Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deep Residual Learning Residual Learning

In recent years Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) demonstrated a high performance on image classification tasks. Experiments showed that the number of layers (depth) in a CNN is correlated to the performance in image recognition tasks. This led to the idea that deeper networks should perform better. Creating deep networks is not as simple as adding layers. One problem is the vanishing/exploding gradients, which hamper the convergence. This obstacle can be overcome by normalized initialization and intermediate normalization layers, so that networks start converging for stochastic gradient descend (SGD) using the backpropagation algorithm. Another problem is the degradation, if the depth of a network increases, the accuracy gets saturated and then degrades rapidly. (Figure 1) A way to counter the degradation problem is using residual learning. ( ) 1
Pile-Raft Settlements Prediction under Coupled Static-Dynamic Loads Using Four Heuristic Regression Approaches

One of the main driving factors for structures’ evaluation is the foundation settlement. Measuring structures’ settlement in field is costly especially when heavy loads are applied. Settlement prediction models can be used to avoid the high cost of settlement field tests. Four advanced heuristic regression methods are developed and applied in this study to estimate raft foundations’ settlement, namely, multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), M5 model tree (M5Tree), generalized regression neural networks (GRNN), and support vector regression (SVR) techniques. Simulation of raft pile foundations is utilized to calculate the settlements of piles under the effect of static and dynamic loads. Previous studies are compared with the newly developed models. The results show that the four models can be used to accurately predict foundations’ settlements in the training stage. Also, the results reveal that the MARS and SVR models performed slightly better than the M5Tree and GRNN models in the testing stage and accordingly can be used to predict foundations’ settlement. The SVR model outperformed other models when few numbers of measurements are available.
Predation on marine bryozoan colonies: taxa, traits and trophic groups

While bryozoans are important components of marine benthic ecosystems, their sig- nificance as food has scarcely been considered in any comparative study. An analysis of the phylo- genetic range of predators on bryozoan colonies was undertaken to elucidate relationships among different consumers. Functional feeding traits and diet categories were determined from literature sources and observations for 399 predator species. Multivariate analyses were used to identify groups of species that consume similar food resources and have related functional traits corresponding to finding, acquiring and ingesting prey. These analyses distinguished gradients among trophic groups based on dissimilar feeding mechanisms, body sizes, types of locomotion and dietary breadths. Co-occurrences of certain diet categories also emerged as important factors. Trophic groups were largely consistent with species clusters at different taxonomic ranks among the predator phyla. At one extreme, fishes and decapod crustaceans with large dietary breadths and body sizes, and crush- ing or tearing feeding mechanisms, appear to consume bryozoans as minor or even incidental parts of their diets. At another extreme, species of nudibranchs, pycnogonids, turbellarians, and certain polychaetes, small arthropods and nematodes that consume bryozoans do so primarily or exclusively. Their body sizes are comparatively smaller and they often have piercing and suctorial feeding mech- anisms. These differences are associated by inference with different probabilities of antagonistic encounters and likelihoods of lethal or sublethal predation. The analyses provide a baseline for eco- logical and evolutionary comparisons, and a broader context for the questions, 'Who eats bryozoans, how, and how frequently? '.
TENDERIZATION , A METHOD TO OPTIMIZE THE MEAT SENSORY QUALITY

The meat industry is in a continual search for methods to improve meat tenderness. Artificial meat tenderness is of interest especially for beef meat due to the inconsistency among bovine muscles. Tenderizing of beef meat is carried out by several methods: dry-aging, mechanical, thermal, chemical and enzymatic methods, treatments with ultrasound or high pressure. Reviews of the studied methods are discussed. Among these, the better results were observed when the vegetative enzymes were applied.
Recent Trends in TCP Packet-Level Characteristics

