Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using aircraft measurements to characterize subgrid-scale variability of aerosol properties near the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains site

Abstract. Complex distributions of aerosol properties evolve in space and time as a function of emissions, new particle formation, coagulation, condensational growth, chemical transformation, phase changes, turbulent mixing and transport, removal processes, and ambient meteorological conditions. The ability of chemical transport models to represent the multi-scale processes affecting the life cycle of aerosols depends on their spatial resolution since aerosol properties are assumed to be constant within a grid cell. Subgrid-scale-dependent processes that affect aerosol populations could have a significant impact on the formation of particles, their growth to cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) sizes, aerosol–cloud interactions, dry deposition and rainout and hence their burdens, lifetimes, and radiative forcing. To address this issue, we characterize subgrid-scale variability in terms of measured aerosol number, size, composition, hygroscopicity, and CCN concentrations made by repeated aircraft flight paths over the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program's Southern Great Plains (SGP) site during the Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols and Land Ecosystem (HI-SCALE) campaign. Subgrid variability is quantified in terms of both normalized frequency distributions and percentage difference percentiles using grid spacings of 3, 9, 27, and 81 km that represent those typically used by cloud-system-resolving models as well as the current and next-generation climate models. Even though the SGP site is a rural location, surprisingly large horizontal gradients in aerosol properties were frequently observed. For example, 90 % of the 3, 9, and 27 km cell mean organic matter concentrations differed from the 81 km cell around the SGP site by as much as ∼ 46 %, large spatial variability in aerosol number concentrations and size distributions were found during new particle formation events, and consequently 90 % of the 3, 9, and 27 km cell mean CCN number concentrations differed from the 81 km cell mean by as much as ∼ 38 %. The spatial variability varied seasonally for some aerosol properties, with some having larger spatial variability during the spring and others having larger variability during the late summer. While measurements at a single surface site cannot reflect the surrounding variability of aerosol properties at a given time, aircraft measurements that are averaged within an 81 km cell were found to be similar to many, but not all, aerosol properties measured at the ground SGP site. This analysis suggests that it is reasonable to directly compare most ground SGP site aerosol measurements with coarse global climate model predictions. In addition, the variability quantified by the aircraft can be used as an uncertainty range when comparing the surface point measurements with model predictions that use coarse grid spacings.
A Study of Customer Perceptions of Service Quality in the Indian Banking Sector

Service quality is a powerful weapon which is used by the marketers to differentiate their services from the competitors. In this context, this study investigates the difference between the banks in respect to the service quality dimension. SERVQUAL model has been selected to measure the service quality in Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Four main commercial banks were selected for the study. Three hundred and fifty questionnaires were issued for data collection based on Convenience sampling method. SPSS version 18 was used for data analysis. Discrepancy was found in customer perception of services in terms of tangibles and reliability dimensions between banks. Keywords: Service quality, tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, banks
Social media contributes to greater division

Social media was used widely by the global user, becoming a vital media tool in recent years. As the giants of social media, sites such as Twitter and YouTube have a staggering number of users. As the influence of social media increases, more and more scholars are studying the influence of social media on people's ideology. It is worth emphasizing that the influence of social media in political, racial and class discourse is significant. As more and more politicians use social media as a tool for their political advocacy, people are increasingly engaging in political dialogue through social media. In terms of race, due to the nature of social media, Internet users of different races do not receive equal access to information. Thus, it is important to study how social media causes social division through information. In this paper, how social media enhances polarization is examined through an analysis of three aspects of discourse: political, racial, and class on social media.
On grouping theory in dot patterns, with applications to perception theory and 3D inverse geometry

Cette these porte sur l'etude de deux modeles mathematiques pour une tâchevisuelle elementaire: le regroupement perceptuel de points 2D. Le premier modeletraite la detection d'alignements de point perceptuellement relevant. Ledeuxieme modele etend ce cadre au cas plus general de la bonne continuation depoints. Dans les deux cas, les modeles proposes sont invariants au changementd'echelle, et non supervises. Ils sont concus pour etre robustes au bruit,jusqu'au point ou les structures a detecter deviennent mathematiquementimpossibles de distinguer du bruit. Les experiences presentees montrent unecoherence entre notre theorie de detection et les processus de demasquage ayantlieu dans la perception humaine.Les modeles proposes sont bases dans la methodologie a contrario, uneformalisation du principe de non accidentalite dans la theorie de laperception. Cette these fait deux contributions au methodes a contrario. Une estl'introduction de seuils de detection adaptatifs qui sont conditionnels auxenvirons des structures evaluees. La deuxieme contribution est une nouvellestrategie raffinee pour resoudre la redondance de plusieurs detectionssignificatives.Finalement, l'utilite du detecteur d'alignements de points comme outil generald'analyse de donnees est demontree avec son application a une probleme classiqueen vision par ordinateur: la detection de points de fuite. Le detecteurd'alignements de points propose, utilise avec des outils standards, produit desresultats ameliorant l'etat de l'art.Visant a la recherche reproductible, toutes les methodes sont soumis au journalIPOL, en incluant descriptions detaillees des algorithmes, du code sourcecommente et demonstrations en ligne pour chaque methode.
A coarse-fine reading recognition method for pointer meters based on CNN and computer vision

