Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predictive equation for incremental shuttle walk test in adolescents

Cardiorespiratory Fitness; Incremental Shuttle Walk Test; Predictive Equation; Adolescents. Background: The incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) is one of the most used measures to assess cardiorespiratory fitness in clinical and research settings. Reference equations to predict ISWT distance (ISWD) in different populations have been established. However, an equation for Portuguese adolescents is not available. Aim: This study aimed at developing a reference equation to predict the ISWD for Portuguese adolescents. Methods: Healthy adolescents aged 12–17 years old participated in this crosssectional study. Participants’ socio-demographic (sex and age) and anthropometric (body mass index (BMI)) data were collected. Lung function was assessed through spirometry and quadriceps muscular strength (QMS) was recorded with a hand-held dynamometer. Physical activity level was scored with Physical Activity Index (PAI). The ISWT was performed twice as recommended. The best ISWD was used for descriptive and inferential analysis. Results: A total of 125 (56 male, 69 female; age 14.6±1.3 years old) participants with normal lung function (forced expiratory volume in one second=104.8±14.9% predicted) completed the assessment. According to PAI score, 54.4% (n=63) of the participants were moderately active and QMS mean was 20.7±6.8 kgf. Participants walked on average 1254.0±280.9 (760–2250 m) meters in the ISWT. A multiple regression model showed that sex, BMI, QMS and PAI were independent contributors to the ISWD, explaining 54% of the variability (p<0.05). The derived reference equation was: ISWD= 814.49 + (286.80 × sex) (3.05 × BMI) + (8.83 × QMS) + (22.30 × PAI), sex: female=0, male=1. Conclusion: Sex, BMI, QMS and PAI score were found to be contributors to the ISWD predictive equation for adolescents, providing a simple reference to assess their cardiorespiratory fitness. The predictive equation is a valuable tool to interpret ISWT results obtained from paediatric populations, both healthy and with pathology. Abbreviations and/or acronyms BMI: body mass index BP: blood pressure COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease CPET: cardiopulmonary exercise test CRF: cardiorespiratory fitness FEV1: forced expiratory volume in one second FVC: forced vital capacity HHD: hand held dynamometer HR max. pred. : maximal heart rate predicted HR: heart rate ICC: intraclass correlation coefficient ISWD: incremental shuttle walk distance ISWT: incremental shuttle walk test mBS: modified Borg Scale MID: minimal important difference PAI: physical activity index QMS: quadriceps muscular strength r: Pearson coefficient R2: R–squared rpb: point-biserial correlation RR: respiratory rate SD: standard deviation SpO2: peripheral oxygen saturation VO2: oxygen uptake VO2peak: peak oxygen uptake % HR max. end. : percentage of HR achieved in the end of the test TABLE OF CONTENTS
Late Miocene to Holocene high-resolution eastern equatorial Pacific carbonate records: stratigraphy linked by dissolution and paleoproductivity