Up-to-date TCP trafﬁc characteristics are essential for research and development of protocols and applications. This paper presents recent trends observed in 70 measurements on backbone links from 2006 and 2009. First, we provide general characteristics such as packet size distributions and TCP option usage. We conﬁrm previous observations such as the dominance of TCP as transport and higher utilization of TCP options. Next, we look at out-of-sequence (OOS) TCP segments. OOS segments often have negative effects on TCP performance, and therefore require special consideration. While the total fraction of OOS segments is stable in our measurements, we observe a signiﬁcant decrease in OOS due to packet reordering (from 22.5% to 5.2% of all OOS segments). We verify that this development is a general trend in our measurements and not caused by single hosts/networks or special temporal events. Our ﬁndings are surprising as many researchers previously have speculated in an increased amount of reordering.
Bioerosion of experimental substrates on high islands and on atoll lagoons (French Polynesia) after two years of exposure

Rates of bioerosion by grazing and boring were studied in lagoons of 2 high islands (3 sites) and 2 atolls (2 sites each) In French Polynesia using experimental carbonate substrates (blocks of Porites lutea skeleton). The substrate loss versus accretion was measured after 6 and 24 mo of exposure. The results show significant differences between pristine environments on atolls and environments on high islands sub! ected to different levels of eutrophication and pollution due to human activities. Whereas experimental substrates on the atolls maintain a balance between accretion and erosion or exhibit net gains from accretion (positive budget), only 1 site on a high island exhibits significant loss of substrate by net erosion (negative budget). The erosional patterns set within the first 6 rno of exposure were largely maintained throughout the entire duration of the expeiiment. The intensity of bioerosion by grazing increases dramatically when reefs are exposed to pollution from harbour waters; this is shown at one of the Tahiti sites, where the highest average bioerosional loss, up to 25 kg m-2 yr-' (6.9 kg m-' yr-I on a single isolated block), of carbonate substrate was recorded.
Global Journal on Humanites & Social Sciences

The present study aimed atanalyzing the effects of good charactersof managers on affective organizational commitment of employees to the organization. Data were collected using a self-administrated questionnaire including leadership characters and affective commitment measures adopted. A sample of 100 employees from Consultant Engineering Firms was used. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and a linear regression analysis were used to test the relationship betweenmanagers’ good characters and affective commitment. The results show that the good characters of leaders including love, justice, and wisdomaffect affective commitment of employees. It is expected that when employees perceive such characters of amanager, they feel more affectively attached to their organizations andfeel a sense of loyalty towards their organization
ASSIMILATION OF LIDAR OBSERVATIONS IN AEROSOL TRANSPORT MODELS

The use of lidar data in assimilation of aerosol transport models is discussed from the lidar observation point of view. Examples of assimilation of data from the ground-based lidar network (AD-Net) and the spaceborne lidar CALIPSO are introduced, and the optimum observations and data processing methods are discussed. A four-dimensional variational data assimilation system for a regional dust model was developed by Yumimoto et al. and applied to analysis of several Asian dust events using the AD-Net dust extinction coefficient data. It was demonstrated that the data assimilation method was useful not only for better reproducing the dust distribution but also for better estimating the dust emission in the source regions. A data assimilation system for a global aerosol model using a fourdimensional ensemble Kalman filter was developed by Sekiyama et al. and applied to CALIPSO data. It was also applied to AD-Net data. The attenuated backscatter coefficient and the volume depolarization ratio were used in the CALIPSO data assimilation successfully. In the assimilation of the ground-based lidars, however, the use of the dust extinction coefficient derived from the backscattering signals and the depolarization ratio was better, because it was difficult with the model to reproduce aerosol distributions in the lower altitudes.
Effect of the Business Cycle on Investment Strategies: Evidence from Mexico Efecto del Ciclo Económico sobre Estrategias de Inversión: Evidencia para México

