Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mapping Spaces of Environmental Dispute: GIS, Mining, and Surveillance in the Amazon

Recent scholarship has urged increased attention to how advances in geographical information systems (GIS) technology can more equitably help to bridge gaps between the theory and practice of environmental protection and dispute resolution. This study brings new evidence to burgeoning debates in the Amazon, examining how a United Nations (UN) development initiative developed mapping systems in a shifting political climate for environmental governance while conducting campaigns with peasant miners to address environmental management. Amendments made in 2002 to the Brazilian Forest Code established natural preserves according to the geographic features of watersheds. The laws deter commercial land use on preserves, imposing strict penalties where artisanal mining is widely prevalent as a livelihood. The UN program utilized GIS and Shuttle Radar imagery to map the contested areas according to legal definitions and engaged stakeholders to discuss political implications. In 2006, new reforms made such mapping tools even more controversial—and urgent—with amendments that created opportunities for bringing “informal” mining into the legal sphere, theoretically allowing “spaces of exception” where mining can be legitimated. Our multimethod study underscores the need for appreciating diverse understandings of ecologically sensitive zones and empowering rural communities to take ownership over geospatial technologies in addressing environmental challenges. Although maps produced using the proposed methods could be useful, dominant advocacies that champion GIS as an enforcement tool often undermine local trust, inflame tensions, and render alternative “grassroots GIS” strategies impracticable. We examine the contexts, powers, limitations, and risks of the UN's technical intervention, exploring how competing views of environmental controversy lead to divergent perspectives on the politics of GIS “knowledge translation” and mapping itself.
A note on the impact of CYP51 alterations and their combination in the wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici on sensitivity to the azole fungicides epoxiconazole and metconazole

Septoria tritici blotch caused by the fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici is the most economically damaging disease of winter wheat in Ireland. As azoles have been intensively used, Z. tritici has developed different means of resisting their toxic effects with multiple alterations now reported in individual strains. Using previously characterised Irish collections of Z. tritici, the relationships between these different alterations have been examined using conditional inference trees and random forest. The results from this study highlight the importance of specific alterations I381V and S524T, with both contributing most to the reductions in epoxiconazole (EPZ) and metconazole (MTZ) sensitivity. As the azole class of fungicides is an extensive and diverse group, it is possible these alterations do not impact other azoles in a similar manner. Further analysis of these and contemporary collections to additional azoles, including mefentrifluconazole, which continues to provide good field control of Z. tritici, is warranted.
Effect of Highly Hydrophilic Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on Macrophage Function and Survival

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have garnered significant attention in the medical sector due to their exceptional superparamagnetic properties and reliable tracking capabilities. In this study, we investigated the immunotoxicity of SPIONs with a modified surface to enhance hydrophilicity and prevent aggregate formation. The synthesized SPIONs exhibited a remarkably small size (~4 nm) and underwent surface modification using a novel “haircut” reaction strategy. Experiments were conducted in vitro using a human monocytic cell line (THP-1). SPIONs induced dose-dependent toxicity to THP-1 cells, potentially by generating ROS and initiating the apoptotic pathway in the cells. Concentrations up to 10 μg/mL did not affect the expression of Nrf2, HO-1, NF-κB, or TLR-4 proteins. The results of the present study demonstrated that highly hydrophilic SPIONs were highly toxic to immune cells; however, they did not activate pathways of inflammation and immune response. Further investigation into the mechanisms of cytotoxicity is warranted to develop a synthetic approach for producing effective, highly hydrophilic SPIONs with little to no side effects.
Response of the tropical mesopause to the longest annular solar eclipse of this millennium

[1] The spatiotemporal evolution of the daytime mesopause temperature (MT) over a tropical station, Trivandrum (8.5°N, 77°E), has been investigated during the annular solar eclipse of 15 January 2010 using a meridional scanning Multi-Wavelength Dayglow Photometer. This eclipse was a unique event by virtue of its exceptionally long duration and noontime occurrence over the present observational site. It has been observed that during the course of the eclipse, MT underwent significant enhancement (∼35 K). This increase in temperature was found to be present throughout the region of coverage of the photometer, i.e., ±200 km centered at Trivandrum in the meridional direction. It has also been found that the enhancement in MT revealed a preferential northward/southward movement before/after the main phase of the eclipse. In addition to this, a sudden launch of gravity waves with periodicity of ∼30 min was noticed during the first contact, which was amplified during the maximum phase of the eclipse. Another noteworthy observation was the amplification of a ∼2 hour wave during the course of the eclipse. These observations and their plausible mechanisms are discussed in detail in context of the daytime hydroxyl emissions and mesopause energetics and dynamics.
Surface drifter movement indicates onshore egg transport from a reef fish spawning aggregation

