Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Micro-Simulation Models of Urban Regions: Anticipating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transport and Housing in Austin, Texas

Anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are largely attributable to household and firm travel and building decisions. This paper demonstrates the development and application of a microsimulation model for household and firm evolution and location choices overtime, along with evolution of the light duty vehicle fleet, residential building stock and travel decisions of persons and businesses. A case study of the Austin, Texas region provides estimates of energy demands and CO2 emissions through the year 2030, as a function of several policies. Year 2005 population and point-based employment data coupled with a wide variety of other data sets are used. Lack of control totals for population forecasting creates issues, certainly, which is a key finding of this work. Scenario simulation results suggest an 81% increase in the Austin households and an evolution toward wealthier households, much larger firm sizes and a somewhat more efficient fleet of personal vehicles. GHG emissions from personal and commercial travel are predicted to nearly double in the business as usual case, but 74 percent and 60 percent under urban growth boundary and strict gas and road toll scenarios, respectively
Dynamic and thermodynamic changes in mean and extreme precipitation under changed climate

Extreme precipitation has been projected to increase more than the mean under future changed climate, but its mechanism is not clear. We have separated the ‘dynamic’ and ‘thermodynamic’ components of the mean and extreme precipitation changes projected in 6 climate model experiments. The dynamic change is due to the change in atmospheric motion, while the thermodynamic change is due to the change in atmospheric moisture content. The model results consistently show that there are areas with small change or decreases in the thermodynamic change for mean precipitation mainly over subtropics, while the thermodynamic change for extreme precipitation is an overall increase as a result of increased atmospheric moisture. The dynamic changes play a secondary role in the difference between mean and extreme and are limited to lower latitudes. Over many parts of mid‐ to high latitudes, mean and extreme precipitation increase in comparable magnitude due to a comparable thermodynamic increase.
Pharmacokinetic characterization of favipiravir in patients with COVID‐19

This prospective observational study describes the pharmacokinetic characteristics of favipiravir in adult patients hospitalized for mild to moderate COVID‐19 with a positive RT‐PCR test. Favipiravir was administered for 5 days, with a loading dose of 3200 mg and a maintenance dose of 1200 mg/day. Serial blood samples were collected on Day 2 and Day 4 of the therapy. Laboratory findings of the patients (n = 21) and in‐hospital mortality were recorded. Favipiravir concentrations exhibited substantial variability and a significant decrease during the treatment of COVID‐19. The median favipiravir trough concentration (C0‐trough) on Day 2 was 21.26 (interquartile range [IQR], 8.37–30.78) μg/mL, whereas it decreased significantly to 1.61 (IQR, 0.00–6.41) μg/mL on Day 4, the area under the concentration–time curve decreased by 68.5%. Day 2 C0‐trough of female patients was higher than male patients. Our findings indicate that favipiravir concentrations show significant variability during the treatment of COVID‐19 and therapeutic drug monitoring may be necessary to maintain targeted concentrations.
A method for estimating soil moisture storage in regions under water stress and storage depletion: a case study of Hai River Basin, North China

Soil moisture is a consideration for soil conservation, agricultural production and climate modelling. This article presents a simple method for estimating soil moisture storage under water stress and storage depletion conditions. The method is driven by the common agro‐hydrologic variables of precipitation (PPT), irrigation (IRR) and evapotranspiration (ET). The proposed method is successfully tested for the 152 000 km2 floodplain region of Hai River Basin using 48 consecutive months (2003–2006) of data. Soil moisture data from global land data assimilation system/Noah land surface model are validated with ground‐truth data from 102 soil moisture monitoring sites. The validated soil moisture is used in combination with in situ groundwater data to quantify total water storage change (TWSC) in the region. The estimated storage change is in turn compared with gravity recovery and climate experiment‐derived TWSC for the study area. The soil moisture and TWSC terms show favourable agreements, with discrepancies of < 10% on the average. While there is no consistent seasonal trend in soil moisture, TWSC shows a strong seasonality. It is low in spring and high in summer. This trend corresponds with the IRR–PPT season in the study area. Change in groundwater and total water storage indicates storage depletion in the basin. Storage depletion in the region is driven mainly by groundwater IRR and ET loss. Despite the low PPT and high ET, there is narrowing seasonal trend in soil moisture. This is achieved at the expense of groundwater storage. IRR pumping has induced extensive groundwater depletion in the basin. It is therefore vital to develop cultivation strategies that aim at limiting IRR pumping and ET loss. Water management practices that not only reduce waste but also ensure high productivity and ecological sustainability could also mitigate storage depletion in the region. These measures could reduce further not only the seasonal trend in soil moisture but also that in groundwater storage. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Climate and drought