To enhance the robustness and remove the accumulative error of existing methods, this paper proposes a novel coarse-fine pointer meter reading recognition approach using CNN in the whole recognition procedure. Firstly, the Mask R-CNN is employed to localize the dial position of a meter. Secondly, the dial center is determined by using all the digital scale regions recognized by the R-CNN, while the pointer is extracted by using the regional growth method. The meter’s rough reading is then accomplished according to the position of the pointer and its two closest scale marks found by circular scale searching. Finally, the meter’s exact reading value is recognized by using the proposed CNN model. A set of reading recognition experiments on various meters, meters with disturbances, and on-site meters have been conducted to verify the proposed approach. The experimental results show that the proposed method is robust under various environments and its maximum fiducial error in all the experiments is 0.63%, which is less than the error of the existing methods.
Image Reconstruction From Strongly Scattering Penetrable Objects Using a Differential Cepstral Filter

Abstract : Conventional algorithms for media characterization in diffraction tomography rely on weakly scattering approximations such as the Born or Rytov methods. In this report, we investigate the utility of a nonlinear filtering procedure applied to single-view backpropagated images of strongly scattering two-dimensional objects. With a single illumination direction and constant wave number k0, exact scattered far fields are backpropagated to form an image of the scattering potential times the total field. The multiplicative field, in this case, precludes one from ascertaining quantitative information on the scattering potential. We apply a differential cepstral filter to single-view backpropagated images in order to remove the perturbing field. Phase wrapping problems associated with cepstral filtering procedures are avoided in the differential cepstrum, since phase ambiguities introduced by the complex algorithm are avoided in its definition. Exact scattering solutions are used from several strongly scattering cylinders ranging from k0alpha(square root of (epsilon tau) - 1) = 2 to k0alpha(square root of (epsilon tau) - 1) = 41 where alpha is the maximum dimension of the object and epsilon tau is the relative permittivity. For the lower range, the filtered single-view backpropagated images are superior to the unfiltered. As the range increases, object features become less resolved due to the limited Fourier data available. Results and limitations of the proposed methods are discussed.
Psychological distance, risk perception, and affect: Texas residents’ support for carbon capture and storage

Abstract Climate change poses innumerable threats to economic, social, and environmental systems. Despite our best efforts, emerging research indicates that mitigation and adaptation efforts must incorporate technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) to draw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it elsewhere. This study examines how psychological distance and perceived risk pertaining to climate change influence Texans’ support for CCS through perceived CCS costs/benefits and affect. Overall, the results indicate that perceived psychological distance of climate change influences support for CCS through risk perception about local climate change impacts, perceived CCS benefits, and affective evaluation. Political partisanship moderates the relationship between psychological distance and climate change risk perception, but not the relationship between psychological distance and support for CCS.
A novel packaging evaluation method using sentiment analysis of customer reviews

Packaging has an important role in protecting products during the distribution process. Therefore, it is essential for the packaging designer to evaluate the packaging even after the design implementation. While every new packaging design needs to go through a series of physical tests to ensure it delivers the product to the customer safely, it is not uncommon to encounter packaging failures after the design implementation. Redesigning a completely new package and redoing these tests is very expensive and a time‐consuming process. Therefore, an alternative evaluation method is needed to enhance efficiency while maintaining evaluation quality. The main purpose of this paper is the evaluation of package performance during distribution using customer reviews. Sentiment analysis (SA) is implemented to identify the positive or negative sentiment from customer reviews. Moreover, the proposed method utilizes an in‐house library containing packaging related words (Pack‐List) to identify the reviews concerning the packaging. As a result, this method provides a systematic approach to detect problems by analysing customer reviews as feedback to a defective packaging product. By using the results of SA with Pack‐List, a percentage of negative and positive reviews are calculated to examine the packaging performance during distribution. Then, the percentage of failure over various months and years is examined to identify how time affects the packaging failure. Next, a word cloud of negative sentences is created to show the most mentioned issue. With the proposed method, packaging designers can identify packaging problems in the early stages and keep track of the packaging performance.
The Impact of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus on Human Milk Metabolic Hormones: A Systematic Review

