Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do we still need BERT in the age of GPT? Comparing the benefits of domain-adaptation and in-context-learning approaches to using LLMs for Political Science Research

With the rapid development of large language models (LLMs), we claim that researchers using LLMs must make three critical decisions: model selection, domain-adaptation strategies, and prompt design. To help provide guidance on these choices, we establish a set of benchmarks for a wide range of natural language processing (NLP) tasks pursued by political science tasks. We use this benchmark to compare two common approaches to the classification of political text: domain-adapting smaller LLMs such as BERT to one’s own data with varying levels of unsupervised pre-training and supervised fine-tuning, and querying larger LLMs such as GPT-3 without additional training. Preliminary results indicate that when labeled data is available, the fine-tuning focused approach remains the superior technique for text classification.
Applications of palmer method in analyzing drought in northwest region of Bangladesh

In the present study, an attempt has been made for applying the Palmcr mcthod in drought analysis in the Northwest (NW) region of Bangladesh. Palmer Drought Severity Index CPOSI) actually uses a supply and dcmand model for the amount of moisture in the soil. The method defined drought period as an interval of timc during which the actual moisture supply at a givcn place falls short of the climatically expected or appropriate moisturc supply. In the study the PDSI was calculated on monthly basis as per original formulation by Palmer, though a shorter timescale is more appropriate for irrigation scheduling in Bangladcsh. The drought analysis by the method showed that all of the stations of NW region experienced some degrees of drought conditions. The method quantified the average occurrence of drought in the region in 34 percent of the study time from 1972 to 2002. The available literature shows that thc average occurrence of drought is once in 2.5 years. The method identified the most common drought occurrences in years like 1972.73, 1975.76, 1976.77, 1978.79, 1979.80, 1982-83, 1992.93, 1994.95, 1999 and 2001.2002 in selected fifteen stations in the region. Thus the method could identitY the historical drought occurrences of Bangladesh like the year 1975, 1979, 1981.82, 1984, 1989, 1992.93 and 1994.95. The occurrences of extreme drought conditions were observed only in 3.6 percent of total time. In the study, thc Palmer method has identified the month of October rather than November or December as thc beginning of highest percentage of drought spells in the region. The method could identify Kharif droughts during the period from June/July to October. The method has identified the month of April rather than Mayor June as the ending of highest percentage of drought spells in the region. The suitability of the application of the Palmer method as a drought analyzing tool in NW region of Bangladesh has been assessed in the study by comparing the results of this method with those obtained from two other methods: i) the Standard Precipitation Index (SPl) method and ii) the Herbst method. The comparison was made in terms of several drought features such as the onset and termination of drought, duration and severity. The SPI is a standardized transform of the probability of the observed
Leaving, staying or belonging: exploring the relationship between formal education, youth mobility and community resilience in rural Alaska

ABSTRACT Rural Alaskan youth are encouraged to pursue higher education in order to enhance individual and community resilience. However, the dwindling number of youth that return to their home communities after attending post-secondary education is a concern. In the context of Native communities, some argue that a university degree has little value and prevents the youth from returning. At face value, this presents a dilemma in which rural Alaska Native youth must choose between ‘traditional’ and ‘modern’ ways of life – between staying or leaving. However, this process is more complex than can be understood from these dichotomies. This paper presents research done with an Alaska Native community (2011–2012), focusing on the role of youth in community resilience. Rather than the question of staying or leaving, maintaining a connection to the community is the main driver of youth mobility. The village does not try to control the pathways of its youth but works to instill a feeling of belonging in the youth by involving them in community planning and guaranteeing jobs and housing. By actively shaping its institutions and linking individual ambition with community well-being, the community is able to transform otherwise challenging conditions into sources of empowerment and resilience.
An Exact Method for a Last-mile Delivery Routing Problem with Multiple Deliverymen

