Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A global probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment from earthquake sources

Abstract Large tsunamis occur infrequently but have the capacity to cause enormous numbers of casualties, damage to the built environment and critical infrastructure, and economic losses. A sound understanding of tsunami hazard is required to underpin management of these risks, and while tsunami hazard assessments are typically conducted at regional or local scales, globally consistent assessments are required to support international disaster risk reduction efforts, and can serve as a reference for local and regional studies. This study presents a global-scale probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment (PTHA), extending previous global-scale assessments based largely on scenario analysis. Only earthquake sources are considered, as they represent about 80% of the recorded damaging tsunami events. Globally extensive estimates of tsunami run-up height are derived at various exceedance rates, and the associated uncertainties are quantified. Epistemic uncertainties in the exceedance rates of large earthquakes often lead to large uncertainties in tsunami run-up. Deviations between modelled tsunami run-up and event observations are quantified, and found to be larger than suggested in previous studies. Accounting for these deviations in PTHA is important, as it leads to a pronounced increase in predicted tsunami run-up for a given exceedance rate.
EFFECT OF BANK LOAN FINANCING POLICIES ON PERFORMANCE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN TURKANA COUNTY, KENYA

Loans are considered to be the basic source of financing Small and Medium Enterprises in developing countries like Kenya. However, the majority of SMEs continues to face challenges in obtaining loan facilities resulting in poor performance and closures. Hence, the study investigated the effect of bank loan financing policies on the performance of SMEs in Turkana County, Kenya. The study was guided by two research questions: In what ways do collateral requirements affect the performance of small and medium sized enterprises in Turkana County, Kenya? And how does financial information affect the performance of small and medium sized enterprises in Turkana County, Kenya? The study was anchored on correlation research design and targeted a population of 2037 licensed SMEs from different sectors in Turkana County. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select a sample of 334 SMEs. A questionnaire for SMEs was used as the instrument of data collection that collected data on the independent and dependent variables. The research instrument was tested for validity and reliability before being taken to the field. Analysis of data was done through the quantitative method. Analysis of data to answer the research questions was done by using descriptive statistics; frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation. Data analysed was presented in the form of frequencies and percentages, mean, and standard deviation. The research result showed that there existed a significant negative effect of collateral requirements ( and performance of SMEs. However, the second null hypothesis was accepted (p>0.05) because leading to the acceptance that there was no significant effect of financial information on the performance of SMEs. The study concludes that loan financial policies had a significant effect on the performance of SMEs in Turkana County. The study recommends that financial institutions need to revise their loan financing policies to make them attractive to SMEs as they have been found to be influencing their performance. JEL: L20; G21
IMPACT OF NON-LINEAR SOIL BEHAVIOR ON SITE RESPONSE AMPLITUDE

We present an extensive analysis of the quantitative impact of the non-linear soil behavior on site response at 174 sites of the Japanese KiK-net network. The nonlinear to linear site response ratio, RSR NL-L is calculated by comparing the surface / downhole Fourier spectral ratio for strong events and for weak events. 3 thresholds of surface PGA are tested to characterize the "strong events": 100, 200 and 300 cm/s 2 , while weak events correspond to surface PGA in the range [0.1 – 25 cm/s 2 ]. This ratio exhibits a "typical shape"; with a low frequency part above 1 and a high frequency part generally below 1, separated by a transition zone around a site-dependent frequency labelled f NL (characterized by RSR NL-L = 1). The average maximum amplitudes of RSRNL-L are 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6, and the minimums 0.6, 0.5 and 0.5 for PGA thresholds 100, 200 and 300 cm/s 2 respectively, showing that non-linear soil behaviour results in significant site response modifications even for moderate PGA values of 100 cm/s 2 .
Abusive Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages and Associated Factors in Brazilian University Students

The university is considered an environment that favors the initiation and use of substances, especially those that are legal, such as alcohol. This consumption can be differentiated in university students, which makes it necessary to better understand this behavior. Taking into account these aspects, we analyzed the abusive consumption of alcoholic beverages in university students and its association with socioeconomic and behavioral factors. We conducted a cross-sectional study with regularly enrolled students. We assessed the abusive consumption of alcoholic beverages using the binge drinking pattern. We collected socioeconomic and behavioral data using a questionnaire. The association between the variables was verified using logistic regression. Abusive consumption of alcoholic beverages was high, with a high weekly frequency. The association with sociodemographic and behavioral factors can increase the health risk. Education campaigns within institutions with students in the classroom and with all those who can influence these students are important. As there are few studies that consider other health risk factors that have not been analyzed yet, such as those treated in our study, with the abusive consumption of alcoholic beverages, this study seeks to contribute to the knowledge of the relationships between these variables and in the elaboration of actions aimed at improving the lifestyle and health of university students.
Mhealth tools for community-based infectious disease surveillance in Africa: a scoping review protocol

