Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biomass in Evolving World - Individual’s Point of View

For a long time, ecology has been criticized for being primarily descriptive science concentrated on the ‘What’ question rather than progressing further into the ‘Why’ and ‘How’ domains (O’Connor, 2000). Over the past few decades, however, ecology has moved toward dynamic mechanistic and more strongly predictive science (Kearney et al., 2010). It is becoming increasingly clear that to comprehend mechanisms underlying population dynamics, demography and ecological breadth it is necessary to regard the fact that discrete organisms, which constitute populations, might have different individual responses to ontogenetic and environmental cues (Begon et al., 1990). The challenge is, as noted by Kearney et al. (2010), “to derive an approach for studying penetrance of functional traits of individual organisms into higher, group-level phenomena”. Generally, the interdependency of population-level and individual-level processes is very complex. Although population is composed of individuals, it has emergent properties that are more than just the sum of the properties of individuals. Organisms come to life and die on particular days, but populations have birth and death rates. At any specific moment, individuals are of certain age, but populations have age structure which is very important for determining population growth. Individual characteristics, such as size, growth pattern, age at maturity, number of offspring and longevity, greatly influence population dynamics, but, on the other hand, physiology and patterns of growth and development of each organism depend both on its genotype and on population properties such as the number, sizes and spatial distribution of other individuals. Therefore, the relationship between organisms and their populations is reflexive; phenomena at one biological level are both the cause and the consequence of the phenomena on other. This chapter is dealing with individual level processes – biomass allocation strategy, allometric growth and phenotypic plasticity. How these developmental processes may affect population dynamics will also be discussed.
Finance and Growth in Africa: The Broken Link

Utilizing the latest panel cointegration methods we provide new empirical evidence from 18 countries that suggests that the link between finance and growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is ‘broken’. Specifically, our findings suggest that banking system development in this region follows economic growth. They also indicate that there is no link between bank credit and economic growth.
HIP1 DNA fingerprinting in Microcystis panniformis (Chroococcales, Cyanobacteria)

M.C. Bittencourt-Oliveira, A. Nascimento Moura, S. Gouvêa-Barros and E. Pinto. 2007. HIP1 DNA fingerprinting in Microcystis panniformis (Chroococcales, Cyanobacteria). Phycologia 46: 3–9. DOI: 10.2216/06-01.1 Microcystis panniformis is a planktonic freshwater cyanobacterium that has become increasingly prevalent in tropical water bodies in Brazil. Recently, it has been shown that the strain BCCUSP100 is able to produce microcystins (MCs, especially, MC-LR and [Asp3]-MC-LR), which are toxins that can affect the health of humans and other animals. This study explores genetic diversity among 14 strains of M. panniformis isolated from 4 freshwater reservoirs in 2 different Brazilian regions (north-east and south-east). Initially, the strains were morphologically characterized, followed by DNA fingerprint analyses using HIP1 sequences. Few morphological variations were observed and sequences of HIP1 were abundant in all strains studied. Strains isolated from water bodies in the south-east showed more evident genetic variation. Our findings also indicated genetic variation and the presence of different genotypes both between and within populations. The presence of M. panniformis in two distinct groups emphasizes the inconsistencies between morphological and molecular analyses as well as indicating the necessity of validating new classification approaches, with more discriminatory power, by using molecular data.
ASSESSING RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION AMONG MEDICAID RECIPIENTS WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISABILITY IN PHILADELPHIA

This study assesses the extent of residential segregation among 15,246 people diagnosed with psychiatric disabilities and receiving Medicaid (MA) in Philadelphia, and an identically sized group of MA recipients serving as matched controls. Results indicate that overall levels of residential segregation among this group were modest at their most extreme, were not markedly different from a control group of Medicaid recipients without any record of treatment for severe mental illness, and were substantially reduced after taking poverty into account. There were, however, localized areas in Philadelphia that showed distinct concentrations of persons with psychiatric disability, suggesting there may be a subgroup that is more at-risk for living in areas with elevated concentrations of persons with serious psychiatric disability. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Variation in anonymous and EST-microsatellites suggests adaptive population divergence in turbot

We studied the variation at 30 anonymous and 30 expressed sequence tag (EST)-associ- ated microsatellites in 4 natural populations of turbot Scophthalmus maximus living in habitats with different salinity and temperature conditions. We identified putative divergent selection effects on 3 genes: the fibroblast growth factor receptor, the β microglobuline, and the trap alpha gene for translocon associate protein. The markers closely linked to these genes showed significant deviations from the neutral expectations using 2 different statistical methods in several pairwise population comparisons involving samples from salty and brackish environments. Our results confirmed the weak genetic structure among populations from the northeast Atlantic and the low but significant genetic differentiation of turbot from the Baltic Sea. These results suggest that populations from the Baltic-Atlantic transition area could be accumulating adaptive polymorphisms in the face of high gene flow.
A statistical study of decaying kink oscillations detected using SDO/AIA

