Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“Tough on immigration”: social democratic parties, group interests and the ethnic minority vote

ABSTRACT As social democratic parties reposition themselves on immigration and integration issues to appeal to anti-immigrant voters, ethnic minority voters may switch to parties that are perceived to better protect their group interests. The Flemish social democrats in Antwerp adopted several policies that were perceived as discriminatory by ethnic minorities in response to the electoral growth of the radical right party, while the francophone social democrats in Liege faced no such threat. Evidence from the Belgian Ethnic Minority Election Study 2014 confirms that ethnic minority voters who perceive their group to be more discriminated in everyday life more likely turn to the radical left in Antwerp but not in Liège, supporting the claim that social democrats cannot adopt assimilationist integration policies unpunished. Besides, findings suggest that ethnic minorities distinguish between different group interests in evaluating parties, contributing to the study of the role of group interests in ethnic minority voting.
An Innovative Hourly Water Demand Forecasting Preprocessing Framework with Local Outlier Correction and Adaptive Decomposition Techniques

Accurate forecasting of hourly water demand is essential for effective and sustainable operation, and the cost-effective management of water distribution networks. Unlike monthly or yearly water demand, hourly water demand has more fluctuations and is easily affected by short-term abnormal events. An effective preprocessing method is needed to capture the hourly water demand patterns and eliminate the interference of abnormal data. In this study, an innovative preprocessing framework, including a novel local outlier detection and correction method Isolation Forest (IF), an adaptive signal decomposition technique Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise (CEEMDAN), and basic forecasting models have been developed. In order to compare a promising deep learning method Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) as a basic forecasting model with the conventional forecasting models, Support Vector Regression (SVR) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) have been used. The results show that the proposed hybrid method can utilize the complementary advantages of the preprocessing methods to improve the accuracy of the forecasting models. The root-mean-square error of the SVR, ANN, and GRU models has been reduced by 57.5%, 27.8%, and 30.0%, respectively. Further, the GRU-based models developed in this study are superior to the other models, and the IF-CEEMDAN-GRU model has the highest accuracy. Hence, it is promising that this preprocessing framework can improve the performance of the water demand forecasting models.
Arctic on the verge of an ozone hole?

Abstract. Severe vortex-wide ozone loss in the Arctic would expose nearly 650 million people and ecosystem to unhealthy ultra-violet radiation levels. Adding to these worries, and extreme weather events as the harbingers of climate change, clear signature of an ozone hole (ozone column values below 220 DU) appeared over the Arctic in March and April 2020. Sporadic occurrences of ozone hole values at different regions of vortex for almost three weeks were found for the first time in the observed history in the Arctic. Furthermore, a record-breaking ozone loss of about 2.0–3.4 ppmv triggered by an unprecedented chlorine activation (1.5–2.2 ppbv) matching to the levels of Antarctic ozone hole conditions was also observed. The polar processing situation led to the first-ever appearance of loss saturation in the Arctic. Apart from these, there were also ozone-mini holes in December 2019 and January 2020 driven by atmospheric dynamics. The large loss in ozone in the colder Arctic winters is intriguing and that demands rigorous monitoring of the region. Our study suggests that the very colder Arctic winters in near future would also very likely to experience even more ozone loss and encounter ozone hole situations, provided the stratospheric chlorine levels still stay high there.
Intracellular Calcium Increases Due to Curcumin Measured Using a Single-Cell Biochip

Abstract Here is reported a microfluidic single-cell method for real-time monitoring of the effects of curcumin on the calcium change in a single glioma cell. The method is based on the quantitative measurement of intracellular calcium concentrations in the cell retained using a glass biochip. The single-cell biochip consisted of three reservoirs, three channels, and a chamber containing a V-shaped structure for single-cell selection and retention. The design of the cell retention structure, and on-chip dye loading helped to minimize the damage to fragile cells that occurs in conventional calcium measurement methods. Curcumin, which is a herbal ingredient from Curcuma longa, has been shown to cause an increase in intracellular calcium in a single glioma cell (U-87 MG). Different concentrations of curcumin (5 and 10 µM) were investigated for their abilities to stimulate sustained elevations of the intracellular calcium concentrations in the single cell. Ionomycin was used as a control to saturate intracellular calcium needed for concentration calibration. The microfluidic chip measures intracellular calcium changes in real time, needs only a small number of cells, requires low quantities of reagents, and minimizes cell damage by the use of on-chip dye loading and reagent treatment.
Crustal Structure Across the Extinct Mid‐Ocean Ridge in South China Sea From OBS Receiver Functions: Insights Into the Spreading Rate and Magma Supply Prior to the Ridge Cessation

