Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impacts of Water Cycle Components on Streamflow in a Changing Climate of Korea: Historical and Future Trends

This paper investigates the historical and future trends in water balance components and their impacts on streamflow. The trend analyses were applied to the daily climatic and hydrologic variables from 109 subbasins in Korea during the historical period and future period obtained by a multimodel ensemble of 13 global circulation models (GCMs) of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, Phase 5 (CMIP5). A calibrated hydrologic model, the precipitation-streamflow modeling system (PRMS) model, was applied to obtain hydrologic data. The results revealed apparent trends in streamflow, with increases in spring and decreases in the other seasons during the historical period. The reduction (or increase) in the amount of streamflow was counterbalanced by the reduction (or increase) in precipitation, groundwater, and soil moisture, which was mainly impacted by the increase (or reduction) in actual evapotranspiration. However, opposite trends are projected for the future period for streamflow and water cycle components, in which spring and winter are projected to have increasing trends mostly counterbalanced by the decreasing trends in precipitation and groundwater. The reasons for the reduction in streamflow include elevated evapotranspiration compared to precipitation, reduced soil moisture, and a significant decrease in groundwater recharge. In addition, the results of the seasonal variability among basins revealed higher variability in summer for the historical period and in winter for the future period, with maximum variability in the Sumjin River basin, indicating that streamflow fluctuated more strongly in the Sumjin River basin during the historical and future periods.
Cost estimation methods for internet infrastructure deployment in Rural Sarawak: a review

In rural Sarawak, the internet accessibility is low due to unreliable power grids to support telecommunication network and large geographical area. The risk for network infrastructure implementation is high for Internet Service Provider (ISP), thus more practical and accurate cost estimation methods should be used [1-3]. This paper reviews different types of cost estimation methods and the accuracy and feasibility of each methods are discussed and compared for network infrastructure implementation in rural Sarawak. The unique characteristics of rural Sarawak are considered in this work, including the topography, development of rural areas and acceptance of new technologies. Different cost estimation methods are identified for different senarios and availability of data.
Multiple Dimensions of Teacher Development on an International Practicum.

As TESOL programs evolve to meet the demands of a globalized world, teacher-learners benefit from gaining opportunities to practice teaching outside their home countries. This article reports on four researchers’ analyses of the experiences of US graduate student teacher-learners participating in a two-month practicum in Thailand. The practicum was designed around theories of sociocultural and experiential learning, intended to support teacher-learners’ interaction and challenge their assumptions about language teaching and learning. Practicum participants each designed and taught a class of Thai undergraduate students while taking a supporting seminar. Here we present findings from analyses of the teacher-learners’ peer and supervisor observation experiences, reflective practices, curriculum development, and classroom research. In synthesizing these individual studies, we argue that the international context played a key role in fostering the teacher-learners’ development by raising their awareness of beliefs and offering them opportunities to experience classroom realities different from what they had read about in textbooks or experienced in their home countries. We conclude with recommendations for extending this line of research, as well as suggestions for teacher educators wishing to implement similar international practicum programs.
Forest fire history in Norway: from fire‐disturbed pine forests to fire‐free spruce forests

I have used occurrence of macroscopic charcoal particles, pollen analyses and radiocarbon datings to examine local forest fire abundance in southern and- central Norway. Peat cores, covering the last 1000 to 6000 yr, were sampled from 20 bog margin and swamp forest sites, and the charcoal records documented local fire occurrence in 10 of the sites. Forest fires have not occurred in the sites located in central Norway, whereas the fire occurrence in southern Norway showed large variation among the sites. However, forest fires ceased prior to the establishment of Norway spruce Picea abies in seven of the sites, whereas the establishment of spruce preceded the fire decline in three of the sites. Odds ratio calculations indicated that it is several hundred times more likely that fires occurred prior to, than after, the spruce establishment. Although time spans between fire decline and spruce establishment showed some variation, they did not increase along a gradient from east to west in Norway, suggesting that the establishment of spruce might have initiated a change from fire-prone to fire-free ecosystems.
Discourse Planning Strategies in Chinese L2 English Speech: Chunking Preference and Disfluency Attributes

