Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Financial Constraints and the Racial Housing Gap

Financial constraints can lead to persistent disparities in wealth across demographic groups and geogra-phies. We document large differences in housing leverage by race, mirroring well established differences in pre-existing wealth and family assistance via bequests. Financial constraints—particularly leverage constraints—lead minority borrowers to speciﬁc mortgage channels, especially Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans. Use of these channels in turn limits access to high opportunity areas. We use a structural model to highlight the persistent impact of these initial conditions for asset purchases on spatial misallocation and long-term wealth accumulation for minority borrowers. Our model highlights tensions in policies to address racial gaps in wealth, leverage and homeownership. Highly effective policies for addressing the racial wealth gap—e.g. direct transfers—have relatively little impact on the homeownership gap. Most households adjust their leverage or location choice but not the decision to buy. Many policies that explicitly target housing shrink the wealth gap at the top of the distribution with little effect at or below the median. Our results highlight important inequalities in use of the housing ladder as a means of wealth accumulation, and difﬁcult tradeoffs and tensions in policies intended to address these disparities. on only in measured in We eligible which This Figure plots a histogram of LTV ratios, breaking out borrowers who qualify for FHA mortgages and mortgages that do not. We focus on purchase only loans in 2018 measured in the HMDA data. We estimate eligible mortgages as those who have a FHA mortgage, or else have loan amounts (based on their speciﬁc county limits) which would theoretically enable a FHA loan.
Solder joint reliability of high I/O ceramic-ball-grid arrays and ceramic quad-flat-packs in computer environments: the PowerPC 603/sup TM/ and PowerPC 604/sup TM/ microprocessors

Recent trends in wafer fabrication techniques have produced devices with smaller feature dimensions, increasing gate count and chip inputs/outputs (I/Os). This trend has placed increased emphasis on microelectronics packaging. Surface-mountable packages such as the ceramic quad-flat-pack (CQFP) have provided solutions for many high I/O package issues. As the I/O count gets higher, the pitch has been driven smaller to the point where other solutions also become attractive. Surface-mountable ceramic-ball-grid array (CBGA) packages have proven to be good solutions in a variety of applications as designers seek to maximize electrical performance, reduce printed-circuit board real estate, and improve manufacturing process yields. In support of the PowerPC 603 and PowerPC 604 microprocessors, 21 mm CBGA (255 I/Os) and 32 mm (240 I/Os) and 40 mm (304 I/Os) CQFPs are being utilized. Both package types successfully meet computer environment applications. This paper describes test board assembly processes, accelerated thermal stress test setup, and solder joint failure criteria. Failure mechanisms for both packaging technologies will also be presented. The packages discussed in this paper were subjected to two accelerated thermal cycling conditions: 0 to 100/spl deg/C and -40 to 125/spl deg/C. The failure data are plotted using Weibull distributions. The accelerated failure distributions were used to predict failure distributions in application space for typical PowerPC 603 and PowerPC 604 microprocessors computer environments. To predict solder joint reliability of surface-mount technology, a key parameter is: the temperature rise above ambient at the solder joint, /spl Delta/T. In-situ field temperature measurements were taken for a range of computer platforms in an office environment, at the central-processing units. Printed-circuit boards (PCB) were not uniform, therefore only maximum temperature regions of the board were measured. These maximum temperatures revealed the mean to be less than 20/spl deg/C above ambient (i.e., /spl Delta/T<20/spl deg/C) regardless of the power of the device. The largest /spl Delta/T measured in any system was less than 30/spl deg/C above ambient. These temperature measurements of actual computer systems are in close agreement with IPC-SM-785. By utilizing the measured PCB temperature rise, solder joint fatigue life was calculated for the 21 mm ceramic ball-aid-array (CBGA), the package for the PowerPC 603/sup TM/ and PowerPC 604/sup TM/ RISC microprocessors. The average on-off /spl Delta/T for most computer applications is approximately 20/spl deg/C. For an average on-off /spl Delta/T of 30/spl deg/C, the 21 mm CBGA has an estimated fatigue life of over 25 years while the 32 mm and 40 mm CQFP's have an estimated fatigue life of over 50 years.
Coherent Transport of Hole and Coulomb Blockade Phenomenon in Long p-Type Semiconductor Carbon Nanotube

We have succeeded in observing the coexistence of the Coulomb charging effect and the coherent transport of the hole in a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) with a length of 4.5 µm at 8.6 K. SWNT channel field-effect transistor (FET) structures were prepared with two different channel lengths of 4.5 and 1.4 µm. The samples showed p-type semiconductor characteristics under large gate and drain biases at 8.6 K. At 8.6 K, on the other hand, single-hole transistor characteristics with different Coulomb charging energies corresponding to the length of the channel were observed in each sample. Drain current peaks with different periods corresponding to the length of the channel were also observed outside of the Coulomb blockade area for the higher drain voltages in each sample. The drain current peaks are attributed to resonant tunneling of the hole through the separation of the quantum energy levels originating from coherent transport of the hole in the entire semiconductive SWNT.
Determination of phase transformation temperatures of 20MnCr5 steel using CompuTherm thermodynamic database and design of regression equations

