Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Dynamic GIS–Multicriteria Technique for Siting the NASA–Clark Atlanta Urban Rain Gauge Network

Abstract Because Atlanta, Georgia, is a model of rapid transition from forest/agriculture land use to urbanization, NASA and other agencies have initiated programs to identify and understand how urban heat islands (UHIs) impact the environment in terms of land use, air quality, health, climate, and other factors. Atlanta's UHI may also impact the regional water cycle by inadvertent forcing of precipitating cloud systems. Yet, a focused assessment of the role of urban-induced rainfall in Atlanta has not been a primary focus of past efforts. Several observational and climatological studies have theorized that UHIs can have a significant influence on mesoscale circulations and resulting convection. Using spaceborne rain radar and a limited network of irregularly spaced, ground-based rain gauges, evidence that the Atlanta and Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, Texas, urban areas may modify cloud and precipitation development was recently found. To validate these recent satellite-based findings, it was determin.
Fundamental parameters of B type stars

Abstract Fundamental parameters of 26 well-studied sharp-lined single early B-type stars in OB associations and in the field within a distance of ≤400 pc from the Sun are compared to high-precision data from detached eclipsing binaries (DEBs). Fundamental parameters are derived from accurate and precise atmospheric parameters determined earlier by us from non-LTE analyses of high-quality spectra, utilising the new Geneva stellar evolution models in the mass-range ~6 to 18 M⊙ at metallicity Z = 0.014. Evolutionary masses, radii and luminosities are determined to better than typically 5%, 10%, and 20% uncertainty, respectively, facilitating the mass-radius and mass-luminosity relationships to be recovered for single core hydrogen-burning objects with a similar precision as derived from DEBs. Good agreement between evolutionary and spectroscopic masses is found. Absolute visual and bolometric magnitudes are derived to typically ~0.15-0.20 mag uncertainty. Metallicities are constrained to better than 15-20% uncertainty and tight constraints on evolutionary ages of the stars are provided. The spectroscopic distances and ages of individual sample stars agree with independently derived values for the host OB associations. The accuracy and precision achieved in the determination of fundamental stellar parameters from the quantitative spectroscopy of single early B-type stars comes close (within a factor 2-4) to data derived from DEBs.
Association of Vitamin D Status With Metabolic Syndrome and Its Individual Risk Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with metabolic syndrome and its related outcomes, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, and stroke. However, studies in Indian populations have provided conflicting results. Methods This single-center cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in north India to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with metabolic syndrome and to study the correlations of individual components of metabolic syndrome with 25 hydroxy vitamin D levels. The study included 235 patients aged between 30 to 70 years who met the criteria for metabolic syndrome. Patients with diabetes, hypothyroidism, Cushing's, and other disorders affecting vitamin D status, on supplements of vitamin D or anti-dyslipidaemic drugs were excluded. Information regarding socio-demographic characteristics, medical history, and anthropometric measurements were collected. Blood samples were collected to assess vitamin D levels. Results The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/ml) was 76% among the study population. There was a significant negative correlation between vitamin D levels and diastolic blood pressure (Spearman's rho: -0.134, 95% CI: -0.82,-0.260, p=0.040), fasting blood glucose (Spearman's rho: -0.142, 95% CI: -0.101,-0.269, p=0.029), A weak correlation was also found between vitamin D3 levels and total cholesterol (Spearman's rho: -0.246, 95% CI: -0.119,-0.367, p<0.001), triglyceride levels (Spearman's rho: -0.246, 95% CI: -0.118,-0.370, p<0.001) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (Spearman's rho: -0.229, 95% CI: -0.102,-0.351, p<0.001). Conclusion The study findings suggest that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among patients with metabolic syndrome in north India. There is a significant negative correlation between vitamin D levels and some components of metabolic syndrome. This highlights the need for further research to understand the underlying mechanisms and potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation in this population. Identification of high-risk individuals for hypovitaminosis D can aid in streamlining treatment guidelines and preventing unnecessary prescription of investigations in developing countries.
Ferroelectricity in (PbySn1−y)2P2S6 mixed crystals and random field BEG model

In Sn 2 P 2 S 6 ferroelectric under compression, the second‐order phase transition line is observed down to the tricritical point as the transition temperature decreases to 250 K. A tricriticality at a similar temperature is also revealed in the mixed crystals on S → Se substitution. For the mixed crystals with Sn → Pb substitution, ultrasound, hypersound, and low‐frequency dielectric studies also show heterophase features appearing on decrease of the ferroelectric transition temperature below a so‐called “waterline temperature” near 250 K. Such behavior agrees with the Blume–Emery–Griffiths (BEG) model appropriate for the ferroelectric system under investigation with a three‐well local potential for the order parameter fluctuations. The BEG model modified by the random‐field phase diagram in the vicinity of the tricritical point qualitatively explains the influence of the cationic substitution on the (Pb y Sn 1−y ) 2 P 2 S 6 ferroelectric properties.
MAcro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MÆMS) based concept for microwave beam steering in reflectarray antennas

