Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Statistical Investigation to Monitor and Understand Atmospheric CFC Decline with the Spatial-longitudinal Bent-cable Model

Concerns about the concentrations of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the atmosphere are based on their effects on the ozone layer by catalytically destroying ozone. The recent steady decline in atmospheric concentration of CFC could be a direct result of the Montr\'eal Protocol's ban on CFC products, in effect since 1989. However, CFCs have long atmospheric residence times because of their low chemical reactivity, and as a consequence have already been distributed globally. To study the spatial effects and extent of the decline, we apply the proposed spatial-longitudinal bent-cable model to CFC data observed over a global detection network. The bent cable is a parametric regression model to study data that exhibits a trend change. It comprises two linear segments to describe the incoming and the outgoing phases, joined by a quadratic bend to model the transition period. For spatial longitudinal data, measurements taken over time are nested within spatially dependent locations. Here, it is useful to extend the existing longitudinal bent-cable regression to handle spatial effects. We do so in a hierarchical Bayesian framework by allowing the error terms to be correlated across space. The methodology is illustrated with applications to CFC-11 and 12 data. Our analysis reveals that: (a) there is a strong spatial relationship among all the monitoring locations across the globe; (b) both CFC-11 and CFC-12 increased significantly before entering into a transition zone; (c) after completing the transition, CFC-11 has been decreasing significantly from the atmosphere, but a slow (insignificant) decrease for CFC-12 is observed; and (d) it may take almost 5 times longer to diminish CFC-12 from the atmosphere compared to CFC-11.
bulbs of eight onion (Allium cepa L.) varieties cultivated in Tunisia

Eight varieties of onion (Allium cepa L.); GIZA 6, Red Amposta, Z6, Morada de Amposta, Yellow Dessex, Early Yellow Texas Grano 502, Keep Red and Blanc Hâtif de Paris were evaluated for their food quality. Moisture content, total soluble sugars, total soluble proteins were examined on bulb as well as their mineral composition. Results demonstrated a significant difference between varieties in all the assays. Red onion varieties had superior values than yellow and white varieties. ‘Red Amposta’ cv was the richest variety in soluble sugars (4.72%), in calcium (60.47 mg/100g DW),in magnesium (3.17 mg/100g DW) and in sodium (9.11 mg/100g DW) whereas the highest amounts of water (86%), of soluble proteins (3.78%), of potassium (136.82 mg/100g DW) and of phosphorus (107.33 mg/100g DW) were observed in bulbs of ‘Morada de Amposta’.
Temporal variability of fish larvae assemblages: influence of natural and anthropogenic disturbances

Natural and induced disturbances greatly influence the temporal distribution of ichthyoplankton abundance. This study assesses and compares the temporal variability of fish larvae assemblages in controlled and free environments to determine the influence of environment variables on the main taxa in these systems. The study was conducted at the Chapeco (without dam impact) and Ligeiro (with dam impact) river mouths, which are located in the upper Uruguay River. Samples were made between October 2001 and March 2004 during three reproductive periods. The larvae assemblages were composed of small and medium-sized Characiformes and Siluriformes. The variation in the distribution of larvae was mainly temporal (>85%). When the three reproductive periods were compared, it was observed in the second period, characterized by a larger water flow and a lower temperature, that there was a reduction in abundance, a lower number of taxa, an absence of stages in post-flexion and a high dissimilarity in larvae assemblage structure. In general, the environmental variables of water flow and temperature most influenced the distribution of egg and larvae abundance. In the studied area, a smaller temporal variability was observed in the structure of larvae assemblages at the sampling sites in the Chapeco River mouth than in in the Ligeiro River mouth under the influence of dams.
Modelling Discourse-related terminology in OntoLingAnnot’s ontologies

Recently, computational linguists have shown great interest in discourse annotation in an attempt to capture the internal relations in texts. With this aim, we have formalized the linguistic knowledge associated to discourse into different linguistic ontologies. In this paper, we present the most prominent discourse-related terms and concepts included in the ontologies of the OntoLingAnnot annotation model. They show the different units, values, attributes, relations, layers and strata included in the discourse annotation level of the OntoLingAnnot model, within which these ontologies are included, used and evaluated.
INVESTIGATION OF THE ANNUAL VARIABILITY OF THE ALEPPO PINE TREE-RINGS WIDTH : THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS IN THE ATTICA BASIN

