Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of three probing techniques in a three-dimensional air quality model

[1] Probing techniques are useful to provide diagnostic evaluations of air quality models and to indicate the responses of model predictions to changes in emissions. Three probing tools are available in a three-dimensional air quality model, CAMx: the Decoupled Direct Method (DDM), the Ozone Source Attribution Technology (OSAT), and Process Analysis (PA). These tools are evaluated in terms of consistency, complementarity, accuracy and robustness, and computational requirements using the 7–15 July 1995 O3 episode over the eastern United States. The NOx- versus VOC-sensitivity of O3 chemistry and relative role of chemistry and transport predicted by the three tools are qualitatively consistent, except that OSAT predicts an NOx-limited O3 chemistry at a few locations where both DDM and PA predict a VOC-sensitive O3 chemistry. DDM and OSAT agree well on the top 10 contributors to O3 formation, but they predict different rankings, with greater importance given to biogenic VOC emissions by DDM and greater importance given to surface anthropogenic NOx emissions by OSAT. The major difference in the DDM and OSAT predictions on the relative impact of sources is that DDM predicts both positive and negative sensitivities whereas OSAT always predicts positive contributions. Compared to the single-perturbation method (brute force method), DDM predicts accurate model responses under the 25% VOC or NOx emission reduction scenarios but inaccurate results under the 75% NOx emission reduction scenario. OSAT predicts accurate model responses under the 25% VOC emission reduction scenario, but inaccurate responses under the 25% and 75% NOx emission reduction scenarios. While these tools provide valuable and complementary information regarding O3 formation, each of them has limitations in terms of its design and application for the design of emission control strategies. DDM is suitable for such an application for small-to-moderate emission reductions of <40%. OSAT leads to incorrect results for VOC-limited areas because it does not account for the titration/inhibition effect of NOx and/or VOC. PA provides an in-depth understanding of the processes involved in controlling O3 formation locally. It can be used to understand some of the differences between the results of OSAT and DDM.
Changes in Health-Related Quality of Life and Knee Function After Knee Injury in Young Female Athletes

Background: Recent literature has called for greater attention to evidence-based practice in sports medicine with the documentation of overall status and impairments following injury. The prospective documentation of impairments associated with knee injuries in female athletes regarding their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and knee function (KF) of high school and collegiate athletes is limited. Assessing the effect knee injuries have on young female athletes may allow clinicians to better understand the perspectives of the athletes who sustain these injuries. Purpose: To document the changes over 12 months in self-reported HRQoL and KF in young females who have sustained a knee injury. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A convenience sample of 242 females (mean age, 17.4 ± 2.4 years) who injured their knee participating in sport or recreational activities was utilized. Injuries were categorized as anterior cruciate ligament tears (ACL), anterior knee pain (AKP), patellar instability (PAT), meniscus tear (MNT), iliotibial band syndrome (ITB), collateral ligament sprain (COL), and other (OTH). HRQoL was assessed with the Short Form–12 v 2.0 survey (SF-12) physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS). KF was assessed with the 2000 International Knee Documentation Committee survey (IKDC). Dependent variables included the paired differences in the 2000 IKDC as well as SF-12 composite scores from preinjury through 12 months postdiagnosis. Paired differences were assessed with repeated-measures analyses of variance (P ≤ .05). Results: IKDC scores were lower through 12 months for ACL, AKP, and PAT; through 6 months for MNT; and through 3 months for COL and OTH. HRQoL PCS and MCS scores were lower through 3 to 12 months depending on the type of injury classification. Conclusion: Knee injuries can negatively affect KF and HRQoL for up to 12 months in young females. Sports medicine providers need to be aware of these impacts as they work to effectively treat individuals with these injuries.
Soluble Sugars and Sucrose-Metabolizing Enzymes Related to Cold Acclimation of Sweet Cherry Cultivars Grafted on Different Rootstocks

The bark tissues were collected from 4-year-old sweet cherry trees cvs. 0900 Ziraat and Lambert grafted on Gisela 5 and Mazzard rootstocks in cold-acclimated (CA) and nonacclimated (NA) stages. Bark tissues subjected to 4°C and −5°C injured to a limited extent in both stages. However, more than 50% injury occurred by temperatures equal to or colder than −15°C only in NA period. Total soluble sugar (TSS), reducing sugars, and sucrose contents were higher in CA than those in NA stages in all samples. The activities of acid invertase (EC 3.2.1.26) and sucrose synthase (SS) (EC 2.4.2.13) enzymes were higher in NA stage than those in CA stage. Considering the rootstocks, reducing sugars were higher in both cultivars grafted on Gisela 5 whereas sucrose contents were higher in both cultivars grafted on Mazzard. However, the enzyme activities of both cultivars were higher on Mazzard rootstock than on Gisela 5. In conclusion, cold hardiness of sweet cherry graft combinations was suggested by increasing their TSS, reducing sugars, and sucrose contents significantly in the CA stage. Moreover, acid invertase and SS are down regulated during cold acclimation. Indeed the results suggested that Mazzard is more cold-hardy rootstock than Gisela 5.
Acceleration of slowly convergent series via the generalized weighted-averages method

