pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Assessing parameter uncertainty on coupled models using minimum information methods

Probabilistic inversion is used to take expert uncertainty assessments about observable model outputs and build from them a distribution on the model parameters that captures the uncertainty expressed by the experts. In this paper we look at ways to use minimum information methods to do this, focussing in particular on the problem of ensuring consistency between expert assessments about differing variables, either as outputs from a single model, or potentially as outputs along a chain of models. The paper shows how such a problem can be structured and then illustrates the method with two examples; one involving failure rates of equipment in series systems and the other atmospheric dispersion and deposition
The Great Recession and inequalities in access to health care: a study of unemployment and unmet medical need in Europe in the economic crisis

Background: Unmet medical need (UMN) had been declining steadily across Europe until the 2008 Recession, a period characterized by rising unemployment. We examined whether becoming unemployed increased the risk of UMN during the Great Recession and whether the extent of out-of-pocket payments (OOP) for health care and income replacement for the unemployed (IRU) moderated this relationship. Methods: We used the European Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) to construct a pseudo-panel (n = 135 529) across 25 countries to estimate the relationship between unemployment and UMN. We estimated linear probability models, using a baseline of employed people with no UMN, to test whether this relationship is mediated by financial hardship and moderated by levels of OOP and IRU. Results: Job loss increased the risk of UMN [β = 0.027, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.022–0.033] and financial hardship exacerbated this effect. Fewer people experiencing job loss lost access to health care in countries where OOPs were low or in countries where IRU is high. The results are robust to different model specifications. Conclusions: Unemployment does not necessarily compromise access to health care. Rather, access is jeopardized by diminishing financial resources that accompany job loss. Lower OOPs or higher IRU protect against loss of access, but they cannot guarantee it. Policy solutions should secure financial protection for the unemployed so that resources do not have to be diverted from health
Absorptive capacity and performance: The role of customer relationship and technological capabilities in high-tech SMEs

© 2015 Elsevier Inc. This study focuses on how the interplay between a firm's absorptive capacity (ACAP), and its technological and customer relationship capability contributes to its overall performance. Using structural equation modeling in a sample of 158 firms (316 questionnaires, two respondents per firm) from South Korea's semiconductor industry, we find that a firm's ACAP leads to better performance in terms of new product development, market performance and profitability when used in combination with the firm's capability to engage state of the art technologies in its new product development program (NPD) (technological capability) as well as cultivate strong customer relationships to gain customer insight in NPD (customer relationship capability). By highlighting the interactive nature of absorptive capacity's antecedents and how these relate to firms' performance, this study contributes to the understanding of the role of ACAP as a mechanism for translating external knowledge into tangible benefits in high-tech SMEs, thus leading to important theoretical and practical implications
Product–process interface for manufacturing data management as a support for DFM and virtual manufacturing

This research work was supported by SNECMA as part of the MAIA ( http://www.le-webmag.com/article.php3?id_
article=2&lang=) project, the Region Champagne-Ardennes and Sisson Lehmann of the Wheelabrator group.In order to tackle a continuous improvement of virtual engineering, product modelling has to integrate more knowledge that refers to every decision taken during the product
development process. Those decisions have to be related to the assessment of the whole product life cycle. This paper particularly addresses the domain of product’s industrialisation that aims at selecting the manufacturing processes. This selection must currently be done as soon as possible and has to be strongly linked with product definition and computer aided design (CAD) modelling. Thiswork first presents some
new results concerning a product–process interface to integrate manufacturing information in the product model and how it leads to the definition of the CAD model. Then this interface that also manages specific information coming from the manufacturing process (tolerances, stresses gradient…) is used to improve the wholemanufacturing process plan simulation. This process plan has, indeed, to track every material transformation issued from each manufacturing operation
The early effects of afforestation on biodiversity of grasslands in Ireland