The relationships between the annual variability of the Aleppo pine tree-ring widths and the variability of the main climatic parameters in the Attica basin are analysed in the present study for a 45-year period (1959-2003). The Principal Components Analysis was applied to the times-series of the tree-rings indices (12 populations) as well as to the residual timeseries of the monthly precipitation, maximum and minimum temperatures derived from 5 meteorological stations located in the study region. The results showed that the 64% of the total variance of the tree-rings of the Aleppo pine could be attributed to the common variability of the climatic parameters: for precipitation with 82.6%, for minimum temperature with 88.2% and for maximum temperature with 88.5% of the total variance of each parameter. Characteristic narrow and wide tree-rings were observed during the hydrological years with extreme rainfall or temperature conditions. Finally the study of the climate – growth links, on a local basis, showed that the growth of the Aleppo pine is related positively (positive correlations) with the winter and spring precipitations. On the other hand negative correlations were found with the temperatures of the spring months.
The Price Stabilisation Effects of the EU import regime of fruit and vegetables: the case of tomatoes

The paper assesses the stabilization effects of the EU import regime for fresh fruit and vegetables based on the entry price system. The analysis is carried out on the EU prices of tomatoes and those of imports from Morocco, the main competing country on the EU domestic markets. It is based on the estimation of a threshold vector autoregressive econometric model that is shown capable of taking the workings of the import regime into account. The model shows that when prices of tomato imports are below the trigger entry prices the EU tomato market becomes isolated. However, the contribution of the import regime on price stabilization is rather limited. Since tomato imports from Morocco are granted zero tariff if their price is higher than the trigger entry price within a yearly quota that is completely filled, the largest contribution to market stabilization may well come from the size of the quota.
On the reserve price in all-pay auctions with complete information and lobbying games

We show that the seller’s optimal reserve price in an all-pay auction with complete information is higher than in a standard auction. We use our results to re-consider some findings of the literature that models lobbying games as all-pay auctions. In particular, we show that the so-called Exclusion Principle appears to rely crucially on the implicit assumption of a “weak” (in terms of bargaining power) seller, and does not hold if she regards bidders’ valuations as iid according to a monotonic hazard rate. Our preliminary results for the case of independent but asymmetric bidders make it even more suspicious.
Comparative study of a CDMA2000 turbo code and a linear time encodable PEG LDPC code over GF(q)

In this paper we compare a CDMA2000 Turbo code and two linear-time encodable irregular PEG LDPC codes, a binary one and one defined over the Galois field GF(64). An overview over the construction methods of the Shannon limit approaching codes is given. For each code the simulation results are depicted in terms of Bit Error Rate (BER) where several decoding iterations have been applied. Thereby the simulated codes share the relatively short binary code word length of and a code rate of . For a channel model the additive white Gaussian noise channel (AWGNC) has been used and the decoding was done with the belief propagation (BP)-decoding algorithm. Index Terms – Turbo codes, LDCP codes, progressive edge-growth (PEG), GF(q), nonbinary, irregular, linear-time encodable codes, girth
PREMORBID ADJUSTMENT PROFILES IN PATIENTS WITH PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS AND THEIR UNAFFECTED SIBLINGS : CLINICAL AND COGNITIVE CORRELATES 7

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A NOVEL ALGORITHM TO THE MULTI-STAGE GRID EXPANSION PROBLEM TAKING INTO ACCOUNT GRID TOPOLOGY MODIFICATIONS AND STORAGE DEVICES

In this paper an algorithm is introduced that solves the multi-stage grid expansion problem, which is extended by the following issues: Grid topology modifications in the form of dynamically added busses and electrical storage devices. The adapted mathematical formulation and the methodology to extend the conventional expansion problem as well as the algorithm to solve the resulting non-convex problem are presented. The computational results by drawing on test systems demonstrate the optimality of the solutions. The closing discussion illustrates the potentials and limitations of the methods developed. (4 pages)
Development of crumb rubber reinforced elastomeric/semielastomeric thermally conductive composite materials to be used as permanent ball grid array stencils in printed circuit board rework

Thiswork relates to the development of a newfamily ofmaterials to be used for the rework (removal, repair, and replacement) of BGA(BallGridArray) components that can be found on a PCB (Printed Circuit Board). The rework involves the use of stencils to solder an array of micro-balls arranged in a grid manner belowthe BGA.Astencil is a membrane consisting of arrays of perforations (micro-holes or apertures) arranged in a grid manner. The new stencils, with the balls fitted into the apertures, are initially attached below the BGA, and finally are fixed between the soldered balls, the BGA, and the PCB. Similarmethods employ polymer stencils that are initially fixed between the soldered balls and the PCB, and finally are fixed between the resoldered balls, the BGA, and the PCB. The development of the new stencils may uniquely provide a new, easier, repeatable, predictable, low cost, rework method eliminating resoldering of the balls that also gives the benefit of one fewer thermal cycle for the BGA component. Other benefits include reinforcementwith crumb rubber, increase in thermal conductivity, inhibition of whisker formation/growth, no need to use adhesives, and recycling of discarded stencils.
Study on Convergent Consistency of Information Exchange in Massive Group Robots

