Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Numerical simulation of wave propagation in 2‐D fractured media: scattering attenuation at different stages of the growth of a fracture population

SUMMARY In this paper, we systematically examine the multiple scattering process of seismic waves at consecutive stages of the evolution of 2-D fracture population. Synthetic seismograms are computed using the pseudo-spectral method for elastic wave propagation, where spatial derivations are computed using fast Fourier transforms and time derivatives are computed using second-order finite differences. The grid sizes are 2560 × 2560 with 1 m interval and a Ricker wavelet with a peak frequency of 30 Hz is used (or equivalently a wavelength of 10 m for the P-wave velocity of 3000 m s ‐1 used in our modelling). Fracture patterns are generated using a 2-D cellular automaton model of rupture with healing to account for clustering and anisotropy in the fracture growth process. The cellular automation model takes into account the discontinuous and segmented nature of a fracture population, and reproduces in the statistical sense the intermediate stages of fracture growths. To estimate the frequency-dependence of scattering attenuation (quantified by the inverse quality factor Q −1 ) at different stages of the fracture evolution, we use the spectral ratio method. Variations of Q −1 with frequency are then fitted to a polynomial of order up to 8 for each state of the fracture evolution as we do not want to make an assumption about how Q −1 should depend on frequency or scales. This allows us to determine the nature of the frequency-dependence of scattering attenuation as a function of fracture evolution. Our results confirm, as expected, the dependence of scattering attenuation on frequency, and the fifth-order polynomial seems to fit the measured attenuation from synthetic seismograms better. In addition, the inverse quality factor Q −1 is shown to be linearly dependent on fracture density, reaching a maximum when fracture density is the highest. In summary, our numerical results confirm that scattering attenuation has a complex dependence on frequency, and measurements of attenuations may be potentially used to characterize spatial distributions of fracture networks in particular, the scale distributions.
The contribution of deep-sea macrohabitat heterogeneity to global nematode diversity

The great variety of geological and hydrological conditions in the deep sea generates many different habitats. Some are only recently explored, although their true extent and geographical coverage are still not fully established. Both continental margins and mid-oceanic seafloors are much more complex ecologically, geologically, chemically and hydrodynamically than originally thought. As a result, fundamental patterns of species distribution first observed and explained in the context of relatively monotonous slopes and abyssal plains must now be re-evaluated in the light of this newly recognized habitat heterogeneity. Based on a global database of nematode genus composition, collected as part of the Census of Marine Life, we show that macrohabitat heterogeneity contributes significantly to total deep-sea nematode diversity on a global scale. Different deep-sea settings harbour specific nematode assemblages. Some of them, like coral rubble zones or nodule areas, are very diverse habitats. Factors such as increased substrate complexity in the case of nodules and corals seem to facilitate the co-existence of a large number of genera with different modes of life, ranging from sediment dwelling to epifaunal. Furthermore, strong biochemical gradients in the case of vents or seeps are responsible for the success of particular genera, which are not prominent in more typical soft sediments. Many nematode deep-sea genera are cosmopolitan, inhabiting a variety of deep-sea habitats and oceans, whereas only 21% of all deep-sea genera recorded are restricted to a single habitat. In addition to habitat heterogeneity, regional differences are important in structuring nematode assemblages. For instance, seeps from different regions yield different genera that thrive on the sulphidic sediments. This study also shows that many areas and habitats remain highly under-sampled, affecting our ability to understand fully the contribution of habitat heterogeneity versus regional differences to global nematode diversity.
Application of a New Hybrid Model to Predicting Daily Runoffin a Week

A new hybrid model is presented for predicting daily runoff in a week, which is combined by threshold regressive model and nearest neighbor bootstrapping disaggregation model. In this hybrid model, firstly, threshold regressive model is used to predict weekly runoff. Secondly, nearest neighbor bootstrapping disaggregation model is used to disaggregate this weekly runoff, and then daily runoff in the week is obtained. Analysis and examples indicate that this new hybrid model is practical, efficient and has prominent merit. (Nature and Science, 2004,2(1):48-52).
Salinity Altered Profiles of Osmolytes in Atriplex prostrata (Chenopodiaceae) and Plantago coronopus (Plantaginaceae)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of salinity on the osmolytes (proline, glycinebetaine and sorbitol) in plants of Atriplex prostrata and Plantago coronopus. Collected seeds from Barranco Hondo (salt marshes, Jaen, Southern Spain) were grown in a growth chamber at concentration 0, 50, 100, 200 and 300 mM NaCl for 60 days in controlled conditions. Leaves were collected to carry out metabolic studies. A. prostrata showed a high germination and an optimum growth and only 200 and 300 mM by NaCl reduced the values, whereas P. coronopus showed a greater reduction in the growth, being more sensitive to salt stress. The leaves obtained of A. prostrata presented the proline as main osmolyte with significant changes where at 200 and 300 mM NaCl the increase was higher (4 and 10-fold compared to the control) followed by glycinebetaine. In the case of P. coronopus the proline was the predominant osmolyte, followed by sorbitol to a lesser extent. These results indicate that proline is used for both plants in the osmotic adjustment and protection of cellular structures being more efficient in the case of A. prostrata. The adaptive strategies of A. prostrata was increase the synthesis of proline and glycinebetaine and P. coronopus increased proline content and slightly sorbitol in order to survive better in saline conditions.
SPOT- E-mail Spam Zombie Detection System