Abstract The main objective of this research is to analyze whether the business cycle has an effect on investment strategies. In order to ascertain this, we use as methodology, a multifactorial time series analysis. Specifically, we test whether short-term cycle investment strategies and long-term cycle investment strategies can be observed. We use data from the Mexican Stock Exchange, for the period 1993 – 2006. Our results show a statistical evidence of short-term cycle but not for long-term cycle investment opportunities. One of the implications of this discovery is that these results add to the works that challenge the efficient market hypothesis. As a conclusion, this work add some evidence to the writing that link the financial sector with economic activity. In particular, we found some evidence of a relationship between business cycle and short-term investment strategies. Resumen El objetivo principal de esta investigacion es analizar si el ciclo economico tiene un efecto sobre las estrategias de inversion. Para conseguir el objetivo usamos como metodologia un analisis de series de tiempo multifactorial. En particular, buscamos verificar si las estrategias de inversion de ciclos de corto plazo y las estrategias de inversion de ciclos de largo plazo se observan en la Bolsa Mexicana de Valores. Usamos como muestra datos de la Bolsa Mexicana de Valores, del periodo de 1993 – 2006. Los resultados muestran evidencia estadistica de oportunidades para estrategias de inversion de ciclos de corto plazo, pero no para estrategias de inversion de ciclos de largo plazo. Una de las implicaciones de estos hallazgos es que estos resultados se suman a los trabajos que cuestionan la hipotesis de mercados eficientes. En suma, este trabajo aporta mas evidencia a la literatura que ha encontrado una relacion entre el sector financiero con la actividad economica, en particular se documenta evidencia de una relacion entre el ciclo economico y estrategias de inversion de corto plazo.
The effects of Reynolds number and roughness on compressor performance

An empirical correlation (due to Casey and Robinson (2011)) for the effect of Reynolds number and roughness on the performance of compressors is examined and refined. The original correlation quantifies the inefficiency due to friction losses with an empirical coefficient Bref which differs for different machine types. The variation of this coefficient was originally given as a function of the specific speed and determined from extensive test data for many compressors, in which the Reynolds number, roughness and size were varied. In this paper the value of the empirical coefficient is determined from a theoretical analysis and the experimental data is reanalysed and extended to provide an improved correlation. Two theoretical approaches are given. The first determines the inefficiency using a method due to Traupel to give the frictional dissipation losses as a function of flow coefficient for a range of radial compressor stages. The second uses a well-known correlation for global efficiency, which is corrected for the non-frictional losses to derive the inefficiency due to the friction losses alone. The original test data and some additional data has also been analysed with a slight modification of the equation for the friction factor as a function of Reynolds number and roughness, and this removes some of the scatter in the experimental data. On this basis three independent methods for determining the relevant coefficient are now available. A suggestion is made for an improved correlation based on these three approaches.
Data Restructuring with Feature Set Partitioning for Privacy Preserving using K-anonymity

Most of the data available for knowledge discovery and information retrieval are prone to identity and privacy disclosure. The major act to disclose the identity is through exploring the pattern of attributes involved in data formation. The existing benchmarking models are anonym zing the data either by generalizing, deleting the sensitive attributes or adding noise to the data. Either of these approaches are not guaranteed in optimality and accuracy in results that obtained from the mining models applied on that dataset. The deviation in results often causes falsified decision making, which is unconditionally not acceptable in few domains like health mining and real time environment. In order to fill the gap, here we proposed a hybridization of feature set partitioning and data restructuring to achieve the pattern anonymization. The model is particularly aimed to restructure the data for supervised learning. To the best of our knowledge, pattern anonymization is first of its kind that attempted to anonymize the patterns rather individual attributes. The experiment results also indicating the scope of robustness and scalability of the supervised learning on restructured data.
Omnidirectional Resonator in X-Y Plane Using a Crisscross Structure for Wireless Power Transfer

