Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seasonal forecasting of hydrological drought in the Limpopo Basin: a comparison of statistical methods

Abstract. The Limpopo Basin in southern Africa is prone to droughts which affect the livelihood of millions of people in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Seasonal drought early warning is thus vital for the whole region. In this study, the predictability of hydrological droughts during the main runoff period from December to May is assessed using statistical approaches. Three methods (multiple linear models, artificial neural networks, random forest regression trees) are compared in terms of their ability to forecast streamflow with up to 12 months of lead time. The following four main findings result from the study. 1. There are stations in the basin at which standardised streamflow is predictable with lead times up to 12 months. The results show high inter-station differences of forecast skill but reach a coefficient of determination as high as 0.73 (cross validated). 2. A large range of potential predictors is considered in this study, comprising well-established climate indices, customised teleconnection indices derived from sea surface temperatures and antecedent streamflow as a proxy of catchment conditions. El Nino and customised indices, representing sea surface temperature in the Atlantic and Indian oceans, prove to be important teleconnection predictors for the region. Antecedent streamflow is a strong predictor in small catchments (with median 42 % explained variance), whereas teleconnections exert a stronger influence in large catchments. 3. Multiple linear models show the best forecast skill in this study and the greatest robustness compared to artificial neural networks and random forest regression trees, despite their capabilities to represent nonlinear relationships. 4. Employed in early warning, the models can be used to forecast a specific drought level. Even if the coefficient of determination is low, the forecast models have a skill better than a climatological forecast, which is shown by analysis of receiver operating characteristics (ROCs). Seasonal statistical forecasts in the Limpopo show promising results, and thus it is recommended to employ them as complementary to existing forecasts in order to strengthen preparedness for droughts.
The response of the coupled magnetosphere‐ionosphere‐thermosphere system to a 25% reduction in the dipole moment of the Earth's magnetic field

[1] The Earth's magnetic field changes in orientation and strength over time. We study the response of the magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system to a 25% reduction in magnetic field intensity, using the coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere (CMIT) model. Simulations were performed with a dipole moment of 8 × 1022 A m2, close to the present-day value, and a dipole moment of 6 × 1022 A m2, both under the same solar wind conditions, intermediate solar activity (F10.7 = 150), and for March equinox and June solstice. The 25% reduction in field strength causes the magnetosphere to shrink and the polar cap to expand, in agreement with theory. The Pedersen and the Hall ionospheric conductances increase by 50%–60% and 60%–65%, respectively. This causes a ∼9%–12% decrease in electric potential and a ∼20% increase in field-aligned currents during equinox. Ion E × B drift velocities are enhanced by ∼10%–15%. The Joule heating also increases, by 13%–30%, depending on the season. Changes in the neutral temperature structure are caused partly by changes in Joule heating and partly by changes in the neutral wind. The neutral wind itself is also affected by changes in neutral temperature and by changes in ion velocities. The changes in the neutral wind, together with changes in the vertical component of the E × B drift, affect the height of the ionospheric F2 layer. Changes in electron density are related to changes in the O/N2 ratio. The global mean increase in neutral temperature causes the thermosphere to expand, resulting in a global mean uplift of the ionosphere. These effects are generally smaller during solstice.
Methodology for the structural characterisation of Vx Oy species supported on silica under reaction conditions by means of in situ O K‐edge X‐ray absorption spectroscopy

A methodology and its application to silica supported vanadia are presented that allows for a detailed analysis of structural peculiarities of the vanadia species on the surface. We introduce in situ oxygen K‐edge X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) based on the Auger electron yield (AEY) technique as a characterisation tool to assist vibrational spectroscopy that has been applied extensively in earlier work on this system. The analysis of the O K‐near edge X‐ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) allows a clear distinction between separate vanadia, silica and interface contribution in contrast to vibrational spectroscopy with strongly overlapping contributions due to vibrational coupling. Differently coordinated oxygen can be identified in the O K‐NEXAFS spectrum by comparison with theoretical spectra obtained by state of the art density‐functional theory (DFT) calculation. A study of catalysts with different V loadings (0 wt% V, 2.7 wt% V, and 10.8 wt% V) shows that the contributions of silica to the NEXAFS appear in an energy region well separated from the spectral signature of oxygen bound to vanadium. Dehydrated catalysts with high (10.8 wt% V) and low (2.7 wt% V) vanadium loading on silica SBA‐15 show identical NEXAFS under in situ conditions. This finding indicates that independent of the loading a distribution of vanadia species with a very similar molecular structure, including non‐monomeric as well as possibly monomeric configurations and different from crystalline V2O5, is present on this model catalyst. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
3D Facial Morphological Analysis for Genetic Association Studies: A Preliminary Study

