Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantification of regional terrestrial biosphere CO 2 flux errors in v10 OCO-2 MIP models using airborne measurements

Multi-inverse modeling inter-comparison projects (MIPs) provide a chance to assess the uncertainties in inversion estimates arising from various sources such as atmospheric CO 2 observations, transport models, and prior fluxes. However, accurately quantifying ensemble CO 2 flux errors remains challenging, often relying on the ensemble spread as a surrogate. This study proposes a method to quantify the errors of regional terrestrial biosphere CO 2 flux estimates from 10 inverse 15 models within the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) MIP by using independent airborne CO 2 measurements for the period 2015–2017. We first calculate the root-mean-square error (RMSE) between the ensemble mean of posterior CO 2 concentration estimates and airborne observations and then isolate the CO 2 concentration error caused solely by the ensemble mean of posterior terrestrial biosphere CO 2 flux estimates by subtracting the errors of observation and transport in seven regions. Our analysis reveals significant regional variations in the average monthly RMSE over three years, ranging 20 from 0.90 to 2.04 ppm. The ensemble flux error projected into CO 2 space is a major component that accounts for 58-84% of the mean RMSE. We further show that in five regions, the observation-based error estimates exceed the atmospheric CO 2 errors computed from the ensemble spread of posterior CO 2 flux estimates by 1.37-1.89 times, implying an underestimation of the actual ensemble flux error, while their magnitudes are comparable in two regions. By identifying the most sensitive areas to airborne measurements through adjoint sensitivity analysis, we find that the underestimation of flux errors is 25 prominent in eastern parts of Australia and East Asia, western parts of Europe and Southeast Asia, and midlatitude North America, suggesting the presence of systematic biases related to anthropogenic CO 2 emissions in inversion estimates. The regions with no underestimation were southeastern Alaska and northeastern South America. Our study emphasizes the value of independent airborne measurements not only for the overall evaluation of inversion performance but also for quantifying regional errors in ensemble terrestrial biosphere flux estimates.
Interdisciplinary Journal of Innovation in Nepalese Academia

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of Consumer Ethnocentrism (CE) on the purchase intention of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) in Kathmandu. The study involves the administration of a structured, close-ended questionnaire to 324 FMCG consumers aged between 13 and 65 residing in Kathmandu. The results indicate that consumer ethnocentrism and country-of-origin information significantly affect consumers' intentions to purchase foreign FMCG products by influencing their attitudes. The analysis of the Consumer Ethnocentrism Tendencies Scale (CETSCALE) and the results of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PL-SEM) reveal that FMCG consumers in Kathmandu tend to exhibit ethnocentric tendencies, prioritizing domestically made products and being mindful of the economic implications of relying on imports. Notably, young adults, particularly those with lower income levels, hold stronger ethnocentric beliefs than others. Additionally, the study finds that FMCG consumers actively seek for information about the country of origin with females displaying a higher likelihood of seeking such details than males. Moreover, consumer ethnocentrism and country-of-origin information jointly influence purchase intentions for foreign FMCG products through their distinct effects on consumers' attitudes towards foreign FMCG brands. These findings have significant implications for FMCG businesses and researchers interested in understanding consumer behavior dynamics in the market.
The Border Ranges ultramafic and mafic complex, south-central Alaska: cumulate fractionates of island-arc volcanics

A discontinuous, elongate zone of mafic and ultramafic plutonic rock crops out in south-central Alaska for a distance of more than 1000 km. Intermediate- and detailed-scale geologic mapping, petrographic study, and compositional data suggest that the plutonic rocks are compositionally, petrologically, and mineralogically distinct from rocks in mid-ocean ridge and back-arc basin ophiolites. The mafic and ultramafic rocks instead represent part of the plutonic core of an intraoceanic island arc.The mafic–ultramafic zone, referred to as the Border Ranges ultramafic and mafic complex (BRUMC), is composed of ultramafic cumulates, gabbronorite cumulates, and massive gabbronorites. A very minor amount of tectonized ultramafic rock of mantle origin is present in the southern part of the BRUMC. A thick sequence of andesitic volcanic rocks, the Talkeetna Formation of Early Jurassic age, lies to the north of and structurally above the mafic–ultramafic zone. Voluminous calcalkaline plutons composed of quartz diorite,.
Learning Versatile 3D Shape Generation with Improved Auto-regressive Models

