Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Frontier of Uncertainty Space

We aim to investigate methods balancing exploitation with exploration in active learning to improve the performance of uncertainty sampling. Two exploration guided sampling methods are compared to uncertainty sampling on various real-life datasets from the 2010 Active Learning Challenge. Our initial experiments seems to indicate that combining exploration with uncertainty sampling improves performance on certain datasets but not all.
Hyperspectral imaging e an emerging process analytical tool for food quality and safety control

Hyperspectral imaging e an emerging process analytical tool for food quality and safety control A.A. Gowen*, C.P. O’Donnell, P.J. Cullen, G. Downey and J.M. Frias Biosystems Engineering, School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland (Tel.: D353 17165543; e-mail: aoife.gowen@ucd.ie) School of Food Science and Environmental Health, Dublin Institute of Technology, Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin 1, Ireland Teagasc Ashtown Food Research Centre, Ashtown, Dublin 15, Ireland
Multi-scale gas transport modelling for the EC FORGE project

Abstract The generation and migration of gas within and around proposed radioactive waste disposal facilities is potentially a safety critical process. A safety case for a facility that generates significant quantities of gas (e.g. through metal corrosion or radiolysis) will require demonstration that gas migration around and away from the waste is sufficiently understood and will not breach the safety case for the facility. Models can be used to understand the likely hydraulic evolution of such a disposal facility, but the models need to consider processes over a range of scales. Awhole repository may extend over kilometres, with individual disposal cells at the scale of tens of metres and features which provide pathways for gas migration on a centimetre scale. All of these features may be significant from a safety perspective and capturing the impact of all of these features in a single model is a significant challenge. This paper presents an approach to tackling this multi-scale problem, which allows the whole repository to be modelled in a computationally efficient manner. The approach involves identifying areas within the modelled domain that show very similar behaviour, and representing these areas with sub-models, so that small-scale features are retained, but computational overhead is decreased by using the results in more than one location in the model domain. The approach allowed a model of a whole repository to be run on a single processor core, whilst maintaining the small-scale features of the system. The model results were compared against more conventional upscaling techniques and show the advantage of a more detailed representation of small-scale features. The model results reflect the conceptual understanding of how gas would migrate in a repository.
Plateaus in long-term appropriation of an information system

This paper examines the process of technology appropriation and the triggers that encourage and discourage longer term use of an Information System (IS). In a longitudinal study over 14 months, we examine use of a Learning Management System in an educational setting. Our findings suggest that the process of appropriation is incremental over time. Multiple plateaus of temporary stabilization occur during longer term use of a technology. In addition, findings from the study reveal that rejection of a technology may take place long after adoption. Localized IT support, peer-support and availability of ongoing training in the form of one-on-one contact with the trainer, at critical time periods, may be key factors in encouraging productive use and avoiding rejection of the technology in the long term.
The Effects Of Monosodium Glutamate On The Open Field Locomotor Activities In Adult Wistar Rats

The effects of Monosodium glutamate (MSG) commonly used as food additive, on the open field locomotors activities of adult Wistar rats were carefully studied. The rats of both sexes (n=24), average weight of 185g were randomly assigned into two treatments (n=16) and control (n=8) groups. The rats in the treatment groups received 0.04mg/kg and 0.08mg/kg of MSG thoroughly mixed with their feeds for fourteen days, while the control rats received equal amounts of feeds without MSG added. The rats were fed with growers' mash purchased from Edo Feeds and Flour Mill Ltd, Ewu, Edo State and were given water liberally. The rats were taken from their home cages and placed randomly into one of the four corners of the open field, facing the centre and allowed to explore the apparatus for 5minutes as the various behavioral scores were measured. The findings indicates that there was a significant difference (P<0.05) in the frequencies of line crossing, walling, grooming and hinding between the two treatments and control groups.
Demand Response Potential of Electricity End-users Facing Real Time Pricing

Because of the increasing supply of intermittent renewable energy sources, demand response by end-users may be helpful to balance electricity networks and to prevent network bottlenecks. This paper estimates the hourly potential of price-based demand response in a number of European countries, especially for the residential end-users, using data from the real-time market. For that purpose, we investigate the hourly own and cross elasticities in different European countries. Based on these elasticities, historical spot prices as well as a number of technical constraints, we construct a price-based optimization model to identify the hourly potentials of price-based demand response. The estimation results show that the magnitudes of elasticities are relatively small, while the hourly potentials in the residential sector are not significantly higher than those in industrial and tertiary sector. This suggests that the potential of price-based demand response in the residential sector to deal with the increasing supply of renewables is small.
SCalE: Smartphone-based Calorie Estimation From Food Image Information

