Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Drawing Versus Writing: The Role of Preference in Regulating Short-Term Affect

Abstract In a pilot study we investigated whether the most effective medium for regulating short-term affect depends on one's preference for drawing or writing, and also investigated the emotion regulation strategy (distraction versus expression) spontaneously chosen when drawing and writing. Eighty undergraduates indicated their preference for drawing or writing. After a sad mood induction, half were assigned to their preferred activity and half to their non-preferred activity. Positive and negative affect was assessed before and after the activity, and participants reported whether they used the activity to express or to distract themselves. Negative affect was significantly lower after drawing than after writing, even when the preferred activity indicated was writing. Participants were more likely to use drawing to distract and writing to express.
Effects of methacholine induced bronchoconstriction and procaterol induced bronchodilation on cough receptor sensitivity to inhaled capsaicin and tartaric acid.

BACKGROUND: The direct effect of bronchoconstriction on cough receptor sensitivity is unknown, and the antitussive effect of beta 2 adrenergic agonists in man has been controversial. This study was designed to throw light on these questions. METHODS: The threshold of the cough response to inhaled capsaicin, a stimulant acting on C fibre endings, and tartaric acid, a chemostimulant, was measured before and 10 minutes after inhalation of methacholine, which caused a nearly 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), in 14 normal subjects (study 1), and also before and 30 minutes after inhalation of procaterol (30 micrograms), placebo, and saline in eight normal subjects (study 2). Progressively increasing concentrations of capsaicin and tartaric acid solutions were inhaled for 15 seconds by mouth tidal breathing at one minute intervals and cough threshold was defined as the lowest concentration of capsaicin and tartaric acid that elicited five or more coughs. RESULTS: In study 1 the geometric mean values of the cough threshold of response to capsaicin and tartaric acid before methacholine callenge, 2.98 (GSE 1.30) micrograms/ml and 46.6 (1.22) mg/ml, were not significantly different from those of the response to methacholine inhalation, 3.45 (1.33) micrograms/ml and 32.9 (1.37) mg/ml. In study 2 the geometric mean value of the cough threshold of response to capsaicin before inhalation of procaterol (4.61 (GSE 1.84) micrograms/ml) was not different from that after inhalation of procaterol (4.61 (GSE 1.84) micrograms/ml), which had significant bronchodilator effects. The cough threshold was not altered by placebo or saline. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that muscarinic receptor stimulation, bronchoconstriction, beta 2 receptor stimulation, or bronchodilation might have no direct effect on the sensitivity of the cough receptors in normal subjects.
Evaluating Asset-Market Effects of Unconventional Monetary Policy: A Cross-Country Comparison

This paper examines the effects of unconventional monetary policy by the Federal Reserve, Bank of England, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan on bond yields, stock prices and exchange rates. We use common methodologies for the four central banks, with daily and intradaily asset price data. We emphasize the use of intradaily data to identify the causal effect of monetary policy surprises. We find that these policies are effective in easing financial conditions when policy rates are stuck at the zero lower bound, apparently largely by reducing term premia.
Influencia del cambio climático en el desarrollo de plagas y enfermedades de cultivos en Sonora* Climate change influence on the development of pests and diseases of crops in Sonora

Warming of the climate system is clear, as shown by the increase in global average temperature of both air and ocean. Particularly, the crops may be favoured by increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide; that help to optimize the photosynthetic process. However, an increase in temperature could also create proper conditions for the development of various pests and diseases. This could affect between 12 and 13% yield in the eight major crops for food and industry, which occupy more than half of the cultivated area in the world. In this study we characterized and quantified the impact of climate change on the favourable conditions
A projection based Variational Multiscale Method for Atmosphere-Ocean Interaction

The proposed method aims to approximate a solution of a fluid-fluid interaction problem in case of low viscosities. The nonlinear interface condition on the joint boundary allows for this problem to be viewed as a simplified version of the atmosphere-ocean coupling. Thus, the proposed method should be viewed as potentially applicable to air-sea coupled flows in turbulent regime. The method consists of two key ingredients. The geometric averaging approach is used for efficient and stable decoupling of the problem, which would allow for the usage of preexisting codes for the air and sea domain separately, as “black boxes”. This is combined with the variational multiscale stabilization technique for treating flows at high Reynolds numbers. We prove the stability and accuracy of the method, and provide several numerical tests to assess both the quantitative and qualitative features of the computed solution.
Can Land-use Policy Really Affect Travel Behaviour? A Study of the Link between Non-work Travel and Land-use Characteristics