The genetic association of human facial morphological variation recently becomes a more and more active research field, which aims to quantitatively analyze the possible relation measure between the gene base and a kind of facial morphological variations. In this paper, we propose a general framework for analyzing facial morphology variation using scanned 3D landmarks, and explores the phenotype features of facial morphology for identifying population root of Japanese archipelago. The proposed framework mainly includes two steps: (1) registration and landmark correspondence, (2) statistical analysis of 3D facial morphological variation and population classification using facial morphological features. Both principal component analysis (PCA) and Mean Hyperplane are used for exploring the facial morphological variations. Experiments show that our proposed strategy can give promising identification performances between the Mainland Japanese and the Ryukyuan. Keywords—Facial morphology, Gene, Statistical learning, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Mean hyperplane, Registration, Landmark correspandence
From Zero to Hero? An Exploratory Study of the Predictors of Success in the Dutch Idols Competition

The successful television show Idols is set up around a talent competition where a large number of contestants compete to become the nation's next Pop Idol. Contestants are selected by expert judges and audience voting determines the competition's outcome. Scarce attention has yet been given to the influence of the contestants' personal characteristics on the outcome of the show. Based on findings from creativity research and career psychology, we explore what individual characteristics predict success within the Dutch Idols competition. A sample of audition contestants (n = 369) and contestants who entered the final rounds (n = 27) completed our survey. We conclude that successful contestants are characterized by higher levels of musical socialization and insecurity, lower levels of intrinsic motivation, more experience in performing and a higher self-evaluation of appearance. We argue that the concept of “preparedness” explains the majority of our findings: those contestants who survive the first selection rounds are not the ones that start from zero.
Anthropometric Measurements in Adolescent Students: A Comparison among Three Ethnic Groups Living in North-Central Nigeria

Weight and height measurements together with Body Mass Index (BMI) are commonly used anthropometric measurements for the estimation of relative weight, which has a direct relationship with nutritional status, and for the classification of individuals as underweight, normal, overweight or obese. A randomized cross-sectional study of 1,057 adolescent students from three different ethnic groups living in Katsina-Ala town, North-Central Nigeria, was conducted. The students were aged 10-19 years, and were divided into two age groups: 10-14 years and 15-19 years. The two groups were later separated by gender into male and female subgroups. The One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to assess if the differences observed across the age, gender and ethnic groups were statistically significant. Further statistical testing was carried out using the Tukey-Kramer Multiple Comparisons Test. The results showed extremely significant differences, with P-Values up to ≤ 0.0001 amongst the various groups, in weight, height and BMI. Keywords: anthropometric measurements, adolescents, body mass index, ethnic groups, Katsina-Ala.
Determination Of Survival And Resistance To Acidity As Probiotic Potential Of Infant And Calf Faecal Bifidobacteria

Viability and survive of bifidobacteria strains under acidic environnement are the most important criteria for selection as probiotic. Twelve bifidobacterial strains isolated from calves faecal and eight from infant faecal during the milk-feeding period were tested for viability and resistance to acidity. These viability of bifidobacteria were examined at 0,7,14 and 21 days when the counts were variable, ranging between 5 to 6.5 log cfu/ml.Specific growth rate(μ) and generation time of Bifidobacterium strains were determined. Acid tolerance was determined by introducing the strains of Bifidobacterium in skimmed milk at pH=4.3 and enumerating during storage at 4°C.All strains showed ability to resist under SGF and bile salt but BC are more resistance and showed superior survival abilities and resistance to acidity than BI strains. Our result suggest that strains resistant to acidity seem to be suitable for food and biotechnological industry.
Island tameness and the repeatability of flight initiation distance in a large herbivore

Antipredator behaviours can be lost relatively quickly in populations that are relieved of predation, as is known for several species inhabiting islands. Flight initiation distance (FID) is often studied in the context of island tameness; however, little is known about the factors that influence and maintain FID variation in predation-free populations. Here, we studied FID in foals of an isolated predator-free population of feral horses (Equus caballus L., 1758) on Sable Island, Canada, to determine if FID could be used for research on consistent individual differences in risk aversion and island tameness. In addition to testing for temporal, spatial, and sex effects on FID, we compared repeatability estimates at two temporal scales (within and among days). Similar FID for measurements obtained on the same day and for males and females indicated an absence of short-term desensitization and sex effects. In contrast, FID decreased for measurements made on subsequent days and from east to west, which could r.
Towards a common theory of explanation for artificial and biological intelligence

