Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alternative Agricultural Price Distortions for CGE Analysis, 2007 and 2011

A recent World Bank research project has generated an annual time series of distortions to agricultural incentives over the past half century for 82 countries, the majority of which are low-and middle-income countries. In this memorandum, the current GTAP version 8 Data Base may be modified to incorporate this dataset, using an Altertax simulation. The files required for this Altertax simulation, including parameter files and shock files are generated by the DAItoGTAP.tab file which will accommodate any level of aggregation of the GTAP database. In this memorandum the data files required to modify the GTAP v8.1 database can be downloaded. Data required to modify the GTAP v9 database will be available at a later date when v9 is released. Keywords: Agricultural policies, World Bank DAI database, Extensions of the GTAP database, Developing countries
Exploring health within OSS ecosystems

Open Source Software (OSS) is software which can be freely used, modified and redistributed, generally produced in a collaborative fashion by global communities of firms and individuals. In this paper we consider OSS ecosystems using an analytical device which we refer to as the OSS Stakeholder triangle. We believe that the OSS Stakeholder triangle constitues a useful means for analysing many aspects of Open Source ecosystems, including interaction between stakeholder roles and the overall health of an ecosystem.
The “Decisive” Role for Secondary Coordination Sphere Nucleophiles on Hydrogen Atom Transfer (HAT) Reactions: Does It Exist and What Is Its Origin?

Although it has been reported that some radical reactions are possibly promoted by external ions, the origin of this phenomenon is unclear. In this work, several hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactions in the presence of anions were studied by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, electronic structure analysis and other methods, and it is concluded that both the electrostatic interaction and polarization of the transition state (TS) by the electric field generated by anions play a fundamental role in the TS stabilization effect, whereas the “charge shift bonding” that was previously presumed to be a major contributor is ruled out. Although the stabilization toward TSs in terms of electronic energy (and thus enthalpy) is significant, it should be noted that the effect is almost completely cancelled by entropy and solvation, and further cancelled by the formation of stable resting states. Thus there is still a long way for this effect to be used in actual catalysis.
N-way switch based on Rotman lens

A single pole multi-throw RF switch has been developed based on a Rotman lens. The Rotman lens is used in reflection mode wherein a short circuited phase shifter network replaces the array port antennas. An input signal fed to a single beam port can, depending on the phase slope of the phase shifter network, be routed to any of the remaining beam ports. An unoptimised proof-of-concept 8-way switch based on a conventional Rotman lens design is demonstrated at 12 GHz.
Archaeological Survey and Testing Downstream From Stockton Lake, Cedar County, Missouri.

Abstract : In 1986 an archaeological survey of 148 ac and National Register testing of 18 sites within the corps easements was conducted in the Downstream Stockton lake project area. A total of five newly recorded sites were located in the survey including 23CE423, 23CE424, 23CE425, 23CE426 and 23CE427. The 18 sites tested included four of these newly recorded sites 23CE423, 23CE425, 23CE426, 23CE427 and 14 previously recorded sites 23CE52, 23CE226, 23CE227, 23CE229, 23CE230, 23CE238, 23CE239, 23CE242, 23CE245, 23CE253, 23CE258, 23CE262, 23CE263 and 23CE409. Based on the results of the test investigations 23CE226, 23CE228, 23cEA09, 23CE426 and 23CE427 are recommended to be eligible for the National Register. Sites 23CE239, 23CE242 and 23CE245, 23CE262, 23CE263 and 23CE423 are not considered eligible for the National Register. Only small portions of sites 23CE52, 23CE227, 23CE229, 23CE23O, 23CE253, 23CE258 and 23CE425 are located on U.S. Army Corps of Engineer slough easements where the test investigations were conducted. Although the portions of these sites within the corps easements do not contain significant deposits, significant deposits could be present outside the easement boundary. Further testing of the portions of the sites outside the easement would be necessary to assess their National Register eligibility. (AN)
Assessing the service quality of building maintenance providers: mechanical and engineering services

This study investigates the service quality in the maintenance of mechanical and engineering services. The determinants of service quality are identified and their means of evaluation are examined. A method of assessment is devised based on the SERVQUAL approach, and its use is then illustrated using a small empirical survey of clients and service providers and the ‘Gap’ model used to quantify the relationships between customer satisfaction, expected service, perceived service and service quality gap.
Preparing the American Soldier in a Brigade Combat Team to Conduct Information Operations in the Contemporary Operational Environment

