Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Appraising the capability of a land biosphere model as a tool in modelling land surface interactions: results from its validation at selected European ecosystems

Abstract. In this present study the ability of the SimSphere Soil Vegetation Atmosphere Transfer (SVAT) model in estimating key parameters characterising land surface interactions was evaluated. Specifically, SimSphere's performance in predicting Net Radiation (Rnet), Latent Heat (LE), Sensible Heat (H) and Air Temperature (Tair) at 1.3 and 50 m was examined. Model simulations were validated by ground-based measurements of the corresponding parameters for a total of 70 days of the year 2011 from 7 CarboEurope network sites. These included a variety of biomes, environmental and climatic conditions in the models evaluation. Overall, model performance can largely be described as satisfactory for most of the experimental sites and evaluated parameters. For all model parameters compared, predicted H fluxes consistently obtained the highest agreement to the in-situ data in all ecosystems, with an average RMSD of 55.36 W m−2. LE fluxes and Rnet also agreed well with the in-situ data with RSMDs of 62.75 and 64.65 W m−2 respectively. A good agreement between modelled and measured LE and H fluxes was found, especially for smoothed daily flux trends. For both Tair 1.3 m and Tair 50 m a mean RMSD of 4.14 and 3.54 °C was reported respectively. This work presents the first all-inclusive evaluation of SimSphere, particularly so in a European setting. Results of this study contribute decisively towards obtaining a better understanding of the model's structure and its correspondence to the real world system. Findings also further establish the model's capability as a useful teaching and research tool in modelling Earth's land surface interactions. This is of considerable importance in the light of the rapidly expanding use of the model worldwide, including ongoing research by various Space Agencies examining its synergistic use with Earth Observation data towards the development of operational products at a global scale.
A Hybrid Stochastic-Deterministic Approach For Active Fault Diagnosis Using Scenario Optimization

Abstract Active fault diagnosis can improve the diagnosability of potential faults by injecting a suitable input into the system. This input can be designed using either a stochastic or a deterministic framework. The stochastic approach aims to maximize the probability of a correct diagnosis at a certain time, whereas the deterministic approach aims to guarantee diagnosis within a certain time interval. Recently, a hybrid stochastic-deterministic approach has been developed in which all uncertainties are described by uniform probability density functions (PDFs) with finite support on zonotopes. This method is able to provide a guaranteed diagnosis at a given time N, while approximately maximizing the probability of diagnosis at some earlier time M
Design of safe reactional controller for chamber pressure in climbing robot CREA

CREA robot is designed to climb up concrete walls. The robot uses the suction mechanism to provide adhesion and wheel mechanism for locomotion. Eleven chambers which are connected to one common reservoir are responsible to produce adhesion force. A controller is developed to independently control each chamber while satisfying certain criteria on the safety of the robot. It is also designed to reach minimum friction between active inflatable seals and wall. In conclusion, the controller is able to successfully meet the conditions of stability, minimum friction and safety.
Knowledge based knowledge acquisition

A framework for knowledge based knowledge acquisition is presented. The ACKnowledge project addresses the problem of supporting the knowledge engineer in the phases of KBS development involving knowledge acquisition. The goal of ACKnowledge is to provide an integrated and principled system or knowledge engineering workbench (KEW). Within this project the author has been working on the problem of providing a coherent framework for the integration of knowledge acquisition (KA) methods and techniques. He has taken the view that KEW will act as a KBS for KA; this view has a number of consequences for the development of the next generation of knowledge acquisition tools.
Establishment of Hepatitis C Virus RNA-Replicating Cell Lines Possessing Ribavirin-Resistant Phenotype

Background Ribavirin (RBV) is a potential partner of interferon-based therapy and recently approved therapy using direct acting antivirals for patients with chronic hepatitis C. However, the precise mechanisms underlying RBV action against hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication are not yet understood. To clarify this point, we attempted to develop RBV-resistant cells from RBV-sensitive HCV RNA-replicating cells. Methodology/Principal Findings By repetitive RBV (100 μM) treatment (10 weeks) of 3.5-year-cultured OL8 cells, in which genome-length HCV RNA (O strain of genotype 1b) efficiently replicates, dozens of colonies that survived RBV treatment were obtained. These colonies were mixed together and further treated with high doses of RBV (up to 200 μM). By such RBV treatment, we successfully established 12 RBV-survived genome-length HCV RNA-replicating cell lines. Among them, three representative cell lines were characterized. HCV RNA replication in these cells resisted RBV significantly more than that in the parental OL8 cells. Genetic analysis of HCV found several common and conserved amino acid substitutions in HCV proteins among the three RBV-resistant cell species. Furthermore, using cDNA microarray and quantitative RT-PCR analyses, we identified 5 host genes whose expression levels were commonly altered by more than four-fold among these RBV-resistant cells compared with the parental cells. Moreover, to determine whether viral or host factor contributes to RBV resistance, we developed newly HCV RNA-replicating cells by introducing total RNAs isolated from RBV-sensitive parental cells or RBV-resistant cells into the HCV RNA-cured-parental or -RBV-resistant cells using an electroporation method, and evaluated the degrees of RBV resistance of these developed cells. Consequently, we found that RBV-resistant phenotype was conferred mainly by host factor and partially by viral factor. Conclusions/Significance These newly established HCV RNA-replicating cell lines should become useful tools for further understanding the anti-HCV mechanisms of RBV.
Cascaded refactoring for framework development and evolution

