Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Nonlinear Perspective on the Dynamics of the MJO: Idealized Large-Eddy Simulations

Abstract The 30–60-day intraseasonal atmospheric oscillation in the equatorial atmosphere, the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), is most visible in its signature of outgoing longwave radiation and associated convective centers. Diabatic processes related to tropical convection and two-way atmosphere–ocean interaction are hence generally believed to be crucial in explaining the origin of the MJO phenomenon. However, reliable deterministic forecasting of the MJO in global circulation models and understanding its mechanism remains unsatisfactory. Here a different approach is taken, where the hypothesis is tested that eastward-propagating MJO-like structures originate fundamentally as a result of nonlinear (dry) Rossby wave dynamics. A laboratory-scale numerical model is constructed, where the generation of solitary structures is excited and maintained via zonally propagating meanders of the meridional boundaries of a zonally periodic β plane. The large-eddy simulations capture details of the formation of soli.
The sub-ice platelet layer and its influence on freeboard to thickness conversion of Antarctic sea ice

This is an investigation to quantify the influence of the sub-ice platelet layer on satellite measurements of total freeboard and their conversion to thickness of Antarctic sea ice. The sub-ice platelet layer forms as a result of the sea- ward advection of supercooled ice shelf water from beneath ice shelves. This ice shelf water provides an oceanic heat sink promoting the formation of platelet crystals which ac- cumulate at the sea ice-ocean interface. The build-up of this porous layer increases sea ice freeboard, and if not accounted for, leads to overestimates of sea ice thickness from surface elevation measurements. In order to quantify this buoyant ef- fect, the solid fraction of the sub-ice platelet layer must be estimated. An extensive in situ data set measured in 2011 in McMurdo Sound in the southwestern Ross Sea is used to achieve this. We use drill-hole measurements and the hydro- static equilibrium assumption to estimate a mean value for the solid fraction of this sub-ice platelet layer of 0.16. This is highly dependent upon the uncertainty in sea ice density. We test this value with independent Global Navigation Satel- lite System (GNSS) surface elevation data to estimate sea ice thickness. We find that sea ice thickness can be overestimated by up to 19 %, with a mean deviation of 12 % as a result of the influence of the sub-ice platelet layer. It is concluded that within 100 km of an ice shelf this influence might need to be considered when undertaking sea ice thickness investigations using remote sensing surface elevation measurements.
THE EFFECT OF TWO MODES OF INSTRUCTION: MODELING VS. PRESENTATIONAL

We implemented an intervention of four lessons and tested the effects of two instructional modes as compared to the regular curriculum practices for completing a synthesis task at the preparatory program of a Turkish university. Participants were 48 upper-intermediate EFL learners (mean age=18) assigned to three conditions. The presentational condition received direct strategy instruction supported by mnemonics; the modeling condition observed a video of a peer doing the task using the same strategies mnemonic. In the control condition, there was no explicit reference to strategies; rather, students inferred the necessary information about writing an effective synthesis text from the instruction and the lesson materials. We hypothesized that both of the experimental conditions would have a positive effect on students’ synthesis text quality and writing processes and that modeling of explicit strategy use would have an effect over and above the other conditions. Results showed that students in the modeling condition improved their source use skills significantly more than students in the presentational condition, which was maintained in the delayed posttest four weeks later. No statistically significant condition effect was observed for content and authenticity of students’ texts. The modeling condition also showed and reported a more process-oriented approach to writing.
In-Vitro Assessment of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Methanol Extracts of Six Wound Healing Medicinal Plants

In this study, quantitative values of antioxidant activity of crude methanolic extracts of five Wound healing medicinal plants ( Amaranthus spinosus , Anogeissus leiocarpus , Spondia monbin , Corchorus olitorius, and Mallotus oppositifolia ) were investigated. The investigation used DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) free radical as a substrate and Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay to determine both scavenging ability and the reducing properties. Antioxidant was further analysed quantitatively for flavonoid content, total phenolic content in the crude methanolic extracts using spectrophotometric assay. The result showed that all plants exhibited scavenging ability and strong reducing activity although the ability differed markedly among the various plant samples. The highest scavenging ability (% inhibition) was exhibited by A. leiocarpus (95.86 ± 0.1) followed by C. olitorius (94.19 ± 0.06) while the lowest was from A. spinosus (40.87±2.5). The reducing power was also highest in A. leiocarpus followed by S. monbin ; while A. spinosus showed the least reducing power. In quantitative analysis, again A. leiocarpus was found to have the highest phenolic content (1294.81± 3.0 mg/g) with A. spinosus recording the least phenol and flavonoid content. The crude methanol extracts were also screened for their antimicrobial activity against four common pathogenic microorganisms ( Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Citrobacter sp. ) associated with wound infection by well diffusion method. All the extracts were found to inhibit the growth of both gram (+) and gram (-) bacteria organisms tested. Keywords: Radical scavenging effect, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity
Serum Biochemical Parameters of Four Fresh Water Indian Carps from a Local Aquatic Body

