Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating regional cloud-permitting simulations of the WRF model for the Tropical Warm Pool International Cloud Experiment (TWP-ICE, Darwin 2006)

Data from the Tropical Warm Pool International Cloud Experiment (TWP-ICE) were used to evaluate Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulations with foci on the performance of three six-class bulk microphysical parameterizations (BMPs). Before the comparison with data from TWP-ICE, a suite of WRF simulations were carried out under an idealized condition, in which the other physical parameterizations were turned off. The idealized simulations were intended to examine the interaction of BMP at a cloud-resolving scale (250 m) with the nonhydrostatic dynamic core of the WRF model. The other suite of nested WRF simulations was targeted on the objective analysis of TWP-ICE at a cloud-permitting scale (quasi-convective resolving, 4 km). Wide ranges of discrepancies exist among the three BMPs when compared with ground-based and satellite remote sensing retrievals for TWP-ICE. Although many processes and associated parameters may influence clouds, it is strongly believed that atmospheric processes fundamentally govern the cloud feedbacks through the interactions between the atmospheric circulations, cloudiness, and the radiative and latent heating of the atmosphere. Based on the idealized experiments, we suggest that the discrepancy is a result of the different treatment of ice-phase microphysical processes (e.g., cloud ice, snow, and graupel). Because of the turn-off of the radiation and other physical parameterizations, the cloud radiation feedback is not studied in idealized experiments. On the other hand, the cloud-permitting experiments engage all physical parameterizations in the WRF model so that the radiative heating processes are considered together with other physical processes. Common features between these two experiment suites indicate that the major discrepancies among the three BMPs are similar. This strongly suggests the importance of ice-phase microphysics. To isolate the influence of cloud radiation feedback, we further carried out an additional suite of simulations, which turns off the interactions between cloud and radiation schemes. It is found that the cloud radiation feedback plays a secondary, but nonnegligible role in contributing to the wide range of discrepancies among the three BMPs.
A Career-approach to Cannabis Consumption among University Students: Identifying Differentials between Stages of Use

Much of previous research on cannabis use treated the drug as universally dangerous and often focused on general risk factors that contribute to become a cannabis user. The present survey study rather emanated from a dose-response relation and attempted to identify differentials between different types of consumers using a sequential “career approach” (inspired by Howard S. Becker) based on the frequency of cannabis use. The scores on a number of demographic, behavioral and social-cognitive constructs (partly taken from the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Prototype Willingness Model) of 114 university students who were divided into stages of cannabis use (“occasional user”, “regular user”, “heavy user” and “ex-consumer”) were cross-sectionally compared with each other. The results showed a clear relation between the current level of frequency of cannabis use and the length of experience with cannabis use. No relation was found between the frequency and the intensity of cannabis use per intake. Men emerged as being more frequent cannabis users than women. Early-onset users had a higher frequency and intensity of cannabis use than late-onset users. Results concerning the social-cognitive constructs indicated that ex-consumers differed from all active user-groups in several points, including perceiving more control over cannabis use, having a less positive attitude towards its use and having fewer friends who use it. Surprisingly, ex-consumers rated themselves to be more similar to their image of a typical cannabis user than regular or heavy users. Moreover, heavy users identified more with being a cannabis user and had a higher willingness to and a lower perceived control over cannabis use in pertinent situations than occasional users. For regular users moral norm was predictive of the intention to stop cannabis use and prototype-favourability predicted the willingness to use it in a characteristic situation. For heavy users only attitude emerged as a significant predictor of the intention to stop cannabis use. All in all, the findings in this study offer insights for an improved understanding of cannabis use among students and emphasize the importance of taking the differences between more and less frequent types of cannabis users into account. It would be a promising endeavor to expand research in the area of stage approaches to cannabis use, especially in service of an improved design of tailored harm-reduction intervention programs that might help to handle problematic cannabis use or prevent negative health outcomes as a consequence of the transition to a harmful pattern of cannabis use
Ameliorative Potential of Different Doses of Indol-3-carbinol on Doxorubicin-induced Cardiotoxicity in Mice

