Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Improved Canopy Integration Scheme for a Land Surface Model with Prognostic Canopy Structure

Abstract A new logical framework relating the structural and functional characteristics of a vegetation canopy is presented, based on the hypothesis that the ratio of leaf area to leaf mass (specific leaf area) varies linearly with overlying leaf area index within the canopy. Measurements of vertical gradients in specific leaf area and leaf carbon:nitrogen ratio for five species (two deciduous and three evergreen) in a temperate climate support this hypothesis. This new logic is combined with a two-leaf (sunlit and shaded) canopy model to arrive at a new canopy integration scheme for use in the land surface component of a climate system model. An inconsistency in the released model radiation code is identified and corrected. Also introduced here is a prognostic canopy model with coupled carbon and nitrogen cycle dynamics. The new scheme is implemented within the Community Land Model and tested in both diagnostic and prognostic canopy modes. The new scheme increases global gross primary production by 66% (.
Extent of surgery in chronic rhinosinusitis: primarily focused on nasal polyposis

Background: The prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is estimated at around 4% in general population. The population-based studies using rhinoendoscopy have demonstrated the prevalence of nasal polyposis, with values ranging from 0.5 to 2.7%.
Investigating Customer Resistance to Change in Transaction Relationship with an Internet Vendor

Many academics and practitioners have reiterated the importance of online customer retention to ensure long-term profitability. Consequently, a number of studies have identified various means of customer retention. These studies lay significant emphasis on creating customer loyalty. However, retaining customers, especially in the context of Internet shopping, is very difficult because of the low costs in comparison and switching. Most of the loyalty programs have also shown disappointing results. This study suggests that by tapping on an individual customer’s inclination to resist changes in a transaction relationship, an Internet vendor can achieve customer retention. Using status quo bias theory, this study examines customer resistance to change (CRC) as a means of retaining customers in a transaction relationship with the Internet vendor. The empirical study of an Internet bookstore reveals that trust, relative attractiveness, and switching costs together influence CRC. The empirical results also show that CRC and switching costs have positive effects on willingness to pay more. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. C
Heterogeneity in Karakoram glacier surges

Many Karakoram glaciers periodically undergo surges during which large volumes of ice and debris are rapidly transported downglacier, usually at a rate of 1–2 orders of magnitude greater than during quiescence. Here we identify eight recent surges in the region and map their surface velocities using cross‐correlation feature tracking on optical satellite imagery. In total, we present 44 surface velocity data sets, which show that Karakoram surges are generally short‐lived, lasting between 3 and 5 years in most cases, and have rapid buildup and relaxation phases, often lasting less than a year. Peak velocities of up to 2 km a−1 are reached during summer months, and the surges tend to diminish during winter months. Otherwise, they do not follow a clearly identifiable pattern. In two of the surges, the peak velocity travels down‐ice through time as a wave, which we interpret as a surge front. Three other surges are characterized by high velocities that occur simultaneously across the entire glacier surface, and acceleration and deceleration are close to monotonic. There is also no consistent seasonal control on surge initiation or termination. We suggest that the differing styles of surge can be partly accounted for by individual glacier configurations and that while some characteristics of Karakoram surges are akin to thermally controlled surges elsewhere (e.g., Svalbard), the dominant surge mechanism remains unclear. We thus propose that these surges represent a spectrum of flow instabilities and the processes controlling their evolution may vary on a glacier by glacier basis.
The Effect of Using Video Games on EFL Learners' Acquisition of Speech Acts of Apology and Request

This article presents a discussion about the inclusion of video game based pragmatic competence instruction as a facilitative tool to develop interlanguage pragmatic competence of Iranian EFL learners' acquisition of speech acts of apology and request. The question this article is intended to answer includes: whether using video game as a facilitative tool for developing interlanguage pragmatic competence have any effect on EFL learners’ acquisition of speech acts of apology and request or not. To answer this question, 40 Iranian intermediate EFL learners were selected via administering the Oxford Placement Test (OPT). Following the Jianda Liu pragmatic competence test (2004) that made test of apology and request speech acts were administered as the pre-test before the targeted speech acts were instructed to them for 8 sessions. The post-test of apology and request speech acts were then administered and data were analyzed via calculating ANCOVA and Mann-Whitney U test. The results indicated that the video game-based instructed EFL classroom showed positive progress in acquisition of apology and request speech acts.
Contribution of Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Admissions Measures to Pharm.D. Applicant Admission

