Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Separating Different Scales of Motion in Time Series of Meteorological Variables.

Abstract The removal of synoptic and seasonal signals from time series of meteorological variables leaves datasets amenable to the study of trends, climate change, and the reasons for such trends and changes. In this paper, four techniques for separating different scales of motion are examined and their effectiveness compared. These techniques are PEST, anomalies, wavelet transform, and the Kolmogorov–Zurbenko (KZ) filter. It is shown that PEST and anomalies do not cleanly separate the synoptic and seasonal signals from the data as well as the other two methods. The KZ filter method is shown to have the same level of accuracy as the wavelet transform method. However, the KZ filter method can be applied to datasets with missing observations and is much easier to use than the wavelet transform method.
Disconnected contributions to D-meson semi-leptonic decay form factors

We calculate the disconnected contribution to the form factor for the semileptonic decay of a D-meson into a final state, containing a flavor singlet eta meson. We use QCDSF n_f=2+1 configurations at the flavor symmetric point m_u=m_d=m_s and the partially quenched approximation for the relativistic charm quark. Several acceleration and noise reduction techniques for the stochastic estimation of the disconnected loop are tested.
Nutritional Effects of High Protein Feeds on Growth, Development, Performance and Overwintering of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.)

In order to evaluate eight different protein sources in honey bee nutrition, some experiments were conducted as a completely randomized designs with four replicates and three steps incubator, field and overwintering in Isfahan region. Protein sources were lentil flour, soybean flour, soybean meal, bread yeast, wheat gluten, skim milk powder, fish meal and Pollen. Results showed that the longevity of caged honey bees in incubator was significantly affected by dietary treatments (P<0.05). Wheat gluten supplement and lentil substitute resulted in the highest (61 days) and lowest (9.2 days) longevity of bees in 50% mortality, respectively; while in 100% morality pollen and lentil substitutes caused the highest (143.5 days) and lowest (20.7 days) longevity of bees, respectively. Field experiments showed a significant difference between feed intake in experimental colonies. Honey bees consumed the most amounts of pollen cakes, while bread yeast and soybean cakes were consumed more than soybean meal and wheat gluten; however, fish meal cakes were not accepted by bees. Brood area of experimental colonies was significantly different and varied from 13050 to 22680 cm2. Honey production in test colonies was also significantly (P<0.05) different and varied from 5.98 to 9.56 kg. After 90 days of overwintering the experimental colonies fed with pollen supplement and substitute cakes showed a significant (P<0.05) difference in honey consumption, total bee mass reduction and laying area of queens. Dietary inclusion of pollen and wheat gluten supplements caused the lowest bee mass reduction, and respective colonies had the greatest laying area at the end of winter. Overall, the present results showed that soybean flour and bread yeast can be used as pollen supplements and substitutes cakes
Residual Effects from Fish Wheel Capture and Handling of Yukon River Fall Chum Salmon

Abstract Since 1996, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists have annually used fish wheels to capture migrating adult fall chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta in the main-stem Yukon River, Alaska, and estimated their abundance via mark–recapture methods. In each year of the study, the mark rate of captured fish at a site near Rampart has been substantially greater than rates observed at numerous locations upriver of that site. The factors most likely to cause the observed reduction in the mark rate are violations of mark–recapture model assumptions or the mortality of marked fish between the Rampart site and upriver locations. Results of studies conducted through 2000 were most consistent with the hypothesis of mortality. We investigate potential explanatory factors for the apparent reduction in mark rates at upriver locations using data collected during additional studies from 2001 to 2003. Results document that holding fish in submerged pens at the marking site negatively affects their ability to migrate f.
The Relationship between Culture , Emotion , and Musical Elen 1 ents

The current study examined the relationships between emotions, different cultures, and several musical elements. Participants listened to nine pieces of music -three Hindustani ragas, three Native American pieces, and three Western songs. Joy, anger, and sadness were rated as to their presence in the music on a nine-point Likert scale. Four musical elements tempo, pitch, rhytbrrllc complexity (RC), and melodic complexity (MC) were rated on the same scale as the emotions. 1t was hypothesized that relationships would exist between the ratings of the emotions and those for the musical elements, and that the patterns of relationships would be similar regardless of the cultural origin ofthe music. In addition, based on previous research, several specific hypotheses were found concerning relationships between specific musical elements and emotions. The main hypothesis was not supported, but some of the sub-hypotheses were found to be significant (i.e., joy as positively correlated to tempo and pitch, and sadness negatively correlated to these same elements).
Adding a dynamical cryosphere to iLOVECLIM (version 1.0): coupling with the GRISLI ice-sheet model