Background: Doxorubicin (DOX) is a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent that is associated with serious dose-limiting cardiotoxicity. This cardiotoxicity was attributed to various mechanisms including induction of oxidative stress and inflammation together with inhibition of apoptosis. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is a phytochemical that was suggested to have potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Aim: It was to detect the possible ameliorative effects of different doses of I3C on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in mice. Methods: Eighty mice were divided into four equal groups: control untreated group; DOX group; DOX + I3C 1000 ppm group and DOX + I3C 2000 ppm group. Survival rate, serum creatine kinase (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and troponin I were measured. Also, tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), tissue catalase (CAT), tissue glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and tissue tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were determined. Parts of the heart were subjected to histopathological examination. Results: I3C produced dose-dependent significant increase in the survival rate, tissue GPx and CAT with significant decrease in serum CK-MB, LDH, troponin I, tissue MDA and TNF-α and improved the histopathological and immunohistochemical changes compared to DOX-treated group. Conclusion: I3C- in a dose dependent manner- had a protective effect against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in mice.
Open Graded Asphalt Concrete for Mitigation of Reflection Cracking on Asphalt Concrete Overlays

Conventional pavement rehabilitation technique of laying asphalt concrete (AC) overlay over it has a major problem of reflection cracking. The existing cracking pattern on the old distressed rehabilitated pavement gets reflected on the newly laid AC overlay soon within first few months and starts its deterioration which results in drastic reduction in overlay life and the purpose with which it laid does not get fulfilled to the desired/designed extent. This paper presents the laboratory studies carried out on open graded asphalt concrete (OGAC) as a crack relief layer on indigenously developed Asphalt Concrete Slab Fatigue Testing Equipment under opening and mixed modes of displacement. The conventional dense bituminous macadam (DBM) and the OGAC overlays are investigated under cyclic simulated thermal and traffic loads with 5 mm differential deflection of zero load efficiency factor. Variation of tensile strength and strain in AC overlay with number of simulated thermal load cycles are observed and cumulative decay of parameters viz. tensile force, stiffness and shear modulus are computed. Overlay life, decay parameters and base isolation effectiveness factor (BIEF) are also evaluated. It is found that, the OGAC overlay works as a crack relief layer.
Comparison of Supervised Learning Techniques for Non-Technical Loss Detection in Power Utility

Non technical losses (NTLs) originating from electricity theft and other customer malfeasances are a problem in the electricity supply industry. In recent times, electricity consumer dishonesty has become a universal problem faced by all power utilities. Previous work carried out for NTL detection resulted in a Support Vector Machine (SVM) based detection framework. The present study performs a comparative study for NTL detection using supervised machine learning techniques such as the: Back-Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) and Online-sequential Extreme Learning Machine (OS-ELM). Model testing is performed using historical customer consumption data for three towns within peninsular Malaysia. The detection hit-rate of all compared models is obtained from TNB Distribution (TNBD) Sdn. Bhd. for onsite customer inspection. Experimental results obtained indicate that the BPNN detection model achieves the lowest average detection hit-rate of 36.07%, while the OS-ELM model obtains a slightly higher average detection hit-rate of 51.38%. The previously proposed SVM-based NTL detection model outperforms the BPNN and OS-ELM by far with the highest average detection hit-rate of 60.75%. This indicates that the use of a SVM-based soft-margin approach results in a better generalization performance for the application of NTL detection as compared to the BPNN and OS-ELM schemes. Copyright © 2011 Praise Worthy Prize S.r. l. - All rights reserved.
Impact of Organic Manures and Foliar Spraying with Micronutrients on Growth, Yield and Yield Components of Barley Grown in Newly Reclaimed Sandy Soil

