Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proceedings of The 2015 NSF Workshop on Curricular Development for Computing in Context

Topics such as cybersecurity and big data analysis are increasingly important at the top of list of important things for information technology (IT) managers to do in their enterprises. This focus is due to costs and safety concerns that cybersecurity risk and their related activities can incur. Research shows that enterprises are increasingly allocating and spending millions of dollars to protect their systems (Shackelford et al., 2014; Chung, 2015). Against this background, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Workshop on Curricular Development for Computing in Context (CIC15) was held on May 13, 2015, in DeLand, Florida, USA, to focus on the discipline of Intelligence and Security Informatics (ISI). It allows scholars to present their works on developing, evaluating, and spreading curricular materials for the discipline. This article presents a review of the panel discussion conducted during the workshop CIC15. In the past decade, the necessity for innovative pedagogies and curricular material has been growing to support the studies in computational sciences due to the interrelation with other disciplines beyond informatics or computer sciences. Intelligence and security informatics is defined as: “The study of the development and use of advanced information technologies and systems for national and international security-related applications, through an integrated technological, organizational and policy-based approach” (Kantor et al., 2005). Areas of study in curricular development include network security, information security, business statistics and analytics, cyber security and health informatics (Chung, 2015). The latest research in this area demonstrates that the field is highly interdisciplinary, as it includes public policy, database management tools, behavioral sciences, bio-informatics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and risk management (Plante, 2015). Furthermore, curriculum modifications and updates have been taking place across academic institutions, which are now interested in reinforcing their computer sciences and computer security programs of study. In the workshop, four panelists, Dr. Albert Chan, Dr. Daniel Plante, Dr. Hala ElAarag and Dr. Wingyan Chung, discussed how computing educators should respond to changes in higher education.
Modulation of the Northern Winter Stratospheric El Niño–Southern Oscillation Teleconnection by the PDO

Using the CMIP5 multimodel ensemble (MME) historical experiments, the modulation of the stratospheric El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) teleconnection by the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) is investigated in this study. El Niño (La Niña) significantly impacts the extratropical stratosphere mainly during the positive (negative) PDO in the MME. Although the composite tropical ENSO SST intensities are similar during the positive and negative PDO in models, the Pacific–North American (PNA) responses are only significant when the PDO and ENSO are in phase. The local SST anomalies in the North Pacific can constructively (destructively) interfere with the tropical ENSO forcing to influence the extratropical eddy height anomalies when the PDO and ENSO are in (out of) phase. The difference between the positive and negative PDO in El Niño or La Niña winters filters out the tropical SST forcing, permitting the deduction of the extratropical SST contribution to the atmospheric response. The composite shows that the cold (warm) SST anomalies in the central North Pacific associated with the positive (negative) PDO have a similar impact to that of the warm (cold) SST anomalies in the tropical Pacific, exhibiting a positive (negative) PNA-like response, enhancing (weakening) the upward propagation of waves over the western coast of North America. The composite difference between the positive and negative PDO in El Niño or La Niña winters, as well as in eastern Pacific ENSO or central Pacific ENSO winters, presents a highly consistent atmospheric response pattern, which may imply a linear interference of the PDO’s impact with ENSO’s.
Assessment of Soil Organic Carbon Stock of Churia Broad Leaved Forest of Nawalpur District, Nepal

The present article is based on the study carried out to quantify aspect wise variation in Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stock of Churia broad leaved forest in Bhedawari Community Forest of Nawalpur district, Nepal. The total amount of SOC stock in upto 30 cm soil depth in Bhedawari Community Forest was found to be 33.91 t/ha. Aspect had made significant difference upon SOC stock with p value of 0.002 (p<0.05). The total SOC was higher in the northern aspect (36.83 ± 1.34 t/ha) than in the southern aspect (30.98 ± 1.22 t/ha). Hence, soil carbon sequestration through community managed forest is a good strategy to mitigate the increasing concentration of atmospheric CO2.
The Model of Grey Relation Projection and its Application to the Evaluation of Regional Environmental Friendly Degree

The paper defines a new concept of the Degree of Environmental Friendly, and based on the Pressure-State-Response model, establishes the evaluation indicator system of regional environmental friendly degree. The paper then builds a new model named Grey Relation Projection to evaluate the degree of regional Environmental friendly, based on the Grey system theory and the Vector Projection. Adopting the model of Grey Relation Projection, the paper conducts an real case to assess the environmental friendly degree about 17 cites in Anhui provision. The real case shows that the application of Grey Relation Projection model to regional environment-friendly degree evaluation results in a satisfactory and effective evaluation.
Early Cretaceous greywacke from Colville Knolls, New Zealand

