Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A new statistical approach to improve the satellite based 1 estimation of the radiative forcing by aerosol-cloud 2 interactions 3

9 In a previous, study of Quaas et al., (2008) the radiative forcing by anthropogenic aerosol due 10 to aerosol-cloud interactions, RFaci, was obtained by a statistical analysis of satellite retrievals 11 using a multilinear regression. Here we employ a new statistical approach to obtain the six 12 fitting parameters, determined using a non-linear statistical approach to obtain the six fitting 13 parameters, for the relationship between planetary albedo and cloud properties and, further, the 14 relationship of the cloud properties and aerosol optical depth. The statistical approach is 15 compared to the results from radiative transfer simulations over three different regions and for 16 different seasons. We find that the results of the new approach agree well with the simulated 17 results over both land and ocean. The new statistical approach increases the correlation 18 coefficient of the fitted to the satellite-retrieved albedo by 21%-23% and decreases the error, 19 compared to the previous approach. 20
Creational and Structural Patterns in a Flexible Machine Learning Framework for Medical Ultrasound Diagnostics

The impact of machine learning in medicine has arguably lagged behind its commercial counterparts. This may be attributable to the generally slower pace and higher costs associated with clinical applications, but also present are the conflicting constraints and requirements of learning from data in a highly regulated industry that introduce levels of complexity unique to the medical space. Because of this, the balance between innovation and controlled development is challenging. Adding to this are the multiple modalities found in most clinical applications where applying traditional machine learning preprocessing and cross-validation techniques can be precarious. This work presents the novel use of creational and structural design patterns in a generalized software framework intended to alleviate some of those difficulties. Designed to be a configurable pipeline to not only support the experimentation and development of diagnostic machine learning algorithms, but also to support the transition of those algorithms into production level systems in a composed manner. The resulting framework provides the foundation for developing unique tools by both novice and expert data scientists.
An Efficient Algorithm for Power and Delay Minimization in on-chip Bus

Crosstalk in on-chip buses leads to serious problems related to delay and power dissipation. Research has been done widely on how to avoid crosstalk and several encoding techniques were proposed [3, 5-12]. Fibonacci based coding reduces the number of transitions in the codewords and thus moves itself closer to a complete solution for crosstalk in bus encoding [3]. Fibonacci code patterns can be made far better by eliminating the forbidden patterns with the use of minimal bits. This paper presents an Encoding Algorithm to detect and eliminate forbidden patterns in codewords without an additional overhead in terms of number of bits. The proposed algorithm eliminates the forbidden patterns upto 96%. The number of encoded bits remains minimal using the proposed method in this paper which leads to no area conflicts.
A New Approach to Shortest Route Finding in a Railway Network with Two Track Gauges and Gauge Changeovers

The Spanish railway network is a complex one, due to the existence of standard gauge (1,435 mm), Iberian gauge (1,668 mm), and dual gauge (with three rails) subnetworks, as well as connections between the two first subnetworks (at the so-called gauge changeovers), usable by dual gauge trains. Two of the authors developed a package for shortest route finding, and consumes, costs, and emissions calculations in the Spanish railway network (within the frame of two research projects funded by the Fundacion de los Ferrocarriles Espanoles–Spanish Railways Foundation). Nevertheless, the approach required from a curious specific algorithm to be developed ad hoc. In this paper, a much simpler approach to shortest route finding in such a network, which merges the three subnetworks into two and considers the gauge changeovers as connections between the two new subnetworks, is detailed. This approach allows to use any standard shortest route algorithm. It has been implemented in the computer algebra system Maple and is applied in this paper both to small specific cases and to the whole Spanish railway network.
UCQ-rewritings with Disjunctive Existential Rules and Conjunctive Queries with Negated Atoms

We focus on the problem of query rewriting for the framework of disjunctive existential rules. It is a well known approach for query answering on knowledge bases with incomplete data. We propose a rewriting technique that uses negative constraints and conjunctive queries to remove components from the disjunction in disjunctive existential rules. This process will eventually generate new existential rules. The generated rules can then be used to produce new rewritings considering the existing rewriting approaches for the existential rules framework. The algorithm is implemented in COMPLETO in order to provide complete rewritings for unions of conjunctive queries with negation. Additionally, we report some experiments to evaluate the viability of the proposed solution.
Influence of Cobalt and Phosphorus on Growth, Yield Quantity and Quality of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L)