For the problem that information disorder and additional noises, as well as the instability of formation control in a massive-group-robot system, stops the system from achieving a good convergence state, a control algorithm based on the weight matrix stability of Kalman filtering is proposed. Through a robustness and uncertainty analysis, the uncertainty in information exchange in robots is transformed into an uncertain factor in nonlinear system. The Kalman filter helps to realize the convergent consistency of ideal state of robot system. The validity of this algorithm is proved by experiments.
Informed watermarking for low rate video

Faced with the continuous increasing of processing and storage capabilities in the digital world, the intellectual right holders consider watermarking as an appropriate mean to protect their property. Emerging from the mobile network environments, the youngest member of the watermarking application family is the low rate video protection. This paper reconsiders an outstanding informed coding method developed for grey level still images and adapts and extends it for such colour video. The experiments were carried out in cooperation with the SFR wireless service provider in France and pointed to the significant improvements in some practical applications. These results also allow a comparison between the spread spectrum and informed watermarking techniques in the mobile networks.
Analysis of RF Front-End Performance of Reconfigurable Antennas with RF Switches in the Far Field

The RF front-end performances in the far-field condition of reconfigurable antennas employing two commonly used RF switching devices (PIN diodes and RF-MEMS switches) were compared. Two types of antennas (monopole and slot) representing general direct/coupled feed types were used for the reconfigurable antennas to compare the excited RF power to the RF switches by the reconfigurable antenna types. For the switching operation of the antennas, a biasing circuit was designed and embedded in the same antenna board, which included a battery to emphasize the antenna’s adaptability to mobile devices. The measurement results of each reconfigurable antenna (radiation patterns and return losses) are presented in this study. The receiving power of the reference antenna was measured by varying the transmitting power of the reconfigurable antennas in the far-field condition. The receiving power was analyzed using the “Friis transmission equation” and compared for two switching elements. Based on the results of these measurements and comparisons, we discuss what constitutes an appropriate switch device and antenna type for reconfigurable antennas of mobile devices in the far-field condition.
Improving Anaphora Resolution performance in Italian and English using Search Engines

In this paper I describe an euristic method for improving anaphora resolution by classifying as co-referring the pairs in a high co-occurrence with taxonomic relations (Is-A) and as non-coreferring the pairs in a high co-occurrence with associative relations (Part-Of). The experiments reported here show that it is posible to classify correctly 65% of the errors of and anaphora resolution system by using simple pattern-based relation extraction from web.
Effects of the Experience in Using the Third-Party Payment on the Payment Model of Online Shopping

As it is impossible for consumers to conduct a face-to-face transaction in online shopping, both buyers and sellers would mistrust each other and lack a sense of security. To address this problem, people have gradually paid heed to the third-party payment. Targeting at the third-party payment, this study probed into the effects of consumers’ perceived risk and benefit of the third-party payment system, social impact and personal involvement in the Internet on the attitude towards the third-party payment system, perceived value and use intention. Moreover, a relational model was established, and the differences between those who had used the third-party payment and those who hadn’t were explored. In this study, the convenience sampling was adopted to retrieve 761 valid questionnaire copies. The respondents were divided into two groups according to the experience in using the third-party payment: one had used the third-party payment and the other hadn’t. Then, the two groups were compared. The findings showed that there was significant difference between the two groups in three relational paths: (1) for the online shoppers who had used the third-party payment, perceived benefit had stronger influence on use attitude; (2) for the online shoppers who had never used the third-party payment, attitude had greater impact on the use intention of the third-party payment; (3) for the online shoppers who had used the third-party payment, perceived value had more significant effect on the use intention of the third-party payment. The research results also demonstrated that there was some difference in behavioral model between the two groups. These findings can be taken as reference information for the third-party payment enterprises to make strategies.
Social-Psychological Profiles of Early Adolescents Involved in Bullying Activities

