Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A behavioral approach to GNSS positioning and DOP determination

In this paper, a behavioral framework is proposed to solve dynamic GNSS positioning problems, which in the mean time may also provide a way to determine the DOP (dilution of precision) of a moving object. The concept of behavioral framework was first proposed by Jan C. Willems in a series of papers (J.C. Willems, "From time series to linear system - part I, II, and III," Automatica Vol. 22, 1986.) as a generic tool for mathematical modeling of dynamical systems. In the proposed approach, a GNSS positioning problem is firstly described by a kernel representation and then the problem can be solved by a structured total least-squares (STLS) algorithm. STLS algorithm is a modified version of the traditional total least-squares (TLS) method. It can be shown that the STLS algorithm is able to provide better performance than the TLS algorithm for the problems that possess a particular structure. In the case of the present paper, it is shown that the GNSS positioning problem has a Hankel structure (i.e., the geometric matrix of the pseudorange equation is Hankel), therefore the problem can be solved by an STLS algorithm subject to a Hankel structure. On the other hand, a formula for calculating DOP of a dynamic positioning problem is also provided. The proposed method is able to calculate the DOP value for multiple time epochs, in compared with the conventional DOP formula which can only be derived at a single time epoch, so as to reflect the inter-dependency between consecutive time epochs.
Malnutrition Reduces Quality of Life and Performance in Hospitalized Elderly

Objectives: Severe protein energy malnutrition results in muscle wasting and loss of subcutaneous tissue and has serious implications for health, recovery from illness or surgery, and hospital costs; however this condition is often underestimated and considered as one of the aspects of aging. We measure the incidence of malnutrition and its consequences on general health, physical and mental performance in a cohort of elderly patients. Study Design: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in a geriatric inpatient unit. Three hundred patients admitted to the clinic who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Main Outcome Measures: Nutritional status was evaluated by Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire, macro and micronutrients intake, anthropometric measures and biochemical parameters. Physical and mental performances were recorded by questionnaires. Muscular strength was measured by a hand dynamometer and clinical outcomes were recorded. Results: Patients with poor nutritional status have lower physical and mental performance as respect to well nourished patients. Undernourished patients have longer hospitalization and worst outcomes. We observe a high prevalence of severe hypovitaminosis D and the intake of various micronutrients was severely unbalanced. The incidence of malnutrition was 25% (75 patients); 39% (119 patients) were at risk of malnutrition. MNA was inversely related with the length of hospital stay (R = -0.25, p = 0.012) and with Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) (R = -0.56, p = 0.000), whereas directly related with cognitive performance measured through Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) (R = 0.5, p = 0.000) and hand grip strength (R = 0.35, p = 0.000). Conclusions: Malnutrition significantly reduced quality of life, physical and mental performance and worsened patients’ prognosis.
Measurements and modelling of snow interception in the boreal forest

Snow accumulation and ablation processes are particularly important to the hydrology of cold climate forests. In order to calculate the distribution of snow cover and the loss of snow to sublimation, the amount of snowfall intercepted by forest canopies must be determined. This paper introduces a physically-based snowfall interception model that scales snowfall interception processes from branch to canopy. Previous models of snow interception have neglected the persistent presence and subsequent unloading of intercepted snow in cold climates and hence have only been applicable to regions where snow is quickly lost from the canopy. To investigate how snow is intercepted at the forest stand scale, measurements of wind speed, air temperature, above- and below-canopy snowfall, accumulation of snow on the ground and the load of snow intercepted by a suspended, weighed, full-size conifer were collected from spruce and pine stands in the southern boreal forest. These data show that interception increases at a declining rate with increasing snowfall, to a point where the intercepted load overcomes the strength of branches to support it. Leaf area, tree species and initial canopy snow load determine the snow storage capacity of the canopy. These factors, canopy coverage and snowfall are used to calculate snow interception, presuming an exponential decay in incremental interception as cumulative snowfall increases. The subsequent unloading of intercepted snow is additionally modelled as an exponential function of time. The sensitivity of the combined model to temperature, wind speed, snowfall, snow load and canopy structure is examined for weekly time-steps. The examination shows that interception efficiency is particularly sensitive to snowfall amount, canopy density and time since snowfall. A comparison of the model with weekly measurements of snow interception suggests that the method can be used to calculate snow interception successfully in a physically-based manner.
Stereo Vision and Scene Segmentation

