Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An implementation of ensemble methods, logistic regression, and neural network for default prediction in Peer-to-Peer lending

Credit scoring has become an important issue because competition among financial institutions is intense and even a small improvement in predictive accuracy can result in significant savings. Financial institutions are looking for optimal strategies using credit scoring models. Therefore, credit scoring tools are extensively studied. As a result, various parametric statistical methods, non-parametric statistical tools and soft computing approaches have been developed to improve the accuracy of credit scoring models. In this paper, different approaches are used to classify customers into those who repay the loan and those who default on a loan. The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance of two credit scoring techniques, the logistic regression model estimated on categorized variables modified with the use of WOE (Weight of Evidence) transformation, and neural networks. We also combine multiple classifiers and test whether ensemble learning has better performance. To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of these methods, the analysis is performed on Lending Club data. In addition, we investigate Peer-to-peer lending, also called social lending. From the results, it can be concluded that the logistic regression model can provide better performance than neural networks. The proposed ensemble model (a combination of logistic regression and neural network by averaging the probabilities obtained from both models) has higher AUC, Gini coefficient and Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistics compared to other models. Therefore, we can conclude that the ensemble model allows to successfully reduce the potential risks of losses due to misclassification costs.
UH-60 Airloads Program Tutorial

From the fall of 1993 to late winter of 1994, NASA Ames and the U.S. Army flew a flight test program using a UH-60A helicopter with extensive instrumentation on the rotor and blades, including 242 pressure transducers. Over this period, approximately 30 flights were made, and data were obtained in level flight, maneuver, ascents, and descents. Coordinated acoustic measurements were obtained with a ground-acoustic array in cooperation with NASA Langley, and in-flight acoustic measurements with a YO-3A aircraft. NASA has sponsored the creation of a "tutorial' which covers the depth and breadth of the flight test program with a mixture of text and graphics. The primary purpose of this tutorial is to introduce the student to what is known about rotor aerodynamics based on the UH-60A measurements. The tutorial will also be useful to anyone interested in helicopters who would like to have more detailed knowledge about helicopter aerodynamics.
SECI-based Framework for Professional Learning Processes

This deliverable focuses on the link between individual and organizational learning based on the interaction processes at the workplace, and key implications for personal and organizational knowledge management as they relate to organizational performance. Building on the results from PROLEARN D5.3, which introduced the SECI process framework, we here modify the SECI model so that it better fits the observed interaction processes that go on between employees at the workplace. The aim is to capture the semantics of these interactions in an enriched process model, which allows for management to get a better view of what is going on inside their organization as well as how their organization interacts with external stakeholders.
Income Growth-Financial Stability Nexus: The Role of Institutional Quality in Emerging Economies

Motivated by the mixed evidence on growth-finance nexus, we explore the case of 23 emerging countries to offer robust insight on the extent to which financial stability(instability) induce or impede income growth. Exploring a dynamic panel estimation technique using system GMM estimator, we find both the banking segment of the financial system captured as non-performing loan and the non-banking segment measured via stock market volatility as viable underlying sources of financial instability causing declining income growth in emerging markets. Quite an interesting finding, however, is the potential of institutional quality as viable for alleviating the probable adverse effects of financial instability on income growth, particularly via corruption control, political stability, and voice of accountability.
An investigation to improve community resilience using network graph analysis of infrastructure systems

Disasters can have devastating effects on our communities and can cause great suffering to the people who reside within them. Critical infrastructure underpins the stable functioning of these communities and the severity of disasters is often linked to failure of these systems. Traditionally, the resilience of infrastructure systems is assessed by subjecting physically based models to a range of hazard scenarios. The problem with this approach is that it can only inform us of inadequacies in the system for the chosen scenarios, potentially leaving us vulnerable to unforeseen events. This thesis investigates whether network graph theory can be used to give us increased confidence that the system will respond well in untested scenarios by developing a framework that can identify generic system characteristics and hence describe the underlying resilience of the network. The novelty in the work presented in this thesis is that it overcomes a shortcoming in existing network graph theory by including the effects of the spatial distribution of geographically dispersed systems. To consider spatial influence, a new network generation algorithm was developed which incorporated rules that connects system components based on both their spatial distribution and topology. This algorithm was used to generate proxy networks for the European, US and China air traffic networks and demonstrated that the inclusion of this spatial component was crucial to form the highly connected hub airports observed in these networks. The networks were then tested for hazard tolerance and in the case of the European air traffic network validated using data from the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption. Hazard tolerance was assessed by subjecting the networks to a series of random, but spatially coherent, hazards and showed that the European air traffic network was the most vulnerable, having up to 25% more connections disrupted compared to a benchmark random network. This contradicts traditional network theory which states that these networks are resilient to random hazards. To overcome this shortcoming, two strategies were employed to improve the resilience of the network. One strategy ‘adaptively’ modified the topology (crises management) while the other ‘permanently’ modified it (hazard mitigation). When these modified networks were subjected to spatial hazards the ‘adaptive’ approach
Sketch Model to Forecast Heavy-Rail Ridership

