Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A possible link between El Niño and precipitation in Israel

Various data sets related to precipitation in Israel have been analysed to see whether any statistical relationships exist between the El Niño phenomenon and weather in Israel. An understanding of patterns of precipitation in Israel is extremely important given the limited water resources in the Middle East. The authors have analysed seasonal rainfall, streamflow, snowfall and lake level data, and all of these data sets indicate enhanced precipitation during the winter seasons associated with El Niño years. One intriguing finding is that the statistically significant correlations appear only in the last 25 years.
Achieving Communication Efficiency through Push-Pull Partitioning of Semantic Spaces to Disseminate Dynamic Information

Many database applications that need to disseminate dynamic information from a server to various clients can suffer from heavy communication costs. Data caching at a client can help mitigate these costs, particularly when individual PUSH-PULL decisions are made for the different semantic regions in the data space. The server is responsible for notifying the client about updates in the PUSH regions. The client needs to contact the server for queries that ask for data in the PULL regions. We call the idea of partitioning the data space into PUSH-PULL regions to minimize communication cost data gerrymandering. In this paper, we present solutions to technical challenges in adopting this simple but powerful idea. We give a provably optimal-cost dynamic programming algorithm for gerrymandering on a single query attribute. We propose a family of efficient heuristics for gerrymandering on multiple query attributes. We handle the dynamic case in which the workloads of queries and updates evolve over time. We validate our methods through extensive experiments on real and synthetic data sets
Weathering Indexes of Typical Pedons Derived from Different Parent Materials of the Soils of Korea

Weathering indexes of the typical pedons derived from different parent materials of the soils of Korea were calculated by Kronberg and Nesbitt (1981) to understand weathering degree of the soils which might give a clue of soil formation and characterizing a soil pedon. The weathering index W1 was chemical change index, and the weathering index W2 was silicate dominant index. The chemical compositions of the 49 typic pedons were extracted from the Taxonomical Classification of Korean Soils (NIAST, 1999). The weathering indexes of Kimhae series, derived from fluvio marine material, were the highest among the analyzed soils. Within parent materials, the weathering indexes of the soils derived from limestones parent materials were high, and those derived from phorphyry materials were low. The relationship between W1 and W2 showed unique pattern which implied certain sequence within the same parent materials.
Tensorial Mixture Models

Casting neural networks in generative frameworks is a highly sought-after endeavor these days. Contemporary methods, such as Generative Adversarial Networks, capture some of the generative capabilities, but not all. In particular, they lack the ability of tractable marginalization, and thus are not suitable for many tasks. Other methods, based on arithmetic circuits and sum-product networks, do allow tractable marginalization, but their performance is challenged by the need to learn the structure of a circuit. Building on the tractability of arithmetic circuits, we leverage concepts from tensor analysis, and derive a family of generative models we call Tensorial Mixture Models (TMMs). TMMs assume a simple convolutional network structure, and in addition, lend themselves to theoretical analyses that allow comprehensive understanding of the relation between their structure and their expressive properties. We thus obtain a generative model that is tractable on one hand, and on the other hand, allows effective representation of rich distributions in an easily controlled manner. These two capabilities are brought together in the task of classification under missing data, where TMMs deliver state of the art accuracies with seamless implementation and design.
A Spherical Representation for Recognition of Free-Form Surfaces

Introduces a new surface representation for recognizing curved objects. The authors approach begins by representing an object by a discrete mesh of points built from range data or from a geometric model of the object. The mesh is computed from the data by deforming a standard shaped mesh, for example, an ellipsoid, until it fits the surface of the object. The authors define local regularity constraints that the mesh must satisfy. The authors then define a canonical mapping between the mesh describing the object and a standard spherical mesh. A surface curvature index that is pose-invariant is stored at every node of the mesh. The authors use this object representation for recognition by comparing the spherical model of a reference object with the model extracted from a new observed scene. The authors show how the similarity between reference model and observed data can be evaluated and they show how the pose of the reference object in the observed scene can be easily computed using this representation. The authors present results on real range images which show that this approach to modelling and recognizing 3D objects has three main advantages: (1) it is applicable to complex curved surfaces that cannot be handled by conventional techniques; (2) it reduces the recognition problem to the computation of similarity between spherical distributions; in particular, the recognition algorithm does not require any combinatorial search; and (3) even though it is based on a spherical mapping, the approach can handle occlusions and partial views. >
Spectrum Trading Contract Design for UAV Assisted Offloading in Cellular Networks

