Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the role of internal atmospheric variability in ENSO dynamics

On the Role of Internal Atmospheric Variability in ENSO Dynamics. (August 2005) Li Zhang, B.S., Peking University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Ping Chang In the first part of this dissertation we use an Intermediate Coupled Model to develop a quantitative test to validate the null hypothesis that low-frequency variation of ENSO predictability may be caused by stochastic processes. Three “perfect model scenario” prediction experiments are carried out, where the model is forced either solely by stochastic forcing or additionally by decadal-varying backgrounds with different amplitudes. These experiments indicate that one can not simply reject the null hypothesis unless the decadal-varying backgrounds are unrealistically strong. The second part of this dissertation investigates the extent to which internal atmospheric variability (IAV) can influence ENSO variation, and examines the underlying physical mechanisms linking IAV to ENSO variability with the aid of a newly developed coupled model consisting of an atmospheric general circulation model and a Zebiak-Cane type of reduced gravity ocean model. A novel noise filter algorithm is developed to suppress IAV in the coupled model. A long control coupled simulation, where the filter is not employed, demonstrates that the coupled model captures many statistical properties of the observed ENSO behavior. It further shows that the development of El Niño is linked to a boreal spring phenomenon referred to as the Pacific Meridional Model (MM). The MM, characterized by an anomalous north-south SST gradient and anomalous surface circulation in the northeasterly trade regime with maximum variance in boreal spring, is inherent
Discussion on Some Somatic Aspects of Schizophrenia

Dr. F. Mackenzie Shattock: It is usual to introduce a discussion by a brief reference to what is already generally accepted and then from this common ground to pass on to what is still controversial. But there is unfortunately very little agreement on any of the somatic aspects of schizophrenic illness, and this is the more surprising as these physical manifestations are mentioned in every textbook of mental illness and numerous articles have been published on the subject. There is no agreement on their significance, their nature, their number, the frequency of their occurrence, nor on their response to treatment, and it would be fair to say that the most constant feature in their descriptions is the insistence on their variability. If one were tempted by this conclusion to regard them as incidental, and therefore as unimportant, one would run counter to what is accepted in somatic medicine. It would probably be wiser to attempt to relate their variability to the interplay of numerous factors which determine the clinical syndrome. To introduce the discussion, I should like to refer to observations made in the course of a longitudinal study of 600 psychotics, both early and chronic cases of mental illness (Shattock, 1950). An equal number of schizophrenics and non-schizophrenics were observed, the latter included patients who suffered from an affective mental illness, mainly depressives, and a group of aments and dements. There were many deteriorated schizophrenics among the dements, and this may account for the fact that the incidence of physical abnormalities, which was highest in schizophrenics and lowest in patients who suffered from an affective illness, was intermediate in the group of dements and aments. A diagnosis of schizophrenia was based on the consensus of clinical opinions expressed in the case-sheet, and was aided by information on the patient's history and on the course of his clinical illness. An attempt was made to subdivide schizophrenic patients into the usual clinical subgroups, but this only succeeded in separating catatonic from paranoid cases and it was often necessary to reclassify patients who were observed over four years. The physical signs about to be described were most common in catatonic patients. They were rarer in paranoid schizophrenics, rarer still in patients suffering from an affective illness, and were not encountered in the few well-preserved paranoics who came under observation. These physical signs are definite and unmistakable, but they are not irreversible, and should be regarded as manifestations of disturbed function rather than as pathological lesions in the ordinary sense of the word. The few irreversible signs which were encountered were probably all secondary to prolonged dysfunction, for instance changes in the integument after prolonged vascular deprivation, and evidence of persisting dysfunction of the liver in patients who had entered on a good clinical remission.
Feeling bad is not always unhealthy: Culture moderates the link between negative affect and diurnal cortisol profiles.

