Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) sea surface temperature and sea ice extent on the isotope–temperature slope at polar ice core sites

Abstract. Stable water isotopes in polar ice cores are widely used to reconstruct past temperature variations over several orbital climatic cycles. One way to calibrate the isotope–temperature relationship is to apply the present-day spatial relationship as a surrogate for the temporal one. However, this method leads to large uncertainties because several factors like the sea surface conditions or the origin and transport of water vapor influence the isotope–temperature temporal slope. In this study, we investigate how the sea surface temperature (SST), the sea ice extent, and the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) affect these temporal slopes in Greenland and Antarctica for Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ∼ 21 000 years ago) to preindustrial climate change. For that, we use the isotope-enabled atmosphere climate model ECHAM6-wiso, forced with a set of sea surface boundary condition datasets based on reconstructions (e.g., GLOMAP) or MIROC 4m simulation outputs. We found that the isotope–temperature temporal slopes in East Antarctic coastal areas are mainly controlled by the sea ice extent, while the sea surface temperature cooling affects the temporal slope values inland more. On the other hand, ECHAM6-wiso simulates the impact of sea ice extent on the EPICA Dome C (EDC) and Vostok sites through the contribution of water vapor from lower latitudes. Effects of sea surface boundary condition changes on modeled isotope–temperature temporal slopes are variable in West Antarctica. This is partly due to the transport of water vapor from the Southern Ocean to this area that can dampen the influence of local temperature on the changes in the isotopic composition of precipitation and snow. In the Greenland area, the isotope–temperature temporal slopes are influenced by the sea surface temperatures near the coasts of the continent. The greater the LGM cooling off the coast of southeastern Greenland, the greater the transport of water vapor from the North Atlantic, and the larger the temporal slopes. The presence or absence of sea ice very near the coast has a large influence in Baffin Bay and the Greenland Sea and influences the slopes at some inland ice core stations. The extent of the sea ice far south slightly influences the temporal slopes in Greenland through the transport of more depleted water vapor from lower latitudes to this area. The seasonal variations of sea ice distribution, especially its retreat in summer, influence the isotopic composition of the water vapor in this region and the modeled isotope–temperature temporal slopes in the eastern part of Greenland. A stronger LGM AMOC decreases LGM-to-preindustrial isotopic anomalies in precipitation in Greenland, degrading the isotopic model–data agreement. The AMOC strength modifies the temporal slopes over inner Greenland slightly and by a little on the coasts along the Greenland Sea where the changes in surface temperature and sea ice distribution due to the AMOC strength mainly occur.
The export-economic growth nexus: The case of Saudi Arabia

Export strategies are the means by which the country can dispose of its domestic production surpluses to bridge successive deficits in national balances of payments and achieve economic growth. These strategies are of particular importance to the economy of Saudi Arabia, as it has opted in the last decade to diversify its economy and migrate gradually away from an economy heavily reliant on oil exports. Given the importance of diversifying the economy, this study aims to examine the relationship between exports and economic growth in the Saudi Arabian economy. The multivariate Granger Causality Test and cointegration, which is the most common model, was used in examining the short-term and long-term patterns of exports, non-oil exports, GDP, GDP per capita, and government spending from 1991 to 2016. The findings support a long-standing connection involving Saudi exports and the country’s rate of economic expansion. Unidirectional causality exists between exports, non-oil exports, and economic growth expansion, which means the growth rate rises as exports grow. In addition, the findings revealed the presence of bidirectional causality between the variables. Indeed, export promotion strategies are imperative to fulfill Saudi Arabia’s aspiration of robust and long-term economic growth. AcknowledgmentThe authors acknowledge the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Faisal University (KFU) in Saudi Arabia for the financial support provided under (Grant No. 186183).
A study of probability distributions of DCT coefficients in JPEG compression