The crust near an extinct mid‐ocean ridge provides unique constraints on how its accretion and deformation responded to the cessation of spreading. Here we present crustal thickness and Vp/Vs measurements beneath 11 Ocean Bottom Seismograph sites that cross the South China Sea's extinct spreading axis. We find that the oceanic crust, which generally had only slight thickness changes once spreading started, abruptly thins at sites close to the extinct ridge axis. Abnormally high Vp/Vs ratios are obtained at several sites south of the ridge, indicating the presence of serpentine. These observations imply that, in its final stage, spreading changed to an ultraslow accretion style. As the axial crust thinned, normal faults and/or detachment faults began to form. Water could penetrate more deeply through these faults, and large fault slip could raise ultramafic peridotites to near or at the seafloor, creating favorable conditions for their enhanced serpentinization.
Non-native Readers Are More Sensitive to Changes in Surface Linguistic Information than Native Readers*

Abstract In the present study we challenge the generally accepted view based primarily on L1 data that surface linguistic information decays rapidly during reading and that only propositional information is retained in memory. In two eye-tracking experiments, we show that both L1 and L2 adult readers retain verbatim information of a text. In particular, the reading behaviour of L2 German learners revealed that they were sensitive to both lexical (synonyms) and syntactic (active/passive alternation) substitutions during a second reading of the texts, while L1 exhibited only reduced sensitivity to the lexical substitutions. The results deliver an important piece of evidence that complies with several current processing (e.g., Shallow Structure Hypothesis), acquisition (Declarative/Procedural Model) and cognitive (e.g., Fuzzy Trace Theory) approaches and adds a new dimension to their empirical and theoretical basis.
Lactate and acetate applied in dual‐chamber microbial fuel cells with domestic wastewater

For about 20 years, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are an emerging technology that has gained attention for its new wastewater treatment and energy generation, especially its ability to convert chemical energy from a broad range of substances into electricity. However, MFC has not been widely commercialized due to low efficiency. Studies have shown that substrate loading is an important factor in scaling up. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of substrate type and concentration on honeycomb MFCs (HCMFCs). The effect of different concentrations ranging from 10 to 40 mM of lactate and acetate (1:1 ratio) substrates was investigated. Power efficiency was analyzed using polarization and power density curves. Results showed that the performance of MFCs and biofilm formation is affected by the substrates. Scanning electron microscopy showed some changes in biofilm formation. Mixing lactate and acetate at 30 mM gave the best performance with a power density of 956.75 mW m−2 and chemical oxygen demand removal of 87.8%. Furthermore, effective substrate degradation, having COD removal of 91.4%, was observed with acetate.
Driver State Detection Based on Cardiovascular System and Driver Reaction Information Using a Graphical Model

Traffic accidents are mainly caused by human error. In an aging society, the number of accidents attributed to elderly drivers is increasing. One noteworthy reason for this is operation misapplication. Studies have been conducted on the use of human-machine interfaces (HMIs) to inform the driver when he or she makes an error and encourage appropriate actions. However, the driver state during the erroneous action has not been investigated. The purpose of this study is to clarify the difference in the driver’s state between normal and surprising situations in a misapplication scenario, utilizing multimodal information such as biometric information and driver operation. We found significant changes in the interaction of components between the normal and the surprised driving state. The results could provide basic knowledge for the future development of a driver assistance system and driver state estimation using data acquired from multiple sensors in the vehicle.
Random forest-based rainfall retrieval for Ecuador using GOES-16 and IMERG-V06 data

ABSTRACT A new satellite-based algorithm for rainfall retrieval in high spatio-temporal resolution for Ecuador is presented. The algorithm relies on the precipitation information from the Integrated Multi-SatEllite Retrieval for the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) (IMERG) and infrared (IR) data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-16 (GOES-16). It was developed to (i) classify the rainfall area (ii) assign the rainfall rate. In each step, we selected the most important predictors and hyperparameter tuning parameters monthly. Between 19 April 2017 and 30 November 2017, brightness temperature derived from the GOES-16 IR channels and ancillary geo-information were trained with microwave-only IMERG-V06 using random forest (RF). Validation was done against independent microwave-only IMERG-V06 information not used for training. The validation results showed the new rainfall retrieval technique (multispectral) outperforms the IR-only IMERG rainfall product. This offers using the multispectral IR data can improve the retrieval performance compared to single-spectrum IR approaches. The standard verification scored a median Heidke skill score of ~0.6 for the rain area delineation and R between ~0.5 and ~0.62 for the rainfall rate assignment, indicating uncertainties for Andes’s high elevation. Comparison of RF rainfall rates in 2 km2 resolution with daily rain gauge measurements reveals the correlation of R = ~0.33.
First principles study of organophosphorus additives in boundary lubrication conditions: Effects of hydrocarbon chain length