Abstract : This thesis examines whether the Army is adequately preparing its tactical leaders and soldiers in Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) to conduct Information Operations (IO) in the Contemporary Operational Environment (COE). First, an explanation of IO and its Army applicability is presented using current examples from military operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). While conducting counterinsurgency (COIN) operations in Iraq, IO has become a critical combat enabler because of its nonlethal ability to influence adversarial, foreign friendly, and neutral audiences. Second, the author identifies select IO skills and IO applications in which American soldiers in a BCT should be trained to effectively conduct IO within a BCT. The skills are intercultural communication, language, negotiation, and media awareness. The applications are laws of war, rules of engagement, ethics and morality, and commander's intent. Third, the thesis examines the Army's institutional education and operational training of IO at the BCT level and below. Using institutional course management plans from select officer and noncommissioned officer schools and current operational training directives for deploying units to Iraq, an analysis of IO education and training was conducted. The thesis concludes with recommendations to the institutional and operational Army for improving IO education and training for American soldiers serving in a BCT.
Attentional competition between tasks and ITS implications

Attentional processes are necessary for any complex activity, such as driving. The aim of this study is to highlight the involvement of attentional problems and their weight in accident causation, using data from in-depth analysis of accidents. Three attentional defaults are distinguished according to the task that competes with driving activity: inattention, attentional competition, and distraction. Inattention is the default the most represented (74.5 per cent) by comparison with attentional competition (19.1 per cent) and distraction (6.4 per cent). Overall, attentional defaults lead mainly to perceptual failures (45 per cent). In more than half of the cases, it requires other factors for a driving error to emerge. The importance of this study of human failures linked to attention defects is that it allows us to define driver's needs and thus identify which systems are the most relevant and, on the other hand, those which lessen attention the capacity required for driving.
Balance Problems

Balance problems after concussion can be episodic or persistent. Episodic balance impairment due to intoxication by medications/alcohol/or other drugs can be treated by stopping the offending substance. Episodic balance impairment due to concussion-related benign paroxysmal positional vertigo can be treated with repositioning maneuvers. Assess for this using the Dix-Hallpike maneuvers. Episodic balance impairment due to migraine aura (even without actual headache) can be treated with migraine abortive medications and/or prophylactics. For persistent balance impairments, assess balance using the Balance Error Scoring System or Berg Balance Test. Advise patients to stop drinking alcohol, or to cut down to a maximum of 1 alcoholic drink in any 24-hour period, and, if possible, to stop medications that impair balance. Consider referral to physical therapy for balance training. Consider prescribing additional self-directed balance exercises such as tai chi, yoga, dance, etc. Emphasize that balance training is also part of preventing future concussions.
Review of BPOP-v1 model: exploring the impact of changes in the biological pump on the shelf sea and ocean nutrient and redox state (Lovecchio & Lenton)

The authors present a new box model for the simulation of the marine oxygen and phosphorus cycles on geological time scales. They extend previous box models by introducing two different types of particulate organic matter (small and large) characterized by different sinking speeds. The model results presented by the authors confirm that the depth of the oxycline is to a large degree controlled by the remineralization length (size/settling velocity) of the sinking particles.
Hearing Loss Effect on the Educational Process in Children and Adolescents

There are about 466 million people (6.1% of global population) with hearing impairment registered in the world according to the data from WHO experts. Their number exceeds 13 million in Russian Federation, and more than 1 million are children. The results of the universal audiological screening program for newborns has shown that 1 child per 1000 newborns is born deaf, another 2–3 children grow deaf during the first years of life. The number of people with hearing impairment will reach 900 million people by 2050 according to the WHO forecasts. Prevention and early diagnosis of hearing loss and rehabilitation of children with such disorders are necessary for avoiding problems with social integration. This review presents the analysis of cognitive abilities development in children and adolescents with different types and degrees of hearing loss with regard to different approaches in their management and rehabilitation.
Product design methods and practices

Considerations of good design: the product design environment design for profitability improving early design decisions principles of good design total cost reduction design process improvement. Conceptual design: customer focused concept design the rational building block method formal concept selection methods model-driven design. Design for efficient manufacture: process-driven design part elimination strategies assembly design tolerance design component design manufacturability improvement method. total cost reduction: elimination and simplification strategies standardization and rationalization internal standard components. Design for quality: design improvement methods failure mode and effects analysis design review checklist references.
Android : Resource Consumption in Native and Web Applications

There is an ongoing debate by people in the industry whether to make native or web applications. These discussions mostly surround issues about development costs, user experience and capabilities. Another aspect of this debate is the fact that mobile devices have varying hardware specifications which is another factor to consider when making this decision. What we want to shed some light on is how performance is affected on the device when using these two different approaches of application development. The use of CPU/RAM and Energy is our primary concern and in our experiment we measure these values on two similar applications where one uses Nested Layouts and the other a WebView. The experiment was made on three different devices with varying specifications. What we found was that Web applications have a bigger impact on overall performance and because of this use more battery. While the debate certainly won't come to a close with results they are conclusive when it comes to the topic of performance and will be of value to developers who are concerned about it.
Local Calibration of MEPDG Using National Center for Asphalt Technology Test Track Data

