Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in snowpack accumulation and ablation in the intermountain west

Recent observations have documented declining snow water equivalent (SWE) and earlier melt in the coastal Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, and climate models suggest that warming temperatures will decrease snowpack storage in the higher‐elevation mountain ranges of interior western North America. To date, however, observations of changing SWE or snowmelt have been limited to the state of Colorado in the intermountain west (IMW), defined here as the Rio Grande, Colorado River, and Great Basins, which supply water to the driest regions of North America. We used daily SNOTEL data collected between 1984 and 2009 combined with the nonparametric regional Kendall test to demonstrate significant and widespread changes in the duration of snow cover in these river basins. Daily SNOTEL data demonstrated that basin average maximum SWE occurred as early as 7 March (Lower Colorado River Basin) and as late as 13 April (Upper Colorado, Yampa, and White River Basins). Although significant increases in winter temperature (T) were widespread, there were minimal changes in the day of maximum accumulation and no indications from SWE to winter precipitation ratios (SWE:P) and winter T observations that a transition from snow to rain had occurred. While there was little change in day of maximum accumulation, the duration of snow cover decreased in 11 of 13 drainage regions, and snowmelt center of mass (SM50) advanced 1 to 4 days per decade in 6 of 13 regions. There were significant trends toward a faster SM50 and shorter duration of snow cover in the highest‐elevation regions (>2800 m) of the Colorado River Basin, suggesting that winter T and P may not be the primary driver of change. Our results show that the IMW hydroclimate is both spatially and temporally variable, with few changes in winter T and P in the Great Basin and drier and warmer winters in the Colorado River and Rio Grande Basins. The changes in snowmelt timing also were variable, with a shorter SM50 and less maximum SWE in the Colorado River and Rio Grande Basins. The variable response of snowpacks in the IMW to widespread warming highlights the need for additional research into the mass and energy balance of these continental snowpacks.
Social Media – Is It Worth The Trouble?

Marketing environment has changed due to the advent of the internet, the subsequent globalization and the hence ensuing greater competition. These environmental dynamics cause serious challenges for marketers. First, a strong marketing orientation is more important than ever to promote products and services successfully. It is also essential for engaging with customers, and for building brand recognition. Second, new channels, such as social media platforms, are added to the traditional marketing channels. Third, the pressure on marketing managers to justify their marketing allocation and spending is rising. To support managers in their marketing investment decisions, measurement metrics have become indispensable. Based on an investigation of recent studies and public sources this paper presents various approaches to marketing measurement metrics, especially social media marketing metrics.
Retarded Electromagnetic Interaction and Symmetry Violation of Time Reversal in High Order Stimulated Radiation and Absorption Processes of Lights as well as Nonlinear Optics - Influence on Fundamental Theory of Laser and Non-Equilibrium Statistical Physi

Based on the perturbation method of quantum mechanics and retarded electromagnetic interaction, it is proved that the transition probabilities of light’s high order stimulated radiation and absorption are not the same [1]. It indicates that the processes of light’s stimulated radiation and absorption as well as nonlinear optics violate time reversal symmetry actually, although the motion equation of quantum mechanics and the interaction Hamiltonian are still invariable. This result can be used to solve the famous irreversibility paradox in the evolution processes of macro-systems which has puzzled physics community for a long time.
Expectations and Exchange Rate Dynamics

The paper develops a theory of exchange rate movements under perfect capital mobility, a slow adjustment of goods markets relative to asset markets, and consistent expectations. The perfect foresight path is derived and it is shown that along that along that path a monetary expansion causes the exchange rate to depreciate. An initial overshooting of exchange rates is shown to derive from differential adjustment speed of markets. The magnitude and persistence of the overshooting is developed in terms of the structural parameters of the model. To the extent that output responds to a monetary expansion in the short run, this acts a a dampening effect on exchange depreciation and may, in fact, lead to an increase in interest rates.
Concrete vaulting in Imperial Rome : A structural analysis of the Great Hall of Trajan ’ s Markets

The Great Hall of the Trajan’s Markets in Rome is the oldest surviving example of a cross vaulted structure built entirely in Roman pozzolanic concrete (opus caementicium.) The Finite Element method is used to investigate the structural behavior of the Great Hall under static gravitational loads and with the assumption of Roman concrete behaving as a linearly elastic material. The results of the analysis are in excellent agreement with the observable fracture patterns in the vault and in the lateral arches. The study shows that, contrary to the commonly held view in the literature, the lateral arches do not perform any contrasting action due to incorrect positioning. However, the structural skeleton of the Great Hall, characterized by the innovative use of lateral arches, shear walls, and supporting travertine blocks, can be regarded as the earliest prototype of the structural solution adopted for the design of gigantic concrete vaults.
Assessment of the Impact of a Hygiene on Environmental Sanitation, Childhood Diarrhoea, and the Growth of Children in Rural Bangladesh

