Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatiotemporal Variability in the Water Quality of Poyang Lake and Its Associated Responses to Hydrological Conditions

Determining the spatiotemporal water quality patterns and their corresponding driving factors is crucial for lake water quality managements. This study analyzed hydrological data and concentrations of 11 water quality parameters, including total nitrogen, total phosphorus, ammonia nitrogen and chlorophyll–a (Chl–a), for water samples collected from 15 sampling sites between 2009 and 2014. The water quality of sites in the northern Poyang Lake–Yangtze River waterway was influenced by different environmental parameters compared to sites in central lake, especially for Chl–a concentration. All pollutant parameters were significantly higher in the river phase (water level 14 m) (p < 0.05). These results were confirmed via principal component analysis, which identified three principal components that explained over 79% of the dataset variance. Among all the parameters related to climatic factors, eutrophication and organic pollution were the most important contributors in water quality. Dilution was the controlling factor that drove the seasonal variability in the water quality of the Poyang Lake, China. This work further indicated that regulating pollutant effluents in tributaries and water level within the lake could improve the water quality in Poyang Lake, which may give some impetus for water quality management.
Policy Analysis Tool Applied to Colombian Needs: Patacon Model Description

In this document we lay out the microeconomic foundations of a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model, called Policy Analysis Tool Applied to Colombian Needs (PATACON), designed as a forecast tool and as a guide to advise monetary policy authorities in Colombia. In companion documents we present other aspects of the model, including the estimation of the parameters that affect dynamics and impulse response functions.
Effect of the hydroalcoholic extract and juice of Prunus divaricata fruit on blood glucose and serum lipids of normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Prunus divaricata (Alloocheh) is a small tree cultivating in Iran, Middle East and central Asia. Prunus genus has many species with anti-oxidant, anti-hyperlipidemia and anti-hyperglycemia effects. In the present study the anti-diabetic and anti-hyperlipidemic effects of P. divaricata fruits were examined in normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Both groups, control and reference rats received normal saline and glibenclamide respectively. Test groups were treated with Prunus freeze dried juice (PFDJ, 200, 400, 800 mg/kg) and Prunus freeze dried extract (PFDE, 100, 200, 400 mg/kg) started at the 3rd day of the experiment and continued for 27 days thereafter. Weight changes of animals were checked periodically. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) level as well as serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were determined. Different treatments had no significant effect on body weight increments of normal rats, while in diabetic rats, PFDJ (800 mg/kg) and PFDE (400 mg/kg) opposed with weight loss. In acute phase of experiment (0-8 h of 3rd day), none of tested fractions were effective in reducing FBG and serum lipids of normal rats. During the sub-acute phase (13th and 30th days) however, the greatest test doses of PFDJ (800 mg/kg) and PFDE (400 mg/kg) induced hypoglycema. In diabetic groups, PFDJ and PFDE, at all test doses, could diminish FBG during sub-acute phase of the experiment. In addition, PFDJ and PFDE at most examined doses could diminish TG significantly and they were also effective on cholesterol derivatives in different magnitude.
Spectral Properties of Accretion Disks around Black Holes. II. Sub-Keplerian Flows with and without Shocks

Close to a black hole, the density of the sub-Keplerian accreting matter becomes higher compared with a spherical flow as a consequence of the presence of a centrifugal barrier, independently of whether or not a standing shock actually forms. This hot, dense flow intercepts soft photons from a cold Keplerian disk and reprocesses them to form high-energy X-rays and gamma rays. We study the spectral properties of various models of accretion disks in which a Keplerian disk on the equatorial plane may or may not be flanked by a sub-Keplerian disk and the sub-Keplerian flow may or may not possess standing shocks. From comparison with the spectra, we believe that the observed properties could be explained better when both components (Keplerian and sub-Keplerian) are simultaneously present close to a black hole, even though the sub-Keplerian halo component may have been produced out of the Keplerian disk itself at larger radii. We are able to understand soft and hard states of black hole candidates, properties of X-ray nova outbursts, and quasi-periodic oscillations of black hole candidates using these two-component models. We fit spectra of X-ray novae GS 1124-68 and GS 2000+25 and satisfactorily reproduce the light curves of these objects.
The Culturally Proficient School: An Implementation Guide for School Leaders

Foreword - by Flora Ida Ortiz Introduction Acknowledgments About the Author Part I: Cultural Proficiency and the Achievement Gap 1. Why is Culturally Proficient Leadership Important? Part II: The Tools of Cultural Proficiency 2. What Does Cultural Proficiency Look Like in Practice? The Guiding Principles 3. The Inside-Out Process to Becoming Culturally Proficient: The Cultural Proficiency Continuum 4. Standards for Leadership Behavior: The Five Essential Elements 5. Overcoming Self-Imposed Barriers to Moral Leadership Part III: Professional Development for Organizational Change 6. The Art and Science of Conversation: A Crucial Skill for the Culturally Competent Leader 7. Leading in a Culture of Learning And Transformative Change Resource: List of Maple View Case Study Characters Bibliography Index
Access for All: Building Inclusive Financial Systems