Two field experiments were carried out in the Research and production Station, National Research Centre, El-Nobaria during 2009 and 2010 seasons to evaluate the effect of cobalt and different sources of phosphate fertilizer on the growth, yield quantity and quality of sweet potato. The obtained results showed that:  Treatments can be arranged in descending as follows: Mono super phosphate> Triple super phosphate> Rock phosphate  Mono super phosphate had superior effect on all growth parameters of sweet potato shoots and roots yield quantity and quality compared with other phosphorus sources.  Rock phosphate gave the lowest values of the growth, yield, mineral composition and chemical constituents of sweet potato.  Cobalt addition in plant media enhanced all parameters of sweet potato growth and yield quantity and quality specially with Mono super phosphate.
The Effect of Sedation Protocol Using Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) on Some Clinical Outcomes of Mechanically Ventilated Patients in Intensive Care Units: a Randomized Clinical Trial

Introduction: Providing for patients’ comfort and reducing their pain is one of the important tasks of health care professionals in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The current study was conducted to determine the effect of a protocol using a Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) on some clinical outcomes of patients under mechanical ventilation (MV) in 2017. Methods: This single-blind clinical trial was conducted on 79 traumatic patients in the ICU who were randomly allocated into the intervention (N=40) and the control groups (N=39). The sedation was achieved, using a sedation protocol in the intervention group and the routine care in the control group. The clinical outcomes of the patients (duration of MV, length of staying in ICU, final outcome) were measured. As the participants had different lengths of MV and staying in ICU, the data were restructured, and were analyzed, using proper statistical methods. Results: The patients’ level of sedation in the intervention group was significantly closer to the ideal score of RASS (-1 to +1). The duration of MV was significantly reduced in the intervention group, and the length of stay in the ICU was also significantly shorter. There was no difference in terms of final outcome. The ICU cost in the control group was twice as high as the cost in of the intervention group. Conclusion: The applied sedation protocol in this study would provide better sedation and could consequently lead to significantly better clinical outcomes, and the cost of caring as a result.
LOW-COST TECHNOLOGICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS RELATED TO INTEGRATED APPLICATION EXPERIMENTS

Abstract. Thanks to the development of new Cuda technologies applied to graphics cards and to a more accessible and growing use by professionals in various commercial, artistic and research sectors, the latest generation digital instruments have implemented new methods of photogrammetric surveying and remote sensing, progressively reducing the cost of the instruments and that related to the application development of the different SfM algorithms, now widely used also in numerous open source software. The research presented in the article compares two of the most recently used free programs with the most satisfactory results in the field of 3D photogrammetric survey and photomodelling: Meshroom, developed by AliceVision and Regard3D, an open source software, compiled in 2015 by the Swiss IT engineer freelance Roman Hiestand. The test case study will concern the photo-modelling, through the free tools previously discussed, of medium size complex decorative details, one of the monumental gates of the ancient Roman city of Sepino, an archaeological site in Molise (IT) located at the foot of the Matese and extending over the Tammaro valley, so as to be able to fully test the capture characteristics and the trend and structure of the pipeline of the two software examined.
Protective Effect of Silymarin Extracted from Silybum marianum Seeds upon Nickel-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Albino Wistar Rats

Nickel cytotoxicity results in high oxygen species production, which leads to continuous injury and dysfunction of different organs including liver. Thus, the present study was conducted to investigate the protective effects of silymarin on nickel-induced hepatotoxicity. Male rats were divided into four groups of seven each: Control, silymarin (Sil), nickel (Ni), and nickel plus silymarin (Ni+Sil). Nickel as nickel sulfate (NiSO4 6H20) (20 mg/kg b.wt.) was given intraperitoneally on alternate days until the tenth dose, methanolic extract of milk thistle (100 mg/kg) was given orally to rats for 21 days. The administration of nickel caused a significant decrease in body weight with a significant increase in liver weight. Nickel treatment also produced oxidative liver injury characterized by an increase in serum glucose concentration, levels of hepatic markers enzymes (GPT, GOT, LDH and ALP) and bilirubin. Furthermore, the exposure to nickel significantly increased malondialdehyde level and decreased reduced glutathione concentration and superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities. These results are substantiated with marked changes in the histopathology. However, the treatment with silymarin significantly lowered the level of lipid peroxidation and enhanced the antioxidant status, and resulted a reduction of the necrotic damage caused by nickel and thereby restored the previous biochemical parameters. The results of this investigation showed that nickel induced hepatotoxicity due to the excess generation of free radicals and impairment antioxidant defenses, but the use of silymarin extract countered the adverse effects of nickel to a major extent, suggesting their anti-oxidant and immunity powerful.
Real-time method for measurement of noise exposure from sources in close proximity to the ear