Abstract. Coherent variation in CaCO3 burial is a feature of the Cenozoic eastern equatorial Pacific. Nevertheless, there has been a long-standing ambiguity in whether changes in CaCO3 dissolution or changes in equatorial primary production might cause the variability. Since productivity and dissolution leave distinctive regional signals, a regional synthesis of data using updated age models and high-resolution stratigraphic correlation is an important constraint to distinguish between dissolution and production as factors that cause low CaCO3. Furthermore, the new chronostratigraphy is an important foundation for future paleoceanographic studies. The ability to distinguish between primary production and dissolution is also important to establish a regional carbonate compensation depth (CCD). We report late Miocene to Holocene time series of XRF-derived (X-ray fluorescence) bulk sediment composition and mass accumulation rates (MARs) from eastern equatorial Pacific Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) sites U1335, U1337, and U1338 and Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) site 849, and we also report bulk-density-derived CaCO3 MARs at ODP sites 848, 850, and 851. We use physical properties, XRF bulk chemical scans, and images along with available chronostratigraphy to intercorrelate records in depth space. We then apply a new equatorial Pacific age model to create correlated age records for the last 8 Myr with resolutions of 1–2 kyr. Large magnitude changes in CaCO3 and bio-SiO2 (biogenic opal) MARs occurred within that time period but clay deposition has remained relatively constant, indicating that changes in Fe deposition from dust is only a secondary feedback to equatorial productivity. Because clay deposition is relatively constant, ratios of CaCO3 % or biogenic SiO2 % to clay emulate changes in biogenic MAR. We define five major Pliocene–Pleistocene low CaCO3 % (PPLC) intervals since 5.3 Ma. Two were caused primarily by high bio-SiO2 burial that diluted CaCO3 (PPLC-2, 1685–2135 ka, and PPLC-5, 4465–4737 ka), while three were caused by enhanced dissolution of CaCO3 (PPLC-1, 51–402 ka, PPLC-3, 2248–2684 ka, and PPLC-4, 2915–4093 ka). Regional patterns of CaCO3 % minima can distinguish between low CaCO3 caused by high diatom bio-SiO2 dilution versus lows caused by high CaCO3 dissolution. CaCO3 dissolution can be confirmed through scanning XRF measurements of Ba. High diatom production causes lowest CaCO3 % within the equatorial high productivity zone, while higher dissolution causes lowest CaCO3 percent at higher latitudes where CaCO3 production is lower. The two diatom production intervals, PPLC-2 and PPLC-5, have different geographic footprints from each other because of regional changes in eastern Pacific nutrient storage after the closure of the Central American Seaway. Because of the regional variability in carbonate production and sedimentation, the carbonate compensation depth (CCD) approach is only useful to examine large changes in CaCO3 dissolution.
A Comparative Study of SMT and NMT: Case Study of English-Nepali Language Pair

Machine Translation is one of the major problems in the field of Natural Language Processing. In due course, many approaches have been applied in order to solve this problem ranging from the traditional rule-based approach, statistical methods to the more recent neural network based methods. Neural network based methods have produced comparable results to that of the existing phrase based model and in some language pairs they have even outperformed the latter. A huge amount of parallel corpus is required for both the SMT and NMT models in order to produce reasonable results. For some language pairs, the required data is readily available but for many others it is not necessarily the case. This research work focuses on the comparative study of how SMT and NMT based machine translation models perform and compare to each other in case where the language pair is under resourced in terms of the availability of the parallel corpus.
The importance of city trees for reducing net rainfall: comparing measurements and simulations

Abstract. An in situ tree interception experiment was conducted to determine the hydrological impact of a solitary standing Norway maple and a small-leaved lime in an urban environment. During the 2-year experiment, rainfall data were collected and divided into interception, throughfall and stemflow. With approximately 38 % of the gross precipitation intercepted by both trees, the interception storage was higher than for similar studies carried out in Mediterranean regions. The specialized forest interception models from Gash (first published in 1978) and Rutter (first published in 1971), as well as an adapted solitary tree version of the Water and Energy Transfer between Soil, Plants and Atmosphere model (WetSpa), were tested for their accuracy in modeling the measured interception storage. The models generally overestimated interception storage for small interception events (< interception storage) and underestimated interception storage for bigger interception events (> interception storage). Gash's method slightly outperformed WetSpa and Rutter for all events throughout seasons and trees. However, WetSpa showed better performance for rainfall events > 10 mm. The similar performance of WetSpa and the Gash and Rutter models is noteworthy because the WetSpa interception model is part of a larger modeling framework that models the whole hydrological balance, whereas the Gash and Rutter methods are specialized stand-alone interception models. Thus, WetSpa is recommended to gain a more complete understanding of the impact of city trees on the full hydrological balance. This study emphasizes the potential effect of city trees on the whole hydrological balance via a combination of field data and simulation experiments using both specialized interception models (Gash and Rutter) and the relatively simple interception module of a holistic water balance model (WetSpa).
Project ALBINA: The technical framework for a consistent, cross-border and multilingual regional avalanche forecasting system

