Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The PreVOCA experiment: Modeling the Lower Troposphere in the Southeast Pacific

Abstract. The Preliminary VOCALS Model Assessment (PreVOCA) aims to assess contemporary atmospheric modeling of the subtropical South East Pacific, with a particular focus on the clouds and the marine boundary layer (MBL). Models results from fourteen modeling centers were collected including operational forecast models, regional models, and global climate models for the month of October 2006. Forecast models and global climate models produced daily forecasts, while most regional models were run continuously during the study period, initialized and forced at the boundaries with global model analyses. Results are compared in the region from 40° S to the equator and from 110° W to 70° W, corresponding to the Pacific coast of South America. Mean-monthly model surface winds agree well with QuikSCAT observed winds and models agree fairly well on mean weak large-scale subsidence in the region next to the coast. However they have greatly differing geographic patterns of mean cloud fraction with only a few models agreeing well with MODIS observations. Most models also underestimate the MBL depth by several hundred meters in the eastern part of the study region. The diurnal cycle of liquid water path is underestimated by most models at the 85° W 20° S stratus buoy site compared with satellite, consistent with previous modeling studies. The low cloud fraction is also underestimated during all parts of the diurnal cycle compared to surface-based climatologies. Most models qualitatively capture the MBL deepening around 15 October 2006 at the stratus buoy, associated with colder air at 700 hPa.
The Effectiveness of a Training Program Based on Goal Orientations Among Jordanian Students

The present study aimed at exploring the effectiveness of a training program based on goal orientations. A sample of 69 female students at Tala’ Al-Ali School in Jordan was chosen and distributed randomly into the experimental and control groups. To achieve the objectives of this study, the researchers had constructed training program to modify students’ types of goal orientation. Also, the researchers developed the goal orientation scale and obtained good validity and reliability indicators. The results showed that there was a significant statistical difference at the level of α ≤ . 05 in the postscores of the goal orientation domains in favor of the experimental group. In addition, there was no statistical difference at the level of α ≤ . 05 between the posttest and delayed scores in the experimental group indicating the continuity of the effect of the training program on the experimental group.
Impact of Trichloroethylene Exposure on the Microbial Diversity and Protein Expression in Anaerobic Granular Biomass at 37°C and 15°C

Granular biomass from a laboratory-scale anaerobic bioreactor trial was analysed to identify changes in microbial community structure and function in response to temperature and trichloroethylene (TCE). Two bioreactors were operated at 37°C, while two were operated at 15°C. At the time of sampling, one of each temperature pair of bioreactors was exposed to process failure-inducing concentrations of TCE (60 mg L−1) while the other served as a TCE-free control. Bacterial community structure was investigated using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and 16S rRNA gene clone library analysis. Temperature was identified as an important factor for bacterial community composition, while minor differences were associated with trichloroethylene supplementation. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum in all bioreactors, while clone library analysis revealed a higher proportion of Bacteroidetes-, Chloroflexi-, and Firmicutes-like clones at 15°C than at 37°C. Comparative metaproteomics in the presence and absence of TCE was carried out by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE), and 28 protein spots were identified, with putative functions related to cellular processes, including methanogenesis, glycolysis, the glyoxylate cycle, and the methyl malonyl pathway. A good agreement between metaproteomic species assignment and phylogenetic information was observed, with 10 of the identified proteins associated with members of the phylum Proteobacteria.
MedLex+: an integrated corpus-lexicon medical workbench for Swedish

This paper reports on the work carried out developing MedLex+, a medical corpuslexicon workbench for Swedish. This project, which is still under active development, has been going on for some years now within the Department of Swedish language at Goteborg University. At the moment, the workbench incorporates: - an annotated collection of medical texts-including 20 million tokens and 45,000 documents, - a number of language processing software programs, including tools for collocation extraction, compound segmentation and thesaurus-based semantic annotation, and - a lexical database of medical terms-containing 5,000 medical entries. MedLex+ is a multifunctional lexical resource due to a structural design and content which can be easily queried. The medical workbench is intended to support lexicographers compiling lexicons and also lexicon users more or less initiated in the medical domain. MedLex+ can also assist researchers working on either lexical semantics or natural language processing (NLP) applications with focus on medical language. The linguistically and semantically annotated medical texts in combination with a set of smart queries turn the corpora into a rich repository of semasiological and onomasiological knowledge about medical terms and their linguistic, lexical and pragmatic properties. These properties are recorded in the lexical database with a cognitive profile. The MedLex+ workbench seems to offer a constructive help in many different lexical tasks.
Altered exhaled biomarker profiles in children during and after rhinovirus-induced wheeze

