Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Occurrence of polar stratospheric clouds as derived from ground-based zenith DOAS observations using the colour index

Abstract. Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) are an important component of ozone chemistry in polar regions. Studying the ozone-depleting processes requires a precise description of PSCs on a long-term basis. Although satellite observations already yield high spatial coverage, continuous ground-based measurements covering long time periods can be a valuable complement. In this study, differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) instruments are used to investigate the occurrence of PSCs based on the so-called colour index (CI), i.e. the colour of the zenith sky. Defined as the ratio between the observed intensities of scattered sunlight at two wavelengths, it provides a method to detect PSCs during twilight even in the presence of tropospheric clouds. We present data from instruments at the German research station Neumayer, Antarctica (71∘ S, 8∘ W), as well as Kiruna, Sweden (68∘ N, 20∘ E), which have been in operation for more than 20 years. For a comprehensive interpretation of the measurement data, the well-established radiative transfer model McArtim is used and radiances of scattered sunlight are simulated at several wavelengths for different solar zenith angles and various atmospheric conditions. The aim is to improve and evaluate the potential of this method. It is then used to infer the seasonal cycle and the variability of PSC occurrence throughout the time series measured in both hemispheres. A good agreement is found to satellite retrievals with deviations particularly in spring. The unexpectedly high signal observed in the DOAS data during springtime suggests the influence of volcanic aerosol. This is also indicated by enhanced aerosol extinction as seen from OMPS (Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite) data but is not captured by other PSC climatologies. The presented approach allows the detection of PSCs for various atmospheric conditions not only for individual case studies but over entire time series, which is a decisive advance compared to previous work on the PSC detection by ground-based instruments. Apart from the interannual variability, no significant trend is detected for either measurement station. The averaged PSC relative frequency amounts to about 37 % above the Neumayer station and about 18 % above Kiruna.
Galactic Supernova Remnants: An overview of their radio properties

This paper reviews some properties of Galactic Supernova Remnants (SNRs), including their classification at radio wavelengths, the selection effects that apply to their identification, and their statistical properties. Also discussed are the radio spectral properties of SNRs, both their integrated spectra, and the evidence for spectral variations across the face of individual SNRs.
Religiosity and Social Support as Predictors for Subjective Well-Being of Overseas Students during Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic, which led to the wide use of online services to conduct lectures and other academic-related services, negatively impacted the well-being of overseas students. Therefore, it is necessary to have predictors that can increase their subjective well-being (SWB). The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of religiosity and social support on SWB of overseas students during the pandemic. A quantitative correlational study was employed with data collected from 100 people aged 18-25 through a purposive sampling technique. The instrument used religiousness, social support, and Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Life Satisfaction to measure SWB. The multiple linear regression analysis results showed that religiosity and social support simultaneously significantly affected students' SWB during the pandemic, while social support partially affected SWB.
Late-childhood foundational cognitive skills predict educational outcomes through adolescence and into young adulthood: evidence from Ethiopia and Peru

We estimate the associations between a set of foundational cognitive skills (inhibitory control, working memory, long-term memory, and implicit learning) measured at age 12 and educational outcomes measured at ages 15 and 19-20 in Ethiopia and Peru (the Young Lives study). The estimates adjust for a rich set of lagged controls and include measurements of children’s general abilities. For a subset of the outcomes, we exploit within-household variation. Working memory and long-term memory are consistently and positively associated with subsequent domain-specific cognitive achievement tests in both countries, university enrolment in Peru (working memory) and lower secondary-school completion in Ethiopia (long-term memory). Inhibitory control predicts subsequent math-test scores in both countries, and grade attainment in Ethiopia. These results provide additional evidence to justify the importance of promoting investments in cognitive skills throughout childhood and adolescence, and these results potentially elucidate how investments in children impact their educational achievements. model can only be estimated for PPVT and highest grade attained. Results are reported including each FCS individually (columns (1) and (2)) and all FCSs simultaneously (columns (3) and (4)). These results confirm that working memory and long-term memory predict cognitive achievement in vocabulary and Peru, and that inhibitory control predicts vocabulary and numeracy skills of Indian children in elementary grade levels. These results are consistent with what Muralidharan et al. (2019) find in their evaluation of another program implemented in India, with both studies highlighting how children low in the score distribution benefit most. The differential effects of interventions to improve cognitive skills at different ages remains an interesting topic for further research. At the end, both early and later interventions are important investments than can help disadvantaged children overcome their initial difficulties.
Joint Assembly: JSPS-DST Asia Academic Seminar CPS 8th International School of Planetary Sciences Challenges in Astronomy: Observational Advances

