Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of key parameters on Soil Water Characteristic Curve

In environmental geotechnics, transport phenomena in unsaturated soils significantly depends on the degree of saturation, because many substances are dissolved in pore water and get distributed in soil by advection with the convective flow of pore water or diffusion in the pore water itself, although there is no convective flow. By reducing the amount of pore water, this transportation path becomes less effective. Therefore, identification of key parameters which affect the soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) is an important issue in unsaturated soil mechanics for analyses of any geo-environmental problems. Although broad studies have been done on unsaturated soil behavior, but there is still no unified model which can be able to simulate soil water characteristic curve, accurately. During past decades, several mathematical functions have been proposed to model the SWCC and because of various key parameters which affect the SWCC, the proposed models are not so comprehensive. Therefore, the curves obtained from conventional tests often cannot be directly applied in practice, and the mathematical expressions from one condition cannot be used to simulate another situation. The effects of initial void ratio, initial water content, stress condition and high suction were studied in this work revealing that water content and stress state are more important than the other factors, but their influences tend to decrease when suction increases. (A.A. Heshmati 1 , M.R. Motahari 2 . Identification of key parameters on Soil Water Characteristic Curve. Life Sci J 2012; 9(3):1532-1537) (ISSN: 1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com . 223
Anti-Inflammatory System for Subcutaneous Biosensors A Biomedical Engineering Major Qualifying Project

v 1.0 Introduction . 1 2.0 Literature Review . 1 2.1 Biosensors and Inflammation . 1 2.1. 1 Biosensors . 1 2.1. 2 Inflammatory Response . 2 2.1. 2.1 Stage 1: Acute . 2 2.1. 2.2 Stage 2: Chronic . 3 2.1. 2.3 Stage 3: Tissue Granulation . 3 2.1. 3 Impact of Fibrotic Encapsulation . 3 2.2 Current Anti-Inflammatory Approaches . 4 2.2.1 Biosensor Removal . 5 2.2.2 Coatings . 5 2.2.3 Drug Delivery . 5 3.0 Project Strategy . 6 3.1 Client Statement. 6 3.2 Objectives . 6 3.3 Constraints . 6 4.0 Design Selection . 7 4.1 Macrophages . 7 4.1. 1 Stage of Inflammation . 8 4.1. 2 Location of Macrophages . 8 4.1. 3 Impact of Macrophages on Biosensor Implantation . 8 4.2 Titania Nanotubes . 8 4.3 1% Chitosan Gel . 9 4.4 PLGA Nanoparticles . 9 4.5 Anti-Inflammatory System . 9 5.0 Methodology . 10 5.1 Titanium Nanotubes. 10 5.2 1% Chitosan Gel . 11
Simultaneous HONO measurements in and above a forest canopy : influence of turbulent exchange on mixing ratio differences

Abstract. We have combined chemical and micrometeorological measurements to investigate the formation and distribution of HONO throughout a forest canopy. HONO was measured simultaneously at two heights, close to the forest floor and just above canopy. The turbulent exchange between the forest and the atmosphere above was studied using vertical profiles of eddy covariance measurements of wind velocity, sonic temperature, water vapour and CO2. HONO mixing ratios at both heights showed typical diel cycles with low daytime values (~80 ppt) and high nighttime values (up to 500 ppt), but were influenced by various sources and sinks leading to mixing ratio differences (above canopy minus below) of up to +240 ppt at nighttime. In the late afternoon and early night mixing ratios increased at higher rates near the forest floor, indicating a possible ground source. Due to the simultaneous decoupling of the forest from the air layer above the canopy, mixing ratio differences reached about −170 ppt. From the late night until the early morning mixing ratios above the forest were typically higher than close to the forest floor. For some cases, this could be attributed to advection above the forest, which only partly penetrated the canopy. Measured photolysis frequencies above and below the forest canopy differed by a factor of 10–25 resulting in HONO lifetimes of about 10 min above and 100–250 min below the canopy at noontime. However, these differences of the main daytime HONO sink were not evident in the mixing ratio differences, which were close to zero during the morning hours. Effective turbulent exchange due to a complete coupling of the forest to the air layer above the canopy in the morning has offset the differences caused by the daytime photolytic sink and added to the interplay between different HONO production and loss processes.
EGO-SLAM: A Robust Monocular SLAM for Egocentric Videos