Preschool rhinovirus-induced wheeze is associated with an increased risk of asthma. In adult asthma, exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOC) are associated with inflammatory activity. We therefore hypothesised that acute preschool wheeze is accompanied by a differential profile of exhaled VOC, which is maintained after resolution of symptoms in those children with rhinovirus-induced wheeze. We included 178 children (mean±sd age 22±9 months) from the EUROPA cohort comparing asymptomatic and wheezing children during respiratory symptoms and after recovery. Naso- and oropharyngeal swabs were tested for rhinovirus by quantitative PCR. Breath was collected via a spacer and analysed using an electronic nose. Between-group discrimination was assessed by constructing a 1000-fold cross-validated receiver operating characteristic curve. Analyses were stratified by rhinovirus presence/absence. Wheezing children demonstrated a different VOC profile when compared with asymptomatic children (p<0.001), regardless of the presence (area under the curve (AUC) 0.77, 95% CI 0.07) or absence (AUC 0.81, 95% CI 0.05) of rhinovirus. After symptomatic recovery, discriminative accuracy was maintained in children with rhinovirus-induced wheeze (AUC 0.84, 95% CI 0.06), whereas it dropped significantly in infants with non-rhinovirus-induced wheeze (AUC 0.67, 95% CI 0.06). Exhaled molecular profiles differ between preschool children with and without acute respiratory wheeze. This appears to be sustained in children with rhinovirus-induced wheeze after resolution of symptoms. Therefore, exhaled VOC may qualify as candidate biomarkers for early signs of asthma. Children with rhinovirus-induced wheeze have altered exhaled biomarkers both during symptoms and after resolution http://ow.ly/C6vWT
Multimedia Databases

Applications that require multimedia information tend to use extremely large quantities of data. Traditional databases, which are designed for queries over vast amounts of information, would seem to be ideal for managing multimedia resources. However, because of the radically different ways in which multimedia information must be processed, simply using standard relational systems provides insufficient support. Although Object-Oriented and Object-Relational systems are superior in their ability to handle multimedia content, additional support will be necessary to address the unique needs of multimedia applications. This paper discusses some of the motivating needs of Multimedia Databases, the strengths and weaknesses of current products, and why new products will need to support more than current object-based technologies. Introduction As computers have become faster and their ability to store and manipulate information has grown exponentially, computers continue to be taxed by handling information of increasing size and complexity. Multimedia applications were once available only on special-purpose or high-end computers because of their resourceintensive nature. Today, even entry-level computers can adequately handle multimedia content. Just as the ability to process media has improved dramatically, so too has the amount of available multimedia content. The ability to handle multimedia content and the belief that multimedia will enrich computer applications has created a tremendous demand for tools to help manage multimedia information. When we think of multimedia, we often think of graphic and sound-intensive computer programs, especially educational software and video games. Electronic
Experimental Analysis of Optimistic Synchronization Algorithms for Parallel Simulation of Reaction-Diffusion Systems

With the increasing demands for large-scale and fine-resolution models, simulations of the reaction-diffusion systems are becoming more and more time consuming. Combined with the Stochastic Simulation Method (SSA), the Parallel Discrete-Event Simulation (PDES) is a promising approach to utilize the parallelism in these models. Since synchronization algorithms play the key role in PDES, in this paper, we experimentally investigate the performance and scalability of optimistic synchronization algorithms in simulations of reaction-diffusion systems. First, the Abstract Next Subvolume Method(ANSM), a variant of the Next Subvolume Method (NSM), is presented. It integrates the logical process (LP) based modeling paradigm with several simulation algorithms including both sequential and parallel execution. Second, based on ANSM, three optimistic synchronization algorithms, including a pure optimistic approach, an optimistic approach with risk-free message sending,and a hybrid approach combined the above two are respectively plugged into the simulation. Third, a group of experiments are conducted to study the characteristics of the synchronization algorithms in the parallel simulation of a typical reaction-diffusion systems. The results show that comparing with the pure optimistic approaches, moderate optimistic approaches are more suitable for the stochastic simulation of reaction-diffusion systems, with respect to both the performance and the scalability.
A Comparison of Two Equivalent Real Formulations for Complex-Valued Linear Systems

Many iterative linear solver packages focus on real-valued systems and do not deal well with complex-valued systems, even though preconditioned iterative methods typically apply to both real and complex-valued linear systems. Instead, commonly available packages such as PETSc [1] and Aztec [2] tend to focus on the real-valued systems, while complex-valued systems are seen as a late addition. At the same time, by changing the complex problem into an equivalent real formulation (ERF), a real valued solver can be used. In this paper we consider two ERF’s that can be used to solve complex-valued linear systems. We investigate the spectral properties of each and show how each can be preconditioned to move eigenvalues in a cloud around the point (1,0) in the complex plane. Finally, we consider an interleaved formulation, combining each of the previously mentioned approaches, and show that the interleaved form achieves a better outcome than either separate ERF.
Developing rigor in qualitative research: problems and opportunities within sport and exercise psychology

