Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A network-based approach to technology transfers in the context of climate policy

In light of the urgency of climate change, there is a growing literature on the role of technology transfers and how policy can foster diffusion of climate-mitigation technologies. An important challenge is that the diffusion network is generally unknown. To address this key issue, we propose a systemic method building on the network inference literature. We then apply this approach using data on global diffusion patterns of wind energy technologies since the 1980s. Results show that the network's evolution has been remarkable, consistent with the colossal growth and technological progress in wind power over the past decades and the leading role of European firms and other advanced economies in its development. In the context of climate policy and given the multipolar nature and structural inefficiencies in the network, we also appraise strategies to maximize diffusion of new technologies within developing regions and the potential to build bridges through new modes of cooperation.
In-Flight Radiometric Calibration for Thermal Channels of FY-1C Meteorological Satellite Sensors Using Qinghai Lake, Water Surface Radiometric Calibration Site

This Paper describe that in flight radiometric calibration for thermal channels of FY 1C meteorological satellite sensors using Qinghai lake, water surface radiometric calibration site. The radiance of water surface measured by CE312, and then performed atmosphere correction including gas absorption and path radiance which computed by radiative transfer code MODTRAN37,predict the radiance in the satellite sensor entrance pupil. At the same time the spectral response of Satellite sensor and that of ground based sensor are coupled. At last the apparent radiance of sensor spectral channels are compared to the digital count of satellite's output to give the calibration coefficient. The result show the difference between in flight and on board calibration is about 5%, equivalent to a brightness temperature of 3 K.
Friction in granular media

Fine-grained and coarse grained granular materials exhibit normal-stress dependent frictional shear strength. The mineral-to-mineral friction mobilized at interparticle contacts emerges at the macroscale through a complex sequence of competing particle level processes. The observed frictional response of the soil mass varies with strain level; we can distinguish the constant volume friction angle, dilation angle, peak friction angle, residual friction angle after grain alignment, and post-granular-segregation friction angle. Compiled experimental data and particle-level simulations help identify the most relevant soil parameters that affect the frictional response in each case (including interfacial friction at boundaries). Other sediment conditions that affect frictional strength include: grain crushing, inherent anisotropy, intermediate stress, temperature, strain rate, vibration, pore fluid and contact-level adhesive forces. The measurement of soil friction is a boundary-value problem; informationintensive measurement methods may help overcome measurement limitations related to incomplete knowledge of boundary conditions.
An accurate approach for calibrating rotational angle of camera

In order to obtain the scene information of a larger or 360 degrees field of view, it is necessary to accurately know the rotational angle of a camera around a fixed axis, which directly affects the quality of point cloud registration and integration. This paper presents a novel rotational angle calibration method by using an extra large viewing-angle camera and high precise checkerboard. The large viewing-angle camera is fixed and has the same imaging direction as the calibrated camera. The checkerboard is placed in front of the two cameras to determine their relative positions. The experimental results show that the error between the actual rotational angle and the calibration result is below 0.0959 degrees. The proposed calibration method can accurately and effectively obtain the rotational angle of a camera.
Smart training equals performance

Abstract Introduction: Training individualization is a key element for optimal sports performance and protection of the athlete’s health. The training program should be adjusted according to each athlete's characteristics and should be based on data obtained using proper evaluation. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is considered the gold standard for aerobic exercise capacity assessment and provides an increased quantity of information in regard to body reaction to effort, offering a complete perspective over the O2 transportation system and its utilization in metabolic processes. The aim of this study was to highlight the importance of a scientific approach regarding the physical training, starting from junior level. Methods: For a 3 years period (2013 - 2016) we followed the evolution of a professional cyclist (14 years old at baseline), in terms of cardiopulmonary parameters. During this period, he was tested 5 times and he followed a special training program adapted according the tests results. The CPET was performed in the laboratory using a stationary electronically braked cycle ergometer (Lode Corival, Netherland) and a breath by breath gas analyzer device (Cortex Metalyzer 3B, Germany). Results: We observed an improvement trend in almost all parameters investigated during the 3 years evaluation period. Comparing post-season records from 2013 and 2016, we noticed an increase of 54% in maximal aerobic power and 50% in peak oxygen uptake at anaerobic threshold and an even greater increase (59%) of these parameters at maximal effort achieved during CPET. After these 3 years of training we observed a significant improvement of ventilatory efficiency and cardiac performance during exercise. Conclusions: The study indicate that proper training adaptation according to data obtained using CPET, can bring an important progress in terms of performance.
Correlations between Retinal Microvascular Parameters and Clinical Parameters in Young Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study