Effective avalanche forecasting relies on two major factors: (1) a consistent danger assessment based on various sources of information and physics-based knowledge in natural processes by the forecasters and (2) a consistent and coherent way of communicating the forecasted avalanche situation. However, recent analyses showed that comparison between neighboring avalanche danger forecast systems revealed potential sources of inconsistency in both assessing and communicating avalanche situations. Therefore, starting with the winter season 2018-2019 Tirol, South Tyrol and Trentino will operationally use a common conceptual framework and communicate avalanche danger assessments under a common website: avalanche.report. We will present technical aspects underlying this common conceptual framework. The technical aspects are all based on stateof-the-art analysis and IT technologies and were chosen and applied with the ulterior motive to be generally valid when virtually merging different avalanche forecasting centers. In order to connect different avalanche warning services efficiently, a multilingual web application was developed to interactively compile and produce avalanche forecasts and exchange assessments. When using the application, forecasters of neighboring warning services can directly discuss and suggest avalanche danger situations at their boarders and adjust inconsistencies. We used the Swiss-based catalogue of phrases for describing details on the prevailing avalanche situation. Additionally to the Swiss version, we added the possibility to switch the input language from German to Italian and amplified the possibilities to better describe the stability of the snowpack. Technical aspects of user-friendly and effective maps and an appealing, vivid design complete an operative and consistent communication of information on avalanche danger to the public.
An information-theoretic view on language complexity and register variation: Compressing naturalistic corpus data

Abstract This article utilises an innovative, information-theoretic metric to assess complexity variation across written and spoken registers of British English. This is novel because previous research on language complexity mainly analysed complexity variation in typological data, single language case studies or geographical varieties of the same language. The measure boils down to Kolmogorov complexity which can be conveniently approximated with off-the-shelf compression programs. Essentially, text samples that can be compressed more efficiently count as linguistically simple. The dataset covers a wide range of traditional written and spoken registers (e.g. broadsheet newspapers, courtroom debate or face-to-face conversation), as sampled in the British National Corpus. It turns out that Kolmogorov-based register variation coincides with register formality such that informal registers are overall and morphologically less complex than more formal registers, but more complex in regard to syntax (defined here as rigid word order). Generally, the results show that written and spoken registers vary along a continuum, and significantly trade-off morphological against syntactic complexity (and vice versa). Finally, the findings support proposals to view language as a complex adaptive system and demonstrate how language adapts to the situational context of language production and functional-communicative needs of its users.
The Saxothuringian Terrane affinity of the metamorphic Stachów Complex (Strzelin Massif, Fore-Sudetic Block, Poland) inferred from zircon ages

The Saxothuringian Terrane defined in the western part of the Bohemian Massif is regarded to have easterly continuations in the Karkonosze–Izera Massif, the Kamieniec Ząbkowicki Belt and the Orlica–Śnieznik Dome. All these units comprise Early Ordovician (~500 Ma) metagranites associated with mica schists. Even more to the east, ~500 Ma metagranites and metasedimentary rocks occur also in the Strzelin Massif of the East Sudetes, where they are known as the pale and dark Stachow gneisses, respectively. Altogether, these rocks form the Stachow Complex which was thrust on the Strzelin Complex of the Brunovistulicum Terrane during the Variscan Orogeny. The contribution presents lines of evidence for a Saxothuringian affinity of the Stachow Complex rocks: (1) the new SHRIMP U-Pb age data of zircons from both the pale and dark Stachow gneisses; (2) the indication that the zircon age spectra from the ~500 Ma granitoids and their accompanying metasedimentary rocks are similar to those found in other parts of the Sudetes; (3) the “Armorican” age pattern of inherited zircons of the pale Stachow gneisses, as also observed in the Saxothuringian Terrane; (4) the similarity of trace elements and Sm-Nd isotope data of the Stachow gneisses and correlative rocks from the Karkonosze–Izera Massif and the Orlica–Śnieznik Dome.
MANUFACTURING AMINO ACIDS BIO FERTILIZERS FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTES. II- EFFECT OF SYNTHETIC ORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF SOME FORAGE CROPS AS WELL AS SOME SOIL PROPERTIES

