Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating a mesoscale atmosphere model and a satellite-based algorithm in estimating extreme rainfall events in northwestern Turkey

Abstract. Quantitative precipitation estimates are obtained with more uncertainty under the influence of changing climate variability and complex topography from numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. On the other hand, hydrologic model simulations depend heavily on the availability of reliable precipitation estimates. Difficulties in estimating precipitation impose an important limitation on the possibility and reliability of hydrologic forecasting and early warning systems. This study examines the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and the Multi Precipitation Estimates (MPE) algorithm in producing the temporal and spatial characteristics of the number of extreme precipitation events observed in the western Black Sea region of Turkey. Precipitation derived from WRF model with and without the three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) data assimilation scheme and MPE algorithm at high spatial resolution (5 km) are compared with gauge precipitation. WRF-derived precipitation showed capabilities in capturing the timing of precipitation extremes and to some extent the spatial distribution and magnitude of the heavy rainfall events, whereas MPE showed relatively weak skills in these aspects. WRF skills in estimating such precipitation characteristics are enhanced with the application of the 3DVAR scheme. Direct impact of data assimilation on WRF precipitation reached up to 12% and at some points there is a quantitative match for heavy rainfall events, which are critical for hydrological forecasts.
Effect Of Antifungals On Physiological Activities Of Some Plant Pathogenic Fungi

Each of the antifungal compounds extracted from each of the antagonistic microorganisms was found to has an inhibitory effect on Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum. Four antifungal compounds were found to be the most inhibitory than the other compounds. The first one from Eupenicillium senticosum, the second from Streptomyces aurantiacus, the third from Curtobacterium pusillum and the last one from Saccharomyces unispora. The first three compounds were active against R. solani, while the last one was active against F. oxysporum. All the four compounds were found to reduce or inhibit the growth of R. solani and F. oxysporum. They also reduce the carbohydrate concentrations, as well as reducing the nitrogen content (total nitrogen, soluble nitrogen and protein nitrogen). Regarding their effect on the enzyme activity, they increase the activity of fumarase, malic dehydrogenase and succinic dehydrogenase, while they reduce the activity of catalase enzyme of both R. solani and F. oxysporum as compared to control.
Deep Multimodal Fusion Networks for Semantic Segmentation

Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) have emerged as the dominant approach for solving many problems in computer vision and perception. Most state-of-the-art approaches to these problems are designed to operate using RGB color images as input. However, there are several settings that CNNs have been deployed in where more information about the state of the environment is available. Systems that require real-time perception such as self-driving cars or drones are typically equipped with sensors that can offer several complementary representations of the environment. CNNs designed to take advantage of features extracted from multiple sensor modalities have the potential to increase the perception capability of autonomous systems. The work in this thesis extends the real-time CNN segmentation model ENet [39] to learn using a multimodal representation of the environment. Namely we investigate learning from disparity images generated by SGM [20] in conjunction with RGB color images from the Cityscapes dataset [10]. To do this we create a network architecture called MM-ENet composed of two symmetric feature extraction branches followed by a modality fusion network. We avoid using depth encoding strategies such as HHA [15] due to their computational cost and instead operate on raw disparity images. We also constrain the resolution of training and testing images to be relatively small, downsampled by a factor of four with respect to the original Cityscapes resolution. This is because a deployed version of this system must also run SGM in real-time, which could become a computational bottleneck if using higher resolution images. To design the best model for this task, we train several architectures that differ with respect to the operation used to combine features: channel-wise concatenation, element-wise multiplication, and element-wise addition. We evaluate all models using Intersection-over-Union (IoU) as a primary performance metric and the instance-level IoU (iIoU) as a secondary metric. Compared to the baseline ENet model, we achieve comparable segmentation performance and are also able to take advantage of features
Stochastic meshless local Petrov-Galerkin (MLPG) method for thermo-elastic wave propagation analysis in functionally graded thick hollow cylinders

The thermo-elastic wave propagation based on Green-Naghdi (GN) coupled thermo-elasticity (without energy dissipation) is studied in a function- ally graded thick hollow cylinder considering uncertainty in constitutive mechan- ical properties under thermal shock loading. The meshless local Petrov-Galerkin method accompanied with Monte-Carlo simulation is developed to solve the stochas- tic boundary value problem. In the presented method, the mechanical properties of FGM are considered to be as random variables with Gaussian distribution and mean values equal to deterministic values reported in previous works, which are gener- ated using Monte-Carlo simulation with various coefficients of variations (COVs). The time evolution for transient problems is treated by using the Newmark finite difference method. The FG cylinder is assumed to be under axisymmetric and plane strain conditions. The mechanical properties of FGM are nonlinearly graded along the radial direction. A weak formulation for the set of coupled governing equations is transformed into local integral equations on local subdomains by using a Heav- iside test function. All nodal points are regularly distributed along the thickness of the FG cylinder in radial direction and each node is located in a uni-directional subdomain to which a local integral equation is applied. The distributions of the temperature and radial displacements as well as the time history of them are ob- tained for some grading patterns of FGM at several time instants and for some COVs. The propagation of thermal and elastic waves along the radial direction in the FG thick hollow cylinder as well as the statistical characteristics of the variance and maximum values of the temperature and displacement are discussed in details.
A Search Algorithm for Intertransaction Association Rules