As states consider implementing the new Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) adopted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), there is a need to evaluate the nationally-calibrated transfer functions to assess their local applicability and conduct local calibration, if warranted. This investigation utilized a limited number of full-scale sections from the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) Pavement Test Track to conduct evaluation, local calibration and validation of rutting, fatigue cracking and ride quality transfer functions in the MEPDG, respectively. MEPDG input data were collected with the highest level of detail. Distress predictions by the nationally-calibrated models were compared against field measurements to evaluate the model prediction accuracy. Local calibration was then conducted to remove bias and improve model prediction accuracy. Finally, the local calibration was validated by an independent set of data to examine the prediction accuracy of the locally-calibrated models. The evaluation of the nationally-calibrated models showed the fatigue cracking predictions to be adequate while the rutting and International Roughness Index (IRI) models needed improvement. All three were locally calibrated based on the 2003 cycle data which resulted in no statistical differences between measured and predicted pavement distress. The validation of local calibration based on the 2006 cycle data showed the fatigue cracking and rutting predictions to be improved while the IRI predictions were negatively impacted by calibrating the rutting model. Only the locally-calibrated fatigue cracking model resulted in no statistical differences between measured and predicted values. It was recommended that nationally-calibrated models need to be evaluated and calibrated to local conditions before implementation.
Analytical Modeling of Lamb Waves for Structural Health Monitoring (Preprint)

Abstract : Structural health monitoring techniques are being developed to reduce cost, increase availability, and maintain safety of current and future air vehicle systems. Various techniques have been investigated depending on the scale of the damage to be detected. For example, damage such as fastener failure may have a more global effect on the structural dynamics and therefore modal-based damage detection techniques may be suitable. This paper focuses on detecting smaller scale damage, such as cracking or corrosion, which typically has a highly localized effect on the system dynamics. The use of Lamb waves, guided elastic waves in a plate, has shown promise in detecting such highly localized damage due to the relatively short wavelengths of the propagating waves. However, the Lamb wave behavior, is fairly complex as various waveforms may exist and the waves are dispersive, so the wave speed is a function of frequency. To examine the complex Lamb wave behavior, analytical models are being developed. This paper explores the use of explicit time integration finite element analysis. Key modeling issues are addressed including appropriate time increments and element lengths for accurate, yet efficient, solutions and the material properties used for the media through which the wave propagates. With these issues addressed, attention is focused on the effects of damage on the Lamb waves and the use various excitation waveforms. Lastly, potential improvements through advanced techniques, such as beamforming, are discussed.
A univariable and multivariable analysis of right censored time-to-event data based on restricted mean survival time: A combination with traditional survival methods.

Background: Many traditional survival analyses and restricted mean survival time (RMST) based analyses have been proposed for dealing with right censored time-to-event data. It is necessary to sort out the conditions and relationship among these methods for instruction. Comparison between hazard ratio (HR) and RMST in a study may promote appropriate understanding and application of the two effect measures.Method : Traditional survival analyses and RMST-based analyses were integrated into a flowchart and applied for univariable and multivariable analyses, RMST-based analyses included group comparison for difference in RMST, pseudo-value (PV) regressions, inverse probability of censoring probability (IPCW) regressions with group-specific weights and individual weights with homogeneity of censoring mechanism assumption. 4405 osteosarcomas were captured from Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program Database. HR and difference in RMST (survival time lost or gain, STL or STG) were considered as effect measures and the effect of all included covariates on overall survival were reported for comparison. The relationship between difference in RMST and HR were explored when proportional hazard (PH) assumption was and was not met, respectively. Results: In group comparison and univariable regressions, using difference in RMST calculated by Kaplan-Meier methods as reference, PV regressions (R2=0.99) and IPCW regressions with group-specific weights (R2=1.00) provided more consistent estimation on difference in RMST than IPCW with individual weights (R2=0.09). In multivariable analysis, age (HR:1.03, STL: 3.86 months), diagnosis in 1970~1980s (HR:1.39 STL:27.49 months), metastasis (HR:4.47, STL: 202 months), surgery (HR:0.58, SLG:35.55 months) and radiation (HR:1.46, SLT:44.65 months) met PH assumption and were main independent factors for overall survival. In both univariable and multivariable variables, a robust negative logarithmic linear relationship between HRs estimated by Cox regression and differences in RMST by pseudo-value regressions was only observed when PH assumption was hold. Conclusion: The flowchart may be intuitive and helpful to instruct appropriate use of RMST based and traditional methods. PH assumption and homogeneity of censoring mechanism assumption will determine the appropriate selection of these method. HR and difference in RMST can be reported comprehensively.
The Association of Rural-Urban Inhabitation With Gastric Adenocarcinoma Mortality and Treatment: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Based Study