Scene segmentation is the well-known task of identifying the image regions corresponding to the different scene elements or segments Sk, k = 1, 2. ,N belonging to a predefined set S partitioning the scene in N subsets, each one corresponding to a scene object or to a region of interest. Beside being an important problem by itself, segmentation is also employed as a preliminary step in many other computer vision tasks, e.g. object recognition or stereo vision. A closely related problem, very relevant for the television and movie industries, is video-mattingwhich consists in separating the background from the foreground.
Cognitive Functioning in Older New Zealand Adults : A Pilot Study on the use of the Addenbrooke ’ s Cognitive Examination – Revised

As the New Zealand population ages there is a growing need to ascertain and provide for the needs of older adults. Impairment of cognitive functioning decreases the ability to undertake activities of daily living and can impact significantly on the ability to sustain independent living. The rate of cognitive impairment in New Zealand among older adults is unknown and the accuracy of assessments of older adults is questionable. This current study is a pilot to assess the validity and utility of the „Kiwi‟ Addenbrooke‟s Cognitive Examination – Revised (ACE-R) for use in a longitudinal study of older New Zealanders. The cognitive functioning of forty-five older community dwelling adults was measured. Results suggest that the „Kiwi‟ ACE-R is a valid and useful measure of cognition for older people in New Zealand and can be used in longitudinal studies of ageing of community dwelling older
Impact of engaging teaching model (ETM) on students’ attendance

Abstract Non-attendance in Higher Education is not a new concept. In recent years with the exponential growth in digital learning, physical attendance has become a more complex issue. Educators are continually advocating an engaging teaching approach for students as a means of enhancing learning. This on-going study focuses on exploring the existing issues related to student non-attendance and the impact of a proposed engaging teaching model (ETM) on students’ attendance. This research questions whether an engaged learning session could make a positive impact on students’ attendance. The objectives highlighted in this study are to examine the reasons for non-attendance and generic measures for increasing attendance; and highlight the impact of an engaging teaching model on students’ attendance. The inference drawn from the qualitative method undertaken by 89 participants is the development of ETM to enhance students’ attendance. The study is beneficial to educators, researchers and policy-makers, in order for them to consider not only the content of their subjects, but also how students engage with these resources, which consequently facilitate students’ interest in attending lectures.
Pharmacognosy of Ecbolium viride : A Review

In India use of different parts of several medicinal plants to cure specific ailments has been in vogue from ancient times. Although the traditional system of medicine has large number of plants with various medicinal and pharmacological properties and are yet to be discovered which represents a priceless tank of new bioactive molecules. Ecbolium viride (Forssk). Alston belonging to the family Acanthaceae is a perennial woody under shrub. Traditionally different parts of this plant like roots, leaves, and stem as well as whole plant are used in folklore medicine for various ailments like tumors, jaundice, menorrhea, rheumatism, inflammation. Apart from the research and pharmacological properties of Ecbolium viride, its synonym Ecbolium linnaenum is also succinctly discussed here. Some of its medicinal properties have been mentioned in Siddha, Ayurveda and Unani system of medicine. This review attempts to encompass the adequate information to develop suitable therapeutics and bioactive molecules out of these plant parts.
OPTIMAL LINEAR PERTURBATIONS IN HARTMANN CHANNEL FLOW : THE INFLUENCE OF WALLS AND MAGNETIC DAMPING

