Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mesoscale simulations of tropical cyclone Enawo (March 2017)
and its impact on TTL water vapor

In early March 2017, tropical cyclone (TC) Enawo formed north of Reunion Island and moved westward toward Madagascar. Enawo evolved from a tropical depression on 2 March to an intense TC on 6 March. 15 This study explores the water vapor transport into the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) throughout TC Enawo's development. High-resolution (2km) mesoscale simulations using the Meso-NH model were performed to cover TC Enawo's lifecycle over the ocean for the period 2-7 March 2017. The simulated convective cloud field agrees with geostationary satellite infrared observations. Compared to the Global Precipitation Measurements (GPM) and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite observations, the 20 simulation seems to reproduce well both location and amplitude of the observed precipitation. Simulated and observed ice water content have similar ranges in the upper troposphere but simulated ice above the tropopause is overestimated by a factor 10. Balloon-borne measurements of water vapor, temperature and horizontal winds are also used to validate the Meso-NH simulations in the upper-troposphere and TTL regions. The simulations reveal that the maximum water vapor transport into the TTL occurred on 4 March, when deep (cold) convective 25 clouds were observed. As a result, the lower stratospheric water vapor is increased by ~50% when compared to pre-storm conditions. An increase of ~2ppmv in water vapor mixing ratio was simulated in the lower stratosphere within a 700-km region surrounding Enawo's center. Our simulation of TC Enawo suggests that TCs over the Southwest Indian Ocean (0-30°S, 30-90°E) could produce a moistening of 0.4 ppmv. We extended our results to the global tropics (30°S-30°N) using the estimates from published work (Allison et al., 2018; Preston et al., 2019) 30 and by calculating statistics on TC numbers and durations using the International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) dataset. We estimated a global impact of TC induced tropical lower stratospheric moistening of 0.3 to 0.5 ppmv. Our results suggest that TCs may play an important role in the moistening of the TTL/lower stratosphere via direct injection of ice particles and subsequent sublimation.
A Survey on Churn Analysis in Various Business Domains

In this paper, we present churn prediction techniques that have been released so far. Churn prediction is used in the fields of Internet services, games, insurance, and management. However, since it has been used intensively to increase the predictability of various industry/academic fields, there is a big difference in its definition and utilization. In this paper, we collected the definitions of churn used in the fields of business administration, marketing, IT, telecommunications, newspapers, insurance and psychology, and described their differences. Based on this, we classified and explained churn loss, feature engineering, and prediction models. Our study can be used to select the definition of churn and its associated models suitable for the service field that researchers are most interested in by integrating fragmented churn studies in industry/academic fields.
Design and control of a novel rotary shape memory alloy actuator for two degree of freedom underwater vectored thruster

Underwater vectored propulsion thruster is normally actuated by a step motor or a hydraulic system. The traditional actuators show an inherent shortcoming in energy consumption per volume, low space utilization and structure complexity. Shape memory alloy (SMA) based actuator is considered as a strong competitor to the traditional one, however high torque output and long movement distance to acquire high control accuracy and wide operating range still remain a big challenge. In this work, we developed an SMA-based underwater vectored thruster consisting of two motion rings and their rotary SMA actuators. Two SMA wires combined with supplementary rotation parts are utilized to drive the rotation of each motion ring. The rotary SMA actuator outputs torque that can change the angular position of underwater thruster, and the maximum angle and the response speed can be reached 38° and 1.6° s−1. The experimental results verify the feasibility of applying the rotary actuator to underwater device. Modeling the SMA rotary actuator system helps understanding the rotary process of underwater vectored thruster. Based on the system model, a control scheme integrated with an anti-windup Proportion Integral Differential (PID) controller is proposed. Its performance is compared with that of the integrating angle feedback without an anti-windup block through the simulation method. With the proposed anti-windup PID controller, the results show that the overshoot can be eliminated and the steady error is decreased to 0.01% and 0.9% at 10° and 25° respectively, reflecting that the anti-windup PID controller significantly improves the system controlling performance.
We Want to Talk About BS