Drought is a complex phenomenon that can be defined from several perspectives [Wilhite and Glantz, 1987]. The common characteristic and central idea of these perspectives is the straightforward notion of a water deficit. Complexity arises because of the need to specify the part of the hydrologic cycle experiencing the deficit and the associated time period. For example, a long-term deficit in deep groundwater storage can occur simultaneously with a short-term surplus of root zone soil water. Figure 1 [Changnon, 1987] illustrates how the definitions of drought are related to specific components of the hydrologic cycle. The dashed lines indicate the delayed translation of two hypothetical precipitation deficits with respect to runoff, soil moisture, streamflow and groundwater. From this perspective, precipitation can be considered as the carrier of the drought signal, and hydrological processes are among the final indicators that reveal the presence of drought [Hare, 1987; Klemes, 1987].
Les marchés de services informationnels : quelles garanties pour le client, consommateur ou partenaire ?

[fre] En matiere de services informationnels, des decalages importants existent entre les attentes et les resultats. L'article en fournit une illustration. En realite le client, consommateur ou partenaire, n'a que peu de garanties en ce qui concerne la qualite du produit. De multiples raisons expliquent ces decalages. Du fait de leur specificite et de leur caractere immateriel, les services informationnels ne sont pas comparables et demeurent, dans une large mesure, indetermines. Par ailleurs, le prestataire n'a pas d'obligation de resultat. Il en est ainsi en raison a la fois de la co-production et co-responsabilite du client, et de l'existence possible de facteurs exogenes, sur lesquels le prestataire n'a pas prise. A cela s'ajoutent des phenomenes generalises de selection adverse et de hasard moral, mais egalement des situations dans lesquelles il n'y a pas de resultat possible. L'article explore les solutions possibles. [eng] In the field of informational services, important gaps are observed between expectations and results. An illustration is given. As a matter of fact, the client, consumer or partner has only very limited guarantees as concerns the quality of the product. And this is because of different reasons. Because of their specificity and non material character, informational services are non comparable and remain, to a large extent, indeterminate. Furthermore, the service provider has no obligation for the result. This is due both to the co-production and co-responsability of the client/consumer and to the possible existence of external factors. To this must be added widespread adverse selection and moral hazard phenomena, and even situations in which no result can possibly be obtained. The paper examines the possible solutions.
Specific glycosaminoglycan chain length and sulfation patterns are required for cell uptake of tau versus (cid:2) -synuclein and (cid:3) -amyloid aggregates

Transcellular propagation of protein aggregate “seeds” has been proposed to mediate the progression of neurodegenerative diseases in tauopathies and (cid:2) -synucleinopathies. We previously reported that tau and (cid:2) -synuclein aggregates bind heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) on the cell surface, promoting cellular uptake and intracellular seeding. However, the specificity and binding mode of these protein aggregates to HSPGs remain unknown. Here, we measured direct interaction with modified heparins to determine the size and sulfation requirements for tau, (cid:2) -synuclein, and (cid:3) -amyloid (A (cid:3) ) aggregate binding to gly-cosaminoglycans(GAGs). VaryingtheGAGlengthandsulfation patterns, we next conducted competition studies with heparin derivatives in cell-based assays. Tau aggregates required a pre-cise
Shoshonitic magmatism and the formation of the Northparkes porphyry Cu – Au deposits, New South Wales

Four economic porphyry Cu – Au deposits occur at Northparkes, New South Wales: Endeavour 22 (E22), E26, E27 and E48. Mineralisation is centred on thin, pipe-like Late Ordovician to Early Silurian quartz monzonite porphyry complexes. Nine intrusive phases have been recognised, with a common sequence of emplacement recognised in all deposits. Pre-mineralisation intrusions include coarse-grained, equigranular monzodiorite and equigranular to weakly porphyritic biotite – quartz monzonite (U – Pb SHRIMP age 444.2 ± 4.7 Ma). Three variably felsic quartz monzonite porphyry phases comprise the mineralised intrusive complexes: (i) volumetrically minor early and late mineralisation biotite-phyric quartz monzonite porphyry dykes; (ii) abundant synmineralisation K-feldspar-phyric quartz monzonite porphyry intrusions; and (iii) less abundant syn- to late mineralisation augite – biotite K-feldspar-phyric quartz monzonite porphyry intrusions. Post-mineralisation basaltic trachyandesite dykes and augite-phyric monzonite porphyry dykes are also present (U – Pb SHRIMP age 436.7 ± 3.3 Ma), as are younger mafic dykes. The regional volcanic and intrusive rocks define systematic geochemical trends consistent with high-temperature magmatic fractionation of basaltic trachyandesite through trachyte. However, the trace-element compositions and REE patterns of the mineralising intrusions cannot be explained by crystal fractionation alone because there is a return to more mafic compositions in the waning stages of intrusive activity. The intrusive complexes are interpreted to have formed due to the emplacement of mafic alkaline melts into the base of a crystallising, zoned, monzodiorite to monzonite magma chamber. Shallow crustal fault ruptures above the magma chamber probably caused instantaneous depressurisation and simultaneous egress of quartz monzonite porphyry and exsolved aqueous fluid into dilatant zones. Localised fracturing and additional volatile exsolution from the quartz monzonite melt is thought to have led to the formation of the quartz monzonite porphyry complexes and associated Cu – Au-bearing stockwork veins and related orthoclase alteration. Volatile-rich aqueous fluid partitioned LREE preferentially to MREE and HREE resulting in the development of distinctive U-shaped REE patterns of the ore-related intrusions.
Global distributions of cirrus clouds determined from Sage data

