Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evapotranspiration partitioning using an optimality-based ecohydrological model in a semiarid shrubland

ABSTRACT Partitioning of evapotranspiration (ET) into biological component transpiration (T) and non-biological component evaporation (E) is crucial in understanding the impact of environmental change on ecosystems and water resources. However, direct measurement of transpiration is still challenging. In this paper, an optimality-based ecohydrological model named Vegetation Optimality Model (VOM) is applied for ET partitioning. The results show that VOM model can reasonably simulate ET and ET components in a semiarid shrubland. Overall, the ratio of transpiration to evapotranspiration is 49% for the whole period. Evaporation and plant transpiration mainly occur in monsoon following the precipitation events. Evaporation responds immediately to precipitation events, while transpiration shows a lagged response of several days to those events. Different years demonstrate different patterns of T/ET ratio dynamic in monsoon. Some of the years show a low T/ET ratio at the beginning of monsoon and slowly increased T/ET ratio. Other years show a high level of T/ET ratio for the whole monsoon. We find out that spring precipitation, especially the size of the precipitation, has a significant influence on the T/ET ratio in monsoon.
A North‐South Contrast of Subsurface Salinity Anomalies in the Northwestern Pacific From 2002 to 2013

This paper finds a north‐south contrast of subsurface salinity trend during 2002–2013 in the northwestern Pacific. Both Argo float data and long‐term repeat hydrographic measurements along the 137°E section show that salinity anomalies along the isopycnals of 24.5–25.4 kg/m exhibit a pronounced decreasing trend north of 15°N and an increasing trend south of 15°N. We perform a quantitative analysis based on satellite‐derived data and a qualitative analysis that used a lower‐order isopyncal salinity model that represents key balance terms (i.e., evaporation E, precipitation P, and wind forcing advection). Both of the analyses consistently show that the subsurface salinity anomalies in the north and south of 15°N are induced by different physical processes. Fresher surface waters in the northwestern subtropical outcrop region due to an excess freshwater supply (E− P < 0) contribute to the freshening of subsurface waters north of 15°N. In contrast, saltier surface waters in the northeastern subtropical subduction region induced by a deficit of freshwater (E − P > 0) and anomalous ocean circulation associated with the recent accelerated trade winds of the tropical Pacific cause the saltiness of subsurface waters south of 15°N. The results imply that the salinity north‐south contrast may play an important role in changing ocean thermocline structure and upper ocean stratification in the northwestern Pacific. Plain Language Summary Salinity, along with temperature and density, is a fundamental variable for seawater and can be considered as a tracer of ocean circulation. Additionally, as an important indicator of freshwater flux, salinity change is an essential measure of the hydrological cycle. The observations show a north‐south contrast of salinity trends in the northwestern Pacific. This north‐south contrast features will change upper ocean structure such as mixed layer depth and oceanic barrier layers and ocean heat budget in the northwest Pacific, thus affecting the tropical cyclone and climate variability.
Research on Face Detection Methods

In today's society, face recognition [1] has become a main method of identity recognition. Face recognition is easy to operate and fast to detect, it is widely used in various identification occasions and plays a huge role because of many advantages of face recognition. There are three steps on face recognition, among which face detection [2-4] is the key link of face recognition, and plays an important role in the process of face recognition. Therefore, the quality of face detection method is directly related to the effect of face recognition. This paper introduces the knowledge-based method, statistical model based method and template matching method, expounds and evaluates the theory and algorithm of the three methods, and puts forward the further research direction of face detection.
Estimation of the Cholesky Multivariate Stochastic Volatility Model Using Iterated Filtering

Aim: The paper aims to propose a new estimation method for the Cholesky Multivariate Stochastic Volatility Model based on the iterated filtering algorithm (Ionides et al., 2006, 2015). Methodology: The iterated filtering method is a frequentist-based technique that through multiple repetitions of the filtering process, provides a sequence of iteratively updated parameter estimates that converge towards the maximum likelihood estimate. Results: The effectiveness of the proposed estimation method was shown in an empirical example in which the Cholesky Multivariate Stochastic Volatility Model was used in a study on safe-haven assets of one market index: Standard and Poor’s 500 and three safe-haven candidates: gold, Bitcoin and Ethereum. Implications and recommendations: In further research, the iterating filtering method may be used for more advanced multivariate stochastic volatility models that take into account, for example, the leverage effect (as in Ishihara et al., 2016) and heavy-tailed errors (as in Ishihara and Omori, 2012). Originality/Value: The main contribution of the paper is the proposition of a new estimation method for the Cholesky Multivariate Stochastic Volatility Model based on iterated filtering algorithm This is one of the few frequentist-based statistical inference methods for multivariate stochastic volatility models.
Potensi, Regulasi, dan Problematika Sertifikasi Halal Gratis

