Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The behavior of high-CAPE (convective available potential energy) summer convection in large-domain large-eddy simulations with ICON

Abstract. Current state-of-the-art regional numerical weather prediction (NWP) models employ kilometer-scale horizontal grid resolutions, thereby simulating convection within the grey zone. Increasing resolution leads to resolving the 3D motion field and has been shown to improve the representation of clouds and precipitation. Using a hectometer-scale model in forecasting mode on a large domain therefore offers a chance to study processes that require the simulation of the 3D motion field at small horizontal scales, such as deep summertime moist convection, a notorious problem in NWP. We use the ICOsahedral Nonhydrostatic weather and climate model in large-eddy simulation mode (ICON-LEM) to simulate deep moist convection and distinguish between scattered, large-scale dynamically forced, and frontal convection. We use different ground- and satellite-based observational data sets, which supply information on ice water content and path, ice cloud cover, and cloud-top height on a similar scale as the simulations, in order to evaluate and constrain our model simulations. We find that the timing and geometric extent of the convectively generated cloud shield agree well with observations, while the lifetime of the convective anvil was, at least in one case, significantly overestimated. Given the large uncertainties of individual ice water path observations, we use a suite of observations in order to better constrain the simulations. ICON-LEM simulates a cloud ice water path that lies between the different observational data sets, but simulations appear to be biased towards a large frozen water path (all frozen hydrometeors). Modifications of parameters within the microphysical scheme have little effect on the bias in the frozen water path and the longevity of the anvil. In particular, one of our convective days appeared to be very sensitive to the initial and boundary conditions, which had a large impact on the convective triggering but little impact on the high frozen water path and long anvil lifetime bias. Based on this limited set of sensitivity experiments, the evolution of locally forced convection appears to depend more on the uncertainty of the large-scale dynamical state based on data assimilation than of microphysical parameters. Overall, we judge ICON-LEM simulations of deep moist convection to be very close to observations regarding the timing, geometrical structure, and cloud ice water path of the convective anvil, but other frozen hydrometeors, in particular graupel, are likely overestimated. Therefore, ICON-LEM supplies important information for weather forecasting and forms a good basis for parameterization development based on physical processes or machine learning.
Optimum Sowing Window and Yield Forecasting for Maize in Northern and Western Bangladesh Using CERES Maize Model

Determination of the optimum sowing window not only can improve maize yield significantly but also can fit maize in the existing cropping pattern. To get the advantages of sowing maize at the optimum time, a study was designed and carried out at the research field of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Rangpur, Bangladesh during 2015–2017. Another aim of the study was to forecast the yield of maize for the northern and western regions of Bangladesh using the CERES-Maize model. The study considered 5 November, 20 November, 5 December, 20 December, and 5 January as sowing dates for maize to identify the optimum sowing window. Three hybrid maize varieties, viz., BARI Hybrid Maize-9 (BHM-9), NK-40, and Pioneer30V92 were used. The study was laid out in a split-plot design, assigning the sowing dates in the main plot and the varieties in the sub-plot. To forecast the yield, the daily weather data of 2017 were subjected to run the model along with thirty years (1986–2015) of weather data. The genetic coefficients of the tested maize varieties were obtained through calibration of the model by using the observed field data of 2015–2016 and through validation by using the data of 2016–2017. The seasonal analysis was done using the DSSAT CERES-Maize model to confirm the experimental findings for optimizing the sowing window for maize at the northern region (Rangpur) of the country and subsequently adjusted the model for the western region (Jashore). The model performances were satisfactory for crop phenology, biomass, and grain yield. The NRMSE for anthesis was 0.66% to 1.39%, 0.67% to 0.89% for maturity date, 1.78% to 3.89% for grain yield, and 1.73% to 3.17% for biomass yield. The optimum sowing window for maize at the Rangpur region was 5 November to 5 December and 5 to 20 November for the Jashore region. The CERES-Maize model was promising for yield forecasting of the tested maize varieties. It gave a realistic yield forecast at approximately 45 days prior to the harvest of all the tested varieties. The study results are expected to be useful for both the farmers and the policy planners to meet up the future maize demands.
The experiences of classroom teachers on the homework process in teaching mathematics: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

This phenomenological study aimed to explore a group of classroom teachers’ experiences with homework assignment in teaching mathematics. The participants of the study were 27 classroom teachers who were selected using the criterion-based sampling technique. The research data were collected with a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers and subjected to interpretive phenomenological analysis. The results showed that the teachers plan the homework they would assign the evening before the class and use resources available on the internet while planning it. It was also revealed that they assign mathematics homework for various purposes such as ensuring comprehension of the subjects, knowledge retention and use of the learned subjects in daily life. They reported that they check and provide feedback on the assigned homework during the classes that the assigned homework is sometimes done by the family members of the students and that both preparing and checking the homework take an extensive amount of time. As a solution to these problems, they suggested communicating and negotiating with the parents, getting support from school counselors and reducing the number of the themes in the primary mathematics curriculum.
A biomimetic shock model on the effect of endothelial aging on vascular barrier properties

