Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mountain snow distribution governed by an altitudinal gradient and terrain roughness

The heterogeneous mountain snow cover is challenging the eye and the analytical mind of the observer. The snow distribution affects water resources, natural hazards such as avalanches and ecology. While a lot of recent research has helped to better understand this snow distribution and the processes that cause the heterogeneity, it has not yet been possible to predict snow distribution satisfactorily on the basis of terrain parameters alone. We present a model of the mean snow depth in topographic control units as a function of two terrain parameters: the conventional elevation plus a fractal roughness parameter. For this we used a unique data set of high resolution measurements of snow depth from an airborne laser scanner. The model captures the heterogeneous snow distribution by merely analysing the terrain and the mean precipitation. This unusually simple relationship holds for clusters of the snow depths of small topographical units. By applying fractal analysis, we describe the roughness of the terrain and use this parameter for the prediction of snow deposition. Rougher terrain holds less snow than smoother terrain. This finding is important not only for avalanche warning or eco‐hydrological applications, but also for reliably predicting how snow water storage may change in the light of the pronounced climate change already ongoing in mountain regions.
Teaching programming and computational thinking in early childhood education: a case study of content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge

Programming and computational thinking (CT) have been progressively incorporated into early childhood education to prepare children for the digital age. However, little is known about the content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical knowledge (PK) possessed by early childhood teachers in this domain. To address this gap, we conducted a case study of an early childhood teacher in China who had experience developing and implementing an unplugged programming and CT curriculum. The triangulation of data sources was established to collect evidence from videotaped observations, interviews, and lesson plans. For the CK, analysis of these findings revealed that the teacher had a more robust understanding of CT concepts (e.g., sequences, conditionals, and loops) compared to CT practices (e.g., decomposition, debugging) and CT perspectives (e.g., perseverance, choices of conduct). In terms of PK, the teacher could apply the general pedagogical knowledge but was relatively weak in using content-specific pedagogical knowledge. As the first endeavor to investigate an early childhood teacher’s CK and PK in teaching programming and CT, this study provides significant implications for improving teachers’ professional knowledge and teaching effectiveness in this burgeoning area.
Proportion of Agriculture, Industry and Services Sector to Value Added Tax Revenue in Low Income and Lower-Middle Income Countries: Rule of Law as a Moderating Variable

This study aims to determine how much the agricultural, industrial and service sectors affect Value Added Tax revenues in low and lower middle income countries with rule of law as moderating variable. The independent variables used in this study are the proportion of the agricultural sector to GDP, the proportion of the industrial sector to GDP, the proportion of the service sector to GDP, the dependent variable used is VAT revenue while the moderating variable is the rule of law. This study uses secondary data with a population of 27 countries with low and lower middle income in a span of seven years, from 2009 to 2015. The statistical method used in this study is quantitative method with multiple linear regression using panel-corrected standard error regression model. The results showed that before being moderated by the rule of law, the agricultural, industrial and service sectors had no effect on VAT revenues. But after being moderated by the rule of law, the agricultural, industrial and service sectors have a positive influence on VAT revenues. Thus, the government is expected to focus attention on the rule of law. Good rule of law will increase investor confidence in the existence of applicable laws and also related to property rights, law enforcement officers, courts and also low levels of crime and violence which ultimately increase tax revenues reflected in increased VAT revenues.
In situ stress determination by hydrofracturing: A fracture mechanics approach

The in situ stress field was determined at a depth of 837 m (2745 feet) in Devonian Shale ('gray' shale) within the Rome Basin in West Virginia. Logging data and laboratory observations of core samples reveal vertical cracks oriented at N50/sup 0/-60/sup 0/E. Because of these cracks and their preferred orientation a new approach based on fracture mechanics concepts is used to evaluate the in situ stresses from the field and laboratory data. The resulting prediciton of the maximum horizontal stress (sigma/sub H/max) is compared to the maximum horizontal stress predicted by Haimson and Fairhurst's (1967) method; the latter method appears to overestimate the value of this stress component because the effect of loading the faces of any preexisting crack is neglected.
Petrology of the İspendere (Malatya) ophiolite from the Southeast Anatolia: implications for the Late Mesozoic evolution of the southern Neotethyan Ocean

