Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impacts of changes in vegetation cover on soil water heat coupling in an alpine meadow of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

Alpine meadow is one of the most widespread grassland types in the permafrost regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the transmission of coupled soil water heat is one of the most crucial processes influencing cyclic variations in the hydrology of frozen soil regions, especially under different vegetation covers. The present study assesses the impact of changes in vegetation cover on the coupling of soil water and heat in a permafrost region. Soil moisture (theta(nu)), soil temperature (T(s)), soil heat content, and differences in theta(nu)-Ts coupling were monitored on a seasonal and daily basis under three different vegetation covers (30, 65, and 93%) on both thawed and frozen soils. Regression analysis of theta(nu) vs. T(s) plots under different levels of vegetation cover indicates that soil freeze-thaw processes were significantly affected by the changes in vegetation cover. The decrease in vegetation cover of an alpine meadow reduced the difference between air temperature and ground temperature (Delta T(a-s)), and it also resulted in a decrease in T(s) at which soil froze, and an increase in the temperature at which it thawed. This was reflected in a greater response of soil temperature to changes in air temperature (Ta). For Delta T(a-s) outside the range of -0.1 to 1.0 degrees C, root zone soil-water temperatures showed a significant increase with increasing Delta T(a-s); however, the magnitude of this relationship was dampened with increasing vegetation cover. At the time of maximum water content in the thawing season, the soil temperature decreased with increasing vegetation. Changes in vegetation cover also led to variations in theta(nu)-T(s) coupling. With the increase in vegetation cover, the surface heat flux decreased. Soil heat storage at 20 cm in depth increased with increasing vegetation cover, and the heat flux that was downwardly transmitted de-creased. The soil property varied greatly under different vegetation covers, causing the variation of heat conductivity and water-heat hold capacity in topsoil layer in different vegetation cover. The variation of heat budget and transmitting in soil is the main factor that causes changes in soil thawing and freezing processes, and theta(nu)-T(s) coupling relationship under different vegetation fractions. In addition to providing insulation against soil warming, vegetation in alpine meadows within the permafrost region also would slow down the response of permafrost to climatic warming via the greater water-holding capacity of its root zone. Such vegetation may therefore play an important role in conserving water in alpine meadows and maintaining the stability of engineering works constructed within frozen soil of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Some oracle inequalities for regularized boosting classifiers

We derive two oracle inequalities for regularized boosting algorithms for classification. The first oracle inequality generalizes and refines a result from Blanchard et al. (2003), while the second oracle inequality leads to faster learning rates than those of Blanchard et al. (2003) whenever the set of weak learners does not perfectly approximate the target function. The techniques leading to the second oracle inequality are based on the well-known approach of adding some artificial noise to the labeling process.
Forecasting Exchange Rate Volatility. Applying HAR models and Implied Volatility in SEK denominated markets

In this paper we study a set of models’ forecasting accuracy of realized volatility in two SEK denominated exchange rates, EUR/SEK and USD/SEK, with the purpose to analyze if ex-post or ex-ante forecasting models produce the most accurate forecasts. High-frequency exchange rate data is employed in order to construct the ex-post Heterogeneous Autoregressive Model of Realized Volatility, HAR-RV, as well as a modified model using the bipower and tripower variation to separate the continuous sample path (C) and the jump component (J) of realized volatility, HAR-CJ. The forecasting accuracy of the ex-ante implied volatility estimate (IV) is also evaluated, based on daily OTC data and regarded as the option market’s forecast of future volatility. The forecasts are conducted applying in-sample and out-of-sample tests over two horizons, one week and one month. Our findings do not provide clear evidence whether to rely solely on the ex-ante or ex-post estimate when forecasting exchange rate volatility. Rather, the model combining ex-post and ex-ante information, HAR-RV-IV, consistently provides good forecasting results.
Focus on Brazil: Country images held by Malaysian learners of Brazilian Portuguese

