Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maintenance of Circulation Anomalies during the 1988 Drought and 1993 Floods over the United States

The large-scale circulation anomalies associated with the 1988 drought and the 1993 floods are investigated with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Reanalysis data and a linear stationary wave model. The transient vorticity and thermal forcings are explicitly calculated and the diabatic heating is derived as a residual in the thermodynamic energy equation. Using the April‐June (AMJ) data for 1988, and June‐August (JJA) data for 1993, the linear stationary wave model is able to reproduce the main features of the geopotential height anomaly for the two seasons when all forcings are included. This provides a basis for further investigation of stationary wave response to different forcing mechanisms using the linear model. Within the linear model framework, the linear model responses to different forcings are examined separately. The results indicate that the 1988 anomaly over the United States is a result of both the diabatic heating and the transient vorticity and thermal forcings. The large anticyclonic anomalies over the North Pacific and Canada are forced mainly by the diabatic heating. The 1993 anomaly, however, is dominated by the response to transient vorticity forcing. By further separating the linear model responses to regional diabatic heating anomalies in 1988, the results indicate that the western North Pacific heating is entirely responsible for the anticyclonic center over the North Pacific, which causes the northward shift and intensification of the Pacific jet stream. The eastern North Pacific heating/cooling couplet is the most important for maintaining the North American circulation
The Possible Protective Role of Both, Rosiglitazone and Repaglinide on Liver and Kidney of Diabetic Guinea Pig ( Caviaporcellus )

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most costly and burdensome chronic disease of our time. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia due to resistance to the action of insulin, insufficient insulin secretion, or both. Diabetes mellitus causes nephropathy and fatty change in the liver and vascular changes. Rosiglitazone and repaglinide are new anti-diabetic agents. Rosiglitazone is a thiazolidinedione's agent acting as insulin-sensitizer. Repaglinide a non-sulphonyl urea insulin secretagogue, is a prandial glucose regulator. The present study is aimed to assess the potential protective role of Rosiglitazone and Repaglinide on Liver and Kidney tissues of diabetic guinea pig (Caviaporcellus). The used Guinea pigs were divided into five groups. Diabetes mellitus is induced in 4 groups of them by oral administration of fructose 50% concentration. One of the diabetic groups was served as diabetic non treated and the other 3 groups were treated by Rosiglitazone, Repaglinide and a combination of both drugs, respectively. Blood samples were collected for the biochemical studies. The animals were sacrificed and the liver and kidney were excised to be used for the histopathological studies. The present study showed that, the combination of rosiglitazone & repaglinide may have a synergistic protective effect against diabetes mellitus - induced renal and liver tissues damage. This study proved that the combination of rosiglitazone &repaglinide in treatment of diabetes mellitus is better than rosiglitazone or repaglinidealone in protection of the Liver and Kidney tissues of diabetic Guinea pigs, Caviaporcellus.
Growth parameters of endangered freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera laevis, Unionoida)

