Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evacuation Shelter Deficits for Socially Vulnerable Texas Residents During Hurricane Harvey

Background: Socially vulnerable residents of US Gulf Coast counties have higher exposure to physical hazards and disaster-associated risks. Evacuation is one way to mitigate the consequences of disaster exposure among socially vulnerable populations. However, it is unknown whether existing evacuation shelter capacity and locations in designated hurricane evacuation zones of Texas are adequate to accommodate persons with housing and transportation needs. This study estimated the evacuation shelter deficit arising from demand from socially vulnerable residents of the Houston-Galveston area. Methods: Spatial statistical methods including Global Moran’s I and Getis-Ord (Gi*) were used to measure spatial autocorrelation and identify census tracts in the study area with high (hot spots) and low (cold spots) social vulnerability in both housing and transportation domains. The shelter deficit in each county within the study area was estimated as well as for the entire Houston-Galveston Metropolitan Statistical Area. Results: Designated evacuation zones in the Houston-Galveston area have an overall shelter deficit of 163 317 persons. Shelters in the area can only accommodate 36% of evacuees with significant housing and transportation needs, while 3 of 4 counties had county-specific evacuation shelter deficits. The highest deficits were in Harris County, where Houston is located, and the lowest were in Matagorda County, a rural county southwest of Harris County. Conclusion: Emergency managers and other authorities should consider data related to demand from socially vulnerable residents for public shelters during disasters and increase shelter capacity in certain locations to address evacuation shelter shortage for vulnerable persons in designated evacuation zones of Texas.
Surround integration during active sensation in the mouse barrel cortex

Author(s): Lyall, Evan Harrison | Advisor(s): Adesnik, Hillel | Abstract: Organisms scan their sensors around their environment to build an internal representation of that environment in a process known as active sensation. The integration of information across time and space is critical to providing context as to what is the organism is perceiving. However, the neural circuits that encode and underlie the integration of incoming sensory information have predominantly been studied in the context of passive sensation. Studying these circuits in the context of active sensation is imperative to generating a better understanding of how the brain naturally encodes sensation. This would have profound impacts on understanding the mechanisms of a number of neural disorders, including autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, as well as how to improve the acuity of artificial sensation implanted into disabled individuals.To better understand how the mammalian brain encodes and integrates information during active sensation, my collaborators and I developed several novel paradigms to study surround integration in the mouse barrel cortex during active whisking. In Chapter 1 I establish why this is an important problem, and briefly summarize what is already known about sensory coding in the mouse whisker system. In Chapter 2 my collaborators and I probe how mice represent the location of an object within its whisking field, and how the integration of information across surround whiskers affects this representation. In doing so we discover a novel thalamocortical transformation where surround integration in the cortex suppresses activity in layer 4 of the cortex, ultimately generating a smooth map of scanned space in cortical layer 2/3. In Chapter 3 I utilize a novel tactile display to better understand the logic of multi-whisker integration in two cortical layers. In this unpublished work, I show that contrary to the previous literature in anesthetized mice, cortical neurons in awake, whisking mice powerfully summate specific whisker combinations supralinearly, generating a sparse code representing the entire combinatoric space of whisker touch. In Chapter 4, I conclude with some closing thoughts and propose some future lines of inquiry to further this research.
Does Nonlinear Neural Network Dynamics Explain Human Confidence in a Sequence of Perceptual Decisions ?

Recently single neurons measurements during perceptual decision tasks in monkeys have coupled the neural mechanisms of decision making and the establishment of a degree of confidence. These neural mechanisms have been investigated in the context of a spiking attractor network model. It has been shown that confidence about a decision under uncertainty can be computed using a simple neural signal in individual trials. However, it remains unclear if a neural attractor network can reproduce the behavioral effects of confidence in humans. To answer this question, we designed an experiment in which participants were asked to perform an orientation discrimination task, followed by a confidence judgment. Here we show for the first time that an attractor neural network model, calibrated separately on each participant, accounts for full sequences of decision-making. Remarkably, the model is able to reproduce quantitatively the relations between accuracy, response times and confidence, as well as various sequential effects such as the influence of confidence on the subsequent trial. Our results suggest that a metacognitive process such as confidence in perceptual decision can be based on the intrinsic dynamics of a nonlinear attractor neural network.
300 GHz quadrature phase shift keying and QAM16 56 Gbps wireless data links using silicon photonics photodiodes

