Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regional Surges of Monsoonal Moisture into the Southwestern United States

AbstractEpisodic surges of moisture into the southwestern United States are an important attribute of the North American monsoon. Building upon prior studies that identified mesoscale gulf surges using station-based diagnostics, regional surges in monsoonal moisture are identified using precipitable water and integrated water vapor flux from the North American Regional Reanalysis. These regional surge diagnostics exhibit increased skill over gulf surge diagnostics in capturing widespread significant multiday precipitation over the state of Arizona and are associated with the northward intrusion of moisture and precipitation into the southwestern United States. Both tropical and midlatitude circulation patterns are associated with identified regional surge events. In the tropics, the passage of a tropical easterly wave across the Sierra Madre and through the Gulf of California facilitates a northeastward flux of moisture toward the southwestern United States. In midlatitudes, the breakdown and eastward shi.
The role of Treg cells in the cancer immunological response

Problem statement: T cell-mediated immunosuppression has been observed for decades without clarification as to which factor was responsible for this observation. The identification of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells represents a milestone in the filed of immunology and provides an explanation for T-cell-mediated immunosuppression. Although Treg cells were originally identified for their ability to prevent organ-specific autoimmune disease in mice, emerging evidence suggests that Treg cells play a pivotal role in tumor immunity and contribute to tumor growth and progression, thereby having an important impact on the outcome of cancer patients. Approach: This article reviewed the medical literature to describe how Treg cells affect anti-tumor immunity. Results: Treg cells suppressed anti-tumor immunity by inhibiting the effector functions of tumor-specific T cells and NK cells. Importantly, tumor cells played an active role in recruiting and generating Treg cells and creating a suppressive tumor microenvironment. Strategies to deplete Treg cells or inhibit their function had yielded promising results by enhancing anti-tumor immunity in experimental studies as well as clinical practice. Conclusion: A better understanding of the pathophysiology of Treg cells not only increased our knowledge in a variety of aspects of immunology but also potentially benefited cancer patients.
Teaching Evolution to Students with Compromised Backgrounds & Lack of Confidence about Evolution — Is It Possible?

Abstract Students regard evolutionary theory differently than science in general. Students' reported confidence in their ability to understand science in general (e.g., posing scientific questions, interpreting tables and graphs, and understanding the content of their biology course) significantly outweighed their confidence in understanding evolution. We also show that those students with little incoming confidence in their understanding of evolution demonstrated more confidence and the most improved performance by the end of the semester. Collectively, our data indicate that regardless of prior experiences with evolution education, and in spite of myriad social challenges to teaching evolution, students can learn evolution.
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON PUNCHING SHEAR OF LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE SLAB

The punching shear failure is a critical design aspect for 2-way slabs, since punching shear is usually the governing failure mode for flat slabs and it could lead to brittle failure of the slab-tocolumn or column-to-foundation connections. Several equations to predict the punching shear strength of the slab are available. Since these equations are derived from the statistical fit of test results available at the time of developing these equations, they are empirical formula in nature and the prediction values calculated from them fluctuate widely. Also, few previous studies on the punching shear behaviour of lightweight concrete slabs exist. This paper presents the punching shear behaviour of lightweight concrete slabs through a series of experimental studies. Punching shear tests were conducted for slabs with two different types of lightweight aggregates and their punching shear behaviors were compared with that of normal-weight concrete slab. The results indicated that the surface angle of punching shear failure is significantly affected by the types of lightweight aggregates used. Finally, test results were compared with present design specifications in order to examine the validity of the code equations currently used to predict the punching shear strength of lightweight concrete slabs.
Evidence Based Digoxin Therapeutic Monitoring - A Lower and Narrower Therapeutic Range

Cardiac glycosides have been used for congestive heart failure and certain cardiac arrhythmias for more than 200 years. Despite the introduction of a variety of new classes of drugs for the management of heart failure, specifically angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, b-adrenergic antagonists (bblockers), and the aldosterone antagonist spironolactone, digoxin continues to have an important role in long-term outpatient management. However, a narrow margin exists between therapeutic and toxic doses of digoxin, resulting in a high incidence of digoxin toxicity in clinical practice. A wide variety of placebo-controlled clinical trials have unequivocally shown that treatment with digoxin can improve symptoms, quality of life, and exercise tolerance in patients with mild, moderate, or severe heart failure. The clinical relevance of digoxin therapeutic monitoring is also proved but the SDC (Serum Digoxin Conentrations) required for optimal clinical efﬁcacy and acceptable toxicity remains controversial. In the last years, international guidelines recommend 1.2 ng/mL as acceptable high level. In this bibliographic synthesis, we aim to collect pertinent informations from MedLine database about exposure-effect relationship in order to assess the evidence level scientific of new digoxin therapeutic monitoring.
Study of TEC, slab-thickness and neutral temperature of the thermosphere in the Indian low latitude sector

