Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Calibration of Satellite-Based All-Weather Precipitable Water Vapor Product From FengYun-3A MERSI Near-Infrared Bands From 2010 to 2017 in China

Precipitable water vapor (PWV) product, obtained from near-infrared (NIR) measurements of the Medium Resolution Spectral Imager (MERSI) from the FengYun-3A (FY-3A) spacecraft, has not been used in weather forecasting and climate monitoring so far because of its degraded accuracy. In this research, four machine learning-based correction approaches are for the first time developed to adjust the long-term observation accuracy of the official MERSI/FY-3A NIR all-weather water vapor product from 2010 to 2017 in China considering multiple influence factors—MERSI/FY-3A NIR PWV, latitude, longitude, month, and cloud. In addition to four machine learning models, the conventional multiple-parameter quadratic (MPQ) regression method is also utilized for intercomparison. The in situ PWV estimates, acquired from 100 global positioning system (GPS) stations in 2010–2017 across China, are utilized as reference PWV in model training. The validation results obtained from comparison with PWV from the other 114 GPS stations during 2010–2017 in China indicate that the methods notably enhance the long-term performance of FY-3A MERSI NIR water vapor observations under all-weather conditions, reducing root-mean-square error (RMSE) by 57.62%–71.61%. The calibrated MERSI NIR PWV, calculated using machine learning models, performs better than the conventional MPQ-estimated PWV. After the calibration, the new MERSI NIR water vapor estimates show a performance comparable to other satellite-observed NIR PWV products. The enhanced MERSI/FY-3A NIR all-weather PWV data can complement other water vapor data in the FengYun-3 (FY-3) series to ensure a continuous long-term data record and benefit the FY-3 user community.
Extraction of Modulation Transfer Function by using Simulated Satellite Images

Imaging satellite performance parameters, such as modulation transfer function (MTF) could be measured and analyzed using simulated images. We confirmed validity of our MTF extraction algorithms by comparing theoretical input with sine wave star and slanted edge case results. Mean squared error (MSE) for the slanted edge MTF extraction algorithm was 0.013% and for the sine wave star case it was even less. We performed Wiener filter image restoration to the degraded images and then extracted MTF values from these restored images. The agreement between the theoretical MTF and extracted ones remains very good for the restored images. Finally, we considered significance of various factors on accurate determination of MTF curves. Dependence on i) slanted edge angle ii) number of Time Delay Integration (TDI) steps, iii) pixel pitch size, iv) restoration level is expected to be low but results are relatively sensitive to the i) ROI selection, ii) dark noise, iii) oversampling number.
Impact of strongly swelling hydrogels on water-holding capacity of light-textured soils

The thermodynamic status of soil moisture in three types of light-textured soils samples before and after treating them with different amounts of strongly swelling hydrogel has been under study. A series of functions has been proposed to provide information on moisture transfer models in such soils, they concern soil moisture potential depending on moisture content and on the polymer concentration within the soil-gel system.
Opioid Administration for Mucositis-related-Pain Using Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) Method is Associated with the Development of Early Posttransplant Complications

Introduction: Mucositis is one of the major complications of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with myeloablative conditioning. Several measures have been developed to improve pain palliation and quality of life in transplant recipients. This study was performed to evaluate the association of opioid administration using patient controlled analgesia (PCA) method with early posttranplant complications. Materials and Methods: Medical records of 452 patients [median age: 35(15-67) years, male/female: 285/167] were retrospectively reviewed. Results: PCA was used in 157 patients (34.7%) for median 9(1-24) days. The proportion of patients who received myeloablative conditioning regimen was significantly higher in PCA+ group (p<0.001). Severe mucositis was more common in patients who required PCA administration (p<0.001). Total body irradiation (p<0.001) and methotreaxate prophylaxis (p<0.001) were more frequently used in PCA+ patients. Hypoxia, bleeding, sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, invasive fungal infections, neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity were significantly more common in PCA+ patients. Duration of hospitalization was significantly longer in PCA+ group (p<0.001). Discussion: Opioid administration with PCA, which was more frequently used in patients who had myeloablative conditioning and mucositis, was found to be associated with the development of early posttransplant complications.
Methylene Blue: The Long and Winding Road From Stain to Brain: Part 2.