Abstract The İspendere ophiolite forms part of the Tauride active continental margin assemblage in SE Anatolia. The ophiolite exhibits an intact oceanic lithosphere section and is intruded by Late Cretaceous calc-alkaline granites. The ophiolite comprises mantle tectonites, ultramafic to mafic cumulates, isotropic gabbros, isolated diabase dykes, a sheeted dyke complex, plagiogranite and volcanic rocks. The volcanics and the sheeted dyke complex exhibit (1) similar rare earth element patterns, with flat to light rare earth element depletion (La–Yb)N=0.71–1.14 and 0.65–1.22, (2) negative Nb anomalies and (3) flat-lying high field strength element trends. These features differ from a typical Normal--Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt fractionation trend and could have resulted from c. 15% partial melting of a previously depleted mantle source. The whole-rock chemistry and the mineral chemistry of the ultramafic to mafic cumulates [high Ca plagioclases (An89–81), magnesian olivines (Fo88–81) and clinopyroxenes (Mg#90–83)] show that the primary magma of the plutonic suite is compositionally similar to modern island arc tholeiites. The available evidence suggests that the İspendere ophiolite formed at a northerly supra-subduction zone spreading centre of the Southern Neotethys, between the Taurides and the Bitlis–Pütürge metamorphic units, during the Late Cretaceous. Comparison with the adjacent Göksun, Kömürhan and Guleman ophiolites suggests that the İspendere ophiolite represents part of a single regional-scale sheet of oceanic lithosphere that was accreted to the base of Tauride active continental margin where it was cut by arc-type magmatic rocks.
The role of microbiota in the development and treatment of gastric cancer

The stomach was once considered a sterile organ until the discovery of Helicobacter pylori (HP). With the application of high-throughput sequencing technology and macrogenomics, researchers have identified fungi and fivemajor bacterial phyla within the stomachs of healthy individuals. These microbial communities exert regulatory influence over various physiological functions, including energy metabolism and immune responses. HP is a well-recognized risk factor for gastric cancer, significantly altering the stomach’s native microecology. Currently, numerous studies are centered on the mechanisms by which HP contributes to gastric cancer development, primarily involving the CagA oncoprotein. However, aside from exogenous infections such as HP and EBV, certain endogenous dysbiosis can also lead to gastric cancer through multiple mechanisms. Additionally, gut microbiota and its metabolites significantly impact the development of gastric cancer. The role of microbial therapies, including diet, phages, probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation, in treating gastric cancer should not be underestimated. This review aims to study the mechanisms involved in the roles of exogenous pathogen infection and endogenous microbiota dysbiosis in the development of gastric cancer. Also, we describe the application of microbiota therapy in the treatment and prognosis of gastric cancer.
A Boon for Mountain Populations

Abstract Farming and tourism are the primary livelihood options for mountain people in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region. Tourism in Sikkim, a small Indian state in the eastern Himalaya, has become popular only since 1990; the main focus is on ecotourism. Only a small segment of the population is engaged in this sector, however. More than 80% of the population depends on agriculture. The developmental measures of the "green revolution" implemented in other Indian states were not successful in the Himalayan region because adequate fertilizers were never available on time, irrigation could not be developed, and soils are very fragile. Population growth and consequent fragmentation of farmland in Sikkim have caused a reduction in per capita holdings. This has forced farmers to cultivate cash crops such as potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), ginger (Zingiber officinale), and mandarin oranges (Citrus reticulata). The latter two have caused rapid nutrient depletion of the soil. Production of another cash crop, large cardamom (Amomum subulatum), a plant native to the Sikkim Himalaya, has been a boon to the mountain people of the area. Large cardamom is a perennial cash crop grown beneath the forest cover on marginal lands. Its cultivation is an example of how a local mountain niche can be exploited sustainably.
Detached Pacific Slab Beneath the Philippine Sea Plate and Its Geodynamical Implications

Formation and evolution of the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) are still highly debated, mainly because the PSP has been surrounded by subduction zones since its inception. Therefore, it is vital to determine a new tomographic model with higher resolution to precisely portray the subducted slabs beneath and around the PSP, in particular, the subducted Pacific slab that has played an essential role in the PSP formation and evolution. In this study, an updated tomographic model is obtained by inverting a large number of P‐wave arrival times of local and regional earthquakes in and around the PSP. Our tomography reveals a detached piece of the Pacific slab in the mantle transition zone beneath the middle PSP, which may be mainly related to the PSP clockwise rotation and transform or strike‐slip faults in this region. The detached Pacific slab may promote the formation and evolution of the Shikoku and Parece‐Vela basins and the Mariana Trough by inducing hot mantle upwelling. Our tomography also reveals isolated high‐velocity anomalies beneath the southernmost PSP, which may reflect remnants of the subducted slab at the beginning of the PSP formation. A high‐velocity gap appears beneath the southern PSP, which may reflect the influence of a mantle plume.
Characterization of Vadose Zone Sediment: Borehole 41-09-39 in the S-SX Waste Management Area