2 Abstract: One of the major crop productivity constraints especially in new reclaimed sandy soil is the unavailability of organic matter and micronutrient, which could be provided through various nutrient management practices. To achieve the aforementioned objectives, two field experiments were carried out in the Research and Production Station of National Research Centre (NRC), Al-Nubaria Province, Beheira Governorate, Egypt during the two successive winter seasons of 2010/2011 and 2011/2012. This experiment was designed to study effect of three treatments of chicken manures (0, 5 and 10 ton/faddan, one faddan=0.42ha) and twelve foliar application treatments of some micronutrients sprayed individually or in combination on growth, yield and yield components of barely plant (Giza 123 cultivar). The results indicated that addition of 10 ton/faddan chicken manures surpass the other treatments in both seasons. Meanwhile, all foliar spraying with micronutrients treatments positively affected all growth, yield and yield components characters as compared with control treatment (tap water) with superiority to combined treatments (Zn + Fe + B + Mn) which recorded the highest values for all the previous characters in both seasons. As for the interaction effect, barley plant fertilized with 10 ton/faddan and sprayed with (Zn + Fe + B + Mn) recorded the highest values for all the studied characters in both seasons.
Relationship Between Anxiety and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Alt Üriner Sistem Semptomları ve Anksiyete Arasındaki İlişki

1 Rıza Cevık1, Ufuk Bal2, Sebahattın Albayrak3, Serhat Tanık3, Kursad Zengın3, Muhittin Atar3, Alı Irfan Gul4 1Department of Urology, Hitit University, Training and Research Hospital, Çorum, 2Department of Psychiatry, Dr.Adnan Tok Ruh Sagligi ve Hastaliklari Hastanesi, Adana, 3Department of Urology, Bozok University, School of Medicine, Yozgat, 4Department of Psychiatry, Bozok University, School of Medicine, Yozgat, Turkey Alt Üriner Sistem Semptomları ve Anksiyete / Anxiety and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Relationship Between Anxiety and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms
Memory matrix theory of magnetotransport in strange metals

We model strange metals as quantum liquids without quasiparticle excitations, but with slow momentum relaxation, and with slow diffusive dynamics of a conserved charge and energy. General expressions are obtained for electrical, thermal and thermoelectric transport in the presence of an applied magnetic field using the memory matrix formalism. In the appropriate limits, our expressions agree with previous hydrodynamic and holographic results. We discuss the relationship of such results to thermoelectric and Hall transport measurements in the strange metal phase of the hole-doped cuprates.
Glyco-Forum section Dietary glucosamine under question

Annual sales of glucosamine as a neutraceutical for affecting cartilage in treatment of osteoarthritis are close to a billion dollars, but recent clinical studies have currently raised severe criticism regarding its functional value. Additional doubts can be raised by the knowledge of the well-defined cellular steps in glucosamine formation and production of glycosaminoglycans such as chondroitin. Glucosamine is produced in an activated state from glucose by essentially all cells for incorporation into glycosaminoglycans and glycoproteins, and there have been no reports of any deficiencies in its production under any conditions. Nevertheless, many investigations of glucosamine, using cells or tissues,haveclaimedeffectsoncartilageandchondroitinsulfate. The significance of these studies is questionable since they have invariably been with concentrations that were 10to 1000-fold higher than has been found in human serum or plasma after glucosamine ingestion. Experiments with cells ortissuesusingglucosamineinthelowconcentrations found after ingestion need to be examined before any conclusions are drawn concerning its direct action on cartilage and its potential for modifying osteoarthritis.
Changes in Accounting Information Value Relevance and Cash Flow Prediction: Evidence from Korea

