Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling land surface processes over a mountainous rainforest in
Costa Rica using CLM4.5 and CLM5

This study compares the performance of the Community Land Models (CLM4.5 and CLM5) against tower and ground measurements from a tropical montane rainforest in Costa Rica. The study site receives over 4000 mm of mean annual precipitation and has high daily levels of relative humidity. The measurement tower is equipped with eddycovariance and vertical profile systems able to measure various micrometeorological variables, particularly in wet and complex terrain. In this work, results from point-scale simulations for both CLM4.5 and its updated version (CLM5) are compared to observed canopy flux and micrometeorological data. Both models failed to capture the effects of frequent rainfall events and mountainous topography on the variables of interest (temperatures, leaf wetness, and fluxes). Overall, CLM5 alleviates some errors in CLM4.5, but CLM5 still cannot precisely simulate a number of canopy processes for this forest. Soil, air, and canopy temperatures, as well as leaf wetness, remain too sensitive to incoming solar radiation rates despite updates to the model. As a result, daytime vapor flux and carbon flux are overestimated, and modeled temperature differences between day and night are higher than those observed. Slope effects appear in the measured average diurnal variations of surface albedo and carbon flux, but CLM5 cannot simulate these features. This study suggests that both CLMs still require further improvements concerning energy partitioning processes, such as leaf wetness process, photosynthesis model, and aerodynamic resistance model for wet and mountainous regions.
Impact of interlayer on moisture characteristics of reclaimed soil backfilled with Yellow River sediments

Underground coal mining causes land subsidence, and backfilling with Yellow River sediment is an effective reclamation technology to restore farmland in China. To date, two-layer soil reconstructed (TSR) for subsided land reclamation resulted in poor capacity to retain water. To solve this problem, multi-layered soil reconstructed (MSR), sandwiching soil interlayers between sediment, was developed as a new reclamation strategy with Yellow River sediment. In order to evaluate the impact of soil interlayer on moisture characteristics, laboratory experiments of infiltration and evaporation were conducted. Two control treatments (CK1, CK2) and four experimental treatments (T1-T4) were designed. CK1 was undamaged farmland, CK2 was conventional reconstructed two-layers soil profile (filled sediment with 40 cm soil cover). T1-T4 were multiple-layers soil profiles sandwiching different structures of soil interlayers between sediment layers. The results indicated that putting interlayers into sediment reduced water leakage and water evaporation, improved the water-holding capacity of conventional two-layer soil profiles. The total thickness of soil interlayers of 30 cm (T3 and T4) was better than 20 cm (T1 and T2) and two soil interlayers (T2) were better than one (T1) on water-holding capacity. Furthermore, the best reconstructed soil profile was T3, sandwiched two soil interlayer and the first thickness was 20 cm. This treatment had the greatest improvement on soil water holding capacity with an increase of 49.14% compared to CK2 at the end of the evaporation and was closest to CK1 (402.31 mm). This study provided experimental evidence that compares with TSR, MRS improved the moisture characteristics of backfilling with Yellow River sediment. Keywords: land reclamation, Mining subsidence, Yellow River sediment, multi-layered soil reconstructed, moisture characteristics DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe. 20201301.5418 Citation: Wang X T, Hu Z Q, Liang Y S. Impact of interlayer on moisture characteristics of reclaimed soil backfilled with Yellow River sediments. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2020; 13(1): 153–159.
FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Mobile phone cameras have an almost unlimited depth of field, and therefore the images captured with them have wide areas in focus. When the depth of field is digitally manipulated through image processing, accurate perception of depth in a captured scene is important. Capturing depth data requires advanced imaging methods. In case a stereo lens system is used, depth information is calculated from the disparities between stereo frames. The resulting depth map is often noisy or doesn’t have information for every pixel. Therefore it has to be filtered before it is used for emphasizing depth. Edges must be taken into account in this process to create natural-looking shallow depth of field images. In this study five filtering methods are compared with each other. The main focus is the Fast Bilateral Solver, because of its novelty and high reported quality. Mobile imaging requires fast filtering in uncontrolled environments, so optimizing the processing time of the filters is essential. In the evaluations the depth maps are filtered, and the quality and the speed is determined for every method. The results show that the Fast Bilateral Solver filters the depth maps well, and can handle noisy depth maps better than the other evaluated methods. However, in mobile imaging it is slow and needs further optimization.
Heavy Metal Removal Investigation in Conventional Activated Sludge Systems