Planners are increasingly viewing land-use policy as a way to manage transport demand. Yet the evidence on the link between land use and travel behaviour is inconclusive. This paper uses travel diary data for southern California residents to examine the link between land-use patterns at the neighbourhood level and non-work trip generation for a sample of 769 individuals. The number of non-work automobile trips that an individual makes in a two-day period is modelled as a function of socio-demographic variables and land-use characteristics near the person's place of residence. The land-use variables are statistically insignificant in all but one of the specifications. The results suggest that choices about how to measure the variables and how to specify the regressions can influence the conclusions from these studies in potentially important ways. This underscores the need for continued careful attention to these research issues.
Use Policy Really Affect Travel Behavior? A Study of the Link Between Non-Work Travel and Land Use Characteristics

eScholarship provides open access, scholarly publishing services to the University of California and delivers a dynamic research platform to scholars worldwide. Abstract: Planners are increasingly viewing land use policies as a way to manage transportation demand. Yet the evidence on the link between land use and travel behavior is inconclusive. This paper uses travel diary data for Southern California residents to examine the demand for non-work travel. Both non-work automobile trips and non-work miles travelled by car are modelled as a function of individual sociodemographic variables and land use characteristics near the person's place of residence. The land use variables are rarely statistically significant, and diagnostic tests suggest that land use (and thus residential location choice) is endogenous to non-work travel. The implications are twofold. The link between land use and non-work travel is weak at best, at least for the sample studied here, and future research should treat residential location and thus nearby land use characteristics as endogenous in models of travel behavior. Abstract Planners are increasingly viewing land use policies as a way to manage transportation demand. Yet the evidence on the link between land use and travel behavior is inconclusive. This paper uses travel diary data for Southern California residents to examine the demand for non-work travel. Both non-work automobile trips and non-work miles travelled by car are modelled as a function of individual sociodemographic variables and land use characteristics near the person’s place of residence. The land use variables are rarely statistically significant, and diagnostic tests suggest that land use (and thus residential location choice) is endogenous to non-work travel. The implications are twofold. The link between land use and non-work travel is weak at best, at least for the sample studied here, and future research should treat residential location and thus nearby land use characteristics as endogenous in models of travel behavior.
Antidiabetic therapy in real practice: indicators for adherence and treatment cost

Background Type 2 diabetes has become a disease with a high economic and social impact. The ARNO Observatory is a clinical data warehouse consisting of a network of local health care units (ASL) scattered throughout the Italian territory which collects data on health care consumption for about 10.5 million people. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of antidiabetic drugs with particular reference to type of treatment. The analyses were carried out on a sample of 169,375 patients treated with oral blood glucose-lowering drugs in 2008 from a total population of 4,040,624 health care beneficiaries at 12 local health care units in the ARNO Observatory. Methods Patients were considered “on treatment with oral blood glucose-lowering drugs” if they had received at least one prescription of an antidiabetic drug (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical code A10B) during 2008. The patients were divided into three treatment groups, ie, monotherapy, fixed-combination drugs, and dual therapy. The following indicators were assessed: number of patients treated with an oral antidiabetic drug, mean number of hospitalizations, mean number of specialist examinations, and mean expenditure per treated patient. Adherence was assessed using the medication possession ratio indicator (MPR). Results Patients treated with oral blood glucose-lowering drugs comprised 4.2% of the investigated population, and had an average age of 68.9 years. The mean annual number of hospitalizations was lower in the dual therapy group (298 versus 328 per 1000 patients in the sample), while the average number of specialist examinations was lower in the fixed-combination group (30.1 versus 35.1). Patients on monotherapy showed a better percentage of adherence for glimepiride (70.5%) and pioglitazone (70.4%), whereas the best adherence in the fixed-combination therapy group was recorded for metformin + pioglitazone (75.5%). The average annual cost per diabetic patient was €2388, with differences between the monotherapy (€2321), fixed-combination (€2270), and dual therapy (€2465) groups. Fixed combination therapy involved a lower mean expenditure for insulin, other drugs, and specialist and diagnostic care. Thiazolidinediones (such as pioglitazone) showed the lowest average annual cost per patient among the monotherapies, with a marked decrease in costs for hospitalization, specialist care, and diagnostics. Conclusion The results of our study should be extended to other regional/national reference local health care units in order to define and compare average standard costs per pathology throughout the wide sample considered in this research work. Appropriate drug prescribing is of critical importance in order to achieve therapeutic objectives and to optimize the use of resources in modern health care systems.
Prey Utilization and Energy Demand of a Breeding Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Population