ABSTRACT Qualitative research has grown within sport and exercise psychology and is now widely conducted. The purpose of this review is to discuss three commonly used ways to demonstrate rigor when conducting or judging qualitative research in sport and exercise psychology. These are the method of member checking, the method of inter-rater reliability, and the notion of universal criteria. Problems with each method are first highlighted. Member checking and inter-rater reliability are shown to be ineffective for verification, trustworthiness, or reliability purposes. Next, universal criteria within the context of Tracy’s, heavily drawn on paper within sport and exercise psychology is problematized. Throughout the discussion of each method and universal criteria more suitable possibilities for conducting rigorous qualitative research are offered. The paper concludes that to support high-quality qualitative research, scholars – including journal editors and reviewers – need to change how rigor is developed and judged, rather than perpetuate the problems with how it has been commonly evaluated in the past. Recommendations for developing rigor when conducting and/or judging qualitative research within sport and exercise psychology are also offered.
Inverse Viterbi algorithm as learning procedure and application to optimization in the string instrument fingering problem

The realization of a certain function is implemented as a minimization principle. The input is specified by activating a subnetwork of the network and the output by finding the best path connecting the first layer to the last layer of the active subnetwork. This formulation is very attractive because of the existence of fast parallel algorithms for the implementation of the forward phase and because of the simplicity and speed of the learning phase algorithm that the authors propose. A large class of functions can naturally be implemented within this framework. The particular application chosen is that of the optimization problem for stringed instrument fingering. <<ETX>>
Long‐term acclimatization to high‐altitude hypoxia modifies interhemispheric functional and structural connectivity in the adult brain

Structural and functional networks can be reorganized to adjust to environmental pressures and physiologic changes in the adult brain, but such processes remain unclear in prolonged adaptation to high‐altitude (HA) hypoxia. This study aimed to characterize the interhemispheric functionally and structurally coupled modifications in the brains of adult HA immigrants.
Political Connectedness and Firm Performance: Evidence from Germany

Abstract This paper investigates politically connected firms in Germany. With the introduction of a new transparency law in 2007, information on additional income sources for all members of the German parliament became publicly available. We find that members of the conservative party (CDU/CSU) and the liberal party (FDP) are more likely to work for firms than members of left-wing parties (SPD and The Left) or the green party (Alliance 90/The Greens). Politically connected firms are larger, less risky and have lower market valuations than unconnected firms. They also have fewer growth opportunities, but slightly better accounting performance. On the stock market, connected firms significantly outperformed unconnected firms in 2006, i.e. before the publication of the data on political connections. Differences in stock market performance were much smaller in 2007.
Thymic medullary structures: Microscopical picture of the thymic medullary structures in children with congenital heart defects

The aim of this work is to describe the structure of the thymus, especially its medullary part, in children with congenital heart defects. It is known that development of the thymus and the heart is also influenced by neural crest cells. During the early development of the heart and the thymus cells proliferate and migrate to their primordia. It is known that inadequate cephalic neural crest contribution during development of pharyngeal pouch derivatives results in defective organogenesis of the face, the thymus, parathyroid glands and also the heart. We studied the structure of the thymus in children with congenital heart defects from 0 to 12 years of life at light microscopic and electron-microscopic levels. Thymuses of the patients were surgically removed in the Children’s Cardiocenter in Bratislava. The results of our study confirmed the differences in the medullary structures of thymuses with chosen diagnoses. Hassall’s corpuscles in the thymic medulla were various in size and also in structure and number. The special structures of the thymic medullary region in children with ventricular septal defects and defects of outflow of the heart were big cystic Hassall’s corpuscles. In comparison with a size of Hassall’s corpuscles in normal thymuses the size of Hassall’s corpuscles in studied thymuses suprisingly ranged between 100–250 μm.
Building Knowledge Bases with Universal Schema: Cold Start and Slot-Filling Approaches

We compare the performance of two different relation prediction architectures based on the same relation predictors. The knowledge base construction architecture builds a complete knowledge base for the entire corpus, and commits to entity linking and clustering decisions ahead of time. The query-driven slot ﬁlling architecture can make entity expansion and retrieval decisions on the ﬂy, and has the ﬂexibility to trade precision for recall. We use a wide range of established and novel techniques for our relation extraction components. They include distant supervision-based clas-siﬁers (SVM and convolutional neural nets), rule-based extractors, and semi-supervised matrix embedding methods taking into account all co-occurrences of surface patterns and entities in the corpus (universal schema).
ICA+OPCA for artifact-robust classification of EEG data

