Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mobile travel services: A three-country study into the impact of local circumstances

In this paper we explore the difference in acceptance patterns of mobile services that are related to travelling in three countries: Finland, The Netherlands and New Zealand. The objective of this paper is to understand differences in the use of Mobile Travel Services in three countries that differ with regard to national travel patterns. This paper also contributes to the discussion of the relevance of the Technology Acceptance Model for mobile applications by focusing on the importance of context characteristics, such as the degree of mobility of the user, the social situation people are in, and their need for social interaction. Based on surveys in the three countries as executed in 2009, we use structural equation modelling to find differences in patterns. The paper concludes that context factors have an impact on the relation between the core concepts as used in TAM and DOI approach, and that t here is a clear need for closer research in the moderating effect of physical (e.g. mobile and fixed context) and social context, as well as the need for social interaction. Moreover it is clear that country specific characteristics play a role in the acceptance of mobile travel services. As we pointed out in many of our research projects before the acceptance and use of mobile services requires deep understanding from individual, context and technology related characteristics and their mutual interactions.
Bonds futures and their options: more than the cheapest-to-deliver; quality option and marginning

Even if the name futures indicates a simple instrument, bond futures are complex. Several special features are embedded in the instrument. In particular the future is not written on one specific bond but on a basket of bonds, from which the short side can deliver the cheapest. This paper focuses on that feature, present in the main futures market, and its impact on the futures risk. A formula for the delivery option and the convexity adjustment due to the daily margining is proposed in the Gaussian HJM model. The approach is numerically very efficient and easy to implement. Based on this result a futures option formula is derived. The approach is similar to the one used for Canary swaptions.
Rapid reproduction of complex images in graphite by laser etching and exfoliation

We describe a means to produce thin layers of carbon, graphene multilayers, using laser etching followed by exfoliation. Complex macroscopic images can be produced in minutes. The laser need only mark the top-most layers of graphene for the image to become permanent down to the glass substrate. We use the technique to produce artwork for proof of principle results. With refinement the methodology should also enable patterning of novel graphene electronic and optoelectronic devices.
Development of a method to identify foot strike on an arena surface: application to jump landing

Foot strike can be difficult to determine using kinematics alone, particularly when studying equine activities on more compliant surfaces, so this study was done with the aim of developing and validating a method to determine foot strike on an arena surface that can be used in conjunction with kinematics alone, and of applying the method in the context of measuring foot strike during jump landing on an arena surface. A low-cost contact mat was developed. The timing of the contact mat switching ‘on’ was compared to the timing of a force platform onset of 20 N, load and loading rate at foot strike. Two groups of 25 participants were used in two separate studies to validate the contact mat: the first measured the difference in timing with respect to two different activities (running and stepping down from a box), and the second measured the difference in timing with respect to 1- and 2-cm depths of an arena surface during running. In a third study, the mat was used to measure leading limb foot strike of six horses during jump landing, and these data were compared to kinematics from a palmar marker on the hoof wall. All data were recorded at 500 Hz. A consistent difference in delay was found between the mat and force platform onset, and as a result, no significant differences (P>0.05) in timing delay between different loading rates or depths were found. During jump landing, foot strike (determined from the mat) occurred after the vertical velocity minima and the acceleration maxima for the hoof marker, but it occurred before the point where the rate of vertical displacement began to reduce. In conclusion, further work is needed to enhance these techniques, but these preliminary results indicate that this method may be effective in determining foot strike for field-based applications.
TSUNAMI VS STORM ORIGIN FOR SHELL BED DEPOSITS IN A LAGOON ENVIROMENT: AN EXAMPLE FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS OF SOUTHERN PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA

The criteria by which the deposits of tsunamis are distiguished from other deposits, including storm surges, have been controversial for more than 10 years. The Mata Amarilla Formation of the lower Upper Cretaceous of Southern Patagonia has excellent outcrops that in its lower section, sedimentary and taphonomic characteristics suggest a tsunami origin. This paper presents details of these aspects, as well as a model of temporal stages that led to their deposition within a lagoon. The sediments are composed of alternating white sandstones and mudstones, with interbedded bioclastic accumulations in the lower section. The depositional environment was characterised by a lagoon bounded by shallow marine bars. These fine-grained sediments are sporadically interrupted by tsunami events represented by coquinas, bioclastic sands and shell pavements with allochthonous and autochthonous mollusk associations from freshwater and marine habitats. Some areas of the lagoon became exposed, thus enabling the development of vegetation on the substrate and pedogenic processes. Subsequently, a forced regression occurred when a fluvial system invaded the lagoon area, representing the beginning of the deposition of the middle section of the Mata Amarilla Formation.
Development of a Low Temperature Sol-Gel-Derived Titania-Silica Implant Coating

