Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of the time series and multi-temporal features of Sentinel-1/2 satellite imagery to predict soil inorganic and organic carbon in a low-relief area with a semi-arid environment

ABSTRACT Accurate mapping of soil organic carbon (SOC) and inorganic carbon (SIC) contents at regional scales can be very important for sustainable agriculture and soil management. Low variation in terrain attributes (classically used for digital soil mapping) at low relief areas calls for additional spatial data to explain soil variability. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the predictive capability of Sentinel-1 (radar) and Sentinel-2 (optical) time series and statistics, summarized as multi-temporal features (MTF) to improve the spatial predictions of SOC and SIC in Ghorveh plain, located in Kurdistan Province, Western Iran. A systematic grid sampling was then employed to collect 150 soil surface samples (0–30 cm) for SOC and SIC measurements. We applied boosted regression trees (BRT) and random forest (RF) to predict SOC and SIC contents by using covariate sets compiled from radar and optical time series and topographic attributes. Model performance, evaluated by 10-fold cross-validation, showed that RF using the covariate set containing time series of Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and topographic attributes performed the best in predicting SOC (RMSE = 0.23, ME = 0.005, R2 = 0.29). On the other hand, for SIC, the covariate set containing MTF of Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and topographic attributes ranked the best with BRT (RMSE = 0.77, ME= −0.001, R2 = 0.48). The study indicates that using the time series and MTF from multiple dates of remote sensing data with topographic attributes results in improved predictions. However, model performance for SIC and SOC was moderate to poor, respectively. Therefore more substantial studies would be required to verify if the computational effort is likely justified by an increase in accuracy in general.
Analysis of a Cold Wave Weather Process of China from December 23rd to 26th, 2021

Cold wave weather process is a large-scale strong cold air activity process, will bring drastic cooling and wind, as well as rain and snow weather. This research mainly studies the evolution and cause of a cold wave weather process of China from December 23rd to 26th, 2021. The weather map from the National Climate Center and the geopotential height and sea level pressure rea-nalysis data from December 23rd to 26th, 2021 provided by National Centers for Environmental Prediction of United States are analyzed by the comparative analysis method and the high altitude situation forecast equation. As a result, this research found that this cold wave was considered a nationwide process. Besides, this cold wave process was mainly caused by the invasion of cold air from Siberia. In addition, under the joint action of the warm high pressure ridge in the Ural Mountains, the polar vortex split and presented a multi-polar distribution. One of them was located near West Siberia, which was conducive to the accumulation of cold air here. With the rotation of the transverse trough, cold air moved southward, and cold wave broke out.
Validation of an instrument in Latin America to measure fear perception of the consequences of a large-scale war (war-effect)

Background: The Russia-Ukraine war brought immediate and delayed socio-economic consequences. In general, the repercussions caused fear all over the world. This study aims to validate an instrument for measuring fear perception caused by the consequences of a large-scale war in Latin American citizens. Methodology: An instrumental study in which 1705 residents of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and other countries were surveyed through a virtual format. A literature search, expert judgment, preliminary (then exploratory and confirmatory) analysis, as well as reliability assessment were carried out. Results: The skewness and kurtosis values of the 13 questions did not exceed the range ± 1.5 and showed significant correlations (>0.30). The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin index (0.962) and Bartlett's test (19558.5; df=78; p=0.001) had good indicators. The parallel analysis suggested a single factor, which explained 75.59% of the total variance. The confirmatory factor analysis generated an instrument with six items (χ2=47.33, df=9, p=0.001; RMR=0.010; GFI=0.990; CFI=1.00; TLI=0.990; and RMSEA=0.050), with an overall Cronbach's Alpha=0.949 (95% CI=0.94–0.95). Conclusion: A six-item instrument that measures the perception of fear caused by the consequences of a large-scale war was validated in half a dozen Latin American countries. This short and valid instrument can be administered to a broad population in Latin America.
Population pressure and global markets drove a decade of deforestation in Africa's Albertine Rift

Africa's Albertine Rift faces a juxtaposition of rapid human population growth in a biodiversity hotspot. Using satellite-derived forest cover change, we examined national socioeconomic, demographic, and agricultural production data, and local level demographic and geographic variables, to assess multilevel forces driving significant deforestation outside protected areas over the first decade of the 21st century across six countries in the Albertine Rift.
Information geometry and the Wright-Fisher model of mathematical population genetics

In this talk, I will present the global solution to the diffusion approximation of the Wright-Fisher model and some its geometric aspects. Constructing such a global solution gives us a deep understanding of structure of whole evolution process of the model and its diffusion approximation and also suggest a natural extension to the models with other evolution forces. This is a joint work with Juergen Jost and Julian Hofrichter.
Mesostructure and Magnetic Properties of SiO2-Co Granular Film on Silicon Substrate

