Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Connecting tropical climate change with Southern Ocean heat uptake

Under increasing greenhouse gas forcing, climate models project tropical warming that is greater in the Northern than the Southern Hemisphere, accompanied by a reduction in the northeast trade winds and a strengthening of the southeast trades. While the ocean‐atmosphere coupling indicates a positive feedback, what triggers the coupled asymmetry and favors greater warming in the northern tropics remains unclear. Far away from the tropics, the Southern Ocean (SO) has been identified as the major region of ocean heat uptake. Beyond its local effect on the magnitude of sea surface warming, we show by idealized modeling experiments in a coupled slab ocean configuration that enhanced SO heat uptake has a profound global impact. This SO‐to‐tropics connection is consistent with southward atmospheric energy transport across the equator. Enhanced SO heat uptake results in a zonally asymmetric La‐Nina‐like pattern of sea surface temperature change that not only affects tropical precipitation but also has influences on the Asian and North American monsoons.
Lawsonite vorticity and subduction kinematics

The exceptional preservation of lawsonite in eclogite and blueschist in a subduction complex (Sivrihisar, Turkey) allows evaluation of high-pressure (H P ) deformation and exhumation using vorticity analysis of a H P index mineral. The Sivrihisar H P rocks were deformed during H P metamorphism and initial decompression by oblique (normal and/or dextral) shearing beneath serpentinized peridotite. We evaluated kinematic vorticity (W m pure shear = 0, W m simple shear = 1) using the shape fabric of lawsonite crystals in blueschist layers and meter-scale eclogite pods. Pods record dominant simple shear (W m > 0.8) in their eclogitic core and at pod margins partially transformed to blueschist; map-scale blueschist layers record a large component of pure shear (W m = 0.4–0.6), consistent with oblique extrusion at depth in the subduction zone, and local simple shear (W m = 0.8) at the fault contact with serpentinite. A combination of oblique unroofing from beneath a weak serpentinized hanging wall and pure shear extrusion in the subduction channel accounts for rapid exhumation along a low geothermal gradient and the rare preservation of lawsonite eclogite during exhumation to the Earth9s surface.
Operational challenges in the establishment of a subsidiary in a foreign country:Case of Davis and Shirtliff in South Sudan.

Increased competition due to globalization and internationalization of firms has made world economies increasingly borderless and interlinked allowing companies to expand their business beyond their domestic boundaries. Therefore the need to carry out this research to study the operational challenges in the establishment of a subsidiary in a foreign country. The objectives of the study were to determine the operational challenges encountered by Multinational Companies in the establishment of South Sudan Subsidiary and to determine the effects of the challenges on the performance of the parent company. The study adopted a case study descriptive research design; data was collected using questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study established that the company encountered human resource challenges such as lack of local expertise to support the establishment of the subsidiary and limited skills among expatriates on the local market dynamics, cultural differences such as enmity against expatriates among residents and limited understanding of purchase bahaviour of local residents was also a challenge to the company. High political instability and high political influence on the residents was also a major challenge to the company
Understanding Policy in the Great Recession: Some Unpleasant Fiscal Arithmetic

I use the valuation equation of government debt to understand fiscal and monetary policy in and following the great recession of 2008-2009, to think about whether the US is headed for a fiscal inflation, and what that inflation will look like. I emphasize that a fiscal inflation can come well before large deficits or monetization are realized, and is likely to come with stagnation rather than a boom.
A Causal Model of Lifestyle Modification Behaviors in Thai Adults with Hypertension