Introduction Countries in the WHO’s African region have found community-based surveillance useful in ensuring the effectiveness of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response strategy. This approach encourages community participation in the surveillance system, in addition to early detection of outbreaks and other health threats. Thus, advancements in mobile health have the potential to improve community-based surveillance in Africa. The purpose of this review is to map evidence on available mhealth tools for community-based infectious disease surveillance in Africa. Methods and analysis The scoping review will follow a mixed-methods approach in line with the framework of Arksey and O’Malley amended by Levac and colleagues and the Joanna Briggs Institute. To retrieve published literature, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Google databases will be explored. Websites of organisations involved in surveillance activities across the African region will also be explored. Authors will be interested in published literature between 2000 and 2022 in any language. The primary investigator and a second author will independently review the retrieved titles according to the inclusion criteria, while a third reviewer will resolve conflicts that may arise. The review will map evidence according to the key concepts (mhealth, community-based surveillance and Africa) to inform stakeholders and mhealth designers on best practices to adopt involving mhealth approaches at the community level and mhealth tool designs, respectively. Results following the review will be presented according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: Extension for Scoping Review Guidelines. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required for scoping reviews as it does not involve the use of human subjects. This review is the first phase in an overall project on digital health. The findings of the review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated at suitable forums and conferences.
The power of geography : universal discourse, global coloniality, and local sovereignty in the sustainable city apparatus

The power to define and designate space has long been seen as the fundamental bedrock of sovereign governance. Do, then, new ‘locally’ generated city master plans orientated around ‘sustainability’ offer an effective vehicle for establishing and managing urban futures? The argument put forward in this thesis is no, not as some argue because of their ‘utopian’ nature, but because they rest upon a form of ‘de jure’ sovereignty that emerges as a momentary and situated response to a ‘state of exception’ in planetary urbanisation. This fails to allow recognition of the way the long duree of power associated with the colonial project of citymaking continues to undermine de facto spatial governance. This is revealed in the thesis through a postcolonial analysis of the way in which two such master plans materialise as the assembled futures of Lusaka, Zambia and Sacramento, California, USA. Rendering them comparable as emergent, ontological repetitions, empirical research findings point to a stabilised regime of truth around the comprehensive city plan and the ‘local’ institutional arrangements that legitimate its emergence as a mode of governance. In addition to this the thesis draws out two important implications regarding engagement with power for urban geographers seeking to embrace a ‘relational’ conceptualisation of planning and policy making. Firstly, it highlights a failure to critically problematize what constitutes the ‘local’ institutional contexts of urban planning and policy making in contrast to grand metanarratives of ‘planetary urbanisation’ and the ‘global age’. As a result, and secondly, evocative but hollow representations of epistemological ‘circulation’ and ‘flow’ work to essentialise the presence of ideas in different places as the product of policy ‘mobility’. Urban geographers should recognise the complex multiplicity ofsovereignty’s own topos, something undermined by a post-political interpretation of globalisation that facilitates the reproduction of ‘the city’ as a coloniality of power.
Incretin-Based Therapies and the Risk of Breast Cancer in Women with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the data from cohort studies that compared treatment with or without incretins and the incidence of breast cancer (BC) due to the current controversies. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Cochrane, ProQuest, Ovid, and Google Scholar were searched for relevant studies. A secondary analysis was conducted to compare the effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4Is) on BC development. Results: The meta-analysis of four studies with 58,767 patients and 461,475 controls revealed that incretin-based therapies increase the incidence of BC insignificantly (risk ratio (RR)=1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.44–3.40; P=0.69). The DPP-4I group significantly reduced the risk of BC compared to the GLP-1RA group (RR=0.43, 95% CI=0.32–0.59; P<0.00001). Conclusion: This study found no evidence of a substantial increase in BC incidence in patients with type 2 diabetes taking GLP-1RAs and DPP-4Is. However, DPP-4Is were less likely than GLP-1RAs to cause BC formation.
Overview of Big Data Analytics in Modern Astronomy