PAGE Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) were extirpated from much of their North American breeding range by the mid 1960’s, due largely to pesticide poisoning. An intensive recovery effort has restored much of the population to preextirpation numbers, although their geographic distribution is now altered from that of the historic population. In the mid-Atlantic, peregrines breed entirely on manmade structures in the coastal plain rather than on naturally-occurring cliff faces in the mountains. This has created conservation conflicts between peregrines and their avian prey. This study was designed to quantify prey usage in Peregrine Falcons, and to estimate their direct impact on prey species of conservation concern. During the 2004 and 2005 breeding seasons prey remains were collected from nest sites on the Virginia portion of the Delmarva peninsula and identified, and this information was combined with images obtained from cameras placed at nests. Prey quantification results showed that this peregrine population is largely dependent on breeding and migrating waterbirds that utilize the area during the Peregrine Falcon breeding season. While no species that are Threatened or Endangered were found to be used as prey, several species of conservation concern were found. Of those, four played a major role in the peregrine diet: Willets (Tringa semipalmatus), Short-billed Dowitchers (Limnodromus griseus), Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres), and Forster’s Terns (Sterna forsteri). Using estimates of Field Metabolic Rate based on mass for each bird in the population, energy demand for the total population in 2004 and in 2005 was calculated. These estimates were then used to calculate energy demand for each breeding year since the population recovered. Energy demand estimates were then combined with prey population census data and prey utilization data to estimate the direct impact of breeding peregrines in the coastal plain on species of conservation concern. Ruddy Turnstones are estimated to lose 3.4% of the population (N=1140) to predation from breeding peregrines each year, while Short-billed Dowitchers lose 2.4% (N=2640). Forster’s Terns breeding in the vicinity of this peregrine population are estimated to lose 5% (N=247) of the population to predation.
Rethinking the Sacred and Secular Divide. Accounting and Accountability Practices in the Diocese of Ferrara (1431-1457)

: Purpose – Informed by the work of Laughlin and Booth, the paper analyses the role of accounting and accountability practices within the 15 th century Roman Catholic Church, more specifically within the Diocese of Ferrara (northern Italy), in order to determine the presence of a sacred-secular dichotomy. Pope Eugenius IV had embarked upon a comprehensive reform of the Church to counter the spreading moral corruption within the clergy and the subsequent disaffection with the Church by many believers. The reforms were notable not only for the Pope’s determination to restore the moral authority and power of the Church but for the essential contributions of ‘profane’ financial and accounting practices to the success of the reforms. Design/methodology/approach – Original 15 th century Latin documents and account books of the Diocese of Ferrara are used to highlight the link between the new sacred values imposed by Pope Eugenius IV’s reforms and accounting and accountability practices. Findings – The documents reveal that secular accounting and accountability practices were not regarded as necessarily antithetical to religious values, as would be expected by Laughlin and Booth. Instead, they were seen to assume a role which was complementary to the Church’s religious mission. Indeed, they were essential to its sacred mission during a period in which the Pope sought to arrest the moral decay of the clergy and reinstate the Church’s authority. Research implications/limitations – The paper shows that the sacred-secular dichotomy cannot be considered as a priori valid in space and time. There is also scope for examining other Italian dioceses where there was little evidence of Pope Eugenius’ reforms. Originality/value – The paper presents a critique of the sacred-secular divide paradigm by considering an under-researched period and a non Anglo-Saxon context.
Rethinking the Sacred and Secular Divide. Accounting and Accountability Practices in the Diocese of Ferrara (1431-1457)

Purpose – Informed by the work of Laughlin and Booth, the paper analyses the role of accounting and accountability practices within the 15th century Roman Catholic Church, more specifically within the Diocese of Ferrara (northern Italy), in order to determine the presence of a sacred-secular dichotomy. Pope Eugenius IV had embarked upon a comprehensive reform of the Church to counter the spreading moral corruption within the clergy and the subsequent disaffection with the Church by many believers. The reforms were notable not only for the Pope’s determination to restore the moral authority and power of the Church but for the essential contributions of ‘profane’ financial and accounting practices to the success of the reforms. Design/methodology/approach – Original 15th century Latin documents and account books of the Diocese of Ferrara are used to highlight the link between the new sacred values imposed by Pope Eugenius IV’s reforms and accounting and accountability practices. Findings – The documents reveal that secular accounting and accountability practices were not regarded as necessarily antithetical to religious values, as would be expected by Laughlin and Booth. Instead, they were seen to assume a role which was complementary to the Church’s religious mission. Indeed, they were essential to its sacred mission during a period in which the Pope sought to arrest the moral decay of the clergy and reinstate the Church’s authority. Research implications/limitations – The paper shows that the sacred-secular dichotomy cannot be considered as a priori valid in space and time. There is also scope for examining other Italian dioceses where there was little evidence of Pope Eugenius’ reforms. Originality/value – The paper presents a critique of the sacred-secular divide paradigm by considering an under-researched period and a non Anglo-Saxon context.
Experimental study on dynamic flexural-tensile mechanical behavior of three-graded concrete in Xiaowan Arch Dam