This paper presents the cascaded refactoring methodology, which addresses three issues in the existing framework development approaches: identification and realization of variability, framework evolution, and framework documentation. The methodology views framework development as framework evolution, which consists of framework refactoring followed by framework extension. A framework is specified by a set of models. The overall refactoring of a framework is a set of refactorings performed sequentially on the models. Alignment maps are defined to maintain the traceability amongst the models. The constraints of refactorings on a model are derived from the refactorings performed on a previous model. A document template is proposed to document the framework refactoring. The methodology is illustrated by a case study.
Energy-efficient transmission control in cognitive radio networks with channel state information

In this paper, we investigate the effect of channel estimation on the performance of a secondary network in a cognitive radio system. We focus on estimating the sensing-channel from the primary source to the secondary source which helps in determining the reliability of the sensing decision. The channel is estimated opportunistically when the secondary source senses the primary source to be active. We show the improvement in the performance of the secondary system compared to the system with no channel estimation. We also compare the performance to the system in which the channel is estimated accurately at every time slot. We consider the performance criterion to be the consumed energy by the secondary system constrained by a required average data transmission rate for the secondary system and an allowable average failure probability for the primary system.
Automatic recognition of printed Oriya script

This paper deals with an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) system for printedOriya script. The development of OCR for this script is difficult because a large number of character shapes in the script have to be recognized. In the proposed system, the document image is first captured using a flat-bed scanner and then passed through different preprocessing modules like skew correction, line segmentation, zone detection, word and character segmentation etc. These modules have been developed by combining some conventional techniques with some newly proposed ones. Next, individual characters are recognized using a combination of stroke and run-number based features, along with features obtained from the concept of water overflow from a reservoir. The feature detection methods are simple and robust, and do not require preprocessing steps like thinning and pruning. A prototype of the system has been tested on a variety of printed Oriya material, and currently achieves 96.3% character level accuracy on average.
Visualization of Groundwater Flow Using Line Integral Convolution

Line integral convolution (LIC) is a particularly elegant and powerful method for the visualisation of 2D and 3D vector field data. The method is based on convolving a random input texture or noise image along the streamlines of a stationary flow. The resulting output image clearly reveals the directional structure of the flow at high spatial resolution. For an eff icient computing of LIC images the pixel coherence along the stream should be exploited. A fast LIC algorithm based on this principle has been developed at Konrad-Zuse-Zentrum. Additional scalar quantities may be visualized using pseudo-coloring. The algorithm has been integrated into the software system SPRING designed for the simulation of groundwater flow and transport models.
APC2 Plays an Essential Role in Axonal Projections through the Regulation of Microtubule Stability

Growth cones at the tip of growing axons are key cellular structures that detect guidance cues and mediate axonal growth. An increasing number of studies have suggested that the dynamic regulation of microtubules in the growth cone plays an essential role in growth cone steering. The dynamic properties of microtubules are considered to be regulated by variegated cellular factors but, in particular, through microtubule-interacting proteins. Here, we examined the functional role of adenomatous polyposis coli-like molecule 2 (APC2) in the development of axonal projections by using the chick retinotectal topographic projection system. APC2 is preferentially expressed in the nervous system from early developmental stages through to adulthood. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that APC2 is distributed along microtubules in growth cones as well as axon shafts of retinal axons. Overexpression of APC2 in cultured cells induced the stabilization of microtubules, whereas the knockdown of APC2 in chick retinas with specific short hairpin RNA reduced the stability of microtubules in retinal axons. APC2 knockdown retinal axons showed abnormal growth attributable to a reduced response to ephrin-A2 in vitro. Furthermore, they showed drastic alterations in retinotectal projections without making clear target zones in the tectum in vivo. These results suggest that APC2 plays a critical role in the development of the nervous system through the regulation of microtubule stability.
Quantitative development policy analysis

