Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Relationship of Multispectral Satellite Imagery to Immediate Fire Effects

The Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Center (RSAC) and the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Data Center produce Burned Area Reflectance Classification (BARC) maps for use by Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams in rapid response to wildfires. BAER teams desire maps indicative of fire effects on soils, but green and nonphotosynthetic vegetation and other materials also affect the spectral properties of post-fire imagery. Our objective was to assess how well satellite image-derived burn severity indices relate to a suite of immediate post-fire effects measured on the ground. We measured or calculated fire effects variables at 418 plots, nested in 50 field sites, located across the full range of burn severities observed at the 2003 Black Mountain, Cooney Ridge, Robert, and Wedge Canyon wildfires in western Montana, the 2003 Old and Simi wildfires in southern California, and the 2004 Porcupine and Chicken wildfires in interior Alaska. We generated the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR), differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR), Relative dNBR (RdNBR), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and differenced NDVI (dNDVI) burn severity indices from Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery across these eight wildfires. The NBR correlated best with the fire effects measures but insignificantly, meaning other indices could act as suitable substitutes. The overstory (trees in Montana and Alaska, shrubs in California) measures appear to correlate best to the image variables, followed by understory and surface cover measures. Exposed mineral soil and soil water repellency were poorly correlated with the image variables, while green vegetation was most highly correlated. The BARC maps are more indicative of post-fire vegetation condition than soil condition. We conclude that the NBR and dNBR, from which BARC maps of large wildfires in the United States are currently derived, are sound choices for rapid assessment of immediate post-fire burn severity across the three ecosystems sampled. Our future research will focus on spectral mixture analysis (SMA) because it acknowledges that pixel reflectance is fundamentally a mixture of charred, dead, green and nonphotosynthetic vegetation, soil, rock and ash materials that are highly variable at fine scales.
Can Low Returns to Capital Explain Low Formal Credit Use?: Evidence from Ecuador

One potential explanation for low formal credit use is that poor entrepreneurs generate returns to capital below borrowing costs and cannot afford the loans. I test this using a new, nationally representative data from Ecuador, focusing on entrepreneurs that say credit constraints are a major problem. I estimate returns to capital and find monthly returns between 3.5% and 21%, well above prevailing interest rates. Despite this, one third of the finance constrained sample expresses no demand for a hypothetical loan. I estimate the determinants of demand for this loan, focusing on the role profitability may play. I find that measures of profitability are positively and significantly associated with demand, and that perceptions of profitability are among the strongest determinants. Meanwhile, assets, employees, duration, formality and past credit use have no predictive power. This suggests that some microentrepreneurs cannot afford prevailing interest rates and rationally eschew formal credit as a result.
Marketing everything and theming sameness: Urban destination marketing in contemporary Europe

This paper reviews the academic and practitioner literature on urban destination marketing, suggesting that it contains within it a dominant paradigm which the author characterises as ‘the theory of marketing competitive advantage’. As such, this theory requires towns and cities to differentiate themselves through the provision of unique products, based on which they subsequently undertake branding, market positioning, distribution and other activities through bespoke destination marketing organisations (DMOs). Practice is then contrasted with theory by reference to a discordant strand of the literature as well as the actual destination marketing currently being undertaken in 60 European towns and cities. The theory of marketing competitive advantage is shown to be an ideal which rarely translates into practice. Irrespective of whether or not a town or city possesses competitive advantage, DMO destination marketing gravitates almost inexorably towards a “marketing of everything”. Such an approach, in turn, reduces to a bland and monolithic “theming of urban sameness”, all of which is diametrically opposite to what one would expect to be the case as per the theory of marketing competitive advantage. The author contends that this gap between theory and practice matters, necessitating a rethinking of how academics and practitioners should in future seek to explain or otherwise account for urban destination marketing.
Analysis and monitoring of anti-HLA antibodies in solid-organ and stem cell transplantation : What to do? When should they be tested?