Much of the confusion that occurs when working at the intersection of cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and neuroscience stems from disagreement about what it means to explain intelligence. I claim that to integrate these fields, we must reconcile their different theories of explanation. I briefly review theories of scientific explanation in neuroscience and recontextualize the stated views of several prominent cognitive computational neuroscientists in terms of the theories of explanation they espouse. Finally, I describe some of the challenges of forging a new theory of explanation that would apply equally to artificial and biological intelligence. As a first step towards an integration of research on biological and artificial intelligence, my goal in writing this paper is to equip scientists of intelligence to interrogate and justify the theories of explanation that underlie their definitions of scientific progress.
Processing and performance of topobathymetric lidar data for geomorphometric and morphological classification in a high-energy tidal environment

Abstract. The transition zone between land and water is difficult to map with conventional geophysical systems due to shallow water depth and often challenging environmental conditions. The emerging technology of airborne topobathymetric light detection and ranging (lidar) is capable of providing both topographic and bathymetric elevation information, using only a single green laser, resulting in a seamless coverage of the land–water transition zone. However, there is no transparent and reproducible method for processing green topobathymetric lidar data into a digital elevation model (DEM). The general processing steps involve data filtering, water surface detection and refraction correction. Specifically, the procedure of water surface detection and modelling, solely using green laser lidar data, has not previously been described in detail for tidal environments. The aim of this study was to fill this gap of knowledge by developing a step-by-step procedure for making a digital water surface model (DWSM) using the green laser lidar data. The detailed description of the processing procedure augments its reliability, makes it user-friendly and repeatable. A DEM was obtained from the processed topobathymetric lidar data collected in spring 2014 from the Knudedyb tidal inlet system in the Danish Wadden Sea. The vertical accuracy of the lidar data is determined to ±8 cm at a 95 % confidence level, and the horizontal accuracy is determined as the mean error to ±10 cm. The lidar technique is found capable of detecting features with a size of less than 1 m2. The derived high-resolution DEM was applied for detection and classification of geomorphometric and morphological features within the natural environment of the study area. Initially, the bathymetric position index (BPI) and the slope of the DEM were used to make a continuous classification of the geomorphometry. Subsequently, stage (or elevation in relation to tidal range) and a combination of statistical neighbourhood analyses (moving average and standard deviation) with varying window sizes, combined with the DEM slope, were used to classify the study area into six specific types of morphological features (i.e. subtidal channel, intertidal flat, intertidal creek, linear bar, swash bar and beach dune). The developed classification method is adapted and applied to a specific case, but it can also be implemented in other cases and environments.
On Improving SPARQL Information Retrieval System for Semantic Internet of Things Applications

Due to the huge volume of information and knowledge derived from IoT devices, it will be hard to explore all knowledge coming from these devices. The semantic ontology-based descriptions with the semantic web are one of the most interesting ways to extract the required knowledge. However, the information retrieval typically made by the SPARQL querying language stills hard to write correct queries from what the users need as knowledge to extract. It needs a deep knowledge of the semantic information system structure. In this paper, we have developed a new correction and relaxation approach based on structural semantic similarity measure to overcome the semantic errors in SPARQL queries. This approach is applied to semantic information systems using OWL and RDF ontologies which are related to IoT applications. To achieve the efficiency of our proposal, we have developed a SPARQL querying tools. According to the queries made on IoT applications, our approach performs best results regarding the precision of the answer to these queries
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEVEL OF SERVICE QUALITY IN THE ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AND STUDENT’S RETENTION: A CASE STUDY ON CITY UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF AJMAN, (CUCA)

The purpose of this paper is to measure and test the relationship between service quality of the academic institutions and student's retention. In addition to, determine the main elements that effect on service quality of the academic institutions. This paper is focused on the student's retention of City University College in Ajman as a case study. The results showed that the students are satisfied with the services at City University College of Ajman, mean, there is the high quality of teaching, effective academic courses, and the library meets the student's needs. The management also supports and cooperate students there. Moreover, the results showed that students are satisfied with university environment and they will transfer a positive image of their friends with / of, which means the reputation of the university is high. The results showed that all hypothesis have been accepted , in addition to , the study showed there is a positive and high relationship between service quality in the academic institutions and student's retention, which mean that if the services in any academic institution do not meet student's perception and satisfaction, this will affect negatively on the student's retention. Moreover, students will transfer a negative image of the others and may be looking to find another university to study. The study recommends developing innovative tools and strategies in order to deliver high quality of services in all academic institutions in order to retain students there.
Quantifying the changing properties of climate extremes in Guangdong Province using individual and integrated climate indices

