Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A remote sensing based approach to determine forest fire cycle: case study of the Yenisei Ridge dark taiga

Abstract The role of fire disturbances in boreal regions is of great importance for the global carbon cycle, but for the boreal forests characterized by a low fire frequency (i.e. the dark taiga of Siberia) it is often difficult to identify the fire cycle and the fire disturbance rate. A new methodological approach, based on remote sensing techniques and homogeneous stochastic process properties, has been developed for quantifying the forest-fire cycle. In the following study we selected a forest area, the Yenisei Ridge dark taiga, in central Siberia where field and satellite imagery data were collected, and where this new methodology was applied. For the central Siberian dark taiga, the fire cycle was estimate to be 520 yr.
Investment Strategy based on Volatility and Trends detection optimized by a Genetic Algorithm

— Financial markets regularly experience periods of high and low volatility, and while high volatility is associated with higher risk, it is not always negative to trade during such periods. However, if the goal is to have a safe and reliable strategy, it is advisable to avoid these more volatile periods. This thesis aims to create a trading strategy, applied to the stock market, based on volatility and market trends, being able to avoid the most volatile periods, generating high returns with low risk. The proposed system combined a strategy that identifies the quietest periods in the market, a Support Vector Machine (SVM) that identifies market trends and a Genetic Algorithm (GA) responsible for optimizing the entire system. The system uses GA to optimize and select technical indicators as well as to choose the hyperparameters used in SVM. In parallel, the GA is also responsible for setting the decision weights and margins of the volatility strategy. The proposed system was then evaluated in seven financial markets with different characteristics. The results show that this approach yields better results than the Buy&Hold strategy in most tested markets. In the S&P500 index, the proposed 2:1 leverage system achieves a return rate of 20.28% with a Maximum Drawdown (MDD) of 4.34%, while the Buy&Hold strategy achieved a return rate of 17.34% with an MDD of 15.07%.
Review of Volume 5 of the Handbook of Regional and

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Development of ready‐to‐eat rice starch‐based puffed products by coupling freeze‐drying and microwave

Summary The rice starch mixtures with varying amylose contents (AC) of 0.12–19.00% weight were prepared by mixing waxy and nonwaxy rice starches. The 5% rice bran oil shortening was added in the starch paste. After gelatinisation, thin slabs of starch pastes were aged at 4 °C for 24 h. The aged slabs were dried by freeze-drying to obtain 25% moisture content. A microwave oven set to 600 J s−1 for 90 s was then used for puffing. The crucial factors affecting the snack purchase were texture and nutrition. The relative crystallinity and retrogradation enthalpy (∆Hr) of freeze-dried pellets increased with increasing the AC. From using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), endotherms of pellets were shown only when AC > 0.12%. An amylose–lipid complex was shown in pellets with AC ≥ 9.00%. Relationships between the AC and all puffed product properties were linear. Increasing AC provided greater hardness, fracturability, bulk density, but lower expansion ratio. From the sensory evaluation, the panellists preferred the puffed products with 9.00% AC. Increasing the AC gave higher crispness, hardness, brittleness, air cell opacity and density, but resulted in less puffiness. Thus, the microwave drying has the potential to puff a healthy expanded snack but giving the desirable properties depends on AC.
Structure-property relationships in thermoplastic-apparent interpenetrating polymer networks based on crystallizable polyurethane and styrene-acrylic acid copolymer

Structure-property relationships in thermoplastic-apparent interpenetrating polymer networks (t-AIPNs), prepared by mechanical blending in a common solvent of crystallizable polyurethane (CPU) and styrene/acrylic acid random copolymer (S/AA), were investigated by means of wide-angle and small-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS and SAXS), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermally stimulated depolarization currents (TSDC) techniques, dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS), and density, water uptake, deformation, and strength characteristics measurements. Several mechanical and dielectric relaxations of the pure components were characterized, and the effects thereupon induced by blending were followed. The two components show weak affinity to each other. The t-AIPNs can be classified into two groups with high and low contents of CPU, showing essentially the behavior of CPU and of S/AA, respectively. On the other hand, deviations from additivity in several properties indicate interactions between the two components, caused by the formation of H-bonds between their functional groups, and resulting in partial miscibility. In addition, significant changes are observed on some properties of the t-AIPNs on addition of small amounts of either of the components.
Delayed yielding in creep, time–stress superposition and effective time theory for a soft glass