Due to the shortage of deceased donor the search for suitable kidney from living donors has intensified. Unfortunately, recipient-donor couples are often HLA-mismatched due to the high polymorphism of HLA loci. Nowadays patients often need more than one transplant during their lifetime and are at major risk factor for developing anti-HLA antibodies. To deal with this problem, we increased the number of tests and their sensitivity, and by carrying out accurate HLA-typing to ensure more appropriate organ allocation and the efficient follow-up and treatment of recipients. We increased our catalogue of assays and developed guidelines for physicians regarding the acceptance of organs and an adequate follow-up of their patients. With strategies such as living-donor, ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation and compatible non-directed donor exchange, we have so far obtained 100% graft survival for all types of living-donor kidney transplantation, as well as an excellent survival rate for pancreas and islet grafts.
– Shifting Perspectives and Persistent Issues

We review over 10 years of research at Elsevier and various Dutch academic institutions on establishing a new format for the scientific research article. Our work rests on two main theoretical principles: the concept of modular documents, consisting of content elements that can exist and be published independently and are linked by meaningful relations, and the use of semantic data standards allowing access to heterogeneous data. We discuss the application of these concepts in five different projects: a modular format for physics articles, an XML encyclopedia in pharmacology, a semantic data integration project, a modular format for computer science proceedings papers, and our current work on research articles in cell biology.
Transforming Mesoscale Granular Plasticity Through Particle Shape

When an amorphous material is strained beyond the point of yielding it enters a state of continual reconfiguration via dissipative, avalanche-like slip events that relieve built-up local stress. However, how the statistics of such events depend on local interactions among the constituent units remains debated. To address this we perform experiments on granular material in which we use particle shape to vary the interactions systematically. Granular material, confined under constant pressure boundary conditions, is uniaxially compressed while stress is measured and internal rearrangements are imaged with x-rays. We introduce volatility, a quantity from economic theory, as a powerful new tool to quantify the magnitude of stress fluctuations, finding systematic, shape-dependent trends. For all 22 investigated shapes the magnitude $s$ of relaxation events is well-fit by a truncated power law distribution $P(s)\sim {s}^{-\tau} exp(-s/s^*)$, as has been proposed within the context of plasticity models. The power law exponent $\tau$ for all shapes tested clusters around $\tau=$ 1.5, within experimental uncertainty covering the range 1.3 - 1.7. The shape independence of $\tau$ and its compatibility with mean field models indicate that the granularity of the system, but not particle shape, modifies the stress redistribution after a slip event away from that of continuum elasticity. Meanwhile, the characteristic maximum event size $s^*$ changes by two orders of magnitude and tracks the shape dependence of volatility. Particle shape in granular materials is therefore a powerful new factor influencing the distance at which an amorphous system operates from scale-free criticality. These experimental results are not captured by current models and suggest a need to reexamine the mechanisms driving mesoscale plastic deformation in amorphous systems.
Climatic impacts of stratospheric geoengineering with sulfate, black carbon and titania injection

Abstract. In this paper, we examine the potential climatic effects of geoengineering by sulfate, black carbon and titania injection against a baseline RCP8.5 scenario. We use the HadGEM2-CCS model to simulate scenarios in which the top-of-the-atmosphere radiative imbalance due to rising greenhouse gas concentrations is offset by sufficient aerosol injection throughout the 2020–2100 period. We find that the global-mean temperature is effectively maintained at historical levels for the entirety of the period for all three aerosol-injection scenarios, though there is a wide range of side-effects which are discussed in detail. The most prominent conclusion is that although the BC injection rate necessary to produce an equivalent global mean temperature response is much lower, the severity of stratospheric temperature changes (> +70 °C) and precipitation impacts effectively exclude BC from being a viable option for geoengineering. Additionally, while it has been suggested that titania would be an effective particle because of its high scattering efficiency, it also efficiently absorbs solar ultraviolet radiation producing a significant stratospheric warming (> +20 °C). As injection rates and climatic impacts for titania are close to those for sulfate, there appears to be little benefit in terms of climatic influence of using titania when compared to the injection of sulfur dioxide, which has the added benefit of being well-modeled through extensive research that has been carried out on naturally occurring explosive volcanic eruptions.
Ad hoc networking based on content and location

The invention relates to ad hoc networking based on content and location. Methods, program products, and systems for ad hoc networking based on content and location are described. A user of a mobile device can identify another user using another mobile device who is close by, if both users have requested to participate in networking. Common interests and experiences of two or more users located close to each other can be identified from content, including automatically created usage data of the mobile devices. Usage data of a mobile device can be created based on activities performed on the mobile device, a trajectory of the mobile device, or other public data available from the mobile device. Each of the users can be notified that another user having the common interests and experiences is close by. A means of initiating communication can be provided to the users to facilitate communication between the users.
Scheduled service network design with synchronization and transshipment constraints for intermodal container transportation networks

