Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Single Scattering Albedo’s Spectral Dependence Effect on UV Irradiance

The absorbing and scattering nature of aerosols affects the total radiative forcing and is quantified by single scattering albedo (SSA), which is defined as the absorption to total extinction ratio. There are limited measurements of SSA in the ultraviolet (UV) irradiance spectrum, hence, the influence of SSA on incoming UV irradiance has not been explored in great depth. In the present study, UV irradiance was calculated and compared using different SSA datasets retrieved at Athens, Greece during 2009–2014; including SSA time series from Ultraviolet Multi-Filter Radiometer (UVMFR) at 332 and 368 nm, SSA from AERONET at 440 nm, from OMI satellite at 342.5 nm and AeroCom climatological database at 300 nm. Irradiances were estimated using a radiative transfer model (RTM). Comparisons of these results revealed that relative differences of UVA and UVB could be as high as 20%, whilst average relative differences varied from 2% to 8.7% for the entire experimental period. Both UVA and UVB drop by a rate of ~12% for 0.05 aerosol absorption optical depth in comparison to ones estimated with the use of SSA at visible range. Brewer irradiance measurements at 324 nm were used to validate modeled monochromatic irradiances and a better agreement was found when UVMFR SSAs were used with an average difference of 0.86%. However, when using visible or climatological input, relative differences were estimated +4.91% and +4.15% accordingly.
On the spectrum of oscillations of a Schwarzschild black hole

The spectral properties of the resonant oscillations of a Schwarzschild black hole are studied. The analogy with the Coulomb wave equation is developed, and it is shown that the high-overtone quasi-normal modes are intimately connected with the long-range nature of the gravitational interaction. This is followed by an explicit construction of the quasi-normal eigenfunctions in analogy with the bound states of the inverted black-hole potentials. The special gravitational quasi-normal mode is discussed and its relationship with the algebraically special solution of the gravitational perturbations is clarified.
Predictive Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease using Diffusion MRI

Age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), are an increasing cause of concern for the world’s ageing population. The current consensus in the research community is that the main setbacks in the treatment of AD include the inability to diagnose it in its early stages and the lack of accurate stratification techniques for the prodromal stages of the disease and normal control (NC) subject groups. Numerous studies show that AD causes damage to the white matter microstructure in the brain. Commonly used techniques for diagnosing this disease include, neuropsychological assessments, genetics, proteomics, and image-based analysis. However, unlike these techniques, recent advances in Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (dMRI) analysis posits its sensitivity to the microstructural organization of cerebral white matter, and hence its applicability for early diagnosis of AD. Since tissue damage is reflected in the pattern of water diffusion in neural fibre structures, dMRI can be used to track disease-related changes in the brain. Contemporary dMRI approaches are broadly classified as being either region-based or tract-based. This thesis draws on the strengths of both these approaches by proposing an original extension of region-based methods to the simultaneous analysis of multiple brain regions. A predefined set of features is derived from dMRI data and used to compute the probabilistic distances between different brain regions. The resulting statistical associations can be modelled as an undirected and fully-connected graph encoding a unique brain connectivity pattern. Subsequently, the characteristics of this graph are used for the stratification of AD and NC subjects. Although the current work focuses on AD and NC subject populations, the perfect separability achieved between the two groups suggests the suitability of the technique for separating NC, AD, in addition to subjects in the prodromal stage of the disease, i.e., mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Intra-household resource allocation: an inferential approach

If household income is pooled and then allocated to maximize welfare then income under the control of mothers and fathers should have the same impact on demand. With survey data on family health and nutrition in Brazil, the equality of parental income effects is rejected. Unearned income in the hands of a mother has a bigger effect on her family's health than income under the control of a father; for child survival probabilities the effect is almost twenty times bigger. The common preference (or neoclassical) model of the household is rejected. If unearned income is measured with error and income is pooled then the ratio of maternal to paternal income effects should be the same; equality of the ratios cannot be rejected. There is also evidence for gender preference: mothers prefer to devote resources to improving the nutritional status of their daughters, fathers to sons.
Focus and its prosody in Akan and Ga