The combination of industrial and domestic wastewater in municipal WWTPs (waste water treatment plants) may be economically profitable, but it increases the difficulty of treatment, and also has some detrimental effects on the biomass and causes a low-quality final effluent. The present study evaluates the treatment process both in the presence and absence of heavy metals using ASM3 (activated sludge model no.3) so as to improve the model by means of incorporating other novel inhibitory kinetic and settler models. The results reveal that the presence of heavy metal, a case study for copper and cadmium at a concentration of 0.7 mgL −1 in a biological treatment system has a negative effect on heterotrophic bacteria concentration by 25.00 %, and 8.76 % respectively. Meanwhile, there are no important changes in COD (chemical oxygen demand), SS (total suspended solids) and TN (total nitrogen) in the final effluent in the conventional system. However, all these parameters are acceptable and consistent with EU Commission Directives. The results indicate that ASM3 can predict and provide an opportunity of the operation for an activated sludge wastewater treatment plant that receives the effluent from an industrial plant.
Some aspects of the ethanol stability of red deer milk ( Cervus elaphus hispanicus ) : 1 a comparison with other dairy species 2 3 4

27 28 The ethanol stability, a freshness and heat stability indicator, of Iberian red deer milk 29 was determined. Additionally, the interspecific differences in composition, physical, 30 hygienic and technological parameters, in bulk tank milk obtained from red deer, sheep, 31 goats and cows were compared. Red deer milk ethanol stability was similar to that of 32 sheep milk; bovine milk was the most stable and goat milk the least. Ethanol stability 33 was influenced by pH; within the range studied, increased pH increased stability, this 34 effect being more noticeable in bovine milk than in milk from the other species. Milk 35 composition presented evident differences among species, as did somatic cell counts, 36 total bacterial count, pH and titratable acidity or density. The results suggest that milk 37 of red deer is very similar to that of sheep, but is even richer in fat and proteins, making 38 it an interesting and novel product with high potential in dairy industry. 39 ______________________________________________________________________ 40
Usefulness of comprehensive income reporting for dividend policy in the polish listed companies

This study examines the strength and character of relationship between dividend policy and comprehensive income in Polish manufacturing companies. We formulated two research questions: 1) does comprehensive income determine the ability to pay out a dividend? 2) what is the key role of comprehensive income in shaping a dividend policy? To receive the answers to these questions, we put a research hypothesis stating that in the Polish listed companies a positive relationship between comprehensive income and dividend policy can be observed. The research was conducted among the companies operating in the manufacturing sector (4xx of the Warsaw Stock Exchange (the WSE) classification). The analytical period is between 2009–2017 and reflects the current legal status of the financial reporting of public companies in Poland. Finally, our analysis comprised 83 manufacturing companies and 664 observations. The study procedure was carried out in two stages. The first stage was to show the results of empirical research conducted among the analysed companies and regarding the variability of comprehensive income in comparison to net income (consequently other comprehensive income). At the second stage, we presented the results of investigation on the strength and character of an impact of comprehensive income on dividends. For that purpose, two research methods were used. Firstly, we calculated the Pearson’s correlation coefficients between comprehensive income (and net income) and future dividend ratios, as well as the other company’s performance and tested for significance using the t-Student test. Secondly, we used regression analysis and two one-equation models built for comprehensive income and net income. Moreover, we used descriptive statistics, tStudent test, and Ftest. The conducted research allowed us to draw two main conclusions: 1) there was a positive character of dependence between comprehensive income and future dividend, however, the correlation between them was very weak; 2) the impact of comprehensive income on future dividend ratio was positive, but we noted no statistical significance.
The Exclusionary Effect on the Cost of Equity

The purpose of this paper is to examine the exclusion effect on excluded stocks’ cost of equity capital. We study the effect by examining European and US tobacco stocks before and after 2010, relative to chosen comparable companies. Our findings suggest that exclusions of tobacco companies can have a significant direct effect on the cost of equity. The direct effect can be explained by Merton’s market segmentation model, and a premium for “boycotted” stocks. Exclusionary investing creates a segmented market, which reduces the demand for the excluded stocks, causing limited risk-sharing and restricted diversification opportunities for investors. Thus, investors will require a risk premium for holding excluded stocks, implying a higher cost of equity for excluded stocks. Additionally, we study coal companies to examine the effects and implications of excluding fossil fuel companies. Our results indicate that the exclusions of coal companies have no significant direct effect on the cost of equity. These findings could imply that there is not a sufficient number of investors who have excluded coal stocks. The coal industry has been the primary focus for exclusions within the fossil fuel industry. Hence, the direct exclusion effect of oil and gas companies on their cost of equity will likely be limited.
Liquidity, Liquidity Spillover, and Credit Default Swap Spreads