The paper presents analysis of phase transformation temperatures of 20MnCr5 steel. For calculations of required temperatures, i.e. liquidus temperature (TL) and solidus temperature (TS) was used CompuTherm thermodynamic database. The aim of this paper was the use calculated temperatures from CompuTherm thermodynamic database to design regression equations for calculation of the phase transformation temperatures. From the results it is obvious that in the calculation of individual temperatures, the chemical composition has a significant effect on changes of the values of given temperatures. The resulting temperatures also vary depending on the used calculation method (the Lever method proved to be the most suitable). The mean value of liquidus temperature is 1,508 °C and the solidus temperature is 1,462 °C (using CompuTherm and the Lever method). The range of the two-phase zone region for the average content of elements within the limits of 20MnCr5 steel grade is thus 46 °C. Furthermore, the resulting regression equations are given in the work, determined by regression analysis of 66 possible variants of chemical composition of steel 20MnCr5 phase transformation temperatures calculated for defined chemical compositions by thermodynamic database CompuTherm. These equations can be used in operational conditions for calculations of phase transformations in the limit values of the used chemical composition of a given steel grade. When using a different range of chemical composition, these equations can be used, but without guaranteed results.
Long-Term Field Monitoring and Evaluation of Maintenance Practices for Pervious Concrete Pavement in Vermont

Pervious concrete pavement (PCP) is used because of its unique properties that allow water to infiltrate into the surface. The objectives of the study reported in this paper were to observe the performance of PCP in the field, determine the effectiveness of cleaning methods to restore infiltration rates, and compare field observations with laboratory results when possible. Two PCP sites in Vermont were monitored over a year through the measurement of infiltration rates at several locations. Facility-wide cleaning operations, such as street sweeping and vacuum-truck cleaning, were tested for their capability to restore infiltration rates. Spot-cleaning methods, such as hand vacuuming, pressure washing, and a combination of the two, were also tested. Infiltration rates decreased gradually during the monitoring period, with average reductions of 59% at the first facility and 26% at the second. Street sweeping and vacuum-truck cleaning restored infiltration rates by 21% and 30%, respectively, but could not restore severely clogged areas. Spot-cleaning methods increased infiltration rates by 85% after pressure washing, 10% after vacuuming, and 100% after pressure washing followed by vacuuming. Vacuum-truck cleaning was recommended. Either method, however, should be used for maintenance operations and should be started after construction. Spot-cleaning methods, with the exception of vacuuming, restored infiltration rates of severely clogged areas and were recommended for localized cleaning. Long-term monitoring compared reasonably well with that of earlier studies, whereas the results associated with cleaning were substantially lower than those found in the literature.
Lipid rafts act as a common platform for Aβ oligomer‐induced Alzheimer’s pathology

Amyloid‐β (Aβ) oligomers induce the overproduction of phosphorylated tau and neurodegeneration. These cascades gradually cause cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While each pathological event in AD has been studied in detail separately, the spatial and temporal relationships between pathological events in AD remain unclear. We demonstrated that lipid rafts function as a common platform for the pathological cascades of AD.
A Comparative Study of Functional Connectivity Measures for Brain Network Analysis in the Context of AD Detection with EEG

This work addresses brain network analysis considering different clinical severity stages of cognitive dysfunction, based on resting-state electroencephalography (EEG). We use a cohort acquired in real-life clinical conditions, which contains EEG data of subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) patients, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. We propose to exploit an epoch-based entropy measure to quantify the connectivity links in the networks. This entropy measure relies on a refined statistical modeling of EEG signals with Hidden Markov Models, which allow a better estimation of the spatiotemporal characteristics of EEG signals. We also propose to conduct a comparative study by considering three other measures largely used in the literature: phase lag index, coherence, and mutual information. We calculated such measures at different frequency bands and computed different local graph parameters considering different proportional threshold values for a binary network analysis. After applying a feature selection procedure to determine the most relevant features for classification performance with a linear Support Vector Machine algorithm, our study demonstrates the effectiveness of the statistical entropy measure for analyzing the brain network in patients with different stages of cognitive dysfunction.
A 3-D Storm Motion Estimation Method Based on Point Cloud Learning and Doppler Weather Radar Data