The paper investigates the prosodic effects of focus in morpho-syntactically unmarked simple sentences in the tone languages Akan and Ga (Kwa). We compare broad focus realizations to either narrow contrastive focus (Akan) or narrow informational focus (Ga) on the subject and the object. The results show that in-situ focus in both languages is not marked by a specific categorical prosodic device. While Akan shows a tendency to lower the intensity of the post-focal part, Ga speakers have the option to slightly raise the F0 of a focused object. The findings are discussed with regards to focus-prominence, focus alignment as well as the Nostratic origin hypothesis of post-focal compression.
Learning Fashion By Simulated Human Supervision

We consider the task of predicting subjective fashion traits from images using neural networks. Specifically, we are interested in training a network for ranking outfits according to how well they fit the user. In order to capture the variability induced by human subjective considerations, each training example is annotated by a panel of fashion experts. Similarly to previous works on subjective data, the panel votes are converted to a classification or regression problem and the corresponding network is trained and evaluated using standard objective metrics. The question is which objective metric, if any, is most suitable to measure the performance of a network trained for subjective tasks? In this paper, we conducted human approval tests for outfit ranking networks trained using various objective metrics. We show that these metrics do not adequately estimate the human approval of subjective tasks. Instead, we introduce a supervising network that unlike objective metrics, is designed to capture the variability induced by human subjectivity. We use it to supervise our outfit ranking network and we demonstrate empirically, that training our outfit ranking network with the suggested supervising network achieves greater approval ratings from human subjects.
Route Learning Through Classification

A simple approach to route following is to scan the environment and move in the direction that appears most familiar . In this paper we investigate whether an approach such as this could p rovide a model of visually guided route learning in ants. As a proxy f or familiarity we use the learning algorithm Adaboost [6] with simple Haar-like features to classify views as either part of a lear n d route or not. We show the feasibility of our approach as a model of an t-like route acquisition by learning a non-trivial route through a re l-world environment using a large gantry robot equipped with a panor amic camera.
Synthesis and characterization of polyurethanes from epoxidized methyl oleate based polyether polyols as renewable resources

Oligomeric polyether polyols were obtained through the acid-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of epoxidized methyl oleate and the subsequent partial reduction of ester groups to give primary alcohols. The oligomers were characterized with titration, spectroscopic techniques (Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, size exclusion chromatography, and differential scanning calorimetry. Depending on the degree of reduction, polyols of different hydroxyl content values were obtained and were reacted with 4,4′-methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate) to yield polyurethanes. These materials, which were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, could behave as hard rubbers or rigid plastics. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 634–645, 2006
Competitive Pricing Behavior in Distribution Systems

Competition is a major force shaping the institution of channels of distribution. Researchers and practitioners in the distribution area usually distinguish between horizontal-channel competition and channel-system competition. (See Kotler ). Horizontal competition refers to competition at the same channel level. For example, wholesalers are in horizontal competition. System competition refers to competition between different channels. System competition can occur between different types of channels. Stern calls this form of competition “intertype competition. ”
A Study of the Spectroscopic Performance of Laser Produced CdTe Plasma

In this work, the parameters of plasma (electron temperature (Te), electron density ne, plasma frequency (fp) , Debye length (λD) and Debye number (ND)) have been studied by using the spectrometer that collect the spectrum of Laser produce Cadmium telluride plasma at different energies. The results of electron temperature for CdTe range 0.93-1.18 eV also the electron density 5 × 1010 – 3.8 × 1011 cm-3 have been measured under vacuum reaching 2.5 × 10-2 mbar . Optical properties of CdTe were determined through the optical transmission method using ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer within the range 190 – 1100 nm.
Nitrogen fertilization and yield formation of potato during a short growing period

