Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantifying Motor Task Performance by Bounded Rational Decision Theory

Expected utility models are often used as a normative baseline for human performance in motor tasks. However, this baseline ignores computational costs that are incurred when searching for the optimal strategy. In contrast, bounded rational decision-theory provides a normative baseline that takes computational effort into account, as it describes optimal behavior of an agent with limited information-processing capacity to change a prior motor strategy (before information-processing) into a posterior strategy (after information-processing). Here, we devised a pointing task where subjects had restricted reaction and movement time. In particular, we manipulated the permissible reaction time as a proxy for the amount of computation allowed for planning the movements. Moreover, we tested three different distributions over the target locations to induce different prior strategies that would influence the amount of required information-processing. We found that movement endpoint precision generally decreases with limited planning time and that non-uniform prior probabilities allow for more precise movements toward high-probability targets. Considering these constraints in a bounded rational decision model, we found that subjects were generally close to bounded optimal. We conclude that bounded rational decision theory may be a promising normative framework to analyze human sensorimotor performance.
A trophic polymorphism induced by both predators and prey

ABSTRACT Problem: We tested whether plasticity in head shape of newt larvae represents a predator-induced resource polymorphism that may allow newts to compensate for costs of defence. Organism: Larvae of European Triturus newts exhibit defensive behaviour and morphologywhen in ponds with predators. Predator-induced newt larvae also have large heads, althoughhead shape does not have a direct influence on vulnerability to predation. Methods: We surveyed the morphology and diet of T. alpestris larvae in 17 natural ponds.A laboratory experiment was used to assess the effects of predators and food size on trophicmorphology. Results: In natural ponds, individuals with relatively large heads had large prey, and a largervolume of prey, in their guts. In the experiment, a large head was induced by both prey size andpredator cues, acting additively. Conclusion: Even though the large head offers no protection from predation, it is directlyinduced by predators and enables newts to consume more profitable prey.
Sucrose responsiveness and behavioral plasticity in honey bees (Apis mellifera)

This review will focus on the relationships between sensory responses of bees and behavior. Sensory responsiveness constrains individual foraging plasticity and skews collective foraging decisions of colonies. We will concentrate on pollen, nectar, and water foraging behavior and will show that differences in the sucrose responsiveness of bees correlate with different behavioral roles, which supports the response threshold model of division of labor. We will also show how a colony's "allocation" of foragers into foraging roles results from individual differences in responsiveness to task-related stimuli and discuss hypotheses on the behavioral relevance of these differences. behavioral plasticity / sucrose responsiveness / foraging behavior / collective decision / response threshold model
Estimating the carbon dynamics of South Korean forests from 1954 to 2012

Forests play an important role in the global carbon (C) cycle, and the South Korean forests also contribute to this global C cycle. While the South Korean forest ecosystem was almost completely destroyed by exploitation and the Korean War, it has successfully recovered because of national-scale reforestation programs since 1973. There have been several studies on the estimation of C stocks and balances over the past decades in the South Korean forests. However, a retrospective long-term study that includes biomass and dead organic matter C and validates dead organic matter C is still lacking. Accordingly, we estimated the C stocks and their changes of both biomass and dead organic matter C during the 1954–2012 period using a process-based model, the Korean Forest Soil Carbon model, and the 5th South Korean national forest inventory (NFI) report. Validation processes were also conducted based on the 5th NFI and statistical data. Simulation results showed that the biomass C stocks increased from 36.4 to 440.4 Tg C at a rate of 7.0 Tg C yr −1 during the period 1954–2012. The dead organic matter C stocks increased from 386.0 to 463.1 Tg C at a rate of 1.3 Tg C yr −1 during the same period. The estimates of biomass and dead organic matter C stocks agreed well with observed C stock data. The annual net biome production (NBP) during the period 1954–2012 was 141.3 g C m −2 yr −1 , which increased from −8.8 g C m −2 yr −1 in 1955 to 436.6 g C m −2 yr −1 in 2012. Because of the small forested area, the South Korean forests had a comparatively lower contribution to the annual C sequestration by global forests. In contrast, because of the extensive reforestation programs, the NBP of South Korean forests was much higher than those of other countries. Our results could provide the forest C dynamics in South Korean forests before and after the onset of reforestation programs.
Partitioning of semivolatile surface‐active compounds between bulk, surface and gas phase