A major security challenge on the Internet is the existence of the large number of compromised machines. Such machines have been increasingly used to launch various security attacks including spamming and spreading malware, DDoS, and identity theft. These compromised machines are called “Zombies”. In general E-mail applications and providers uses spam filters to filter the spam messages. Spam filtering is a technique for discriminating the genuine message from the spam messages. The attackers send the spam messages to the targeted machine by exalting the filters, which causes the increase in false positives and false negatives. We develop an effective spam zombie detection system named SPOT by monitoring outgoing messages of a network. SPOT focuses on the number of outgoing messages that are originated or forwarded by each computer on a network to identify the presence of Zombies. SPOT is designed based on a powerful statistical tool called Sequential Probability Ratio Test, which has bounded false positive and false negative error rates.
Finding Vulnerabilities in Rich Internet Applications (Flex/AS3) Using Static Techniques

The number and the importance of Rich Internet Applications (RIA) have increased rapidly over the last years. At the same time, the quantity and impact of security vulnerabilities in such rich internet applications (RIA) have increasing as well. Since manual code reviews are time consuming, error prone and costly and it need skilled developers or programmers to review the manual source code review, the need for automated solutions has become evident. In this paper, we address the problem of application security vulnerable detection in Adobe Flex (Rich Internet Applications) platform in web 2.0 applications by means of static source code analysis. To this end, we present precise analysis targeted at the unique reference semantics commonly found in RIA based web applications or widgets (small applications which will run on fly i.e. drag and drop) developed in Adobe Flex Framework or Action Script 3.0. Moreover, we enhance the quality and quantity of the generated vulnerability reports.
Evaluating herbivore management outcomes and associated vegetation impacts

African savannas are characterised by temporal and spatial fluxes that are linked to fluxes in herbivore populations and vegetation structure and composition. We need to be concerned about these fluxes only when management actions cause the system to shift towards a less desired state. Large herbivores are a key attribute of African savannas and are important for tourism and biodiversity. Large protected areas such as the Kruger National Park (KNP) manage for high biodiversity as the desired state, whilst private protected areas, such as those adjacent to the KNP, generally manage for high income. Biodiversity, sustainability and economic indicators are thus required to flag thresholds of potential concern (TPCs) that may result in a particular set of objectives not being achieved. In large conservation areas such as the KNP, vegetation changes that result from herbivore impact, or lack thereof, affect biodiversity and TPCs are used to indicate unacceptable change leading to a possible loss of biodiversity; in private protected areas the loss of large herbivores is seen as an important indicator of economic loss. Therefore, the first-level indicators aim to evaluate the forage available to sustain grazers without deleteriously affecting the vegetation composition, structure and basal cover. Various approaches to monitoring for these indicators were considered and the importance of the selection of sites that are representative of the intensity of herbivore use is emphasised. The most crucial step in the adaptive management process is the feedback of information to inform management decisions and enable learning. Feedback loops tend to be more efficient where the organisation’s vision is focused on, for example, economic gain, than in larger protected areas, such as the KNP, where the vision to conserve biodiversity is broader and more complex. Conservation implications: In rangeland, optimising herbivore numbers to achieve the management objectives without causing unacceptable or irreversible change in the vegetation is challenging. This manuscript explores different avenues to evaluate herbivore impact and the outcomes of management approaches that may affect vegetation.
Companies' growth in the EU: What is research and innovation policy's role?

