Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anthropogenic radiative forcing time series from pre-industrial times until 2010

Abstract. In order to use knowledge of past climate change to improve our understanding of the sensitivity of the climate system, detailed knowledge about the time development of radiative forcing (RF) of the earth atmosphere system is crucial. In this study, time series of anthropogenic forcing of climate from pre-industrial times until 2010, for all well established forcing agents, are estimated. This includes presentation of RF histories of well mixed greenhouse gases, tropospheric ozone, direct- and indirect aerosol effects, surface albedo changes, stratospheric ozone and stratospheric water vapour. For long lived greenhouse gases, standard methods are used for calculating RF, based on global mean concentration changes. For short lived climate forcers, detailed chemical transport modelling and radiative transfer modelling using historical emission inventories is performed. For the direct aerosol effect, sulphate, black carbon, organic carbon, nitrate and secondary organic aerosols are considered. For aerosol indirect effects, time series of both the cloud lifetime effect and the cloud albedo effect are presented. Radiative forcing time series due to surface albedo changes are calculated based on prescribed changes in land use and radiative transfer modelling. For the stratospheric components, simple scaling methods are used. Long lived greenhouse gases (LLGHGs) are the most important radiative forcing agent with a RF of 2.83±0.28 W m −2 in year 2010 relative to 1750. The two main aerosol components contributing to the direct aerosol effect are black carbon and sulphate, but their contributions are of opposite sign. The total direct aerosol effect was −0.48±0.32 W m −2 in year 2010. Since pre-industrial times the positive RF (LLGHGs and tropospheric O 3 ) has been offset mainly by the direct and indirect aerosol effects, especially in the second half of the 20th century, which possibly lead to a decrease in the total anthropogenic RF in the middle of the century. We find a total anthropogenic RF in year 2010 of 1.4 W m −2 . However, the uncertainties in the negative RF from aerosols are large, especially for the cloud lifetime effect.
Stimulant medication effects on growth and bone age in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a prospective cohort study

Stimulant medication is known to cause transient weight loss and slowing down of growth, but whether it delays physical maturation is unclear. We studied growth and bone age over the first 3 years of treatment in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (patients) compared with healthy siblings (controls). Bone age was estimated blindly by two independent radiologists using Tanner and Whitehouse version 3. Dexamphetamine or methylphenidate was titrated and continued when clinically indicated. Forty out of 73 patients, together with 22 controls, completed the study. There were no significant growth differences between the two groups at baseline. Despite slower growth on treatment [5.1 cm/year, 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.7–5.5, vs. 6.3 cm/year, 95% CI: 5.7–6.8, P=0.002; and 2.7 kg/year, 95% CI: 2.1–3.3, vs. 4.4 kg/year, 95% CI: 3.5–5.3, P=0.005], the patients showed no significant maturational delay (RUS score: 49 U/year, 95% CI: 44–55, vs. 55 U/year, 95% CI: 47–63, P=0.27). A subgroup of patients underwent serial biochemistry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, recording a significant reduction in fat (5.61±3.56–4.22±3.09 kg, P<0.001) and leptin (3.88±2.87–2.57±1.94 ng/ml, P=0.017). The pattern of change in height z-score over time was modified by the dose of medication (P for interaction=0.024). We found no medication effect on the rate of maturation, which was instead predicted by baseline leptin (P=0.035 controlling for age and sex).
Study of the radiation-induced optical sensitivity in erbium and aluminium doped fibres

Special fibres with different concentrations of erbium and aluminium have been fabricated and gamma irradiated. It is found that the normalised radiation-induced absorption increases with the erbium concentration. Normalised radiationinduced absorption can reach values as high as 0.02 dB/(m Gy) at 980 nm. Aluminium is identified to produce permanent optical losses.
Violence against women : dynamics of conjugal relations

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The Determinants of Corporate Debt Ownership Structure: Evidence from Market-Based and Bank-Based Economies

We compare the determinants of the corporate debt ownership structure in a bank-oriented economy (Germany) and market-oriented economy (UK). The results, that are controlled for endogeneity, simultaneity and measurement errors, show that the firms in both countries adjust their debt ownership structure towards their target levels – British firms being the swifter. The evidence supports the predictions of the liquidation and renegotiation, and the flotation cost hypotheses in both countries. However, the moral hazard and adverse selection hypothesis receives support only in the UK. Moreover, the influence of market related factors on the choice of the lender is country dependent. Overall, the debt ownership structure of a firm is influenced by both the firm-specific factors and the financial traditions in which the firm operates.
MigCEP: operator migration for mobility driven distributed complex event processing

