Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Statistical learning in visual search: ‘contextual cueing’ re�ects the acquisition of an optimal, ‘one-for-all’ oculomotor scanning strategy

Detecting a target in visual search becomes more e�cient over time when it is encountered repeatedly at a �xed location within a stable distractor arrangement (spatial ‘context’), compared to non-repeated contexts. The standard account attributes this contextual-cueing effect to the acquisition of display-specic long-term memories, which, when activated by the current display, ‘cue’ attention to the target location. Our alternative, ‘procedural-optimization’ account posits that contextual facilitation arises from the acquisition of generic oculomotor scanning strategies that are optimized with respect to the entire set of displays, with frequently searched displays accruing greater weight in the optimization. To decide between these alternatives, we examined novel measures of the similarity, across time-on-task, of the spatio-temporal sequences of �xations through repeated and non-repeated displays. We found scanpath similarity to increase generally with learning, but more for repeated versus non-repeated displays. This pattern contradicts display-specic guidance, but supports ‘one-for-all’ scanpath optimization.
Compliance with Standard Precautions and Associated Factors among Critical Care Nurses in Peshawar, Pakistan and Kunming, China: Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVES To find the level of compliance and the associated factors of compliance with standard precautions among registered nurses. METHODOLOGY Cross-sectional study was conducted during March and August 2020 in four hospitals, two from each country; Pakistan and China. Data was gathered through a modified version of the adopted questionnaire from 424 registered nurses, selected by a simple random sampling technique. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 26. RESULTSThe overall compliance with SPs among registered nurses in Pakistan was 57.1%, and among the respondents from China was 75.2%. Gender, age and working area were associated with the compliance of SPs. Female nurses from China are 1.72 times less compliant, while the increasing age of Pakistani nurses increases the risk for non-compliance with SPs by 1.7 times. Participants working in Emergency Department in Pakistan were 2.07 times less compliant than those working in Intensive Care Unit/Coronary Care Unit (ICU/CCU). Lack of training increases the risk of being 2.9 times more non-compliant. For Chinese Nurses, less knowledge and a lack of resources were associated with non-compliance in both countries nurses. CONCLUSION Noteworthy numbers of nurses were found non-compliant with standard precaution practices in both study populations. Therefore, strategies like regular training on standard precautions, availability of Personal Protective Equipment and policymaking may improve compliance with SPs practice.
Regression‐based approach to low flow prediction in the Maryland Piedmont region under joint climate and land use change

We examine the low flow records for six urbanized watersheds in the Maryland Piedmont region and develop regression equations to predict annual minimum low flow events. The effects of both future climate (based on precipitation and temperature projections from two climate models: Hadley and the Canadian Climate Centre (CCC)) and land use change are incorporated to illustrate possible future trends in low flows. A regression modelling approach is pursued to predict the minimum annual 7‐day low flow estimates for the proposed future scenarios. A regional regression model was calibrated with between 10 and 50 years of daily precipitation, daily average temperature, annual imperviousness, and the daily observed flow time‐series across six watersheds. Future simulations based on a 55 km2 urbanizing watershed just north of Washington, DC, were performed. When land use and climate change were employed singly, the former predicted no trends in low flows and the latter predicted significant increasing trends under Hadley and no trends under CCC. When employed jointly, however, low flows were predicted to decrease significantly under CCC, whereas Hadley predicted no significant trends in low flows. Antecedent precipitation was the most influential predictor on low flows, followed by urbanization. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Why the spring North Pacific Oscillation is a predictor of typhoon activity over the Western North Pacific

In this study, we investigated the impact of the spring North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) on typhoon frequency over the Western North Pacific (WNP, north of the equator and west of dateline). To reduce the statistical uncertainty, all the data we used have been excluded the El Nino/Southern Oscillation signals. We found that the spring NPO positively correlated with the annual typhoon number over the WNP (hereafter TNWNP) during the period 1968–2010, with a correlation coefficient of 0.62 (above the 99% significance level). When the Northern Low and Southern High pattern over the north Pacific weakens, the TNWNP tends to increase. A positive phase of spring NPO is associated with the tropical circulation and sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the North Pacific, which may lead to unfavorable dynamical and thermal conditions for typhoon genesis over the WNP during JJAS. The negative anomaly of SST over the WNP, associated with the positive spring NPO anomaly, is connected to the tropical atmospheric circulations from spring to summer via good oceanic seasonal persistence and air–sea interaction. Thus, the spring NPO‐related variability of the tropical atmospheric circulation as well as the SST can affect typhoon activity over the WNP. In addition, the spring NPO can also be adopted as a predictor for the summer rainfall in South China, since the spring NPO can modulate the WNP SST and western Pacific subtropical high from spring to summer.
A factorial analysis of the marine carbon cycle and ocean circulation controls on atmospheric CO2

