Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Real-Time Nowcasting of Nominal GDP Under Structural Breaks

This paper provides early assessments of current U.S. Nominal GDP growth, which has been considered as a potential new monetary policy target. The nowcasts are computed using the exact amount of information that policy makers have available at the time predictions are made. However, real time information arrives at different frequencies and asynchronously, which poses the challenge of mixed frequencies, missing data, and ragged edges. This paper proposes a multivariate state space model that not only takes into account asynchronous information inflow it also allows for potential parameter instability (DYMIBREAK). We use small scale confirmatory factor analysis in which the candidate variables are selected based on their ability to forecast nominal GDP. The model is fully estimated in one step using a nonlinear Kalman filter, which is applied to obtain simultaneously both optimal inferences on the dynamic factor and parameters. Differently from principal component analysis, the proposed factor model captures the comovement rather than the variance underlying the variables. We compare the predictive ability of the model with other univariate and multivariate specifications. The results indicate that the proposed model containing information on real economic activity, inflation, interest rates, and Divisia monetary aggregates produces the most accurate real time nowcasts of nominal GDP growth.
Extending OMPT to Support Grain Graph Visualization

Because of physical constraints, performance gains of single-core processors has come to a halt. Computer architects have responded by adding multiple processor cores to their designs. However, for continued performance gains, multi-core designs require multithreaded applications. Manually managing individual threads becomes burdensome for large applications, and programmers therefore opt to use interfaces that abstract some of this complexity. OpenMP is one such interface. It is an industry-standard for parallel shared-memory programming. There is currently an ongoing effort to add a profiling interface called the OpenMP Tools (OMPT) API to the upcoming OpenMP 5.0 specification. OMPT will allow creating portable, high-quality performance analysis tools for OpenMP programs. Grain graphs is a recent visualization that simplifies OpenMP performance analysis. It has previously been found that the instrumentation callbacks of OMPT are almost sufficient to generate the data needed by grain graphs. However, OMPT does not describe events to measure the duration spent creating tasks, or tracing the execution of parallel for-loop chunks. In this thesis, I propose extensions that provide the necessary descriptions, and evaluate the performance impact of these extensions in the LLVM/Clang toolchain. My evaluation shows that the overheads are low. Benchmarks from the EPCC OpenMP micro-benchmark suite provoke up to 3% increased overhead in the most important scenarios. Most HPC workloads from the BOTS and SPEC OMP2012 application suites don’t see any change in execution time. While the proposed extensions are motivated by grain graphs, they can be used by other profiling methods as well.
Comparison of Nutritive Value of Alfalfa, Rhodes Hay, Cynodon Pasture and Linseed Cake -Maize Mixture at Hawassa College of Agriculture, Ethiopia

4 Abstract: This study was conducted at Hawassa College of Agriculture to evaluate the chemical composition of alfalfa, Rhodes hay, Cynodon pasture and linseed cake-maize mixture. The results of the analysis of the chemical composition of the different feedstuffs showed that alfalfa had the highest crude protein (23.6%) and the lowest NDF (49%) content than the other feed samples, whereas Rhodes hay had the highest NDF (81%) and the lowest crude protein (7.5%) content. It can be concluded that alfalfa can be used as strategic protein supplementation in ruminant feeding such as critical classes of cattle, particularly lactating female when other protein rich feeds are unavailable.
Prevalence of Diabetes mellitus and association between knowledge of diabetes and Diabetes mellitus among police officers in Peter Singogo camp, Zambia

Background: Diabetes mellitus is becoming one of the major contributors of mortality and morbidity in Zambia and worldwide. The objectives were to determine the prevalence of Diabetes mellitus and the association between knowledge of diabetes and Diabetes mellitus. Method: The study was a community based cross sectional study conducted in Peter Singogo police camp Ndola, Zambia. Systematic sampling was used. The statistical tests used in the analysis of the data were Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were appropriate. The level of significance was set at 5%. Results: Out of a sample size of 158, 148 took part in the study giving a response rate of 93.7%. Overall, 50.7% of the respondents were married and 55.3% had attended tertiary education. Out of 148 participants, 13 (8.8%) had Diabetes mellitus. On each birthday respondents were 11% more likely to become diabetic (OR=1.11, 95%CI (1.04, 1.18). Conclusion: The prevalence rate of Diabetes mellitus in the study area is high, Therefore, the need for interventions targeting the younger age group to be put in place so as to curtail the early onset of diabetes.
Entropy production of soil hydrological processes and its maximisation