The stellar population in the nearby galaxies are used to understand the formation, evolution and the structure of the galaxies. With the advent of large telescopes we have been able to understand the older population and hence the early evolution of the neighbouring galaxies. A large number of surveys using small telescopes with large field of view have enabled us to cover larger areas of the galaxies including our own, which has resulted in tracing various merger remnants. The future telescopes as well as future instrumentation on large telescopes hold the key to unravel the mysteries presented by our own as well as the nearby galaxies.
Cluster validity measurement for arbitrary shaped clusters

Clustering is an unsupervised process in data mining and pattern recognition and most of the clustering algorithms are very sensitive to their input parameters. Therefore it is very important to evaluate the result of the clustering algorithms. In this pater a novel validity measurement index is introduced which can be used for evaluating arbitrary shaped clusters. The main advantage of this validity index are the following: it can compare and measure not only elliptical clusters but arbitrary shaped clusters as well. This validity index can evaluate the result of any clustering algorithms but the calculation of this index is very simple in case of density based algorithms as it can be calculated during the clustering process. Key-Words: -clustering algorithms, arbitrary shaped clusters, density based clustering, cluster validity, validity indices
Three-dimensional vortex configurations in a rotating Bose Einstein condensate

We consider a rotating Bose-Einstein condensate in a harmonic trap and investigate numerically the behavior of the wave function which solves the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. Following recent experiments [P. Rosenbuch, V. Bretin, and J. Dalibard, Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 200403 (2002)], we study in detail the line of a single quantized vortex, which has a U or S shape. We find that a single vortex can lie only in the x-z or y-z plane. S-type vortices exist for all values of the angular velocity {omega} while U vortices exist for {omega} sufficiently large. We compute the energy of the various configurations with several vortices and study the three-dimensional structure of vortices.
Constraints on models with warped extra dimensions

It has been known for some time that warped extra dimensions offer a potential explanation of the large hierarchy that exists between the electroweak scale and the Planck scale. The majority of this work has focused on a five dimensional slice of AdS space. This thesis attempts to address the question, what possible spaces offer phenomenologically viable resolutions to this gauge hierarchy problem. In order for a space to offer a potential resolution to the hierarchy problem two conditions must be met: Firstly one should be able to demonstrate that the space can be stabilised such that a small effective electroweak scale (or large effective Planck scale) can be obtained. Secondly one must demonstrate that the space allows for a Kaluza Klein (KK) scale that is small enough such that one does not reintroduce a hierarchy in the effective theory. Here we focus on the second condition and examine the constraints, on the KK scale, coming from corrections to electroweak observables and flavour physics which arise when gauge fields propagate in an additional dimension. We study a large class of possible spaces of different geometries and dimensionalities. In five dimensions it is found that such constraints are generically large. In more than five dimensions it is found that a significant proportion of such spaces suffer from either a high density of KK modes or alternatively strongly coupled KK fields. The latter would not offer viable resolutions to the hierarchy problem. Models in which the Higgs propagates in the bulk are also studied, in the context of models with a ‘soft wall’ and it is found these have significantly reduced constraints from flavour physics as well as a notion of a minimum fermion mass.
Forming spectroscopic massive protobinaries by disc fragmentation

The surroundings of massive protostars constitute an accretion disc which has numerically been shown to be subject to fragmentation and responsible for luminous accretion-driven outbursts. Moreover, it is suspected to produce close binary companions which will later strongly influence the star's future evolution in the Hertzsprung–Russel diagram. We present three-dimensional gravitation-radiation-hydrodynamic numerical simulations of 100 M⊙ pre-stellar cores. We find that accretion discs of young massive stars violently fragment without preventing the (highly variable) accretion of gaseous clumps on to the protostars. While acquiring the characteristics of a nascent low-mass companion, some disc fragments migrate on to the central massive protostar with dynamical properties showing that its final Keplerian orbit is close enough to constitute a close massive protobinary system, having a young high- and a low-mass components. We conclude on the viability of the disc fragmentation channel for the formation of such short-period binaries, and that both processes – close massive binary formation and accretion bursts – may happen at the same time. FU-Orionis-type bursts, such as observed in the young high-mass star S255IR−NIRS3, may not only indicate ongoing disc fragmentation, but also be considered as a tracer for the formation of close massive binaries – progenitors of the subsequent massive spectroscopic binaries – once the high-mass component of the system will enter the main-sequence phase of its evolution. Finally, we investigate the Atacama Large (sub-)Millimeter Array observability of the disc fragments.
Maximum summer temperatures predict the temperature adaptation of Arctic soil bacterial communities