The research, which aims to determine the potential, regulations, and problems of the Free Halal Certification (Sehati) initiated by the Ministry of Religion through the Halal Product Guarantee Agency (BPJPH), is descriptive qualitative research that uses a phenomenological approach and a legal approach. The results show that the free halal certification program's potential success is supported by many micro and small business actors and the majority of the Indonesian Muslim population as a market. Free Halal Certification Regulations for Micro and Small Businesses are carried out using the halal self-declare with assistance from the Halal Product Process Facilitator (PPH) based on Law no. 33 of 2014, PP No. 39 of 2021, PMA No. 20 of 2021, Kepkaban No. 77 of 2021 and Kepkaban No. 33 of 2022. Problems that arise in the implementation of Sehati include: lack of socialization and information about the existence of the program, the role of stakeholders is not optimal, PPH assistants who are less thorough in verifying so that many files are returned, not yet business actors who are not responsive to Sehati regulations and digital services, the lack of maximum assistance in the process of halal products.
Adapting to Changes in Communication: The Orbitofrontal Cortex in Language and Speech Processing

Despite most studies on the neurobiology of language demonstrating the central part of the perisylvian network involved in language and speech function, this review attempts to complement this view by focusing on the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). This region is primarily involved in goal-directed adaptive behavior. Recently, there has been increasing evidence that the OFC is involved in language and speech tasks. This review demonstrates that not only the linguistic tasks that involve the processing of socially, pragmatically and emotionally relevant information engage OFC and its neurobiological mechanisms, but also specific receptive and expressive language performances rely on specific neurophysiological properties of this region (e.g., the gray matter volume and the functional activation of OFC and the uncinate fasciculus that connects OFC), which in many cases, demand executive functions. These findings highlight: (1) The OFC plays a relevant role in the adaptive neurobiological function of language; (2) the neurobiological mechanisms beyond linguistic and speech processes complement and interplay with the language-unique processes to achieve successful comprehension and production in the changing communicative contexts.
The Structural, Thermal and Morphological Characterization of Polylactic Acid/Β-Tricalcium Phosphate (PLA/Β-TCP) Composites upon Immersion in SBF: A Comprehensive Analysis

Biocomposite films based on PLA reinforced with different β-TCP contents (10%, 20%, and 25%wt.) were fabricated via solvent casting and immersed in SBF for 7, 14, and 21 days. The bioactivity, morphological, and thermal behavior of composites with immersion were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis, weight loss (WL), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). This broad analysis leads to a deeper understanding of the evolution of the polymer–filler interaction with the degradation of the biocomposites. The results showed that β-TCP gradually evolved into carbonated hydroxyapatite as the immersion time increased. This evolution affected the interaction of β-TCP with PLA. PLA and β-TCP interactions differed from PLA and carbonated hydroxyapatite interactions. It was observed that β-TCP inhibited PLA hydrolysis but accelerated the thermal degradation of the polymer. β-TCP retarded the cold crystallization of PLA and hindered its crystallinity. However, after immersion in SBF, particles accelerated the cold crystallization of PLA. Therefore, considering the evolution of β-TCP with immersion in SBF is crucial for an accurate analysis of the biocomposites’ degradation. These findings enhance the comprehension of the degradation mechanism in PLA/β-TCP, which is valuable for predicting the degradation performance of PLA/β-TCP in medical applications.
The Impact of International Financial Reporting Standards on Corporate Governance, Board Size and Income Smoothing in the Nigerian Financial Market

Income smoothing as an accounting technique is an earnings management method that has recently piqued the interest of company boards of directors, accountants, and accounting researchers. Income smoothing is the application of financial reporting principles and standards to level out earnings volatility. This paper focussed on the theoretical investigation of the impact of the International Financial Reporting Standard on corporate governance and income smoothing. This study theoretically examined the link between board size and income smoothing, with an emphasis on the intervening effect of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). This paper covers a period of 2003 to 2023 and which focussed on the Nigerian Financial Market. In this study, a systematic literature review (SLR) was performed, and the research revealed crucial impact of the International Financial Reporting Standard on corporate governance and income smoothing. The SLR was performed using a sample of 100 research articles chosen from a pool of 400 papers obtained from Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ABS journal and, among other sources. Following the findings of the many research evaluated, the study discovered significant divergence and inconsistency in the results, indicating that corporate governance has either a positive or negative association with income smoothing.
Inhibitory Effects of the Polyphenols from the Root of Rhizophora apiculata Blume on Fatty Acid Synthase Activity and Human Colon Cancer Cells

