Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Regionalized Stochastic Rainfall Model for the Generation of High Resolution Data in Peninsular Malaysia

High resolution rainfall data is an important input for studies on hydrological systems. Often time synthetic data has to be generated in the absence of historical data. The stochastic Neyman Scott Rectangular Pulse (NSRP) model has been developed to produce synthetic data of high resolution. To take into account the spatial and temporal nature of rainfall, an extra domain had been added producing the Spatial Temporal NSRP (ST-NSRP) model. However these models require the repeat estimation of all the model parameters for each location. This work develops the Regionalized ST-NSRP model which produces a single model for a region. The regionalization approach is carried out by the station-year method using ten years (2001-2010) of records from sixteen stations. The statistical characteristics used in estimating the model’s parameters are hourly and daily coefficient of variation, hourly and daily lag one auto correlation, hourly cross correlation between sites and hourly skewness of rainfall series. Simulation process is conducted at two independent stations with distinctly different rainfall profile. The Regionalized ST-NSRP model produced statistical characteristics of the ungauged sites which matched those of the observed series fairly well even though there is a tendency to underestimate hourly covariance and lag one autocorrelation. Considering that spatial variability of rainfall is high within the studied region, this model is sufficiently robust in producing reasonable synthetic hourly rainfall series which captured the characteristics and pattern of observed rainfall series. Therefore the model has shown a promising potential in generating high resolution synthetic data for any ungauged site within the region.
Variability in nitrogen and phosphorus limitation for Baltic Sea phytoplankton during nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterial blooms

Baltic Sea phytoplankton responses during N 2 -fixing cyanobacterial blooms, dominated by Nodularia spp. , Aphanizomenon sp. , and Anabaena spp. , were studied using nutrient enrichment experiments. Nitrogen fixation, phytoplankton growth, primary productivity, and phytoplankton species' responses were investigated in areas representing open Baltic Sea water and Gulf of Finland water. Responses to additions of N, P, Fe, and the organic chelator EDTA were studied. Phytoplankton biomass and primary productivity were N, P, or N+P-limited. Phosphorus limitation was more prominent at the Gulf of Finland sites, where the dissolved inorganic-nitrogen to phosphorus (DIN:DIP) ratio was >16:1 during the study period. At the open sea sites, with DIN:DIP ratio <16:1, N limitation or N+P co-limitation prevailed. Phosphorus consistently stimulated N 2 fixation, and at times N 2 fixation and total N had a linear relationship with the initial PO 4 3 concentration added. At other times, the relationship was not clear, suggesting other limitations or controls for N 2 fixation. Occasionally, EDTA increased N 2 fixation, but Fe addition did not show a significant impact on phytoplankton biomass, productivity, or N 2 fixation. The chlorophyte Monoraphidium sp. , diatom Nitzschia spp. , and small flagellates (7.5 to 10 μm) were among the species that exhibited the fastest growth responses under replenishment of the limiting nutrient. The results suggest that high N availability, in relation to P, in the coastal areas in the Gulf of Finland acts to reduce the relative abundance of N 2 -fixing organisms. Phosphorus inputs into the upper-mixed layer in the open sea during bloom periods stimulate N 2 fixation, and act to maintain the cyanobacterial blooms.
Synthesis of graft copolymer of kappa-carrageenan using microwave energy and studies of swelling capacity, flocculation properties, and preliminary acute toxicity

Grafting of acrylamide (AAm) onto kappa-carrageenan (KC) was carried out using microwave irradiation in the presence of ammonium persulfate (APS) as initiator. The effect of reaction variables including the concentration of APS, AAm, and KC; time duration; and microwave power was studied. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were carried out to characterize the graft copolymer. The graft copolymer possesses slightly sensitive activities to external pH and shows reversible on--off switching swelling characteristics. Flocculation efficacy of the graft copolymer was studied in coal fine suspension toward potential application as a flocculent. The acute oral toxicity study of the graft copolymer was evaluated as per OECD guidelines. Mice administered the graft copolymer did not show anomalous behavior during the 14-day study. No mortality was observed during the 14 days following treatment with the graft copolymer.
Cumulative Load of Depressive Symptoms Is Associated With Cortisol Awakening Response in Very Old Age