Abstract  The target rate of afforestation in Ireland over the next 30 years is 20,000 ha per year, which would result in an increase of the forest cover from the current 10% to 17%. In order to promote sustainable forest management practices, it is essential to know the composition and conservation value of habitats where afforestation is planned and the effects of subsequent planting upon biodiversity. The objectives of this study were to investigate changes in vegetation composition and diversity of grasslands 5 years after afforestation with Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) and determine the primary ecological and management factors responsible for these changes. Species cover, environmental and management data were collected from 16 afforested and unplanted improved and wet grassland site pairs in Ireland. Our results indicate that 5 years after tree planting, there were significant changes in richness, composition, and abundance of species. Competitive and vigorous grasses were more abundant in planted than in unplanted sites, as were generalist species found in both open and wooded habitats, while small-stature shade-sensitive species were less abundant. Vascular plant species richness and Shannon’s diversity index were higher in unplanted wet grassland, than in the planted sites. Bryophyte species richness was higher in planted improved grassland than in unplanted sites. The differences were primarily the result of the exclusion of grazing, ground preparation, changes in nutrient management and drainage for afforestation. Drainage ditches provided a temporary habitat for less competitive species, but the overall effect of drainage was to reduce the diversity of species dependent on wet conditions. Variance partitioning showed differences in the relative influences of environmental and management variables on biodiversity in the two habitats, probably due to the greater pre-afforestation grazing pressure and fertilisation levels in improved grasslands. The differences in biodiversity between planted and unplanted grasslands indicate that afforestation represents a threat to semi-natural habitats where distinctive and highly localised plant communities could potentially occur.http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10531-007-9275-
SenseCam image localisation using hierarchical SURF trees

The SenseCam is a wearable camera that automatically takes photos of the wearer's activities, generating thousands of images per day.\ud
Automatically organising these images for efficient search and retrieval is a challenging task, but can be simplified by providing\ud
semantic information with each photo, such as the wearer's location during capture time. We propose a method for automatically determining the wearer's location using an annotated image database, described using SURF interest point descriptors. We show that SURF out-performs SIFT in matching SenseCam images and that matching can be done efficiently using hierarchical trees of SURF descriptors. Additionally, by re-ranking the top images using bi-directional SURF matches, location matching performance is improved further
Exploring software process variation arising from differences in situational context.

The software development process is continuously changing, there is huge pressure to condense release cycles into shorter and shorter timeframes, tools are changing dramatically and companies must continually examine the efficacy of their development process. Attempting to hit a moving target is difficult and it is a decision which can have a major effect in terms of both the end-product and the business. In this paper, we discuss the role of situational context in deciding upon the software development process through the analysis of two case studies. The case studies take a detailed look at the organisational profile and context of each company in turn before we compare and contrast each situational context for factors that may influence the development process. We then compare the processes each company has chosen before our discussion of the role context plays in choosing a ‘correct’ software development process. While both companies have enjoyed sustained business growth and while both are agile in mind-set, we find that they are in fact quite distinct in their processes, this distinction being driven by their different situational contexts
Control of Rayleigh-Taylor instability by vertical vibration in large aspect ratio containers

We consider a horizontal heavy fluid layer supported by a light, immiscible one in a wide (as compared to depth) container, which is vertically vibrated intending to counterbalance the Rayleigh-Taylor instability of the flat, rigid-body vibrating state. In the simplest case when the density and viscosity of the lighter fluid are small compared to their counterparts in the heavier fluid, we apply a long wave, weakly nonlinear analysis that yields a generalized Cahn-Hilliard equation for the evolution of the fluid interface. This equation shows that the stabilizing effect of vibration is like that of surface tension, and is used to analyze the linear stability of the flat state, the local bifurcation at the instability threshold and some global existence and stability properties concerning the steady states without dry spots. The analysis is extended to two cases of practical interest. Namely, (a) the viscosity of one of the fluids is much smaller than that of the other one, and (b) the densities and viscosities of both fluids are quite close to each other
Experimental transition probabilities for several spectral lines arising from the 5d10 6s{8s, 7p, 5f, 5g} electronic configurations of Pb III

Transition probabilities for 30 spectral lines, arising from the 5d10 6s{8s, 7p, 5f, 5g} electronic configurations of Pb III (20 measured for the first time), have been experimentally determined from measurements of emission line intensities in a plasma lead induced by ablation with a Nd:YAG laser. The line intensities were obtained with the target placed in molecular argon at 6 Torr, recorded at a 400 ns delay from the laser pulse, which provides appropriate measurement conditions, and analysed between 200 and 700 nm. They are measured when the plasma reaches local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). The plasma under study had an electron temperature (T) of 21,400 K and an electron number density (Ne) of 7×1016 cm−3. The influence of self-absorption has been estimated for every line, and plasma homogeneity has been checked. The values obtained were compared with previous experimental values and theoretical estimates where possible
Background foreground segmentation with RGB-D Kinect data: An efficient combination of classifiers