Abstract. We present a coupling approach to and the first results of the GRISLI ice-sheet model within the iLOVECLIM-coupled climate model. The climate component is a relatively low-resolution earth system model of intermediate complexity, well suited for long-term integrations and thus for coupled climate–cryosphere studies. We describe the coupling procedure with emphasis on the downscaling scheme and the methods to compute the snow fraction from total precipitation fields. We then present results for the Greenland ice sheet under pre-industrial climate conditions at the end of a 14 000 yr long integration. The simulated ice sheet presents too large a thickness in its central part owing to the overestimation of precipitation in the atmospheric component. We find that including downscaling procedures for temperature improves the temperature distributions over Greenland for both the summer and annual means. We also find an ice-sheet areal extent that is overestimated with respect to the observed Greenland ice sheet.
Green Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using Aqueous Extract of Garcinia mangostana Fruit Peels

The synthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) is performed by the reduction of aqueous gold metal ions in contact with the aqueous peel extract of plant, Garcinia mangostana (G. mangostana). An absorption peak of the gold nanoparticles is observed at the range of 540–550źnm using UV-visible spectroscopy. All the diffraction peaks at 2ź = 38.48°, 44.85°, 66.05°, and 78.00° that index to (111), (200), (220), and (311) planes confirm the successful synthesis of Au-NPs. Mostly spherical shape particles with size range of 32.96 ± 5. 25źnm are measured using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). From the FTIR results, the peaks obtained are closely related to phenols, flavonoids, benzophenones, and anthocyanins which suggest that they may act as the reducing agent. This method is environmentally safe without the usage of synthetic materials which is highly potential in biomedical applications.
On the shapes of flavours: A review of four hypotheses

Does it make sense to talk about a round wine, or a sharp taste? Many chefs and wine writers certainly seem to think that it does. The historical precedent of ‘the man who tasted shapes’, as well as recent claims that the chemical senses could present us with forms of universal synaesthesia (Stevenson and Tomiczek 2007), make it natural to wonder whether there might not be a widespread form of synaesthesia underlying these surprising reports. Alternatively, however, they might instead reflect nothing more than the metaphorical use of language (cf. White 2008). Intriguingly, a new field of experimental research is now starting to demonstrate many examples where tastes, aromas, flavours, and the oral-somatosensory attributes of foods and beverages are reliably matched to particular shapes. These crossmodal matches are thus both ubiquitous and robust across the general population, or at least within the cultures in which they have been tested to date. After discussing a number of these examples of the crossmodal matching of shape (or shape attributes such as angularity) to food and drink stimuli, we argue that the category of crossmodal correspondences best captures the core of the phenomenon that is at stake. What is more, they may help to explain why the use of such cross-sensory pairings by chefs, food companies, marketers, and designers can be particularly effective. The focus on this specific type of cross-sensory matching demonstrates that it is a much more robust empirical phenomenon than it might at first seem, both because of its extensive use out there in the marketplace, and also because of the theoretical issues it raises about the differences between several plausible alternative explanations of crossmodal associations.
Doctoral Thesis Project: Theoretical Studies and New Approaches to Bayesian Network Classifiers

– Provisional title of the thesis: Theoretical Studies and New Approaches to Bayesian Network Classifiers. – Thesis directors: Prof. Pedro Larrañaga and Prof. Concha Bielza. – Research group: Computational Intelligence Group (CIG). – Department: Departamento de Inteligencia Artificial. – University: Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. – Starting date: 01 November 2013 (officially enrolled in the PhD program in the 2014/2015 academic year).
Landscape structure and climate influences on hydrologic response

Climate variability and catchment structure (topography, geology, vegetation) have a significant influence on the timing and quantity of water discharged from mountainous catchments. How these factors combine to influence runoff dynamics is poorly understood. In this study we linked differences in hydrologic response across catchments and across years to metrics of landscape structure and climate using a simple transfer function rainfall‐runoff modeling approach. A transfer function represents the internal catchment properties that convert a measured input (rainfall/snowmelt) into an output (streamflow). We examined modeled mean response time, defined as the average time that it takes for a water input to leave the catchment outlet from the moment it reaches the ground surface. We combined 12 years of precipitation and streamflow data from seven catchments in the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest (Little Belt Mountains, southwestern Montana) with landscape analyses to quantify the first‐order controls on mean response times. Differences between responses across the seven catchments were related to the spatial variability in catchment structure (e.g., slope, flowpath lengths, tree height). Annual variability was largely a function of maximum snow water equivalent. Catchment averaged runoff ratios exhibited strong correlations with mean response time while annually averaged runoff ratios were not related to climatic metrics. These results suggest that runoff ratios in snowmelt dominated systems are mainly controlled by topography and not by climatic variability. This approach provides a simple tool for assessing differences in hydrologic response across diverse watersheds and climate conditions.
Are farmers profit efficient? Evidence from groundnut farmers in Malawi