We present a new approach to perform beam steering in reflecting type apertures such as reflectarray antennas. The proposed technique exploits macro-scale mechanical movements of parts of the structure to achieve two-dimensional microwave beam steering without using any solid-state devices or phase shifters integrated within the aperture of the antenna. The principles of operation of this microwave beam steering technique are demonstrated in an aperture occupied by ground-plane-backed, sub-wavelength capacitive patches with identical dimensions. We demonstrate that by tilting the ground plane underneath the entire patch array layer, a phase shift gradient can be created over the aperture of the reflectarray that determines the direction of the radiated beam. Changing the direction and slope of this phase shift gradient on the aperture allows for performing beam steering in two dimensions using only one control parameter (i.e., tilt vector of the ground plane). A proof-of-concept prototype of the structure.
Factors Associated with Periodontitis in Patients with and without HIV

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare clinical periodontal conditions in HIV-positive people on HAART with an HIV-negative group, in addition to investigating factors associated with periodontitis in the entire sample. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. Data were collected by oral clinical examination for the diagnosis of periodontitis, review of medical records, and application of a questionnaire containing personal data, deleterious habits, and oral hygiene habits for the other variables. The results were analyzed by Pearson's χ2 test and Student's t-test. A logistic regression model was constructed for the multivariate analysis and periodontitis was defined as a dependent variable. The analysis was performed on the entire sample (HIV+ and HIV−) and also on the group consisting of only people living with HIV. Results Individuals older than 43 years old and with HIV were more likely to develop moderate and severe periodontitis (47.80 and 4.84 times, respectively). When analyzing only HIV+, in addition to age (OR = 2.795; CI = 1.080−7.233), the use of nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) (OR = 2.841; CI = 1.135−7.112) was also associated with moderate and severe periodontitis. Conclusion It was possible to observe a higher prevalence of periodontitis among individuals with HIV, showing an association between the virus, advanced age, and moderate or severe periodontitis.
A Choice Model with a Diverging Choice Set for POI Data Analysis

A point of interest (POI) is a geographical location, that might carry interest for the public. A POI provides a convenient way to register people's locations through mobile devices, which leads to POI data. POI data contain accurate location information and are extremely valuable for location based services (LBS). Accordingly, principled statistical methods, which can be used for regression and/or prediction are required. To partially fulfill this theoretical gap, we propose a conditional logit approach for POI choice analysis. This new model is a natural extension of the classical choice model (McFadden, 1974, 1978) but with two key characteristics. First, POIs located far away from the current position are less likely to be selected as the next POI choice. As a result, the distance (or its appropriate transformation) between the current position and the next POI candidate is an important predictor and should be included in the model. Second, the classical choice model considers a finite choice set. By contrast, the new model studies a diverging choice set, mainly because the total number of POI locations in practice is typically large. The diverging choice set produces an expensive computation of the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE). To alleviate computational costs, we further propose a constrained maximum likelihood estimation (CMLE) method. Compared with MLE, CMLE utilizes only those POIs located within a reasonable distance. This prioritization leads to a significant reduction in computation at a reasonable efficiency loss. To demonstrate the finite sample performance of the method, numerical studies based on both simulated and real datasets are presented.
Deriving Reconstruction Asymmetries

There appears to be a systematic difference in the reconstructability of noun phrases and predicates. In this paper I show that reconstructing the A/A-bar distinction in terms of slash-feature percolation and movement allows for a simple derivational formulation of the principles of binding and scope which derives a generalization very much along the lines of the one presented by Huang (1993).
Relationships between Inflammatory Biomarkers and Fatigue among Patients with Moderate and Severe COVID-19

Background Patients with moderate or severe COVID-19 infection suffer from varying levels of fatigue; however, there is a lack of understanding regarding the effect of inflammation on fatigue; and whether these relationships differ according to the severity of the infection. Aim To assess the relationships between selected inflammatory biomarkers and fatigue levels among hospitalized Jordanian patients with moderate or severe COVID-19 infection. Methods A quantitative cross-sectional design was used. A total of 352 participants were recruited for the study. Data regarding fatigue type and level were collected using the Chalder fatigue scale. Laboratory test results regarding several selected inflammatory biomarkers (e.g., ESR, CRP, IL-6, D-dimer, and others) were collected from patient records. The severity of the COVID-19 infection was determined using the criteria of the Ministry of Health in Jordan based on the results of O2% (oxygen saturation). Results The mean scores of the total fatigue level significantly differed between the two levels of the severity of COVID-19 infection (moderate and severe levels) (t = −3.0, p < 0.05). Similar findings were observed with physiological fatigue (t = −3.50, p < 0.05), and no significant difference was observed in psychological fatigue. Out of the selected inflammatory markers, only neutrophil and lymphocyte count had a significant influence on total fatigue level. Conclusion The level and type of fatigue was affected by the severity of the disease. However, the disease process itself represented by the levels of the inflammatory markers showed little influence on fatigue. The implications such as continuous screening of fatigue, and monitoring of the levels of the inflammatory markers are important to assist in diagnosing and managing COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, the relationship between the inflammatory process and fatigue is complex and requires further exploration.
2D-DOA Estimation for Co-prime L-shaped Arrays with Propagator Method

