Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity of the ice-shelf/ocean system to the sub-ice-shelf cavity shape measured by NASA IceBridge in Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica

Abstract Two high-resolution (1 km grid) numerical model simulations of the Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica, are used to study the role of the ocean in the mass loss and grounding line retreat of Pine Island Glacier. The first simulation uses BEDMAP bathymetry under the Pine Island ice shelf, and the second simulation uses NASA IceBridge-derived bathymetry. The IceBridge data reveal the existence of a trough from the ice-shelf edge to the grounding line, enabling warm Circumpolar Deep Water to penetrate to the grounding line, leading to higher melt rates than previously estimated. The mean melt rate for the simulation with NASA IceBridge data is 28 ma–1, much higher than previous model estimates but closer to estimates from remote sensing. Although the mean melt rate is 25% higher than in the simulation with BEDMAP bathymetry, the temporal evolution remains unchanged between the two simulations. This indicates that temporal variability of melting is mostly driven by processes outside the cavity. Spatial melt rate patterns of BEDMAP and IceBridge simulations differ significantly, with the latter in closer agreement with satellite-derived melt rate estimates of ~50ma–1 near the grounding line. Our simulations confirm that knowledge of the cavity shape and its time evolution are essential to accurately capture basal mass loss of Antarctic ice shelves.
Analysis of Strandline Tilt Directions in Relation to Ice Centers and Postglacial Crustal Deformation, Laurentide Ice Sheet

Tilt directions on former water planes (marine and glacial lake) for 36 sites within the area of the former Laurentide Ice Sheet are projected toward the geometrical center of the ice sheet. Six zones are indicated on the basis of tilt intersections; of these, at least five have been considered as glacial dispersal centers at one time or another. The six zones are: Central Hudson Bay, southeastern Hudson Bay/James Bay, central Labrador-Ungava, northwest Hudson Bay, east of Great Slave Lake, and between the St. Lawrence and James Bay. All have geographical proximity to lows on the Free Air gravity anomaly map, but only two are indicated on current maps of postglacial uplift and rates of recovery. Late-glacial movement of ice centers might cause the migration of the loci of postglacial uplift; there is some evidence for such events but more information is required. The areas of tilt intersections form a broad U around Hudson Bay with one in the center. The U follows the present height of land and could reflect the Laurentide ice divide at its maximum stage. In this interpretation the maximum and late-glacial ice divides are not geographically displaced.
Replication: How Well Do My Results Generalize Now? The External Validity of Online Privacy and Security Surveys

Privacy and security researchers often rely on data collected through online crowdsourcing platforms such as Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and Prolific. Prior work—which used data collected in the United States between 2013 and 2017—found that MTurk responses regarding security and privacy were generally representative for people under 50 or with some college education. However, the landscape of online crowdsourcing has changed significantly over the last five years, with the rise of Prolific as a major platform and the increasing presence of bots. This work attempts to replicate the prior results about the external validity of online privacy and security surveys. We conduct an online survey on MTurk ( n = 800), a gender-balanced survey on Prolific ( n = 800), and a representative survey on Prolific ( n = 800) and compare the responses to a probabilistic survey conducted by the Pew Research Center ( n = 4272). We find that MTurk response quality has degraded over the last five years, and our results do not replicate the earlier finding about the generalizability of MTurk responses. By contrast, we find that data collected through Prolific is generally representative for questions about user perceptions and experiences, but not for questions about security and privacy knowledge. We also evaluate the impact of Prolific settings, attention check questions, and statistical methods on the external validity of online surveys, and we develop recommendations about best practices for conducting online privacy and security surveys.
Replication: Towards a Publicly Available Internet Scale IP Geolocation Dataset

IP geolocation is one of the most widely used forms of metadata for IP addresses, and despite almost twenty years of effort from the research community, the reality is that there is no accurate, complete, up-to-date, and explainable publicly available dataset for IP geolocation. We argue that a central reason for this state of affairs is the impressive results from prior publications, both in terms of accuracy and coverage: up to street level accuracy and locating millions of IP addresses with a few hundred vantage points in months. We believe the community would substantially benefit from a public baseline dataset and code. To encourage future research in IP geolocation, we replicate two geolocation techniques and evaluate their accuracy and coverage. We show that we can neither use the first technique to obtain the previously claimed street level accuracy, nor the second to geolocate millions of IP addresses on today's Internet and with publicly available measurement infrastructure. In addition to this reappraisal, we re-evaluate the fundamental insights that led to these prior results, as well as provide new insights and recommendations to help the design of future geolocation techniques. All of our code and data are publicly available to support reproducibility.
Obesity under the moonlight of c-MYC