This paper presents the first systematic study of the effects of liquidity in the credit default swap (CDS) market and liquidity spillover from other markets on CDS spreads. The liquidity effect in the CDS market is more significant than generally believed. We estimate an illiquidity premium of 9.4 basis points in CDS spreads, on par with the Treasury bond liquidity premium and the nondefault component of corporate bond yield spreads. we also find substantial liquidity spillover from bond, stock and option markets to the CDS market. As the CDS market liquidity improves over time, the liquidity and liquidity spillover effects become less significant in more recent periods. These results provide a new perspective for a better understanding of the CDS markets and previous findings on CDS spreads. Preliminary. Comments Welcome! ∗We thank Lorenzo Garlappi, Shisheng Qu, Sheridan Titman and Efstathios Tompaidis for useful comments. We are responsible for remaining errors in the paper. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission disclaims responsibility for any private publication or statement of any SEC employee. This study expresses the authors’ views and does not necessarily reflect those of the Commission, the Commissioners, or other members of the staff. †Department of Economics and Finance, Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144. Voice: (770) 423-6429, Fax: (770) 499-3209, E-mail: dtang@kennesaw.edu ‡U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, Office of Economic Analysis, 100 F Street, N.E. , Washington, DC 20549-1105. Email: yanh@sec.gov Liquidity, Liquidity Spillover, and Credit Default Swap Spreads
Clinical outcome of treatment of intra-articular distal humerus fracture with open reduction and internal fixation by orthogonal locking plate: a prospective study

Background: The aim of the study was to study the clinical outcome and complications of surgical management of intra-articular fractures of distal humerus. Methods: A prospective study included 23 consented patients with intra-articular distal humeral fractures who underwent osteosynthesis by orthogonal locking compression plating using posterior approach with olecranon osteotomy between November 2017 to May 2019 at BLDE(DU’s) Shri BM Patil Medical College, Vijayapura, Karnataka. Results: In our study there were 15 male patients and 8 female patients with mean age of 38.5 years. 65.2% of the cases admitted were due to motor vehicle accident, 21.7% due to accidental fall and 13% due to fall from height with right side (73.9%) being the more commonly affected side. The mean operative time was 100 minutes. Mayo Elbow Performance Score was 83.3% post operatively and the mean arc of motion was 117°. 82% of cases fared excellent to good results. Conclusions: Orthogonal locking plate construct provides stable rigid fixation for allowing early mobilisation and allows predictable healing both clinically and functionally in these complicated fractures. Absence of implant failure and non-union may be attributed to the highly stable construct system achieved by orthogonal locking plating. Majority of our cases had good functional outcome and return to pre injury status.
Linear Growth Retardation and Mortality

When discussing the relationship between stunting and mortality in developing countries, one has to distinguish two separate issues, (a) Does being stunted, i.e., presenting with retarded linear growth, carry an additional risk of dying? (b) Does stunting, i.e., presenting with deceleration of linear growth, carry an additional risk of dying? Very little is known on either subject. The data gathered by Keller and Fillmore on the prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition throughout the world (1) show that countries with high juvenile and infantile mortality rates also invariably have high prevalences of stunted children, and those with low prevalences invariably have low mortality rates (Fig. 1). There are, nevertheless, a number of countries such as Yugoslavia, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, or Panama where low juvenile mortality rates coexist with high prevalences of stunted children. Thus, poor countries that tend to have high mortality rates also tend to have high prevalences of stunted children. Very little data are available from a small number of community-based longitudinal studies that can be used to evaluate the relationship between anthropometric indicators and mortality (Table 1). Only the two more recent studies from Bangladesh (4,6) question the relationship between being stunted and risk of dying, and only Bairagi (6) also addresses the importance of stunting. In this chapter, these observations will be confronted with some of the data from the Kasongo (Zaire) study. The Kasongo study was a multiround survey whose principal objective was to assess the influence of measles vaccination on the survival pattern of under-5s. More than 32,500 weight, height, and arm-circumference measurements were taken in over 7,000 children. A detailed description of the study population and the way in which the survey was conducted may be found elsewhere (8). The growth curves of the Kasongo children show a fairly typical pattern for
Optimizing SMEsâ Business Performance Through Human Capital Management

