Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The COVID-19 pandemic as a tipping point: The precarity of transition for students who receive special education and English language services

BACKGROUND: School closures and service disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted students’ postschool transitions. Students with disabilities who were also members of historically marginalized groups including immigrant students, multilingual students, students of color, and those experiencing poverty, were disproportionately negatively impacted by pandemic-limited services. OBJECTIVE: This paper examined the impact of the pandemic on the transition experiences of secondary students receiving both special education and English learner services. METHOD: We collected and analyzed data from ethnographic interviews with 26 students, their parents, and teachers. A close analysis of a representative case illustrates how transition education and planning were affected by challenges introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic for some of the nation’s most vulnerable students. RESULTS: Despite postsecondary education goals and high parent expectations, evidence of minimal information sharing between school and family, specific plans for goal actualization, and interruptions to service delivery negatively impacted goal attainment, tipping precariously positioned transition plans toward missed opportunities. CONCLUSION: The pandemic accentuated pre-existing inequities in transition and vocational rehabilitation (VR) services. Implications for practice and research are discussed, including the importance of supported family engagement, enhanced self-determination skills, and integrated VR services into high school special education programming.
Relaxation of collisionless plasmas

We present a new theory for the relaxation of two-dimensional collisionless quasi-neutral plasmas by mixing in phase space. In general, mixing in phase space does not lead to equilibrium states in the framework of exact, collisionless theory. However, filamentation on smaller and smaller scales can result in stationary states from a macroscopic (coarse-grained) point of view. In a first step we discuss a general technique to calculate suitably stable equilibria of collisionless plasmas. In a second step we develop a model relaxation that yields a simple transition to a description on macroscopic scales without following the details of the complicated mixing dynamics. Combination of both results allows calculation of final states of collisionless relaxation. We illustrate our approach with the help of a one-dimensional sheet configuration as a simple example.
Finite and Infinite Type Artin Groups: Topological Aspects and Cohomological Computations

1 Introduction 52 Coxeter and Artin groups 112.1 Deﬁnition of Coxeter groups and ﬁrst properties . 112.1. 1 Length function and parabolic subgroups . 122.1. 2 Matsumoto’s theorem . 122.2 Geometric representation of W . 132.2. 1 Positive roots and interpretation of length function . 132.2. 2 Fundamental domain for Wand Tits cone . 142.3 Special cases . 152.3. 1 Finite Coxeter groups . 152.3. 2 Aﬃne Coxeter groups . 182.4 Poincar´e series . 222.4. 1 Notation . 222.4. 2 Standard Poincar´e series . 232.4. 3 Double weighted Poincar´e polynomial for B
Superconducting magnet quench protection analysis and design

A three-dimensional simulation of the quench thermal transient in a multicoil magnet system is described which includes circuit equations for induced secondary current transients and magnet subdivision by resistors and switching devices. Thus, the magnet designer can study the quench protection of a superconducting magnet and select the optimal protection scheme utilizing heat transfer enhancement, resistive subdivision, circuit branch switching, quench propagation heaters, coupled secondaries, and cowound stabilizers. Transient thermal profiles are available for subsequent evaluation in terms of thermal stress. An example system is modeled, and the appropriate quench protection scheme is discussed.
Optimal data replication: a new approach to optimizing parallel EM algorithms on a mesh-connected multiprocessor for 3D PET image reconstruction

The EM algorithm promises an estimated image with the maximal likelihood for 3D PET image reconstruction. However, due to its long computation time, the EM algorithm has not been widely used in practice. While several parallel implementations of the EM algorithm have been developed to make the EM algorithm feasible, they do not guarantee an optimal parallelization efficiency. In this paper, we propose a new parallel EM algorithm which maximizes the performance by optimizing data replication on a mesh-connected message-passing multiprocessor. To optimize data replication, we have formally derived the optimal allocation of shared data, group sizes, integration and broadcasting of replicated data as well as the scheduling of shared data accesses. The proposed parallel EM algorithm has been implemented on an iPSC/860 with 16 PEs. The experimental and theoretical results, which are consistent with each other, have shown that the proposed parallel EM algorithm could improve performance substantially over those using unoptimized data replication. >
EFFICIENT DECENTRALIZED COMMUNICATIONS IN SENSOR NETWORKS

