Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chapter 14 Global Warming and Mountain Permafrost

The phenomenon of permafrost or perennially frozen ground is a specific ground thermal condition (see Chap. 3). Atmospheric warming is therefore likely to have strong if not dramatic impacts on permafrost, making cold areas at high latitudes and high altitudes especially vulnerable. The phenomenon of permafrost in cold mountains, however, has long been neglected in scientific research. As a consequence, the effects of global warming on perennially frozen mountain slopes have been studied for little more than a decade only. First overviews were given by Cheng and Dramis (1992) and Haeberli et al. (1993a). They were soon followed by first thoughts about goals and possibilities of long-term monitoring (Haeberli et al. 1993b). In the meantime, concentrated efforts were undertaken to build up a corresponding knowledge base (Haeberli et al. 1998) and to establish baselines for long-term monitoring within the framework of the Global Climate Observing System/Global Terrestrial Observing System (GCOS/GTOS). The most systematic efforts were undertaken in European mountains, which form an important longitudinal transect from Svalbard through Scandinavia and the Alps to the Sierra Nevada in Spain (Harris et al. 2001). Corresponding information (Harris et al. 2003; Isaksen et al. 2007), together with results from similar observations elsewhere — especially from high mountains in Asia (Jin et al. 2000; Marchenko et al. 2007) — is now more and more entering international climate change assessments (IPCC 2007a, b; UNEP 2007). An intense learning process has started, for which long-term observations are key elements enabling improved process understanding. The present review can therefore only represent a brief and rather preliminary halt on a widening avenue of fascinating progress and rapid knowledge development concerning a still too little-known aspect of the global environment. With a primary focus on experience from the densely populated European Alps with their rugged topography, the review starts with a short explanation of basic principles, and continues with some outlines of available
Periodontal status of patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the periodontal parameters in Chinese patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) or hemodialysis (HD). Methods: 87 Chinese patients and 40 controls were recruited into present study. Results: In total, 51% of HD patients, 57.8% of PD patients and 25% of controls brushed their teeth once daily, while 42.9% of HD patients, 31.6% of PD patients and 70% of controls brushed twice daily; < 10% of patients in three groups brushed their teeth thrice daily. The average Plaque Index was comparable among three groups. However, the average Calculus Surface Index was significantly higher in HD patients as compared to PD patients (2.21 and 2.55, P < 0.05) and controls (2.28 and 2.55, P < 0.05). The average gingival bleeding (GI) was significant higher in controls as compared to HD patients (2.85 and 1.85, P < 0.05) and PD patients (2.85 and 1.87, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the average GI between HD patients and PD patients. Probing pocket depth (PPD) at different sites was comparable between HD patients and PD patients. However, PPD at upper-left-posterior, upperright-posterior and lower-right-posterior was significantly higher in controls as compared to HD patients (P < 0.05) and PD patients (P < 0.05). Conclusions: In summary, the periodontal status of patients receiving PD or HD was poorer than healthy controls in China, but they have no bleeding and pocket symptoms. Dentists should emphasize the detailed dental examination and pay attention to the periodontal disease in CRF patients.
Jump Spillover and Risk Effects on Excess Returns in the United States During the Great Recession

In this chapter, we review econometric methodology that is used to test for jumps and to decompose realized volatility into continuous and jump components. In order to illustrate how to implement the methods discussed, we also present the results of an empirical analysis in which we separate continuous asset return variation and finite activity jump variation from excess returns on various US market sector exchange traded funds (ETFs), during and around the Great Recession of 2008. Our objective is to characterize the financial contagion that was present during one of the greatest financial crises in US history. In particular, we study how shocks, as measured by jumps, propagate through nine different market sectors. One element of our analysis involves the investigation of causal linkages associated with jumps (via use of vector autoregressions), and another involves the examination of the predictive content of jumps for excess returns. We find that as early as 2006, jump spillover effects became more pronounced in the markets. We also observe that jumps had a significant effect on excess returns during 2008 and 2009; but not in the years before and after the recession.
The Treatment of On-site Wastewater using Willow Bed Evapotranspiration Systems in Ireland