Regardless of the tremendous progress, a truly general purpose pipeline for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) remains a challenge. We investigate the reported failure of state of the art (SOTA) SLAM techniques on egocentric videos. We find that the dominant 3D rotations, low parallax between successive frames, and primarily forward motion in egocentric videos are the most common causes of failures. The incremental nature of SOTA SLAM, in the presence of unreliable pose and 3D estimates in egocentric videos, with no opportunities for global loop closures, generates drifts and leads to the eventual failures of such techniques. Taking inspiration from batch mode Structure from Motion (SFM) techniques, we propose to solve SLAM as an SFM problem over the sliding temporal windows. This makes the problem well constrained. Further, we propose to initialize the camera poses using 2D rotation averaging, followed by translation averaging before structure estimation using bundle adjustment. This helps in stabilizing the camera poses when 3D estimates are not reliable. We show that the proposed SLAM technique, incorporating the two key ideas works successfully for long, shaky egocentric videos where other SOTA techniques have been reported to fail. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons on publicly available egocentric video datasets validate our results.
Phytoplankton pigments at the Weddell–Scotia confluence during the 1993 austral spring

During a 1993 austral spring cruise, a complex biomass was encountered near South Orkney Island that ranged from a low-biomass, Chaetoceros tortissimus assemblage south of the front towards the ice edge, to a high-biomass, Thalassiosira gravida-dominated assemblage at the northern edge. The maximum levels of chlorophyll (Chl) a (up to 6 mg m -3 ) were higher than those observed in previous high-performance liquid chromatography-based studies of pigments in the pelagic Southern Ocean. The non-photosynthetic pigment chlorophyllide a comprised up to 75% of the chlorophyllous pigments in the southern assemblage, but < 5% in the northern assemblage. Concentrations of the xanthophylls diadinoxanthin (DD) and diatoxanthin (DT), used as indicators of mean irradiance, indicated low-light-adapted populations. Low-light DD + DT/Chl a ratios in surface waters indicated that vertical mixing limited phytoplankton residence time in the near-surface layer, and thus limited exposure to maximum irradiance. Deck incubations of natural assemblages indicated that the dark epoxidation reaction (i.e. the return of DT to DD) was a two-step reaction with the initial rate being more rapid (t1/2 = 9.5 min) than the second (t1/2 = 55 min). Fucoxanthin, a major diatom pigment, was more stable chemically in the water column than Chl a, and the vertical profiles of fucoxanthin followed those of chlorophyllide a in some cases. The formation and apparent stability of chloro- phyllide a and fucoxanthin are important considerations when estimating photosynthetically active biomass over large regions of the ocean.
Malaysian Financial Reporting Standard 139 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement Adoption and Intellectual Capital Performance: Evidence from the Malaysian Financial Sector

The transition from tangible asset to intangible asset in the knowledge-based economy has brought several changes in terms of value creation. The value creation generated from company’s intellectual capital has a major impact on company value and performance. The performance of intellectual capital in value creation (generating company's capabilities which in turn increased the company's performance) could assist investors and company's management to visualize the importance of intangible assets. MFRS 139 adoption facilitates the management and investors by providing better information environment that could enhance company’s intellectual capital performance, especially the financial institution’s holding companies. MFRS increases the quality of financial information, transparency level and enhances the business information environment that could in turn improves company performance. Giving attention to knowledge management theory, this study examines the association between MFRS 139 adoption and intellectual capital performance and its components. This study uses secondary data obtained from Data-stream database and annual reports of Malaysian financial institution holding companies that are listed in the main market in Bursa Malaysia from 2005 to 2015. The empirical result indicates that the MFRS 139 adoption has a significantly positive effect on company’s intellectual capital performance
Towards Neural Co-Processors: Combining Neural Decoding and Encoding in Brain-Computer Interfaces