Ridership potential is a critical attribute in the feasibility stage of a transit project development. While general guidance exists to determine the transit mode most appropriate for various employment and residential densities, no simple sketch-level tool is available to predict the range of ridership values for a heavy-rail alignment. Sketch-level light and commuter rail ridership models occur in Transportation Research Record, No. 1986, titled “Sketch Models to Forecast Commuter and Light Rail Ridership, Update to TCRP Report 16. ” Current publication provides the third rail-based mode ridership estimation tool. This analysis develops a sketch-level ridership forecasting tool for heavy-rail for medium and smaller size cities (those with population less than three million). It uses current ridership, demographic and transportation-system data from ten U.S. cities, including 32 heavy-rail corridors, and 474 stations, while it tests 186 possible explanatory variables. The efforts yield a linear multivariate regression equation that show close relationships between actual and predicted values with an adjusted R-squared value of 0.612. The new sketch model for heavy rail can be used in place of a full-blown four-step modeling approach and requires only ArcGIS and Microsoft Excel. The data required for this model is readily available from Metropolitan Planning Organizations and/or the U.S. Census Bureau. Combining this heavy-rail model with the existing light rail and commuter rail models opens a wealth of opportunities for inexpensive methods to predict the ridership potential for rail-based development as well as the impacts on station ridership by new residential and commercial development close to stations.
Modeling of cyclists acceleration behavior using naturalistic data

Over the past few years, many cities have witnessed the increasing popularity of cycling,especially among ordinary commuters. Accordingly, there has also been a fast growingdemand for the knowledge of cycling performance as well as cyclist behavior, which can bevaluable for both traffic planners and policy makers when it comes to the bicycle-relatedissues. The aim of this study, hence, is to investigate the cycling performance in detailand to further develop proper models which can be implemented in the microscopic cyclingtraffic simulation.The study was initiated with data collection in the summer of 2013 in Stockholm. Anumber of commuter cyclists were recruited and then provided with GPS devices to recordtheir daily cycling trips. The GPS devices were portable but qualified enough to measurecyclists’ position, speed and altitude with a time interval of one second. Before the winter,around 100 natural cycling trips made in the urban area of Stockholm were collected anda database was later established to manage the raw data. Prior to the data analysis, measurementnoise cancellation and profile smoothing were performed by implementing multipleprocessing approaches, including the robust locally weight regression and the Kalman filtering.A cycling regime which separates the cyclist behavior into three different kinds(acceleration, deceleration and cruising) was constructed based on the data observation.According to this regime, a normal cyclist should always endeavor to achieve and maintaina desired speed which varies depending on a number of factors, such as the cyclist’s owndemographics and the road grade. If a cyclist’s present speed was not corresponding toher present desired speed, she would accelerate or decelerate immediately. Based on thisassumption, the GPS data were classified into three parts, including dedicated datasets foracceleration profiles, deceleration profiles and cruising profiles. The profiles were analyzedstatistically and some significant cycling characteristics were founded. Moreover, mathematicalmodels were formulated to describe cyclists’ acceleration and deceleration behavior.The models were further estimated using the maximum likelihood estimator and evaluatedby several goodness-of-fit measures.
Optically Pumped Type-II Mid-Infrared Tunable Distributed Feedback Lasers

Optically-pumped type-II mid-infrared index-coupled tunable distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor lasers have been developed to provide continuous-wave (CW) single longitudinal mode (SLM) operation with features including narrow spectral linewidth, high output power, good beam quality and wide continuous wavelength tunability for applications such as remote sensing or spectroscopy in the 3 to 5 μm midwave-infrared range of atmospheric transmission window. In the demonstration of this type of laser, a hyperbolically chirped grating was patterned using interferometric lithography (IL) with spherical wavefronts which was then transferred into the top clad of the slab waveguide epi-structure of the laser device. Wavelength tuning is achieved by translationally projecting pump stripe at
APPLYING THE SAVME DATABASE OF INTER-VEHICLE KINEMATICS TO EXPLORE THE NATURAL DRIVING ENVIRONMENT