Prior research has demonstrated that the daily experience of negative affect is associated with increased levels of proinflammatory activity as evidenced by higher interleukin-6 among Americans but not among Japanese. This cultural difference may be driven by culturally divergent beliefs about negative affect as a source of threat to self-image versus as natural and integral to life. Here, we examined whether culture may moderate the relationship between negative affect and biological stress responses, with a focus on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. By using culturally matched surveys of Americans (N = 761) and Japanese (N = 328), we found that negative affect was associated with a flattening of the diurnal cortisol slope among Americans after controlling for demographic variables, personality traits, sleep patterns, and health behaviors. In contrast, the association between negative affect and the HPA axis activity was negligible among Japanese. Moreover, we assessed biological health risk with biomarkers of both inflammation (interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels) and cardiovascular function (higher systolic blood pressure and total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio) and found that the relationship between negative affect and increased biological health risk, which was observed only among Americans, was mediated by the flattening of the diurnal cortisol rhythm. These findings suggest that cultural differences in how emotions are construed may make the experience of negative affect more or less stressful and differentially consequential for health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Flux Characteristics Analysis of a Single-Phase Tubular Permanent Magnet Linear Motor Based on 3-D Magnetic Equivalent Circuit

This paper gives a way to analyze the flux characteristic of a single-phase tubular permanent magnet linear motor (TPMLM) based on the 3-D magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC) method. By studying the flux tubes of this single-phase TPMLM with the finite-element analysis software—FLUX, a 3-D MEC model of this motor can be constructed, and the flux linkage of the single-phase TPMLM can also be calculated. The static and dynamic performances of the single-phase TPMLM calculated with the 3-D MEC model are compared with the 3-D finite-element model and experimental results, which verify the correctness of the proposed 3-D MEC model.
Speed Characteristics of Urban Streets Based on Driver Behavior Studies and Simulation Including Pedestrian Movements

The objectives of the study were to develop methods for speed prediction for urban streets segments, focusing on urban speed factors such as pedestrian and bicycle movements. Speed characteristics were examined using a number of methods for data collection, of which several were specifically developed to capture the influence of pedestrian movements. Firstly, driver behavior and travel time data were collected from field and driving simulator studies for a range of street types and traffic conditions for the calibration of a microscopic traffic simulation model. Production runs with this model were performed for various traffic conditions. Secondly, aggregated speed data were collected at the link level for three street types. Speed and flow data combined with street site variables were analyzed using multiple regression techniques with space-mean speed as dependent variable. This analysis was also performed for average travel speed data produced by microscopic simulation. Results of the two analyses showed a large degree of explanatory power from the factors Pedestrian and bicyclist movements and Traffic flow for the studied urban streets. The factors Number of lanes and Street function also proved to have significant impacts on space-mean speed performed for a range of street types. The speed-flow relationships of the macro model showed good agreement with the micro model and especially for traffic flow in the upper range. Final speed characteristics were recommended upon a synthesis of the developed analysis methods.
La comunicación, clave de excelencia visible en la Educación Superior

The trend toward “visible excellence” allows us to understand how students learn and how teaching influences this learning, taking communication as a key indicator. This study analyzes and evaluates communicative capacity as key indicator of teaching excellence at Trent University (Canada). The participants were 158 teachers who were given a questionnaire with 10 dimensions. The results highlight the need for communicative interaction and especially empathetic listening in order to achieve visible excellence in university teaching. Palabras clave/
Use of real-time monitoring to predict concentrations of select constituents in the Menomonee River drainage basin, Southeast Wisconsin, 2008-9

