Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study on the Periodicities of Droughts in Korea

Based on the number of available observatories where daily precipitation was recorded, three analysis periods covering the past 32 years (57 stations), 92 years (5 stations), and 228 years (Seoul) were used. The periodicity of drought in each period was also investigated. In addition, records of ritual praying for rain covering 536 years of the Chosun dynasty were investigated. In addition to using wavelet analysis and spectrum analysis, we focused on defining the drought years and drought periodicities by employing the effective drought index (EDI) and examining the occurrence intervals of very low EDI values. Moreover, we examined the records of drought damage and years of deficient precipitation. By considering date over the whole of Korea, five types of periodicities were found. The 1 st was that random droughts occurred abruptly in random years. The 2 nd was approximately 6 years, with many exceptions; droughts with this interval occurred not over the entire country but only in a part of it. The 3 rd was 12 years, again with many exceptions; droughts with this interval were caused by the disappearance of Changma. The 4 th was 38 years with 16 cases; droughts with this interval frequently lasted for more than two years. The 5 th was 124 years and it occurred twice with the EDI series, lasting for 13 and 29 years, respectively, with 4 more cases detected in history. It is important to note that droughts having the 4 th and 5 th intervals have no exceptions, and thus they can be used as predictors. Using these periodicities, it can be predicted that droughts with the 4 th and 5 th intervals will occur in early 2010 years, and these will be very dangerous.
Transgenesis and its Applications in Aquaculture

The main transgenesis techniques which are successful in introducing exogenous genes into fish are microinjection and electroporation. Genes are introduced into one-celled embryos as well as oocytes. Microinjection is the more established method but it depends on individual treatment of the egg. Electroporation, on the other hand, is a mass method only recently shown to be effective. Other transfer techniques, such as those using sperms, liposomes, microprojectiles, embryonic stem cells and retroviruses as the vehicle, have also been reported to produce transgenic fish. Most transgenic experiments are at present conducted on finfish, and hardly any on other aquatic organisms like invertebrates except for sea urchins and, more recently, abalones. The genes with potential transgenic applications in aquaculture which have been shown to be effective in fish are the growth hormone and the anti-freeze genes. The potentials of manipulating reproduction, sex, coloration, disease resistance and other phenotypes are discussed. Studies on eco­logical, social and ethical issues of transgenic research and applications to animals in general and to fish in particular, are also reviewed.
20% Autologous serum vs. 0.05% cyclosporine and preservative-free artificial tears in the treatment of Sjögren related dry eye.

PURPOSE To compare the 3-month results of treatment with 20% autologous serum or combination treatment with preservative-free artificial tears and 0.05% cyclosporine in patients with dry eye disease due to primary Sjögren's syndrome. METHODS A total of 130 eyes of 65 patients with newly diagnosed dry eye disease due to primary Sjögren's syndrome were included in the study. The patients were divided into two treatment groups: 66 eyes of 33 patients were assigned to the autologous serum treatment group, and 64 eyes of 32 patients were assigned to the combination treatment group. Schirmer test, tear break-up time and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores were recorded at pretreatment and at 3 months of treatment. RESULTS At 3 months of treatment, the mean Schirmer value and the mean tear break-up time were significantly higher in the combination treatment group (p<0.0001 and p=0.034, respectively). The OSDI score at 3 months was significantly lower in the autologous serum Group (p=0.004). When the two groups were evaluated separately, the improvements in Schirmer, tear break-up time test, and OSDI scores from before to after treatment were statistically significant: p<0.0001, p<0.001, and p<0.0001, respectively, for the authologus serum Group, and p<0.0001, p<0.001, and p<0.0001, respectively, for the combination treatment group. CONCLUSIONS In short-term treatment of dry eye disease due to primary Sjögren's syndrome, treatment with autologous serum was significantly superior to -combination treatment with preservative-free artificial tears and 0.05% cyclosporine in terms of improvement in OSDI scores. Improvements in Schirmer test and tear break-up time scores were significantly superior in the group treated with preservative-free artificial tears and 0.05% cyclosporine.
Capital budget decision-making in logistics

