Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
West African Summer Monsoon Precipitation Variability as Represented by Reanalysis Datasets

Focusing on West Africa, a region riddled with in situ data scarcity, we evaluate the summer monsoon monthly rainfall characteristics of five global reanalysis datasets: ERA5, ERA-Interim, JRA-55, MERRA2, and NCEP-R2. Their performance in reproducing the West African monsoon (WAM) climatology, interannual variability, and long-term trends for the main monsoon months are compared to gauge-only and satellite products. We further examine their ability to reproduce teleconnections between sea surface temperatures and monsoon rainfall. All reanalyses are able to represent the average rainfall patterns and seasonal cycle; however, regional biases can be marked. ERA5, ERA-Interim, and NCEP-R2 underestimate rainfall over areas of peak rainfall, with ERA5 showing the strongest underestimation, particularly over the Guinea Highlands. The meridional northward extent of the monsoon rainband is well captured by JRA-55 and MERRA2 but is too narrow in ERA-Interim, for which rainfall stays close to the Guinea Coast. Differences in rainband displacement become particularly evident when comparing strong El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) years, where all reanalyses except ERA-Interim reproduce wetter Sahelian conditions for La Niña, while overestimating dry conditions at the coast except for NCEP-R2. Precipitation trends are not coherent across reanalyses and magnitudes are generally overestimated compared to observations, with only JRA-55 and NCEP-R2 displaying the expected positive trend in the Sahel. ERA5 generally outperforms ERA-Interim, highlighting clear improvements over its predecessor. Ultimately, we find the strengths of reanalyses to strongly vary across the region.
Predictors of Attitude towards Preparation for Quality Aging in Undergraduate Students

This correlational study aims at investigating important predictors and predictive percentage of psychological and situational factors on attitude towards preparation for quality aging. Samples were 489 undergraduate students. Results from Multiple Regression Analysis on attitude towards preparation for quality aging in total sample yielded 43.07%. The important predictors were future orientation and self-control, social support, and need for achievement. The predictive percentage in subgroups range from 34.86% to 47.89%. The interesting findings were found in some subgroups in terms of different predictors from the total sample. The findings from this study could shed light on increasing favorable attitude towards preparation for quality aging in adolescents. Discussion and implications are presented.
The Impact of Economic Growth and Capital Expenditures in Supporting Quality Human Development

The purpose of the study was to analyze the structure of economic growth and capital expenditures that have an effect on the process of improving the quality of human development and to analyze the effect of economic growth and capital expenditure with the human development index. The analysis model used was the Economic Growth Model and inferential analysis. The results show that the development of the human development index in Indonesia, in this case, Papua, especially in the areas of Bintang Mountains Regency and Puncak Development District has fluctuated in the last five years. In addition, the conditions for the growth of capital expenditures in each district were 15.86% for capital expenditures in Bintang Mountains Regency and 16.99% for Puncak regency. This capital expenditure in the regional budget is used by local governments to improve public services and facilities, such as for education and health. Meanwhile, economic growth has increased in a period of 5 years. In addition, economic growth and capital expenditure factors have a positive effect on the increase in the Human Development Index in both districts.
The impact of an Educational Training Program on Nurses in Reduction of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia

Introduction: Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is a critical hospital acquired infection causing high morbidity and mortality among critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICU). Nurses play a fundamental role in prevention of VAP by adherence to evidence-based guidelines. Lack of knowledge and inadequate infection control program application are barriers against reduction of VAP incidence. Aim of work: To evaluate the effectiveness of an educational and training program of ICU nurses on their knowledge and practices regarding evidenced based guidelines for VAP prevention, to detect its impact on the incidence rate of VAP and to raise the nurses’ awareness of their occupational health and safety by adherence to infection control guidelines. Materials and methods: A quasi- experimental pre-post design, interventional study was conducted on seventy nurses at five ICUs at the Manial hospital, Cairo University. Pre- intervention questionnaire and observational checklist were used to assess nurses’ knowledge and practice of care bundle for VAP prevention. An educational and training programs about occupational health, safety and infection control measures was applied, and then post- intervention assessment was followed. Analysis of VAP incidence rate was performed after reviewing the medical records. Results: There was statistically significant improvement of knowledge in the post-intervention assessment except for the use of chlorhexidine which showed non-statistically significant differences between pre and post intervention (˃ 0.05). Nurses’ practices regarding infection control measures and care bundle for VAP prevention showed statistically significant improvement in the post- intervention assessment (˂ 0.05) except for the use of clean unsterilized gloves and use of chlorhexidine swab which were the least practices adopted in 4.3% and 12.9% of nurses respectively. The mean VAP incidence rate was 24.86± 5.19 and was reduced to 5.47. 96± in the post intervention phase (statistically significant). Conclusion: There was an overall improvement of nurses’ knowledge and practices of evidence based guidelines for VAP prevention associated with reduction of VAP incidence rate after the implementation of the program.
Microbial and classic food web components under ice cover in eutrophic lakes of different morphometry and fisheries management