A generalized version of the weighted-averages method is presented for the acceleration of convergence of sequences and series over a wide range of test problems, including linearly and logarithmically convergent series as well as monotone and alternating series. This method was originally developed in a partition- extrapolation procedure for accelerating the convergence of semi- inflnite range integrals with Bessel function kernels (Sommerfeld-type integrals), which arise in computational electromagnetics problems involving scattering/radiation in planar stratifled media. In this paper, the generalized weighted-averages method is obtained by incorporating the optimal remainder estimates already available in the literature. Numerical results certify its comparable and in many cases superior performance against not only the traditional weighted-averages method but also against the most proven extrapolation methods often used to speed up the computation of slowly convergent series.
Research of reactive compensation capacity for distribution network based on synthesis load model

In order to effectively maintain voltage level and improve voltage stability of power system, it is significantly critical to take both distribution network and loads into consideration to determine reasonable reactive compensation capacity for distribution network. But relatively little research has addressed this power system aspect of the reactive compensation capacity. The objective of this research is to investigate reactive compensation capacity for distribution network within power system framework that considers both distribution network and loads. All such important factors as short circuit capacity (SCC) and impedance of distribution network, load components and load power factor are taken into consideration in this research. The widely applied synthesis load model with distribution network in State Grid of China is introduced in this research to achieve the objective. By simulating and analyzing the effects taken by all the factors on reactive compensation capacity, this research finally proposes several guiding principles for choosing reasonable reactive compensation capacity suitable for power system. The chosen compensation capacity considered with the proposed principles is significantly effective to maintain voltage level and improve voltage stability of power system.
Thyroid Functions and Bipolar Affective Disorder

Accumulating evidence suggests that hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis dysfunction is relevant to the pathophysiology and clinical course of bipolar affective disorder. Hypothyroidism, either overt or more commonly subclinical, appears to the commonest abnormality found in bipolar disorder. The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction is also likely to be greater among patients with rapid cycling and other refractory forms of the disorder. Lithium-treatment has potent antithyroid effects and can induce hypothyroidism or exacerbate a preexisting hypothyroid state. Even minor perturbations of the HPT axis may affect the outcome of bipolar disorder, necessitating careful monitoring of thyroid functions of patients on treatment. Supplementation with high dose thyroxine can be considered in some patients with treatment-refractory bipolar disorder. Neurotransmitter, neuroimaging, and genetic studies have begun to provide clues, which could lead to an improved understanding of the thyroid-bipolar disorder connection, and more optimal ways of managing this potentially disabling condition.
Ochratoxin A Producing Fungi, Biosynthetic Pathway and Regulatory Mechanisms

Ochratoxin A (OTA), mainly produced by Aspergillus and Penicillum species, is one of the most important mycotoxin contaminants in agricultural products. It is detrimental to human health because of its nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, and immunosuppression. OTA structurally consists of adihydrocoumarin moiety linked with l-phenylalanine via an amide bond. OTA biosynthesis has been putatively hypothesized, although several contradictions exist on some processes of the biosynthetic pathway. We discuss recent information on molecular studies of OTA biosynthesis despite insufficient genetic background in detail. Accordingly, genetic regulation has also been explored with regard to the interaction between the regulators and the environmental factors. In this review, we focus on three aspects of OTA: OTA-producing strains, OTA biosynthetic pathway and the regulation mechanisms of OTA production. This can pave the way to assist in protecting food and feed from OTA contamination by understanding OTA biosynthetic pathway and regulatory mechanisms.
Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF) evaluation results orientation : an early look

A September 2001 paper prepared by the Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF) evaluation Secretariat identified the following three elements of a results orientation: 1) design of programs in support of the national development framework with clear and evaluable objectives that contribute to framework goals; 2) monitoring and regular reporting and sharing of progress, with a focus on accountability for results, including outcomes and goals, rather than only on inputs; and 3) creation and enabling of capacities to generate, monitor and utilize results to improve performance in achieving goals and accountability. The remaining sections of this report are as follows: section two provides our summary assessment based on our findings to-date from all of the above sources. Section three presents our recommendations to donors. It contains recommendations both for donor activities aimed at encouraging a results orientation and recommendations for future evaluations of assisted countries' progress towards a results orientation. Together sections two and three can be considered an executive summary for this report. Section four presents our findings from the literature. Section five presents our findings from the survey of donors. Section 6 presents our findings from our review of the country evaluation reports. Section seven presents our finding from our review of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). Section eight discusses our findings relating to local governments in assisted countries. Appendix A is a list of the literature we reviewed. Appendix B contains a detailed summary of responses on results orientation from the survey of donors.
Exploiting CoBTx-Net to Verify the Reliability of Collaborative Business Transactions