Auto-Regressive (AR) models have achieved impressive results in 2D image generation by modeling joint distributions in the grid space. While this approach has been extended to the 3D domain for powerful shape generation, it still has two limitations: expensive computations on volumetric grids and ambiguous auto-regressive order along grid dimensions. To overcome these limitations, we propose the Improved Auto-regressive Model (ImAM) for 3D shape generation, which applies discrete representation learning based on a latent vector instead of volumetric grids. Our approach not only reduces computational costs but also preserves essential geometric details by learning the joint distribution in a more tractable order. Moreover, thanks to the simplicity of our model architecture, we can naturally extend it from unconditional to conditional generation by concatenating various conditioning inputs, such as point clouds, categories, images, and texts. Extensive experiments demonstrate that ImAM can synthesize diverse and faithful shapes of multiple categories, achieving state-of-the-art performance.
echinacoside induces apoptotic cancer cell death by inhibiting the nucleotide pool sanitizing enzyme MTh1

: Inhibition of the nucleotide pool sanitizing enzyme MTH1 causes extensive oxidative DNA damages and apoptosis in cancer cells and hence may be used as an anticancer strategy. As natural products have been a rich source of medicinal chemicals, in the present study, we used the MTH1-catalyzed enzymatic reaction as a high-throughput in vitro screening assay to search for natural compounds capable of inhibiting MTH1. Echinacoside, a compound derived from the medicinal plants Cistanche and Echinacea , effectively inhibited the catalytic activity of MTH1 in an in vitro assay. Treatment of various human cancer cell lines with Echinacoside resulted in a significant increase in the cellular level of oxidized guanine (8-oxoguanine), while cellular reactive oxygen species level remained unchanged, indicating that Echinacoside also inhibited the activity of cellular MTH1. Consequently, Echinacoside treatment induced an immediate and dramatic increase in DNA damage markers and upregulation of the G1/S-CDK inhibitor p21, which were followed by marked apoptotic cell death and cell cycle arrest in cancer but not in noncancer cells. Taken together, these studies identified a natural compound as an MTH1 inhibitor and suggest that natural products can be an important source of anticancer agents.
Don't Eject the Impostor: Fast Three-Party Computation With a Known Cheater (Full Version)

—Secure multi-party computation (MPC) enables (joint) computations on sensitive data while maintaining privacy. In real-world scenarios, asymmetric trust assumptions are often most realistic, where one somewhat trustworthy entity interacts with smaller clients. We generalize previous two-party computation (2PC) protocols like MUSE (USENIX Security’21) and SIMC (USENIX Security’22) to the three-party setting (3PC) with one malicious party, avoiding the performance limitations of dishonest-majority inherent to 2PC. We introduce two protocols, A UXILIATOR and S OCIUM , in a machine learning (ML) friendly design with a fast online phase and novel verification techniques in the setup phase. These protocols bridge the gap between prior 3PC approaches that considered either fully semi-honest or malicious settings. A UXILIATOR enhances the semi-honest two-party setting with a malicious helper, significantly improving communication by at least two orders of magnitude. S OCIUM extends the client-malicious setting with one malicious client and a semi-honest server, achieving substantial communication improvement by at least one order of magnitude compared to SIMC. Besides an implementation of our new protocols, we provide the first open-source implementation of the semi-honest 3PC protocol ASTRA (CCSW’19) and a variant of the malicious 3PC protocol SWIFT (USENIX Security’21).
Coronavirus Pandemic Neutralizing antibodies from naturally infected individuals against SARS-CoV-2 Gamma and Delta variants in the Paraguayan population