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has been recognized as a promising way to assist future wireless communications due to its high flexibility of deployment and scheduling. In this paper, we focus on temporarily deployed UAVs that provide downlink data offloading under a macro base station~(MBS), where the MBS allocates some of its spectrum to the UAVs in an exclusive usage mode. Since the manager of the MBS and the operators of the UAVs could be of different interest groups, we formulate the spectrum trading problem by means of contract theory, where the manager of the MBS has to design an optimal contract to maximize its own revenue. Such contract comprises a set of bandwidth-price options, and each UAV operator only chooses the most profitable one from the whole contract. We analytically derive the optimal contract design, and then propose a dynamic programming algorithm to achieve the optimal result in polynomial time. By simulations, we compare the outcome of the MBS optimal contract with that of a socially optimal one, and find that a selfish MBS manager sells less bandwidth to the UAV operators.
Uniform User Interface for Semiautomatic Parking Slot Marking Recognition

Automatic parking systems consist of three core technologies: (1) target position designation; (2) path planning; and (3) path tracking. Target position-designation methods can be divided into four categories: (1) user-interface based; (2) parking slot marking based; (3) free-space based; and (4) infrastructure based. Considering the fact that parking-assist systems are expected to be used mainly in urban situations, recognition of parking slot markings could be the most economical and efficient solution for target position designation. This paper proposes a semiautomatic parking slot marking-based target position-designation method. The user can initiate parking slot marking recognition by placing a finger on each side of the entrance of the target parking slot. With such a user interface, these systems can reduce the search range to so small an area that computational loads and false-recognition rates are significantly reduced. Furthermore, by identifying the junction patterns of parking slot markings around the designated point with a neural network-based classifier, the user can establish the target position with a uniform user interface. The proposed system showed a 91.10% recognition rate in 191 test cases consisting of five different types of parking slot markings.
Open Ad Hoc Teamwork using Graph-based Policy Learning

Ad hoc teamwork is the challenging problem of designing an autonomous agent which can adapt quickly to collaborate with previously unknown teammates. Prior work in this area has focused on closed teams in which the number of agents is fixed. In this work, we consider open teams by allowing agents of varying types to enter and leave the team without prior notification. Our proposed solution builds on graph neural networks to learn scalable agent models and value decompositions under varying team sizes, which can be jointly trained with a reinforcement learning agent using discounted returns objectives. We demonstrate empirically that our approach results in agent policies which can robustly adapt to dynamic team composition, and is able to effectively generalize to larger teams than were seen during training.
Imaging and visualizing the spectral signatures from Landsat TM and ‘τ’ value-based surface soil microzonation mapping at and around Agartala (India)

This work aims to assess the soil microzonation of Agartala city and its surrounding areas based on spectral geophysical signatures. Different spectral resolutions of Landsat TM have been used for assessing the Normalized Difference Vegetative Index, spatial thermal emission representation and plant water moisture representation. Normalized Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI) was measured from band 4 (near-infrared (NIR)) and band 3 (photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)). The Digital Number (DN) values of thermal infrared band (TIR) were used for measuring spatial variation of thermal representation in the city area. A very simple model was developed for measuring thermal emission representative index from NDVI and automated classified TIR band. Overlaid NDVI and classified TIR shows the spatial distribution of thermal emission representative values. Classified mid-wave infrared band (MWIR) was used for measuring the surface geotherm units (τ) which are related with different types of soil. On the basis of spatial distribution of τ value which is clearly visible in a thermal emission representative map overlaid by classified MWIR, the soil microzonation map of the study area was prepared. This soil microzonation map shows that Agartala and its surrounding areas are characterized by four types of soil which are related to different geomorphic and geological units. The soil of this area is classified as dry sandy soil and sandy clay soil of the highland areas and wet sandy alluvium and clayey alluvium of the flood plain area.
Global average ozone change from November 1978 to May 1990

