Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of modular green roofs for high-density urban cities

Many cities are facing problems of urban heat island and lack of greenery space. Green roofs can help mitigate the adverse effects and bring the nature back to the urban area. To apply them effectively, it is important to evaluate the constraints and identify critical factors for planning and designing the green roofs. Modular green roofs have a good potential to suit high-density urban conditions because they can offer better flexibility, convenience and cost optimisation. This paper presents the research findings to develop modular green roof systems for high-density urban cities. Three different types of modular green roofs, including mat, tray and sack systems, were studied by assessing their designs and characteristics. The urban environment and typical buildings for green roof applications in Hong Kong were evaluated. Useful information was obtained to help design and select modular green roofs that can fit into high-density urban environment. In Hong Kong, the high-rise buildings have very limited roof spaces. It is usually more effective to apply green roofs to the top of mediumor low-rise buildings/structures or the intermediate podium roofs. For existing buildings, as they often have constraints on roof structural loading, it is necessary to select extremely lightweight systems. Modular green roofs can be designed to achieve this by adopting suitable vegetation and components. They can also provide greater flexibility for instant greening, future modification and maintenance. By optimising the manufacturing, nursery and installation processes, it is possible to reduce the unit cost of green roofs and allow wider spread.
Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) Forwarding Element Model

This document defines the forwarding element (FE) model used in the Forwarding and Control Element Separation (ForCES) protocol. The model represents the capabilities, state, and configuration of forwarding elements within the context of the ForCES protocol, so that control elements (CEs) can control the FEs accordingly. More specifically, the model describes the logical functions that are present in an FE, what capabilities these functions support, and how these functions are or can be interconnected. This FE model is intended to satisfy the model requirements specified in RFC 3654. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
Integrated radiotherapy imaging system (IRIS): design considerations of tumour tracking with linac gantry-mounted diagnostic x-ray systems with flat-panel detectors

The design of an integrated radiotherapy imaging system (IRIS), consisting of gantry mounted diagnostic (kV) x-ray tubes and fast read-out flat-panel amorphous-silicon detectors, has been studied. The system is meant to be capable of three main functions: radiographs for three-dimensional (3D) patient set-up, cone-beam CT and real-time tumour/marker tracking. The goal of the current study is to determine whether one source/panel pair is sufficient for real-time tumour/marker tracking and, if two are needed, the optimal position of each relative to other components and the isocentre. A single gantry-mounted source/imager pair is certainly capable of the first two of the three functions listed above and may also be useful for the third, if combined with prior knowledge of the target's trajectory. This would be necessary because only motion in two dimensions is visible with a single imager/source system. However, with previously collected information about the trajectory, the third coordinate may be derived from the other two with sufficient accuracy to facilitate tracking. This deduction of the third coordinate can only be made if the 3D tumour/marker trajectory is consistent from fraction to fraction. The feasibility of tumour tracking with one source/imager pair has been theoretically examined here using measured lung marker trajectory data for seven patients from multiple treatment fractions. The patients' selection criteria include minimum mean amplitudes of the tumour motions greater than 1 cm peak-to-peak. The marker trajectory for each patient was modelled using the first fraction data. Then for the rest of the data, marker positions were derived from the imager projections at various gantry angles and compared with the measured tumour positions. Our results show that, due to the three dimensionality and irregular trajectory characteristics of tumour motion, on a fraction-to-fraction basis, a ‘monoscopic’ system (single source/imager) is inadequate for consistent real-time tumour tracking, even with prior knowledge. We found that, among the seven patients studied with peak-to-peak marker motion greater than 1 cm, five cases have mean localization errors greater than 2 mm and two have mean errors greater than 3 mm. Because of this uncertainty associated with a monoscopic system, two source/imager pairs are necessary for robust 3D target localization. Dual orthogonal x-ray source/imager pairs mounted on the linac gantry are chosen for the IRIS. We further studied the placement of the x-ray sources/panel based on the geometric specifications of the Varian 21EX Clinac. The best configuration minimizes the localization error while maintaining a large field of view and avoiding collisions with the floor/ceiling or couch.
The influence of normal stress and sliding velocity on the frictional behaviour of calcite at room temperature: Insights from laboratory experiments and microstructural observations