Perunan viljelyssa kaytetaan runsaasti ravinteita, jotta voidaan tuottaa laadultaan ja maaraltaan hyva sato. Typpilannoitus vaikuttaa voimakkaasti sadon kehitykseen ja kasvuston tuleentumiseen. Runsas typpi rehevoittaa varsiston kasvua ja hidastaa mukulasadon kehitysta kesan aikana, lisaksi perunan tuleentuminen viivastyy pitkalle syksyyn. Sadonkorjuun jalkeen maahan jaava typpi on ymparistoriski, silla kevyilla mailla liukoinen typpi huuhtoutuu helposti pohjaveteen syksyn ja talven aikana. Kun kasvukautemme on lyhyt, perunan typpilannoitussuositukset 60-120 kg/ha ovat meilla selvasti keskieurooppalaista tasoa 150-220 kg/ha alemmat. Typpilannoitustarve voi vaihdella myos lajikkeiden geneettisen taustan mukaan.MTT:ssa (Maa- ja elintarviketalouden tutkimuskeskus) tutkittiin vuosina 2000-2001 kenttakokeissa perunalajikkeiden Van Gogh ja Nicola typpilannoitustarvetta ja typen vaikutusta perunan kehitykseen ja satoon. Erityisesti selvitettiin typpilannoituksen vaikutusta perunan sadon kehitykseen ja perunan typenottoon kasvukauden aikana. Sadosta ja kasvustosta maaritettiin typpilannoituksen hyvaksikayttoprosentti. Tutkimus osoitti, etta typpilannoitus 120 kg/ha lisasi varsiston ja mukulasadon sadon maaraa ja viela voimakkaammin kasvin typenottoa alempaan 60 kg/ha typpitasoon verrattuna. Kasvukauden loppupuolella kuiva-aine ja typpi alkoivat yha enenevassa maarin kulkeutua varsistosta mukuloihin ja kasvuston tuleentuessa varsistoon jai vain vahainen maara kuiva-ainetta ja typpea. Tulokset osoittivat, etta typpimaaran vaikutus perunan kehitykseen oli kasvukauden alkupuolella vahainen eika alempi 60 kg/ha typpimaara olennaisesti hidastanut kasvuston kehitysta suurempaan typpimaaraan verrattuna. Kasvuston kehityksessa ja sadon maarassa ilmeni eroja typpitasojen valilla, kun alemman lannoitustason 60 kg/ha typensaanti heikkeni elokuun alkupuolelta lahtien. Syksyn sadossa suurempi typpilannoitus lisasi selvasti mukulasadon maaraa, mutta samalla alensi selvasti mukuloiden kuiva-ainepitoisuutta. Lajikkeet reagoivat typpilannoitukseen suurimmalta osin samalla tavalla. Lannoitetypen hyvaksikayttoprosentti mukulasadossa vaihteli 46-64 % valilla.
Distinguishing between the effects of ocean acidification and ocean carbonation in the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi

The coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi was cultured under a broad range of carbonate chemistry conditions to distinguish the effects of individual carbonate system parameters on growth, primary production, and calcification. In the first experiment, alkalinity was kept constant and the fugacity of CO2 (fCO2) varied from 2 to 600 Pa (1 Pa ≈ 10 µatm). In the second experiment, pH was kept constant (pHfree = 8) with fCO2 varying from 4 to 370 Pa. Results of the constant‐alkalinity approach revealed physiological optima for growth, calcification, and organic carbon production at fCO2 values of ~ 20 Pa, ~ 40 Pa, and ~ 80 Pa, respectively. Comparing this with the constant‐pH approach showed that growth and organic carbon production increased similarly from low to intermediate CO2 levels but started to diverge towards higher CO2 levels. In the high CO2 range, growth rates and organic carbon production decreased steadily with declining pH at constant alkalinity while remaining consistently higher at constant pH. This suggests that growth and organic carbon production rates are directly related to CO2 at low (sub‐saturating) concentrations, whereas towards higher CO2 levels they are adversely affected by the associated decrease in pH. A pH dependence at high fCO2 is also indicated for calcification rates, while the key carbonate system parameter determining calcification at low fCO2 remains unclear. These results imply that key metabolic processes in coccolithophores have their optima at different carbonate chemistry conditions and are influenced by different parameters of the carbonate system at both sides of the optimum.
Thank you very much for the processing and considering our manuscript entitled “Characterisation of the phenanthrene degradation-related genes and degrading ability of a newly isolated copper-tolerant bacterium” (ENVPOL-D-16-01549) to Journal of Environmental Pollution for possible publication after