ABSTRACT Blocks of greywacke sandstone were dredged from the Colville Knolls, on the margin of the Zealandia continent, in 1989. Re-examination shows them to be quartz-poor feldspathic litharenites similar to those recorded from the basement, rather than sedimentary cover, of the North Island. U-Pb dating of detrital zircons reveals significant age populations at 107, 115, 122, and 245 Ma. These compositions and ages best match those of Waipapa Composite Terrane greywacke basement on nearby Great Barrier Island. As such, an earlier Waipapa correlation is preferred, but Colville Knolls detrital petrography and zircon ages also resemble those from some Early Cretaceous Torlesse Composite Terrane greywackes. Irrespective of terrane correlation, Colville Knolls is a submarine outcrop of Cretaceous greywacke deposited at the toe of the Gondwana Mesozoic accretionary wedge, and likely represents the outer, northeastern margin of Zealandia continental crust.
Deep Learning Based Retrieval of Forest Aboveground Biomass from Combined LiDAR and Landsat 8 Data

Estimation of forest aboveground biomass (AGB) is crucial for various technical and scientific applications, ranging from regional carbon and bioenergy policies to sustainable forest management. However, passive optical remote sensing, which is the most widely used remote sensing data for retrieving vegetation parameters, is constrained by spectral saturation problems and cloud cover. On the other hand, LiDAR data, which have been extensively used to estimate forest structure attributes, cannot provide sufficient spectral information of vegetation canopies. Thus, this study aimed to develop a novel synergistic approach to estimating biomass by integrating LiDAR data with Landsat 8 imagery through a deep learning-based workflow. First the relationships between biomass and spectral vegetation indices (SVIs) and LiDAR metrics were separately investigated. Next, two groups of combined optical and LiDAR indices (i.e., COLI1 and COLI2) were designed and explored to identify their performances in biomass estimation. Finally, five prediction models, including K-nearest Neighbor, Random Forest, Support Vector Regression, the deep learning model, i.e., Stacked Sparse Autoencoder network (SSAE), and multiple stepwise linear regressions, were individually used to estimate biomass with input variables of different scenarios, i.e., (i) all the COLI1 (ACOLI1), (ii) all the COLI2 (ACOLI2), (iii) ACOLI1 and all the optical (AO) and LiDAR variables (AL), and (iv) ACOLI2, AO and AL. Results showed that univariate models with the combined optical and LiDAR indices as explanatory variables presented better modeling performance than those with either optical or LiDAR data alone, regardless of the combination mode. The SSAE model obtained the best performance compared to the other tested prediction algorithms for the forest biomass estimation. The best predictive accuracy was achieved by the SSAE model with inputs of combined optical and LiDAR variables (i.e., ACOLI1, AO and AL) that yielded an R2 of 0.935, root mean squared error (RMSE) of 15.67 Mg/ha, and relative root mean squared error (RMSEr) of 11.407%. It was concluded that the presented combined indices were simple and effective by integrating LiDAR-derived structure information with Landsat 8 spectral data for estimating forest biomass. Overall, the SSAE model with inputs of Landsat 8 and LiDAR integrated information resulted in accurate estimation of forest biomass. The presented modeling workflow will greatly facilitate future forest biomass estimation and carbon stock assessments.
Using WaTEM/SEDEM and HEC-HMS models for the simulation of episodic hydrological and erosion events in a small agricultural catchment

A careful analysis of rainfall-runoff events and patterns of sediment and pollution load to water bodies is crucial for the proper management of agricultural land. This study simultaneously employed the WaTEM/SEDEM long-term erosion model and the HEC-HMS episodic hydrological and erosion model to describe the runoff and sediment load evoked by extreme rainfall events in a small agricultural catchment in Czechia, using the long-term monitoring discharge and water quality episodic data. WaTEM/SEDEM helped to delineate the runoff and sediment critical source areas, subsequently incorporated into HEC-HMS. The acquired results showed that the spatial distribution of land use is a fundamental factor in the protection of watercourses from diffuse pollution sources and the transport and delivery of sediment profoundly depends on the status of crop cover on arable land near a watercourse. Integrating both models, it was shown that the tabulated Curve Number (CN) values as well as the average C-factor values had to be lowered for the majority of the modelled events to match the monitored data. A noticeable role of catchment runoff response most probably played tile drainage, which appeared to profoundly modify the episodic runoff pattern. This study showed a promising approach for the simulation of different rainfall-runoff responses of small agricultural catchments and could be applied for the delineation of areas where soil conservation measures or protective management is of high priority. The results further revealed the obvious need to revise the CN values for tile-drained catchments.
Analytic Expressions for Radial Diffusion