Magnetic resonant coupling is more efficient than inductive coupling for transferring power wirelessly over a distance. However, a conventional resonant wireless power transfer (WPT) system requires a transmitter and receiver pair in exactly coaxial positions. We propose a resonator that can serve as an omnidirectional WPT system. A magnetic field will be generated by the current flowed through the transmitter. This magnetic field radiates omnidirectionally in the x-y plane because of the crisscross structure characteristic of the transmitter. The proposed resonator is demonstrated by using a single port. To check the received S21 and transfer efficiency, we moved the receiver around the transmitter at different distances (50? 350 mm). As a result, the transmission efficiency is found to be 48? 54% at 200 mm.
Activities of Daily Living Detection Using Markov Models

ix List of Abbreviations and Symbols Used . x Chapter
Erratum to “Incidence and Spatial Distribution of Caribbean Yellow Band Disease in La Parguera, Puerto Rico”

The incidence and spatial distribution patterns of Caribbean Yellow Band Disease (CYBD) on the important frame-builder coral Montastraea faveolata were assessed by counting, tagging, and mapping all diseased and healthy colonies for one year in each of three 100 m2 quadrats on two inner, mid-shelf, and shelf-edge reefs off La Parguera, Puerto Rico. Healthy colonies were checked every month from January to December of 2009 to monitor disease spread within each quadrant. Incidence increased significantly from winter (0.7 ± 0.8% SE) to summer (1.5 ± 1.1% SE, n = 23, Sign Test; Z = 2.40; P = 0.01). Mid-shelf reefs had the highest host abundance and showed significantly higher CYBD incidence (2.1 ± 1.4% SE, n = 14) compared to the other zones (H = 9.74; df = 2; P = 0.04). The increased incidence in the summer suggests that warmer months favor development of CYBD on M. faveolata. Results showed aggregated patterns of CYBD when all colonies (i.e., healthy + diseased) at the spatial scales sampled were analyzed on each reef. This suggests facilitation of disease spread between aggregated colonies within populations. Similar stressful conditions then might trigger the disease in susceptible, aggregated colonies harboring the potential pathogens.
The Physico-Chemical and Bacteriological Studies of Polythene Packaged Water (Pure Water) Sold in Ilaro Metropolis, South West, Nigeria

Samples of polythene packaged water [pure water] sold in Ilaro metropolis, southwest, Nigeria were subjected to physico-chemical and bacteriological analyses to determine their wholesomeness and conformity to standards as stipulated by relevant regulatory bodies such as World Health Organization and National Agency For Food And Drug Administration Control[WHO, NAFDAC]. The results of the analyses revealed that most of the water samples were colorless, odorless, tasteless and clear in appearance. The chemical analyses showed that samples from a single source [GG] exceeded the permissible levels in terms of calcium and copper contents while other samples conformed to standards when compared to maximum allowable concentration. The total plate counts for all the polythene packaged water samples [pure water], which ranged from 10.0-97.0 cfu/l conformed to standards as stipulated by WHO and NAFDAC while the presence of Escherichia coli and streptococcus faecelis in one of the samples is a direct contamination by sewage and human excretal which is dangerous to human health. Keyword: Escherichia coli, S. faecelis, WHO
Performance of Store Brands: A Cross-Country Analysis of Consumer Store-Brand Preferences, Perceptions, and Risk

This article empirically studies consumer choice behavior with respect to store brands in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Spain. Store-brand market shares differ by country and are usually much higher in Europe than in the United States. The authors study the notion that the differential success of store brands in the United States and Europe is the higher brand equity that store brands command in Europe than in the United States. They use a framework based on consumer brand choice under uncertainty and brands as signals of product positions to conduct their analysis. More specifically, they examine whether uncertainty about quality (or the positioning of the brand in the product space); perceived quality of store brands versus national brands; consistency in store-brand offerings over time; and consumer attitudes toward risk, quality, and price underlie the differential success of store brands at least partially in the United States and Europe. The authors’ model is estimated on scanner-panel data on laundry detergent in the U.S., U.K., and Spanish markets and on toilet paper and margarine data in the U.S. and Spanish markets. The authors find that consumer learning and perceived risk (and associated brand equity), as well as consumer attitude toward risk, quality, and price, play an important role in consumers’ store-brand and national-brand choices and contribute to the differences in relative success of store brands across the countries studied.
Design of an Active and Passive Control System of Hand Exoskeleton for Rehabilitation