The collaborative business process can be unreliable when business partners collaborate in a peer-to-peer fashion without central control. An important issue that needs to be dealt with for any generic solution to manage collaborative business transaction is reliability verification. In this paper, a business collaboration model, choreographical business transaction net (CoBTx-Net) is developed for individual business participants to specify and manage the collaboration. Three reliability properties named time-embedded dead marking freeness, inter-organizational dead marking freeness, and collaborative soundness are defined and exploited to verify reliability based on CoBTx-Net.
Intelligent wakening scheme for wireless sensor networks surveillance

The effective energy control while maintaining reliable detection performance is a key problem in wireless sensor networks surveillance, such as blue-green algae surveillance. An intelligent wakening scheme (IWS) is proposed in this paper which considers different importance degrees of the grids in the surveillance zone. It uses a voronoi diagram to determine the effective scope of each sensor node and calculates the node wakening probability with the importance degree in the effective scope. The nodes are then turned on stochastically according to the node wakening probability. Simulation results illustrate that this scheme greatly reduces the number of wakening nodes while maintaining high reliability in surveillance.
Managing subthreshold leakage in charge-based analog circuits with low-V/sub TH/ transistors by analog T- switch (AT-switch) and super cut-off CMOS (SCCMOS)

The analog T-switch (AT-switch) scheme is introduced to suppress subthreshold-leakage problems in charge-based analog circuits such as switched capacitors and sample-and-hold circuits. A 0.5-V sigma-delta modulator is manufactured in a 0.15-/spl mu/m FD-SOI process with low V/sub TH/ of 0.1 V using the concept. The scheme is compared with another leakage-suppression scheme based on super cut-off CMOS (SCCMOS) and the conventional circuit which are also fabricated. The sigma-delta modulator based on AT-switch greatly improves 8.1-dB SNDR through reducing nonlinear leakage effects while the modulator based on SCCMOS improves the dynamic range rather than the SNDR by comparing with the conventional sigma-delta modulator.
Comparison and improvement of Dempster-Shafer models

In this paper, a performance comparison of different classification algorithms based on the evidence theory of Dempster-Shafer will be presented. The comparison is illustrated on Landsat Multispectral Scanner (Landsat MSS) data whose ground truth is provided. A modification of the Denoeux's model [1] is proposed showing better and more stable classification results of the Landsat MSS data.
Analyzing In-Game Movements of Soccer Players at Scale

It is challenging to get access to datasets related to the physical performance of soccer players. The teams consider such information highly confidential, especially if it covers in-game performance.Hence, most of the analysis and evaluation of the players' performance do not contain much information on the physical aspect of the game, creating a blindspot in performance analysis. We propose a novel method to solve this issue by deriving movement characteristics of soccer players. We use event-based datasets from data provider companies covering 50+ soccer leagues allowing us to analyze the movement profiles of potentially tens of thousands of players without any major investment. Our methodology does not require expensive, dedicated player tracking system deployed in the stadium. We also compute the similarity of the players based on their movement characteristics and as such identify potential candidates who may be able to replace a given player. Finally, we quantify the uniqueness and consistency of players in terms of their in-game movements. Our study is the first of its kind that focuses on the movements of soccer players at scale, while it derives novel, actionable insights for the soccer industry from event-based datasets.
A preemptive hybrid ant particle optimization (HAPO-P) algorithm for smart transportation

Due to exponential increase in number of vehicles, people are facing the problem of extreme congestion in developing countries like India. This congestion wastes the precious time and fuel in unnecessary waiting either at the intersections due to the presence of traffic signals or during the drive on the congested routes. This paper proposes a novel preemptive Hybrid Ant Particle Optimization (HAPO-P) algorithm to minimize overall journey time in VANETs by reducing both waiting at intersections and avoiding the congestion enroute. The aim is to select a path in peak hours with minimum waiting at the intersections with least possible congestion enroute. Here the best path is selected using HAPO algorithm and green light allocation is done by the preemptive algorithm. The proposed HAPO-P algorithm combines the benefits provided by both HAPO algorithm and preemptive algorithm with actual road conditions. The performance of the HAPO-P algorithm is tested on a map of North-West Delhi, India. The result obtained after applying the proposed HAPO-P significantly reduces the overall journey time with the growth in traffic over the existing MACO with assumption; both MACO and HAPO algorithms with actual road conditions used independently.
Gaussian Processes for Timeseries Modelling.