A recent trend in communication networks --- sometimes referred to as fog computing --- offers to execute computational tasks close to the access points of the networks. This enables real-time applications, like mobile Complex Event Processing (CEP), to significantly reduce end-to-end latencies and bandwidth usage. Most work studying the placement of operators in such an environment completely disregards the migration costs. However, the mobility of users requires frequent migration of operators, together with possibly large state information, to meet latency restrictions and save bandwidth in the infrastructure. This paper presents a placement and migration method for providers of infrastructures that incorporate cloud and fog resources. It ensures application-defined end-to-end latency restrictions and reduces the network utilization by planning the migration ahead of time. Furthermore, we present how the application knowledge of the CEP system can be used to improve current live migration techniques for Virtual Machines to reduce the required bandwidth during the migration. Our evaluations show that we safe up to 49% of the network utilization with perfect knowledge about a users mobility pattern and up to 27% of the network utilization when considering the uncertainty of those patterns.
Effect of Virtual Reality Exercise Using the Nintendo Wii Fit on Muscle Activities of the Trunk and Lower Extremities of Normal Adults

[Purpose] The present study aimed to determine the effect of virtual reality exercise using the Nintendo Wii Fit on the muscle activities of the trunk and lower extremities of normal adults. [Subjects] The subjects of the study were 24 normal adults who were divided into a virtual reality exercise group (VREG, n=12) and a stable surface exercise group (SEG, n=12). [Methods] The exercises of the VREG using the Nintendo Wii Fit and the SEG using a stable surface were conducted three times a week for six weeks. Electromyography was used to measure the muscle activities of the tibialis anterior (TA), medial gastrocnemius (MG), erector spinae (ES), and rectus abdominal (RA) muscles. [Results] VREG showed significant within group differences in TA and MG muscle activities, while the SEG showed a significant difference in the muscle activity of the MG. [Conclusion] Virtual reality exercise using the Nintendo Wii Fit was an effective intervention for the muscle activities of the TA and MG of normal adults.
Asia is the Mine of Natural Antiviral Products for Public Health

This review highlights a wide range of research on antiviral natural products in Asia in the period from 2000 to 2008. It focuses on the most important findings in this field specifically on the plants' components with potential antiviral activity against wide range of pathogenic DNA and RNA viruses. In addition, the difference between Asians and other populations regarding their habits of using natural products containing antiviral activity instead of allopathic medicine has been reviewed briefly. In conclusion, Asian continent serves as the most important source for providing the candidate natural products for the future antiviral drugs which could save the lives of millions in the world.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Differentiating Neural Reward Responsiveness in Autism versus Adhd

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder ADHD Social reward Monetary reward Ventral striatum Medial prefrontal cortex a b s t r a c t Although attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) share certain neurocognitive characteristics, it has been hypothesized to differentiate the two disorders based on their brain's reward responsiveness to either social or monetary reward. Thus, the present fMRI study investigated neural activation in response to both reward types in age and IQ-matched boys with ADHD versus ASD relative to typically controls (TDC). A significant group by reward type interaction effect emerged in the ventral striatum with greater activation to monetary versus social reward only in TDC, whereas subjects with ADHD responded equally strong to both reward types, and subjects with ASD showed low striatal reactivity across both reward conditions. Moreover, disorder-specific neural abnormalities were revealed, including medial prefrontal hyperactivation in response to social reward in ADHD versus ventral striatal hypoactivation in response to monetary reward in ASD. Shared dysfunction was characterized by fronto-striato-parietal hypoactivation in both clinical groups when money was at stake. Interestingly, lower neu-ral activation within parietal circuitry was associated with higher autistic traits across the entire study sample. In sum, the present findings concur with the assumption that both ASD and ADHD display distinct and shared neural dysfunction in response to reward. There is growing evidence to suggest that motivation deficits contribute to the core clinical symptomatology of both autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) (Taurines et al., 2012). However, the neurobiological mechanisms causing and maintaining these deficits are currently not well understood but they may be divergent among the two disorders. 105 While ASD and ADHD share certain behavioral (e.g., attention deficits), cognitive (e.g., executive dysfunction) and neurobiological characteristics (e.g., fronto-striatal system dysfunction) and exhibit a high rate of co-occurrence (Rommelse et al., 2011), it has been hypothesized to differentiate both disorders at the brain level based on their reward circuitry reactivity to either social or monetary reward, with greatest differences to be expected for social rewards (Kohls et al., 2009a, 2009b). This, however, has not been studied to date. In the case of ADHD, prevailing theories propose that the characteristic symptoms such as inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity may result from dysregulated reward-seeking tendencies, including oversensitivity to reward contingencies as well as an abnormal preference for immediate over delayed rewards (" delay aversion "). This is most likely …
Barriers to the Successful Integration of ICT in Teaching and Learning Environments: A Review of the Literature