In this work we investigate creep flow of aqueous suspension of Laponite, a model soft glassy material, at different aging times and stresses. We observe that this system shows time—aging time—stress superposition over a range of aging times and stresses when a real time scale is transformed into an effective time scale. Existence of superposition in an effective time domain facilitates prediction of long and very short time rheological behavior. Analysis of the observed behavior from an effective time approach suggests that superposition is possible only when the shape of a relaxation time spectrum is preserved at various aging times and stresses. We also observe that creep curves at low aging times and greater stresses demonstrate delayed but sudden yielding. The critical time, at which material yields, increases with increase in aging time and decrease in stress. We argue that local rejuvenation of part of the glassy material causes variation in the rate of evolution of relaxation modes. The resulting interplay between aging and rejuvenating modes leads to delayed yielding as observed experimentally.
Travel and pregnancy

As global travel increases, so does the prominence of travel-related illness in the United Kingdom and across the globe. Pregnant people face particular risks while travelling, and may consult healthcare providers on any additional preparations and precautions they should consider. The GP’s role is to identify risks specific to the individual, the type of travel and the destination, and to recommend interventions to mitigate these issues. This article seeks to describe these special considerations for the pregnant traveller, encompassing environmental hazards, infectious disease and access to care, and to provide guidance on how these patients should be advised.
Perception of nurse managers’ care coordination practices among nurses at the unit level

Introduction Nursing practice demands coordination of activities within and across units to enable quality delivery of healthcare services. Nurse managers are best positioned to ensure effective care coordination at the operational level in the hospitals. The purpose of this study was to examine the care coordination practices of nurse managers at the unit level. Methods A quantitative exploratory descriptive approach using a cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from 522 nurses in 19 hospitals in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Descriptive and regression analyses were performed to describe the sample and to predict the behaviour of nurse managers. The systems model was used as a conceptual framework for the survey. Data collection was from October 2015 to March 2016. Results The response rate for collection of data was 95.7%. Nurse managers exhibited an acceptable level of care coordination practices. Nurse managers’ characteristics together predicted the care coordination practices at the unit (R2=0.111, p < 0.001). The unit, unit workload, experience as a nurse manager, and work duration with nurses were the significant predictors in the regression model. Discussion Care coordination is needed at the unit level to prevent conflict, overlapping, and constant interdepartmental friction which enables nurses to take a broad overview of coordinated care instead of myopic observation and reflection in the unit. Nurse managers are best positioned to coordinate care due to their vast professional knowledge and experience. Effective communication, good interpersonal relationship, and good listening skills are essential coordination practices critical to the efficiency of the unit.
Onset of mixing-induced thixotropy in hydrogels by mixing two homologues of low-molecular-weight hydrogelators

We determined the onset of thixotropy in hydrogels when two homologues of low-molecular-weight hydrogelators, N-alkyl-D-glucamides, were mixed. Intriguingly, the hydrogels generated from the individual components did not show such behaviour. The mixing induced onset of thixotropy might be attributed to the improved network quality.
Cluster Flow - an Advanced Concept for Ensemble-Enabling, Interactive Clustering

: Even though most clustering algorithms serve knowledge discovery in fields other than computer science, most of them still require users to be familiar with programming or data mining to some extent. As that often prevents efficient research, we developed an easy to use, highly explainable clustering method accompanied by an interactive tool for clustering. It is based on intuitively understandable kNN graphs and the subsequent application of adaptable filters, which can be combined ensemble-like and iteratively and prune unnecessary or misleading edges. For a first overview of the data, fully automatic predefined filter cascades deliver robust results. A selection of simple filters and combination methods that can be chosen interactively yield very good results on benchmark datasets compared to various algorithms.
Pattern Transfer of Nanomasks Based on Diblock Copolymers Self-Assembling through Reactive Ion Etching

We investigate the pattern transfer on oxide substrates of lithographic masks with nanometer dimensions. The nanomasks are realized through the Lithography based on block CoPolymers self-assembling (LCP). LCP is low cost, VLSI compatible and allows the formation of controlled and highly dense nanofeatures at wafer scale. The pattern transfer to a hard mask is an important step for many applications, and it is usually pursued by dry etch. However it is critical step due to the small size and chemical instability of the copolymer which acts as the resist. In this work a process of dry etch based on reactive ion etching is studied. The chemistry used is CF4 diluted with N2. The dilution is found to optimize the oxide/copolymer etch selectivity, thanks to the polymerization effect of the CFx radicals on the mask. The experimental data are discussed in the framework of a model which takes into account the impinging fluxes of the plasma components (i.e. neutral fluorine, carbon-fluorine particles and ions) for different distributions of the fragmentation products. The etching rate is followed for planar and nanopatterned oxides and the results compared in terms of the visibility contribution for the attachment and desorption of the etchant species. © 2012 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.021203jss] All rights reserved. Manuscript submitted May 25, 2012; revised manuscript received June 22, 2012. Published August 14, 2012.
Experimental and Theoretical Studies of the Methylidyne CH(X2Π) Radical Reaction with Ethane (C2H6): Overall Rate Constant and Product Channels