This report was revised in September 2008 to remove acid-extractable sodium data from Table 5.15. The sodium data was removed due to potential contamination introduced during the acid extraction process. The rest of the text remains unchanged from the original report issued in February 2002. The overall goal of the of the Tank Farm Vadose Zone Project, led by CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc., is to define risks from past and future single-shell tank farm activities. To meet this goal, CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc., asked scientists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to perform detailed analyses on vadose zone sediment from within the S-SX Waste Management Area. This report is one in a series of four reports to present the results of these analyses. Specifically, this report contains all the geologic, geochemical, and selected physical characterization data collected on vadose zone sediment recovered from borehole 41-09-39 installed adjacent to tank SX-109.
Dose-dependent QTc interval prolongation under haloperidol and pipamperone in the management of delirium in a naturalistic setting

Objective Delirium is an acute, life-threatening neuropsychiatric disorder frequently occurring among hospitalized patients. Antipsychotic medications are often recommended for delirium management but are associated with cardiovascular risks. This study aimed to investigate the frequency and magnitude of QTc interval prolongation and clinically relevant side effects occurring in delirium patients managed with haloperidol and/or pipamperone. Methods This descriptive retrospective cohort study evaluated 102 elderly (mean age: 73.2 years) inpatients with delirium treated with either haloperidol, pipamperone, a combination of both, or neither in a naturalistic setting over the course of up to 20 days or until the end of delirium. Results A total of 86.3% of patients were treated with haloperidol and/or pipamperone at a mean daily haloperidol-equipotent dose of 1.2 ± 1 mg. Non-cardiovascular side effects were registered in 2.9% of all patients and correlated with higher scores on the Delirium Observation Screening Scale. They did not occur more frequently under antipsychotic treatment. The frequency of QTc interval prolongation was comparably common among all groups, but prolongation magnitude was higher under antipsychotic treatment. It was positively correlated with antipsychotic dosage and the total number of QTc interval-prolonging substances administered. Critical QTc interval prolongation was registered in 21.6% (n = 19) of patients in the group treated with antipsychotics compared to 14.3% (n = 2) of patients in the unmedicated group; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Polypharmacy was associated with a higher risk of critical QTc interval prolongation and increased mortality during delirium. Conclusion Delirium treatment with haloperidol and/or pipamperone was not associated with a higher risk of QTc-interval prolongation in this naturalistic patient sample but was greater in magnitude and correlated with equipotent dosage and the number of QT interval-prolonging substances used. Polypharmacy was associated with higher mortality and increased risk of critical QTc prolongation.
The 18-item Swedish version of Ryff’s psychological wellbeing scale: psychometric properties based on classical test theory and item response theory

Background Psychological wellbeing is conceptualized as the full engagement and optimal performance in existential challenges of life. Our understanding of psychological wellbeing is important for us humans to survive, adapt, and thrive during the challenges of the 21st century. Hence, the measurement of psychological wellbeing is one cornerstone for the identification and treatment of both mental illness and health promotion. In this context, Ryff operationalized psychological wellbeing as a six-dimensional model of human characteristics: self-acceptance, positive relations with others, environmental mastery, personal growth, autonomy, and purpose in life. Ryff’s Psychological Wellbeing Scale has been developed and translated into different versions. Here, we examine and describe the psychometric properties of the 18-item Swedish version of Ryff’s Psychological Wellbeing Scale using both Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT). Methods The data used in the present study was earlier published elsewhere and consists of 768 participants (279 women and 489 men). In addition to the 18-item version of the scale, participants answered the Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule, and the Background and Health Questionnaire. We examined, the 18-item version’s factor structure using different models and its relationship with subjective wellbeing, sociodemographic factors (e.g., education level, gender, age), lifestyle habits (i.e., smoking, frequency of doing exercise, and exercise intensity), and health issues (i.e., pain and sleeping problems). We also analyzed measurement invariance with regard to gender. Moreover, as an addition to the existing literature, we analyzed the properties of the 18 items using Graded Response Model (GRM). Results Although the original six-factor structure showed a good fit, both CTT and IRT indicated that a five-factor model, without the purpose in life subscale, provided a better fit. The results supported the internal consistency and concurrent validity of the 18-item Swedish version. Moreover, invariance testing showed similar measurement precision by the scale across gender. Finally, we found several items, especially the purpose in life’s item “I live life one day at a time and do not really think about the future,” that might need revision or modification in order to improve measurement. Conclusion A five-factor solution is a valid and reliable measure for the assessment of psychological wellbeing in the general Swedish population. With some modifications, the scale might achieve enough accuracy to measure the more appropriate and correct six-dimensional theoretical framework as detailed by Ryff. Fortunately, Ryff’s original version contains 20 items per subscale and should therefore act as a perfect pool of items in this endeavor.
Aerosol remote sensing from POLDER/ADEOS over the ocean: Improved retrieval using a nonspherical particle model