The Menomonee River drainage basin in southeast Wisconsin is undergoing changes that may affect water quality. Several rehabilitation and flood-management projects are underway, including removal of concrete channels and the construction of floodwater retention basins. The city of Waukesha may begin discharging treated wastewater into Underwood Creek, thus approximately doubling the current base-flow discharge. In addition, the headwater basins, historically dominated by agriculture and natural areas, are becoming increasingly urbanized. In an effort to monitor these and future changes to the basin, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District initiated a study in 2008 to develop regression models to estimate real-time concentrations and loads of selected water-quality constituents. Water-quality sensors and automated samplers were installed at five sites in the Menomonee River drainage basin. The sensors continuously measured four explanatory variables: water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. Discrete water-quality samples were collected and analyzed for five response variables: chloride, total suspended solids, total phosphorus, Escherichia coli bacteria, and fecal coliform bacteria. Regression models were developed to continuously estimate the response variables on the basis of the explanatory variables. The models to estimate chloride concentrations all used specific conductance as the explanatory variable, except for the model for the Little Menomonee River near Freistadt, which used both specific conductance and turbidity as explanatory variables. Adjusted R2 values for the chloride models ranged from 0.74 to 0.97. Models to estimate total suspended solids and total phosphorus used turbidity as the only explanatory variable. Adjusted R2 values ranged from 0.77 to 0.94 for the total suspended solids models and from 0.55 to 0.75 for the total phosphorus models. Models to estimate indicator bacteria used water temperature and turbidity as the explanatory variables, with adjusted R2 values from 0.54 to 0.69 for Escherichia coli bacteria models and from 0.54 to 0.74 for fecal coliform bacteria models. Dissolved oxygen was not used in any of the final models. These models may help managers measure the effects of land-use changes and improvement projects, establish total maximum daily loads, estimate important water-quality indicators such as bacteria concentrations, and enable informed decision making in the future.
Capital Controls, Liberalizations, and Foreign Direct Investement

Affiliate-level evidence indicates that American multinational firms circumvent capital controls by adjusting their reported intrafirm trade, affiliate profitability, and dividend repatriations. As a result, the reported profit impact of local capital controls is comparable to the effect of 24 percent higher corporate tax rates, and affiliates located in countries imposing capital controls are 9.8 percent more likely than other affiliates to remit dividends to parent companies. Multinational affiliates located in countries with capital controls face 5.4 percent higher interest rates on local borrowing than do affiliates of the same parent borrowing locally in countries without capital controls. Together, the costliness of avoidance and higher interest rates raise the cost of capital, significantly reducing the level of foreign direct investment. American affiliates are 13-16 percent smaller in countries with capital controls than they are in comparable countries without capital controls. These effects are reversed when countries liberalize their capital account restrictions.
Expanding the MiniAp‐4 BBB‐shuttle family: Evaluation of proline cis‐trans ratio as tool to fine‐tune transport

Venoms have recently emerged as a promising field in drug discovery due to their good selectivity and affinity for a wide range of biological targets. Among their multiple potential applications, venoms are a rich source of blood‐brain barrier (BBB) peptide shuttles. We previously described a short nontoxic derivative of apamin, MiniAp‐4, which can transport a wide range of cargoes across the BBB. Here, we have studied the conformation of the proline residue of a range of MiniAp‐4 analogues by high‐field NMR techniques, with the aim to identify whether there is a direct relation between the cis/trans population and a range of features, such as the capacity to transport molecules across a human‐based cellular model and stability in various media. The most promising candidate showed improved transport properties for a relevant small fluorophore.
Psychedelic Science, Contemplative Practices, and Indigenous and Other Traditional Knowledge Systems: Towards Integrative Community-Based Approaches in Global Health

ABSTRACT As individuals and communities around the world confront mounting physical, psychological, and social threats, three complimentary mind-body-spirit pathways toward health, wellbeing, and human flourishing remain underappreciated within conventional practice among the biomedical, public health, and policy communities. This paper reviews literature on psychedelic science, contemplative practices, and Indigenous and other traditional knowledge systems to make the case that combining them in integrative models of care delivered through community-based approaches backed by strong and accountable health systems could prove transformative for global health. Both contemplative practices and certain psychedelic substances reliably induce self-transcendent experiences that can generate positive effects on health, well-being, and prosocial behavior, and combining them appears to have synergistic effects. Traditional knowledge systems can be rich sources of ethnobotanical expertise and repertoires of time-tested practices. A decolonized agenda for psychedelic research and practice involves engaging with the stewards of such traditional knowledges in collaborative ways to codevelop evidence-based models of integrative care accessible to the members of these very same communities. Going forward, health systems could consider Indigenous and other traditional healers or spiritual guides as stakeholders in the design, implementation, and evaluation of community-based approaches for safely scaling up access to effective psychedelic treatments.
IMPLICATION OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON LAND USE LAND COVER DYNAMICS IN KAGERA CATCHMENT, EAST AFRICA

