Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transient analysis of the subordinated chain of a state dependent pure birth process

Consider a pure birth process with intensitiesk = 1 1+k , with k = 0,1,2,. , we show that the subordinated chain is assimilable to a Bernoullian scheme with dependent successes prob- abilities, also we show a direct link with a degenerate Polya urn replacement scheme (3). We compute explicitly transition probabilities, by generating function method, of the subordinated chain and give some interesting bounds using the centering sequence approach proposed by MacDiarmid (2).
PROBABILISTIC CHARACTERIZATION OF OVERTURNING CAPACITY FOR SIMPLY-SUPPORTED RIGID BLOCKS

A probabilistic treatment to the problem of rocking and overturning of a simply-supported rigid block is presented in the context of Performance-Based Earthquake Engineering (PBEE). To this end, a twodimensional rectangular block resting at ground surface on a rough, horizontal, tensionless and cohesionless rigid base is considered, subjected to a suite of 44 horizontal earthquake excitations. The roughness of the interface is assumed to be sufficiently large so that sliding is prevented, while the flexibility of the block and aerodynamic effects are neglected. Rocking response curves are calculated for increasing ground motion intensity (or decreasing uplift strength) via Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA), and results are summarized in the form of 16%, 50% and 84% fractile IDA curves. The solution based on a geometrically linearized rocking equation is advantageous, as it limits the problem parameters to just three that is, uplift “yield” strength, pseudo natural frequency and coefficient of restitution (damping), as in the classical yielding oscillator. On the other hand, the slenderness angle of the block is not an essential independent variable, as it simply normalizes the response angle. Generalized overturning criteria are proposed covering a wide set of excitations and block parameters. By employing non-linear regression analysis, simple formulae are developed for both the median/mean and the dispersion of response to provide a complete probabilistic characterization of rocking response for use in PBEE.
A Systematic Review of the Risks of Motor Vehicle Crashes Associated with Psychiatric Disorders

Objective Psychiatric disorders and their treatments have the potential to adversely impact driving skills. However, it is unclear to what extent this poses a public health risk by increasing the risk of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize and critically appraise evidence on the risk of MVC for drivers with psychiatric disorders. Method We conducted a systematic review of the MVC risk associated with psychiatric disorders using seven databases in November 2019. Two reviewers examined each study and extracted data. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Quality Assessment tools were used to assess each study’s quality of evidence. Results We identified 24 studies that met the inclusion criteria, including eight cohort, 10 case-control, and six cross-sectional designs. Quality assessment ratings were “Good” for four studies, “Fair” for 10, and “Poor” for 10. Self-report or questionnaires were used in place of objective measures of either MVC, psychiatric disorder, or both in 12 studies, and only seven adjusted for driving exposure. Fifteen studies reported an increased risk of MVC associated with psychiatric disorders, and nine did not. There was no category of disorder that was consistently associated with increased MVC risk. Conclusion The available evidence is mixed, not of high quality, and does not support a blanket restriction on drivers with psychiatric disorder. An individualized approach, as recommended by international guidelines, should continue. Further research should include objective assessments of psychiatric disorders and MVC risk and adjust for driving exposure.
Simplification of the complex: Successful management of large-angle exodeviation after endoscopic sinus surgery

Purpose To report the clinical characteristics and successful management of large-angle exodeviation due to medial rectus muscle (MR) transection incurred during endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Methods The medical records of 5 consecutive inpatients with MR complete transection following ESS resulting in large-angle paralytic exodeviation between November 2014 and June 2021 were reviewed. The type of muscle injury, clinical characteristics, surgical procedure and dosage, and long-term outcomes were evaluated. Results All 5 patients manifested exodeviations of 72 PD to >133 PD with no adduction capacity (graded −4); all of them had proven orbital trauma and complete MR transection with a ≥20 mm distal (globe attached) stump based on CT scans and/or MRI imaging. They underwent a supra-maximal recession (10–12 mm) of the lateral rectus and resection (10–15 mm) of the medial rectus on the affected eye. At least 1 year (1 to 5 years) following the corrective surgery, the patients still maintained orthophoria or had a small angle of exotropia (≤ 8 PD) in primary gaze with successful fusion, and 3 of them (Case 3, 4, and 5) exhibited a certain degree of stereopsis. In addition, appreciable adduction occurred (graded −1 to −3). Conclusions A supra-maximal recession/resection shows favorable outcomes in patients with proven complete transection MR with a ≥20 mm distal (globe attached) stump. It can help to achieve good ocular alignment and even yield improvements in adduction over time.
Maternal autonomy and associated factors in making decision to utilize health service for themselves and neonates in south Ethiopia: A community based cross-sectional survey