Abstract The thickness and duration of ice cover are strongly influenced by global warming. The aim of this study was to determine chemical (organic carbon, total nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations) and biological (nanoflagellates, ciliates, phytoplankton, rotifers, crustaceans) parameters under the ice cover in three eutrophic lakes (Masurian Lake District, Poland), differing in their morphometry and fisheries management. All the studied groups of organisms showed high variability over a short time. Taxonomic composition of planktonic communities, except for rotifers and phytoplankton, was similar in all lakes. Nanoflagellates were dominated by autotrophic forms, while ciliates were primarily composed of small oligotrichs and prostomatids. Nano-sized diatoms and mixotrophic cryptophytes were the most important components of phytoplankton and they formed an under-ice bloom in one lake only. Rotifers were mainly represented by Keratella cochlearis, Polyarthra dolichoptera and Asplanchna priodonta. Among crustaceans, copepods clearly dominated over cladocerans. Our research suggests that winter was a very dynamic period. In the under-ice conditions, pelagic organisms were strongly dependent on each other. The shallow lake and the deeper, small lake differed significantly in nutrient and chlorophyll concentrations, ciliate and phytoplankton biomass and the ratio of autotrophic to heterotrophic biomass. These results suggest that morphometric parameters may affect planktonic organisms during the ice-covered period.
A Literature Review Of Stock-Bond Correlation

For many years, the dynamic of stock-bond correlations is often used for portfolio diversification strategy by investors to minimize their risks. With the growing literature of stock-bond correlation, various key determinants have been identified but lacks the required framework to better understand the movement of this correlation. Hence, this paper critically reviews the existing literature of stock-bond correlation into two types. The first type refers to the reliance on econometric modelling to explain the time-variant characteristics of stock-bond correlation while the second type adopts factor model to explain how various factors affect the movement of stock-bond correlation. Based on the reviewed studies, a few inferences can be made. Studies that are categorized into the first type depend on the nature of stock and bond assets to justify the dynamics of stock-bond correlation, such as, asymmetric effect and different investment horizons. Another conjecture from this study is that while a majority of studies may conclude a consistent result of a particular factor on stock-bond correlation, there is possibility for other studies that found contradicting result. For instance, even though many previous researches document the negative association between market uncertainty and stock-bond correlation, there are studies that suggest otherwise. In this sense, high market uncertainty has caused investors to no longer perceive bond as a safer option to equity, which made it appeared to be ‘equity-like’. Hence, as stock market goes down during high market uncertainty, the value of bond market also falls down which lead to positive stock-bond correlation.
Rainfall and grazing : Not the only barriers to arid-zone conifer recruitment

An understanding of the drivers of infrequent recruitment is fundamental in managing for species persistence. Callitris glaucophylla Joy Thomps. & L.A. S. Johnson (white cypress-pine) is a slow-growing, long-lived conifer, with a distribution that extends across arid Australia. Arid populations of C. glaucophylla are endangered in New South Wales, and are characterised by infrequent recruitment. We examined recruitment patterns of C. glaucophylla in differential grazing exclosures (excluding rabbits, excluding large herbivores or excluding both) and in unfenced areas. More recruitment occurred in rabbit-proof exclosures, compared with nearby large herbivore and control exclosures, although some rabbit-proof exclosures recorded no recruitment. Increases in recruitment at several long-term exclosures were associated with wet periods, as was recruitment at some unfenced sites. Apart from grazing and rainfall, recruitment was related to mature tree size and stand density (probably because of their influence on seed availability). These endangered arid C. glaucophylla woodlands are all that remains of a once extensive distribution, and are habitat for a suite of threatened species. Reduction in grazing pressure, particularly from rabbits, is clearly critical to maintain recruitment in these remnant populations. Chances of recruitment appear to be enhanced in low-density stands, around large trees, and in dune blow outs – fencing should focus on these areas.
Information brokerage in Caribbean coral reef governance networks

