Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Will current protected areas harbor refugia for threatened Arctic vegetation types until 2050? A first assessment

ABSTRACT Arctic vegetation is crucial for fauna and the livelihoods of Northern peoples and is tightly linked to climate, permafrost soils, and water. Yet, a comprehensive understanding of climate change effects on Arctic vegetation is lacking. Protected areas cannot halt climate change but could reduce future pressure from additional drivers, like land use change and local industrial pollution. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the contribution of protected areas in safeguarding threatened Arctic vegetation types. We compare the present baseline with 2050 predictions of circumpolar Arctic vegetation type distributions and demonstrate an overrepresentation of dominant vegetation types and an underrepresentation of declining vegetation types within protected areas. Our study predicts five of eight assessed tundra vegetation types to be threatened by 2050, following International Union for Conservation of Nature criteria. Further, we mapped potential climate change refugia, areas with the highest potential for safeguarding threatened vegetation types. This study provides an essential first step assessing vegetation type vulnerability based on predictions covering 42 percent of Arctic landscapes. The co-development of new protective measures by policymakers and Indigenous peoples at a pan-Arctic scale requires more robust and spatially complete vegetation predictions, as increasing pressures from resource exploration and infrastructure development threaten the sustainable development of the rapidly thawing and greening Arctic.
Evaluation of Additively-Manufactured Internal Geometrical Features Using X-ray-Computed Tomography

X-ray-computed tomography (CT) is today’s gold standard for the non-destructive evaluation of internal component defects such as cracks and porosity. Using automated standardized evaluation algorithms, an analysis can be performed without knowledge of the shape, location, or size of the defects. Both the measurement and the evaluation are based on the fact that the component has no internal structures or cavities. However, additive manufacturing (AM) and hybrid subtractive procedures offer the possibility of integrating internal structures directly during the building process. The examination of powder bed fusion (PBF) samples made of Ti64 and PA12 showed that the standardized evaluation methods were not able to identify internal structures correctly. Different evaluation methods for the CT-measured values were analyzed and recommendations on a procedure for measuring internal structures are given.
Massive Black Hole Dynamics in Unequal Mass Galaxy Mergers.

Observed scaling relations suggest an evolutionary link between massive black holes (BHs) and their host galaxies. We investigate the coevolution of BH and host in galaxy mergers, which drive active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity, produce BH mergers, and lead to starbursts and morphological transitions in galaxies. Furthermore, we focus on the most cosmologically relevant galaxy mergers: unequal mass mergers at high redshift (z = 3). Using high resolution N-body SPH simulations, we track star formation, BH accretion, and associated feedback as the BHs move from separations of tens of kiloparsecs to tens of parsecs. We focus on the role of merger triggered gaseous inflows in driving both central starbursts and efficient BH accretion. We find that the efficiency of BH pairing depends sensitively on the strength of central star formation in the secondary galaxy. Strong gas inflows build up a central stellar cusp that is denser than the primary galaxy, leading the secondary’s nucleus to disrupt the nucleus of the larger primary galaxy and resulting in a short timescale (10-20 Myr) for the formation of a BH binary. If the secondary instead experiences weak inflows and strong ram pressure from the primary’s disk, the secondary’s nucleus is disrupted due to tidal shocks and binary formation is delayed. We also consider simultaneous accretion onto both BHs, testing when and for how long accretion is triggered at a number of observability thresholds. We find that strong dual AGN activity occurs in the late stages of the mergers, at small separations of a few kiloparsecs. Most of the BH accretion is not simultaneous, limiting the observable dual AGN fraction. Finally, we consider the evolution of BHs in low mass systems with quiet merger histories, probing the distribution of BHs on the low mass end of the observed scaling relations. We evolve a population of seed BHs in a Milky Way halo and find that the BH population in dwarf galaxies has not grown much since forma-
Molecular Detection and Phylogenetic Characterization of Anaplasma spp. in Dogs from Hainan Province/Island, China