BACKGROUND Aging is characterized by a decline in cellular function, which has an adverse effect on the biologic response to injury. Both aging and trauma/hemorrhagic shock (T/HS) increase oxidative stress which impairs the vascular endothelium (EC) and glycocalyx (EG). The additive effect of aging on EC and EG damage following T/HS are unknown. This was studied in an in vitro model. METHODS Confluent endothelial cell monolayers from primary aortic endothelial cells from 10-week-old mice (“young” cells) or primary aortic cells from 65-week-old mice (“aged” cells) were established in microfluidic devices (MFDs) and perfused at constant shear conditions overnight. Mouse endothelial cell monolayers were then exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation alone and/or epinephrine or norepinephrine. Endothelial glycocalyx degradation was indexed as well as subsequent endothelial injury/activation. RESULTS Aged endothelial cells showed increase glycocalyx shedding and subsequent loss of glycocalyx thickness. This lead to a more pronounced level of EC injury/activation compared with young endothelial cells. Although exposure to biomimetic shock conditions exacerbated both endothelial glycocalyx shedding and endothelial injury in both aged and young endothelial cells, the effect was significantly more pronounced in aged cells. CONCLUSION Advanced age is associated with worse outcomes in severely injured trauma patients. Our study demonstrates that there is increased EG shedding and a diminished EG layer in aged compared to “young” endothelial cell layers. Biomimetic shock conditions lead to an even greater impairment of the endothelial glycocalyx in aged versus young endothelial cell monolayers. It appears that these effects are a consequence of aging related oxidative stress at both baseline and shock conditions. This exacerbates shock-induced endotheliopathy and may contribute to untoward effects on patient outcomes in this population.
Using EMPHASIS for the Thermography-Based Fault Detection in Photovoltaic Plants

In this paper, an Efficient Method for PHotovoltaic Arrays Study through Infrared Scanning (EMPHASIS) is presented; it is a fast, simple, and trustworthy cell-level diagnosis method for commercial photovoltaic (PV) panels. EMPHASIS processes temperature maps experimentally obtained through IR cameras and is based on a power balance equation. Along with the identification of malfunction events, EMPHASIS offers an innovative feature, i.e., it estimates the electrical powers generated (or dissipated) by the individual cells. A procedure to evaluate the accuracy of the EMPHASIS predictions is proposed, which relies on detailed three-dimensional (3-D) numerical simulations to emulate realistic temperature maps of PV panels under any working condition. Malfunctioning panels were replicated in the numerical environment and the corresponding temperature maps were fed to EMPHASIS. Excellent results were achieved in both the cell- and panel-level power predictions. More specifically, the estimation of the power production of a PV panel with a shunted cell demonstrated an error lower than 1%. In cases of strong nonuniformities as a PV panel in hotspot, an estimation error in the range of 9–16% was quantified.
Ebola virus infection induces a type I interferon response and the shutdown of key liver functions in human iPSC-derived hepatocytes

Liver damage and an exacerbated inflammatory response are hallmarks of Ebola virus (EBOV) infection. Little is known about the intrinsic response to infection in human hepatocytes and their contribution to the observed inflammatory response. Here, we present an iPSC-derived hepatocyte platform to define the hepato-intrinsic response to EBOV infection. Transcriptomics analysis revealed a delayed host response with minimal transcriptomic changes at one day post infection (dpi) followed by a general downregulation of genes associated with hepatic functions and upregulation of interferon signaling at two and three dpi. Using RNA-FISH, we showed at single cell resolution that IFNβ and CXCL10 were mainly expressed in bystander cells or cells with weak EBOV mRNA signal intensity. We did not observe an inflammatory signature at any timepoint. In conclusion, iPSC-derived hepatocytes are an immune competent platform to study intrinsic responses to EBOV infection that have not been observed in EBOV-infected hepatocarcinoma cell lines.
Images of Place, Secularity and Gentrification: On Urban Religious Belonging in an Inner City Neighbourhood in Oslo

Through extensive fieldwork conducted in an inner city neighbourhood in Oslo, Norway, the authors found that a variation of actors and settings evoked different religious and secular images of place. In what ways is the urban experience shaping or challenging the religious sense of spatial belonging, and why is a secular discourse dominating the scene? In order to obtain such images and sense of place in the context of a recently established area based initiative, we interviewed representatives for the religious communities localized in the neighbourhoods of Toyen and Gronland. Here we encountered no religiously infused language despite a sizeable spatial religious presence. In the sciences of religion, the view of a separation between the secular and the religious as a social fact and a social norm in modern societies dominates. We argue that there is a privatization of religion (Casanova 1994) within the larger discourse of urban renewal and gentrification. Simultaneously we find the reverse of Taylor’s (2007) proposal of the emptying of religion in social space: namely a filling up of religion in social spaces, that we label ‘urban religious belonging’. This article provides further empirically based knowledge into the connection of religion, secularism and the urban sphere, the difference between belief and representations or discourses, as well as a methodological approach for studying these connections and fractures.
Physiological and Competitive Characteristics of Professional Female Futsal Players

