Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimizing Residential Building Orientation for Sustainable Daylighting in the Tropics: A Case Study in Lagos, Nigeria

Daylighting is an essential aspect of sustainable building design as it reduces reliance on artificial lighting, improves energy efficiency, and promotes a healthier indoor environment. However, in the tropics, where excessive solar heat gain and intense sunlight prevail, designing residential buildings that maximise daylight while minimising heat gain relies heavily on correctly obtaining the building orientation. This study explores the challenges faced in achieving optimal residential building orientation in the tropics and proposes guidelines and tools for operationalising residential building orientation in Lagos State. A mixed-method approach was employed by combining field observations, subjective surveys, and physical measurements. The orientations of the sampled residential buildings were identified using field observation procedures. A total of 1,168 residential buildings were sampled across 20 Local Government Areas of Lagos State. The findings reveal variations in residential building orientations across the North and South zones of Lagos State, with the majority having a northwest/southeast orientation. The implications of these orientations on energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and daylighting are discussed. Recommendations were provided for each orientation, suggesting strategies to address potential issues and optimise daylighting. This study underscores the importance of considering building orientation for sustainable design practices in Lagos, Nigeria. By implementing the suggested building orientation guidelines, architects can achieve and enhance the visual comfort and energy efficiency of residential building occupants in Lagos State.
Integrated Assessment of Vegetation and Soil Conditions Following Herbicide Application

Vegetation and soil conditions were evaluated prior to, and following herbicide application implemented to control woody vegetation and maintain open grassland areas at Fort Hood, TX. Herbicide application resulted in a decreased rate of vegetation resprout compared with areas where herbicide was not used. Specifically, herbicide mixtures containing Remedy Ultra and methylated seed oil (RU-MSO) outperformed treatments in which no herbicide was applied and areas receiving herbicide and diesel fuel oil treatments (RU-diesel) across each of the three soils evaluated. Field monitoring assessed herbicide concentrations in soil and water. Herbicides were not observed in creeks and ponds adjacent to treatment areas. In soils, herbicide concentrations decreased by 72% over one month, likely due to microbial degradation, and with distance from the point of application. Monitoring results suggest that limited lateral and/or vertical transport occurred under field conditions. Laboratory studies evaluated potential fate and transport of herbicide compounds, identifying herbicide affinity for the soil surface. Additionally, RU-MSO treatments were strongly bound to soil surfaces at environmentally relevant concentrations. Further, laboratory column studies also suggest that potential transport in soil remained limited. Incorporating periodic herbicide applications into an integrated vegetation management plan will maintain grassland habitats in support of the mission. DISCLAIMER: The contents of this report are not to be used for advertising, publication, or promotional purposes. Citation of trade names does not constitute an official endorsement or approval of the use of such commercial products. All product names and trademarks cited are the property of their respective owners. The findings of this report are not to be construed as an official Department of the Army position unless so designated by other authorized documents. DESTROY THIS REPORT WHEN NO LONGER NEEDED. DO NOT RETURN IT TO THE ORIGINATOR.
Pricing Writer-Extendable Call Options with Monte Carlo Simulation

Writer-extendable option is an exotic option that can either be exercised at its initial maturity time, or be extended to a future maturity time. Within the Black-Scholes environment, this study aims to price writer-extendable call options using the Monte Carlo simulation technique, and compare the obtained prices with the closed-form pricing formula. Numerical examples are provided using the closed-form solutions and the Monte Carlo simulation via Euler scheme, which shows that the prices obtained via the latter are accurate.
Circulation Drivers of Atmospheric Rivers at the North American West Coast

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are mechanisms of strong moisture transport capable of bringing heavy precipitation to the West Coast of North America, which drives water resources and can lead to large‐scale flooding. Understanding links between climate variability and landfalling ARs is critical for improving forecasts on timescales needed for water resource management. We examined 69 years of landfalling ARs along western North America using reanalysis and a long‐term AR catalog to identify circulation drivers of AR landfalls. This analysis reveals that AR activity along the West Coast is largely associated with a handful of influential modes of atmospheric variability. Interaction between these modes creates favorable or unfavorable atmospheric states for landfalling ARs at different locations, effectively steering moisture plumes up and down the coast from Mexico to British Columbia. Seasonal persistence of certain modes helps explain interannual variability of landfalling ARs, including recent California drought years and the wet winter of 2016/2017.
Estimates of Decadal Climate Predictability From an Interactive Ensemble Model

