Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Timescale dependence of the relationship between the East Asian summer monsoon strength and precipitation over eastern China in the last millennium

Abstract. Precipitation/humidity proxies are widely used to reconstruct the historical East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) variations based on the assumption that summer precipitation over eastern China is closely and stably linked to the strength of EASM. However, whether the observed EASM–precipitation relationship (e.g., increased precipitation with a stronger EASM) was stable throughout the past remains unclear. In this study, we used model outputs from the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project Phase III and Community Earth System Model to investigate the stability of the EASM–precipitation relationship over the last millennium on different timescales. The model results indicate that the EASM strength (defined as the regionally averaged meridional wind) was enhanced in the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA; ∼ 950–1250 AD), during which there was increased precipitation over eastern China, and weakened during the Little Ice Age (LIA; ∼ 1500–1800 AD), during which there was decreased precipitation, consistent with precipitation/humidity proxies. However, the simulated EASM–precipitation relationship is only stable on a centennial and longer timescale and is unstable on a shorter timescale. The nonstationary short-timescale EASM–precipitation relationship broadly exhibits a multi-decadal periodicity, which may be attributed to the internal variability of the climate system and has no significant correlation to external forcings. Our results have implications for understanding the discrepancy among various EASM proxies on a multi-decadal timescale and highlight the need to rethink reconstructed decadal EASM variations based on precipitation/humidity proxies.
Fulmar Litter EcoQO Monitoring in the North Sea - results to 2006

Het door schepen overboord zetten van operationeel en aan lading gerelateerd afval is een van de belangrijke bronnen van zwerfvuil in de zuidelijke Noordzee. Zulk afval heeft ernstige economische en ecologische gevolgen. Tekortkomingen in afgifteprocedures in havens worden gezien als een belangrijk achtergrond voor het illegaal overboord zetten van scheepsafval. In Nederland worden trends in zwerfafval op zee reeds onderzocht in een monitoring programma dat is gebaseerd op de hoeveelheid afval in magen van dood aangespoelde zeevogels: de Noordse Stormvogel. Dit graadmeter instrument wordt ook internationaal verder ontwikkeld als een ‘Ecological Quality Objective (EcoQO)’ door OSPAR (OSPAR-MASH 2007). De Noordse Stormvogel fourageert uitsluitend op zee, eet geregeld afval, en hoopt slecht verteerbaar materiaal op in de maag. Daardoor geeft de maaginhoud een geintegreerd beeld van de hoeveelheden afval op zee.
Reduced stomatal conductance in sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) sustained over long‐term CO2 enrichment

Summary • Over 4 yr (1998‐2001) we examined the effects of CO 2 enrichment on stomatal conductance ( g s ) of sun and shade leaves of overstory sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua ) grown at the Duke Forest Free Air Carbon CO 2 Enrichment (FACE) experiment. • Gas-exchange measurements were taken in June and September of each year and relationships between water stress and stomatal conductance were examined. Stomatal density was measured in June 2000. Relative stomatal limitation ( l g ) was calculated from gas-exchange measurements. •W e found a 28% reduction of g s in elevated CO 2 that was sustained over the study period and was similar in sun and shade leaves. Elevated CO 2 reduced l g by 26%. Stomatal density was not affected by CO 2 enrichment. Elevated CO 2 did not change the sensitivity of g s to soil moisture or vapor pressure deficit. • The data illustrate that decreased g s of sweetgum leaves in CO 2 enrichment is consistent over long periods of time and under varying environmental conditions.
Malaysian Nasal Polyps: Eosinophil or Neutrophil- Predominant

Eosinophil-type nasal polyp (NP) is common in Western population. This aim of this study was to determine the histology type of NP among different Malaysian ethnic groups. A total of 122 chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) patients were retrospectively enrolled and demographic data was recorded. The histological slides were retrieved. The number of eosinophils and non-eosinophils were counted and average number of inflammatory cells for each high power field was calculated. Eosinophil-predominant was seen in 32.8% of patients and 67.2% was non-eosinophil-predominant. Phenotypes of NP significantly showed an association with ethnicity (x² = 8.322; p < 0.05). A total of 78.9% of Chinese nasal polyps showed non-eosinophil predominant, while Malay and Indian nasal polyps revealed 71.9% and 40.7% of non-eosinophilic phenotype, respectively. Our study showed that Malaysian population had a non-eosinophilic phenotype of nasal polyps. There was a significant association in Malaysian ethnicity with the highest percentage in Chinese population.
Gender Differences in Self-estimated Multiple Intelligences Among Secondary School Students