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common pregnancy complication with short- and long-term health consequences for the infant and mother. Breastfeeding is the recommended mode of feeding as it offers an opportunity to reduce the risk of GDM consequences, likely partially mediated through changes in human milk (HM) composition. This review systematically reviewed 12 identified studies that investigated the impact of GDM on concentrations of HM metabolic hormones. Meta-analysis was not possible due to significant heterogeneity in study designs and hormone measurement techniques. The risk of bias was assessed using the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) tool. The methodological qualities were medium in half of the studies, while 25% (3/12) of studies carried a high risk of bias. Significant relationships were reported between GDM and concentrations of HM ghrelin (3/3 studies), insulin (2/4), and adiponectin (2/6), which may play an integral role in infant growth and development. In conclusion, preliminary evidence suggests that GDM may alter HM metabolic hormone concentrations; however, these relationships may be limited to the early lactation stage.
Evaluating Food Security Challenges during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria’s Coastal Fishing Communities

This descriptive qualitative study examined how food security was undermined during the covid-19 pandemic in some coastal fishing communities in Nigeria. The study used the Household Economic Approach as a theoretical basis to explain the challenges of food security in coastal communities based on evidence from the Covid-19 pandemic. Data were generated from open-ended interviews conducted with 30 participants in three coastal fishing communities in Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria. The study also relied on secondary data from books, reports, and journal articles. From the analysis, results showed that the various preventive measures adopted to curb the spread of the virus posed a challenge to fish production, access, and consumption. Furthermore, the findings revealed that in addition to other human security issues, covid-19 was a natural mechanism whose emergence only exacerbated existing food insecurity in coastal fishing communities. Based on the ongoing, the study concludes that, food security can be enhanced in coastal fishing communities through cross-sectorial partnerships and collaborations between the government, civil society groups and the blue economy. Received: 11 July 2022 / Accepted: 29 August 2022 / Published: 2 September 2022
Electromagnetic Resonances of a Wire on an Earth-Air Interface

Abstract : A promising approach to detecting roadside bombs attached to command wires is the electromagnetic sensing and identification of the wires. The lowest five resonant frequencies of the wires, along with the widths of the resonances, can serve as a "fingerprint" for finding the wires. A first major step toward exploiting this fingerprint is to calculate the resonances and their widths for a straight wire on a flat interface between a homogeneous earth and air. The calculation of resonances requires extending the theory of the linear antenna to deal with a wire on the interface between two dielectric media, which we accomplish here. Complex-valued resonant frequencies are defined as those for which a certain homogeneous integral equation for the current in the wire on the interface has non-zero solutions. By applying a Galerkin procedure we obtain approximate numerical solutions for the resonant frequencies and their widths. A table of resonances is given for the case of a relative dielectric constant equal to 4 and for three values of the ration of the wire radius to wire length. MATLAB computer programs for determining resonant frequencies and widths for other parameter values are included.
CKAP2L Promotes Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Progression and Drug-Resistance by Modulating Cell Cycle

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common types of cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, especially in Asia. In this study, the gene CKAP2L was selected by GEO, TCGA, and GTEx database analysis. The high expression of CKAP2L is related to the occurrence and development of ESCC. In addition, CKAP2L knockdown can inhibit the growth and migration of ESCC cells, while CKAP2L overexpression has the opposite effect. Furthermore, in vivo experiments indicated that down-regulation of CKAP2L can inhibit the tumorigenesis of ESCC cells. KEGG pathway analysis and the STRING database explored the relationship between cell cycle and CKAP2L and verified that depletion of CKAP2L markedly arrested cell cycle in the G2/M phase. Meanwhile, CKAP2L knockdown increased the sensitivity of ESCC cells to flavopiridol, the first CDK inhibitor to be tested in clinical trials, leading to an observable reduction in cell proliferation and an increase in cellular apoptosis. In brief, we identified CKAP2L as a tumor promoter, potential prognostic indicator, and therapeutic target of ESCC, which may play a role in regulating cell cycle progression.
Widely tunable fiber ring laser with EDFA/SOA

We compared the performance of the EDFA and the SOA in a wavelength tunable fiber ring structure. Wide tuning ranges of 25 nm and 35 nm are achieved with a fiber ring laser using EDFA and SOA, respectively. The laser using the SOA has a broader wavelength tuning range and a stronger red shift to L-band.
Bidirectional Buck-Boost Converter Using Cascaded Energy Storage Modules Based on Cell Voltage Equalizers