Background Gastric cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world and the third most common cause of death from cancer. The diagnosis and treatment are often complex and require a multifaceted approach. Hence, appropriate and timely management is essential for better patient outcomes. Our aim was to determine if rural inhabitation affects the mortality of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. If such an association exists, we propose to ascertain whether this is related to delayed diagnosis, differing tumor characteristics, or treatment inequalities. Methods The Cox model was applied to gastric adenocarcinoma cases diagnosed during 2004-2011 in American residents aged 20+ years in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program to determine the impact of rurality on mortality. Binary logistic regression was used to compare the odds of not receiving surgical treatment for localized tumors between rural and urban areas. It was also used to measure the association of rurality with stage at diagnosis (non-metastatic vs. metastatic). Results There was a significant association of rurality on 5-year mortality [HR 1.14 (1.09-1.20), p < 0.01]. No significant association was observed between rural-urban residency and stage at diagnosis, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.95 (0.87-1.03), p = 0.21. The median time from diagnosis to any first-course treatment was one month for both rural and urban counties. Rural residents were far more likely not to receive surgical treatment for localized tumors than their urban counterparts [OR 1.70 (1.41-2.05), p < 0.01]. A greater percentage of rural inhabitants had cardia tumors as compared to urban ones, 39.8% vs. 33.8% respectively. Non-cardia tumors were far less likely not to receive surgical treatment (i.e., more likely to receive surgical treatment) than cardia tumors [OR 0.35 (0.30-0.41), p < 0.01]. Conclusions Rurality is associated with worse gastric adenocarcinoma mortality. This may be due to a lesser probability of receiving surgical treatment for early-stage disease and differences in the primary site of the tumor between rural and urban counties, but not due to differences in stage at presentation. Future research should focus on improving health care access in rural communities.
Decision making for highway complex scenario by improved safety field with learning process

To improve the agility and efficiency of the highway decision-making system and overcome the local optimal dilemma of the existing safety field, this paper builds an improved safety field to reflect the advantage of the reachable states and the learning process is further employed to make the decision long-term optimal. Firstly, the improved safety field is prepared by the kinematic model-based prediction of surrounding vehicles and the boundary is determined elaborately to ensure real-time performance. Then, the field is constructed by three individual fields. One is the kinematic field, which is built based the safe-distance model to measure the colliding risk of both moving or no-moving objects accurately. Another is the road field that reflects the lane-marker constraint. The last is the efficiency field, which is introduced creatively to improve efficiency. Furthermore, the learning algorithm is adopted to learn the long-term optimal state-action sequence in the safety field. Finally, the simulations are conducted in Prescan platform to validate the feasibility of the improved safety field in complex scenarios. The results show that the proposed decision algorithm can always drive autonomous vehicle to the state with a long-term optimal payoff and can improve the overall performance compared to the existing pure safety field and the interaction-aware method.
Ergonomic evaluation and field validation of the insole padding system

Insoles are typically worn to increase comfort in performing daily activities. Many studies have investigated the effects of insoles with different properties. This study performed an ergonomic evaluation of three insole types, with a focus on assessing the effectiveness of an insole padding system (IPS). The objectives of this study were (1) to perform an ergonomic evaluation of three insoles and (2) to perform a field validation study to examine the effectiveness of IPS wearing among nurses. The study involved two phases. In the first phase, 15 healthy females participated in an experiment evaluating three insoles (general flat insole, ergo‐insole, and IPS). The outcome measurements were electromyography activity of four muscles, plantar pressure distribution in seven zones, and subjective discomfort rating. In the second phase, 100 nurses were recruited for the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire survey and 43 nurses participated in the field evaluation study. The results indicated that walking with the IPS was associated with lower plantar pressures in the midfoot and heel regions. Participants who wore ergo‐insole and IPS exhibited lower overall subjective discomfort ratings. Lower‐extremity discomfort was significantly improved after wearing the IPS for 2 weeks. The findings of this study suggest that walking with the IPS can result in less discomfort in the lower extremities than walking with the conventional insoles. IPS wearing is effective in improving lower‐extremity discomfort in persons who require prolonged standing and walking in daily life.