A factorial experiment with a new Earth system model of intermediate complexity is used to assess the sensitivity of atmospheric CO2 to organic, carbonate and solubility pumps, ocean circulation state, and climate feedback. An analysis of variance of the results reveals that the organic, carbonate, and solubility pumps act multiplicatively and account for 94% of the variance of atmospheric CO2. The organic pump explains 63% (89 ppm), the solubility pump 24% (55 ppm), the carbonate pump 6% (28 ppm), and ocean circulation 0.3% (12 ppm) of the variance. Removing all pumps increases atmospheric CO2 from 278 to 525 ppm. Including interactions with all the pumps increases the effects of ocean circulation from 12 to 56 ppm. However, the ocean circulation states used are unlikely to span the full range of possible states. Changes in Pacific circulation have more effect on atmospheric CO2 than Atlantic circulation.
Chemical Composition and Antifungal and Antibiofilm Effects of Vitex pseudo-negundo Essential Oil against Pathogenic Fungal Strains

Background Vitex pseudo-negundo is a plant of the Lamiaceae family that grows in different parts of the world and the vicinity of seasonal rivers in Iran. Methods The chemical composition of the Vitex pseudo-negundo essential oils was distilled and evaluated using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The antifungal activity of the essential oils against the fungal strains was analyzed by broth microdilution methods as suggested by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Furthermore, the antibiofilm activity of the Vitex pseudo-negundo essential oils was assessed using the XTT reduction assay. Results Based on GC/MS analysis, the major components of the Vitex pseudo-negundo essential oils were α-pinene, α-terpinyl acetate, limonene, and (E)-caryophyllene. The growth of tested yeasts was inhibited at concentrations ranging from 2 to 64 μl/mL. Vitex pseudo-negundo fruit essential oil was the most effective in inhibiting yeast growth. Moreover, the essential oils exhibited antifungal activity against filamentous fungi strains. Additionally, the biofilm formation of Candida albicans was inhibited by the leaf, flower, and fruit of the essential oils. Conclusion Considering the significant antifungal activities of these essential oils, they can be considered a potential source for formulating novel agents to control fungal infections.
Artificial neural network approach to flood forecasting in the River Arno

Abstract The basin of the River Arno is a flood-prone area where flooding events have caused damage valued at more than 100 billion euro in the last 40 years. At present, the occurrence of an event similar to the 1966 flood of Firenze (Florence) would result in damage costing over 15.5 billion euro. Therefore, the use of flood forecasting and early warning systems is mandatory to reduce the economic losses and the risk for people. In this work, a flood forecasting model is presented that exploits the real-time information available for the basin (rainfall data, hydrometric data and information on dam operation) to predict the water-level evolution. The model is based on artificial neural networks, which were successfully used in previous works to predict floods in an unregulated basin and to predict water-level evolution in the Arno basin under low flow conditions. Accurate predictions are obtained using a two-year data set and a special treatment of input data; which allows a balance to be found between the spatial and temporal resolution of rainfall information and the model complexity. The prediction of water-level evolution remains accurate within a forecast time ahead of 6 h, which is the minimum time lag for the river to respond to dam releases under saturated conditions of the basin. The predicted flow rate percentage error ranges from 7 to 15% from the 1-h ahead to 6-h ahead predictions, and the accuracy of prediction increases for each time ahead of prediction, as the flow rate increases, suggesting that the model is particularly suited for flood forecasting purposes.
Executive function deficit in betel quid‐dependence: Evidence from functional and effective connectivity of executive control network

Betel quid (BQ) ranks fourth in global self‐administered psychoactive agents, after caffeine, alcohol and nicotine, with 600 million consumers. Patients with BQ dependence (BQD) disorder demonstrate deficits in executive function. However, the neural correlates of the resting‐state executive control network (ECN) and BQD‐related pathopsychological characteristics still remain unclear. The present study aimed to assess the functional and effective connectivity of the ECN using resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs‐fMRI). Fifty‐five BQD individuals and 54 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in this study. The executive function of all participants was tested by three tasks. Independent component and Granger causal analysis were employed to investigate the functional connectivity within ECN and ECN‐related directional effective connectivity, separately. Behavioural results suggested a marked deficit of executive function in BQD individuals. Compared with HCs, BQD individuals showed overall weaker functional connectivity in the ECN, mainly including dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and middle frontal gyrus (MFG). We observed decreased outflow of information from the right DLPFC and IPL to the precentral/pre‐supplement motor area (SMA) and increased outflow of information from the MFG to the middle occipital gyrus in BQD individuals. Correlation analysis revealed that the effective connectivity from IPL to precentral/pre‐SMA was negatively correlated to the BQD scales in BQD individuals. Our findings revealed impaired executive function, functional connectivity of the ECN and causal interaction between networks in patients with BQD. These results could potentially direct future targets for the prevention and intervention of BQD.
Changes in phenological events and long‐term seasonality in response to climate change and the ecological restoration in China's Loess Plateau