The reaction of CH with ethane was studied, at room temperature, in a low-pressure fast-flow reactor. CH(X2Π, v = 0) radicals were obtained from the reactions of CHBr3 with potassium atoms. The overall rate constant is found at 300 K to be (1.6 ± 0.6) × 10-10 cm3 molecule-1 s-1. The absolute atomic hydrogen production was determined by V.U. V. resonance fluorescence, the reference used being the H production from the CH + CH4 reaction. The H atoms production from the CH + C2H6 reaction was found equal to 22 ± 8%. Ab initio studies of the different stationary points relevant to this reaction and RRKM calculations have been performed for comparison with experimental results.
Practice of Knowledge

From August 2 to 9, 2019, the first advanced workshop on the archaeology of Chinese music was successfully held in the Institute of Music Archaeology of Zhengzhou University. This workshop was planned by Institute of Music Archaeology of Zhengzhou University. More than 20 experts, scholars and graduate students from Chinese National Academy of Arts, Central Conservatory of Music, Shenyang Conservatory of Music, Xinghai Conservatory of Music, China University of Mining and Technology, and South China Normal University attended the workshop. The workshop conducted in-depth discussions and exchanges on the current development of music archaeology, with topics including the study of ancient musical instruments, music history, music iconography and experimental methods. In addition, the workshop also arranged a three-day field trip, mainly to observe the sites (remains) of the late Neolithic period and the Spring and Autumn Period, especially the field investigation and study of the musical archaeological materials, such as chime bells, stone-chime, bronze bells, etc. This event will also strengthen the academic exchanges and mutual visits between Chinese universities and research institutions, further improve the academic level of the Institute of Music Archaeology of Zhengzhou University, promote the development of the characteristic discipline of the university under the "double first-class" construction, and lay a solid foundation for the further construction of this discipline. Finally, the Institute of Music Archaeology of Zhengzhou University presented books such as Series of Archaeology of Chinese Music to all members in the workshop. The workshop was a great success.
Transcriptional Role of a Conserved GATA-1 Site in the Human E-Globin Gene Promoter

The e-globin gene is the first of the human ,8-like globin genes to be expressed during development. We have analyzed protein-DNA interactions in the e-globin promoter region by DNase I footprinting and electrophoretic mobility shift experiments using nuclear extracts from K562 human erythroid cells and from nonerythroid HeLa cells. A restricted set of ubiquitous proteins, including Spl, bound to regions of the promoter including the CACCC and CCAAT sites. Three interactions, at positions -213, -165, and +3 relative to the transcription start site, were erythroid specific and corresponded to binding of GATA-1, a transcription factor highly restricted to the erythroid lineage. Interestingly, the GATA-1 site at -165 has been conserved in the promoters of 10 mammalian embryonic globin genes. Point mutations demonstrate that GATA-1 binding to this site is necessary for interaction with an erythroid-specific enhancer but that in the absence of an enhancer, GATA-1 does not increase transcription.
Confidence Measures for Interactive Neural Machine Translation

Conﬁdence Measures (CMs) can be used to estimate the reliability of the words of a hypothesis generated by a machine translation system. In the Interactive-Predictive Machine Translation (IPMT) paradigm, they are used to determine which words of the generated predictions need to be corrected, reducing the total number of words typed by the user. The CMs used must be fast enough in order to not affect the interaction between the user and the machine negatively. In this paper, we present several fast CMs for Interactive-Predictive Neural Machine Translation: IBM Model 1 and 2, Fast Align and Hidden Markov Model. These estimators let the system to achieve a reduction in the number of words typed by getting less-quality translations. The experiments done proved that these CMs are fast enough to use them in an IPMT system, and obtained a high relative reduction on the number of words corrected while getting good-quality translations.
Wiggle Your Ears With Your Emotions

Human-Computer Integration is an extension of the Human-Computer Interaction paradigm that explores systems in which the boundary between user and computer is blurred. We build on this and explore its intersection with the fields of biodata and playful expression by presenting “Wigglears ” , a wearable system that will wiggle the wearer’s ears based on skin conductance, aiming to explore playful solutions towards integrated biodata-based self-expression. Through an autobiographical study, we demonstrate the system’s ability to fuel social dialogue, amplify positive emotions
Data Sharing in Wellness, Accessibility, and Aging

