Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Beyond borders: exploring the impact of augmented reality on intercultural competence and L2 learning motivation in EFL learners

Introduction This mixed-methods study investigates the impact of augmented reality (AR) on the development of intercultural competence and L2 (second language) learning motivation among Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. The research comprised forty-eight intermediate-level learners who were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, receiving AR-based language instruction, or a control group, receiving traditional instruction. Methods Both groups underwent pre- and post-tests to assess their intercultural competence and L2 learning motivation. The experimental group engaged with an AR application, which exposed learners to a variety of cultural scenarios, customs, and norms. Results The results indicate that the experimental group, exposed to AR-based instruction, demonstrated significantly higher levels of intercultural competence and L2 learning motivation in comparison to the control group. Discussion Qualitative data analysis further elucidated that AR-based instruction enhanced learners’ engagement, motivation, and deepened their cultural understanding. This study highlights the potential of augmented reality as a powerful tool for fostering the development of intercultural competence and L2 learning motivation within the EFL context, suggesting promising opportunities for innovative pedagogical approaches in language education.
Bronchial thermoplasty

DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.0366-6999.20131005 Interventional Pulmonology, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America (Diaz-Mendoza J and Simoff MJ) Department of Respiratory Diseases, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China (Bai C and Huang HD) Javier Diaz-Mendoza and BAI Chong contributed egually to this paper. Correspondence to: Dr. Michael J. Simoff, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA (Email: msimoff1@hfhs.org) Perspective
Gone With the Wind: Honey Bee Collective Scenting in the Presence of External Wind

Wind is a common environmental factor in the behavior of animals, such as the honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Volatile pheromones are one of the main communication signals in honey bees that can be sensed and further propagated via the scenting behavior, in which bees release pheromones and fan their wings to direct the signals. While studies have correlated the effect of wind and the foraging behavior of bees, we aim to study how wind, interacting with the pheromone signals, can impact the resulting collective behavior of the bees in the context of a swarm localizing their queen and aggregating around her. We experimentally show that strong external wind interferes with the aggregation around the queen by reducing the number of scenting bees in the communication network and disrupting the directionality of the scenting signals. To further understand the behavioral mechanisms that change with different wind conditions (direction and magnitude), we use an agent-based model that simulates pheromone flow with the diffusion equation and simple rules of behaviors for virtual bees. We use the Covariance Matrix Adaptation-Evolutionary Strategy (CMA-ES) algorithm to search over the behavioral parameter space for the optimal parameters in different environmental wind conditions. We find that, turbulent wind flowing in random directions shows minimal effect on the bees’ collective scenting strategy and aggregation. However, in high unidirectional wind (e.g., flowing towards the right side of the arena), the bees must spatially align a shorter scenting network along the wind’s direction to localize the queen and aggregate.
The Economics of Happiness

The economics of happiness is an approach to assessing welfare that combines economistsâ€™ techniques with those of psychologists, and relies on more expansive notions of utility than does conventional economics. Research based on this approach highlights the factorsâ€”in addition to incomeâ€”that affect well-being. It is well suited to informing questions in areas where revealed preferences provide limited information, such as the welfare effects of inequality and of macroeconomic policies such as inflation and unemployment. One such question is the gap between economistsâ€™ assessments of the aggregate benefits of the globalization process and the more pessimistic assessments that are typical of the general public. The paper summarizes research on some of these questions, and in particular on those relevant to globalization, poverty, and inequality.
Factors influencing benthic distributional patterns in a near-pristine coral reef ecosystem : Pearl and Hermes Atoll

66 Introduction.67 Materials and methods.72 vii Location and description.72 Field Data collection.72 Data and sample processing.74 Statistical analysis.76 Results.78 Descriptive statistics.78 Correlations.79 Benthic function group: benthic functional group.79 Benthic functional group: herbivorous fish.79 Benthic functional group: urchin density.80 Benthic functional group: tissue nutrient content.80 Benthic functional group: physical parameters.80 Benthic species level correlations.80 Multiple-linear Regression.81 BIO-ENV.82 Discussion.82 Top-down: herbivory.83 Bottom-up: nutrient availability.87 Coral/ macroalgal competition.89 Wave exposure.89 Conclusion.90 Appendix.100 Literature cited.102
PRESSURE DROP FOR OIL-GAS TWO-PHASE FLOW THROUGH STRAIGHT HORIZONTAL PIPE