Marine mangrove vegetation has been traditionally employed in folk medicine to address various ailments. Notably, Rhizophora apiculata Blume has exhibited noteworthy properties, demonstrating efficacy against cancer, viruses, and bacteria. The enzyme fatty acid synthase (FAS) plays a pivotal role in de novo fatty acid synthesis, making it a promising target for combating colon cancer. Our study focused on evaluating the FAS inhibitory effects of both the crude extract and three isolated compounds from R. apiculata. The n-butanol fraction of R. apiculata extract (BFR) demonstrated a significant inhibition of FAS, with an IC50 value of 93.0 µg/mL. For inhibition via lyoniresinol-3α-O-β-rhamnopyranoside (LR), the corresponding IC50 value was 20.1 µg/mL (35.5 µM). LR competitively inhibited the FAS reaction with acetyl-CoA, noncompetitively with malonyl-CoA, and in a mixed manner with NADPH. Our results also suggest that both BFR and LR reversibly bind to the KR domain of FAS, hindering the reduction of saturated acyl groups in fatty acid synthesis. Furthermore, BFR and LR displayed time-dependent inhibition for FAS, with kobs values of 0.0045 min−1 and 0.026 min−1, respectively. LR also exhibited time-dependent inhibition on the KR domain, with a kobs value of 0.019 min−1. In human colon cancer cells, LR demonstrated the ability to reduce viability and inhibit intracellular FAS activity. Notably, the effects of LR on human colon cancer cells could be reversed with the end product of FAS-catalyzed chemical reactions, affirming the specificity of LR on FAS. These findings underscore the potential of BFR and LR as potent FAS inhibitors, presenting novel avenues for the treatment of human colon cancer.
Bone metabolism in children with normal weight and overweight/obesity in a northeastern region of Spain

Bone mass progressively increases to peak during childhood and adolescence, which determines future bone health. Bone formation–resorption processes are assessed using bone markers. However, studies on the impact of obesity on bone turnover markers at this age are limited, and results are inconsistent. The objective of this study was to examine the potential impact of overweight/obesity on bone metabolism. A study was performed to compare parameters of bone metabolism in 45 girls and boys with normal weight (controls) and in a group of 612 girls and boys with overweight/obesity (cases) from the Exergames study (University of Zaragoza). Ages ranged from 8 to 12 years. Higher values of phosphorus and IGFBP-3 were observed in children with overweight/obesity, as compared to children with normal weight, (p=0.042) and (p=0.042), respectively. BAP, osteocalcin, magnesium, vitamin D and IGF-I concentrations were lower in the group with overweight/obesity, whereas calcium concentrations were higher in this group, although differences were not statistically significant. A negative correlation was found (r=−0.193) (p=0.049) between BAP and BMI. Although differences did not reach statistical significance, BAP and osteocalcin concentrations were lower in children with overweight/obesity. This added to the negative correlation found between BAP and MIC may demonstrate that overweight/obesity may negatively affect bone health already at a young age.
Optimal Arctic Port locations: a quantitative composite multiplier analysis of potential sites

ABSTRACT The opening of the Arctic presents opportunities for expanded natural resource extraction and increased shipping, both requiring substantial port development to facilitate safe and effective operations. The remoteness and sparsity of Arctic ports requires each port to serve multiple functions – facilitating local and international trade, safety and security, and navigation and emergency services – while respecting the environmentally sensitive surroundings. Evaluating principal location criteria over the entire Arctic region identifies the optimal port locations that would increase the availability of port services while minimizing the number, and therefore impact of Arctic ports. This paper provides a quantitative composite multiplier method to create a unique Port Impact Value (PIV) for 185 potential port locations using the five most cited port development criteria: Proximity to Natural Resources, Proximity from Environmentally Sensitive Areas, Distance to Nearest Shipping Lane, Harbor Depth, and Multimodal Transport Connectivity. The PIV provides the first comprehensive quantitative ranking of Arctic ports and identifies eight optimal port locations that most effectively provide the required expansion of the Arctic port services with minimal environmental disruption.
Algorithm and Hardware Implementation of Image Haze Removal Combining with Sky Recognition

When a picture is taken in the haze, the picture is abstract and much information is hidden by the haze. In this paper, on the basis of the dark channel prior algorithm, dehazing of hazy images is carried out. At the same time, given defects of the dark channel prior algorithm, namely halo, color lumps and color cast etc. on the sky area after dehazing, sky recognition algorithm and guided filter algorithm are integrated together to dehaze. The sky recognition algorithm can distinguish the sky region effectively. And high-precision transmissivity parameter can be obtained using guided filter algorithm. The whole algorithm has been verified in both the C language simulation environment and the Matlab simulation environment. The hardware implementation is completed on the self-designed FPGA hardware platform. Running results show that the operation of the algorithm proposed in this paper is stable and it can carry out image dehazing effectively. Keywords-dark channel prior; guided image filter; sky recognition; fpga
The importance of digital elevation model accuracy in XCO2 retrievals: improving the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 Atmospheric Carbon Observations from Space version 11 retrieval product