The serum biochemical parameters such as protein, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides have been studied in four fresh water Indian carps collected from a local aquatic body to assess the normal levels of these blood parameters in comparison to the other fresh water fishes reported, so as to find out their health condition and survival in a particular aquatic body. It is reported that the assessment of health condition can be determined based on the blood biochemical parameters and it is well known that certain blood parameters serve as reliable indicators of fish health. The results of the above serum parameters in all the four carp fishes carried out in the present study found to be under normal ranges for protein (2.90-3.59g/dl), glucose (18.00 29.01mg/dl), cholesterol (202.16-272mg/dl), triglyceride (259.00 -336.83mg/dl) compared to as reported in other fresh water fishes and can be suggested that the fishes inhabiting in the aquatic body are healthy and the environmental conditions are favourable for their survival.
Assessing health efficiency across countries with a two-step and bootstrap analysis

Regressing Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) output efficiency scores on nondiscretionary variables, with a two-stage DEA/Tobit and bootstrap procedures, we show that health inefficiency in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries is related to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per head, education level, obesity and smoking habits.
The Effect of Mergers and Acquisitions on Companies’ Fundamental Values in Emerging Capital Markets (The Case of BRICS)

The study is aimed at the assessment of the effect of mergers and acquisitions on the fundamental value of acquiring companies in BRICS countries. The approach based on the residual income model was applied. The pre-acquisition expected fundamental value of the acquiring company and its realized post-acquisition fundamental value are compared. The study is fulfilled on the sample of 366 M&A deals in BRICS countries, collected from Zephyr, Bloomberg and Thompson Reuters databases. Econometric modeling is applied to reveal factors causing the value creation or destruction among which there were the company’s size, the mode of deal funding, the industrial specifics and the method of payment.
Shallow carrier traps in hydrothermal ZnO crystals

Native and hydrogen-plasma induced shallow traps in hydrothermally grown ZnO crystals have been investigated by charge-based deep level transient spectroscopy, photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence microanalysis. The as-grown ZnO exhibits a trap state at 23 meV, while H-doped ZnO produced by plasma doping shows two levels at 22 meV and 11 meV below the conduction band. As-grown ZnO displays the expected thermal decay of bound excitons with increasing temperature from 7 K, while we observed an anomalous behaviour of the excitonic emission in H-doped ZnO, in which its intensity increases with increasing temperature in the range 140–300 K. Based on a multitude of optical results, a qualitative model is developed which explains the Y line structural defects, which act as an electron trap with an activation energy of 11 meV, being responsible for the anomalous temperature-dependent cathodoluminescence of H-doped ZnO.
Volatility basis-set approach simulation of organic aerosol formation in East Asia: implications for anthropogenic–biogenic interaction and controllable amounts

Abstract. Organic aerosol (OA) simulations using the volatility basis-set approach were made for East Asia and its outflow region. Model simulations were evaluated through comparisons with OA measured by aerosol mass spectrometers in and around Tokyo (at Komaba and Kisai in summer 2003 and 2004) and over the outflow region in East Asia (at Fukue and Hedo in spring 2009). The simulations with aging processes of organic vapors reproduced the mass concentrations, temporal variations, and formation efficiencies of observed OA at all of the sites reasonably well. As OA mass was severely underestimated in the simulations without the aging processes, the oxidations of organic vapors are essential for reasonable OA simulations over East Asia. By considering the aging processes, simulated OA concentrations increased from 0.24 to 1.28 μg m−3 in the boundary layer over the whole of East Asia. OA formed from the interaction of anthropogenic and biogenic sources was also enhanced by the aging processes. The fraction of controllable OA was estimated to be 87% of total OA over the whole of East Asia, which indicated that most of the OA in our simulations were formed anthropogenically (from controllable combustion sources). A large portion of biogenic secondary OA (78% of biogenic secondary OA) was formed through the influence of anthropogenic sources. These fractions were higher than the fraction of anthropogenic emissions. An important reason for these higher controllable fractions was higher oxidant concentrations and the resulting faster oxidation rates of OA precursors by considering anthropogenic sources. Both the amounts (from 0.18 to 1.12 μg m−3) and the fraction (from 75 to 87%) of controllable OA were increased by aging processes of organic vapors over East Asia.
Photonic Crystal Fibre Interferometer for Humidity Sensing