We observed periodic increments of the annuli to verify the annual growth-age relationship in two populations of a freshwater pearl mussel, Margaritifera laevis (Bivalvia, Unionoida), in northern Japan and confirmed that one annulus is added each year. The relationship between yearly shell growth and age was regarded as a unimodal distribution. We fitted several growth models to the shell length-age relationships of these two populations, which had different densities and age distributions. The Gompertz function showed the best fit, in terms of both RSS (residual sum of squares) and the difference between the observed maximum shell length and the asymptotic shell length. The life span of M. laevis was shorter than that reported for Margaritifera margaritifera populations at higher latitudes (≥50°N), which have been widely recognized as threatened. Margaritiferid mussels living at lower latitudes tend to have shorter life spans and smaller maximum size. These results suggest that margaritiferid mussels in southern regions such as M. laevis in Japan and M. margaritifera in Spain may be particularly vulnerable when conditions are unsuitable for juvenile mussels for prolonged periods.
Willingness to Pay for the Newly Proposed Social Health Insurance among Health Workers at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Social health insurance (SHI) is a financial mechanism that allows cross subsidization of the poor by the rich, and the sick by the healthy. Ethiopia is currently introducing SHI to achieve universal health care coverage, but there is no evidence concerning willingness to pay and factors associated with willingness to pay among health workers. The objective of this research was to determine willingness to pay for SHI among health workers and to determine factors associated with willingness to pay. An Institution-based, cross-sectional study was conducted from April- December, 2016, on 420 health workers who work at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College. Data was collected using a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire, entered using EPI INFO version 7, and analyzed by SPSS version 20. Variables having p < 0.2 at bivariate analysis were fitted to multivariate analysis. Crude and adjusted odds ratios, P-values and 95% CI were computed to show the association of variables. The level of willingness to pay for SHI was 17% (95% CI 13.4-20.3%). Significant associations were found between willingness to pay and perceived quality of health care services under SHI (odds ratio [OR] = 2.74 (1.45-5.20)), perception that SHI will create workload for health workers (OR = 0.47 (0.26-0.87)) and history of large amount of out of pocket money for treatment (OR =1.84 (1.02-3.31)). The overall willingness to pay was 17%. Policy makers should devise a plan that promotes the level of willingness to pay and identify factors that affect willingness to pay. More studies are required to assess these factors.
Numerical simulations of generation of high-energy ion beams driven by a petawatt femtosecond laser

Abstract This contribution presents results of a Particle-in-Cell simulation of ion beam acceleration via the interaction of a petawatt 25 fs laser pulse of high intensity (up to ~1021 W/cm2) with thin hydrocarbon (CH) and erbium hydride (ErH3) targets of equal areal mass density (of 0.6 g/m2). A special attention is paid to the effect that the laser pulse polarization and the material composition of the target have on the maximum ion energies and the number of high energy (>10 MeV) protons. It is shown that both the mean and the maximum ion energies are higher for the linear polarization than for the circular one. A comparison of the maximum proton energies and the total number of protons generated from the CH and ErH3 targets using a linearly polarized beam is presented. For the ErH3 targets the maximum proton energies are higher and they reach 50 MeV for the laser pulse intensity of 1021 W/cm2. The number of protons with energies higher than 10 MeV is an order of magnitude higher for the ErH3 targets than that for the CH targets.
Reduced effectiveness of terrestrial carbon sequestration due to an antagonistic response of ocean productivity

Biological productivity in a number of ocean regions appears to be at least partly limited by the availability of iron. Any reduction in the present‐day aeolian iron supply to the open ocean is therefore likely to result in further limitation of productivity. The stabilization of soils for the purpose of carbon sequestration could give rise to such an effect. With the aid of a global carbon cycle model, we show that the effectiveness of carbon removal from the atmosphere by sequestration on land will be diminished as a result of a reduction of up to 9% in the rate of anthropogenic CO2 uptake by the ocean. This interconnectedness, both within the `natural' system and in relation to human activities, highlights the importance of analyzing global change within an integrated ‘Earth system’ framework.
Improved approximation of the Soft-Capacitated Facility Location Problem

The Soft-Capacitated Facility Location Problem, where each facility is composed of a variable number of ﬁxed-capacity production units, has been recently studied in several papers, especially in the metric case. In this paper, we only consider the general problem where connection costs do not systematically satisfy the triangle inequality property. We show that an adaptation of the set covering greedy heuristic, where the subproblem is approximately solved by a Fully Polynomial-Time Approximation Scheme based on cost scaling and dynamic programming, achieves a logaritmic approximation ratio of (1 + ǫ ) H ( n ) for the problem, where n is the number of customers to be served and H is the harmonic series. This improves the previous bound of 2 H ( n ) for this problem.
Precise radial velocities of giant stars VIII. Testing for the presence of planets with CRIRES Infrared Radial Velocities