Low cost RGB-D cameras such as the Microsoft’s Kinect or the Asus’s Xtion Pro are completely changing the computer vision world, as they are being successfully used in several applications and research areas. Depth data are particularly attractive and suitable for applications based on moving objects detection through foreground/background segmentation approaches; the RGB-D applications proposed in literature employ, in general, state of the art foreground/background segmentation techniques based on the depth information without taking into account the color information. The novel approach that we propose is based on a combination of classifiers that allows improving background subtraction accuracy with respect to state of the art algorithms by jointly considering color and depth data. In particular, the combination of classifiers is based on a weighted average that allows to adaptively modifying the support of each classifier in the ensemble by considering foreground detections in the previous frames and the depth and color edges. In this way, it is possible to reduce false detections due to critical issues that can not be tackled by the individual classifiers such as: shadows and illumination changes, color and depth camouflage, moved background objects and noisy depth measurements. Moreover, we propose, for the best of the author’s knowledge, the first publicly available RGB-D benchmark dataset with hand-labeled ground truth of several challenging scenarios to test background/foreground segmentation algorithms
Spatial analysis of the competitiveness of the high-speed train and air transport: The role of access to terminals in the Madrid? Barcelona corridor

This paper analyzes the effect of access and egress time to transport terminals over the spatial competiveness of the high-speed train (HST) in the Madrid–Barcelona (Spain) corridor, one of the densest airline domestic markets in the world. Applying spatial data from 2010 provided by a geographical information system (GIS) to a mode choice model estimated with sample travelers in this corridor, the present study examines whether and how the level-of-service of transport terminals spatially affects the competitiveness or modal distribution of HST and air transport in the provinces of Madrid and Barcelona; and, in particular, the degree of competitiveness that can be accrued by the access time provided by private car and transit in different market segments, especially mandatory and leisure trips. In a number of urban zones near train stations and airports, terminal accessibility clearly favors one transport mode in comparison to the other. Improving terminal accessibility via private car or public transit not only affects the relative access to terminals, but also represents a key strategy for readjusting the market shares of the competing modes in the corridor
An exponential fertilization dose–response model to promote restoration of the Mediterranean oak Quercus ilex

Nursery nitrogen (N) fertilization inﬂuences seedling N reserves, morphology, photosynthesis rate and stress tolerance and frequently enhances outplanting performance. Although mineral nutrition is a critical aspect of seedling quality, fertility targets of Mediterranean sclerophylous species have not been thoroughly quantiﬁed. We sought to deﬁne those fertility targets for seedlings of Quercus ilex, a key species in Mediterranean areas. Nine fertility treatments, ranging from 0 to 200 mg N seedling-1 applied under an exponential regime were tested in a greenhouse dose response trial in which phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) were increased in the same proportion as N (15N:5P:15K). Height and diameter growth were measured weekly, and biomass and nutritional status were analyzed at the end of culture (24 week). Plant growth and nutritional response to increased fertilization followed a curvilinear pattern depicting phases that ranged from deﬁciency to luxury consumption. Seedling dry mass production was maximized at 125 mg N seedling-1 (sufﬁciency level). N content and concentration increased with fertilization, reaching a maximum at 200 mg N seedling-1 (luxury consumption). P and K concentrations peaked at 75 and 25 mg N, respectively, suggesting a dilution effect of these nutrients. Root volume increased linearly up to 100 mg N and declined thereafter. The sufﬁciency level for Q. ilex (125 mg of applied N seedling-1) is notably higher than for other Quercus species from other biomes but intermediate to other Mediterranean Quercus species. No toxicity was observed at the highest treatment rate (200 mg N) suggesting that increased exponential N rates along with greater P and K proportions than those used in our experiment may further maximize nutrient storage
Low-temperature processing of ZrB2-ZrC composites by reactive hot pressing

Dense ZrB2-ZrC and ZrB2-ZrCx0.67 composites have been produced by reactive hot pressing13; (RHP) of stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric mixtures of Zr and B4C powders at 40 MPa and13; temperatures up to 1600 C for 30 minutes. The role of Ni addition on reaction kinetics and13; densification of the composites has been studied. Composites of 97 pct relative density (RD)13; have been produced with the stoichiometric mixture at 1600 C, while the composite with13; 99 pct RD has been obtained with excess Zr at 1200 C, suggesting the formation of carbon13; deficient ZrCx that significantly aids densification by plastic flow and vacancy diffusion mechanism.13; Stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric composites have a hardness of 20 GPa. The grain13; sizes of ZrB2 and ZrCx0.67 are 0.6 and 0.4 lm, respectively, which are finer than those13; reported in the literature
A reference accelerator scheme for ADS applications

Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS) for transmutation of nuclear waste typically require 350 MeV–1 GeV accelerators delivering proton fluxes of 5–10 mA for demonstrators, and 20–50 mA for large industrial systems. Thus, such machines belong to the category of the so-called HPPA (High-Power Proton Accelerators), with multi-megawatt beam power. HPPA are presently developed and constructed at great pace for their broad utility in fundamental or applied science. Compared to other HPPA, many features and requirements are similar for the ADS driver. However, there is a need for exceptional reliability: because of the induced thermal stress to the sub-critical core, the number of unwanted “beam-trips” should not exceed a few per year, a requirement that is several orders of magnitude above usual performance. Consecutive to the work of the European Technical Working Group (ETWG) on ADS, the Preliminary Design Study of an Experimental ADS (PDS-XADS) was launched in 2001 as a 5th Framework Program EC project.1 A special Working Package (WP3) was dedicated to the accelerator design, taking especially into account that the issue of “beam-trips” could be a potential “show-stopper” for ADS technology in general. A reference solution, based on a linear superconducting accelerator with its associated doubly achromatic beam line, has been worked out to some detail. For high reliability, the proposed design is intrinsically fault tolerant, relying on highly modular “de-rated” components associated to a fast digital feedback system. The proposed solution also appears to be robust concerning operational aspects like maintenance and radioprotection. A roadmap for construction as well as the required consolidated budget was elaborated. A program for the remaining R&D, focused on experimental reliability demonstration of prototypical components has been elaborated. This R&D will be performed in the 6th Framework Program EC project EUROTRANS,2 which presently is just starting
Capture of the eyes by relevant and irrelevant onsets

During early visual processing the eyes can be captured by salient visual information in the environment. Whether a salient\ud
 stimulus captures the eyes in a purely automatic, bottom-up fashion or whether capture is contingent on task demands is still\ud
 under debate. In the first experiment, we manipulated the relevance of a salient onset distractor. The onset distractor could\ud
 either be similar or dissimilar to the target. Error saccade latency distributions showed that early in time, oculomotor capture\ud
 was driven purely bottom-up irrespective of distractor similarity. Later in time, top-down information became available resulting\ud
 in contingent capture. In the second experiment, we manipulated the saliency information at the target location. A salient\ud
 onset stimulus could be presented either at the target or at a non-target location. The latency distributions of error and\ud
 correct saccades had a similar time-course as those observed in the first experiment. Initially, the distributions overlapped\ud
 but later in time task-relevant information decelerated the oculomotor system. The present findings reveal the interaction\ud
 between bottom-up and top-down processes in oculomotor behavior. We conclude that the task relevance of a salient event is\ud
 not crucial for capture of the eyes to occur. Moreover, task-relevant information may integrate with saliency information\ud
 to initiate saccades, but only later in time
Diagnosis of CO Pollution in HTPEM Fuel Cell using Statistical Change Detection

The fuel cell technologies are advancing and maturing for commercial markets. However proper diagnostic tools needs to be developed in order to insure reliability and durability of fuel cell systems. This paper presents a design of a data driven method to detect CO content in the anode gas of a high temperature fuel cell. In this work the fuel cell characterization is based on an experimental equivalent electrical circuit, where model parameters are mapped as a function of the load current. The designed general likelihood ratio test detection scheme detects whether a equivalent electrical circuit parameter differ from the non-faulty operation. It is proven that the general likelihood ratio test detection scheme, with a very low probability of false alarm, can detect CO content in the anode gas of the fuel cell© 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is the authors' accepted nad refereed manuscript to the article. Locked until 2017-01-01
In-situ structural investigations of ferroelasticity in soft and hard rhombohedral and tetragonal PZT

Despite the technological importance of hard and soft PZT, Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, ceramics, the mechanisms of ferroelectric hardening and softening remain widely discussed in the literature. The hardening and softening phenomena have traditionally been investigated in relation with dielectric manifestations such as aging of the dielectric susceptibility and constriction of the polarization-electric field hysteresis loop. Here, we present a systematic investigation of the ferroelectric and ferroelastic properties of soft and hard PZT in both the tetragonal and rhombohedral phases. A particular focus has been devoted to ferroelastic domain switching by characterizing the macroscopic mechanical constitutive behavior and in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction during compression. It is demonstrated that variation of the ordering state of point defects in PZT ceramics affects the switching behavior of both ferroelectric and ferroelastic domains under mechanical or electrical fields. Softening of the mechanical and electrical properties of originally hard PZT ceramics was conferred by quenching the materials from above the Curie temperature. The present findings are discussed with respect to the current understanding of hardening-softening transitions in ferroelectric materials.© VC 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.. This is the authors pre-refereed manuscript to the article