Abstract. The ionospheric equivalent slab-thickness is an important parameter which measures the skewness of the electron density profile of the ionosphere. In this paper, the diurnal, seasonal, day-to-day and latitudinal variations of ionospheric parameters namely total electron content (TEC), the peak ionization density of F-layer (NmF2), equivalent slab-thickness (τ) and neutral temperature (Tn) are presented. The simultaneous data of GPS-TEC and NmF2 from Trivandrum (8.47° N, 76.91° E), Waltair (17.7° N, 83.3° E) and Delhi (28.58° N, 77.21° E) are used to compute the slab-thickness (τ = TEC/NmF2) of the low sunspot period, 2004–2005. The day-time TEC values at Waltair are found to be greater than those at Trivandrum, while at Delhi the day-time TEC values are much lower compared to those at Trivandrum and Waltair. The trends of variation in the monthly mean diurnal variation of TEC and NmF2 are similar at Delhi, while they are different at Trivandrum and Waltair during the day-time. The slab-thickness (τ) has shown a pre-sunrise peak around 05:00 LT at all the three stations, except during the summer months over Delhi. A consistent secondary peak in slab-thickness around noon hours has also been observed at Trivandrum and Waltair. During equinox and winter months a large night-time enhancement in the slab-thickness (comparable to the early morning peak in slab-thickness) is observed at Delhi. The latitudinal variation of slab-thickness has shown a decrease from the equatorial station, Trivandrum to the low-mid latitude station, Delhi. The neutral temperatures (Tn) computed from the slab-thickness (τ) has shown a sharp increase around 05:00 LT over Trivandrum and Waltair. Whereas at Delhi, a double peaking around 05:00 and 23:00 LT is observed during winter and equinoctial months. The neutral temperatures computed are compare well with those of the MSIS-90 model derived temperatures.
The composition of government spending and growth: is current or capital spending better?

In an endogenous growth framework with two public goods with differing productivities, this paper analytically characterizes optimal fiscal policy for a decentralized economy, whereby the optimal values of the growth rate, tax rate and expenditure shares on the two public goods are linked directly to their productivity parameters. Using panel data for 15 developing countries over 28 years, we show using GMM techniques, that current (capital) spending has positive (negative) and significant effects on the growth rate, contrary to commonly held views. For instance, spending on operations and maintenance has a stronger impact on growth than both health and education spending. We consider the various components on the revenue side of the government budget constraint to take into account possible omitted variable bias that could arise if tax revenue alone was considered. Copyright 2008 , Oxford University Press.
Crustal‐scale boudinage and migmatization of gneiss during their exhumation in the UHP Province of Western Norway

ABSTRACT A field study in the coesite province, the deepest unit of the Norwegian Caledonides, gives new constraints on the rheological behaviour of the continental crust during exhumation. Lithological heterogeneities and differential retrogression led to crustal‐scale boudinage during the late‐orogenic intense E–W stretching event in the footwall of the Nordfjord‐Sogn Detachment. The main gneissic lithologies display a modest but widespread syn‐exhumation migmatization. Textural criteria allow estimation of a 30% fusion rate. Partial melting mostly post‐dates eclogitization and is synchronous with ductile stretching and top‐to‐west shearing. Presented observations suggest that the melt reactions and migmatization resulted in a soft rheology. During subduction to ~ 100 km depth and subsequent exhumation, crustal viscosity can be reduced by up to four orders of magnitude. Models are discussed that consider a transition from a small internal strain of the crust to viscous flow during exhumation.
Accounting versus Economic Based Measures of Performance and the Share Market Value: The Evidence of the Industrial Listed Firms at Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange

The study investigates the effect of accounting and economic based measures of performance on the share market value of the listed manufacturing firms at Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange. It objects for determining whether accounting or economic based measures of performance are affecting the share market value, and which group of measures has more effect. For the purposes of the study, the effect of two independent variables had been tested in their effect on share market value. The first group is the accounting based measures, where earnings per share, return on assets, and return on equity, are the selected components of this group. The second group of measures is the economic based measures, where the market value added, and the economic value added are used within this group. The cross sectional data had been collected from the annual reports issued by these firms over the period 2014-2016. Using the multiple linear regression method in the analysis and hypotheses testing, each of both groups of variables had been found affecting the share market value. Moreover, the study found that grouping all measures in one group leads to more significant effect on share price, than individual separated groups. As additional unrelated analysis to hypotheses, when each measure, using the simple linear regression method, is tested individually in its effect on the share market price, only the market value added found having a significant effect on share market value of listed firms at Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange
Multiple Price Posting and Consumer Search Obfuscation: Evidence from an Online Market