In recent years, deep learning techniques have been developed in the field of storm nowcasting, and they primarily focus on 2-D radar product processing. Deep learning’s application to obtaining motion fields is limited by the lack of a motion field ground truth dataset for training. In this article, we propose a method for storm motion estimation based on a point cloud deep learning network, which can perform 3-D motion field estimation on two consecutive frames of weather radar volumetric data. To address the lack of ground truth data, we propose a synthetic data generation method based on Perlin noise and also generate a dataset to train the network. Our model’s architecture is based on FlowNet3D. In this sense, we import an attention architecture to improve its ability to embed motion features. We also redesign the loss function to make it suitable for our task. In the experiment section, we first evaluate the performance of the trained model on our synthetic dataset. The experimental results demonstrate the following: first, that the trained network has the ability to estimate 3-D motion from radar point cloud data; second, that it is a robust solution for radar data with different resolutions and observation ranges; and finally, that for the examined task, our proposed architecture has a 5%–15% lower endpoint error than the original. Then, we directly apply the model trained on synthetic data to real cases, demonstrating the feasibility of our trained model on real data. Although motion field is a low-level product when considering a storm’s evolutionary process, it has the potential to serve a higher-level purpose, such as lightning or hail nowcasting. The point cloud approach provides a new perspective on weather radar data processing.
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION: A CASE STUDY IN MOSQUE AR

Performance Management systems (PMSs) are vital in assisting organisations to achieve their goals, success and survival. While PMSs have been widely researched in for profit organisations, studies focusing on the non-profit organisation (NPO) are few. It is accepted that most NPO pursue multiple and frequently competing objectives and that this lack of an overall measure of success creates challenges for performance measurement. However, it is less clear how PMSs are configured and used by NPOs. This study utilises the PMSs framework from Ferreira and Otley (2009) to investigate the configuration and use of PMSs in the setting of an NPO. Its aim is to both assess the usefulness of framework and provide an understanding of the nature of PMSs in this context. A case study of one institutional mosque, as one of NPOs in Selangor is conducted. The findings show that the organisation does not have a systematic performance management. They have a constraint in implementing good PMS because they are small institution and lack of professional staff especially in accounting and management.
Short-Term Scheduling of Battery in a

We present in this paper a short-term scheduling of battery in security-constrained unit commitment (SCUC). For eco- nomical operation and control purposes, electric power users with photovoltaic (PV)/battery systems are interested in the availability and the dispatch of PV/battery power on an hourly basis, which is a cumbersome task due to the complicated operating patterns of PV/battery. The details of battery model in the PV/battery system are presented in this paper. The paper applies a Lagrangian relaxation-based optimization algorithm to determine the hourly charge/discharge commitment of battery in a utility grid. The paper also applies a network flow programming algorithm for the dispatch of committed battery units. The paper analyzes the impact of grid-connected PV/battery system on locational pricing, peak load shaving, and transmission congestion management. An eight-bus test system is used to study the operational pattern of aggregated PV/battery and demonstrate the advantages of utilizing PV/battery systems in the electric utility operation.
Gas Turbines and Uncertainty Quantification: Impact of PDF Tails on UQ Predictions, the Black Swan

In the last five years Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) techniques became popular to predict gas turbine performances. Taking into account the uncertainties in the input parameters it is possible to evaluate the impact of random variations and to overcome the limitations of deterministic studies. These methods, that only recently have been widely used in computational fluid dynamics, have some limitations that must be considered.One of the most important limitations is that these models cannot predict a “Black Swan” (BS) event. In probability a Black Swan is an event rare, possible and with serious consequences. A reliable design requires a correct evaluation of the probabilities of occurrence of the Black Swan that could strongly affect the life of the turbine. Black Swans are generated by the variability of the input parameters in the “tail” of the statistical distributions. Being far from the mean value design geometry/condition, these events have a low probability of occurrence. In this paper is shown that the use of the Gaussian distribution for the input parameters could strongly underestimate the probability of occurrence of a Black Swan event. Despite that most of the models used in UQ for aerodesign are neglecting the problem.As an example of Black Swan, the hot gas ingestion across a stator is analysed. The gaps have been assumed to be affected by uncertainty with a variation of +/-50% of the nominal value. By using a Monte Carlo simulation with 108 realizations and a Gauss distribution as input, the configuration is initially considered reliable. The six sigma criterion is also satisfied and the probability to have a failure is only 2.54 10−4%. However if a “fat tail” for the input distribution is used instead, the probability to have hot gas ingestion becomes 2.33%, 104 times higher.Most of the methods used in literature aim to have an accurate reproduction of the PDF moments such as mean, standard deviation, skew and kurtosis. However the “tail” of the distribution affects the gas turbine life and must be considered. In particular “fat tails”, the mathematical origin of Black Swans events, can have serious consequences, but in modern stochastic models used for computational fluid dynamics they are not accounted for.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
A Proposal of User Authentication Infrastructure for Next‐Generation Telematics