The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), a multi-donor consortium dedicated to advancing microfinance, is a global resource center for microfinance standards, to provide operational tools, training, and advisory services, committed to building more inclusive financial systems for the poor. Meeting the challenge of placing resources and power into the hands of poor and low-income people themselves, is the topic of this book. It is also the main focus of the CGAP, a vision about inclusive financial systems, the only way to reach large numbers of poor and low-income people. To get there, diverse approaches are needed, reviewed through a look at microfinance, its history, process and progress. The book offers a compendium of CGAP's learning and experience over the past decade, opening a new chapter in its ongoing work: to dramatically expand access to financial services.
Quantification of T‐cell dynamics: from telomeres to DNA labeling

Summary: Immunology has traditionally been a qualitative science describing the cellular and molecular components of the immune system and their functions. Only quite recently have new experimental techniques paved the way for a more quantitative approach of immunology. Lymphocyte telomere lengths have been measured to get insights into the proliferation rate of different lymphocyte subsets, T‐cell receptor excision circles have been used to quantify the daily output of new T cells from the thymus, and bromodeoxyuridine and stable isotope labeling have been applied to measure proliferation and death rates of naive and memory lymphocytes. A common problem of the above techniques is the translation of the resulting data into relevant parameters, such as the typical division and death rate of the different lymphocyte populations. Theoretical immunology has contributed significantly to the interpretation of such quantitative experimental data, thereby resolving diverse controversies and, most importantly, has suggested novel experiments, allowing for more conclusive and quantitative interpretations. In this article, we review a variety of different models that have been used to interpret data on lymphocyte kinetics in healthy human subjects and discuss their contributions and limitations.
The percentage of stellar light re-radiated by dust in late-type Virgo Cluster galaxies

We show that the mean percentage of stellar light re-radiated by dust is ∼30 per cent for the Virgo Cluster late-spirals measured with ISOPHOT by Tuffs et al. A strong dependence of this ratio with morphological type was found, ranging from typical values of ∼15 per cent for early spirals to up to ∼50 per cent for some late spirals. The extreme BCDs can have even higher percentages of their bolometric output re-radiated in the thermal infrared. Luminosity correction factors for the cold dust component are given for general use in converting far-infrared (FIR) luminosities derived from IRAS.
Parental involvement in early childhood care and education : promoting children's sustainable access to early schooling through social-emotional and literacy development

Most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have predominantly rural populations living in low-resource settings, with their children frequently lacking sustainable access to early schooling. Sustainable access, or the ability to access and progress through school without dropping out early, is a key factor in overcoming low socio-economic status, and global Education for All goals underscore the importance of access to Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) by declaring that learning begins at birth. Learning outcomes - norms, values, knowledge, skills - of primary education are stronger when learning begins in the years preceding regular schooling, but for children from low-resource settings the transition from home to school is fraught with barriers, such as the absence of parental participation in children's early literacy development and limited contextually relevant learning materials. Utilising a descriptive analytical methodology and using research experiences and case examples from Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda, this article calls for the creation of an ambient literacy-rich environment in the home as well as in preschool, and argues that parents require empowerment if they are to support their children's social-emotional development and self-regulation and thereby provide them with better chances of effective literacy development and sustainable access to schooling.
SCFT Simulations of Thin Film Blends of Block Copolymer and Homopolymer Laterally Confined in a Square Well

Recently there has been significant interest in manipulating the self-assembly behavior of block copolymers to obtain structures that are not observed in the bulk. Here we explore the conditions for which self-assembly in laterally confined thin block copolymer films results in tetragonal square arrays of standing up cylinders. More specifically, we used self-consistent-field theory (SCFT) to study the equilibrium phase behavior of thin films composed of a blend of AB block copolymer and A homopolymer laterally confined in square wells. By using suitable homopolymer additives and appropriately sized wells, we observed square lattices of upright B cylinders that are not stable in pure AB block copolymer systems. We further investigated the optimal conditions and parameters that lead to defect-free, in-plane tetragonal ordering. Considering the potential application of such films in block copolymer lithography, we also conducted numerical SCFT simulations of the role of line edge roughness at the periphery .
The Influence of Cold Temperature on Cellular Excitability of Hippocampal Networks