This study examined links of cumulative and present depressive symptoms with present cortisol diurnal profiles in oldest-old adults. Five waves of data from 50 older adults (M age = 89.05 years; 64% women) who participated in the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing were used to combine 15 years of longitudinal data with seven cortisol samples per day over a one-week period. Findings revealed that individuals with more past depressive symptoms showed a lower cortisol awakening response (CAR). Interestingly, present depressive symptoms were not associated with the CAR. These findings inform our understanding of distal health factors in very old age.
MODELING AND CONTROL OF FLEXIBLE STRUCTURES WITH WEAKNESSES

The modeling and control of flexible structures with weaknesses is investigated. First a modular, computationally efficient, and numerically stable method is presented, which allows to obtain the dynamic model of a robot constituted by flexible links having variable cross-section and subjected to generic ending forces and torques and to the gravity actions. Then a variation to the assumed mode method is presented which allows to obtain the analytical model of a flexible robot and which results drastically more efficient, from a computational point of view, than the classic assumed modes method. Finally a methodology for trajectory planning in the workspace and for the robot control has been developed.
Efficacy and safety of oral atenolol for the treatment of infantile haemangioma: A systematic review

Recently, several studies have reported their experience in using oral atenolol in patients with infantile haemangioma (IH), especially as an alternative to propranolol, but the efficacy and safety of oral atenolol has not been evaluated. We searched PubMed (Medline), Central, Embase, Web of Science and EBSCOhost (until May 2018) for the eligible studies reporting more than 10 IH patients who were treated with oral atenolol with detailed original data, including outcomes, regimens and adverse events (AEs). The data was standardised and analysed by using R software with meta‐package. A total of 9 of 141 identified articles, including 341 infantile haemangioma patients treated with oral atenolol therapy, were included. The pooled response rate of atenolol was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.85–0.93), and the rebound rate was 0.11 (95% CI: 0.08–0.16). Among the 341 patients, 44 patients were switched to atenolol therapy from propranolol due to adverse events. The response rate of subsequent atenolol treatment was 90.9% (40/44). Regarding AEs, 141 patients reported 177 episodes of AEs, and the pooled rate was 0.26 (95% CI: 0.12–0.47). Gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g. constipation, diarrhoea and vomiting) were the most frequent AEs (22.6%). Widely known propranolol‐related AEs, including hypoglycaemia, bronchospasm, bradycardia and hypotension, were not recorded. Overall, atenolol appears to be an effective and safe therapy for the treatment of IH and may be a promising alternative to propranolol.
A Novel Compact Archimedean Spiral Antenna with Gap-Loading

A novel compact Archimedean spiral antenna with gap- loading is investigated in this paper. A circular frame sharing the same centre with the spiral elements introduces a capacitive gap. By adjusting the width of the gap and the width of the circular frame, the initial resonant frequency of the proposed antenna is shifted from 2.79 to 1.93 GHz. Compared with the traditional Archimedean spiral antenna with the same lowest operation frequency, the area of the proposed antenna can be reduced by more than 30simulated radiation pattern results.
Additively Manufactured CP-Ti (Grade 2) Single Strut Size Effect of Mechanical Response Under Building Direction

The open cell structure is commonly used in the medical device industry and consists of small struts connected to each other. Relatively new additive manufacturing technique “SLS” has been used in this study. This approach allows to create a sufficiently small specimens to represent each strut in a commercially available orthopaedic porous structure. Pure titanium Grade 2 (CP-Ti grade 2) powder has been used during the experiments because of higher resistance to corrosion and it is one of the most biocompatible metal. The mechanical response of each strut affects the general behaviour of the porous system which influences stress shielding and bone attachment. In this study, small strut size effect and building direction of mechanical response have been investigated in order to provide vital data for upcoming rhombic dodecahedron structure FEM research
Spatial analysis of North Sea cod recruitment: concurrent effects of changes in spawning stock biomass, temperature and herring abundance