The demand for efficient last-mile delivery systems in large cities creates an opportunity to develop innovative logistics schemes. In this paper, we study a problem in which each vehicle may travel with more than one deliveryman to serve multiple customers with a single stop of the vehicle, increasing the delivery efficiency. We extend the vehicle routing problem with time windows and multiple deliverymen by explicitly considering the deliveryman routes. We introduce the problem, formally define it with a novel formulation, propose valid inequalities, and develop a tailored branch-and-Benders-cut (BBC) algorithm to solve it. The BBC is capable of solving 89% of the instances to proven optimality in reasonable times, many of them of realistic sizes. Additionally, we show the benefits of evaluating the deliveryman routes considering a cost minimization perspective, and discuss relevant solutions for urban logistics problems that can help decrease congestion and emissions.
The Eﬀect Analysis of Atlas and Global Signal Regression in Classification based on Brain Network for Major Depression Disorders

Automatic classiﬁcation of major depression disorders (MDD) is an arduous task. When constructing the brain network automatic classiﬁcation model based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the selection of global signal regression (GSR) and brain atlas are two key factors. However, their impact on the classiﬁcation has not reached a consensus so far. The main reasons include the following two points: ﬁrst, the sample size of previous studies is small, and different studies lead to inconsistent results; second, there are too many parameters in their models, which could not clearly reveal the effects of the above two factors. Therefore, we believe that only by using the data of multi-center and large samples, it is possible to ﬁnd out the inﬂuence of these two factors on the classiﬁcation results. To test our hypothesis, data sets (The REST-meta-MDD project) from 17 centers were used in this study. The set was divided into two parts, training set and independent validation set. The training set used 10-fold cross-validation to evaluate the classiﬁcation performance, and the independent validation set used the features of the ﬁrst part to classify directly. Feature selection adopted two sample t-test plus least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and the classiﬁer was linear support vector machine (SVM). Finally, the classiﬁcation effect of factors was conﬁrmed by statistical analysis. The results showed that the impact of GSR on the classiﬁcation results was related to the selection of brain atlas. In anatomical automatic labeling (AAL)-based networks, GSR would reduce the classiﬁcation accuracy. But for Dosenbach networks, GSR would improve the classiﬁcation performance. The classiﬁcation ability of networks constructed by different brain templates was different, and the AAL was the best. In conclusion, the choice of brain atlas was a
A Proposed Unit Based on the STEM Approach: Developing 21st-Century Skills Among Middle-School Students

This research aims to determine the effectiveness of a proposed instructional unit based on the integration of science and mathematics, following the STEM approach, to teach critical thinking and problem-solving as 21st-century skills. To achieve this goal, an experimental approach based on a quasi-experimental single-group design with a pre-test and post-test was used. The research sample consisted of 40 third-grade students in a middle school. A problem-solving skills test was developed, and the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Skills Appraisal was used, the results showed statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the participant group in the pre-test and post-test measurements for both critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The research concluded that the proposed unit helped students develop 21st-century skills. Received: 11 November 2023 / Accepted: 17 February 2024 / Published: 5 March 2024
Automated Damage Inspection in Vehicle Headlights Using U-Net and Resnet50

The image analysis of vehicle damage is a procedure performed by insurance companies to determine whether the policy covers the service or not. In the case of damages in the headlights, the company receives a picture of the vehicle and a specialist analyzes the damage. This article proposes a system for the detection and classification of vehicle headlight images to automate the inspection. The method is based first on the U-Net structure for detecting the headlight in the image and then on the Resnet50 structure for classifying the damage. The U-Net database is made up of 2,000 vehicle images and 2,000 masks with headlight detection. Resnet50’s database is made up of 2,000 images divided into 4 classes: broken, blurred, infiltrated, or undamaged. The results obtained in the test had an IOU of 70 percent in the detection and an accuracy of 76 percent in the classification.
The NF-κB RelA transcription factor is not required for CD8+ T-cell function in acute viral infection and cancer

