Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Particle size distribution and particle mass measurements at urban,near-city and rural level in the Copenhagen area and Southern Sweden

Particle size distribution (size-range 3-900 nm) and PM10 was measured simultaneously at an urban back- ground station in Copenhagen, a near-city background and a rural location during a period in September-November 2002. The study investigates the contribution from urban versus re- gional sources of particle number and mass concentration. The total particle number (ToN) and NOx are well cor- related at the urban and near-city level and show a distinct diurnal variation, indicating the common traffic source. The average ToN at the three stations differs by a factor of 3. The observed concentrations are 2500 # cm 3 , 4500 # cm 3 and 7700 # cm 3 at rural, near-city and urban level, respectively. PM10 and total particle volume (ToV) are well correlated between the three different stations and show similar con- centration levels, in average within 30% relative difference, indicating a common source from long-range transport that dominates the concentrations at all locations. Measures to reduce the local urban emissions of NOx and ToN are likely to affect both the street level and urban background concentrations, while for PM10 and ToV only measurable effects at the street level are probable. Taking into account the supposed stronger health effects of ultrafine particles reduction measures should address particle number emissions. The traffic source contributes strongest in the 10-200 nm particle size range. The maximum of the size distribution shifts from about 20-30 nm at kerbside to 50-60 nm at ru- ral level. Particle formation events were observed in the 3- 20 nm size range at rural location in the afternoon hours, mainly under conditions with low concentrations of pre- existing aerosol particles. The maximum in the size distribution of the "traffic con- tribution" seems to be shifted to about 28 nm in the urban
A Validation Frame Work Design Concept for Mutation based Evaluation of Integrated Performance of Avionics Systems of Unmanned Air Vehicles

The Avionics of an Unmanned Air Vehicle comprises of a number of Flight-Critical and Mission-Critical systems and a pilot-vehicle interface with complex real-time performance capabilities. Verification of integrated dynamic performance of such systems in an Avionics Integration Rig is a challenging task in terms of achieving sufficient test adequacy and inclusion of optimization in test case design. As the complexity of the systems increases, generating effective test cases to improve test adequacy and an optimistic way of classification of test case combinations becomes a necessity. This paper proposes a Validation Framework Design for Integrated Evaluation of Avionics Systems in a Rig with the introduction of various classifications of mutant operator models required for Mutation Testing, to achieve both the above factors required for evaluation of an Integrated Avionics System with respect to its System Level Specifications and Functional Performance. General Terms Integration, Simulation, Validation, Mutation
User Interface Considerations to Facilitate Negotiations in Collaborative Spatial Decision Support Systems

In this paper, we describe the founding phases in the design of a collaborative spatial decision support system, Collaborative Spatial Multicriteria Evaluator (CoSpaME). Our approach is influenced to a large extent by the existing body of research in Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). CSCW researchers study collaborative activities in the real world and design collaboration enabling technologies. There is a broad consensus in this community about the essential role that negotiations play in the coordination of work activities in collaborative settings. We argue that when designing collaborative SDSSs, significant design effort has to be focussed on supporting negotiations. This is to be done in addition to interactive data visualisations which have naturally been of primary interest to GIS researchers. We illustrate our strategy with reference to a prototypical CoSpaME for illustrating the potential impact that simple interface considerations have on facilitating negotiations among peer decision makers.
Egypt 5 Years After the Revolution

This study employs the uses and gratifications perspective to examine the motives that led a sample of 466 university students in Egypt to view television news and political programs and whether those motives and the frequency of exposure to media predict political efficacy, support for democracy, and political cynicism. The outcomes revealed that motives for viewing were Support in Discussions, Watchdog on Government, Reinforcement, Opinion Formation, Information, and the Free Marketplace of Information. Although Support in Discussions predicted political efficacy and the Free Marketplace of Information negatively predicted it, levels of prediction were not powerful. Support for democracy was weakly predicted by Information, Support in Discussions, the Free Marketplace of Information, and Watchdog on Government. Political cynicism was not predicted by any media variables. The motives for media use are discussed in relation to the political psyche of Egyptians and the political conditions affecting Egypt after the revolution.
Heat Transfer Enhancement and Entropy Generation of Nanofluids Laminar Convection in Microchannels with Flow Control Devices