The field of brain-computer interfaces is poised to advance from the traditional goal of controlling prosthetic devices using brain signals to combining neural decoding and encoding within a single neuroprosthetic device. Such a device acts as a"co-processor"for the brain, with applications ranging from inducing Hebbian plasticity for rehabilitation after brain injury to reanimating paralyzed limbs and enhancing memory. We review recent progress in simultaneous decoding and encoding for closed-loop control and plasticity induction. To address the challenge of multi-channel decoding and encoding, we introduce a unifying framework for developing brain co-processors based on artificial neural networks and deep learning. These"neural co-processors"can be used to jointly optimize cost functions with the nervous system to achieve desired behaviors ranging from targeted neuro-rehabilitation to augmentation of brain function.
Whole Genome Sequencing for Detection of Zoonotic Tuberculosis in Queretaro, Mexico

A total of 2,736 samples, sputum, urine, and other fluids, collected from 1,154 tuberculosis suspicious patients in Queretaro, Mexico were included in the study. Acid-fast staining and culture in selective mediums, Stonebrink and Lowenstein-Jensen, were performed in all samples. Genotyping of isolates was performed by spoligotyping and single nucleotide polimorfism (SNP) whole genome sequencing. Mycobacterium bovis spoligotypes and SNP-types obtained were compared to those of cattle found in a database. Twenty-one (1.8%) isolates of Mycobacterium were obtained by culture, all from sputum; two (13%) were identified as M. bovis by spoligotyping, SB0673 and SB0971, which are frequently found in cattle in Mexico. From the isolates´ total, 15 were whole genome sequenced, confirming two as M. bovis. The SNP patterns of the two M. bovis isolates from human were similar to those found in cattle in different parts of Mexico.
Uma abordagem adaptativa para gerar agrupamento de códigos em disciplinas de programação introdutória

Despite the importance of introductory programming disciplines, it is quite common to find problems. In such environments, we easily find unmotivated students with some doubts and that do not understand basic concepts. Monitoring each one of the students is not trivial because there are many students and it is necessary to observe many characteristics of each code submited for practical activities. In this research, clustering of codes to minimize the effort of evaluation is investigated. The results vary from reasonable to perfect concordances, considering the semiautomatic evaluations obtained with the clustering and the expert evaluations. Resumo. Apesar da importância das disciplinas introdutórias de programação, é bastante comum encontrar problemas de ensino e aprendizagem. Facilmente, em tais ambientes, encontramos alunos desmotivados, com dúvidas não esclarecidas e que não entendem conceitos básicos. O acompanhamento individualizado dos alunos não é trivial, pois existem muitos alunos e é necessário observar muitas caracterı́sticas de cada código proposto nas diversas atividades práticas adotadas. Nesta pesquisa, investigou-se o agrupamento de soluções, visando minimizar o esforço de avaliação despendido. As concordâncias obtidas nos resultados variam de razoável a perfeita, considerando as avaliações semiautomáticas obtidas com os agrupamentos e as avaliações de especialistas.
Has Stock Market Efficiency Improved? Evidence from China

﻿Stock market has been associated with economic growth through its role as a source of new private capital. On the other hand, economic growth may be the catalyst for stock market growth. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the efficiency of the two official stock markets in China. The sample includes the daily closing prices of A-share and B-share indexes in both the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges for the period of January 1st, 2006 to December 31st, 2010. Three different approaches are employed; namely, serial correlation test, runs test and variance ratio test. Statistical evidence from serial correlation test shows that returns are correlated in both Shanghai and Shenzhen indexes and therefore the markets are weak-form efficiency.
An empirical investigation of the Maslov limit order market model

Modeling of financial market data for detecting important market characteristics as well as their abnormalities plays a key role in identifying their behavior. Researchers have proposed different types of techniques to model market data [1]. One such model proposed by Sergie Maslov, models the behavior of a limit order book. Being a very simple and interesting model, it has several drawbacks and limitations. This paper analyses the behavior of the Maslov model and proposes several variants of it to make the original Maslov model more realistic. The price signals generated from these models are analyzed by comparing with real life stock data and it was shown that the proposed variants of the Maslov model are more realistic than the original Maslov model. Chapter
Who Bribes? Evidence from the United Nations’ Oil-for-Food Program

