Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age structure and disturbance legacy of North American forests

Abstract. Most forests of the world are recovering from a past disturbance. It is well known that forest disturbances profoundly affect carbon stocks and fluxes in forest ecosystems, yet it has been a great challenge to assess disturbance impacts in estimates of forest carbon budgets. Net sequestration or loss of CO2 by forests after disturbance follows a predictable pattern with forest recovery. Forest age, which is related to time since disturbance, is a useful surrogate variable for analyses of the impact of disturbance on forest carbon. In this study, we compiled the first continental forest age map of North America by combining forest inventory data, historical fire data, optical satellite data and the dataset from NASA's Landsat Ecosystem Disturbance Adaptive Processing System (LEDAPS) project. A companion map of the standard deviations for age estimates was developed for quantifying uncertainty. We discuss the significance of the disturbance legacy from the past, as represented by current forest age structure in different regions of the US and Canada, by analyzing the causes of disturbances from land management and nature over centuries and at various scales. We also show how such information can be used with inventory data for analyzing carbon management opportunities. By combining geographic information about forest age with estimated C dynamics by forest type, it is possible to conduct a simple but powerful analysis of the net CO2 uptake by forests, and the potential for increasing (or decreasing) this rate as a result of direct human intervention in the disturbance/age status. Finally, we describe how the forest age data can be used in large-scale carbon modeling, both for land-based biogeochemistry models and atmosphere-based inversion models, in order to improve the spatial accuracy of carbon cycle simulations.
Economy and environment: China seeks a balance.

Corresponding author: Tel: 005511 3726-7222; ext 2231 Fax: 005511 3726-1505 E-mail: velupetri@hotmail.com AIMS: The effects of Tityus serrulatus venom (TSV) were analysed with respect to the susceptibility of four isogenic mouse, the symptoms following injection of venom and the inflammatory mediators in an experimental model of severe envenomation induced in mice. Methods : The susceptibility was analysed by lethal dose (LD50) determination, including the symptoms observed during envenomating and glucose levels. The detection of cytokines in serum from mice were analysed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and nitric oxide (NO) was analysed using nitrite determination. Results : The estimated LD50 values were in micrograms per 100 microliters, and the susceptibility of mice to TSV varies with: (a) mouse strain and route of injection (A/J < BALB/c < C57Bl/6 = DBA); (b) mouse strain and sex (A/J female and male < BALB/c female and male); and (c) body weight (all groups of A/J < BALB/c groups). Among the mouse strains studied, BALB/c mice presented moderate sensibility to TSV, with changes in specific signs and serum levels of glucose, several cytokines and NO, when injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 1 LD50 of venom. Sweating, salivation and tremor were the specific signs that preceded death. The maximum levels of glucose in sera from mice injected i.p. with 1 LD50 of TSV were observed 60–90 min post-injection. Significant differences were observed in the time-course of cytokine levels, and the venom induced marked elevations of interleukin (IL)1 a , IL-1 b , IL-6, IL-10 and interferon gamma (IFNg ). The maximum levels of IL-1 a and IL-1 b were observed 2 h post-injection. The more pronounced levels of IL-6 were observed 4 h post-injection. There was an early increase in IFN-g followed by an even higher level after 4 h. IL-10 levels peaked between 6 and 8 h, and this cytokine probably modulates the secretion of IFNg . Tumor necrosis factor release was not detected in BALB/c mice injected with TSV. NO levels attained maximal release after 2 h, following venom injection, while a second peak for NO was at 6 h. Conclusions : These findings indicate that the susceptibility to the systemic effects of the venom varies among mice of different haplotypes, and that the cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, IFN-g and NO are strongly involved in the pathogenesis caused by this venom and are correlated with the severity of envenomation.
Non-equilibrium stochastic dynamics of open ion channels

We present and discuss a modified version of reaction rate theory (RRT) to describe the passage of a positive ion through a biological ion channel. It takes explicit account of the non-equilibrium nature of the permeation process. Unlike traditional RRT, it allows for the non-constant transition rates that arise naturally in an archetypal model of an ion channel. In particular, we allow for the fact that the average escape time of an ion trapped at the selectivity filter (SF) can be reduced substantially by the pair correlations between ions: the arrival of a second ion at the channel entrance significantly reduces the potential barrier impeding the escape of the ion from the SF. The effects of this rate modulation on the current- voltage and current-concentration characteristics of the channel are studied parametrically. Stochastic amplification of the channel conductivity by charge fluctuations is demonstrated and compared with the results of Brownian dynamics simulations.
Forward Guidance