This paper mainly discusses the on-line planning strategies by observing chunking preference and disfluency attributes utilized by Chinese L2 learners in English discourse speech. The main purpose is to reveal the discourse-level speech planning shaped by the richness and density of the moment-by-moment planned message in Chinese L2 English. The results show that compared with English native speakers, 1) as a global property of the spoken discourse as a whole, Chinese L2 learners were temporally more disfluent, meanwhile with a greater in-group variabilities due to the insufficient L2 proficiency; 2) as for the semantic macro-planning strategies, Chinese L2 learners usually generated rather smaller chunks (especially 2-word chunks) and less flexible chunk size in online discourse speech, thus leading to a smaller planning size of speech output and a stable pattern of non-native-like ultimate attainment; 3) at the micro-planning level, Chinese L2 learners produced more hesitation markers (especially silent pauses), differed categorically in repair strategy and failed to strategically take advantage of certain disfluency markers to buy plan time so as to increase the complexity of utterance in on-line discourse speech.
Surrogate-Assisted Symbiotic Organisms Search Algorithm for Parallel Batch Processor Scheduling

Parallel batch processor scheduling with dynamic job arrival is complex and challenging in semiconductor manufacturing. In order to get its reliable and high-performance schedule in a reasonable time, this work decomposes this scheduling problem into two-stage solution strategy: a batch forming subproblem and a batch scheduling subproblem. The batch formation is made by a heuristic rule. Then, a surrogate-assisted symbiotic organisms search algorithm with a new encoding mechanism is utilized to search for the optimal batch schedule, which integrates a surrogate model and a parameter control scheme. The surrogate model, which can predict the sequencing result instead of time-consuming true fitness evaluation, is used to reduce the computational burden greatly. In this article, a parameter control scheme based on reinforcement learning is proposed to balance the global and local search of symbiotic organisms search algorithm, as a guide for searching an assignment scheme. Finally, the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can significantly improve the quality of a solution and save computational time via parameter control scheme and surrogate model.
Chemical and Microbial Degradation of Atrazine in Japanese and Thai Soils

除草剤アトラジンの分解速度におよぼす土壌の性質と微生物の影響を日本の土壌5種とタイの土壌2種を用いて研究した. 土壌の性質のうち, 土壌pHがアトラジンの半減期に最も大きく影響した (相関係数0.79). また, 同じpHに調整した土壌中でのアトラジンの分解速度の違いから他の土壌の性質も影響することが示唆された. オートクレーブ殺菌した土壌と非殺菌土壌中におけるアトラジンの分解速度の比較により, pH4～8では土壌中でのアトラジンの分解の80%以上が化学的分解によるものであることが示された. アトラジンの長期連用による分解速度の増加は認められなかった. 微生物分解は, 土壌中におけるアトラジン分解の20%以下の寄与しかなく, またアトラジンを土壌に添加後20日以降にのみにしか認められないが, アトラジン分解菌はアトラジンを過去施用したことのない土壌中でも105～106個/g土壌以上存在した. アトラジンの土壌中における微生物分解は, その菌数によって決まるのではなく菌を取り巻く土壌条件によることが示唆された.
Neural Dynamics Variations Observer Designed for Robot Manipulator Control Using a Novel Saturated Control Technique

This work presents a novel controller for the dynamics of robots using a dynamic variations observer. The proposed controller uses a saturated control law based on sintg−1. function instead of tanh. Besides, this function is an alternative to the use of tanh. in saturation control, since it reaches its maximum value more gradually than the hyperbolic tangent function. Using this characteristic, the transition between states is smoother, with similar accuracy to tanh. The controller is designed using a saturated SMC (sliding mode controller) and a dynamic variations observer based on GRNN (general regression neural network). The originality of this work is the use of a combination of adaptive GRNN with a sliding mode controller (SMC) including a new saturation function. Finally, experiments based on trajectory tracking demonstrate the robustness and simplicity of this method.
Cardiac glycosides in Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae). I. The uptake and distribution of natural cardenolides in the body

