Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intense removal and non-saturating functional responses by recreational divers on spiny lobster Panulirus argus

The effects of recreational fishing often go undetected, yet can lead to the collapse of fishery populations. Fishery managers must understand the dynamics of recreational fishers and their prey to successfully predict the outcome of management actions. We measured the impact of a 2 d exclusively recreational fishery on the Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus in the Florida Keys, USA, and used a theoretical, predator-prey functional response approach to identify whether or not sport diver catch rates were density-independent or -dependent (Types I, II or III functional response), and if catch rates were saturated (i.e. reached an asymptote) at relatively high lobster densities. Herein, we describe how this predator-prey framework could be applied to fisheries management for the spiny lobster. Our approach consisted of SCUBA diver surveys of lobster distribution and abundance patterns immediately before and after the 2 d recreational 'mini-season' coupled with counts of recreational boats and divers to assess the aggregative response of divers to lobster density. During the mini-season, the density of boats along coral patch reefs and patch heads was over 900 × higher than during the regular fishing season ~3 wk later. Overall, there was a 95 and 79% decline in mean lobster densities in the patch reef and patch head habitats, respectively. Fishing effort was 10 × greater on patch heads than on reefs, prob- ably due to ~100-fold higher lobster densities in patch-head habitats. In both patch reefs and heads, the proportion of lobsters removed by divers was density-independent (Type I functional response). Diver catch never reached saturation at natural lobster densities. Thus, recreational divers have a relatively simple predatory response to spiny lobsters, whereby catch rates increase linearly with lobster density such that catch is a reliable indicator of abundance. A major concern is that the current levels of lobster exploitation by sport divers are extremely high (~90%); however, diver predation pressure is not expected to increase proportionally with a decline in lobster density, which could exacerbate local extinction. Management actions that reduce diver effort should have a concomitant reduction in catch. The recreational diver-lobster predator-prey construct in this study provides a useful predictive frame- work on which to build as the spatiotemporal scales of measurements expand, management actions are implemented, and the lobster population varies.
Evaluation of Antilipolytic, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Selected Ferns

In the present study, three ferns were used (Adiantum capillus-veneris Cheilanthes albomarginata and Asplenium pumilum,) to identify their functional compounds to reduce obesity. The methanolic fern-extract (MFE) of these ferns was assessed for anti-bacterial activity by measuring inhibition zones against a panel of pathogenic bacterial strains using the agar diffusion method. MFE at a concentration of 25 μg /ml showed marked anti-bacterial activity against all bacterial strains (6mm to 23mm) zone of inhibition and was greatest against Enterobacter sp (23 mm). Out of these, the MFE of the A. veneris fern extract had the best MIC values of 2.25 μg /ml against S. aureus and Enterobacter sp. respectively. It had an inhibitory concentration (69.9 %) for 2, 2-diphenylpicryl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity. The MFE of the A. veriens also possessed good anti-lipolytic activity (76.5%) against a porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL) and cholesterol oxidase inhibition (89%). The hemolytic activity of A. veneris was found to be 27.6% at 6.25 µg/mL of MFE. This result showed that the MFE of A. veriens is not only a potent source of natural anti-oxidants and anti-bacterial activities but also possesses efficient cholesterol degradation and anti-lipolytic activities, which would be beneficial in body weight management.
Health Monitoring for a Structure Using Its Nonstationary Vibration

The frequency distribution of a short interval period, the SIP distribution, obtained from the vibration of a structure that is excited by the force of non-stationary vibration is available for the robust estimation of the dynamic property of the structure. This paper shows experiments of the health monitoring of a model structure using the SIP distribution. Comparisons of SIP distributions with average DFT spectra are also shown.
Effects of Different Types of Progress Indicators on Drop-Out Rates inWeb Surveys

The present study analyzes whether and how different types of progress indicators affect the tendency of respondents to continue filling out a web survey, focusing on whether the progress indicators’ effects depend on the position of the respondent in the questionnaire. Using a sample of 2460 respondents of a Dutch online access panel, we analyze three kinds of progress indicators (linear, fast-then-slow, slow-then-fast, and a control condition) using survival analysis. The results show that the effect of the indicators on the completion rate is either negative or nonexistent, depending on the questionnaire length. Moreover, the effect of an indicator does not depend on the position of the respondent in the answering process. We interpret our findings in terms of the implicit narrative between survey designer and respondent.
Compassion Focused Therapy Groups: Evidence from Routine Clinical Practice

