Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factorial method as a tool for estimating the relative contribution to precipitation of cloud microphysical processes and environmental conditions: Method and application

[1] The factorial experiment method is presented as a tool for evaluating the sensitivity of precipitation to changes in atmospheric thermodynamic conditions and cloud microphysical characteristics in mixed phase convective clouds. As an example, the method is adopted here for analysis of the sensitivity of precipitation to changes in various parameters using simulations with the Tel Aviv University 2D (TAU 2D) cloud model. The cloud model was run in 80 scenarios in order to determine the relative sensitivity of precipitation in eastern Mediterranean winter mixed phase convective clouds to changes in cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration, parameterization of ice formation mechanisms and initial atmospheric thermodynamic conditions. When these parameters act synergistically to suppress precipitation (by increasing the concentration of CCN and of small ice crystals and reducing the water vapor mixing ratio), for the cases simulated here, a decrease of about 2°C in the entire profile of the ambient temperature while keeping the relative humidity constant has the same contribution to precipitation suppression as an increase of about 400 cm−3 in the CCN concentration. It is shown that under the warmest and most humid atmospheric thermodynamic conditions simulated here, the suppression of precipitation is affected more by the increased CCN than by the ice generation processes, whereas in colder atmospheric conditions the reverse is true. For a given atmospheric sounding the time of rain initiation strongly depends on the CCN concentrations. The role of ice generation begins to affect precipitation at a later stage when the cloud is more mature.
Reinforcement Learning, Error-Related Negativity, and Genetic Risk for Alzheimer's Disease

REINFORCEMENT LEARING, ERROR RELATED NEGATIVITY, AND GENETIC RISK FOR ALZHIEMER’S DISEASE MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN Christina M. Figueroa Marquette University, 2016 Reinforcement learning (RL) has been widely used as a model of animal and human learning and decision-making. The neural networks underlying RL involve many of the same structures primarily affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) such as the hippocampus. Yet, RL and non-invasive evaluation of its neural underpinnings have been underutilized as a framework for understanding disease pathology and its pre-clinical states. This study aimed to provide a novel approach for assessing subtle changes in asymptomatic apolipoprotein-E (APOE) carriers and non-carriers. Electroencephalography was collected from forty APOE genotyped older adults (Male n = 11; Mage = 79.30; Meducation = 14.88 years) during an RL task comprised of distinct phases (RL, implicit). Neural components associated with the error detection system involved in RL, the response error-related negativity (ERN) and the feedback error-related negativity (FRN), were examined for individuals at low (APOE ε4-; n=20) and high risk (APOE ε4+; n=20). RL task performance did not differ between risk groups. However, the high-risk group consistently elicited greater peak amplitudes than the low-risk group. The pattern of results indicated that the high-risk group deviated from typical RL processes such that peak amplitudes did not differ between early and late learning. Additionally, despite intact learning, latent hippocampal atrophy is believed to have disrupted the transfer and use of learned information to novel situations thus altering the hippocampal-frontostriatal circuit responsible for adaptive behavior and the corresponding neural signal. The results indicate that disease related changes can be identified prior to clinical diagnosis or functional decline using RL and a non-invasive assessment of neural function, which may prove to inform clinical conceptualization, assessment, and treatment.
Determination of Changes in Sulphur Oxidation States in Prostate Cancer Cells

