Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ram Pressure Stripping in the Virgo Cluster

Gas can be violently stripped from their galaxy disks in rich clusters, and be dispersed over 100kpc-scale tails or plumes. Young stars have been observed in these tails, suggesting they are formed in situ. This will contribute to the intracluster light, in addition to tidal stripping of old stars. We want to quantify the efficiency of intracluster star formation. We present CO(1--0) and CO(2--1) observations, made with the IRAM-30m telescope, towards the ram-pressure stripped tail northeast of NGC4388 in Virgo. HII regions found all along the tails, together with dust patches have been targeted. We detect molecular gas in 4 positions along the tail, with masses between 7x10$^5$ to 2x10$^6$ M$_\odot$. Given the large distance from the NGC 4388 galaxy, the molecular clouds must have formed in situ, from the HI gas plume. We compute the relation between surface densities of star formation and molecular gas in these regions, and find that the star formation has very low efficiency. The corresponding depletion time of the molecular gas can be up to 500 Gyr and more. Since this value exceeds a by far Hubble time, this gas will not be converted into stars, and will stay in a gaseous phase to join the intracluster medium.
An adaptive crowdsourced investigation of word abbreviation techniques for text visualizations

A known problem in information visualization labeling is when the text is too long to fit in the label space. There are some common known techniques used in order to solve this problem like setting a very small font size. On the other hand, sometimes the font size is so small that the text can be difficult to read. Wrapping sentences, dropping letters and text truncation can also be used. However, there is no research on how these techniques affect the legibility and readability of the visualization. In other words, we don’t know whether or not applying these techniques is the best way to tackle this issue. This thesis describes the design and implementation of a crowdsourced study that uses a recommendation system to narrow down abbreviations created by participants allowing us to efficiently collect and test the data in the same session. The study design also aims to investigate the effect of semantic context on the abbreviation that the participants create and the ability to decode them. Finally, based on the study data analysis we present a new technique to automatically make words as short as they need to be to maintain text legibility and readability.
Inter- and intra-industry variations of capital structure in the Czech manufacturing industry

The objective of the paper is to investigate the existence of inter-industry variations in the capital structure of enterprises of the Czech manufacturing industry and to identify the intra-industry causes of these differences. Three measures of capital structure are employed to determine the inter-industry variations. These are total debt ratio, long-term debt and short-term debt ratios. The set of explanatory variables is included to clarify the intra-industry variations. These explanatory variables are size, asset structure, asset utilization, profitability, non-debt tax shield and growth. The paper reports the analysis of capital structure of five distinctive industrial branches, namely the manufacture of beverages, the manufacture of textiles, the manufacture of paper and paper products, the manufacture of chemicals and chemical products, and the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products. The data come from the financial statements of selected companies and cover a period from 2008 to 2012. The analysis of variance, correlation and regression analyses are used to develop the statistical framework. The paper aims to study the impact of industry and firm characteristics on capital structure choice.
Phytochemical analysis and biological activity of a precipitate from Pavetta crassipes

Precipitate obtained from the aqueous extract of a Pavetta crassipes K. Schum (Rubiaceae) was analyzed for biological activity and phytochemical makeup. Phytochemical studies of the precipitate showed the presence of flavonoids. Antimicrobial studies showed that the precipitate inhibited the growths of Corynebacterium ulcerans, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 6.25 mg/ml with corresponding minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 12.5 mg/ml. It also inhibited the growths of Streptococcus pyogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Neiserria gonorrhea at 12.5 mg/ml with a corresponding MBC at 25 mg/ml. It however showed no inhibitory effect against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhii and Candida albicans. The precipitate is undergoing purification and characterization and will be reported in due course. Key words: Pavetta crassipes, Rubiaceae, flavonoid, antimicrobial screening.
An economy-wide assessment of a forest carbon policy in the USA.

There is now a general consensus that the Earth’s climate is changing as a result of the rising concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Using the range of emission scenarios determined by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), General Circulation Models (GCMs) have projected global warming of between 1 and 5°C by 2100 (IPPC, 2000). The United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) was established to express this concern, and under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, set forth binding targets for developed countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases to an average of 5.2% below the amount they emitted in 1990 by 2012. Forests play a prominent role in the global carbon cycle by absorbing atmospheric CO2 (carbon dioxide), a greenhouse gas, through photosynthesis and storing carbon in the form of biomass and soils. Land-use change accounts for about one-third of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions through forest clearing and timber harvesting activities, and fossil fuel consumption accounts for the remaining two-thirds (IPPC, 2000). The Kyoto Protocol specifically recognizes that terrestrial sources and sinks of carbon attributable to afforestation, reforestation and deforestation activities are to be counted in achieving these emission reductions. This recognition has come under considerable criticism (see Schlamadinger and Marland (2000) for a review of the critical issues and country positions), and is a key divisive issue throughout the negotiating process towards implementing the Protocol. It is perhaps not surprising that nations with large forest areas (and significant forest carbon opportunities), such as the USA and Canada, strongly support the inclusion of forestry activities as a means to achieve their Kyoto Protocol emission reduction targets (Moulton, 1998). In contrast, nations in the tropics who are drawing down their forests due to social and economic pressures, and nations with limited land areas available for forestry, such as Japan and most European Union (EU) nations, tend to oppose the inclusion and/or would limit the extent to which forestry activities can be used to offset fossil fuel emissions.
Movements, Home Range, and Survival Estimation of Largemouth Bass following Displacement