In this paper we offer a gentle introduction to Gaussian processes for timeseries data analysis. The conceptual framework of Bayesian modelling for timeseries data is discussed and the foundations of Bayesian non-parametric modelling presented for Gaussian processes. We discuss how domain knowledge influences design of the Gaussian process models and provide case examples to highlight the approaches.
HUMAN CAPITAL MEASUREMENT IN OECD COUNTRIES AND ITS RELATION TO GDP GROWTH AND INNOVATION

Empirical literature finds difficulties specifying and selecting proxies for human capital. These difficulties may explain why the indicators used in several international empirical studies are not closely linked to economic growth and its sources.This study offers an innovative perspective with an international indicator of human capital that takes into account the quantitative and the qualitative dimension of the concept, through the calculation of working hours corrected by productivity on the basis of differences in educational attainment and differences in skills and knowledge which exist between countries.The study also applies Granger’s test to analyse, in a sample of 14 OECD countries, the causality between the new indicator of human capital and GDP and the new indicator and innovation, concluding that the multidimensional indicator possesses a relation of causality that does not appear when tests are carried out with traditional measures of human capital (gross enrolment rate in secondary and average schooling years).
Structural dependency on force propagation through particle packings

The effect of increasing structural disorder on the nature of force propagation inside three dimensional particle packings is systematically studied using computer simulations of model granular assemblies. Starting from a face-centred cubic array, where all contact forces are identical, particles are removed at random and the system is then allowed to relax into a new mechanically stable state. The probability distribution function of normal contact forces, P (f), quickly deviates from a delta-function, with a dramatic increase in the number of small forces and becomes increasingly asymmetric. Stress transmission is investigated in the ordered array by applying a perturbative force in the central region of the packing. The propagating stress is mapped and visualised inside the packing. This is repeated for varying magnitudes of the perturbation.
A comparative study on the accuracy of the devices for measuring the implant stability

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM How the ISQ values measured by Osstell™ and Osstell™ Mentor are related, and whether the ISQ values acquired from the two machines changes in accordance with changes in implant stability are not yet fully understood. PURPOSE The aim of this study was to find out correlation between the ISQ values acquired from Osstell™ and Osstell™ Mentor, and to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and accuracy of two devices. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty two implants were inserted into 47 patients, and their ISQ values were measured using Osstell™ and Osstell™ Mentor. In the first stage surgery, the ISQ values of forty four implants inserted into thirty five patients were measured. In the second stage surgery, the values of fifty implants inserted into thirty seven patients were measured. The values were analyzed to determine the difference between the mean ISQ values of Osstell™ and Osstell™ Mentor. In addition, the correlation between implants used in the first and second stage of surgery with regard to their types and areas of insertion were analyzed. The difference between the ISQ values of 32 implants in each patient during the first and second stage was analyzed. The statistical assessment was carried out using SPSS V. 12.0 for Win. (SPSS Inc., Chicago, USA). The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to examine the correlation between Osstell™ and Osstell™ Mentor in the first and second stages of surgery, whereas the difference between their ISQ values was evaluated using a paired t-test. RESULTS In the first stage, the mean ISQ value for Osstell™ and Osstell™ Mentor was 70.84 and 75.09, respectively, showing a significant difference (P < .01). In the second stage, the mean ISQ value of Osstell™ and Osstell™ Mentor was 71.76 and 75.94, respectively, also showing a significant difference (P < .01). The difference between the ISQ values in patients in the first and the second stages was significant with both instruments. CONCLUSION The significant difference in the values obtained using the Osstell™ and Osstell™ Mentor between the first and second stages of implant surgery indicates that these values can be a convenient and precise way for evaluating the implant stability in clinical practice.
Improving Rank of a Website in Search Results - An Experimental Approach

Search engine optimization techniques, often shortened to SEO, should lead to first positions in organic search results. Some optimization techniques do not change over time, yet still form the basis of SEO. However, as the Internet and web design evolves dynamically, new optimization techniques arise and die. Thus, we will look at the most important factors that can help to improve a position in search results. It is important to emphasize, that none of the techniques can guarantee it because search engines have sophisticated algorithms, which measure the quality of Web pages and derive their position in search results from. Next, we introduce and examine the object of the optimization, which is a particular Website. This Web site was created for the sole purpose - to implement and test all main SEO techniques. The main objective of this paper is to find whether search engine optimization increases rank of Website in search results and subsequently leads to bigger traffic. This research question is supported by testing and verification of results. The final part of our paper concludes the research results and proposes further directions.