Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Practical and Automated Approach to Large Area Forest Disturbance Mapping with Remote Sensing

In this paper, I describe a set of procedures that automate forest disturbance mapping using a pair of Landsat images. The approach is built on the traditional pair-wise change detection method, but is designed to extract training data without user interaction and uses a robust classification algorithm capable of handling incorrectly labeled training data. The steps in this procedure include: i) creating masks for water, non-forested areas, clouds, and cloud shadows; ii) identifying training pixels whose value is above or below a threshold defined by the number of standard deviations from the mean value of the histograms generated from local windows in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) difference image; iii) filtering the original training data through a number of classification algorithms using an n-fold cross validation to eliminate mislabeled training samples; and finally, iv) mapping forest disturbance using a supervised classification algorithm. When applied to 17 Landsat footprints across the U.S. at five-year intervals between 1985 and 2010, the proposed approach produced forest disturbance maps with 80 to 95% overall accuracy, comparable to those obtained from traditional approaches to forest change detection. The primary sources of mis-classification errors included inaccurate identification of forests (errors of commission), issues related to the land/water mask, and clouds and cloud shadows missed during image screening. The approach requires images from the peak growing season, at least for the deciduous forest sites, and cannot readily distinguish forest harvest from natural disturbances or other types of land cover change. The accuracy of detecting forest disturbance diminishes with the number of years between the images that make up the image pair. Nevertheless, the relatively high accuracies, little or no user input needed for processing, speed of map production, and simplicity of the approach make the new method especially practical for forest cover change analysis over very large regions.
Fetal growth and hospitalization with asthma during early childhood: a follow-up study in Denmark.

BACKGROUND Childhood asthma may have a fetal origin. In order to examine this hypothesis we examined the association between fetal growth indicators and hospitalization with asthma during early childhood. METHODS We performed a cohort study with 10 440 children whose mothers attended the midwife centres in Odense and Aalborg, Denmark, from April 1984 to April 1987 at approximately the 36th week of gestation. Information on hospitalization with asthma was extracted from the National Hospital Discharge Registry, which allowed a complete follow-up of all members of the cohort who remained alive and residents in the county. RESULTS The cumulative incidence rates of hospitalization with 'definite' and 'any' asthma were 3.5% and 5.0%, respectively, at 12 years of age. After adjusting for potential confounders, there were increased trends in the risk of asthma hospitalization with birthweight and ponderal index. More pronounced trends, particularly in the risk of definite asthma, were found among children of over the average birthweight (IRR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.02-2.59 per 1000 g increase) or ponderal index (IRR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02-1.10 per 0.1 g/cm(3) increase). However, the increased risk in large babies was seen only in children with a ponderal index of > or =2.5 g/cm3. CONCLUSION Birthweight and ponderal index were associated with childhood asthma indicated by hospitalization. Fetal growth itself, determinants of fetal growth, or any unadjusted factors that correlate with fetal growth, could cause the association.
A Rational Basis for the Use of Combined Heparin/Aspirin and IVIG Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Recurrent IVF Failure Associated with Antiphospholipid Antibodies

PROBLEMS: 1) Does the administration of heparin and aspirin (H/A) in combination with intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIG) improve in vitro fertilization (IVF) implantation and birth rates in patients with recurrent IVF failures? 2) Is the effect of such treatment related to the antiphospholipid antibody (APA) status of the patients concerned?
Morphometric comparisons of plant-mimetic juvenile fish associated with plant debris observed in the coastal subtropical waters around Kuchierabu-jima Island, southern Japan