ue opening music, camera zooms into yet another riveting conversation between MG and LH. We invite you to pull up a chair and join us. You’ll need to be caffeinated with quick reflexes because we do tend to throw wild arm gestures here and there. Today’s topic is behavioral spread (BS). Get those minds out the gutter; of course we were referring to behavioral spread. Our starting point: humans learn from and influence each other (1). Think about it; others influence you. Have you ever hopped onboard a trend only to regret it when those pictures resurface years later. “What was I thinking? ” Further, because people are interconnected, their health is also interconnected (2). Enter intense eye contact between LH and MG, “You better thrive and stay alive, for my sake of course. ” Enter the dynamic duo. No, not chatting about ourselves; enter Drs. Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler, big hitters since 2007 when they made quite the entrance with their article, “The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network Over 32 Years” (3). They reported that an individual’s weight gain was a function of weight gain in individuals to whom they were connected. Since that article, they, along with coauthors, have studied the “spread” of everything from cooperation to sleep to smoking to happiness to loneliness (4). They even discuss divorce, yes (cue sipping our coffee), in an article titled “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, Unless Everyone Else Is Doing It Too” (5). And who said research was boring? Why is this topic important for frontline health and fitness professionals? Because we must be informed of the world in which our clients live to best assist them in reaching their health and fitness goals. There are three often-cited processes that lead to similarities between individuals closely linked and they are (a) shared environments, (b) social selection, and (c) social influence (6). Shared environments refers
A critical role for human ventromedial frontal lobe in value comparison based on multi-attribute configuration

Real-life decisions are often between options with multiple value-relevant attributes. Neuroeconomic models propose that the value associated with each attribute is integrated in a global value for each option. However, evidence from patients with ventromedial frontal (VMF) damage argues against a very general role for this region in value integration, suggesting instead that it contributes critically to specific value inference or comparison processes. Here, we tested value-based decision-making between artificial multi-attribute objects in 12 men and women with focal damage to VMF, compared to a healthy control group (N=24) and a control group with frontal lobe damage sparing VMF (N=12). In a ‘configural’ condition, overall object value was predicted by the conjunction of two attributes, while in an ‘elemental’ condition, object value could be assessed by combining the independent values of individual attributes. Patients with VMF damage were impaired in making choices when value was uniquely predicted by the configuration of attributes, but intact when choosing based on elemental attribute-values. This is evidence that VMF is critical for inferring the value of whole objects in multi-attribute choice. These findings have implications for models of value-based choice, and add to emerging views of how this region may interact with medial temporal lobe systems involved in configural object processing and relational memory.
Conceptualizing culture in research on parenting and child development: carving, categorizing, and communicating pathways

Abstract In this paper, I propose a conceptualization of culture as a set of processes involving pathways of acting in the world. These cultural processes are: (1) choosing existing pathways or carving out new ones, (2) attaching meanings to and categorizing pathways, and categorizing people according to their movement on pathways, and (3) communicating about shared pathways with each other and with others on different pathways. I explicate this conceptualization and illustrate these cultural processes with research in the areas of children’s and adolescents’ development and parent-child relationships. I then offer suggestions for future research and applications for practitioners in line with the cultural processes outlined in this conceptualization.
Optimisation of double-tapered rectangular tube with O-shaped diaphragms as energy absorber

Abstract In this article, a new double-tapered rectangular tube (DTRT) with diaphragms is introduced as an energy absorber. The material tensile test and impact test were performed to verify the finite element model (FEM) of the tube. Based on the FEM, the Box–Behnken design (BBD) was applied to study the effects of diaphragm geometry on energy absorption (EA) and specific energy absorption (SEA). The weld length between the diaphragm and tube wall has positive effects on the EA and SEA of the DTRT, whereas the hole size on the diaphragms has negative effects. The optimal solution improved the EA and SEA by 12.01% and 9.29%, respectively. The conclusions of this study are based on engineering practice and are expected to aid engineers in designing the diaphragms of tubes as energy-absorbing structures.
Synergistic Effect of Arginine on Remineralization Potential of Fluoride Varnish and Nanohydroxyapatite on Artificial Caries Lesions: An In Vitro Study.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE To evaluate the synergistic effect of arginine on the remineralizing potential of fluoride varnish and nanohydroxyapatite. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 100 teeth were taken; of them, 50 teeth were allotted for microhardness test and 50 teeth for scanning-electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. Fifty teeth used for hardness testing were sectioned to obtain 100 samples, and the baseline hardness values were measured. Samples were allotted into five groups (n = 20): group I: arginine; group II: fluoride varnish; group III: nanohydroxyapatite; group IV: arginine + fluoride varnish; group V: arginine + nanohydroxyapatite. Microhardness values were measured after 96 hours of demineralization and then again after application of remineralizing agents (pH cycling) for 10 days to check for gain in microhardness. The other 50 samples were subjected to SEM-EDX analysis for evaluating gain in the mineral content after demineralization and after application of the remineralizing agents. The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS software version 22.0. RESULTS The maximum mean microhardness values were observed in group IV and group V. There was no statistical significance between them. Similarly, maximum mineral gain was seen in groups IV and V. A significant increase in fluoride gain was seen in group IV. CONCLUSION Arginine has a synergistic effect on remineralization potential of fluoride varnish and nanohydroxyapatite. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The incorporation of arginine into fluoride varnishes and nanohydroxyapatite significantly increased their remineralization potential.
Observing the evolution of fatigue damage and associated strain fields in a correlative, multiscale 3D time-lapse study of quasi-unidirectional glass fibre composites