Background: Recent literature reviews have highlighted the need for more quantitative measures of non-cognitive behavior that, coupled with cognitive measures, can inform a holistic Pharmacy admissions process to train expert clinical practitioners in patient-centered care in an inter-professional collaborative practice environment. The present investigation was a retrospective analysis of cognitive (science GPAs, PCAT composite scores) and non-cognitive (professional development ratings (RATE), and multiple mini-interview scores (MMI)) variables to determine how these metrics could contribute to an effective admissions process in a Pharm.D. program. Methods: Analyses were conducted with de-identified data from applicants to a Pharm.D program during the 2015 and 2016 application cycles. Professional ratings (RATE) were developed by the college’s admissions committee and had been used effectively since 2010. MMI scenarios were initially obtained from a set developed by ProFitHR and then adapted for the US health care system and pharmacy by a scenario implementation team that was part of the MMI task force. A two-part screening system was utilized in which step 1 included GPA, PCAT and RATE to determine those individuals invited for interviews and step 2 included these plus the MMI score in a holistic review process. A final composite z-score, calculated as the arithmetic mean of the z-scores for GPA, PCAT, RATE and MMI was calculated and used to rank the interviewed applicants. This ranking was used as a check during admissions meetings and as a way to determine the order in which applications were discussed. Data were obtained from a total of 235 applicants who were interviewed in 2015 and 207 applicants who were interviewed in 2016. Data were analyzed by logistic regression. Exempt status was approved by the IRB. Results: All four admissions variables showed significant overlap in relation to offers of admission along with discrimination between applicants receiving offers and those not receiving offers. There was less overlap for the MMI scores between applicants receiving offers and those not receiving offers. Logistic regression demonstrated that GPA, PCAT, RATE and MMI were all important predictors of admission. Conclusions: Together, the results suggest that a 2-step admissions process consisting of a step 1 using cognitive and non-cognitive admissions measures refined by a step 2 with more advanced non-cognitive measures yields a balance of predictors to be used by admissions committees.
The El Niño–Southern Oscillation and wetland methane interannual variability

Global measurements of atmospheric methane (CH4) concentrations continue to show large interannual variability whose origin is only partly understood. Here we quantify the influence of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on wetland CH4 emissions, which are thought to be the dominant contributor to interannual variability of the CH4 sources. We use a simple wetland CH4 model that captures variability in wetland extent and soil carbon to model the spatial and temporal dynamics of wetland CH4 emissions from 1950–2005 and compare these results to an ENSO index. We are able to explain a large fraction of the global and tropical variability in wetland CH4 emissions through correlation with the ENSO index. We find that repeated El Niño events throughout the 1980s and 1990s were a contributing factor towards reducing CH4 emissions and stabilizing atmospheric CH4 concentrations. An increase in emissions from the boreal region would likely strengthen the feedback between ENSO and interannual variability in global wetland CH4 emissions. Our analysis emphasizes that climate variability has a significant impact on wetland CH4 emissions, which should be taken into account when considering future trends in CH4 sources.
Ecology and Control of an Introduced Population of Southern Watersnakes (Nerodia fasciata) in Southern California

Abstract: Native to the southeastern United States, Southern Watersnakes (Nerodia fasciata) are known from two sites in California, but their ecological impacts are poorly understood. We investigated the ecology of Southern Watersnakes in Machado Lake, Harbor City, Los Angeles County, California, including an assessment of control opportunities. We captured 306 watersnakes as a result of aquatic trapping and hand captures. We captured snakes of all sizes (162–1063 mm snout–vent length [SVL], 3.5–873.3 g), demonstrating the existence of a well-established population. The smallest reproductive female was 490 mm SVL and females contained 12–46 postovulatory embryos (mean = 21). Small watersnakes largely consumed introduced Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), while larger snakes specialized on larval and metamorph American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) and Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus). Overall capture per unit effort (CPUE) in traps declined with time during an intensive 76-d trapping bout, but CPUE trends varied considerably among traplines and it is unlikely that the overall decline in CPUE represented a major decrease in the snake population size. Although we found no direct evidence that Southern Watersnakes are affecting native species in Machado Lake, this population may serve as a source for intentional or unintentional transportation of watersnakes to bodies of water containing imperiled native prey species or potential competitors.
GEOSTATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF SOME SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES USING COLLOCATED COKRIGING FOR ABO-MONQAR VILLAGE , FARAFRA OASIS