This study explores images about Brazil held by learners of Brazilian Portuguese in a big public university in Malaysia. It employs a mixed methods approach for this purpose. In the qualitative component of the study, the students’ images about Brazil were explored by analyzing their responses to an open-ended question and grouping the resultant images into categories. In the quantitative strand, favourability of the images about Brazil was assessed using the ratings that each respondent had assigned to his or her images about Brazil. The findings revealed that references to football and sporting events made up the largest share in the kaleidoscope of images about Brazil. For the most part, the students’ images about the target language country, culture and people were highly positive. At the same time, the findings indicated that the students’ mental pictures about Brazil were limited to popularly held country stereotypes. The article concludes with a discussion on pedagogical implications of the findings.
The Tablet for Second Language Vocabulary Learning: Keyboard, Stylus or Multiple Choice.

Mobile technologies are increasingly finding their way into classroom practice. While these technologies can create opportunities that may facilitate learning, including the learning of a second or foreign language (L2), the full potential of these new media often remains underexploited. A case in point concerns tablet applications for language practice: while tablets allow writing, as in pen-and-paper exercises, current applications typically offer multiple-choice exercises or fill-in-the-blank exercises that require typing and tapping. This change in medium and practice modality might have an impact on the actual second language-learning. Based on the embodied cognition perspective, this study hypothesizes that, for the learning of French L2 vocabulary, writing leads to better memorization, spelling, and use of diacritics in comparison with typing and completing multiple-choice exercises. This hypothesis is tested in a quasi-experimental classroom-based study in which learners (N=282) practiced French vocabulary on a tablet in one of three modalities: multiple choice, typing, and writing by means of a stylus. Whereas all three practice modalities aided learning, results show that pupils who had practiced vocabulary by writing or typing obtained higher scores on spelling and use of diacritics than the pupils who had practiced by means of multiple choice. Spending more time on learning vocabulary at a higher processing level leads thus to greater vocabulary gains.
Statistics in Medicine 3rd edition

Statistics in Medicine, Third Edition makes medical statistics easy to understand by students, practicing physicians, and researchers. The book begins with databases from clinical medicine and uses such data to give multiple worked-out illustrations of every method. The text opens with how to plan studies from conception to publication and what to do with your data, and follows with step-by-step instructions for biostatistical methods from the simplest levels (averages, bar charts) progressively to the more sophisticated methods now being seen in medical articles (multiple regression, noninferiority testing). Examples are given from almost every medical specialty and from dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and health care management. A preliminary guide is given to tailor sections of the text to various lengths of biostatistical courses. Key Features: *User-friendly format includes medical examples, step-by-step methods, and check-yourself exercises appealing to readers with little or no statistical background, across medical and biomedical disciplines *Facilitates stand-alone methods rather than a required sequence of reading and references to prior text. * Covers trial randomization, treatment ethics in medical research, imputation of missing data, evidence-based medical decisions, how to interpret medical articles, noninferiority testing, meta-analysis, screening number needed to treat, and epidemiology. * Fills the gap left in all other medical statistics books between the reader’s knowledge of how to go about research and the book’s coverage of how to analyze results of that research. New in this Edition: * New chapters on planning research, managing data and analysis, Bayesian statistics, measuring association and agreement, and questionnaires and surveys. * New sections on what tests and descriptive statistics to choose, false discovery rate, interim analysis, bootstrapping, Bland-Altman plots, Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), and Deming regression. * Expanded coverage on probability, statistical methods and tests relatively new to medical research, ROC curves, experimental design, and survival analysis. *35 Databases in Excel format used in the book and can be downloaded and transferred into whatever format is needed along with PowerPoint slides of figures, tables, and graphs from the book included on the companion site, http://www.elsevierdirect. com/companion.jsp? ISBN=9780123848642 *Medical subject index offers additional search capabilities.
Comparative investigation of endurance and bias temperature instability characteristics in metal-Al 2 O 3 - nitride-oxide-semiconductor (MANOS) and semiconductor-oxide-nitride-oxide-semiconductor (SONOS) charge trap flash memory