Hydrological processes are irreversible and pro- duce entropy. Hence, the framework of non-equilibrium ther- modynamics is used here to describe them mathematically. This means flows of water are written as functions of gra- dients in the gravitational and chemical potential of water between two parts of the hydrological system. Such a frame- work facilitates a consistent thermodynamic representation of the hydrological processes in the model. Furthermore, it allows for the calculation of the entropy production associ- ated with a flow of water, which is proportional to the product of gradient and flow. Thus, an entropy budget of the hydro- logical cycle at the land surface is quantified, illustrating the contribution of different processes to the overall entropy pro- duction. Moreover, the proposed Principle of Maximum En- tropy Production (MEP) can be applied to the model. This means, unknown parameters can be determined by setting them to values which lead to a maximisation of the entropy production in the model. The model used in this study is parametrised according to MEP and evaluated by means of several observational datasets describing terrestrial fluxes of water and carbon. The model reproduces the data with good accuracy which is a promising result with regard to the appli- cation of MEP to hydrological processes at the land surface.
A Review on Feature Selection Methods For Classification Tasks

In recent years, application of feature selection methods in medical datasets has greatly increased. The challenging task in feature selection is how to obtain an optimal subset of relevant and non redundant features which will give an optimal solution without increasing the complexity of the modeling task. Thus, there is a need to make practitioners aware of feature selection methods that have been successfully applied in medical data sets and highlight future trends in this area. The findings indicate that most existing feature selection methods depend on univariate ranking that does not take into account interactions between variables, overlook stability of the selection algorithms and the methods that produce good accuracy employ more number of features. However, developing a universal method that achieves the best classification accuracy with fewer features is still an open research area.
Immunohistochemical Study of Stem Cell Marker ALDH 1 and BRCA 1 in Breast Cancer

BRCA1 gene is responsible for differentiation and maturation of mammary stem cells. Knockdown of this gene leads to evolution of a cell population with stem cell like characters (cancer stem cells) that leads to the emergence of breast cancer, mostly with poor prognosis. This cell population can be highlighted by the stem cell marker ALDH1. This study focused on detecting a possible relation between BRCA1 mutation and emergence of a considerable population of ALDH1 positive cancer stem cells and the correlation of this cell population with cancer prognostic factors. Thirty cases of female breast cancer were evaluated immunohistochemically for the expression of both ALDH1 and BRCA1 in the malignant epithelial cells and correlation of ALDH1 expression with clinic-pathological parameters was evaluated (age, positive family history for breast cancer, history of OCP intake, menopausal status, lactational history, tumor size, tumor type, tumor grade and lymph node status). The results indicated that nine cases out of 30 (30%) showed positive cytoplasmic expression for ALDH1 in malignant epithelium. BRCA1 expression was positive in 18 cases (60%). Concomitant positive expression of both ALDH1 and BRCA1 was detected in 2 cases (11.1%). The relationship between positive ALDH1 expression and clinic-pathological parameters were all non-significant. However the relationship between positive ALDH1 expression, positive Her2 and negative ER, PR expression, was highly significant. We also found that the protein expression profile; (ALDH1-, BRCA+, ER+, PR+, HER2-) was correlated with good prognosis and outcome of tumor while (ALDH1+,BRCA-, ER-, PR-, HER2+) was correlated with worse prognosis as well as tumor outcome. The current study revealed a significant inverse correlation between expression of ALDH1 and BRCA1 and established phenotypes combining expression of ALDH1, BRCA1, ER, PR and HER2, which correlate with prognosis and outcome. The importance of this and related studies emphasizes the possible utility of ALDH1 as a bio-marker to screen family members at risk for BRCA1 mutation testing, utility as a prognostic marker owing to the fact that its expression correlates with basal type phenotype. In addition, ALDH1 might be a possible therapeutic target in breast cancer as well. All these are feasible provided we standardize method of evaluation of immunohistochemical expression of ALDH1.
HIGH SPEED CLOCK GLITCHING

In recent times, hardware security has drawn lot of interest in the research community. With physical proximity to the target devices, various fault injection hardware attack methods have been proposed and tested to alter their functionality and trigger behavior not intended by the design. There are various types of faults that can be injected depending on the parameters being used and the level at which the device is tampered with. The literature describes various fault models to inject faults in clock of the target but there are no publications on overclocking circuits for fault injection. The proposed method bridges this gap by conducting high-speed clock fault injection on latest high-speed micro-controller units where the target device is overclocked for a short duration in the range of 4-1000 ns. This thesis proposes a method of generating a high-speed clock and driving the target device using the same clock. The properties of the target devices for performing experiments in this research are: Externally accessible clock input line and GPIO line. The proposed method is to develop a high-speed clock using custom bit-stream sent to FPGA and subsequently using external analog circuitry to generate a clock-glitch which can inject fault on the target micro-controller. Communication coupled with glitching allows us to check the target’s response, which can result in information disclosure. This is a form of non-invasive and effective hardware attack. The required background, methodology and experimental setup required to implement high-speed clock glitching has been discussed in this thesis. The impact of different overclock frequencies used in clock fault injection is explored. The preliminary results have been discussed and
Carbon emissions and sinks in agro-ecosystems of China