In this Letter, the authors report the achievement of terahertz transmissions using advanced quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)16 signals using 300 GHz silicon photonics devices, developed in industrial foundry process PIC25G. Up to 56 Gbps is obtained using QAM16 single channel modulation and up to 50 Gbps in a dual-channel configuration.
Expression of QQS gene in transgenic cassava plant: implication in starch and protein content

Cassava, Manihot Esculenta Crantz, is a dicot woody perennial shrub that belongs to Euphorbiaceae family. Over 800 million persons globally and 250 million sub-Saharan Africans rely on the starchy root crop cassava as their staple and major daily source of calories. It is a good source of calories for human and animals because of its richness in starch (30-60% dry matter). A typical cassava-based diet provides < 30% of the minimum daily requirement (MDR) for protein and 10% –20% for iron, zinc, and pro-vitamin A. Cassava deficiency in important nutrients especially proteins (1% to 2% dry weight basis) is a major cause of death and morbidity of resources poor people in developing countries who rely exclusively on this crop for their daily calorie source. Many attempts to use both traditional and biotechnology approaches to overcome protein deficiency in cassava have been proven to be unsuccessful. Our goal is to employ modern technologies to improve the health of millions of cassava consumers through the development of bioengineered cassava with increased protein levels. Qui-Quine Starch (QQS), a novel orphan gene unique to Arabidopsis thaliana was used in this study for the development of novel transgenic cassava plants exhibiting higher protein accumulation in their tissues. QQS is fully sequenced and available in the Genbank (GenBank#: NM_113975). This gene acts as a transcription factor and is known to
SUM OF SQUARES MANIFOLDS: THE EXPRESSIBILITY OF THE LAPLACE–BELTRAMI OPERATOR ON PSEUDO-RIEMANNIAN MANIFOLDS AS A SUM OF SQUARES OF VECTOR FIELDS

In this paper, we investigate under what circumstances the Laplace–Beltrami operator on a pseudo-Riemannian manifold can be written as a sum of squares of vector fields, as is naturally the case in Euclidean space. We show that such an expression exists globally on one-dimensional manifolds and can be found at least locally on any analytic pseudo-Riemannian manifold of dimension greater than two. For two-dimensional manifolds this is possible if and only if the manifold is flat. These results are achieved by formulating the problem as an exterior differential system and applying the Cartan–Kähler theorem to it.
Decline in State Chartered Banks: Causes, Concerns, and Conclusions

Abstract This paper investigates the decline of state chartered banks in the rural states Alabama, Arkansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. We use bank capital as the dependent variable for the mixed model regression analysis. We analyze both state and bank specific variables to determine which factors have more influence on bank equity capital. The findings indicate that as bank equity capital increases, the number of state chartered banks decreases. We also find that small agriculture business loans increase as equity capital increases, showing that in our sample of rural states agriculture is significant in providing a capital buffer for state chartered banks. However, we find that loans secured by farmland do not statistically influence bank equity capital.
A Hybrid Algorithm for Collaborative Transportation Planning among Carriers

 Abstract— In this paper, there is concentration on collaborative transportation planning (CTP) among multiple carriers with pickup and delivery requests and time windows. This problem is a vehicle routing problem with constraints from standard vehicle routing problems and new constraints from a real-world application. In the problem, each carrier has a finite number of vehicles, and each request is a pickup and delivery request with time window. Moreover, each carrier has reserved requests, which must be served by itself, whereas its exchangeable requests can be outsourced to and served by other carriers. This collaboration among carriers can help them to reduce total transportation costs. A mixed integer programming model is proposed to the problem. To solve the model, a hybrid algorithm that combines Genetic Algorithm and Simulated Annealing (GASA) is proposed. This algorithm takes advantages of GASA at the same time. After tuning the parameters of the algorithm with the Taguchi method, the experiments are conducted and experimental results are provided for the hybrid algorithm. The results are compared with those obtained by a commercial solver. The comparison indicates that the GASA significantly outperforms the commercial solver.
Development of an organizational knowledge capabilities assessment (OKCA) method for innovative technology enterprises

Knowledge capabilities are increasingly important for the innovative technology enterprises to enhance the business performance in terms of product competitiveness, innovation and sales. Recognition of the company capability by auditing allows them to further pursue advancement, strategic planning and hence gain competitive advantages. This paper attempts to develop an Organizations’ Knowledge Capabilities Assessment (OKCA) method to assess the knowledge capabilities of technology companies. The OKCA is a questionnaire-based assessment tool which has been developed to uncover the impact of various knowledge capabilities on different organizational performance. The collected data is then analyzed to find out the crucial elements for different technological companies. Based on the results, innovative technology enterprises are able to recognize the direction for further improvement on business performance and future development plan. External environmental factors affecting organization performance can be found through the further analysis of some selected reference companies. Keywords—Audit and Assessment, Innovation, Intellectual Capital, Knowledge and Technology Management, Knowledge Capability
Preservice Teachers' TPACK Development: A Review of Literature