A community-based hygiene intervention was developed and implemented in five villages of lowland Bangladesh with the active participation of members of the target group, with the objective of reducing childhood diarrhoea by altering ground sanitation and personal and food hygiene practices such as the washing of hands with ash before handling food and after defecation-related activities, cutting fingernails, removing faeces from the child's body and from the yard, using tube-well water for preparing baby food, and reducing supplementary feeding contamination by proper cleaning of bottles or avoiding bottle-feeding. The project area, typical of Bangladesh, was selected because of its pour hygiene and sanitation conditions and its high rates of diarrhoea and malnutrition. Households with children 0–18 months old in five contiguous villages were targeted for the intervention. Households with children in the same age range in a comparison (control) site selected for observational study without intervention were exposed to about the same amount of contact with the researchers. Baseline surveys of the subset of households with children 9–18 months old were conducted at the control site in July 1985 and at the intervention site in September. The intervention activities were carried out from January to July 1986. A final survey was conducted at both sites in August 1986, using the same questionnaire as for the baseline survey and the children who were then in the same age range, 9–18 months. Both sites had higher cleanliness scores, lower diarrhoeal morbidity, and better growth status at the end of the study period, but the improvement was greater at the intervention site. The effect at the control site may be attributed to the intensive observation exposures, mothers’ education, and socio-economic conditions of the households, whereas the intervention site effects were most likely due to the intervention activities. For evaluation of the effect of interventions, the repeat cross-sectional survey may be adequate for measuring relatively stable outcomes such as knowledge and practices, as well as cumulative growth status, but inadequate for fluctuating morbidity.
Applications of Hyperbolic Metamaterial Substrates

We review the properties of hyperbolic metamaterials and show that they are promising candidates as substrates for nanoimaging, nanosensing, fluorescence engineering, and controlling thermal emission. Hyperbolic metamaterials can support unique bulk modes, tunable surface plasmon polaritons, and surface hyperbolic states (Dyakonov plasmons) that can be used for a variety of applications. We compare the effective medium predictions with practical realizations of hyperbolic metamaterials to show their potential for radiative decay engineering, bioimaging, subsurface sensing, metaplasmonics, and super-Planckian thermal emission.
Deducing Multidecadal Anthropogenic Global Warming Trends Using Multiple Regression Analysis

AbstractTo unmask the anthropogenic global warming trend imbedded in the climate data, multiple linear regression analysis is often employed to filter out short-term fluctuations caused by El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), volcano aerosols, and solar forcing. These fluctuations are unimportant as far as their impact on the deduced multidecadal anthropogenic trends is concerned: ENSO and volcano aerosols have very little multidecadal trend. Solar variations do have a secular trend, but it is very small and uncertain. What is important, but is left out of all multiple regression analysis of global warming so far, is a long-period oscillation called the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO). When the AMO index is included as a regressor (i.e., explanatory variable), the deduced multidecadal anthropogenic global warming trend is so impacted that previously deduced anthropogenic warming rates need to be substantially revised. The deduced net anthropogenic global warming trend has been remarkably steady an.
Genistin and quinolizidine alkaloid induction in L. angustifolius aerial parts in response to mechanical damage

Lupinus species are commonly used as annual forage and for grain production. They are considered alternative crops to soybean due to their adaptation to cool environments and dry soils. The present study is an analysis of the chemical changes coming from biomass removal in a sweet genotype of Lupinus angustifolius. Mechanical damage induced significant increases in antioxidant activity (12.4%), as well as in flavonoid and phenolic content (36.6% and 12.0%, respectively). This sweet lupin also exhibited a higher induced response (68.2%) in the alkaloid content after the damage. These same alkaloids were identified in the control samples and all of them, except lupanine, showed higher relative abundances in response to mechanical damage. Traces of α-isolupanine were detected in control samples and showed a 23.5-fold increase in response to biomass removal. Mechanical damage also produced a striking increase (8.6-fold) in relative abundance of genistin.
Phenol Toxicity Affecting Hematological Changes in Cat Fish (Clarius lazera)