The use of ICT in the classroom is very important for providing opportunities for students to learn to operate in an information age. Studying the obstacles to the use of ICT in education may assist educators to overcome these barriers and become successful technology adopters in the future. This paper provides a meta-analysis of the relevant literature that aims to present the perceived barriers to technology integration in science education. The findings indicate that teachers had a strong desire for to integrate ICT into education; but that, they encountered many barriers. The major barriers were lack of confidence, lack of competence, and lack of access to resources. Since confidence, competence and accessibility have been found to be the critical components of technology integration in schools, ICT resources including software and hardware, effective professional development, sufficient time, and technical support need to be provided to teachers. No one component in itself is sufficient to provide good teaching. However, the presence of all components increases the possibility of excellent integration of ICT in learning and teaching opportunities. Generally, this paper provides information and recommendation to those responsible for the integration of new technologies into science education.
Internal Migration in Regions of Germany: A Panel Data Analysis. ENEPRI Working Paper No. 12, September 2002

The objectives of this paper are to examine the traditional determinants of interregional migration between regions of Germany after reunification in 1989. The period considered is 1993-95 as the high average migratory flows of the earlier period, 1989-92, had settled down to a level of about 12000 to 15000 per month by 1993. Wage convergence has taken place much more rapidly than the convergence in unemployment rates between regions of East and West Germany. Due to wage convergence we find that the relationship between regional wage differences and migration is non-linear. For white-collar workers the relationship is U-shaped while for the blue-collar workers, the relationship is inverted U-shape. The explanation for such a relationship lies in the ‘option theory of waiting’ and attitudes towards risk under wage convergence. While housing and infrastructure variables do play an important role at the margin, wage convergence can prevent the loss of human capital from East German regions to West Germany.
An Object-Process-Based Modeling Language for Multiagent Systems

While a number of modeling languages for constructing multiagent systems (MASs) have been suggested, none of them is widely accepted and used. A prominent reason for this is the gap that exists between agent-oriented modeling languages and the agent-based system modeling needs, including accessibility, flexibility, and expressiveness. This paper addresses the need for such a language by proposing object-process methodology (OPM)/MAS, an agent modeling language (AML) that extends OPM with an intermediate metamodel of the MAS domain. Three case studies and a comparison to contemporary AMLs demonstrate the novelty and benefits of OPM/MAS.
Global Methylation and Hydroxymethylation in DNA from Blood and Saliva in Healthy Volunteers

Aims. We describe a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to quantify and compare simultaneously global methylation and hydroxymethylation in human DNA of different tissues. Materials and Methods. Blood and saliva DNA from fourteen volunteers was processed for epigenetic endpoints using LC-MS/MS and PCR-pyrosequencing technology. Results. Global DNA methylation was significantly lower in saliva (mean 4.61% ± 0.80%), compared to blood samples (5.70% ± 0.22%). In contrast, saliva (0.036% ± 0.011%) revealed significantly higher hydroxymethylation compared to blood samples (mean 0.027% ± 0.004%). Whereas we did not find significant correlations for both epigenetic measures between the tissues, a significant association was observed between global methylation and global hydroxymethylation in saliva DNA. Neither LINE-1 nor Alu elements of blood and saliva correlated, nor were they correlated with the DNA hydroxymethylation of blood or saliva, respectively. Conclusion. Global DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation of cytosine can be quantified simultaneously by LC-MS/MS. Saliva DNA cannot be considered as a surrogate for blood DNA to study epigenetic endpoints.
Interactive aggregation and sedimentation of diatoms and clay‐sized lithogenic material

Monospecific diatom cultures (Thalassiosira punctigera and Skeletonema costatum) were incubated in rotating cylinders together with clay suspensions, present in a range of concentrations (5–100 mg kaolinite L−1) and as different minerals (50 mg L−1 kaolinite, smectite, illite, and clayȁ;sized quartz powder). The addition of lithogenic suspensions to diatom cultures accelerated the formation of visible aggregates in the roller tanks by a factor of <3. Aggregate size decreased and density increased proportionally to the amount of kaolinite added to the diatom cultures. In the presence of kaolinite and illite, aggregate sizes were smaller and sinking rates lower than in the presence of smectite and quartz. The influence of lithogenic matter on the sinking velocities of aggregates was ambiguous. Compound aggregates sank faster with increasing amounts of lithogenic matter present in cultures of T. punctigera until a certain ratio between lithogenic and biogenic material was reached; further increasing the amount of lithogenic matter did not increase sinking rates significantly. In contrast, increasing the concentration of kaolinite added to cultures of S. costatum could decrease sinking velocities of the evolving compound aggregates. This nonlinear behavior is argued to be primarily a function of aggregate composition on aggregate sizes and excess densities. Although the possibility of a mutual acceleration of vertical flux of algae and clay is confirmed, the results show that the presence of lithogenic material could also decrease the downward flux of phytoplankton biomass.
Corporate culture : an investigation into the operationalisation of the concept and into divergences between management and staff