An experimental investigation on oil air two phase flow through a straight horizontal plexiglass pipe within 40 mm inner diameter was conducted.The superficial velocity ranges of oil and air were 0 05—0 612 m·s -1 and 0 024—50 64 m·s -1 , respectively.The ambient temperature was maintained throughout the experiments.The frictional pressure drop multiplier of two phase flow was expressed using the Lockhart Martinelli parameter correlation in accordance with typical flow pattern, but the modification factor C in the correlations was defined afresh according to flow conditions.New predict correlations for pressure gradient in accordance with typical flow patterns were proposed and the mechanisms of pressure drop production were analyzed for each flow pattern.The proposed models gave good agreement with the experimental data.
Ieee Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters 1 a Data-adaptive Compressed Sensing Approach to Polarimetric Sar Tomography of Forested Areas

—Super-resolution imaging via compressed sensing (CS)-based spectral estimators has been recently introduced to synthetic aperture radar (SAR) tomography. In the case of partial scatterers, the mainstream has so far been twofold, in that the tomographic reconstruction is conducted by either directly working with multiple looks and/or polarimetric channels or by exploiting the corresponding single-channel second-order statistics. In this letter, we unify these two methodologies in the context of covariance fitting. In essence, we exploit the fact that both vertical structures and the unknown polarimetric signatures can be approximated in a low-dimensional subspace. For this purpose, we make use of a wavelet basis in order to sparsely represent vertical structures. Additionally, we synthesize a data-adaptive orthonor-mal basis that spans the space of polarimetric signatures. Finally, we validate this approach by using fully polarimetric L-band data acquired by the E-SAR sensor of the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
The evolution of total lightning and radar reflectivity characteristics of two mesoscale convective systems over Houston, Texas

The Evolution of Total Lightning and Radar Reflectivity Characteristics of Two Mesoscale Convective Systems over Houston, Texas. (December 2007) Charles Lee Hodapp, B.S., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Larry Carey Two mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) passed over the Houston Lightning Detection and Ranging (LDAR) network on 31 October 2005 and 21 April 2006. As the MCSs traverse the LDAR network, the systems slowly mature with a weakening convective line and a developing stratiform region and radar bright band. The intensification of stratiform region precipitation, including the bright band, is thought to play an important role in stratiform lightning structure, charge structure, and total lightning production of MCSs. The stratiform areas quadruple in size and the mean reflectivity values increase substantially by ~ 6 dB. As the stratiform region matures, VHF source density plots show a lightning pathway that slopes rearward and downward from the back of the convective line and into the stratiform region. At early times for both MCSs, the pathway extends horizontally rearward 40 to 50 km into the stratiform region at an altitude of 9 to 12 km. Near the end of the analysis time period, the pathway slopes rearward 40 km and downward through the transition zone before extending 40 to 50 km in the stratiform region at an altitude of 4 7 km. The sloping pathway likely results from charged ice particles advected from the convective line by storm relative
Determining the drivers of long‐term aridity variability: a southern African case study

This paper highlights the importance of differentiating between precipitation amount and moisture availability (‘humidity’/‘aridity’) when considering proxy records of climate change. While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, moisture availability is determined by both (i) precipitation amount and (ii) temperature, through its influence on potential evapotranspiration. As many palaeoenvironmental proxies reflect changes in this water balance rather than purely precipitation amount, it is important to distinguish between the potential relative influences of precipitation and temperature if those records are to be interpreted in terms of climate mechanisms and/or compared with model outputs. As a case study, we explore how precipitation and temperature have determined moisture availability in South Africa's summer rainfall zone over the last 45 000 years. Using quantitative reconstructions of mean annual temperature, summer rainfall amount and an aridity index, our analysis reveals strong spatiotemporal variability in the relative influences of precipitation and temperature on aridity. Temperature is shown to have exerted a considerable and even dominant influence on moisture availability, resulting in elevated humidity during the last glacial period, despite significant reductions in precipitation amount.
Female board appointments and stock market reactions: evidence from the German stock market

Gender diversity at board level is probably one of the most controversially discussed topics among policy-makers, in business and, in society today. This study examines female board appointments between 2007 and 2012. Subsequently, an event study is performed covering 30 announcements of female board appointments during this period. The findings demonstrate significant positive stock market reactions to the announcement of women entering a corporate board, suggesting that investors on average believe that female directors add value. Thus, female board appointments appear to be a significant instrument in enhancing shareholder value. Also, this study has found that the dissemination of information about female board appointments prior to the official appointment tends to significantly positively influence stock returns.
A single dose of lamotrigine induces a positive memory bias in healthy volunteers