One of the main objectives of the new European research and innovation policy agenda is to favour the positive demographics (creation and growth) of EU companies operating in new/knowledge-intensive industries, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). These companies play an important role in shaping the dynamism of the economy’s sectoral composition, favouring the transition towards more knowledge-intensive activities (smart growth) and in contributing to the overall economic growth objectives and more and better jobs. But which kind of companies should be helped by policy? And how? This paper presents a literature review on the economics of research, innovation and competitiveness, focusing on the evidence available regarding the determinants for new and existing company creation and growth and the role played by Research, Development (RD b) the establishment of any targeted support instruments should take into account an integrated set of criteria including: firms' age and size, the sectors where firms operate, the involved risks in and potential for their innovative and commercial activities, the country/techno-economic environment, and the degree of internationalisation; c) to be successful, no matter the new targeted policies and supporting instruments, they should be designed using policy experimentation and its results should be regularly measured and evaluated using appropriate indicators and analyses.
The territory of Azerbaijan is located in the zone of active collision of two continents, the African and Eurasian (McKenzie, 1972; Zonenshain and Savos

By complex analysis of GPS velocities, seismicity, fractal dimensions of the spatial distribution of seismic epicenters, focal mechanisms of the earthquakes, and stress state of the Earth’s crust, four seismic zones (Balaken Zagatala, Sheki Gabala, Shamakhy Ismailly, and Absheron) are revealed within the south ern slope of the Greater Caucasus. The suggested method can be used as a criterion in seismotectonic zoning; it could also be useful in the assessment of seismic hazards in the collision zones.
In Defence of Factions

LSE has developed LSE Research Online so that users may access research output of the School. Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Users may download and/or print one copy of any article(s) in LSE Research Online to facilitate their private study or for non-commercial research. You may not engage in further distribution of the material or use it for any profit-making activities or any commercial gain. You may freely distribute the URL (http://eprints.lse.ac.uk) of the LSE Research Online website.
Pricing Two-asset Options under Exponential L\'evy Model Using a Finite Element Method

This article presents a finite element method (FEM) for a partial integro-differential equation (PIDE) to price two-asset options with underlying price processes modeled by an exponential Levy process. We provide a variational formulation in a weighted Sobolev space, and establish existence and uniqueness of the FEM-based solution. Then we discuss the localization of the infinite domain problem to a finite domain and analyze its error. We tackle the localized problem by an explicit-implicit time-discretization of the PIDE, where the space-discretization is done through a standard continuous finite element method. Error estimates are given for the fully discretized localized problem where two assets are assumed to have uncorrelated jumps. Numerical experiments for the polynomial option and a few other two-asset options shed light on good performance of our proposed method.
Reduction of image noise in high-pitch CT imaging of the abdomen using a first generation iterative reconstruction algorithm - a phantom study

Purpose: Evaluation of different high-pitch dual-source settings and the influence of iterative reconstruction (IRIS) on image noise in abdominal CT-scanning of a phantom – feasible study. Materials and Methods: The institutional review board has approved this study. To evaluate whether the dual-source high-pitch mode (Somatom Definition FLASH, Siemens) is feasible for abdominal imaging, we took an Alderson RANDO Phantom and reduced the pitch in 0.2 steps from 3.2 to 1.6. The Care Dose was switched on. The current tube voltage was 100 kV in one group and 120 kV in the other. The Ref.mAS for each scan was 210 for both groups. The images were reconstructed in slices/increments of 1 mm/1 mm, 2 mm/2 mm and 5 mm/5 mm with and without IRIS [B30 kernel or I30 kernel (the IRIS kernel)]. In one defined slice position, we measured four defined and constant-sized ROIs, and evaluated the standard deviation as the image noise marker. To analyze the data statistically, we used a step-wise estimation approach for a linear model with interactions. Results: IRIS significantly decreases the standard deviation as the image noise marker, especially in thin slices. The image noise was decreased by a factor of 0.716 (p < 0.001), 0.733 (p < 0.001) and 0.784 (p < 0.001) in 1 mm, 2 mm and 5 mm slices, respectively. Conclusion: In our study, using IRIS we managed to reduce image noise significantly (all p-values < 0.001) compared to the normal reconstruction mode, especially in thin slices (scans performed in 1 mm, 2 mm and 5 mm slices). We may therefore be able to reduce the radiation dose applied to patients whilst obtaining the same image quality using IRIS.
The problem of data assimilation for soil water movement

The soil water movement model governed by the initial-boundary value problem for a quasilinear 1-D parabolic equation with nonlinear coefficients is considered. The generalized statement of the problem is formulated. The solvability of the problem is proved in a certain class of functional spaces. The data assimilation problem for this model is analysed. The numerical results are presented.
Consistency of structural color across molts: The effects of environmental conditions and stress on feather ultraviolet reflectance