A copper-tolerant phenanthrene (PHE)-degrading bacterium, strain Sphingobium sp. PHE-1, was newly isolated from the activated sludge in a wastewater treatment plant. Two key genes, ahdA1b-1 encoding polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase (PAH-RHDɑ) and xyLE encoding catechol-2,3-dioxygenase (C23O), involved in the PHE metabolism by strain PHE-1 were identified. The PAH-RHD gene cluster showed 96% identity with the same cluster of Sphingomonas sp. P2. Our results indicated the induced transcription of xylE and ahdA1b-1 genes by PHE, simultaneously promoted by Cu(II). For the first time, high concentration of Cu(II) is found to encourage the expression of PAH-RHDɑ and C23O genes during PHE degradation. Applying Sphingomonas PHE-1 in PHE-contaminated soils for bioaugmentation, the abundance of xylE gene was increased by the planting of ryegrass and the presence of Cu(II), which, in turn, benefited ryegrass growth. The best performance of PHE degradation and the highest abundance of xylE genes occurred in PHEcopper co-contaminated soils planted with ryegrass. Chunling Luo, Professor Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Science No. 511, Kehua Street, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China Tel. : 86-20-85290290, Fax: 86-20-85290290
Resisting Moral Wiggle Room: How Robust Is Reciprocal Behavior?

We provide the second mover in a trust game and a moonlighting game with an excuse for not reciprocating. While this type of manipulation has been shown to strongly reduce giving in the dictator game, we find that the availability of the excuse has no effect on the incidence of reciprocal behavior in these games. Our results cast doubt on the generalizability of previous dictator game findings and suggest that image concerns are not a key driver of reciprocal behavior.
Coherent structure of the convective boundary layer derived from large-eddy simulations

Turbulence in the convective boundary layer (CBL) uniformly heated from below and topped by a layer of uniformly stratified fluid is investigated for zero mean horizontal flow using large-eddy simulations (LES). The Rayleigh number is effectively infinite, the Froude number of the stable layer is 0.09 and the surface roughness height relative to the height of the convective layer is varied between 10−6 and 10−2. The LES uses a finite-difference method to integrate the three-dimensional grid-volume-averaged Navier–Stokes equations for a Boussinesq fluid. Subgrid-scale (SGS) fluxes are determined from algebraically approximated second-order closure (SOC) transport equations for which all essential coefficients are determined from the inertial-range theory. The surface boundary condition uses the Monin–Obukhov relationships. A radiation boundary condition at the top of the computational domain prevents spurious reflections of gravity waves. The simulation uses 160 × 160 × 48 grid cells. In the asymptotic state, the results in terms of vertical mean profiles of turbulence statistics generally agree very well with results available from laboratory and atmospheric field experiments. We found less agreement with respect to horizontal velocity fluctuations, pressure fluctuations and dissipation rates, which previous investigations tend to overestimate. Horizontal spectra exhibit an inertial subrange. The entrainment heat flux at the top of the CBL is carried by cold updraughts and warm downdraughts in the form of wisps at scales comparable with the height of the boundary layer. Plots of instantaneous flow fields show a spoke pattern in the lower quarter of the CBL which feeds large-scale updraughts penetrating into the stable layer aloft. The spoke pattern has also been found in a few previous investigations. Small-scale plumes near the surface and remote from strong updraughts do not merge together but decay while rising through large-scale downdraughts. The structure of updraughts and downdraughts is identified by three-dimensional correlation functions and conditionally averaged fields. The mean circulation extends vertically over the whole boundary layer. We find that updraughts are composed of quasi-steady large-scale plumes together with transient rising thermals which grow in size by lateral entrainment. The skewness of the vertical velocity fluctuations is generally positive but becomes negative in the lowest mesh cells when the dissipation rate exceeds the production rate due to buoyancy near the surface, as is the case for very rough surfaces. The LES results are used to determine the root-mean-square value of the surface friction velocity and the mean temperature difference between the surface and the mixed layer as a function of the roughness height. The results corroborate a simple model of the heat transfer in the surface layer.
Use of GIS Spatial Analysis to Identify Food Deserts in the State of Alabama