A method of roadside measurement has been developed for creating permanent "track files" that quantitatively capture the vehicle trajectories and intervehicular relationships that prevail in normal driving. Beginning with digital video images from cameras mounted on telescoping towers, the data are processed to produce one track file for each vehicle that passes through the measurement site. Combined into a relational database, the state and control variables of each vehicle are augmented with range, range- rate, and azimuth angles that relate each vehicle to all others that coexist in the file at each time increment. Vehicle length and width are also imputed, together with instantaneous lane positions and the state of any signal phase that is influencing the ambient traffic. Thus defined, the dataset provides rather complete documentation of the "kinematic truth" of natural vehicular motion within the traffic environment. The paper presents sample results from a first production run of this technique covering 30,500 vehicles over 18 hours of operation on a 5-lane arterial street. Example queries of the database are shown for stereotypical maneuver types, including the flying pass, dispersal of a queue, and left turn across oncoming traffic. The overall measurement method is believed to open up a vast new range of inquiry into the normal driving process and the potential impact that new driver assistance technologies may have on how the vehicle is controlled in the presence of others
Early empirical antimicrobial therapy does not prevent sepsis development in critically ill surgical patients with suspected nosocomial infection: a retrospective analysis

Background: Early administration of antibiotics to septic shock patients decreases in-hospital mortality, but there is a lack of studies evaluating the role of early empirical antibiotics in surgical patients with suspected nosocomial infection without sepsis. Methods: Retrospective cohort of adult patients admitted to a surgical Intensive Care Unit in a tertiary hospital. We defined early empirical antibiotic group by the initiation of antibiotic therapy within 24h after infection’s suspicion, and conservative group by antibiotic therapy initiation 24 hours after infection’s suspicion or not prescribed within 14 days. The primary outcome was a composite of death, septic shock or sepsis within 14 days from the clinical suspicion of infection. Regression models were used to identify associations between factors and the primary outcome. Results: From 2007 patients admitted to intensive care unit, 341 surgical patients (71% trauma patients) with suspected nosocomial infection without sepsis and with no obvious source of infection were included in the cohort. Age, gender, traumatic brain injury, admission type (trauma vs. non-trauma), SAPS 3, SOFA, vasopressor use or rate of mechanical ventilation did not differ between early empirical antibiotic and conservative groups. In the conservative group, 57% of patients received antibiotics within 14 days. The composite primary outcome occurred in 41% of patients in the conservative group and 56% in the early empirical antimicrobial group, (p=0.007). The 14-day incidence of septic shock or mortality was similar in both groups. Multivariate analysis showed early antimicrobial therapy (OR 1.83 [95% CI 1.16-2.88] , p = 0.008), non-trauma admission (OR 2.32 [1.40-3.90], p = 0.001) and mechanical ventilation (OR 2.09 [1.31-3.35], p = 0.002) were associated with the primary outcome. Exploratory analysis including only patients with positive cultures also did not find any benefit of early empiric antibiotic therapy (OR 1.39 [0.78-2.49], p = 0.26) Conclusions: Early empiric antibiotic therapy does not decrease the incidence of sepsis, septic shock or death within 14 days in critically ill stable surgical patients with suspected infection but with no obvious source.
Clinical Safety and Efficacy of Nasogastric Tube placement after Gastrectomy

Background: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program has become the main trend in gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of this study is to investigate factors influencing the decision-making of nasogastric tube (NGT) placement and its safety and efficacy in clinical practice. Methods: We analyzed our prospectively maintained database including 287 patients underwent elective gastrectomy in our department from January 1 to December 31, 2017. All cases were divided into two groups, namely, the non-nasogastric tube group and the nasogastric tube group. Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors that affect the decision of nasogastric tube placement, and propensity score matching (PSM) was later applied to balance those factors for the analysis of the safety outcomes between the groups. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that resection range (p=0.004, proximal gastrectomy: OR=4.555, 95%CI=1.392-14.905, p=0.016; total gastrectomy: OR=1.990, 95%CI=1.205-3.287, p=0.009) was the only independent risk factors of nasogastric tube placement. NGT was omitted in the majority (58.8%) of distal gastrectomy, but only in 42.5% and 25% in total and proximal gastrectomy. After PSM, we found no significant differences between patients with or without NGT in postoperative hospital stay, time to first flatus and defecation, time to fluid and semi-fluid diet, rate of reinsertion, or hospitalization expenditure (p>0.05 respectively). The incidence of postoperative complications in the two groups were 21.7% and 23.5% respectively (p=0.753), and the incidence of major complications were 7.0% and 9.6% (p=0.472). Conclusions: The decision-making of NGT placement is mainly influenced by the resection range. Omitting NGT is a safe approach in all types of gastrectomy but was not able to enhance the recovery in our practice.
Evaluation of Economical Efficiency for Seismic-Isolated Bridges Based on Minimum Life-Cycle Cost