Willow bed evapotranspiration systems can treat on-site wastewater effluent with the advantage that, if sized correctly, they produce no discharge either to ground or to surface water. Willow beds are a viable alternative to conventional treatment methods, when for example, in situ soil is of too low a permeability to allow for treatment / disposal via percolation or when a discharge of treated/untreated effluent to a watercourse is not permitted. 11 willow bed systems have been constructed as pilot trials at houses around County Wexford to treat the domestic wastewater produced. The systems have been built with the idea of evaluating different parameters with respect to overall performance including effluent type (septic tank or secondary treated effluent), willow varieties and aspect ratios of the basins. The effluent flow into the basins, water level, rainfall and evapotranspiration have all been monitored on each site to assess the effectiveness of the system. The overall aim is to produce guidelines for the design of such on-site treatment systems. In parallel to the full scale systems, mesocosm experiments have been set up in Dublin. These experiments have investigated the evapotranspiration rate of four different willow varieties against reference evapotranspiration while also monitoring the effects of the application of three different effluent types onto each variety. Results have indicated that the application of both primary and secondary effluent has significantly increased the evapotranspiration rates for all the varieties of willow, although there has been no noticeable difference in evapotranspiration between varieties.
Riparian forests in NW Ohio watersheds : relations between landscape structure , land use , and water quality in regional rivers Final Report to the Ohio Lake Erie Commission

We investigated how landscape structure links to water quality in agricultural watersheds draining into Lake Erie and if such structure may serve as an effective water quality indicator. Specifically, we used correlation and regression analyses to assess if water quality correlates with metrics of riparian forests landscape structure and with proportions of land cover types in non-riparian areas. We also quantified the relative contribution of these spatial parameters to water-quality benefits within selected watersheds. We used historical data to compute yields for suspended sediments (SS), total phosphorus (TP), nitrate+nitrite (NO23), and total dissolved solids (TDS, estimated from conductivity) and computed landscape metrics in GIS using land cover and other spatial data. In the riparian corridor, there were no significant (p≤0.05) correlations between water quality parameter yields and landscape metrics computed for forests cover or combined natural land cover types. Within non-riparian portions of watersheds, %row crops was positively correlated with SS (p=0.01) and TP (p=0.05) and showed weak but not significant correlations with NO23 (p=0.07). Conversely, SS was negatively correlated with cover of forests, wetlands, woody vegetation, and all natural vegetation combined. Except for wetlands cover, this was also the case for TP, while all NO23 correlations were non-significant. TDS showed weak negative correlations with the amount of pasture/hay and wetlands and positive correlations with developed cover. According to multiple regression results, proportions of land cover in non-riparian areas and other landscape factors within entire watersheds were generally better indicators of water quality, while the %row crops and %pasture/hay were the only riparian metrics that contributed to explaining water quality variability. These results suggest that the reduction of pollutants in streams and rivers depends primarily on improving land management practices in non-riparian portions of watersheds. On the other hand, results also suggest that an increase in vegetation cover (natural or planted herbaceous buffer strips) in the riparian areas may contribute to further mitigate pollutant loading into streams. Although not significantly correlated, pollutant yields generally showed a negative trend with the amount of natural vegetation cover types in the riparian corridor. Furthermore, model results indicated that pasture/hay cover in riparian areas reduces NO23 and TDS loading.
A Pilot Study on the Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders among Saudi Children and Adolescents : a Sample from a Selected Community in Riyadh City

bjectives: Studies have shown that mental health problems at an early age can lead to greater impairment in adult life. Epidemiological evidence on the prevalence and incidence of mental health disorders is fundamental for planning mental health services. However, these data are lacking in Saudi Arabia. The current study examined the prevalence of mental health problems in Saudi children and adolescents living in a selected community in Riyadh City. Methods: This two-stage epidemiological study used the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to screen all eligible participants for the presence of a possible psychiatric disorder. The screening was followed by the use of a structured psychiatric interview (MINI-Kid), which was administered to a subsample to confirm the presence or absence of psychiatric disorders. Results: In the first stage, N= 924 participants were screened with n=226 receiving follow-up interviews. The overall prevalence of any psychiatric disorder was 36.3% (39.2% for children and 34.1% for adolescents). For the overall sample, behavioral disorders were more common than emotional disorders (25.7% vs. 21.7%). The most common specific disorders were oppositional defiant disorder (15.9%), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (8.4%), general anxiety disorder (7.8%) and separation anxiety (7.8%). Only having internet in the house and the mother’s education were predictors of having psychiatric illness among the adolescents, but these were not predictors among the children. Conclusion: The rate of psychiatric disorders among Saudi children and adolescents is within the wide range reported by international studies, but is associated with specific social predictive factors.
Ultrastructural Evidence for Continued Synthetic Activity in Osteocytes