The transient amplification of optimal linear perturbations in Hartmann channel flow is studied at low and moderate Hartmann numbers. These perturbations are streamwiseindependent vortices. They develop into streaks, which are important for subcritical transition to turbulence. The influence of the opposite channel wall is examined by comparing antisymmetric and symmetric perturbations. Differences in energy amplification between these two types of perturbations decrease rapidly with the Hartmann number. Moreover, the energy amplification in Hartmann flow is close to that in an asymptotic suction boundary layer, i.e. the magnetic damping of perturbations has only a weak effect on transient growth.
The Optimum Currency Area Theory: An Analysis of the Pacific Alliance

This thesis is intended to consider whether the South American members of the trade bloc, the Pacific Alliance, namely Chile, Colombia, Peru, form an optimum currency area (OCA). An in-depth review into the progression of OCA theory is done to formulate a proper econometric analysis. An empirical investigation is conducted by using main macroeconomic indicators from the time period 2001 to the third quarter of 2014 to examine if the aforementioned countries are within the definition of an OCA. An ordinary least squares regression is done on three major economic indicators to test the causes of the deviation from one another. Evidence suggests the group is currently not an OCA and extensive integration efforts would be needed before the group is within the bounds of forming an OCA.
Behavior and Reproductive Success of Rock Sandpipers Breeding on the Yukon-Kuskokwim River Delta, Alaska

Abstract We studied Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) breeding behavior and monitored reproductive success from 1998 to 2005 on the Yukon-Kuskokwim River Delta, Alaska, USA. We banded 24 adults and monitored 45 nests. Annual return rate of adults ranged between 67 and 100%. Six pairs of Rock Sandpipers bred at our study site for ≥2 years, and among these we did not observe mate change (i.e., when both members of a pair returned and each mated with a new individual). Nests were typically initiated by mid-May and 53% of females laid second clutches if first clutches were lost through mid-June. Males regularly incubated clutches during the morning (0800–1259 hrs AKDT) and afternoon (1300–1759 hrs) and rarely during the evening (1800– 2300 hrs), whereas female incubation was relatively consistent throughout the day. Apparent nest success (percent of known nests successfully hatching >1 chick) among first and second nests was 19 and 44%, respectively (n = 45). A minimum of 44% of hatching nests fledged at least one young. Males cared for young but half of females deserted mate and brood 1–7 days post-hatch. This first description of North American Rock Sandpiper breeding behavior from a color-marked population complements previous work on this species on the Chukotsky Peninsula, Russia.
Electromechanical characterization of carbon nanotubes grown on carbon fiber

Mechanical and electrical properties of carbon fiber (CF) and vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been thoroughly investigated in previous studies. Growth of radially aligned CNTs on silicon oxide (SiO2) coated CF has recently been accomplished resulting in multiscale composite fiber (CNT/SiO2/CF). CNT/SiO2/CF offers promise as stress and strain sensors in CF reinforced composite materials. However, to date there have been no investigations of the electromechanical properties of CNT/SiO2/CF that would facilitate their usage as sensors in composite materials, which is the focus of this research. This study investigates fundamental mechanical and electrical properties of CF, SiO2/CF (SiO2 coated CF), and CNT/SiO2/CF during localized transverse compression at low loads (μN to mN) and small displacements (nm to a few μms). Force, strain, stiffness, and electrical resistance were monitored simultaneously during compression experiments. For CF, resistance decreased sharply upon compressive loading w.
INVESTIGATING THE CAUSES OF INFANT MORTALITY IN IMAM-KHOMEINI AND MUSTAFA-KHOMEINI HOSPITALS, ILAM, 2012 TO 2016