Most commercially, important food fishes in the tropics reproduce in spawning aggregations, which serve to replenish their populations via larval dispersal. Dispersal pathways are not well understood. This study examines the dispersal hypothesis assumed for most dispersal modeling studies, i.e. that prevailing currents transport freshly released eggs offshore and away from spawning sites, where they are advected into far-field ocean currents and contribute to long-distance larval transport. We used GPS-tracked surface drifters, quantitative ichthyoplankton tows, and microsatellite DNA markers to assess egg dispersal pathways from a well-documented Lutjanus cyanopterus spawning aggregation site. We conducted and plotted 95 drifter tracks over a bathymetric map of the study area and used geoprocessing techniques to determine the direction, speed, and variability of these tracks. Our field-collected data do not support the hypothesis that surface currents transport Cubera snapper gametes offshore during peak spawning. Eggs were transported onshore toward the barrier reef and potentially through the channel, supporting the idea that local retention may be more important than long-distance transport. These results are highly relevant for parameterizing larval connectivity models. Furthermore, we demonstrate the use of a low-cost and easily replicable method to track currents and egg dispersal from spawning aggregation sites.
Corporate Risk Disclosure Trends in South Africa During the Covid-19 Pandemic

The novel Covid-19 pandemic created uncertainty around the world. Users now require more information about risk exposure; this paper explored the risk disclosure pattern of South African listed companies during the Covid-19 pandemic. The phenomenon of corporate risk disclosure was explored through a multi-theoretical lens, including agency, legitimacy, and stakeholder theories, given the multi-faceted nature of risk reporting. A content analysis of the annual reports of a sample of non-financial companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) was conducted before and during the Covid-19 pandemic from 2019 to 2021. 84 annual reports were analyzed to determine the extent of corporate risk disclosure, both voluntary and mandatory. A self-developed disclosure index of 25 risk items distributed over three risk categories was used to establish the quantity of corporate risk disclosure. A clear upward trend in the extent of corporate risk disclosure was noted during the Covid-19 pandemic. Given the importance of risk information for decision-making in uncertain times, this study sought to provide an understanding of risk disclosure behavior in South Africa during the initial stage of the pandemic, for which there is limited extant literature. Where extant corporate risk disclosure studies have been conducted in the context of developing economies, this study's findings can be extended to other emerging countries. This study provides the first analysis of the extent of corporate risk disclosure in South Africa during the pandemic. The study's findings are relevant to information users, companies, government, regulatory bodies, and academics.
Multi-criteria GIS analysis for siting of small wind power plants : a case study from Berlin

Scientific summary One of the main issues to be solved for the 21st century is the energy generation from renewable sources. In particular, wind energy has a large potential and is one of the most advanced technologies currently available. However, in many cases wind energy is restricted to large wind parks with wind power plants often reaching heights greater than 100 m. In areas with high population density such as cities, where many obstacles like buildings are present, the construction of large wind power plants is often problematic. In such areas, small wind power plants are an alternative due to their lower starting wind speeds and higher flexibility in terms of logistics, costs and space-demand. Small wind power plants are wind power plants with an output power smaller than or equal to 100 kW and/or a rotor area less than 200 m². Presently, small wind power plants are mainly used on roof tops of buildings in European cities, if at all. The capital of Germany, Berlin, can serve as a typical example of this issue as large wind power plants have been declared as unsuitable for the Berlin area. The present study attempts to contribute to small wind power site assessment in Berlin by performing a GIS-based overlay analysis for small wind power plants on free space and in addition on electric power poles, which can serve as supporting towers for small wind power plants. The focus of the GIS-based overlay analysis lies on a safety and performance point of view, including factors such as wind speed for three different power plant heights (10, 20 and 30 m), land use, distance to power line network, safety distance to buildings and wind shed/turbulences distance to buildings. The latter two depend on the regarded wind power plant height. Even though the overlay analysis technique and associated weight criteria (rank and ratio scale based weights) and decision rules (simple additive weighting) used in this study are chosen to be transparent and simple, they have been proven to be useful to investigate the influence of the included assessment factors on suitability. As a result of the study, it is shown show that up to 9% of the total area of Berlin is suitable for small wind power plants with a height ≥ 20 m. Interestingly, the suitable areas are very scattered throughout the area of Berlin. Furthermore, up to 28% of Berlin's power poles are suitable to serve as constructional bases for small wind power plant rotors. This result is a pointer for other communities to utilise power poles and other pole type structures, such as telephone poles, antennas, etc for the erection of small wind power plant rotors. Finally, the results of this study emphasise the flexibility and potential of unconventional, decentralized wind power generation in cities such as Berlin, especially when compared to large wind power plant farm installations
Detection of Selected Equine Respiratory Pathogens in Stall Samples Collected at a Multi-Week Equestrian Show during the Winter Months