Granular films SiO2(Co) exhibit unusual magnetic and magnetotransport properties which are strongly dependent on the composition of the film and material of a substrate. For example, the injection magnetoresistance (IMR) coefficient reaches a giant (GIMR) value of 105% at room temperature in SiO2(Co) films on an n-GaAs substrate. However, the IMR effect is negligible in the case of a similar granular film deposited on the n-Si substrate. In this report, the structural and magnetic properties of granular film SiO2(Co) on Si substrate are studied with the aim to understand the cause of the difference in IMR coefficients for SiO2(Co) thin film deposited on n-GaAs and on n-Si substrates. Investigations were carried out using complementary methods of Polarized Neutron Reflectometry, Grazing Incidence Small-Angle X-ray Scattering, X-ray Reflectometry, Scanning Electron Microscope, and SQUID magnetometry. It is shown that the interface layer between the granular film and Si substrate exhibits metallic rather than magnetic properties and eliminates the GIMR effect. This interface layer is associated with the Si diffusion to Co nanoparticles and the formation of the metallic cobalt silicides.
Characteristics of square cylinder wake transition flows

The wake transition regime in square cylinder flow is investigated experimentally. Mode A and B transitions similar to those captured in circular cylinder flows are found to exist in this regime and by using dye- and laser-induced fluorescence visualization, the spanwise and streamwise vortex structures are captured. Upon comparison with their corresponding modes in circular cylinder flows, some differences are noted. Most notably, the critical Reynolds numbers at which Mode A and B occur for square cylinder flows were estimated to be approximately 160 and 200, respectively, and are lower than those found in circular cylinder flows, which are generally agreed to be approximately 188–190 and 230–260, respectively. Also, the spanwise wavelengths for the two modes in square cylinder flows (5.2 Ds and 1.2 Ds for Modes A and B, respectively) are longer than their counterparts in circular cylinder flows (3–4Do and 0.8–1Do, respectively). Furthermore, by using a hot wire to measure the shedding frequency, it was.
Peritoneal Dialysis Care in Mainland China: Nationwide Survey

Background Peritoneal dialysis (PD) care in mainland China has been progressing in the past 10 years. Objective To complement information from the dialysis registry, a large-scale nationwide survey was conducted to investigate the current infrastructure and management of PD care at hospitals of different tiers. Methods A web-based multiple-choice questionnaire was distributed through the National Center for Nephrology Medical Quality Management and Control to PD centers of secondary and tertiary hospitals in October 2020. The 2-part survey collected the information of PD centers and the clinical management of patients on PD. A total of 788 effective surveys from 746 hospitals were voluntarily returned, and data were extracted and analyzed. Results The effective survey data covered 101,537 patients on PD, with 95% (96,460/101,537) in the tertiary hospitals. The median number of patients per PD center was 60 (IQR 21-152); this number was 32 (IQR 8-65) and 70 (IQR 27-192) for secondary and tertiary hospitals, respectively. There was a discrepancy in the availability of designated physical areas for different functions of PD care between the secondary and tertiary hospitals. The proportion of tertiary hospitals with PD training (P=.01), storage (P=.09), and procedure area (P<.001) was higher compared to secondary hospitals. PD catheter placement was performed in 96% (608/631) of the PD centers in tertiary hospitals, which was significantly higher compared to 86% (99/115) in secondary hospitals (P<.001). Automated PD was available in 55% (347/631) of the tertiary hospitals, which was significantly higher than that in secondary hospitals (37/115, 32%) according to the survey (P<.001). The most commonly performed PD module was continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (772/788, 98%), followed by intermittent peritoneal dialysis (543/788, 69%). The overall reported nocturnal intermittent peritoneal dialysis was 31% (244/788); it was 28% (220/788) for continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis and 15% (118/788) for tidal peritoneal dialysis. Comparisons between the secondary and tertiary hospitals revealed no significant differences in prophylactic antibiotic use for PD catheter placement and therapeutic use for peritonitis. The first peritoneal equilibrium test was conducted in 58% (454/788) of patients at 4-6 weeks after initiation of PD, and 91% (718/788) reported at least one peritoneal equilibrium test per year. Overall, 79% (570/722) and 65% (469/722) of PD centers performed assessment for dialysis adequacy and residual kidney function, respectively; and 87% (685/788) of patients on PD were followed every 1 to 3 months for laboratory and auxiliary examinations. Conclusions This national survey reflects the current status and disparities of PD center management in mainland China. The study results suggest that the PD care needs to be more conveniently accessible in secondary hospitals, and quality management and staff training in secondary hospitals are still in high demand.
Augmented Hearing of Auditory Safety Cues for Construction Workers: A Systematic Literature Review