Isolation and retrieval of osteocytes from mature, highly mineralized bone matrix has been difficult to achieve, unlike isolation from immature, hypomineralized bone such as chick calvaria or post-natal mice. Therefore, even though osteocytes are the most abundant cell type within adult bone, little is known about their function. While their location makes them ideally situated to sense bone strain, it also makes their observation and study in vivo difficult. The purpose of the work presented here was to adapt previously published osteocyte isolation techniques using immature bone to enable the study of primary osteocytes procured from skeletally mature young (4month-old) and old (24-month-old) mice. Osteocytes were isolated from the long bones of the mice through a process of extended enzymatic digestions using collagenase (300 units/mL) followed by decalicification using 5 mM EDTA solution. The bone chips were subjected to a total of nine digestions. Following the final digestion, a tissue homogenizer was employed to reduce the remaining bone chips to a suspension of bone particles that were cultured resulting in an outgrowth of osteocytelike cells. All of the isolated cells in the final digestion that displayed an osteocyte-like morphology (essentially 100%) also stained positive for E11/gp38, confirming the osteocyte phenotype which was further confirmed by negative staining for alkaline phosphatase. In line with previously reported data, the percentage of osteocyte-like cells increased, while the percentage of fibroblast and osteoblast-like cells decreased with each serial digestion. We are currently in the process of characterizing the secondary outgrowths of the bone particles. This technique resulted in an improved osteocyte yield over previously reported methodologies as well as facilitated the study of osteocytes procured from skeletally mature young (4-month-old) and old (24month-old) mice. With the additional capability of isolating and culturing osteocytes from young and old mice, it is now possible to directly compare osteocytes obtained from not only immature, but also young adult and aged adult bone with regards to age-related differences in mechanosensitivity, their function in diseases such as osteoporosis, and in genetic disease. This novel methodology should prove useful to advance knowledge regarding the role of mature osteocytes in health and disease.
Sensitivity of Connexin 50 Hemichannels : H 95 and Beyond

OF THESIS Gap junction channels formed by connexin proteins are critical for the health and function of the vertebrate lens. It is important to understand how these channels are affected by pH because a pH gradient exists in lens tissue. Intracellular pH (pHi) is a regulator of gap junction coupling, and different connexins show different sensitivities to pHi. A “Particle-Receptor” model for pH-dependent channel closure involves the intramolecular interaction between the cytoplasmic tail of the connexin and a region near the mouth of the channel dependent on a highly conserved histidine residue at position 95. While this model explains the pH sensitivity of some connexins, removal of H95 or truncation of the C-tail does not affect the lens connexin, Cx46. The goal of this thesis was to explore the roles of histidines residues located at and near position 95 for the other lens connexin, Cx50. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to replace single or combinations of histidine residues. Functional assays of Cx50 wildtype and mutant hemichannels were examined by electrophysiological techniques in the Xenopus laevis heterologous expression system. Preliminary findings suggest that H95 may not be necessary for pH-dependent channel closure. Attempts to determine if nearby histidine residues could act as redundant sensors were inconclusive due to poor expression levels. I show that removing all three histidine residues resulted in little to no channel activity despite the protein being trafficked to the plasma membrane. Ongoing experiments on these mutants will help identify the structural determinants of pH sensitivity in Cx50 channels.
Seismic assessment of basement walls for different design criteria

Current state of practice for design of basement walls in Vancouver is based on Mononobe-Okabe (M-O) theory using a code based Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA)=0.46g (NBCC 2005). Under the previous version of the building code walls were designed for a PGA=0.24g (NBCC 1995). A series of dynamic numerical analyses is being conducted to study the seismic performance of basement walls designed using M-O earth pressures derived using both NBCC (1995) and NBCC (2005) PGA. The walls are subjected to seven ground motions spectrally matched to the UHS prescribed by NBCC (2005) for Vancouver. The analyses show that current engineering practice for designing basement walls based on the M-O approach and using the PGA of the current hazard level (NBCC 2005) may be conservative. In the analyses walls designed using M-O earth pressures with PGA=0.24g (hazard level specified by NBCC 1995) result in acceptable drift except perhaps at the first story where the drifts reach 3%. RÉSUMÉ La conception de murs de sous-sol à Vancouver est actuellement basée dans sur la théorie Mononobe-Okabe (M-O) utilisant un code basé sur l’accélération maximale du sol (PGA) = 0.46 g (NBCC 2005). Dans la version précédente du code du bâtiment, les murs étaient conçus pour un PGA=0.24g (NBCC 1995). Des séries d'analyses numériques dynamiques sont en cours afin d’étudier la performance sismique des murs de sous-sol conçus en utilisant les pressions des terres M-O utilisant le PGA de NBCC (1995) et NBCC (2005). Les murs sont soumis à sept mouvements du sol spectralement adaptés au UHS prescrit par NBCC (2005) pour Vancouver. Les analyses montrent que la pratique en cours du génie lors de la conception des murs de sous-sol basée sur l'approche M-O et utilisant le PGA du présent niveau de risque (NBCC 2005) peut être trop conservatrice. Dans les analyses murs conçus en utilisant la pression des terres M-O avec un PGA = 0.24 (niveaux de risque spécifiés par NBCC 1995) présentent des niveaux de dérives acceptables, sauf peut-être au premier étage où les dérives atteignent 3%.
Standard Heterosis of Maize ( Zea mays L . ) Inbred Lines for Grain Yield and Yield Related Traits at Southern Ethiopia , Hawassa

