Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Through Hope and Struggle: The Impact of “Gaisce – The President's Award” on Young Adults in Irish Prisons

This article is an exploratory study of young adult incarcerees’ perspectives on the impact of “Gaisce,” a self-development program for youth in Irish custody. Drawing on 10 semistructured interviews with male participants and a review of previous studies of this cohort, the article highlights their perceptions of Gaisce's strengths and weaknesses, paving the way for further reflection on self-development programs in custodial settings. Taking place during COVID-19, the investigation provides unique insight into the experiences of young adults participating in such a program during a pandemic.
Peri-Operative Risk Factors Associated with Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction (POCD): An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses of Observational Studies

This umbrella review aimed to systematically identify the peri-operative risk factors associated with post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) using meta-analyses of observational studies. To date, no review has synthesised nor assessed the strength of the available evidence examining risk factors for POCD. Database searches from journal inception to December 2022 consisted of systematic reviews with meta-analyses that included observational studies examining pre-, intra- and post-operative risk factors for POCD. A total of 330 papers were initially screened. Eleven meta-analyses were included in this umbrella review, which consisted of 73 risk factors in a total population of 67,622 participants. Most pertained to pre-operative risk factors (74%) that were predominantly examined using prospective designs and in cardiac-related surgeries (71%). Overall, 31 of the 73 factors (42%) were associated with a higher risk of POCD. However, there was no convincing (class I) or highly suggestive (class II) evidence for associations between risk factors and POCD, and suggestive evidence (class III) was limited to two risk factors (pre-operative age and pre-operative diabetes). Given that the overall strength of the evidence is limited, further large-scale studies that examine risk factors across various surgery types are recommended.
Orthogonal wavelet transforms and filter banks

Summary form only given. A new class of orthogonal basis functions that can be relevant to signal processing has recently been introduced. These bases are constructed from a single smooth bandpass function psi (t), the wavelet, by considering its translates and dilates on a dyadic grid 2/sup n/, 2/sup n/m of points, psi /sub n,m/(t)=2/sup -n/2/ psi (2/sup -n/t-m). It is required that psi (t) be well localized in both the time and frequency domain, without violating the uncertainty principle. Any one-dimensional signal can be represented by the bidimensional set of its expansion coefficients. Multidimensional signals can also be expanded in terms of wavelet bases. An algorithm for computing the expansion coefficients of a signal in terms of wavelet bases has been found, the structure of which is that of a pruned-tree quadrature mirror multirate filter bank. The construction of wavelet bases and their relation to filter banks, together with several design techniques for wavelet generating quadrature mirror filters and examples, are reviewed. <<ETX>>
BASIC WOOD DENSITY, FIBER DIMENSIONS, AND WOOD CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FOUR Eucalyptus SPECIES PLANTED IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

ABSTRACT In the Brazilian planted forest sector, most of the species used are from the genus Eucalyptus. Even though Southern Brazil has a suitable climate for species of the genus Pinus, the planting of frost-resistant Eucalyptus species has been increasing annually. The objective of this study was to evaluate the basic density, fiber dimensions, and chemical composition of Eucalyptus benthamii, Eucalyptus dunnii, Eucalyptus saligna, and Eucalyptus cloeziana woods. The trees used were from a six-year-old experimental plantation located in Canoinhas, state of Santa Catarina. For each species, three trees were selected, and discs were removed from each tree at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the commercial stem height. To evaluate the quality of the wood, the basic wood density, fiber dimensions, and chemical composition of the wood were determined by comparing the values between species and between the heights in the stem. The highest basic density was that of the wood of E. cloeziana; this species also had the greatest length and width of fibers. E. dunnii had the lowest levels of lignin and the highest levels of holocellulose. The highest lignin content was found in the wood of E. benthamii, E. saligna, and E. cloeziana. The relationship between wood properties and stem height was not relevant. The results highlight the tendency for higher extractives to be found at taller heights (100%), and holocellulose and lignin content are similar at all heights.
Characteristics of HEM silicon produced in a reusable crucible

A reusable crucible has been developed for directional solidification of multicrystalline silicon ingots by HEM. Up to five 40 kg, 33 cm square cross section ingots have been produced without visible degradation of the crucible. Characterization of the silicon shows large grain size, vertical orientation of grain boundaries, uniform resistivity, low defect density, diffusion lengths up to 272 /spl mu/m and less than 1 ppma oxygen concentration. Solar cells of 2 cm/spl times/2 cm size fabricated on 10 cm square wafers have shown good uniformity and efficiencies up to 15.1% and V/sub OC/ to 616 mV. <<ETX>>
Three‐dimensional numerical simulation of red blood cell motion in Poiseuille flows