A STUDY OF PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS OF DCT COEFFICIENTS IN JPEG COMPRESSION by Gopal Thirumalai Narayanan The Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) used in JPEG compression has shown excellent energy compaction properties that rival that of the ideal Karhunen-Loeve Transform. Lossy compression in JPEG is achieved by distorting 8x8 block DCT coefficients through quantization. It has been shown in literature that DC block DCT coefficients are Gaussian probability distributed and AC block DCT coefficients are Generalized Normal probability distributed. In this investigation, three probability density models for individual modes of nonquantized AC block DCT coefficients are evaluated and are used as basis for the derivation of probability distributions for quantized block DCT coefficients. The suitability of each of the three derived models is evaluated using the KolmogorovSmimov and X2 goodness-of-fit tests, and the moments of the best-fit model are derived. The best-fit model is applied to detect the presence and extent of JPEG compression history in bitmap images. A model for all quantized AC block DCT coefficients is derived using mixtures of individual quantized block DCT modes, and the model hence developed is used to validate the Generalized Benford's Law for leading digit distributions of quantized AC block DCT coeffiCients. A STUDY OF PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS OF DCT COEFFICIENTS IN JPEG COMPRESSION by Gopal Thirumalai Narayanan A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of New Jersey Institute of Technology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Electrical Engineering Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering May 2010 APPROVAL PAGE A STUDY OF PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS OF —DC—T COEFFICIENTS IN JPEG COMPRESSION Gopal Thirumalai Narayanan Dr. Yun Q. Shi, Thesis Advisor bate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, NJIT Dr. Atam P. Dhawan, Committee Member Date Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, NJIT Dr. Jie Hu, Committee Member Date Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, NJIT
Quality Characteristics of Reduced-Fat Emulsified Sausages Made with Yeast Mannoprotein Enzymatically Prepared with a β-1,6-glucanase

Mannoproteins, as yeast polysaccharides, have been utilized in food the industry as dietary fibers, emulsifying agents or fat replacers. Mannoprotein MP112, produced from yeast by enzymatic hydrolysis of myxobacterial β-1,6-glucanase GluM, exhibits excellent emulsifying properties in emulsion preparation. In this study, we aimed to examine the application of stable emulsion with the addition of mannoprotein MP112 (MP112 emulsion) to reduce the fat content of sausages. The addition of MP112 emulsion in emulsified sausages significantly reduced the fat content and increased the moisture and protein contents of emulsified sausages without the expense of their good sensory quality. Moreover, the textural properties of sausages were markedly improved with the higher hardness, chewiness and cohesiveness, especially in the 50–75% replacement ratio of MP112 emulsion. On the other hand, MP112 emulsion replacement of animal fat markedly improved the nutritional composition of emulsified sausages; they displayed a higher PUFA/SFA ratio and lower n-6/n-3 ratio due to their saturated fatty acids being replaced by poly-unsaturated fatty acids. Meanwhile, the oxidative stability of sausages was improved linearly, corresponding to the increased replacement ratio of MP112 emulsion. Our results show that mannoprotein-based emulsions could be used as potential fat alternatives in developing reduced-fat meat products.
A 3D-Printable, Low-Cost Obturator for Less Invasive Gynecologic Brachytherapy

The purpose of this report is to design, develop, and evaluate a cost-effective applicator for interstitial brachytherapy (ISBT) to minimize patient morbidity and facilitate access to curative radiation treatment for gynecologic cancers, especially in low-resource settings. A computer-aided design and prototype were developed of a proposed applicator that incorporates 44 slotted channels to gently guide needles, with or without a tandem, through the vaginal canal, effectively eliminating the need for transcutaneous needle insertions typically employed during ISBT of advanced gynecologic cancer and thus reducing the risk of vaginal laceration and bladder or rectal injury. The tested prototype was developed using AutoCAD software (Autodesk, San Francisco, CA) and 3D printed in Accura Xtreme Gray material using stereolithography. Small-scale iterative tests using a gelatin phantom were conducted on this prototype to confirm the efficacy of the applicator through inter-operator usability, needle stability, and needle arrangement. A promising prototype was developed aimed at addressing key issues with traditional perineum-based templates to facilitate ISBT, including being able to cover bulky tumors with parametrial extension reliably, decrease the risk of tissue or organ injury, and treat women with a prior hysterectomy. Results of preclinical testing demonstrated that the applicator met its purpose, suggesting that it may facilitate ISBT without the morbidity typically associated with the procedure, especially by addressing concerns associated with implementing the procedure in low-resource settings. The applicator shows substantial promise in the treatment of advanced gynecologic cancer. While further testing remains necessary to confirm its translatability to the clinical setting, the applicator appears capable of meeting its design objectives, representing its potential for improving upon current methods.
Generating Strategic Initiative to Improve Employee Engagement at PT Semar Sentinel Indonesia in the Post-Pandemic Era

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the economy, leading to reduced reliance on consulting services by businesses aiming to save costs. Consulting firms, including those in the construction sector, experienced significant challenges, resulting in bankruptcies and financial difficulties. The pandemic’s isolation policies affected remote workers, including consultants, causing work-related stress and decreasing productivity and work engagement. This research aims to investigate the factors contributing to high turnover at PT Semar Sentinel, with a specific focus on employee engagement. The study conducted primary data collection through semi-structured interviews with five employees from the company and the questions addressed factors that required improvement. The collected data was analyzed using NVivo 14 Software, employing deductive coding and content analysis techniques. The analysis revealed seven major variables: Psychological Availability, Brand, Leadership, Performance/Opportunity, The Work, The Basics, and Company Practices. Within these variables, specific factors affecting employee engagement were identified. The study found that variables such as People Management and Emotional Energy had low performance but high importance, indicating areas requiring improvement.
Asymptotics of plasmonic resonnances of rectangular cavities

