Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A new paradigm for intensity modification of tropical cyclones: Thermodynamic impact of vertical wind shear on the inflow layer

Abstract. An important roadblock to improved intensity forecasts for tropical cyclones (TCs) is our incomplete understanding of the interaction of a TC with the environmental flow. In this paper we re-visit the canonical problem of a TC in vertical wind shear on an f-plane. A suite of numerical experiments is performed with intense TCs in moderate to strong vertical shear. We employ a set of simplified model physics – a simple bulk aerodynamic boundary layer scheme and "warm rain" microphysics – to foster better understanding of the dynamics and thermodynamics that govern the modification of TC intensity. In all experiments the TC is resilient to shear but significant differences in the intensity evolution occur. The ventilation of the TC core with dry environmental air at mid-levels and the dilution of the upper-level warm core are two prevailing hypotheses for the adverse effect of vertical shear on storm intensity. Here we propose an alternative and arguably more effective mechanism how cooler and drier (lower θe) air – "anti-fuel" for the TC power machine – can enter the core region of the TC. Strong and persistent, shear-induced downdrafts flux low θe air into the boundary layer from above, significantly depressing the θe values in the storm's inflow layer. Air with lower θe values enters the eyewall updrafts, considerably reducing eyewall θe values in the azimuthal mean. When viewed from the perspective of an idealised Carnot-cycle heat engine a decrease of storm intensity can thus be expected. Although the Carnot cycle model is – if at all – only valid for stationary and axisymmetric TCs, a close association of the downward transport of low θe into the boundary layer and the intensity evolution offers further evidence in support of our hypothesis. The downdrafts that flush the boundary layer with low θe air are tied to a quasi-stationary, azimuthal wave number 1 convective asymmetry outside of the eyewall. This convective asymmetry and the associated downdraft pattern extends outwards to approximately 150 km. Downdrafts occur on the vortex scale and form when precipitation falls out from sloping updrafts and evaporates in the unsaturated air below. It is argued that, to zero order, the formation of the convective asymmetry is forced by frictional convergence associated with the azimuthal wave number 1 vortex Rossby wave structure of the outer-vortex tilt. This work points to an important connection between the thermodynamic impact in the near-core boundary layer and the asymmetric balanced dynamics governing the TC vortex evolution.
An alternative approach to estimate the wage returns to private-sector training

This paper follows an alternative approach to identify the wage effects of private-sector training. The idea is to narrow down the comparison group by only taking into consideration the workers who wanted to participate in training but did not do so because of some random event. This makes the comparison group increasingly similar to the group of participants in terms of observed individual characteristics and the characteristics of (planned) training events. At the same time, the point estimate of the average return to training consistently drops from a large and significant return to a point estimate close to zero. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Has dyke development in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta shifted flood hazard downstream

Abstract. In the Vietnamese part of the Mekong Delta (VMD) the areas with three rice crops per year have been expanded rapidly during the last 15 years. Paddy-rice cultivation during the flood season has been made possible by implementing high-dyke flood defenses and flood control structures. However, there are widespread claims that the high-dyke system has increased water levels in downstream areas. Our study aims at resolving this issue by attributing observed changes in flood characteristics to high-dyke construction and other possible causes. Maximum water levels and duration above the flood alarm level are analysed for gradual trends and step changes at different discharge gauges. Strong and robust increasing trends of peak water levels and duration downstream of the high-dyke areas are found with a step change in 2000/2001, i.e. immediately after the disastrous flood which initiated the high-dyke development. These changes are in contrast to the negative trends detected at stations upstream of the high-dyke areas. This spatially different behaviour of changes in flood characteristics seems to support the public claims. To separate the impact of the high-dyke development from the impact of the other drivers – i.e. changes in the flood hydrograph entering the Mekong Delta, and changes in the tidal dynamics – hydraulic model simulations of the two recent large flood events in 2000 and 2011 are performed. The hydraulic model is run for a set of scenarios whereas the different drivers are interchanged. The simulations reveal that for the central VMD an increase of 9–13 cm in flood peak and 15 days in duration can be attributed to high-dyke development. However, for this area the tidal dynamics have an even larger effect in the range of 19–32 cm. However, the relative contributions of the three drivers of change vary in space across the delta. In summary, our study confirms the claims that the high-dyke development has raised the flood hazard downstream. However, it is not the only and not the most important driver of the observed changes. It has to be noted that changes in tidal levels caused by sea level rise in combination with the widely observed land subsidence and the temporal coincidence of high water levels and spring tides have even larger impacts. It is recommended to develop flood risk management strategies using the high-dyke areas as retention zones to mitigate the flood hazard downstream.
Recruitment in Social Network Sites: The Interplay Between Usefulness and Risks in Explaining Jobseekers' Intentions