Besides ruminant animals and their wastes, soil is an important regula ting medium in carbon cycling. The soil can be both a contributor to climate cha nge and a recipient of impacts. In the past, land cultivation has generally resu lted in considerable depletion of soil organic matter and the release of greenho use gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. The observation in the North-South Transec t of Eastern China showed that climate change and land use strongly impact all s oil processes and GHG exchanges between the soil and the atmosphere. Soil manage ment can restore organic carbon by enhancing soil structure and fertility and by doing so mitigating the negative impacts of atmospheric greenhouses on climate. A wide estimation carried out in China shows that carbon sequestration potentia l is about 77.2 MMt C/a (ranging from 26.1—128.3 MMt C/a) using proposed IPCC a ctivities during the next fifty years.
Filtragem de medidas transmitidas por rede usando sistemas com saltos Markovianos a tempo discreto

This paper addresses how several models available for a measurement transmission network channel, like the generalized Gilbert-Elliot, Fritchman or McCullough ones, from a linear and time invariant plant to its filter can be incorporated into the more general framework of Markov Jump Linear Systems filtering with partially known transition probabilities. Combined with transmission protocols that allow package failure recognition, the particular concept of cluster availability of the Markov modes becomes appealing. An example shows the applicability of the results. The design of the filter is done using Linear Matrix Inequalities. Keywords— Discrete-time Markov jump linear systems, Network filtering, Linear matrix inequalities. Resumo— Este artigo aborda como diversos modelos disponíveis, tais como os de Gilbert-Elliot, Fritchman ou McCullough, para a transmissão de uma medida entre um sistema linear invariante no tempo e um filtro por uma rede de comunicações podem ser incorporados à classe dos sistemas lineares com saltos markovianos e probabilidades de transição parcialmente conhecidas. Quando associados com um protocolo de transmissão que permita reconhecer falhas na transmissão de pacotes, o conceito de disponibilidade parcial do modo tornase atrativo. Um exemplo mostra a aplicabilidade dos resultados. O projeto do filtro é feito com o uso de desigualdades matriciais lineares. Palavras-Chave— Sistemas com saltos markovianos a tempo discreto, Filtragem através de rede, Desigualdades matriciais lineares.
Impacts of exotic mangrove forests and mangrove deforestation on carbon remineralization and ecosystem functioning in marine sediments

Abstract. To evaluate how mangrove invasion and removal can modify short-term benthic carbon cycling and ecosystem functioning, we used stable-isotopically labeled algae as a deliberate tracer to quantify benthic respiration and C-flow over 48 h through macrofauna and bacteria in sediments collected from (1) an invasive mangrove forest, (2) deforested mangrove sites 2 and 6 years after removal of above-sediment mangrove biomass, and (3) two mangrove-free control sites in the Hawaiian coastal zone. Sediment oxygen consumption (SOC) rates averaged over each 48 h investigation were significantly greater in the mangrove and mangrove removal site experiments than in controls and were significantly correlated with total benthic (macrofauna and bacteria) biomass and sedimentary mangrove biomass (SMB). Bacteria dominated short-term C-processing of added microalgal-C and benthic biomass in sediments from the invasive mangrove forest habitat and in the 6-yr removal site. In contrast, macrofauna were the most important agents in the short-term processing of microalgal-C in sediments from the 2-yr mangrove removal site and control sites. However, mean faunal abundance and C-uptake rates in sediments from both removal sites were significantly higher than in control cores, which collectively suggest that community structure and short-term C-cycling dynamics of sediments in habitats where mangroves have been cleared can remain fundamentally different from un-invaded mudflat sediments for at least 6-yrs following above-sediment mangrove removal. In summary, invasion by mangroves can lead to dramatic shifts in benthic ecosystem function, with sediment metabolism, benthic community structure and short-term C-remineralization dynamics being affected for years following invader removal.
Discontinued Voluntary Price Reports for live Cattle: Will They Be Missed By Producers?

One consequence of the new federal mandatory price reporting regime in the livestock industry was the discontinuation of eight regional voluntary price reports for live slaughter cattle. The economic implication for price discovery and market transparency in those affected regional markets is investigated. Two sets of price reports, collected from discontinued price reports for a five-year period just prior to the elimination by the Agricultural Marketing News Service, were analyzed to determine if any of the price series, could be used as a replacement for the discontinued reports in their respective regions. We conclude that price discovery and market transparency were degraded in western regional markets to a greater extent than Midwest regional markets. Empirical results suggest that the lack of adequate alternative sources of market information in western regional markets may result in further deterioration in market transparency and price discovery in the future.
Forest ecohydrological response to bimodal precipitation during contrasting winter to summer transitions

