Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A 2 D-3 D visualization support for human-centered rule-mining

On account of the enormous amounts of rules that can be produced by data mining algorithms, knowledge post-processing is a difficult stage in an association rule discovery process. In order to find relevant knowledge, the user needs to rummage through the rules. To make this task easier, we propose a new interactive mining methodology based on well-adapted dynamic visual representations. It allows the user to drive the discovery process by focusing his/her attention on limited subsets of rules. We have implemented our methodology with two complementary 2D and 3D visualization supports. These implementations exploit the user’s focus to guide the generation of the rules by means of a specific constraint-based rule-mining algorithm.
Ergonom.io: A Virtual Reality tool for Ergonomic Assessment of Industrial Workplaces

Ergonomics is an essential aspect of industrial design, as it can affect the safety, health, and productivity of workers. However, it can be challenging to assess and optimize ergonomic indicators during the design phase or during the improvement of current work settings. Traditional approaches rely on manual observations and feedback from operators, which can be time-consuming, subjective, and limited in scope. Virtual reality (VR) simulations offer a promising alternative, as they allow designers to visualize and test different workplace configurations in a controlled and immersive environment. In this paper, we present a tool that combines VR simulations with motion capture technology to generate real-time ergonomic indicators.
INFLUENCE OF MINING AND AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES ON THE QUALITY OF GROUNDWATER FROM SOME RURAL AREAS OF SOUTH-EASTERN NIGERIA

This study examined the trends in anthropogenic chemical contaminants in groundwater samples in rural areas of Ebonyi State, South-eastern Nigeria. Groundwater samples were collected from Ezza North (a quarry mining area) and Ezza South (an agricultural/commercial area) and were analysed using standard techniques. The target compounds evaluated were As(V), phosphate, nitrate, sulfate, chloride and other physicochemical parameters. Pearson’s correlation and factor analyses were used to distinguish the statistical relationship between the various analytes and possible contamination sources in the study areas respectively. The results obtained showed that the pH, temperature, total hardness, electrical conductivity, phosphate, nitrate, chloride and sulfate were within the permissible limits of Water Quality Standards (WQS). Also, 67% of the samples had turbidity and alkalinity values above the WQS, while 25% contained As(V) slightly above the WQS. The qualities of the groundwater samples were found to be influenced mainly by the geochemistry of the soil while commercial and agricultural activities were found to have slight effect on the water quality. This study finally advocates adequate monitoring of As(V), and other potential toxic contaminants in groundwater in the areas.
Computer Networks

Dual Connectivity (DC) is an important lower-layer feature accelerating the transition from 4G to 5G that also is expected to play an important role in standalone 5G radio networks. However, even though the packet reordering introduced by DC can significantly impact the performance of upper-layer protocols, no prior work has studied the impact of DC on QUIC. In this paper, we present the first such performance study. Using a series of throughput and fairness experiments, we show how QUIC is affected by different DC parameters, network conditions, and whether the DC implementation aims to improve throughput or reliability. Results for two QUIC implementations (aioquic, ngtcp2) and two congestion control algorithms (NewReno, CUBIC) are presented under both static and highly time-varying network conditions Our findings provide network operators with insights and understanding into the impacts of splitting QUIC traffic in a DC environment. With reasonably selected DC parameters and increased UDP receive buffers, QUIC over DC performs similarly to TCP over DC and achieves optimal fairness under symmetric link conditions when DC is not used for packet duplication. The insights can help network operators provide modern users with better end-to-end service when deploying DC.
Characterization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) in airborne particles and assessment of human exposure to PAHs