In this paper we propose a DOA estimation method by combining propagator method (PM) algorithm for co-prime L-shaped arrays. The array contains two uniform L-shaped arrays with the minimum inter-element spacing larger than the half-wavelength, which will cause phase ambiguity. Utilizing the co-prime relationship between each decomposed array can eliminate phase ambiguity. With PM algorithm, we avoid peak searching and eigenvalue decomposition of received signal covariance matrix, which have a low computational complexity. Compared with the typical L-shaped arrays which have the same amount of array elements, the proposed method for co-prime L-shaped arrays have a better 2D-DOA estimation performance and a low computational cost. Extensive simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A Meta-Heuristic Satisficing Tradeoff Method for Solving Multiple Criteria Combinatorial Optimization Problems

In this paper a meta-heuristic satisficing tradeoff method for solving multiple criteria combinatorial optimization problems is proposed. Firstly, Pareto optimal solutions are generated by using a genetic algorithm with family elitist concept. Then, we try to find a preferred solution of the decision maker based on the satisficing tradeoff method. In this meta-heuristic satisficing tradeoff method we do not need to solve a complex min-max problem in each iteration, but we try to find a min-max solution in the Pareto optimal solutions, and starting from this solution we try to find a better solution locally by using simulated annealing method. As an example of multiple criteria optimization problem a numerical example of a flowshop scheduling problem is included to verify the effectiveness of the method proposed in this paper.
Flow structures behind a heaving and pitching finite-span wing

The three-dimensional structure of the flow behind a heaving and pitching finite-span wing is investigated using dye flow visualization at a Reynolds number of 164. Phase-locked image sequences, which are obtained from two orthogonal views, are combined to create a set of composite images that give an overall sense of the three-dimensional structure of the flow. A model of the vortex system behind the wing is constructed from the image sequences. Variations of the Strouhal number, pitch amplitude and heave/pitch phase angle are qualitatively shown to affect the structure of the wake.
Design and Fabrication of PVA-SnO2 Based Humidity Sensors

In this research, humidity sensors based on Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)-Tin Oxide (SnO2) have been designed and fabricated using screen printing. The sensor devices were fabricated on Alumina Substrate (Al2O3) with Silver (Ag) as the electrode material. The number of fingers on the electrodes was varied to obtain different sensor resistance values. SnO2 was added to the PVA sensing layer with variations in the composition. The size of granules formed from mixing PVA-SnO2 material will also be observed.
The Usefulness of Mayo End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) and MELD-Sodium (MELD-Na) Scores for Predicting Mortality in Cirrhotic Patients With Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis

Background: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a common infection in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. Currently, the accuracy of the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) and MELD-sodium (MELD-Na) as prognostic scores in this cohort is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the accuracy of MELD and MELD-Na for predicting 90-day mortality and determine whether the mortality risk estimates they provide accurately reflect the poor prognosis of patients with SBP Methods: Patients with cirrhosis and SBP were retrospectively identified from ascitic fluid samples sent for microscopy, culture and sensitivity analysis (1/1/18-31/12/20) and a previous audit. MELD and MELD-Na scores at diagnosis were calculated and associations with 90-day mortality were assessed using univariate analysis. Receiver operator characteristic curves were compared, and standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated by comparing the number of deaths observed to the number predicted by MELD and MELD-Na. Results: Of the 567 patients identified, 15 patients with cirrhosis and SBP were included. The 90-day mortality rate was 66.7% (10/15). Only concurrent hyponatremia (<135mmol/L) was associated with mortality (6/10 non-survivors vs 0/5 survivors, p=0.04). The difference in MELD and MELD-Na’s C-statistic was not significant: 0.66 (95% Cl:0.35-0.98) vs 0.74 (95% Cl:0.47-1.0) respectively (p=0.72). Patients with a MELD-Na >18.5 had significantly higher 90-day mortality than patients with MELD-Na ≤18.5 (88.9% (8/9) vs. 33.3% (2/6), p=0.05). The SMR (95% Cl) for each MELD decile evaluated was 33.3 (0-79.5), 11.1 (0.2-22.0) and 3.4 (0-7.0) for scores ≤9,10-19 and 20-29 respectively. For each MELD-Na tertile, these were: 25 (0-59.6), 5.2 (0.1-10.3) and 2.7 (0.1-8.1) for scores <17,17-26, ≥27 respectively. Conclusion: In a small cohort of patients with cirrhosis and SBP, the MELD’s accuracy in predicting 90-day mortality was limited. MELD-Na’s accuracy was higher but not significantly. Both scores consistently underestimated participants’ mortality, therefore future studies could evaluate the accuracy of alternative prognostic scores in this patient group.
Plate-like convection induced by symmetries in uids with temperature-dependent viscosity