Rough metallic surfaces with subwavelength structurations possess extraordinary diffractive properties: at certain frequencies, one may observe fine localization and very large enhancement of the electromagnetic fields. The discovery of these phenomena has raised considerable interest as potential applications are numerous (optical switches, sensors, devices for microscopy). This behavior results from the combination of very complex interaction between the incident excitation, the geometry and the material properties of the scatterer. The main goal of this thesis is to better understand these phenomena from the mathematical point of view.In mathematical terms, the localization and concentration of the fields is the mark of a resonance phenomenon. In our context, the corresponding resonant field may be surface plasmons, i.e., waves that propagate along the interface of the grating, and that decay exponentially away from it. Another type of resonance is due to possible cavity modes. Thus, the study of these phenomena pertains to eigenvalue problems for the solutions of the Maxwell system, in geometric configurations where in the whole of a dielectric (generally air) and a metal are separated by an infinite rough interface.We are interested in particular micro-structured devices, namely metallic surfaces that contain rectangular grooves with sub-wavelength apertures, and thin plane layers. Configurations of this type can be manufactured quite precisely and have been subject to many experimental works. The simple geometry of these structures allows us to transform the eigenvalue problem for the Maxwell system into a nonlinear eigenvalue problem for an integral operator that depends on a small parameter, which, using tools from analytic perturbation of operators theory, lends itself to a precise asymptotic analysis. Precisely, we showed that the resonances of these structures converge tothe zeros of some explicit dispersion equations when the ratio between the roughness parameter and the wavelength tends to zero. These asymptotic models provide a precise localization of the resonances in the complex plane, and are suited for numerical approximation, shape and material optimization.
Dynamic Adaptive Environmental Flows (DAE‐Flows) to Reconcile Long‐Term Ecosystem Demands With Hydropower Objectives

This study investigates how environmental flows (e‐flows) can be designed as dynamic operating policies to optimize long‐term economic and ecosystem performance in reservoir systems. The main goal is to provide e‐flow solutions that contribute to better preparedness and flexibility of hydro‐systems to face multiyear stress periods, reducing the impact of water crises. The methodology framework combines a fish‐flow model with a multi‐objective evolutionary algorithm to construct multiple environmental water demand curves and capture the opportunity cost of different levels of ecosystem preservation. The water demand curves applied to a stochastic dynamic hydro‐economic model then derive dynamic e‐flow policies that balance immediate and future water use tradeoffs. The approach, termed dynamically adaptive environmental flows (DAE‐flows), is demonstrated on the Paraná River Basin, Brazil, a large‐scale hydropower system. Results show that the approach can adjust e‐flows (coordinated with other hydro‐system releases) over the time horizon, sacrificing them at certain times at the expense of some ecosystem loss, but improving long‐term ecosystem functioning. A long‐term approach to adaptation also yields better results for the environment without imposing a hard constraint to hydropower during droughts. Even under a drier climate change scenario, this allowed maintenance and improvement of environmental performance in most years, so during severe droughts the water could still be reallocated to hydropower but at a lesser cost to the environment.
An Improved Fuzzy K-Nearest Neighbor Algorithm for Imbalanced Data using Adaptive Approach

ABSTRACT Fuzzy classification is a widely explored research solution of objects in data sciences and engineering. With the span of time, it got new heights with significant improvements according to the needs. Still there are some issues to be discussed and solved in a fuzzy manner; fuzzy classification of imbalanced data is one of them. Consequently, the importance of fuzzy nearest neighbor came into the scenario and deployed in many applications. Various improved crisp nearest neighbor approaches are performing well on imbalanced data-sets, but not much work has done on the fuzzy nearest neighbor for imbalanced data. In this paper, we propose to find out correct memberships of test instances from imbalanced data by merging an adaptive K-nearest neighbor approach to deal with the imbalanced issue and then join it with fuzzy K-nearest neighbor.
Molecular Detection of Anaplasma marginale and Theileria annulata in Buffaloes by Using Duplex PCR from Sheikhupura, Jhang, and Rawalpindi Districts of Punjab, Pakistan