Groundnut growing is one of the major farming activities in Malawi, however, the extent of efficiency among the farming community has not been fully explored. This study analyzes the direct production efficiency by considering profit efficiency associated with groundnut production using stochastic profit frontier function and the inefficiency effect model specification. The results indicate that the profit efficiency in groundnut production ranges from 1% to 89% (mean of 45%). The relationship between efficiency and both farm and institutional characteristics was found to be significant. Efficiency appeared to be positively associated with farmer’s access to extension services (t=2.10), household size (t=1.78) and soil fertility (t=3.56), but associated negatively with distance to market (t=6.30) and size of land allocated to groundnut production (t=5.33). The implication of the results is that there is scope for increasing the production of groundnuts by about 50% by improving the access to extension, market and improving farm management.
Eddy genesis and manipulation in plane laminar shear flow

Eddy formation and presence in a plane laminar shear flow configuration consisting of two infinitely long plates orientated parallel to each other is investigated theoretically. The upper plate, which is planar, drives the flow; the lower one has a sinusoidal profile and is fixed. The governing equations are solved via a full finite element formulation for the general case and semianalytically at the Stokes flow limit. The effects of varying geometry (involving changes in the mean plate separation or the amplitude and wavelength of the lower plate) and inertia are explored separately. For Stokes flow and varying geometry, excellent agreement between the two methods of solution is found. Of particular interest with regard to the flow structure is the importance of the clearance that exists between the upper plate and the tops of the corrugations forming the lower one. When the clearance is large, an eddy is only present at sufficiently large amplitudes or small wavelengths. However, as the plate clearance is reduced, a critical value is found, which triggers the formation of an eddy in an otherwise fully attached flow for any finite amplitude and arbitrarily large wavelength. This is a precursor to the primary eddy to be expected in the lid-driven cavity flow, which is formed in the limit of zero clearance between the plates. The influence of the flow driving mechanism is assessed by comparison with corresponding solutions for the case of gravity-driven fluid films flowing over an undulating substrate. When inertia is present, the flow generally becomes asymmetrical. However, it is found that for large mean plate separations the flow local to the lower plate becomes effectively decoupled from the inertia dominated overlying flow if the wavelength of the lower plate is sufficiently small. In such cases the local flow retains its symmetry. A local Reynolds number based on the wavelength is shown to be useful in characterizing these large-gap flows. As the mean plate separation is reduced, the form of the asymmetry caused by inertia changes and becomes strongly dependent on the plate separation. For lower plate wavelengths which do not exhibit a kinematically induced secondary eddy, an inertially induced secondary eddy can be created if the mean plate separation is sufficiently small and the global Reynolds number is sufficiently large.
Prevalence of Tinnitus in Lokoja, North Central Nigeria:A 5-Year Retrospective Study

Noise exposure is one of the common causes of tinnitus the world over. In Nigeria, increase in prayer houses (churches and mosques), industrial machines, automobile and electricity generating sets have caused a sharp rise in environmental noise. To the best of my knowledge no existing data on the prevalence of tinnitus in Lokoja, North Central Nigeria and this study tends to provide one. Aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of tinnitus amongst patients attending the E.N. T Outpatient clinic of the Federal Medical Centre in Lokoja, North Central Nigeria.This is a hospital base retrospective study of patients seen in the Ear, Nose and Throat outpatient’s clinic of the Federal Medical Centre Lokoja, North Central Nigeria from January 2011 to December 2015 with the symptom of tinnitus. Patients’ demographic factors, aetiologic factors if any and treatment modality were extracted from the case files, studied and analyzed. Results presented in text and table format. Results showed that out of 2,184 patients seen 114 had tinnitus with a prevalence of 5.2%. The age range was 23-70 years with a mean age of 39.92 years and a modal age group of 31-40 (28.1%) years. Males were 60(52.6%) and females were 54(47.4%) giving a male to female ratio of 1.1: 1. Eighty eight patients (77.2%) had a known cause while 26 patients (22.8%) were idiopathic. Noise exposure (23.7%) was found to be the commonest cause of tinnitus, followed by ototoxicity (21.1%) and presbyacusis (19.3%). The prevalence of tinnitus in Lokoja, North Central Nigeria is low and the commonest aetiologic factor is noise induced sensorineural hearing loss. These data can be used for planning and funding of our health-care services.
EFFICACY OF SEED PRECONDITIONING WITH SALICYLIC AND ASCORBIC ACID IN INCREASING VIGOR OF RICE (ORYZA SATIVA L.) SEEDLING

