Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding Public Preferences for Development of a Heritage Tourism Corridor: A Choice Experiment Approach

Development and management of heritage tourism attractions pose several challenges, such as conserving heritage under limited financial resources. Heritage sites or attractions often include numerous attributes (e.g., education, guided tours) that can be provided at various levels. However, the financial constraints of heritage tourism sites inhibit the ability to implement every preference of visitors and potential visitors. The purpose of this study is to identify and compare the preferences of visitors and non-visitors for the improvement of management programs and services of the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor using a choice experiment (CE). Users and non-users indicated some different preferences for the development options. As agencies seek to develop programs and services that will increase total visitation, both groups are important to assess to satisfy current visitors so they will be repeat visitors, as well as implement programs and services that offer the best opportunity to convert non-visitors to visitors.
Evaluation of a NIR camera for monitoring yield and nitrogen effect in sugarcane

The main objective of the research carried out in the sugar productive sector in Colombia is to improve crop productivity of sugarcane. The rise of RPAS, together with the use of multispectral cameras, which allows for high spatial resolution images and spectral information outside the visible spectrum, has generated an alternative nondestructive technological approach to monitoring crop sugarcane that must be evaluated and adapted to the specific conditions of Colombia´s sugar productive sector. In this context, this paper assesses the potential of a modified camera (NIR) to discriminate three varieties of sugarcane, as well as three doses of fertilization and estimating the sugarcane yield at an early stage, for the three varieties through multiple vegetation indices. In this study, no significant differences were found by vegetation index between fertilization doses, and only significant differences between varieties were found when the fertilization was normal or high. Likewise, multiple regressions between scores derived from vegetation indices after applying PCA and productivity produced determinations of up to 56%.
Partitioning of water soluble carbohydrates in vegetative tissues of Lolium multiflorum Lam. ssp. italicum cv. Lema

In temperate grasses, fructans are the major storage polysaccharides, being accumulated mainly in mature leaf sheaths, and also in the roots. The partitioning of carbohydrates within different organs regulates plant growth and development. The aim of the present work was to analyze the partitioning of water soluble carbohydrates in five different parts (elongating leaf blades, expanded leaf blades, upper and lower segments of the stubble, and roots) of plants of L. multiflorum cv. Lema, in order to contribute to an understanding of soluble carbohydrates distribution in these plants. Soluble carbohydrates and total fructose were analyzed in plants cultivated during 4 months in a glasshouse, by colorimetric, TLC and HPAEC-PAD techniques. Results showed that the greatest portion of total soluble carbohydrates was constituted of free and combined fructose, in all parts of the plants. The stubble contained the highest level of carbohydrates, followed by the elongating leaf blades, expanded leaf blades and roots. The leaf sheaths were not analyzed separately from the stubble, which explains the high levels of carbohydrates found in this part of the plant. The high metabolism of the elongating leaf blades, when compared to that of the expanded leaf blades, could explain the increased amounts of fructans stored in those tissues. Analysis by HPAEC-PAD showed that the elongating leaf blades and the roots had the highest proportions of low molecular weight fructans that could be readily mobilized, supplying the demand of growing tissues in other organs.
Paleoepidemiology of bacterial infections among prehistoric human populations in Northern Chile: An ancient Dna approach

Paleoepidemiology of Bacterial Infections among Prehistoric Human Populations in Northern Chile: An Ancient DNA Approach by Luz-Andrea Pfister Dr. Daniel C. Benyshek, Examination Committee Chair Professor of Anthropology University of Nevada, Las Vegas Bacterial pathogens not primarily affecting the skeleton but causing sepsis and death, have not been systematically studied in prehistoric human populations, although increasing evidence support our species long co-evolution with many of them. With molecular methods we can identify bacteria at the species level and distinguish pathogenic from environmental and soil bacteria. Bone marrow of ancient people may provide valuable information about ancient pathogens causing sepsis and death. To test the hypothesis that PCR amplification using universal bacterial primers will identify prehistoric bacterial pathogens in bone marrow, 30 samples were aseptically obtained from partially mummified remains of three archaeological sites of Northern Chile (Mo1-6, AZ-140, and LLU-54) dated between 600 4,500 years B.P. Eight of the 30 samples (27%) yielded human DNA sequences documenting DNA preservation, three of which also amplified bacterial 16s rDNA, none corresponding to human pathogens. It appears that contaminant DNA prevents the detection of ancient pathogens with this method.
THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY REVERBERATION MAPPING PROJECT: BIASES IN z > 1.46 REDSHIFTS DUE TO QUASAR DIVERSITY