Objectives: In the current study, we investigated the correlations between retinal microvascular parameters using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and clinical parameters for a group of 69 young patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Materials and Methods: This retrospective, exploratory study enrolled 69 patients between 5 years old and 30 years old who met the inclusion criteria. All the study participants underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination and OCTA scans for the evaluation of the retinal microcirculation. The retinal OCTA parameters were correlated with the following clinical parameters: the patient’s age at the onset of the disease, the duration of T1DM, the BMI at the time of enrollment in the study, the HbA1C values at onset, the mean values of HbA1C over the period of monitoring the disease and the degree of DKA at onset. Results: For the study group, the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area and perimeter correlated positively with the mean value of HbA1C (Pearson correlation, Sig.2-Tailed Area: 0.044; perimeter: 0.049). The total vessel density in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) correlated negatively with the duration of T1DM, based on the superior and inferior analyzed areas (Spearman correlation, Sig.2-Tailed SCP in total region: 0.002; SCP in the superior region: 0.024; SCP in the inferior region: 0.050). The foveal thickness also correlated negatively with the levels of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at onset (Spearman correlation, Sig.2-Tailed: 0.034) and the levels of HbA1C at onset (Spearman correlation, Sig.2-Tailed: 0.047). Further on, the study patients were distributed into two groups according to the duration of the disease: group 1 included 32 patients with a duration of T1DM of less than 5 years, and group 2 included 37 patients with a duration of T1DM of more than 5 years. Independent t-tests were used to compare the OCTA retinal parameters for the two subgroups. While the FAZ-related parameters did not show significant statistical differences between the two groups, the vessel densities in both the SCP and DCP were significantly lower in group 2. Conclusions: Our data suggest that specific alterations in OCTA imaging biomarkers correlate with various clinical parameters: the FAZ area and perimeter increase with higher mean values of HbA1C, leading to poor metabolic control. Moreover, the SCP total vessel density decreases as the duration of T1DM increases. Regarding the vessel densities in the SCP and the DCP, they decrease with a duration of the disease of more than 5 years.
The Effects of Glutamine Supplementation on Liver Inflammatory Response and Protein Metabolism in Muscle of Lipopolysaccharide-Challenged Broilers

Simple Summary Our previous study suggested that glutamine (Gln), defined as a conditionally essential amino acid, contributed to improving growth performance, alleviating inflammatory responses and intestinal permeability, as well as rescuing the destroyed intestinal mucosa induced by LPS exposure. In addition, it was demonstrated that LPS-induced immune stress led to a severe loss of muscle mass. Here, Gln was proven to function in regulating inflammatory responses, protein synthesis, and degradation during sepsis. Our results showed that Gln administration attenuated liver inflammatory reactions, elevated protein synthesis, and inhibited protein degradation of broilers subjected to LPS challenge. Abstract The aim of our present study was to investigate the effects of Gln supplementation on liver inflammatory responses as well as protein synthesis and degradation in the muscle of LPS-challenged broilers. A total of 120 one-day-old male broiler chickens (Arbor Acres Plus) were randomly arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design with five replicates per treatment and six broilers per replicate, containing two main factors: immune challenge (injected with LPS in a dose of 0 or 500 µg/kg of body weight) and dietary treatments (supplemented with 1.22% alanine or 1% Gln). After feeding with an alanine or Gln diet for 15 days, broilers were administrated an LPS or a saline injection at 16 and 21 days. The results showed that Gln supplementation alleviated the increased mRNA expressions of interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α induced by LPS in liver. Moreover, the increased activity of aspartate aminotransferase combined with the decreased expression of glutaminase in muscle were observed following Gln addition. In addition, in comparison with the saline treatment, LPS challenge altered the signaling molecules’ mRNA expressions associated with protein synthesis and degradation. However, Gln supplementation reversed the negative effects on protein synthesis and degradation in muscle of LPS-challenged broilers. Taken together, Gln supplementation had beneficial effects: alleviating inflammatory responses, promoting protein synthesis, and inhibiting protein degradation of LPS-challenged broilers.
Measurement and simulation of heat exchange in fractured bedrock using inert and thermally degrading tracers