In this paper we address the problem of scheduled service network design for container freight distribution along rivers, canals, and coastlines. We propose a new concise continuous- time mixed-integer linear programming model that accurately evaluates the time of occurrence of transportation events and the number of containers transshipped between vehicles. Given the transportation network, the eet of available vehicles, the demand and the supply of containers, the sailing time of vehicles, and the structure of costs, the objective of the model is to build a minimum cost service network design and container distribution plan that denes services, their departure and arrival times, as well as vehicle and container routing. The model is solved with a commercial solver and is tested on data instances inspired from real-world problems encountered by EU carrier companies. The results of the computational study show that in scheduled service networks direct routes happen more often when either the eet capacity is tight or the handling costs and the lead time interval increase. The increase of the same parameters leads to the decrease of the number of containers transshipped between vehicles.
DOES REGIONAL PROXIMITY STILL MATTER IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY? THE CASE OF FLEMISH BIOTECH VENTURES

When internal knowledge bases are insufficient for developing innovations, companies tend to collaborate with external R&D partners. According to a long-standing literature on ‘clusters’, ‘industrial districts’, ‘local production systems’ and ‘regional innovation systems’, geographical proximity between innovation partners is considered a precondition for inter-organizational collaborations: Proximity is said to facilitate trust, the transfer of tacit knowledge, and the intensity of interactions. This article investigates the importance of geographical proximity for R&D collaborations between biotech firms and their innovation partners. Are geographically close innovation partners more likely to collaborate? Studies of the Flemish biotech industry shed light on this question. Regression analyses combined with qualitative interview data reveal that geographical proximity has become less important for inter-organizational collaborations. Due to lower communication and transportation costs, innovation partners can easily collaborate even when they are not situated close to each other. This leads us to conclude that globalization transforms interorganizational collaborations
Choosing a Style of Representation: The Role of Institutional and Organizational Incentives

From the beginning, research on representative democracy took account of the selfperception and the political behaviour resulting from this perception of parliamentarians and, to a lesser degree, of electoral candidates. In this context, the distinction between trustees, party’s delegates, and voter’s delegates proofed to be a powerful analytic tool. But why do certain politicians opt for one style of representation while others opt for a different style? Explanatory approaches range from mere individual characteristics to party organization to macro phenomena like electoral systems or political culture. Especially the effect of the latter cannot be tested easily. Fortunately, the 2009 European Election Candidate Study provides a convincing source of information to do so. Covering 27 countries and about 1350 electoral candidates of more than 200 parties for one and the same election, it enables a comparative test of explanatory approaches from different analytic levels (micro, meso, and macro level) to shed light on the variation in the representational style of politicians. The results of a multi-level regression model suggest that various factors located on different analytic levels determine the choice of a specific style but that micro level factors are dominant. Finally, the paper shows that role orientations are of relevance for the responsible-party model and representation in general.
Human factors of automated driving : Towards predicting the effects of authority transitions on traffic flow efficiency

Automated driving potentially has a significant impact on traffic flow efficiency. Automated vehicles, which possess cooperative capabilities, are expected to reduce congestion levels for instance by increasing road capacity, by anticipating traffic conditions further downstream and also by accelerating the clearance of congestion. However, the effects of automation on traffic flow efficiency may be considerably influenced by human factors such as user acceptance and behavioural adaptations of drivers. Under certain traffic situations, drivers could prefer to disengage the automated system and transfer to a lower level of automation or are forced to switch off by the system (e.g. in case of sensor failure). These transitions between different levels of automation are called authority transitions and can significantly affect the longitudinal and lateral dynamics of vehicles. Microscopic simulation software packages can be used to ex ante evaluate the impact of automated vehicles on traffic flow efficiency. Currently, mathematical models describing car-following and lane changing behaviour are not able to adequately describe and predict authority transitions. In order to develop an adequate model of driving behaviour for automated vehicles including these authority transitions, an empirically underpinned theoretical framework is needed where human factors are accounted for. In the proposed research, we aim at developing this theoretical framework, which serves as the basis for the prediction of effects of automated driving on traffic flow efficiency. In order to determine the real-life effect of automation on traffic flow efficiency, firstly, empirical data from Field Operational Test and driving simulation experiments will be collected and analysed. Secondly, microscopic traffic flows models incorporating human factors will be developed: within this framework, authority transitions will be investigated taking into account intra- and inter-driver heterogeneity. Thirdly, the effects of different penetration rates of automated vehicles and different levels of automation on traffic flow efficiency will be investigated.
Polyphase transformer arrangements with reduced kVA capacities for harmonic current reduction in rectifier type utility interface