This paper examines the use of multiple brands to investigate if this practice is consistent with consumer search obfuscation. This is for the UK online motor insurance market, where 83 brands are owned by 37 firms, of which 16 are multi-brand firms. Price ranking data are analysed for multiple and single-brand firms at a sub-market level by individual and car type. Overall, while firms price discriminate by heavily advertising a single brand, the paper finds that multi-brand firms cluster their prices and post significantly lower prices. It is consistent with search obfuscation, but as firms engage in other pricing strategies, it is most apparent for firms that post prices for a relatively large number of brands.
The effect of explants plant growth regulators and silver nitrate on in vitro callus induction in Hevea brasiliensis Muell Arg.

The effect of explants and silver nitrate on callus induction in Hevea was investigated. The explants used for callus induction in this investigation were leaf, petiole, stem leaf, seed integument and root. Callus induction ability was evaluated by using MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/l 2,4-D and 2 mg/l BA gave the best percentage of callus induction in stalk (100%) and seed integument (100%) after 4 weeks of culture. Supplementation with 1 mg/l AgNO3 in callus induction medium resulted in rapid Proliferation of good quality yellow callus after being cultured for 2 weeks. The addition of silver ions which increased growth rate,the highest average callus fresh weight was also obtained at 1 mg/l silver nitrate.
The Distribution of Maximal Prime Gaps in Cramer's Probabilistic Model of Primes

In the framework of Cramer's probabilistic model of primes, we explore the exact and asymptotic distributions of maximal prime gaps. We show that the Gumbel extreme value distribution exp(-exp(-x)) is the limit law for maximal gaps between Cramer's random "primes". The result can be derived from a general theorem about intervals between discrete random events occurring with slowly varying probability monotonically decreasing to zero. A straightforward generalization extends the Gumbel limit law to maximal gaps between prime constellations in Cramer's model.
Remarks on $p$-torsion of algebraic surfaces

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Healthcare financing in Nigeria: A systematic review assessing the evidence of the impact of health insurance on primary health care delivery

Strengthening health systems, improving health outcomes, as well as finding answers to the competing alternatives of healthcare financing are critical issues that continue to bother health policy makers. Irrespective of the options, the choice of health care financing should mobilize resources for health and improve access to quality care at the same time. Notably, the health financing policy in Nigeria provides a framework for establishing health insurance schemes so as to expand coverage in health care delivery for the formal and informal sectors as a strategy towards universal access to healthcare. Accordingly, the authors, through this review, systematically assess the evidence of the extent to which health insurance impacts on access to services and quality of primary healthcare in Nigeria. While this comes to bear, the findings reveal an evidence of moderate-to-high strength that health insurance increases access to care and improves the quality of care received; however, it remains equivocal in some instances. The review therefore contributes to the literature on healthcare financing by extending and qualifying existing knowledge and advocating for accelerated reforms if universal coverage will be achieved.
Visual Rhetoric in Advertising: Text-Interpretive, Experimental, and Reader-Response Analyses

Text interpretations, two experiments, and a set of reader-response interviews examine the impact of stylistic elements in advertising that form visual rhetorical figures parallel to those found in language. The visual figures examined here--rhyme, antithesis, metaphor, and pun--produced more elaboration and led to a more favorable attitude toward the ad, without being any more difficult to comprehend. Interviews confirmed that several of the meanings generated by informants corresponded to those produced by an a priori text-interpretive analysis of the ads. However, all of these effects diminished or disappeared for the visual tropes (metaphor and pun) in the case of individuals who lacked the cultural competency required to adequately appreciate the contemporary American ads on which the studies are based. Results are discussed in terms of the power of rhetorical theory and cultural competency theory (Scott 1994) for illuminating the role played by visual elements in advertising. Overall, the project demonstrates the advantages of investigating visual persuasion via an integration of multiple research traditions. Copyright 1999 by the University of Chicago.
Using Qualitative Methods in Franchise Research—An Application in Understanding the Franchised Entrepreneurs' Motivations