This study examines changes in value-relevance of earnings and book values for stock prices and the ability of earnings to predict future operating cash flows when there is a substantial change in a country’s accounting standards and surrounding business and economic environment. The 1997 financial crisis in Korea precipitated the changes, and changes occurred well into the next decade with Korean policy makers adopting IFRS effective after 2010. Results show increased combined value relevance of current earnings and book value for stock prices as well as for earning and book value incrementally over the 1982 to 2011 period. The incremental relation between earnings and one-year ahead operating cash flows also increased, showing that changes in accounting standards motivated for external reasons (i.e., capital markets) can also have implications internal to firms. The results should be of interest in countries debating changes to domestic standards including possible IFRS adoption.
Study of amniotic membrane transplantation in the treatment of ocular injuries

Amniotic membrane is the innermost layer of the placental membrane and consists of a thick basement membrane and an avascular stroma.It can be used as a substrate to replace the damaged mucosal surface, and has recently been used successfully for reconstructing corneal and conjunctival surface damaged by various ocular surface disorders including chemical and thermal burns. The present study was undertaken in department of ophthalmology at Ashwini Rural Medical College and Research Center, Kumbhari, Solapur between 1at Jan 2013 to 31 Dec 2014, that is over a period of 2 years to know amniotic membrane transplantation as a treatment modality in the treatment of ocular injuries. After taking written informed consent from the patients and following standard operating procedures, a total of 40 patients were included in the study, non consenting patients were not included in the study. Conclusions : amniotic membrane transplantation is an effective way of treating ocular and thermal injuries in the acute stage. Such an acute intervention can break the vicious cycle leading to the progressive melting or scarring sequelae in the chronic stage. Amniotic membrane transplantation is more effective in preserving the anatomical as well as the functional structure of the conjunctival and corneal surface in terms of decreased corneal vascularisation, preventing conjunctivalization of the cornea, improved tear film status and preventing fibrosis in mild grade II to moderate (grade III) burns but cannot do so in severe (grade IV) burns with total limbal deficiency.
Multiple mating increases cocoon hatching success in the earthworm Eisenia andrei (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae)

In simultaneous hermaphrodites with reciprocal mating, multiple mating may be a male strategy that conflicts with female interests, and therefore an intra-individual sexual conflict regarding the number of matings may be expected. The evolutionary outcome of this sexual conflict will depend on the costs and benefits that extra mating entails for each sexual function. In the present study, we investigated the costs and benefits of multiple mating on cocoon number, cocoon mass, and cocoon hatching success in the redworm Eisenia andrei, a simultaneous hermaphrodite with reciprocal insemination, by manipulating the number of matings with different partners. We did not detect any reduction in the female reproductive output (number and mass of cocoons) with increasing number of mating partners. However, we found that multiple mating showed benefits for female reproduction that increased the hatching success of the cocoons. This effect may be a result of increased quantity and/or diversity of sperm in the spermathecae of multiple mated earthworms. Further studies are required to clarify the mechanism underlying the increased cocoon hatching success when redworms engage in multiple matings. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 107, 175–181.
Loss of Social Belonging, Displacement and Social Exclusion in the Neighborhood: Urban Redevelopment in Sarigol, Istanbul, Turkey