We use the coadded spectra of 32 epochs of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Reverberation Mapping Project observations of 482 quasars with z > 1.46 to highlight systematic biases in the SDSS- and Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS)-pipeline redshifts due to the natural diversity of quasar properties. We investigate the characteristics of this bias by comparing the BOSS-pipeline redshifts to an estimate from the centroid of He ii λ1640. He ii has a low equivalent width but is often well-defined in high-S/N spectra, does not suffer from self-absorption, and has a narrow component which, when present (the case for about half of our sources), produces a redshift estimate that, on average, is consistent with that determined from [O ii] to within the He ii and [O ii] centroid measurement uncertainties. The large redshift differences of ∼1000 km s−1, on average, between the BOSS-pipeline and He ii-centroid redshifts, suggest there are significant biases in a portion of BOSS quasar redshift measurements. Adopting the He ii-based redshifts shows that C iv does not exhibit a ubiquitous blueshift for all quasars, given the precision probed by our measurements. Instead, we find a distribution of C iv-centroid blueshifts across our sample, with a dynamic range that (i) is wider than that previously reported for this line, and (ii) spans C iv centroids from those consistent with the systemic redshift to those with significant blueshifts of thousands of kilometers per second. These results have significant implications for measurement and use of high-redshift quasar properties and redshifts, and studies based thereon.
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SUMMARY Recently, there has been a lot of research on solving combinhtorial problems using Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs), which are very efficient representations of Boolean functions. We have already developed a Boolean Expression Manipulator, which calculates and reduces Boolean expressions quickly based on BDD techniques. This greatly aids our works on developing VLSI CAD systems and solving combinatorial problems. Any combinatorial problem can be described in Boolean expressions; however, arithmetic operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, equality and inequality, are also used for describing many practical problems. Arithmetic operations provide simple descriptions of problems in many cases. In this paper, we present an arithmetic Boolean expression manipulator (BEM-II), based on BDD techniques. BEM-II calculates Boolean expressions containing arithmetic operations and then displays the results in various formats. It can solve problems represented by a set of equalities and inequalities, which are dealt with using 0-1 linear programming. We show the efficient data structure based on BDD representation, algo rithms for manipulating Boolean expressions with arithmetic operations, and good formats for displaying the results. Finally we present the specification of BEM-II and an example of application to the 8-Queens problem. BEM-II is customizable to various applications. It has good computation performance in terms of the total time for programming and execution. We expect BEM-II to be a helpful tool in research and development on digital systems.
SALIENCY BASED ADAPTIVE IMAGE SIGNATURE USING BINARY HOLISTIC IMAGE DESCRIPTOR

We introduce a simple image descriptor referred to as the image signature. We show, within the theoretical framework of sparse signal mixing, that this quantity spatially approximates the foreground of an image. We experimentally investigate whether this approximate foreground overlaps with visually conspicuous image locations by developing a saliency algorithm based on the image signature. This saliency algorithm predicts human fixation points best among GBVS (Graph based visual saliency), Itti/Koch saliency map and sun saliency does so in much shorter running time. And we experimentally investigate that the distance between images induced by the image signature is closer to human perceptual distance than can be achieved using other saliency algorithms, pixel-wise, or GIST descriptor methods.
The Hunt for Intermediate-mass Black Holes in the JWST Era

Intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs), with masses between 100–105 M⊙, fill the gap between stellar mass black holes and the supermassive black holes that reside in galaxy centers. While IMBHs are crucial to our understanding of black hole seed formation, black holes of less than ≈104 M⊙ have so far eluded detection by traditional searches. Observations of the infrared coronal lines (CLs) offer us one of the most promising tools to discover IMBHs in galaxies. We have modeled the infrared emission line spectrum that is produced by gas photoionized by an active galactic nucleus (AGN) radiation field and explored, for the first time, the dependence of the infrared CL spectrum on black hole mass over the range of 102–108 M⊙. We show that as the black hole mass decreases, the hardening of the spectral energy distribution of the accretion disk causes infrared coronal lines with the highest ionization potentials to become prominent, revealing a powerful probe of black hole mass in AGNs. We identify key emission line ratios that are most sensitive to black hole mass in the 1–30 μm range. With the unprecedented sensitivity of the James Webb Space Telescope, a large number of CLs will be detectable for the first time, providing important insight into the existence and properties of IMBHs in the local universe, and potentially revolutionizing our understanding of this class of object.
Collecting Event History Data with a Panel Survey: Combining an Electronic Event History Calendar and Dependent Interviewing