The hippocampus plays an important role in short term memory, learning and spatial navigation. A characteristic feature of the hippocampal region is its expression of different electrical population rhythms and activities during different brain states. Physiological fluctuations in brain temperature affect the activity patterns in hippocampus, but the underlying cellular mechanisms are poorly understood. In this work, we investigated the thermal modulation of hippocampal activity at the cellular network level. Primary cell cultures of mouse E17 hippocampus displayed robust network activation upon light cooling of the extracellular solution from baseline physiological temperatures. The activity generated was dependent on action potential firing and excitatory glutamatergic synaptic transmission. Involvement of thermosensitive channels from the transient receptor potential (TRP) family in network activation by temperature changes was ruled out, whereas pharmacological and immunochemical experiments strongly pointed towards the involvement of temperature-sensitive two-pore-domain potassium channels (K2P), TREK/TRAAK family. In hippocampal slices we could show an increase in evoked and spontaneous synaptic activity produced by mild cooling in the physiological range that was prevented by chloroform, a K2P channel opener. We propose that cold-induced closure of background TREK/TRAAK family channels increases the excitability of some hippocampal neurons, acting as a temperature-sensitive gate of network activation. Our findings in the hippocampus open the possibility that small temperature variations in the brain in vivo, associated with metabolism or blood flow oscillations, act as a switch mechanism of neuronal activity and determination of firing patterns through regulation of thermosensitive background potassium channel activity.
New National Air-Kerma-Strength Standards for 125I and 103Pd Brachytherapy Seeds

The new U.S. measurement standard for the air-kerma strength from low-energy photon-emitting brachytherapy seed sources is formally described in detail. This instrument-based standard was implemented on 1 January 1999, with its salient features and the implications of differences with the previous standard given only through a series of informal communications. The Wide-Angle Free-Air Chamber (WAFAC) is specially designed to realize air kerma from a single-seed source emitting photons with energies up to about 40 keV, and is now used to measure the wide variety of seeds used in prostate-cancer therapy that has appeared in the last few years. For the two 125I seed models that have been subject to both the old and new standards, the new standard reduces the air-kerma strength by 10.3 %. This change is mainly due to the removal of the influence on the measurement of the Ti K x rays produced in the source encapsulation, a component with no clinical significance.
Antecedents of green behavioral intentions: a cross-country study of Turkey, Finland and Pakistan

Quality of life of the future generations depends on the efforts of current generations to protect environment. The purchase decisions based on their green behavioral intentions not only helps the society, but also helps companies to gain a green competitive advantage. In this study, the relationships between green satisfaction, green trust, green equity and behavioral intentions are examined. Data were collected from Turkey, Finland and Pakistan with self-administered questionnaires regarding with green white goods. The hypotheses were tested with structural equation modeling. Results of a structural model reveal positive relationships green satisfaction, green trust and green brand equity across three countries. In addition, green brand equity plays a remarkable role in behavioral intentions towards green white goods in general. Managers should consider green trust, green satisfaction, and green brand equity while implementing green marketing strategies in a global marketplace.
Release Bursts in English Word-Final Voiceless Stops Produced by Native English and Korean Adults and Children

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the acquisition of statistical properties ofa second language (L2). Stop consonants are permitted in word-final position inboth English and Korean, but they are variably released in English and invariablyunreleased in Korean. Native Korean (K) adults and children living in North Americaand age-matched native English (E) speakers repeated English words ending inreleased tokens of /t/ and /k/ at two times separated by 1.2 years. The judgments ofE-speaking listeners were used to determine if the stimuli were repeated with audiblerelease bursts. Experiments 1 and 2 revealed fewer final releases for K thanE adults, and fewer releases for /t/ (but not /k/) for K than E children. Nearly all /t/ and/k/ tokens were heard as intended in experiment 3, which evaluated intelligibility.However, the K adults’ /k/ tokens were identified with less certainty than theE adults’. Taken together, the results suggested that noncontrastive (i.e., statistical)properties of an L2 can be learned by children, and to a somewhat lesser extent byadults.
Touristic Perceptions in a Taoist Chinese Village

The article reports findings derived from a sample of 357 questionnaires that were self-completed by respondents after a visit to the Taoist village of Qiyunshan. The village has a heritage of several hundred years as a Taoist pilgrimage site and in 2003 it was opened to the wider world through the construction of a cable car that takes visitors directly to the village. The main attractions are the scenic areas, the Taoist tradition, the residents, and a sense of harmony between place, people, and culture.
Foreign Exchange Interventions at the Zero Lower Bound in the Czech Economy: A DSGE Approach