Bisher fehlen in Frankreich Studien zum Franchising weitgehend, obwohl Frankreich eines der ersten Lander war, in dem eine Vielzahl an Franchise Unternehmen entstanden sind. Der vorliegende Beitrag beschaftigt sich – ausgehend von Interviews, die mit insgesamt 21 Unternehmer(inne)n durchgefuhrt wurden – mit deren Entscheidungs- und Selektionsprozessen. Bisherig vorliegende Untersuchungen zum Franchising verdeutlichen, dass qualitative Studien nicht in ausreichendem Mas durchgefuhrt wurden. Deshalb fiel im Rahmen der eigenen Untersuchung die Entscheidung, Franchise-Nehmer(innen) zu interviewen, um besser verstehen zu konnen, warum Unternehmer(innen) sich fur Franchising statt fur andere Geschaftsformen entscheiden. Fur die Analyse der Interviews kamen zwei Verfahren zur Anwendung: thematische Inhaltsanalyse und statistische Textanalyse. Verglichen mit bisher vorliegenden Befunden konnten einige interessante Ergebnisse gewonnen werden, die uber die Grunde fur die Entscheidung fur das Franchising Auskunft geben. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0201208
Productive and Reproductive Traits of Sheep Fed Acacia saligna Leaves-Based Diets

Investigating effects of partial (50%) or total (100%) substitution of clover hay by tannins-rich plant (Acacia saligna) on productive and reproductive performance of ewe lambs was the main goal of this study. Two experiments were conducted: first focusing on digestibility and N balance using 9 Barky rams (live body weight, 43 ± 2.5 kg) where animals were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 3); control (C), 50% Acacia (AS50%) and 100% Acacia (AS100%); second focusing on productive and reproductive performance of ewe-lambs (n=18) where animals were divided into three groups (n=6); C, AS50% and AS100%. This experiment started 2 months before mating and continued till weaning. Dry matter intake decreased (P
Hazardous use of alcohol among undergraduate students at a public university

Background The potentially harmful consequences of alcohol use among undergraduates have become a growing concern in recent years. Objectives This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hazardous use of alcohol in this population and to identify demographic and psychosocial factors associated with this pattern of consumption. Methods This was a cross-sectional study using an anonymous and self-completed questionnaire in the classroom. The questionnaire was administered to 1,290 enrolled male and female students, which comprised a proportional sample of the main areas of knowledge at University of Campinas. The questionnaire produced sociodemographic and psychosocial profiles and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test was used to detect hazardous use of alcohol. Results The prevalence of hazardous use of alcohol among the study participants was 24%. Male gender, subjective perceived social support in case of difficulties, being sexually active, not dating, having smoked tobacco cigarettes or marijuana, and having used other illicit psychoactive substances were associated with hazardous use of alcohol. Discussion Variables related to gender, sexuality, affective partnerships, and consumption of other psychoactive substances were associated with hazardous use of alcohol, which was identified in a quarter of the evaluated students, and indicate the need for strategies to prevent and to treat problems.
Estimation of correlation coefficient among yield and attributingtraits of field pea (Pisum sativum L.)

In order to best exploit the available genetic wealth in the crop, the information would have paramount important. Therefore, this study was conceived to examine the variability and determines the relative importance of primary and secondary traits as selection criteria to improve productivity. Field pea (Pisum sativum L. var. arvense) is amongst the most important legume crop of India. The experimental material comprised of 120 field pea germplasm including 40 indigenous and 10 exotic collections of pea and 4 check varieties viz., HUDP-15, HFP-4, HUP-2, Rachna. Five competitive plants from each plot were randomly selected for recording observations for all the quantitative characters except days to 50 per cent flowering and days to maturity, which were recorded on line basis. In present study a strong and positive association of seed yield per plant observed with harvest index, biological yield per plant, plant height, number of seeds per pod, number of primary branches per plant, number of pods per plant and 100-seed weight. Days to maturity and number of seeds per pod showed positive correlation with days to 50 per cent flowering and number of primary branches per plant respectively. Days to maturity and 100-seed weight and number of pods per plant showed weak association with seed yield per plant in positive direction. Thus, these characters emerged as most vital component traits and associated positively with seed yield per plant.
Thermal diffusivity of olivine single‐crystals and polycrystalline aggregates at ambient conditions—a comparison

Heat transfer is a key process for the mantle dynamics. However, analysis of experimental data on thermal transport properties of upper mantle materials highlights a large scatter of absolute values of thermal diffusivity. In particular, conduction of heat in single crystals is systematically higher than in polycrystalline samples. Here we present new thermal diffusivity measurements on San Carlos olivine single crystals and mantle rocks at 300K. Measured components of the olivine thermal diffusivity tensor along the [100], [010], and [001] directions are 2.73, 1.70, and 2.49 mm2. s−1, respectively. Measurements of thermal diffusivity of peridotites as a function of structural orientation show absolute values and anisotropy in good agreement with those predicted by petrophysical models based on the crystal preferred orientation of olivine and the above thermal diffusivity tensor. This suggests that the upper mantle thermal diffusivity is up to 50% higher than indicated by previous measurements on mantle rocks.