A field experiment was conducted at Ismailia Research Station, Agricultural Research Center, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, during the summer season of 2011 to evaluate the efficacy of organic synthesized fertilizers obtained from tomato and sugar beet thrones on yield and quality of pearl millet (Pennisetumamericanum ) and sorghum (Sorghum vulgare ) forage crops as well as their effects on some soil properties. The micronutrients like iron, zinc, copper, manganese and boron were chelated with organic synthesized fertilizers. Obtained results showed that amino acids synthesized fertilizers (details about these amino acids are found in first part) chelate micronutrients improved the growth and yield of either pearl millet or sorghum and their uptake of macro and micro nutrients when their applied either separately or integrated with NPK fertilization as foliar or soil + foliar application to foliage crops grown in poor sandy loam soil at Ismailiah area. Concerning the effect of synthesized fertilizers on soil properties, the results indicated that organic matter and CEC of soil tended to increase slightly with the use of synthesized fertilizers as compared with unfertilized check, also they improved the soil content of macro and micro elements. The efficiency of organic synthesized fertilizers were improved when their applied in combination with 1/2 unit or one unit of NPK recommended rates. Depending on results of this study, it can be recommended to use these organic synthesized fertilizers which obtained from tomatoes and sugar beet thrones commercially as cheap source of amino acids chelate micronutrients to solve the problem of micro elements in new lands and recycling these wastes and improve soil nutrient conditions.
A geostatistical framework for estimating flow indices by exploiting
short records and long-term spatial averages – Application to annual
and monthly runoff

Abstract. In this article, we present a Bayesian geostatistical framework that is particularly suitable for interpolation of hydrological data when the available dataset is sparse and includes missing values and short records of data. A key feature of the proposed framework is that several years of runoff is modeled simultaneously with two Gaussian random fields (GRFs): One that is common for all years under study and represents the runoff generation due to long-term climatic conditions, and one that is year specific. The climatic GRF learns how short records of runoff from partially gauged catchments vary relatively to longer time series from other catchments, and transfers this information across years. Another property, is that the model takes the nested structure of catchments into account such that the water balance is preserved for any point in the landscape. The framework is demonstrated by interpolation of annual and monthly runoff from around 200 catchments in Norway, and we compare it to Top-Kriging (interpolation method) and simple linear regression (method for exploiting short records). The results show that if the correlation between neighboring catchments is high, a model that considers several years of runoff simultaneously is considerably better at capturing large spatial variability than a model that treats each year of data separately.
Physical drivers of the nitrate seasonal variability in the Atlantic cold tongue

Abstract. Ocean color observations show semiannual variations in chlorophyll in the Atlantic cold tongue with a main bloom in boreal summer and a secondary bloom in December. In this study, ocean color and in situ measurements and a coupled physical–biogeochemical model are used to investigate the processes that drive this variability. Results show that the main phytoplankton bloom in July–August is driven by a strong vertical supply of nitrate in May–July, and the secondary bloom in December is driven by a shorter and moderate supply in November. The upper ocean nitrate balance is analyzed and shows that vertical advection controls the nitrate input in the equatorial euphotic layer and that vertical diffusion and meridional advection are key in extending and shaping the bloom off Equator. Below the mixed layer, observations and modeling show that the Equatorial Undercurrent brings low-nitrate water (relative to off-equatorial surrounding waters) but still rich enough to enhance the cold tongue productivity. Our results also give insights into the influence of intraseasonal processes in these exchanges. The submonthly meridional advection significantly contributes to the nitrate decrease below the mixed layer.
Target areas for harmonizing the Grain for Green Programme in China's Loess Plateau