Background The definition of women’s autonomy used in the study is control over finances, decision–making power, and the extent of freedom of movement by women. Lower autonomy of women affects the socio-economic, emotional, fertility decision, contraceptive use, and sexual life of the women. Thus, this study aimed to assess maternal autonomy and associated factors in making a decision to utilize health services for themselves and neonates in south Ethiopia. Methods Community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from January 1 to March 2, 2021, in Shashamane town. Four hundred ten postpartum mothers were selected using a stratified random sampling technique and interviewed for the survey using questions composed of decision-making autonomy components (decision–making power, control over finances, and freedom of movement). The data were checked for consistency, coded, and entered using EpiData Manager (version 4.6.0.4) and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26. Descriptive statistics, composite score analysis, and binary and multivariate logistic regression were done to capture the objectives. Result 410 postpartum mothers were interviewed while the mean and standard deviation of the participants’ age was 26.96 ± 5.38. About 48.5% of mothers had high decision-making autonomy for their own and their neonates’ health service utilization. Being in monogamous marriage (AOR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.21, 2.74), and mode of delivery (Cesarean section) (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.18, 3.07) were significantly associated with having high maternal decision-making autonomy. Conclusions More than half of the study participants had low maternal decision-making autonomy for their own and their neonates’ health service utilization. Being in monogamous marriage, and mode of delivery (Cesarean section) were factors significantly associated with high maternal decision-making autonomy. Encouraging mothers to use facility delivery was recommended.
Role of macrophages during skeletal muscle regeneration and hypertrophy—Implications for immunomodulatory strategies

Skeletal muscle is a plastic tissue that regenerates ad integrum after injury and adapts to raise mechanical loading/contractile activity by increasing its mass and/or myofiber size, a phenomenon commonly refers to as skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Both muscle regeneration and hypertrophy rely on the interactions between muscle stem cells and their neighborhood, which include inflammatory cells, and particularly macrophages. This review first summarizes the role of macrophages in muscle regeneration in various animal models of injury and in response to exercise‐induced muscle damage in humans. Then, the potential contribution of macrophages to skeletal muscle hypertrophy is discussed on the basis of both animal and human experiments. We also present a brief comparative analysis of the role of macrophages during muscle regeneration versus hypertrophy. Finally, we summarize the current knowledge on the impact of different immunomodulatory strategies, such as heat therapy, cooling, massage, nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and resolvins, on skeletal muscle regeneration and their potential impact on muscle hypertrophy.
Manual and semi-automatic determination of elbow angle-independent parameters for a model of the biceps brachii distal tendon based on ultrasonic imaging

Tendons consist of passive soft tissue with non linear material properties. They play a key role in force transmission from muscle to skeletal structure. The properties of tendons have been extensively examined in vitro. In this work, a non linear model of the distal biceps brachii tendon was parameterized based on measurements of myotendinous junction displacements in vivo at different load forces and elbow angles. The myotendinous junction displacement was extracted from ultrasound B-mode images within an experimental setup which also allowed for the retrieval of the exerted load forces as well as the elbow joint angles. To quantify the myotendinous junction movement based on visual features from ultrasound images, a manual and an automatic method were developed. The performance of both methods was compared. By means of exemplary data from three subjects, reliable fits of the tendon model were achieved. Further, different aspects of the non linear tendon model generated in this way could be reconciled with individual experiments from literature.
Therapeutic Approaches to Non-Motor Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease: A Current Update on Preclinical Evidence

Despite being classified as a movement disorder, Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by a wide range of non-motor symptoms that significantly affect the patients' quality of life. However, clear evidence-based therapy recommendations for non-motor symptoms of PD are uncommon. Animal models of PD have previously been shown to be useful for advancing the knowledge and treatment of motor symptoms. However, these models may provide insight into and assess therapies for non-motor symptoms in PD. This paper highlights non-motor symptoms in preclinical models of PD and the current position regarding preclinical therapeutic approaches for these non-motor symptoms. This information may be relevant for designing future preclinical investigations of therapies for non-motor symptoms in PD.
Particle filtering with Lagrangian data in a point vortex model

