Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dispersion on kriged hydraulic conductivity fields

Geostatistical interpolation of log conductivity measurements leads to velocity fields lacking small‐scale variability whereas large‐scale features are covered well. The unresolved, small‐scale velocity fluctuations cause underestimation of macrodispersion, dilution, and mixing in subsequent transport calculations. The same holds when the best linear unbiased estimate of geostatistical inverse methods is used in flow and transport simulations. Considering a regular grid of measurement points, we approximate the lack of dispersion, to which we refer as correction dispersion, by applying first‐order theory to the conditional covariance of the kriged log conductivity field. The nonstationarity of the conditional covariance is removed by averaging it over space. We distinguish between macrodispersion, describing the rate of change in the second spatial moments of a large plume, and effective dispersion of a plume introduced as a point source, parameterizing dilution and mixing. Depending on the objective, we either add a correction macrodispersion tensor or a correction effective dispersion tensor to the true local dispersion tensor in transport calculations on the smoothed log conductivity field. The numerical application to a two‐dimensional periodic domain shows excellent agreement in the one‐ and two‐particle moments between simulations on the highly resolved field and those on the interpolated one using corrected values for the local dispersion coefficients.
Evaluating river management during seaward migration to recover Columbia River stream-type Chinook salmon considering the variation in marine conditions

Evidence suggests Snake River stream-type Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) experience substantial delayed mortality in the marine environment as a result of their outmigration experience through the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS). We analyzed mortality patterns using methods that incorporated downriver reference populations passing fewer dams, and temporal approaches that were independent of reference populations. Our results from the alternative spatial and temporal methods consistently corroborated with spawner–recruit residuals and smolt-to-adult survival rate data sets, indicating that Snake River salmon survived about one quarter as well as the reference populations. Temporal analysis indicated that a high percentage (76%) of Snake River juvenile salmon that survived the FCRPS subsequently died in the marine environment as a result of their outmigration experience. Through this and previous studies, it is evident that delayed hydrosystem mortality increases with the number of powerhouse passages and decreases with the speed of outmigration. Therefore, a promising conservation approach would be to explore management experiments that evaluate these relationships by increasing managed spill levels at the dams during the spring migration period. Résumé : Des données semblent indiquer que le saumon quinnat (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) de type dulcicole de la rivière Snake présente une importante mortalité différée dans le milieu marin découlant de son avalaison par l’intermédiaire du réseau fédéral d’installations hydroélectriques du fleuve Columbia (FCRPS). Nous avons analysé la distribution de la mortalité en faisant appel à des méthodes qui tiennent compte des populations de référence des parties aval du réseau, qui traversent moins de barrages, ainsi qu’à des approches temporelles indépendantes des populations de référence. Nos résultats pour les différentes méthodes spatiales et temporelles étaient uniformément en accord avec les ensembles de données de résidus de relations géniteurs-recrues et de taux de survie associés à la transition saumoneau-adulte, qui indiquent un taux survie pour les saumons de la rivière Snake d’environ le quart de celui des populations de référence. L’analyse temporelle indique qu’un fort pourcentage (76 %) de saumons juvéniles de la rivière Snake ayant survécu au FCRPS sont morts plus tard dans le milieu marin des suites de leur avalaison. Cette étude et d’autres études antérieures démontrent clairement que la mortalité retardée associée aux installations hydroélectriques augmente parallèlement au nombre de passages par des centrales électriques et est plus faible pour de plus grandes vitesses d’avalaison. Une approche de conservation prometteuse consiste donc à examiner des expériences de gestion qui évaluent ces relations en accroissant les niveaux de déversements contrôlés aux barrages durant la migration printanière. [Traduit par la Rédaction]
Design and Analysis of a 2-DOF Compliant Mechanism for Nano Scale Positioning