Astronomers are increasingly compelled to chart the universe with ever greater precision. Projects like the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), Pan-STARRS, and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) generate approximately 100-200 Petabytes of data annually, presenting significant big data challenges in terms of storage, processing, and data transfer. The Square Kilometer Array (SKA), an ambitious project involving 130,000 antennas and 200 dishes spanning two continents, is scheduled to become operational in 2028. It will collect 160 terabytes of data per second, translating to 1 petabyte of data daily. Coping with this immense volume of data necessitates real-time processing and analysis, driving the need for efficient machine learning and image analysis algorithms. Astronomy stands as an ideal domain for big data analytics, pushing the boundaries of data analysis. This review paper will present intriguing applications for data scientists, exploring the challenges and recent technological advancements in big data analytics concerning astronomy. The paper will also critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches, methodologies, or tools used in big data analytics within the context of astronomy, supported by relevant case studies.
GDENet: Graph Differential Equation Network for Traffic Flow Prediction

The accurate prediction of traffic flow is paramount for the advancement of intelligent transportation systems. Despite this, current prediction models only account for either temporal or spatial features in isolation, without considering their interaction, impeding the model’s ability to express itself. In light of this, we propose the graph differential equations network (GDENet), an approach that can effectively mine spatiotemporal correlation. Specifically, we propose a spatiotemporal feature integrator (STFI), which alleviates the error caused by the deviation of the sampling distribution from the overall distribution. By incorporating temporal information into the model for training and combining it with spatial features, we thoroughly explore the spatiotemporal intrinsic association. When compared to state-of-the-art methods, our proposed algorithm reduces memory consumption and elevates computational efficiency and the practical value. We conduct experiments with real-world datasets, and our proposed model outperformed advanced prediction models.
An Oceanic Trajectory Based Operations Concept Shaped by Operational Influences

Oceanic operations suffer from multiple inefficiencies, including large separation requirements relative to domestic airspace, time-consuming processes for amending en route trajectories, difficulties exchanging data between Flight Information Regions (FIRs), and restrictions on User Preferred Routes (UPRs). The result is that aircraft fly suboptimal trajectories, burning fuel and time that could be conserved. Transitioning to Trajectory Based Operations (TBO) is expected to improve operational efficiency. However, few TBO research initiatives involve operational personnel before it is too late for operational feedback to do more than de-scope the implementation to a single dimension. A human-centered approach to developing a concept for applying TBO to improve trajectory efficiency in oceanic airspace yielded a concept that explicitly incorporates uncertainty in strategic planning and requires careful consideration of the fourth dimension – in this case, altitude – in trajectory negotiation and conformance monitoring.
Unified reed solomon decoder for Correcting burst and random errors

Uncertainties Are The Major Feature Of Burst And Random Errors. This Fact Makes Error Correction become a Difficult Task. Similar With Other Forward Correction Codes (FEC), When Using RS Codes As Channel Coding, The Errors Occurred In Transmission Procedure Are Typically Divided Into Random Errors And Burst Errors And Also Erasures. Currently, For Decoding RS Codes With Random-Error Correction And Burst Errors With Previously Employed Techniques Is Quite Difficult. Al though Erasure Is One Type Of Error Which Is Not Corrected By Means Of Those Techniques Simultaneously With Burst And Random Errors. My Proposed Scheme With Unified Architecture For Reed Solomon Decoder Combined With Burst And Random Errors Is Possible And To Yield Maximum Number Of Bit Error Correcting Capabilities In Lesser Cycle Times, When Compared With Previously Employed Schemes And Also To Correct Erasure, . Is Firstly Presented For Multi-Mode Decoding Requirements. Keywords— burst errors, random errors, erasures, RIBC algorithm, UHD decoder, key equation solver, galois field.
UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) A Contextual-Bandit Approach to Online Learning to Rank for Relevance and Diversity