Introduction: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 Virus (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). A substantial number of SARS-CoV-2 infection cases have been reported during the pandemic, and vaccination coverage in some regions, particularly in developing countries, remains very low. SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) have also emerged as some of the most pressing public health issues. In this scenario, it is crucial to know whether COVID-19 convalescent antibodies have cross-neutralizing action against VOCs to contribute to the analysis of the future progress of the pandemic. Methodology: The plasma of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 from June to November 2020 in Paraguay (before the first recorded infections associated with VOCs in the country) was selected. Anti-spike antibodies were determined in plasma samples (n = 626) obtained from this convalescent and unvaccinated group. Using a pseudotyped virus neutralization assay, we then investigated the neutralizing response against D614G variant and Gamma, and Delta VOCs. Results: IgG antibodies against spike were detected in 85.6% of convalescent individuals. Samples from individuals previously infected by a non-VOC showed a 6.6-and 8.1-fold reduction in neutralizing capacity to the Gamma and Delta variants, respectively, when compared to the D614G variant. Conclusions: Our findings show that antibodies generated by non-VOC infection have reduced neutralizing capabilities against Gamma and Delta variants that appeared subsequently and might have implications for immunity strategies.
of Innovation in Nepalese Academia

This study aims to construct a conceptual framework for analyzing and forecasting the factors that influence employee turnover intentions in cooperative organizations in Surkhet, Nepal. Cooperatives play a crucial role in economic growth as they generate jobs, collect and invest funds, and offer a wide range of public services. Cooperatives engage in various activities to achieve their objectives but they have been struggling with high turnover rates. The study employs a cross-sectional design, with data collected in a single contact with the respondents. The study's demographic consists of all cooperative employees in Surkhet, and a convenience sampling method has been used to gather 167 responses through a structured Likert questionnaire. Data analysis is conducted using SPSS and AMOS 23 software, with structural equation modeling as the statistical tool for hypothesis testing. Hypotheses are formulated using a deductive research approach. The results indicate that co-worker relations and the working environment were significantly associated with employee turnover intentions among cooperative employees. However, promotions shows no significant association with turnover intentions. This study has certain limitations, including the use of cross-sectional data, self-reports, variations in employee education levels, the comprehension of content, and a relatively small sample size. The respondents are a relatively uniform group of employees, so the results may not be generalized to other employees and institutions. Nevertheless, the study's findings suggest that cooperative organizations should place greater emphasis on improving co-worker relations and the working environment to reduce turnover intentions. This research can be particularly useful for managers in cooperative organizations.
Deep Crystallization Differentiation of Arc Tholeiite Basalt Magmas from Northern Honshu Arc, Japan

The depth of crystallization differentiation was investigated for arc tholeiite basalts from the Takada Ohdake and Nishimori cones, within the volcanic front of the northern Honshu volcanic arc, Japan, based on the petrography of crystal-bearing melt inclusions, whole-rock trace element chemistry, and the simulation of fractional crystallization with MELTS. Olivine-hosted melt inclusions contain aluminous clinopyroxene, spinel, plagioclase (An60^65), and rare garnet, suggesting melt-entrapment under garnet-granulite facies conditions. Removal of the observed phenocrysts (olivine, orthopyroxene, and anorthitic plagioclase) cannot account for either the major or trace element variations within the basalts. However, the major element variations are typical of a tholeiitic differentiation trend, showing an increase in Fe/Mg ratio with increasing SiO2. The results of trace element modelling, assuming Rayleigh fractionation, indicate fractionation of clinopyroxene, plagioclase, and spinel.The estimated fractionated mineral assemblage is consistent with that in the melt inclusions except for the presence of garnet.The occurrence of garnet in some of the more differentiated andesitic melt inclusions implies its crystallization within the inclusions during the later stages of cooling. Fractional crystallization modelling using MELTS closely approximates the major element variations at 10 kbar under anhydrous conditions. The MELTS modelling is consistent both with the melt-inclusion mineralogy and with the trace element modelling. An estimated depth of crystallization of 34 km ( 10 kbar) corresponds to the seismic Moho in the region (35^36 km). Our data also suggest that the relatively anhydrous magmas that were emplaced at Moho depths became hydrous concurrent with differentiation, implying incorporation of water from the surrounding crustal rocks.
Coping with diversity: exposure to public-affairs TV in a changing viewing environment Wonneberger, A