We apply first principle calculations to investigate the effects of the hydrocarbon chain length in additive molecules under boundary lubrication conditions. In these conditions, occurring in high‐pressure applications, the thickness of the oil film becomes extremely thin, and the additive molecules remain confined between the two solid surfaces in contact. We consider two types of organophosphorous additives having the same phosphite group but hydrocarbon chains of different lengths. By comparing the molecular behavior under uniaxial stress applied, we elucidate the atomistic mechanisms that control the molecular capacity of maintaining an interfacial spacing under compression and the load‐induced molecular dissociation. This insight is relevant not only for a rational design of lubricant additives but also to provide understanding on the activation mechanisms of tribochemical reactions.
A Study on Binder Jetting of High Dimensional Stability Alloy

This work opens a new pathway to fabricate high dimensional stability Invar36 aerospace devices with Binder Jetting technology, for applications where temperature fluctuations directly interfere in the correct performance of high sensibility systems. Since full density part fabrication is one of the main ongoing challenges for Binder Jetting, the leading objective of this work is to study and optimise the main process parameters to increase the final density of Invar36 printed parts. Microstructural analysis and obtained density and CTE values, confirmed the feasibility to fabricate Invar36 parts.
Psychometric Properties of an Iranian Version of the Response to Stressful Experiences Scale (RSES)

Objective: Few psychometric scales have been developed to measure resilience and related constructs such as Response to Stressful Experiences in military. This study aimed to translate and validate the Response to Stressful Experiences Scale (RSES), a measure of individual differences in cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to stressful life events in Iranian Military Personnel. Method: In this methodological study, 501 Military personnel were selected by convenience sampling from three military units in Tehran, Iran . The forward backward-procedure was applied to translate the questionnaire from English into Persian. Face validity, Content validity, construct validity (EFA, CFA) and convergent validity have been employed to validate the prepared scale. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients and the test-retest were used to assess the scale reliability. Results: By performing EFA on the first sample part (n = 300), the exploratory factor analysis showed that the present scale has three factors. The factors were called as active coping, meaning-making and flexibility, resiliency, according to their content and the research, which explained 37.5% of the overall extracted variance. CFA was performed on the second part of the sample (n = 201), to test the fitness of the 3-factor solution. The confirmatory factory analysis showed a moderate fit for the data (CFI = 0.930, CMIN/DF = 1.879, RMSEA =0.060). The 3-factors subscales were associated with the Connor– Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), indicating the good convergent validity of RSES. The internal consistency was acceptable (active coping=.0.761, meaning-making and flexibility=0.863, resiliency=0.865 and Cronbach's alpha of the total was 0.920). The ICC value of 0.91 ranging from 0.79 to 0.87 was found for the whole scale and the subscales. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the Persian version of the RSES has acceptable psychometric properties. Therefore, it can be used to measure Response to Stressful Experiences or resiliency in research and clinical settings.
Ergonomic analysis of biomechanical overloading: external coating activity using mortar

The economic growth of a country is directly linked to the growth of several sectors, in which the construction sector is prominent. The objective was to investigate by means of ergonomic analysis the external coating activity performed on building façades, due to its high degree of difficulty. The methodological approach was composed by a review of the literature and quantitative research using the OCRA checklist method, highlighting the biomechanical overload risk analysis of the external coating activity in mortar based on International Standard ISO 11228-3: 2009. The data collection took place in construction sites in Brazil in the cities of Ponta Grossa-PR and Porto Alegre-RS applying the mentioned method. The results of demand illustrate the concepts presented in the review, as well as the confirmation of the incidence of pain and lesions in the upper limbs and the repetitiveness in the analyzed activities. The results indicate that: a) the analysis of the chosen activity resulted in a high level of risk applying the immediate intervention, with improvements; b) proof by calculating the risk of biomechanical overload to implement improvements in the company; c) evidence that the improvements resulted in a reduction of ergonomic risks by more than 50%, with improvement in posture and strength requirements. In turn, the relevance of this work is highlighted, as it enables the development of public and private policies in the area of ergonomics with the purpose of developing the sector. In the end, the work opens up possibilities for the continuity of the research on the addressed topic.
Can Farm Mechanization Enhance Small Farmers’ Income? A Lesson learnt of Lower Shivalik hills of Indian Himalayan Region