Multicomponent groundwater tracer tests were conducted in a well‐characterized field site in Altona, NY using inert carbon‐cored nanoparticles and a thermally degrading phenolic compound. Experiments were conducted in a mesoscale reservoir consisting of a single subhorizontal bedding plane fracture located 7.6 m below ground surface contained between two wells separated by 14.1 m. The reservoir rock, initially at 11.7°C, was heated using 74°C water. During the heating process, a series of tracer tests using thermally degrading tracers were used to characterize the progressive in situ heating of the fracture. Fiber‐Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (FODTS) was used to measure temperature rise orthogonal to the fracture surface at 10 locations. Recovery of the thermally degrading tracer's product was increased as the reservoir was progressively heated indicating that the advancement of the thermal front was proportional to the mass fraction of the thermally degrading tracer recovered. Both GPR imaging and FODTS measurements reveal that flow was reduced to a narrow channel which directly connected the two wells and led to rapid thermal breakthrough. Computational modeling of inert tracer and heat transport in a two‐dimensional discrete fracture demonstrate that subsurface characterization using inert tracers alone could not uniquely characterize the Altona field site. However, the inclusion of a thermally degrading tracer may permit accurate subsurface temperature monitoring. At the Altona field site, however, fluid‐rock interactions appear to have increased reaction rates relative to laboratory‐based measurements made in the absence of rock surfaces.
Dynamics Learning Rate Bias in Pigeons: Insights from Reinforcement Learning and Neural Correlates

Simple Summary Our study investigated how pigeons learn and make decisions. We found that pigeons showed a tendency to learn differently from good and bad experiences similar to humans and other animals; a pattern we call learning rate bias. Initially, pigeons are cautious and tend to learn more from the negative outcomes. As they learn and gain experience, they start to become more optimistic, favoring learning from the positive outcomes. We observed these changes through behavioral models and the neural activity in the striatum, a brain region involved in reward and learning. The shift from a cautious to a more confident approach in their decision-making suggests that pigeons use a flexible strategy for learning, which changes as they gather more information about what to expect from their choices. Understanding these patterns can help us learn more about basic learning processes shared across different species. Abstract Research in reinforcement learning indicates that animals respond differently to positive and negative reward prediction errors, which can be calculated by assuming learning rate bias. Many studies have shown that humans and other animals have learning rate bias during learning, but it is unclear whether and how the bias changes throughout the entire learning process. Here, we recorded the behavior data and the local field potentials (LFPs) in the striatum of five pigeons performing a probabilistic learning task. Reinforcement learning models with and without learning rate biases were used to dynamically fit the pigeons’ choice behavior and estimate the option values. Furthemore, the correlation between the striatal LFPs power and the model-estimated option values was explored. We found that the pigeons’ learning rate bias shifted from negative to positive during the learning process, and the striatal Gamma (31 to 80 Hz) power correlated with the option values modulated by dynamic learning rate bias. In conclusion, our results support the hypothesis that pigeons employ a dynamic learning strategy in the learning process from both behavioral and neural aspects, providing valuable insights into reinforcement learning mechanisms of non-human animals.
Placental mRNA Expression of Neurokinin B Is Increased in PCOS Pregnancies with Female Offspring

Current research suggests that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) might originate in utero and implicates the placenta in its pathogenesis. Kisspeptin (KISS1) and neurokinin B (NKB) are produced by the placenta in high amounts, and they have been implicated in several pregnancy complications associated with placental dysfunction. However, their placental expression has not been studied in PCOS. We isolated mRNA after delivery from the placentae of 31 PCOS and 37 control women with term, uncomplicated, singleton pregnancies. The expression of KISS1, NKB, and neurokinin receptors 1, 2, and 3 was analyzed with real-time polymerase chain reaction, using β-actin as the reference gene. Maternal serum and umbilical cord levels of total testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), free androgen index (FAI), androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), and estradiol were also assessed. NKB placental mRNA expression was higher in PCOS women versus controls in pregnancies with female offspring. NKB expression depended on fetal gender, being higher in pregnancies with male fetuses, regardless of PCOS. NKB was positively correlated with umbilical cord FAI and AMH, and KISS1 was positively correlated with cord testosterone and FAI; there was also a strong positive correlation between NKB and KISS1 expression. Women with PCOS had higher serum AMH and FAI and lower SHBG than controls. Our findings indicate that NKB might be involved in the PCOS-related placental dysfunction and warrant further investigation. Studies assessing the placental expression of NKB should take fetal gender into consideration.
Numerical simulation of rainfall and temperature over Kenya using Weather Research and Forecasting-Environmental Modelling System (WRF-EMS)