Sound sources close to the ear, such as communication headsets present a special challenge when it comes to the measurement of the sound exposure. This is due to two facts: firstly, it is very difficult to obtain precision measurements of the sound field in a person's ear, secondly, noise exposure standards refer to sound measured in a `free' field, i.e., in the place where the ear would normally be found, but with the listener removed. In order to obtain data for exposure that can be interpreted in terms of conventional standards and codes, the authors developed a method based on an accurate acousto-mechanical model of the human head (ATF, Acoustic Test Fixture) (Kunov, Giguere and Simpson, 1989; Kunov, 1989). With the help of the ATF, a sound level meter, and an attached filter it is possible to read the equivalent free-field sound levels from a communications headset or any other source in close proximity to the ear, including any environmental noise that finds its way into the ear canal. This can be done for any type of device, including insert headsets. In particular there was an interest in obtaining a sample of measurements of the noise exposure of workers who use communication headsets under very different working conditions, and with different headsets, environmental noise, etc
PERBANDINGAN PEMBELAJARAN SAINTIFIK MENGGUNAKAN MODEL KOOPERATIF TIPE STUDENT FASILITATOR AND EXPLAINING (SFE) DAN STUDENT TEAMS ACHIEVEMENT DIVISION (STAD) TERHADAP HASIL BELAJAR KIMIA

This study aims to determine differences in student learning outcomes in chemistry learning using cooperative learning model of Student Facilitator and Explaining (SFE) type and Student Teams Achievement Division (STAD) on the subject of compound nomenclature. This research type is quasi experiment research with population that is class X MIPA in SMAN 9 Kota Bengkulu even semester of academic year 2017/2018 while sample is class X MIPA 2 and class X MIPA 4 obtained from result of normality test and homogeneity test. Student learning outcomes in this study is seen from the difference between pretest and posttest values. Data analysis used were mean value, normality test, homogeneity test and hypothesis test (t test). The average of pretest and posttest difference of the students in the experimental class I (SFE) was obtained 58.70 while in the experimental class II (STAD) obtained the value 54.25. So it can be concluded that student learning outcomes that apply SFE type cooperative model is higher than student learning outcomes that apply STAD type. After testing hypothesis with significant level (? = 0,05), then obtained tcount value> ttable that is 1.782819 > 1.67469. The results showed that there was a significant difference between experimental class I using SFE type cooperative learning model and experiment II class using STAD type.
QCue: Queries and Cues for Computer-Facilitated Mind-Mapping

We introduce a novel workﬂow, QCue , for providing textual stimulation during mind-mapping. Mind-mapping is a powerful tool whose intent is to allow one to externalize ideas and their relationships surrounding a central problem. The key challenge in mind-mapping is the di ﬃ culty in balancing the exploration of di ﬀ erent aspects of the problem (breadth) with a detailed exploration of each of those aspects (depth). Our idea behind QCue is based on two mechanisms: (1) computer-generated automatic cues to stimulate the user to explore the breadth of topics based on the temporal and topological evolution of a mind-map and (2) user-elicited queries for helping the user explore the depth for a given topic. We present a two-phase study wherein the ﬁrst phase provided insights that led to the development of our work-ﬂow for stimulating the user through cues and queries. In the second phase, we present a between-subjects evaluation comparing QCue with a digital mind-mapping work-ﬂow without computer intervention. Finally, we present an expert rater evaluation of the mind-maps created by users in conjunction with user feedback.
Impact of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy on the Post Mastectomy Quality of Life in Bangladeshi Breast Cancer Patients

Background: Mastectomy affects the Quality of Life (QOL) in their life time for various reasons. This Study aimed to evaluate the short term impact of mastectomy on QOL along with some other oncological factors in breast cancer patients and made a comparison between administrations of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with no chemotherapy. Methods: Among the 250 patients six weeks after mastectomy, QOL was measured using the QOL Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and QLQ-BR-23 as outpatient basis. For estimation of the oncological factors-age, economic status (monthly income), educational status, occupation and tumour status were taken. Two groups were made one with no neoadjuvant chemotherapy and another with chemotherapy to make a comparison. In the post chemotherapy category, a sub grouping was done in the pre mastectomy and post mastectomy patients to see their status in the oncological subgroup. Scoring done by supplied EORTC authority which was analyzed and statistically tested by student t test to see the performance among different subgroup of patients. Results: Average functional scale score showed patient receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy have lower scores in fields like Physical Functioning (PF2), Role Functioning (RF2), Emotional Functioning (EF), Cognitive Functioning (CF) and Social Functioning (SF). Among them, only physical functioning showed significant deterioration (p<0.05) in post chemotherapy group. Others didn’t have much impact. On the other hand, breast symptoms (BRBS, BRAS and BRBI) showed positive impact on the quality of life p<0.05 even in post chemotherapy group. There is also deterioration of the score of the quality of life in post chemotherapy group after mastectomy but doesn’t have significant impact on all domains. Conclusion: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy does not affect much the QOL during the phases of treatment. Younger and educated people need special attention to complete the treatment and to pass a healthy life in the society.
Identifying the Influence of El Nino on Rainfall Characteristics in the Inland and Swamp Irrigation Areas in Lampung Province