Forward guidance about future policy settings, in the form of a published policy-rate path, has for many years been a natural part of normal monetary policy for several central banks, including the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the Swedish Riksbank. More recently, the Federal Reserve has started to publish FOMC participants' policy-rate projections. The Swedish, New Zealand, and U.S. experience of a published policy-rate path is examined, especially to what extent the market has anticipated the path (the predictability of the path) and to what extent market expectations line up with the path after publication (the credibility of the path). The recent Swedish experience is quite dramatic. In particular, it shows a case with a large discrepancy between a high and rising Riksbank path and a low and falling market path, with the market path providing a good forecast of the future policy rate. The discrepancy is explained by the Riksbank's leaning against the wind in recent years and related circumstances. The New Zealand experience is less dramatic, but shows cases where the market implements either a substantially tighter or easier policy than intended by the RBNZ. There are also cases of the market being ahead of the RBNZ and the RBNZ later following the market. The U.S. experience includes a recent case of the market expecting and implementing substantially easier policy consistent with the FOMC projections, the possible explanation of which has been much discussed.
The Locking Depth of the Cholame Section of the San Andreas Fault from ERS2-Envisat InSAR

The Cholame section of the San Andreas Fault (SAF), which has been considered locked since 1857, has been little studied using geodetic methods. In this study, we propose to use Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) to contribute to the improvement of the knowledge of this section of the SAF. In particular, the objective of this work is to provide a description of the transition between the Parkfield and Cholame-Carrizo segments further southeast by producing an estimate of the locking depth of the Cholame segment by combining ERS2 (European Remote Sensing) and Envisat Advanced SAR (ASAR) satellites data. Our results indicate that the locking depth between the Parkfield and the Cholame-Carrizo segments deepens to the southeast. We then use these results as a hint to refine the tectonic loading on this section of the SAF.
Better Monitoring . . .Worse Productivity?

Technological advances are enabling firms to collect more information about worker performance than ever before. Despite obvious benefits concerns persist about how all this information – much of which is non-contractible and must pass through discretionary feedback – might distort the provision of incentives. I highlight a better monitoring/worse outcome channel that speaks to these concerns. Some improvements to the informativeness of monitoring tempt managers to provide excessive negative feedback leading to overpunishment. Workers then refuse to accept contracts that do not severely constrain the size of the punishment threat. Without a serious punishment threat, effort and surplus decline. JEL Codes: C73, D86, J41, M5
Bargaining in the Shadow of Takeover Defenses

Among the arguments that have been put forward to support the view that takeover defenses increase shareholder returns when a company becomes a takeover target, the "bargaining power hypothesis" is the most commonly cited argument today. Under this theory, takeover defenses allow the target to extract more in a negotiated acquisition because the bidder's no-deal alternative, to make a hostile bid, is worsened. Despite its centrality to the current debate on takeover defenses, the bargaining power hypothesis has never been subjected to a careful theoretical analysis or to a comprehensive empirical test. In this Article I present a model of bargaining in the "shadow" of takeover defenses that introduces alternatives away from the table, hostile bid costs, asymmetric information, and agency costs into the standard bargaining model. I confirm the features of this model using interviews with the heads of mergers and acquisitions at ten major New York City investment banks, which collectively account for 96% of U.S. M&A deal volume. I also present econometric evidence that is consistent with this model. The theoretical model, practitioner interviews, and econometric evidence presented here indicate that the bargaining power hypothesis is unlikely to be valid in many if not most negotiated acquisitions. This conclusion has implications for whether defenses increase or decrease shareholder wealth, and whether the recent pro-takeover movements in the Delaware courts will lead to negative consequences for target shareholders in negotiated acquisitions.
Influence of intense scavenging on Pa-Th fractionation in the wake of Kerguelen Island (Southern Ocean)

Dissolved and particulate excess (230)Th and (231)Pa concentrations (noted (230)Th(xs) and (231)Pa(xs) respectively) and (231)Pa(xs)/(230)Th(xs) activity ratios were investigated on and out of the Kerguelen plateau (Southern Ocean) in the framework of the Kerguelen Ocean and Plateau compared Study project in order to better understand the influence of particle flux and particle chemistry and advection on the scavenging of (231)Pa. In the wake of Kerguelen, particulate (231)Pa(xs) is relatively abundant compared to its content in the dissolved phase. This, together with the low fractionation observed between (230)Th and (231)Pa (F(Th/Pa) ranging from 0.06 +/- 0.01 to 1.6 +/- 0.2) reflects the domination of the biogenic silica in the particle pool. Along the eastern escarpment of the Kerguelen plateau, the strong (231)Pa(xs) horizontal gradient in the deep waters highlights the intense removal of (231)Pa at depth, as already observed for (230)Th(xs). This local boundary scavenging was attributed to re-suspension of opal-rich particles by nepheloid layers, resulting in fractionation factors F(Th/Pa) <= 1 along the Kerguelen plateau slope. Therefore, both the composition (biogenic opal) and the flux (intense along the margin) of particles control the scavenging of the two radionuclides in the Kerguelen wake. The modelling of (231)Pa distribution with an advection-scavenging model demonstrates that lateral advection of open ocean water on the Kerguelen plateau could supply most of the (231)Pa, which is then efficiently scavenged on the highly productive plateau, as previously proposed for (230)Th(xs). It stresses that lateral advection can play a significant role in the overall budget of particle reactive trace elements in a coastal-open ocean system.
Financial Shocks and the Real Economy in a Nonlinear World: A Survey of the Theoretical and Empirical Literature