Prostate cancer cell lines along with selected organic and inorganic compounds used as references were studied with sulphur K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy. The experiment was performed at the SUL-X beamline of the synchrotron radiation source ANKA, Karlsruhe (Germany). The sulphur was chosen for the studies because it is an essential biological element and out of many relevant factors, it is believed that it can take an important part in cancer transformations. The main goal was to determine which sulphur forms occur in prostate cancer cells and to compare these results with the ones obtained for non-cancerous cells. Therefore oxidation state of this element was analysed with S K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy. The analysis of K-edge structure was done in order to investigate also the chemical structure of the elements neighbouring the central atom. The preliminary results from sulphur X-ray absorption near edge structure in prostate cancer cell line PC-3 and prostatic epithelial cell line PZ-HPV-7 (which was used as a control) show that there are various oxidation states of sulphur occurring in cells. The set of reference compounds with various sulphur oxidation states was used to establish the relation between the energy of the white line maximum and the oxidation state of sulphur. The equation of linear fit was used to compute the unknown oxidation state. In order to obtain a more detailed information the method of deconvolution of X-ray absorption near edge structure spectra was used. Experimental spectra were fitted with two Gaussian peaks and one arctangent step function. Fitting procedure was performed in Athena code and the deconvolution was used to assign the fraction of each sulphur form. The next step was to compare the results calculated for cancerous and non-cancerous cells. In this work, the first results of these studies are presented.
Ultrashort Pulsed Laser Ablation of Magnesium Diboride: Plasma Characterization and Thin Films Deposition

A MgB2 target has been ablated by Nd:glass laser with a pulse duration of 250 fs. The plasma produced by the laser-target interaction, showing two temporal separated emissions, has been characterized by time and space resolved optical emission spectroscopy and ICCD fast imaging. The films, deposited on silicon substrates and formed by the coalescence of particles with nanometric size, have been analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The first steps of the films growth have been studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy. The films deposition has been studied by varying the substrate temperature from 25 to 500°C and the best results have been obtained at room temperature.
Echocardiographic Indices in Hemodialysis Patients in a Six-Month Observation Wskaźniki echokardiograficzne u hemodializowanych chorych w obserwacji 6-miesięcznej

Background. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of premature mortality and disability of dialyzed patients. Generally, in the course of hemodialysis (HD) treatment, the prevalence and severity of left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) increase. Objectives. To investigate changes in echocardiographic parameters that could be early signs of the development or further deterioration of LVD in HD patients. Material and Methods. Echocardiography (two-dimensional, pulsed wave, continuous wave and tissue Doppler) was performed on 48 patients before and after HD sessions at the beginning of the study and after 6 months of HD treatment using Pro-Sound 4000 (Aloka, Japan). HD adequacy and laboratory parameters were evaluated. Unfavorable differences in the echocardiographic parameters of patients without changes in classification of left ventricular function over the study period were assumed to be early predictors for the development or deterioration of LVD. Results. In 31 patients, left ventricular function remained stable, in 12 it deteriorated and in 5 it improved. In the patients with stable function, left atrial (LA) diameter and area were greater before HD sessions, and the differences induced by HD sessions in left atrial and right atrial (RA) diameters were significantly greater at the end of the study than at the beginning (p < 0.05). The ultrafiltration volume (2155
The Influence of Parents and Teachers on the Deep Learning Approach of Pupils in Norwegian Upper-Secondary Schools

Introduction. The purpose of this article was to explore the influence of parents and teachers on the deep learning approach of pupils by estimating the strength of the relationships between these factors and the motivation, volition and deep learning approach of Norwegian 16-year-olds.Method. Structural equation modeling for cross-sectional survey data was used to estimate the path coefficients. A total of 1,112 students voluntarily participated. The analysis indicated that the teachers’ perceived efforts to influence and stimulate the deep learning approach of the pupils had some effect.Results. Parental efforts in this respect did not appear to have any noticeable influence on the pupils’ motivation, volition or deep learning approach. Teacher pressure was found to influence the motivation and deep learning approach, and teachers can make conscious use of this effect in order to improve the students’ performance.Conclusion. For pupils who lack educational motivation, the teacher has an important function in motivating greater effort with schoolwork and stimulating a more effective deep learning approach. The current study provides new knowledge concerning the influence of teachers and parents on students’ learning efforts.
Accurate sub-millimetre rest frequencies for HOCO+ and DOCO+ ions