We have been monitoring 373 very bright (V < 6 mag) G and K giants with high precision optical Doppler spectroscopy for more than a decade at Lick Observatory. Our goal was to discover planetary companions around those stars and to better understand planet formation and evolution around intermediate-mass stars. However, in principle, long-term, g-mode nonradial stellar pulsations or rotating stellar features, such as spots, could effectively mimic a planetary signal in the radial velocity data. Our goal is to compare optical and infrared radial velocities for those stars with periodic radial velocity patterns and to test for consistency of their fitted radial velocity semiamplitudes. Thereby, we distinguish processes intrinsic to the star from orbiting companions as reason for the radial velocity periodicity observed in the optical. Stellar spectra with high spectral resolution have been taken in the H-band with the CRIRES near-infrared spectrograph at ESO's VLT for 20 stars of our Lick survey. Radial velocities are derived using many deep and stable telluric CO2 lines for precise wavelength calibration. We find that the optical and near-infrared radial velocities of the giant stars in our sample are consistent. We present detailed results for eight stars in our sample previously reported to have planets or brown dwarf companions. All eight stars passed the infrared test. We conclude that the planet hypothesis provides the best explanation for the periodic radial velocity patterns observed for these giant stars.
Communication Properties of Self-Organizing Networks (SWARMS) as Inferred from Optical Mechanics

Abstract : A primary question in our research is to determine how much sensory processing is necessary to maintain a network's resiliency to fission, or collapse, while minimizing the degree of disorder in communication. Biological components capable of governing these processes include perception, thresholds, and simple decision filters. We present a self-propelled particle model (s.p.p.) with simplified optical rules in which individual interactions are dictated by retinal representations of object bearing and motion. Optical signals are weighted by individual perception and the degree of redundant neurological stimulation. In turn, signals that exceed a threshold value serve to identify influential neighbors within the swarm's global network. Individual connections (i.e., each influential neighbor) is normalized to the individual's immediate surroundings, making the decision process adaptive to both physical and behavioral variability.
Organic Stereochemistry. Part 8

This review terminates our general presentation of the principles of stereochemistry with special reference to the biomedicinal sciences. Here, we discuss and illustrate the principles of prostereoisomerism, and apply these to product and substrateproduct stereoselectivity in drug metabolism. The review begins with an overview of the concept of prostereoisomerism, discussing such aspects as homotopic, enantiotopic, and diastereotopic groups and faces. The main part of this review is dedicated to drug and xenobiotic metabolism. Here, the concept of prostereoisomerism proves particularly helpful to avoid confusing metabolic reactions in which an existing stereogenic element (e.g., a stereogenic center) influences the course of the reaction (substrate stereoselectivity), with metabolic reactions which create a stereogenic element (almost always a stereogenic center; product stereoselectivity). Specifically, examples of product stereoselectivity will be taken from functionalization reactions (so-called phase-I reactions) and conjugation (so-called phase-II reactions). Cases where stereoisomeric substrates show distinct product stereoselectivities (substrateproduct stereoselectivity) will also be presented.
MULTIPLE MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATIONS IN THE THYROID GLAND: REPORT OF TWO CASES

The variety of multiple morphological variations in the thyroid gland is found as a result of disturbed organogenesis in humans as agenesis, hypoplasia, accessory, ectopy and hemiagenesis. In the routine undergraduate dissection of the thyroid gland, multiple anomalies of the thyroid gland were encountered in 50 and 60 years old female and male cadaver respectively. These were in form of absent isthmus with accessory thyroid lobe in between two lateral lobes, pyramidal lobe arising from left lobe of thyroid with levator glandulae thyroidae in first case. Second case showed narrow isthmus related to first tracheal ring and levator glandulae thyroidae arising from left lobe. In these case studies, we highlight various developmental anomalies of the thyroid gland as absent isthmus, pyramidal lobe and accessory lobe with levator glandulae thyroidae. Hence a thorough knowledge of such morphological variations of thyroid gland helps the surgeons in better planning of safe, effective and uncomplicated operative procedures in resection of thyroid and tracheotomy procedures.
Hypertension and its association with periodontal parameters in chronic periodontitis