El Nino events cause a reduction in rainfall in most parts of Indonesia. The precipitation reduction varies depending on the intensity of El Nino and geographic location areas concerned. Reduction of rainfall in Indonesia could potentially disrupt the operational of irrigation in some areas in Indonesia. As a result of El Nino events, there has been a decrease in the average food production in Indonesia during the years 1968 to 2000. This study aims to analyze the influence of El Nino on rainfall characteristics in Sekampung Irrigation Area and Rawa Sragi Irrigation Area in Lampung Province. Sekampung Irrigation Area and Rawa Sragi Irrigation Area are inland irrigation area and swamp irrigation area, respectively. Rainfall data from Pringsewu Rainfall Station (for Sekampung Irrigation Area) and Palas Rainfall Station (for Rawa Sragi Irrigation Area) have been used to investigate the impact of El Nino on the potential reduction in the irrigation water availability in both irrigation areas. The results show that due to the influence of El Nino, there has been decline on rainfall in the dry season in the area observed. The month of August, September, and October are the most sensitive months to the effects of El Nino. The results also showed that there is no fact indicates whether inland irrigation areas are more sensitive to El Nino impact rather than swamp irrigation areas and vice versain Lampung Province. Based on the classification of climate patterns in Indonesia, the whole area in Lampung province is included in areas where rainfall is strongly influenced by the monsoon circulation. Based on this fact, we can conclude that there is no different impact of El Nino on Way Sekampung and Rawa Sragi irrigation area.
Deep Reinforcement Learning in Atari 2600 Games

Recent research in the domain of Reinforcement Learning (RL) has often focused on the popular deep RL algorithm Deep Q-learning (DQN). A different deep RL algorithm, similar to DQN, called Deep Quality-Value Learning (DQV), has received much less attention, albeit its great potential in outperforming DQN due to DQV's theoretical advantage of having an increased learning speed due to only approximating a state-value mapping instead of a state-action-value mapping as a target network. This thesis focuses on comparing these two aforementioned deep RL algorithms on their performances in learning to play different Atari 2600 games provided by the OpenAI gym. The impact of different exploration strategies on the learning performance of DQN and DQV will be examined, more specifically, a diversity-driven approach (Div-DQN and Div-DQV) and a noisy network approach (NoisyNet-DQN and NoisyNet-DQV) will be compared to traditional implementations of DQN and DQV. The results show that the standard DQV algorithm outperforms DQN and that DQV-based variants in general slightly outperform DQN-based variants. The NoisyNet approach shows the overall best training outcome, followed by DQV, the diversity-driven approach, and DQN.
Colony Breeding Structure of Reticulitermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Northwest Arkansas

Termites, as social insects, have a complicated life cycle in which the colony breeding structure, that is the number of and origin of reproductives in a colony, can vary in relation to age and environmental factors. In this study, we used genetic methods to characterize the breeding structure of three species of Reticulitermes from three sites in northwest Arkansas and compared two habitats: undeveloped, forested sites and developed, agricultural sites. We found 57.1% of R. flavipes (Kollar) in northwest Arkansas (n = 28) were simple families, 39.3% were extended families and 3.6% were mixed families. Similarly, for R. hageni Banks (n = 23), we found 58.3% simple families, 33.3% extended families, and 8.3% mixed families. All of the R. virginicus (Banks) samples (n = 5) were simple families. For R. flavipes and R. hageni, the percentage of extended families is intermediate to southeastern and northern USA populations, corresponding to the intermediate seasonality and climate in Arkansas. The level of inbreeding in Arkansas, estimated via FIT, was relatively high and similar to northern populations of Reticulitermes. There were significantly more extended family colonies at the developed site compared to the two undeveloped sites which contained more simple family colonies. This difference may occur as a strategy to cope with sparse resources in urban environments or as a consequence of different abiotic factors.
Running head: COMMUNICATIVE FAILURES IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

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STRUCTURAL AND SPATIAL CHANGES IN AGRICULTURE

From a region where until the end of XIX century the cattle was the only profitable production, the South of the State of Goiás became one of the cores of Brazilian agribusiness. Besides the cattle, the region also stands out in the production of soybean, corn, sugarcane, and poultry. This change involved different process of regional and urban organization. Using the South of Goiás case, this paper aims to comprehend how structural and spatial changes were combined in the transformation of a late region in a dynamic agricultural region. To study this process, the structural changes of this region were divided into four phases. The spatial changes were thought according to four possibilities based on fragmentation and integration forces. The idea is to combine both structural and spatial changes to define the historical trajectory of urban and regional growth in the South of Goiás.