This thesis is concerned with problems in decentralized communication in large networks. Namely, we address the problems of joint rate allocation and transmission of data sources measured at nodes, and of controlling the multiple access of sources to a shared medium. In our study, we consider in particular the important case of a sensor network measuring correlated data. In the first part of this thesis, we consider the problem of correlated data gathering by a network with a sink node and a tree communication structure, where the goal is to minimize the total transmission cost of transporting the information collected by the nodes, to the sink node. Two coding strategies are analyzed: a Slepian-Wolf model where optimal coding is complex and transmission optimization is simple, and a joint entropy coding model with explicit communication where coding is simple and transmission optimization is difficult. This problem requires a joint optimization of the rate allocation at the nodes and of the transmission structure. For the Slepian-Wolf setting, we derive a closed form solution and an efficient distributed approximation algorithm with a good performance. We generalize our results to the case of multiple sinks. For the explicit communication case, we prove that building an optimal data gathering tree is NP-complete and we propose various distributed approximation algorithms. We compare asymptotically, for dense networks, the total costs associated with Slepian-Wolf coding and explicit communication, by finding their corresponding scaling laws and analyzing the ratio of their respective costs. We argue that, for large networks and under certain conditions on the correlation structure, "intelligent", but more complex Slepian-Wolf coding provides unbounded gains over the widely used straightforward approach of opportunistic aggregation and compression by explicit communication. In the second part of this thesis, we consider a queuing problem in which the service rate of a queue is a function of a partially observed Markov chain, and in which the arrivals are controlled based on those partial observations so as to keep the system in a desirable mildly unstable regime. The optimal controller for this problem satisfies a separation property: we first compute a probability measure on the state space of the chain, namely the information state, then use this measure as the new state based on which to make control decisions. We give a formal description of the system considered and of its dynamics, we formalize and solve an optimal control problem, and we show numerical simulations to illustrate with concrete examples properties of the optimal control law. We show how the ergodic behavior of our queuing model is characterized by an invariant measure over all possible information states, and we construct that measure. Our results may be applied for designing efficient and stable algorithms for medium access control in multiple accessed systems, in particular for sensor networks.
AN ANALYTICAL AND NUMERICAL STUDY OF UNSTEADY CHANNEL FLOW WITH SLIP

Abstract A theoretical investigation of the unsteady flow of a Newtonian fluid through a channel is presented using an alternative boundary condition to the standard no-slip condition, namely the Navier boundary condition, independently proposed over a hundred years ago by both Navier and Maxwell. This boundary condition contains an extra parameter called the slip length, and the most general case of a constant but different slip length on each channel wall is studied. An analytical solution for the velocity distribution through the channel is obtained via a Fourier series, and is used as a benchmark for numerical simulations performed utilizing a finite element analysis modified with a penalty method to implement the slip boundary condition. Comparison between the analytical and numerical solution shows excellent agreement for all combinations of slip lengths considered.
Robust state estimation based on projection statistics [of power systems]

This paper describes a fast and robust method for identifying the leverage points of a linearized power system state estimation model. These are measurements whose projections on the space spanned by the row vectors of the weighted Jacobian matrix, the so-called factor space, do not follow the pattern of the bulk of the point cloud. In other words, their projections are outliers in the factor space. The proposed method is implemented through a new version of the projection algorithm that accounts for the sparsity of the Jacobian matrix. It assigns to each data point a projection statistic defined as the maximum of the standardized projections of the point cloud on some directions passing through the origin. Based on these projection statistics, a robustly weighted Schweppe-type GM-estimator is defined, which can be computed by a reweighted least squares algorithm. The computational efficiency and the robustness of the method are demonstrated on the IEEE-14 bus and the 118-bus systems.
Introducing Lean practices through simulation: A case study in an Italian SME

Abstract Lean is a management paradigm that focuses on respect for people and promises improvement in a company’s performance across sectors and sizes. SMEs, in particular, are a point of interest, considering that their malleability in bureaucracy allows for a more significant margin of continuous improvement application. Several organizational theories have gained advantages from technological innovation, and Lean is no exception. The relationships between Lean and new technologies have been studied throughout the years and gained particular interest in the years when Lean started to be integrated with Industry 4.0 (I4.0) to enhance firms’ performance. This article would like to take that discussion from a different point of view, that of I4.0's impact on proving the importance of implementing Lean in manufacturing companies. Through a mixed-method approach of case study and Simulation, this article will answer the identified research question: "How do Lean tools and their integration impact SMEs’ process performance? " by showing the importance of implementing Lean tools in a non-Lean company. The results show that Simulation can identify the Lean tools that benefit the company’s performance most. Managers could benefit from this study by highlighting which tool or combination to invest in according to the impact on operational performance.
Eigendecomposition methods for frequency estimation: a unified approach

A unified approach to three eigendecomposition-based methods for frequency estimation in the presence of noise is presented. These are the Tufts-Kumaresan (TK) method, the minimum-norm (MN) method, and the total-least-squares (TLS) method. It is shown that the MN method is a modified version of the TK method and the TLS method is a generalization of the MN methods. The TLS solution vector is expressed in matrix form, and an alternate way of computing it is presented. The MN methods exhibit some improvement over the TK method. <<ETX>>
Distinct antibody response in susceptible and non-susceptible hosts of the carcinogenic liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini infection