Abstract: The purpose of the present study was to examine the differences existing between sub-groups of early adolescents involved in bullying activities at school. Specifically, the study aimed at comparing three identified groups (bullies, passive victims and aggressive victims or bully-victims) as well as uninvolved students in terms of a number of indicators of psycho-social adjustment; namely, empathy, impulsivity, hyperactivity, emotional and behavioral problems and pro-social skills. A representative sample of 454 Greek Cypriot students (mean age of 13.4) was selected from seven different public high schools. The participants completed a revised version of the Bullying and Victimization Questionnaire and based on their scores they were classified into one of four, mutually exclusive categories, those of bullies, victims, aggressive victims, and uninvolved. These groups were then compared regarding their mean scores on the Basic Empathy Scale, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the Urgency Subscale. Multiple post-hoc comparisons revealed that the aggressive victims group had the most problematic psycho-social profile. Specifically, aggressive victims were significantly more impulsive, less affectively empathic, and had lower prosocial skills, more behavioural problems and more hyperactivity. The results of the present study show that children and adolescents diagnosed as aggressive victims are at higher risk in a number of psychopathological characteristics that endanger typical development.
Strategic Asset Allocation in Money Management

This paper analyzes the dynamic portfolio choice implications of strategic interaction among money managers who compete for fund flows. We study such interaction between two risk-averse managers in continuous time, characterizing analytically their unique equilibrium investments. Driven by chasing and contrarian mechanisms when one is well ahead, they gamble in the opposite direction when their performance is close. We also examine multiple and mixed-strategy equilibria. Equilibrium policy of each manager crucially depends on the opponent's risk attitude. Hence, client investors concerned about how a strategic manager may trade on their behalf should also learn competitors' characteristics.
An Adaptive Regularization Method for Image Denoising

This pepper proposes a new regularization method to solve the problem of low rank optimization. Approximation compared with the nuclear norm, which is a rank regularization of successive approximation. The advantage of this model is that it can directly solve the rank of the regularized problem, and it only needs to calculate a singular value decomposition to improve the efficiency. Based on Morozov discrepancy principle, this paper analyses the choosing standard of parameters and proposes an adaptive algorithm. Finally, a series of experiments were done to illustrate this algorithm. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is compared with other algorithms, and the algorithm not only improves the denoising effect, but also shortens the time of operation.
CHARACTERIZATION OF SURFACE FUNCTIONAL GROUPS ON CARBON MATERIALS WITH X-RAY ABSORPTION NEAR EDGE STRUCTURE (XANES) SPECTROSCOPY

Carbon materials have many applications due to their bulk or surface properties, and for the latter, surface functional groups play a decisive role. Many characterization techniques have been used to identify and quantify surface functional groups, but none is completely satisfactory so far especially when it comes to quantification. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy has several advantages over the commonly used techniques, e.g., element specific, high sensitivity, characteristic spectra for different functional groups, and straightforward quantitative analysis. For oxygen functional groups on carbon materials, oxygen K-edge (543.1 eV) XANES is preferred over carbon K-edge (284.2 eV) since it minimizes the strong interference from the carbon substrate. Oxygen K-edge XANES was attempted over 13 years ago, but it was only partially successful with qualitative analysis due to spectrum distortion from charging effect because of poor sample conductivity. In this work, we collect oxygen K-edge spectra in both fluorescence yield (FY) and total electron yield (TEY) modes. Although relatively noisier, spectra collected in FY mode do not suffer from charging effect, which is very important for quantitative analysis by linear combination fitting. It is shown that an oxygen K-edge spectrum of oxygen containing functional group mainly consists of a pre-edge peak and a whiteline (the first intense post-edge peak). The XANES spectra are unique in the position and/or the intensity of the pre-edge peak and the whiteline. Thus, identification of different functional groups is possible by fingerprinting. By measuring known functional groups in reference compounds, it is determined that oxygen functional groups on carbon materials can be grouped into three categories. Each category consists iv of a few functional groups, which have very similar XANES spectra, while significant difference exists between categories. Carboxyl-type groups include carboxyl, ester, and anhydride groups, and the features are a strong pre-edge peak at about 531 eV and a broad whiteline at 539 eV. Carbonyl-type groups include carbonyl and aldehyde groups, and the features are a strong pre-edge peak at below 530 eV and a broad whiteline at 539 eV. Hydroxyl-type groups include hydroxyl, phenol, and ether groups, and the features are no or very weak pre-edge peak at about 531 eV and a broad whiteline at 536-538 eV. Four activated carbons that underwent different treatments are analyzed by XANES. The relative total oxygen contents can be calculated from the edge step of their XANES spectra, and the identity and relative abundance of different functional groups are determined by fitting of a sample XANES spectrum to a linear combination of spectra of the reference compounds. It is concluded that oxygen K-edge XANES spectroscopy is a reliable characterization technique for the identification and quantification of surface functional groups on carbon materials.