The study purpose was to examine the anaerobic and aerobic performance and also determine the influence of the anaerobic performance on specific movements during a match-play. Materials and methods. A total of 12 Indonesian professional female players from Bandung district female futsal club were recruited and enrolled to participate in this study. They were required to complete one familiarization and two experimental sessions. During the first session (laboratory test), all players performed a treadmill test to ascertain their maximum rate of oxygen consumption (VO2 max) and a running-based anaerobic sprint test (RAST) to measure their anaerobic performance. For the second session (on-court test), the participants played a simulated match on the court. A training team of 5 experts carried out an investigation regarding each player’s competitive performance per match. Furthermore, the blood lactate concentration and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) were assessed in the preand posttest for both sessions, which were separated by a week to enable the players to recover. Results. The results showed that there was no significant difference between the mean power (MP) and fatigue index (FI) (p = 0.425, p = 0.938, respectively) for anaerobic performance using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), although, the MP and FI of team C was lower compared to A and B. Furthermore, the total number of failed passes and shot off target of team C was larger compared to B and A (for failed passes = 30 vs 20 vs 25, for shot off target 14 vs 13 vs 8). Conclusions. The results obtained indicate that there are strong associations between anaerobic capacity and explosive movements (shooting, tackling, heading and passing) among female futsal players.
Analysis of Planning for Clean Water Needs at Grand Sagara West Surabaya Hotel With the Green Buillding Concept

Water is the basic necessity of every living thing on earth. Humans depend on water not only for meeting domestic household needs but also for needs such as production needs, industrial needs and other needs. The need for clean water is the amount of water that will be used fairly for basic human needs (domestic) and other activities that require water. The hospitality industry is a commercially managed business. This study aims to determine the impact of the use of clean water that occurs during the construction and operation of the Grand Sagara West Surabaya Hotel on Tambak Wedi Village in the next 10 years. The need for clean water for Tambak Wedi Village in 2019 prior to the construction and operation of the Grand Sagara West Surabaya Hotel is 0.0566 m³ / sec, whereas after construction and operation in 2029 is 0.1118 m³ / sec. So, the amount of clean water discharge in Tambak Wedi Urban Village that must be fulfilled by the PDAM in Surabaya in 2029 is 0.0288 m³ / sec. Clean water, water needs, water discharge, hotel, PDAM Surabaya city.
On Some Significant Phytoplasma Diseases of Forest Trees: An Update

This paper provides an updating of information of a selected number of major phytoplasma diseases of forest trees, with a focus on the associated phytoplasma taxa. Phytoplasma diseases of forest trees have been less extensively studied than those affecting fruit trees. Research on the role of phytoplasmas as the cause of diseases of forest trees has only in the last few years been intensified, after sensitive and specific detection methods greatly based on PCR technology became available. Various phytoplasma taxa have been identified in naturally infected elm, ash, conifer, sandal, and eucalyptus trees, whereas only one phytoplasma taxon has been recorded in naturally infected alder trees. However, for almost all of the reviewed diseases, there is still sparse information about insect vectors, plant host range, strain virulence, pathogenicity, and host tolerance and resistance. Knowledge of these aspects is the basis for appropriate disease management. In particular, further research is required to clarify the role of phytoplasmas in asymptomatic trees. In addition, the etiological role of various “non-specific” phytoplasma taxa, which have been recorded in forest trees, while no data from pathological studies are available, needs to be further investigated.
Housing Cost Burden, Material Hardship, and Well-Being

ABSTRACT Millions of households face housing affordability problems as house prices and rents rise faster than incomes. Yet little is known about how high housing expenditures affect well-being. Using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, we examine the relationship between housing cost burden, material hardship, and residential satisfaction after the Great Recession. We find that households with higher housing cost burdens were more likely to experience some form of material hardship, controlling for other variables. The probability of material hardship increased with cost burden for households spending up to 50% of their income on housing. However, households that spend more than half of their income on housing are no more likely to experience material hardship than households who spend around 50%. We find some evidence that families with children trade high housing costs for improvements in housing conditions. The findings provide empirical support for using housing cost burden as a measure of affordability and suggest higher housing cost burdens may contribute to decreased well-being through multiple forms of material hardship but also may have threshold effects.
The Value of CSR in Acquisitions: Evidence from China