Abstract Abstract Opisthorchis viverrini is a carcinogenic parasite that can cause bile duct cancer called cholangiocarcinoma. A study of the immune response of this parasite in susceptible and non-susceptible hosts may provide a clue to develop vaccines and immunodiagnostic markers, which are currently not available. Here, we compared the antibody response in susceptible Golden Syrian hamsters and non-susceptible BALB/c mice infected by the liver fluke. In mice, the antibody was detected between 1 and 2 weeks post-infection, whereas it was positive between 2 and 4 weeks post-infection in hamsters. Immunolocalization revealed that the antibody from mice reacts strongly with the tegumental surface and gut epithelium of the worm, while hamster antibody showed a weak signal in the tegument and a comparable signal in the gut of the worm. Immunoblot of the tegumental proteins demonstrated that while hamster antibody showed a broad specificity, mice strongly reacted with a single protein band. Mass spectrometry revealed these immunogenic targets. Recombinant proteins of the reactive targets were produced in the bacterial expression system. The immunoblot of these recombinant proteins confirm the reactivity of their native form. In summary, there is a different antibody response against O. viverrini infection in susceptible and non-susceptible hosts. The non-susceptible host reacts quicker and stronger than the susceptible host.
Symmetries in the reflection and transmission of elastic waves

Summary. The symmetry relations between the reflection and transmission coefficients for plane elastic waves incident upon an arbitrary horizontally stratified medium are derived by a novel approach. Previous results, particularly for a single interface, are obtained as special cases of this treatment. In addition, for perfectly elastic media, projection operators for travelling and evanescent waves are introduced and used to derive a number of new relationships between the reflection and transmission coefficients.
Adaptive Inertia Weight Particle Swarm Optimization For Linear and Nonlinear Channel Equalization

The paper presents the application of the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) technique based on a fitness function of the particles in the field of channel equalization. PSO is a derivative free algorithm that can be used for optimization problems. However, it has the problem of getting trapped in local minima. To overcome this, many modifications have been suggested based on inertia weight, swarm initialization and so on. Modifications based on inertia weight that have al- ready been proposed are reviewed and then the technique based on the fitness of particles is discussed for the application of adaptive equalization. It is found that the technique suggested exhibits superior performance in both linear and nonlinear channels, compared to modifications and existing methods.
Depleting effects of ICME‐driven sheath regions on the outer electron radiation belt

We study the effect of interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME)‐driven sheath regions on relativistic outer radiation belt electron fluxes. We employ superposed epoch analysis, and, unlike previous studies, we segregate the sheath from the ejecta. We find that sheaths typically result in more than an order of magnitude decrease in the relativistic electron fluxes and that the fluxes stay below the pre‐event level for more than 2 days after the sheath passage. The electron depletions are stronger for sheaths that exhibit higher power in magnetic and dynamic pressure fluctuations in the ultralow frequency range and cause larger magnetospheric compressions. Depletions are even stronger for sheaths that encompass the entire storm main phase. Our findings suggest that sheaths are effective at depleting the electron fluxes because they increase radial diffusion under magnetospheric compression conditions, thereby enhancing magnetopause shadowing losses, particularly when the Dst effect can act in concert.
Improvement of the properties of hardboard with heat treatment application

The attempt to face the limitations of wood-based materials, especially concerning the relationship with water, is still a considerable gap in research on this subject. The present work proposes the accomplishment of thermal treatment in fiberboard-type hardboard, using different temperatures and times, to evaluate the effect on the physical-mechanical properties. The parameters of the heat treatment were temperatures of 120 and 160 °C and times of 20 and 40 min. The hardboards were individually heat treated in a kiln. The characterization was performed from physical tests such as bulk density, moisture content, water absorption (2 and 24 h), thickness swelling (2 and 24 h); and mechanical properties of flexural strength. The treatment with a temperature of 160 °C for 40 min showed the lowest values of water absorption in 24 h (34%). Thickness swelling was lower compared to control, for all the treatments applied. Regarding flexural strength, the treatment that adopted the 160 °C for 20 min showed the highest MOR value (26.3 MPa). In general, the performance of heat treatments positively influenced the physical and mechanical properties of the hardboards, being an interesting alternative in the development of products for applications in internal environments.
Energy System Contributions during Olympic Combat Sports: A Narrative Review