EEG-based brain computer interface (BCI) provides a new communication channel between human brain and computer. An important task in an EEG-based BCI system is to analyze EEG patterns. EEG data is a multivariate time series, so hidden Markov model (HMM) might be a good choice for classification. However EEG is very noisy data and contains artifacts, thus the extraction of features that are robust to noise and artifacts is important. In this paper we present a method, which employ both independent component analysis (ICA) and oriented principal component analysis (OPCA) for artifact-robust feature extraction. The high performance of our method is confirmed by experimental study on classifying EEG into 4 categories, which consist of left/right/up/down movements during imagination.
Adaptive Psychopathy: Empathy and Psychopathy are Not Mutually Exclusive

This work tests one assumption of the Adaptive Psychopathy hypothesis, namely that empathy and psychopathy are not mutually exclusive for normal-range psychopathy. In earlier work, a Directional Vector was operationalized, testing the core assumption of new theory. Experimental participants were 34 university students studying psychology (38% were male, M=22.08, SD=2.53 years and 62% were female, M=25.33 years, SD=8.33) who were presented with an ideographic nomothetic scenario designed to rouse a survival threat. This exposure elicited elevations in participants' state psychopathy levels, for targets (termed moral deviants) with no change in psychopathy levels for the control group. Hypothesis testing using the Moral Inversion Method, confirmed the retention of empathy for individuals, outside the quarantined zone, not affected by moral inversion. Consistent with hypotheses, empathy was sacrificed for quarantined moral deviant targets, and elevations in state psychopathy emerged, directionally, for moral deviants. Findings of the current research are summarized with the new theoretical term, the Directional Empathy hypothesis. This work extends findings of prior research by testing the theoretical tenet that empathy and psychopathy are not mutually exclusive for normal-range psychopathy. It furthers prior work that formulated the foundations of two heuristics termed the Adaptive Psychopathy Hypothesis, and its theoretical basis for the State-Psychopathy Hypothesis. Both terms deploy the Moral Inversion Method to derive empirical support in tests of the assumptions of new theory about psychopathy and its posited adaptive basis. Bates et al. established the basis of the State Psychopathy Hypothesis. Earlier work references the Directional Vector hypothesis, which tested the mechanistic features of new theory, and the basis upon which to elicit elevations in psychopathy levels for normal populations. A selective review of the empathy literature follows, which precedes the adaptation of new theory, in order to test the relationship between empathy and psychopathy expression for people with normal-range psychopathy. The experimental work extends the Directional Vector hypothesis, by defining empathy levels for targets both inside and outside the quarantined zone of the psychopathic modular mind.
Application of sparse coding with spatial pyramid matching for face expression classification

In this work I evaluate the performance of image classification method based on spatial pyramid matching for sparse codes, using the JAFFE database of facial expressions. I show that the method is comparable to other methods, typically used for such datasets, and I also introduce some attempts that I made towards the improvement of the algorithm.
Design and Optimization of Digital Signal Components Separator of LINC Transmitters Using FPGA Processors

This paper presents a comparative study of the performances of various digital signal components separator topologies for linear amplification using non linear components based transmitters. The topologies studied use different subcomponents to perform the most computationally demanding part of the digital signal components separator that is the calculation of the square root function. Three cases are considered: the square root function is implemented using a commercially available square root mega-function, a custom designed square root function, and a one dimensional look-up table. The measurement results show that all topologies achieve comparable throughput performances. However, the look-up table implementation reduces the computational complexity and improves the achievable accuracy.
The use of topiramate in refractory status epilepticus

In cases of refractory status epilepticus (RSE) unresponsive to sequential trials of multiple agents, a suspension of topiramate administered via nasogastric tube was effective in aborting RSE, including one patient in a prolonged pentobarbital coma. Effective dosages ranged from 300 to 1,600 mg/d. Except for lethargy, no adverse events were reported.
Microcubes aided photonic jet scalpel tips for potential use in ultraprecise laser surgery

The task of development of compact light-focusing tools for biomedical applications is challenging due to subwavelength focusing in such devices. In this study we have shown that it is possible to focusing light beyond the diffraction limit by 3D mesoscale particles in application to laser scalpel tips for potential use in ultraprecise laser surgery. The focusing properties as a single as a chain of cubic particles including metamaterials are discussed to form ultraprecise subdiffraction area both axisymmetrical and curvelinear (photonic hook scalpel).