Safety-critical sounds at job sites play an essential role in construction safety, but hearing capability is often declined due to the use of hearing protection and the complicated nature of construction noise. Thus, preserving or augmenting the auditory situational awareness of construction workers has become a critical need. To enable further advances in this area, it is necessary to synthesize the state-of-the-art auditory signal processing techniques and their implications for auditory situational awareness (ASA) and to identify future research needs. This paper presents a critical review of recent publications on acoustic signal processing techniques and suggests research gaps that merit further research for fully embracing construction workers’ ASA of hazardous situations in construction. The results from the content analysis show that research on ASA in the context of construction safety is still in its early stage, with inadequate AI-based sound sensing methods available. Little research has been undertaken to augment individual construction workers in recognizing important signals that may be blocked or mixed with complex ambient noise. Further research on auditory situational awareness technology is needed to support detecting and separating important acoustic safety cues from complex ambient sounds. More work is also needed to incorporate context information into sound-based hazard detection and to investigate human factors affecting the collaboration between workers and AI assistants in sensing the safety cues of hazards.
New analogues of split algorithms for Toeplitz-plus-Hankel matrices

Novel fast algorithm for solving arbitrary Toeplitz-plus-Hankel systems of equations are presented. The algorithms are analogues of the split Levinson and Schur algorithms, although the more general Toeplitz-plus-Hankel structure requires that the algorithms be based on a four-term recurrence; relations with previous split algorithms are noted. The algorithms require roughly half as many multiplications as previous fast algorithms for Toeplitz-plus-Hankel systems. <<ETX>>
Fast sub-pixel accuracy stereo image matching based on disparity plane

To avoid “stair-casing effect” in the disparity map when dealing with slant plane, curved surface and weak texture region, an improved fast dense stereo matching algorithm based on disparity plane estimation is proposed. First, a set of support points are extracted from the edge of the original matching images and the description images. Second, Delaunay triangulation disparity planes are calculated using all the support points. Third, the sub-pixel disparity map is computed from the best support points and parameters of the Delaunay triangulation disparity planes. Finally, experimental results show that the “stair-casing effect” caused by slant plane, curved surface and weak texture region is eliminated by using the presented method. In addition, the proposed method spends less than 600ms on a one-megapixel image averagely.
Open systems and time reversal

Abstract In this paper we address the question of the direction of physical time. In particular we consider the meaning of time reversal for irreversible evolution. The work is based on the theory of Markovian generators in open quantum systems. The motivation and appearance of such evolution is reviewed and its implications for the direction of time are presented. A monotonically changing function, a Lyapunov functional, is demonstrated and the concept of time reversal invariance is introduced. Finally the evolution is shown to follow from an action principle. The method, however, does not single out any forward direction of time, information about the initial state is lost equally in both directions within the formalism.
Shape Optimisation of Turbomachinery Components

Low-order models are the first choice to find the initial design of turbomachinery components screening many configurations. The final optimisation of the three-dimensional geometry is crucial for the best performance. Because of the ability to accurately predict the performance of turbomachinery, fluid dynamic simulations became a powerful tool [1]. However, parameter studies for shape optimisation relying on fluid dynamic simulations are computationally expensive and might fail to reveal the optimal geometry. Gradientbased optimisation approaches allow a significant reduction of simulations and hence, determine the optimum efficiency. The adjoint method finds the optimisation gradient by calculating the derivatives of the state variables with respect to the design objective without the need for finite differences [2]. Thus, the adjoint optimisation is especially efficient for problems with many degrees of freedom and few design objectives, e.g. increasing efficiency. The application of the adjoint method for shape optimisation is demonstrated on the example of a centrifugal compressor impeller. The shape of the rotor blades is optimised, and the impact of different objection functions, i.e. reducing the required moment or increasing the achieved pressure ratio, and optimisation constraints, i.e. retaining the operating point or keeping an area ratio, is analysed. The results demonstrate that the compressor performance can be significantly improved using the adjoint method. However, the challenge is to obtain not only an optimised shape for operating points but also for the entire operating map. The final shapes are compared, obtained with approaches averaging the optimised shapes for operating points.
On a Production Allocation and Distribution Problem

We describe a production allocation problem which was worked on at Frito-Lay and an integer programming model formulated for its solution. In connection with model formulation, we discuss estimation and collection of the required cost coefficients. Finally, we report on the use of two different linear programs, representing the same integer problem, which gave dramatically different running times to solve the integer programs. Some reasons for the improved running times are given.
Metal-oxide-semiconductor tunneling photodiodes with enhanced deep depletion at edge by high-k material

Metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) photodetector with the high-k material enhanced deep depletion at edge was demonstrated. The mechanism of saturated substrate injection current in MOS capacitor was adopted. By building HfO2 based devices that with the direct observation of the enhanced edge charge collection efficiency due to fringing field effect in inversion, we are able to show a photodetector with 3000 times (ratio of photocurrent to dark current) improvement in sensitivity than the conventional SiO2 based tunneling photodiodes (approximate 100 times) in the visible.
Ice Cloud Particle Size Distributions and Pressure-Dependent Terminal Velocities from In Situ Observations at Temperatures from 0° to −86°C

AbstractThe primary goal of this study is to derive ice particle terminal velocities from micron to centimeter sizes and for atmospheric pressures covering the range 200–1000 hPa from data spanning a wide range of locations, temperatures, and altitudes and to parameterize the results for use in cloud through cloud models. The study uses data from 10 field programs spanning the temperature range −86° to 0°C and encompassing a total of about 800 000 km of cloud horizontal pathlengths and includes measurements of ice particle size distributions (PSDs) and direct measurements of the ice water content (IWC). The necessary ice particle variables are derived using variables that are interconnected rather than varying independently from observations reported in the literature. A secondary goal of the study is to quantify the properties of ice cloud particle ensembles over a wide range of temperatures to further the understanding of how ice particle ensembles and ice clouds develop.Functional forms for the PSDs an.
GaInAsP/InP Attenuator Integrated Waveguide Photodetector (AIPD) Based on the Franz-Keldysh Effect

A waveguide photodetector monolithically integrated with an optical attenuator based on the Franz-Keldysh effect at the input section is proposed. The effective sensitivity of the device can be controlled by applying the reverse bias at the attenuator section. Using this device, the realization of a receiver module with low power consumption and small signal distortion under high input power can be expected. In our first demonstration, the intrinsic sensitivity of the device without attenuation is 0.25 A/W. The largest variable sensitivity range of 11 dB is realized at the reverse bias of 32 V.
Proteomic and metabolomic analysis on cadmium-induced mitochondrial toxicity in liver tissues of juvenile olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

Introduction Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most dominant heavy metals in the Bohai Sea. Our previous study proved that Cd could induce gill mitochondrial toxicity in marine animals. Herein, we aimed to elucidate the toxicity mechanism of Cd on liver mitochondria, as liver is the main metabolic and detoxification organ and generally rich in mitochondria. Methods The mitochondrial responses induced by Cd (5 and 50 μg/L) were characterized by observing mitochondrial morphology, measuring mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and proteomic and metabolomic analysis in juvenile olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus livers. Results After water-bonre exposure for 14 days, two Cd treatments decreased MMPs significantly and caused ultrastructural-damaged mitochondria in flounder livers. NMR-based metabolomics revealed that Cd exposure mainly altered the abundances of metabolites (ATP, AMP, phosphocholine, lactate and succinate) related to energy metabolism in flounder livers. iTRAQ-based mitochondrial proteomics indicated that 27 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were screened out from liver mitochondria after Cd treatments. These proteins were mainly associated with energy metabolism (oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle) and apoptosis. Discussion These results indicated that Cd disrupted mitochondrial morphology, energy homeostasis and apoptosis in liver mitochondria in flounder P. olivaceus. This work revealed a comprehensive view on Cd-induced mitochondrial responses in the liver tissues of flounder using an integrated proteomic and metabolomic approach.
DIRECT NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF TURBULENT FLOW IN AN AXISYMMETRIC SUPERSONIC DIFFUSER

Effects of deceleration and mean dilatation on the turbulence structure of supersonic flow in a diffuser with an incoming supersonic fully developed turbulent pipe flow are studied by means of direct numerical simulation. Strong enhancement of the turbulence intensities is observed when the flow undergoes deceleration. Turbulence production and pressure–strain terms in the Reynolds stress budgets are found to increase dramatically leading to increased Reynolds stresses. The central role of pressure–strain correlations in modifying the turbulence structure under these flow conditions is demonstrated and a priori tests of two turbulence models are presented.
Improving High-Resolution Numerical Weather Simulations by Assimilating Data from an Unmanned Aerial System

AbstractIn this study, it is demonstrated how temperature, humidity, and wind profile data from the lower troposphere obtained with a lightweight unmanned aerial system (UAS) can be used to improve high-resolution numerical weather simulations by four-dimensional data assimilation (FDDA). The combined UAS and FDDA system is applied to two case studies of northeasterly flow situations in southwest Iceland from the international Moso field campaign on 19 and 20 July 2009. Both situations were characterized by high diurnal boundary layer temperature variation leading to thermally driven flow, predominantly in the form of sea-breeze circulation along the coast. The data assimilation leads to an improvement in the simulation of the horizontal and vertical extension of the sea breeze as well as of the local background flow. Erroneously simulated fog over the Reykjanes peninsula on 19 July, which leads to a local temperature underestimation of 8 K, is also corrected by the data assimilation. Sensitivity experime.