Measuring available water (AW) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) within a landscape are important because there are key attributes controlling water budget which is important for the agricultural production and transport processes in the soil. Estimation of these attributes at an acceptable level of accuracy is important, especially in the case when they exhibit high variability, since their measurements are a timeand labor-consuming procedure. This study was conducted to evaluate and compare kriging and cokriging to estimate AW and Ks using clay content data on 2147-ha of sand to sandy clay loam soils. Kriging techniques rely on the spatial dependence between observations to predict attribute values at unsampled locations. Cokriging on the other hand, utilizes the spatial correlation between two variables to map the primary one, which is under-sampled, using information content of the secondary variable. Collocated cokriging is used when the primary and the secondary variables are sampled at the same location. The present study aimed for applying collocated cokriging to map topsoil AW and Ks (primary variable) measured in 26 samples, using the information content of topsoil clay (secondary variable) measured in 46 samples. Topsoil AW ranged between 33.52 and 127.34 mm m -1 with a mean of 71.54 mm m -1 and Ks ranged from 0.11 to 5.17 md -1 with a mean of 2.52 md -1 , whereas topsoil clay varied from 0.80 to 20.20 % with a mean of 7.25 %. The correlation coefficients, (r), between J.Agric. &Env.Sci.Alex.Univ.,Egypt Vol.5 (3)2006 78 clay and AW and Ks were 0.94 and -0.93 respectively, and, therefore, helped estimation of AW and Ks values at unobserved locations and satisfies the most important criteria for carrying out cokriging. The fitted semivariogram for clay and AW were Spherical, were it was Gaussian for Ks. The cross-semivariogram between clay, AW and Ks were Exponential. The cokriged spatial distribution of topsoil AW and Ks were mapped and compared to kriged AW and Ks. The cokriging results were cross-validated and the standard error of estimation was lower in cokriging than in kriging. The study showed the superiority of cokriging upon kriging as a spatial mapping method, especially if the primary variable is under-sampled.
Local ability to rewire and socioeconomic performance

The paper examines the effects of three groups of factors (county economic structure, social/demographic attributes and geography) on employment growth and poverty change in US counties before and after the Great Recession. It finds that the industrial structure that facilitates inter-industry employee flows (“rewiring”) is of increasing importance post-Recession. In particular, this measure is associated with employment growth in under-performing counties suggesting that removing barriers to the flow of resources within lagging economies and increasing their adaptability potential might be a viable policy option.
Fermionic superoperators for zero-temperature nonlinear transport: Real-time perturbation theory and renormalization group for Anderson quantum dots

We study the transport through a strongly interacting Anderson quantum dot at zero-temperature using the real-time renormalization group (RT-RG) in the framework of a kinetic equation for the reduced density operator. We further develop the general finite temperature real-time transport formalism by introducing field superoperators that obey fermionic statistics. This direct second quantization in Liouville-Fock space strongly simplifies the construction of operators and superoperators which transform irreducibly under the Anderson-model symmetry transformations. The fermionic field superoperators naturally arise from the univalence (fermion-parity) superselection rule for the total system. Expressed in these field superoperators, the causal structure of the perturbation theory for the effective time-evolution superoperator-kernel becomes explicit. The causal structure also implies the existence of a fermion-parity protected eigenvector of the exact Liouvillian, explaining a recently reported result on adiabatic driving [Phys. Rev. B 85, 075301 (2012)] and generalizing it to arbitrary order in the tunnel coupling. Furthermore, in the WBL the causal representation exponentially reduces the number of diagrams for the time-evolution kernel. We perform a complete 2-loop RG analysis at finite voltage and magnetic field, while systematically accounting for the dependence on both the quantum dot and reservoir frequencies. Using the second quantization in Liouville-space and symmetry restrictions we obtain analytical RT-RG equations with an efficient numerical solution and we extensively study the model parameter space, excluding the Kondo regime. The incorporated renormalization effects result in an enhancement of the inelastic cotunneling peak. Moreover, we find a tunnel-induced non-linearity of the stability diagrams at finite voltage, both in the SET and ICT regime.
The Trend is Our Friend: Risk Parity, Momentum and Trend Following in Global Asset Allocation

We examine applying a trend following methodology to global asset allocation between equities, bonds, commodities and real estate. This strategy offers substantial improvement in risk-adjusted performance compared to buy-and-hold portfolios and a superior method of asset allocation than risk parity. We believe the discipline of trend following overcomes many of the behavioural biases investors succumb to, such as regret and herding, and offers a solution to the inappropriate sequence of returns which can be problematic for decumulation portfolios. The other side of behavioural biases is that they may be exploited by investors: an example is momentum investing where herding leads to continuation of returns and has been identified across many assets. Momentum and trend following differ as the former is a relative concept and the latter absolute. Combining both can achieve the higher return levels associated with momentum portfolios with much reduced volatility and drawdowns due to trend following. Measures based on utility of a representative investor reinforce the superiority of combining trend following with momentum strategies. These techniques help address the sequencing of returns issue which can be a serious issue for financial planning.
Interactive Search and Exploration in Social Multimedia Networks

