Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Title A constitutive framework for predicting weakening and reduced buttressing of ice shelves based on observations of the progressive deterioration of the remnant Larsen B Ice Shelf Permalink

The increasing contribution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to sea level rise is linked to reductions in ice shelf buttressing, driven in large part by basal melting of ice shelves. These ocean-driven buttressing losses are being compounded as ice shelves weaken and fracture. To date, model projections of ice sheet evolution have not accounted for weakening ice shelves. Here we present the first constitutive framework for ice deformation that explicitly includes mechanical weakening, based on observations of the progressive degradation of the remnant Larsen B Ice Shelf from 2000 to 2015. We implement this framework in an ice sheet model and are able to reproduce most of the observed weakening of the ice shelf. In addition to predicting ice shelf weakening and reduced buttressing, this new framework opens the door for improved understanding and predictions of iceberg calving, meltwater routing and hydrofracture, and ice shelf collapse.
COMPUTATIONAL MODELLING OF CELL AND TISSUE MECHANORESPONSIVENESS

Tissues have adapted to sustain the mechanical forces encountered in the earth’s gravitational field. Furthermore tissues remodel to the prevailing mechanical environment during the lifetime of the individual, i.e. ontogenic adaptation. If the mechanical environment changes, it is to be expected that not only would the degree of optimality achieved during evolution would be lost but the ontogenic processes that ‘tune’ the organism to the prevalent mechanical loading would cause further adaptation. These are among the reasons that it is interesting to examine tissue response to mechanical stress, and the cellular responses governing such responses. This paper presents an overview of computational approaches used to analyse the regulatory effect of mechanical forces on the musculoskeletal system. In particular work done on the computational modelling of cell/tissue responses is presented together with some experiments corroborating these models. The paper concludes by returning to the issue of mammalian cell responses in ontogeny and how that might be extrapolated to predict ontogenic and phylogenetic responses in low gravity environments.
Aging with Diabetes: Sense of Coherence and Satisfaction with Life in European Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Objectives: The population’s increased longevity is leading to a worldwide concern about older adults’ well-being and about the incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes. The present research intends to: (a) determine significant differences among three groups of older adults with diverse diabetes diagnosis, namely, participants with only type 2 diabetes, participants with diabetes and other chronic diseases and the remaining without any chronic disease, regarding the satisfaction with life (SWL) and sense of coherence (SOC) scores, and (b) to assess the association of SWL with SOC in these groups. Method: We recruited 304 non-institutionalized older adults aged between 74-100 years (M=82.9; SD= 6.71), who were allocated to three groups, according to their diagnosed medical condition. Measures were completed, including demographics, the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Orientation to Life Questionnaire. Results: Significant differences were found regarding the SWL and SOC among the three groups. The lowest SOC and SWL scores were found in the ‘only diabetes’ group. Findings also indicated the existence of an association between SOC and SWL scores in the with ‘only diabetes’ group. No correlations were found between SOC and SWL scores in the ‘without diabetes’ and ‘with diabetes and other’ groups. Conclusions: Findings suggest that chronic diseases such as diabetes, as well as the existence of comorbidities, differently influence both SWL and SOC. Furthermore, this study discloses the importance of SWL and SOC for the elderly, in particular when in the presence of diabetes, and their relevance in the context of healthy aging in older populations.
Development a QSAR Model of 1,3,4-Triazole Derivatives for Antioxidant Activity Prediction

Antioxidants can control the generation of free radical by terminating the reaction chain. QSAR is method that used to explain the relationship between biological activity and the structure of chemical compounds. The aim of this study to develop QSAR model between antioxidant activity and molecular structure of 1,3,4-triazole derivatives using interval partial least squares (iPLS) as a variable selection method, and PLS as a regression method. After selection methods, six descriptors were selected to build the model. The model with six descriptors can explain 95% variance of antioxidant. The developed QSAR models have been confirmed by r2cal, r2cv, r2pre, RMSEC, RMSECV and RMSEP. The result shows that TDB05s, E2u and H7u are the most significant descriptors in the model which are related to antioxidant activity. These three are 3D descriptors and indicated that 3D descriptors very impotent to antioxidant activities. The final QSAR model can be used as a guide to predict free radical scavenger activities of new synthesized 1,3,4-triazol compounds.
Constitutional rules and agricultural policy outcomes