The aim of this study was to use environmental sampling to determine the frequency of detection of selected equine respiratory viruses and bacteria in horses attending a multi-week equestrian show during the winter months. At four time points during showing, environmental sponge samples were collected from all stalls on the property and tested for the presence of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), EHV-2, EHV-4, equine influenza virus (EIV), equine rhinitis B virus (ERBV), Streptococcus equi ss. equi (S. equi), and S. equi ss. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) using real-time PCR (PCR). Environmental sponges were collected from all 53 barns by using one sponge for up to 10 stalls. Further, 2/53 barns were randomly selected for individual stall sampling in order to compare the results between individual and pooled stall samples. A total of 333/948 (35.13%, 95% CI 32.09–38.26%) pooled environmental stall sponges tested PCR-positive for at least one of the selected respiratory pathogens. Streptococcus zooepidemicus was the most commonly detected pathogen in pooled samples (28.69%, 95% CI 25.83–31.69%), followed by EHV-2 (14.45%, 95% CI 12.27–16.85%), EHV-4 (1.37%, 95% CI 0.73–2.33%), and a very small percentage of pooled stall sponges tested PCR-positive for EHV-1, ERBV, EIV, and S. equi. In individual samples, 171/464 (36.85%, 95% CI 32.45–41.42%) environmental stall sponges tested PCR-positive for at least one of the selected pathogens, following a similar frequency of pathogen detection as pooled samples. The detection frequency of true respiratory pathogens from environmental samples was higher during the winter months compared to previous studies performed during spring and summer, and this testing highlights that such pathogens circulate with greater frequency during the colder months of the year. The strategy of monitoring environmental stall samples for respiratory pathogens circumvents the often labor-intensive collection of respiratory secretions from healthy horses and allows for a more efficient assessment of pathogen buildup over time. However, environmental stall testing for respiratory pathogens should not replace proper biosecurity protocols, but it should instead be considered as an additional tool to monitor the silent circulation of respiratory pathogens in at-risk horses.
The Strong Association between Western Sahelian Monsoon Rainfall and Intense Atlantic Hurricanes

Abstract Seasonal variability of Atlantic basin tropical cyclones is examined with respect to the monsoon rainfall over West Africa. Variations of intense hurricanes are of the most interest, as they are responsible for over three-quarters of United States tropical cyclone spawned destruction, though they account for only one-fifth of all landfalling cyclones. Intense hurricanes have also shown a strong downward trend during the last few decades. It is these storms that show the largest concurrent association with Africa's western Sahelian June-September rainfall for the years 1949–90. Though the Sahel is currently experiencing a multidecadal drought, the relationship between Atlantic tropical cyclones and western Sahelian rainfall is not dependent on the similar downward trends in both datasets. A detrended analysis confirms that a strong association still exists, though reduced somewhat in variance explained. Additionally, independent data from the years 1899 to 1948 substantiate the existence of the tr.
Treatment of vitamin D deficiency in children

ABSTRACT Introduction Vitamin D deficiency affects from 10% to 50% in various pediatric population groups and causes life-threatening hypocalcemia in infants, crippling rickets in infants and children, and increased risk of subsequent adult metabolic and neurologic problems. Areas covered An English language literature search of PubMed was performed since 1940 as were the authors’ personal literature collections. References identified in the reviewed literature are considered. Diagnosis The diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency is based on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. Clinical features of rickets include bone deformities and elevated alkaline phosphatase. Most children and adolescents who are biochemically vitamin D deficient do not have specific symptoms or signs of deficiency. Prevention Prevention of vitamin D deficiency is via exposure to sunshine, food and beverage fortification, and dietary supplementation. Treatment Effective treatment of vitamin D deficiency is via oral or injectable administration of vitamin D. Dosing and duration of vitamin D therapy have been described for healthy children and for children with underlying medical conditions, but recommendations vary. Expert opinion Further investigation is needed to determine long-term non-skeletal effects of childhood vitamin D deficiency, benefits of supplementation in asymptomatic individuals with biochemical vitamin D deficiency, and appropriate screening for vitamin D deficiency in asymptomatic children and adolescents.
Observed dimming effect during a forest fire in the southeastern United States and the role of aerosols