Indian farming is fraught with small land holdings, and farm mechanization's economic viability has remained a debatable issue at the core of Indian agriculture's technology growth. The authors attempted to determine the socio-agro-economic impact of seed cum fertiliser drill and zero tillage through Difference In Difference(DID) method with ex-ante (before application) and ex-post (after application) approach. Results depicted labour costs were reduced by almost 80% and seed savings were reduced by 20%. The seed cum fertiliser drill and zero tillage adopters saved a sum of Rs. 3764.10 and Rs. 4047.54 from 1 ha of land, respectively. An effort was also made to quantify the additional economic benefit by using the Apparently Unrelated Regression (SUR) model to apply selected forms of machinery to different varieties. Seed cum fertiliser drill and zero tillage results have been found to increase yield by 13.39 quintals and 6.0 quintals per ha respectively and decrease the seed rate by 27.71 kg/ha and 24.20 kg /ha, respectively, for the HD 2967 wheat variety. The growth of the agricultural mechanisation sector is hindered by machine cost, the widespread existence of resource poor farmers, and inaccessibility of agricultural technology. In addition, few suggestions on critical aspects were made on the basis of the application of technology in different states to implement suitable policies for the additional financial advantage of farmers.
Variable step-size normalized subband adaptive filtering algorithm for self-interference cancellation

Self-interference (SI) is usually generated by the simultaneous transmission and reception of the same system, which has a negative effect on the subsequent processing of the received signal. To solve this problem, a variable step-size normalized subband adaptive filtering (NSAF) algorithm is proposed to eliminate the SI. First, the optimal weight vector of each subband is obtained based on minimizing the mean-square deviation between the optimal weight vector and its estimation, and then the power of the residual SI is estimated by the shrinkage method. To eliminate the influence of input noise estimation bias on the algorithm, we estimate the input noise power of each subband and replace the fixed input noise power at each iteration. Then, the convergence, steady-state behavior and computational complexity are analyzed to prove the feasibility of the proposed algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is superior to cited algorithms for SI cancellation. Moreover, for the direction of arrival estimation, the received signal processed by the proposed algorithm is more accurate than those cited algorithms.
The Impact of CSR on Corporate Value of Restaurant Businesses Using Triple Bottom Line Theory

The main goal of this study was to investigate the association between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the value of restaurant firms by employing triple bottom line theory, a framework for a business model of sustainable development focusing on profit, environment, and people rather than just maximizing profit. Even though triple bottom line has been a common theoretical foundation in the CSR area, there is sparse literature on the theory in the context of CSR in the restaurant domain. Data regarding CSR dimensions and market-to-book value from 32 publicly traded restaurant firms in the US stock market for the period 1999–2012 were gathered, and panel data analysis methods of ordinary least square, one-way fixed effect, and time series feasible generalized least square were employed. The results revealed that economic CSR enhanced restaurant value, whereas environmental CSR diminished the value. The theoretical contribution of this study is that it will broaden the scope of triple bottom line theory. The results of the study will help restaurant administrators determine CSR policy.
Effective Management of Energy Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of ICT Solutions

This research tackles effective and functional management practices in energy consumption using advanced technological solutions to mitigate unexpected events. This study specifically focuses on the recent COVID-19 pandemic that led to a reduction in energy consumption and therefore meddled with the project management’s status quo for the energy sources. Moreover, this research analyzes the role of information and communication technology (ICT) solutions in energy management before and after the recent coronavirus pandemic turmoil. This study also examined the role and place of sustainable energy resources in the effective management of energy consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main purpose of this research is to demonstrate how the recent coronavirus pandemic affected energy consumption and energy prices in many countries and how it paved the way for the new ICT in managing energy consumption. This study elaborated a model to show how these changes evolved in selected European Union (EU) Member States. It turns out that adjusted electricity consumption, as well as the average daily spot electricity prices for the baseload power in the EU countries, declined, and this trend is likely to continue in the next years to come. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, substantial changes in the economy led to reduced office space usage, cutting commuting and business trips, and bringing commercial travel almost to a halt, further shifting the energy balance towards renewable energy sources (RES). Besides, it becomes apparent that ICT solutions used in maintaining and superintending the energy balance are gaining popularity and wide recognition worldwide and will help pave the way towards modern and smart high-renewables grids.
Grizzled Skippers stuck in the south: Population‐level responses of an early‐successional specialist butterfly to climate across its UK range over 40 years

Climate change has been predicted to facilitate poleward expansion of many early‐successional specialist invertebrates. The Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae, is a threatened butterfly in long‐term decline that has not met expectations of northern expansion in Britain, possibly indicating that climate change has not improved northern habitat suitability or that another driver (e.g. land use change) is masking its effects. Here, we explore the effect of climate on population size trends over four decades, and whether any regions show an improving population trend that may be a precursor to northern expansion. Examining detailed spatio‐temporal abundance data can reveal unexpected limitations to population growth that would not be detectable in widely used climate envelope models.