We are reporting a method for measuring 28 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and their methylated derivatives (Me-PAHs) in air particulate matter (PM) samples using isotope dilution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry (GC/HRMS). In this method, PM samples collected on quartz filters were spiked with internal standards, loaded into solid phase extraction cartridges, and eluted by dichloromethane. The extracts were concentrated under a gentle stream of nitrogen, spiked with a recovery standard, and analyzed by GC/HRMS at 10,000 resolution. Sixteen C-labeled PAHs and 2 deuterated Me-PAHs were used as internal standards to account for instrument variability and losses during sample preparation. Recoveries of labeled internal standards were in the range of 95-129% which was comparable to the commonly used sonication-assisted extraction and higher than accelerated solvent extraction (ASE). Furthermore, the proposed method is less time-consuming than the comparative methods and eliminates the need of a filtration step required after the sonication extraction method. Limits of detection ranged from 41 to 366 pg/sample for the 28 analytes. This method was used to analyze reference materials from the National
Direct Adaptive Control of Nonaffine Magnetic Levitation System Using Radial Basis Function Neural Network

Magnetic levitation system (MLS) is seldom modeled as a nonlinear system. This hinders the incorporation of nonlinearity due to its control input into the model of the system. Literature survey reveals that it can also be modeled as a nonaffine nonlinear system. The controller design of non affine nonlinear system is performed with the help of artificial neural network (NN). But, NNs have disadvantages like local minima trapping and high training time. These issues are resolved to a great extent by resorting to the use of radial basis function NN (RBFNN) for the controller design of nonaffine nonlinear system. In this paper, we have proposed the use of RBFNN to design an adaptive controller for a magnetic ball position system based on MLS. The control objective is for the system output, ball position, to track a desired trajectory. The proposed controller fulfills the control objective better than an adaptive controller based on sigmoid activation function NN.
NAPL (Non Aqueous Phase Liquid) source characterization based on dissolved contaminant concentrations

Subsurface contamination frequently originates from spatially distributed sources of Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (NAPLs). Such chemicals are typically persistent sources of groundwater contamination that are difficult to characterize. This work addresses the feasibility of using dissolved concentration measurements to estimate the spatial distribution of an immobile (or residual) NAPL mixture in a saturated field-scale system. We first developed a state estimation algorithm for a one-dimensional point source problem. (Bennett 1992, McLaughlin 1995). The spatially and temporally varying states (i.e., the dissolved contaminant concentrations and the NAPL saturations) were estimated by taking advantage of the time-dependence of solute concentrations originating from competitive dissolution of a NAPL mixture. We applied the estimator to a point source problem using sixteen measurement strategies with dissolved concentration measurements placed at different points in space and time. The estimation results assessed the uncertainty reduction associated with each strategy, highlighting the importance of capturing a characteristic scale of the problem with the sampling design. The characteristic scale for a given problem is either a temporal or spatial spread of measurements large enough to capture the temporal change in the NAPL source. At least for the sample problem, sampling strategies that utilized multiple measurements at the same location were as effective as those that sampled over a wider spatial domain. In the second part of this research we developed a two-dimensional coupled flow/dissolution/transport model for a spatially distributed residual NAPL source. We modeled the distributed NAPL as a first order gradient driven source term of the dissolved phase transport equation. Since this model was specifically designed to describe a residual NAPL source, it is a useful tool for analyzing the sensitivity of dissolved measurements under various source regimes. Based on the results of the one-dimensional estimator as well as the analyses we performed with the two-dimensional model, we concluded that dissolved concentration measurements are sufficiently sensitive to NAPL source composition and location to make source estimation feasible. However, this analysis assumed that both the prior statistics of the NAPL saturation and the field scale mass transfer coefficient for NAPL dissolution were known, an unlikely assumption in practical/applied estimation. Thesis Supervisor: Dennis B. McLaughlin Title: H.M. King Bhumibol Professor of Water Resource Management
THE KINEMATIC AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF A POTENTIAL CORE-FORMING CLUMP: PERSEUS B1-E