How do managers react in an environment where bribery is likely to bring high rewards, but also presents high risks? We examine the supply side (firms’ illicit payments) of bribery in a global setting using the United Nations’ (UN) Oil-for-Food Program, part of UN sanctions on Iraq. Some companies helped Iraq circumvent UN sanctions through bribe payments in the form of illicit surcharges. Our transaction-level analysis of factors affecting bribe payments draws on the economic theory of crime, agency theory, and home-country institutions. Results suggest that firms pay larger bribes when there are stronger financial and managerial incentives, but pay less when their home-countries have implemented the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention. We find little relationship between a widely-used country-level corruption perception index and firms’ actual bribery.
Task-Relevant Embeddings for Robust Perception in Reinforcement Learning

Reinforcement learning is unreasonably sample inefficient in many real-world visual domains, which require relatively simple control behaviors but pose challenging perception problems. We show that even simple visual noise added to common reinforcement learning benchmark environments can significantly degrade learning efficiency and break common approaches such as the use of autoencoders. We propose new methods for learning task-relevant state representations, and show that they can discover image embeddings that are significantly more effective when robust perception is required.
Styles of hydrothermal alteration and gold mineralizations associated with the Nova Lima Group, Quadrilátero Ferrífero: Part I, description of selected gold deposits

Three main mineralization styles are recognized in a number of mesothermal, lode-gold deposits associated with rocks of the Nova Lima Group, Rio das Velhas Archean Greenstone Belt, Quadrilatero Ferrifero, Minas Gerais, Brazil. They comprise 1) structurally controlled, sulfide-replacement zones in metamorphosed oxide- and carbonate-facies BIF; 2) shear-related, disseminated sulfides in nydrothermal alteration zones within metamorphosed mafic volcanic- or sedimentary rocks; and 3) Auriferous quartz-carbonate-sulfide veins and veinlet systems. These styles reflect variations in fluid to rock interaction, and thereby a distinctive ore mineral compoSition. In addition, distinctive mineral associations characterize hydrothermal alteration zonal patterns around orebodies. Det alled investigations in Cuiaba, Juca Vieira, Raposos, Santana and Sao Bento mines indicate that, as is the case with other similar deposits worldwide, the processes of ore depoSition are the same processes that give rise to the alteration assemblages. Hydrothermal alteration overprints metamorphic assemblages, and is overall dominated by zones of chlorite, carbonate and white mica development in proximity to ore. Sulfidation and silicification abound in the latter two, minerallogically simple, inner alteration zones. These characteristics suggest variations in the H2O to CO2-ratio of the sulfur-bearing, aqueous-carbonic ore fluid and interaction at varying fluid to rock ratios with the progression of hydrothermal alteration.
Defining Efficient Stress Transfer in Binary Particle Systems Using Numerical Simulation

Abstract : The influence of particle size distribution on the stress transfer mechanisms occurring in bimodal granular materials was investigated in this study. Efficient stress transfer is achieved when all particles within an assembly contribute to the resistance of applied loads. Both physical and numerical testing methods were employed including consolidated-undrained triaxial testing and numerical modeling using the discrete element method (DEM). Materials investigated included ideal spheres of stainless steel, polypropylene and natural materials consisting of sand and silty-clay. Identification of critical mixture proportions according to percolation theory was attempted by examining the macro- and micromechanical response of bimodal distributions that were dominated by one fraction or were approaching the percolation threshold. Research results were inconclusive in validating the original hypothesis when comparing the numerical results to laboratory experiments. However, a relationship between coordination number and assembly stiffness was observed. Factors contributing to increased connectivity can also contribute to increased stiffness and shear strength.
Evaluation of cytotoxicity of accessories used for traction of impacted teeth