i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iii LIST OF TABLES . viii LIST OF FIGURES . x CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1. Rationale and problem statement . 2 1.2. Aim of the study . 4 1.3. Research questions . 5 CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW . 6 2.1 Human-environment Interaction . 6 2.2. Land use and Land cover . 10 2.2.1. Causes of land use land cover change . 10 2.2.2. Land use and land cover detection.15 2.2.2.1. Image classification.15 2.2.2.2. Change detection.19 2.2. 3. Land cover changes in Kagera. 21 CHAPTER 3 – DATA AND METHODOLOGY . 22 v 3.1. Study area . 22 3.2. Data description and collection . 26 3.2.1. Image acquisition and preparation . 26 3.2.2. Population data . 28 3.2. 3. Ancillary data . 29 3.3.3. Flow Chart of the methodology.30 3.3. Image preprocessing.31 3.4. Land use and Land cover classification and accuracy assessment . 33 3.4.1. Image classification . 33 3.4. 2. Accuracy assessment . 36 3.5. Post-classification analysis . 37 3.5. 1. Past land cover change analysis. 37 3.5. 2. Major land cover transition.37 3.5. 3. Land use and cover change prediction . 38 3.5. 4. Land cover-population relationship analysis.38 CHAPTER 4 – RESULTS . 39 4.1. Image classification and accuracy assessment . 39
EFFECT OF THRESHOLD VALUES ON THE PREDICTED EXTREME WAVES-A CASE STUDY IN UAE TERRITORIAL WATERS

دنع كلذو قرطتملا ماھلا ةجوملا عافترا ىلع ةبتعلا ةميق رييغت ريثأت ةسارد مت 25 ةيميلقلإا هايملا لخاد ةطحم تاراملإل . نم حوارتت ةبتعلا ةميق 0.75m ىلإ 4.5m . جاوملأا ليلحتل لبمج ةقيرطو لبيو ةقيرط مادختسا مت عيمجل لضفلأا يھ لبيو ةقيرط نأ ةساردلا تنيب دقو ةفرطتملا تاطحملا . نم حوارتت لبيو ةقيرطل رشؤملا ةميق 0.8 ىلإ 1.3 دادترلاا ةميقل ىلعلأا لماعملا ىلع دنتسم رشؤم لضفأ رايتخاو . ةقباطملا ةطحملا مادختسا متي فوس ةفلتخم ةدوع تارتفل ةفرطتملا ةماھلا تاجوملا عقوتل رشؤملا سايقمو . دكؤم هاجتا دجوي لا دنع ةجوملا عافترا عقوت ھلا نم ةبتعلا ةميق حوارتت امدنع فرطتملا ما 0.75m ىلإ 4.5m ةفلتخم تاطحمل . دجوي تاطحملا ضعب يف عافترا ةميق ىرخأ تاطحم يفو ةبتعلا ةميق ديازت عم عقوتملا فرطتملا ماھلا ةجوملا عافترا ةميق يف ضيفخت نم ةبتعلا ةميق ريغتت امدنع ةبلقنم عقوتملا فرطتملا ماھلا ةجوملا 0.75m ىلإ 4.5m . ىلعلأا دحلا نيب فلاتخلاا ةرتفل ماھلا ةجوملا عافترا ةميقل ىندلأا دحلاو 100 وھ ةدوع ةنس 1.6m . يف ةديفم نوكتس ةساردلا هذھ جئاتن تاراملإل ةيلحاسلا ةقطنملا يف بيرقلا لبقتسملل ةططخملاو ةرمتسملا عيراشملا نم ديدعلل يلاثملا ميمصتلا . The effect of varying the threshold value on the predicted extreme significant wave height is investigated. 25 different locations in the UAE territorial water is used for this case study. Threshold value is varied from 0.75 m to 4.5 m with increment of 0.25 m. Gumbel and Weibull extreme value distributions are used for the extreme wave analysis and Weibull distribution is found to be better for all the locations. The value of shape parameter of the Weibull distribution is varied from 0.8 to 1.3 with increment of 0.05 and the best shape parameter is selected (based on the highest coefficient of regression value) and the corresponding location and scale parameter are used for predicting the extreme significant waves of different return periods. It is found that there is no definite trend in the predicted extreme significant wave height, when the threshold value is varied from 0.75 m to 4.5 m, for different selected locations. For some locations, the predicted extreme significant wave height is found to reduce with increased threshold value and for some other location, the predicted extreme wave height value oscillates when the threshold value is changed from 0.75 to 4.5 m. It is found that the difference between the maximum and minimum predicted 100 year return period significant wave height value is about 1.6 m for some locations in the UAE territorial waters and for few other locations, the difference is as small as 0.20 m. It is hence recommended to the user/owner of the project to select a design value in between the minimum and maximum predicted significant wave height for different return periods by keeping the risk and project cost in mind. A large number of marine projects are in progress and many new projects are planned for the near future in the UAE territorial waters. The results of the present study will be highly useful for optimal design of these marine structures.
La delimitación y organización espacial de las areas metropolitanas españolas: una perspectiva desde la movilidad residencia-trabajo