The paper contributes to understanding the economic dynamics at the zero lower bound and the exchange rate movements under different central bank intervention regimes. It provides a theoretical framework for modeling foreign exchange interventions at the ZLB within a dynamic general equilibrium model. We find a pronounced volatility of real and nominal macroeconomic variables in response to the domestic demand shock, the foreign demand and financial shocks and the terms-of-trade shock at the ZLB. This effects become severe in response to highly persistent shocks which leads to stronger reaction of variables and prolong period of binding constraint. The FX interventions have proven to be effective in mitigating deflationary pressures and recovering the economic activity in response to all examined shocks at the ZLB. In this sense, the central bank achieves the best performance by fixing the nominal exchange rate temporarily at the ZLB.
The international migration of the highly skilled : demand, supply, and development consequences in sending and receiving countries

The demand for skilled labor is rising dramatically worldwide to meet the needs of a global economy driven by high-technology goods and services. Advanced industrial societies - the United States, Japan, the countries of Western Europe - are becoming more dependent on foreign scientists, engineers, and computer programmers to propel their economic growth. And emerging economies - such as India, China, and South Africa - are increasingly recognizing the need to stem the outflow of their own domestic professionals. The International Migration of the Highly Skilled examines the scale and significance of these international flows of highly skilled workers. The seventeen contributors (political scientists, sociologists, economists, and anthropologists) bring to the field a broad range of perspectives on the global market for high-skilled labor. They examine the legal history of skilled immigration to the United States and Canada, the "brain drain" phenomenon, immigrant entrepreneurship and immigrant niches, and recent changes in immigration policy making. The book includes several case studies analyzing the experiences of both sending and receiving countries. The authors offer a timely foundation for current and future policy discussions concerning high-skill migration. Despite the current economic downturn in the United States and other receiving countries, knowledge-intensive sectors of their economies will continue to grow and will continue to depend on the contributions of skilled migrants.
The actin regulators Enabled and Diaphanous direct distinct protrusive behaviors in different tissues during Drosophila development

Actin-based protrusions are important for signaling and migration during development and homeostasis. Gain- and loss-of-function and quantitative approaches are used to define differential roles for the actin elongation factors Diaphanous and Enabled in regulating distinct protrusive behaviors in different tissues during Drosophila morphogenesis.
A Linear Zero-One Formulation of Optimal Power Allocation of IDMA Systems

Transmitted-power allocation (TPA) is vital for minimizing power consumption and managing interference in interleave-division multiple access (IDMA) systems. Conventionally, optimization problems arising from TPA assume that the transmitted powers can take any values in a pre-defined interval. Hence, a practical limitation is not taken into consideration: the transmitted powers of most mobile devices are discrete nowadays. In this paper, we consider an optimization problem in which transmitted powers can only take a finite number of levels. This problem is non-convex, but we show that it can be converted into a linear zero-one programming (LZOP) problem. Numerical examples demonstrate that the problem in the LZOP form can be solved efficiently using existing solvers.
Carbon Monoxide in the Type Ic Supernova 2000ew

We present K-band (1.9–2.5 µm) spectra of the Type Ic SN 2000ew observed with IRCS on the Subaru Telescope. These data show the first detection of carbon monoxide (CO) emission in a Type Ic supernova. The detection of CO in SN 2000ew provides further evidence that molecule formation may be a common occurrence in core-collapse supernova ejecta. The spectrum also contains narrow emission lines of [Fe II ]a nd HeI probably from dense clumps of hydrogen-poor circumstellar gas surrounding SN 2000ew. Our spectrum of SN 2000ew shows no trace of an unidentified feature seen near 2.26 µm, just blueward of the CO emission, in the spectrum of SN 1987A; we discuss proposed detections of this feature in other Type II supernovae.
On limiting spectral distribution of large sample covariance matrices by VARMA(p,q)

We studied the limiting spectral distribution of large‐dimensional sample covariance matrices of a stationary and invertible VARMA(p,q) model. Relationship of the power spectral density and limiting spectral distribution of large population dimensional covariance matrices of ARMA(p,q) is established. The equation about Stieltjes transform of large‐dimensional sample covariance matrices is also derived. As applications, the classical M‐P law, VAR(1) and VMA(1) can be regarded as special examples.
Cutaneous Angiosarcoma of the Foot: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Primary Angiosarcoma of the skin of the foot is very rare. Angiosarcoma is typically treated with resection and wide-field postoperative radiation therapy. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy have also been used. Regardless of the treatment, the risk of local and distant relapse remains high for this disease. We present a case of an elderly patient who developed cutaneous angiosarcoma of the foot. It posed as a diagnostic dilemma at presentation. Chronic lymphedema was a possible predisposing factor. Given his age, preexisting renal dysfunction, refusal of surgery, and preference not to receive chemotherapy, the patient was ultimately treated with definitive radiotherapy. We present this case because of its rare site, unique presentation and delay in diagnosis of the condition, and attainment of an excellent response to radiation at the time of follow-up. We also review the current literature on this topic.