The paper investigates the design process and the analysis of a two degree of freedom compliant mechanism for nano scale positioning applications. In this research, the flexure based mechanism possesses a decoupled characteristic in x-and y motions and compact structure in size. Moreover, the mechanism's workspace will be amplified via using a lever amplification mechanism. In order to achieve an optimal size, a multiple objective optimization based on response surface method and kigring regression model are carried out. Besides, the effect of design variables on each of the output response of the proposed mechanism will analyzed as well. The proposed 2-DOF compliant mechanism size of 186 mm ? 186 mm possessed the workspace of 130 ? m ? 130 ? m in the x-and y axes. The confirmation experiment using a simulation in ANSYS revealed that the error between the predicted result and the actual value was about 1.6%. It means that there is a good agreement between two results. It is also clear that the proposed mechanism has much lower error than that of previous studies in the literature review. Ultimately, the proposed mechanism is expected to further applications in practice positioning and manipulator systems.
Ecological Inference And Spatial Heterogeneity - A New Approach Based On Entropy Econometrics

In this paper, we compare the results obtained by the application of three alternative methods of ecological inference. The data is on per capita household disposable income in the 50 provinces and 78 municipalities of Asturias, Spain. The first method is based on Ordinary Least Squares regression model, which assumes constancy or homogeneity. The second method is based on a spatial autocorrelation model, which assumes heterogeneity in two spatial regimes. The third method is based on a varying-coefficients model, which assumes total heterogeneity. The second model is estimated by Maximum Likelihood, whereas the latter is estimated by using Generalized Maximum or Cross Entropy.
Video Analysis and Indexing

In recent years, hardware technologies and standards activities have matured to the point that it is becoming feasible to transmit, store, process, and view video signals that are stored in digital formats, and to share video signals between different platforms and application areas. Manual annotation of video contents is a tedious, time consuming, subjective, inaccurate, incomplete, and perhaps more importantly costly process. Over the past decade, a growing number of researchers have been attempting to fulfil the need for creative algorithms and systems that allow (semi-) automatic ways to describe, organize, and manage video data with greater understanding of its semantic contents. In this chapter, we study methods for automatic segmentation in digital videos. We also demonstrate their suitability for indexing and retrieval. The first section is related to granularity and addresses the question: what to index, and reviews existing techniques in video analysis and indexing. The modalities and their analysis are presented in section 2. Pre-processing, feature extraction and representation are discussed in Section 3. We discuss the actual process of developing models for semantic concepts in Section 4. Finally, directions for future research and conclusions are presented in Section 5.
Directed Evolution of Sesquiterpene Synthesis in Escherichia coli

Isoprenoid prevalence and diversity in the natural world is the remarkable result of terpene enzymes capable of incredible molecular specificity. The ability to manipulate terpene diversity and production using in vitro directed evolution techniques could have significant commercial value. The high sequence similarity between two sesquiterpene plant genes coding for the production of epi-cedrol and amorpha-4,ll-diene made these ideal parents for DNA shuffling experihents. Previous family shuffling experiments gave five synthetic epi-cedrol overproducing genes with a 20 to 60-bp arnorphadiene cyclase crossover at the 5' end. These five genes were randomly fragmented and then reassembled to create a hybrid gene library. The resulting gene products were transformed into Escherichia coli strain DHlOB using the plasmid pTrc99A and screened for epi-cedrol production. When production failed to improve further, exon shuffling techniques were used to more deliberately create genetic diversity. Seven exons exist in both epi-cedrol and amorphadiene synthases. Each exon was individually PCR amplified using primers that code for intronic areas of the genes. The exon hgrnents were then randomly reassembled to make 128 possible gene combinations. Four hundred individually screened clones yielded seven epi-cedrol producers and no amorphadiene producers.
Student Performance Prediction Model using Machine Learning Approach: The Case of Wolkite University

-A high prediction accuracy of the students’ performance is helpful to identify the low performance students at the beginning of the learning process. Machine learning is used to attain this objective. Machine learning techniques are used to discover models or patterns of data, and it is helpful in the decision-making. The ability to predict performance of students is very crucial in our present education system. We applied Machine learning concepts for this study. The dataset used in our study is taken from the Wolkite university registries office for college of computing and informatics from 2004 up to 2007 E.C with respect to each department. In this study, we have been collected student’s transcript data that included their final GPA and their grades in all courses. After pre-processing the data, we applied the machine learning methods, neural networks, Naive Bayesian and Support Vector Machine (SMO). Finally, we built the model for each method, evaluate the performance and compare the results of each model. Using machine learning, the aim was to develop a model which can derive the conclusion on students ' academic success.
Fluoxetine treatment for major depression decreases the plasma levels of cytokines

Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory biomarkers have been reported in major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of this study is to investigate the plasma levels of interleukin-18 (IL-18), macrophageinflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), stromal cell derived factor-1 (SDF-1), and regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) in patients with MDD before and after eight week treatment of fluoxetine hydrochloride in comparison with normal controls. All subjects were assessed before and after treatment with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Our results showed that the symptoms of forty healthy controls and thirty-four patients with MDD were correlated with their plasma levels of IL-18, MIP-1α, MCP-1, SDF-1α, and RANTES. The levels of all five cytokine of patients with MDD were significantly decreased after treatment. However, the levels remained significantly higher than those of the healthy controls (p<0.001). In the seven depressed subjects whose HDRS score fell to below seven after antidepressant therapy comparing with those subjects whose HDRS score larger than seven, the mean levels of IL-18 (p=0.01) and SDF-1α(p<0.05) were significantly lower. Conversely, higher levels of cytokines correlated with a persistently increased severity of symptoms, as measured by the HDRS scores. In conclusion, these findings suggest that MDD is associated with activation of the immune system, and the antidepressant effect of fluoxetine may be mediated in part through its anti-inflammatory effects. Key words : Fluoxetine hydrochloride, major depression, cytokine, chemokine, inflammation.
Application of Three Bioinspired Optimization Methods for the Design of a Nonlinear Mechanical System

The present work focuses on the optimal design of nonlinear mechanical systems by using heuristic optimization methods. In this context, the nonlinear optimization problem is devoted to a two-degree-of-freedom nonlinear damped system, constituted of a primary mass attached to the ground by a linear spring and a secondary mass attached to the primary system by a nonlinear spring. This arrangement forms a nonlinear dynamic vibration absorber (nDVA), which is used in this contribution as a representative example of a nonlinear mechanical system. The sensitivity analysis of the suppression bandwidth, namely, the frequency range over which the ratio of the main mass displacement amplitude to the amplitude of the forcing function is less than unity, with respect to the design variables that characterize the nonlinear system based on the first order finite differences is presented. For illustration purposes the optimization problem is written as to maximize the suppression bandwidth by using three recent bioinspired optimization methods: Bees Colony Algorithm, Firefly Colony Algorithm, and Fish Swarm Algorithm. The results are compared with other evolutionary strategies.
Analysis of Flow Angles and Flow Velocities in Spool Valves for the Calculation of Steady-State Flow Forces

A detailed analysis of the flow inside valves has become necessary for the optimisation of their static and dynamic performance. For this purpose, the contours of metering edges as well as the shapes of sleeves, respectively of valve blocks, can be modified, resulting in different flow patterns. In addition, the flow velocities and flow angles on defined areas inside valves are needed for the estimation of physical quantities such as flow rates, flow forces, etc. Within this paper, measurements and CFD-simulations of a 2/2-way spool type test valve are analysed regarding flow angles and flow velocities including their distribution on the inlet and outlet areas. Different spool edge geometries are investigated in both flow directions. Furthermore, the impact of a chamfer and a fillet on a spool edge, on the flow angles and the flow velocities are analysed. The analysis results show that the shape of a spool edge influences the flow angles and the flow velocities. Both flow variables are significantly affected by the direction of the fluid flow through the valve. Moreover, considering the same inlet area, an increasing chamfer width, respectively an increasing fillet radius, result both in lower inlet and outlet flow angles.
Towards the Infomediation in Tourism

The purpose of the study is to analyse the changing role of tourism intermediaries in the distribution chain. Globalisation and the development of ICTs have undoubtedly changed both business practices and strategies as well as industry structures. They are also creating new rules governing competition within the tourism market. However, the idea of disintermediation to which e-commerce specialists often refer does not necessarily mean distruction of travel intermediaries. By examining their traditional functions one can demonstrate that current Internet trends go beyond disintermediation in tourism. Emerging new Internet players are being joined by entirely new types of intermediaries, leading to the radical restructuring of tourism value nets.
SL(n,C)- Representation spaces of Knot Groups