In this paper, we aim to test whether and how corporate social responsibility (CSR) is valued in merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions. Employing multiple regression and logistic regression methods to examine the CSR in China’s domestic M&A market from 2007 to 2018, we reveal the following: (i) acquisition targets with higher social performance can attain higher acquisition valuation, especially when the acquirers are also socially responsible; (ii) high-CSR acquirers are inclined to choose equity payments, while high-CSR acquisition targets prefer to be paid in cash; (iii) high CSR performance boosts M&A success rate. The findings are robust, due to adopting two-stage least squares method to tackle endogeneity, substituting variable measures and data sources, and winsorizing variables at high levels to eliminate outliers. The value of CSR in M&As possibly results from the role of CSR in reducing information frictions, agency concerns, and corporate risks and is primarily associated with activities which are friendly to suppliers, customers, shareholders, public welfare, and natural environment, as well as being higher in developed regions and irrelevant to corporate ownership and nature. The study is of vital significance to the valuation and decision making in M&A deals.
Microbial Etiology of Community Acquired Meningoencephalitis In Adults: A Retrospective Review

Objectives: Meningoencephalitis (ME) is a well-recognized clinical entity with diverse infectious etiologies. Only a few studies in the Indian literature are available on this issue, especially in the adult population. The aim is to study the microbial etiology of ME presenting to a tertiary care center. Methods: A total of 97 cases labeled as ME were initially found on review of hospital records in a retrospective review over 5 years. Of these, only 62 were microbiologically confirmed and these were selected for this study. Results: Bacteria were the cause in 21(34%) cases. Pneumococcus was the predominant bacterial etiology, found in 17 cases (detected by PCR in 15 and by culture in 3 cases). Viruses were seen in 13 (21%) cases; Herpes simplex virus (HSV) was seen in 4 cases and enterovirus and varicella in 2 cases each (all were detected by PCR). We also had Arboviruses: Chikungunya (3 cases) and Dengue (2 cases) (serological diagnosis). TB was found in 15 (24%) cases (diagnosed by positive CSF Xpert Mtb in 11 cases and by AFB culture in 7 cases). Cryptococcus was seen in another 13 (21%) cases (detected by positive CSF CRAG in all cases and culture positivity in 7 cases). Conclusion: Pneumococcus and HSV are the commonest agents causing acute ME syndrome. Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Cryptococcus accounted for all cases of chronic ME. Multiplex PCR (in acute ME) and Xpert Mtb and cryptococcal antigen (in chronic ME) play an important role in the diagnosis of culture-negative ME. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2021; 11(1):15-20.
The Relationship between Motivations for Joining Gangs and Violent Offending: A Preliminary Test on Self-Determination Theory

ABSTRACT Efforts to better understand violence have often compared gang members to non-gang members, finding, expectedly, that gang members engage in more violent behaviors. Often overlooked, however, is the variation of violence that exists among gang members. This variation may be tied to one’s reasons for joining a gang in the first place. Members join gangs for different reasons, and these reasons may lead to varying criminogenic outcomes. Reasons youth join gangs have previously been categorized into push and pull factors. The current study builds on this classification by adopting self-determination theory, grouping reasons into intrinsic, extrinsic, and mixed motivations. Using a school-based longitudinal sample of adolescents, the current study explores the relationship between motivation behind joining a gang and subsequent violent offending. Results reveal that street gang members who joined gangs for mixed motivations reported more violent offending than those who joined gangs for extrinsic motivation only and those who joined for intrinsic motivation contemporaneously. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed in terms of motivation and peer influence.
The Impact of Nordic Walking on Bone Properties in Postmenopausal Women with Pre-Diabetes and Non-Alcohol Fatty Liver Disease

This study investigated the impact of Nordic walking on bone properties in postmenopausal women with pre-diabetes and non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A total of 63 eligible women randomly participated in the Nordic walking training (AEx, n = 33), or maintained their daily lifestyle (Con, n = 30) during intervention. Bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) of whole body (WB), total femur (TF), femoral neck (FN), and lumbar spine (L2-4) were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum osteocalcin, pentosidine, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) levels were analyzed by ELISA assay. After an 8.6-month intervention, the AEx group maintained their BMCTF, BMDTF, BMCL2−4, and BMDL2−4, and increased their BMCFN (p = 0.016), while the Con group decreased their BMCTF (p = 0.008), BMDTF (p = 0.001), and BMDL2−4 (p = 0.002). However, no significant group × time interaction was observed, except for BMDL2−4 (p = 0.013). Decreased pentosidine was correlated with increased BMCWB(r = −0.352, p = 0.019). The intervention has no significant effect on osteocalcin and RANKL. Changing of bone mass was associated with changing of pentosidine, but not with osteocalcin and RANKL. Our results suggest that Nordic walking is effective in preventing bone loss among postmenopausal women with pre-diabetes and NAFLD.