CD8+ T cells are critical mediators of pathogen clearance and anti-tumor immunity. Although signaling pathways leading to the activation of NF-κB transcription factors have crucial functions in the regulation of immune responses, the CD8+ T cell-autonomous roles of the different NF-κB subunits, are still unresolved. Here, we investigated the function of the ubiquitously expressed transcription factor RelA in CD8+ T-cell biology using a novel mouse model and gene-edited human cells. We found that CD8+ T cell-specific ablation of RelA markedly altered the transcriptome of ex vivo stimulated cells, but maintained the proliferative capacity of both mouse and human cells. In contrast, in vivo experiments showed that RelA deficiency did not affect the CD8+ T-cell response to acute viral infection or transplanted tumors. Our data suggest that in CD8+ T cells, RelA is dispensable for their protective activity in pathological contexts.
Petrography, geochemistry, and Nd isotope systematics of metaconglomerates and matrix-rich metasedimentary rocks: implications for the provenance and tectonic setting of the Labrador Trough, Canada

The New Quebec Orogen consists of a supracrustal belt that was reworked when the Superior Craton collided with the Core Zone terrane during the Paleoproterozoic Trans-Hudson Orogeny. Within the New Quebec Orogen, the Kaniapiskau Supergroup can be divided into four terrigenous lithotypes metamorphosed at low-grade: one set with greater compositional and textural sedimentary maturity classified as quartz arenites and subarkoses, and another set with lower textural maturity classified as feldspathic wackes and mudrocks. In contrast, the Laporte Group includes homogeneous lithotypes represented by feldspathic and lithic wackes with a range of matrix contents metamorphosed at low to medium grade. The Kaniapiskau Supergroup rocks have a wide range of SiO2 and Al2O3 contents (SiO2/Al2O3 = 3.7–51) compared to the restricted compositional range of the Laporte Group rocks (SiO2/Al2O3 = 4.4–6.8). In general, the geochemical variations in both formations of the Laporte Group are within the range of the main clast varieties from basal metaconglomerates, although the Deborah Formation (top unit) records higher TiO2, P2O5, MgO, and Ni contents and high Cr/Th, Co/Ba, Th/U, and Rb/Sr ratios indicating additional mafic sources. Our results support the hypothesis that the Kaniapiskau Supergroup was deposited along an intraplate continental margin with predominantly recycled (εNd(1.87Ga) –12) Paleoarchean sources (TDM 3.2 Ga). In contrast, the Laporte Group marks the transition from a continental forearc (Grand Rosoy Fm.) with a typical juvenile source, including granitic clasts (εNd(1.83Ga) –0.1 to +3.1), to a wedge-top depozone (Deborah Fm.) in the context of a collisional proforeland basin. This syncollisional sedimentary environment is characterized by the presence of old crustal components (εNd(1.83Ga) –4.4 to –9.1).
Prediction of GNSS-Based Regional Ionospheric TEC Using a Multichannel ConvLSTM With Attention Mechanism

Monitoring and predicting ionospheric space weather is important for global navigation satellite system (GNSS) navigation, positioning, and communication. Ionospheric total electron content (TEC) is a vital indicator to measure ionospheric space weather. This study utilizes a multichannel convolutional long short-term memory (ConvLSTM) with attention mechanism to predict ionospheric TEC maps considering the relevance of physical observations for TEC variations. The multichannel ConvLSTM with attention mechanism (MConvLSTM-Attention) method is trained and tested on regional ionospheric maps (RIMs) for three years (2015–2017) by using GNSS observations from the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC). The experimental results show that the root-mean-square error (RMSE) values of MConvLSTM-Attention model during quiet, moderate, and geomagnetic storm periods are 2.58, 2.60, and 3.21 TECU, respectively. Also, the MConvLSTM-Attention model performs better than MConvLSTM, ConvLSTM, and international reference ionosphere (IRI) 2016 models in predicting RIMs. In addition, the MConvLSTM-Attention prediction model shows good generalization performance, relatively good stability, and high precision during both geomagnetic quiet and storm time.
WA-27I-P, EXMOUTH SUB-BASIN—INTEGRATED PROSPECTIVITY EVALUATION