We present 13 CO ? > and C 18 O ? > (1-0), (2-1), and (3-2) maps toward the core-forming Perseus B1-E clump using observations from the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, the Submillimeter Telescope of the Arizona Radio Observatory, and the IRAM 30 m telescope. We find that the 13 CO ? > and C 18 O ? > line emission both have very complex velocity structures, indicative of multiple velocity components within the ambient gas. The (1–0) transitions reveal a radial velocity gradient across B1-E of ∼ 1 km s − 1 pc − 1 ? > that increases from northwest to southeast, whereas the majority of the Perseus cloud has a radial velocity gradient increasing from southwest to northeast. In contrast, we see no evidence of a velocity gradient associated with the denser Herschel-identified substructures in B1-E. Additionally, the denser substructures have much lower systemic motions than the ambient clump material, which indicates that they are likely decoupled from the large-scale gas. Nevertheless, these substructures themselves have broad line widths (∼0.4 km s − 1 ? > ) similar to that of the C 18 O ? > gas in the clump, which suggests they inherited their kinematic properties from the larger-scale, moderately dense gas. Finally, we find evidence of C 18 O ? > depletion only toward one substructure, B1-E2, which is also the only object with narrow (transonic) line widths. We suggest that as prestellar cores form, their chemical and kinematic properties are linked in evolution, such that these objects must first dissipate their turbulence before they deplete in CO.
The Origin of Massive O-type Field Stars. Part II: Field O stars as runaways

In two papers we try to confirm that all Galactic high-mass stars are formed in a cluster environment, by excluding that O-type stars found in the Galactic field actually formed there. In de Wit et al. (2004) we presented deep K-band imaging of 5 arcmin fields centred on 43 massive O-type field stars that revealed that the large majority of these objects are single objects. In this contribution we explore the possibility that the field O stars are dynamically ejected from young clusters, by investigating their peculiar space velocity distribution, their distance from the Galactic plane, and their spatial vicinity to known young stellar clusters. We (re-)identify 22 field O-type stars as candidate runaway OB-stars. The statistics show that ~4% of all O-type stars with V < 8 can be considered as formed outside a cluster environment. Most are spectroscopically single objects, some are visual binaries. The derived percentage for O-type stars that form isolated in the field based on our statistical analyses is in agreement with what is expected from calculations adopting a universal cluster richness distribution with power index of beta = 1.7, assuming that the cluster richness distribution is continuous down to the smallest clusters containing one single star.
Discovery of magnetic fields in the very young, massive stars W601 (NGC 6611) and OI 201 (NGC 2244) ⋆

Context: Recent spectropolarimetric observations of Herbig Ae/Be stars have yielded new arguments in favour of a fossil origin for the magnetic fields of intermediate mass stars. Aims: To study the evolution of these magnetic fields, and their impact on the evolution of the angular momentum of these stars during the pre-main sequence phase, we observed Herbig Ae/Be members of young open clusters of various ages. Methods: We obtained high-resolution spectropolarimetric observations of Herbig Ae/Be stars belonging to the young open clusters NGC 6611 (<6 Myr), NGC 2244 (~1.9 Myr), and NGC 2264 (~8 Myr), using ESPaDOnS at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Results: Here we report the discovery of strong magnetic fields in two massive pre-main sequence cluster stars. We detected, for the first time, a magnetic field in a pre-main sequence rapid rotator: the 10.2~M? Herbig B1.5e star W601 (NGC 6611; v sin i? 190 km s-1). Our spectropolarimetric observations yield a longitudinal magnetic field larger than 1 kG, and imply a rotational period shorter than 1.7 days. The spectrum of this very young object (age ? 0.017 Myr) shows strong and variable lines of He and Si. We also detected a magnetic field in the 12.1~M_? B1 star OI 201 (NGC 2244; v sin i=23.5 km s-1). The Stokes V profile of this star does not vary over 5 days, suggesting a long rotational period, a pole-on orientation, or aligned magnetic and rotation axes. OI 201 is situated near the Zero-Age Main Sequence on the HR diagram, and exhibits normal chemical abundances and no spectrum variability. Based on observations obtained at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) which is operated by the National Research Council of Canada, the Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of France, and the University of Hawaii.
Identiﬁcation, Cloning, and Characterization of a Lactococcus lactis Branched-Chain (cid:2) -Keto Acid Decarboxylase Involved in Flavor Formation