Decadal climate predictability has received considerable scientific interest in recent years, yet the limits and mechanisms for decadal predictability are currently not well known. It is widely accepted that noise due to internal atmospheric dynamics at the air‐sea interface influences predictability. The purpose of this paper is to use the interactive ensemble (IE) coupling strategy to quantify how internal atmospheric noise at the air‐sea interface impacts decadal predictability. The IE technique can significantly reduce internal atmospheric noise and has proven useful in assessing seasonal‐to‐interannual variability and predictability. Here we focus on decadal timescales and apply the nonlinear local Lyapunov exponent method to the Community Climate System Model comparing control simulations with IE simulations. This is the first time the nonlinear local Lyapunov exponent has been applied to the state‐of‐the‐art coupled models. The global patterns of decadal predictability are discussed from the perspective of internal atmospheric noise and ocean dynamics.
Is There a Change From a Warm‐Dry to a Warm‐Wet Climate in the Inland River Area of China? Interpretation and Analysis Through Surface Water Balance

The Inland River Area of China (IRAC), being the most water‐stressed region in the world, faced with increasingly severe ecological degradation risk and water shortage issue under global climate warming. Previous studies indicated that the climate of IRAC have changed from warm‐dry to warm‐wet, because both precipitation (P) and air temperature have increased. However, the analysis in this study, considering the effects of climate change on hydrologic cycle rather than simply on climate conditions, indicates that there has been no substantial change from a warm‐dry to a warm‐wet climate in the IRAC during 1948–2010. The Standardized Moisture Anomaly Index (SZI), which is a comprehensive multiscalar drought indicator, was used to identify the patterns of dry and wet weather. The Global Land Data Assimilation System 2 (GLDAS2) Noah model, based on advanced land surface modeling and data assimilation techniques, were used to provide input surface water‐energy variables for calculating SZI. The results show that both the forcing data and the output of the GLDAS2 Noah model are in good agreement with different types of observations. The variabilities in SZI are more consistent with evidence of multiple droughts (including residual water/energy ratio, evapotranspiration deficit, and historical drought records) than the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). Based on SZI, it is known that increases in the water supply (P) are balanced by the increased water demand caused by significant climate warming; that is, terrestrial water storage has generally remained balanced over the past four decades.
Dynamic Rupture Simulation Reproduces Spontaneous Multifault Rupture and Arrest During the 2016 Mw 7.9 Kaikoura Earthquake

The 2016 Kaikoura (New Zealand) earthquake is characterized as one of the most complex multifault rupture events ever observed. We perform dynamic rupture simulations to evaluate to what extent relatively simple forward models accounting for realistic fault geometry can explain the characteristics of coseismic observations. Without fine parameter tuning, our model reproduces many observed features including the multifault rupture, overall slip distribution, and the locations of the maximum slip and rupture arrest. In particular, our model shows spontaneous arrest of dynamic rupture at the both ends of the ruptured fault system due to smaller prestress levels expected from a regional tectonic stress field. Both the simulated and the observationally inferred source time functions show similar double peaks with a larger second peak. The results illuminate the importance of the 3‐D fault geometry in understanding the dynamics of complex multifault rupture.
Determination of distribution coefficients of uranium and thorium on bedrock of Anarak Nuclear Waste Repository using Batch sorption experiments

One of the key influencing parameters in the safe management of nuclear waste repositories is the distribution coefficient ( 𝐾 𝑑 ) of radionuclides on bedrock. In this study, (𝐾 𝑑 ) of uranium and thorium ions in intact bedrock were determined using batch experiments on crushed bedrock at seven different particle size fractions as well as three different initial concentrations of ions. Sorption experiments have been performed on crushed bedrock prepared from intact drill core samples and an aqueous solution containing desired ions from the local water (LW) near Anarak Nuclear Waste Repository. The results showed that both factors of the initial ions concentration as well as the size of the crushed bedrock particles significantly affect the value of the distribution coefficient so that ( 𝐾 𝑑 ) value increases with decreasing particle size and increasing ion concentration. Also, ( 𝐾 𝑑 ) calculated at three studied concentrations showed that the difference in the ( 𝐾 𝑑 ) values in smaller particles is large but decrease with increasing particle size and ( 𝐾 𝑑 ) curves for two concentrations of (100 and 10) ppm overlap at the end of the chart. Therefore, it can be concluded that for accurate calculation, it is better to use large particles and low concentrations of ions to determine ( 𝐾 𝑑 ) in intact bedrock. In this report, different mechanisms including chemical interactions, physical adsorption, and ion exchange were presented for ion adsorption by bedrock. The proposed mechanisms were related to the type of metal speciation of ions in the solution. Based on the obtained data, the preferred mechanism to describe the adsorption of uranium and thorium ions is composed of chemical interactions and physical adsorption.
Effect of interface transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity on contaminant migration through composite liners with wrinkles or failed seams