The decline of the North Sea cod Gadus morhua has been attributed to both overfish- ing and ocean warming. However, another hypothesis is that overfishing of piscivorous cod has caused an increased abundance of formerly predatory-controlled pelagic fish including herring Clupea harengus, which in turn has suppressed the recruitment of cod through predation on the early life stages of cod. Here we analyze 40 yr of trawl survey data in order to explore how the abundance of young herring affects cod recruitment, and how cod biomass affects the abundance of herring. In both cases we also take into account the effects of spawner biomass (of cod and her- ring, respectively) and sea temperature. We take a novel, explicitly spatial, approach by analyzing these effects on a local (185 × 167 km) scale. Our results indicate large spatial variability in eco- logical mechanisms. In the German Bight, high cod recruitment is associated with low herring abundance, low temperatures and high overall cod spawner biomass. This area used to contain a large portion of the cod recruits, and there is a strong correlation between the fraction of cod recruits found in this area and overall recruitment. In this area, herring recruitment is also nega- tively associated with the abundance of large cod. Thus, for this part of the North Sea, our findings are consistent with a reversal of dominance between cod and herring; however, herring may affect the cod by competition rather than by predation.
Atmospheric degradation of 3-methylfuran: kinetic and products study

A study of the kinetics and products obtained from the reactions of 3-methylfuran with the main atmospheric oxidants has been performed. The rate coefficients for the gas-phase reaction of 3-methylfuran with OH and NO 3 radicals have been determined at room temperature and atmospheric pressure (air and N 2 as bath gases), using a relative method with different experimental techniques. The rate coefficients obtained for these reactions were (in units cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 ) k OH = (1.13 ± 0.22) × 10 −10 and k NO 3 = (1.26 ± 0.18) × 10 −11 . Products from the reaction of 3-methylfuran with OH, NO 3 and Cl atoms in the absence and in the presence of NO have also been determined. The main reaction products obtained were chlorinated methylfuranones and hydroxy-methylfuranones in the reaction of 3-methylfuran with Cl atoms, 2-methylbutenedial, 3-methyl-2,5-furanodione and hydroxy-methylfuranones in the reaction of 3-methylfuran with OH and NO 3 radicals and also nitrated compounds in the reaction with NO 3 radicals. The results indicate that, in all cases, the main reaction path is the addition to the double bond of the aromatic ring followed by ring opening in the case of OH and NO 3 radicals. The formation of 3-furaldehyde and hydroxy-methylfuranones (in the reactions of 3-methylfuran with Cl atoms and NO 3 radicals) confirmed the H-atom abstraction from the methyl group and from the aromatic ring, respectively. This study represents the first product determination for Cl atoms and NO 3 radicals in reactions with 3-methylfuran. The reaction mechanisms and atmospheric implications of the reactions under consideration are also discussed.
A Search for High-Mass Stars Forming in Isolation using CORNISH and ATLASGAL

Abstract Theoretical models of high-mass star formation lie between two extreme scenarios. At one extreme, all the mass comes from an initially gravitationally bound core. At the other extreme, the majority of the mass comes from cluster scale gas, which lies far outside the initial core boundary. One way to unambiguously show high-mass stars can assemble their gas through the former route would be to find a high-mass star forming in isolation. Making use of recently available CORNISH and ATLASGAL Galactic plane survey data, we develop sample selection criteria to try and find such an object. From an initial list of approximately 200 sources, we identify the high-mass star-forming region G13.384 + 0.064 as the most promising candidate. The region contains a strong radio continuum source, that is powered by an early B-type star. The bolometric luminosity, derived from infrared measurements, is consistent with this. However, sub-millimetre continuum emission, measured in ATLASGAL, as well as dense gas tracers, such as HCO+(3–2) and N2H+(3–2) indicate that there is less than ~ 100 M⊙ of material surrounding this star. We conclude that this region is indeed a promising candidate for a high-mass star forming in isolation.
Family Play-Learning: Some Learning Outcomes from Make-and-play Activities with Toys at a Science