The fate of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides displaced in tournaments can be defined in terms of whether or not fish return to previously held home ranges at the site of capture, as well as their survival following displacement. A biotelemetry experiment on displaced largemouth bass that addresses both of these issues in a northern site, Rideau Lake, Ontario, Canada is summarized. Largemouth bass were displaced over a range of distances (1.5-16.5 km) and their movements and home range characteristics were compared to fish that were not displaced. Disp laced largemouth were followed for a year after displacement to determine if they returned close to their site of capture. Disappearance of radio-tagged bass was used to determine seasonal patterns in survival following displacement. It took approximately two weeks for displaced bass to move more than 400 m from the release site. The overall rate of return was 37 percent (7 of 19 fish), with three of the seven bass returning in the spring of the year following displacement. No fish displaced greater than 8 km from their capture site returned to their home range. There was no difference in the home range area of displaced and nondisplaced bass. Survival over the fishing season was based on the disappearance of radio tags and was estimated by the known fate model of survival analysis. This estimate of survival (Mean S = 0.587; se = 0.099), when combined with estimates of natural mortality for the nonfishing season, points to an apparent improvement in the overall survival rate of largemouth bass in Rideau Lake, relative to data collected twenty years ago.
Waste-to-Energy Decision Support Method for Forward Deployed Forces

Abstract : Solid waste is generated in mass quantities at forward deployed locations due to their temporary nature. Current handling practices are inefficient and wasteful, and do not reuse the energy inherently available in the waste. This research identifies potential energy, convoy, and casualty reductions that can be realized through the use of waste-to-energy (WTE) at contingency locations. It identifies typical variance expected in the solid waste stream and illustrates decision factors for determining the type of WTE technology that is best suited for a particular situation. A statistical analysis was conducted on the waste streams of five contingency bases to determine energy content of a typical sample at any location for WTE planning purposes. Energy and risk reduction was calculated and a decision tree was developed to allow personnel to choose a technology type that would best suit their waste disposal needs. Results indicate that variability in the waste stream significantly affects results of each analysis and that the typical sample energy content from the entire waste stream is much lower than either of the other waste streams.
Analysis of genetic variation among accessions of critically endangered Rhaponticoides iconiensis and Rhaponticoides mykalea based on RAPD and SDS- PAGE markers

Rhaponticoides iconiensis (Hub.-Mor.) M.V. Agab and Greuter is a rare and endangered endemic species of the Konya region of Turkey. One related taxon, Rhaponticoides mykalea (Hub.-Mor.) M.V. Agab and Greuter, is morphologically similar but occurs in different geographical locations. This study has been conducted on the biology of this threatened plant in order to understand better the factors that should be included in the development of conservation practices. The genetic variations were studied using RAPD markers and SDS-PAGE profiles of total seed proteins for three R. iconiensis populations and two R. mykalea populations. The analyzed R. iconiensis populations belonged to different soil types (calcareous and volcanic). The analyzed R. iconiensis and R. mykalea populations belonged to different bioclimatic zones. A genetic diversity within populations was detected both by SDS-PAGE and RAPD for R. iconiensis populations. The level of variation did not differ with respect to soil type for the species studied. Populations collected from the same soil types carried more polymorphisms than those grown in different zones. The genetic diversity was revealed more clearly for all populations by RAPD than through analyzing proteins. Differentiation between ecological groups was higher than that revealed within groups. Conservation programs should take into account the level of genetic diversity within population revealed by these markers according to soil types.
Investigation of Significant Features Based on Image Texture Analysis for Automated Denoising in MR Images