Despite intensive studies of kink oscillations of coronal loops in the last decade, a large scale statistically significant investigation of the oscillation parameters has not been made using data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). We carry out a statistical study of kink oscillations using Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) imaging data from a previously compiled catalogue. We analysed 58 kink oscillation events observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard SDO during its first four years of operation (2010-2014). Parameters of the oscillations, including the initial apparent amplitude, period, length of the oscillating loop, and damping are studied for 120 individual loop oscillations. Analysis of the initial loop displacement and oscillation amplitude leads to the conclusion that the initial loop displacement prescribes the initial amplitude of oscillation in general. The period is found to scale with the loop length, and a linear fit of the data cloud gives a kink speed of Ck =(1330+/-50) km s-1 . The main body of the data corresponds to kink speeds in the range Ck =(800-3300) km s-1. Measurements of 52 exponential damping times were made, and it was noted that at least 22 of the damping profiles may be better approximated by a combination of non-exponential and exponential profiles, rather than a purely exponential damping envelope. There are an additional 10 cases where the profile appears to be purely non-exponential, and no damping time was measured. A scaling of the exponential damping time with the period is found, following the previously established linear scaling between these two parameters.
Theta lifts and local Maass forms

The first two authors and Kohnen have recently introduced a new class of modular objects called locally harmonic Maass forms, which are annihilated almost everywhere by the hyperbolic Laplacian operator. In this paper, we realize these locally harmonic Maass forms as theta lifts of harmonic weak Maass forms. Using the theory of theta lifts, we then construct examples of (non-harmonic) local Maass forms, which are instead eigenfunctions of the hyperbolic Laplacian almost everywhere.
Lithological control on the landscape form of the upper Rhône Basin, Central Swiss Alps

Abstract. The development of topography depends mainly on the interplay between uplift and erosion. These processes are controlled by various factors including climate, glaciers, lithology, seismic activity and short-term variables, such as anthropogenic impact. Many studies in orogens all over the world have shown how these controlling variables may affect the landscape's topography. In particular, it has been hypothesized that lithology exerts a dominant control on erosion rates and landscape morphology. However, clear demonstrations of this influence are rare and difficult to disentangle from the overprint of other signals such as climate or tectonics. In this study we focus on the upper Rhone Basin situated in the Central Swiss Alps in order to explore the relation between topography, possible controlling variables and lithology in particular. The Rhone Basin has been affected by spatially variable uplift, high orographically driven rainfalls and multiple glaciations. Furthermore, lithology and erodibility vary substantially within the basin. Thanks to high-resolution geological, climatic and topographic data, the Rhone Basin is a suitable laboratory to explore these complexities. Elevation, relief, slope and hypsometric data as well as river profile information from digital elevation models are used to characterize the landscape's topography of around 50 tributary basins. Additionally, uplift over different timescales, glacial inheritance, precipitation patterns and erodibility of the underlying bedrock are quantified for each basin. Results show that the chosen topographic and controlling variables vary remarkably between different tributary basins. We investigate the link between observed topographic differences and the possible controlling variables through statistical analyses. Variations of elevation, slope and relief seem to be linked to differences in long-term uplift rate, whereas elevation distributions (hypsometry) and river profile shapes may be related to glacial imprint. This confirms that the landscape of the Rhone Basin has been highly preconditioned by (past) uplift and glaciation. Linear discriminant analyses (LDAs), however, suggest a stronger link between observed topographic variations and differences in erodibility. We therefore conclude that despite evident glacial and tectonic conditioning, a lithologic control is still preserved and measurable in the landscape of the Rhone tributary basins.
A New Method Comparing Snowmelt Timing with Annual Area Burned