A surface dimming effect during a forest fire was observed in the incoming solar radiation measurements of the Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network (AEMN). A combination of in situ AEMN and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) datasets were used to demonstrate the implications on the forecasts when aerosol radiative effects are not included in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The clear sky incoming radiative flux predicted by the model at the surface was overestimated when aerosol optical depths (AODs) exceeded 0.2, which in turn caused a positive temperature bias and a negative mixing ratio bias at the surface. These biases resulted from differences in the energy partitioning at the surface, where the main contribution was from enhanced sensible heat flux. The model atmosphere was also cooler and drier than the MODIS profiles, indicative of the aerosol induced warming below 6 km.
Detection and imaging of piping sinkholes by integrated geophysical methods

Piping sinkholes may naturally develop in the case of a thick overburden overlying calcareous bedrock. Their detection and imaging is a challenging task for geophysical methods, not only because of the required resolution and depth of penetration, but also because major pitfalls may arise, in such geologically complex areas, from the speculative interpretation of geophysical anomalies as geological features. Data integration from different geophysical methods is essential to remove these interpretation ambiguities, caused by large near-surface gradients and heterogeneities in the soil properties, as well as by oscillations of the water table and anomalous water circulation. We present an investigation procedure consisting of the sequential application and integrated interpretation of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Seismic Refraction Tomography (SRT) and Self Potential (SP) measurements for locating and monitoring piping sinkholes with application to a site in Central Italy. This approach is a compromise between resolution and cost-effectiveness, and it is designed to be economically affordable by the private end user. In complex geological scenarios, it is usually not possible to rate a single geophysical technique as superior to all the others in terms of resolution, cost-effectiveness and diagnostic capability. The independent information coming from the different geophysical methods is the key to removing interpretation ambiguity when evaluating the position and the development over time of the piping sinkholes. The application of the proposed investigation procedure allowed us to individuate a small area subject to the formation of a piping sinkhole. The geophysical results were confirmed about one year after the execution of the geophysical measurements, as the site exhibited surface evidence of a piping sinkhole, with the formation of a small pond filled with sulphurous water and gases coming from below.
Estimation of CO2 Saturation from Time-Lapse CO2 well Logging in an Onshore Aquifer, Nagaoka, Japan

The first Japanese pilot-scale CO2 sequestration project has been undertaken in an onshore saline aquifer, near Nagaoka in Niigata prefecture, and time-lapse well logs were carried out in observation wells to detect the arrival of injected CO2 and to evaluate CO2 saturation in the reservoir. CO2 was injected into a thin permeable zone at the depth of 1110 m at a rate of 20–40 tonnes per day. The total amount of injected CO2 was 10 400 tonnes, during the injection period from July 2003 to January 2005. The pilot-scale demonstration allowed an improved understanding of the CO2 movement in a porous sandstone reservoir, by conducting time-lapse geophysical well logs at three observation wells. Comparison between neutron well logging before and after the insertion of fibreglass casing in observation well OB-2 showed good agreement within the target formation, and the higher concentration of shale volume in the reservoir results in a bigger difference between the two well logging results. CO2 breakthrough was identified by induction, sonic, and neutron logs. By sonic logging, we confirmed P-wave velocity reduction that agreed fairly well with a laboratory measurement on drilled core samples from the Nagaoka site. We successfully matched the history changes of sonic P-wave velocity and estimated CO2 saturation after breakthrough in two observation wells out of three. The sonic-velocity history matching result suggested that the sweep efficiency was about 40%. Small effects of CO2 saturation on resistivity resulted in small changes in induction logs when the reservoir was partially saturated. We also found that CO2 saturation in the CO2-bearing zone responded to suspension of CO2 injection.
The general circulation of the Mediterranean Sea from a 100‐year simulation

Results from a 120-year simulation of the Mediterranean sea with a 1/4°, 19-level eddy-permitting Cox model with monthly varying wind and buoyancy forcing are presented. Mean and seasonal currents are examined along with water distributions on isopycnals. Detailed equilibrated thermohaline water pathways, broadly consistent with observed hydrographic data, are determined. The most important factor permitting a long model run is low vertical mixing, which maintains Levantine intermediate water (LIW) above the level of the Sicily sill so that it can reach the western basin. A new feature is Tyrrhenian deep water, which is formed after 40 years by deep water transfer from the Balearic basin south of Sardinia. A water mass analysis reveals the modification of water properties in T, S space through the mixing processes that take place at straits and through the action of mesoscale eddies. The surface heat and freshwater fluxes derived a posteriori are in very good agreement with observations, showing that basin average fluxes are closely tied to the generation of a realistic thermohaline circulation. A complete analysis of surface and strait fluxes demonstrates that equilibrium conditions have been reached. A study of the heat budget in the intermediate water layer at 280 m depth reveals that the dominant diabatic terms are at localized convection sites, suggesting that at this depth the thermocline is under advective rather than diffusive control. The eddy and mean flow heat transports balance to a large degree away from these sites, with a negligible role for diffusion.