We present a model study demonstrating that surface partitioning of volatile surfactants enhances their uptake by submicron liquid droplets. In submicron‐sized droplets, surface partitioning of a surface‐active volatile species may significantly decrease its equilibrium partial pressure, thus increasing the total flux of the surfactant from gas phase to aqueous phase. Such uptake of volatile organic species into aqueous aerosols can be followed by aqueous‐phase chemistry to form low‐volatility secondary organic aerosol material, leading to increased aerosol mass. In the study, we used an air parcel model that includes simplified aqueous‐ and gas‐phase chemistry, condensation/evaporation, and a model of aqueous‐phase thermodynamics that takes into account the partitioning of surfactants between the bulk and surface phases. We modeled the uptake and aqueous‐phase chemical reactions of methylglyoxal, as it is a moderate surfactant that forms less volatile secondary organic material via aqueous‐phase chemical reactions with the hydroxyl radical as well as hydronium and ammonium ions. Our model simulations show an order of magnitude higher uptake of methylglyoxal in aqueous aerosols of cloud condensation nuclei sizes (less than 200 nm in radius) when surface partitioning is taken into account, compared to when surface partitioning is neglected. As a consequence, the production of SOA through the aqueous‐phase chemical processing of methylglyoxal is also enhanced, but to a lesser degree, because condensation of the hydroxyl radical from gas phase limits the production.
Adoption of some cocoa production technologies by cocoa farmers in Kogi State, Nigeria

This study examined the cocoa production technologies adopted by cocoa farmers in Kogi State, Nigeria. Data used for the study were collected from 134 cocoa farmers through the use of a structured questionnaire. Using descriptive and inferential statistics for the analysis, our study revealed that production technologies adopted by cocoa farmers in Kogi State includes planting hybrid cocoa varieties (4.55), weed control (4.34), control of black pod disease with fungicides (4.39), fertiliser application (4.21) and control of capsids with insecticides (4.30). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) shows that there is a significant difference (0.68, p < 0.05) between production technologies adopted and cocoa production output among farmers. This indicates that production technologies has led to quality of output and improved farm practices. This paper concludes that farmer should strive to improve more on these technologies. Where there is inadequate enabling environment for farmers, the possibility of reduction of cocoa product is inevitable.
Distribution and stratigraphy of basaltic units in Maria Tranquillitatis and Fecunditatis: A Clementine perspective

Abstract— Maria Tranquillitatis and Fecunditatis have been mapped based on Clementine image mosaics and derived iron and titanium maps. Impact craters served as stratigraphic probes enabling better delineation of compositionally different basaltic units, determining the distribution of subsurface basalts, and providing estimates of total basalt thickness and the thickness of the surface units. Collected data indicate that volcanism in these maria started with the eruption of low‐Ti basalts and evolved toward medium‐ and high‐Ti basalts. Some of the high‐Ti basalts in Mare Tranquillitatis began erupting early and were contemporaneous with the low‐ and medium‐Ti basalts; these units form the oldest units exposed on the mare surface. Mare Tranquillitatis is mostly covered with high‐Ti basalts. In Mare Fecunditatis, the volume of erupting basalts clearly decreased as the Ti content increased, and the high‐Ti basalts occur as a few patches on the mare surface. The basalt in both maria is on the order of several hundred meters thick and locally may be as thick as 1600 m. The new basalt thickness estimates generally fall within the range set by earlier studies, although locally differ. The medium‐ to high‐Ti basalts exposed at the surfaces of both maria are meters to tens of meters thick.
Prediction of Vibrational Behavior of Grid-Stiffened Cylindrical Shells

A unified analytical approach is applied to investigate the vibrational behavior of grid-stiffened cylindrical shells with different boundary conditions. A smeared method is employed to superimpose the stiffness contribution of the stiffeners with those of shell in order to obtain the equivalent stiffness parameters of the whole panel. Theoretical formulation is established based on Sanders’ thin shell theory. The modal forms are assumed to have the axial dependency in the form of Fourier series whose derivatives are legitimized using Stoke's transformation. A 3D finite element model is also built using ABAQUS software which takes into consideration the exact geometric configuration of the stiffeners and the shell. The achievements from the two types of analyses are compared with each other and good agreement has been obtained. The Influences of variations in shell geometrical parameters, boundary condition, and changes in the cross stiffeners angle on the natural frequencies are studied. The results obtained are novel and can be used as a benchmark for further studies. The simplicity and the capability of the present method are also discussed.
Estimating actual bid-ask spreads in commodity futures markets.