Employers are increasingly turning to social networking sites (SNSs) to find candidates for their workforce or to gather intelligence about potential employees. However, apart from assessing the extent to which human resource professionals scan SNSs for information about job candidates, research on online recruitment in the context of SNSs is almost non-existent. In this study, we are investigating predictors of jobseekers’ intentions to apply for jobs in the context of SNSs. We propose a model that integrates classic technology adoption/utilization theories with salient factors such as privacy concerns that have increased in significance with the growing use of SNSs as an online recruitment source. This study will make a methodological and theoretical contribution to information systems research with the validation of the proposed model and associated scales in the online social computing context. It will also have practical implications for SNSs offering recruitment services; recruiters/potential employers; and jobseekers.
Does Total Risk Matter? The Case of Emerging Markets

This paper examines the relationships between market risk premiums, time-varying variance and covariance in forty-eight emerging, and seven developed capital markets. We allow each market’s risk premium generating process to be state-dependent by accounting for negative and positive market price of variance and covariance risk. We find that half of the emerging markets exhibit reward to world variance while for the other half are only sensitive to local risk factors. We also find evidence of a negative relationship between reward to local risk and reward to world risk. Accordingly, the relative importance of one reward versus the other depends on the ever-changing correlation with the world market. Finally, we show that correlation is not a factor that explains reward to local risk in few segmented capital markets.
Heavy Metals in Liver of the Franciscana Dolphin, Pontoporia blainvillei, from the Southern Coast of Buenos Aires, Argentina

The present study shows the considerable concentrations of heavy metals found in the liver of franciscana dolphins (n=24) by-caught between 2001 and 2007 in four localities of Buenos Aires province. Concentration of heavy metals such as Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd and Ni were manifested in the four assessed localities, yet Cr was only detected in one of them, Necochea city. Differences according localities (Necochea and Claromeco) were found for Zn, Ni, Pb and Cu concentration. It was found that Cd concentrations were significantly different between maturity stages, yet positive correlated with age, total length and body weight. A positive correlation between Ni-Cd and a negative between Cu-Ni concentrations were registered. Based on these results, it is feasible to conclude that, not only the area of origin, but also total length, age and mainly the feeding habit, have taken part of this heavy metals accumulation in franciscana dolphins’ liver. Keywords: Argentina, Buenos Aires, franciscana, heavy metals, Pontoporia blainvillei.
On the Sato-Segal-Wilson solutions of the K-dV equation

On etudie la classe des solutions de l'equation de Korteweg-De Vries trouvee par Sato, Segal et Wilson. On relie cette classe de solutions aux proprietes des m-fonctions de Weyf et de l'exposant de Floquet pour l'equation de Schrodinger aleatoire
The Economic Case for Cyberinsurance

We present three economic arguments for cyberinsurance. First, cyberinsurance results in higher security investment, increasing the level of safety for information technology (IT) infrastructure. Second, cyberinsurance facilitates standards for best practices as cyberinsurers seek benchmark security levels for risk management decision-making. Third, the creation of an IT security insurance market redresses IT security market failure resulting in higher overall societal welfare. We conclude that this is a significant theoretical foundation, in addition to marketbased evidence, to support the assertion that cyberinsurance is the preferred market solution to managing IT security risks. THE ECONOMIC CASE FOR CYBERINSURANCE Jay P. Kesan* Ruperto P. Majuca** William J. Yurcik*** *College of Law; **Department of Economics; ***National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Women and Budget Deficits

If women have different economic preferences than men, then female economic and political empowerment is likely to change policy and household decisions, and in turn macroeconomic outcomes. We test the hypothesis that female enfranchisement leads to lower government budget deficits due gender differences in preferences over fiscal outcomes. Estimating the impact of women's vote on budget deficits in a differences-in-differences regression for Swiss cantonal panel data, we find that including women in the electorate reduces average per capita budget deficits by a statistically significant amount.
Role of Lean Manufacturing on Organization Competitiveness