Context. HOCO + is a polar molecule that represents a useful proxy for its parent molecule CO 2 , which is not directly observable in the cold interstellar medium. This cation has been detected towards several lines of sight, including massive star forming regions, protostars, and cold cores. Despite the obvious astrochemical relevance, protonated CO 2 and its deuterated variant, DOCO + , still lack an accurate spectroscopic characterisation. Aims. The aim of this work is to extend the study of the ground-state pure rotational spectra of HOCO + and DOCO + well into the sub-millimetre region. Methods. Ground-state transitions have been recorded in the laboratory using a frequency-modulation absorption spectrometer equipped with a free-space glow-discharge cell. The ions were produced in a low-density, magnetically confined plasma generated in a suitable gas mixture. The ground-state spectra of HOCO + and DOCO + have been investigated in the 213–967 GHz frequency range; 94 new rotational transitions have been detected. Additionally, 46 line positions taken from the literature have been accurately remeasured. Results. The newly measured lines have significantly enlarged the available data sets for HOCO + and DOCO + , thus enabling the determination of highly accurate rotational and centrifugal distortion parameters. Our analysis shows that all HOCO + lines with K a ≥ 3 are perturbed by a ro-vibrational interaction that couples the ground state with the v 5 = 1 vibrationally excited state. This resonance has been explicitly treated in the analysis in order to obtain molecular constants with clear physical meaning. Conclusions. The improved sets of spectroscopic parameters provide enhanced lists of very accurate sub-millimetre rest frequencies of HOCO + and DOCO + for astrophysical applications. These new data challenge a recent tentative identification of DOCO + towards a pre-stellar core.
The impact of intelligent transport system quality: Drivers' acceptance perspective

An effective and real-time traffic information network is highly important and could contribute to decreasing traffic volume and costs by reducing fuel consumption and saving time for drivers in reaching their destinations. This study provides an extensive analysis regarding the drivers’ acceptance levels of the current implementation of the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) in Kuala Lumpur. A proposed model from the literature review based on the known Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is introduced. The ITS system characteristics, information quality, system quality, and service quality were investigated as external variables. The resulting analysis showed that information quality is the highest influential factor followed by system quality. The results also revealed that service quality had no effect on acceptance levels.
Issues of Occupational Health and Injuries among Unskilled Female Labourers in Construction Industry: A Scenario of Punjab State

Abstract Unorganized sector of work is full of health hazards and injuries and if the workforce is female, the scenario worsens. Therefore the present investigation was undertaken with an objective to find injury and disease data of female construction workers. Results of study revealed that most of them belonged to the age group of 21-30 years, were married and lived in nuclear family setup. Mean weight and height of respondents were below the normal value. Cardiovascular responses, Basal Metabolic Index and Body Surface Area were very much within normal value. Injury data of sampled population revealed incidences of abrasion of skin, falls, slips, trips, crushing and pinching of body parts, boils in hands and feet, burns, sprains, cuts and bleeding and eye injury/hurt being more frequent occurring injuries during work. Illness data of respondents correlated affect of work on their health as most frequently reported illnesses were: weakness, cough/chest infection, urinary tract infection, sore throat, cervical pain, skin allergy, dehydration, back pain, generalized fatigue and heat stroke.
Postseafloor Spreading Volcanism in the Central East South China Sea and Its Formation Through an Extremely Thin Oceanic Crust

P wave velocity models were obtained by forward and inverse modeling from 38 ocean bottom seismometers deployed in the central East subbasin of the South China Sea (SCS). Four types of crust have been defined: (a) thin oceanic crust (<5 km), (b) typical oceanic crust (5–6 km), (c) thick oceanic crust hosting postspreading volcanoes (>6 km) with significant intrusive roots, and (d) thick oceanic crust with enhanced spreading features (>6 km) but without significant roots. Within the central East subbasin, the thin oceanic crust, only identified inside an 80 km wide zone, is located within an overall 150 km wide domain characterized by N055° seafloor spreading trends. The postspreading volcanoes were formed during a N‐S tensional episode around 6–10 Ma, several millions of years after seafloor spreading ceased in the SCS. Seafloor spreading (N055° and N145°) and postspreading (N000° and N090°) features are observed in the morphology of some of these volcanoes. The rupture of the brittle thin oceanic crust was focused where the crust was the weakest, i.e., at the intersection of the extinct spreading ridge with former fracture zones. From geological and geophysical arguments, we suggest that the postspreading volcanism might have been influenced by the Hainan plume activity through a buoyancy‐driven partial melting mechanism.
MACHINING OF CORTICAL BONE: SURFACE TEXTURE, SURFACE INTEGRITY AND CUTTING FORCES