This paper focuses on one of the high resolution models used for weather forecasting at Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD). It reviews the skill and accuracy of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Environmental Modeling System (EMS) model, in simulating weather over Kenya. The study period was March to May 2011, during the rainy season over Kenya. The model output was compared with the observed data from 27 synoptic stations spread over the study area, to determine the performance of the model in terms of its skill and accuracy in forecasting. The spatial distribution of rainfall and temperature showed that the WRF model was capable of reproducing the observed general pattern especially for temperature. The model has skill in forecasting both rainfall and temperature over the study area. However, the model may underestimate rainfall of more than 10 mm/day and displace its location and overestimate rainfall of less than 1 mm/day. Therefore, during the period of enhanced rainfall especially in the month of April and part of May the model forecast needs to be complemented by other models or forecasting methods before giving a forecast. There is need to improve its performance over the domain through review of the parameterization of small scale physical processes and more observed data need to be simulated into the model.
Directional Noise Suppression Based on Dual-Microphone With Desired Direction Presetting

Directional noise reduction is an essential and challenging task when using Bluetooth headsets to make phone calls, using hearing aids to receive sound, or interacting with intelligent robots. Most existing methods often suffer from problems such as the fixed desired incidence direction and poor noise reduction. To address these problems, a directional noise suppression method based on dual-microphones with desired direction presetting is proposed. A signal model is first constructed by introducing a virtual microphone. Then, by balancing and offsetting the noise components in the dual-channel differential signals, the amplitude spectrum of the desired speech is presented, where the determinant-based approach is utilized to make the speech presence decision. Finally, considering that the phase distortion caused by noise will affect the speech quality, the phase spectrum of noisy speech is optimized by the compensation function and then combined with the enhanced amplitude spectrum to reconstruct the desired speech. The experimental results show that the proposed method obtains better performance in suppressing directional noise.
The need for short term training on sesame seedbug (Elasmolomus Sordidus Forsk) control to farmers and agricultural extension workers: A case study at Kafta-Humera Seasame fields, Northern Ethiopia

For many years, Sesame producing farmers in Kafta–Humera, northern Ethiopia had been trying to protect their Sesame crop from infestation. However, it was not effective because of re-infestation by pest within a few days after pesticide spray. As a result. in the area, where this research was conducted, the infestation and damage level of the pest were increasing year after year. This study assessed farmers’ and agricultural extension workers’ perception on Sesame Seedbug identity, biology, ecophysiology and possible control methods by employing quantitative and qualitative research designs. Findings indicated that farmers and agricultural extension workers were well aware of the identity and the danger of the bug but did not know its biology and where and how it passes the whole year until Sesame fields are covered by the crop. Hence farmers were unable to look for preventive measures other than insecticides. More than 80% of the farmers said that they are using chemicals, mostly Malathion to protect their crops from the pest. There was a knowledge gap about sesame seedbug among farmers as well as the agricultural development workers (agriculture personnel). As agrarian country, this gap should be abridged and emphasis should be given even to primary and secondary education students in rural areas, where dropout rate is considerable and most of the dropouts join the farming sector. It is also necessary that short term training be arranged on pest control in particular and agricultural adult education in general to the farmer community in the district. Key word: Awareness, infestation, perception, pest, weight loss.
Candidemia due to Candida guilliermondii in an immuno-compromised infant: a case report and review of literature

Background and Purpose: Candidemia is a life-threatening fungal infection with significant mortality and morbidity in neutropenic individuals, immunosuppressive chemotherapy recipients, and broad-spectrum antibiotics consumers. The epidemiology and antifungal susceptibility testing of non-albicans Candida species have been poorly studied. These species are characterized by low susceptibility to azoles and echinocandins. Herein, we report the first pediatric case of candidemia due to C. guilliermondii in Iran and review the literature on fungemia caused by C. guilliermondii. Case report: We presented the first candidemia case due to C. guilliermondii in a 4-month-old male infant with neuroblastoma in Iran. This study also involves a comprehensive literature review on fungemia caused by C. guilliermondii during a period of 18 years (i.e., 2000-2018) to discuss the epidemiology, clinical features, and treatment of this disease. The literature review resulted in the identification of 501 cases of candidemia caused by C. guilliermondii. Most of the patients were adults and had multiple risk factors. However, the main risk factors were significantly related to cancer chemotherapy, followed by central venous catheter use and Intensive Care Unit admission. Mortality rate due to this disease had a range of 3.4-66.6%, in this regard, the patients with cancer had the highest mortality rate. Conclusion: Given the high mortality of candidemia, the early diagnosis of this infection and timely initiation of antifungal therapy significantly improve the patients’ survival rate and result in better outcomes. Consequently, it is highly recommended to monitor the local epidemiology of this life-threatening infection and raise awareness in this regard.