Abstract. Rapid warming of the Arctic terrestrial region has the potential to increase soil decomposition rates and form a carbon-driven feedback to future climate change. For an accurate prediction of the role of soil microbes in these processes, it will be important to understand the temperature responses of soil bacterial communities and implement them into biogeochemical models. The temperature adaptation of soil bacterial communities for a large part of the Arctic region is unknown. We evaluated the current temperature adaption of soil bacterial communities from 12 sampling sites in the sub- to High Arctic region. Temperature adaptation differed substantially between the soil bacterial communities of these sites, with estimates of optimal growth temperature (Topt) ranging between 23.4 ± 0.5 and 34.1 ± 3.7 ∘C. We evaluated possible statistical models for the prediction of the temperature adaption of soil bacterial communities based on different climate indices derived from soil temperature records or on bacterial community composition data. We found that highest daily average soil temperature was the best predictor for the Topt of the soil bacterial communities, increasing by 0.63 ∘C ∘C−1. We found no support for the prediction of temperature adaptation by regression tree analysis based on the relative abundance data of the most common bacterial species. Increasing summer temperatures will likely increase Topt of soil bacterial communities in the Arctic. Incorporating this mechanism into soil biogeochemical models and combining it with projections of soil temperature will help to reduce uncertainty in assessments of the vulnerability of soil carbon stocks in the Arctic.
Financial Reporting Systems And Financial Performance Of Public Universities In Western Region, Kenya

: Financial reporting systems are a subset of accounting information systems that are vital in managing entities; they put internal control mechanisms in place and enhance decision-making that improves efficiency and financial performance. Despite public universities increasing spending on financial reporting systems, challenges are still experienced concerning internal controls and decisions concerning payables and receivables. There is, therefore, a risk of misuse and wastage of public funds where for instance, funds amounting to over 60 billion shillings have been embezzled, misappropriated, and even invested in futile ventures. Several studies linking FRS and financial performance have been conducted though none focused on universities hence the lack of information on how they influence universities' performance. The purpose of this study therefore, was to establish the influence of financial reporting systems on the financial performance of selected public universities in Western region, Kenya. The technology acceptance model, diffusion of innovation theory, and balanced scorecard theories guided the research. The study targeted 215 respondents from 10 selected public universities in Western region, Kenya, where simple random sampling was used to obtain a sample of 138 respondents. A correlational research design was adopted, and data was collected using questionnaires and analysis of audited financial statements. Data were analyzed via descriptive and inferential statistics. Multiple regression analysis results showed that financial reporting systems had a significant negative influence on financial performance (net surplus/deficit) with coefficients of -0.214. The study concluded that the improvement of financial reporting systems would improve financial performance by reducing the net deficit of public universities in Western region, Kenya. The study, therefore, recommends that the management of public universities should enhance their systems to incorporate international financial reporting standards in the preparation of reports, enable automatic tracking of debtors and creditors to improve their liquidity position, and solidify their internal controls to diminish the probability of financial loss.
Spin- 12 kagome XXZ model in a field: Competition between lattice nematic and solid orders

We study numerically the spin-1/2 XXZ model in a field on an infinite Kagome lattice. We use different algorithms based on infinite Projected Entangled Pair States (iPEPS) for this, namely: (i) with simplex tensors and 9-site unit cell, and (ii) coarse-graining three spins in the Kagome lattice and mapping it to a square-lattice model with nearest-neighbor interactions, with usual PEPS tensors, 6- and 12-site unit cells. Similarly to our previous calculation at the SU(2)-symmetric point (Heisenberg Hamiltonian), for any anisotropy from the Ising limit to the XY limit, we also observe the emergence of magnetization plateaus as a function of the magnetic field, at $m_z = \frac{1}{3}$ using 6- 9- and 12-site PEPS unit cells, and at $m_z = \frac{1}{9}, \frac{5}{9}$ and $\frac{7}{9}$ using a 9-site PEPS unit cell, the later set-up being able to accommodate $\sqrt{3} \times \sqrt{3}$ solid order. We also find that, at $m_z = \frac{1}{3}$, (lattice) nematic and $\sqrt{3} \times \sqrt{3}$ VBC-order states are degenerate within the accuracy of the 9-site simplex-method, for all anisotropy. The 6- and 12-site coarse-grained PEPS methods produce almost-degenerate nematic and $1 \times 2$ VBC-Solid orders. Within our accuracy, the 6-site coarse-grained PEPS method gives slightly lower energies, which can be explained by the larger amount of entanglement this approach can handle, even when the PEPS unit-cell is not commensurate with the expected ground state. Furthermore, we do not observe chiral spin liquid behaviors at and close to the XY point, as has been recently proposed. Our results are the first tensor network investigations of the XXZ spin chain in a field, and reveal the subtle competition between nearby magnetic orders in numerical simulations of frustrated quantum antiferromagnets, as well as the delicate interplay between energy optimization and symmetry in tensor networks.
Photolytic modification of seasonal nitrate isotope cycles in East Antarctica