Objectives Psychological therapy groups for people in adult mental health services can relieve waiting list pressures and potentially reduce stigma and social isolation. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) focuses on shame and self-criticism. The aim of this study was to evaluate a transdiagnostic CFT group. Design Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained from 13 people who completed the group. Methods Participants completed a range of pre- and post-group self-report outcome measures that assess self-criticism and self-compassion. Results Statistically significant improvements were found on all measures used, suggesting that attending the CFT group did result in meaningful changes. People who completed the group also provided positive feedback about the experience. Conclusions The results suggest that running CFT groups is feasible and acceptable to clients with a range of psychiatric diagnoses as part of their care from community mental health teams. People who completed the group demonstrated significant improvements. A proportion of people did not complete the group, and more research is required about the reasons for this. Limitations of this study are considered together with future directions for research into CFT.
A parallel adaptive newton-krylov-schwarz method for 3D compressible inviscid flow simulations

A parallel adaptive pseudo transient Newton-Krylov-Schwarz (αΨNKS) method for the solution of compressible flows is presented. Multidimensional upwind residual distribution schemes are used for space discretisation, while an implicit time-marching scheme is employed for the discretisation of the (pseudo)time derivative. The linear system arising from the Newton method applied to the resulting nonlinear system is solved by the means of Krylov iterations with Schwarz-type preconditioners. A scalable and efficient data structure for the αΨNKS procedure is presented. The main computational kernels are considered, and an extensive analysis is reported to compare the Krylov accelerators, the preconditioning techniques. Results, obtained on a distributed memory computer, are presented for 2D and 3D problems of aeronautical interest on unstructured grids.
Poisson M-Quantile geographically weighted regression on disease mapping

A new approach to ecological analysis on disease mapping is introduced: a semi-parametric approach based on M-quantile models. We define a Poisson M-Quantile spatially structured model. The proposed approach is easily made robust against outlying data values for covariates. Robust ecological disease mapping is desirable since covariates at area level usually present measure-type error. We consider a spatial structure in the model in order to extend the M-quantile approach to account for spatial correlation between areas using Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR). Differences between M-quantile and usual random effects models are discussed and the alternative approaches are compared using the Scottish Lip cancer example.
Two-Dimensional DOA Estimation in Compressed Sensing with Compressive-Reduced Dimension--MUSIC

This paper presents a novel two-dimensional (2D) direction of arrival (DOA) estimation method in compressed sensing (CS) to remove the estimation failure problem and achieve superior performance. The proposed method separates the steering vector into two parts to construct two corresponding noise subspaces by introducing electric angles. Then, electric angles are estimated based on the constructed noise subspaces. In order to estimate the azimuth and elevation angles in terms of estimates of electric angles, arc-tangent operations are exploited. The arc-tangent is a one-to-one function and allows the value of the argument to be larger than unity so that the proposed method never fails. The proposed method can avoid pair matching to reduce the computational complexity and extend the number of snapshots to improve performance. Simulation results show that the proposed method can avoid estimation failure occurrence and has superior performance as compared to existing methods.
Response of the Mediterranean mean sea level to atmospheric pressure forcing

The response of the Mediterranean mean sea level to atmospheric pressure forcing is analyzed using 3 years of TOPEX/POSEIDON data. Coherence analysis between mean sea level and atmospheric pressure shows a significant departure from a standard inverse barometer effect at frequencies higher than 30 days -. At high frequencies the phase difference between sea level and pressure is about 100 o, while it should be 180 o for a perfect inverse barometer response. This result is in agreement with previous findings and confirms the role of the Straits of Gibraltar and Sicily in limiting the water exchange (and thus the response to atmospheric pressure forcing) at high frequencies. The response of the Mediterranean mean sea level is then investigated using the Candela (1991) analytical model which takes account of friction in the Straits of Gibraltar and Sicily. The model explains a large part of the variance in TOPEX/POSEIDON mean sea level variations (50% for the western basin and 38% for the eastern basin). Compared to an inverse barometer correction, it gives a smoother response with a phase delay at high frequencies. It also explains more variance in TOPEX/POSEIDON mean sea level variations (5 cm 2 and 7 cm 2 for the western and eastern basins, respectively). This demonstrates that this simple model provides an improved correction of atmospheric pressure effects in TOPEX/POSEIDON data. As the two corrections have an rms difference of 2-3 cm with maximum differences of up to 10 cm, the impact on the mapping of oceanic circulation is not negligible. This is exemplified through the comparison of sea level anomaly derived from the two corrections.
Unobserved Heterogeneity in Regression Models: A Semiparametric Approach Based on Nonlinear Sieves

This paper proposes a semiparametric approach to control for unobserved heterogeneity in linear regression models, based on an artificial neural network extremum estimator. We present a procedure to specify the model and use simulations to evaluate its finite sample properties in comparison to alternative methods. The simulations show that our approach is less sensitive to increases in the dimensionality and complexity of the problem. We also use the model to study convergence of per capita income across Brazilian municipalities.
Recent Developments in the CONRAD Code regarding Experimental Corrections