Permit WA-271-P in the southern Exmouth Sub-basin was initially gazetted as W96–20 in the 1996 gazettal round. It was recognised at an early stage that fluids found in Novara-1 (14° API oil), Pyrenees-1 and Macedon-1 (19° API oil and gas) made economic viability of traditional Barrow Group prospects in WA-271-P problematic and dependant upon the accurate prediction of reservoir development and fluid type. After award, Woodside embarked upon an intensive data acquisition program that included 800 km2 3D, 1,600 km 2D seismic, and 34,000 line km of aeromagnetic data. The integration of this data was completed in the latter part of 1998. The evaluation of the exploration 3D survey in the north eastern portion of the permit included volume interpretation and 3D visualisation, the results of which were integrated with an aeromagnetic and gravity study of the permit. The resultant interpretation clearly defined fault patterns and confidently identified and distinguished seismic anomalies caused by fluid effects from those generated by igneous bodies. This interpretation was supported by the application of quantitative interpretation techniques to Near, Full, Far stacks and DMO gathers with the knowledge then extrapolated to the regional 2D seismic grid beyond the 3D survey area. Environmental risk awareness and contingency planning formed an integral part of the early work within the permit. A metocean survey and spill modelling study were conducted leading to the production of a Resource Atlas. The results of the environmental studies were incorporated into the timing of exploration activities to minimise any potential impact on the environment. In summary, a focussed and multidisciplinary approach to the evaluation of the prospectivity of the permit was achieved through an integrated work flow. This has resulted in an attractive portfolio of prospects and leads from a number of play fairways, improved risk assessment, and the development of new plays within the permit, including both the traditional Barrow Group plays, and Jurassic and Triassic deep water plays. This approach has added considerable value to the permit by introducing new technologies and successfully managing risk with old play types. The first prospect drilled in the permit in December 1998, Vincent–1, was an oil and gas discovery.
Serum anion gap versus lactate clearance as mortality predictors in critically ill children

Introduction: Mortality prediction is important for optimal resource allocation in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Objectives: To estimate the predictive value of serum corrected anion gap (cAG) and lactate clearance for predicting mortality in PICU. Method: We conducted a prospective study of children admitted to the PICU of a tertiary hospital. PRISM III and IV score, cAG and lactate clearance were done in all patients, and the predictive value was calculated for mortality. Results: The mortality in the study group was 12%. The cAG was significantly lower in survivors than in non-survivors (p <0.001). The lactate levels at 6 hours (AUC 0.898) had the best mortality prediction, followed by admission lactate (AUC 0.804) and cAG (AUC 0.742). However, the lactate clearance did not show good predictive value. Conclusions: The cAG is an excellent mortality predictor in a low-resource setting.
Mechanisms of torsades de pointes: an update

Torsades de Pointes (TdP) refers to a polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) with undulating QRS axis that occurs in long QT syndrome (LQTS), although the term has been used to describe polymorphic ventricular tachyarrhythmias in which QT intervals are not prolonged, such as short-coupled variant of TdP currently known as short-coupled ventricular fibrillation (VF) and Brugada syndrome. Extensive works on LQTS-related TdP over more than 50 years since it was first recognized by Dessertennes who coined the French term meaning “twisting of the points”, have led to current understanding of the electrophysiological mechanism that TdP is initiated by triggered activity due to early afterdepolarization (EAD) and maintained by reentry within a substrate of inhomogeneous repolarization. While a recently emerging notion that steep voltage gradients rather than EADs are crucial to generate premature ventricular contractions provides additions to the initiation mode, the research to elucidate the maintenance mechanism hasn't made much progress. The reentrant activity that produces the specific form of VT is not well characterized. We have conducted optical mapping in a rabbit model of electrical storm by electrical remodeling (QT prolongation) due to chronic complete atrioventricular block and demonstrated that a tissue-island with prolonged refractoriness due to enhanced late Na+ current (INa−L) contributes to the generation of drifting rotors in a unique manner, which may explain the ECG characteristic of TdP. Moreover, we have proposed that the neural Na+ channel NaV1.8-mediated INa−L may be a new player to form the substrate for TdP. Here we discuss TdP mechanisms by comparing the findings in electrical storm rabbits with recently published studies by others in simulation models and human and animal models of LQTS.
North Atlantic salinity oscillations linked to atmospheric and ocean circulation changes over the last glacial cycle