A recent recalibration and reprocessing of the total ozone mapping spectrometer (TOMS) data have made possible a new determination of the global average (69°S to 69°N) total ozone decrease of 3.5% over the 11-year period, January 1, 1979, to December 31, 1989, with a 2σ error of 1.4%. The revised TOMS ozone trend data are in agreement, within error limits, with the average of 39 ground-based Dobson stations and with the world standard Dobson spectrometer 83 at Mauna Loa, Hawaii. Superimposed on the 11-year ozone trend is a possible solar cycle effect, quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), annual, and semiannual cycles. Using solar 10.7-cm flux data and 30-mbar Singapore wind data (QBO), a time series has been constructed that reproduces the long-term behavior of the globally averaged ozone. Removal of the apparent solar cycle effect from the global average reduces the net ozone loss to 2.66±1.4% per decade. The precise value of the global average ozone trend depends on the latitude range selected, with ranges greater than ±69° emphasizing the larger variations at high latitudes.
Discrepancy between the nighttime molecular ion composition given by the International Reference Ionosphere model and airglow measurements at low latitudes

[1] The 630-nm nighttime airglow is radiated by O(1D) atoms, which are produced by the dissociative recombination of O2+ ions. The typical approach used to calculate the red line emission rate at night is based on the assumption that O2+ is mainly produced by the reaction of O+ with molecular oxygen. In the case that the O2+ density is much smaller than the O+ density, [O+] = ne in the F2 region. Good agreement between measured nighttime integrated emission rates and the emission rates calculated by this typical approach, using both electron densities measured by incoherent scatter radars and given by the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) model, has been shown. However, the O2+ densities given by the IRI model are much higher than the densities produced by the reaction of O+ with O2, and these densities do not correspond to the condition [O+] = ne. In this case, the typical approach cannot be applied and molecular ions must be included in the emission rate calculations. The integrated emission rates calculated including the molecular ion density given by the IRI model have been found to be much higher than the measured 630.0-nm emission rates. This discrepancy takes place at latitudes below about ±30° in the western longitude sector, mainly for the period from March to November, and the disagreement is higher than 1 order of magnitude at the equator. In addition, we model the F2 region green line O(1S) emission at 557.7 nm resulting from the dissociative recombination of O2+. Using measurements of this volume emission rate made by the Wind Imaging Interferometer (WINDII) satellite, we are able to show that IRI overestimates the O2+ density (and ion fraction) on the bottomside of the F2 region. A revision of the ion composition in the IRI model on the bottomside seems to be needed on the basis of these results. Airglow measurements may be useful in constraining such a revision. A revision could utilize the formulae for the relationship between the molecular ion densities and neutral densities derived here, using the Mass Spectrometer Incoherent Scatter (MSIS) neutral densities and the IRI electron density. These calculations are based on the assumption that O2+ and NO+ are only produced through ion-molecular reactions. Such a revision would correct the magnitude and altitudinal dependence of the molecular ion fraction in the IRI model.
In-house development as an alternative for ERP adoption by SMEs: A critical case study

ERP systems are increasingly accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). If the potential benefits of these systems are significant, the same applies to the risk associated with their implementation. The majority of ERP studies relate to software packages supplied by large vendors such as SAP and Oracle and by smaller vendors; but until now, few have studied the adoption of ERP systems developed “in-house”. Furthermore, few studies have explicitly focused on minimizing the risk of these systems at the adoption or pre-implementation stage. Presenting a critical case study which analyzes the adoption of an in-house ERP by a SME in the agri-food industry, this article proposes and tests a process framework of ERP systems adoption, based upon a literature review and a conceptual framework centered on risk minimization. The study shows that 1) in-house ERP seems to represent a credible alternative for ERP adoption by SMEs, 2) to minimize risk at the adoption stage, a SME can proceed in a rather intuitive and unstructured manner, based however upon certain principles, policies and practices. The successful ERP implementation in this case indicates that it is not always necessary to resort to formalized project management in order to minimize implementation risk.
An Analysis of a Simple P2P Protocol for Flash Crowd Document Retrieval

Today’s Internet periodically suffers from hot spots, a.k. a. , flash crowds. A hot spot is typically triggered by some unanticipated news event that causes an unanticipated surge of users to request data objects from a particular site, temporarily overwhelming the site’s delivery capabilities. During this time, the large majority of users that attempt to get these objects face the frustrating experience of not being able to retrieve the content they want while still being able to communicate effectively with all other parts of the network. In this paper, we mathematically model and simulate a simple, distributed, randomized peer-to-peer (P2P) protocol. This protocol runs atop a network overlay during a hot spot to quickly deliver the “hot” object from a small set of users who were able to obtain the object to a much larger set of users that desire it. Our results based on this evaluation show that this type of protocol can scale effectively to millions of users, demonstrating that peer-to-peer approaches can be an effective means to alleviate problems commonly associated with network hot spots.
Antecedents of the Adoption of E-Payment Services in the Public Sector