Studies on corporate culture are mostly limited to samples drawn from management, and the integrative view of corporate culture as something unique within an organisation still dominates in the literature. Such a unitary stance bears the risk that cultural divergences in corporations remain undetected, thereby limiting the value of research on corporate culture. A further aspect found in the literature is the complexity and variety ascribed to corporate culture, which exacerbates practical implementation of the concept. The operationalisation of the cultural concept is still a prevalent problem not yet completely resolved. This research addresses these two concerns. The researcher conducted this research at Post CH Ltd. The study incorporated the design and implementation of a tailored survey, based on cultural dimensions from the literature, items from Swiss Post’s employee survey, and data from semi-structured qualitative interviews with members of top management. The survey involved employees of Post CH Ltd from all hierarchical levels, selected by proportionate stratified random sampling. The two thirds of the questionnaire recipients who responded could also comment on an optional open question. The researcher then analysed the qualitative and quantitative data in order to discover the degree of alignment on corporate culture. Finally, recommendations were elaborated on how to mitigate the explored divergences between management and employees. This research provides contributions in two distinct areas: first, it demonstrates that the perception of a unitary corporate culture is not always tenable. The researcher found distinctive and statistically significant divergences in corporate culture, as staff in line management positions are considerably more positive in their perception of corporate culture compared to employees without management responsibilities. Using content analysis, the researcher further discovered divergences in the perception of corporate culture between top management and employees. Second, it demonstrated the successful operationalisation of corporate culture research into practical application, by offering a thorough, concrete, specific, and tailored approach, contributing to a more practitioner friendly usage of the concept of corporate culture. The methods used here can be applied to other organisations in a similar way. Keywords: Corporate culture; organisational culture; cultural divergences; cultural fit; organisational change; organisational performance; Swiss Post; Post CH Ltd.
THE 'EUROPEANIZATION' OF THE COMMON ROAD SAFETY POLICY: AN ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS

The 2001 White Paper and its development in the 3rd European Road Safety Action Program, represent a turning point in the history of the European Road Safety Policy. The possible determinants of the road mortality in the EU over (2000-2009) are examined using a panel data. Our main finding is the negative effect and statistical significance of the Europeanization variable (the number of years that a country has been in the EU). By this variable, we test the effectiveness of EU programs to save lives in road accidents according to the years that each country has been in the EU.
Pitch-Range Perception: The Dynamic Interaction Between Voice Quality and Fundamental Frequency

Effective pitch-range normalization is important to uncover intended linguistic pitch targets in continuous speech. Our previous study demonstrated that voice quality plays a role in pitch-range perception: “tense voice”, implemented as stimuli with spectral balance tilted towards higher frequency, was perceived as higher in pitch. This psychoacoustic effect is consistent with the co-variation between pitch and tense voice in production. However, a spectral balance tilted towards higher frequency is also one of the properties of creaky voice, which is often associated with low pitch in production. Therefore, this raises the possibility that manipulating the f0 range of the stimuli or changing the sex of the speaker of the stimuli can reverse the direction of the shift. This current study replicates the previous experiment with the same forcedchoice pitch classification experiment with four spectral conditions, but uses a female voice to create the stimuli. In addition, two f0 ranges are used in the current experiments, which resemble the lower range and the higher range of a female voice. Overall, the results show that spectral balance interacts with f0 range: the presence of voice quality cues affect the perception of pitch range; but, the spectrum with greater energy in the high-frequency range can be interpreted as either creaky or tense depending on the f0 range. This current study enriches our understanding of the interaction between voice quality and pitch.
Penalty Constraints and Kernelization of M-Estimation Based Fuzzy C-Means

A framework of M-estimation based fuzzy C-means clustering (MFCM) algorithm is proposed with iterative reweighted least squares (IRLS) algorithm, and penalty constraint and kernelization extensions of MFCM algorithms are also developed. Introducing penalty information to the object functions of MFCM algorithms, the spatially constrained fuzzy C-means (SFCM) is extended to penalty constraints MFCM algorithms(abbr. pMFCM). Substituting the Euclidean distance with kernel method, the MFCM and pMFCM algorithms are extended to kernelized MFCM (abbr. KMFCM) and kernelized pMFCM (abbr.pKMFCM) algorithms. The performances of MFCM, pMFCM, KMFCM and pKMFCM algorithms are evaluated in three tasks: pattern recognition on 10 standard data sets from UCI Machine Learning databases, noise image segmentation performances on a synthetic image, a magnetic resonance brain image (MRI), and image segmentation of a standard images from Berkeley Segmentation Dataset and Benchmark. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithms in pattern recognition and image segmentation.