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Vaccination compliance of selected childhood immunization programs and the socio-determinant factors in Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION Adherence to full vaccination is important in preventing childhood diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of compliance to full vaccination and identify the socio-cultural factors associated with full vaccination compliance in children. METHODOLOGY The socioeconomic variables associated with each of the four binary dependent variables of whether or not a child is fully vaccinated against tetanus, BCG, measles, and pentavalent were determined using logistic regression. RESULTS While compliance to full tetanus and BCG vaccinations was > 60% at the national level, less than 50% and 10% full vaccination compliance were recorded for pentavalent and measles vaccinations, respectively. The South East region of Nigeria recorded the overall highest full vaccination compliance while the least performing region was the North West zone. The mother or guardian literacy level, employment status, antenatal care attendance, and internet usage were strong predictors of full vaccination compliance (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The socio-cultural factors associated with achieving full vaccination coverage in Nigeria in this study should drive the implementation of policies that will be best suited to each geopolitical zone of Nigeria.
Upper Miocene Reef Complex of the Llucmajor Area, Mallorca, Spain

: On all the Balearic islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera), the Upper Tortonian-Lower Messinian part of the post-orogenic sedimentary section is the Reef Complex. This unit is composed of carbonate rocks deposited as progradational reef-rimmed platforms with off-reef open-shelf, forereef-slope, reef-core and back-reef lagoon facies associations. The most extensi ve progradation of a Late Miocene carbonate platform in the western Mediterranean occurred on the Llucmajor Platform in the area of present-day southwestern Mallorca. Here as much as 20 km of basinward progradation took place during Late Tortonian and Early Messinian time. Core-hole data from the Llucmajor area show that the Reef Complex limestone and dolomite are up to 100 m thick and are spread over a platform of about 15 km by 20 km. The southern and western portions of the Llucmajor Platform coral-reef complex are superbly exposed in high vertical sea cliffs. The lithofacies units of the Reef Complex are defined on the basis of their lithology, constituents, stratification and geometric relationships. There are two main types of open-shelf lithofacies: (1) dolomitized grainstone-packstone with abundant red algae and (2) packstone-wackestone with planktonic foraminifers. Interfingering landward with the finer-grained open-shelf lithofacies are dolomitized skeletal grainstone, packstone, and wackestone of the reef-slope deposits. These slope deposits are characterized by basinward-dipping clinoforms of variable thickness and lateral extent, depending on configuration of the forereef platform. The slope rocks interfinger landward with massive coral-reef limestone and dolostone. The reef rocks interfinger landward with flat-lying lagoon lithofacies composed of partly dolomitized open-shelf facies are mainly built up by aggradational systems tracts separated by condensed intervals of fine-grained distal slope and open-platform carbonates. These distally condensed intervals correlate landward with the high-stillstand, offlapping, and low-stillstand systems tracts. Progradation of the reef systems on the southern part of the platform was more extensi ve during sea-level falls on a gentle depositional profile. The subsequent sea-level rises created wide lagoons, which apparently enhanced carbonate production and downslope shedding of sediment. On steeper topographic gradients, relatively mi nor reef progradation took place during sea-level falls, and only small back-reef lagoons were created during the subsequent sea-level rises. Barrier reefs with extensive lagoons and patch reefs formed during relative sea-level rises of different orders of magnitude; fringing reefs developed during sea-level falls.
semi-anonymous dynamics over large-scale networks