The present study aimed to explore gender differences in self-estimated multiple intelligences. Stratified random sampling technique was used for the selection of 905 (542 boys and 363 girls) secondary school students of Southern Districts, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The age of the participants varied from 14-16 years. Forty five items derived from Armstrong Multiple Intelligence Inventory (1994) and McKenzie’s Intelligence Scale (1999) based on Gardner’s multiple intelligences were used as data collection instrument. The results of the study revealed that female students estimated their verbal/linguistic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligences higher than their male counterparts; and male students rated their bodily/kinesthetic and naturalistic intelligences higher than their female counterparts; while nonsignificant differences were found between male and female students on logical/mathematical, visual/ spatial, musical and existential intelligences. It is suggested that parents, school, and teachers should provide such an environment where all intelligences of both the gender may flourish and develop. This study provides useful information regarding gender differences on self-estimates of multiple intelligence.
Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): the star formation rate dependence of the stellar initial mass function

The stellar initial mass function (IMF) describes the distribution in stellar masses produced from a burst of star formation. For more than 50 yr, the implicit assumption underpinning most areas of research involving the IMF has been that it is universal, regardless of time and environment. We measure the high-mass IMF slope for a sample of low-to-moderate redshift galaxies from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly survey. The large range in luminosities and galaxy masses of the sample permits the exploration of underlying IMF dependencies. A strong IMF–star formation rate dependency is discovered, which shows that highly star-forming galaxies form proportionally more massive stars (they have IMFs with flatter power-law slopes) than galaxies with low star formation rates. This has a significant impact on a wide variety of galaxy evolution studies, all of which rely on assumptions about the slope of the IMF. Our result is supported by, and provides an explanation for, the results of numerous recent explorations suggesting a variation of or evolution in the IMF.
Apodized phase mask coronagraphs for arbitrary apertures

Phase masks coronagraphs can be seen as linear systems that spatially redistribute, in the pupil plane, the energy collected by the telescope. Most of the on-axis light must ideally be rejected outside the aperture to be blocked with a Lyot stop, while almost all off-axis light must go through it. The unobstructed circular apertures of off-axis telescopes make this possible but all major telescopes are however on-axis and the performance of these coronagraphs is dramatically reduced by the central obstruction. Their performance can be restored by using an additional optimally designed apodizer that changes the amplitude in the first pupil plane so that the on-axis light is rejected outside the obstructed aperture of the telescope. The numerical optimization model is built by maximizing the apodizer's transmission while setting constraints on the extremum values of the electric field that the Lyot stop does not block. The coronagraphic image is compared to what a non-apodized phase mask coronagraph provides and an analysis is made of the trade-offs that exist between the apodizer transmission and the Lyot stop properties. The existence of a solution and the mask transmission depend on the aperture and the Lyot stop geometries, and on the constraints that are set on the on-axis attenuation. The system throughput is a concave function of the Lyot stop transmission. In the case of a VLT-like aperture, apodizers with a transmission of 0.16 to 0.92 associated with a four-quadrant phase mask provide contrast as low as a few 1e-10 at 1 lambda/D from the star. The system's maximum throughput is 0.64, for an apodizer with an 0.88 transmission and a Lyot stop with a 0.69 transmission. Optimizing apodizers for a vortex phase mask requires computation times much longer than in the previous case, and no result is presented for this mask.
The Electrochemical Properties of Porous Carbon Derived from the Prawn as Anode for Lithium Ion Batteries

Porous carbon materials derived from the prawn shell (PSC) and prawn meat (PMC) have been successfully fabricated by a simple “curing” method, followed by an annealing process. The PSC and PMC are well characterized by XRD, Raman, SEM and TEM. Electrochemical measurements reveal that PSC and PMC deliver high initial discharge/charge capacities of 1735/878 mAh g -1 and 1132/674 mAh g -1 at 100 mA g -1 and maintain charge capacity retention of 84.2% and 40.3% after 90 cycles, respectively. Moreover, the PSC exhibits a high reversible capacity of 300 mAh g -1 after 50 cycles at 1000 mA g -1 . The outstanding electrochemical performance of PSC and PMC is attributed to the coherent interconnected porous structure and nitrogen doping, which is beneficial for fast penetration of electrolyte, rapid diffusion of Li + and creation of numerous active sites for Li + storage.
Day-of-the-week effect in the Nigerian Stock Market Returns and Volatility: Does the Distributional Assumptions Influence Disappearance?