Photonic crystal fibres (PCFs), which are also called microstructured optical fibres or holey fibres, have been extensively investigated and have considerably altered the traditional fibre optics since they appeared in the mid 1990s [Knight et al., 1996; Knight, 2003; Russell, 2003]. PCFs have a periodic array of microholes that run along the entire fibre length. They typically have two kinds of cross sections: an air–silica cladding surrounding a solid silica core or an air–silica cladding surrounding a hollow core. The light-guiding mechanism of the former is provided by means of a modified total internal reflection (index guiding), while the light-guiding mechanism of the latter is based on the photonic band gap effect (PBG guiding). The number, size, shape, and the separation between the air-holes as well as the air-hole arrangement are what confer PCFs unique guiding mechanism and modal properties [Russell, 2006]. This gives PCF many unique properties such as single mode operation over a wide wavelength range [Birks et al., 1997], very large mode area [Knight et al., 1998], and unusual dispersion [Renversez et al., 2003]. Because of their freedom in design and novel wave-guiding properties, PCFs have been used for a number of novel fibre-optic devices and fibre-sensing applications that are difficult to be realized by the use of conventional fibres.
Spatiotemporal Variations and Possible Sources of Ambient PM10 from 2003 to 2012 in Luzhou, China

Descriptive statistics methods were used to study the spatiotemporal variations and sources of ambient particulate matter (PM10) in Luzhou, China. The analyzed datasets were collected from four national air quality monitoring stations: Jiushi (S1), Xiaoshi (S2), Zhongshan (S3), Lantian (S4) over the period of 2003-2012. This city was subjected serious PM10 pollution, and the long-term annual average PM10 concentrations varied from 76 to 136 μg/m 3 . The maximum concentration was more than 3-fold of the annual average (40 μg/m 3 ) issued by EPA-China for the ambient air quality. General temporal pattern was characterized by high concentrations in winter and low concentrations in summer, and general spatial gradient was in the reduction order of S2 > S4 > S3 > S1, which were both due to different particulate contributors and special meteorological conditions. The source apportionment indicated that vehicular emissions, road dusts, coal burning and chemical dusts were the major contributors of the identified PM10 pollution, and the vehicular emissions and the road wear re-suspended particles dominated the heavy PM10 pollution in recent years. Two other potential sources, agricultural and celebration activities could decrease the air quality in a short term. Finally, some corresponding suggestions and measures were provided to improve the air quality.
Formulation and evaluation of dorzolamide hydrochloride-loaded nanoparticles as controlled release drug delivery system

This study aimed to prepare anti-glaucomatous dorzolamide hydrochloride-(Dorzo) loaded nanoparticles as a controlled release system. Eudragit RS 100 (RS) and/or RL 100 (RL) were used in formulations by an opportunely adapted Quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion technique. The formulations were evaluated in terms of particle size, zeta potential, drug entrapment, and release profile. All formulations showed tiny particle size varying from 114 to 395 nm for RS and 65 to 277 nm for RL. Positive zeta potential was +19 to +32 mV for RS and +23 to +42 mV for RL formulations. It was demonstrated that increasing polymer concentration lead to increase the percentage of drug entrapped in all batches, to a certain extent (drug: polymer 1:4). Nanoparticles prepared using RL showed lower entrapment efficiency than RS. Incontrast, increasing the stirring rate resulted in an increase in the percentage of Dorzo entrapped. A prolonged drug release was shown by all the formulations. Increasing the polymer concentration caused a decrease in the release rate. Moreover, it was evident that increasing RL content increased the amount of Dorzo released. Dorzo-loaded nanoparticles could represent promising drug ophthalmic carriers, due to small particle size, positive zeta potential, and sustained release profile; hence, expecting prolonged corneal contact time, more therapeutically efficient, decreased frequency of administration per day, and better patient compliance.
Contribution of land surface initialization to subseasonal forecast skill: First results from a multi‐model experiment

The second phase of the Global Land‐Atmosphere Coupling Experiment (GLACE‐2) is aimed at quantifying, with a suite of long‐range forecast systems, the degree to which realistic land surface initialization contributes to the skill of subseasonal precipitation and air temperature forecasts. Results, which focus here on North America, show significant contributions to temperature prediction skill out to two months across large portions of the continent. For precipitation forecasts, contributions to skill are much weaker but are still significant out to 45 days in some locations. Skill levels increase markedly when calculations are conditioned on the magnitude of the initial soil moisture anomaly.
Accounting productivity in the sectors of economy: methodological aspects

Level of productivity is vital for each country striving develop sustainably. It appears that accounting of productivity requires additional attention of scientists. This paper is focused on the methods allowing to evaluate productivity in economy sectors. Scrutinized scientific literature proposes the following possible perceptions of productivity increase: as labour move from low to high productivity sectors, the process contributes to aggregate country’s productivity growth, and causes further productivity increase in more productive sectors. After critical scientific literature review, conclusions about contemporary productivity methods and are being be provided.
Organizational learning in public organizations