In this paper we present an overview of theoretical and empirical contributions exploring the inter-linkages between financial factors and real economic activity. We first revisit the main theoretical approaches that allow financial frictions to be embedded into general equilibrium models, and then we survey, from an empirical perspective, the most recent papers focusing on macro-financial linkages, with a particular emphasis on works dealing with parameter time variation and other types of nonlinearities. We conclude by discussing some policy implications and suggesting directions for future research.
Elevational shifts, biotic homogenization and time lags in vegetation change during 40 years of climate warming

Many species show evidence of climate-driven distribution shifts towards higher elevations, but given the tremendous variation among species and regions, we lack an understanding of the community-level consequences of such shifts. Here we test for signatures of climate warming impacts using a repeat survey of semi-permanent vegetation plots in 1970 and 2012 in a montane protected area in southern Quebec, Canada, where daily maximum and minimum temperatures have increased by ∼1.6°C and ∼2.5°C over the same time period. As predicted, the abundance-weighted mean elevations of species distributions increased significantly over time (9 m/decade). A community temperature index (CTI) was calculated as the abundance-weighted mean of the median temperature across occurrences within each species geographic range in eastern North America. CTI did not vary significantly over time, although the raw magnitude of change (+ 0.2°C) matched the expectation based on the upward shift in distributions of 9 m/decade. Species composition of high elevation sites converged over time toward that observed at low elevation, although compositional changes at low elevation sites were more modest. As a consequence, the results of a multivariate analysis showed a decline in among-plot compositional variability (i.e. beta diversity) over time, thus providing some of the first empirical evidence linking climate warming with biotic homogenization. Finally, plot-scale species richness showed a marked increase of ∼25% on average. Overall, elevational distribution shifts, biodiversity change, and biotic homogenization over the past four decades have been consistent with predictions based on climate warming, although the rate of change has been relatively slow, suggesting substantial time lags in biotic responses to climate change.
Alien species in the marine and brackish ecosystem: the situation in Belgian waters.

In total 61 aquatic alien species (AAS) are known from Belgian marine and brackish waters, eight of which are considered as cryptogenic species. The majority of the Belgian AAS have established selfsustaining populations, although for some species the establishment is uncertain or in need of verification. Prime introduction vectors are shipping, including small recreational craft, and aquaculture. Most AAS originate from the temperate northwest Pacific. The invasion rate has been increasing during the last two decades.
Lindane removal by Streptomyces sp . M 7 in a Soil Extract Medium

The γ-HCH is an organochlorine pesticide used in agriculture and medicine to world level. It has a big tendency to bioaccumulate into the environment. There are many reports indicating that hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH) is present in soil, water, air, plants, agricultural products, animals, food, microbial environments etc. Considered a potential carcinogen and listed as a priority pollutant by the US EPA, γ-HCH is a lipophilic compound and therefore tends to accumulate and concentrate in the body fats of animals and humans. In Salí River, Tucumán, Argentina, lindane was detected 10-fold in relation to the traces permitted concentrations. Hence the development of new technologies to remediate these sites using microorganisms is every time more necessary.
Investigation of the use of meloxicam post farrowing for improving sow performance and reducing pain

Materials and methods: A total of 289 sows and their litters were used. Sows within 12 hours of farrowing were randomly allocated to receive either an intramuscular injection of meloxicam (extra-label) or a placebo. Researchers were blinded to treatment. All piglets were weighed within 12 hours of birth, at castration and tail-docking (5 to 7 days of age), and prior to weaning (19 to 21 days of age). Litters were categorized as small, medium, and large. Additional measurements involving the sow, including position changes, rectal temperatures, and feed-intake scores, were performed on a smaller number of the study sows.
A Multiobjective Game Approach with a Preferred Target Based on a Leader-Follower Decision Pattern