Personal assistive systems for diet control can play a vital role to combat obesity. As smartphones have become inseparable companions for a large number of people around the world, designing smartphone-based systems is perhaps the best choice at the moment. Using this system people can take an image of their food right before eating, know the calorie content based on the food items on the plate. In this paper, we propose a simple method that ensures both user flexibility and high accuracy at the same time. The proposed system employs capturing food images with a fixed posture and estimating the volume of the food using simple geometry. The real world experiments on different food items chosen arbitrarily show that the proposed system can work well for both regular and liquid food items.
A few remarks on “Vandenberghe et al.: Joint return periods in hydrology: a critical and practical review focusing on synthetic design

The topic discussed in this paper is interesting; thus, I would like to take the opportunity offered by HESSD to share my personal opinion with the Authors and possibly contribute to the discussion. As stated in the title, the paper attempts to provide a critical (theoretical and practical) overview of the concepts related to the joint return period (RP). Based on the previous work by Vandenberghe et al [2011], the Authors are in good position to accomplish the task rather well; however, the manuscript under review seems to overlook to some extent the discussion reported Vandenberghe et al [2011], thus looking less detailed and formally correct. In my opinion, some sources of possible confusion are also introduced. In the following, I provide a few remarks on the topic.
Life on a tropical planet: niche conservatism and the global diversity gradient

Aim The niche conservatism hypothesis proposes that species distribution patterns are, by and large, governed by ancestral climatic affinities. Here, we test this hypothesis by combining information on current diversity gradients among lineages, lineage initiation dates, and palaeoclimatic reconstructions. Location World-wide. Methods We test the niche conservatism hypothesis by comparing slopes of latitudinal diversity gradients among terrestrial and aquatic lineages derived from 343 studies from around the world. The prediction is that clades originating during warm periods should be very species rich in tropical regions, exhibiting a steeper richness gradient from lower to higher latitudes than clades originating during cold periods, which are expected to exhibit shallower latitudinal species richness gradients. Results Latitudinal gradients for clades that originated in warm climates are steeper and with a strong tropical affinity, whereas organisms originating in colder periods exhibit a shallower diversity gradient or no tropical affinity. Conclusions For a broad variety of plants and animals of both marine and terrestrial realms our results are consistent with the idea that higher diversities have arisen among tropical clades because the earth has been predominantly tropical throughout most of its history. Most clades radiated in tropical climates, with subsequent climate changes causing a retraction in distributions. Our study implies that global climate change by itself, even when developing over tens of millions of years, could have shaped the large-scale patterns of diversity prevailing on earth today.
Experimental evidence on rational inattention

We show that rational inattention theory of Sims (2003) provides a rationalization of choice models a la Luce and gives a structural interpretation to probability curvature parameters as reflecting costs of processing information. We use data from a behavioral experiment to show that people behave according to predictions of the theory. We estimate attitudes to risk and costs of information for individual participants and document overwhelming heterogeneity in these parameters among a relatively homogeneous sample of people. We characterize, both theoretically and empirically, the aggregation biases this heterogeneity implies and find these biases to be substantial.
Altruism with Social Roots: An Emerging Literature

This paper analyzes the emerging literature on the determinants of giving within a social network. We propose two main explanatory variables for previous experimental results on the friendship effect. The first is social integration, which has a positive impact on giving. The second variable is strategic and is based on reciprocity: the possibility of ex-post favors. Econometric analysis shows that both variables play a positive (and significant) role.
Ecological Life Behaviour Scale: Development, Validity and Reliability