Phenol and phenolic compounds are xenobiotics stressful environmental factors to which fish and animals are subjected to, and have become environmental problem due to anthropogenic impact on the environment The present study aimed to investigate the effect of phenol pollution on fish with special reference to the hematological, immunological, serum biochemical parameters, where fifty healthy Clarius lazera fish were divided into 3 groups. Fish of gp1 served as a control. Fish of gp. 2 & 3 were used for the determination of acute lethal concentration dose and the pathological effect of Phenol on the exposed fish. Blood samples were collected to obtain serum for biochemical studies and heparinized blood for hematological investigations. RBCs, Hb, HCt, and MCHC showed significant elevations, the serum GPT and GOT were increased significantly. L.D. H, glucose and cortisol were elevated, while serum cholesterol concentration was reduced significantly in high tem30 o C.
Using the DRM false memory recall paradigm to investigate hemispheric asymmetry and sex differences

The purpose of this study was to replicate that of Ito’s (2001) in which hemispheric asymmetry was explored using a false recognition and list learning paradigm to induce high levels of false recall for semantically related, but non-studied, critical words. The experiment replicated that of Ito’s in that it showed that the correct response rate for studied words and critical non-studied was significantly higher when the words were presented to the (rvf)-LH than when presented to the (lvf)-RH. As with Ito we discuss a model of fine semantic coding for the LH and coarse semantic coding to the RH to explain the results and asked whether the model was sufficient to explain this pattern of verbal memory recall. Furthermore, as increasing research has provided evidence that sex differences may provide a bearing upon verbal memory recall skills, we divided our 32 subjects evenly between both sexes. Although sex differences were not significant overall, which may be due to a low number of subjects tested, descriptive statistics showed that women generally had a higher correct recall of studied words, performing at a similar level to men in the LH but excelling in recall of studied words in the RH. However, women also falsely recalled the critical non-studied words in the RH more than men and this result did turn out to be significant. These results are also discussed under the coarse and fine coding model along with the idea that sex differences fall along a continuum related to the sex of an individual’s brain rather than their outward biological gender.
Characteristics of MSX1 gene in Korean nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate individuals

Research Grant. most common congenital malformation in the head and neck region. The prevalence of CL/P varies depending on racial and ethnic backgrounds, geographic origin, and socioeconomic status. Its occurrence ranges from high prevalence in Native Americans (2.61 per 1,000) and Asians (2.02 per 1,000) to intermediate in Caucasians (1.45 per 1,000) and low in Blacks (0.61 per 1,000). According to Kim et al, the incidence of CL/P in Korean subjects was 1.81 per 1,000 live births. There are more than 300 described syndromes that have a CL/P among their associated characteristics. Most CL/P are of the nonsyndromic type that does not accompany syndromes, and this nonsyndromic type is known to affect as much as 70% of the whole CL/P Characteristics of MSX1 gene in Korean nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate individuals
Estimating the climate significance of halogen-driven ozone loss in the tropical marine troposphere

Abstract. We have integrated observations of tropospheric ozone, very short-lived (VSL) halocarbons and reactive iodine and bromine species from a wide variety of tropical data sources with the global CAM-Chem chemistry-climate model and offline radiative transfer calculations to compute the contribution of halogen chemistry to ozone loss and associated radiative impact in the tropical marine troposphere. The inclusion of tropospheric halogen chemistry in CAM-Chem leads to an annually averaged depletion of around 10% (~2.5 Dobson units) of the tropical tropospheric ozone column, with largest effects in the middle to upper troposphere. This depletion contributes approximately −0.10 W m−2 to the radiative flux at the tropical tropopause. This negative flux is of similar magnitude to the ~0.33 W m−2 contribution of tropospheric ozone to present-day radiative balance as recently estimated from satellite observations. We find that the implementation of oceanic halogen sources and chemistry in climate models is an important component of the natural background ozone budget and we suggest that it needs to be considered when estimating both preindustrial ozone baseline levels and long term changes in tropospheric ozone.
Tree age distributions in old-growth forest sites in Vienansalo wilderness, eastern Fennoscandia

The age and size of trees was sampled and measured on eight sample plots (0.2 ha each) within a Pinus sylvestris -dominated boreal forest landscape in Vienansalo wilderness, Russian Karelia. The fi re history of these plots was obtained from a previous dendrochronological study. All the studied sample plots showed a wide and uneven distribution of tree ages, but the shape of the age distributions of trees as well as tree species composition varied substantially. Trees over 250 years of age occurred in every studied plot, despite its small size. This suggests that old Pinus were common and rather evenly distributed in the landscape matrix. The oldest Pinus tree was 525 years of age. The correlations between tree age and size were often weak or even nil. In Pinus the correlation between age and diameter was stronger than that between age and height. In the dominant tree species Pinus and Picea, the largest trees were not the oldest trees. The tree age distributions together with the fi re history data indicated that the past fi res have not been stand replacing, as many of the older Pinus had survived even several fi res. Tree age classes that had regenerated after the last fi re were most abundant and dominated by Picea and/or deciduous trees, while the trees established before the last fi re were almost exclusively Pinus. The results suggest that periodic occurrence of fi re is important for the maintenance of the Pinus-dominated landscape. This is because fi re kills most Picea and deciduous trees and at the same time enhances conditions for Pinus regeneration, facilitated by available seed from the continuous presence of old fi re-tolerant Pinus trees.
Fabrication of polyimide based microfluidic channels for biosensor devices