Tick and tick-borne pathogens are among the major threats to animal health and production causing huge economic losses in the form of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Due to the scarcity of epidemiological data and appropriate diagnostic methods, the study was carried out to detect Anaplasma marginale and Theileria annulata from buffaloes of Sheikhupura, Jhang, and Rawalpindi districts by using duplex PCR. A total of 1,152 blood samples of buffaloes were screened for epidemiological investigations. DNA extracted from blood samples was used for the amplification of the msp1β gene and cytochrome b gene by using single and duplex PCR. The prevalence of these pathogens and associated risk factors were observed through the multiple logistic regression method. The overall prevalence of a single infection of A. marginale was found to be 14.26% and for T. annulata it was 15.28%. The mixed infection, through duplex PCR in the buffalo population, was observed as 12.92%. Different associated risk factors were evaluated to assess their association with the prevalence of these pathogens. Generally, the prevalence was significantly higher in female buffaloes (P=0.0001) during summer season (P=0.0001). Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of A. marginale showed that Sequence Pak-4* was closely similar to sequences CP006847.1 and appeared in the same clade. Sequence Pak-4* was ascended to Pak-3* isolate and descendant to MK792344.1 Pakistani isolate. On the other hand, phylogenetic analysis of T. annulata showed that the Pak-2* sequence appeared to be descendants of Indian isolate MH78945.1. In the future, this study will be helpful for large-scale analysis of multiple species by using duplex and multiplex PCR and also for improving the control of associated tick-borne diseases in endemic regions through vaccine development.
L-Rhamnose and Phenolic Esters-Based Monocatenar and Bolaform Amphiphiles: Eco-Compatible Synthesis and Determination of Their Antioxidant, Eliciting and Cytotoxic Properties

Symmetrical and dissymmetrical bolaforms were prepared with good to high yields from unsaturated L-rhamnosides and phenolic esters (ferulic, phloretic, coumaric, sinapic and caffeic) using two eco-compatible synthetic strategies involving glycosylation, enzymatic synthesis and cross-metathesis under microwave activation. The plant-eliciting activity of these new compounds was investigated in Arabidopsis model plants. We found that the monocatenar rhamnosides and bolaforms activate the plant immune system with a response depending on the carbon chain length and the nature of the hydrophilic heads. Their respective antioxidant activities were also evaluated, as well as their cytotoxic properties on dermal cells for cosmetic uses. We showed that phenolic ester-based compounds present good antioxidant activities and that their cytotoxicity is low. These properties are also dependent on the carbon chains used.
Interference and nanoimprint lithography for the patterning of large areas

Micro- and nanostructures can be used for reflectance reduction or light guidance in applications like photovoltaic solar cells, LEDs or display technology. The combination of interference lithography and nanoimprint lithography enables the fabrication and replication of high resolution structures on large areas. The origination of master structures, seamlessly patterned on areas as large as 1.2 × 1.2 m2 was shown using interference lithography. Within this work we demonstrate our current results on the up-scaling of the replication process chain based on nanoimprint lithography with in-line capable tools. Application examples in the fields of photovoltaics are demonstrated, e.g. the micron-scale patterning of multicrystalline silicon substrates to increase the solar cell efficiency. Furthermore, the lifetime of soft PDMS stamps is investigated. AFM force-distance measurements are introduced as suitable method to quantify the PDMS hardness as a parameter indicating stamp degradation. This technique is subsequently applied to evaluate two different resist materials. Applying the epoxy material (SU-8) with its more complex molecular structure results in a strongly increased stamp lifetime compared to the acrylate resist (Laromer LR 8996). This is a highly valuable result for further developments towards an up-scaled realization of nanoimprint lithography.
Causal structure among US corn futures and regional cash prices in the time and frequency domain

ABSTRACT This study investigates causal structure among daily Chicago Board of Trade corn futures prices and seven regional cash series from Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Kansas for January 2006–March 2011. Their wavelet transformed series are further analyzed for causal relationships at different time scales. Empirical results indicate no causality among states or between the futures and a cash series for time scales shorter than one month. As scales increase but do not exceed a year, bidirectional causal flows are determined among all prices. The information leadership role of the futures against a cash price is identified for the scale longer than one year and raw series, at which no interstate causality is found.
Modelling and prediction of tyre–snow interaction using finite element analysis–smoothed particle hydrodynamics techniques

This paper focuses on the modelling and prediction of truck tyre–snow interaction to compute tyre motion resistance coefficient. The off-road truck tyre size 315/80R22.5 is modelled using finite element analysis and validated in static and dynamic response against published measured data. The snow is modelled using smoothed particle hydrodynamics technique and hydrodynamic-elastic-plastic material and then calibrated against physical measurements provided by published terramechanics data. The contact algorithm implemented is the node-symmetric node-to-segment contact with edge treatment. The rolling resistance coefficient is also known as the motion resistance coefficient of the truck tyre–snow interaction and is computed for several operating conditions including the vertical load, inflation pressure, tyre longitudinal speed, and snow depth. The influence of the above-mentioned operating conditions on the truck tyre motion resistance coefficient is examined and discussed.