Methylene blue was the first synthetic drug ever used in medicine, having been used to treat clinical pain syndromes, malaria, and psychotic disorders more than one century ago. Methylene blue is a cationic thiazine dye with redox-cycling properties and a selective affinity for the nervous system. This drug also inhibits the activity of monoamine oxidase, nitric oxide synthase, and guanylyl cyclase, as well as tau protein aggregation; increases the release of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and norepinephrine; reduces amyloid-beta levels; and increases cholinergic transmission. The action of methylene blue on multiple cellular and molecular targets justifies its investigation in various neuropsychiatric disorders. Investigations of methylene blue were instrumental in the serendipitous development of phenothiazine antipsychotic drugs. Although chlorpromazine is heralded as the first antipsychotic drug used in psychiatry, methylene blue is a phenothiazine drug that had been used to treat psychotic patients half a century earlier. It has also been studied in bipolar disorder and deserves further investigation for the treatment of unipolar and bipolar disorders. More recently, methylene blue has been the subject of preclinical and clinical investigations for cognitive dysfunction, dementia, and other neurodegenerative disorders. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 54(10), 21-26. ].
Effect of Long Term Storage of Soil Sample on Some Chemical Properties of Vertisol and Andosol at Kulumsa Agricultural Sub Centers

The present study was conducted at the Kulumsa Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory, Ethiopia from January 2021 to January 2022 to identify the appropriate storage duration of soil samples and recommend good storage materials for soil laboratories. The effects of soil sample storage on the pH, TN (%), OC (%), and available phosphorus were studied for 12 months. The highest and lowest concentrations of pH, TN (%), OC (%), and available phosphorus at the Kulumsa site were: 6.29 and 5.82; 0.17 and 0.12%; 2.93 and 1.70%; 22.53 and 10.88 respectively. At the Arsi Robe site, the highest and lowest concentrations of pH, TN (%), OC (%), and available phosphorus were 6.54 and 5.97, 0.16 and 0.12%, 3.02 and 1.00%, and 19.09 and 10.39 respectively. The highest and lowest concentrations of pH, TN (%), OC (%), and available phosphorus (mg kg1) at the Dera site were 9.14 and 8.47; 0.11, 0.07%; 4.36, 1.04%; and 111.85 and 75.37 respectively. Soil samples were stored in three storage containers with replications. The storage materials a card box with a plastic bag and a polyethylene bottle have not made any significant difference in the results of a soil sample stored under laboratory. A card box with a plastic bag was the appropriate material for soil sample storage for long-term analysis. However, based on the cost effectiveness and availability of the material to be purchased for the soil storage condition, the polyethylene plastic bag was the best option for soil sample storage under laboratory conditions.
Quantification du couplage au long de la subduction chilienne

La zone de subduction entre les plaques Nazca et Amerique du Sud constitue, aux latitudesdu Chili, un laboratoire naturel d’exception pour etudier les processus qui permettent d’accommoder la convergence sur l’interface de subduction. En particulier, la mesure par GPS de la deformation de la plaque superieure pendant la phase intersismique sur la subduction permet de quantifier l’intensite du blocage sur l’interface via le coefficient de couplage cinematique. Ce dernier peut etre determine en utilisant un modele de dislocation simple dans un milieu homogene elastique sur laquelle on applique la theorie du backslip. Cette these a pour objectif de determiner la valeur de ce couplage intersismique au long de la subduction chilienne (18 ◦ S-38 ◦ S) et d’analyser ces variations en relation avec la segmentation sismotectonique et la sismicite historique. Pour cela, les vitesses intersismiques collectees au cours de ces 20 dernieres annees ont ete combinees dans un meme referentiel et de nouvelles donnees GPS ont ete acquises sur des reseaux installes ou renoves par les equipes franco-chiliennes depuis 2009. Cet effort instrumental associe au travail de traitement des donnees que j’ai realise conduit a un jeu de vitesses intersismiques sur plusieurs centaines de points et quasi continu sur la marge chilienne. Ces donnees ont ete utilisees pour elaborer une cartographie precise du couplage au long de la subduction chilienne. La distribution de couplage qui est presentee dans ce manuscrit montre d’importantes variations laterales et en profondeur de la valeur du couplage et dessine ainsi une segmentation de la marge. Les segments fortement couples semblent correles aux grandes ruptures historiques, tandis que les intersegments decouples semblent se comporter comme des barrieres a leur propagation. Les zones d’intersegments correspondent a des zones atypiques de la subduction, souvent associees a des anomalies du trait de cote (baies, peninsules), a l’entree en subduction de structures bathymetriques (rides, fractures) et a une sismicite de fond importante. Le seisme de Maule du 27 fevrier 2010 (Mw 8.8) qui a rompu un segment fortement couple et qui s’est arrete dans des zones de faible couplage a permis de proposer un lien entre le couplage apparent et le comportement mecanique de l’interface. Sur la base de cette analyse, il semble possible d’utiliser les cartes de couplage intersismique pour mieux estimer l’alea sismique au Chili. Dans ce travail, nous apportons notamment un eclairage nouveau sur la lacune du Grand Nord Chili en montrant que le segment couple du Loa est nettement plus restreint que la lacune en elle-meme et qu’un large intersegment decouple s’y developpe autour d’Iquique. Une attention particuliere est donc portee aux regions de l’Atacama, du Paranal et du Loa qui correspondent a des zones tres fortement couplees, chacune susceptibles de produire un grand seisme de subduction potentiellement associe a un tsunami, et un seisme geant en cas de rupture collective.
Conserved features of eye movement related eardrum oscillations (EMREOs) across humans and monkeys