This research is focused on studying the tension-tension fatigue behaviour of a unidirectional (UD) glass-fibre wind turbine composite. The damage features, their progression and the associated strain fields are tracked in a representative volume by employing a novel correlative approach bringing together x-ray computed tomography (XCT) and digital image correlation (DIC). The focus is on studying ex situ the evolution of damage features (fibre breaks and micro cracks) in an interrupted time-lapse manner. The major drops in stiffness are correlated to the number and location of the damage features in the bulk (XCT) and at the surface (DIC). Results from XCT highlight a localized cluster of fibre breaks and matrix cracks near backing bundles along with axial macro-cracks, while DIC shows that the backing bundles cause regions of higher strain. This highlights the relation between the damage features and strain localisation and their effect on the progressive degradation in stiffness during high cycle fatigue (HCF) cycling.
Investigating the Retention of Solar Wind Implanted Helium-3 on the Moon from the Analysis of Multi-Wavelength Remote Sensing Data

The Moon has a large potential for space exploration and mining valuable resources. In particular, 3He provides rich sources of non-radioactive fusion fuel to fulfill cislunar and Earth’s energy demands, if found economically feasible. The present study focuses on developing advanced techniques to prospect 3He resources on the Moon from multi-sensor remote sensing perspectives. It characterizes optical changes in regolith materials due to space weathering as a new retention parameter and introduces a novel machine learning inversion model for retrieving the physical properties of the regolith. Our analysis suggests that the reddening of the soil predominantly governs the retention, along with attenuated mafic band depths. Moreover, semi-variograms show that the spatial variability of 3He is aligned with the episodic weathering events at different timescales. We also observed that pyroclastic regoliths with high dielectric constant and increased surface scattering mechanisms exhibited a 3He abundant region. For ejecta cover, the retention was weakly associated with the dielectric contrast and a circular polarization ratio (CPR), mainly because of the 3He-deficient nature of the regolith. Furthermore, cross-variograms revealed inherent cyclicity attributed to the sequential process of weathering effects. Our study provides new insights into the physical nature and near-surface alterations of lunar regoliths that influence the spatial distribution and retention of solar wind implanted 3He.
Range expansion of Phytophthora, particularly Phytophthora cinnamomi into colder environments: adaptation, a changing environment or both?