In this paper, polyphase transformer arrangements with reduced kVA capacities are presented for harmonic current reduction in high power rectifier utility interface systems. Based on the concept of an autotransformer, a proposed twelve-pulse rectifier system is realized with a resultant kVA rating of 0.18P/sub 0/ (pu). In this arrangement, the rectifier diodes each conduct for 120 degrees per cycle and the fifth and seventh harmonics are absent from the utility input line current. In the second scheme, an eighteen-pulse rectifier is realized with a kVA rating of 0.16P/sub 0/ (pu), rectifier diode conduction of 120 degrees per cycle and fifth, seventh, eleventh and thirteenth harmonic cancellation in the utility line currents. Additional applications for the proposed polyphase transformer arrangements include twelve and eighteen-pulse systems feeding multiple six-pulse nonlinear loads, such as AC motor drives, with an appropriate phase shift, and this arrangement substantially reduces the utility line current harmonics. For example, it is shown that the fifth and seventh harmonics generated by two separate six-pulse nonlinear loads are subtracted and this contributes to reduced harmonic distortion. Simulation results verifying the proposed concept are presented. <<ETX>>
Using Bio-Inspiration to Improve Capabilities of Underwater Vehicles

There are over 750,000 marine species ranging in size from a few micrometers to dozens of meters, all of which, through the natural process of evolution, have arrived at “successful” solutions to surviving and operating in the ocean space. Many of these species have capabilities and functionality which have much in common with the engineered capabilities required for underwater vehicles e.g. propulsion/locomotion, manoeuvrability/agility and the ability & resilience to operate at depth. Indeed, in many examples, it appears the biological solutions exhibit superior performance compared to the technological alternative, yet in biology these capabilities are achieved by different and diverse means. In this research an extensive study on the capabilities of marine animals has been conducted in relation to the equivalent capability on AUVs. And the biological solutions to propulsion, agility, depth and vehicle (or animal) architecture have been focused on. This paper will present the approach adopted, some specific studies and key results from using a bio-inspired approach to improving AUV engineering capabilities. Acknowledgments This research is part of a collaborative project, “Nature in Engineering for Monitoring the Oceans” (NEMO), including the National Oceanography Centre and the University of Southampton and is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC, 2009). The authors would like to acknowledge that the data collected on AUV characteristics and capabilities has been a collaborative work with NEMO colleagues in the University of Southampton.
Humor Production and Humor Receptivity in Relationship Satisfaction, Conflict and Quality

In his book, The Mating Mind, evolutionary psychologist, Geoffrey Miller, argues that women and men are differentially attracted to mate characteristics due to their adaptive qualities. Specifically, Miller argues that women find men who are intelligent to be desirable, in part, because intelligence is a signal of a healthy brain. A healthy brain is a desirable mate characteristic over the course of evolutionary history, in part, because it would have enabled men to provide resources for his mate and his family, thus, allowing the female to pass on her genes. Similarly, men find females who are physically attractive to be desirable, in part, because it signals reproductive capacity. High reproductive capacity is a quality that indicates that the desired mate would aid the individual in passing on his genes. While there are numerous documented mate preferences for characteristics such as intelligence and physical attractiveness the characteristic of humor has largely been ignored. However, the small body of literature that exists on humor focuses on looking at the sex differences in preferences for humor. Specifically, while research indicates that both men and women prefer a partner with a good sense of humor, interestingly, when questioned more specifically, the research suggests that men prefer a women who are receptive to their humor, not necessarily who make them laugh. On the other hand, women prefer men who produce humor. The aim of the current research is to test if the documented preference for humor production among women and humor receptivity among men correlate with women’s and men’s relationship satisfaction. Furthermore, the current research investigates the possibility that humor is a preferred mate characteristic due to its ability to reduce relational conflict and facilitate conflict resolution skills.
Minimum Power Miller-Compensated CMOS Operational Ampliers

A new approach for the design of two-stage Miller-compensated CMOS op amps is presented. The paper studies the basic relations between power consumption, unity-gain bandwidth, biasing region, technology parameters, and the external capacitive load. As a result, simple and ecient design guides are provided to achieve the minimum possible power consumption for the given speci cations and for short-channel devices. It is shown that the conventional design proce- dures do not always result in minimum power op amps. The presented results are also veri ed by Spectre simulations.