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important cereal crop mostly used as staple food in the world. A field experiment was therefore conducted at Hawassa national maize research sub center site during 2015 cropping season for yield and yield related agronomic traits. A line x tester analysis involving 64 crosses generated by crossing 32 elite maize inbred lines with two testers. The experiment was planted by using alpha-lattice design (6x11) with two replications. Sixty four hybrids with 2 checks were tested to estimate standard heterosis for yield and yield related traits. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that, there were significant difference among crosses in all traits except anthesis silking interval, ear position and ear per plant. The result of heterosis estimation showed considerable amount of positive and negative heterosis for all studied traits. The highest significant positive standard heterosis for grain yield was manifested by L31XT2 (102.33 and 97.73%) over BH-546 and BHQPY-545 respectively. Thus, hybrid L31XT2 was the best combination in mean grain yield and standard heterosis. Hybrids L31XT2, L8XT1 and L26XT1 had higher magnitude of heterosis check thus, these hybrids exploited for future use and additional effort is required for the development desirable maize variety.
Spatiotemporal variability in the δ 18 O-salinity relationship of seawater across the tropical Paci fi c Ocean

The relationship between salinity and the stable oxygen isotope ratio of seawater (δOsw) is of utmost importance to the quantitative reconstruction of past changes in salinity from δO values of marine carbonates. This relationship is often considered to be uniform across water masses, but the constancy of the δOsw-salinity relationship across space and time remains uncertain, as δ Osw responds to varying atmospheric vapor sources and pathways, while salinity does not. Here we present new δOsw-salinity data from sites spanning the tropical Pacific Ocean. New data from Palau, Papua New Guinea, Kiritimati, and Galápagos show slopes ranging from 0.09 ‰/psu in the Galápagos to 0.32‰/psu in Palau. The slope of the δOsw-salinity relationship is higher in the western tropical Pacific versus the eastern tropical Pacific in observations and in two isotope-enabled climate model simulations. A comparison of δOsw-salinity relationships derived from short-term spatial surveys and multiyear time series at Papua New Guinea and Galápagos suggests spatial relationships can be substituted for temporal relationships at these sites, at least within the time period of the investigation. However, the δOsw-salinity relationship varied temporally at Palau, likely in response to water mass changes associated with interannual El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability, suggesting nonstationarity in this local δOsw-salinity relationship. Applying local δOsw-salinity relationships in a coral δ O forward model shows that using a constant, basinwide δOsw-salinity slope can both overestimate and underestimate the contribution of δ Osw to carbonate δ O variance at individual sites in the western tropical Pacific.
C L ] 2 7 M ay 2 01 9 Recent Advances in Neural Question Generation

Emerging research in Neural Question Generation (NQG) has started to integrate a larger variety of inputs, and generating questions requiring higher levels of cognition. These trends point to NQG as a bellwether for NLP, about how human intelligence embodies the skills of curiosity and integration. We present a comprehensive survey of neural question generation, examining the corpora, methodologies, and evaluation methods. From this, we elaborate on what we see as emerging on NQG’s trend: in terms of the learning paradigms, input modalities, and cognitive levels considered by NQG. We end by pointing out the potential directions ahead.
High glasgow prognostic score associates with a poor survival in Chinese advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with platinum-based first-line chemotherapy

Aim: Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) has been used to predict the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients; however, limited data is available on advanced NSCLC patients of China. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the prognostic role of GPS in advanced NSCLC patients of China, receiving platinum-based first-line chemotherapy. Methods: Two hundred and seven advanced NSCLC patients of Chinese origin were prospectively and consecutively hospitalized between March 2011 and September 2014. They received platinum-based first-line chemotherapy. The main outcome measures included overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: The duration of median follow-up was 14.0 mo (range, 3.4-49.5 mo). The median OS of patients with GPS 2, 1, and 0 was 14.3 mo (8.5-20.2 mo), 15.9 mo (13.6-18.2 mo) and 19.1 mo (16.6-21.6 mo), respectively. The median PFS of patients with GPS 2, 1 and 0 was 8.3 mo (6.9-9.7 mo), 8.9 mo (8.0-9.7 mo) and 10.5 mo (8.8-12.1 mo), respectively. The results of univariate analysis indicated that GPS 2 is associated with a significantly shorter PFS (P=0.015) but not OS (P>0.05), while the results of multivariate analysis indicated that GPS 2 is associated with significantly shorter OS (P=0.049) and PFS (P=0.021). Conclusions: GPS 2 is an independent prognostic factor for poor OS and PFS in advanced NSCLC patients of China; these patients received platinum-based first-line chemotherapy.