The heat transfer enhancement and entropy generation of Al2O3-water nanofluids laminar convective flow in the microchannels with flow control devices (cylinder, rectangle, protrusion, and v-groove) were investigated in this research. The effects of the geometrical structure of the microchannel, nanofluids concentration φ(0%–3%), and Reynolds number Re (50–300) were comparatively studied by means of performance parameters, as well as the limiting streamlines and temperature contours on the modified heated surfaces. The results reveal that the relative Fanning frictional factor f/f0 of the microchannel with rectangle and protrusion devices are much larger and smaller than others, respectively. As the nanofluids concentration increases, f/f0 increases accordingly. For the microchannel with rectangle ribs, there is a transition Re for obtaining the largest heat transfer. The relative Nusselt number Nu/Nu0 of the cases with larger nanofluids concentration are greater. The microchannels with cylinder and v-groove profiles have better heat transfer performance, especially at larger Re cases, while, the microchannel with the protrusion devices is better from an entropy generation minimization perspective. Furthermore, the variation of the relative entropy generation S′/S′0 are influenced by not only the change of Nu/Nu0 and f/f0, but also the physical parameters of working substances.
Dying to Win? Olympic Gold Medals and Longevity

This paper compares mortality between Gold and Silver medalists in Olympic Track and Field to study how achievement influences health. Contrary to conventional wisdom, winners die over one year earlier than losers. I find strong evidence of differences in earnings and occupational choices as a mechanism. Losers pursued higher-paying occupations than winners according to individual Census records. I find no evidence consistent with selection or risk-taking. How people respond to success or failure in pivotal life events may produce long-lasting consequences for health.
GRETNA: a graph theoretical network analysis toolbox for imaging connectomics

Recent studies have suggested that the brain’s structural and functional networks (i.e., connectomics) can be constructed by various imaging technologies (e.g., EEG/MEG; structural, diffusion and functional MRI) and further characterized by graph theory. Given the huge complexity of network construction, analysis and statistics, toolboxes incorporating these functions are largely lacking. Here, we developed the GRaph thEoreTical Network Analysis (GRETNA) toolbox for imaging connectomics. The GRETNA contains several key features as follows: (i) an open-source, Matlab-based, cross-platform (Windows and UNIX OS) package with a graphical user interface (GUI); (ii) allowing topological analyses of global and local network properties with parallel computing ability, independent of imaging modality and species; (iii) providing flexible manipulations in several key steps during network construction and analysis, which include network node definition, network connectivity processing, network type selection and choice of thresholding procedure; (iv) allowing statistical comparisons of global, nodal and connectional network metrics and assessments of relationship between these network metrics and clinical or behavioral variables of interest; and (v) including functionality in image preprocessing and network construction based on resting-state functional MRI (R-fMRI) data. After applying the GRETNA to a publicly released R-fMRI dataset of 54 healthy young adults, we demonstrated that human brain functional networks exhibit efficient small-world, assortative, hierarchical and modular organizations and possess highly connected hubs and that these findings are robust against different analytical strategies. With these efforts, we anticipate that GRETNA will accelerate imaging connectomics in an easy, quick and flexible manner. GRETNA is freely available on the NITRC website.1
The Ambidexterity of Managers' Networks

Addressing the call for a deeper understanding of ambidexterity at the individual level, we propose that managers? networks are an important yet understudied factor in the ability to balance the trade-off between exploring for new business and exploiting existing business. Analyses of 1449 ties in the networks of 79 senior partners in a management consulting firm revealed significant differences in both the structure and nature of ties of networks of managers who were able to both exploit and explore compared to managers that were able to predominately explore or exploit. The findings suggest that managers? networks are important levers for their ability to behave ambidextrously and offer implications for theories of organizational ambidexterity.
SABUL: A High Performance Data Transfer Protocol