Small medium enterprises (SMEs) provide the basic foundation for Indonesian economic and social development. SMEs employ a large number of the human capital and foster entrepreneurial side of individuals. Based on opportunity approach, SMEs can create high level of human capital and entrepreneurial competencies. This study aimed at explained the relationship between human capital and entrepreneurial competencies on the SME business performance. Study was conducted on SMEâ€™s in Central Java, Indonesia. Based on quantitative approach, this research used survey instrument by delivering questionnaire. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. The result showed the significant relationship between human capital, entrepreneurial competencies and SMEs performance. This suggests that SME entrepreneurs should give attention to learning activities. This studyâ€™s findings contribute to SMEs literature and human capital theory.
MACROECONOMIC DYNAMICS OF INCOME GROWTH: EVIDENCES FROM ARDL BOUND APPROACH, GMM AND DYNAMIC OLS

Using the annual data from 1980 through 2015, and applying the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Bound Approach, Dynamic OLS (DOLS) and Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) methodologies, this paper attempts to identify some major macroeconomic drivers of income growth in South Carolina. The ARDL Bounds testing approach, proposed by Pesaran, Shin, and Smith (2001) has several advantages compared to widely used Johansen and Juselius (1990) cointegration technique. One advantage is that it lends itself to estimating the long-run relationship without requiring the pretesting of the presence of unit root. Also, the error-correction modeling by the ARDL cointegration procedure facilitates both short-run and the long-run causality. The long-run results show that capital investment, export, government expenditure, and new business have significant positive effect on the growth of income. The short run dynamic results confirm that capital investment, export, government expenditure and new business establishment have significant and positive impact on income growth. The long term estimates indicate that a 1% increase in capital investment, export, government expenditures, and new business would increase income growth by 7.71, 33.7, 16.89, and 28.4 percent respectively. Also, GMM and Dynamic OLS estimates find capital investment, export, government expenditures and new business have significant and positive impact on income growth. The results imply a commitment to export promotion, capital investment, government expenditures and new business are important ingredients for successful state growth strategy.
Smoking among Secondary School Children in Malaysia

It is disheartening to note that there has been little change in the prevalence of smoking among secondary school children in Malaysia over the past three decades. A study done on secondary school children in Kuala Lumpur in 1984, revealed a prevalence of 9.8 % (Thambypillai, 1985). In a similar study done in 2008, almost two decades later, schools in Petaling Jaya (a district near Kuala Lumpur) recorded the prevalence of smoking as 10% (Lim et al., 2010). Though the prevalence did not decrease, it is encouraging to note that it did not increase among the secondary school children. Studies on school children have also been carried out in other parts of Malaysia. Shamsuddin and Haris (2000) reported, the prevalence of smoking among male students was 33.2% in a study done in Kota Bharu City, in the north eastern state of Kelantan in Malaysia. In 2005 in the southern Malaysian state of Johor smoking prevalence was 29.7%, with prevalence
Fiscal Decentralisation and Economic Growth in Malaysia: A Market Preserving Federalism Perspective

By using fiscal datasets from 1990 to 2010 in Malaysia, a panel Dynamic-OLS (DOLS) is employed to investigate the extent to which fiscal decentralisation can support state level economic growth as proposed in the Market preserving federalism (MPF) theory. Despite having a more centralised federalism system, the result strongly shows that a fiscal decentralisation variable, (i.e. a composite ratio of decentralisation) has significant coefficient and positive relationship with state economic growth. This implies that a certain degree of fiscal decentralisation in Malaysia is able to contribute to states’ economic performance by adopting fiscal decentralisation simultaneously on both dimensions of revenue and expenditure. This validates the view that decentralisation is a multi dimentional measure. The study shows that Malaysia also would be able to benefit from a system of federalism which empowers state governments to make policies for their jurisdictions and to compete with one another for better services and higher investment. Hence, competition is the mechanism that creates incentives that result from satisfying the MPF conditions and subsequently leading to the achievement of higher state economic performance.
PARALLELIZED DEEP NEURAL NETWORKS FOR DISTRIBUTED INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS

We present rigorous analysis of distributed intelligent systems, particularly through work on large-scale deep neural networks. We show how networks represent functions, and examine how all functions and physical systems can be learned by an infinite number of neural networks. Stressing dimensionality reduction as key to network optimization, we study encoding, energy minimization, and topographic independent components analysis. We explain how networks can be parallelized along local receptive fields by asynchronous stochastic gradient descent, and how robustness can increase with adaptive subgradients. We show how communication latency across an InfiniBand cluster grows linearly with number of computers, a positive result for large-scale parallelization of neural networks via message passing. We also present results of a topographic hierarchical network model of the human visual cortex on the NYU Object Recognition Benchmark.