Abstract Building upon Shulman’s pedagogical content knowledge and other prior research studies, Mishra and Koehler explicitly designed the TPACK framework, which includes technology as a third domain of knowledge, along with content and pedagogy. This literature review examines preservice teachers’ TPACK development organized around five different research methods (self-report measures, open-ended questionnaires, performance assessments, interviews, and observations). Although several themes related to preservice teachers’ TPACK development were identified from the literature reviewed, teacher educators and in-service teachers modeling the use of technology and preservice teachers’ TPACK development around the seven knowledge domains are discussed in detail. Thus, the intent of this review is to provide a synthesis that closely examines the documented results on preservice teachers’ TPACK development.
Modeling User-Based Modifications to Information Quality to Address Privacy and Trust Related Concerns in Online Social Networks

This research seeks to understand user-based modifications to information quality due to data privacy and trust related concerns within online social networks. It explores the interrelationships and trade-offs between data privacy, trust, and information quality. To this end, we present an extensive literature review to frame our research. The greatest implications of this research come through development of integrated research matrix frameworks, a privacy/trust/information quality modeling syntax, and forthcoming structural equation scoring measures that will be applicable to future research efforts. In application, the relationship matrices can be applied to the conceptual modeling syntax. Further, the results of the structural equation model will show the strength and directionality of the effects of related matrix aspects on one another. The research will enhance methods of modeling and measuring data privacy, trust, and information quality within online social networks. Regarding online social networks, it lends itself to a better understanding of the quality of shared information in given data privacy and trust scenarios. It provides future researchers with a formal framework for relating privacy, trust, and information quality as well as a formal way to understand information quality modification. Keywords-information quality; privacy; trust; online social
Global value chains, the anti-globalization backlash, and EU trade policy: a research agenda

ABSTRACT Two recent developments have the potential to fundamentally alter the conventional view of EU trade policy-making: the emergence of global value chains (GVCs) and the recent backlash against globalization. In this paper we summarize the conventional wisdom after which we delineate the main expectations derived from the GVC and the globalization-backlash perspectives. In so doing, we focus on the EU’s trade and non-trade preferences, and the EU’s ability to achieve its preferences in international trade negotiations. We then discuss the research agenda that would allow testing the expectations derived from these different perspectives. A key point that emerges from this discussion is that the conventional perspective, the GVC perspective, and the globalization-backlash perspective may all be needed to fully understand EU trade policy. The challenge is to know under which conditions which of these perspectives best explains the process and outcomes of EU trade policy-making.
Proxemics and Kinesics in Automated Vehicle–Pedestrian Communication: Representing Ethnographic Observations

Since the introduction of automobiles in the early 1900s, communication among elements of the transportation system has been critical for efficiency, safety, and fairness. Communication mechanisms such as signs, lights, and roadway markings were developed to send signals about affordances (i.e., where and when can I go? ) and constraints (i.e., where and when can I not go? ). In addition, signals among road users such as the hand wave have emerged to communicate similar information. With the introduction of highly automated vehicles, it may be necessary to understand communication signals and apply them to vehicle automation design. However, the question remains: how do we identify the most important interactions that need to be considered for vehicle automation? We propose a method by which we examine the timing of existing vehicle–pedestrian interactions to make conclusions about how the use of time and space can be used as a communication tool. Videos were recorded at representative intersections and crossings in a mid-sized, Midwestern U.S. town. The intersections were chosen based on their potential to elicit interactions with pedestrians and their ubiquity (e.g., four-way stop). Videos were then coded to describe the interactions between vehicles and pedestrians. A focus of this coding was the short stop—stopping before a crosswalk to communicate yielding intent to a pedestrian—which was defined as the time from when the vehicle began to accelerate, after slowing down, to when it reached the crosswalk. Results revealed evidence that vehicle kinematic and spatial cues signal the driver’s intent to other road users.
MELATONINE AND ERYTHROPOIETIN PREVENTS GENTAMICIN INDUCED NEPHROTOXICITY IN RATS