Evaporation, precipitation and atmospheric water vapor transport play an important role in maintaining North Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) through their influence on salinity (Broecker, 1989; Broecker et al., 1990; Zaucker and Broecker, 1992). Net evaporation exceeds precipitation in both the Caribbean and western North Atlantic subtropical gyre, elevating Gulf Stream sea surface salinity (SSS) as waters circulate northward through the subtropics (Broecker et al., 1990; Curry et al., 2003). The excess salt advected to the North Atlantic is critical in maintaining modern AMOC (Broecker, 1991). It is generally agreed that the abrupt climatic shifts that characterized Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) cycles in the Greenland ice cores were triggered by changes in North Atlantic surface water density at the sites of overturning circulation (Boyle, Figure 1: Modern N. Atlantic surface (red) and deep water (blue) circulation and location of Caribbean cores ODP 999A (12°45'N, 78°44'W; 2,827 m; 4 cm/kyr sed. rate) and VM28-122 (11.56°N, 78.41°W; 3,623 m; 4-15 cm/kyr sed. rate) and N. Atlantic subtropical gyre core ODP 1060 (30°46'N, 74°28'W; 3480 m; 20-53 cm/ kyr sed. rate). Orange circles indicate sites of deepwater formation in N. Atlantic. 2000; Oppo and Lehman, 1995; Rasmussen and Thomsen, 2004). While warm interstadials are characterized by a circulation pat-
A two-step sensitivity analysis for hydrological signatures in Jinhua River Basin, East China

ABSTRACT Parameter calibration and sensitivity analysis (SA) are usually not straightforward tasks for distributed hydrological models, owing to the complexity of models and the large number of parameters. A two-step SA approach is proposed for analysing hydrological signatures based on the distributed hydrology–soil–vegetation model (DHSVM) in the Jinhua River Basin, East China. A preliminary SA is conducted to obtain influential parameters via analysis of variance. These parameters are further analysed through a variance-based global sensitivity analysis method to achieve robust rankings and parameter contributions. Parallel computing is designed to reduce the computational burden. The results reveal that only a few parameters are significantly sensitive and that interactions between parameters cannot be ignored. When analysing hydrological signatures, it is found that water yield is simulated very well for most samples. Small and medium floods are simulated very well, while slight underestimations happen for large floods.
The spatial dimensions of fisheries: improved use of spatial information into fisheries management and information for assessments

The spatial dimensions of fisheries: improved use of spatial information in fisheries management and information for assessments Kotaro Ono Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Dr. Ray Hilborn School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences Until relatively recently, fisheries resources were managed as single homogeneous units and fisheries management conveniently ignored the presence of spatial heterogeneity in stocks. In nature, species are neither distributed at random nor uniformly, but follow some pattern created by a combination of habitat preference, movement, interspecific species interactions, and fishery exploitation. Ignoring such heterogeneity and managing stocks as single homogeneous units increases the risk of serial depletion and population collapse. It is therefore important to understand and consider the spatial dynamics of a fishery and fish populations to help establish proper management plans which aid the conservation of marine ecosystems. In this dissertation, I developed and tested novel fishery analysis methods which better integrate the spatial structure of fish and fishermen to help improve the quality of information used for fisheries management.