An immersed boundary method based on an FEM has been successfully combined with an elastic spring network model for simulating the dynamical behavior of a red blood cell (RBC) in Poiseuille flows. This elastic spring network preserves the biconcave shape of the RBC in the sense that after the removal of the body force for driving the Poiseuille flow, the RBC with its typical parachute shape in a tube does restore its biconcave resting shape. As a benchmark test, the relationship between the deformation index and the capillary number of the RBCs flowing through a narrow cylindrical tube has been validated. For the migration properties of a single cell in a slit Poiseuille flow, a slipper shape accompanied by a cell membrane tank‐treading motion is obtained for Re ⩾0.03 , and the cell mass center is away from the center line of the channel due to its asymmetric slipper shape. For the lower Re ⩽0.0137, an RBC with almost undeformed biconcave shape has a tumbling motion. A transition from tumbling to tank‐treading happens at the Reynolds number between 0.0137 and 0.03. In slit Poiseuille flow, the RBC can also exhibit a rolling motion like a wheel during the migration when the cell is released in the fluid flow with φ = π/2 and θ = π/2 (see Figure 12 for the definition of φ and θ). The lower the Reynolds number, the longer the rolling motion lasts; but the equilibrium shape and position are independent from the cell initial position in the channel. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Met. Office global three‐dimensional variational data assimilation scheme

The Met. Office has developed a variational assimilation for its Unified Model forecast system, which contains a grid‐point mode) that is run operationally in global, mesoscale, and stratospheric configuration. Key characteristics of the design are: • a development path from three‐dimensional to four‐dimensional variational assimilation; • global and limited‐area configurations; • variational analysis of perturbations; • and a carefully designed, well conditioned background term.
Saliency and superpixel improved detection and segmentation of concealed objects for passive terahertz images

Abstract. Application of passive terahertz imaging in concealed weapon detection has been looked at, such that the final result is the segmentation of the foreground concealed weapons from the rest of the background. For the same, a fully automatic and completely generic technique, without any learning, has been proposed. It was observed that a simple thresholding step, exploiting varied intensity bands of the tetrahertz images is not enough. Thus, an innovative method to isolate humans and thus improve the region of interest (ROI) has been proposed. Thereafter, saliency has been used to further improve ROI, as these images are quite noisy and the central focusing aspect of saliency could handle the noise around the concealed weapons. It was observed that this step could handle the noise around the concealed weapons but degraded the boundaries of the concealed weapons. To further improve boundary adherence, superpixels are used. Finally, results are evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively and outperformed the traditional approach.
Temporal Evolution and Prognostic Role of Indeterminate Response Sub-Groups in Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Cancer after Initial Therapy with Radioiodine

Simple Summary The main aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the dynamic evolution and prognostic role of patients affected by DTC and IR after initial therapy. From January 2010 to December 2017, 2176 patients who received radioiodine (RAI) for DTC after total or near total thyroidectomy were included. Among them, 288 had IR one year after therapy (187 TgAb+, 76 Tg+, 25 imaging+). IRTg+ patients had a higher probability of evolving into an incomplete response. Only stimulated Tg after one year and nodal disease at diagnosis may predict the final status of the disease. Progression-free survival was significantly shorter in IRTg+ than IRTgAb+ and IRimaging+ groups and in patients with sTg > 3.3 ng/mL. Abstract The clinical outcome of patients affected by Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma (DTC) and an indeterminate response (IR) after initial therapy is not yet clear. IR includes three different sub-groups of patients: (1) IRTg+ group: Detectable thyroglobulin (Tg), regardless of antithyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) presence or imaging studies; (2) IRTgAb+ group: Positive TgAb, regardless of Tg levels and nonspecific imaging findings; (3) IRImaging+ group: Nonspecific findings on neck ultrasonography or faint uptake in the thyroid bed on the whole-body scan, negative TgAb, and undetectable Tg. The main aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the dynamic evolution and prognostic role of these patients. From January 2010 to December 2017, 2176 patients who received radioiodine for DTC after total thyroidectomy were included. Two-hundred-eighty-eight patients had IR one year after therapy (187 TgAb+, 76 Tg+, 25 imaging+). After two years, 110 patients (38%) were reclassified as an excellent response and 5 (2%) as an incomplete response; after five years, 221 (77%) achieved an excellent response and 11 (4%) showed an incomplete response. One-year stimulated Tg and nodal disease at diagnosis may predict the final status of the disease. Progression-free survival was significantly shorter in IRTg+ than in IRTgAb+ and IRimaging+ groups. Considering Tg+ patients, a threshold of 3.3 ng/mL is best to predict prognosis.
Evolution of UAV Landing Structures in the Bistable Space of Kresling Origami Structures