Increasing awareness about the significance of personal preferences is highly important for the sustainable balance of earth, because the underlying reason for today’s ecological problems is always tending to or guiding into more consumption. People’s desire to always consume more brings irreversible harm to all natural systems, whether living or non-living, as well as ecological balance. Consequently, ecosystems will not maintain their sustainability and future generations of people will face very serious problems, in terms of health in particular. To avoid all these, we must adopt a new lifestyle in which organic products are preferred without polluting the environment, unnatural chemical products are refrained from and wastes are recycled, in short a system based on natural healing. Hence, this study aims to develop a scale to identify the level of adult people’s ecological life behaviour. For this purpose, discussing the subjects of overconsumption, industrial products and recycling, we created items involving general behaviours in such areas as eatingdrinking, sheltering, clothing, detergents and plastics, transportation and energy use, presented these items to experts in their fields, and made changes in line with the feedback they provided. Purposeful sampling was selected for the candidate 32-item scale and 149 instructors from Kafkas University participated in the study group. Explanatory factor analysis (AFA) revealed a singlefactor structure with 15 items. AFA results were also validated with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Goodness of fit index was found to be high. For assessing the reliability of the scale, item analysis was performed while also Cronbach Alpha, Guttman Split Half and Spearman Brown reliability coefficients were calculated. The scale yielded an internal consistency coefficient of . 87. The language of the scale is Turkish. It was translated into English, but language validity has not been assessed yet.
Seed dispersers help plants to escape global warming.

This study was funded by the Galician Regional Government (project PGIDIT 05RFO 20001 PR). JPGV 310 was supported by an Individual Fellowship from the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014-656572: MOBILELINKS). JVLB was supported by a ‘Juan de la 312 Cierva’ research contract (JCI-2012-13066) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.
Assessment of the Model Uncertainty in Shear Resistance of Reinforced Concrete Beams without Shear Reinforcement / Hodnocení Modelové Nejistoty Pro Smykovou Odolnost Železobetonových Nosníků Bez Smykové Výztuže

Abstract The paper is focused on the model uncertainty related to shear resistance of reinforced concrete beams without special shear reinforcement considering available test results. Variation of the model uncertainty with basic variables is analysed and significant variables are identified for the section-oriented formula provided in EN 1992-1-1. Proposed probabilistic description of the model uncertainty consists of the lognormal distribution having the coefficient of variation of 0.15 and the mean value varying from 0.9 to 1.05 for beams with light to heavy longitudinal reinforcement. Abstrakt Článek se zaměřuje na stanovení modelové nejistoty smykové odolnosti železobetonových nosníků bez smykové výztuže s využitím dostupných experimentálních měření. Analyzuje se vliv základních veličin na modelovou nejistotu pro smykovou odolnost stanovenou podle EN 1992-1-1. Ukazuje se, že modelovou nejistotu lze popsat lognormálním rozdělením s variačním koeficientem 0.15 a průměrnou hodnotou pohybující se mezi 0.9 a 1.05 pro nosníky s nízkým až vysokým stupněm podélného vyztužení.
Newly Identified Silicate Carbon Stars from IRAS Low-Resolution Spectra ∗

The discovery of silicate carbon star poses a challenge to the theory of stellar evolution in the late stage, hence it is important to look for more silicate carbon stars. To this end we have carried out cross-identifications between the new IRAS Low-Resolution Spectrum (LRS) database and the new carbon star catalog, CGCS3. We have found nine new silicate carbon stars with silicate features around 10 mu m and/or 18 mu m. These newly identified stars are located in the Regions IIIa and VII in the IRAS two-color diagram, which means they indeed have typical far infrared colors of silicate carbon stars. The infrared properties of each of these sources are discussed.
Particle Collision Near 1 + 1-Dimensional Horava-Lifshitz Black Hole and Naked Singularity

Copyright © 2017 M. Halilsoy and A. Ovgun. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The publication of this article was funded by SCOAP3. The unbounded center-of-mass (CM) energy of oppositely moving colliding particles near horizon emerges also in 1 + 1dimensional Horava-Lifshitz gravity. This theory has imprints of renormalizable quantum gravity characteristics in accordance with the method of simple power counting. Surprisingly the result obtained is not valid for a 1-dimensional Compton-like process between an outgoing photon and an infalling massless/massive particle. It is possible to achieve unbounded CM energy due to collision between infalling photons and particles. The source of outgoing particles may be attributed to an explosive process just outside the horizon for a black hole and the naturally repulsive character for the case of a naked singularity. It is found that absence of angular momenta in 1 + 1-dimension does not yield unbounded energy for collisions in the vicinity of naked singularities.
An Economic Assessment of the Amenity Benefits Associated with Alternative Coastal Defence Options