Many panel surveys collect event history data on events occurring between two waves. This is usually done by asking lists of questions on the various changes that took place between interviews (Q-Lists). Recently, some panel surveys introduced a different data collection method: the Event History Calendar (EHC), credited for collecting more accurate data. However, even the use of an EHC cannot prevent the issue that events tend to be reported spuriously at the seam of consecutive waves (seam effect). On the other hand, research has shown that dependent interviewing (DI) can help reduce this seam effect. Thus, the combination of EHC and DI (DI-EHC) promises to provide more accurate event history data that are not plagued by a seam effect. The German Family Panel pairfam was one of the first panel studies to use DI-EHC. In this article we first report on the practical aspects and the pros and cons of DI-EHC. Further, we report the results of an experiment in which we test whether DI-EHC reduces the seam effect. In sum our practical experiences and the results of our experiment indicate that the instrument is less burdensome than traditional Q-Lists and produces more accurate data. In particular, DI-EHC reduces the seam effect significantly.
Visualization of Privacy Risks in Software Systems

Software systems can be found in almost every aspect of our lives, as can be seen in social media, online banking and shopping, as well as electronic health monitoring. This widespread involvement of software in our lives has led to the need to protect privacy, as the use of the software often requires us to input our personal information. However, before privacy can be protected, it is necessary to understand the risks to privacy that can be found in the software system. Indeed, such understanding is key to protecting privacy throughout the system’s range of application. This paper presents a straightforward method for effectively visualizing and identifying privacy risks in software systems, and illustrates the method with examples. Keywords-software; system; privacy; risks; visualization.
Factors affecting Job Involvement in Taiwanese Nurses: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

The caring behaviors and self-efficacy of nurses can influence their intentions to leave an organization and the quality of their nursing care. Job involvement is a crucial predictor of nurse turnover. Evidence-based data shown caring behavior and self efficacy are the optimum available evidences of the factors that support nurses’ job involvement. A cross-sectional and correlation research design was adopted for this study. Overall, 405 clinical nurses employed at a hospital in southern Taiwan were recruited for this study. Of these nurses, 338 completed the questionnaire, for an effective response rate of 83.4%. The results showed that the postulate model fit the data in this study well. Caring behaviors are positive and significantly directly related to self-efficacy. Additionally, nurses’ self-efficacy was not significantly correlated to their job involvement. By contrast, caring behaviors exerted a significant influence on job involvement. Nurses who perceive that their caring behaviors are recognized and rewarded are more likely to be involved in their work environment. Self-efficacy can be used as a screening variable when predicting job involvement. Further research should adopt a longitudinal research design to understand how caring behaviors and self-efficacy change over time, and how job involvement develops as a factor in the model.
Contradictions and power play in service encounters : An activity theory approach

We present a perspective on the interpersonal element of service in which economic and social collaboration takes place in real time: the service encounter. We view it as a site of conflict for power and control where social identities are anchored and collective meanings are constituted and reproduced. Our theoretical underpinning is taken from the Activity Theory (AT) to shed light on the service encounter as a contradictory, political locus of tension between providers and customers (internal and external) in the Higher Education (HE) market.
Innovation Cooperation and Foreign Ownership in the Czech Republic

Innovation is essential for latecomer countries, such as the Czech Republic, to generate rapid productivity growth. Innovation cooperation can play an important role in facilitating this process, which requires agreements that extend across a wide range of partners both within the local economy and abroad. In this paper, we explore whether foreign subsidiaries are more or less likely to transfer technology to the local economy, correcting for firm size, age, industry, location, internal R&D activity, and other aspects of the innovative behaviour of enterprises. The analysis is based on firm-level data from the third Community Innovation Survey. Using a probit model, we find that international cooperative agreements are important for the Czech economy, but that foreign ownership does not facilitate knowledge spillovers to the local economy.
RBF-MRAC neurocontroller for industrial applications

In the case of model-reference adaptive control (MRAC) the output of an ideal reference model is approximated by the controlled plant using an appropriate control rule. Our former results in MRAC of first order linear systems have been extended to non-linear systems with static non-linearity. In the latter case there is a problem of approximating non-linearity during the adaptation process, therefore a radial basis function neural network (RBF) has been applied as an approximator. An algorithm, published in the relevant literature, has been investigated and implemented for simulation purposes. The purpose of the simulations is to study the properties of the RBF-MRAC neurocontroller in order to apply it for industrial applications. The reference model is given by a first order linear differential equation and the plant is given by a first order non-linear one. The computations and implementations are based on the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. In the paper the details of implementations and the simulation results are presented. From the point of view of possible industrial applications it is worth-while mentioning that the IEEE-754-compatible floating point arithmetic has become a standard component of the instruction set of recent programmable logic controllers (PLCs). This fact together with the ST-language standard makes it possible to realize much more difficult algorithms in PLC programs, so such way of the realisation of the neurocontroller is our recent task.
The aesthetics of the eyes and mouth position in a three-point face schema