The leakage and the peak chloride concentration in an aquifer for a single composite liner facility is modelled for (i) a hole in a geomembrane wrinkle and (ii) a failed seam. A method using a closed-form solution to calculate leakage together with a l½-dimensional (l½D) semi-analytic contaminant transport model is proposed, and the results compared with those obtained from two-dimensional (2D) finite element modelling (FEM). Leakage is shown to be highly dependent on the interaction between the interface transmissivity (θ) and hydraulic conductivity beneath the wrinkle (kb). Similar leakages arising from different combinations of transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity are shown to have significantly different impacts on an underlying aquifer. Contaminant transport modelling is needed to assess this effect for the likely range of uncertainty regarding interface transmissivity (θ) and hydraulic conductivity. The 2D FEM is conceptually more comprehensive; however, using conventional software only a very limited size of problem could be accurately modeled given the greatly different scales that must be modelled. In contrast, the semi-analytic 1½D approach readily allowed consideration of the highly variable scales, and gave results at the down-gradient edge sufficiently similar to the 2D approach.
Navigating the Trade-Off Between Explainability and Privacy

: Understanding the rationale behind complex AI decisions becomes increasingly vital as AI evolves. Explain-able AI technologies are pivotal in demystifying these decisions, offering methods and tools to interpret and communicate the reasoning behind AI-driven outcomes. However, the rise of Explainable AI is juxtaposed with the imperative to protect sensitive data, leading to the integration of encryption techniques in AI development. This paper explores the intricate coexistence of explainability and encryption in AI, presenting a dilemma where the quest for transparency clashes with the imperative to secure sensitive information. The contradiction is particularly evident in methods like homomorphic encryption, which, while ensuring data security, complicates the provision of clear and interpretable explanations for AI decisions. The discussion delves into the conflicting goals of these approaches, surveying the use of privacy-preserving methods in Ex-plainable AI and identifying potential directions for future research. Contributions include a comprehensive survey of privacy considerations in current Explainable AI approaches, an exemplary use case demonstrating visualization techniques for explainability in secure environments, and identifying avenues for future work.
Design, Development and Testing of a Hospital Website

With the deepening of Internet applications, patients expect hospitals to make appointments, communicate information and obtain reports anytime and anywhere through websites. To solve this problem, we have designed and developed a “Hospital” website, which uses iterative and incremental process models and “natural observation method”, and uses React, Node, JavaScript, MongoDB and other Web tools for front-end and back-end development, including hospital dynamic description, The website achieves a 24-hour appointment and communication channel between patients and doctors, with a concise and safe operation interface through repeated testing, and real-time access to test reports. This “Hospital” website can be promoted and used in large traditional Chinese medicine hospitals.
Neighborhoods and youth health: Everybody needs good neighbors?

There are large differences in health across neighborhoods in Sweden. To try to answer if there is a causal link between neighborhood conditions in childhood and youth health, I apply two different empirical strategies. First, I use population wide data on families living in different areas in Sweden, and estimate the effects of childhood neighborhood on youth health using data on families that move across the country. Since the choice of moving and where to live is endogenous, I exploit the timing of moves and estimate the effect of siblings’ different exposure time to neighborhoods. The second approach utilizes a governmental policy that assigned refugees to their initial neighborhood in Sweden, potentially offering exogenous variation in neighborhoods and allowing me to study the effect of different neighborhoods on youth health. The findings from the two strategies together imply that there are significant neighborhoods effects on youth health, but that the effects are contemporaneous and there is no evidence of exposure time effects.
Debris flow susceptibility mapping at a regional scale

Debris flow susceptibility mapping at a regional scale has been the subject of various studies. The complexity of the phenomenon and the variability of local controlling factors limit the use of process-based models for a first assessment. GISbased approaches associating an automatic detection of the source areas and a simple assessment of the debris flow spreading may provide a substantial basis for a preliminary susceptibility assessment at the regional scale. The use of a digital elevation model, with a 10 m resolution, for the Canton de Vaud territory (Switzerland), a lithological map and a land use map, has allowed automatic identification of the potential source areas. The spreading estimates are based on basic probabilistic and energy calculations that allow to define the maximal runout distance of a debris flow.
STUDI BIOINFORMATIKA KONSTITUEN MAYOR Centella asiatica DALAM MEMODULASI KECEMASAN DAN DEPRESI