Neonatal mortality is defined for death of infants under age of 4 weeks. It is considered as an important indicator for developing in a country. Despite many efforts that were done in the last years, unfortunately there is high rate of mortality in new born infants; the aim of this study investigated the causes of the mortality of infants hospitalized in NICU of Imam-Khomeini and Mustafa-Khomeini hospitals of Ilam from 2012 to 2016. The present research is a cross-sectional study, the statistical population of which includes all deceased infants who were hospitalized in NICU of Imam Khomeini and Mustafa Khomeini hospitals of Ilam from 2012 to 2016. The information related to gender, gestational age, age at birth, birth weight, mode of delivery, Apgar scores in the first and fifth minutes, history of breast disease of the mother, and cause of death were recorded and the collected data was analyzed using SPSS, version 20 and statistical tests of chi-square and T-test. Based on the findings of the analysis, the most common causes of mortality among infants were respiratory distress syndrome (60.3), asphyxia (9.3), congenital cardiovascular diseases (7), sepsis (6.7), Intracerebral hemorrhage (3.7), and Disseminated intravascular coagulation (2.7). There, also, turned out to be a significant relationship between being stillborn, birth weight of the stillborn infant, gestational age, 1st and 5th minutes Agar rate, and the cause of death. Considering the high incidence of infant mortality at gestational age of less than 37 weeks, implementing stricter caregiving in order to prevent Preterm labor, as the most important cause of infant mortality, is of particular importance in reducing infant mortality.
Ensemble Data Assimilation Without Ensembles: Methodology and Application to Ocean Data Assimilation

Two methods to estimate background error covariances for data assimilation are introduced. While both share properties with the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF), they differ from it in that they do not require the integration of multiple model trajectories. Instead, all the necessary covariance information is obtained from a single model integration. The first method is referred-to as SAFE (Space Adaptive Forecast error Estimation) because it estimates error covariances from the spatial distribution of model variables within a single state vector. It can thus be thought of as sampling an ensemble in space. The second method, named FAST (Flow Adaptive error Statistics from a Time series), constructs an ensemble sampled from a moving window along a model trajectory. The underlying assumption in these methods is that forecast errors in data assimilation are primarily phase errors in space and/or time.
Antimicrobial activity and acute and chronic toxicity of the essential oil of Lippia origanoides 1

Andrade V.A. , Almeida A.C. , Souza D.S. , Colen K.G. F. , Macêdo A.A. , Martins E.R. , Fonseca F.S. A. & Santos R.L. 2014. Antimicrobial activity and acute and chronic toxicity of Lippia origanoides. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 34(12):1153-1161. Laboratório de Patologia Molecular, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-000, Brazil. E-mail: rsantos@vet.ufmg. br Currently, there is a growing interest in medicinal plants, because of an increased demand for alternate therapies. In this study, the antimicrobial activity and toxicity of the essential oil of Lippia origanoides (L. origanoides) were investigated. The essential oil of L. origanoides was extracted by steam-dragging distillation and its constituents were identified by chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Among the 15 compounds identified, the most abundant were carvacrol (29.00%), o-cymene (25.57%), and thymol methyl ether (11.50%). The essential oil was studied in antimicrobial assays to determine the MIC and MBC. The results indicated that a concentration of 120μL/mL of oil was sufficient to inhibit the growth of the following microorganisms: Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Salmonella cholerasuis (ATCC 10708). Acute and chronic toxic effects of orally administered oil were investigated in Wistar rats by using standard methods. Doses of 30, 60 and 120mg/kg of the essential oil did not induce significant changes in weight, behavior or hematological and biochemical parameters in the animals. There were no signs of any histopathological changes to the liver, kidneys or heart of the treated rats, suggesting that Lippia origanoides oil is non-toxic after oral administration in acute or chronic toxicity studies. The results obtained in this study show that the essential oil of L. origanoides has a high safety margin, with no detectable toxic effects in rats treated with doses to 120mg/kg. In addition, L. origanoides oil demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, E. coli and S. cholerasuis. Based on these findings, this essential oil may have practical application as a veterinary antimicrobial.
Spatio and Efficient ` 1-` 1 minimization based Impulse Noise Removal in Gray Images Using Dictionary Learning