Oculographical research of people watching a human face indicates that beholder.s eyes stop most often and for the longest period of time on the eyes and the mouth of the face looked at and that they move among these three points most frequently. The position of the eyes and mouth in relation to one another can be described with a single number being a measure of an angle with the vertex in the middle of the mouth and with arms crossing the centers of the eye pupils. The angles were measured from photographs of people from all over the world, as well as of residents of Lublin. Subsequently, the subjects from Lublin were asked to make face schemas by positioning the eyes and the mouth in the way they considered most attractive. The eye-mouth-eye angle of these schemas was measured. Additionally, measurements of the same angle were taken from the faces depicted on icons. The schemas of the most attractive . according to the subjects . faces were characterized by angles approximating the mean angle from the photographs, and significantly greater than the mean angle from the icons.
Exploration of linear and non-linear double exposure techniques by simulation

In this work, a framework for the assessment of different double exposure techniques is laid out. Both the simulation environment and the utilized models, derived from well-established resist models, are discussed. Numerous simulation results are evaluated to investigate strengths and weaknesses of different double exposure approaches. Non-linear superposition techniques are examined in respect of their process performance for both standard and sub 0.25 k1 values. In addition to a study of these effects in the scope of basic layouts, an application to interference-assisted lithography (IAL) is proposed and discussed.
Assessment of depression and anxiety in trichodynia patients of Telogen effluvium and Alopecia areata

Trichodynia has been defined as discomfort, pain or paresthesia of the scalp related to complaint of hair loss. It is a very common, relatively new and usually under diagnosed entity frequently related with diseases of hair loss. 300 subjects were taken for study, after taking written informed consent, including 100 cases of Telogen Effluvium, Alopecia Areata and control each. First each group was analyzed for the presence of Trichodynia then the patients with Trichodynia were evaluated for anxiety and depression by applying Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAMA) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). Trichodynia was found in significantly higher in patients of Telogen Effluvium and Alopecia Areata when compared with control. Trichodynia was significantly higher in Telogen Effluvium group when compared with Alopecia Areata. Anxiety was significantly higher in patients with Telogen Effluvium with Trichodynia and Alopecia Areata with Trichodynia when compared with Telogen Effluvium without Trichodynia and Alopecia Areata without Trichodynia respectively, while no statistically significant difference was found in terms of depression. Trichodynia is a very common problem in patients of Telogen Effluvium and Alopecia Areata and Anxiety is frequently associated with Trichodynia.
Title Causal Evidence that Rotational Moisture Advection is Critical to the Superparameterized Madden-Julian Oscillation Permalink

The authors investigate the hypothesis that horizontal moisture advection is critical to the eastward propagation of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO). Consistent diagnostic evidence has been found in recent MJO-permitting global models viewed from the moisture-mode dynamical paradigm. To test this idea in a causal sense, tropical moisture advection by vorticity anomalies is artificially modulated in a superparameterized globalmodel known to produce a realisticMJO signal. Boosting horizontalmoisture advection by tropical vorticity anomalies accelerates and amplifies the simulated MJO in tandem with reduced environmental gross moist stability. Limiting rotational horizontal moisture advection shuts the MJO down. These sensitivities are robust in that they are nearly monotonic with respect to the control parameter and emerge despite basic-state sensitivities favoring the opposite response. Speedup confirms what several diagnostic lines of evidence already suggest—that anomalous moisture advection is fundamental to MJO propagation. The rotational component is shown to be especially critical. Amplification further suggests it may play a role in adiabatically maintaining the MJO.
Fast and Adaptive Detection of Pulmonary Nodules in Thoracic CT Images Using a Contextual Clustering Based Region Growing

For segmenting the Region of interest and for analyzing each area separately to locate whether pathologies present in it or not, we use segmentation process as the first step to diagnose lung image using ComputerAided Diagnosis. In this paper, ROI is segmented by using supervised Contextual Clustering in addition to the Region growing algorithm. Accurate segmentation of the lungs from the chest volume is obtained from the Contextual clustering which is better than all other thresholding approaches that are simple. Initial Nodule Candidates can be detected and segmented effectively by contextual clustering which is considered to be the most effective approach when compared to the remaining approaches present.We combine rule-based filtering and a feature based support vector machine using which we can reduce the False-positives (FP) ,custom CNN, Alex net, neuro-fuzzy classifier.