Background: Capital budgeting decisions in the logistics industry often combine three distinct characteristics. Firstly, they relate to capital assets – such as vehicles or equipment – being periodically replaced with different useful lives and efficiency features, and secondly, their performance is subject to particular operating and market risks. Lastly, externalities, such as regulatory interventions and technological evolution, also contribute to innovation – and thus also uncertainty – becoming a significant factor in logistics. Accordingly, this paper develops a valuation model which takes these characteristics into account and facilitates a robust decision-making process. Methods: In order to properly capture the specifics of the problem, the proposed model is based on an application of the Life Cycle Cost budgeting method benchmarked to an appropriate functional unit, combined with the Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analyses of relevant risk factors. Results: A realistic case study was developed, providing the necessary input parameters for the method's application. It was thus demonstrated that it provides useful and coherent resources for the decision-making process, including the tools needed to test various assumptions and determine project risks. Conclusions: The presented model and its solution provide results which are superior compared to conventional capital budgeting methods in terms of properly capturing the essential value-determining factors for a common type of problem encountered in logistics. They are also adequately comprehensive to be applied by practitioners in a real-life managerial setting. A part of this study was presented as oral presentation at the „8th International Logistics Scientific Conference WSL FORUM 2019” in Poznan (Poland), 18th-19th of November 2019.
On strongly increasing entire solutions of even order semilinear elliptic equations

On etudie les solutions entieres d'equations elliptiques semi lineaires d'ordre pair de la forme: Δ m u=f(|x|,u,Δu,.,Δ m−1 u), x∈R n , ou m≥1, n≥2. On etablit l'existence d'une nouvelle classe de solutions entieres
Development of STEM-Based LKPD with Guided Inquiry Design to Improve Student’s Science Process Skills

This study aims to develop a STEM-based Student Worksheet (LKPD) through Guided Inquiry to Improve Students' Science Process Skills. This research and development method refers to the Borg & Gall model up to the 8th stage, namely a trial use that has been adapted to research needs, namely developing LKPD and seeing an increase in students’ science process skills after using LKPD in learning activities, with research subjects in class XI IPA 5 and XI. IPA 3, each totaling 24 students. The results obtained are: 1) the validation of the LKPD that has been developed is "very valid" with the percentage of material experts at 82.36% and the percentage of media experts being 82.44%; 2) the feasibility of the developed LKPD is very feasible with a percentage of 95.43%; 3) The LKPD developed is declared practical because the response questionnaires from students are categorized as practical 4) the results of students' responses to the use of "very good" trials with a percentage of 87.33%; 5) The effectiveness of LKPD is seen from the achievement of students' science process skills with an N-Gain value of 0.78 or with a percentage of 78% overall very good and increasing in every meeting. It was concluded that the development of STEM-based LKPD through Guided Inquiry was valid and feasible and could be used in the Physics learning process to improve Students' Science Process Skills on Thermodynamic Materials.
Tiered State Expansion in Optimization Crosswords

Crosswords puzzles continue to be a popular form of entertainment. In Artificial Intelligence (AI), crosswords can be represented as a constraint problem, and attacked with a combinatorial search algorithm. In combinatorial search, the branching factor can play a crucial role on the search space size and thus on the search effort. We introduce tiered state expansion, a completeness-preserving technique to reduce the branching factor. In problems where the successors of a state correspond to the values in the domain of a state variable selected for instantiation, the domain is partitioned into two subsets called tiers. The instantiation of the two tiers is performed at different times, with tier 1 first and tier 2 in a subsequent state. Before a tier-2 instantiation occurs, its set of applicable values can shrink substantially due to constraint propagation, with a corresponding reduction of the branching factor. We apply tiered state expansion to a constraint optimization problem modeled on the Romanian Crosswords Competition, empirically demonstrating a substantial improvement. Tiered state expansion allows finding a full solution, with an average CPU time of up to 1.2 minutes, to many puzzles that would otherwise time out after 4 hours.
Prognostic factors for low‐risk drinking and relapse in alcohol use disorder: A multimodal analysis

This study aims to specify the determinants of low‐risk alcohol drinking and relapse at different time points after detoxification in patients with severe alcohol use disorder (AUD). Fifty‐four patients with AUD and 36 healthy controls (HC) were evaluated early in abstinence (T1). They underwent clinical, neuropsychological and neuroimaging (structural MRI and 18FDG‐PET) investigations. Patients with AUD were subsequently classified as “low‐risk drinkers” (LR) or “relapsers” (R) based on their alcohol drinking at 6 months (T2) and 1 year (T3) after discharge, using their medical record or self‐reported drinking estimation at follow‐up. Based on the alcohol status at T2 and compared with HC, only R had alexithymia, lower grey matter volume in the midbrain and hypermetabolism in the cerebellum and hippocampi. Based on the alcohol status at T3 and compared with HC, only R had more severe nicotinic dependence, lower episodic and working memory performance, lower grey matter volume in the amygdala, ventromedial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate gyrus and hypermetabolism in cerebellum, hippocampi and anterior cingulate gyrus. Moreover, R had bilateral frontal hypometabolism, whereas LR only presented right frontal hypometabolism. Nicotine dependence, memory impairments and structural brain abnormalities in regions involved in impulsivity and decision‐making might contribute to a 1‐year relapse. Treatment outcome at 1 year may also be associated with an imbalance between a hypermetabolism of the limbic system and a hypometabolism of the frontal executive system. Finally, cerebellar hypermetabolism and alexithymia may be determinants of relapse at both 6 months and 1 year.
LARGE EDDY SIMULATION OF CORNER STALL CONTROL IN A LINEAR COMPRESSOR CASCADE BY BLENDED BLADE AND ENDWALL TECHNIQUE