El articulo tiene como objetivo presentar algunos resultados relevantes del estudio de la realidad metropolitana espanola a partir de la variable movilidad residencia-trabajo. Esta variable, como ha demostrado la experiencia comparada internacional, constituye una poderosa herramienta tanto para la definicion como para la descripcion y explicacion de los procesos metropolitanos. Aqui se desarrollan tres cuestiones concatenadas al respecto. En primer lugar, los principales resultados del proceso de delimitacion en cuanto al numero, dimension y organizacion jerarquica del universo metropolitano espanol. En segundo lugar, los diferentes tipos de confi guracion espacial metropolitana de acuerdo a la variable residencia-trabajo. Finalmente, una aproximacion a la diversidad y heterogeneidad de las areas metropolitanas espanolas, estableciendo una secuencia de fases o modelos de evolucion y complejidad estructural de acuerdo con el comportamiento de dicha variable. Se concluye de todo lo anterior que la ciudad real en Espana es una ciudad metropolitana, jerarquicamente organizada, y heterogenea y diversa, que debe adecuarse en sus instrumentos y politicas de intervencion a dicha realidad.
Industrial strength COMPASS: A comprehensive algorithm and software for optimization via simulation

Industrial Strength COMPASS (ISC) is a particular implementation of a general framework for optimizing the expected value of a performance measure of a stochastic simulation with respect to integer-ordered decision variables in a finite (but typically large) feasible region defined by linear-integer constraints. The framework consists of a global-search phase, followed by a local-search phase, and ending with a “clean-up” (selection of the best) phase. Each phase provides a probability 1 convergence guarantee as the simulation effort increases without bound: Convergence to a globally optimal solution in the global-search phase; convergence to a locally optimal solution in the local-search phase; and convergence to the best of a small number of good solutions in the clean-up phase. In practice, ISC stops short of such convergence by applying an improvement-based transition rule from the global phase to the local phase; a statistical test of convergence from the local phase to the clean-up phase; and a ranking-and-selection procedure to terminate the clean-up phase. Small-sample validity of the statistical test and ranking-and-selection procedure is proven for normally distributed data. ISC is compared to the commercial optimization via simulation package OptQuest on five test problems that range from 2 to 20 decision variables and on the order of 104 to 1020 feasible solutions. These test cases represent response-surface models with known properties and realistic system simulation problems.