This narrative review focuses on the studies that estimate the energy systems’ contributions during match simulations of striking (boxing, karate, and taekwondo), grappling (judo), and weapon-based (fencing) Olympic combat sports. The purpose is to provide insights into the metabolism of these athletes. In striking Olympic combat sports, the oxidative contribution varied from 62% (in karate and taekwondo) to 86% (in boxing), the ATP-PCr system contribution varied from 10% (in boxing) to 31% (in taekwondo), and the glycolytic contribution was between 3% (in the third round of taekwondo) and 21% (in karate). In grappling combat sports, only judo was studied, and for a 4 min match, the oxidative contribution was 79%, followed by 14% ATP-PCr system contribution and 7% contribution from the glycolytic system. In fencing, the only weapon-based Olympic combat sport, the oxidative contribution varied from 81% (in the first bout) to 90% (in the second bout), followed by 9% (bout 2) to 12% (bout 1) contribution from the ATP-PCr system, and 0.6% to 7% contribution from the glycolytic system during 3 × 3 min bouts of épée match simulation. Hence, Olympic combat sports are primarily powered by the oxidative system, but the key scoring actions are likely fueled by anaerobic pathways.
Additive Pulse Mode-Locking and Fiber Lasers

Additive Pulse Mode-Locking (APM) is a particularly convenient means of generating pulses from fiber lasers, The figure eight self-stabilized laser by Duling is an example. Here the fiber ring(s) act as the pulse forming elements. It is desirable to construct simpler modelocking structures within one self-stabilized fiber resonator. Such structures are theoretically possible. They operate by nonlinear polarization rotation and use polarization transformers and polarizer(s), all compatible with, and realizable within, the gain fiber. They can be self-starting. Details of such designs will be given. One of these is being pursued experimentally at MIT. The aim is to adjust the parameters so as to produce a single soliton-like pulse bouncing back and forth in the resonator; the bandwidth limiting by the gain and loss profiles compensated by the APM action. It turns out that the APM action coupled with steady state gain saturation "quantizes" the solitons, giving them a characteristic energy. Therefore, in such fiber systems, one often encounters multiple solitons of equal energy bouncing back and forth as seen by the group at Strathclyde. We shall present the theoretical framework for the description of such systems.
Fibre interferometer for multi-wavelength interferometry with a femtosecond laser

In this paper we propose a novel fibre interferometer for the simultaneous measurement of optical phase at multiple wavelengths generated within the spectral envelope of a femtosecond laser. The use of narrow bandwidth fibre Bragg gratings allows particular wavelengths to be selected with sufficiently narrow bandwidth to give the necessary coherence length for interferometric phase measurements over practical distances exceeding 30 mm. Multi-wavelength interferometry provides a means of making absolute measurements by extending the unambiguous measurement range beyond the wavelength of light. Preliminary experimental results are presented for a two-wavelength sensor where an absolute range of 0.13 mm with 3 nm resolution has been achieved producing a dynamic range of 43 000:1. This approach has the potential to be applied to high speed transient events.
Mechanical and Thermo-Mechanical Performance of Natural Fiber-Based Single-Ply and 2-Ply Woven Prepregs

This paper presents a study conducted on prepregs manufactured by a novel method for the impregnation of a thermoplastic matrix. Different composite prepregs based on polypropylene and reinforced with natural fibers (e.g., basalt and jute fibers) were developed. The mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties were investigated. DMA tests were conducted at 1 Hz frequency and properties such as storage modulus and damping (tan δ) were evaluated. The overall mechanical properties of the basalt fiber composites were found to be superior to that of the jute fiber-based samples. Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TG/DTG) of the composite samples showed that the thermal degradation temperatures of the basalt-based composites shifted to higher temperature regions compared to the PP or jute fiber composites. The addition of basalt fiber considerably improved the thermal stability of the composite samples. Microscopic images of the tensile fractured composite samples illustrated better fiber–matrix interfacial interaction due to the novel technology of prepregs. Single-ply and 2-ply prepregs showed significantly superior mechanical, thermal, and thermo-dynamical performance compared to the control sample (pure PP). 2-Ply composites demonstrated higher modulus, tensile strength, and storage modulus due to the higher fiber volume fraction. Basalt-based samples showed a minimum weight loss of about 57% up to 700 °C in contrast to 96.05% weight loss in the jute-based samples and 98.4% in the case of pure PP. The heat resistance index (THRI) is more than twice for basalt compared to jute and PP. Furthermore, the superior thermal stability of basalt is reflected in its DSC curves, showing the highest endothermic peak. The technique of using the resin in the form of thermoplastic yarns offers cost effective and efficient alternatives for composite manufacturing.
Practical approaches to the accurate modelling of EELS edges using density functional theory

The density functional theory (DFT) code WJEN2k is one of the principle codes used for the simulation of electron energy loss spectra. As DFT codes scale poorly with increasing complexity of calculation, it is important to choose input parameters in such a way as to minimise computational time and produce spectra reliable enough to interpret experimental data. Using graphite as an example, we discuss the effects of these input parameters on the timing of the calculation and the spectrum produced.