Aiming at stroke patients’ hand rehabilitation training, we present a hand exoskeleton with both active and passive control modes for neural rehabilitation. The exoskeleton control system is designed as a human–robot interaction control system based on field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and Android mobile terminal with good portability and openness. Passive rehabilitation pattern based on proportional derivative (PD) inverse dynamic control method and active rehabilitation pattern based on impedance method, are established respectively. By the comparison of the threshold value and the force on the fingertip of the exoskeleton from the sensor, the automatic switch between active and passive rehabilitation mode is accomplished. The hand model is built in Android environment that can synchronize the movement of the hand. It can also induce patients to participate in rehabilitation training actively. To verify the proposed control approach, we set up and conduct an experiment to do the passive rehabilitation mode, active rehabilitation mode, and active plus passive mode experimental researches. The experiment results effectively verify the feasibility of the exoskeleton system fulfilling the proposed control strategy.
Fairness Matters in Agent Relationships : A Comparison between Ultimatum Games , Dictator Games and Principal-Agent Problems

Gustafsson, M. , Gärling T. , & Fujii, S. , Fairness Matters in Agent Relationships: A Comparison between Ultimatum Games, Dictator Games and Principal-Agent Problems. Göteborg Psychological Reports, 2002, 32, No. 7. In agent relationships decisions made by a principal are assumed to be guided by self-interest and risk attitude. A number of studies has however found strong evidence for the role of fairness in the structurally similar ultimatum game. In two experiments we showed that fairness has an even stronger effect in principal-agent problems. In Experiment 1 fairness was also found to be moderated by whether the principal-agent relation is hierarchical or not. Another moderating factor demonstrated in Experiment 2 was whether outcome probabilities represent ability or task difficulty.
Integrative and divisive roles of political parties : Party attachment , Ideology and satisfaction with democracy in the Netherlands

Political parties can be seen as agents of both integration and division. Attachment to political parties may function as an integrating mechanism by channeling political and ideological polarization away from system-challenging activities towards the regime support and acceptance of the prevailing political (democratic) order. At the same time, parties might also foster extremism and dissatisfaction with democratic performance. This paper examines these possibilities using Dutch Election Studies data. The empirical examination of the relationships between the triangle of ideological extremism, partisanship, and satisfaction with democracy provides mixed support for both interpretations, and emphasizes the double role of partisanship.
Does the implementation of modified early warning scores spare workforce by decreasing the frequency of nurse assessments

Objective: Early warning score based physiological track and trigger systems are used as clinical pathways to recognize and manage the deteriorating patient in a timely manner. We aimed to demonstrate that the utilization of early warning scores would spare workforce by decreasing the frequency of nurse assessments. Methods: The database of an institutional quality improvement process to implement a modified early warning score (MEWS) based surveillance system was used. The surveillance algorithm basically led to an increased frequency of patient assessment as with increasing MEWS. The total and mean numbers of nurse assessments before and after the implementation of the surveillance algorithm were analyzed retrospectively. Results: In the acute medical care unit, the mean number of nurse assessment per day decreased by 31.8%. The basal number of nurse assessment per day was much lower in the surgical ward, but still the utilization of MEWS resulted in a 22.2% decrease. No adverse events occurred during the study period. Conclusion: Implementation of standard algorithm based surveillance strategies based on MEWS may help to direct the scarce and extremely valuable sources of workforce to those patients who are more demanding clinically. Those countries and institutions, which aren’t utilizing early warning score surveillance system might benefit from this experience.