S U M M A R Y The presence of calcite in and near faults, as the dominant material, cement, or vein fill, indicates that the mechanical behaviour of carbonate-dominated material likely plays an important role in shallowand mid-crustal faulting. To better understand the behaviour of calcite, under loading conditions relevant to earthquake nucleation, we sheared powdered gouge of Carrara Marble, >98 per cent CaCO3, at constant normal stresses between 1 and 100 MPa under water-saturated conditions at room temperature. We performed slide-hold-slide tests, 1–3000 s, to measure the amount of static frictional strengthening and creep relaxation, and velocity-stepping tests, 0.1–1000 μm s, to evaluate frictional stability. We observe that the rates of frictional strengthening and creep relaxation decrease with increasing normal stress and diverge as shear velocity is increased from 1 to 3000 μm s during slide-hold-slide experiments. We also observe complex frictional stability behaviour that depends on both normal stress and shearing velocity. At normal stresses less than 20 MPa, we observe predominantly velocity-neutral friction behaviour. Above 20 MPa, we observe strong velocity-strengthening frictional behaviour at low velocities, which then evolves towards velocity-weakening friction behaviour at high velocities. Microstructural analyses of recovered samples highlight a variety of deformation mechanisms including grain size reduction and localization, folding of calcite grains and fluid-assisted diffusion mass transfer processes promoting the development of calcite nanograins in the highly deformed portions of the experimental fault. Our combined analyses indicate that calcite fault gouge transitions from brittle to semi-brittle behaviour at high normal stress and slow sliding velocities. This transition has important implications for earthquake nucleation and propagation on faults in carbonate-dominated lithologies.
Pupil Shape and Chromatic Aberration Can Provide Spectral Discrimination for “ Color Blind ” Animals

The only known mechanism for color vision requires spectrally diverse photoreceptor types (1). However color vision comes at a cost: a reduction in the signal to noise ratio in low light conditions and angular resolution in each spectral channel. Coleoid cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish) have a single photoreceptor type (2,3,4) and lack the ability to determine color by comparing detected photon intensity across multiple spectral channels. Nevertheless, cephalopods produce vividly colorful mating displays and use adaptive camouflage to accurately match the color of their natural surroundings. This presents a paradox behaviors that imply an ability to determine color in creatures with a monochromatic visual system that has long puzzled vision scientists and biologists (5,6,7). Here we propose a novel mechanism for spectral discrimination: the exploitation of chromatic aberration (the wavelengthdependence of focal length) by organisms with a single photoreceptor type. Through numerical modeling we show how chromatic aberration can yield useful chromatic information via the dependence of image acuity on accommodation. The peculiar off-axis slit and annular pupil shapes in these animals enhance this chromatic signature. This picture is consistent with existing data on cephalopod behavior and retinal morphology, and may have broader applicability in other species.
On the Flooding Overhead of Fountain Codes in Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper concentrates on the proper use of fountain codes for the transmission of sporadic data in a wireless sensor network (WSN). Fountain codes offer great perspectives for the self-organization of WSNs: they self adapt to the channel error rate without any control data. When deploying fountain codes on a WSN, two problems arise. First, the size of the data transmitted by a sensor is small in comparison to the size considered traditionally with fountain codes. The analysis of the decoding overhead for fountain codes is often done for large data. Second, the communications are done in an hop-by-hop fashion. It implies that the destination of the data can not acknowledge instantaneously its reception to the source. Therefore, the transmissions of useless packets for the destination can not be prevented. The impact of this flooding traffic is analyzed. It depends on the data size and on number of hops between the source and the destination. The context of our study is a line network, i.e. a cascade of erasure channels. The flooding traffic has been evaluated as well through realistic simulations for three different relaying strategies where packets are lost due to both small scale fading and collisions for an unslotted IEEE 802.15. 4 medium access layer.
A Comparative Study of Transferable Aspherical Pseudoatom Databank and Classical Force Fields for Predicting Electrostatic Interactions in Molecular Dimers