Introduction: In magnetic resonance (MR) image analysis, noise is one of the main sources of quality deterioration not only for visual inspection but also in computerized processing such as tissue classification, segmentation and registration. Consequently, noise removal in MR images is important and essential for a wide variety of subsequent processing applications. In the literature, abundant denoising algorithms have been proposed, most of which require laborious tuning of parameters that are often sensitive to specific image features and textures. Automation of these parameters through artificial intelligence techniques will be highly beneficial. However, this will induce another problem of seeking appropriate meaningful attributes among a huge number of image characteristics for the automation process. This paper is in an attempt to systematically investigate significant attributes from image texture features to facilitate subsequent automation processes. Methods: In our approach, a total number of 60 image texture attributes are considered that are based on three categories: 1) Image statistics. 2) Gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM). 3) 2-D discrete wavelet transform (DWT). To obtain the most significant attributes, a paired-samples t-test is applied to each individual image features computed in every image. The evaluation is based on the distinguishing ability between noise levels, intensity distributions, and anatomical geometries. Results: A wide variety of images were adopted including the BrainWeb image data with various levels of noise and intensity non-uniformity to evaluate the proposed methods. Experimental results indicated that an optimal number of seven image features performed best in distinguishing MR images with various combinations of noise levels and slice positions. They were the contrast and dissimilarity features from the GLCM category and five norm energy and standard deviation features from the 2-D DWT category. Conclusions: We have introduced a new framework to systematically investigate significant attributes from various image features and textures for the automation process in denoising MR images. Sixty image texture features were computed in every image followed by a paired-samples t-test for the discrimination evaluation. Seven texture features with two from the GLCM category and five from the 2-D DWT category performed best, which can be incorporated into denoising procedures for the automation purpose in the future.
Behavioral and life history responses to extreme climatic conditions: Studies on a migratory songbird

Behavioral responses to environmental change are the mechanisms that allow for rapid phenotypic change preventing temporary or permanent damage and hence preventing reductions in fitness. Extreme climatic events are by definition rare, al- though they are predicted to increase in amplitude and frequency in the coming years. However, our current knowledge about be- havioral responses to such extreme events is scarce. Here I analyze two examples of the effects of extreme weather events on be- havior and life history: (1) A comparison of behavior and life history during extremely warm and extremely cold years relative to normal years; and (2) a comparison of behavior before and after the extremely early snowfall in fall 1974 when numerous birds died in the Alps during September-October. Behavioral and life history responses of barn swallows Hirundo rustica to extremely cold and extremely warm years were positively correlated, with particularly large effect sizes in cold years. Extreme mortality in barn swallows during fall migration 1974 in the Alps eliminated more than 40% of the breeding population across large areas in Central and Northern Europe, and this affected first arrival date, changes in timing and extent of reproduction and changes in de- gree of breeding sociality supposedly as a consequence of correlated responses to selection. Finally, I provide directions for re- search that will allow us to better understand behavior and life history changes in response to extreme climate change (Current Zoology 57 (3): 351-362, 2011). Keywords Barn swallow, Extreme climate, Hard selection, Hirundo rustica, Laying date, Second clutches, Sociality, Truncation selection
Robust Linear Quadratic Regulator via Sliding Mode Guidance for Spacecraft Orbiting a Tumbling Asteroid

Aiming to ensure the stability of the spacecraft with multiuncertainties and mitigate the threat of the initial actuator saturation, a Robust Linear Quadratic Regulator (RLQR) via sliding mode guidance (SMG) for orbiting a tumbling asteroid is proposed in this paper. The orbital motion of the spacecraft near a tumbling asteroid is modelled in the body-fixed frame considering the sun-relative effects, and the orbiting control problem is formulated as a stabilization of a nonlinear time-varying system. RLQR based on the adaptive feedback linearization is proposed to stabilize the spacecraft orbiting with the uncertainties of the asteroid’s rotation and gravitational field. In order to avoid the initial actuator saturation, SMG is applied to generate the transition process trajectory of the closed-loop system. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is verified by the simulations of orbiting the asteroid Toutatis 4179.
LABOR REQUIREMENTS IN INNOVATION AND LOCAL-REGIONAL WORKFORCE STRATEGIES