Public organizations with their distinct characteristics of ambiguous goals, diffused accountability, restricted autonomy and greater environmental pressures are often subject to criticisms about their dysfunctional learning behavior. This study explores how organizational learning processes occur in a public organization in Macau through the conceptual lens of powers and politics. The findings indicated that while the “power of system” appeared to be the major learning barrier, other types of power, such as “power of resources”, “power of processes” and “‘power of meaning” helped promote the overall sensemaking behavior in the organization. We argue that power should be studied in a more positive way. It depends on whether the power holders could make better use of the appropriate source of power to their advantage in order to overcome the learning barriers.
Evaluation of the stochastic weather generators LARS-WG and AAFC-WG for climate change impact studies

There is a need to know how well stochastic weather generators can produce daily climate scenarios for climate change impact studies. In this study, 2 stochastic weather generators (LARS-WG and AAFC-WG) were assessed, based on an experiment with historical daily climate data. The experiment was conducted for 3 stations in Canada, using 1911-1940 as the baseline climate period and 1971-2000 as the changed climate period. Weather generators were calibrated with the baseline data. Daily climate scenarios were then generated for 1971-2000, using parameters that were adjusted to reflect climate change. Different schemes for modifying weather generator parameters were assessed in relation to their capability to reproduce statistical properties of daily climate data for a changed climate. Using changes in the statistics of daily climate data between the baseline climate and the changed climate period, it became feasible to modify parameters for the weather generators that use empirical distributions. For reproducing changes in frequency of wet and dry spells, modification schemes with a full adjustment (all 2nd order transition probabilities being modified separately) for the 2nd order Markov chain appeared more effective than the modifi- cation to mean length of wet and dry spells. Separate adjustments for maximum (Tx) and minimum (Tn) temperature, rather than modification on the basis of changes in daily mean temperature, might also be necessary. The probability distribution of daily precipitation amount (P) in a changed climate seemed more difficult to simulate well, although the means and variances were produced better. In general, daily climate scenarios developed by weather generators can be reasonably reliable for agri- cultural impact studies, provided the changes in the statistics of daily weather variables from daily GCM output are reliable. Otherwise, downscaling may be required to obtain reliable changes in the statistics of local daily weather variables.
Does Exogenous Melatonin Improve Quality of Sleep in Patients Experiencing Sleep Disturbances Secondary to Chronic Diseases

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not “Does exogenous melatonin improve quality of sleep in patients experiencing sleep disturbances secondary to chronic diseases? ” Study Design: Three Randomized, placebo-controlled studies (RCT) published in 2010, 2013 and 2008. Data Sources: All RCTs searched and located using PubMed database. Outcomes Measured: Clinical outcome for all three articles using quality of sleep or quality of life questionnaires such as the Leeds Sleep Evaluation. All of which evaluated POEMs, and were self reported by participants. Results: In a randomized control study (RCT) by Serfaty et al, sleep quality improved by lessening time needed to get to sleep, but was not specific to either the experimental or placebo group. The RCT by Russcher et al. also indicated that there was no significant increase in quality of life for participants given exogenous melatonin. Only the RCT by Koch et al. showed significant improvement in quality of sleep with the use of melatonin in participants by decreasing time needed to fall asleep, increasing sleep time and improving overall quality of sleep. Conclusions: The data obtained was insufficient to conclusively support the use of exogenous melatonin to alleviate sleep disturbances secondary to chronic disease. Two of the three RCTs included in this systematic review were not able to show significant data in support of the positive effects of exogenous melatonin on sleep patterns.
A Compact Two-Level Sequentially Rotated Circularly Polarized Antenna Array for C-Band Applications

A compact circular polarized antenna array with a convenient gain/bandwidth/dimension trade-off is proposed for applications in theC-band.The design is based on the recursive application of the sequential phase architecture, resulting in a 4 × 4 array of closely packed identical antennas. The 16 antenna elements are disc-based patches operating in modal degeneration, tuned to exhibit a broad while imperfect polarization. Exploiting the compact dimension of the patches and a space-filling design for the feeding network, the entire array is designed to minimize the occupied area. A prototype of the proposed array is fabricated with standard photoetching procedure in a single-layer via less printed board of overall area 80 × 80mm. Adequate left-hand polarization is observed over a wide bandwidth, demonstrating a convenient trade-off between bandwidth and axial ratio. Satisfying experimental results validate the proposed design, with a peak gain of 12.6 dB at 6.7 GHz maintained within 3 dB for 1 GHz, a very wide 10 dB return loss bandwidth of 3GHz, and a 4 dB axial ratio bandwidth of 1.82GHz, meaning 31% of fractional bandwidth.