This study assesses the influence of error distributional assumption on appearance or disappearance of day-of-the-week effects in returns and volatility using the Nigerian stock exchange (NSE-30). The Gaussian, Student-t, and the Generalized error distribution were incorporated in the GARCH (2,1) and EGARCH (2,1) models. Result reveals that day-of-the-week effects are sensitive to error distribution. Our finding also shows that evidence of good or bad news in volatility does not only depend on the asymmetric model but also the choice of the error distribution. Thus, this study will provide adequate knowledge to policy makers, investors and researchers about day-of-the-week effect in stock markets.
Homeownership Aspirations and Experiences: Immigrant Koreans and Dominicans in Northern Queens, New York City

The culture and traditions of immigrant families can influence both their views of homeownership and their success in purchasing a home. The study described here examines the homeownership and home financing experience of Korean and Dominican immigrant families living in northern Queens neighborhoods of New York City. Using ethnographic methods, the study team investigated the cultural attitudes and experiences that affect the homebuying process. This article discusses the barriers that may hinder immigrants from becoming homeowners during each of the four phases of the homebuying process: presearch, search, purchase, and postpurchase. It concludes with policy recommendations for lending institutions and public agencies that would enable more immigrant households to become homeowners. This article presents the results of an investigation of the homeownership and home financing experiences of immigrant families from South Korea and the Dominican Republic who now live in New York City. The research was conducted in four adjacent multiethnic communities in the northern portion of Queens County, one of New York City’s five counties, or boroughs. The primary goals of the study were to investigate the effect of the immigrants’ cultural attitudes and experiences on the homebuying process and to identify barriers that may hinder their abilities to become homeowners. This knowledge is intended to give lending institutions and public agencies a better understanding of the ways in which culture influences homeownership. Johnston, Katimin, and Milczarski 64 Cityscape This study of cultural attitudes, expectations, and experiences was carried out through a research collaboration between Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City (NHS), a community-based organization, and the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning of Hunter College of the City University of New York. The research team studied issues of culture and homeownership through an ethnographic approach based primarily on indepth interviews. Interviews were conducted with selected residents of Korean and Dominican heritage in order to obtain an “immigrant’s-eye view” of the homebuying process. Our research also included contacts with representatives of community-based North
Phytoplankton biochemical contents and zooplankton composition in vegetated and non-vegetated regions in Bardawil Lagoon, North Sinai, Egypt

Zooplankton community and biochemical contents of phytoplankton were compared between nonvegetated and vegetated regions among two plants communities, Halophila stipulacea (Forsskal) Ascherson and Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Ascherson, in Bardawil Lagoon. There were slight differences in water properties between the three studied sectors in Bardawil Lagoon. The results illustrated a strong allelopathic effect of H. stipulacea plant on the protein contents of phytoplankton. Non- vegetated area of the lake recorded the maximum contents of carbohydrate, thus the two plants had negative chemical interference on phytoplankton carbohydrates. Halophila stipulacea had a slight stimulating effect on phytoplankton lipid contents. While there was no variation in lipids at the area covered with C. nodosa and non-vegetated area. The three studied sectors were characterized by a similar taxonomic composition of zooplankton communities and considerable variations in densities of various zooplankton groups. All classes were collected in greater numbers in vegetation, Copepoda and Pteropoda are highly associated with H. stipulacea, while C. nodosa gathering rotifer, protozoa and meroplankton, which could indicate there was a stimulating allelopathic effect of macrophytes on their density.
Social support, work engagement, and non-vocational outcomes in people with severe mental illness

The relationships between social support (i.e., supportive relationship between supervisor-coworker), work engagement, self-esteem, and self-awareness (i.e., identity and perceived personal health), were investigated in a group of patients with severe mental illness (i.e., patients suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and mood disorders). Seventy Italian working patients were administered the Italian version of the following scales: a) Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, b) Work Climate Questionnaire, c) Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, d) Self-Awareness (identity and perceived personal health) ad hoc scale. Results showed that social support is positively related to work engagement, self-awareness, and self-esteem. Moreover, the relationships between social support and identity appeared to be fully mediated by perceived personal health. Practical implications are discussed.
Antioxidant activity, vitamin C content and growth of chinese kale in response to high humus seedling media and beneficial microorganisms

Nutritional values (antioxidant activity and vitamin C content), growth and nutrient uptake of Chinese kale seedlings in response to high humus seedling media and beneficial microorganisms were evaluated in the screenhouse. Selected seedling media (SSM) were mixed with each of the three selected isolates (Azospirillum sp., Beijerinckia sp. and actinomycetes) and various percentages of leonardite. The results showed that SSM with actinomycetes plus 15% leonardite produced the highest shoot and root dry weight of Chinese kale seedling and all these values were significantly higher than the control. This treatment also produced the highest nutrient uptake (N, P, K, Ca and Mg). Furthermore, this treatment produced the highest vitamin C content (33.08 and 44.66 µg/ml) and antioxidant activity (1.9285 and 4.733 µmol trolox/g) at both the seedling stage (20 days after inoculation, or 20 DAI) and harvest time (40 days after inoculation, or 40 DAI), respectively. For Chinese kale, application of SSM with actinomycetes plus 15% leonardite not only improved plant growth and nutrient uptake but also increased nutritional values (antioxidant activity and vitamin C content) at both a seedling and at harvest. SSM with Beijerinckia sp. and 10% leonardite provided the second highest values of vitamin C content and antioxidant activity, also exceeding the control. Our results demonstrated that the improvement of vitamin C content and antioxidant activity of Chinese kale by bioorganic inputs in the production system is of interest and could lead to better consumer health.
Evaluating Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) Indiceson the Background of Mineral Status of the SeedCrop at Maturity: a Case Study of Maize