The first part of this article is a general introduction to the the theory of representation spaces of discrete groups into SL(n,C). Special attention is paid to knot groups. In Section 2 we discuss the difference between the tangent space at the representation variety, and the representation scheme. We give an example of Lubotzky and Magid of a non scheme reduced representation (see Example 2.18). In the second part recent results about the representation and character varieties of knot groups into SL(n,C) with n ≥ 3 are presented. This second part concerns mostly joint work with L. Ben Abdelghani, O. Medjerab, V. Munos and J. Porti.
THE BIG INDOOR AIR EMISSIONS THREAT - SECONDARY EMISSIONS

Summary Substantial progress has been made understanding volatile organic chemical (VOC) emissions from indoor sources including building materials, furnishing, and some cleaning and maintenance products. During the past two decades, emissions from building materials and other sources have declined significantly in many developed countries. Researchers have begun to understand the potentially larger health threat posed by secondary emission, the chemicals formed by the interactions between oxidants in indoor air and chemicals on surfaces, and by hydrolysis. Many of the by-products of these interactions are more irritating, odorous, or toxic and may pose a far greater health hazard than the chemicals from which they are formed. Building materials, cleaning products, and many consumer products contain chemicals that react with oxidants to form formaldehyde and other, higher molecular weight aldehydes, acidic aerosols, and fine or ultrafine particles. Researchers have identified some of the most important indoor sources that combine with ozone (O3) at common indoor concentrations to form these secondary products. The fundamental processes and critical building material and cleaning products have been identified along with recommendations for minimizing occupant exposure to hazardous chemicals resulting from indoor air chemistry and secondary emissions. Exposure to harmful secondary emissions can be reduced to improve indoor air quality
Consumption of Tea and its Relation to Risk of Type 2 Diabetes mellitus

Aim: The aim of the study was to examine the association of consumption of tea with the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: A case control study was conducted at PSG Hospitals between 1 st June 2017 and 1 st July 2017. All those who had newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus and attended Department of Endocrinology for followup visit were the cases and the relatives accompanying them without the history of diabetes mellitus were the controls. Tea consumption and other dietary factors were elicited. The mediating factors studied were age, sex, Body Mass Index (BMI), educational levels, smoking status, alcohol consumption, family history of diabetes mellitus, potassium intake, magnesium intake and use of statins. Results: After adjusting the potential confounders, tea consumption was inversely associated with risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus with odds ratio of 0.652 (95% CI = 0.43 – 0.98). The association was also observed with participants who consumed tea 3 or 4 cups per day compared to those who did not drink tea on a daily basis (odds ratio = 0.368, 95% CI = 0.14 – 0.96). However, the association was not observed among those who take 5 or more cups of tea per day (odds ratio = 0.328, 95% CI = 0.06 – 1.60). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that consumption of 3 to 4 cups of tea per day has a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The results from our study also suggest that adjusting for mediating factors did not alter the results and hence other unknown factors may explain inverse relation between tea consumption and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Further studies are warranted.
Summertime ozone formation in Xi'an and surrounding areas, China

Abstract. In this study, the ozone (O3) formation in China's northwest city of Xi'an and surrounding areas is investigated using the Weather Research and Forecasting atmospheric chemistry (WRF-Chem) model during the period from 22 to 24 August 2013, corresponding to a heavy air pollution episode with high concentrations of O3 and PM2.5. The model generally performs well compared to measurements in simulating the surface temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed and direction, near-surface O3 and PM2.5 mass concentrations, and aerosol constituents. High aerosol concentrations in Xi'an and surrounding areas significantly decrease the photolysis frequencies and can reduce O3 concentrations by more than 50 µg m−3 (around 25 ppb) on average. Sensitivity studies show that the O3 production regime in Xi'an and surrounding areas is complicated, varying from NOx to VOC (volatile organic compound)-sensitive chemistry. The industrial emissions contribute the most to the O3 concentrations compared to biogenic and other anthropogenic sources, but neither individual anthropogenic emission nor biogenic emission plays a dominant role in the O3 formation. Under high O3 and PM2.5 concentrations, a 50 % reduction in all the anthropogenic emissions only decreases near-surface O3 concentrations by about 14 % during daytime. The complicated O3 production regime and high aerosol levels pose a challenge for O3 control strategies in Xi'an and surrounding areas. Further investigation regarding O3 control strategies will need to be performed, taking into consideration the rapid changes in anthropogenic emissions that are not reflected in the current emission inventories and the uncertainties in the meteorological field simulations.