Cutting, drilling and reaming of human bone are conducted in total joint replacement procedures and the placement of dental implants. In the current study orthogonal machining of cortical bone was performed and the cutting and thrust forces, as well as the machined surface quality, were evaluated over a range of osteon orientations and cutting conditions. Results showed that cutting perpendicular to the osteons resulted in the highest machining forces, largest surface roughness and extensive sub-surface damage for some parametric conditions. The average surface roughness of the machined bone ranged from 1 μm to over 70 μm, was largest for positive rake angle tools and increased with the depth of cut. There was no correlation between the cutting forces and machined surface quality. While negative rake angle tools resulted in the largest cutting forces, they provided the lowest surface roughness and highest apparent surface quality. Overall, the results show that orthogonal cutting of bone can result in near-surface damage that reduces the degree of contact between bone and implanted devices and is potentially detrimental to the post-surgical recovery rate.
Subjective memory evaluated by the Forgetful Assessment Inventory in the early detection of Dementia in patients with subjective cognitive decline, Mild cognitive impairment and Parkinson's disease

Hintergrund: In der allgemeinen Bevolkerung sind subjektive kognitive Beschwerden (SCC) und deren klinische Bedeutung bis heute kontrovers diskutiert. Bei der leichten kognitiven Beeintrachtigung (MCI) und bei subjektiver Abnahme der Gedachtnisleistung (SCD) werden die subjektiven kognitiven Beschwerden (SCC) mit der Entwicklung der Diagnose Alzheimerdemenz (AD) oder der Parkinsondemenz (PDD) in Zusammenhang gebracht. Ziele: Ermittlung der Unterschiede von subjektiven kognitiven Beschwerden (SCC) auf der Grundlage von Patientenberichten bei Patienten mit SCD, MCI und Parkinsonerkrankung (PD). Design: Langsschnittuntersuchung mit einer Follow up Untersuchung. Teilnehmer: Eine klinische Stichprobe der Gedachtnisambulanz an der Neurologischen Universitatsklinik (n=168) von nichtdementen Patienten und Patientinnen mit SCC, im Alter von uber 50 Jahren. Ergebnisse: Die Patienten mit MCI haben ein hoheres Risiko an AD zu erkranken als die SCD (OR = 7.3 [CI 0.9 to 61.2]. Die untersuchten Diagnosegruppen (SCD, MCI, PD) unterscheiden sich hinsichtlich ihrer SCC (p < .001) signifikant. Keine signifikanten Unterschiede zwischen den an AD erkrankten und den Nicht-Konvertierten wurden entdeckt. Weiters unterscheiden sich die Gruppen der Verschlechterten, Gleichbleibenden und Verbesserten in ihren SCC signifikant (p < .05). In keiner Analyse konnte ein Zeiteffekt bestatigt werden. Die Flache unter der Kurve (AUC) der FAI betragt . 62 fur die Konversion zu AD. Konklusion: SCC erlauben keine Differenzierung zwischen AD und Nicht-Konvertierten basierend auf der Erstuntersuchung.
Yield Potentional of Two Barely Genotypes Grown under Water Stress of Arid Ecosystem of Saudi Arabia