We propose a multiobjective leader-follower game based on the Stackelberg model, where the designer’s preferred target is taken into account. Here, the preferred target is regarded as a leader and the other targets are regarded as followers. A partition method of strategy subspace is also given. Finally, a real-life example of the multiobjective optimization design of a Chinese arch dam named “Baihetan” is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method.
A Hands-on Approach Towards the Application of Research Methods in Academic Paper Writing

 Based on an extensive summary of existing literature together with a random sampling of 70 graduate theses at the author’s university and 30 papers submitted to journals, which the author was entrusted to review, the present paper has addressed the novice researchers’ common concern of research method application by defining and categorizing research methods and the related terms, combing and discussing the techniques for qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research methods in accordance with different research questions, and finally illustrating and explaining our viewpoints with real-life samples and for years, this addresses the challenges of novice researchers in terms of research method application by defining and categorizing research methods and the related terms, combing and discussing the ways to search for and apply the right research methods for different research questions, and finally illustrate and explain our viewpoints with real-life samples and
The Activity budget of free-ranging common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in the northwestern Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

This study presents findings on seasonal and diurnal behavioural patterns of short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis )o the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. Data on the activity state of focal groups were collected by instantaneous scan-sampling at 3 min intervals from a 5.5 m rigid-hull inflatable boat. Predominant group activity was classified as one of 5 categories. The overall proportion of time spent in these activities was 54.8% traveling, 20.5% milling, 17% feeding. 7.3% socializing, and 0.4% resting. Comparisons with activity budgets of bottlenose dolphins indicated a roughly similar pattern. Time-of-day and time of low tide appeared to influence diurnal common dolphin behaviour. Seasonal fluctuations in activity budget did not show a consistent trend. The role of sea surface temperature and prey availability in aecting common dolphin movements is discussed. Mean group size peaked in late summer at 140 individuals. Overall, the average number of individuals in a group was 55.1. Group composition appeared to be rather fluid, because fission and fusion of groups were observed frequently. Low photo-identification resighting rates suggested a large, possibly transient population. The present activity budget provides valuable information on the behaviour of free-ranging common dolphins, which could be useful in the conservation and management of this species.
Outcome and Management of Sepsis at RozhHalat Emergency Hospital in Erbil –Kurdistan region of Iraq

Sepsis is a very common condition in emergency hospitals and presentation is variable, it is under diagnosed with very high mortality rate. All patients with infection are at risk of developing sepsis. Sepsis is a complex condition characterized by activation of inflammatory process and coagulation system in response to microbial insult. An observational prospective study was carried out at RozhHalat emergency hospital in Erbil-Kurdistan region of Iraq between February 2017 to January 2018.The study was approved by the scientific and ethical committee of Kurdistan board of medical specialties. 50 patients aged between (10 - 80) years old presented to this hospital with sign and symptoms of infection were recruited to this study. 50 patients with signs and symptoms of sepsis were recorded in this study. The mean age was 47 with male to female ration of 2:3 (42% male and 58% female). The overall mortality rate was high at 68% with higher rate among female and older age group. The blood culture was positive in 74% of cases of which 52% were gram positive and 22% were gram-negative microorganisms. A Positive blood culture associated with higher mortality rate of 81% compared with 21% if the blood culture was negative. In majority of cases the site of infection was from multiple source (34%) followed by respiratory infection (26%). Skin and soft tissue infection was associated with the lowest mortality of 2.9%. High number of cases (82%) developed complications and 52% of cases developed more than 2 organ failures. All patients received empirical antibiotic therapy however 46% of cases received the wrong antimicrobials. The survival rate was higher (44%) among patients given the right antibiotics. Similarly patients had better chance of survival if appropriate fluid resuscitation therapy was give. The overall mortality among vasopressor treated patients were 72% compared with 78% chance of mortality if they were not treated with any vasopressor therapy, among those who received inotropic support Noradrenaline associated with higher survival rate(72%). A qSOFA score of more than 2 associated with 86.4 % of mortality compared with 75.5% mortality with similar SIRS criteria. Factors associated with high mortality were: female gender, older age group, positive blood culture, wrong antibiotics therapy, less fluid resuscitation, multisource of infection, multi-organ failure, high lactic acid level and high qSOFA score. This study shows that sepsis is associated with high overall mortality rate of 68% in the RozhHalat emergency hospital and higher rate of death among female and older age group. Negative blood culture, appropriate use of antibiotics and fluid therapy associated with better chance of survival. Vasopressor therapy did not result in better survival outcome except for Noradrenaline. The qSOFA score is as good as SIRS criteria in predicting mortality. High lactate, multi-organ failure and multisource of infection associated with the worst outcome.