The program/erase (P/E) cyclic endurances including bias temperature instability (BTI) behaviors of Metal-Al₂O₃-Nitride-Oxide-Semiconductor (MANOS) memories are investigated in comparison with those of Semiconductor-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Semiconductor (SONOS) memories. In terms of BTI behaviors, the SONOS power-law exponent n is ~0.3 independent of the P/E cycle and the temperature in the case of programmed cell, and 0.36~0.66 sensitive to the temperature in case of erased cell. Physical mechanisms are observed with thermally activated h * diffusion-induced Si/SiO₂ interface trap (N IT ) curing and Poole-Frenkel emission of holes trapped in border trap in the bottom oxide (N OT ). In terms of the BTI behavior in MANOS memory cells, the power-law exponent is n=0.4~0.9 in the programmed cell and n=0.65~1.2 in the erased cell, which means that the power law is strong function of the number of P/E cycles, not of the temperature. Related mechanism is can be explained by the competition between the cycle-induced degradation of P/E efficiency and the temperaturecontrolled h * diffusion followed by N IT passivation.
Regularization of inverse problems via time discrete geodesics in image spaces

This paper addresses the solution of inverse problems in imaging given an additional reference image. We combine a modification of the discrete geodesic path model for image metamorphosis with a variational model, actually the L2- model, for image reconstruction. We prove that the space continuous model has a minimizer which depends in a stable way from the input data. Two minimization procedures which alternate over the involved sequences of deformations and images in different ways are proposed. The updates with respect to the image sequence exploit recent algorithms from convex analysis to minimize the L2- functional. For the numerical computation we apply a finite difference approach on staggered grids together with a multilevel strategy. We present proof-of-the-concept numerical results for sparse and limited angle computerized tomography as well as for superresolution demonstrating the power of the method.
Inequality and Media Capture

People's support of redistributive policies depends on information they have about the tax system and efficiency of public projects. Mass media provides a convenient means for manipulating public opinion, even when voters understand that the media can be biased. I develop a theory of media capture in which the rich can influence information published in a media outlet at a cost. The model shows that higher inequality is associated with lower media freedom; this effect is stronger in democratic regimes. I find empirical support for the model in both panel data and cross-country models.
Does Money Affect Children’s Outcomes? An update

This report provides an update to Does Money Affect Children’s Outcomes? : A Systematic Review, published in October 2013. Using systematic search approaches, we review the literature examining the relationship between household financial resources and children’s outcomes, focusing on OECD countries and on the last fifty years. We include studies looking at children’s health, cognitive development and social, emotional and behavioural development, as well as studies on relevant intermediate outcomes, including the home environment and maternal mental health and health behaviours. Studies are only included if they use methods that allow us to reach conclusions about causal relationships: this includes randomised controlled experiments, quasi-experimental situations, and longitudinal studies tracking both financial resources and outcomes over time. The update adds 27 new studies to the 34 in the original review, and slightly expands the country coverage, although the evidence base remains heavily US-focused. The studies provide strong evidence that income has causal effects on a wide range of children’s outcomes, especially in households on low incomes to begin with. We conclude that reducing income poverty can be expected to have a significant impact on children’s environment and on their development.
A PERCEPTIONS ASSESSMENT OF PATIENT-ORIENTED PROBLEM-SOLVING TEACHING STRATEGY FOR MEDICAL IMMUNOLOGY COURSE IN CHINESE STUDENTS