High quality policy design and informed policy debates require rigorous conceptualization and quantification of the economic implications of policy options. In recent years, the array of methods available for this purpose has expanded on many fronts, ranging from the micro to the sectoral and macro levels, and from the analysis of markets to that of public goods and of technological and institutional alternatives. "Quantitative Development Policy Analysis" reviews and extends these methods. It aims to present materials in an accessible fashion. It should be both a reference book for policy analysts and a text for graduate students who wish to apply quantitative methods to policy analysis. The text is organized around 12 subjects and 12 computer exercises. The subjects develop in a systematic fashion the theories and methods for the analysis of consumer demand, producer behaviour, supply response, behaviour and welfare under risk, household models, price distortions and partial equilibrium analysis, real exchange rate analysis, transactions costs and agrarian institutions, social accounting matrices, multimarket models and computable general equilibrium models. The computer exercises offer opportunities to quantify models for policy analysis in each of these themes and to stimulate policy alternatives. The book is accompanied by a diskette with the exercises. Also available is a manual with the answers to the exercises, both in print and on diskette. The text can be used in formal instruction, for self-study and as a source of information.
CLASSIFICATION OF PULSE-ECHO AND TOFD ULTRA-SONIC SIGNALS USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK

The use of welded structures is extremely common nowadays. But its inspection deserves care and attention to increase the reliability in these structures.The present work evaluates the application of artiﬁcial neural networks for the pattern recognition of ultrasonic signals using the pulse-echo and TOFD (Time of Flight Diffraction) techniques in weld beads. Four conditions of weld bead were evaluated: lack of fusion (LF), lack of penetration (LP), porosity (PO) and non-defect (ND). The defects were intentionally inserted in a weld bead of AISI 1020 steel plates of 20 mm thickness and 300 mm length and were conﬁrmed using radiographic tests. In this study a standard classiﬁer implemented by an artiﬁcial neural network of the backpropagation type. The ultrasonic signals acquired from pulse-echo and TOFD were introduced, separately, in the network with and without preprocessing. The preprocessing was only used to smoothen the signal improving the classiﬁcation. The results obtained show that it is possible to classify ultrasonic signals of weld joints by the pulse-echo and TOFD techniques using artiﬁcial neural networks showed a performance superior a 73% of success for test. Although the preprocessing of the signal improved the classiﬁcation performance of the signals acquired by the TOFD technique considerably, the same didn‘t happen with the signals acquired by the pulse-echo technique.
Separating Winners from Losers Among Value and Growth Stocks in Canada Another Step in the Value Investing Process

The paper investigates two questions (a) whether there is value premium in a sample of Canadian non-interlisted stocks for the period May 1, 1985 – April 30, 2009, and (b) whether an additional step to screening for possibly undervalued stocks can be employed to separate the good stocks from the bad ones, as not all low P/E stocks are worth investing in. The paper extends this analysis to both value and growth stocks. We document a consistently strong value premium over the May 1, 1985 – April 30, 2009 sample period, which persists in both bull and bear markets, as well as in recessions and recoveries. We show that the value premium is not driven by a few outliers, but it is pervasive. Our results are consistent with, but, in general, stronger than, those of other Canadian and US studies. We were able to construct a composite score indicator (SCORE), combining various fundamental and market metrics, which enabled us to predict future stock returns and separate the winners from the losers among value and growth stocks. A strategy which would involve shorting the high SCORE value stocks and buying the low SCORE value stocks would have beaten the low P/E portfolio by about 30% over the May 1, 1985 – April 30, 2009 period. On the other hand, shorting the high SCORE growth stocks and buying the low SCORE growth stocks would have beaten the high P/E portfolio by about 40% over the same period. We also find that the return of a portfolio strategy that buys (sells) stocks that rank low (high) in the composite score indicator has significant explanatory power in an asset pricing model framework. Results remain robust out of sample.
BEM-based soft-in soft-out detection of DUSTM employing cyclic group codes

In this paper, the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm for maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation is employed to derive an iterative soft-in soft-out (SISO) detection scheme for differential unitary space-time modulation (DUSTM) system employing cyclic group codes. The data sequence produced by conventional differential detection is differentially recoded and used to estimate the channel state information which acts as the initial value for the Bayesian EM (BEM) algorithm. In each BEM iteration soft decision and more refined channel estimation are successively performed. In the final iteration, The transmitted symbol decisions can be made according to the MAP decision strategy and is differentially decoded to produce the output of the data sequence. Simulation results show the good performance of the proposed scheme compared with the conventional differential unitary space-time demodulation (DUSTD) and hard decision based iterative scheme.
Validation of the Canadian clinical practice guidelines for nutrition support in mechanically ventilated, critically ill adult patients: Results of a prospective observational study*