Particle filtering is a technique used for state estimation from noisy measurements. In fluid dynamics, a popular problem called Lagrangian data assimilation (LaDA) uses Lagrangian measurements in the form of tracer positions to learn about the changing flow field. Particle filtering can be applied to LaDA to track the flow field over a period of time. As opposed to techniques like Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) and Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF), particle filtering does not rely on linearization of the forward model and can provide very accurate estimates of the state, as it represents the true Bayesian posterior distribution using a large number of weighted particles. In this work, we study the performance of various particle filters for LaDA using a two-dimensional point vortex model; this is a simplified fluid dynamics model wherein the positions of vortex singularities (point vortices) define the state. We consider various parameters associated with algorithm and examine their effect on filtering performance under several vortex configurations. Further, we study the effect of different tracer release positions on filtering performance. Finally, we relate the problem of optimal tracer deployment to the Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) of point vortex system. Thesis Supervisor: Youssef Marzouk Title: Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics
View-Aware Salient Object Detection for $360^{\circ }$ Omnidirectional Image

Image-based salient object detection (ISOD) in <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$360^{\circ }$</tex-math></inline-formula> scenarios is significant for understanding and applying panoramic information. However, research on <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$360^{\circ }$</tex-math></inline-formula> ISOD has not been widely explored due to the lack of large, complex, high-resolution, and well-labeled datasets. Towards this end, we construct a large scale <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$360^{\circ }$</tex-math></inline-formula> ISOD dataset with object-level pixel-wise annotation on equirectangular projection (ERP), which contains rich panoramic scenes with not less than 2K resolution and is the largest dataset for <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$360^{\circ }$</tex-math></inline-formula> ISOD by far to our best knowledge. By observing the data, we find current methods face three significant challenges in panoramic scenarios: diverse distortion degrees, discontinuous edge effects and changeable object scales. Inspired by humans' observing process, we propose a view-aware salient object detection method based on a Sample Adaptive View Transformer (SAVT) module with two sub-modules to mitigate these issues. Specifically, the sub-module View Transformer (VT) contains three transform branches based on different kinds of transformations to learn various features under different views and heighten the model's feature toleration of distortion, edge effects and object scales. Moreover, the sub-module Sample Adaptive Fusion (SAF) is to adjust the weights of different transform branches based on various sample features and make transformed enhanced features fuse more appropriately. The benchmark results of 20 state-of-the-art ISOD methods reveal the constructed dataset is very challenging. Moreover, exhaustive experiments verify the proposed approach is practical and outperforms the state-of-the-art methods.
The Geometry of Bundle Gerbes

This thesis reviews the theory of bundle gerbes and then examines the higher dimensional notion of a bundle 2-gerbe. The notion of a bundle 2-gerbe connection and 2-curving are introduced and it is shown that there is a class in $H^{4}(M;\Z)$ associated to any bundle 2-gerbe.
A primer on pointer tagging

A tagged pointer is just a regular pointer (a.k.a. a memory address) that has some additional data associated with it. This data is referred to as the tag; its meaning is application specific and is decided by the programmer. At a high level, pointer tagging is an efficient encoding technique that lets one pack more information (the pointer and the tag) in the space reserved for the pointer alone. This technique was developed in the 1960s [1], most likely in an implementation of the LISP programming language, and it is still in use today. In this column we’ll go over how pointer tagging works, look at an implementation, and see how some real-world applications use it.
Kill the Native—Save the Mascot? Surviving Education with Campus Climates Embedded in Passive Acceptance of Racism