Availability and accessibility to fresh foods plays an essential role in public health and individual wellbeing. Unfortunately, a significant amount of the US population today has limited access to supermarkets, farmers markets or other sources of healthy, nutritious and affordable whole food diet options. This phenomenon is known as “food deserts”. Current literature suggests that there is a link between food deserts and high obesity and poverty rates. Identifying the exact location of food deserts, and analyzing contributing factors and social demographics can help to minimize the negative social effects of food deserts. This study investigated the extent of the food desert problem in Alabama and its potential repercussions on the health and wellbeing of Alabamians. Data were obtained from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and analyzed using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis tools. A base GIS map layer for county level analysis was obtained from census.gov. The base layer was joined with pertinent data and maps were created in ArcGIS software to display graphically the intensity of select variables. Moran’s statistics were implemented to determine hot and cold spots and statistical significance. The analysis results identified counties in the state of Alabama with the greater need for accessibility to fresh foods. The study findings are very useful for urban planning purposes and for prioritizing efforts to minimize the negative social effects of food deserts in the future. Implementation of initiatives that educate local residents about the importance of making healthy food choices, location of stores providing fresh foods in areas of need, and improvement of local residents’ accessibility to such establishments should be considered as a priority.
Effects of Mild Cognitive Impairment on vowel duration

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a neurological condition, which is characterized by a noticeable decline of cognitive abilities, including communicative and linguistic skills. In this study, we have measured the duration of vowels produced in a reading task by 55 speakers— 30 healthy controls and 25 MCI—. The main results showed that MCI speakers differed significantly from HC in vowel duration as MCI speakers produced overall longer vowels. Also, we found that gender effects on vowel duration were different in MCI and HC. One significant aspect of this finding is that they highlight the contribution of vowel acoustic features as markers of MCI.
Yoffe, Samuel R. and Noble, Adam and Kravets, Yevgen and Jaroszynski, Dino A. (2015) Cooling of relativistic electron beams in chirped laser pulses. In: SPIE Optics + Optoelectronics: Relativistic Plasma Waves

The next few years will see next-generation high-power laser facilities (such as the Extreme Light Infrastructure) become operational, for which it is important to understand how interaction with intense laser pulses affects the bulk properties of a relativistic electron beam. At such high field intensities, we expect both radiation reaction and quantum effects to play a significant role in the beam dynamics. The resulting reduction in relative energy spread (beam cooling) at the expense of mean beam energy predicted by classical theories of radiation reaction depends only on the energy of the laser pulse. Quantum effects suppress this cooling, with the dynamics additionally sensitive to the distribution of energy within the pulse. Since chirps occur in both the production of high-intensity pulses (CPA) and the propagation of pulses in media, the effect of using chirps to modify the pulse shape has been investigated using a semi-classical extension to the Landau–Lifshitz theory. Results indicate that even large chirps introduce a significantly smaller change to final state predictions than going from a classical to quantum model for radiation reaction, the nature of which can be intuitively understood.