Oncopeltus fasciatus sequesters cardiac glycosides from seeds of Asclepias syriaca, and in the adult, concentrates these chemicals in the dorsolateral spaces of the thorax and abdomen; 60 to 95% of the cardenolide in such adults is stored in the dorsolateral complex. Very little cardenolide is detectable in the haemolymph of adults and larvae, but cardiac glycosides do occur in the adult ventral metathoracic gland secretions and in the larval middorsal abdominal gland fluid.O. fasciatus sequesters cardenolides throughout its life cycle. The complement of cardenolides acquired by feeding throughout the development is not related simply to increase in body weight. Unknown factors during late larval development are important in the accumulative uptake of the heart poisons.It is shown that O. fasciatus sequesters polar but not non-polar cardenolides into the dorsolateral complex in the adult. The accumulation of the polar cardenolides in both the larva and adult appears to be, at least in part, associated wit.
Statistical Model for the Trend of Prevalent Languages Speakers

Abstract—With the advent of increasingly accelerated globalization, the trend of prevalent languages is changing to meet the rapid development. This paper aims to analyze the change of the number of languages speakers considering the effect of the growth of global population and migration in next 50 years. Firstly, we focus on native language speakers and second language speakers in local areas to analyze the number of language speakers in 50 years. We adopt method of social science to detect the main factors: difficulty of language, area where languages are promoted by the government, comprehensive national strength and rates of natural increase. Specific time series forecasting methods are applied to predict the number of language speakers as the last two factors vary through time. Secondly, we introduce migration rate to describe the effect of migration and population in the countries of destinations. Then we model the impact of migration in the second language speakers by selecting the areas that are influenced by migration and sorting these areas into two kinds, Exchange Type and Circle Type, which reflects how migration patterns influence the number of second language speakers in these areas over the next 50 years.
Corporate governance, boards of directors and corporate social responsibility: The Australian context

The challenge of corporate governance in Australian corporations is similar to those faced by the majority of corporations operating globally albeit the manner in which corporate governance is structured in Australia represents a strong reflection of the island continent’s people, egalitarian culture, and legislative framework. This article considers the legal framework in which Australian corporations operate within, which includes a discussion of corporate governance principles, the role of directors and ownership structures of companies in Australia. Australian board of director practices are discussed in detailed and this article outlines how these practices are heavily influenced by the Australian Commonwealth Corporations Law (which sets out mandatory legal requirements that all Australian companies must adhere to). The article continues to explore briefly directors’ remuneration practices, recent shareholder’s rights protection and activism, the importance of corporate governance and the link to firm performance, and finally the importance of corporate social responsibility in the Australian context.
pH-Sensitive hydrogels of dextran: Synthesis, characterization and in vivo studies

pH-Sensitive hydrogels of dextran were synthesized by photochemical cross-linking reaction of methacrylate dextran (DEX-MA) at different derivatization degree, functionalized with acidic residues through reaction with phthalic anhydride. The hydrogels were characterized by FT-IR spectra, swelling measurements, experiments of chemical and enzymatic hydrolyses. The swelling data agreed with the formation of networks having pH-sensitive behaviour. This property was confirmed by the morphological examination performed by scanning electron microscopy on samples maintained in media at different pH. (S)-4-Isobutyl-2-phenylpropionic acid (ibuprofen) was loaded into the polymeric matrices. The analysis of the release profiles of the drug from the three networks showed that all the matrices were able to retain ibuprofen during the transit through the stomach, releasing it in a sustained way in the intestinal tract at a rate strictly dependent on the derivatization degree in methacrylic groups. In vivo studies verified the biocompatibility of the materials. Moreover, when the matrix loaded with ibuprofen was administered to rats, it was able to protect them from the ulcerogenic effects of the drug.
Effects of the paedogenetic mushroom cecid, Heteropeza pygmaea (Diptera : Cecidomyiidae) on cropping of the cultivated mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)