Various bid-ask spread estimators are applied to transaction data from LIFFE cocoa and coffee futures markets, and the resulting estimates are compared to observed actual bid-ask spreads. Results suggest that actual bid-ask spreads, which are not reported by most open-outcry futures markets, can be reasonably estimated using readily available transaction data. This is especially important since recent research seems to indicate that efforts to estimate effective spreads using data commonly available from futures markets have not been successful. Thus estimates of actual spreads can give market participants and researchers some idea of potential transaction costs. Accurate estimates of bid-ask spreads will also be needed to assess the relative efficiency of electronic versus open-outcry trading. Results indicate that estimators using averages of absolute price changes perform significantly better at estimating actual bid-ask spreads in futures markets than estimators using the covariance of successive price changes.
Deposition of Functional Organic Thin Films by Pulsed Plasma Polymerization: A Joint Theoretical and Experimental Study

The pulsed plasma polymerization of allylamine and cyclopropylamine is investigated to study the influence of the precursor chemical structure on the process selectivity toward the primary amine groups. Both systems are compared under similar mean powers injected in the discharges (Pmean). The results reveal an increase in the precursor fragmentation in the plasma and a decrease in the primary amine content of the film (%NH2 )a sPmean increases. Nevertheless, below a critical Pmean value, different behaviors are observed depending on the precursor, cyclopropylamine being less plasma-fragmented than allylamine. As a result, plasma polymer films (PPF) synthesized from cyclopropylamine yield the largest %NH2. These results are rationalized with the help of theoretical calculations pointing to a preferential opening of the cyclopropylamine ring structure. Cyclopropylamine activation in the plasma can thus be achieved without fragmentation reactions, lead
SFB 880 - Efficient High Lift

The collaborative research center (Sonderforschungsbereich, abbreviated SFB) 880 investigates the fundamentals of high-lift generation for future civil aircraft, focusing on the fields of aeroacoustics, lift generation and flight dynamics. The present paper addresses the research on efficient lift generation which is denoted as Research Area B. The underlying research hypothesis of the present work is that further significant increases in lift generation of civil aircraft compared to the current state technology are possible using active lift systems. The investigated high-lift concept utilizes a combination of internally blown flaps and circulation control to achieve high flow turning over the wing. A flexible leading edge device for the wing without gap or step is designed to reduce noise generation and to increase the efficiency of the active blowing system. Further, closed-loop control of blowing is envisaged. The overall objective of the project is to design an active lift system that requires a minimum of additional engine power to generate the required lift. A multidisciplinary, collaborative approach is taken, combining the fields of aerodynamics, material science, microtechnology, turbomachinery and electrical engineering to obtain optimum performance of the overall lift generation system. The research progress during the first two years of this ongoing work is presented in this paper.
MAUT Approach for Selecting a Proper Decommissioning Scenario

When dismantling scenarios are selected, not only the quantitatively calculated results but also the qualitatively estimated results should be considered with a logical and systematic process. In this case, the MAUT (Multi-Attribute Utility Theory) is widely used for the quantification of subjective judgments in various fields of a decision making. This study focuses on the introduction and application of the MAUT method for the selection of decommissioning scenarios. To evaluate decommissioning scenarios, nine evaluation attributes are considered. These attributes are: the primary cost, the peripheral cost, the waste treatment cost, the worker's exposure, the worker's safety, the work difficulty, the originality of the dismantling technologies, their contributions to other industries, public relations for, and an understanding of the public. The weighting values of the attributes were determined by using the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method and their utility functions are produced from several questionnaires for the decision makers. As an implementation, this method was applied to evaluate two scenarios, the plasma arc cutting scenario and the nibbler cutting scenario for decommissioning the thermal column in KRR1(Korea Research Reactor-1). As a result, this method has many merits even although it is difficult to produce the utility function of each attribute. However, once they are setup it is easy to measure the alternatives’ values and it can be applied regardless of the number of alternatives.
A Competitive Model of Ranking Agencies

This paper investigates the discrepancy among the multiple ranking lists of the same performers. It treats ranking lists as some well-positioned information products rather than the repetitive measures of performance. Hence, discrepancy stems from the differentiation rather than the measure errors. In the model, two ranking agencies have each compiled a list that ranks a set of performers for an audience. The audience weighs the two ranking lists by how much each list is promoted aggregately by the performers, and formulates a perceived ranking for each performer. In order to boost their perceived rankings, performers decide which ranking list to promote, and how much to promote. Each agency decides on the rankings to maximize the aggregate promotion devoted to its own list. In equilibrium, both ranking agencies will choose the top-bottom approach, i.e., ranking the top-ranked performer on the competing list at the bottom of its own list, to maximize the biggest ranking difference for some performers. In response, only those performers enjoying the biggest ranking difference will promote the corresponding list, while the other performers will free ride their promotion.
Efficiency of Managed‐Stress Screening of Elite Maize Hybrids under Drought and Low Nitrogen for Yield under Rainfed Conditions in Southern Africa