The paper describes SABUL, an application level data transfer protocol for data intensive applications over high bandwidth-delay product networks. SABUL is designed for reliability, high performance, fairness, and stability. This unidirectional protocol uses UDP to transfer data and TCP to send back control messages. A rate based congestion control that tunes the inter-packet transmission time helps achieve both efficiency and fairness. To remove the fairness bias between flows with different network delays, SABUL adjusts its rate control at uniform intervals, instead of at intervals determined by round trip time. The protocol has demonstrated its efficiency and fairness features in both experiments and practical applications. Index Terms -SABUL, transport protocol, rate control, bandwidth-delay product, high performance data transport
Gene Expression Changes of Caenorhabditis elegans Larvae during Molting and Sleep-Like Lethargus

During their development, Caenorhabditis elegans larvae go through four developmental stages. At the end of each larval stage, nematodes molt. They synthesize a new cuticle and shed the old cuticle. During the molt, larvae display a sleep-like behavior that is called lethargus. We wanted to determine how gene expression changes during the C. elegans molting cycle. We performed transcriptional profiling of C. elegans by selecting larvae displaying either sleep-like behavior during the molt or wake behavior during the intermolt to identify genes that oscillate with the molting-cycle. We found that expression changed during the molt and we identified 520 genes that oscillated with the molting cycle. 138 of these genes were not previously reported to oscillate. The majority of genes that had oscillating expression levels appear to be involved in molting, indicating that the majority of transcriptional changes serve to resynthesize the cuticle. Identification of genes that control sleep-like behavior during lethargus is difficult but may be possible by looking at genes that are expressed in neurons. 22 of the oscillating genes were expressed in neurons. One of these genes, the dopamine transporter gene dat-1, was previously shown in mammals and in C. elegans to control sleep. Taken together, we provide a dataset of genes that oscillate with the molting and sleep-wake cycle, which will be useful to investigate molting and possibly also sleep-like behavior during lethargus.
Development of a Robust Method for Isolation of Shiga Toxin-Positive Escherichia coli (STEC) from Fecal, Plant, Soil and Water Samples from a Leafy Greens Production Region in California

During a 2.5-year survey of 33 farms and ranches in a major leafy greens production region in California, 13,650 produce, soil, livestock, wildlife, and water samples were tested for Shiga toxin (stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Overall, 357 and 1,912 samples were positive for E. coli O157:H7 (2.6%) or non-O157 STEC (14.0%), respectively. Isolates differentiated by O-typing ELISA and multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) resulted in 697 O157:H7 and 3,256 non-O157 STEC isolates saved for further analysis. Cattle (7.1%), feral swine (4.7%), sediment (4.4%), and water (3.3%) samples were positive for E. coli O157:H7; 7/32 birds, 2/145 coyotes, 3/88 samples from elk also were positive. Non-O157 STEC were at approximately 5-fold higher incidence compared to O157 STEC: cattle (37.9%), feral swine (21.4%), birds (2.4%), small mammals (3.5%), deer or elk (8.3%), water (14.0%), sediment (12.3%), produce (0.3%) and soil adjacent to produce (0.6%). stx1, stx2 and stx1/stx2 genes were detected in 63%, 74% and 35% of STEC isolates, respectively. Subtilase, intimin and hemolysin genes were present in 28%, 25% and 79% of non-O157 STEC, respectively; 23% were of the “Top 6″ O-types. The initial method was modified twice during the study revealing evidence of culture bias based on differences in virulence and O-antigen profiles. MLVA typing revealed a diverse collection of O157 and non-O157 STEC strains isolated from multiple locations and sources and O157 STEC strains matching outbreak strains. These results emphasize the importance of multiple approaches for isolation of non-O157 STEC, that livestock and wildlife are common sources of potentially virulent STEC, and evidence of STEC persistence and movement in a leafy greens production environment.
Energy amplification in channel flows with stochastic excitation

