PYY hormones. The postprandial glycemic response due to inulin and resistant starch ingestion is well established. However, other soluble dietary fibers (SDF) can also contribute to glycemic control, such as gums, β-glucan, psyllium, arabinoxylan, soluble corn fiber, resistant maltodextrin, glucomannan, and edible fungi, which can be added alone or together in different products, such as bread, beverages, soups, biscuits, and others. However, there are technological challenges to be overcome, despite the benefits provided by the SDF, as it is necessary to consider the palatability and maintenance of their proprieties during production processes. Studies that evaluate the effect of full meals with enriched SDF on postprandial glycemic responses should be encouraged, as this would contribute to the recommendation of viable dietary options and sustainable health goals.
Varying Importance of Storm Types and Antecedent Conditions for Local and Regional Floods

Local and potentially more impactful regional floods are driven by a combination of precipitation‐triggering storms and antecedent conditions. However, it is yet unclear how the importance of these flood drivers and their interplay differs between local and regional events. Therefore, we assess differences in the compounding drivers of local and regional floods in the United States using newly developed classification schemes for storm types and antecedent conditions. Our results show that the dominant storm type triggering floods is frontal events, in particular those related to mesoscale convective systems. The importance of different storm types varies by season, with frontal mesoscale convective systems being most important in summer, nonfrontal, and extratropical cyclone‐related storms in winter and spring, and tropical cyclones in fall. Our comparison of the drivers of local and regional events shows that the relative importance of different storm types only weakly differs between local and regional floods, while antecedent conditions are clearly distinct. Regional events are in 75% of the cases related to wet antecedent conditions in some cases combined with snowmelt, while local events are more likely to also develop under dry conditions. Over all regions and seasons, regional events are most often the result of a frontal storm combined with wet antecedent conditions, which highlights the important role of compounding flood drivers. This finding suggests that regional flood risk and change assessments should account for the compounding nature of atmospheric and land‐surface flood drivers.
Linear Problems in Linear Problems in pth Order and Stable Processes

This work extends to processes with finite moments of order $p,1 < p < 2$ and to symmetric $\alpha $-stable processes, $1 < \alpha < 2$, some of the basic linear theory known for processes with finite second moments $(p = 2)$ and for Gaussian processes $(\alpha = 2)$. Here the “covariation” plays a role analogous to the covariance. Specifically, stochastic integrals of two types are introduced and studied for pth order processes and in particular for symmetric stable processes. Regression estimates and linear estimates on certain symmetric stable processes are evaluated, including regression and linear filtering of signal in noise. Also, for certain symmetric stable inputs, the identification of a linear system from the input covariation and the input–output cross covariation is considered, and the way the distribution of the output depends on the linear system is studied.
Oral health literacy in Malang City, Indonesia

Dental and oral health are the main indicators of health, well-being, and quality of life. The concept of Oral Health Literacy (OHL) has become important because it regards individual capacity to understand and use dental information to transform into oral health behaviours. Thus, the aim of this study was to discover and describe the OHL status of adults in Malang City and its relationship with sociodemographic status so that it can be used as a basis for making policy. This study used observational analytical study design involving 450 respondents in Malang by quota random sampling method. The data was collected by the self-administered 29-item HeLD-ID (Health Literacy in Dentistry Indonesian Version) questionnaire. The study resulted that the overall HeLD-ID score was 3.68±0.69. The HeLDID score significant difference was affected by sex (p<0.05) and the other sociodemographic determinants (age, last education, and income) were not. However, there were significant differences of HeLD scores in communication domain (p<0.05) affected by age, sex, and income.
Paradoxical effects from stimulus density manipulation provide new insight into the impact of sleep deprivation on PVT performance

Abstract Study Objectives The psychomotor vigilance test (PVT), a 10-min one-choice reaction time task with random response-stimulus intervals (RSIs) between 2 and 10 s, is highly sensitive to behavioral alertness deficits due to sleep loss. To investigate what drives the performance deficits, we conducted an in-laboratory total sleep deprivation (TSD) study and compared performance on the PVT to performance on a 10-min high-density PVT (HD-PVT) with increased stimulus density and truncated RSI range between 2 and 5 s. We hypothesized that the HD-PVT would show greater impairments from TSD than the standard PVT. Methods n = 86 healthy adults were randomized (2:1 ratio) to 38 h of TSD (n = 56) or corresponding well-rested control (n = 30). The HD-PVT was administered when subjects had been awake for 34 h (TSD group) or 10 h (control group). Performance on the HD-PVT was compared to performance on the standard PVTs administered 1 h earlier and 1 h later. Results The HD-PVT yielded approximately 60% more trials than the standard PVT. The HD-PVT had faster mean response times (RTs) and equivalent lapses (RTs > 500 ms) compared to the standard PVT, with no differences between the TSD effects on mean RT and lapses between tasks. Further, the HD-PVT had a dampened time-on-task effect in both the TSD and control conditions. Conclusions Contrary to expectation, the HD-PVT did not show greater performance impairment during TSD, indicating that stimulus density and RSI range are not primary drivers of the PVT’s responsiveness to sleep loss.