Under the influence of a strong adverse pressure gradient, secondary flow, and other factors, compressor cascades are prone to corner separation, and even leading to corner stall, which seriously affects aerodynamic performance. In this paper, large eddy simulation is used to investigate the effects and mechanisms of corner stall controlled by the blended blade and endwall technique. The suction side root of a modified NACA65 blade is designed by this technique. The results show that the corner stall topology is changed, in which a single large separation vortex on the endwall is weakened and broken into two small separation vortices, and the spanwise and pitchwise ranges of corner separation are reduced. Most importantly, the total pressure loss coefficient is reduced compared with the prototype cascade. All above prove that the blened blade and endwall technique can control corner stall in the compressor cascade to a certain extent. The underlying physical mechanisms are as follows: by increasing the dihedral angle, the intersection of the boundary layers and the development of the corner vortex are obviously suppressed. Moreover, the axial and spanwise forces generated by the technique can increase the kinetic energy of the surrounding fluid and transport the low-energy fluid upward to reduce accumulation on the endwall respectively.
Change agents: The impact of a student partnership on the educational practice of a diverse higher education engineering faculty

This article describes the implementation of a new student partnership across a large and diverse STEM faculty and the impact this four-year partnership had on enhancing students’ experience. This innovative partnership recruited and employed students, termed student experience champions (SEC), to inform and develop inclusive educational initiatives in response to their educational experiences. This partnership enabled the faculty to develop a dynamic and agile working relationship with their students, creating an environment where students informed the strategic direction of the student experience and leading faculty and departmental educational projects that resulted in institutional changes. The breadth of the SEC projects enabled the benefits of student partnerships to be appreciated across the faculty, leading to a culture change where SEC are now viewed as partners in programme enhancement.
The effect of financial consumer protection on banks’ competitiveness and profitability

This study examines the effect of Financial Consumer Protection (FCP) on banks’ competitiveness and profitability, using data from Jordanian banks for the period 2013–2020. The study constructs a FCP index related to customer complaints statistics, communication channels, dispute resolution, and protection of the rights of special needs people. Fixed-effect model is used as an estimator based on balanced panel data. The study finds evidence that stricter and complying with FCP requirements tend to decrease banks’ profitability in Jordan. The main result is confirmed by different robustness tests (dynamic panel estimation by applying the generalized method of moments (GMM) and random-effect). Overall, this study contributes to the existing banking literature and provides a better understanding and balancing between customers of financial products’ interests and financial institutions’ rights and obligations. Finally, this study has essential implications for customers of financial products, policymakers, and researchers. Thus, future studies in this area are recommended
Bayesian parameter estimation in effective field theories

We present procedures based on Bayesian statistics for estimating, from data, the parameters of effective field theories (EFTs). The extraction of low-energy constants (LECs) is guided by theoretical expectations in a quantifiable way through the specification of Bayesian priors. A prior for natural-sized LECs reduces the possibility of overfitting, and leads to a consistent accounting of different sources of uncertainty. A set of diagnostic tools are developed that analyze the fit and ensure that the priors do not bias the EFT parameter estimation. The procedures are illustrated using representative model problems, including the extraction of LECs for the nucleon mass expansion in SU(2) chiral perturbation theory from synthetic lattice data.
An Investigation of the Impact of Financial Inclusion on Economic Growth: Evidence from African Countries

Financial inclusion has been recognized as a development policy priority and a key to economic growth in developing economies. Essentially, most Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries have witnessed unstable economic growth over the last three decades. Financial inclusiveness is fundamental to sustainable growth for any economy. This study investigates the effects of financial inclusion on 41 Sub-Saharan African countries from 2004–2019, employing the generalized method of moments (GMM) method and a Granger causality analysis. The results show a positive relationship between financial inclusion and economic growth. The non-causality tests revealed bi-directional causality between the variables for the whole region and low-income and lower-middle-income countries. Furthermore, a unidirectional causality runs from financial inclusion to economic growth in upper-middle-income countries. The study concluded that financial inclusion positively affects the economic growth of SSA and recommends that policies and interventions be redefined in the financial system to achieve steady economic growth and sustainability.
The Role of Irrigation Expansion on Historical Climate Change: Insights From CMIP6