In order to succeed, electronic government initiatives frequently pass a number of different stages, starting with a static Web site used solely for providing information (one-way) and ending with fully interactive sites that are capable of handling a multitude of transactions that may occur in the lifelong relationship between a government and its citizens. The possibility of transferring money online plays an important role for those e-government initiatives that include financial transactions such as paying taxes, fees, or fines. Even though there is a great deal of academic literature on e-payment and e-government issues, this paper combines both topics and proposes a framework and a measurement model that depicts important factors influencing users’ online payment behavior. A structural equation modeling approach has been used to assess the relative importance and the strength of the relationships among different constructs, including users’ previous experience, their trust in e-payment security and the perceived convenience of the payment process. Our results indicate that trust (both in a frictionless use of the system and in e-payment security) can be seen as an important antecedent for the adoption of online payments on the part of the users. From the government’s point of view, the potential for exerting influence seems to be somewhat limited: While national institutions in developed countries are usually perceived as trustworthy, users’ attitudes toward the Internet may be more skeptical, depending on their previous experience.
Amazon.com Recommendations: Item-to-Item Collaborative Filtering

Recommendation algorithms are best known for their use on e-commerce Web sites, where they use input about a customer's interests to generate a list of recommended items. Many applications use only the items that customers purchase and explicitly rate to represent their interests, but they can also use other attributes, including items viewed, demographic data, subject interests, and favorite artists. At Amazon.com, we use recommendation algorithms to personalize the online store for each customer. The store radically changes based on customer interests, showing programming titles to a software engineer and baby toys to a new mother. There are three common approaches to solving the recommendation problem: traditional collaborative filtering, cluster models, and search-based methods. Here, we compare these methods with our algorithm, which we call item-to-item collaborative filtering. Unlike traditional collaborative filtering, our algorithm's online computation scales independently of the number of customers and number of items in the product catalog. Our algorithm produces recommendations in real-time, scales to massive data sets, and generates high quality recommendations.
Traversal Using Relays around Nat (turn): Relay Extensions to Session Traversal Utilities for Nat (stun)

If a host is located behind a NAT, then in certain situations it can be impossible for that host to communicate directly with other hosts (peers). In these situations, it is necessary for the host to use the services of an intermediate node that acts as a communication relay. This specification defines a protocol, called TURN (Traversal Using Relays around NAT), that allows the host to control the operation of the relay and to exchange packets with its peers using the relay. TURN differs from some other relay control protocols in that it allows a client to communicate with multiple peers using a single relay address. The TURN protocol was designed to be used as part of the ICE (Interactive Connectivity Establishment) approach to NAT traversal, though it also can be used without ICE. Information about the current status of this document, any errata, and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at in effect on the date of publication of this document. Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as described in the Simplified BSD License.
Real-Time City-Scale Taxi Ridesharing

We proposed and developed a taxi-sharing system that accepts taxi passengers' real-time ride requests sent from smart phones and schedules proper taxis to pick up them via ride sharing, subject to time, capacity, and monetary constraints. The monetary constraints provide incentives for both passengers and taxi drivers: passengers will not pay more compared with no ride sharing and get compensated if their travel time is lengthened due to ride sharing; taxi drivers will make money for all the detour distance due to ride sharing. While such a system is of significant social and environmental benefit, e.g., saving energy consumption and satisfying people's commute, real-time taxi-sharing has not been well studied yet. To this end, we devise a mobile-cloud architecture based taxi-sharing system. Taxi riders and taxi drivers use the taxi-sharing service provided by the system via a smart phone App. The Cloud first finds candidate taxis quickly for a taxi ride request using a taxi searching algorithm supported by a spatio-temporal index. A scheduling process is then performed in the cloud to select a taxi that satisfies the request with minimum increase in travel distance. We built an experimental platform using the GPS trajectories generated by over 33,000 taxis over a period of three months. A ride request generator is developed (available at http://cs.uic.edu/~sma/ridesharing) in terms of the stochastic process modelling real ride requests learned from the data set. Tested on this platform with extensive experiments, our proposed system demonstrated its efficiency, effectiveness and scalability. For example, when the ratio of the number of ride requests to the number of taxis is 6, our proposed system serves three times as many taxi riders as that when no ridesharing is performed while saving 11 percent in total travel distance and 7 percent taxi fare per rider.