SUMMARY When introduced into a mushroom crop at rates of 2, 20 or 200 larvae/tray (0.56 m2), the mushroom cecid, Heteropeza pygmaea, caused significant reductions in both yield and number of mushrooms in relation to the infestation level. The reductions were greater when the larvae were introduced at spawning rather than at casing. The yield and number of infested (unmarketable) mushrooms increased significantly in relation to the initial infestation level. Just two H. pygmaea larvae, introduced at spawning, resulted in cecid populations that caused a 12% loss in total yield in addition to a 7% loss due to spoilage. Loss assessment in the future, therefore, should take into account both yield suppression and spoilage. There was little effect of cecid infestation on flush timing and mushroom size was only affected in the fourth flush, when a significant reduction (27%) was shown at the highest infestation rate at spawning.
Cortisol and Behavioral Response to Handling (Acute) and Confinement (Chronic) Stressors in Juvenile Spotted Wolffish, Anarhichas minor

The purpose of this study was to determine the cortisol response of spotted wolffish (Anarhichas minor) after exposure to air immersion and netting (acute stress) under a range of increasing densities (chronic stressor). In addition, the presence of a cumulative negative impact from chronic stress was assessed by the application of an additional acute stressor following rearing at various densities, and proxies of behavior were evaluated (feeding and aggression data). The stress response to air immersion and netting led to increasing plasma cortisol values at 0.5, 13, and 37 h post-stress, with the highest value achieved after 13 h. At 168 h, cortisol concentrations returned to similar pre-stress value. Changes in cortisol concentrations were relatively low after acute stress (five to six fold increases) and recovery time long lasting (>37 h). Prolonged rearing at 20, 30, and 40 kg m−2 showed a non-significant trend of increasing cortisol values with increasing density, and the cortisol response after the application of an additional acute stressor was significantly altered, i.e., higher cortisol levels were measured in unstressed (chronic stress only) compared to stressed fish (chronic stress + acute stress). Our results suggest that (1) spotted wolffish is a low responder that additionally displays a long-lasting cortisol elevation following an acute stressor; (2) fixed densities did not lead to significant differences of plasma cortisol concentration or aggression levels, although involved marked changes in daily feed intake and food conversion efficiency were observed; and (3) cortisol levels reached acute stress values after prolonged chronic stress. Although this species displays indications of being relatively resistant to handling disturbances during aquaculture practices, it is nevertheless responsive to chronic stress factors that could alter the physiological response to subsequent acute stressor.
Improving Recall and Precision in Unsupervised Multi-Label Document Classification Tasks by Combining Word Embeddings with TF-IDF

Multi-label document classification is a common task and becomes increasingly important for nowadays business needs. However, generating keywords is not easily done, as next to methodological challenges, labelled training data for classification is not always existent in the desired amount or in the desired quality. Therefore, methods that do not require labelled training data (e.g., unsupervised learning or statistical approaches) are valuable for practice. As none of these approaches alone provides optimal results in terms of recall and precision, we show that it is worth examining existing approaches for complementary strengths in order to combine them. We found such complementary strengths for tf-idf and an unsupervised word embedding method and propose a combined approach. For evaluation, we test the combined approach on a unique dataset of a public broadcaster from Germany and show that precision and recall can be significantly improved.
A Cosine-Fitting Self-Alignment Method of MEMS-Based Inertial Navigation System Consisting of a Skew FOG