Online learning to rank (LTR) focuses on learning a policy from user interactions that builds a list of items sorted in decreasing order of the item utility. It is a core area in modern interactive systems, such as search engines, recommender systems, or conversational assistants. Previous online LTR approaches either assume the relevance of an item in the list to be independent of other items in the list or the relevance of an item to be a submodular function of the utility of the list. The former type of approach may result in a list of low diversity that has relevant items covering the same aspects, while the latter approaches may lead to a highly diversiﬁed list but with some non-relevant items. In this paper, we study an online LTR problem that considers both item relevance and topical diversity. We assume cascading user behavior, where a user browses the displayed list of items from top to bottom and clicks the ﬁrst attractive item and stops browsing the rest. We propose a hybrid contextual bandit approach, called CascadeHybrid , for solving this problem. CascadeHybrid models item relevance and topical diversity using two independent functions and simultaneously learns those functions from user click feedback. We derive a gap-free bound on the n -step regret of CascadeHybrid . We conduct experiments to evaluate CascadeHybrid on the MovieLens and Yahoo music datasets. Our experimental results show that CascadeHybrid outperforms the baselines on both datasets.
A study on mechanical properties of 1H-type crystalline nickel ditelluride

We used the molecular dynamic finite element method with Stillinger-Weber potential to study the mechanical behavior of monolayer 1H-type nickel ditelluride (1H-NiTe2) sheets under uniaxial tension. As the size of the pristine 1H-NiTe2 sheet increases, the Young’s modulus in the armchair direction increases by 6.2 %, while that in the zigzag one decreases by 6.0 %. Both tend to be size-independent in larger sheets and approach the same value at around 54 N/m. The ultimate stress in the armchair direction remains almost unchanged but that in the zigzag one reduces by about 9.5 % as the size inclines. Besides the influence of size, our results show that single vacancy defects strongly affect the ultimate stress and strain while having no effect on Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio. When a Te atom is missing at the sheet’s center, the ultimate stress in the armchair direction is reduced by 11.7 %, while a decrease of 16.0 % is caused by a Ni atom vacancy
Fish migration in oscillating stratified water masses

Time series records from data storage tag (DST) attached on Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua L.) and Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) are investigated in connection with hydrodynamic and hydrographic features at specific locations to obtain spatial and temporal variation on fish migration patterns, which may change the availability of fish to survey gears. From spring to autumn, some Greenland halibut, at 500-800 m depth, were exposed to a persistent diurnal fluctuation of temperature between subzero and 5.5±C. Tidally induced topographic trapped waves with diurnal (K1) frequency were indicated in some region along the Barents Sea escarpment, where the transition zone between warm Atlantic water (AW) and cold Norwegian Sea Arctic Intermediate Water (NAIW) is at 500-700 m. An asymmetry in the temperature diurnal pattern showed a gradual increase followed by a rapid drop. This event may be related to the displacement mechanism of stratified water masses together with the fish diurnal migration pattern in synchrony with tidal motion. The pattern indicates that fish migrated seawards off the slope and was pelagic part of the day, thus unavailable to bottom trawl. Up to three weeks in April, some tagged cod had low vertical activity at a depth exposed to semidiurnal tidal fluctuations of the transition layer between 100-200 m, where cold coastal waters flow on top of warm Atlantic waters. Along the southern coast of the Barents Sea, strong semidiurnal tides can generate baroclinic coastal Kelvin waves causing vertical motion of the pycnocline, thus semidiurnal fluctuation of temperature was observed.
Guest Editorial Special Issue on Neural Systems Engineering and Mathematical Modeling of Brain Dynamics Using ECoG/EEG/MEG Oscillations and Machine Learning Methods

The coherent spatiotemporal dynamical interplay among neurons, neuronal populations, cortical circuits, and networks cross the micro-, meso- and macro-scales of the human brain, providing the functional organization of the brain and supporting our daily life. The details of how these multiple scales of organization in the brain influence one another and produce a multitude of human behaviors remains a clouded mystery. Mathematical, computational, and experimental neuroscientists employ a variety of cutting-edge methods, techniques, and algorithms in both humans and animals to identify the core mechanisms that govern the perception and action characteristics of the human brain. Integration of functional MRI (fMRI)–as an indirect measure of brain activity-with electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetoencephalogram (MEG) as direct measures of spatiotemporal and spectral fingerprints of brain dynamics has provided novel insights into how the human brain operates in the resting state and in goal-oriented task performance. The ultimate goal is to identify the fundamental mechanisms that explain brain function across multiple spatiotemporal dynamics. Although our knowledge has grown exponentially in the past few decades, the integration of this knowledge to provide a conceptual framework of emergent behavior and pattern formation occurring on different levels of spatial organization remains challenging.