We analyze a class of stochastic processes, referred to as asynchronous and semi-anonymous dynamics (ASD), over directed labeled random networks. These processes are a natural tool to describe general best-response and noisy best-response dynamics in network games where each agent, at random times governed by independent Poisson clocks, can choose among a finite set of actions . The payoff is determined by the relative frequency of the different actions among neighbors, while being independent of the specific identities of neighbors . Using a local mean-field approach, we prove rigorously that, under certain conditions on the network and initial node configuration, the evolution of ASD can be approximated, in the large-scale limit, by the solution of a system of non-linear ordinary differential equations. Our framework is very general and applies to a large class of graph ensembles for which the typical random graph is locally tree-like. In particular, we focus on labeled configuration-model random graphs, a generalization of the traditional configuration model which allows different classes of nodes to be mixed together in the network, permitting us, for example, to incorporate a community structure in the system. Our analysis also applies to configuration-model graphs having a power-law degree distribution, an essential feature of many real systems. To demonstrate the power and flexibility of our framework, we consider several examples of dynamics belonging to our class of stochastic processes. Moreover, we illustrate by simulation the applicability of our analysis to realistic scenarios by running our example dynamics over a real social network graph.
DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF MICROBES, PH AND ORGANIC MATTER IN SOILS OF DIFFERENT FOREST TYPES IN TROPICAL HUMID LOWLAND FOREST ECOSYSTEM, NIGERIA

This study examined the diversity and abundance of microbes, pH and organic matter of soils cultivated with three different plantation species and an adjacent natural forest in tropical humid lowland forest ecosystem, Nigeria. The plantations were unthinned stands of Nauclea didderrichi, Gmelina arborea and Tectona grandis established in 1979 in Akure Forest Reserve, Ondo State, Nigeria. Soil samples were collected (at a depth of 0 -15 cm) from four randomly located plots of 20 x 20 m in each forest type with soil auger. In general, there were 33 and 23 species of bacteria and fungi respectively in the soil samples. The population of bacteria ranged between 26.14 x 106 and 36 x 106 MPN g-1 dried soil while that of fungi ranged between 2.50 x 106 and 23.34 x 106 MPN g-1 dried soil. Highest species diversity and population of the microbes were isolated in soil samples from the natural forest and the least from Tectona grandis stand. Microbial diversity and abundance were influenced by soil pH and organic matter. There was no significant difference in organic matter and pH of soils from the four forest ecosystems (p 0.05). The number and diversity of bacteria was significantly more than what was obtained for fungi in all the soil samples. However, there was close association in the abundance of the microbes. Microbial abundance and diversity are affected when a natural forest is converted to plantation of fast growing species, so plantation development should be limited to degraded and marginal lands and such places where soil reclamation is required.
PROTEROZOIC TECTONIC SLICES ALONG THE NORTHERN MARGIN OF NORTH CHINA PLATE

Up-to-date studying proved that there is a pile up belt of Proterozoic tectonic slices along the northern margin of North China Plate. It is consist of early Proterozoic, middle Proterozoic and late Proterozoic tectonic slices etc. It was accompanied by intrusive activity of granites, tectono-metamorphic heat events and mineralization of 1 800 Ma,1 400 Ma,1 000 Ma and 650 Ma ages. Meanwhile, the same imformation was preserved well in the edge belt with gold in the northern margin of North China Plate. It brings to light that they were result of piecing together by multicycle orogeny in the northern margin of North China Plate. It would provide a better field laboratory for the study of cycle of super continent, especially for twice converging and splitting of super continent in Proterozoic Eon and its process of tectonic evolution. It will provide also a new scientific problem for the study of Proterozoic,especially for the multiplication of early Proterozoic continent and the exsistence of Rodinia super continent or its tectonic response in northern hemisphere area.