Landing gear plays an important role in enabling unmanned aerial vehicles to engage in complex missions and protect expensive airborne sensors. Most existing landing gears are designed to satisfy only specific maneuvers in predefined scenarios. Although effective in predefined scenarios, these landing gears cannot guarantee the adaptiveness in multiple scenarios. A promising solution is to build a model automatically generated based on the actual requirements, so that the expected model structure can be obtained through a constraint generation process. However, translating the actual requirements into reasonable design constraints is complex. For this purpose, we propose a landing structure design process in the bistable space of the Kresling tube. Furthermore, we use a combination of graph search and controller to optimize the landing structure. We validate the bistatic and graph search combined design structure in a realistic environment and test the mechanisms flexibility and assisted landing capability. Experiments show that the structure combining spatial bistability with a graph search approach can safely and successfully land a quadrotor under various conditions while enhancing the UAV's shock absorption during landing.
Bifurcations of limit cycles in periodically forced nonlinear systems: the harmonic balance approach

The harmonic balance approach is used to analyze tangent (saddle-node) and flip (period-doubling) bifurcations of limit cycles in periodically forced nonlinear dynamical systems. An algebraic system of equations, whose unknowns are the coefficients of a truncated Fourier series, is defined and the relationships between the bifurcations of the solutions of this algebraic system and the tangent and flip bifurcations of the limit cycles are pointed out. Some examples are presented to illustrate the method and its accuracy. >
The Effect of Two-Stage Sampling on Ordinary Least Squares Methods

Abstract We look at the effect of intracluster correlation on standard procedures in linear regression. The ordinary least squares estimator, , of the coefficient vector performs well in most cases but the usual estimator of cov() and procedures based on this such as confidence intervals and hypothesis tests can be seriously misleading. The size of the effect, however, tends to be smaller than the corresponding effect on the variance of an estimated mean in two-stage sampling provided that the cluster sample sizes are approximately equal.
About simulation of fields in large particles model

The original method of fields' interpolation between points of a discretization grid in the model of an electron beam is described. In contrast to known methods (nearest grid point, clouds in cell, etc.), interpolation by polynoms with smoothing is used here, which is carried out between points of a four-dimension space-time cell. Polynoms of the first order and the method of least squares are used. This permits one to reduce space and time fluctuations of fields in the transient (time-dependent) model.
Procedures for residual equilibration and local error estimation in the finite element method

Procedures to enforce equilibration of residuals and determine complementary a posteriori error estimates for linear elasticity have been published elsewhere.1−4 Methods for determining the error in stress and displacement have also been proposed.3 Here we discuss an extension to the procedure for equilibrating the residuals and apply it to a simple example. Results for the error in stress and displacement are presented.
The Convergence of Binomial Trees for Pricing the American Put

We study 20 different implementation methodologies for each of 11 different choices of parameters of binomial trees and investigate the speed of convergence for pricing American put options numerically. We conclude that the most effective methods involve using truncation, Richardson extrapolation and sometimes smoothing. We do not recommend use of a European option as a control. The most effective trees are the Tian third order moment matching tree and a new tree designed to minimize oscillations.
Relationship between integral transform invariances and Lie group theory

We explore the relationships between two classical means of mathematically representing visual patterns that are invariant under geometric transformations. One, based on integral transforms, in particular, Fourier transforms, produces transform magnitudes invariant to pairwise combinations of translations, rotations, and size changes. The second, based on the degree to which the pattern remains invariant to differential operators (which are the infinitesimal generators of the geometric transformations), results in algebraic relations between pattern structures and group theoretical properties of the transforms. Formal relationships are established between these representations, relating the kernel properties of the integral transforms to the associated Lie transformation groups.
System for measuring the size of high-current density solid electron beams

A measurement system is described for determining the size of a high-current density solid electron beam from a Pierce-type electron gun. The apparatus incorporates ten graphite apertures and two graphite tubes mounted at 30/spl deg/ intervals on an off-axis drum that is rotated by a stepper motor. The graphite apertures are used to make localized beam-edge current-interception measurements at ten discrete locations at 1-cm intervals along the length of the beam. The graphite tubes can be used either to produce an integrated edge-current profile over an 11.4-cm length of the beam, or to measure the net current outside of two specific diameters centered on the beam axis. The active aperture or tube and its position with respect to the beam axis are determined by the orientation of the drum, which is read out using an absolute shaft encoder. This permits the position of each aperture or tube to be determined to an accuracy of 60 /spl mu/m.
“Water bath” effect during the electrical underwater wire explosion