MEMS inertial measurement unit (MIMU) has widely used in low-cost inertial navigation fields, such as pedestrian navigation system. However, the realization of self-alignment function and high-grade navigation performance are still uprising challenges. In present study, a novel MIMU/FOG compound system consisting of the MEMS inertial sensors and a skew fiber optic gyro (FOG) is proposed. The configuration which is based on the rotation modulation technology, realizes self-alignment function, and the skew FOG used as the redundant angular velocity measurement unit improves the navigation accuracy. During the rotation process, the projection of the fiber optic gyro sensitive axis is a direct current component, the earth rotation rate projected on the sensitive axis of the fiber optic gyro is a cosine component, and the initial phase is the yaw. Further, a cosine-fitting self-alignment method which requires no latitude information is introduced to calculate initial yaw alignment accuracy. The alignment time is adjustable by setting various rotation rate of rotary mechanism. When the rotary mechanism rate is fixed at 1°/s, the proposed method achieves better yaw alignment accuracy of 0.37° ( $1\boldsymbol {\sigma }$ ) by using the 0.1°/h (100s, $1\boldsymbol {\sigma }$ ) fiber optic gyro. Our work opens up a new perspective to implement self-alignment of the MIMU/FOG compound system.
Possibilities of using sentinel-2 satellite data to estimate crop cover and LAI of winter wheat at different stages of development

The study was conducted on a test plot located in the Yasnogorodsky district of the Tula Region; With a camera with fisheye lens photographs were taken at different points of the plot, each point with a geographical reference. Subsequently, the possible relationship between the information extracted from the classification of the photographs using the CAN-EYE software (LAI, percentage of vegetation) and the vegetation indices (Ratio, NDVI, SAVI and EVI) calculated with spectral values obtained from the different channels of Sentinel-2 (B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B8a) were evaluated. Finally, best regression models obtained for each phase of the winter wheat development were used to create the maps of LAI and percentage of vegetation. According to our results, Sentinel-2 can be successfully used to map LAI in the studied region at the shooting stage of winter wheat development with accuracy of 85 %. At other stages and for percentage of vegetation the accuracy of the models was below 50 %.
Tratamentos para superação de dormência em sementes de cornichão anual

Viable seeds of many plant species do not imbibe water and, therefore, do not germinate, even under favorable environmental conditions and are commonly called impermeable or hard seeds. Thus, there is a need for using pre-germinating methods, which allow surpassing the dormancy, enabling the maximum germination expression of the lot. The study aims to identify the most efficient methods for surpassing the tegument dormancy of annual lotus (Lotus subbflorus L.) seeds, which are also fast, safe and easy to standardize. The experiment was developed at the Seed Didactic Laboratory in the Agronomy College "Eliseu Maciel" at the Federal University of Pelotas. Two lots of seeds from the Herval (RS) area were used. The tests performed were: standard germinating (pre cold for 4, 7 and 10 days (7 oC), pre heating for 1, 4 or 7 days (50 oC), escarification for 30, 60 and 90 seconds (1750 rotations by minute), and with no treatment). According to the evaluations made, it was observed that the pre escarification by mechanical sandpaper at 1750 rpm for 30, 60 and 90 seconds was efficient in surpassing the seed dormancy, expressed by better relations among normal and abnormal seedlings and dead seeds dormancy of Lotus subbflorus L.
Modeling acoustic emissions in heterogeneous rocks during tensile fracture with the Discrete Element Method

A computationally efficient and open sourced methodology designed for the investigation of rock matrix heterogeneities and their effect on preand postfracture Acoustic Emission (AE) distributions is presented. First, an image analysis method is proposed for building a statistical model representing rock heterogeneity. The statistical model is generalized and implemented into a discrete element contact model where it efficiently simulates the presence of defects and locally tough regions. The coupling of the heterogeneity model, discrete element model, and acoustic emission model is demonstrated using a numerical three point bending test. The shape parameter of the statistical model, which controls heterogeneity magnitude, is found to control the spatial width of the acoustic emission distribution generated during failure. The same acoustic emission distribution trend is observed in literature for rocks containing various magnitudes of heterogeneity. Further analysis of the numerical AE activity reveals that larger AE events are located directly along the fracture and they are linearly related to their number of constituent interactions. As such, an AE interaction count threshold is identified to distinguish between fracture and damage AE activity. These results demonstrate the ability of the presented methodology to investigate the location and energy release associated with large fracture events for various levels of heterogeneity.