The problem analysed in this chapter is the discovery of interesting relations between variables in large databases. The databases are considered to contain transactions that each contain one or more items from a discrete set of items. The relations between the items are expressed in the form of association rules. The problem of searching for association rules has been denoted in the research literature as association rule mining. The initial association rule mining problem ignored any correlation between the transactions and searched for associations only between items inside a transaction (this case is called case intratransaction association rules mining). To search for associations between items across several transactions ordered on a dimension (usually time or space), intertransaction association rule mining has been used. We use the stock market database example to differentiate between intraand intertransaction analysis. If the database contains the price for each stock at the end of the trading day, an intratransaction association rule might be “If stock prices for companies A and B go up for one day, there is a probability of over c% that the price for company C will also go up the same day”. However, analysts might be more interested in rules like “If stock prices for companies A and B go up for one day, there is a probability of over c% that the price for company C will go up two days later. ” This rule describes a relationship between items from different transactions, and it can be discovered only by using intertransaction analysis. The main part of association rules mining has been determined to be finding the frequent itemsets. A search algorithm that finds frequent intertransaction itemsets called InterTraSM will be presented, exemplified and analyzed in this chapter. It was first introduced in (Ungureanu & Boicea, 2008). This algorithm is an extension for the intertransactional case of the SmartMiner algorithm presented in (Zou et al., 2002). InterTraSM focuses on mining maximal frequent itemsets (MFI) – itemsets that are not a subset of any other frequent itemset. Once the MFI have obtained all the frequent itemsets can easily be derived, and they can then be counted for support in a single scan of the database. The remainder of this chapter is organized as follows. • Section 2 contains a formal definition for the problem of intertransaction association rules mining.
Role of catecholamine in tumor angiogenesis linked to capacitance relaxation phenomenon

The present paper describes the role of catecholamine with chromogranin A(CgA) in tumor angiogenesis linked to capacitance relaxation phenomenonl. The capacitance relaxation phenomenon is the observation about the capacitance value which jumps rapidly in cancer cell around 200Hz.It has been established that catecholamine is of recent interest in regulation of angiogenesis. The present paper deals with chromogranin A (CgA), coreleased with catecholamine in plasma in patients suffering from pheochromocytoma(PHEO), multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN), medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), and congenital adrenal hyperplasia(CAH) and patients with others endocrine disorders. The paper also discusses the progressive rise in CgA with catecholamine linked to capacitance relaxation phenomenon. The experimental results of capacitance relaxation phenomenon were given as inputs to a model for correlation with the CgA level and catecholamine. It is to be noted that the model is simulated in MATLAB 7.0. MATLAB allows matrix manipulations, plotting of functions and data, implementation of algorithms, creation of user interface and interfacing with programs written in other languages.
Brain Structure and Function A 3-Dimensional Digital Atlas of the Starling Brain

Because of their sophisticated vocal behaviour, their social nature, their high plasticity and their robustness, starlings have become an important model species that is widely used in studies of neuroethology of song production and perception. Since Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) represents an increasingly relevant tool for comparative neuroscience, a 3dimensional MRI-based atlas of the starling brain becomes essential. Using multiple imaging protocols we delineated several sensory systems as well as the song control system. This starling brain atlas can easily be used to determine the stereotactic location of identified neural structures at any angle of the head. Additionally, the atlas is useful to find the optimal angle of sectioning for slice experiments, stereotactic injections and electrophysiological recordings. The starling brain atlas is freely available for the scientific community.
The fate of Eichhornia azurea (Sw.) Kunth. detritus within a tropical reservoir