Background: Lamotrigine has been shown to be effective in the long-term treatment and relapse prevention of depression in bipolar disorder. However, the neuropsychological mechanisms underlying these effects are unclear. We investigated the effects of lamotrigine on a battery of emotional processing tasks, previously shown to be sensitive to antidepressant drug action in healthy volunteers. Methods: Healthy volunteers (n=36) were randomised in a double blind design to receive a single dose of placebo or 300mg lamotrigine. Mood and subjective effects were monitored throughout the study period and emotional processing was assessed using the Oxford Emotional Test Battery (ETB) 3 hours post administration. Results: Participants receiving lamotrigine showed increased accuracy for the recall of positive vs. negative self-descriptors, compared to those in the placebo group. There were no other signficant effects on emotional processing in the ETB, and lamotrigine did not affect ratings of mood or subjective experience. Conclusions: Lamotrigine induced a positive bias in emotional memory, similar to the effects of other antidepressants as reported in previous studies. Further work is needed to assess whether similar effects are seen in the clinical treatment of patients with bipolar disorder and the extent to which this is associated with its clinical action in relapse prevention.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of initial management of pneumothorax in adults: Intercostal tube drainage versus other invasive methods

Objectives The ideal invasive management as initial approach for pneumothorax (PTX) is still under debate. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the evidence for the effectiveness of intercostal tube drainage and other various invasive methods as the initial approach to all subtypes of PTX in adults. Methods Three databases were searched from inception to May 29, 2016: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane CENTRAL. Randomised controlled trials that evaluated intercostal tube drainage as the control and various invasive methods as the intervention for the initial approach to PTX in adults were included. The primary outcome was the early success rate of each method, and the risk ratios (RRs) were used for an effect size measure. The secondary outcomes were recurrence rate, hospitalization rate, hospital stay, and complications. Results Seven studies met our inclusion criteria. Interventions were aspiration in six studies and catheterization connected to a one-way valve in one study. Meta-analyses were conducted for early success rate, recurrence rate, hospitalization rate, and hospital stay. Aspiration was inferior to intercostal tube drainage in terms of early success rate (RR = 0.82, confidence interval [CI] = 0.72 to 0.95, I2 = 0%). While aspiration and intercostal tube drainage showed no significant difference in the recurrence rate (RR = 0.84, CI = 0.57 to 1.23, I2 = 0%), aspiration had shorter hospital stay than intercostal tube drainage (mean difference = -1.73, CI = -2.33 to -1.13, I2 = 0%). Aspiration had lower hospitalization rate than intercostal tube drainage, but marked heterogeneity was present (RR = 0.38, CI = 0.19 to 0.76, I2 = 85%). Conclusion Aspiration was inferior to intercostal tube drainage in terms of early resolution, but it had shorter hospital stay. The recurrence rate of aspiration and intercostal tube drainage did not differ significantly. The efficacy of catheterization connected to a one-way valve was inconclusive because of the small number of relevant studies. (Registration of study protocol: PROSPERO, CRD42016037866)
SystEmatic review and meta-aNAlysis of infanT and young child feeding Practices (ENAT-P) in Ethiopia: protocol

Introduction Infant and young child feeding (IYCF) is the cornerstone of infant and child survival, healthy growth and development, healthy future generations and national development. In spite of the importance of optimal nutrition in low-and middle-income countries, there has been no review conducted in Ethiopia. Thus, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to estimate the national coverage and identify the associated factors of IYCF practices in Ethiopia. Methods PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, CINHAL, EBSCO, Web of Science and WHO Global Health Library databases will be searched for all available publications from 1 January 2000 to 30 September 2017. All published studies on the timely initiation of breast feeding, exclusive breast feeding and timely initiation of complementary feeding practice in Ethiopia will be screened, selected and reviewed. Bibliographies of identified articles and grey literature will be hand-searched as well. Heterogeneity of studies will be quantified using Higgins’s method where I 2 statistic >80% indicates substantial heterogeneity. Funnel plots and Egger’s regression test will be used to assess potential publication bias. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) will be used to assess the quality of evidence and risk of bias. Meta-analysis and meta-regression will be carried out to estimate the pooled national prevalence rate and an OR of each associated factor of IYCF practices. Narrative synthesis will be performed if meta-analysis is not feasible due to the substantial heterogeneity of studies. Ethics and dissemination Ethical clearance is not required for this study because primary data will not be collected. The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at an (inter)national research symposium. systematic review registration This systematic review and meta-analysis has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO)
THE IMPACT OF FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT ON ECONOMIC GROWTH IN PAKISTAN.