The biochemical pathway for formation of branched-chain aldehydes, which are important ﬂavor compounds derived from proteins in fermented dairy products, consists of a protease, peptidases, a transaminase, and a branched-chain (cid:1) -keto acid decarboxylase (KdcA). The activity of the latter enzyme has been found only in a limited number of Lactococcus lactis strains. By using a random mutagenesis approach, the gene encoding KdcA in L. lactis B1157 was identiﬁed. The gene for this enzyme is highly homologous to the gene annotated ipd , which encodes a putative indole pyruvate decarboxylase, in L. lactis IL1403. Strain IL1403 does not produce KdcA, which could be explained by a 270-nucleotide deletion at the 3 (cid:1) terminus of the ipd gene encoding a truncated nonfunctional decarboxylase. The kdcA gene was overexpressed in L. lactis for further characterization of the decarboxylase enzyme. Of all of the potential substrates tested, the as a template. The 1QPB structure consists of a dimer with bound Mg 2 (cid:1) ions, TPP, and pyruvamide. The results of the modeling were visualized by using Protein Explorer (http://molvis.sdsc.edu/protexpl/frntdoor.htm; copyright 1998–2003 by Eric Martz). Nucleotide sequence accession number. The sequence of the kdcA gene has been deposited in the GenBank database under accession number AY548760.
Opportunities for hydrologic research in the Congo Basin

We review the published results on the Congo Basin hydrology and summarize the historic and ongoing research. Annual rainfall is ~1900 mm/yr along an east‐west trend across the basin, decreasing northward and southward to ~1100 mm/yr. Historic studies using lysimeters, pans, and models suggest that the annual potential evapotranspiration varies little across the basin at 1100 to 1200 mm/yr. Over the past century, river discharge data have been collected at hundreds of stream gauges with historic and recent data at 96 locations now publicly available. Congo River discharge at Kinshasa‐Brazzaville experienced an increase of 21% during the 1960–1970 decade in comparison to most other decades. Satellite altimetry measurements of high and low flows show that water levels in the “Cuvette Centrale” wetland are 0.5 m to 3.0 m higher in elevation than the immediately adjacent Congo River levels. Wetland water depths are shallow at about a meter and there does not appear to be many sizable channels across the “Cuvette”; thus, wetland flows are diffusive. Cuvette waters alone are estimated to emit about 0.5 Pg CH4 and CO2 equivalents/yr, an amount that is significant compared to global carbon evasions. Using these results, we suggest seven hypotheses that focus on the source of the Cuvette waters and how these leave the wetland, on the river discharge generated by historic rainfall, on the connection between climate change and the rainfall‐runoff generated by the migrating “tropical rainbelt,” on deforestation and hydroelectric power generation, and on the amount of carbon emitted from Congo waters.
Measuring conservation program best management practice implementation and maintenance at the watershed scale

There is growing interest in evaluating the impacts at the watershed scale of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) designed to improve water quality. Many approaches to impact assessment require detailed information about actual BMP use by farmers and landowners in a watershed. This paper examines the strengths and weaknesses of using formal USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service records of conservation program participation as an indicator of spatial and temporal patterns of BMP implementation and maintenance. Field interviews with conservation program participants revealed potential limitations with official records regarding (1) documentation of the incidence of successful BMP implementation, (2) the nature of the BMPs that were implemented, (3) accurate measurement of the timing and location of BMP implementations, and (4) information about the long-term use and maintenance of implemented BMPs. The results suggest that official records should be field-verified before being used as indicators of BMP use. The findings also point to a larger need for development of more robust and accurate systems for tracking BMP implementation and maintenance over periods of time.
chondrites reveals a heterogeneous distribution of 142 Nd in the solar nebula