This paper focuses on an empirical and theoretical understanding of lean manufacturing as a general solution to effective operations management in an organization through applications of its elements such as Just-in-time, higher efficiency manufacturing through the principle of 'continuous product flow', Continuous improvement of processes along the entire value chain and setting up of multi-functional and multi-skilled teams at all levels to achieve its goals. The redesign of the production floor such that a product is manufactured progressively from one workstation to another with minimal waiting time and handling operations between stations has been the main objective of many organizations today however lack of proper understanding of lean concept and its application has resulted to redundancy in many organization activities. This paper illustrates the role that lean manufacturing play today in our organizations in facilitating operations and hence production flow, maximizing profit, meeting customers’ expectations and being competitive, with minimal or no waste. Finally implementation of lean manufacturing practices should support the company business strategy and be in line with the corporate vision, mission, values and plans including communication and evaluation plans to build employee buy-in and communicate results. This will eventually improve overall organization performance and cultivate a closer customer relationship. Key words: Lean manufacturing, Just in Time, Value, Continuous improvement, Total Quality Management
Quantifying Poverty Temporal Changes in Association with Rural Transition in Guangxi, China

Poverty is a social problem in developing countries, especially for the rural places experiencing rapid transition. This study characterizes the temporal changes of rural poverty under rural transition during 1991–2010 in Guangxi. In particular, poverty is measured by the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke method, and rural transition is described from three aspects including rural industrialization, regional urbanization, and agriculture commercialization. Relationships are quantified by multivariate linear regression. Results reveal that industry income proportion (IIP) and secondary industry proportion (SIP) are positive contributors to the poverty incidence, while urban-rural income gap (URIG) is a negative contributor to the poverty incidence. Industrial total output of township and village enterprises (ITOE), IIP, and grain commercialization rate (GCR) present positive correlation with the poverty depth. The URIG has a negative correlation with the poverty depth. Tertiary industry proportion (TIP) and expenditure on fixed productive assets per capita (EFPA) are positively correlated with the poverty severity, while URIG and power of agricultural machinery (PAM) associate with poverty severity negatively. Redundancy analysis shows that individual influence of rural industrialization is higher than that of regional urbanization and agriculture commercialization. The joint influences of rural industrialization, regional urbanization, and agriculture commercialization are the strongest.
Genetics and dynamics of a Carabus auronitens metapopulation in the Westphalian Lowlands (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

In the Westphalian Lowlands (NW Germany), the carabid beetle Carabus auronitens inhabits forests and semi-natural (secondary) woods. Southwest of the city of Munster the frequencies of two alleles of an esterase-encoding gene (Est-1) change continuously by about 90% over a distance of 20 km. Within this cline several local populations, that are only a few hundred meters apart, differ significantly, suggesting that the evolution of the cline is a rather recent event. We propose the following hypotheses to explain these observations: (1) C. auronitens survived the period of nearly complete anthropogenic destruction of woodlands (during Middle Ages and early Modern Times) in the region southwest of Munster in a few small isolated populations; (2) in these refugia, the allele frequencies shifted by random drift in opposite direction (neutrality of the esterase genotypes against selection is supposed); (3) after semi-natural woods had regenerated and forests had grown up the refugial populations expanded and fused to a large metapopulation. We suggest that the cline observed in the Est-1 alleles reflects the continuous dynamics of the newly founded metapopulation. It is shown that in C. auronitens both population growth rates and individual dispersal ability seem to be high enough for an expansion over relatively large distances within a relatively short period.
MEASUREMENT OF DILATION OF ROOT CROPS

A dilation measurement device for root crops was developed. The device directly measures the dilation of root crops under the soil with a contact-type linear displacement sensor. The amount of dilation was continuously recorded every 60 minutes in the device's voltage loggers. This device can be installed between plants and it operates for about one year without any external power supply. The measurement resolution is less than 0.1 mm. To investigate the measurement performance of the developed device, the dilation of a tap root of a sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) and a potato tuber (Solanum tuberosum L.) was measured with the device. The sugar beet was measured for 84 days and the potato was measured for 29 days. Experimental results showed a small error margin which indicates the possibility of practical applications for both the sugar beet and the potato. It was observed that dilation speed increases after rainfall and dilation halted at harvest time. It is hypothesized that data obtained from the developed device contribute to the clarification of a growth characteristic, allowing a highly precise prediction of the yield and the reduction of growth investigation cost.
Radial Electric Field Measurements in Reversed Shear Plasmas

Measurements of the radial electric field have been obtained on the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor utilizing the motional Stark effect diagnostic. A large negative excursion in the radial electric field occurs before the transition to the enhanced reversed magnetic shear mode. The electric field is localized to a narrow spatial region and is not observed in discharges without the transition to improved confinement. Concomitant with the radial electric field excursion is a change in the measured impurity poloidal rotation velocity and bursts of magnetic fluctuations. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
EMPIRICAL TEST OF CONDITIONAL CAPM USING EXPECTED RETURNS OF BRAZILIAN, ARGENTINEAN, GERMAN AND UNITED STATES OF AMERICAN PORTFOLIO