The interactions between climate and wildland fire are complex. To better understand these interactions, we used ArcMap 10.2. 2 to examine the relationships between early spring snowmelt and total annual area burned within a defined region of the Rocky Mountains of the western United States. Our research methods used Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS) fire perimeter data and weekly snow extent provided by the Rutgers Global Snow Lab analysis of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) daily snow maps. Our results indicated a significant correlation between early spring snowmelt and total annual area burned (P = 0.0497), providing further evidence that snowmelt timing may be a driving factor for wildland fires. This project builds on the findings of previous studies and provides a novel method for making general predictions about the upcoming fire season months in advance, using freely available remotely sensed data in real time. Further research should apply our model to a broader geographic area, and incorporate higher resolution snowmelt timing data.ResumenLas interacciones entre el clima y los incendios naturales son complejos. Para un mejor entendimiento de estas interacciones, nosotros utilizamos ArcMap10.2. 2 para examinar las relaciones entre el derretimiento de la nieve en la primavera temprana y la superficie total anual quemada dentro de una región definida de las Rocallosas en el oeste de los EEUU. Nuestros métodos de investigación utilizaron el Monitoreo de Tendencias en Severidad de Quemas (MTBS por sus siglas en inglés), con datos del perímetro del fuego y la extensión semanal de la nieve, mediante mapas diarios provistos por el Laboratorio Global Rutgers de Análisis de Nieve, dependiente de la Administración Nacional Oceánica y Atmosférica (NOAA). Nuestros resultados indicaron una correlación significativa entre el derretimiento temprano de la nieve y la superficie total anual quemada (P = 0.0497), proporcionando evidencias que el tiempo cronológico en el derretimiento de la nieve podría ser un factor favorecedor de los incendios naturales. Este proyecto se apoya en los hallazgos de estudios previos y provee de un método novedoso para hacer predicciones generales sobre las próximas temporadas de fuego con antelación, utilizando datos en tiempo real de sensores remotos disponibles y gratuitos. Más investigaciones deberían realizarse con nuestro modelo para un área geográfica más amplia, e incorporar los tiempos de derretimiento de la nieve con datos de alta resolución.
The Braking Index of Millisecond Magnetars

We make the first measurement of the braking index n of two putative millisecond magnetars born in short gamma-ray bursts. We measure and for millisecond magnetars born in GRB 130603B and GRB 140903A, respectively. The neutron star born in GRB 130603B has the only known a braking index consistent with the fiducial n = 3 value. This value is ruled out with 99.95% confidence for GRB 140903A. We discuss possible causes of braking indices in millisecond magnetars, showing that several models can account for the measurement of the braking index in GRB 140903A, while it is more difficult to account for a braking index consistent with n = 3.
Estimates for regularity of the tangential -system

We study ellipticity in a weak sense, such as fractional or logarithmic, of the system tangential to a hypersurface or a generic higher codimensional submanifold . The geometric setting which assures the estimates is the q-pseudoconvexity/concavity of M in addition to the existence of a suitable family of weights in a strip or a tube around M. The basic estimates for the -Neumann problem on q-pseudoconvex/concave domains is related to the classical work by Shaw 17 and more recent by Zampieri 19. The method of the weights is due to Catlin 3 and the relation between the tangential and the ambient system on pseudoconvex domains is inspired to Kohn 14. Both these techniques are adapted here to a general Levi signature.
ALUATION OF MUTUAL FUNDS AND SELECTION ABILITIES OF FUND MANAGERS IN PAKISTAN

Mutual funds are decent tools to encourage savings and investments, especially in developing nations like Pakistan which rely heavily on foreign aids. This study explores the mutual fund performance in Pakistan by using seven different performance measures, i.e. Sharpe, Treynor, Sortino, Information, Jensen Alpha, M2/RAP, Fama decomposition measures. This study covers a period ranging from July 2005 to June 2013 and includes 27 mutual fund schemes out of which 20 funds are open ended while 07 funds are closed ended. Results prove underperformance on the part of all the mutual funds and the whole industry was found weak on the part of the selection abilities of the fund managers and the portfolios were found less diversified. However, it was noticed that closed ended funds are better performers as compared to the open ended funds. Results were also inconsistent for the performance of individual funds as none of the funds had the same rankings with respect to all the measures used.
Spatial distribution of imperviousness and the space‐time variability of rainfall, runoff generation, and routing

We study the relationship between the spatial distribution of imperviousness and the space‐time variability of rainfall, runoff generation, and hydrologic response. For this study we follow an analytical framework that is able to represent space‐time variability and use it to determine relationships for quantities commonly used in hydrology, for example, the amount of rainfall excess, the total runoff from a storm, the runoff ratio of developed land use to undeveloped land use, and the mean time and variance of the runoff time. The relationships are derived such that the space‐time variability of rainfall, runoff, and the hydrologic response, and their relative importance, can be identified and compared. In addition, the method allows the separation of pervious and impervious contributions to runoff and the estimation of their relative influence on the hydrologic response. We illustrate the estimation of the relationships from available data and apply them to two cases. In the first case, the space‐time variability of rainfall and its interaction with impervious cover is investigated. In the second case, we examine the impacts of the imperviousness pattern on runoff relationships. We find that the imperviousness and rainfall pattern can interact to either increase or decrease the average amount of rainfall excess. We also find that the influence of pervious and impervious contributions on the response can depend on the form of the overall imperviousness pattern. The proposed framework can be a useful tool for identifying the importance of different space‐time hydrologic components in mixed pervious‐impervious landscapes.
THE EFFECT OF EMBANKMENT CREST WIDTH ON COMBINED OVERFLOW AND WAVE OVERTOPPING