Summary Poor connectivity between diverse resource users and complex wider governance networks is a challenge in environmental governance. Organizations that ‘broker’ interactions among these relationships are expected to improve governance outcomes. Here, we used semi-structured interviews and social network analysis to identify actors in positions to broker coral reef-related information to and from resource users and to assess the performance of these brokers. Representatives (n = 262) of actor groups were interviewed, including local and national government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community organizations and resource user groups from 12 communities across four Caribbean countries, to map information-sharing networks and to identify brokers. Broker performance was assessed through separate interviews with coral reef resource users (n = 545). The findings show that marine NGOs were the highest-functioning brokers. Where such local-level organizations were absent, government agencies in reef management roles acted as brokers, but their performance was lower. Actors in brokerage positions did not always effectively share information, with broker performance being positively correlated with network brokerage scores. The results further our understanding of the roles of brokers in different governance contexts. Identifying those in brokerage positions and supporting their roles in connecting local resource users to wider governance networks could encourage functional brokerage and enhance reef management outcomes.
Video Laryngoscope Intubation With an Aerosol Barrier Device: A Randomized Sequential Crossover Pilot Study

Objectives: To assess the impact of the use of aerosol barrier device, Splashguard-CG, on the endotracheal intubation with different types of laryngoscope. Design: A pilot randomized sequential crossover simulation study. Setting: A single academic center in Japan. Subjects: Physicians in a single academic university hospital in Japan. Interventions: Use of Splashguard-CG. Measurements and Main Results: All participants were asked to perform endotracheal intubation to a manikin simulator using three different devices (Macintosh laryngoscope; Airway Scope [Nihon Kohden, Tokyo, Japan]; and McGRATH MAC [Aircraft Medical, Edinburgh, United Kingdom]) with and without Splashguard-CG in place, which required a total of six attempts and measured the intubation time as the primary outcome. Thirty physicians (15 experienced physicians and 15 less-experienced physicians) were included. Intubation time using Macintosh laryngoscope was significantly longer in the group with Macintosh laryngoscope and Splashguard-CG compared with the group without Splashguard-CG by the median difference of 4.3 seconds (interquartile range, 2.6–7.4 s; p < 0.001). There was no significant increase in the intubation time with or without Splashguard-CG for the Airway Scope (0.6 s; interquartile range, –3.7 to 3.2 s; p = 0.97) and the McGRATH MAC (0.5 s; interquartile range, –1.4 to 4.6 s; p = 0.09). This trend was found in both the experienced and less-experienced groups. We observed significant increases of subjective difficulty of the endotracheal intubation evaluated by using a Visual Analog Scale in the Splashguard-CG groups for all three types of devices. Conclusions: The use of a video laryngoscope with an aerosol barrier device does not impact the time required endotracheal intubation in a simulation environment. This method can be considered as airway management for coronavirus disease 2019.
Signs of hunger in dairy calves indicate suboptimal periods in two weaning methods.

Abstract In order to promote rumen development by stimulating concentrate intake, dairy calves are usually fed low amounts of milk, however this may result in prolonged hunger. Furthermore, calves are often weaned off milk without considering individual capacity to feed on solid food. We investigated the effects of two feeding regimes differing in milk allowance and in how milk was reduced on signs of hunger and concentrate intake. After birth, 17 calves were housed individually for two weeks. Then, calves were moved to a group pen and nine calves were assigned to the weaning method "individual weaning" (restricted milk amount before gradual weaning, gradual weaning off milk dependent on concentrate intake), the other eight calves to "ad libitum" (high amount of milk before gradual weaning, gradual weaning off milk on a fixed schedule). Average weaning age did not differ between treatments but varied greatly between individual calves. Before gradual weaning, individually weaned calves engaged in more unrewarded visits to the milk feeder than ad libitum calves. During gradual weaning, the number of unrewarded visits of individually weaned calves decreased, while it increased in ad libitum calves. During unrewarded visits, the number of contacts with the teat increased during gradual weaning in both weaning treatments. Whereas the increase was only marginal in individually weaned calves, it was considerable in ad libitum calves. Concentrate consumption increased in both groups from before to during gradual weaning. However, both before and during gradual weaning, individually weaned calves consumed a higher proportion of their daily concentrate allowance. On average, individually weaned calves consumed less milk and more concentrate over the course of the weaning process. The findings regarding unrewarded visits to the feeder, however, indicate that calves in both treatments showed signs of prolonged hunger before and/or during gradual weaning and stress the importance of further improving weaning treatments.
Influence of the substrate on the structural properties of sputter-deposited ZnO films

We have deposited ZnO films on various substrates using the r.f. magnetron sputtering method. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy coincidentally revealed that the larger grain size and the higher crystallinity were attained when the ZnO films were deposited on sapphire substrates, compared to the films on Si substrates. The XRD analysis revealed that the c-axis lattice constant decreased and increased, respectively, by thermal annealing for the ZnO films deposited on Si and sapphire substrates. Atomic force microscopy indicated that the surface roughness was higher for the films deposited on the sapphire substrates.
Detection of Dangerous Situations using Deep Learning Model with Relational Inference