In the last decades, CAPM model has been of great interest in the scientific scene. Despite all the criticism, the improvement of the static CAPM, which has generated new dynamic models, provided investors with stronger guarantee through financial transactions. The CAPM and its static version were and are still very important in the financial scene. Nowadays, more sophisticated adaptations of the CAPM are found, which allow us to explain some matters in finance that had remained unqualified for a couple of time. Considering such discussion about the CAPM validity, this study aims to create a basis for reflection upon the conditional model, comparing it with the static one. In order to verify such facts, tests of conditional models are examined (with beta varying throughout the exercise), something uncommonly studied in the literature. Such tests are suitable to incorporate variances and covariance that change at long run. Methodological wise, the study tested the conditional CAPM model borrowing a leaf from Jagannathan and Wang (1996) using macroeconomics and financial variables from the Brazilian, German and Argentinean markets. Also, the approach compared such results with the American figures. Based on our findindings, there is evidence that the conditional CAPM of Jagannathan and Wang (1996) for the North American market is perfectly applicable to the Brazilian, Argentinean and German markets.
Reducing the overheads of hardware acceleration through datapath integration

Hardware accelerators are used to speed up execution of specific tasks such as video coding. Often the purpose of hardware acceleration is to be able to use a cheaper or, for example, more energy economical processor for executing the majority of the application in software. However, when using hardware acceleration, new overheads are produced mainly due to the need to transfer data to and from the accelerator and signaling the readiness of the accelerator computation to the processor. We find the traditional mechanisms suboptimal for fine-grain hardware acceleration, especially when energy efficiency is important. This paper explores a technique unique to Transport Triggered Architectures to interface with hardware accelerators. The proposed technique places hardware accelerators to the processor data path, making them visible as regular function units to the programmer. This way communication costs are reduced as data can be transferred directly to the accelerator from other processor data path components and synchronization can be done by polling a simple ready flag in the accelerator function unit. Additionally, this setup enables the instruction scheduler of the compiler to schedule the hardware accelerator like any other operation, thus partially hide its latency with other program operations. The paper presents a case study with an audio decoder application in which fine-grain and coarse-grain hardware accelerators are integrated to the processor data path as function units. The case is used to study several different synchronization, communication, and latency-hiding techniques enabled by this kind of setup.
Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises , Volume 23 , 1996 DILEMMA-DILEMMA : AN EXERCISE FOR TEACHING SIGNIFICANCE OF COMMUNICATION

The significance of effective communication for managerial success and organizational performance is well documented in the organizational behavior and interpersonal communication literature. It is, however, difficult for a teacher to demonstrate such significance in a meaningful way to the students with the use of data and lecture alone. The exercise Dilemma-Dilemma is designed to create a lasting impression on students’ minds about the importance of communication and its implications for interpersonal relationships. The exercise builds on the existing classic exercises such as Prisoner’s Dilemma and World Bank Negotiations. Its superiority over the classic exercises lies in the fact that it relates the activity to a business scenario to which business students and practicing managers can relate more easily. In addition to providing the exercise and discussion questions, the paper also provides reactions of managers who have been participants in this exercise.
User interaction experiences on the touchscreen mobile device

The touchscreen mobile phone has totally shifted the interaction experiences of the users, as the touchscreen tremendously popularized, this thesis was focused to figure out what are the general user experiences existed and what are the factors that enhanced or affected those experiences, since the information could provide valuable suggestion on the further development and the developer to create more user friendly touchscreen applications. The general approach of the research is inductive research, in which the research gave theoretical finding base on the different raw data from the user. In-depth interview was held in order to gather the needed user feeling, while the final conclusion was summarized and organized by using coding techniques.
Noisy News in Business Cycles

In a situation where agents can only observe a noisy signal of the shock to future economic fundamentals, SVAR models can still be successfully employed to estimate the shock and the associated impulse response functions. Identification is reached by means of dynamic rotations of the reduced form residuals. We use our identification approach to investigate the role of the "noise" shock the component of the signal observed by agents which is unrelated to economic fundamentals as a source of business cycle fluctuations. We find that noise shocks generate hump-shaped responses of GDP, consumption and investment and account for about a third of their prediction error variance at business cycle horizons.