The general morphological shape of plant-resembling fish and plant parts were compared using a geometric morphometrics approach. Three plant-mimetic fish species, Lobotes surinamensis (Lobotidae), Platax orbicularis (Ephippidae) and Canthidermis maculata (Balistidae), were compared during their early developmental stages with accompanying plant debris (i.e., leaves of several taxa) in the coastal subtropical waters around Kuchierabu-jima Island, closely facing the Kuroshio Current. The degree of similarity shared between the plant parts and co-occurring fish species was quantified, however fish remained morphologically distinct from their plant models. Such similarities were corroborated by analysis of covariance and linear discriminant analysis, in which relative body areas of fish were strongly related to plant models. Our results strengthen the paradigm that morphological clues can lead to ecological evidence to allow predictions of behavioural and habitat choice by mimetic fish, according to the degree of similarity shared with their respective models. The resemblance to plant parts detected in the three fish species may provide fitness advantages via convergent evolutionary effects.
Differentiation in Quinolone Resistance by Virulence Genotype in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading pathogen that has become increasingly resistant to the fluoroquinolone antibiotics due to widespread prescribing. Adverse outcomes have been shown for patients infected with fluoroquinolone-resistant strains. The type III secretion system (TTSS) is a major virulence determinant during acute infections through the injection of effector toxins into host cells. Most strains exhibit a unique TTSS virulence genotype defined by the presence of either exoS or exoU gene encoding two of the effector toxins, ExoS and ExoU, respectively. Specific TTSS effector genotype has been shown previously to differentially impact virulence in pneumonia. In this study, we examined the relationship between TTSS effector genotype and fluoroquinolone resistance mechanisms in a collection of 270 respiratory isolates. We found that a higher proportion of exoU+ strains were fluoroquinolone-resistant compared to exoS+ strains (63% vs 49%, p = 0.03) despite its lower overall prevalence (38% exoU+ vs 56% exoS+). Results from sequencing the quinolone resistance determining regions (QRDRs) of the 4 target genes (gyrA, gyrB, parC, parE) indicated that strains containing the exoU gene were more likely to acquire ≥2 mutations than exoS+ strains at MICs ≤8 µg/ml (13% vs none) and twice as likely to have mutations in both gyrA and parC than exoS+ strains (48% vs 24% p = 0.0439). Our findings indicate that P. aeruginosa strains differentially develop resistance-conferring mutations that correlate with TTSS effector genotype and the more virulent exoU+ subpopulation. Differences in mutational processes by virulence genotype that were observed suggest co-evolution of resistance and virulence traits favoring a more virulent genotype in the quinolone-rich clinical environment.
Prevalence and Correlates of Video and Internet Gaming Addiction among Hong Kong Adolescents: A Pilot Study

This pilot study investigated the patterns of video and internet gaming habits and the prevalence and correlates of gaming addiction in Hong Kong adolescents. A total of 503 students were recruited from two secondary schools. Addictive behaviors of video and internet gaming were assessed using the Game Addiction Scale. Risk factors for gaming addiction were examined using logistical regression. An overwhelming majority of the subjects (94%) reported using video or internet games, with one in six (15.6%) identified as having a gaming addiction. The risk for gaming addiction was significantly higher among boys, those with poor academic performance, and those who preferred multiplayer online games. Gaming addiction was significantly associated with the average time spent gaming per week, frequency of spending money on gaming, period of spending money on gaming, perceived family disharmony, and having more close friends. These results suggest that effective educational and preventative programs or strategies are needed.
Response of Mouse Zygotes Treated with Mild Hydrogen Peroxide as a Model to Reveal Novel Mechanisms of Oxidative Stress-Induced Injury in Early Embryos

Our study aimed to develop embryo models to evaluate the impact of oxidative stress on embryo development. Mouse zygotes, which stayed at G1 phase, were treated with prepared culture medium (containing 0.00, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, or 0.1 mM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)) for 30 min in experiment 1. The dose-effects of H2O2 on embryo development were investigated via comparisons of the formation rate at each stage (2- and 4-cell embryos and blastocysts). Experiment 2 was carried out to compare behaviors of embryos in a mild oxidative-stressed status (0.03 mM H2O2) with those in a control (0 mM H2O2). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, variation of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), expression of γH2AX, and cell apoptosis rate of blastocyst were detected. We observed a dose-dependent decrease on cleavage and blastocyst rates. Besides, higher level of ROS, rapid reduction of MMP, and the appearance of γH2AX revealed that embryos are injured early in mild oxidative stress. Additionally, γH2AX may involve during DNA damage response in early embryos. And the apoptotic rate of blastocyst may significantly increase when DNA damage repair is inadequate. Most importantly, our research provides embryo models to study cell cycle regulation and DNA damage response under condition of different levels of oxidative stress.
Developing Self-Regulated Learners.