The experimental study on dynamic flexural-tensile mechanical behavior of the three-graded concrete in the arch dam of Xiaowan Hydro Project by using third-point loading method for simply supported beam was carried out.Twenty one specimens with dimensions 300mm×300mm×(1 100)mm were adopted.In the static loading tests,the loading rate was 250N/s.In the dynamic loading tests,different initial static load and different dynamic load patterns,including the impact wave and triangular wave with variable amplitude,were considered.The results show that the initial static load significantly affects the ultimate dynamic fiexural-tensile strength of concrete.A proper magnitude of initial static loading is benefit to the dynamic strength.Comparing with the static loading tests,the ultimate dynamic fiexural-tensile strength increases,but the strain decreases,and the Young's modulus increases only a little,if the concrete is subjected to impact loading.Cyclic loading has disadvantageous effect of low cycle fatigue.
Arctic lead detection using a waveform mixture algorithm from CryoSat-2 data

Abstract. We propose a waveform mixture algorithm to detect leads from CryoSat-2 data, which is novel and different from the existing threshold-based lead detection methods. The waveform mixture algorithm adopts the concept of spectral mixture analysis, which is widely used in the field of hyperspectral image analysis. This lead detection method was evaluated with high-resolution (250 m) MODIS images and showed comparable and promising performance in detecting leads when compared to the previous methods. The robustness of the proposed approach also lies in the fact that it does not require the rescaling of parameters (i.e., stack standard deviation, stack skewness, stack kurtosis, pulse peakiness, and backscatter σ0), as it directly uses L1B waveform data, unlike the existing threshold-based methods. Monthly lead fraction maps were produced by the waveform mixture algorithm, which shows interannual variability of recent sea ice cover during 2011–2016, excluding the summer season (i.e., June to September). We also compared the lead fraction maps to other lead fraction maps generated from previously published data sets, resulting in similar spatiotemporal patterns.
Complex Geometry of Conifolds and 5-brane Wrapped on 2-sphere

We investigate solutions of type II supergravity which have the product R 1,3 × M 6 structure with non-compact M 6 factor and which preserve at least four su-persymmetries. In particular, we consider various conifolds and the N = 1 super-symmetric " NS5-brane wrapped on 2-sphere " solution recently discussed in hep-th/0008001. In all of these cases, we explicitly construct the complex structures, and the Kähler and parallel (3,0) forms of the corresponding M 6. In addition, we verify that the above solutions preserve respectively eight and four supersymme-tries of the underlying type II theory. We also demonstrate that the ordinary and fractional D3-brane (5-brane wrapped on 2-cycle) solutions on singular, resolved and deformed conifolds, and the (S-dual of) NS5-brane wrapped on 2-sphere can be obtained as special cases from a universal ansatz for the supergravity fields, i.e. from a single 1-d action governing their radial evolution. We show that like the 3-branes on conifolds, the NS5-brane on 2-sphere background can be found as a solution of first order system following from a superpotential.
Chemical characterization of the main products formed through aqueous-phase photonitration of guaiacol

Abstract. Guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol) and its derivatives can be emitted into the atmosphere by thermal degradation (i.e., burning) of wood lignins. Due to its volatility, guaiacol is predominantly distributed atmospherically in the gaseous phase. Recent studies have shown the importance of aqueous-phase reactions in addition to the dominant gas-phase and heterogeneous reactions of guaiacol, in the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in the atmosphere. The main objectives of the present study were to chemically characterize the main products of the aqueous-phase photonitration of guaiacol and examine their possible presence in urban atmospheric aerosols. The aqueous-phase reactions were carried out under simulated sunlight and in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and nitrite. The formed guaiacol reaction products were concentrated by solid-phase extraction and then purified with semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The fractionated individual compounds were isolated as pure solids and further analyzed with liquid-state proton, carbon-13 and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and direct infusion negative ion electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry ((−)ESI-MS/MS). The NMR and product ion (MS2) spectra were used for unambiguous product structure elucidation. The main products of guaiacol photonitration are 4-nitroguaiacol (4NG), 6-nitroguaiacol (6NG), and 4,6-dinitroguaiacol (4,6DNG). Using the isolated compounds as standards, 4NG and 4,6DNG were unambiguously identified in winter PM10 aerosols from the city of Ljubljana (Slovenia) by means of HPLC/(−)ESI-MS/MS. Owing to the strong absorption of ultraviolet and visible light, 4,6DNG could be an important constituent of atmospheric "brown" carbon, especially in regions affected by biomass burning.