In natural images spatially adjacent image pixels have similar pixel values and many patches of image pixels have similar values. This similarity exploited for reducing the computation time required for de-noising and `1-`1 minimization was modified for efficient implementation. Using impulse noise detector, noisy pixels were separated and from noise free pixels DC values of image batches were calculated. This accurate DC value calculation improves the quality of the de-noised image and preserves the details. Once noise is removed using efficient `1-`1 minimization, de-noised pixels will replace noisy pixel in the corrupted image. The proposed algorithm gives superior peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity (SSIM) indices compared with the other state-of-the-art algorithms for grey images.
TIME: A Training-in-Memory Architecture for RRAM-Based Deep Neural Networks

The training of neural networks (NN) is usually time-consuming and resource intensive. The emerging metal-oxide resistive random-access memory (RRAM) device has shown potential for the computation of NN. RRAM crossbar structure and multibit characteristics can perform the matrix-vector product in high energy efficiency, which is the most common operation of NN. Two challenges exist for realizing training NN based on RRAM. First, the current architectures based on RRAM only support the inference in training NN and cannot perform the backpropagation (BP) and the weight update of training NN. Second, training NN requires enormous iterations to constantly update the weights for reaching the convergence. However, this weight update leads to large energy consumption because of the nonideal factors of RRAM. In this paper, we propose a training-in-memory based on RRAM (TIME) architecture and the peripheral circuit design to enable training NN on RRAM. TIME supports the BP and the weight update while maximizing the re-usage of peripheral circuits of the inference operation on RRAM. Meanwhile, a set of optimization strategies focusing on the nonideal factors are designed to reduce the cost of tuning RRAM. We explore the performance of both supervised learning (SL) and deep reinforcement learning (DRL) on TIME. A specific mapping method of DRL is also introduced to further improve energy efficiency. Simulation results show that in SL, TIME can achieve $5.3{\times }$ higher energy efficiency on average compared with DaDianNao, an application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) in CMOS technology. In DRL, TIME can perform an average $126{\times }$ higher than GPU in energy efficiency. If the cost of tuning RRAM can be further reduced, TIME has the potential to boost the energy efficiency by two orders of magnitudes compared with ASIC.
Estimating sub‐canopy shortwave irradiance to melting snow on forested slopes

Estimates of shortwave irradiance energy beneath needle‐leaf forests over complex terrain are needed to drive energy balance snowmelt models and to evaluate the potential hydrological impacts of forest‐cover change in mountain regions. This paper outlines and evaluates a physically‐based model designed to estimate sub‐canopy shortwave irradiance to snowcover under needle‐leaf forest‐cover with respect to surface slope and azimuth. Transmission of above‐canopy irradiance was estimated using forest‐surveys and hemispherical photographs to determine the fractions of forest‐cover occupied by non‐transmitting trunks, partially‐transmitting crowns and fully‐transmitting gaps with respect to above‐canopy diffuse and direct beam shortwave irradiance. Simulations were conducted for continuous, uniform lodgepole pine forests on level site and a north facing slope and a discontinuous, non‐uniform forest on a southeast facing slope during snowmelt at the Marmot Creek Research Basin, Alberta, Canada. Mean observed daily transmissivity values of irradiance were 0·09 at the north‐facing forest, 0·21 at the level forest and 0·36 at the southeast‐facing forest. Modelled and observed results indicate that potential snowmelt energy from sub‐canopy shortwave irradiance is likely to exhibit the greatest variation with change in cloudiness and forest‐cover density under south‐facing forests and the least variation under north‐facing forests. Comparisons of simulations to observations indicate that the model can explain much of the difference in daily shortwave transmission amongst sites, performing relatively poorest at the north‐facing forest where fluxes were small and relatively best at the south‐east facing forest where fluxes were large. However, simulation errors in terms of absolute irradiance were greatest at the southeast‐facing forest, having a root mean square error (RMSE) 0·64 MJ m−2d−1 compared to 0·44 MJ m−2d−1 at the level forest and 0·27 MJ m−2d−1 at the north‐facing forest. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.