In this paper a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes based wave model (RANS) has been used to investigate how the discharge caused by combined overflow and wave overtopping of embankments is influenced by embankment crest width. The results demonstrate that embankments with a narrower crest width can expect significantly increased discharge in accordance with that expected for flow over weirs. The experimental results have been used to explain the difference in discharge found with the current design formulae for combined overflow and wave overtopping.
Active Momentum Trading versus Passive '1/N Naive Diversification'

We consider a passive 1/N naive diversification strategy which is long in the equally weighted portfolio of stocks feasible for trading and short in the risk-free asset. We then examine the profi tability, exposures to risk factors, idiosyncratic variance as well as the relation between the momentum and the 1/N naive diversifi cation strategies. The set of sample stocks that we use to construct the equally weighted portfolio is the same as that for constructing the momentum strategies. We fi nd that both strategies generate an average pro t of 1% per month. The differences in raw and risk-adjusted pro ts between these two strategies are statistically and economically insignifi cant. These two strategies are independent of each other. The idiosyncratic variance of the momentum strategies is 20 times higher than that of the naive diversifi cation strategy. The findings are consistent over the period between 1926 and 2005 and various sub-sample periods including the periods examined in Jegadeesh and Titman (1993 and 2001) and in our simulations where we randomly select 10 years for 100 times. The results also hold when we conduct tests in sub-samples where we divide the sample, each month, into two groups of large and small size stocks.
Variability in foraging in response to changing prey distributions in rhinoceros auklets

Variable time budgets and foraging behaviour were observed in a marine diving bird, the rhinoceros auklet Cerorhinca monocerata, in response to intraseasonal and interannual variations in prey abundance and distribution. Few studies have simultaneously measured the spatial dispersal of seabirds at sea, time budgets at sea and prey abundance and distribution. Time budgets and foraging behaviour were determined through visual scans. Prey abundance, estimated hydroacoustically during marine transects, was similar among years, but prey was dispersed over larger spatial areas in 1997 than in 1995 and 1996. Rhinoceros auklets were also dispersed over larger spatial areas in 1997 and fewer mixed-species feeding flocks were formed. In 1997, rhinoceros auklets increased the time spent foraging, decreased the recovery periods between successive dives, and were more strongly associated with prey at larger spatial scales. This suggested that auklets were working hard while foraging but were less successful at locating and maintaining contact with prey when prey was more dispersed. In 1996, there was a period (June 13 to 20) when fish schools were common near the surface, during which auklets spent more time foraging and formed more feeding flocks. This suggested that auklets were working hard to take advantage of this readily available prey. This paper illustrates the importance of behavioural plasticity and time budget flexibility for seabirds living in highly variable environments.
International Price Dispersion and the Direction of Trade

The importance of trade costs in segmenting product markets cannot be captured by considering aggregate prices or in the absence of information on the direction of trade. We address this problem by utilizing product-specific prices along with cross-sectional productivity measures and bilateral trade flows that allow us to identify the probable source of any one product. Our empirical approach is in line with the theoretical framework of Eaton and Kortum (2002) and the variation of this proposed in Anderson and van Wincoop (2004). The data are shown to be consistent with this framework. In particular, trade costs in the form of transportation and distribution costs are important in determining international price differences and segmenting international markets.
SOME BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF TENCH (TINCA TINCA (L.)) REARED IN EARTHEN PONDS PRIOR TO AND AFTER WINTERING

The biochemical characteristics of tench, Tinca tinca (L.), stocking material were examined with regard to the following parameters prior to and after wintering: bactericidal activity of the blood serum; blood glucose level (BG); total proteins (TP); blood serum protein fractions (albumins, and -, -, and -globulins). The study was conducted over the course of three years (1996-1998) on clinically healthy two-summer-old (fall) and two-year-old (spring) tench that ranged in body weight from 30 to 80 g. The study indicated that one of the parameters that characterized the resistance of tench in the wintering period was the relative stability of the bactericidal activity of the blood serum. Seasonal dynamics in the levels of blood glucose and total serum proteins were determined, and the levels of the former were higher in fall and lower in spring. The specific metabolic nature of different protein fractions in the blood serum of tench was characterized by percentage decreases of albumins and - and -globulins and by increases of -globulins.