Konstituen mayor Centella asiatica (CA) memiliki banyak manfaat farmakologis dan diduga dapat mempengaruhi kondisi kecemasan dan depresi, namun jalur persinyalan molekuler belum sepenuhnya dipahami. Studi ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi target potensial mekanisme konstituen mayor melalui pendekatan bioinformatika. Prediksi protein yang dimodulasi oleh konstituen mayor CA dilakukan dengan SwissTargetPrediction 2019 dan STITCH 5.0 yang kemudian dilakukan analisis irisan dengan gen depresi dan kecemasan yang diperoleh dari GeneCards. Analisis interaksi protein-protein dilakukan dengan STRING 11.5 dan ditelusuri ketermungkinan jalur persinyalan gen dengan WebGestalt 2019. Melalui studi diketahui bahwa konstituen mayor CA (asiaticoside) berpotensi memodulasi kondisi kecemasan dan depresi melalui jalur persinyalan BDNF. Studi lebih lanjut diperlukan untuk mengeksplorasi potensi terapi konstituen mayor CA dengan model depresi dan kecemasan.
Cetacean monitoring in the Mariana Islands Range Complex, 2016

Broadly distributed species often exhibit genetic structure caused by habitat preferences or social structure. Here we examine regional and local genetic structure in Pacific short-finned pilot whales using a combination of mtDNA haplotypes and SNP genotypes of samples from the Mariana Islands, Hawaiian Islands and the eastern tropical Pacific (ETP). Preliminary analyses indicate a lack of maleor female-mediated gene flow between these three regions, and suggest a greater degree of population structure within island associated populations than pelagic populations. Within the Mariana Islands, mitochondrial differentiation was found between Saipan and Guam/Rota, but no nuclear differentiation was found between any region, suggesting that gene flow is driven by males of the species. High relatedness within social groups suggests the possibility of socially-mediated population structure, which will be a topic of future research and analysis. Introduction Ocean basins have few barriers to distribution, and indeed many marine vertebrates have migration routes that cover entire basins over the course of a year. Most odontocetes, however, exhibit genetic structure due to localized habitat use throughout the range of their distribution. In the case of an apparent lack of physical barriers, cryptic genetic structure is often driven by less obvious mechanisms, such as environmental preferences (e.g., sea surface temperature (SST), thermocline depth), dietary specialization, or social structure. Moreover, different habitats, such as coastal or island-associated and pelagic marine habitats, can facilitate different patterns of genetic structure within and among populations of the same species. Short-finned pilot whales are distributed throughout the Pacific Ocean in tropical and temperate waters. Although they are most often observed along shelf breaks, over depths of 1500 m, they are known to occupy pelagic waters in areas such as the eastern tropical Pacific (ETP) (Baird et al. 2013; Hamilton et al. 2009). Two morphologically and genetically distinct types have been described, with spatio-temporally non-overlapping distributions (Kasuya et al. 1988; Oremus et al. 2009, Van Cise et al. in review). Mitogenomic data indicate that a third genetically distinct clade overlaps the distributions of the first two (Morin et al. 2015), although there are no morphological data to support or refute this hypothesis. The Naisa type short-
Inland Transport Enterprises Process Maturity Assessment – Theoretical Aspects

: Purpose: The critical function of inland transport enterprises within the expansive domain of the global maritime container supply chain is acknowledged. The responsibility for managing terrestrial segments of the supply chain, in conjunction with the multifaceted entities impacting the maritime segment, contributes to the complexity of integrating and coordinating the entire supply chain. The effectiveness of processes executed in various activities across the supply chain is instrumental in determining the allure and competitive edge of specific participants and the supply chain at large. Owing to the broad spectrum of tasks and obligations bestowed upon inland transport companies, the necessity for adopting an apt process-oriented management system is underscored. Process maturity is characterized by a framework in which individual processes are formalized in terms of their definition, identification, measurement, adaptability, and efficiency. Regrettably, the literature evidences a dearth of process maturity models applicable to inland transport firms. Thus, the aim of this study is to introduce a theoretical framework for assessing process maturity in inland transport entities. Design/Methodology/Approach: The investigation employed several research methodologies, including a review of existing literature, the questionnaire method, and a process maturity evaluation model. Findings: The proposed process maturity assessment model for inland transport companies is segmented into various levels and dimensions, offering enhanced insights into the augmentation of process maturity within enterprises. Practical impliations: The process maturity model for inland transport enterprises is presented as a reference model that managers might utilize for benchmarking purposes, as well as a compilation of recommendations. Orginality: This study represents the inaugural endeavor to formulate a process maturity model tailored to the needs of inland transport companies.