The study of instabilities in uids in which viscosity experiences a transition at a certain temperature range is of great interest for the understanding of planetary interiors, since this phenomena models the melting and solidication of a magma ocean and thus is suitable for representing a lithosphere over a convecting mantle. To this end, we study a 2D convection problem in which viscosity depends on temperature by abruptly changing its value by a factor 400 within a narrow temperature gap at which magma melts. We perform a study which combines bifurcation analysis and time dependent simulations. Solutions such as limit cycles are found that are fundamentally related to the presence of symmetry. Sporadically during these cycles, through abrupt bursts, spontaneous plate-like behaviors that rapidly evolve towards a stagnant lid regime emerge. The plate-like evolution alternates motions towards either right or left, introducing temporary asymmetries on the convecting styles. Further time dependent regimes with stagnant and plate-like lids are found and described.
On The Effect of Electron-Hole Recombination in Disordered GaAs-Aa1-xALAs Multi-quantum Well Structure

The disordered electron-hole recombination in multi-quantum well was investigated using analytical method based on the rate equations. The results show extreme broad distribution of the recombination time which depends exponentially on the distances between the recombining excitons. The energies at each localised state shows an energy splitting between the electronic ground state and the first excited state of 0.0038eV.
Criterion for propositional calculi to be finitely generated

Abstract The paper is concerned with propositional calculi having arbitrary modus inference operations that are analogous to the modus ponens operation. For these calculi the question on the existence and cardinality of sets of generators is examined. A criterion for propositional calculi with arbitrary modus inference operations to be finitely generated is put forward. For some calculi, the existence of a finite complete system of tautologies is shown to imply the existence of a basis of arbitrarily large finite cardinality. We show the existence of propositional calculi with countable basis, without any basis, and calculi having a complete subsystem without any basis.
Wave Forces on Offshore Structures: Nonlinear Wave Diffraction by Large Cylinders

Abstract A nonlinear theory of wave diffraction is presented and used to evaluate the forces exerted On a cylinder of large diameter. A perturbation technique has been used to solve the problem with the inclusion of second-order terms. Analytical solutions are expressed in the form of an integral, and a numerical technique is applied to solve the resulting integral equation with satisfaction of all necessary hydrodynamic boundary conditions including surface and radiation boundary conditions. Predictions of the present analysis are compared with the experimental data. The comparison shows excellent agreement.
The Dynamics of Finite-Difference Models of the Shallow-Water Equations

Abstract Two simple numerical models of the shallow-water equations identical in all respects but for their con-servation properties have been tested regarding their internal mixing processes. The experiments show that violation of enstrophy conservation results in a spurious accumulation of rotational energy in the smaller scales, reflected by an unrealistic increase of enstrophy, which ultimately produces a finite rate of energy dissipation in the zero viscosity limit, thus violating the well-known dynamics of two-dimensional flow. Further, the experiments show a tendency to equipartition of the kinetic energy of the divergent part of the flow in the inviscid limit, suggesting the possibility of a divergent energy cascade in the physical system, as well as a possible influence of the energy mixing on the process of adjustment toward balanced flow.
Neural network‐based finite horizon optimal adaptive consensus control of mobile robot formations

In this paper, a novel NN‐based optimal adaptive consensus‐based formation control scheme over finite horizon is presented for networked mobile robots or agents in the presence of uncertain robot/agent dynamics. The uncertain robot formation dynamics are approximated online by using an NN‐based identifier and a suitable weight tuning law. In addition, a novel time‐varying value function is derived by using the augmented error vector, which consists of the regulation and consensus‐based formation errors of each robot. By using the value function approximation and the identified dynamics, the near optimal control input over finite horizon is derived. This finite horizon optimal control leads to a time‐varying value function, which becomes the solution of the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation, and control input is approximated by a second NN with time‐varying activation function. A novel weight update law for the NN value function is developed to tune the value function, satisfy the terminal constraint, and relax an initial admissible controller requirement. The Lyapunov stability method is utilized to demonstrate the consensus of the overall formation. Finally, simulation results are given to verify theoretical claims. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.