Widespread land degradation has stimulated the implementation of a large‐scale ecological restoration programme in China's Loess Plateau—the Grain‐for‐Green Programme (GFGP). This programme has substantially increased vegetation cover and served to control soil erosion, but threatened regional food supply due to widespread cropland conversion. Consequently, a strategy balancing green and grain land uses is required. Here, we establish a dominance index of ecosystem services by quantifying the economic value of four key ecosystem services (net primary productivity, soil conservation, water yield, and food production), by combining spatially explicit datasets and census data. Using the dominance index, we identify the optimal areas to target for GFGP in the Loess Plateau. The identified areas (target areas) were the transition zone from low to high value of ecosystem services (ESV). These areas exhibited low grain productivity in addition to having the highest potential for soil conservation. Compared with other regions of the Loess Plateau, the loss of grain production due to cropland conversion in these target areas could decrease by 42%, whereas ESV could increase by 33%. Therefore, despite the fact that over the past 15 years (2000–2014) in these target areas more cropland was converted into ecological use (i.e. forest/grassland), there is still a need to strengthen ecological restoration in this region in the future. This study proposed a strategy for balancing green and grain from a spatial perspective, which could potentially solve land degradation issues and the tradeoff between ecosystem services in a more beneficial and targeted way.
A Machine Learning Approach for Improving Near-Real-Time Satellite-Based Rainfall Estimates by Integrating Soil Moisture

Near-real-time (NRT) satellite-based rainfall estimates (SREs) are a viable option for flood/drought monitoring. However, SREs have often been associated with complex and nonlinear errors. One way to enhance the quality of SREs is to use soil moisture information. Few studies have indicated that soil moisture information can be used to improve the quality of SREs. Nowadays, satellite-based soil moisture products are becoming available at desired spatial and temporal resolutions on an NRT basis. Hence, this study proposes an integrated approach to improve NRT SRE accuracy by combining it with NRT soil moisture through a nonlinear support vector machine-based regression (SVR) model. To test this novel approach, Ashti catchment, a sub-basin of Godavari river basin, India, is chosen. Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA)-based NRT SRE 3B42RT and Advanced Scatterometer-derived NRT soil moisture are considered in the present study. The performance of the 3B42RT and the corrected product are assessed using different statistical measures such as correlation coefficient (CC), bias, and root mean square error (RMSE), for the monsoon seasons of 2012–2015. A detailed spatial analysis of these measures and their variability across different rainfall intensity classes are also presented. Overall, the results revealed significant improvement in the corrected product compared to 3B42RT (except CC) across the catchment. Particularly, for light and moderate rainfall classes, the corrected product showed the highest improvement (except CC). On the other hand, the corrected product showed limited performance for the heavy rainfall class. These results demonstrate that the proposed approach has potential to enhance the quality of NRT SRE through the use of NRT satellite-based soil moisture estimates.
Petrologic History of Lunar Phosphates Accounts for the Water Content of the Moon’s Mare Basalts

We present reaction balancing and thermodynamic modeling based on microtextural observations and mineral chemistry, to constrain the history of phosphate crystallization within two lunar mare basalts, 10003 and 14053. Phosphates are typically found within intercumulus melt pockets (mesostasis), representing the final stages of basaltic crystallization. In addition to phosphates, these pockets typically consist of Fe-rich clinopyroxene, fayalite, plagioclase, ilmenite, SiO2, and a residual K-rich glass. Some pockets also display evidence for unmixing into two immiscible melts: A Si-K-rich and an Fe-rich liquid. In these cases, the crystallization sequence is not always clear. Despite petrologic complications associated with mesostasis pockets (e.g., unmixing), the phosphates (apatite and merrillite) within these areas have been recently used for constraining the water content in the lunar mantle. We compute mineral reaction balancing for mesostasis pockets from Apollo high-Ti basalt 10003 and high-Al basalt 14053 to suggest that their parental magmas have an H2O content of 25 ± 10 ppm, consistent with reported estimates based on directly measured H2O abundances from these samples. Our results permit to constrain in which immiscible liquid a phosphate of interest crystallizes, and allows us to estimate the extent to which volatiles may have partitioned into other phases such as K-rich glass or surrounding clinopyroxene and plagioclase using a non-destructive method.