Lifestyle modification behaviors are a key strategy for controlling hypertension. Understanding the causal model of lifestyle modification behaviors would shape the behaviors which are necessary for controlling blood pressure levels among Thai adults with hypertension. The purpose of this study was to examine the proposed relationships between psychosocial variables, such as desire, attitude, perceived behavioral control (PBC), intention, trying, social support, illness identity, self-efficacy, and lifestyle modification behaviors (LMB). This study was a path analytic study using a self-administered questionnaire which was responded to by 240 selected Thai adults with hypertension at the out-patient clinic in 5 hospitals throughout Thailand. A set of questionnaires was used for collecting data and the internal consistency was between 0.75 0.95. Data were analyzed by path analysis. The results found that PBC and social support had positive and direct influences on LMB (β = 0.31, p < 0.001; β = 0.36, p < 0.001, respectively). Desire and PBC had positive and direct influences on intention (β = 0.55, p < 0.001; β = 0.19, p < 0.01, respectively). Self-efficacy, intention, and PBC had positive and direct influences on trying (β = 0.46, p < 0.001; β = 0.19, p < 0.01; β = 0.15, p < 0.05, respectively). The revised model accounted for 47, 30, and 39 % of the variance in intention, trying, and lifestyle modification behaviors, respectively. Knowledge about the factors influencing lifestyle modification behaviors in Thai adults with HTN will assist a nurse in developing interventions/programs to promote lifestyle modification behaviors in this population.
Radial Anisotropy in Valhall from Ambient Noise Surface Wave Tomography of Scholte and Love Wave

We use ambient noise Scholte and Love wave phase velocity tomography to image a few to 100’s of meters of the subsurface at the Valhall Oil Field. The noise is recorded by 4D multi-component ocean bottom cables from the Valhall life of field seismic (LoFS) network. We crosscorrelate 6.5 hours of continuous recordings between all possible pairs of receivers to extract the Scholte and the Love waves. We use the vertical-vertical (ZZ) component cross-correlations (CC) to extract the Scholte waves and the transverse-transverse (TT) CC to extract the Love waves. We construct 2D Scholte and Love wave phase-velocity maps using the Eikonal tomography method. We then invert these phase velocity maps jointly by using the Neighbourhood algorithm. We invert the local dispersion curve to get 1-D velocity profile at each point in the geographical cell and combine them to obtain a 3-D anisotropic velocity model of Valhall. We get significant negative radial anisotropy (VSH < VSV) in shallow layers and positive radial anisotropy (VSH > VSV) in the deeper layers.
Soil Mechanics: Concepts and Applications, Second Edition

The aim of this book is to encourage students to develop an understanding of the fundamentals of soil mechanics. It builds a robust and adaptable framework of ideas to support and accommodate the more complex problems and analytical procedures that confront the practising engineer. Soil Mechanics: Concepts and Applicationscovers the soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering topics typically included in university courses in civil engineering and related subjects. Physical rather than mathematical arguments are used in the core sections wherever possible. The order in which the material is presented is based on the belief that students need time to assimilate new concepts, and that too many new ideas should not be introduced all at once. New features for the second edition include: an accompanying website containing the lecturers' solutions manual; new chapters on soil strength and soil behaviour separating the basic and more advanced material to aid understanding; and a new pagelayout making the book more accessible.
The theory of basinal gravity flow of groundwater and its impacts on hydrology in Japan ([特集 地下水流動系と熱/物質輸送])

Gravity-driven groundwater flow at the scale of drainage basins (basinal flow) is influenced by topography, which controls the water-table position and shape, and geological framework. The theory of groundwater flow systems was developed in the 1960's, in an effort to reconcile field observation with the theory of fluid potential, supported by mathematical analysis. Groundwater flow systems have a hierarchical structure comprising local, intermediate, and regional flow regimes; each having recharge, through-flow, and discharge zones. The presence of high- or low-permeability layers at depth can cause conspicuous spatial distribution of discharge or recharge areas on the surface. Owing to the in-situ interaction of groundwater and the surrounding environment, and the transport and accumulation processes, groundwater is considered a geologic agent. The concept of gravity-driven flow systems has provided a unifying theoretical background for understanding a diverse range of physical, chemical, and ecological phenomena. This article presents a brief overview of the theory of gravity-driven groundwater flow and its roles as a geologic agent, and also describes how the theory was introduced to and adopted by groundwater hydrologists in Japan.
ADOLESCENTS ’ DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONAL AGENCY The Role of Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Self-Regulatory Skill