AIM: This study is aimed at comparing the kinetics of decomposition of Eichhornia azurea and discussing the fate of its detritus; METHODS: The samples of aquatic macrophytes and water were collected in the Piraju Reservoir (Sao Paulo State, Brazil). The plant material was oven-dried and triturated and for each experimental condition (aerobic and anaerobic), 72 mineralization chambers were prepared with plant fragments and reservoir water. On sampling days the particulate and dissolved organic matter were quantified (on carbon basis POC and DOC, respectively); RESULTS: The decomposition of E. azurea is more efficient under aerobic conditions, being 2.2 times faster than for the anaerobic process, according to the amount of mineralized carbon. For the decay of leaves, stems and roots of E. azurea the aerobic processes were 1.22-fold faster. It is assumed that the fractions responsible for the high oxygen consumption have reduced periods of half-time, and therefore do not accumulate in the ecosystems. Owing to the biomass of E. azurea in the Piraju Reservoir, the aerobic decay of E. azurea can promote moderate depletion in the dissolved oxygen budget. With the rate of the mineralization of refractory materials (Ξ half-time varying from 385 to 462 days), the fibrous debris of this plant, i.e. refractory fractions, associated with the appropriate conditions of pH and oxi-reduction potential, can contribute to the gas production and storage of particulate organic matter in sediments.
Testing the parametric form of the volatility in continuous time diffusion models: an empirical process approach

In this paper we present two new tests for the parametric form of the variance function in difusion processes dXt = b(t;Xt)+o(t;Xt)dWt: Our approach is based on two stochastic processes of the integrated volatility. We prove weak convergence of these processes to centered processes whose conditional distributions given the process (Xt)t2[0;1] are Gaussian. In the special case of testing for a constant volatility the limiting process is the standard Brownian bridge in both cases. As a consequence an asymptotic distribution free test (for the problem of testing for homoscedasticity) and bootstrap tests (for the problem of testing for a general parametric form) can easily be implemented. It is demonstrated that the new tests are more powerful with respect to Pitman alternatives than the currently available procedures for this problem. The asymptotic advantages of the new approach are also observed for realistic sample sizes in a simulation study, where the finite sample properties of a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test are investigated.
Vertical and Smooth Single-Step Reactive Ion Etching Process for InP Membrane Waveguides

In this paper we present a novel single-step RIE process for InP membrane optical waveguide etching. The optimization of the process is focused on the sidewall verticality and surface roughness of the etched profile. Significant improvement on the etched profile is achieved for the first time in a single-step RIE process. Loss measurement on fabricated membrane waveguides etched with the proposed RIE process results in a record low waveguide propagation loss (2.5 dB/cm).
A Mathematical Model for Cluster Applications

In this paper, we use probabilistic modeling and techniques to derive formulas in order to determine the number of computer nodes needed to execute applications on a cluster of computers so that application response time can be satisfied. Our probabilistic model is basically an M/G/1/K queueing system. In this model, we account for the workload conditions (in terms of the number of applications or jobs being received per unit time) as well as the processing power of each node. Finally, We use simulations to present a numerical example showing how our probabilistic model can be used.
Morphological and Morphometric Aspects of Crassostrea rhizophorae (Guilding, 1828) Oocytes in Three Stages of the Gonadal Cycle

Crassostrea rhizophorae (Guilding, 1828) es una de las especies de ostras tropicales cultivadas en la costa brasilera, que presenta alto valor comercial, no existiendo informacion sobre las caracteristicas gonadales, durante las fases reproductivas de esta especie. El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar la morfologia de los ovocitos y de los foliculos gonadales de Crassostrea rhizophorae, en tres fases del ciclo gonadal. Analizando los cortes histologicos de las gonadas y considerando los ovocitos que presentaban nucleo y nucleolo evidentes, fueron determinadas tres fases del ciclo gonadal: gametogenesis inicial, crecimiento y maduracion. En la fase de gametogenesis inicial, el diametro de los foliculos y de los ovocitos era de 180,29 (± 41,91) e 18,66 (± 6,85) µm, respectivamente; tambien identificamos gran cantidad de tejido conjuntivo interfolicular y un numero mayor de ovocitos previtelogenicos. En la fase de crecimiento, el diametro de los foliculos y de los ovocitos era de 218,02 (± 43,19) y 25,92 (± 9,94) µm, respectivamente. Este fase fue caracterizada por una pequena cantidad de tejido conjuntivo interfolicular y predominio de ovocitos vitelogenicos. En la fase de maduracion, el diametro de los foliculos y de los ovocitos era de 298,16 (± 99,24) y 35,27 (± 6,2) µm, respectivamente, existiendo gran numero de ovocitos maduros. De esta manera, concluimos que durante la implantacion del cultivo, Crassostrea rhizophorae tolera la influencia de los factores intrinsecos y extrinsecos y no presenta alteraciones significativas en su actividad reproductiva
Changing Fortunes During Economic Transition – Low-Wage Persistence Before and After German Unification