This paper describes an initial attempt to chart family play-learning outcomes from make-and-play activities with traditional Thai toys. Family learning is a component of inter-generational learning, and we explore this through ‘edutainment’ activities within the informal educational system of a science museum. The study follows 55 families, including children, teenagers and adults, a total of 125 participants. We use a Toy Learning Outcomes Questionnaire (TLOQ) to study families’ learning outcomes from the traditional Thai toy activities at the National Science Museum, Thailand. TLOQ uses a four-point Likert-style scale to explore seven areas of interest: (i) knowledge and understanding; (ii) skills; (iii) attitudes and values; (vi) enjoyment, inspiration and creativity; (v) action, behaviour and progression; (vi) science learning, and (vii) attitude towards local Thai wisdom. Our agenda has been to detail these key areas of concern before discussing the fieldwork we have conducted at the National Science Museum, Thailand, after which we then draw summary conclusions.
Efficacy of Acrylic Splint in Management of Internal Derangement of Temperomandibular Joint

Occlusal splint plays a great role in the treatment of internal derangement of temporomandibular joint. Temporomandibular disorders affect 25 % of the population of the world. The purpose of the study was to elucidate the effectiveness of occlusal splint in reduction of pain, increase mouth opening, elimination of clicking sound. This randomized controlled clinical trial was done on 26 patients in two groups. Group A received occlusal splint and Group B received medications with supportive care. Monthly follow-up was done for a period of four months. In Group A and Group B, preoperative mean of mouth opening were 36.31 mm; and 39.77 mm. pain score 4.54 cm, clicking in 76.9% and 84.6% patients respectively. After 4 months of follow- up mouth opening 50.69 mm and 43.15 mm, pain score 0.154 cm and 0.69 cm, clicking 30.8% and 76.9% patients in both groups respectively. It may be conclude that the occlusal splint is highly efficient than medication and supportive care for managing of internal derangement of temporomandibular joint.
Design of error protection options for packet video services in ATM network

The error protection for video payload in an individual cell is provided by a CRC-10 code, while a high rate cyclic code is used for recovering of lost/errored cells. Based on the analysis in this paper, it is concluded that a high rate cyclic code combined with 4-bit cell sequence number provides a powerful capacity for recovering of lost/errored cells for packet video services in ATM environment.
Towards Essential Visual Variables in User Interface Design

—This paper focuses on visual variables in user interface design from the user perspective. Visual design of user interfaces is essential to users interacting with different software. The study is conducted with 3E-templates for users to express their impressions by writing and drawing regarding visual website design. The data is analyzed with qualitative content analysis through interpretation framework. The results of this study provide new insights into user-centered visual user interface design. The results indicate which are the most essential visual variables in user interface design and therefore should be emphasized in user-centered design that promotes positive UX and, thus, benefit user-centered visual UI design. The results of this study are beneficial for researchers in the field of visual aesthetics in human-computer interaction and to user interface designers.
Evolution of the Romanian Exports and Imports in the Context of the European Integration

The adhesion to the European Union in January 2007 induced significant changes in the Romania’s foreign trade. In the new circumstances, the Romanian firms have to face an increased competition, but they could also fructify the opportunities of the European single market. Other changes could occur in the next years, when Romania is expected to adhere to the Eurozone. This paper explores the Romanian exports and imports evolution, in relation with the changes generated by the European integration. Such an analysis is quite complex due to the relatively short period of time passed since the adhesion to the European Union. Moreover, the global crisis affected substantially both the exports and the imports. We search for the major structural transformation in the Romanian foreign trade by time series analysis.
RISK MEASURES ON P(R) AND VALUE AT RISK WITH PROBABILITY/LOSS FUNCTION