Phenology is highly responsive to environmental changes, particularly in ecologically vulnerable regions that have undergone significant anthropogenic management and rapid climate change. While previous research has mainly focused on interannual variations of specific phenological events such as the start (SOS), peak (POS), and end (EOS) of growing season, little attention has been given to abrupt shifts in long‐term phenological seasonality resulting from land management. In this study, we utilized full temporal details of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer‐derived normalized difference vegetation index to investigate how phenological metrics and seasonality have changed within the Loess Plateau. Our results indicated an earlier initial phase (SOS‐POS) and a prolonged POS‐EOS phenophase. Earlier spring onset was dominated by increasing water availability from the previous autumn, and earlier SOS led to an earlier POS but no significant carryover effect on EOS. In addition, spring onset of grassland was sensitive to precipitation while forest community was strongly influenced by temperature. We also reported significant changes in phenological seasonality across the plateau, and this shift in long‐term seasonality was mainly controlled by growing season precipitation. Moreover, land use/land cover change also played a role with increasing importance after the abrupt change in seasonality. In sum, our findings highlight the importance of water availability in shaping phenological patterns across this semiarid plateau and illuminate shifts in phenological seasonality that are indispensable to a comprehensive understanding of phenology dynamics.
At substorm onset, 40% of AL comes from underground

Magnetic variations observed at the Earth's surface are caused by external and internal sources. External variations arise from currents in the ionosphere and magnetosphere, and internal variations arise from currents induced in the solid Earth. In this paper we examine how large the internal contribution is to magnetic variations measured at the Earth's surface. We use IMAGE magnetometer measurements to analyze 77 substorms during 1997. For each event we evaluate the internal and external parts of a locally derived auroral electrojet index (IL index). The magnetic field separation is performed using the Siebert-Kertz equations. A superposed epoch analysis of all events clearly shows that the internal contribution peaks strongly at substorm onset, when the internal contribution is ∼ 40% of the total field. After the substorm peak intensity, the internal contribution decreases almost linearly to the quiet time value of 10-20%. The induction effects are largest during the times of rapid changes and at stations located over the Arctic Ocean.
Wave Modeling—Missing the Peaks

Abstract The paper analyzes the capability of the present wave models of properly reproducing the conditions during and at the peak of severe and extreme storms. After providing evidence that this is often not the case, the reasons for it are explored. First, the physics of waves considered in wave models is analyzed. Although much improved with respect to the past, the wind accuracy is still a relevant factor at the peak of the storms. Other factors such as wind variability and air density are considered. The classical theory of wave generation by J. W. Miles’s mechanism, with subsequent modifications, is deemed not sufficiently representative of extreme conditions. The presently used formulations for nonlinear energy transfer are found to lead to too wide distributions in frequency and direction, hence reducing the input by wind. Notwithstanding some recent improvements, the white-capping formulation still depends on parameters fitted to the bulk of the data. Hence, it is not obvious how they will perfo.
VHF radar measurements of the aspect sensitivity of the summer polar mesopause echoes over Andenes (69°N,16°E), Norway

The mobile SOUSY VHF (53.5 MHz) radar, located near Andenes on the island of Andoya in Northern Norway, has been used to measure the aspect sensitivity of the very strong radar returns obtained from near the summer polar mesopause. This so-called Polar Mesopause Summer Echo (PMSE) exhibits substantial aspect sensitivity, with angular polar diagrams of the backscatter of 2-10° half-width for a two day average. During one three hour period, in which the power received in the antenna vertical beam was particularly intense, the grating lobes of the antenna polar diagram were utilized as additional beams, and the power returned at angles of 35 and 38° off-zenith was obtained. These measurements provide an estimate of the ratio of the specular to the turbulent contributions to the backscatter.
Three‐dimensional crustal structure in the Southern Alps region of New Zealand from inversion of local earthquake and active source data