Foreign direct investment has been one of the important sources of economic growth. It will increase not only the level of incomes in host countries but also the productive base of these countries. This study has followed to identify any Granger-Causality among the economic growth and its determinants in terms of causality among Gross Domestic Product, Foreign Investment, Labour Force, Capital formation and infrastructure in a developing country context for Pakistan. The literature has abundant research work on causality analysis of FDI and economic growth. This study also adds by identifying the causal relationship among GDP and its determinants including FDI for Pakistan in time spanning from 1980 to 2008. The Error correction mechanism is adopted and Engle-Granger Causality tests has been applied to identify causal relationship among the included variables. The results indicate that FDI is not granger causing GDP for Pakistan while other important determinants Granger-causing GDP are inflation, infrastructure and trade openness, while FDI is Granger-caused by inflation, trade openness and capital formation.Keywords: Gross Domestic Product, Foreign Direct Investment, Labor Force.
Variation of the Orbital Rim Using Elliptic Fourier Analysis

The shape of the orbital rim is one of the essential craniofacial features that play a crucial role in face perception, recognition, or personal identification. As a consequence, it continues to attract a large variety of researchers, e.g., skeletal or forensic anthropologists, anatomists, physicians, psychologists etc. Despite being a focus since the rise of traditional anthropometrics, the 3-D nature of the orbital rim has not been satisfactorily quantified. This paper presents an approach to numerically describe the withinand among-population shape variation of the orbital rim, its curviness and spatial orientation using elliptic Fourier analysis. The sample consisted of 336 crania from present-day skeletal collections (Czech Republic, Portugal). For each specimen, a pair of orbital outlines was recorded using the MicroScribe G2X, a portable digitizer. Regardless of the body side, the trace line started and ended at dacryon located on the inner margin of the orbital rim. Cartesian coordinates of three fixed points defining a 3-D Frankfurt Horizontal plane were also acquired. In order to align for spatial orientation of the orbits, each pair was rotated to the Frankfurt Horizontal. The outlines were divided into 150 evenly distributed points and subsequently processed using elliptic Fourier analysis with 20 harmonics. The results showed that the specimen’s population affinity, sex, age and body size are factors responsible for the shape of the orbital rim. In contrast to the generally assumed pattern of sex differences, the shape of frontallyviewed orbits failed to act as a good sex predictor. Sex-related differences, as described by 3D shape analysis, were linked mostly to a specific “curviness” and to spatial arrangement of orbits within the craniofacial skeleton. Whereas the male orbital outline is characteristically curved and placed in the frontal plane, the female outline is flat and diverged. The results demonstrate that elliptic Fourier analysis is a powerful methodological tool that can provide new insights into the structural relationships within biological objects.
MAX-DOAS measurements of atmospheric trace gases in Ny- ˚ Alesund - Radiative transfer studies and their application

A new approach to derive tropospheric concen- trations of some atmospheric trace gases from ground-based UV/vis measurements is described. The instrument, referred to as the MAX-DOAS, is based on the well-known UV/vis instruments, which use the sunlight scattered in the zenith sky as the light source and the method of Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) to derive column amounts of absorbers like ozone and nitrogen dioxide. Substantial en- hancements have been applied to this standard setup to use different lines of sight near to the horizon as additional light sources (MAX - multi axis). Results from measurements at Ny- ˚ Alesund (79 N, 12 E) are presented and interpreted with the full-spherical radiative transfer model SCIATRAN. In particular, measurements of the oxygen dimer O4 which has a known column and vertical distribution in the atmo- sphere are used to evaluate the sensitivity of the retrieval to parameters such as multiple scattering, solar azimuth, surface albedo and refraction in the atmosphere and also to validate the radiative transfer model. As a first application, measure- ments of NO2 emissions from a ship lying in Ny- ˚ Alesund harbour are presented. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of long term UV/vis multi axis measurement that can be used to derive not only column amounts of dif- ferent trace gases but also some information on the vertical location of these absorbers.
Constraining the Aerosol Indirect Effect Constraining the Total Aerosol Indirect Effect in the Lmdz and Echam4 Gcms Using Modis Satellite Data Acpd Constraining the Aerosol Indirect Effect

Aerosol indirect effects are considered to be the most uncertain yet important an-thropogenic forcing of climate change. The goal of the present study is to reduce this uncertainty by constraining two different general circulation models (LMDZ and ECHAM4) with satellite data. We build a statistical relationship between cloud droplet 5 number concentration and the optical depth of the fine aerosol mode as a measure of the aerosol indirect effect using MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data, and constrain the model parameterizations to match this relationship. We include here " empirical " formulations for the cloud albedo effect as well as parameterizations of the cloud lifetime effect. When fitting the model parameterizations 10 to the satellite data, consistently in both models, the radiative forcing by the combined aerosol indirect effect is reduced considerably, down to −0.5 and −0.3 Wm −2 , for LMDZ and ECHAM4, respectively.