The first step in assessing nitrogen fertilizer’s impact on the environment relies on its productivity. Several series of indices have been developed to describe nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Their usability as potential agro-environmental tools depends, among other things, on the degree of responsiveness to crop nutritional status at its maturity. Selected NUE indices were evaluated based on grain yield, the number of kernels per con (NKC), and general crop indicators such as i) total nutrient uptake (TNU), ii) nutrient harvest index (NHI), and iii) unit nutrient uptake (UNU). This concept was validated using original experimental data on maize response to increasing nitrogen rates (0, 100, 150, and 200 kg ha-1) on the background of long-term potassium fertilizing systems, differing in soil K fertility level (medium, high) and K fertilizer application (K0, K+). The most promising indices of diagnostic values to describe both agronomic and environmental impacts of nitrogen fertilizer were the partial factor productivity of nitrogen fertilizer (PFPFN) and apparent nitrogen recovery (NR). The first one, directly describing productivity of the unit of applied nitrogen fertilizer, showed high sensitivity to those nutrients, which significantly defined maize yield. In the studied case it refers to potassium, whose low supply during the critical window resulted in a significant decrease in the number of kernels per cob. Consequently, the reduced capacity of the maize physiological sink during the grain-filling period resulted in the apparent excess of phosphorus and magnesium. This conclusion is corroborated by an N/P ratio of 7.4-10.8:1 and an N/K ratio of 7.4-10.8:1. This was the key reason for limiting productivity of nitrogen fertilizer. The NR index was the slightly poorer indicator of nitrogen fertilizer management, but also responded significantly both to natural and experimentally induced factors that are decisive for production variability. Other frequently used NUE indices did not allow for making both a simple and reliable evaluation of the nitrogen fertilizer productivity under different management systems.
Effect of water deficit at different stages of development on the yield components of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) genotypes

Cowpea cultivation is widespread in West Africa where it is an important source of protein. This study is aimed at determining the effects of water deficit applied at different stages of cowpea development on yield and its components (pod number, seed number, seed yield, aerial biomass yield, harvest index and root biomass of the plant). The experiments were carried out in pots during the rainy season of 2016 under natural conditions of illumination, temperature and relative humidity. Three water regimes were applied to plants at different stages of cowpea development: total suspension of watering at flowering phase (43 days after sowing) (S1); suspension of watering at the beginning of pod formation on the 46th day after sowing (S2); and normal watering as control until harvest (S0). At the water regime level, yield components had higher values in S0 followed by S2. The lowest values were obtained at S1 level. The root to aerial biomass ratios was higher under water deficit than in the control. In conditions of water deficiency, Suvita2, IT96D-610, and ISV128 genotypes gave the highest seed yields and Tiligre the lowest yield. The harvest index showed a genotypic variation according to the water regime. Suvita2 and ISV128 gave the best harvest index in all water regimes. This study may have contributed to the selection of genotypes adapted to drought. Key words: Cowpea, harvest index, water deficit, yields, Niger.
The Influence of Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m) on Pay Sensitivity Estimates: The Case of Section 162(m) Qualifiers and Non-qualifiers and the Value of Subjectivity in Compensation Arrangements

We examine the impact that Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m) had on pay for performance relationships for two sets of firms- those U.S. firms that qualified their CEO’s (Chief Executive Officer’s) annual bonus under Section 162(m) and those that did not take such steps during the years 1992 to 2003. We hypothesize that the link between pay and objective measures of performance would improve more for the Section 162(m) qualifying firms classified as “subjective evaluators” of CEO performance in years prior to Section 162(m). We also hypothesize no change in pay for performance for those firms that did not qualify certain of their CEO’s pay programs under Section 162(m). Our regression results are generally consistent with our hypotheses that states that observed pay for performance improvements associated with Section 162(m)’s passage were largely driven by firms that qualified their pay programs and which based their CEO’s compensation on subjective performance measures prior to the passage of Section 162(m). We also look at the benefits (in terms of tax savings) or the loss (in terms of added tax costs) incurred by companies which qualified and those that did not qualify their CEO’s annual bonus as performance based under Section 162(m). We find that the benefits from qualifying the CEO’s bonus as performance based were the highest for those companies which had used subjective criteria to evaluate a CEO’s annual performance prior to qualifying this compensation as performance based. To us, this suggests that subjective based performance measures have value to a company and that forfeiting the use of such measures requires that a benefit be received for doing so.