Objective of this study was to develope low temperature sol-gel coatings for shape memory metal (NiTi) and evaluate their biocompatibility on NiTi suture material. A series of low temperature TiO2 and TiO2-SiO2 sol-gel coatings were prepared on glass substrates. The silica content of TiO2-SiO2 coatings ranged from 0 to 30 mol%. The coatings were also prepared with polyethyleneglycol (PEG). The contact angle and photocatalytic activity measurements were used to evaluate the surface properties of the coatings. Stability of the coatings was tested in simulated body fluid (SBF). The TiO2-SiO2 90/10 film made with PEG was more hydrophilic, showed photocatalytic activity and was crack-free after the SBF test, thus it was chosen to animal experiment as a new experimental coating. Uncoated NiTi suture and the suture coated with high temperature TiO2 were used as reference materials. NiTi sutures were inserted subcutaneously on the back of rat for four weeks. In routine histological examinations all materials showed good biocompatibility with mild inflammatory cell reaction. No significant differences in the soft tissue response among the materials were observed. Both the high and new low temperature processed sol-gel coatings remained attached on the sutures confirming the suitability of the coating technique on thin NiTi sutures.
The effect of maternal malignancy on fertility, pregnancy, and neonatal outcomes

The aim of this thesis is to investigate whether a malignant disease in women increases the risk of fertility disturbances, pregnancy and delivery complications and also of adverse birth outcomes among their infants. By linkage between six national health registers, we obtained data for all children born in Sweden 1994-2011 and their mothers including information on malignancy diagnosis, method of conception (natural/ART), pregnancies, and health outcomes of the infants. In Papers I- III we studied the outcomes after a malignancy diagnosis of more than one year before delivery. We found increased risks of fertility disturbance and some pregnancy and delivery complications among these women. We also saw an increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight among their infants and as a result of this an increased risk of neonatal morbidity. No increased risk of malformation was found after a history of malignancy. However, an increased malformation risk was seen after IVF and previous maternal malignancy. In Paper IV the focus was on women and their infants with a malignancy close to or during pregnancy. We observed a high incidence of prematurity and neonatal morbidity, especially when the malignancy was diagnosed during the second and third trimesters. An increased risk was also seen of relatively mild malformations after maternal malignancy within six months prior to pregnancy or during the first trimester. In conclusion, it is important that these women receive adequate information about potential risks but also reassurance from clinicians who provide counseling. During their pregnancies additional surveillance is possibly required. (Less)
Characteristics of Solid-state Fermented Feed and its Effects on Performance and Nutrient Digestibility in Growing-finishing Pigs

This study investigated the effects of solid-state fermentation of a compound pig feed on its microbial and nutritional characteristics as well as on pig performance and nutrient digestibility. A mixed culture containing Lactobacillus fermentum, Saccharomyces cerevisae and Bacillus subtilis was used for solid-state fermentation and solid-state fermented feed samples were collected on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20 and 30 for microbial counts and chemical analysis. Lactic acid bacteria increased rapidly during the first three days of fermentation and then slowly declined until day 10 and, thereafter, the counts were maintained at about 6.7 log cfu/g for the duration of the fermentation period. Enterobacteria also increased during the first two days, and then fell below the detectable level of the analysis (3.0 log cfu/g). The pH of the fermentation substrate declined from 6.1 at the start of fermentation to 5.7 by day 30. The water-soluble protein content increased from 8.2 to 9.2% while the concentration of acetic acid increased from 16.6 to 51.3 mmol/kg over the 30-day fermentation. At the end of the 30-day fermentation, the solid-state fermented feed was used in a pig feeding trial to determine its effects on performance and nutrient digestibility in growing-finishing pigs. Twenty crossbred barrows (14.11+0.77 kg BW) were allotted into two dietary treatments, which comprised a regular dry diet containing antibiotics and a solid-state fermented feed based diet, free of antibiotics. There was no difference due to diet on pig performance or nutrient digestibility. In conclusion, solid-state fermentation resulted in high counts of lactic acid bacteria and low counts of enterobacteria in the substrate. Moreover, feeding a diet containing solid-state fermented feed, free of antibiotics, can result in similar performance and nutrient digestibility in growing-finishing pigs to a regular diet with antibiotics.
H0LiCOW VII: cosmic evolution of the correlation between black hole mass and host galaxy luminosity