For the medical students of clinical science, it is very important to acquire and apply basic medical sciences knowledge into clinical practice in future. One of the major medical education goals is to train quality physicians who will be successful in dealing with clinical practice in a fast changing modern hospital environment (IIME, 2002; Zhiren, Wei, Junfeng, Sheng & Yuzhang, 2013; Xingming, Yanping, Jingqiu, Lifeng, Yaling, Yufeng, Hongjuan & Mingqiang, 2016). Physicians of the future must understand the scientific basis of clinical medicine and be able to apply that understanding to the practice of medicine (IIME, 2002; Shaohua, Daixin & Man, 2014). Medical immunology is one of the basic medical sciences that forms the foundation for developing reliable clinicians (Armson, Meyer, Losco, Ardakani & Walker 2016). Immunology education in China usually depends on lecture based instruction and rote learning instead of their own research with the help from their peers and promotion of active learning and creativity ( Zhiren et al., 2013; Guo Y, Sippola, Feng, Dong, Wang, Moyer, & Stern, 2009; Xingming et al., 2016). Mostly because of the large population, culture and history, Chinese medical education meets with different social questions than those in many developed countries (Zhiren et al., 2013; Guo et al., 2009; Xingming et al., 2016). Nowadays, for China’s medical schools, the greatest challenge is the training of qualified clinicians who can both adjust to a rapidly hospital environment, and simultaneously satisfy the requirements of Chinese people. In order to improve medical students’ creativity and promote active learning, attempts have been made in medical schools to develop skill-oriented syllabi and practices by including approaches based on organ systems, patient-oriented a perCeptions assessment of patient-oriented problem-solving teaChing strategy for mediCal immunology Course in Chinese students
Safety risk simulation of an airborne self separati on concept of operation

[Abstract] This paper evaluates through Monte Carlo (MC) simulation an airborne self separation concept which has been developed for use in en-route traffic conditions such as encountered over the Mediterranean area. For three different encounter scenarios, probabilities for violating minimum separation and for near-mid-air and mid-air events are estimated by applying powerful novel MC simulation approaches in rare event estimation. This provides great new insight in the efficacy of airborne conflict resolution management. The paper shows several quantitative risk estimates and presents an interpretation of these results in terms of safety. It shows that airborne self separation can be very effective, but also has its limitations for dense traffic conditio ns when conflict resolution is done in a sequential and un-coordinated way.
Sex change and female dimorphism in Calanus finmarchicus

Adult females were examined from November until spring in northern Norway (30" N) to determine the fraction with the quadrithek and the fraction with the trithek setal pattern on the antennule. The quadrithek (Q) pattern is a male characteristic in which odd numbered, proximal segments carry 2 aesthetascs and 2 setae; the trithek (T) pattern has 1 aesthetics on all antennular segments. The frequency of quadrithek females (%Q = 100 X [Q/T]) varied with season. It peaked at 38% in February, declining to 25 % in March. Higher proportions appeared early, consistently between years, i.e. higher proportions were found among the first females emerging from the stock of resting copepodids. In light of the hypothesis of Fleminger (1985; Mar Biol 88:273-294) that females w t h the quadrithek pattern result from sex switching by genetic males, we tested whether %Q in newly moulted females could be altered by separate exposure of the maturing CVs to adult males or females. The experiments were run with specimens from Gratsund during the last 3 wk prior to moulting of CVs in the field. Of females not exposed to adults as CVs, 35% had quadrithek patterns, while those exposed to adult males or females produced 33 and 37% quadritheks respectively. In these experiments, presence of adult Calanus finmarchicus (Gunnerus) did not influence the proportion of females with male characteristics. No evidence for sex specific pheromones was found and therefore the stimulus for sex change was not revealed. A possible influence of the environment on C. finmarchicus sex determination (ESD) is suggested and discussed.
Hot gratifications sought vs. cold expectancy value judgments in explaining and predicting mobile communication technology use