Crime has become one of the major problems in modern society. Even though visual surveillances through closed-circuit television (CCTV) is extensively used for solving crime, the number of crimes has not decreased. This is because there is insufficient workforce for performing 24-hour surveillance. In addition, CCTV surveillance by humans is not efficient for detecting dangerous situations owing to accuracy issues. In this paper, we propose the autonomous detection of dangerous situations in CCTV scenes using a deep learning model with relational inference. The main feature of the proposed method is that it can simultaneously perform object detection and relational inference to determine the danger of the situations captured by CCTV. This enables us to efficiently classify dangerous situations by inferring the relationship between detected objects (i.e., distance and position). Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms existing methods in terms of the accuracy of image classification and the false alarm rate even when object detection accuracy is low.
Application of femtosecond laser in quartz tuning device microprocessing

Quartz tuning fork is a kind of widely used piezoelectric device. However, as a hard and brittle material, silicon dioxide crystal, which is the core component of tuning fork, is difficult to realize high precision microprocessing. In this paper, femtosecond laser is used to process silicon dioxide crystal. The laser processing parameters which affect quality of tuning fork sidewall are theoretically analyzed, and an experimental study is carried out to optimize the technological parameters and improve the quality of tuning fork crystal. In addition, a set of processing route of quartz tuning device is designed, The tuning fork sensor manufactured has the characteristics of low cost, compact structure, low power consumption and will have a wide application prospects in the future.
Drone brood production in Danish apiaries and its potential for human consumption

Current evidence indicates that the practice of drone brood removal is an effective measure of varroa mite control when combined with chemical treatment as part of an Integrated Pest Management strategy. This has led to a widespread adoption of the method in Denmark and other European countries. Recently, there has been growing interest in the value of insects as a sustainable and highly nutritious food item. To examine the potential use of drone brood as a food source on a commercial scale, we gathered data from nine Danish apiaries. The weight of drone brood comb removed from each colony was recorded and from one apiary, the edible biomass was determined. The total weight of the drone brood comb removed from each colony over the season was highly variable ranging from 0.184 kg to 4.035 kg with an average of 1.776 kg and the average total drone brood biomass extracted was 1.064 kg per colony. We conclude that, with a potential 80 tonnes of available biomass nationally, drone brood could be used as a food product within a specialized niche market and foster sustainable beekeeping.
Aerosol Hygroscopicity on A Single Particle Level Using Microscopic and Spectroscopic Techniques: A Review

Studies on the hygroscopic properties of aerosol particles can provide critical insights into important aerosol properties such as (1) alteration of aerodynamic properties; (2) cloud-droplet nucleation efficiency; (3) optical properties; and (4) physicochemical changes through complex heterogeneous chemical reactions with atmospheric gas-phase species. Investigations of the hygroscopic properties have been carried out using various analytical techniques for individual or bulk aerosol particles with deviating chemical compositions. Solid information on the hygroscopic properties, morphology, and chemical composition of airborne particles on a micrometer scale can be achieved by using a single particle approach. In this short review, recent microscopic (such as optical microscope, atomic force microscopy, environmental SEM and TEM, and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy) and spectroscopic (including Raman microspectrometry, FTIR spectroscopy, and their combination with levitation techniques) studies of hygroscopicity of aerosol particles on a single particle level are provided.
Aboveground biomass increment and stand dynamics in tropical evergreen broadleaved forest

ABSTRACT Forest ecosystems can modify the atmospheric CO2 through biomass accumulation mostly in tree stems with diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 10 cm. Aboveground biomass increment (ΔAGB), and changes in stand AGB, no. stems and basal area (BA) were calculated from mortality, recruitment, and growth data of tree stems in tropical evergreen broadleaved forest, Central Highland Vietnam. Data were derived from ten 1-ha permanent plots established in 2004, where all stems with DBH ≥ 10 cm were tagged, identified to species, and measured for DBH in 2004 and 2012. In an 8-year duration, the increment was 53 ± 10 stems ha–1, 7.8 ± 0.3 m2 ha–1 for BA and 86.0 ± 4.6 Mg ha–1 for AGB. The stem mortality rate was 0.9% year–1 and the stem recruitment rate was 2.2% year–1. Annual ΔAGB was 10.8 Mg ha–1 year–1, equaling to 5.4 Mg C ha–1 year–1. Of which, tree stems of 35–80 cm DBH classes accounted for 65%. The results indicated that the forest is in stage of carbon sequestration. Any disturbances causing death of 35–80 cm DBH tree stems will much reduce carbon sequestration capacity and it will take a long time for AGB to return to pre-disturbance stage.