[1] P and S-P arrival time data from 311 earthquakes and several thousand offshore and onshore shots have been used in simultaneous inversion for hypocenters, three-dimensional (3-D) Vp and Vp/Vs models in the Southern Alps region, New Zealand. The combined data result in a highly nonuniform ray path distribution, and linked nodes are used in sparsely sampled areas. Gravity data are used to improve the model below 20-km depth, where it is poorly sampled by local earthquakes. The crustal Vp from 5 to 25 km depth is fairly uniform, generally ranging from 5.5 to 6.5 km/s, typical of graywacke and schist. Active fault zones tend to be correlated with low-velocity zones. Where the Alpine fault is primarily strike slip, it is characterized by a vertical low-velocity zone, to at least 15-km depth. Where the fault is dipping and has a large dip-slip component, it is characterized by a large region of low velocity above and southeast of the fault, to at least 14-km depth, consistent with fluids and fracture density from active deformation. A large high-velocity, high-resistivity feature in the eastern Southern Alps may represent Mesozoic schist of higher metamorphic grade than its surroundings, which is relatively rigid and serves to both reduce deformation in the overlying basin and concentrate deformation in the adjoining low-velocity region. The imaged crustal root is deepest 80-km south of Mt. Cook and is asymmetric with a sharper gradient on the northwestern side. The approximate Moho shows regional variation, with 5–10 km thicker crust in Otago than Canterbury.
Use of CALIPSO lidar observations to evaluate the cloudiness simulated by a climate model

New space‐borne active sensors make it possible to observe the three‐dimensional structure of clouds. Here we use CALIPSO lidar observations together with a lidar simulator to evaluate the cloudiness simulated by a climate model: modeled atmospheric profiles are converted to an ensemble of subgrid‐scale attenuated backscatter lidar signals from which a cloud fraction is derived. Except in regions of persistent thick upper‐level clouds, the cloud fraction diagnosed through this procedure is close to that actually predicted by the model. A fractional cloudiness is diagnosed consistently from CALIPSO data at a spatio‐temporal resolution comparable to that of the model. The comparison of the model's cloudiness with CALIPSO data reveals discrepancies more pronounced than in previous model evaluations based on passive observations. This suggests that space‐borne lidar observations constitute a powerful tool for the evaluation of clouds in large‐scale models, including marine boundary‐layer clouds
Ancestral Geographies of the Neolithic: Landscapes, Monuments and Memory

Setting and Scenes, Origins, Ancestral Geographies, Keeping to the Path, Working Stone, A Gift from the Ancestors, The Living and the Dead, Attending to the Dead, A Time and a Place for Enclosure, Drawing the Line, Arenas of Value, The Pattern of Things, Changes in the Land, Post Excavation, Bibliography.
Utilisation du rayonnement synchrotron en diffusion aux petits angles pour l'étude du gonflement des smectites: I. Etude du systeme eau-montmorillonite-Na en fonction de la temperature

Resume Nous proposons l'étude du mècanisme de gonflement d'une smectite, basée sur l'exploitation des diagrammes de diffusion aux petits angles obtenus avec la source de rayons X synchrotron de Lure (Orsay). Cette technique a permis d'étudier le gonflement, en fonction de la température, d'une montmorillonite Na, en suspension dans l'eau et concentrée à 20%. L'analyse des diagrammes est éffectuée par une méhode basée sur la comparaison des courbes expérimentales à des courbes théoriques. Les modèles de structure permettant le calcul des diagrammes théoriques fait appel à la notion de particule (définie comme un empilement de feuillets parallèles) et de structure interne de la particule (définie par un ensemble de translations di affectées des probabilités pi qui déterminent la position mutuelle des feuillets). Les résultats montrent qu'à basse température, les particules de très grande taille sont constituées par la superposition de sous empilements, comportant 4 à 5 feuillets, hydratés d'une manière homogène et se désorientant mutuellement pour former la structure du gel. On explique ainsi que la structure du gel formé est correlée avec celle du solide initial et que le phénomène de gonflement est quasi réversible.
Monetary Policy and Economic Growth of SAARC Countries

The debate on economic policies continues in both the local and global economies. All of the academics are interested in monetary and fiscal policy and how it affects the economy. The study attempts to explore whether there is any evidence that the SAARC countries' economic growth can be influenced by monetary policy. The study applies the Pedroni cointegration approach for panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) with the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) to study the relationship between monetary policy and economic growth of six SAARC nations over the period from 1983 to 2020. The recent study addresses the empirical gap within the context of the southeastern regions of the globe. Overall stylized facts show that monetary policy is causally linked and successful in the long run to accelerate economic growth. Money supply, one of the most crucial variables under study, contradicts the monetarist claim that monetary policy is too effective in the short term. The study also notes that currency devaluation is a serious concern for both short- and long-term growth while inflation is only a short-term one. In the SAARC countries, domestic credit to the private sector is better for short-term economic growth even though it has no long-term benefits. Thus, monetary authorities and the government of the SAARC nations should maintain an adequate level of money supply, adopt an export-led policy to appreciate currency, promote short-run domestic credit to the private sector, and stabilize the short-term price level to accelerate economic growth and development.