This study examined the nature of the relationship between expectancy-value judgments and gratifications sought within the context of mobile communication technology use. The results of this study support the notion by Babrow and Swanson (1988) that it is unlikely expectancy-value judgments and gratifications sought are simply alternative measures of exactly the same underlying construct. Results show that within the context of mobile communication technology, expectancy-value judgments and gratifications sought are highly related but distinctly different. Expectancy-value judgments have a stronger effect on attitude, but they have a far less strong effect on intention and usage compared to the effects of gratifications sought on attitude, intention and usage. This seems to confirm the notion that expectancy-value judgments represent only ‘cold’ cognitive beliefs whereas gratifications sought combine these with ‘hot’ affective responses
When is a Liability not a Liability? Textual Analysis, Dictionaries, and 10-Ks

Previous research uses negative word counts to measure the tone of a text. We show that word lists developed for other disciplines misclassify common words in financial text. In a large sample of 10 Ks during 1994 to 2008, almost three-fourths of the words identified as negative by the widely used Harvard Dictionary are words typically not considered negative in financial contexts. We develop an alternative negative word list, along with five other word lists, that better reflect tone in financial text. We link the word lists to 10 K filing returns, trading volume, return volatility, fraud, material weakness, and unexpected earnings.
Alleviation of Salinity-Induced Dormancy by Growth Regulators in Wheat Seeds

The effect of 2 growth regulators, betaine and thiourea, was examined to learn the extent to which they can alleviate salinity-induced dormancy of wheat seeds. Germination velocity (as measured by Timson index) progressively decreased with increasing salinity, while thiourea and betaine, alone or in combination, elevated the germination velocity of wheat seeds. Timson index showed significant improvement in germination velocity when thiourea was used at 225 mM NaCl. Likewise, the adverse effect of salinity on growth parameters, like root and shoot lengths and fresh and dry weights, was also alleviated considerably when growth regulators were added. The application of growth regulators in combination with NaCl resulted in increased level of reducing sugars in the embryo and a decrease in the endosperm coupled with enhanced amylase activity, suggesting significant recovery in the mobilization rate of soluble sugars from endosperm to embryo. Thiourea was more effective in the mobilization process compared to betaine. Significance of growth regulators in alleviating the salt stress in crop plants is discussed.
Evaluating Organic Carbon Storage Capacity of Forest Soil: Case Study in Kafa Zone Bita District, Southwestern Ethiopia

Soil, forest and atmosphere are potential carbon sinker in the terrestrial ecosystem, of which the share of soil is more than that of forest and atmosphere. In Ethiopia very few studies have been conducted on forest soil organic carbon storage capacity. The purposes of this study was to determine organic carbon storage capacity of Kafa forest soil and to generate relevant information for stakeholders on forest soil organic carbon storing capacity that helps them for land management decisions and carbon trading. To achieve these goals, a representative forest land was selected in Bita district and five successive soil profiles were excavated at different slope positions of the toposequence. Soil samples were collected from each horizon of the soil profiles to determine soil carbon concentration and bulk density. Organic carbon storage (t ha ) capacity of each 1 horizon was obtained by multiplying the bulk density, organic carbon concentration and horizon thickness of the soil. The amount of organic carbon stored (t ha ) in each profile was obtained by summing up organic 1 carbon stored in the successive horizons of the respective profiles. Multiple linear regression model was employed to describe the effects of independent variables on dependent variables and Pearson's correlations analysis was used to determine the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Regression analysis revealed a unit rise in soil organic carbon concentration, bulk density and sampling depth rises soil organic carbon stock by 5.47, 1.53 and 25.64 t ha , respectively. Soil organic carbon storage capacity was 1 significantly (P < 0.0001) affected by organic carbon concentration and sampling depth. Besides, correlation analysis indicated, the amount of organic carbon stored in the soil has a positive relationship with organic carbon concentration and bulk density. The quantity of organic carbon stored in the soil was 639.64±286.10 t ha . The quantity of organic carbon stored in the soil has been governed by soil organic carbon 1 concentration and bulk density. Thus, soil organic carbon concentration and bulk density improvement are the most important management interventions to increase soil organic carbon storage capacity. Therefore, stakeholders should focus on management activities that improve soil organic carbon concentration and bulk density to boost carbon stock capacity of the soil.