This paper deals with the effect of constitutional rules on agricultural policy outcomes in a panel of observations for more than 70 developing and developed countries in the 1955-2005 period. Testable hypotheses are drawn from recent developments in the comparative politics literature that see political institutions as key elements in shaping public policies. Using differences-in-differences regressions we find a positive effect of a transition into democracy on agricultural protection. However, this average effect masks substantial heterogeneities across different forms of democracy. Indeed, what matters are transitions to proportional democracies, as well as to permanent democracies. Moreover, while the author does not detect significant differences across alternative forms of government (presidential versus parliamentary systems), there is some evidence that the effect of proportional election is exacerbated under parliamentary regimes, and diminished under presidential ones.
Uncertainty propagation in neural networks for sparse coding

A novel method to propagate uncertainty through the soft-thresholding nonlinearity is proposed in this paper. At every layer the current distribution of the target vector is represented as a spike and slab distribution, which represents the probabilities of each variable being zero, or Gaussian-distributed. Using the proposed method of uncertainty propagation, the gradients of the logarithms of normalisation constants are derived, that can be used to update a weight distribution. A novel Bayesian neural network for sparse coding is designed utilising both the proposed method of uncertainty propagation and Bayesian inference algorithm.
ALLELOPATHIC EFFECT OF PLANTAGO PSYLLIUM ON GERMINATION AND GROWTH STAGES OF FOUR WEED SPECIES

Field observations suggested that French psyllium (Plantago psyllium) probably exerts allelopathic effects, although there was no evidence in the literature to support this assumption. The main objectives of this study were to determine whether P. psyllium affects the germination and growth of some weeds by allelopathic function. To explore allelopathic responses of P. psyllium upon germination and growth stages of redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus ), wild barley (Hordeum leporinum), black mustard (Brassica nigra), Lambsquarters (Chenopodioum album L.), a laboratory bioassay and three greenhouse experiments including root and above ground residues of P. psyllium effects and simultaneous growth of P. psyllium with weeds on target plants were conducted. Results showed that aqueous shoot extract, shoot residue and simultaneous growth of P. psyllium displayed the most consistent negative effects on germination and dry matter of target plants, respectively. Shoot residue and simultaneous growth significantly decreased height and dry matter of all target species except for wild barley. On the other hand, there were no significant effects of root residue of
Steerable Circular Differential Microphone Arrays

An efficient continuous beam steering method, applicable to differential microphones of any order, has been recently developed. Given two identical reference beams, pointing in two different directions, the method allows to derive a beam of nearly constant shape continuously steerable between those two directions. In this paper, the steering method is applied to robust Differential Microphone Arrays (DMAs) characterized by uniform circular array geometries. In particular, a generalized filter performing the steering operation is defined. The definition of such a filter enables the derivation of closed-form formulas for computing the white noise gain and the directivity factor of the designed steerable differential beamformers for any frequency of interest. A study on the shape invariance of the steered beams is conducted. Applications of the steering approach to first-, second-and third-order robust circular DMAs are presented.
Worldwide status of energy standards for buildings: a 2009 update

This paper describes the worldwide status of energy standards for buildings in 81 countries keyed to the legal status (i.e. mandatory, voluntary, proposed) and building sector coverage (i.e. residential, commercial, or both) of such standards in different countries. It describes which countries have added new energy standards since 1994, when a similar study gathered information on this topic from 57 countries. The 1994 study used a literature review and a 15-page mail sur vey distributed via post and fax; the current study relies on a literature review and online survey to gather data. The paper presents an international profile of activities and research issues related to energy standards for buildings. It includes a snapshot of the contents, development, and use of energy standards for buildings, with a particular focus on non-residential buildings in developing countries and economies in transition. Finally, it discusses options for sharing the survey data online so that other users can: (1) query the data gathered for their own purposes; and (2) contribute updates and additional information.
The Effects of Earnings Quality and Leverage Deficit on Financing Policy

The paper examines the relationship between earnings quality and leverage deficit, as well as the impact of earnings quality on equity financing choice for under- and over-leveraged firms. Considering external financing and its components, equity and debt, and both accrual-based and real earnings management, we further examine the effect of earnings quality and leverage deficit on financing choice and activities. The results show that the firm with leverage deficits has a higher earnings quality. The under-leveraged firm with worse earnings quality and the over-leveraged firm with better earnings quality tend to choose equity financing. Moreover, the firm prefers to engage in real earnings management before external financing or debt financing, but the firm tends to conduct accrual-based earnings management before choosing equity financing. Compared with the under-leveraged firm, the over-leveraged firm has more difficulty engaging in real earnings management before debt financing choice and activities; however, the over-leveraged firm has more difficulty engaging in accrual-based earnings management before choosing equity financing.
Impact of Heart-Rate Variability Biofeedback on Major Depression Disorder in Resting-State fMRI