Objective:Recently, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the provision of nutrition support in the critical care setting have been developed. To validate these guidelines, we hypothesized that intensive care units whose practice, on average, was more consistent with the guidelines would have greater success in providing enteral nutrition. Design:Prospective observational study. Setting:Fifty-nine intensive care units across Canada. Patients:Consecutive cohort of mechanically ventilated patients. Interventions:In May 2003, participating intensive care units recorded nutrition support practices on a consecutive cohort of mechanically ventilated patients who stayed for a minimum of 72 hrs. Sites enrolled an average of 10.8 (range, 4–18) patients for a total of 638. Patients were observed for an average of 10.7 days. Measurements and Main Results:We examined the association between five recommendations from the clinical practice guidelines most directly related to the provision of nutrition support (use of parenteral nutrition, feeding protocol, early enteral nutrition, small bowel feedings, and motility agents) and adequacy of enteral nutrition. We defined adequacy of enteral nutrition as the percent of prescribed calories that patients actually received. Across sites, the average adequacy of enteral nutrition over the observed stay in intensive care unit ranged from 1.8% to 76.6% (average 43.0%). Intensive care units with a greater than median utilization of parenteral nutrition (>17.5% patient days) had a much lower adequacy of enteral nutrition (32.9 vs. 52.7%, p < .0001). Intensive care units that used a feeding protocol tended to have a higher adequacy of enteral nutrition than those that did not (44.9 vs. 38.5%, p = .03). Intensive care units that initiated enteral nutrition on >50% of their patients within the first 48 hrs had a higher adequacy of enteral nutrition than those that did not (48.1 vs. 34.4%, p < .0001). Intensive care units that had a >50% utilization of motility agents and/or any small bowel feedings in patients with high gastric residuals tended to have a higher adequacy of enteral nutrition than those intensive care units that did not (45.6 vs. 39.2%, p = .04, and 48.4 vs. 41.8%, p = .16, respectively). Conclusions:Intensive care units that were more consistent with the Canadian clinical practice guidelines were more likely to successfully feed patients via enteral nutrition. Adoption of the Canadian clinical practice guidelines should lead to improved nutrition support practice in intensive care units. This may translate into better outcomes for critically ill patients receiving nutrition support.
Along Racial Lines: Consequences of the 1965 Voting Rights Act

Along Racial Lines fully explores the legislative and legal history, scope, impact, and implications of voting rights law in the United States. David Michael Hudson examines the history of minority elective franchise since the Constitution, explaining legislative changes while focusing on the actions and impacts of the courts. The work concentrates on court interpretations of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its amendments. To give readers a greater understanding of the effects of the act, the author plunges deeply into the history, society, and lives of three communities, representing each of three major American minority groups. The story of Dallas, Texas, tells of the struggle of blacks for representation in city government. The story of Dade County, Florida, depicts the power of voter participation as Hispanic immigrants assumed political control. Finally, the history of the Navajo Reservation in Arizona portrays enhancements to the political influence of the largest Native American tribe in North America.
Mental pointing: Phenomenal knowledge without concepts

It is one thing to have phenomenal states and another thing to think about phenomenal states. Thinking about phenomenal states gives us knowledge that we have them and knowledge of what they are like. But how do we think about phenomenal states? These days, the most popular answer is that we use phenomenal concepts. Phenomenal concepts are presumed to be concepts that represent phenomenal states in a special, intrinsically phenomenal, way. The special nature of phenomenal concepts is said to be important for defending materialism against epistemic arguments for dualism. In this paper I present an account of phenomenal knowledge that does not depend on phenomenal concepts. In fact, I argue that we have no phenomenal concepts. Instead my account appeals to mental pointing, a process that I explain in terms of phenomenal demonstratives. Phenomenal demonstratives are sometimes referred to as concepts in the literature, but I suggest that this is a mistake. I also present a theory of phenomenal demonstratives that equates them with attentional control structures in working memory. In a concluding section I describe how this theory can be used to defuse the knowledge argument for dualism. That is only a subsidiary goal, and my response to the knowledge argument echoes others in the literature. I think the project of developing a substantive, empirically informed theory of phenomenal knowledge has interest independent of debates about mental ontology. That is my central focus. Thinking about phenomenal knowledge can shed light on the relationship between consciousness, attention and memory. This paper has a philosophical agenda and an empirical agenda. Those who reject my philosophical claims about the nonexistence of phenomenal concepts, the conditions