An important characteristic of human beings is our ability to understand and regulate our own behavior. Theologians, philosophers, and psychologists have long viewed self-control as a distinguishing characteristic of the human species, and for a variety of religious, political, philosophical, and practical reasons, the call to personally cultivate self-understanding and self-control has been sounded repeatedly throughout the ages (Zimmerman & Schunk, 1989). The philosopher Aristotle, for instance, praised the virtues of self-awareness. Likewise, the notable American statesman and inventor Benjamin Franklin was a staunch proponent of self-regulation. He used an assortment of self-regulation procedures in his own struggles for self-improvement. At one point during his life, he defined 13 virtues (e.g., temperance, order) that he wished to develop, established the goal of increasing each virtue in tum during the space of a week, monitored instances of success and failure, and recorded the daily results. If, at the end of the week, no offenses were recorded against the virtue, he extended his goal to include the next virtue listed ( cf. Zimmerman & Schunk, 1989). Students with special needs can use the same types of self-regulation procedures to improve their academic performance and interactions in social situations (cf. Gresham, 1985; Hallahan & Sapona, 1983; Harris, 1982; Harris & Graham, in press a). They can apply selfregulation procedures such as goal setting, self-monitoring (which includes self-assessment and self-recording of performance), self-instructions, and contingent self-reinforcement to academic tasks.
Glitazone Treatment and Incidence of Parkinson’s Disease among People with Diabetes: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background Recent in vitro and animal experiments suggest that peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor gamma (PPARɣ) agonist medications, such as antidiabetic glitazone (GTZ) drugs, are neuroprotective in models of Parkinson’s disease (PD). These findings have not been tested in humans. We hypothesized that individuals prescribed GTZ drugs would have a lower incidence of PD compared to individuals prescribed other treatments for diabetes. Methods and Findings Using primary care data from the United Kingdom Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), we conducted a retrospective cohort study in which individuals with diabetes who were newly prescribed GTZ (GTZ-exposed group) were matched by age, sex, practice, and diabetes treatment stage with up to five individuals prescribed other diabetes treatments (other antidiabetic drug-exposed group). Patients were followed up from 1999 until the first recording of a PD diagnosis, end of observation in the database, or end of the study (1 August 2013). An incidence rate ratio (IRR) was calculated using conditional Poisson regression, adjusted for possible confounders. 44,597 GTZ exposed individuals were matched to 120,373 other antidiabetic users. 175 GTZ-exposed individuals were diagnosed with PD compared to 517 individuals in the other antidiabetic drug-exposed group. The incidence rate (IR) of PD in the GTZ-exposed group was 6.4 per 10,000 patient years compared with 8.8 per 10,000 patient years in those prescribed other antidiabetic treatments (IRR 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60–0.87). Adjustments for potential confounding variables, including smoking, other medications, head injury, and disease severity, had no material impact (fully adjusted IRR 0.75, 0.59–0.94). The risk was reduced in those with current GTZ prescriptions (current GTZ-exposed IRR 0.59, 0.46–0.77) but not reduced among those with past prescriptions (past GTZ-exposed IRR 0.85, 0.65–1.10). Our study only included patients with diabetes who did not have a PD diagnosis when they were first prescribed GTZ, and thus, it cannot establish whether GTZ use prevents or slows the progression of PD. Conclusions In patients with diabetes, a current prescription for GTZ is associated with a reduction in incidence of PD. This suggests PPAR gamma pathways may be a fruitful drug target in PD.
Dynamics of RNA modification by a multi-site-specific tRNA methyltransferase