This paper proposes a way to measure the internal organizational capacity as an important element for innovation in the context of the creative industry at regional scale. In particular, this paper pays attention to the commitment-based HR practices as critical factors in shaping organizational competency and innovation. Existing studies on innovation at regional scale have identified a set of factors external to organizations, such as knowledge spillover, local or global collaboration, and proximity to research universities and institutions, as the main mechanisms of innovation. Presently, however, there is increasing evidence showing that the exclusive emphasis on external factors of innovation may in fact only capture one side of a continuum in which creativity and innovation are strongly influenced by internal organizational factors – i.e. internal skill pools and workplace culture (Lampel, Lant, and Shamsie, 2000; Collins and Smith, 2006). Building on this problem orientation, this paper investigates the labor requirement of the digital content industry, corresponding organizational strategies (human resource practices) and their contribution to innovation. The connection between the HR practice and its role on technological innovation has not been made clear in the existing economic geography or planning literature. Therefore, theories from human resource management (high performance human resource management) have been adapted to form the theoretic background and inform the measurement and quantitative modeling. The result of the logistic regression on 323 digital content industry firms cluster in Seoul, Korea indicates that the additive effect of various commitment-based HR practices including rigorous hiring of workers with high skills and educational attainments and worker retention is positively related to innovation, whereas the evidence for the contribution of local or international collaborations is vague at best. The public policy implication of this finding is that micro level organizational human resource strategies are, in fact, an integral part of regional workforce development and long term economic growth, which may seem trivially obvious but is something that too often we seem to overlook. These research findings lend support to policy programs targeting new employment and longer retention (such as wage subsidies), as these programs help firms exercise commitment-based HR practices.
Bayesian Analysis for Change Points in the Volatility of Latin American Emerging Markets

We have extended some previous works by applying the product partition model (PPM) to identify multiple change points in the variance of normal data sequence assuming mean equal to zero. This type of problem is very common in applied economics and finance. We consider the Gibbs sampling scheme proposed in the literature to obtain the posterior estimates or product estimates for the variance and the posterior distributions for the instants when changes take place and also for the number of change points in the sequence. The PPM is used to obtain the posterior behavior of the volatility (measured as the variance) in the series of returns of four important Latin American stock indexes (MERVAL-Argentina, IBOVESPA- Brazil, IPSA-Chile and IPyC-Mexico). The posterior number of change point as well as the posterior most probable partition for each index series are also obtained.
Inverse-Problem-Based Accuracy Control for Arbitrary-Resolution Fairing of Quasiuniform Cubic B-Spline Curves

In the process of curves and surfaces fairing with multiresolution analysis, fairing accuracy will be determined by final fairing scale. On the basis of Dyadic wavelet fairing algorithm (DWFA), arbitrary resolution wavelet fairing algorithm (ARWFA), and corresponding software, accuracy control of multiresolution fairing was studied for the uncertainty of fairing scale. Firstly, using the idea of inverse problem for reference, linear hypothesis was adopted to predict the corresponding wavelet scale for any given fairing error. Although linear hypothesis has error, it can be eliminated by multiple iterations. So faired curves can be determined by a minimum number of control vertexes and have the best faring effect under the requirement of accuracy. Secondly, in consideration of efficiency loss caused by iterative algorithm, inverse calculation of fairing scale was presented based on the least squares fitting. With the increase of order of curves, inverse calculation accuracy becomes higher and higher. Verification results show that inverse calculation scale can meet the accuracy requirement when fitting curve is sextic. In the whole fairing process, because there is no approximation algorithm such as interpolation and approximation, faired curves can be reconstructed again exactly. This algorithm meets the idea and essence of wavelet analysis well.
Astrophysically Useful Parameters for Certain Band Systems of BeH, BeD and BeT Molecules

The vibronic (vibration-electronic) transition probability parameters such as Franck-Condon (FC) factors and r-centroids of diatomic molecular species could be useful in the identification of molecular bands and in the estimation of relative abundance of the emitted species in astrophysical sources. In this study, they have been evaluated for the electronic transitions A2Πr-X2Σ+, B2Πr-X2Σ+ and C2Σ+ - X2Σ+ systems of BeH, A2Πr - X2Σ and C2Σ+ - X2Σ+ system of BeD and A2Πr - X2Σ+ system of BeT molecules using a suitable potential.
Global warming and United States landfalling hurricanes

A secular warming of sea surface temperature occurs almost everywhere over the global ocean. Here we use observational data to show that global warming of the sea surface is associated with a secular increase of tropospheric vertical wind shear in the main development region (MDR) for Atlantic hurricanes. The increased wind shear coincides with a weak but robust downward trend in U.S. landfalling hurricanes, a reliable measure of hurricanes over the long term. Warmings over the tropical oceans compete with one another, with the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans increasing wind shear and the tropical North Atlantic decreasing wind shear. Warmings in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans win the competition and produce increased wind shear which reduces U.S. landfalling hurricanes. Whether future global warming increases the vertical wind shear in the MDR for Atlantic hurricanes will depend on the relative role induced by secular warmings over the tropical oceans.
Adaptive behavioral modeling for crowd simulations

In this study, we design an adaptive behavioral model for a dynamic virtual environment. We model the dynamic environment with behavior maps which are constructed with information theory quantities. These maps are capable of capturing the dynamic nature of the environment by changing temporally and spatially. Subsequent to building this model, agents’ responses to these maps are represented with a set of formulations. In our test studies, we have observed that our model successfully produces realistic and diverse behaviors by incorporating effects of the environment.