Aim: To test the hypothesis that gold-coated orthodontic accessories used for canine traction are less cytotoxic than those made of stainless steel. Methods: Six different orthodontic accessories were evaluated, three of them made from stainless steel (1 – bracket, 2 – button, 3 – mesh pad) and three made from a gold-coated alloy (4 – small mesh pad, 5 button, 6 – big mesh pad). Three control groups were also analyzed: Positive control (C+), consisting of Tween 80 cell detergent; Negative control (C-), consisting of PBS; and Cell control (CC), consisting of cells not exposed to any material. Dye-uptake technique, in which neutral red dye is incorporated into viable cells, was used to assess the cytotoxicity of the accessories. Viable cell counting was performed using a spectrophotometer. Data were analyzed statistically by ANOVA and Tukey’s test. Results: Statistically significant differences (P< 0.05) were found between Groups 1-3 and Groups 4-6. However, no differences were found between Groups 1-3 and Groups C- and CC, and neither between Groups 4-6 and Group C+. Conclusions: The tested hypothesis was not confirmed since gold-coated orthodontic accessories were found to be more cytotoxic than those made of stainless steel.
Spherical shape hydroxyapatite powders prepared by flame spray pyrolysis

Micrmetre-sized HA powders with dense or porous morphologies were prepared by flame spray pyrolysis from a spray solution with citric acid and ethylene glycol. The powders prepared by high temperature flame spray pyrolysis had hexagonaldipyramidal structures of HA regardless of the flow rates of the carrier gas. When the carrier gas flow rate was 20 Lminute, the powders prepared had a micrometre size, spherical shape and dense morphology. The mean size of the HA powders with a spherical shape and dense morphology was 1.1 μm. However, the powders prepared at high flow rates of carrier gas above 30 Lminute had sizes of several micrometre and porous morphologies. The composition ratio of calcium and phosphorous components of the HA powders with a spherical shape and dense morphology was 1.69. The morphology of the micrometresized powders with a spherical shape and dense morphology was maintained after post-treatment at a temperature of 900 C.
Trapping Mammals in a Cautious World: The Effect of Disinfectants on Trap Success

ABSTRACT. Disinfecting traps that have captured small mammals is one recommendation for preventing occurrence of hantavirus infection; however, the potential effects of disinfection on small mammal trappability have not been investigated thoroughly. We conducted an experiment to compare the effects of 2 disinfectants (Lysol® and household bleach) on the trappability of 4 small mammal species (Peromyscus maniculatus, Neotamias spp., and Spermophilus lateralis). We established triplicate trap grids in 2 forest types (red fir and mixed conifer), each consisting of a 6 × 6 array of Sherman live-traps placed at 10-m intervals. Traps were given 1 of 3 treatments: control (water), Lysol, or bleach; the treated traps were placed in an alternating pattern. Traps were open for 4 consecutive nights with daily treatment application. We found a difference in the trappability of Peromyscus between years; however, we did not detect a statistically significant difference in trappability resulting from disinfection for any of the 3 study species. Disinfectant effects on capture probability within Peromyscus were not supported by model selection in Program MARK. Collectively, these results indicate that although populations may fluctuate temporally and spatially, trap disinfection does not have a significant effect on small mammal trappability.
Matter : Rethinking Inventor Disambiguation Algorithms with Classification Models and Labeled Inventor Records

Existing record linkage methods often use ad hoc weights, thresholds, and decision rules that may produce systematic errors in the results. We use a unique set of 98,762 labeled inventor records (records for which we know the true identification of the individual or entity) obtained from 824 United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) optoelectronics inventors to evaluate the accuracy of these existing methods. We then develop and evaluate a new algorithm based on the Random Forests classification method to predict whether or not pairs of USPTO inventor records match. Our new Conditional Forest of Random Forests approach reduces false positive and false negative error rates by 84.5% and 92.7% respectively, over existing algorithms. Additionally, our errors do not occur systematically. This substantial reduction in disambiguation errors and their systematic occurrence suggests that research using the results of existing disambiguation methods should be revisited, as systematic bias in the errors may affect the conclusions of these and subsequent studies.