In most organisms, the widely conserved 1-methyl-adenosine58 (m1A58) tRNA modification is catalyzed by an S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-dependent, site-specific enzyme TrmI. In archaea, TrmI also methylates the adjacent adenine 57, m1A57 being an obligatory intermediate of 1-methyl-inosine57 formation. To study this multi-site specificity, we used three oligoribonucleotide substrates of Pyrococcus abyssi TrmI (PabTrmI) containing a fluorescent 2-aminopurine (2-AP) at the two target positions and followed the RNA binding kinetics and methylation reactions by stopped-flow and mass spectrometry. PabTrmI did not modify 2-AP but methylated the adjacent target adenine. 2-AP seriously impaired the methylation of A57 but not A58, confirming that PabTrmI methylates efficiently the first adenine of the A57A58A59 sequence. PabTrmI binding provoked a rapid increase of fluorescence, attributed to base unstacking in the environment of 2-AP. Then, a slow decrease was observed only with 2-AP at position 57 and SAM, suggesting that m1A58 formation triggers RNA release. A model of the protein–tRNA complex shows both target adenines in proximity of SAM and emphasizes no major tRNA conformational change except base flipping during the reaction. The solvent accessibility of the SAM pocket is not affected by the tRNA, thereby enabling S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine to be replaced by SAM without prior release of monomethylated tRNA.
Identifying Formal and Informal Influence in Technology Adoption with Network Externalities

Firms introducing network technologies (whose benefits depend on who installs the technology) need to understand which user characteristics confer the greatest network benefits on other potential adopters. To examine which adopter characteristics matter, I use the introduction of a video-messaging technology in an investment bank. I use data on its 2,118 employees, their adoption decisions, and their 2.4 million subsequent calls. The video-messaging technology can also be used to watch TV. Exogenous shocks to the benefits of watching TV are used to identify the causal (network) externality of one individual user's adoption on others' adoption decisions. I allow this network externality to vary in size with a variety of measures of informal and formal influence. I find that adoption by either managers or workers in "boundary spanner" positions has a large impact on the adoption decisions of employees who wish to communicate with them. Adoption by ordinary workers has a negligible impact. This suggests that firms should target those who derive their informal influence from occupying key boundary-spanning positions in communication networks, in addition to those with sources of formal influence, when launching a new network technology.
Beyond the ba: managing enabling contexts in knowledge organizations

Purpose – Looking at the practical experience of organizations pursuing knowledge management, it is found that their efforts are primarily focused on creating the conditions and the context that will enable knowledge creation. This need for developing enabling conditions and contexts was identified more than a decade ago when Nonaka and associates introduced the concept of ‘‘ba. ’’ This paper aims to map the development of the concept of ‘‘ba’’ in a number of disciplines in order to understand its theoretical evolution and practical application. Design/methodology/approach – A comprehensive search and evaluation of the literature resulted in a database of 135 papers, four dissertations and four books. Using content analysis, citation analysis, and concept mapping, four categories of research findings are identified that in turn suggest four groups of conditions for enabling knowledge creation. Findings – The paper discusses each of these conditions (the social/behavioral, cognitive/epistemic, information systems/management, and strategy/structural), and introduces a framework that relates these conditions to the type of knowledge process and the level of interaction that characterize a knowledge management activity in the organization. Originality/value – It is concluded that managing knowledge in organizations is fundamentally about creating an environment in the organization that is conducive to and encourages knowledge creation, sharing and use. Organizations interested in pursuing knowledge management and innovation may wish to be guided by the enabling conditions presented here that have been discovered over ten years of research. These conditions and the frameworks of which they are part can help managers to analyze, discuss, and introduce specific combinations of enabling factors that are tailored according to the type of knowledge process and level of interaction needed to address a particular knowledge problem or vision.
Meltwater routing and the Younger Dryas