Maize (Zea mays L.) yields in southern Africa are low, due largely to drought and low-N stress. Selection of stress-tolerant genotypes by CIMMYT is conducted indirectly under managed stress conditions, although the selection effi ciency of this approach is not known. A retrospective analysis of 704 elite hybrid trials conducted from 2001 to 2009 was used to determine the relative ability of optimal, low-N, and managed drought trials to predict performance under the conditions of random abiotic stress and low-N fertility usually faced by African farmers. Well-fertilized trials in the rainy season were categorized as having experienced random abiotic stress if mean yield was <3 t ha -1 and the yield-anthesis date correlation was <0.1; otherwise they were classed as optimal. High genetic correlations were estimated between random abiotic stress and low-N or optimal conditions. Heritability was highest under optimal conditions and lowest under random abiotic stress. Indirect selection under low-N and optimal conditions was more effi cient than direct selection under random abiotic stress or indirect selection under managed drought, especially for early maturing genotypes, but direct selection was most effi cient for predicting performance under low N. Elite maize hybrids tolerant to random abiotic stress can be most effi ciently selected under optimal and/or low-N conditions while low-N tolerant genotypes should be selected directly under low N.
The Carbon Emissions Efficiency and Marginal Abatement Cost in Urban of China: Non-Parametric Directional Distance Function Method

This paper estimates the CO2 marginal abatement cost of 286 cities in China based on non-parametric directional distance function method for the period of 2002-2013. We compared the results according to different perspectives, such as the areas, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita and the environmental and non-environmental cities. The results show that the CO2 marginal abatement cost differs obviously among cities and it’s higher in eastern area than in middle and western area which indicates that the abatement potential is bigger in middle and western area.
A review on industrial automation system

The prospect to build robust industrial systems & applications in the field of RFID, mobile &sensor devices, wireless, Internet of Things (IOT) has been provided. In very modern years many IOT applications have been increasingly developed and deployed. In our day to day life controlling and monitoring plays a major role now a days. Using advanced technologies we can monitor and control everything. Because of high speed internet a wonderful feature that came into picture is Remote access. The main objective of this proposed system is for those who are away from their industry and want to control devices by providing technology oriented and low cost system.
Professional Dancers Describe Their Imagery: Where, When, What, Why, and How

In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 male and female professional dancers from several dance forms. Interviews were primarily based in the 4 Ws framework (Munroe, Giacobbi, Jr., Hall, & Weinberg, 2000), which meant exploring Where, When, Why, and What dancers image. A dimension describing How the dancers employed imagery also emerged. What refers to imagery content, and emerged from two categories: Imagery Types and Imagery Characteristics. Why represents the reason an image is employed and emerged from five categories: Cognitive Reasons, Motivational Reasons, Artistic Reasons, Healing Reasons, and No reason - Triggered Imagery. There were also large individual differences reported regarding What images were used and Why. Many new insights were gained, including several imagery types and reasons not commonly discussed in sport and exercise.
Not as good as they seem: the importance of concepts in species distribution modelling

Aim Nowadays, large amounts of species distribution data and software for implementing different species distribution modelling methods are freely available through the internet. As a result, methodological works that analyse the relative performance of modelling techniques, as well as those that study which species characteristics affect their performance, are necessary. We discuss three important topics that must be kept in mind when modelling species distributions, namely (i) the distinction between potential and realized distribution, (ii) the effect of the relative occurrence area of the species on the results of the evaluation of model performance, and (iii) the general inaccuracy of the predictions of the realized distribution provided by species distribution modelling methods.
What's Worth Fighting for in the Principalship? Strategies for Taking Charge in the Elementary School Principalship.

This week Curriculum Leadership publishes an edited excerpt from the preface of Whats Worth Fighting for in the Principalship? , 2nd edition, by Michael Fullan. The author argues that at the same time that the principal has been elevated and viewed as critical to success, 'the principalship itself is sinking overloaded and pulled down. In this book, I seek a way out of the current dilemma. I am interested in helping incumbent and would-be principals leverage action that will change the system positively in small and large ways'.
A LFSR based Binary Numeral System Using CMOS VLSI

The integrated chip manufacturing technology has made an evaluation by shrinking the size of a chip and enhancing its better performance. Shrinkage of chip introduces problems including heat dissipation and power consumption. Binary numeral system using LFSR (Linear Feedback Shift Register) is proposed to reduce these problems. The proposed system design gives low power architecture, by comparative analysis of several LFSR architectures in terms of hardware implementation, CMOS layout and power consumption.