Hypertension is one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease worldwide. Chronic periodontitis (CP) is an inflammatory disease of the supporting tissues of the teeth and is caused by specific microorganism. Previous studies found that there is a biological relationship between hypertension and periodontitis since both diseases share some common risk factors. The objectives of this study were to determine the association between hypertension and periodontal parameters in CP patients. Ninety records of CP patients treated in Dental Clinic, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan from 2010 until 2013 were retrieved and reviewed. The diagnosis of periodontal disease and the presence of hypertension were recorded. Demographic data and records of periodontal parameters were also obtained. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Majority of the subjects were of Malay ethnic group (94.4%) with the age range between 41 to 61 years (67.8%). More than 50% of the subjects had mild to moderate periodontitis. CP with hypertension counted for 12.2%. There was no significant association between plaque scores, gingivitis scores and periodontal pocket depth with hypertension (P<0.05). However, the clinical attachment loss was significantly higher in CP with hypertension compared to non-hypertensive CP (P=0.012). In conclusion, there is a possible association between periodontal tissue loss and hypertension. Therefore, further investigation is recommended thus will help in managing oral and systemic health diseases.
Growth Performance of Mirror Carp (Cyprinus carpio var. specularis, Lacepède, 1803) Fry Fed with Varying Protein Content Feeds

An experiment was conducted in aquaria for seven weeks to examine the effect of varying dietary protein level on growth, FCR (food conversion ratio) and survival of mirror carp fry. Similar weight (2.29 ± 0.08g) and length (4.21 ± 0.05 cm) of mirror carp fry were stocked in the aquaria (1 fry/L) and fed laboratory prepared feeds containing 25% (T 1 ), 30% (T 2 ), 35% (T 3 ), 40% (T 4 ), and 45% (T 5 ) protein. In terms of growth and FCR, diet containing 30% protein performed significantly (p<0.01) better than those of other tested diets. Survival rate, on the other hand, dropped significantly (p<0.01) when the stocks were fed diets containing over 30% protein. These findings suggest that about 30% protein in diet appears to be sufficient for obtaining optimum growth of mirror carp fry. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3126/on.v10i1. 7747
Why call it ‘equality’ when it should be ‘achievement’? A proposal to un-correct the ‘corrected gender gaps’ in the EU Gender Equality Index

This study critically reviews the new Gender Equality Index (GEI) proposed by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) in 2013, arguing that the way in which it has been defined can be misleading for its potential users. The GEI is defined to ensure that good scores in the index are reflective of both low gender gaps and high levels of overall achievement. The study finds that the GEI values are largely driven by differences in overall achievement levels between countries rather than by gender differences within them, a disturbing issue that unduly penalizes low-income countries for factors that are not related to gender norms or discriminatory practices and which might lead to the elaboration of ill-targeted policies. In order to overcome this problem, we introduce a new version of the GEI that gets rid of its achievement component and which is much simpler to interpret.
Concordance probability and discriminatory power in proportional hazards regression

The concordance probability is used to evaluate the discriminatory power and the predictive accuracy of nonlinear statistical models. We derive an analytical expression for the concordance probability in the Cox proportional hazards model. The proposed estimator is a function of the regression parameters and the covariate distribution only and does not use the observed event and censoring times. For this reason it is asymptotically unbiased, unlike Harrell's c-index based on informative pairs. The asymptotic distribution of the concordance probability estimate is derived using U-statistic theory and the methodology is applied to a predictive model in lung cancer. Copyright 2005, Oxford University Press.
"Is History repeating itself? A critical discourse analysis of the representation of women in climate change campaigns"