The moonlighting protein c-Myc is a master regulator of multiple biological processes including cell proliferation, differentiation, angiogenesis, apoptosis and metabolism. It is constitutively and aberrantly expressed in more than 70% of human cancers. Overwhelming evidence suggests that c-Myc dysregulation is involved in several inflammatory, autoimmune, metabolic and other non-cancerous diseases. In this review, we addressed the role of c-Myc in obesity. Obesity is a systemic disease, accompanied by multi-organ dysfunction apart from white adipose tissue (WAT), such as the liver, the pancreas, and the intestine. c-Myc plays a big diversity of functions regulating cellular proliferation, the maturation of progenitor cells, fatty acids (FAs) metabolism, and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. Moreover, c-Myc drives the expression of a wide range of metabolic genes, modulates the inflammatory response, induces insulin resistance (IR), and contributes to the regulation of intestinal dysbiosis. Altogether, c-Myc is an interesting diagnostic tool and/or therapeutic target in order to mitigate obesity and its consequences.
Spatial Distribution of Forest Biomass Using Remote Sensing and Regression Models in Northern Haryana, India

This study aims to estimate aboveground biomass and carbon stock in forests of northern Haryana covering Siwalik ranges, the foothills of the western Himalaya, in northern India. Spectral modeling of aboveground biomass was done on the basis of field data collected from 92 sampling plots of 0.1 ha across different forest types and forest densities. The field sampling, spectral responses of different bands and indices of MODIS 250m spatial resolution surface reflectance (SR) satellite data of 4 different months were used for assessing the aboveground forest biomass. Based on the relative forest area within the MODIS pixel, weighted-area biomass has been estimated to extrapolate the aboveground biomass (AGB). For geospatial distribution of the aboveground biomass, the best regression model (r 2 =0.774) between MODIS SR (250m) satellite data and the AGB was with December month red band with power function. The relationship between observed biomass and predicted biomass was highly significant (r 2 = 0.722). The mean aboveground biomass varied from 30.46 Mg ha -1 to 310.10 Mg ha -1 on plot basis across forest types. The predicted AGB based on MODIS data ranged from <30 Mg ha -1 to 346 Mg ha -1 . For regional level AGB representation, the mean AGB within the grids of 5×5 km was 32 to 210 Mg. The total AGB was 26.99Tg accounting for a total carbon stock 12.96 Tg in the forests ecosystems of northern Haryana.
THE ROLE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN MODERATING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND COMPANY VALUE

Numerous literatures exist in identifying the association between corporate social responsibility and corporate fiscal performance. However, only few studies have identified the mediators and moderators in identifying the relationship between these factors which is crucial for developing the company value. The purpose of this research is to investigate the moderating role of the company value determinant by examining its impact on financial performance and Corporate Social Responsibility. The research has used sample of IT companies listed on NSE. With the moderating regression analysis, the study analyzed panel data from 2017 to 2020. The major findings of this study demonstrate that the current or prior period's profitability has an impact on the company's worth. The impact of CSR and firm size on future company value illustrates that the stock price, which reflects today's investor opinion, will be influenced by the previous year's CSR, Size, and Return on Asset. CSR also demonstrates that it may be used as an alternative for profitability, as a company that practices CSR is more likely to do well. In explaining company value, the regression moderating model and preceding period profitability have a better relationship.
Biology and significance of leptin in animal production: A perspective

Leptin, an adipocyte-derived cytokine (adipokine) has plethora of physiological roles in the body, particularly in the onset of puberty, viz. reproduction and immune function of an animal. Moreover, body fatness which is a crucial determinant of meat quality is governed by blood leptin level. Since its discovery in 1994, various research groups have explored its potential role in animal production, reproductive fitness and immune function which ultimately determine the profitability of livestock rearing. Leptin binds with leptin receptor (LEPR) and activates different intracellular signaling pathways to activate downstream gene expression process to execute its functions. Intensive research works have shed light on the central role of this molecule in intricate circuitry of nutrition, metabolism, energy homeostasis and immune response. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected on promoter or exon or intron region of leptin gene has been found to be associated with various key traits of animal productivity. The present review focusses to summarise about this gene structure and function in domestic mammalian species and need of future research efforts on leptin and related pathways for augmenting production of farm animals.
Airway contraction and cytokine release in isolated rat lungs induced by wear particles from the road and tire interface and road vehicle brakes