The CONRAD code is an object-oriented software tool developed at CEA Cadarache since 2005 to deal with problems arising during the evaluation process (data assimilation and analysis, physical modelling, propagation of uncertainties…). This paper will present recent developments concerning the experimental corrections, which are required when a neutron resonance shape analysis is performed. Several experimental aspects are detailed in this work: the possibility to use spectra in energy as well as in time, the implementation of both analytical (Chi-Square) and Monte-Carlo resolution functions, the sample homogeneity corrections using log-normal distributions. Each development aspect is illustrated with several examples and comparisons with other resonance analysis codes (SAMMY, REFIT).
Embedding Data in Images Securely using Chaos

A robust high-fidelity technique to hide data in images using chaos is proposed and implemented. By efficiently harnessing the nonlinearity of a semiconductor device such as a MOSFET, a chaotic carrier signal is generated using extremely simple circuitry. This chaotic carrier forms the secure key of the proposed embedding system. The generated chaotic signal is validated using standard metrics such as Lyapunov Exponent, Fractal dimension and Kolmogorov Entropy. The generated carrier is then modulated with three message signals and are embedded into the three colors of the carrier image using a scaling factor. The exact frequencies and amplitudes used to generate the chaotic carrier are used in the receiver end to regenerate the carrier, using which the message is decoded from the embedded image. Standard measures such as Mean Square Error and Peak Signal to Noise Ratio are used to characterise the fidelity of the embedding process. The observed large PSNR values corresponding with high sensitivity as observed in the Lyapunov exponent of the chaotic carrier indicate the achievement of the golden advantages of Sensitivity, Fidelity and Simplicity which form the highlights of the present work.
Development and self-calibration of a robotic visual inspecting system

The paper proposes a high-accuracy, large-scale robotic visual inspecting system which consists of an industrial robot and an optical scanning sensor fixed on the robot hand. Traditionally, calibration of a robotic visual inspecting system is separated into three parts: Hand-eye calibration, robot calibration and robot exterior calibration. Compared with the traditional calibration method, this paper presents a new self-calibration method to calibrate and compensate for the robotic visual inspecting system’s kinematic errors. The proposed calibration approach has two unique features: First, it can be calibrated without external measurement devices and human intervention. Second, it simultaneously calibrates the kinematic parameters of the whole inspecting system in one mathematic model to avoid error propagation. These features not only realize the automatic calibration of the inspecting system but also avoid error propagation. Experiments are conducted on a 6 DOF serial robot to validate the good performance of the proposed method.
The Relationship between Location and Early Childhood Preventive Care Choices Among Urban Residents of Bangladesh

The upward trends in both the quantity and relative proportions of slum residents in developing countries have led to international health concerns, including the impact of slum residency on health behaviors. Measurement of these impacts, however, requires recognizing that the unobservable household characteristics that affect the location decision may also affect health care choices and health outcomes. To address the potential bias resulting from this pattern of causality, this research models the decision to locate in a particular area and the household’s demand for maternal and child health services simultaneously. It uses a unique urban data set from Bangladesh that incorporates sophisticated geographical mapping techniques to carefully delineate between slum and non-slum areas at a particular point in time. The estimation method allows for correlation across outcomes using a flexible, semi-parametric approach to the modeling of unobserved heterogeneity. The results suggest that accounting for the endogenous location decision of a family substantially reduces bias in estimated marginal effects of slum residence on preventive care demand. While community infrastructure variables appear correlated with preventive care demand, the causal effect of the availability of primary health care facilities is indistinguishable from zero when unobserved heterogeneity is taken into account. ∗Many thanks to John Akin, Donna Gilleskie, David Guilkey, Peter Lance, Helen Tauchen, and participants of the UNC Applied Microeconomics workshop for their valuable comments and suggestions throughout this process. Any errors remaining in this text are my own.
Adding high-level concurrency to EScala

On the one hand, languages like EventJava combine Event-Based Programming with concurrency. On the other hand, extending Aspect-Oriented Programming with concurrency has been studied as well. Seamlessly combining both styles with concurrency in a single language is possible with the right building blocks. We claim that the join operator is such a building block.
Thermal shock behaviour of mullite–cordierite refractory materials

The characterisation of thermal shock damage in cordierite–mullite refractory plates used as substrates in fast firing of porcelain whiteware has been investigated. Two different refractory compositions (termed REFO and CONC), characterised by different silica to alumina ratios, were studied. Thermal shock damage was induced in as received samples by water quenching tests from 1250°C. Thermal and mechanical properties were measured at room temperature by means of standard techniques and then the thermal shock resistance parameter R was calculated. The fracture toughness of selected samples was measured before and after thermal shock by the chevron notched specimen technique. The reliability of this technique for evaluation of small differences in fracture toughness after a given number of thermal shock cycles was investigated. The suitability of KIc measurements by the chevron notched specimen technique to characterise the development of thermal shock damage in refractory materials was proved in this investigation.
A Context-Sensitive Approach to Find Optimum Language Model for Automatic Bangla Spelling Correction