Strongly lensed active galactic nuclei (AGN) provide a unique opportunity to make progress in the study of the evolution of the correlation between the mass of supermassive black holes ($\mathcal M_{BH}$) and their host galaxy luminosity ($L_{host}$). We demonstrate the power of lensing by analyzing two systems for which state-of-the-art lens modelling techniques have been applied to Hubble Space Telescope imaging data. We use i) the reconstructed images to infer the total and bulge luminosity of the host and ii) published broad-line spectroscopy to estimate $\mathcal M_{BH}$ using the so-called virial method. We then enlarge our sample with new calibration of previously published measurements to study the evolution of the correlation out to z~4.5. Consistent with previous work, we find that without taking into account passive luminosity evolution, the data points lie on the local relation. Once passive luminosity evolution is taken into account, we find that BHs in the more distant Universe reside in less luminous galaxies than today. Fitting this offset as $\mathcal M_{BH}$/$L_{host}$ $\propto$ (1+z)$^{\gamma}$, and taking into account selection effects, we obtain $\gamma$ = 0.6 $\pm$ 0.1 and 0.8$\pm$ 0.1 for the case of $\mathcal M_{BH}$-$L_{bulge}$ and $\mathcal M_{BH}$-$L_{total}$, respectively. To test for systematic uncertainties and selection effects we also consider a reduced sample that is homogeneous in data quality. We find consistent results but with considerably larger uncertainty due to the more limited sample size and redshift coverage ($\gamma$ = 0.7 $\pm$ 0.4 and 0.2$\pm$ 0.5 for $\mathcal M_{BH}$-$L_{bulge}$ and $\mathcal M_{BH}$-$L_{total}$, respectively), highlighting the need to gather more high-quality data for high-redshift lensed quasar hosts. Our result is consistent with a scenario where the growth of the black hole predates that of the host galaxy.
A database of water and heat observations over grassland in the north-east of Japan

Abstract. A highly valuable database of long-term hydrometeorological measurements is presented, containing in situ observations for a period of 37 years from a well-maintained grassland in the north-east of Japan. The observations include shortwave radiation, net radiation, air and dew point temperatures at three elevations, soil temperature at four depths, sensible heat flux, soil heat flux, wind speed, relative humidity, air pressure and precipitation. The heights of measurements are 1.6, 12.5 and 29.5 m above ground, with the soil-layer observations at depths of 0.02, 0.1, 0.5 and 1 m. This high-quality database includes four temporal resolutions of 10 s, 0.5 h, 1 h and 24 h, with the hourly data presented here. Monthly and annual statistics are presented at the database web page of the Center for Research in Isotopes and Environmental Dynamics and Prediction of the University of Tsukuba, http://doi.org/10.24575/0001.198108. We validated the data by comparing them with published data from the local meteorological agency in Tateno operated by the Japan Metrological Agency, including the average, maximum and minimum values of air temperature, shortwave radiation, wind speed, relative humidity and precipitation. We have generated a daily downward longwave radiation time series with a method developed by Kondo and Xu (1997) based on the observations from the database. This constructed time series agrees well with observations collected between 2002 and 2006, as evaluated based on the values of the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (=0.947) and percent bias (=1.486). For the whole database, annually averaged values show a positive trend in precipitation, air temperature, shortwave radiation, net radiation and sensible heat flux over the past 37 years, with a negative trend detected for wind speed, soil heat flux and soil temperature.
DAMPED NEWTON'S METHOD FOR IMAGE RESTORATION

1. Preparation As in image enhancement, the ultimate goal of restoration techniques is to improve an image in some sense. For the purpose of difierentiation, we consider restoration to be a process that attempts to reconstruct or recover an image that has been degraded by using some a priori knowledge of the degradation phenomenon. Thus restoration techniques are oriented toward modeling the image. This approach usually involves formulating a criterion of goodness that will yield some optimal estimate of the desired result. By contrast, enhancement techniques basically are heuristic procedures designed to manipulate an image in order to take advantage of the psychophysical aspects it might present to the viewer, whereas removal of image blur by applying a deblurring function is considered a restoration technique([6], [9]).
Industrial Relations, Migration, and Neoliberal Politics: The Case of the European Construction Sector