Abstract The dominant road traffic particle sources are wear particles from the road and tire interface, and from vehicle brake pads. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of road and brake wear particles on pulmonary function and biomarkers in isolated perfused rat lungs. Particles were sampled from the studded tire wear of three road pavements containing different rock materials in a road simulator; and from the wear of two brake pad materials using a pin-on-disk machine. Isolated rat lungs inhaled the coarse and fine fractions of the sampled particles resulting in an estimated total particle lung dose of 50 μg. The tidal volume (TV) was measured during the particle exposure and the following 50 min. Perfusate and BALF were analyzed for the cytokines TNF, CXCL1 and CCL3. The TV of lungs exposed to rock materials was significantly reduced after 25 min of exposure compared to the controls, for quartzite already after 4 min. The particles of the heavy-duty brake pads had no effect on the TV. Brake particles resulted in a significant elevation of CXCL1 in the perfusate. Brake particles showed significant elevations of all three measured cytokines, and quartzite showed a significant elevation of TNF in BALF. The study shows that the toxic effect on lungs exposed to airborne particles can be investigated using measurements of tidal volume. Furthermore, the study shows that the choice of rock material in road pavements has the potential to affect the toxicity of road wear PM10.
Stochastic secular trends in sea level rise

Global mean sea level (GMSL) has been rising since (at least) the nineteenth century and the rate of rise may be increasing. Several studies that attempt to explain the long-term trend of GMSL during the instrumental record share the common assumption that this trend is deterministic in nature and different from natural variations. Here we show that the trend can alternatively be explained, at least in part, as being caused by random variations within the coupled ocean-atmosphere-cryosphere system, and hence not having a deterministic origin. These random trends, which add to externally forced changes (e.g., through anthropogenic climate change), are a consequence of the integrated character of GMSL, which is the cumulative addition of temporal contributions that exhibit random character, and whose integration results in GMSL variations with persistence on decadal-centennial time scales. The generation of trends by integration of random stationary noise (i.e., even in a constant climate) is a robust and fundamental feature of stochastically forced systems with memory. The integrated character of GMSL results in an intrinsic difficulty in distinguishing internal from externally forced trends.
University of São Paulo “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture Synbiotic microcapsules of Bacillus subtilis and oat -glucan in Nile tilapia diets

Synbiotic microcapsules of Bacillus subtilis and oat -glucan in Nile tilapia diets Probiotics are defined as microbial food additives which beneficially affect the host by improving its intestinal microbial balance. However, the viability of microorganisms with probiotic action may be impaired during passage through the host's gastrointestinal tract or by the conditions of food storage. Therefore, microencapsulation appears as a promising technique in the protection of probiotics, eliciting a favorable microenvironment for the encapsulated microorganism. However, there is still no complete map on the effects of microencapsulation to extend the viability of probiotics. Considering these factors, this project aims at investigating the effects of a synbiotic combination of β-glucan and Bacillus subtilis, free and microencapsulated by the spray-drying technique, in diets for Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. The first chapter of this thesis explains the theoretical framework that allow the critical evaluation of the subsequent chapters. The second chapter, therefore, consists of the development and characterization of Bacillus subtilis and β-glucan microcapsules using sodium alginate as a complementary biopolymer to evaluate the survival of the probiotic to the microencapsulation process and resistance to simulated tilapia gastrointestinal fluids. The third chapter is the application of the microcapsules in a growth trial in a completely randomized design with five treatments and five replicates: C – Control, no synbiotic added; 0.1%S 0.1% of non-encapsulated synbiotic; 0.2%S 0.2% of nonencapsulated synbiotic; 0.1%SM 0.1% microencapsulated synbiotic; 0.2%SM 0.2% microencapsulated synbiotic. At the end of the growth trial, hematological, histological and sequencing analysis were performed to characterize the effects of the addition of microencapsulated synbiotics to the diets in the improvement of the integrity of the intestinal epithelium and performance of the animals. At the end of the growth trial, fish were submitted to immunological challenge by the bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila to evaluate the survival rate and analysis of the innate immune system to detect the action of the synbiotic in the free or microencapsulated form. Overall, probiotics encapsulated by the spray-drying technique showed greater viability when compared to free probiotics during storage and in vitro studies. Also, the encapsulated probiotics were more effective when added to tilapia diets, which resulted in better animal performance.
University of São Paulo “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture Integrative analysis of microRNAs and mRNAs involved in regulation of intramuscular fat deposition in Nelore cattle