Curation and sharing of datasets are crucial for innovation, benchmarking, bias mitigation, and understanding of real-word scenarios, where AI-infused applications are deployed. This is especially the case for datasets from underrepresented populations typically studied in wellness, accessibility, and aging. However such datasets are scarce and in this paper we highlight challenges for sharing or locating them. They tend to come from smaller samples having highly variable characteristics, require expert annotators, and pose more prominent privacy risks. We discuss sharing practices as they pertain to speciﬁc user groups, access methods, and licensing. Our analysis is based on 140 datasets that were manually located across different sources: 56 available publicly, 31 available upon request, and 53 unshared but described in manuscripts. To promote discovery and transparency, all datasets are described at IncluSet, our new data surfacing repository.
Hegemony and Crisis in Global Political Economy: The Importance of Legitimacy

In light of the financial crisis of 2008 and its current repercussions, the relationship between hegemony and legitimacy in global political economy needs to be reconsidered. Since the emergence of the Bretton Woods system in the post-World War II era, the world economy has experienced a crisis in almost every decade while the role of American leadership and international trade and finance institutions has remained critical. The latest financial crisis, however, starting in the U.S. and spreading later to the Eurozone between 2008 and 2011, underlines the ongoing transformations in global political economy in which this hegemony and its legitimacy is being challenged.
High refractive index materials: A structural property comparison of sulfide‐ and sulfoxide‐containing polyamides

High-refractive-index polyamides (PAs) are developed by incorporation of sulfide- or sulfoxide linkages and chlorine substituents. The PAs are synthesized through the polycondensation of two novel diamine monomers, 2,2'-sulfide-bis(4-chloro-1-(4-aminophenoxy) phenyl ether (3a) and 2,2'-sulfoxide-bis(4-chloro-1-(4-aminophenoxy) phenyl ether (3b), with various aromatic diacids (a-e). The ortho-sulfide or sulfoxide units, pendant chlorine groups, and flexible ether linkages in the diamine monomers endowed the obtained PAs with excellent solubilities in organic solvents. The resulting PAs showed high thermal stability, with 10% weight loss temperatures exceeding 415°C under nitrogen and 399°C in air atmosphere. The combination of chlorine substituents, sulfide or sulfoxide linkages, and ortho-catenated structures provided polymers with high transparency along with high refractive index values of up to 1.7401 at 632.8 nm and low birefringences (<0.0075). The structure-property relationships of the analogous PAs containing sulfide or sulfoxide linkages were also studied in detail by comparing the results
Indicators of Political Will, Remedial and Coping Capacity?

Introduction Missing indicators of coping capacity Missing indicators of remedial capacity Missing indicators of political will Confidence index in relation to political will? Operational glass ceiling in the face of crisis? Progressive erosion of capacity and political will Indifference to indicators and root cause analysis Transcending hope-mongering versus doom-mongering? Gaia will adjust -but "we" may be "in the way" References
Exploratory Study of Some Machine Learning Techniques to Classify the Patient Treatment

Numerous studies have been carried out on computation and its applications to medical data with proven benefits for improving the quality of public health. However, not all research results or practical applications can be applied to all conditions but must be in accordance with the various contexts such as community culture, geographical, or citizen behaviors. Unfortunately, the use of digital data in Indonesia is still very limited. The study objective is to assess various data mining techniques to utilize data from laboratory test results collected from a private hospital in Indonesia in predicting the next patient treatment. Furthermore, various machine learning classification techniques were explored for the purpose. Based on the experiments, it was concluded that XGBoost with hyperparameter tuning produced the best accuracy level at 0.7579, compared to other classifiers. A better level of accuracy can be obtained by enriching the type of dataset used, such as the patient's medical record history. Keywords—Electronic health record; XGBoost; patient treatment; patient laboratory test data
Improving I/O Performance in POP (Parallel Ocean Program)

As clusters and supercomputers rapidly approach the petaﬂop scale, the performance demand on ﬁle I/O systems cannot be overlooked. The overall balance of these systems will shift dramatically towards FLOP performance and leave a number of applications spending a higher percentage of time in ﬁle I/O operations. Improving an application’s ﬁle I/O performance may therefore have a dramatic eﬀect on application run time and overall system throughput. The National Center for Computational Sciences (NCCS) Lustre