An evaluation method for the economical efficiency of seismic-isolated bridges is developed, which is based on minimum life-cycle cost seismic design considering the properties of seismicity and failure probabilities of structural components. The input ground motion is modeled as the spectral density function compatible with response spectrum prescribed in the design codes, and the seismic isolated bridges are simplified to 2 DOF linear system. Limit states of base-isolated bridges are defined for superstructure, isolator, and pier respectively. Based on these, the failure probabilities are calculated by spectrum analysis. Total life-cycle cost function is defined for cost optimization and the optimal design procedure is suggested. The applicability of design procedure is verified and economical efficiency of seismic isolated bridges under various conditions is evaluated through numerical examples.
Pathways to a hydrogen future

Hydrogen may someday fuel our cars and power and heat our homes and businesses and revolutionize the way we use energy. Moving to a hydrogen economy could help reduce our reliance on foreign oil, improve local air quality, and reduce the risk of climate change. Despite the potential of hydrogen, there is no guarantee that the hydrogen economy will happen as the obstacles are considerable and the competing visions are many. "Pathways to a Hydrogen Future" seeks to untangle the competing visions of a hydrogen economy, explain the trade-offs and obstacles and offer recommendations for a path forward. The results are based on a detailed simulation model developed at Sandia National Laboratories: 'The Hydrogen Futures Simulation Model (H2Sim)'. The H2Sim is a high-level strategic tool for evaluating the economic and environmental trade-offs of alternative hydrogen production, storage, transport, and end use options in the year 2020. An executive version of H2Sim is included with the book allowing readers to explore the various scenarios discussed. H2Sim's ease of use and its ability to provide answers to these types of questions make it a powerful educational and policy making tool. The model's structure is ideal for exploring 'what-if' questions, such as: Can fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) compete economically with current cars if the FCVs are 2.5 times as efficient? Should the hydrogen be produced at fueling stations or at central locations and transported to fueling stations? This book includes an executive version of H2Sim allowing readers to explore the various scenarios discussed. H2Sim's ease of use and ability to provide answers makes it a powerful educational and policy making tool.
The Quality of Floating Car Data Benchmarked: An Alternative to Roadside Equipment?

Traffic congestion is an inconvenience for all of us, leading to the loss of billions of dollars for businesses worldwide and has an adverse effect on the environment in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and increased fuel consumption. In what fields can Floating Car Data(FCD) help road authorities and policymakers to develop a better understanding of the current situation and take action on those roads where the need for improvement is highest? This paper describes independent research conducted by the Dutch Government (NDW) where historic travel times from TomTom’s floating car database are compared to fixed ANPR systems as well as highly accurate reference systems. The outcome of the research indicates that TomTom’s FCD is accurate and highly useful for a large numbers of traffic management applications. The study indirectly reveals the weaknesses of FCD when derived from the “wrong sources” (e.g. commercial fleets) or with a sample size that is too small (such as average drive tests).
DNA Methylome Distinguishes Oropharyngeal and Oral Cancer from Oral Lesions and Healthy Oral Mucosa

Background: There is a strong need to find new, good biomarkers of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), because of the prognoses and high mortality of patients. The aim of this study was to identify the potential biomarkers in HNSCC that have differences in their DNA methylome and potentially premalignant oral lesions, in comparison to healthy oral mucosa.Methods: In this study 32 oral samples were tested: 9 healthy oral mucosae, 13 HNSCC and 10 potentially premalignant oral lesions for DNA methylation by Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip.Results: Our findings showed a panel of genes significantly hypermethylated in their promoters or specific sites in HNSCC samples in comparison to healthy oral samples, which are mainly oncogenes, receptor and transcription factor genes, or genes included in cell cycle, transformation, apoptosis and autophagy. A group of hypomethylated genes in HNSCC, in comparison to healthy oral mucosa, is mainly involved in the host immune response and transcriptional regulation. The results also showed significant differences in gene methylation between HNSCC and potentially premalignant oral lesions, as well as differently methylated genes that discriminate between oral lesions and healthy mucosa.Conclusions: The given methylation panels point to the possibly early diagnostics of HNSCC as well as potentially premalignant oral lesions and its possible implication in clinical practice.