ABSTRACT Plumage ornamentation is often considered a signal of fitness, condition, sex, or social status. This theory holds for species with structural UV color, which is influenced by a variety of factors such as environmental pressures during molt or heritability. However, little is known about the consistency of ornamentation and signaling across time in individuals with structural color. We compared juvenile and adult feathers in free-living Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) to measure UV color change within individuals across molts and to assess possible sources of change. We used multiple imputation to estimate missing data and a combination of pooled estimates and model averaging to infer which parameters explain observed variation in UV color. We also tested whether adult color or relative color change from juvenile to adult plumage predicted acquisition of breeding space. UV color was not consistent across annual molts, as adult feathers reflected significantly less light but greater proportions of UV light than juvenile feathers. Juvenile color was most affected by quality of natal environment and maternal effects whereas adult color was influenced by condition and juvenile color. Adults dosed with corticosterone produced feathers with less UV ornamentation compared to control adults. Feather color did not predict acquisition of breeding space in adults, but females that experienced reductions in UV color across molts were more likely to obtain breeding space, which may reflect sex-specific differences in reproductive strategies in Florida Scrub-Jays. Our evidence suggests that structural color acts as a signal of sex, age, and condition; but ornamentation is only weakly related to acquisition of breeding space and thus unlikely to be under strong sexual selection. Ornamentation may just be one factor among many, such as personality, social dominance, or position in social networks, that determine how jays interact and compete for breeding space.
How Partisan Conflict in Congress Affects Public Opinion

Scholars are increasingly interested in how partisan conflict in Congress affects public evaluations of institutional performance. Yet, existing research overlooks how the public responds to one of the most widely discussed consequences of partisan conflict: legislative gridlock. We develop expectations about how partisan conflict resulting in partisan wins, losses, and gridlock will affect evaluations of Congress, and how these relationships will differ across consensus and non-consensus issues. Results from two survey experiments indicate that partisan conflict resulting in a victory for one’s own party boosts approval relative to compromise, but conflict resulting in gridlock substantially damages approval. However, the degree to which gridlock decreases approval hinges on the type of policy under consideration. On consensus issues, citizens reward legislative action by either party—their party or the opposing party—over gridlock.
The Effect of Pressure-Induced Flow (PIF) Processing on the Thermal Stability and Mechanical Properties of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) Gel

A new method using gel-swelling state and pressure-induced flow (PIF) will be presented for obtaining high-performance materials of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), which is available for the production of high-strength and high-modulus materials. The effect of PIF on the thermal stability and mechanical properties UHMWPE gel state has been investigated using four kinds of gel formed from 4, 6, 8 and 10% of UHMWPE. The microstructures of UHMWPE gel were studied by using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The thermal and mechanical properties of the UHMWPE gel were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), diffraction scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and the universal test machine (UTM). The images obtained by SEM present a gel-like layers structure of UHMWPE gel sheet as a result of the deformation and re-arrangement of the gel sheets during PIF process. From the DSC, DMA and TGA results, we found that the thermal stability of the UHMWPE gel increased as the UHMWPE content increased. The thermal stability and the increase of strength are discussed with respect to the effect of PIF deformation.
Public Approval Of Plant And Animal Biotechnology In Korea: An Ordered Probit Analysis

This study analyzes predictors of Korean public acceptance of the use of biotechnology to create genetically modified food products. Results indicate that the consumers with above average knowledge of specific outcomes of genetic modification were more likely than those with inaccurate or no knowledge to approve use of plant or animal genetic modification for the creation of new food products. Young South Koreans consumers (ages 20 to 29 years old) were more likely than old consumers (ages 50 to 59) to approve use of biotechnology to create both plant and animal based foods. Further, those Koreans in favor of GM labeling were less likely to approve the use of biotechnology for the creation of food products. The results also suggest that public trust and confidence on various institutions associated with biotechnology is critical for the future of the technology. There was some evidence of differential biotechnology approval among consumers of different residential areas, income levels and political affiliation. Thus, those in cities, those with incomes above 40 million Won, and of liberal political affiliation were found to be more approving of animal biotechnology.
On the p-th mean S-asymptotically omega periodic solution for some Stochastic Evolution Equation driven by Q-Brownian motion

In this paper, we make a slight contribution about the existence (uniqueness) and asymptotic stability of the p-th mean S-asymptotically omega-periodic solutions for some nonautonomous Stochastic Evolution Equations driven by a Q-Brownian motion. This is done using the Banach fixed point Theorem and a Gronwall inequality.
Multiple scattering formulation of two-dimensional acoustic and electromagnetic metamaterials

A multiple scattering formulation of two-dimensional (2D) acoustic metamaterials is presented. This approach is comprehensive and can lead to frequency-dependent effective parameters (scalar bulk modulus and tensorial mass density), as it is possible to have not only positive or negative ellipsoidal refractive index, but also positive or negative hyperbolic refractive index. The correction due to multiple scattering interactions is included in the theory and it is demonstrated that its contribution is important only for lattices with high filling fractions. Since the surface fields on the scatterers are mainly responsible for the anomalous behavior of the resulting effective medium, complex scatterers can be used to engineer the frequency response. Anisotropic effects are also discussed within this formulation and some numerical examples are reported. A homogenization theory is also extended to electromagnetic wave propagation in 2D lattices of dielectric structures, where Mie resonances are found to be responsible for the metamaterial behavior.