Abstract. Knowledge of surface pressure is essential for calculating column-averaged dry-air mole fractions of trace gases, such as CO2 (XCO2). In the NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) Atmospheric Carbon Observations from Space (ACOS) retrieval algorithm, the retrieved surface pressures have been found to have unacceptable errors, warranting a parametric bias correction. This correction depends on the difference between retrieved and a priori surface pressures, which are derived from a meteorological model that is hypsometrically adjusted to the surface elevation using a digital elevation model (DEM). As a result, the effectiveness of the OCO-2 bias correction is contingent upon the accuracy of the referenced DEM. Here, we investigate several different DEM datasets for use in the OCO-2 ACOS retrieval algorithm: the OCODEM used in ACOS v10 and previous versions, the NASADEM+ (a composite of SRTMv4, ASTER GDEMv3, GIMP, and RAMPv2 DEMs) used in ACOS v11, the Copernicus GLO-90 DEM (GLO-90 DEM), and two polar regional DEMs (ArcticDEM and REMA). We find that the NASADEM+ (ASTER GDEMv3) has a persistent negative bias on the order of 10 to 20 m across most regions north of 60° N latitude, relative to all the other DEMs considered (OCODEM, ArcticDEM, and GLO-90 DEM). Variations of 10 m in DEM elevations lead to variations in XCO2 of approximately 0.4 ppm, meaning that the XCO2 from OCO-2 ACOS v11 retrievals tends to be 0.4 to 0.8 ppm lower across regions north of 60° N than XCO2 from OCO-2 ACOS v10. Our analysis also suggests that the GLO-90 DEM has superior global continuity and accuracy compared to the other DEMs, motivating a post-processing update from OCO-2 v11 Lite files (which used NASADEM+) to OCO-2 v11.1 by substituting the GLO-90 DEM globally. We find that OCO-2 v11.1 improves accuracy and spatial continuity in the bias-corrected XCO2 product relative to both v10 and v11 in high-latitude regions while resulting in marginal or no change in most regions within ± 60° latitude. In addition, OCO-2 v11.1 provides increased data throughput after quality control filtering in most regions, partly due to the change in DEM but mostly due to other corrections to quality control parameters. Given large-scale differences north of 60° N between the OCODEM and NASADEM+, we find that replacing the OCODEM with NASADEM+ yields a ∼ 100 TgC shift in inferred carbon uptake for the zones spanning 30 to 60° N and 60 to 90° N, which is on the order of 5 % to 7 % of the estimated pan-Arctic land sink. Changes in inferred fluxes from replacing the OCODEM with the GLO-90 DEM are smaller, and given the evidence for improved accuracies from this DEM, this suggests that large changes in inferred fluxes from the NASADEM+ are likely erroneous.
Low-cost photographic measurement of colour, specular reflectance, and roughness

Correctly identifying material reflectance characteristics is critical to daylighting simulation. Specular materials can cause visual discomfort for building occupants and jeopardize the safety of pilots, drivers, and pedestrians. Accurate measurement of these characteristics using laboratory tests is generally cost-prohibitive. We have developed a cost-effective “at-home” test to measure R ADIANCE material parameters for use in indoor and outdoor visual comfort studies. Our method, which involves a 3D-printed portable enclosure attached to a hobbyist camera, allows in-situ measurements of material reflectance characteristics, either on site or from a collection of material swatches. We use image processing and linear regression to calculate the Ward reflectance model parameters for the best matching R ADIANCE material definition. With basic equipment, we can calculate diffuse reflectance within 20% for 90% of cases, and specular reflectance within 10% for 98% of cases, compared to state-of-the-art spectrophotometer readings.
New Clinical Markers of Oxidized Lipid-Associated Protein Damage in Children and Adolescents with Obesity

Obesity in children and adolescents has been associated with oxidative stress (OS). The lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) and the malondialdehyde (MDA) and thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS) that oxidatively modify proteins (Pr) (i.e., PrMDA and PrTBARS, respectively) represent markers of OS-associated lipid peroxidation. We aimed to assess OS in children and adolescents with obesity using—for the first time—markers involved in the early and late lipid oxidation process. LOOH, PrMDA, and PrTBARS were investigated in 41 children and adolescents with obesity and 31 controls. Obesity was defined as BMI > 95% for age and sex. The PrMDA/PrTBARS pair, which reflects a late peroxidation stage, was found to be significantly high (39%/180%) in children and adolescents with obesity compared to controls (p < 0.001). Similarly, the early LOOH peroxidation stage marker was increased by 30%. The studied OS parameters were not influenced by sex or age. Our study introduces LOOH, PrTBARS, and PrMDA as markers for evaluating OS in children and adolescents with obesity. LOOH, PrTBARS, and PrMDA may also hold promise as prognostic markers for potential obesity-associated long-term complications.