The temporal and spatial trends of four climate extreme indices for Guangdong Province of China were calculated based on observed daily precipitation, daily maximum, and daily minimum temperatures at 24 weather stations as well as the frequency of typhoon events during the period of 1957–2013. An integrated extreme climatic index (IECI) was derived from four individual climate extreme indices (high temperature days (Htd), low temperature days (Ltd), intensive precipitation days (Ipd) and number of typhoon events (TT)), considering their weights using an information theory model. A simple linear regression model was utilized to analyze the spatiotemporal trends of the climate extremes. The correlation analysis between the above extreme climatic indices and the socioeconomic losses [affected area of crops (AAC), direct losses of the economy (DLE), and affected population (AP)] was calculated. The results indicate that Htd increased while Ltd decreased significantly at the 5% significance level. By contrast, there were no significant long‐term changes in Ipd and TT. The rate of change of IECI was 0.006 per decade and no long‐term trend was detected in IECI. Spatially, a positive trend was observed in the Yuexi River Basin (YXRB) for Ipd, while a negative trend was found in the East River Basin (ERB). Ltd followed an opposite spatial pattern to that of Htd. Extreme temperature days occurred more frequently in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) than in other parts of Guangdong Province. Regions with positive IECI rates of change were mostly in the YXRB, the coastal area of the Yuedong River Basin (YDRB) and the northern and southern part of the ERB. The correlation coefficients between IECI and AAC, DLE, and AP are 0.375, 0.424 and 0.603, respectively. In general, IECI correlated more strongly with the loss indices caused by extreme climatic events than did the four individual extreme climatic indices.
Motion level in Graphosoma lineatum coincides with ontogenetic change in defensive colouration

Crypsis and aposematism are two different approaches to predation avoidance. Theoretically, the chosen strategy depends on the prevailing possibilities and constraints to the animal. Consequently, insects often change strategy between life stages, but a switch in strategy within a life stage is quite uncommon. In the Swedish shieldbug, Graphosoma lineatum L. (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), there is a colour change from the pre‐hibernating to the post‐hibernating adults that alters their protective strategy from effective crypsis to aposematism, although both stages are distasteful to predators. The change in colour occurs as there is a shift of seasons, which alters the environmental background. Here, we investigate whether there is a change in behaviour in G. lineatum connected to the change in colouration and protective strategy. We therefore measured the motion levels in the two different colour forms of G. lineatum, both in the field and in a more controlled laboratory set up. Our result clearly shows that there is a change in behaviour connected to the change in colour. Thus, we found that the cryptic pre‐hibernation form has a significantly lower motion level than the aposematic post‐hibernation form, which is in line with the fact that motion disrupts crypsis, but not aposematism.
Modeling and Control of Diabetes: Towards the Artificial Pancreas

Abstract The paper offers a survey of some major simulation and control issues associated with the development of an Artificial Pancreas. The main topics include the role of large-scale simulation models used to carry out in silico trials, the discussion of the specific features of the glucose control problem, the layered architecture of the artificial pancreas, and the controller tuning strategies adopted to achieve individualization of the glucose control algorithm.
NUMERICAL STUDY OF UNSTEADY BREAKING WAVES INDUCED BY A SUBMERGED HYDROFOIL AT STEADY FORWARD SPEED

In this work we analyse the features unsteady breaking of two dimensional free surface waves induced by a submerged hydrofoil at steady forward speed. The study is conducted by means of numerical simulations with OpenFOAM: interFoam and swenseFoam solvers being used as a computational framework for the free-surface treatment with the Volume Of Fluid (VOF) and Level Set (LS) techniques respectively. Due to the strongly unsteady behaviour of the flow, the interest is here focused on the spectral content of the free surface elevation. The results from two interface-capturing methods, VOF and LS are discussed and compared with experimental data from the literature. The influence of the turbulence models on the free surface shape and spectral content is also discussed. The final goal of the entire research work is the simulation of complex two-phase flows for robust and fast engineering applications in the ship hydrodynamics and wave loads fields, including wave breaking phenomena.
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy ( FTIR ) profiling of red pigment produced by Bacillus subtilis PD 5

Pigments play an important role in physiological and molecular processes such as photosynthesis, survival to oxidative damage and resistance to ultra violet radiation in microorganisms. This study isolated and characterized pigment produced by Bacillus subtilis PD5 from soil sample of rice field. The pigment was extracted using three solvent system, namely, methanol, n-hexane and ethyl acetate. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) technique was used for pigment characterization, while beta carotene was taken as standard. The molecular identification of bacterial strain was done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Sequence was submitted to National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database with accession number KY306687. Sequence analysis showed that the PD5 bacterial strain which produce red pigment is a novel strain of B. subtilis with 98 to 99% similarity. FTIR analysis of extracted red pigment showed similarity with beta carotene, indicating that the pigment is a derivative of carotenoid.