Kentsel dönüşüm en çok gecekondu alanlarında gerçekleşmektedir. Bu süreçten en çok etkilenen grup ise gecekondululardır. Kentsel dönüşüm projeleri, mahallenin sosyal dokusunda değişime sebep olmasından dolayı pek çok sorunu beraberinde getirmektedir. Bu makalenin amacı, İstanbul’da bir dönüşüm alanı olan Sarıgöl’deki süreçte ortaya çıkan sorunları aidiyet kaybı, yerinden edilme ve sosyal dışlanma kavramları bağlamında ele almaktır. Bir çok çalışmaya göre sosyal dışlanma, aidiyet duygusu kaybı ve yerinden edilme süreçleri ile beraber gelişmektedir. Kentsel dönüşüm süreciyle birlikte farklı sosyo-kültürel ve ekonomik sınıflardan kişiler sosyal entegrasyon sağlanamadan bir arada yaşamak durumunda kalmaktadır. Alan çalışması için seçilmiş olan Sarıgöl, 1950’lerde yapılaşmanın başladığı bir gecekondu yerleşimidir ve günümüzde de Sarıgöl’de kentsel dönüşüm tüm hızıyla devam etmektedir. Alan araştırmasında derinlemesine görüşmeler yapılarak, değişen sosyal dinamiklerin analizi mahallelinin bu üç kavram için ifadeleri doğrultusunda gerçekleştirilmiştir. Kentsel dönüşüm sürecinin toplumdaki olumsuz etkilerinin azaltılabilmesi için mahallenin sadece fiziksel değil sosyal dokusu için de yenilikçi çözüm önerileri sunulmalıdır. Yeni gelenlerin mahalleye aidiyet duymalarını, kalanların ise sosyo-kültürel ve ekonomik farklılıkları aşmasını sağlayacak sosyal bağların kurulması ile sosyal ve ekonomik entegrasyon sağlanmalıdır.
Inequality-Driven Growth

This paper presents a simple Cass-Koopmans-Ramsey AK growth model with heterogeneity that explains how policies that increase income inequality may temporarily boost a country’s income growth rate. Briefly put, a change in policy that reduces redistributive transfers will free up resources to the households with the highest productivities, resulting in an aggregate growth rate increase that will endure until new limits to differentiated accumulation are found. The unambiguous effect takes place in poor and rich countries alike, arising from productivity heterogeneity and redistribution (although it could also arise from other sources of heterogeneity). The effect is explicitly captured in the aggregate growth equation by the changes of the mean logarithmic deviation (MLD or Theil’s second measure) of the income. The model supports the empirical results found in Forbes (AER, 2000). The accelerated growth episodes observed in Brazil from 1968 to 1973 and in China recently are shown to be empirically consistent with the model. If the model predictions are correct, Chinese growth rates may eventually fall, following a pattern that, even if not presenting the same magnitude, could resemble the one observed during the Brazilian slowdown. The author would like to thank P. Miranda and A. Sachsida for helpful comments, and the Texas A&M International University for financial support. Existing errors are nevertheless the sole responsibility of the author.
Constrained Efficient Fine-Cum-Tax Rate Structures: The Case of Constant Relative Risk Aversion

This paper explores the possibility that fines and tax rates impose different welfare costs on different types of taxpayer, so that the government may want to apply different fine/tax rate treatments to different types of taxpayer. Under the assumption that taxpayers exhibit constant relative risk aversion, we characterize the constrained Pareto-efficient fine/tax rate structure, showing that: (i) the co-existence of compliers (the above-ground economy) and evaders (the underground economy) is typical at the Pareto optimum, and (ii) Pareto efficiency requires compliers to face tax rates no higher and fines no lower than those faced by evaders.
The Determinants of Healthcare Expenditure in Ghana

The study is motivated by the conviction that previous studies on the determinants of per capita healthcare expenditure are mostly based on international comparisons. This paper examines the demand-side macroeconomic determinants of publicly financed healthcare expenditure in Ghana. Employing annual time series data on Ghana from 1970-2006 and an error correction model that captures both short-run and long-run relationships; the analysis clearly captures the demand-size factors that motivates decision to allocate financial resources to the health sector. The main finding highlights the dominants of per capita income (Per capita GDP) and other macroeconomic factors such as health status of the population and age structure of the population in influencing the decision to invest in healthcare. This therefore suggests that in order to meet the minimum expenditure requirement for achieving the health related MDGs, per capita income in Ghana ought to be increased considerably. Specifically, the coefficient of per capita GDP is found to be far below unity in the long run and above unity in the short run. One of the major implications of this result is that, healthcare in Ghana is a necessity in the long run and a luxury in the short run. This could be an indication that healthcare delivery is one of the most important issues to Ghana’s policymakers. Keywords : Determinants, Healthcare expenditure, Income elasticity, co integration, error correction