The ecohydrological response of forested landscapes in the Southwestern United States depends on the relative magnitude of precipitation during the winter and summer seasons. Prior climate studies have identified an inverse relation in the bimodal regime such that wet winter periods are followed by dry summers and vice versa. Despite this key prediction, the impact of contrasting winter to summer transitions on hillslope hydrology has not been investigated. In this study, we use the Triangulated Irregular Network‐based Real‐time Integrated Basin Simulator distributed hydrologic model with modifications in the snow module to generate a consistent set of high‐resolution hydrologic estimates in a ponderosa pine hillslope in northern New Mexico, United States. The model is evaluated against available observations of snow depth, soil moisture and runoff over two water years yielding reliable spatial distributions during the winter to summer transitions. We find that a wet winter followed by a dry summer promotes evapotranspiration losses that gradually dry the soil and disconnect lateral fluxes in the forested hillslope, leading to soil moisture patterns resembling vegetation patches. Conversely, a dry winter prior to a wet summer results in soil moisture increases that promote lateral connectivity and soil moisture patterns with the signature of terrain curvature. An opposing temporal switch between infiltration and saturation excess runoff is also identified. These contrasting responses indicate that the inverse relation has significant consequences on hillslope water availability and its spatial distribution with implications on other ecohydrological processes including vegetation phenology, groundwater recharge and geomorphic development. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Novel Rubric and Feature-based Appraisaland Comparison Framework for the Evaluationof Semantic Web Services Composition Approaches

Background/Objectives: This article proposes a novel methodology based on rubrics and feature-based schemes for the appraisal and comparison of approaches to semantic Web services composition and discovery. Methods/Statistical analysis: In order to evaluate the Semantic Web services composition and discovery approaches we created a new framework called RFSWS. This framework is the combination of traditional feature-based evaluation schemes and newly developed analytic rubrics tables. Five recently introduced prominent Semantic Web services composition approaches were identified, explained, and then evaluated/compared using RFSWS. Findings: In this work we determined aspects of Semantic Web services composition and discovery processes that can be evaluated as performance criteria in rubric tables. This is a novel application of rubrics, which have traditionally been used for grading student performance by teachers. We created a novel framework called RFSWS consisting of rubric tables and a feature-based evaluation scheme for the evaluation and comparison of Semantic Web service discovery and composition approaches, and applied it in the evaluation of five recently introduced prominent Semantic Web services composition approaches. Considering the shortcomings of existing Semantic Web services composition approaches that were discovered through this evaluation, we proposed an idealized dynamic Semantic Web service discovery and composition method, a yardstick by which all future Semantic Web services composition approaches can be evaluated. Application/ Improvements: Our novel RFSWS framework can be applied in the comprehensive and systematic evaluation/comparison of Semantic Web services discovery and composition approaches.
Low complexity QoS-aware subcarrier allocation for MISO-OFDMA systems

A low complexity Quality-of-Service (QoS)-aware sub-carrier allocation/user-selection technique for the downlink of Multiple-Input Single-Output Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple-Access (MISOOFDMA) system is proposed. The algorithm allows simultaneous transmission to multiple users on the same sub-carrier through zero-forcing beamforming (ZFBF). The proposed algorithm enhances QoS by preserving minimum rate for each user while providing high bandwidth data services. Simulation results reveals that our algorithm outperforms other reference algorithms in terms of average sum-rate per sub-carrier and QoS, while lower complexity is attained by the proposed algorithm in terms of execution time needed compared to reference algorithms.
Functional CT Imaging for Myocardial Salvage in Acute Myocardial Infarction Management

Hospitalization and revascularization treatment for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is an economic burden that can be minimized by identifying patients most likely to benefit. To this end, a non-invasive imaging technique to better characterize myocardial salvage may be helpful. In this thesis work, a functional CT technique is examined to assess at-risk, infarcted, and salvageable myocardial tissue. Data was acquired on a cohort of seven pigs with induced AMI during the acute and sub-acute phases post insult. The tracer kinetic model dependent CT images were validated against both T2-TIRM images and quantitative T1-maps acquired using MRI, as well as constant infusion CT images. Extravascular contrast distribution volume (ECDV) and myocardial perfusion (MP) parameters were used to characterize the injured myocardium. Derived ECDV and MP threshold for acute phase MI in seven pigs is 0.36 ml/g and 0.44 ml/min/g, respectively. Average MP in normal, at-risk and infarcted myocardium were 0.92  0.27, 0.80  0.19, 0.30  0.08 ml/min/g, respectively. Average ECDV in normal, at-risk, and infarcted myocardium were 0.13  0.08, 0.21  0.07, 0.60  0.12 ml/g, respectively. Significance was demonstrated in both MP and ECDV measurements between infarcted myocardium and myocardium atrisk, as well as between infarcted and normal myocardium (p< 0.01). Based on the area estimated using ECDV and MP, at-risk, infarcted, and salvageable myocardial tissue can be delineated.