Accurate and fast evaluation of electrostatic interactions in molecular systems is one of the most challenging tasks in the rapidly advancing field of macromolecular chemistry and drug design. Electrostatic interactions are of crucial importance in biological systems. They are well represented by quantum mechanical methods; however, such calculations are computationally expensive. In this study, we have evaluated the University of Buffalo Pseudoatom Databank (UBDB)1,2 approach for approximation of electrostatic properties of macromolecules and their complexes. We selected the S663 and JSCH-20054 data sets (208 molecular complexes in total) for this study. These complexes represent a wide range of chemical and biological systems for which hydrogen bonding, electrostatic, and van der Waals interactions play important roles. Reference electrostatic energies were obtained directly from wave functions at the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory using the SAPT (Symmetry-Adapted Perturbation Theory) scheme for calculation of electrostatic contributions to total intermolecular interaction energies. Electrostatic energies calculated on the basis of the UBDB were compared with corresponding reference results. Results were also compared with energies computed using a point charge model from popular force fields (AM1-BCC and RESP used in AMBER and CGenFF from CHARMM family). The energy trends are quite consistent (R2 ≈ 0.98) for the UBDB method as compared to the AMBER5 and CHARMM force field methods6(R2 ≈ 0.93 on average). The RSMEs do not exceed 3.2 kcal mol–1 for the UBDB and are in the range of 3.7–7.6 kcal mol–1 for the point charge models. We also investigated the discrepancies in electrostatic potentials and magnitudes of dipole moments among the tested methods. This study shows that estimation of electrostatic interaction energies using the UBDB databank is accurate and reasonably fast when compared to other known methods, which opens potential new applications to macromolecules.
A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: In recent decades, many researches manifested that the perimenopause is a window of vulnerability for the development of both depressive symptoms and major depressive episodes. Some scholar thought that those women diagnosed with depression may be particularly sensitive to changes in the hormonal milieu experienced premenstrual, during the postpartum period or during the menopause transition in. Risk factors for depressive symptoms during the perimenopause include prior standardized mean difference (MDD), psychosocial factors, anxiety symptoms, and reproductive-related mood disturbance. However, active vitamin D (VD), exerts protective and regulatory effects on the brain dopamine system and suggests that similar to the antidepressant. Therefore, serum 25(OH)D level may be negatively correlated with the perimenopausal depression. Methods:The study only selects clinical randomized controlled trials of depression in perimenopausal women. We will search each database from the built-in until October 2020. The English literature mainly searches Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, andWeb of Science.While the Chinese literature comes fromCNKI, CBM, VIP, andWangfang database. Meanwhile, wewill retrieve clinical trial registries and grey literature. Two researchers worked independently on literature selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. The dichotomous data is represented by relative risk, and the continuous is expressed by mean difference or standard mean difference, eventually the data is synthesized using a fixed effect model or a random effect model depending on the heterogeneity. The serum vitamin D level, Hamilton Depression Scale, or Beck Depression Inventory or Zung self-rating depression scale or patient health questionnare-9 were evaluated as the main outcomes. While several secondary outcomes were also evaluated in this study. The statistical analysis of this Meta-analysis was conducted by RevMan software version 5.3. Results: This meta-analysis will further determine the association analysis between VD level and depression in women perimenopause. Conclusion: This study determines the VD level is related to the occurrence of depression in perimenopausal women. Abbreviations: MDD = major depressive disorder, RCT = randomized controlled trial, VD = vitamin D.
Qualitative Metasynthesis : Issues and Techniques

There has been an accumulation of qualitative studies in recent years, but little cumulation of the understandings gained from them. Qualitative research appears endangered both by efforts to synthesize studies and by the failure to do so. Techniques used have included reciprocal translations of key metaphors and concepts and qualitative and quantitative comparative analyses to produce narrative and theoretical integrations. The major problem yet to be resolved is developing usable and communicable systematic approaches to conducting metasynthesis projects that maintain the integrity of individual studies. q 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 20: 365–371, 1997
IVIE working papers offer in advance the results of economic research under way in order to encourage a discussion process before sending them to scientific journals

This paper examines empirically the relationship between electricity spot and futures prices, by analysing a decade of data for a set of short term-to-maturity futures contracts traded in the Nordic Power Exchange, Nord Pool. It is found that, on average, there are significant positive risk premiums in short-term electricity futures prices. The significance and size of the premiums, however, varies seasonally over the year; whereas it is greatest during winter, it is zero in summer. It is also found that time-varying risk premiums are significantly related to unexpectedly low reservoir levels. Furthermore, before the unprecedented supply-shock that hit the Nord Pool market around the end of year 2002, the variation of the risk premiums was related to the variance and the skewness of future spot prices. This result is consistent with the view that risk considerations played a role in the determination of futures prices. Finally, additional evidence provided throughout the paper supports the view that circumstances changed in the Nord Pool market after the shock period.
Using a Structural Retirement Model to Simulate the Effect of Changes to the OASDI and Medicare Programs

In this paper, we specify a dynamic programming model that addresses the interplay among health, financial resources, and the labor market behavior of men in the later part of their working lives. The model is estimated using data from the Health and Retirement Study. We use the model to simulate the impact on behavior of raising the normal retirement age, eliminating early retirement altogether and introducing universal health insurance.
Assumption University-eJournal of Interdisciplinary Research (AU-eJIR): Vol. 3. Issue.2, 2018