To receive a telematics service, it must first be authenticated, and each automobile (or car navigation system) has typically to be linked to a particular vehicle owner who could authenticate such services. However, an increasing number of drivers use cars that are rented, leased, or obtained through a car‐sharing program; in such cases, the present form of car authentication is insufficient. A better system would authenticate the individual who is using a car at a particular time, but is not necessarily the owner. In this paper, we propose a personal authentication infrastructure for next‐generation telematics. Copyright © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Biodamages and protection of leather and fur

The paper presents the information about biodamages and protection of leather and fur. The contributors put a special emphasis on rawhide microflora, putrefied hide microflora, effect of prior operations on bioresistance of leather, interesting facts, fur skin structure and properties changes by microorganisms and the methods of leather preservation against microorganism impact. Приведено дані стосовно біопошкодження і захисту шкіри та хутра. Особливу увагу приділено мікрофлорі сирої шкіри, процесу біорозкладу натуральної шкіри, впливу мікроорганізмів на різних стадіях вичинки шкіри, змінi структури шкіри і хутра під впливом мікроорганізмів та методам захисту натуральної шкіри.
A general approach to compact threshold voltage formulation based on 2D numerical simulation and experimental correlation for deep-submicron ULSI technology development [CMOS]

A unified compact threshold voltage model is developed, which accounts for the normal and reverse short-channel effects with full range of body- and drain-bias conditions, and has been verified with experimental data down to 0.18 /spl mu/m. The model only has five process-dependent fitting parameters with a simple one-iteration extraction procedure, and can be correlated to process variables for aiding new deep-submicron technology development. The approach to the model formulation is original and general, and can be extended to other key device performance parameters.
Collision avoidance control for a human-operated four-wheeled mobile robot

Because the collision avoidance function is indispensable for providing safe and easy operation of human-operated robotic systems, this paper deals with the collision avoidance control for a human-operated mobile robot in unknown environments. A typical four-wheeled mobile robot with infrared distance sensors for detecting obstacles is considered. The robot cannot move in an arbitrary direction owing to a nonholonomic constraint. Therefore, we propose a simple control approach in which a human operator’s control input is modified in real time to satisfy the nonholonomic constraint and avoid collision with obstacles. The proposed controller has steering- and brake-like functions that are adjusted according to the distance sensor information. The stability of the proposed control system is analyzed with a linear model. The effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed by experiments in which several operators control the robot in an environment with obstacles.
Using size and pressure measurement to quantify fit of running shoes

To quantify subjective perception of fit using objective measurements, 15 healthy male subjects were invited to participate in this study. Subjective fit ratings of shoes during standing and walking were measured using fit questionnaire with VAS scale. Pressure sensors and foot scanner were used to determine the shod-foot interface pressure and the dimensional differences. Regression was run and the capability of objective measurement to predict fit rating was determined. The R square increased from 30.7% (dimensional difference) and 25.5% (pressure sensors) to 62.6% by (dimensional difference and pressure sensors). Each of the objective measurements above has its own limitation in quantifying fit. However, when using both dimensional difference and pressure sensors, they were able to compensate the limitations and restrictions of each other, thereby increasing the power to predict subjective fit rating.
Effects of preoperative pulmonary function on short-term outcomes and overall survival after video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy

Background Preoperative pulmonary function tests are a necessary preoperative assessment tool for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients awaiting surgery. We studied the effects of preoperative pulmonary function on short-term outcomes and overall survival (OS). Methods A retrospective cohort study was undertaken with adult NSCLC patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy between May 2016 and April 2017. The primary exposure variables were the percentage of predicted peak expiratory flow (PEF%), the percentage of predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%), and the percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s. The observation outcomes were postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), acute kidney injury (AKI), in-hospital mortality, readmission within 30 days, and OS. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Results Of the 548 patients, postoperative pneumonia was observed in 206 (37.6%). The results of the binary logistics regression analysis showed that relative to the moderate PEF% group, the risk of postoperative pneumonia was significantly increased in the marginal PEF% [odds ratio (OR) 2.076; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.211–3.558; P=0.008] and excellent PEF% (OR 1.962; 95% CI: 1.129–3.411; P=0.017) groups. Relative to the good FVC% group, the risk of postoperative pneumonia was significantly increased in the marginal FVC% (OR 2.125; 95% CI: 1.226–3.683; P=0.007) and moderate FVC% (OR 2.230; 95% CI: 1.298–3.832; P=0.004) groups. The OS analysis did not reveal any correlations among the pulmonary function parameters and OS in this cohort. Conclusions Preoperative PEF% and FVC% are associated with postoperative pneumonia in NSCLC patients undergoing VATS lobectomy. Preoperative PEF% is as important as FVC% in pulmonary function assessment before lung surgery.