to constrain the early silicate evolution of planetary bodies. The composition of bulk terrestrial planets is then considered to be similar to that of primitive chondrites that represent the building blocks of rocky planets. However for many elements chondrites preserve small isotope differences. In this case it is not always clear to what extent these variations reflect the isotope heterogeneity of the protosolar nebula rather than being produced by the decay of parent isotopes. Here we present Sm–Nd isotopes data measured in a comprehensive suite of enstatite chondrites (EC). The EC preserve 142 Nd∕ 144 Nd ratios that range from those of ordinary chondrites to values similar to terrestrial samples. The EC having terrestrial 142 Nd∕ 144 Nd ratios are also characterized by small 144 Sm excesses, which is a pure p-process nuclide. The correlation between 144 Sm and 142 Nd for chondrites may indicate a heterogeneous distribution in the solar nebula of p-process matter synthesized in supernovae. However to explain the difference in 142 Nd∕ 144 Nd ratios, 20% of the p-process contribution to 142 Nd is required, at odds with the value of 4% currently proposed in stellar models. This study highlights the necessity of obtaining highprecision 144 Sm measurements to interpret properly measured 142 Nd signatures. Another explanation could be that the chondrites sample material formed in different pulses of the lifetime of asymptotic giant branch stars. Then the isotope signature measured in SiC presolar would not represent the unique s-process signature of the material present in the solar nebula during accretion.
Comparative effectiveness of different exercise interventions for elderly patients with hip fracture: A systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis protocol of randomized controlled trials

Background Exercise intervention (EI) is a promising and economical way for elderly patients with hip fracture, but the evidence regarding effective EIs remains fragmented and controversial, and it is unclear which type of exercise is optimal. The purpose of this Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) is to compare and rank the efficacy of various EIs in elderly patients with hip fracture. Materials and methods A comprehensive literature search was performed using a systematic approach across various databases including Medline (via PubMed), CINAHL, CNKI, Web of Science, Wan Fang, Embase, VIP, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and CBM databases. The search encompasses all available records from the inception of each database until December 2022. The Inclusion literature comprises randomized controlled trials that incorporate at least one EI for elderly patients with hip fracture. We will assess the risk of bias of the studies in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, and assess each evidence of outcome quality in accordance with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework. The NMA will be performed by STATA 15.0 software and OpenBUGS version 3.2. 3. The identification of publication bias will be accomplished through the utilization of a funnel plot. We will rank the EIs effects according to the cumulative ranking probability curve (surface under the cumulative ranking area, SUCRA). The primary outcomes will be hip function in elderly patients, and the secondary outcomes will be activities of daily living, walking capacity and balance ability of elderly patients. Trial registration PROSPERO registration number: CRD4202022340737.
EPcrust: a reference crustal model for the European Plate

SUMMARY We present a new crustal model for the European Plate, derived from collection and critical integration of information selected from the literature. The model covers the whole European Plate from North Africa to the North Pole (20 ◦ N–90 ◦ N) and from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to the Urals (40 ◦ W–70 ◦ E). The chosen parametrization represents the crust in three layers (sediments, upper crust and lower crust), and describes the 3-D geometry of the interfaces and seismologically relevant parameters—isotropic P- and S-wave velocity, plus density—with a resolution of 0.5 ◦ × 0.5 ◦ on a geographical latitude–longitude grid. We selected global and local models, derived from geological assumptions, active seismic experiments, surface wave studies, noise correlation, receiver functions. Model EPcrust presents significant advantages with respect to previous models: it covers the whole European Plate; it is a complete and internally-consistent model (with all the parameters provided, also for the sedimentary layer); it is reproducible; it is easy to update in the future by adding new contributions; and it is available in a convenient digital format. EPcrust could be used to account for crustal structure in seismic wave propagation modelling at continental scale or to compute linearized crustal corrections in continental scale seismic tomography, gravity studies, dynamic topography and other applications that require a reliable crustal structure. Because of its resolution, our model is not suited for local-scale studies, such as the computation of earthquake scenarios, where more detailed knowledge of the structure is required. We plan to update the model as new data will become available, and possibly improve its resolution for selected areas in the future.