The ever-increasing complexity of the fabrication process of Point-of-care (POC) devices, due to high demand of functional versatility, compact size and ease-of-use, emphasizes the need of multifunctional materials that can be used to simplify this process. Polymers, currently in use for the fabrication of the often needed microfluidic channels, have limitations in terms of their physicochemical properties. Therefore, the use of a multipurpose biocompatible material with better resistance to the chemical, thermal and electrical environment, along with capability of forming closed channel microfluidics is inevitable. This paper demonstrates a novel technique of fabricating microfluidic devices using polyimide (PI) which fulfills the aforementioned properties criteria. A fabrication process to pattern microfluidic channels, using partially cured PI, has been developed by using a dry etching method. The etching parameters are optimized and compared to those used for fully cured PI. Moreover, the formation of closed microfluidic channel on wafer level by bonding two partially cured PI layers or a partially cured PI to glass with high bond strength has been demonstrated. The reproducibility in uniformity of PI is also compared to the most commonly used SU8 polymer, which is a near UV sensitive epoxy resin. The potential applications of PI processing are POC and biosensor devices integrated with microelectronics.
Theory of the dynamical Casimir effect in nonideal cavities with time-dependent parameters

This is a brief review of the recent progress in the theory of dynamical (non-stationary) Casimir effect in non-ideal cavities and of existing proposals to observe this effect in a laboratory, with an emphasis on the experiment which is under preparation in the University of Padua. The main idea of this experiment is to simulate periodical displacements of the cavity wall by periodical strong changes of conductivity of a thin semiconductor slab illuminated by picosecond laser pulses. In this connection the theory of quantum damped oscillator with arbitrary time dependence of the frequency and damping coefficient has been developed in order to take into account intrinsic losses in the semiconductor slab due to a finite conductivity during the intermediate part of the excitation-recombination cycle. The influence of different parameters, such as the diffusion and mobility coefficients of carriers, surface recombination velocity, absorption coefficient of laser radiation, thickness of the slab and geometry of the cavity, is analysed. Analytical and numerical evaluations show that under realistic experimental conditions, several thousand of quanta of EM field ('Casimir photons') could be produced from the initial vacuum state in a high-quality cavity at the lowest resonance frequency 2.5 GHz.
The Thrill of the Deal : Quantifying the Price of Perceived Discounts and Markups

I investigate the role of transaction utility on consumers’ purchasing behavior. I designed two laboratory paradigms to mirror shopping experiences using discounts and mark-ups (Study 1) and coupons (Study 2). In my experiments, participants purchase virtual goods, allowing me to isolate transactional utility from inferences of product quality. Results reveal that consumers experience transactional utility even over these virtual goods, and will sacrifice monetary payoffs for transaction utility. Participants gain utility from perceived discounts, disutility from perceived mark-ups, and utility from using more of a coupon. My estimates suggest consumers are willing to pay 37-57 cents to use an extra dollar of a coupon and 37-78 cents to avoid a dollar of perceived mark-up. These estimates suggests a large relevance for transaction utility across a wide array of consumer decisions and purchasing behavior.
Do Creditor Rights Increase Employment Risk? Evidence from Debt Covenants

This paper studies whether financial contracts exacerbate or mitigate agency conflicts among stakeholders. We consider a specific contractual provision, debt covenants, and examine how, by allocating control rights between shareholders and debtholders, debt covenants affect the employment relationship. We analyze the role of covenants in both public (bonds) and private (loans) debt contracts. For public debt covenants, we estimate dynamic employment equations and find a significant negative effect of leverage on employment only for firms with relatively high covenant protection. For private debt covenants, we use a regression discontinuity design and document sizable job cuts following a covenant violation. Overall, these findings suggest that creditor rights increase employment risk. As such, they complement the recent literature on financial covenants by showing that covenants affect a broader set of operating decisions than previously recognized. Moreover, the results contribute to our understanding of the consequences of the allocation of control rights within the firm by identifying a specific risk-shifting channel from debtholders to employees.