An analysis using SAGE data for the period February 1979 to April 1980 was performed to determine the spatial extent and frequency of cirrus clouds over a large portion of the earth's surface. These results should be of interest to, among others, both the researchers concerned with global monitoring and modeling of the earth's radiation budget and climate and to reentry vehicle designers concerned about anomalous aerodynamic effects or damage due to the ice particles found in cirrus clouds. A by-product of the study reveals the statistics of tropospheric observational opportunities for a limb-sounding satellite sensor by determining the percentage of times of successful penetration to 7 km. The results of the analysis showed that optically thick cirrus clouds are found most often in the mid-latitudes and over the tropics with distinct minima near the ± 20 to 30° latitude bands. Thin cirrus clouds (as defined in this paper), on the other hand, occur much less often than the optically thick cirrus clouds. A comparison of the optically thick cirrus clouds observed by SAGE was made zonally with surface-based observations and was found to generally agree. The percentage of tropospheric observational opportunities down to 7 km was as high as 60 percent in the upper latitudes but fell to about 30 percent in the tropics.
Carbon isotopes in the rivers from the Lesser Antilles: origin of the carbonic acid consumed by weathering reactions in the Lesser Antilles

In this paper, we use carbon isotopes in the dissolved load of rivers from the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc (Guadeloupe, Martinique and Dominica islands) to constrain the source of the carbon dioxide (CO2) involved in the neutralization reactions during water–rock interactions. The δ13C data span a large range of variations, from –19‰ to –5 · 2‰ for DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon) concentrations ranging from 11 μM to 2000 μM. Coupled with major element concentrations, carbon isotopic ratios are interpreted as reflecting a mixture of magmatic CO2 (enriched in heavy carbon (δ13C ≈ –3 · 5‰) and biogenic CO2 produced in soils (enriched in light carbon (δ13C < –17‰)). Carbon isotopes show that, at the regional scale, 23 to 40% of CO2 consumed by weathering reactions is of magmatic origin and is transferred to the river system through aquifers under various thermal regimes. These numbers remain first‐order estimates as the major uncertainty in using carbon isotopes as a source tracer is that carbon isotopes can be fractionated by a number of processes, including soil and river degassing. Chemical weathering is clearly, at least, partly controlled by the input of magmatic CO2, either under hydrothermal (hot) or surficial (cold) weathering regimes.
The contribution of deleterious rare alleles in ENPP1 and osteomalacia causative genes to atypical femoral fracture.

BACKGROUND Atypical femoral fractures (AFFs) are very rare atraumatic or mild-trauma fractures in the subtrochanteric region or femoral shaft. Some unique genetic variants in Asian populations might confer susceptibility to AFF, since the incident of AFFs is higher in Asian. Because rare variants have been found to be causative in some diseases and the roles of osteomalacia causative genes were not reported, we investigated rare variants in genes causing abnormal mineralization. METHODS Exome sequencing was performed to detect variants in gene coding and boundary regions, and the frequencies of deleterious rare alleles were compared between Japanese AFF patients (n=42) and controls of the 4.7KJPN panel of Tohoku Medical Megabank by whole genome sequencing (n=4773). FINDINGS The frequency of the deleterious rare allele of ENPP1 was significantly increased in AFF (P=0.0012, corrected P [Pc]=0.0155, odds ratio [OR] 4.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.15-10.40). In multigene panel analysis, the frequencies of deleterious rare alleles of candidate genes were increased in AFF (P=0.0025, OR 2.72, 95%CI 1.49-4.93). Principal component analysis of bone metabolism markers identified a subgroup of AFF patients with higher frequencies of deleterious rare alleles in ENPP1 (P=4.69X10 -5, Pc=0.0006, OR 8.47, 95%CI 3.76-19.09) and the candidate genes (P=1.08X10 -5, OR 5.21, 95%CI 2.76-9.86). INTERPRETATION AFF is associated with genes including ENPP1 that cause abnormal mineralization, suggesting that osteomalacia is an underlying condition predisposing to AFF and that higher incident rates of AFFs in Asian populations might be explained by the genetic risk factors including ENPP1. FUNDINGS National Hospital Organization.
Automated MRI measures identify individuals with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease*