This paper studies whether the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy offers new perspectives for those who, in economic terms, were relatively deprived under the old regime. Previous empirical research on this question has been limited by the availability of representative longitudinal micro-data that track individuals' labour market careers across different political regimes. Our study seeks to fill this research gap by looking at the transition of Eastern Germany following German Unification. Using a unique large-scale German administrative data set, we measure individuals' relative economic position by exploiting information on whether individuals were in the bottom of the pre-unification wage distribution. We then address the question of how workers' low or high-wage status determines their wage and labour market status within and across different regimes. We document strong evidence of a dynamic selection process into low-wage employment after Unification. Furthermore, consistent with a weak connection between individuals' true productivity and their pre-unification low-wage status, the extent of across regime state dependence is found to be small in magnitude and appears to vanish over time. For males, the small extent of across regime dependence is found to be most pronounced among the medium and high-skilled, suggesting the depreciation of general human capital as a potential explanation.
Reef sponges facilitate the transfer of coral-derived organic matter to their associated fauna via the sponge loop

The high biodiversity of coral reefs results in complex trophic webs where energy and nutrients are transferred between species through a multitude of pathways. Here, we hypothesize that reef sponges convert the dissolved organic matter released by benthic primary producers (e.g. corals) into particulate detritus that is transferred to sponge-associated detritivores via the sponge loop pathway. To test this hypothesis, we conducted stable isotope (C-13 and N-15) tracer experiments to investigate the uptake and transfer of coral-derived organic matter from the sponges Mycale fistulifera and Negombata magnifica to 2 types of detritivores commonly associated with sponges: ophiuroids (Ophiothrix savignyi and Ophiocoma scolopendrina) and polychaetes (Polydorella smurovi). Findings revealed that the organic matter naturally released by the corals was indeed readily assimilated by both sponges and rapidly released again as sponge detritus. This detritus was subsequently consumed by the detritivores, demonstrating transfer of coral-derived organic matter from sponges to their associated fauna and confirming all steps of the sponge loop. Thus, sponges provide a trophic link between corals and higher trophic levels, thereby acting as key players within reef food webs.
Effects of Drying Air Temperature on the Structural Properties of Garlic Evaluated During Drying

Second order phase transitions may occur in foodstuffs during the convective drying process. These transitions involve physicochemical changes, which influence both structural properties and drying behavior. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of drying air temperature and the second order phase transition of garlic on the changes in particle density, apparent density, apparent porosity, effective diffusivity, and cracking produced during drying. Garlic slices were dehydrated at three air temperatures (40, 50, and 60°C). The moisture content (X), inside temperature (Ti), surface temperature (Ts), apparent (ρb) and particle (ρp) densities of garlic slices were measured during drying. Porosity (ϵ) was calculated based on the data collected for ρp and ρb. Glass transition temperatures (Tg) and micrographs were obtained for both raw and dehydrated garlic. A critical point in the intersection of Ti, Ts, and Tg was found; this point was identified as a second order phase transition. Diffusivity and slope changes in ρb, ρp, and ϵ with respect to moisture content were found to be related to this critical point. Experimental data for ρb, ρp, and ϵ was fitted to a nonlinear equation with three exponential terms with respect to moisture content, with an R2 > 0.85. Less dense products were found to be more porous, with more cracking, higher moisture diffusivity, and lower Tg at the end of the drying process.
Dark chocolate administration improves working memory in students

Background Flavonoids have positive effects on health, including the nervous system. High flavonoid content can be found in chocolate, especially dark chocolate. Verbal working memory is important for reasoning, language comprehension, planning, and spatial processing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a single dose of dark and white chocolate administration on verbal working memory in medical students. Methods A study of experimental pre-post test design with controls was conducted on 60 students. These were simply randomized into two groups: the first group was supplemented with white chocolate as control, and the second group received dark chocolate, at an identical single dose of 100 g. Working memory was measured with the digit span forwards (DSF) and the digit span backwards (DSB) tests, before, at 1 hour, and at 3 hours after intervention. Independent t and Mann-Whitney tests were used for data analysis. Results Scores for DSF and DSB in control and treatment groups were similar at baseline. At 1 hour after dark and white chocolate administration, DSF and DSB scores were not significantly different between the two groups (p=0.832; p=0.683). Supplementation of dark chocolate at 3 hours after intervention significantly increased DSB scores compared to white chocolate (p=0.041), but DSF scores were not significantly different between the two groups (p=0.204). Conclusions Dark chocolate as a single dose is capable of improving verbal working memory in students, 3 hours after its consumption. Since cocoa contains multiple bioactive compounds, one approach might be to examine the neurocognitive effects of combinations of potential functional ingredients.