I briefly review, compare, and contrast two theoretical works that have significantly influenced radial diffusion research thus far, namely, the works of Fälthammar (1965, https://doi.org/10.1029/JZ070i011p02503) and the works of Fei et al. (2006, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JA011211). Leveraging Fälthammar's model for magnetic field disturbances, I demonstrate that Fei et al.'s formulas are incorrect: They underestimate radial diffusion by a factor 2 in the presence of magnetic field disturbances. This underestimation comes from the erroneous assumption that radial displacements driven by magnetic field disturbances are statistically independent from radial displacements driven by induced electric fields, while, in fact, both displacements are proportional to each other. Fei et al.'s approach is similar to Fälthammar's approach in that they both analyze radial diffusion by pieces, depending on the nature of the driver. Yet, the Fokker‐Planck equation requires only one radial diffusion coefficient to characterize statistically a trapped radiation belt population cross drift shell motion. Thus, it is worth questioning the practice that consists of defining the coefficient as a sum of independent contributions. In addition, both theoretical models rely on the assumption that the background magnetic field is primarily dipolar, leading to flawed estimates. To overcome these limitations and to improve radial diffusion quantification, I use a general formulation for the variation of the third adiabatic invariant (1) to describe how to compute a radial diffusion coefficient in the most general way and (2) to highlight the assumptions that need to be questioned.
Review article: How does glacier discharge affect marine biogeochemistry and primary production in the Arctic?

Abstract. Freshwater discharge from glaciers is increasing across the Arctic in response to anthropogenic climate change, which raises questions about the potential downstream effects in the marine environment. Whilst a combination of long-term monitoring programmes and intensive Arctic field campaigns have improved our knowledge of glacier–ocean interactions in recent years, especially with respect to fjord/ocean circulation, there are extensive knowledge gaps concerning how glaciers affect marine biogeochemistry and productivity. Following two cross-cutting disciplinary International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) workshops addressing the importance of glaciers for the marine ecosystem, here we review the state of the art concerning how freshwater discharge affects the marine environment with a specific focus on marine biogeochemistry and biological productivity. Using a series of Arctic case studies (Nuup Kangerlua/Godthåbsfjord, Kongsfjorden, Kangerluarsuup Sermia/Bowdoin Fjord, Young Sound and Sermilik Fjord), the interconnected effects of freshwater discharge on fjord–shelf exchange, nutrient availability, the carbonate system, the carbon cycle and the microbial food web are investigated. Key findings are that whether the effect of glacier discharge on marine primary production is positive or negative is highly dependent on a combination of factors. These include glacier type (marine- or land-terminating), fjord–glacier geometry and the limiting resource(s) for phytoplankton growth in a specific spatio-temporal region (light, macronutrients or micronutrients). Arctic glacier fjords therefore often exhibit distinct discharge–productivity relationships, and multiple case-studies must be considered in order to understand the net effects of glacier discharge on Arctic marine ecosystems.
Single and Dual-Doppler Radar Observations of a Nontornadic Supercell Thunderstorm on 6 June 2010

Two Doppler on Wheels (DOW) radars (Wurman et al. 1997) intercepted a nontornadic supercell near Ogallala, Nebraska, on 6 June 2010 during the Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment 2 (Wurman et al. 2012). The storm initiated within a disorganized cluster of convection north of Sydney, Nebraska, at approximately 2000 UTC in a region of moist upslope flow east of a lee surface trough (Fig. 1a). The 0-6 km bulk shear was approximately 60 knots (Fig. 1b), which was more than sufficient for organized convection, including supercells. As the storm progressed eastward and low-level wind fields strengthened, the storm entered a region with 0-1 km storm-relative helicity (SRH) of approximately 200 m s (Fig. 1c). Within this regime, the easternmost cell organized into a rightmoving supercell around 2200 UTC. Mobile Doppler radar observations began at approximately 2245 UTC, while the storm was a mature right-moving supercell and lasted for approximately 90 minutes, by which time the storm had weakened significantly. Herein, only single-Doppler analyses are used to examine the cell, given the paucity of potential dual-Doppler analysis volume scans (only twelve minutes of such data exist). This storm is of interest because the close proximity of the radars to the storm (less than 15 km) allows for relatively high-resolution objective analyses of reflectivity and radial velocity fields near the mesocyclone. While detailed analyses of one of the strong tornadoes intercepted by VORTEX2 is well underway (e.g., Wakimoto et al. 2011; Markowski et al. 2012a, b; Atkins et al. 2012; Kosiba et al. 2012), detailed examinations of nontornadic supercells (e.g., Trapp 1999; Wakimoto and Kai 2000; Beck et al. 2006; Frame et al. 2009) are equally important in determining potentially significant differences between tornadic and nontornadic supercells. FIG. 1. 22-hour NSSL WRF forecast initialized at 0000 UTC 6 June 2010 for the northern Great Plains. Included products are (a) 0-6 km bulk shear (knots), (b) 0-1 km storm-relative
Tropopause Laminar Cirrus and Its Role in the Lower Stratosphere Total Water Budget