Integrative analysis of microRNAs and mRNAs involved in regulation of intramuscular fat deposition in Nelore cattle The amount of intramuscular fat can influence the sensory characteristics and nutritional value of beef, thus the selection of animals with adequate fat content for consumer becomes important. Intramuscular fat is a complex trait that is difficult to measure and there is growing knowledge about the genes and pathways that control the biological processes involved in fat deposition in muscle. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are well conserved class of non-coding small RNAs that modulate gene expression of a range of functions in animal development and physiology. This study aimed to identify differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs, regulatory candidate genes and coexpression networks using mRNAs and miRNAs expression data from the Longissimus dorsi muscle of 30 Nelore steers with extreme genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV) for intramuscular fat (IMF) content. The differential expression analysis between the miRNA data from animals with extreme GEBV values for IMF identified six DE miRNAs. Functional annotation of target genes for these microRNAs indicates that PPARs signaling pathway is involved with IMF deposition. Regulatory candidate genes such as SDHAF4, FBXO17, ALDOA and PKM were identified by partial correlation with information theory (PCIT), phenotypic impact factor (PIF) and regulatory impact factor (RIF) approaches from integrated miRNAs-mRNAs expression data. Two DE miRNAs, bta-miR-143 and bta-miR-146b, upregulated in Low IMF group, were also correlated with regulatory candidate genes, which were functionally enriched for GO terms for fatty acids oxidation. Co-expression networks identified several modules related to immune system, protein metabolism, energy metabolism and glucose catabolism by weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), which showed possible interaction and regulation between mRNAs and miRNAs. This study contributes to our understanding of regulatory mechanisms of gene signaling networks involved in fat deposition process. Glucose metabolism and inflammation process were the main pathways found in integrative mRNAs-miRNAs analysis and showed to influence intramuscular fat content in beef cattle.
Reversible Data Hiding in Encrypted Images Using Cipher-Feedback Secret Sharing

Reversible data hiding in encrypted images (RDH-EIs) has attracted increasing attention since it can protect the privacy of original images while exactly extracting the embedded data. In this paper, we propose an RDH-EI scheme with multiple data hiders. First, we introduce a cipher-feedback secret sharing (CFSS) technique using the cipher-feedback strategy of the Advanced Encryption Standard. Then, using the CFSS technique, we devise a new <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$(r,n)$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-threshold (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r\leq n$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) RDH-EI scheme with multiple data hiders called CFSS-RDHEI. It can encrypt an original image into <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n$ </tex-math></inline-formula> encrypted images with reduced size using an encryption key and sends each encrypted image to one data hider. Each data hider can independently embed secret data into the encrypted image to obtain a marked encrypted image. The embedded data can be extracted from each marked encrypted image using the data hiding key, and the original image can be completely recovered from <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r$ </tex-math></inline-formula> marked encrypted images using the encryption key. Performance evaluations show that our CFSS-RDHEI scheme has a higher embedding rate and that its generated encrypted images are much smaller, while still being well protected, compared to existing secret sharing-based RDH-EI schemes.
Reversible Data Hiding in Encrypted Images Using Global Compression of Zero-Valued High Bit-Planes and Block Rearrangement

Recently, reversible data hiding in encrypted images (RDHEI) has received widespread attention from researchers. To embed high payload into encrypted images while maintaining sufficient security, a novel RDHEI algorithm in combination with consecutive zero-valued high bit-planes compression, bit-plane swapping as well as block rearrangement is proposed in this article. The proposed method is the first work to compress global zero-valued high bit-planes in a block-wise manner and adaptively allocate different Huffman indicators based on the occurrence frequency of zero-valued bit-planes so that a higher embedded payload is greatly provided. Unlike existing RDHEI methods embedded with unencrypted auxiliary information, resulting in low security, the bit-plane swapping and block rearrangement are subtly designed to cluster together all embeddable bit-planes, which enables most auxiliary information to be encrypted, largely enhancing the security and facilitating data embedding and data extraction. The experiment results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms some state-of-the-art RDHEI methods in terms of security and payload. The average payload of the proposed method for two publicly-used datasets including BOSSbase and BOWS-2, are 3.793 bpp and 3.705 bpp, respectively.
Ages of the Tuchengzi Formation in northern China and the terrestrial Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary in China

We here briefly introduce the distribution,sedimentary characteristics and filling sequence of the Tuchengzi Formation in northern North China.On the basis of the uncertainty of the age of the Tuchengzi Formation,we analyzed all the isotopic dating data and constrained the age of Tuchengzi Formation to be 154-137Ma.Previous biostratigraphy research is consistent with the age of Tuchengzi Formation.The International Commission on Stratigraphy(ICS)proposed 145Ma to be the age of Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary in 2013,which is supported by recent studies in the Tethys-Himalaya and Andes,although more high-precision geochronology is still needed for the final establishment.This boundary age suggests that the Tuchengzi Formation is the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous in age,and the terrestrial Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary in China exists in the Tuchengzi Formation.The international stratigraphic boundary,especially for the J/K boundary,should be established by the marine biostratigraphy.The establishment of the J/K boundary in China should give priority to obey the symbol and achievement derived from the marine biostratigraphy and organic evolution.