Melatonin (MLT) is an epiphyseal chronobiotic hormone, also known for its antioxidant effects. Besides erythropoiesis, erythropoietin (EPO) possesses other biological functions (neuroprotection, nephroprotection). We focused on the assessment of MLT and EPO nephroprotective effects in a gentamicin (GM) toxicity model. Forty adult male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: control, GM, EPO + GM, MLT + GM and MLT + EPO + GM, consisting of 8 rats each. Chemicals were administered for 10 days, daily, by i.p. route. Both MLT and EPO prevented kidney damage reflected by lower urinary Nacetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity index, reduced kidney structural damage, increased urinary density and decreased blood urea and creatinine concentrations. The best protective effect was provided by MLT and EPO association.
Northern bobwhite breeding season habitat selection in fire‐maintained pine woodland

Despite the acknowledged importance of prescribed fire in creating northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) breeding cover, little research has investigated bobwhite breeding season habitat selection relative to time since fire. In 2016 and 2017, we monitored radio‐tagged bobwhite on a 17,000‐ha portion of a military installation managed with frequent (every ~3 years) prescribed fires, applied during the growing and dormant seasons. We monitored bobwhite to determine which vegetation characteristics associated with prescribed burning were important to bobwhite breeding season habitat selection at the microsite (i.e., telemetry location compared to nearby random location) and the macrosite scale (i.e., the burn‐unit containing the location compared to study area availability). During 2 breeding seasons, we collected 2,315 bobwhite locations and compared percent cover of vegetation, days since burn, basal area, and distance to key landscape features (e.g., stream, wildlife opening) at a subset of microsite locations (301 locations during 2016 and 890 locations during 2017) to paired random locations. At the microsite scale, bobwhite selected lower basal area of hardwoods, greater woody understory cover, greater other (not wiregrass [Aristida stricta]) grass cover, and greater forb cover than at random points. At the macrosite scale, bobwhite selected units with <4.6 m/ha basal area (combined hardwoods and pines) in 2016 and units with <9.2 m/ha basal area in 2017. At the macrosite scale, bobwhite selected for areas burned in the dormant season of the same year, avoided areas burned in the growing season of the same year, and used other times since last burn categories proportionate to their availability. The selection for a low basal area at both scales indicates prescribed fire effects would be limited by shading from dense overstory, and the shrubs, grasses, and forbs that provide essential cover for bobwhite during the breeding season will not develop. In lower productivity soil regions similar to our study area, we advise that thinning operations set target basal areas below 10m/ha to create and maintain breeding season habitat for northern bobwhite. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.
カニクイザル(Macaca fascicularis)の胸筋について

The species breeds year-round. In the wild, breeding shows a yearly distinct birth peak dependant on local conditions, which is not apparent in captivity. Macaques are highly social and live in groups numbering up to 60 individuals, usually with fewer males than females. Males disperse at the time of sexual maturity, while females stay in the group where they live in female dominance hierarchies that are inherited by mothers. In captivity, males reach sexual maturity at 5.2 ± 1.2 years old on average (range: 2.8 11.9 years, n= 197 ) and females at 4.4 ± 1.2 years (n= 789 ). Mean pregnancy duration is 160 days (range: 134-184). M. fascicularis give birth to a single offspring. Interbirth intervals (time between birth events) are between 1-2 years. Weaning (introduction of adult diet) of the young occurs progressively until 10-11 months of age. Some breeding facilities separate young from their mothers at an earlier age between 5-6 months.
J Itta Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application Development and Evaluation of a Customer- Centered Erp Implementation Method

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are widely implemented in companies’ operation management and there are already a number of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) ERP products on the market. However, companies often have difficulty in identifying the requirements for selecting an ERP system, and also in specifying their objectives in an ERP implementation project. Despite the available information on ERP implementations, companies need a how-to method to support them in gathering and analyzing their ERP requirements. This qualitative empirical research deals with the development of a Customer-Centered ERP Implementation (C-CEI) method for the analysis of ERP system requirements. The development is conducted using an action research approach. The C-CEI method utilizes the principles and process of User-Centered Design (UCD) that aims at involving end users in the early stages of the product development. The results of this research are divided into four parts: (1) the C-CEI method itself, (2) the lessons learned from four companies that participated in the development of the C-CEI method, (3) content analysis of C-CEI documents produced in the companies, and (4) interviews of the companies’ personnel who had participated in the development of the C-CEI method. This research guides practitioners in how the ERP implementation can be approached employing a pre-defined method, and how the shared understanding of the ERP project objectives and activities are achieved within the organization. For academics, this study directs the research interest towards developing scientifically-based ERP implementation methodologies to complement those currently provided by ERP vendors and consultants.