Under limited soil moisture conditions, water stress is a more yield limiting factor for most crop production under hot environments. The cost of water irrigation raises the quest in about the feasibility of applying water under limited soil moisture condition.For that field traits were carried out in Agriculture Research Station, Faculty of Food and Agriculture sciences, King Saud University, near Riyadh.The experiments included the combination comprising of 2 barely genotypes ( Jesto and Sahrawe) and applied 50 mm. water irrigation in each of the five irrigation schedules ( 0, 50,100,150 and 200 mm )of cumulative pan evaporation, (CPE). The aim of the study was to assess the potentiality of barely genotypes under water stress condition. As expected the results indicated that, treatment which gave 10000 mm. over the growing season, weekly water applied (normal irrigation) at 0 cumulative pan evaporation, followed by the application of (8000 mm), recorded the highest value of grain yield, 1000 grain weight and water use efficiency of both cultivars in both seasons, as compared with the other levels of water irrigation. However the lowest values were found in most traits as the application of water irrigation at cumulative CPE 150 mm and 200 mm. Finally, we can conclude that 20 to 40 % of water irrigation could be conserved for growing barley under arid environment of Saudi Arabia.
The Impact of Enactive /Vicarious pre-reading Tasks on Reading Comprehension and Self-Efficacy of Iranian Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners

This study investigated the effect of enactive pre-reading tasks on Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners’ reading comprehension and self-efficacy. Moreover, it explored whether Iranian per-intermediate EFL learners’ reading comprehension and self-efficacy are influenced by vicarious pre-reading tasks. The required data was gathered through a reading comprehension passage entailing 20 comprehension questions and a 30-item self-efficacy questionnaire with 5-point Likert-scale response options. A total of 66 participants (including 34 individuals in the enactive group and 32 leaners in the vicarious one) took part in this study. The Pearson formula, an independent T-Test, paired T-test, and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyze the data. Based on the findings of the study, enactive pre-reading tasks played a key role in the Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners’ reading comprehension ability. Moreover, it was found that vicarious pre-reading tasks served an important role in the Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners’ self-efficacy.
Which is a better anthropometric indicator of cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients? Waist hip ratio or body mass index?

Introduction: The increasing prevalence of adiposity is associated with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The two most popular methods to measure adiposity are body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip-ratio (WHR), which measure the overall and abdominal adiposity, respectively. The aim of this study was to determine whether BMI or WHR was more strongly associated with macronutrient intakes and lipid profiles in T2DM patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 210 T2DM patients, mean age of 56.73(SD 10.23) years, were recruited from Penang. Information on socio-demographic, body measurements (height, weight, waist circumference and hip circumference)and macronutrient intakes (three 24-hour dietary recalls) were recorded. Routine laboratory tests (fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, LDL, HDL, triglyceride and total cholesterol) were performed according to standard procedure. Results:Among the respondents, 84% had abdominal and 63% had overall adiposity respectively.There was a significant correlation between WHR and the total calorie(r=0.27; p<0.001), carbohydrate (r=0.30; p<0.001) and protein intakes(r=0.18; p=0.009). WHR was significantly associated with serum triglycerides(r=0.18; p=0.011) and the HDL levels (r=-0.20; p=0.003). On the other hand, neither lipid profiles nor dietary intakes showed significant correlation with BMI. Conclusion: In T2DM, WHR is more strongly associated with macronutrient intakes, HDL and triglyceride compared with BMI. Hence, WHR is a better anthropometric indicator of plasma lipids in T2DM.
Extended Falicov-Kimball model: Exact solution for finite temperatures

The extended Falicov-Kimball model is analyzed exactly in the ground state at half filling in the limit of large dimensions. In the model the on-site and the intersite density-density interactions between all particles are included. We determined the model's phase diagram and found a discontinuous transition between two different charge-ordered phases. Our analytical calculations show that the ground state of the system is insulating for any nonzero values of the interaction couplings. We also show that the dynamical mean-field theory and the static broken-symmetry Hartree-Fock mean-field approximation give the same results for the model at zero temperature. In addition, we prove using analytical expressions that at infinitesimally small, but finite, temperatures the system can be metallic.