Simple Summary Anaplasma is a Gram-negative parasitic bacterium transmitted by ticks. It has become an important tick-borne pathogen that endangers human and animal health in recent years. Dogs exposed to ticks are more likely to test positive for Anaplasma infection. This study confirms that dogs in Hainan province/island, China, are exposed to Anaplasma and raises the possibility that people and other animals could contract the disease. Abstract Anaplasmosis is a serious infection which is transmitted by ticks and mosquitos. There are very few reports and studies that have been carried out to understand the prevalence, distribution, and epidemiological profile of Anaplasma spp. infection in dogs in Hainan province/island. In the present study, we have tried to understand the prevalence, distribution, and occurrence of Anaplasma spp. infections in dogs (n = 1051) in Hainan Island/Province to establish a surveillance-based study. The confirmed positive samples by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were subjected to capillary sequencing for further strain-specific confirmation, followed by the construction of phylogenetic trees to determine their genetic relations. Various statistical tools were used to analyze related risk factors. There were three species of Anaplasma detected from the Hainan region; namely, A. phagocytophilum, A. bovis, and A. platys. The overall prevalence of Anaplasma is 9.7% (102/1051). A. phagocytopihum was prevalent in 1.0% of dogs (11/1051), A. bovis was found in 2.7% of dogs (28/1051), and A. platys in 6.0% of dogs (63/1051). Our surveillance-based study conducted to understand the occurrence and distribution pattern of Anaplasma spp. in Hainan will help in designing effective control measures along with management strategies so as to treat and control the infection in the area.
Working with Aula: How teachers navigate privacy uncertainties

Abstract Aula is a mandatory public school platform in Denmark with more than two million users. The idea behind Aula was to provide a shared space for communication and cooperation around children, both within the school/municipality setting and between teachers and parents, while adhering to the requirements of EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. In this article we examine the incorporation of Aula in the daily practices of teachers, especially as they relate to children’s privacy and data protection. Based on qualitative interviews with nine teachers and four experts, and drawing on practice theory, platform theory, and theories on children’s privacy, we find that Aula – despite the intentions behind it – fails to support the complex nature of teachers’ work practices and, therefore, to provide a solid data protection framework for the children. As such, the teachers mainly view the platform as being conducive to their non-sensitive communication with parents and deploy a range of other digital tools to support, for instance, cooperation with colleagues. Consequently, gaps in children’s privacy and data protection arise.
Évaluation de la spécificité de différents exercices d'endurance des muscles spinaux

Mounting evidence suggests that progressive resistance training involving the back muscles is successful for decreasing pain and disability among patients with Low Back Pain (LBP). However, sorne back extension exercises are not necessarily specifie to train back muscles relative to hip extensors, which could impair a rehabilitation program in LBP subjects. The main purpose of this research project was thus to identify which exercises were most specifie for back muscles in LBP subjects. The research project was divided in three parts to fulfill this aim. Only the results from parts 1 and II were presented in this thesis. The study conducted on the part 1 was to compare the electromyographic (EMG) fatigue indices (i.e. slopes of the median frequency) computed from short-time Fourier transform (STFT) and wavelet transform (WAV), by analyzing their criterion validity and test-retest reliability. This study was necessary to describe the muscle fatigue rate during the exercises (chosen in part II) assessed in part nI of the research project. Briefly, 31 healthy subjects performed trunk flexion-extension cycles until exhaustion on a Biodex dynamometer. The load was determined theoretically as twice the L5-S 1 moment produced by the trunk mass. To assess reliability, 10 subjects performed the same experimental protocol after a two-week interval. EMG fatigue indices (STFT vs W A V) were not significantly different within each muscle, had a moderate association (Pearson's r: ~ 0.68) with our fatigue criteria (endurance time and perceived muscle fatigue using Borg scale: CR-IO), and showed comparable reliability (Intra-class correlation coefficient: ~ 0.88), although they varied between muscles. The equivalence between STFT and W A V might be attributable to the processing of averaging that was used to calculate the EMG fatigue indices. In fact, further analyses demonstrated that averaging these spectral estimates over
FEEDBACK STABILIZATION METHODS FOR THE NUMERICAL SOLUTION OF ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

In this work we study the problem of step size selection for numerical schemes, which guarantees that the numerical solution presents the same qualitative behavior as the original system of ordinary differential equations. We apply tools from nonlinear control theory, specifically Lyapunov function and small-gain based feedback stabilization methods for systems with a globally asymptotically stable equilibrium point. Proceeding this way, we derive conditions under which the step size selection problem is solvable (including a nonlinear generalization of the well-known A-stability property for the implicit Euler scheme) as well as step size selection strategies for several applications.
Sliding Sector-Based Controller for Regulating Voltage/Frequency in Autonomous Microgrid

Abstract The application of microgrids (MG) has a vital role in grid modernization. However, a larger number of installations of electronically coupled distributed energy resources (DER) units in MGs have created opportunities and threats for grid operations. Therefore, efficient and reliable control strategies for MG operation are essential. This article introduces the concept of sector design to show the stabilization of voltage source converter-interfaced DER units in MG applications. The sliding sector design is advanced sliding mode control to obtain a region of attraction such that the state space is divided into attractive and nonattractive regions. In addition, a variable structure-based controlling method has been introduced to drive the trajectories of a plant from the exterior to the interior of the sector and strictly inside throughout the process. In autonomous MG operation, the proposed controller focuses on stabilizing the electronically coupled DER unit’s voltage and frequency response. Besides, it confirms the safety of the power conversion system from external disturbances. The system stability is proven using the Lyapunov candidate function. The proposed strategy has been effectively validated through PSCAD/EMTDC. The simulation results have examined the impact of balanced, unbalanced, nonlinear, and dynamic loading patterns in islanded MG.
Conditions for the parameter dyadics of lossy bianisotropic media