Mild cognitive impairment can represent a transitional state between normal ageing and Alzheimer's disease. Non-invasive diagnostic methods are needed to identify mild cognitive impairment individuals for early therapeutic interventions. Our objective was to determine whether automated magnetic resonance imaging-based measures could identify mild cognitive impairment individuals with a high degree of accuracy. Baseline volumetric T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans of 313 individuals from two independent cohorts were examined using automated software tools to identify the volume and mean thickness of 34 neuroanatomic regions. The first cohort included 49 older controls and 48 individuals with mild cognitive impairment, while the second cohort included 94 older controls and 57 mild cognitive impairment individuals. Sixty-five patients with probable Alzheimer's disease were also included for comparison. For the discrimination of mild cognitive impairment, entorhinal cortex thickness, hippocampal volume and supramarginal gyrus thickness demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.91 (specificity 94%, sensitivity 74%, positive likelihood ratio 12.12, negative likelihood ratio 0.29) for the first cohort and an area under the curve of 0.95 (specificity 91%, sensitivity 90%, positive likelihood ratio 10.0, negative likelihood ratio 0.11) for the second cohort. For the discrimination of Alzheimer's disease, these three measures demonstrated an area under the curve of 1.0. The three magnetic resonance imaging measures demonstrated significant correlations with clinical and neuropsychological assessments as well as with cerebrospinal fluid levels of tau, hyperphosphorylated tau and abeta 42 proteins. These results demonstrate that automated magnetic resonance imaging measures can serve as an in vivo surrogate for disease severity, underlying neuropathology and as a non-invasive diagnostic method for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.
Some Statistical Characteristics of Meiyu/Baiu Frontal Depressions

This study has investigated climatological features of Meiyu/Baiu frontal depressions (MBFDs) by identifying and tracing MBFDs from the past 12-year surface weather charts. With apparent interannual variability, an average of 22.5 MBFDs per year are found. There is a tendency for more MBFDs to form around Yangtze and Huaihe River Basins and to the south or southeast of the Japan Islands. Meanwhile, more MBFDs form in nocturnal and morning hours per day. More than half of MBFDs that pass over Japan originate from China. MBFDs commonly propagate from west to east and many MBFDs passing over Japan tend to be long lived. Finally, the analyzed statistical characteristics of MBFDs are discussed based on previous studies.
A numerical investigation of continental collision styles

Continental collision after closure of an ocean can lead to different deformation styles: subduction of continental crust and lithosphere, lithospheric thickening, folding of the unsubducted continents, Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) instabilities and/or slab break-off. We use 2-D thermomechanical models of oceanic subduction followed by continental collision to investigate the sensitivity of these collision styles to driving velocity, crustal and lithospheric temperature, continental rheology and the initial density difference between the oceanic lithosphere and the asthenosphere. We ﬁnd that these parameters inﬂuence the collision system, but that driving velocity, rheology and lithospheric (rather than Moho and mantle) temperature can be classi-ﬁed as important controls, whereas reasonable variations in the initial density contrast between oceanic lithosphere and asthenosphere are not necessarily important. Stable continental subduction occurs over a relatively large range of values of driving velocity and lithospheric temperature. Fast and cold systems are more likely to show folding, whereas slow and warm systems can experience RT-type dripping. Our results show that a continent with a strong upper crust can experience subduction of the entire crust and is more likely to fold. Accretion of the upper crust at the trench is feasible when the upper crust has a moderate to weak strength, whereas the entire crust can be scraped-off in the case of a weak lower crust. We also illustrate that weakening of the lithospheric mantle promotes RT-type of dripping in a collision system. We use a dynamic collision model, in which collision is driven by slab pull only, to illustrate that adjacent plates can play an important role in continental collision systems. In dynamic collision models, exhumation of subducted continental material and sediments is triggered by slab retreat and opening of a subduction channel, which allows upward ﬂow of buoyant materials. Exhumation continues after slab break-off by reverse motion of the subducting plate (‘eduction’) caused by the reduced slab pull. We illustrate how a simple force balance of slab pull, slab push, slab bending, viscous resistance and buoyancy can explain the different collision styles caused by variations in velocity, temperature, rheology, density the interaction with adjacent plates. driving velocity, lithospheric temperature, rheological strength of continental crust and lithosphere and the interaction with adjacent plates. We study illustrates how a simple force balance between stable subduction, continental folding and thickening and slab break-off.