Auditory and visual information involve different coordinate systems, with auditory spatial cues anchored to the head and visual spatial cues anchored to the eyes. Information about eye movements is therefore critical for reconciling visual and auditory spatial signals. The recent discovery of eye movement-related eardrum oscillations (EMREOs) suggests that this process could begin as early as the auditory periphery. How this reconciliation might happen remains poorly understood. Because humans and monkeys both have mobile eyes and therefore both must perform this shift of reference frames, comparison of the EMREO across species can provide insights to shared and therefore important parameters of the signal. Here we show that rhesus monkeys, like humans, have a consistent, significant EMREO signal that carries parametric information about eye displacement as well as onset times of eye movements. The dependence of the EMREO on the horizontal displacement of the eye is its most consistent feature, and is shared across behavioral tasks, subjects, and species. Differences chiefly involve the waveform frequency (higher in monkeys than in humans) and patterns of individual variation (more prominent in monkeys than humans), and the waveform of the EMREO when factors due to horizontal and vertical eye displacements were controlled for.
Design and Experimental Evaluation of 60 GHz Self-compensating Bond-wire Interconnect

In this paper, a bond-wire impedance compensation technique based on using bond-wires as a half-wavelength long transmission line is designed, implemented and experimentally verified for a 60 GHz interconnection between an integrated circuit (IC) and printed circuit board (PCB). For this purpose, electromagnetic simulations (EM) of the entire interconnection i.e. the IC, the bond-wire and the PCB are performed and subsequently characterized experimentally. The comparison of the measurements with the simulations shows a good agreement. It is found that although the bond-wires are about 2.4mm long, the measured insertion loss is better than 0.66 dB at 60 GHz and a −10 dB reflection bandwidth from 57.5 GHz to 64 GHz can be achieved. Furthermore a technique is proposed to ease the implementation of such a long interconnection and to help in maintaining the desired parallelism between the bond-wires.
Effect of incorporating wing veins on soft wings for flapping micro air vehicles

Small insects with flapping wings, such as bees and flies, have flexible wings with veins, and their compliant motion enhances flight efficiency and robustness. This study investigated the effects of integrating wing veins into soft wings for micro-flapping aerial vehicles. Prototypes of soft wings, featuring various wing areas and vein patterns in both the wing-chord and wing-span directions, were fabricated and evaluated to determine the force generated through flapping. The results indicated that the force is not solely dependent upon the wing area and is influenced by the wing vein pattern. Wings incorporating wing-chord veins produced more force compared to those with wing-span veins. In contrast, when the wing area was the specific wing area, wings with crossed wing veins, comprising both wing-span veins and wing-chord veins, produced more force. Although wing-chord veins tended to exert more influence on the force generated than the wing-span veins, the findings suggested that a combination of wing-span and wing-chord veins may be requisite, depending upon the wing area.
Policy process in the context of education: a content analysis

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi sebuah siklus baru dalam proses pembuatan kebijakan pendidikan yang mana dapat digunanakan untuk menyelesaikan permasalahan publik di bidang pendidikan. Metode penelitian kualitatif digunakan, melalui analisis konten, untuk membuat siklus kebijakan pendidikan yang dibutuhkan. Hasil studi ini mengidentifikasi enam tahapan di dalam siklus kebijakan pendidikan, yaitu penentuan agenda, fomulasi, legitimasi, sosialisasi, implementasi, dan evaluasi. Siklus kebijakan pendidikan ini dapat berkontribusi signifikan terhadap peningkatan pengetahuan para pembuat kebijakan, pemangku kepentingan, peneliti, dan pengimplementasi kebijakan tentang proses kebijakan pendidikan. Selain itu, siklus tersebut dapat digunakan sebagai panduan dan tuntunan untuk mengelola sektor pendidikan, terkhusus pembuatan berbagai kebijakan di level makro (pusat/kementerian), messo (provinsi/kabupaten/kota), dan lokal (institusi pendidikan). Selanjutnya, hal tersebut juga dapat membantu para praktisi pendidikan berpikir secara sistematis dan tepat dalam membuat dan mengimplementasikan kebijakan pendidikan. Penelitian selanjutnya sangat direkomendasikan menginvestigasi efektifitas dari siklus kebijakan pendidikan pada level mikro, meso, dan makro tersebut.
Exploring the Effects of Teacher Education on Teacher Quality and Student Achievement in Pakistan