Current government guidelines for the appraisal of coastal defence projects in the UK do not require that non-market amenity benefits to be considered. However, a new option in coastal defence, namely multi-purpose reefs, provides an opportunity to integrate coastal defence with significant amenity provision. This paper reports the findings of a choice experiment study that evaluated the amenity benefits of four alternative coastal defence systems currently being considered for Borth in west Wales. The results indicate that traditional coastal defence options such as timber and rock groynes do not generate amenity benefits, while a multipurpose reef would generate significant benefits in terms of improvements in the visual appeal of the beach, safer swimming opportunities and improved surfing conditions. Importantly, these benefits were found to be significant for all members of the local community and not just surfers. Based on our findings, we recommend that guidelines for the appraisal of coastal defence projects should be amended to incorporate non-market amenity benefits. ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS: Choice experiment, amenity benefits, coastal defence, multi-purpose reef INTRODUCTION The protection of coastal land and communities from the onslaught of the sea is a major concern throughout the world. Climate change and the predicted rises in sea levels are likely to further exacerbate these concerns in the future. In England and Wales, it has been estimated that over one million properties (valued at over £130 billion) are at risk from coastal flooding and a further 113,000 properties (£7.7 billion) are at risk from coastal erosion (DEFRA, 2001). In a fifty year forecast, the same report estimates that, if nothing is done to maintain and improve existing coastal defence systems, damages to property from coastal flooding will cost on average over £1.5 billion per annum (ibid.). To maintain existing levels of protection, the UK government would have to invest £210 million per annum (ibid.). The bulk of this expenditure is ultimately met by taxpayers, many of whom may derive little personal benefit from the money spent on their behalf. Good project appraisal is therefore essential to ensure that taxpayers receive value for money from coastal defence projects. In the UK, DEFRA (then MAFF) has produced a series of six guidance documents for the appraisal of flood and coastal defence projects (MAFF, 2001), including a document on the economic appraisal of such projects (MAFF, 2000). Since the publication of these documents, the HM Treasury has revised it’s ‘Green Book’ on ‘Policy appraisal in Central Government’(HM TREASURY, 2003), indicating that project appraisal should now adopt
THE ABDUS SALAM INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR THEORETICAL PHYSICS EFFICIENT SPIN INJECTION INTO SEMICONDUCTOR

Spintronic research has made tremendous progress nowadays for making future devices obtain extra advantages of low power, and faster and higher scalability compared to present electronic devices. A spintronic device is based on the transport of an electron’s spin instead of charge. Efficient spin injection is one of the very important requirements for future spintronic devices. However, the effective spin injection is an exceedingly difficult task. In this paper, the importance of spin injection, basics of spin current and the essential requirements of spin injection are illustrated. The experimental technique of electrical spin injection into semiconductor is also discussed based on the experimental experience. The electrical spin injection can easily be implemented for spin injection into any semiconductor. MIRAMARE – TRIESTE June 2010 1 Junior Associate of ICTP. mainahid@gmail.com
Divergent selection for longevity in breeding does.

A divergent selection for functional longevity, based on genetic merit estimated through survival analysis techniques, was carried out in the INRA 1077 rabbit line. The experiment was carried out to estimate the efficiency of such a selection and to analyse the consequences on other reproduction traits. Given the herd management, length of productive life was measured as the number of artificial inseminations of rabbit does without any culling for infertility. A total of 48 males were progeny tested based on the longevity of ten daughters (5 in the INRA SAGA farm and 5 in the INRA EASM farm). Based on their estimated genetic merit, 5 “high longevity” and 5 “low longevity” males were selected and produced a new generation (5 sons/sire). These 48 males were similarly progeny tested to estimate the direct and correlated responses to selection. A significant difference in longevity (+0.92 AI i.e. 39 days) was observed between the two lines. The differences of survival between the 2 lines in the SAGA farm were mainly due to culling (26% in the low line vs. 14% in the high line) whereas the mortality was similar in the 2 lines. In the EASM farm, mortality and culling were both higher in the low line than in the high line (33% vs. 15% and 19% vs. 7%, respectively). Except for the total number born which was higher in the low line, there was no difference between the two lines for reproduction traits recorded for each kindling. Nevertheless, because of the difference in the number of litters between the 2 lines, the sum of young rabbits born alive per doe and the sum of young rabbits weaned per doe were higher in the high line (+5 kits).