Impact of Heart-Rate Variability Biofeedback on Major Depression Disorder in Resting-State fMRI Hiu Wai Caldwell Department of Psychology, BYU Doctor of Philosophy Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric illnesses and causes significant disturbances in daily functioning. Research on heart-rate variability (HRV) biofeedback training suggests that HRV is an efficacious adjunct to psychotherapy in reducing depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study was to examine neurological changes in depressed individuals who were randomized to either a psychotherapy plus HRV biofeedback training or to a treatment as usual group. A control group with no history of depression was also studied. We collected psychological, physiological, and imaging data from 30 participants (10 in an experimental group, 10 in a treatment as usual group, and the other 10 in a healthy control group) at baseline and follow-up. Regions of interest (ROIs) included anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. Participants from the experimental group went through 5 weekly HRV trainings in conjunction with traditional psychotherapy approaches. The treatment as usual group only received psychotherapy. The healthy controls did not receive any HRV training or therapy services. Overall, we found significant improvements in the experimental group’s depression score, overall distress level, and HRV measurements relative to the TAU and control groups. However, we did not find significant HRV and resting-state connectivity group differences among experimental group relative to healthy controls. Together, results suggest that HRV training helps to reduce depressed participants’ overall distress level and depressive symptoms. However, findings do not show any changes in participants’ imaging data. These findings serve as pilot data on literature related to HRV biofeedback training in a depressed population.
Gaming Frequency and Academic Performance.

There are numerous claims that playing computer and video games may be educationally beneficial, but there has been little formal investigation into whether or not the frequency of exposure to such games actually affects academic performance. This paper explores the issue by analysing the relationships between gaming frequency - measured as the amount of time undergraduate students spend playing games in their free time - and their academic performance as measured by their examination marks. Using a sample of 713 students, correlation analyses between gaming frequency and examination performance were conducted for students of varying gaming frequency, study discipline, gender, and general attitudes towards gaming and study. The results reveal that examination marks are in fact negatively correlated with gaming frequency - i.e. frequent gamers generally achieve lower marks than less frequent gamers.
Language change and SA-OT: the case of sentential negation

Simulated Annealing Optimality Theory (SA-OT) is a recent update of Optimality Theory, adding a model of performance to a theory of linguistic competence. Our aim is to show how SA-OT can be a useful paradigm for language change simulations. Performance "errors" are considered to be one of the causes of variation and change. We have chosen to model the evolution of sentential negation (SN). The descriptive background adopts Jespersen's Cycle, according to which the evolution of sentential negation follows three main stages (1. pre-verbal, 2. discontinuous, and 3. post-verbal). Therefore, we advance a novel model for SN, based on SA-OT. It reproduces the three pure and the two observed mixed stages, whereas it correctly predicts the lack of an intermediate stage between 3 and 1. The success of the approach corroborates the computational, performance-based approach to the data. Finally, we employ the iterated learning paradigm to reproduce historical changes in a "simulated corpus study". This enterprise turns out to be more difficult than one would naively believe.
A Synthesis of E-therapy in Social Work: an Ecological Perspective

The purpose of this research is to explore how empirical studies surrounding e-therapy may affect the social work profession from an ecological perspective. Technology has played an important role in expanding contemporary society’s ability to connect to one another. Currently, there is a significant number of people who are in need of mental health services but do not have access for a variety of reasons such as lack of local resources, financial issues, or simply the stigma surrounding seeking mental health treatment. This review explores eleven quantitative research articles in an effort to determine who is being treated with online therapeutic interventions, why they are being treated, and the outcomes of selected studies. Findings suggest that many aspects of online mental health treatment are being explored at an international level across all mental health professions. Studies conducted in Europe (n=4) tend to focus on adults suffering from general psychological issues, to individuals experiencing chronic addictions. Articles from Australia or New Zealand (n=3) are oriented around addressing young people’s (under 20) psychological concerns and perceptions of mental health treatment as a whole. Clinician’s perspectives are also examined in the remaining articles (n=4). Online mental health services may provide another avenue for the implementation of successful therapeutic interventions. Future research should continue to explore the efficacy of CBT and psychotherapy delivered online, making a conscious effort to repeat Standardized Measurement Tools (SMT). SYNTHESIS OF E-THERAPY IN SOCIAL WORK 2
Greenhouse gas exchange of rewetted bog peat extraction sites and a Sphagnum cultivation site in northwest Germany