Amongst a variety of resources present, a teacher is considered to be the primary tool for enhancing the process of student learning. To be able to act as effective “agents of change” for their student, the teacher needs to enhance personal and pedagogical skills which can primarily be achieved through teacher education. This paper aims to be contributing to a broader understanding of language teacher education in the context of Pakistan. Employing a case study research method, the present study explored how teachers’ pre-service education affects teacher quality and student learning. A total of two tertiary-level novice teachers and seven first-year undergraduate students from a public sector university in Pakistan participated in this study. Data were generated using teacher observation, teacher and student interviews, document analysis including teacher lesson plans and diary, course outlines and students’ work samples. Thematic analysis of the data showed contradictory results between the classroom practices of the teachers and their effect on students’ learning. The teacher with pre-service education used the appropriate methodology and made well-informed decisions which resulted in the improvement of students’ learning. In contrast, the other teacher used traditional modes of teaching. Though happy with the classes, students found no practical use of what they learnt in the lessons. The study concludes that pre-service teacher education should be made compulsory for individuals who wish to become teachers.
Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among persons convicted of driving while impaired.

BACKGROUND Large numbers of convicted drunk drivers are entering alcohol treatment programs, yet little information is available about their need for psychiatric treatment. This study of convicted drunk drivers estimates lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders (alcohol and drug abuse and dependence, major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and antisocial personality disorder) and compares rates with estimates from a US population-based survey. METHODS Six hundred twelve women and 493 men, aged 23 to 54 years, convicted of driving while impaired, who had been referred to a screening program in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, were located and interviewed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule between January 25, 1994, and June 30, 1997. Psychiatric diagnoses were compared with findings from the National Comorbidity Survey for the western region of the United States, conducted between September 14, 1990, and February 6, 1992. RESULTS Eighty-five percent of female and 91% of male offenders reported a lifetime alcohol-use disorder, compared with 22% and 44%, respectively, in the National Comorbidity Survey sample. Thirty-two percent of female and 38% of male offenders had a drug-use disorder, compared with 16% and 21%, respectively, in the National Comorbidity Survey sample. For offenders with alcohol-use disorders, 50% of women and 33% of men had at least 1 additional psychiatric disorder other than drug abuse or dependence, mainly posttraumatic stress disorder or major depression. CONCLUSION Drunk-driving offenders need assessment and treatment services not only for alcohol problems but also for drug use and the other psychiatric disorders that commonly accompany alcohol-related problems.
Novel Dilated Separable Convolution Networks for Efficient Video Salient Object Detection in the Wild

Appearance and motion are essential features in video salient object detection (VSOD) tasks. Most of the existing approaches use local features and thus fail to understand both the appearance and motion-specific semantics at the global level. Hence, these methods are unable to perform in unconstrained scenarios where multiple challenges, such as partial occlusion, motion blur, noise, and clutter background, exist. Moreover, these approaches require a large number of computational resources due to their complex structures, which limits their applicability to real-world deployment. To resolve these issues and to achieve a balance between accuracy and computational complexity, in this article, a dilation separable convolution network (DSCNet) is proposed, which is equipped with dilation attention fusion module (DAFM), bidirectional cross-modality fusion module (BCFM), and saliency prediction module (SPM) to extract enhanced multiscaled motion and appearance features without increasing the model complexity. Furthermore, a bidirectional separable convolution network (BSCNet) equipped with a separable convolution module (SCM) and a FlowNet2.0 is proposed to use multiscale contextual information across appearance cues and generate enhanced multiscaled motion maps. For faster and better training of the DSCNet model, we propose a novel stochastic-gradient-based firefly algorithm (SGFA), which adaptively balances the exploration and exploitation in multiscaled, cross-modal embedded subspaces. With the help of the proposed SGFA algorithm, the DSCNet+ model is constructed on top of DSCNet, which further improves the results in terms of the training speed and other evaluation metrics. The proposed models are evaluated on six benchmark datasets, and a detailed comparative study is provided with 16 state-of-the-art (SOTA) models. One of the major highlights of the work is the significant performance of the proposed models on the most difficult DAVSOD-Diff dataset, which best reflects the challenging real-world scenarios.
The Reliability of Inflation Forecasts Based on Output Gap Estimates in Real Time

A stable predictive relationship between inflation and the output gap, often referred to as a Phillips curve, provides the basis for countercyclical monetary policy in many models. In this paper, we evaluate the usefulness of alternative univariate and multivariate estimates of the output gap for predicting inflation. Many of the ex post output gap measures we examine appear to be quite useful for predicting inflation. However, forecasts using real-time estimates of the same measures do not perform nearly as well. The relative usefulness of real-time output gap estimates diminishes further when compared to simple bivariate forecasting models which use past inflation and output growth. Forecast performance also appears to be unstable over time, with models often performing differently over periods of high and low inflation. These results call into question the practical usefulness of the output gap concept for forecasting inflation.