Laminar cirrus are thin, extensive, isolated layers of ice clouds frequently observed in the tropical tropopause layer. Widespread laminar cirrus significantly affects tropical tropopause layer total water and thermal budget. In this study, we extract laminar cirrus from the Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization Level 1 attenuated total backscatter images for January 2009, in order to characterize statistical properties of laminar cirrus cloud length, base, thickness, optical depth, and layer partial ice water path. These characteristics are used to develop an algorithm identifying laminar cirrus automatically from the Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization Level 2 layer product for 2008–2017. The nearly 10‐year records reveal that tropopause laminar cirrus occurrence (30–40% of total cirrus) is strongly anticorrelated with the tropopause temperatures in that colder tropopause in frequent (super)saturation during boreal winter favors in situ formation of clouds. Interannually, anomalously warmer troposphere temperature (ΔT), easterly shear of the quasi‐biennial oscillation, and stronger upwelling branch of the Brewer‐Dobson circulation enhance laminar cirrus formation via cooling of the tropopause. The tropopause laminar cirrus carries ~0.05 mg/m3 (~0.5 ppmv) of ice water content during boreal winter and <0.01 mg/m3 during summer, which is anticorrelated with the seasonal variations of water vapor (H2O) observed by the Microwave Lime Sounder, indicating a temperature‐regulated partition between vapor and ice. Interannually, in cirrus‐rich region 1 ppmv decrease in H2O corresponds to 0.2–0.3 ppmv increase in ice water content. Frequently situated in (super)saturated air, tropopause laminar cirrus are likely to survive multiple lifecycles of the sublimation‐deposition processes, and may contribute up to 10% to the total water budget in the lower stratosphere.
Quasi-experimental determination of a mass standard in the forest millipede Centrobolus inscriptus

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in the diplopod species Centrobolus inscriptus has a positive correlation with body size. Intraspecific intersexual variation in mass was calculated twice in this species (males: 2.48 ± 0.57g; 2.00 ± 0.22g; females: 2.27 ± 0.28g; 2.61 ± 0.42g) and data sets tested for SSD. Males differed significantly from females in body mass (students t-test: t=9.38, d.f.=95, p<0.05). This was again found in the larger sample where males and females differed significantly from each other in mass (Wilcoxon matched pairs test: T= 554, n = 88, P = 0.00). When the two data sets were pooled and the mean’s compared, a difference was found (t=2.3162, n=273; p=0.020918). It was found males were lighter and have higher reproductive success through female preference for larger males when there was Size assortative mating behaviour. Conformity to the mass standard in sexual selection was suggested. Millipedes may influence concentrations of soil elements through sex‐specific difference.
Bacterial and Archaeal Assemblages from Two Size Fractions in Submarine Groundwater Near an Industrial Zone

Nutrients and organic pollutants transported by submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) play a significant role in controlling water quality, and can lead to the concerned deleterious effects on marine ecosystems. Subterranean estuaries are complicated habitats of diverse microbial communities that mediate different biogeochemical processes. However, there is less information on how microorganisms mediate biogeochemical cycles in the submarine groundwater system. In this study, we investigated the changes in bacterial and archaeal assemblages from two size fractions (0.2–0.45 μm and >0.45 μm) in the submarine groundwater of Qinzhou Bay, China. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Bathyarchaeota was dominant in archaeal communities in the >0.45 μm size fraction, but was seldom in the 0.2–0.45 μm fraction. The co-occurrence of sequences belonging to Bathyarchaeota and Methanosaeta was found in the >0.45 μm size fraction. Since a gene encoding acetate kinase of Bathyarchaeota is involved in acetate production, and acetate is also a necessary growth factor for Methanosaeta, the acetate produced by Bathyarchaeota can provide food or energy sources for Methanosaeta in this very >0.45 μm size fraction. The most abundant bacterial sequences in the >0.45 μm size fraction was closely related to biomineral iron-oxidizing Gallionella spp. , whereas the dominant bacterial sequences in the 0.2–0.45 μm fraction were affiliated with Limnohabitans spp. , which can utilize dissolved organic matter as an important source of growth substrates. Notably, approximately 10% of the bacterial sequences in both of the two size fractions belonged to Novosphingobium spp. , which plays an important role in the degradation of pollutants, especially aromatic compounds. Furthermore, the predictive functional profiling also revealed that the pathways involved in the degradation of aromatic compounds by both bacteria and archaea were identified. The presence of nutrients or pollutants in our study site provides different substrates for the growth of the specific microbial groups; in turn, these microbes may help to deplete pollutants to the ocean through submarine groundwater. We suggest that these specific microbial groups could be potential candidates for effective in situ bioremediation of groundwater ecosystems.