Conditions for the parameter dyadics are derived for bianisotropic media to be lossy (power absorbing). The conditions, which can be expressed easily in terms of the 6×6 matrix of four parameter dyadics as being Hermitian and negative definite, are brought to the level of individual parameter dyadics as four separate dyadic conditions. The theory is applied to three particular medium classes: bi‐isotropic media, uniaxial bianisotropic media, and gyrotropic bianisotropic media as a set of inequalities for the scalar parameters. The conditions are needed for judging the physical realizability of parameter values of new composite media. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 29: 175–178, 2001.
Protective Effects of Cirsilineol against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation; Insights into HO-1, COX-2, and iNOS Modulation

In this study, the potential protective effects of cirsilineol (CSL), a natural compound found in Artemisia vestita, were examined on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses. CSL was found to have antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial properties, and was lethal to many cancer cells. We assessed the effects of CSL on heme oxygenase (HO)-1, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in LPS-activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We also examined the effects of CSL on the expression of iNOS, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-1β in the pulmonary histological status of LPS-injected mice. The results showed that CSL increased HO-1 production, inhibited luciferase-NF-κB interaction, and reduced COX-2/PGE2 and iNOS/NO levels, leading to a decrease in signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-1 phosphorylation. CSL also enhanced the nuclear translocation of Nrf2, elevated the binding activity between Nrf2 and antioxidant response elements (AREs), and reduced IL-1β expression in LPS-treated HUVECs. We found that CSL’s suppression of iNOS/NO synthesis was restored by inhibiting HO-1 through RNAi. In the animal model, CSL significantly decreased iNOS expression in the pulmonary biostructure, and TNF-α level in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. These findings indicate that CSL has anti-inflammatory properties by controlling iNOS through inhibition of both NF-κB expression and p-STAT-1. Therefore, CSL may have potential as a candidate for developing new clinical substances to treat pathological inflammation.
Blind Image Quality Assessment via Deep Response Feature Decomposition and Aggregation

Image quality is related to image content and distortion information. Most learning-based image quality assessment (IQA) methods extract quality-oriented features with auxiliary tasks like detecting the distortion type and level. However, the perceptual quality degradation caused by the same distortion type and level varies substantially for different content in an image. To deal with this problem, in this article, we propose a blind IQA method based on Deep Response fEAture decoMposition and aggregation (DREAM), which considers two factors affecting the image quality simultaneously. First, we use a convolutional neural network (CNN) to extract the basic features from the input image. Second, several parallel fully connected (FC) layers are employed to decompose these basic features into response features related to the image content, distortion type, and distortion level. Third, the graph attention network (GAT) is leveraged to aggregate these response features corresponding to the visual quality. Finally, a regression network is used to predict the quality score. The success of our method lies in the feature decomposition to obtain the response features of different content to a specific distortion in the given distorted image and the quality-oriented features obtained by feature aggregation using the internal relation of these response features. Experimental results indicate that our proposed DREAM achieves state-of-the-art (SOTA) performance on both synthetic and authentic distortion IQA datasets.
Gm-APD LiDAR Single-Source Data Self-Guided: Obtaining High-Resolution Depth Map

Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (Gm-APD) array LiDAR has become the current research focus due to its sensitive response, high precision, and easy integration. However, due to the limitations of the fabrication process and manufacturing cost, the images collected by Gm-APD array LiDAR have very serious image low-resolution problems. Since the intensity map and depth map of the target can be obtained simultaneously by relying on single-source data from Gm-APD array LiDAR, we propose a Gm-APD LiDAR single-source data self-guided method. We propose to first perform Gm-APD LiDAR intensity map superresolution, and then use the processed intensity map with the corresponding depth map for guided superresolution. The advantage of this process is that instead of using high-resolution (HR) imaging devices from different domains, it relies only on single-source data from Gm-APD LiDAR to obtain HR depth map, thus eliminating the need for additional image registration work and providing wider applicability. We investigate the feasibility of the proposed single-source data processing method and evaluate our method on the real Gm-APD LiDAR single-source data with an average peak signal-to-noise ratio of 42.21, which better preserves the original distance information of the targets while providing visually sharper outputs.
The Role of Moderation in The Company's Age on Financial Slack's Relationship to Company Performance