To produce food for a growing world population, irrigated areas have increased from approximately 0.63 million km2 of land in 1900 to 3.1 million km2 of land in 2005. Despite this massive expansion, irrigation is still overlooked in most state‐of‐the‐art Earth system models (ESMs) involved in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6). To our knowledge, only three CMIP6 models represent irrigation activities: CESM2, GISS‐E2‐1‐G, and NorESM2‐LM. Here, we investigate the role of irrigation on historical climate at global and regional scales by analyzing trends of key surface climate variables in CMIP6 simulations during 1900–2014. The three models including irrigation show distinct behavior from the 15 models without irrigation over intensively irrigated areas (i.e., >50% of grid cell area is equipped by irrigation): both annual (months that correspond to monthly air temperature higher than 274 K) mean latent heat flux (LHF) and soil moisture increase over time, in contrast to the models without irrigation that show no trend or even a negative trend. The positive LHF trend over intensively irrigated areas in the irrigation‐on models is consistent with three satellite‐based LHF products. While annual (considering the warmest month in a year) warming trends are found in these regions for most of the no‐irrigation models, the increase in LHF induces a cooling trend for the models with irrigation, which was not confirmed by observational air temperature data sets. These findings, supported by satellite data, indicate the importance of improved representation of land management in the next generation of ESM.
Spin oscillations of the normal polarized Fermi gas at unitarity

Using density-functional theory in a time-dependent approach, we determine the frequencies of the compressional modes of the normal phase of a Fermi gas at unitarity as a function of its polarization. Our energy functional accounts for the typical elastic deformations exhibited by Landau theory of Fermi liquids. The comparison with the available experiments is biased by important collisional effects affecting both the in-phase and the out-of-phase oscillations even at the lowest temperatures. New experiments in the collisionless regime would provide a crucial test of the applicability of Landau theory to the dynamics of these strongly interacting normal Fermi gases.
Statistical Treatment Rules for Heterogeneous Populations: with Application to Randomized Experiments

This paper uses Wald's concept of the risk of a statistical decision function to address the question: How should sample data on treatment response be used to guide treatment choices in a heterogeneous population? Statistical treatment rules (STRs) are statistical decision functions that map observed covariates of population members and sample data on treatment response into treatment choices. I propose evaluation of STRs by their expected welfare (negative risk in Wald's terms), and I apply this criterion to compare two STRs when the sample data are generated by a classical randomized experiment. The rules compared both embody the reasonable idea that persons should be assigned the treatment with the best empirical success rate, but they differ in their use of covariate information. The conditional success (CS) rule selects treatments with the best empirical success rates conditional on specified covariates and the unconditional success (US) rule selects a treatment with the best unconditional empirical success rate. The main finding is a proposition giving finite-sample bounds on expected welfare under the two rules. The bounds, which rest on a large-deviations theorem of Hoeffding, yield explicit sample-size and distributional conditions under which the CS Rule is superior to the US rule.
Marginalisation and mixed feelings: supporting students of Gypsy, Roma and traveller heritage imagining higher education in the UK

Gypsy, Roma and Travellers (GRT) are a highly marginalised UK higher education minority with patchy targeted policy interventions. Drawing on qualitative interview data with education professionals working with GRT and with GRT young people, families and activists, the article compares attitudes, expectations, and desires around higher education. Firstly, the way in which university outreach can essentialise GRT people and the need to nuance these regulatory and normative practices is discussed. Tensions for GRT people imagining higher education and navigating complex identity transitions of ethnic invisibility are next explored alongside worries around ‘coming out’. Finally, the article identifies the ‘cruel optimism’ in desiring education as a form of social mobility, particularly when institutions are not inclusive of GRT. From this, an urgent need is identified for contextually-sensitive GRT outreach for the academy’s promises to be meaningfully inclusive.
Effect of Arrival Time Correction on the Accuracy of Binaural Impulse Response Interpolation--Interpolation Methods of Binaural Response

The effect of correcting the arrival times when interpolating binaural impulse responses for a moving sound image was investigated for a linear interpolation method, a discrete Fourier transform method, and a spline method. Interpolation is required because the number of responses needed to localize a moving sound image is too great for them to be measured individually. Evaluation using the signal-to-deviation ratio showed that arrival time correction improved the interpolation accuracy with all three methods, except for responses at a few azimuths.