We investigate energy amplification in parallel channel flows, where background noise is modeled as stochastic excitation of the linearized Navier–Stokes equations. We show analytically that the energy of three-dimensional streamwise-constant disturbances achieves O(R3) amplification. Our basic technical tools are explicit analytical calculations of the traces of solutions of operator Lyapunov equations, which yield the covariance operators of the forced random velocity fields. The dependence of these quantities on both the Reynolds number and the spanwise wave number are explicitly computed. We show how the amplification mechanism is due to a coupling between wall-normal velocity and vorticity disturbances, which in turn is due to nonzero mean shear and disturbance spanwise variation. This mechanism is viewed as a consequence of the non-normality of the dynamical operator, and not necessarily due to the existence of near resonances or modes with algebraic growth.
Soft-Computing Techniques for the Trajectory Planning of Multi-Robot Manipulator Systems

The planning of the motion of robots has become increasingly more complex as robots are used in a wide spectrum of applications, from extremely repetitive tasks in assembly lines to assistance in delicate surgical procedures (Tombropoulos et al., 1999; Coste-Maniere et al., 2003). Whichever scenario, the planning has to consider the fact that the robot will be interacting with other elements in its environment avoiding collision with other objects, whether these remain static or in motion, while executing a given task. In planning the motion for robots, it is a common misassumption that path planning and trajectory planning are synonymous. Motion planning, as defined by Sugihara and Hwang in (Hwang & Ahuja, 1992; Sugihara & Smith, 1997), is subdivided into path planning and trajectory planning. (Fraichard & Laugier, 1992) state the following distinction: path planning is the search of a continuous sequence of collision-free configurations between a start and a goal configuration, whereas trajectory planning is also concerned with the time history or scheduling of this sequence of configurations as well. Considering that the motion of the elements that form the kinematic chain of robot manipulators is described by a system of non-linear equations that relate the motion in the Cartesian space of the end-effector as a consequence of the individual variations of the links of the manipulator due to the angular displacements at each joint. When solving for a particular position of the end-effector in the Cartesian space, the inverse kinematics problem, a set of configurations has to be calculated to position the tip of the manipulator at that desired point. Due to the natural dexterity of robot manipulators, the space of solution is non-linear and multidimensional, where more than a single solution exists to solve a particular point in the Cartesian space and choosing the appropriate solution requires an optimisation approach. Taking this into consideration, the solution of the motion planning problem of robot manipulators is an ideal candidate for the use of soft-computing techniques such as genetic algorithms and fuzzy logic, as both approaches are known to perform well under multidimensional non-linear spaces without the need for complex mathematic manipulation to find a suitable solution (Zadeh, 1965; Mamdani, 1974; Goldberg, 1983; Bessiere et al., 1993; Doyle, 1995; Doyle & Jones, 1996).
Improved manipulation efficiency using a serial-type dual actuator unit

Service robots are often required to be able to perform both the position control and force control for various tasks. In addition, service robots should cope with collision safety to prevent possible damage to humans and environments during unintended collision. To this end, several redundant actuation systems have been proposed. In this research, the dual actuator unit (DAU) was developed to improve the manipulation efficiency by maximizing the velocity or payload depending on various situations. The DAU is composed of two actuators connected in series through a planetary gear train and a cam-based clutch system. In this paper, the characteristics of the DAU having three operating modes - dual actuation mode, high speed mode and high torque mode - are discussed. Various experiments show that the DAU can carry out the given task flexibly and it can improve the manipulation efficiency.
Explaining Exchange Rate Dynamics: The Uncovered Equity Return Parity Condition