Throughout the 1980’s and early 1990’s, the discourse of ecofeminism was the predominant way in which to explain the relationship between women and the environment. This dissertation will utilise the idiom of coproduction to historicise ecofeminist discourse, concluding that its prominence reflected the social context in which it emerged, opposed to its ability to provide an accurate explanation of the relationship between women and the environment. The central aim of the paper is to determine whether contemporary representations of women in climate change campaigns repeat these ecofeminist discourses using the methods of both content and critical discourse analysis. This will reveal that despite extensive critique and a period of dormancy in the late 1990’s, ecofeminist discourses are reemerging as the dominant way in which women are represented in climate change campaigns.
Effects of Temporal Expectation on Complex Decision Making

Many complex decisions require integrating and assessing multiple streams of dynamic information whilst determining how to act. This dynamic information often contains rhythmic structures which our sensory systems can adapt to and use to anticipate future events. Despite the close relationship between rhythmic temporal expectations and complex decision making being self evident, no experiments explicitly attempt to understand this interdependence. If the theories that have emerged from both domains are to generalise to complex interactive behaviour, the effects of dynamic context on complex decisions must be considered. I argue that timing research must move beyond simple decisions and develop a new experimental framework for addressing the problem. This includes increasing the complexity of experimental tasks, testing the effects of timing on perceptual averaging and subjective value decisions, incorporating timing as an inherent dimension of targets, testing degrees of aperiodicity and exploring the effects that prior knowledge about the temporal structure of a stimulus has on choice. Seven behavioural experiments are reported that implement the new experimental framework. Five use a complex auditory-spatial averaging task to examine effects of periodicity, expectation, prior knowledge and related parameters such as IOI variance. One tests the effects of rhythmic variability and stimulus duration on auditory detection to determine specificity to complex decision making, and one investigates the effects of timing on audio-visual subjective value decisions. The results show that existing theories of temporal expectation do not necessarily generalise to complex decision making. Periodicity reduces the amount of information that is needed to form complex decisions. However, the effects of periodicity (or degree of aperiodicity) on choice are dependent on a number of factors associated with prior knowledge, stimulus rate, variance, decision type and task complexity. Using these findings I develop an explanatory framework called "dynamic inhibition and boosting" that better accounts for behavioural data in the literature compared with existing theories. This explanation is supported by the novel proposal that temporal expectations influence confidence and perceived risk.
Can Hall Magnetohydrodynamics Explain Plasma Turbulence at Sub-ion Scales?

We investigate the properties of plasma turbulence by means of two-dimensional Hall-magnetohydrodynamic (HMHD) and hybrid particle-in-cell (HPIC) numerical simulations. We find that the HMHD simulations exhibit spectral properties that are in most cases in agreement with the results of the HPIC simulations and with solar wind observations. The energy spectra of magnetic fluctuations exhibit a double power law with spectral index −5/3 at MHD scales and −3 at kinetic scales, while for velocity fluctuations the spectral index is −3/2 at MHD scales. The break between the MHD and the kinetic scales occurs at the same scale in both simulations. In the MHD range the slopes of the total energy and residual energy spectra satisfy a fast Alfvén-dynamo balance. The development of a turbulent cascade is concurrently characterized by magnetic reconnection events taking place in thin current sheets that form between large eddies. A statistical analysis reveals that reconnection is qualitatively the same and fast in both the HMHD and HPIC models, characterized by inverse reconnection rates much smaller than the characteristic large-eddy nonlinear time. The agreement extends to other statistical properties, such us the kurtosis of the magnetic field. Moreover, the observation of a direct energy transfer from the large vortices to the small sub-ion scales, triggered by magnetic reconnection, further supports the existence of a reconnection-mediated turbulent regime at kinetic scales. We conclude that the HMHD fluid description captures to a large extent the transition of the turbulent cascade between the large MHD scales and the sub-ion scales.