Poor germination is one of the main problems in adopting direct seeded rice culture. The objective of the work was to enhance the efficiency of direct seeded rice in terms of germination and seedlings vigor. In this study, the role of hormonal priming (salicylic acid and ascorbic acid) and hydropriming for 20 and 40 h in increasing seed and seedling vigor both in Petri dishes was assessed. Seed conditioning with salicylic acid caused an increase in seed vigor (10%) and protease activity (18%) in rice at 4 th day of sowing, while significant enhancement (6%) was recorded with ascorbic acid in seedlings protease activity. Nitrate reductase activity (NRA) was increased in the 8 days old rice seedlings with all the pre-soaking treatment, the maximum increase was recorded in seedlings raised from seeds treated with salicylic acid (20mg L -1 ) for 20 h. Based on overall performance, seed priming with salicylic acid increased seed and seedling vigor in fine rice, but the response depended on concentration and seed soaking time.
A Comparative Analysis of Saffron and Methylprednisolone on Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of saffron and methylprednisolone on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats. Methods: This study was conducted in Bushehr, southern Iran in 2017.The animals were divided into four groups of five rats each. Three groups were injected with a single intratracheal dose of bleomycin (5 mg/kg). The fourth group was administered with normal saline at the same volume (200 ml). Saffron extract dissolved in water was given to one group (100 mg /body weight) orally while intraperitoneal injection of methylprednisolone (2.5 mg/kg) injected to another one for 16 days. The rats were sacrificed 28 days following surgery and their right and left lungs were removed and washed for measuring lung indices, myeloperoxidase activities and finally histopathological examination. Results: Injection of bleomycin caused decrement of body weight aggravated by intraperitoneal methylprednisolone treatment. Lung indices were increased in the bleomycin-treated group compared with the control, while methylprednisolone, unlike saffron, had no preventive effects on it. Both saffron and methylprednisolone treatment prevented the increase in lung myeloperoxidase as a destructive enzyme. In addition, excessive collagen deposition and thickening of alveolar septa were significantly prevented with saffron treatment as compared to methylprednisolone injection following hematoxylin and eosin staining. Conclusion: Saffron with established antioxidant properties could prevent some detrimental effects in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis even more than methylprednisolone injection known as a standard therapy in this murine model. More investigations must be carried out to examine the beneficial or harmful effects of this remedy.
The "self-organizing" project": A "systemic" view of thedesign and project processes

This paper examines the phenomenon that allows the built environment (design) project to organize itself and carry out its objectives. The hypothesis states that: projects influence, transform and create the organizations and processes that conduct them, following a dynamic and iterative process, referred to as «selforganizing » and « structuring ». This « active organizing » process generates transformations – organizational and structural – conditioned by the very nature of the project itself.
Essays in political economics : |b causes and consequences of political competition

I examine the effect of political competition on economic development. I provide theoretical and empirical evidence that higher political competition increases economic growth (as proxied by satellite images of light density at night) and that this effect’s magnitude depends on monetary transfers received by regions. I exploit a quasi-experiment related to the entry of a political party in the aftermath of a civil war episode in El Salvador as a source of variation to infer causality from political competition to economic growth. My results hold sizable when I use other development outcomes. Finally, I measure that places with more political competition are more likely to strategically borrow according to the political cycle.
Higher Order Sylster’s Equation on Measure Chains-Controllability and Observability

In this article we derive the solution of higher order Sylster’s type differential equation on measure chains in terms of two fundamental matrices. Later by defining the controllability and observability on measure chains, necessary conditions for the controllability and observability of the higher order Sylster’s type differential system on measure chains is established.
A Little Goes a Long Way: Pressure for College Students to Succeed

When college students begin college they experience pressure from multiple sources. For example, they experience pressure from their parents to succeed, from their professors, and pressure from themselves to do well in classes. This pressure could lead to high anxiety and possibly even poor performance in classes. Prior research that has examined the impact of anxiety on performance includes the Yerkes-Dodson law and the Processing Efficiency Theory. Both argue that anxiety increases the performance to a point, but then performance decreases again with too much pressure. The Processing Efficiency Theory also includes motivation. This motivation increases the drive to succeed and perform at a higher level. In the current study I manipulated the pressure participants felt as they completed a memory test to examine pressure as an influence on memory performance. Furthermore, I also analyzed how trait-anxiety interacts with pressure (as measured by the State Trait Anxiety Inventory). College students (n = 67) were separated into either a no pressure condition or a pressure condition and completed a memory test. Results showed a trend for participants with low trait-anxiety to have increased memory performance in the pressure condition. These results follow the Processing Efficiency Theory and the Yerkes-Dodson law. In other words, perhaps participants had better memory in the pressure condition because they were motivated to do well. Future research identifying the optimal amount of pressure for the best performance is suggested.