The Younger Dryas—the last major cold episode on Earth—is generally considered to have been triggered by a meltwater flood into the North Atlantic. The prevailing hypothesis, proposed by Broecker et al. [1989 Nature 341:318–321] more than two decades ago, suggests that an abrupt rerouting of Lake Agassiz overflow through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Valley inhibited deep water formation in the subpolar North Atlantic and weakened the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). More recently, Tarasov and Peltier [2005 Nature 435:662–665] showed that meltwater could have discharged into the Arctic Ocean via the Mackenzie Valley ∼4,000 km northwest of the St. Lawrence outlet. Here we use a sophisticated, high-resolution, ocean sea-ice model to study the delivery of meltwater from the two drainage outlets to the deep water formation regions in the North Atlantic. Unlike the hypothesis of Broecker et al., freshwater from the St. Lawrence Valley advects into the subtropical gyre ∼3,000 km south of the North Atlantic deep water formation regions and weakens the AMOC by <15%. In contrast, narrow coastal boundary currents efficiently deliver meltwater from the Mackenzie Valley to the deep water formation regions of the subpolar North Atlantic and weaken the AMOC by >30%. We conclude that meltwater discharge from the Arctic, rather than the St. Lawrence Valley, was more likely to have triggered the Younger Dryas cooling.
Adaptive capacity in the Pacific region: a study of continuous professional development for in-service teachers in Kiribati

ABSTRACT This study of I-Kiribati secondary school teachers used a project-based approach to investigate the notions of school-based and collaborative learning as a suitable model for in-service teacher continuous professional development (CPD). The design and methodology adopted by the study framed the argument that since collaborative behavior is integral in Kiribati and Pacific community daily life it could be a suitably applied in the workplace to promote effective learning. At the same time the study was designed to investigate a system of learning for teachers in Kiribati that would address their needs, in particular being school-based. The study revealed that cultural influences in Kiribati such as: the role of leaders, respect for elders and secret knowledge have a strong influence on teacher behavior both inside and outside the classroom. The recommendations concur with research literature that suggests developing effective policy and practices in the Pacific region must be driven by and strongly reflect cultural practices, values and beliefs. Importantly, the notion that some cultural practices may conflict when applied in different settings provides an added dimension to the body of literature.
Estrogen and Tamoxifen Modulate Cerebrovascular Tone in Ovariectomized Female Rats

Postmenopausal estrogen deficiency increases the incidence of cerebrovascular disease. However, hormone replacement therapy is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. Tamoxifen is a selective estrogen receptor modulator with estrogenic effects on cardiovascular risk factors, but its long-term impacts on cerebral vasculature are unknown. We hypothesized that chronic 17β-estradiol or tamoxifen treatment exerted similar effects in reducing cerebrovascular tension in ovariectomized rats. We therefore determine whether (1) chronic 17β-estradiol treatment could influence vasomotor activities, (2) chronic tamoxifen therapy could exert an estrogen-like or estrogen-antagonistic effect, and (3) acute exposure to estrogen could mimic the effect of 17β-estradiol. Isometric tension was measured in cerebral arteries from female rat groups: control, ovariectomy, ovariectomy plus 17β-estradiol treatment, ovariectomy plus tamoxifen treatment, and ovariectomized rats treated with tamoxifen and 17β-estradiol. Ovariectomy enhanced cerebrovascular contractions to endothelin-1 or CaCl2, but not to U46619 or phenylephrine. 17β-Estradiol therapy reversed these effects. Chronic tamoxifen treatment exerted estrogen-like actions by reversing ovariectomy-induced enhancement of vessel tone without antagonizing the effect of chronic 17β-estradiol treatment. Ovariectomy enhanced the relaxing potency of nicardipine, and 17β-estradiol treatment prevented this effect. Acute exposure to 10−9 mol/L 17β-estradiol or 10−8 mol/L tamoxifen did not modulate contractions in rings from nonoperated female rats. In conclusion, ovariectomy differentially enhances agonist-induced cerebrovascular tone, an effect that was reversed by estrogen therapy. Tamoxifen does not act as an estrogen antagonist; instead, it functions as an estrogen agonist during estrogen deficiency. Thus, tamoxifen may confer beneficial effects similar to estrogen in cerebrovascular vessels.