By employing Lucas’ (1982) model, this study proposes an arbitrage relationship – the Uncovered Equity Return Parity (URP) condition – to explain the dynamics of exchange rates. When expected equity returns in a country/region are lower than expected equity returns in another country/region, the currency associated with the market offering lower returns is expected to appreciate. First, we test the URP assuming that investors are risk neutral and next we relax this hypothesis. The resulting risk premia are proxied by economic variables, which are related to the business cycle. We employ differentials in corporate earnings’ growth rates, short-term interest rate changes, annual inflation rates, and net equity flows. The URP explains a large fraction of the variability of some European currencies vis-a-vis the US dollar. When confronted with the naive random walk model, the URP for the EUR/USD performs better in terms of forecasts for a set of alternative statistics. JEL Classification: D82, G14, G15
Foreign Exchange Trading Rules Using a Single Technical Indicator from Multiple Timeframes

This study applies a genetic algorithm (GA) to generate trading rules for currency trading based on a single technical indicator named the Relative Strength Index (RSI) as well as multiple timeframes from which we extract the feature. The target trading currency pair is EUR/USD and trading time horizon is one hour. Using more than one timeframe may improve the assessment of the overbought or oversold conditions of the target currency pair, since different traders may have different trading time horizons and thus a trader may consider the overall condition for trading a currency pair from both its longer and shorter timeframes. Therefore, this paper uses a combined signal from a relatively longer timeframe (two hours) and a relatively shorter timeframe (30 minutes), other than the target timeframe (one hour). In addition, since the parameters of the RSI are also crucial for obtaining the best trading rules, we use a GA to search for the best parameters of each RSI. Moreover, we design a GA chromosome to encode trading timing by designating when to buy, sell, and close the position. The experimental results presented in this paper show that the combined signal from multiple timeframes, including that from the target timeframe, improves trading performance.
High Genetic Diversity of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis Clinical Isolates by Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis and Multilocus Sequence Typing from a Hospital in Malaysia

Little is known on the genetic relatedness and potential dissemination of particular enterococcal clones in Malaysia. We studied the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis and subjected them to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). E. faecium and E. faecalis displayed 27 and 30 pulsotypes, respectively, and 10 representative E. faecium and E. faecalis isolates (five each) yielded few different sequence types (STs): ST17 (2 isolates), ST78, ST203, and ST601 for E. faecium, and ST6, ST16, ST28, ST179, and ST399 for E. faecalis. Resistance to tazobactam-piperacillin and ampicillin amongst E. faecium isolates was highly observed as compared to E. faecalis isolates. All of the isolates were sensitive to vancomycin and teicoplanin. The presence of epidemic and nosocomial strains of selected E. faecium STs: 17, 78, and 203 and E. faecalis ST6 as well as high rates of resistance to multiple antibiotics amongst E. faecium isolates is of a particular concern.
Performance analysis of OFDM modulation on indoor PLC channels in the frequency band up to 210 MHz

This paper analyses the performance of Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) systems on indoor power line. The studied frequency band extends up to 210MHz, as specified in the upcoming International Telecommunication Union (ITU) G.hn standard for wired home networks. Four frequency bands have been considered, from 1MHz up to 30MHz, from 30MHz up to 86MHz, from 1MHz up to 86MHz and from 110MHz up to 210MHz. Conventional OFDM modulation with rectangular pulses and OFDM with pulse-shaping at the transmitter and non-rectangular window at the receiver are assessed. Bit-rates attained with both schemes are evaluated as a function of the number of carriers and the cyclic prefix length. Presented results can be used to select the most appropriate system parameters for each frequency band.
Parameter reduction in unsupervisedly trained sliding-window part-of-speech taggers

A new, robust sliding-window part-of-speech tagger is presented, which itself is an approximation of an existing model, and a method is described to estimate its parameters from an untagged corpus. The approximation reduces the memory requirements without a significant loss in accuracy. Its performance is compared to that of the original sliding-window tagger as well as to that of a standard Baum-Welchtrained hidden-Markov-model part-of-speech tagger and a random tagger.