Abstract. During the last decades an increasing area of drained peatlands has been rewetted. Especially in Germany, rewetting is the principal treatment on cutover sites when peat extraction is finished. The objectives are bog restoration and the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The first sites were rewetted in the 1980s. Thus, there is a good opportunity to study long-term effects of rewetting on greenhouse gas exchange, which has not been done so far on temperate cutover peatlands. Moreover, Sphagnum cultivating may become a new way to use cutover peatlands and agriculturally used peatlands as it permits the economical use of bogs under wet conditions. The climate impact of such measures has not been studied yet. We conducted a field study on the exchange of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide at three rewetted sites with a gradient from dry to wet conditions and at a Sphagnum cultivation site in NW Germany over the course of more than 2 years. Gas fluxes were measured using transparent and opaque closed chambers. The ecosystem respiration (CO2) and the net ecosystem exchange (CO2) were modelled at a high temporal resolution. Measured and modelled values fit very well together. Annually cumulated gas flux rates, net ecosystem carbon balances (NECB) and global warming potential (GWP) balances were determined. The annual net ecosystem exchange (CO2) varied strongly at the rewetted sites (from −201.7 ± 126.8 to 29.7± 112.7g CO2-C m−2 a−1) due to differing weather conditions, water levels and vegetation. The Sphagnum cultivation site was a sink of CO2 (−118.8 ± 48.1 and −78.6 ± 39.8 g CO2-C m−2 a−1). The annual CH4 balances ranged between 16.2 ± 2.2 and 24.2 ± 5.0g CH4-C m−2 a−1 at two inundated sites, while one rewetted site with a comparatively low water level and the Sphagnum farming site show CH4 fluxes close to 0. The net N2O fluxes were low and not significantly different between the four sites. The annual NECB was between −185.5 ± 126.9 and 49.9 ± 112.8 g CO2-C m−2 a−1 at the rewetted sites and −115.8 ± 48.1 and −77 ± 39.8 g CO2-C m−2 a−1 at the Sphagnum cultivating site. The annual GWP100 balances ranged from −280.5 ± 465.2 to 644.5 ± 413.6 g CO2-eq. m−2 a−1 at the rewetted sites. In contrast, the Sphagnum farming site had a cooling impact on the climate in both years (−356.8 ± 176.5 and −234.9 ± 145.9 g CO2-C m−2 a−1). If the carbon exported through the harvest of the Sphagnum biomass and the additional CO2 emission from the decay of the organic material is considered, the NECB and GWP100 balances are near neutral. Peat mining sites are likely to become net carbon sinks and a peat accumulating ("growing") peatland within 30 years of rewetting, but the GWP100 balance may still be positive. A recommended measure for rewetting is to achieve a water level of a few centimetres below ground. Sphagnum farming is a climate-friendly alternative to conventional commercial use of bogs. A year-round constant water level of a few centimetres below ground level should be maintained.
Study on Preparation Technology of Self-healing Micro-nano Capsule based on Calcium Alginate

Micro/nano capsules embedment was an effective method to repair micro crack and mechanical damage. In this paper, preparation technology of self-healing micro-nano capsule based on calcium alginate was studied by in-situ method. And the rate of covering and particle size were investigated under different emulsifier dosages and core-wall ratios.
The Impact of Retrenchment and Reemployment Project on the Returns to Education of Laid-off Workers

Public ownership has been theoretically justified as segmentation in the labour market, which may depress wage and maintain a low return to education. However, lot of evidence in 1990s demonstrates the variance of returns to education in public and private ownership. Through the data in 2002, we also testify that having been laid-off or xiagang reduces the value of human capital among reemployed workers, which only accounted for a little proportion of millions retrenched workers. When those who had different quality of human capital or being influenced by the planning economy were forced to quite the labour market, the common view of higher returns in a transitional economy will be carried out. Another outcome was the new entrants would enjoyed more recourses in the terms of high returns to their education but the laid-off workers only had a miserable life.
GPU-Accelerated Parallel FDTD on Distributed Heterogeneous Platform

This paper introduces a (finite difference time domain) FDTD code written in Fortran and CUDA for realistic electromagnetic calculations with parallelization methods of Message Passing Interface (MPI) and Open Multiprocessing (OpenMP). Since both Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) resources are utilized, a faster execution speed can be reached compared to a traditional pure GPU code. In our experiments, 64 NVIDIA TESLA K20m GPUs and 64 INTEL XEON E5-2670 CPUs are used to carry out the pure CPU, pure GPU, and CPU
Creating a holistic excellence model adapted for technology-based companies

The objective of this study is the preparation of a management model that brings together the advantages of models from different disciplines: Balanced Scorecard (BSC), European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) and Holistic Marketing (HM). HM proposes an overview of organisations – taking into account all value streams which companies generate – while the business excellence criteria of the EFQM define the structure platforms of Kotler et al. (2001), and the BSC guarantees implementation, monitoring and enforcement. Once developed, this model was adapted for the specific characteristics of technology-based companies (TBC), based on interviews with managers of these businesses.