Transnational politics and labor markets are undermining national industrial relations systems in Europe. This article examines the construction industry, where the internationalization of the labor market has gone especially far. To test hypotheses about di ferences between “national systems,” the authors examine the United Kingdom, Finland, and Germany, alongside European-level policy making. Regardless of overall national institutional framework, employers seek to avoid industrial relations rules, while unions attempt to relocalize labor relations. Both use shop-floor, national, and European power resources. The authors argue that comparative industrial relations should take seriously the connection between action at the national and transnational levels.
APPLICATION OF THE CURVATURE SMOOTHING TECHNIQUE FOR FOUR-NODE QUADRILATERAL REISSNER-MINDLIN PLATE ELEMENT

A quadrilateral element with smoothed curvatures for Reissner-Mindlin struc- ture plates is proposed. A curvature matrix at an arbitrary point is normalized by a non-local approximation over a smoothing function. By choosing a constant smoothed function and applying the divergence theorem, the bending stiness matrix calculated on boundaries of smoothing elements (smoothing cells) instead of on their interior. Several numerical results are analyzed to demonstrate high reliability and free locking of the proposed method.
A STUDY OF NOISE GENERATION BY TURBULENT FLOW INSTABILITIES IN A GAS TURBINE MODEL COMBUSTOR

Due to successful noise reduction strategies concerning fanand jet-noise in gas turbine configurations, the relevance of combustion noise is increasing. In order to distinguish between turbulent noise and combustion noise a model gas turbine combustor consisting of a swirl burner and an exit nozzle of Laval-shape is investigated. Because of the instationary character of the flow this configuration is investigated by means of Large Eddy Simulation (LES). Numerical results are first validated by comparison with experimental data. Then a numerical study of noise generated by turbulent flow instabilities is carried out. Providing an extensive temporal and spatial analysis of the isothermal flow length- and timescales as well as vorticities are investigated with regard to the formation of rotating flow-instabilities in the recirculating swirling flow. Subsequently noise sources are identified and evaluated based on the Lamb vector consideration. It appears that the noise sources increase with an increasing swirl number ratio.
Application of an electrolytic water treatment technique in a Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) closed-hatchery system

The application of an electrolytic water treatment technique in a Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) closed hatchery system was investigated in three experiments. The first experiment studied the chlorine concentrations produced from an electrolytic system with different electric current and water salinity levels in a static water system. The second experiment studied the optimal electric currents and water flow rates for water treatment. The last experiment compared the closed hatchery system with an electrolytic system to an open system using chlorine powder for water treatment. It was found that in the static closed-water system, chlorine concentration increased with an increase of the duration of flow electric current and water salinity. While in the lotic condition, the optimal flow rate of water into the electrolytic system was 2.5 l/min and produced 11.4 mg/l of chlorine with an applied amperage of 1.6 A. This level was suitable for water treatment and could be applied in the Litopenaeus vannamei closed hatchery system for at least three crops. Although the system could reduce the usage of chlorine powder, it had a lower survival rate and a greater nitrite-nitrogen level than the control.
Analyzing test driven development based on GitHub evidence

Testing is an integral part of the software- development lifecycle, approached with varying degrees of rigor by different process models. Agile process models advocate Test Driven Development (TDD) as one among their key practices for reducing costs and improving code quality. In this paper we comparatively analyze GitHub repositories that adopt TDD against repositories that do not, in order to determine how TDD affects a number of variables related to productivity and developer satisfaction, two aspects that should be considered in a cost-benefit analysis of the paradigm. In this study, we searched through GitHub and found that a relatively small subset of Java-based repositories can be seen to adopt TDD, and an even smaller subset can be confidently identified as rigorously adhering to TDD. For comparison pur- poses, we created two same-size control sets of repositories. We then compared the repositories in these two sets in terms of number of test files, average commit velocity, number of commits that reference bugs, number of issues recorded, whether they use continuous integration, and the sentiment of their developers' commits. We found some interesting and significant differences between the two sets, including higher commit velocity and increased likelihood of continuous integration for TDD repositories.
Storage Efficiency Optimization of a Supercapacitor Charged by a Photovoltaic Cell using Genetic Algorithm

Super capacitors are very power dense devices in which charge density depends on the value of the capacitance and voltage across it. Generally, high capacitance of the Supercapacitor would support higher energy storage density, voltage remaining fixed. The load driven also does not utilize properly the entire stored charge from the Super capacitor due to inconsistency in electrical characteristics between the load and source. Storage efficiency of Super capacitor has state of charge dependencies as it is variable over the duration of charge/discharge cycles. It depends directly on the capacitance and indirectly on the ESR value. The proposed optimization technique can significantly find the maximum value of storage efficiency at a near about minimum value of ESR and maximum value of capacitance. The simulation model and results show the advantage of the said technique.