In this thesis we present a novel interactive multimodal learning system which facilitates search and exploration in large networks of social multimedia users. The system allows the analyst to identify and select users of interest, and to find similar users in an interactive learning setting. Our approach is based on novel multimodal representations of users, words and concepts, which we simultaneously learn by deploying a general-purpose neural embedding model. We show these representations to be useful not only for categorizing users, but also for automatically generating user and community profiles. Inspired by traditional summarization approaches, we create the profiles by selecting diverse and representative content from all the different modalities (i.e. text, image and user modality). The usefulness of the system is evaluated using artificial actors, which simulate user behavior in a relevance feedback scenario. Multiple experiments were conducted in order to evaluate the quality of our multimodal representations, to compare different embedding strategies, and to determine the importance of different modalities. We demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed system on two different multimedia collections originating from the violent online extremism forum Stormfront and the microblogging platform Twitter, which are particularly interesting due to the high semantic level of the discussions they feature.
The Level of Stress , Anxiety and Depression in Mothers of Autistic , Down Syndrome and Typical Development Children in Albania

Having a child is a very big responsibility. It often happens that mothers, especially when they have their first child, feel stressed and incompetent in their role as parent even when their child is typically developed. The purpose of this article is to compare the level of stress, anxiety and depression among mothers who have children with autism spectrum disorder and mothers who have children with Down syndrome having like group control mothers of children who have typical development. In this study participated a group of mothers with children who have autism (n = 30), mothers of children with Down syndrome (n = 30) and mothers who have children with typical development (n = 30). The conclusion of the study is that mothers of children with Down syndrome have higher level of stress, anxiety and depression than mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder and mothers who have children with typical development.
Controls on the basal water pressure in subglacial channels near the margin of the Greenland ice sheet

Abstract Assuming a channelized drainage system in steady state, we investigate the influence of enhanced surface melting on the water pressure in subglacial channels, compared to that of changes in conduit geometry, ice rheology and catchment variations. The analysis is carried out for a specific part of the western Greenland ice-sheet margin between 66° N and 66°30′N using new high-resolution digital elevation models of the subglacial topography and the ice-sheet surface, based on an airborne ice-penetrating radar survey in 2003 and satellite repeat-track interferometric synthetic aperture radar analysis of European Remote-sensing Satellite 1 and 2 (ERS-1/-2) imagery, respectively. The water pressure is calculated up-glacier along a likely subglacial channel at distances of 1, 5 and 9 km from the outlet at the ice margin, using a modified version of Röthlisberger’s equation. Our results show that for the margin of the western Greenland ice sheet, the water pressure in subglacial channels is not sensitive to realistic variations in catchment size and mean surface water input compared to small changes in conduit geometry and ice rheology.
Interpreting the photometry and spectroscopy of directly imaged planets: a new atmospheric model applied to β Pictoris b and SPHERE observations

Context. Since the end of 2013 a new generation of instruments optimized to image young giant planets around nearby stars directly is becoming available on 8-m class telescopes, both at Very Large Telescope and Gemini in the southern hemisphere. Beyond the achievement of high contrast and the discovery capability, these instruments are designed to obtain photometric and spectral information to characterize the atmospheres of these planets. Aims. We aim to interpret future photometric and spectral measurements from these instruments, in terms of physical parameters of the planets, with an atmospheric model using a minimal number of assumptions and parameters. Methods. We developed the Exoplanet Radiative-convective Equilibrium Model (Exo-REM) to analyze the photometric and spectroscopic data of directly imaged planets. The input parameters are a planet’s surface gravity (g), effective temperature (Teff), and elemental composition. The model predicts the equilibrium temperature profile and mixing ratio profiles of the most important gases. Opacity sources include the H2-He collision-induced absorption and molecular lines from eight compounds (including CH4 updated with the Exomol line list). Absorption by iron and silicate cloud particles is added above the expected condensation levels with a fixed scale height and a given optical depth at some reference wavelength. Scattering was not included at this stage. Results. We applied Exo-REM to photometric and spectral observations of the planet β Pictoris b obtained in a series of near-infrared filters. We derived Teff = 1550 ± 150 K, log(g) = 3.5 ± 1, and radius R = 1.76 ± 0.24 RJup (2σ error bars from photometric measurements). These values are comparable to those found in the literature, although with more conservative error bars, consistent with the model accuracy. We were able to reproduce, within error bars, the J -a ndH-band spectra of β Pictoris b. We finally investigated the precision to which the above parameters can be constrained from SPHERE measurements using different sets of near-infrared filters as well as low-resolution spectroscopy.