THAT TITLE! FOR THOSE NEW to Native American history, this may cause a bit of a shock. I even had second thoughts about using it because I knew it would evoke an uncomfortable emotion for some. But here’s the thing: these words are all too familiar to those who are aware of Native American history. This title is based on the words used by Captain Richard H. Pratt in 1892 when speaking about “education” for Native American people: “Kill the Indian in him, and save the Man. ” These words became the foundation upon which “education” for Native American people was built. Boarding schools, schools tried to separate and remove Native American youth from their culture and break apart their families. Schools that report to the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Hearing (2015) described as causing “a significant disruption in the cultural and language practices of tribes which weaken of Native tribes, families, and practices” (p. 21). This was done through abusive practices in the boarding schools. According to Evans-Campbell, Walters, Pearson, and Campbell (2012), Native American children in boarding schools were forbidden to speak their traditional languages or practice their cultural traditions. If they did so and were caught, they were severely punished. This was the traumatic beginning of formalized education for our ancestors. So, what are modern-day educational experiences like for Native American students, like myself, who are moving through a system rooted in racism and the extermination of our culture? One would hope that we now have safe, inclusive spaces where all students feel welcome and respected; where we can navigate our educational journeys successfully. Rather than give you a literature review of the many sources that show that our experiences show that quite the opposite is true, I will share a recent experience that I had in 2019 at a higher education campus: My Alma Matter which sits on the traditional land of the Kumeyaay Nation. A campus that embraces an Indigenous school mascot, which Monge (2016) has
Dimerization transitions in spin-1 chains

We study spontaneous dimerization transitions in a Heisenberg spin-1 chain with additional next-nearest-neighbor and three-site interactions using extensive numerical simulations and a conformal field-theory analysis. We show that the transition can be second order in the Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) SU(2)(2) or Ising universality class, or first order. We argue that these features are generic because of a marginal operator in the WZW SU(2)(2) model and because of two topologically distinct nondimerized phases with or without edge states. We also provide explicit numerical evidence of conformal towers of singlets inside the spin gap at the Ising transition. Implications for other models are briefly discussed.
Electronic and hole spectra of layered systems of cylindrical rod arrays: Solar cell application

We have computed the electronic and hole spectra of a three-dimensional superlattice consisting of layers of GaAs rods of finite height arranged in a hexagonal lattice and embedded in an AldGa1−dAs matrix, alternating with spacer layers of homogeneous AlAs. The spectra are calculated in the envelope function approximation, with both light-hole and heavy-hole subbands and hole spin degeneracy taken into account. The application of thick spacers allows to investigate the band structure of isolated layers of cylindrical rods. We estimate the ultimate efficiency of solar energy conversion in a solar cell based on an array of cylindrical quantum dots versus the dot height, and determine the optimal value of this parameter.
Relational evidence theory and spatial interpretation procedures.

i Synopsis Spatial interpretation involves the intelligent processing of images for learning, planning and visualisation. This involves building systems which learn to recognise patterns from the content of unconstrained data such as handwritten schematic symbols, photographic , and video images. The eeciency of spatial interpretation systems is measured not only in terms of their ability to learn to classify patterns, but their computational complexity and capacity to accommodate diierent patterns. This is reeected in the ease of human factors involved in the interactive process of inputting and manipulating training patterns, particularly if large numbers of patterns are used. This thesis focuses on the theoretical and procedural issues involved in applying machine learning to computer vision for eecient spatial interpretation. Two diierent approaches to evidential learning are consolidated in how they apply to generalising relational data structures. Relational Evidence Theory integrates information theoretic methods from decision trees with graph matching methods from constraint interpretation. It ooers an evidence-based framework for evaluating and updating relational representations suitable for spatial applications. A new algorithm is developed, Rulegraphs, which combines graph matching with rule-based approaches from machine learning. This algorithm reduces of the cardinality of the graph matching problem by replacing pattern parts by rules. Rulegraphs not only reduce the search space but, also improve the uniqueness of the matching process. The system is demonstrated for diicult two-dimensional pattern recognition and three-dimensional object recognition problems. An empirical comparison with an evidence-based neural network system is conducted. A consolidated learning algorithm based on relational evidence theory (CLARET) is presented which integrates Rulegraph matching with rule generation techniques from inductive logic programming. The approach utilises the relational constraints in spatial data to optimise the representational hierarchies and search strategies used during learning. ii An on-line schematic and symbol recognition application is demonstrated for learning to recognise symbols and patterns invariant to rotation, scale, and shift. The classiication performance, computational eeciency, and the human factors involved in incrementally training the system are empirically compared with other inductive logic programming techniques. The signiicance of this work is twofold. Firstly, it extends the applicability of machine learning theories and algorithms into new domains. The techniques complement the image query and retrieval tools currently available in computer vision by ooering additional ways of recognising and manipulating spatial information. Secondly, the development of a working schematic system allows for the evaluation of the eeciency of spatial interpretation techniques, and places emphasis …