This study examines whether financial slack is associated with firm performance and whether this relation-ship is moderated by firm size and firm age. This study consists of 251 firm-years covering the period from 2017to 2019 of 85 companies in the manufacturing industry listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). Our findings indicate that financial slack has a negative effect on company performance. This negative ef-fect is weakened if the size of the company is larger and the age of the company is more mature. In addi-tion, companies with financial slack tend not to use the slack of company financial resources for the benefit of the company. This can be attributed to the tendency of the company's management to use these re-sources to increase additional income or remuneration for managers. The management considers the com-pany's short-term performance which has an impact on increasing management's welfare. These findings emphasize that big size companies will compete with younger companies that tend to invest in research and development. Therefore, large companies will use financial slack for the benefit of the company in or-der to maintain the company's survival in the future. Mature companies have experience in managing com-pany resources and competence in gaining access to the resources needed to survive or grow. Therefore, based on experience and journey to gain access to funding, financial slack will be used for the benefit of the company. This study supports the prediction with evidence from Indonesia manufacture companies, and conclude that financial slack will be managed in aim maintain access to funding in the future.
Gender Diversity, Sustainable Development Goals and Human Resource Management Practices in Higher Education

Based on a systematic literature review, this article analyses the issue of gender diversity in higher education institutions (HEIs) and explores the role of strategic human resource management practices in its management. Results indicate that HEIs do not deal with gender diversity and challenges in achieving sustainable development goal-5 (SDG-5) proactively but manage them with compliance and some affirmative actions. The study finds that the number of women holding top leadership positions is substantially low, indicating the need for gender diversity in leadership. The glass ceiling for women is still intact in HEIs, presenting internal and external barriers that limit the career growth of women employees, especially in leadership roles. The research outlines the importance of gender-focused HRM policies and practices in HEIs. The review also confirms that the UN target to address challenges in achieving SDG-5 by 2030 needs reassessment.
Differential geometry applied to continuum mechanics

Differential geometry provides the suitable background to present and discuss continuum mechanics with an integrative and mathematically precise terminology. By starting with a review of linear geometry in affine point spaces, the paper introduces modern differential geometry on manifolds including the following topics: topology, tensor algebra, bundles and tensor fields, exterior algebra, differential and integral calculi. The tools worked out are applied subsequently to basic topics of continuum mechanics. In particular, kinematics of a material body and balance of mass are formulated by applying the geometric terminology, the principles of objectivity and material frame indifference of constitutive equations are examined, and a clear distinction of the Lagrangian formulation from the Eulerian formulation is drawn. Moreover, the paper outlines a generalized Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) formulation of continuum mechanics on differentiable manifolds. As an essential part, the grid manifold introduced therein facilitates a consistent description of the relations between the material body, the ambient space and the arbitrary reference domain of the ALE formulation. Not least, the objective of the paper is to provide a compilation of important formulae and basic results —some of them with a full proof— frequently used by the community. If practical, point arguments and changes in points within equations will be clearly indicated, and component and direct (or absolute) tensor notation will be applied as needed, avoiding a single-track approach to the subject.
Robust Unit Commitment With Decision-Dependent Uncertain Demand and Time-of-Use Pricing

Two-stage robust unit commitment (UC) is nowadays an effective decision-making model to support power system operations under uncertainty. This study extends the classical robust UC model to a novel formulation where the set of uncertain demand endogenously depends on the first-stage price decisions. We employ a generic time-of-use (ToU) pricing scheme, in a regulated system, to determine the optimal peak and off-peak price rates and periods of individual load buses. To exactly compute such ToU-based robust UC with decision-dependent demand, we customize and implement a parametric variant of the column-and-constraint generation method to handle this complex program with a changing uncertainty set. The proposed model and the computational performance of the solution method are illustrated on two typical systems, and experimental results are discussed with a set of novel insights.
Finite difference modelling of the full acoustic wave equation in Matlab

Two subroutines have been added to the Matlab AFD (acoustic finite difference) package to permit acoustic wavefield modeling in variable density and variable velocity media. A centered finite difference scheme using a 5 point approximation has been chosen to closely approximate the full acoutic wave equation modeling used to generate the original Marmousi data set. Sampling of the wavefield in both time and space is an important consideration for accuracy, stability, and efficiency. A minimum of 10 spatial samples per wavelength and preferably 20 are required to eliminate phase and group velocity dispersion (commonly referred to as grid dispersion), while “Bording’s conjecture” can be applied to determine the time sampling interval required for stability. Given these considerations, we show that the original Marmousi dataset likely contains significant grid dispersion.