The results of a simulation of underwater electrical wire explosion at a current density >109A∕cm2, total discharge current of ∼3MA, and rise time of the current of ∼100ns are presented. The electrical wire explosion was simulated using a one-dimensional radiation-magnetohydrodynamic model. It is shown that the radiation of the exploded wire produces a thin conducting plasma shell in the water in the vicinity of the exploding wire surface. It was found that this plasma shell catches up to 30% of the discharge current. Nevertheless, it was shown that the pressure and temperature of the wire material remain unchanged as compared with the idealized case of the electrical wire explosion in vacuum. This result is explained by a “water bath” effect.
Prioritizing Neighbourhood Amenities to Enhance Neighbourhood Satisfaction: A Case Study in Wuhan, China

In China, the improvement in amenities has been often criticized for not addressing the priorities of residents’ demand due to over-standardised, top–down practices and the misallocation of resources. Previous studies have investigated how people’s wellbeing or quality of life is associated with neighbourhood attributes. However, very few have researched how identifying and prioritizing the improvement in neighbourhood amenities could significantly enhance neighbourhood satisfaction. Therefore, this paper investigated the residents’ perception on the neighbourhood amenities in Wuhan, China, and explored the application of the Kano–IPA model for prioritizing the improvement in amenities in both commodity-housing and traditional danwei neighbourhoods. Firstly, total 5100 valid questionnaires were distributed through street face-to-face surveying to solicit the residents’ perceptions of the usage and satisfaction of amenities in different neighbourhoods. Then, various statistical techniques, including descriptive, logistical regression modelling were adopted to analyse the general characteristics and significant associations of amenities’ usage and demand. Lastly, an age-friendly strategy for the improvement in amenities in old neighbourhoods was proposed by referring to the widely applied Kano–IPA marketing model. The results showed that there is no significant difference in the usage frequency of amenities among different neighbourhoods. However, significant differences of associations between residents’ perception on amenities and neighbourhood satisfaction were identified among different groups of residents. To demonstrate prioritizing neighbourhood amenities in double-aging neighbourhoods, basic, excitement, and performance factors fitting age-friendly scenarios were determined and categorized. This research can provide a reference for allocating financial budgets and determining schedules to improve neighbourhood amenities. It also showcased the variances of residents’ demands and the provision of public goods among different neighbourhoods in urban China. Similar studies can be expected in addressing different scenarios that challenges emerged, such as suburban or resettled neighbourhoods where low-income residents generally live.
Multiresolution parameterization for geophysical inverse problems

A model parameterization based on a multiresolution wavelet representation is proposed for geophysical inverse problems in this study. The matrix equation for the wavelet representation of the model is constructed by dual wavelet transforms of a readily built matrix based on the pixel parameterization. We demonstrate the merits of the proposed parameterization using the simple examples of geophysical data gridding and 3D seismic tomography, and comparing the results with those obtained by the conventional pixel parameterization. It is shown that for the conventional damped least-squares solutions of pixel-parameterized models, regularization by norm damping deteriorates the underlying model correlation due to sparse and heterogeneous sampling, whereas roughness damping schemes impose a priori arbitrary correlation length irrespective of the heterogeneous sampling. The scale hierarchy embedded in the proposed multiresolution parameterization facilitates the compromise between the dual spatial and scale resolution. Depending on the local richness of the data constraints across different scales at a site, model variation of various scale spectra can be robustly resolved through the scale hierarchy. There is thus no need to invoke additional smoothness regularization.
High Performance Multivariable Spectral Estimator with Bounded McMillan Degree

Spectral estimation is a prominent issue with applications in a widespread variety of fields, from signal processing to biology. To the present, multivariable spectral estimation with complexity constraints on the acceptable solutions is a challenging issue. In this work, this subject is recast in the form of a constrained optimization problem. This can be efficiently tackled by means of duality theory, because the corresponding dual problem turns out to be particularly suitable for a solving strategy based on Newton-type algorithmic approach. Existence and uniqueness of the solution of the dual problem are proven, and the global convergence of the proposed algorithm is proved. Numerical simulations suggest the efficiency of the proposed technique