The main focus of the study was to investigate the relationship between supervisor’s role and qualitative delivery of education at the basic levels in Ghana. Qualitative research paradigm was adopted for the study. Research instruments comprised observation and in-depth interview of participants with the objective of examining the roles and responsibilities of supervisors and its implication for quality education. Schools and participants for the study were selected via purposive sampling. With the aid of the sampling approach, five public primary schools in Assin South Municipality were selected and 50 teachers with 10 head teachers and their assistants were selected for the study. In all, 60 participants responded to the questionnaire in line with the objectives of the study. Findings revealed that supervisors are saddled with the responsibility of upgrading teachers’ professional qualification through practical counseling and sharing of vital information regarding teaching and learning, improving the level of teachers confidence, provide regular progressive report on educational activities of schools under their supervision to the headquarters so as to keep them upto-date on school needs and success. More importantly, result of the study revealed that supervisors’ role is positively related and sine-qua-non to qualitative delivery of education in terms of teachers’ professional development and students’ achievement academically. It is therefore recommended that supervisors should be provided regular and effective in-service training so as to augment their supervisory skills. Moreover, efforts should be made by supervisor to prioritize supervision of instruction over managerial duties since at the long run supervision hold several benefits in connection with the overall objective of educational institutions especially at the basic level.
Mechanically separated fillet and meat nuggets of Nile tilapia treated with homeopathic product

The homeopathic product Homeopatila 100 in the diet of Nile tilapia reduces stress during production and improves the well-being of fish. The objective of this study was to develop nuggets of tilapia fed with Homeopatila 100 and to assess their quality. Physical, chemical, microbiological and sensory analyses were performed on three formulations with 25, 50 and 75% mechanically separated meat (MSM) for each of the treatments. The nuggets with 75% MSM revealed a higher pH (5.89 ± 0.02), the tissue was softer (1.29 N ± 0.04), and they had a higher lipid value (15.96% ± 0.05). With 50 and 75%, the color (L) was darker (60.76% ± 0.91 and 60.03% ± 0.78), and there were lower protein amounts (15.54% ± 0.31 and 13.55% ± 0.35). Nuggets had an acceptable value of lipid oxidation (0.672 ± 0.007 mg MDA/kg). The microbiological analyses demonstrated that the product met the requirements of legislation. Nuggets with 25 and 50% MSM were deemed acceptable. There was no difference (p > 0.05) between the control treatment group and the Homeopatila 100 group for the analysis undertaken. The results indicated that the use of Homeopatila 100 in the diet of the Nile tilapia did not change the physical, chemical, microbiological and sensorial quality characteristics of the nuggets, ensuring consumer acceptability.
Deformation Model of Time Series Interferometric SAR Techniques

The deformation model of time series InSAR techniques has been studied.Firstly,the process of solving the interferometric phase equations and estimating the linear deformation rate is analyzed for a typical time series InSAR analysis.When the reality of deformation is deviated significantly from a linear model,and at the same time the density of extracted point targets is not good enough,the linear deformation rate can not be estimated accurately.Thus,a polynomial deformation model is proposed based on the basis of the Weierstrass approximation.Meanwhile,the method to solve the interferometric phase equations under the polynomial deformation model is given.The proposed method is tested to map the ground subsidence of Taiyuan,Shanxi province of China.The small baseline approach with a linear deformation model and a 3rd order polynomial deformation model respectively are conducted.Both results are compared with the leveling observations.It is demonstrated that the small baseline approach with the 3rd order polynomial model can not only measure the deformation more accurately,but also generate denser point targets.
Growing Community

This article presents results from a mixed-method evaluation of a structured cooking and gardening program in Australian primary schools, focusing on program impacts on the social and learning environment of the school. In particular, we address the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program objective of providing a pleasurable experience that has a positive impact on student engagement, social connections, and confidence within and beyond the school gates. Primary evidence for the research question came from qualitative data collected from students, parents, teachers, volunteers, school principals, and specialist staff through interviews, focus groups, and participant observations. This was supported by analyses of quantitative data on child quality of life, cooperative behaviors, teacher perceptions of the school environment, and school-level educational outcome and absenteeism data. Results showed that some of the program attributes valued most highly by study participants included increased student engagement and confidence, opportunities for experiential and integrated learning, teamwork, building social skills, and connections and links between schools and their communities. In this analysis, quantitative findings failed to support findings from the primary analysis. Limitations as well as benefits of a mixed-methods approach to evaluation of complex community interventions are discussed.