Automated spelling correction is an important phenomenon in typing that has intense effect on aiding both literate and semi-literate people while using keyboard or other similar devices. Such automated spelling correction technique also helps students significantly in learning process through applying proper words during word processing. A lot of work has been conducted for English language, but for Bangla, it is still not adequate. All work done so far in Bangla is context-free. Bangla is one of the mostly spoken languages (3.05% of world population) and considered seventh language of all languages in the world. In this paper, we propose a context-sensitive approach for automated spelling correction in Bangla. We make combined use of edit distance and stochastic, i.e. N-gram language model. We use six N-gram models in total. A novel approach is deployed in order to find the optimum language model in terms of performance. In addition, for finding out better performance, a large Bangla corpus of different word types is used. We have achieved a satisfactory and promising accuracy of 87.58%.
Deposit behaviour in Indonesia Islamic banking : do crisis and fatwa matter?

This paper attempts to examine factors that influence deposit behaviour of bank depositors in Indonesia Islamic banking. Several explanatory variables are tested namely interest rate, Islamic deposit rate, inflation, income as well as financial crisis. Cointegration test and impulse response functions are utilized to examine the long run and short run relationship among the variables. The period of analysis is from December 2000 to January 2011 (122 number of observation-monthly data). The results show that crisis has no significant impact on the volatility of Islamic banks deposits. This suggests that the Islamic banks’ expansion towards the real economic activities by partnership contracts is one of the best practices. It depicts also that depositors have a strong believe towards the resilience of Islamic banks against financial crisis and thus, they did not withdraw their money excessively during the crisis. However, it is also found that interest rate and income are still dominating the people’s decision to deposit their funds in Islamic banks which in turns, indicating the effectiveness of the anti-riba campaign in Indonesia is still low and thus, the strategy of educating the people need to be redesigned.
USING 21 cm ABSORPTION IN SMALL IMPACT PARAMETER GALAXY–QUASAR PAIRS TO PROBE LOW-REDSHIFT DAMPED AND SUB-DAMPED Lyα SYSTEMS

To search for low-redshift damped Lyα (DLA) and sub-DLA quasar absorbers, we have conducted a 21 cm absorption survey of radio-loud quasars at small impact parameters to foreground galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Here we present the first results from this survey based on observations of SDSS J104257.58+074850.5 (zQSO = 2.66521), a quasar at an angular separation from a foreground galaxy (zgal = 0.03321) of 2. ″5 (1.7 kpc in projection). The foreground galaxy is a low-luminosity spiral with on-going star formation (0.004 M☉ yr−1 kpc−2) and a metallicity of −0.27 ± 0.05 dex. We detect 21 cm absorption from the galaxy with the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), the Very Large Array (VLA), and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). The absorption appears to be quiescent disk gas co-rotating with the galaxy and we do not find any evidence for outflowing cold neutral gas. The width of the main absorption line indicates that the gas is cold, Tk < 283 K, and the H i column is surprisingly low given the impact parameter of 1.7 kpc; we find that N(H i) ⩽9.6 × 1019 cm−2 (GBT) and N(H i) ⩽1.5 × 1020 cm−2 (VLBA). VLBA marginally resolves the continuum source and the absorber, and a lower limit of 27.1 × 13.9 pc is derived for the size of the absorbing cloud. In turn, this indicates a low density for a cold cloud, n(H i) < 3.5 cm−3. We hypothesize that this galaxy, which is relatively isolated, is becoming depleted in H i because it is converting its interstellar matter into stars without a replenishing source of gas, and we suggest future observations to probe this and similar galaxies.
Research into 2D Dynamics and Control of Small Oscillations of a Cross-Beam during Transportation by Two Overhead Cranes

A new mathematical model of a 3DOF 2D mechanical system “transported cross-beam, two moving bridge cranes” has been proposed. Small system oscillations have been derived through the introduction of Lagrange equations. The numerical estimation of 3DOF system motion has been carried out with equation-based Modelica language. The present article uses the Lagrange method and numerical and optimization methods, realized with JModelica.org and Optimica freeware. The absolute swaying of the cross-beam with respect to the displacement of the two moving bridge cranes was estimated. The phase portraits of the 3DOF system for linear and angular coordinates were presented. An open loop optimal control problem was posed for the motion of the bridge cranes. A “bang-bang” control strategy was implemented for the derivation of an optimal control solution, which enables the travel of two bridge cranes at a prescribed distance for minimum time and minimum swaying of a heavy cross-beam. The derived results of the numerical simulation can be easily practically realized by crane operators with good agreement with simple engineering estimations. The proposed control strategy enables synchronous motion of two bridge cranes with a cross-beam that practically solves the posed problem of unwanted excessive oscillations of a heavy cross-beam during transportation.