Alpine and sub-alpine regions were long considered free of Phytophthora species, especially Phytophthora cinnamomi due to restrictions on their growth from low temperatures. However, P. cinnamomi was isolated from a sub-alpine area ‘Barrington Tops National Park’ in the 1990s. Subsequent Australia wide surveys detected 68 Phytophthora species in Australia. Of these, 33 Phytophthora species, including P. cinnamomi, were detected in the alpine and sub-alpine areas on Kosciuszko National Park (KNP) alone. This suggested that Phytophthora species had adapted to cold environments. This project investigated the ability of Phytophthora species to produce infective propagules (zoospores) and cause disease at increasingly lower temperatures. Phytophthora cinnamomi was selected as a ‘test’ species due to its national and international significance. Initially, preliminary surveys were conducted in the sub-alpine and alpine areas of KNP and Tasmania to obtain living Phytophthora isolates. The lower temperature limit for growth and sporulation of Mediterranean (one isolate was from a sub-alpine area) P. cinnamomi isolates was determined and phenotypic plasticity experiments were established in an attempt to ‘train’ them to produce infective propagules and cause disease at increasingly lower temperatures. Finally, the distribution patterns of Phytophthora and vascular plants species in relation to disturbance and elevation were determined across elevation gradients in KNP. Preliminary surveys resulted in the isolation of eight Phytophthora species, including two new species that were formally described. Phytophthora cinnamomi was shown to produce infective propagules at temperatures lower (7.5 °C) than originally established (10 °C), and in a shorter time compared to original isolates when ‘trained’ under cold conditions. This suggests that P. cinnamomi responds rapidly to selection pressure and adapts to new environments. Although P. cinnamomi produced infective propagules at 7.5 °C, the pathogen could not be isolated from plants grown at 7.5 °C after three months. Therefore, more work is required to establish disease development at 7.5 °C and below. Results of surveys along elevation gradients showed Phytophthora and vascular plant species exhibited a linearly monotonic decline with increasing elevation on roads, but not in native vegetation. However, the elevation range of Phytophthora species was higher than vascular plants on both roads and in native vegetation. Phytophthora species did not show any habitat preference and exhibited similar composition and frequency on roads and in native vegetation; vascular plants showed the opposite trend with greater frequency in native vegetation. This suggests that Phytophthora richness at the plot level mimics that of vascular plants. A changing climate may permit invasion by other Phytophthora species not yet present.
Determination of Percent Body Fat Using 3D Whole Body Laser Scanning: A Preliminary Investigation

Abstract : The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of 3D whole body laser scanning technology to estimate body fat content. Percent body fat determined from current Army equations using manual and 3D laser scanning methods were compared to each other and to percent body fat obtained from Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA), used here as a reference method. Manual measurements of body lengths and circumferences, 3D whole body laser scans and DEXA scans were performed on fifty-one men and women age 18-62. Mean percent body fat was not statistically different between the three methods. Correlation coefficients (R) were moderately high with low standard errors (SEE) and Lin's (1989, 2000) concordance analyses revealed moderate to strong measurement agreement between the three methods. This preliminary study demonstrates that the novel application of 3D whole body laser scanning to determine percent body fat is in close agreement with percent body fat determined using both Army manual measurements and DEXA.
A new cryptic species of ground-dwelling Hemidactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from southern India

A new cryptic species of ground-dwelling Hemidactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from southern India. Recently collected specimens of a gecko resembling Hemidactylus reticulatus from northern Karnataka State in southwestern India led me to investigate variation in the species with regards to its morphology and molecular divergence. Results based on existing museum material, combined with molecular data for the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene support the presence of cryptic species within the broadly distributed H. reticulatus complex. Here, I describe a new species of Hemidactylus from northern Karnataka as the frst contribution in resolving the species complex. The integration of molecular and morphological data supports the distinctness of the new species described herein.
Exposure to occupational hazards among bakers and their coping mechanisms in Ghana

Abstract Abstract: Studies on the exposure to occupational hazards among bakers and the strategies they employ to control occupational hazards are lacking in Ghana. In this study, we aimed at examining the exposure to occupational hazards among bakers in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana and further explore their coping mechanisms. By employing a cross-sectional design, the study was conducted among 172 bakers in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. We found that the participants were exposed to different types of occupational hazards, including physical (noise, flour dust/smoke, fire, and high temperature), biological (mosquitoes, insects and rodents), psychosocial (stress, verbal abuse, and poor interpersonal relationship), chemical (chemicals in the local soap used to clean and wash napkins after baking), and ergonomic hazards (standing, sitting and bending repetitively). The health risks associated with exposure to the different forms of occupational hazards include rhinitis, excessive cough, irritation of the eye and wheezing, resulting in breathlessness, burns, scalds, dizziness and bodily pain (lower back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, pain in the hand and, muscle spasm and pain in the leg). The coping mechanisms employed to control occupational hazards comprise the use of a wooden and metallic peel to place and remove bread from the oven, use of peel to move excess fire from the oven, use of mosquito repellent and coil, rest breaks and staying hydrated. The findings of this study are therefore critical to informing policymakers in implementing occupational health and safety policies to safeguard the health of bakers in Ghana and other LMICs.