We propose a generalization of the classical notion of the V@Rλ that takes into account not only the probability of the losses, but the balance between such probability and the amount of the loss. This is obtained by defining a new class of law invariant risk measures based on an appropriate family of acceptance sets. The V@Rλ and other known law invariant risk measures turn out to be special cases of our proposal. We further prove the dual representation of Risk Measures on P(R) .
Alterations of Cardiorespiratory and Motor Profile of Paralympic 5-a-side Football Athletes during 14-Week In-Season Training

The aim of this study was to characterize the cardiorespiratory and motor performance characteristics of blind 5-a-side footballers from the Brazilian Paralympic Team. Seven male athletes were evaluated at before and after 14-week in-season training (weekly volume between 6.5 hours to 10.8 hours), through cardiorespiratory fitness test, Agility test (5x10), Running-based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST) and Standing Long Jump Test (SLJT). The VO2max ranged from 51.9 (±3.8) to 54.3 (±5.0) mL.kg-1.min-1.VO2 at ventilatory threshold ranged from 48.4 (±4.4) to 41.1 (±6.8) mL.kg-1.min-1. Heart rate at ventilatory threshold ranged from 94.7 (±2.3) to 89.9 (±3.7) bpm. Regarding motor performance the values of medium Power Output ranged from 442 (± 63) to 421.9 (±66) Watts and Fatigue Index ranged from 63.1 (±9.4) to 53.9 (±14.8) W/s. Overall, our results show that while the performance of these athletes is inferior to that of professional players, their cardiorespiratory and motor performance is superior to that typical of semi-professional futsal athletes and, this study which can potentially suggest and contribute to the prescription of future training programs.
Response of four woody species to salinity and water deficit in initial growth phase

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth of forest species under conditions of salinity and water deficit. The experimental design was completely randomized in a triple factorial scheme with four forest species (Neem - Azadirachta indica A. Juss, ‘Aroeira’ - Myracrodruon urundeuva Fr Allemão, ‘Ipê’ - Tabebuia impetiginosa (Mart. ex. DC.) Standl and ‘Sabiá’ - Mimosa caesalpiniifoliaBenth), two salinity levels (1.2 and 8.6 dS m-1) and two water regimes (with and without water restriction). Plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, shoot dry matter, root dry matter and total dry matter were measured. For all the studied variables, there was statistical significance for the factors species (A) and salinity (B), individually. However, water deficit (Factor C) and the interaction among factors (A x B x C) did not cause any statistical effect. The 50% reduction in water replacement for the four species studied was not enough to cause significant damage to plant growth, with a mean reduction in dry matter production lower than 10%. It was observed that the tolerance index found varied according to the imposition of the stresses, being caused mainly by salinity. Based on shoot dry matter production, the species Neem behaved as moderately tolerant, while the other species were moderately sensitive to salinity. The applied water deficit was not enough to intensify the effects of the salt stress under the conditions of the present study.
Bayesian analysis of retinotopic maps

Human visual cortex is organized into multiple retinotopic maps. Characterizing the arrangement of these maps on the cortical surface is essential to many visual neuroscience studies. Typically, maps are obtained by voxel-wise analysis of fMRI data. This method, while useful, maps only a portion of the visual field and is limited by measurement noise and subjective assessment of boundaries. We developed a novel Bayesian mapping approach which combines observation–a subject’s retinotopic measurements from small amounts of fMRI time–with a prior–a learned retinotopic atlas. This process automatically draws areal boundaries, corrects discontinuities in the measured maps, and predicts validation data more accurately than an atlas alone or independent datasets alone. This new method can be used to improve the accuracy of retinotopic mapping, to analyze large fMRI datasets automatically, and to quantify differences in map properties as a function of health, development and natural variation between individuals.