Abstract. Nitrate in Antarctic snow has seasonal cycles in nitrogen and oxygen isotopic ratios that reflect its sources and atmospheric formation processes, and as a result, nitrate archived in Antarctic ice should have great potential to record atmospheric chemistry changes over thousands of years. However, sunlight that strikes the snow surface results in photolytic nitrate loss and isotopic fractionation that can completely obscure the nitrate's original isotopic values. To gain insight into how photolysis overwrites the seasonal atmospheric cycles, we collected 244 snow samples along an 850 km transect of East Antarctica during the 2013–2014 CHICTABA traverse. The CHICTABA route's limited elevation change, consistent distance between the coast and the high interior plateau, and intermediate accumulation rates offered a gentle environmental gradient ideal for studying the competing pre- and post-depositional influences on archived nitrate isotopes. We find that nitrate isotopes in snow along the transect are indeed notably modified by photolysis after deposition, and drier sites have more intense photolytic impacts. Still, an imprint of the original seasonal cycles of atmospheric nitrate isotopes is present in the top 1–2 m of the snowpack and likely preserved through archiving in glacial ice at these sites. Despite this preservation, reconstructing past atmospheric values from archived nitrate in similar transitional regions will remain a difficult challenge without having an independent proxy for photolytic loss to correct for post-depositional isotopic changes. Nevertheless, nitrate isotopes should function as a proxy for snow accumulation rate in such regions if multiple years of deposition are aggregated to remove the seasonal cycles, and this application can prove highly valuable in its own right.
The RoPES project with HARPS and HARPS-N. I. A system of super-Earths orbiting the moderately active K-dwarf HD 176986

We report the discovery of a system of two super-Earths orbiting the moderately active K-dwarf HD 176986. This work is part of the RoPES RV program of G- and K-type stars, which combines radial velocities (RVs) from the HARPS and HARPS-N spectrographs to search for short-period terrestrial planets. HD 176986 b and c are super-Earth planets with masses of 5.74 and 9.18 M$_{\oplus}$, orbital periods of 6.49 and 16.82 days, and distances of 0.063 and 0.119 AU in orbits that are consistent with circular. The host star is a K2.5 dwarf, and despite its modest level of chromospheric activity (log(R'hk) = - 4.90 +- 0.04), it shows a complex activity pattern. Along with the discovery of the planets, we study the magnetic cycle and rotation of the star. HD 176986 proves to be suitable for testing the available RV analysis technique and further our understanding of stellar activity.
Improving Subjective Bias Detection Using Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory

 Abstract — Detecting subjectively biased statements is a vital task. This is because this kind of bias, when present in the text or other forms of information dissemination media such as news, social media, scientific texts, and encyclopedias, can weaken trust in the information and stir conflicts amongst consumers. Subjective bias detection is also critical for many Natural Language Processing (NLP) tasks like sentiment analysis, opinion identification, and bias neutralization. Having a system that can adequately detect subjectivity in text will boost research in the above-mentioned areas significantly. It can also come in handy for platforms like Wikipedia, where the use of neutral language is of importance. The goal of this work is to identify the subjectively biased language in text on a sentence level. With machine learning, we can solve complex AI problems, making it a good fit for the problem of subjective bias detection. A key step in this approach is to train a classifier based on BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) as upstream model. BERT by itself can be used as a classifier; however, in this study, we use BERT as data preprocessor as well as an embedding generator for a Bi-LSTM (Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory) network incorporated with attention mechanism. This approach produces a deeper and better classifier. We evaluate the effectiveness of our model using the Wiki Neutrality Corpus (WNC), which was compiled from Wikipedia edits that removed various biased instances from sentences as a benchmark dataset, with which we also compare our model to existing approaches. Experimental analysis indicates an improved performance, as our model achieved state-of-the-art accuracy in detecting subjective bias. This study focuses on the English language, but the model can be fine-tuned to accommodate other languages.