[1] The properties of the aerosols over the ocean are re-investigated by using the observations of the Polarization and Directionality of the Earth's Reflectance (POLDER) wide field of view imaging spectroradiometer developed by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and operated aboard the Japanese heliosynchronous Advanced Earth Observation Satellite (ADEOS) platform from 30 October 1996 to 30 June 1997. The measurement analysis leads us to assume that aerosols consist of particles with a bimodal size distributions, in which the large particle mode generally consists of nonspherical particles. In all observations where there is evidence for the occurrence of nonspherical particles from the spectral, directional, and polarization characteristics of the solar radiation scattered by the aerosols, the average aerosol scattering matrix for irregular particles derived recently by Volten et al. (2001) from laboratory measurements proves to provide a very efficient model of these particles.
Real World Map Reading Strategies

This paper reports an ongoing series of investigations into the nature of tactile map reading and use. There is general agreement that reading maps for sighted or visually impaired people involves a three stage process in which visual or tactile signs need to be detected and discriminated prior to being interpreted (Perkins, 2002). Researchers also concur that the tactile reading process is less precise than sight and it has been suggested that tactile map reading is best theorized as a serial process, in which the ngers follow raised symbols and gradually build up an overview of spatial relationships (Tatham, 1991). In contrast sight allows information to be processed as whole rather than the sums of parts. There has however been little investigation into the ‘ecology of reading’ or detailed observational studies of the strategies involved in real world use of tactile maps. Advice about the best techniques to use is general and often not backed up by systematic empirical evidence. Nolan and Morris (1971) suggest that tactile map reading should start from the edges of the image and with a gross scan of the map, to be followed by using both hands to trace map detail. In contrast studies by Berla and his associates recommend the use of just the index nger (Berla & Murr, 1976a and b; Berla, Buttereld & Murr, 1976). Bentzen (1980) encourages the use of free exploration of the map’s detail, whilst Kikuza (1989) suggests gaining an overview, with systematic investigation using two hands, followed up by more detailed investigation. Best (1992) also suggests using two hands. One reason for this contradictory advice is likely to be insufcient attention given to the wider context of map reading, in other words how, when, and where the map is used, and who is using it. Table 1 shows that there are diverse inuences, reasons and contexts for use that impact upon reading. By ‘placing’ the reading process we might be able to gain a more informed understanding of which strategies work best. This paper is concerned with documenting how tactile maps are read in a real world context and offers a framework for deciding on the ‘best’ methods of reading a tactile map. It implicitly adopts a cultural and ecological stance informed by observing how visually impaired individuals relate to tactile maps, rather than one derived from controlled and simplied experiment. We are concerned with a number of possible strategies. For example should both hands be used and in the context of our work is index nger alone best? We are also concerned with the similarities between map use for visually impaired and sighted people and the potential uses that visually impaired people might make of maps. What ‘real’ difference does sight make? Broadly these questions might be reduced to an investigation of how reading and use are linked, whether universal recommendations are possible and perhaps crucially what the implications might be for education and training.
Relative Importance of Intrinsic, Extrinsic, and Anthropic Factors in the Geomorphic Zonation of the Trinity River, Texas 1

Phillips, Jonathan D. , 2010. Relative Importance of Intrinsic, Extrinsic, and Anthropic Factors in the Geomorphic Zonation of the Trinity River, Texas. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(4): 807‐823. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2010. 00457.x
The relationships of modern pollen spectra to vegetation and climate along a steppe–forest–tundra transition in southern Siberia, explored by decision trees

We studied the relationships between surface pollen spectra, vegetation and selected climate characteristics along a strong gradient of climate continentality across the Western Sayan Mountains, southern Siberia. Representation of 111 pollen taxa in 81 surface samples from steppe, forest and tundra was related to the vegetation composition at various distances from the sampling point and to mean annual precipitation and mean July and January temperatures. These relationships were assessed by the decision tree models. The results show (1) which vegetation types are well distinguished by their pollen spectra; (2) which vegetation types are strongly similar in their pollen spectra and therefore their interpretation from fossil pollen spectra should be carefully considered; (3) tight relationship between surface pollen spectra and selected climate characteristics, which suggests that the past climatic conditions can be reasonably predicted from pollen spectra; and (4) an important role of weak pollen producers for assignment of pollen spectra to vegetation types or particular values of temperature and precipitation. We found the decision trees suitable for analysis of pollen/vegetation relationship because they (1) formally and precisely assign the pollen spectra to vegetation/landscape types or climatic variables by means of easy-to-interpret graphs; (2) identify pollen taxa that are best indicators of a particular vegetation type, landscape or climate characteristics; and (3) utilize the pollen signal of both strong and weak pollen producers. We compare the decision tree models with ordination and cluster analysis and suggest further applications.