Ordinary modular energy storage systems require cell- and module-level equalizers, in addition to a main bidirectional converter, increasing the system complexity and cost. This article proposes a bidirectional buck-boost converter using cascaded energy storage modules. Each module contains a cell-level equalizer with a half-bridge cell. The half-bridge cell in each module is utilized not only for the cell-level equalizer but also for the cascaded buck-boost converter. Module voltages are equalized by adjusting duty cycles of the half-bridge cells, allowing the elimination of dedicated module-level equalizers. Furthermore, the cascaded structure equivalently increases the switching frequency and reduces the inductor current ripple. An experimental charge-discharge cycling test using the prototype was performed for three electric double-layer capacitor modules. Cell and module voltages were gradually equalized during cycling, demonstrating the bidirectional power conversion and cell- and module-voltage equalization capabilities of the proposed converter.
Phase 3 Evaluation of an Innovative Simple Molecular Test for the Diagnosis of Malaria and Follow-Up of Treatment Efficacy in Pregnant Women in Sub-Saharan Africa (Preg-Diagmal)

The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) can sequester in the placenta resulting in low density of peripheral parasitemia and consequently in false negative malaria diagnosis (by microscopy) in pregnant women. Moreover, the use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in diagnostic strategies, including those for the detection of a malaria infection during pregnancy, is constrained by either persistent malaria antigen (histidine-rich protein 2; HRP2) after successful treatment, leading to false positive test results, or by false negative results as previously mentioned due to parasite sequestration (which is further exacerbated due to the low limited of detection [LoD] of conventional RDTs) or to HRP2 deletion. Recently, a direct blood polymerase chain reaction combined with a nucleic acid lateral flow immunoassay (dbPCR-NALFIA) has been developed, which circumvents these challenges and has demonstrated its diagnostic potential in phase 1 and 2 studies. The PREG-DIAGMAL trial presented in this manuscript will assess the diagnostic performance of dbPCR-NALFIA for the diagnostic of malaria in pregnant women and its potential to monitor treatment efficacy in these subjects. The work is ancillary embedded in an ongoing EDCTP funded trial, the PyraPreg project (PACTR202011812241529) in which the safety and efficacy of a newly registered Artemisinin-Based Combination (Pyronaridine-Artesunate) is being evaluated in pregnant women. This is a Phase 3 diagnostic evaluation conducted in 2 African countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burkina Faso. Pregnant women fulfilling the inclusion criteria of the PyraPreg study will be also invited to participate in the PREG-DIAGMAL study. Diagnostic accuracy will be assessed following the WHO/TDR guidelines for the evaluation of diagnostics and reported according to STARD principles. Due to the lack of a 100% specific and sensitive standard diagnostic test for malaria, the sensitivity and specificity of the new test will be compared to the available diagnostic practice in place at the selected settings (microscopy and/or RDT) and to quantitative PCR as the reference test. This phase 3 diagnostic study is designed towards the evaluation of the performance of a new diagnostic tool for the screening of malaria and the monitoring of treatment in pregnant women under real conditions life. If successful, the dbPCR-NALFIA could be a valuable tool to add to the diagnostic arsenal for malaria, in particular during pregnancy. Trial registration: Pan African Clinical Trial Registry database (PACTR202203780981413). Registered on 17 March 2022.
Hardware, Software, and Wetware Codesign Environment for Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biology is the process of forward engineering living systems. These systems can be used to produce biobased materials, agriculture, medicine, and energy. One approach to designing these systems is to employ techniques from the design of embedded electronics. These techniques include abstraction, standards, modularity, automated design, and formal semantic models of computation. Together, these elements form the foundation of “biodesign automation,” where software, robotics, and microfluidic devices combine to create exciting biological systems of the future. This paper describes a “hardware, software, wetware” codesign vision where software tools can be made to act as “genetic compilers” that transform high-level specifications into engineered “genetic circuits” (wetware). This is followed by a process where automation equipment, well-defined experimental workflows, and microfluidic devices are explicitly designed to house, execute, and test these circuits (hardware). These systems can be used as either massively parallel experimental platforms or distributed bioremediation and biosensing devices. Next, scheduling and control algorithms (software) manage these systems’ actual execution and data analysis tasks. A distinguishing feature of this approach is how all three of these aspects (hardware, software, and wetware) may be derived from the same basic specification in parallel and generated to fulfill specific cost, performance, and structural requirements.