Adolescence is often a stressful period during development because it involves a pivotal transition from childhood dependency to adulthood independence and self-sufficiency (Smith, Cowie, & Blades, 1998). One major challenge that adolescents encounter during their teenage years involves acquiring a sense of personal agency in what often seems to be a recalcitrant world. Personal agency refers to one's capability to originate and direct actions for given purposes. It is influenced by the belief in one's effectiveness in performing specific tasks, which is termed self-efficacy, as well as by one's actual skill. In this chapter, we trace the development of personal agency during adolescence as well as the defining and distinctive features of adolescent students' self-efficacy beliefs. We then contrast self-efficacy with alternative self-related constructs , and we examine its causal role in adolescents' motivation, achievement, and academic development. Finally, we describe the interdependence of adolescents' academic self-efficacy beliefs and their use of self-regulatory processes, and we consider the implications of this research for designing training interventions to enhance students' academic agency. In both the schools and the larger society, the onset of adolescence marks a profound shift in expectations regarding students' ability to assume responsibility for their functioning. When students enter middle or junior high schools, they are no longer under the direct control of a single teacher but instead are taught by a number of teachers in different classrooms, often with different classmates. These adolescents are expected to personally manage these diverse requirements for learning in class or to seek out help when it is needed, especially from their teachers. At this middle level of schooling, a significant part of stu-dents' academic work is completed outside of class, including reading assigned texts, writing papers, and preparing for tests. Adolescents' success in making this developmental transition is complicated by a major increase in the difficulty of the academic work that is assigned in middle or junior high schools (Wigfield, Eccles, & Pintrich, 1996). If adolescents fail to regulate this demanding academic environment effectively, their academic grades will likely decline—often leading to a loss of self-efficacy about succeeding in school. As their self-efficacy diminishes, adolescents can become embedded in a downward cycle of academic achievement that may involve aligning themselves with peers who possess unfavorable views about the value and importance of school (Stein-berg, Brown, & Dornbusch, 1996). Conversely, adolescents with a strong sense of efficacy for learning are more resilient …
Glucagon-like peptide-1/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide dual receptor agonist DA-CH5 is superior to exendin-4 in protecting neurons in the 6-hydroxydopamine rat Parkinson model

Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) have impaired insulin signaling in the brain. Incretin hormones, including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), can re-sensitize insulin signaling. In a recent phase II clinical trial, the first GLP-1 mimic, exendin-4, has shown reliable curative effect in patients with PD. DA-CH5 is a novel GLP-1/GIP receptor unimolecular co-agonist with a novel peptide sequence added to cross the blood-brain barrier. Here we showed that both exendin-4 and DA-CH5 protected against 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) cytotoxicity, inhibited apoptosis, improved mitogenesis and induced autophagy flux in SH-SY5Y cells via activation of the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1)/alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase (Akt)/cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) pathway. We also found that DA-CH5 (10 nmol/kg) daily intraperitoneal administration for 30 days post-lesion alleviated motor dysfunction in rats and prevented stereotactic unilateral administration of 6-OHDA induced dopaminergic neurons loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta. However, DA-CH5 showed curative effects in reducing the levels of α-synuclein and the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β). It was also more effective than exendin-4 in inhibiting apoptotic process and protecting mitochondrial functions. In addition, insulin resistance was largely alleviated and the expression of autophagy-related proteins was up-regulated in PD model rats after DA-CH5 treatment. These results in this study indicate DA-CH5 plays a therapeutic role in the 6-OHDA-unilaterally lesioned PD rat model and is superior to GLP-1 analogue exendin-4. The study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Shanxi Medical University of China.
Program Participation under Means-Testing and Self-Selection Targeting Methods

"Using data that enables us to distinguish between the different components of program participation (i.e., knowledge, application, and acceptance), we investigate the determinants of household behavior and program implementation in a social safety-net program that combines administrative and self-selection targeting methods. High undercoverage of eligible households primarily reflects lack of knowledge and binding budget constraints in poor areas. High leakage to ineligible households reflects the combination of their high levels of knowledge, application, and acceptance. Lowering undercoverage will require greater program awareness among the poor living in nonpoor areas and this is likely to come at the expense of substantial leakage to the nonpoor unless improvements are made to the verification process. Our results also suggest that in the presence of a budget constraint, the administrative selection process gives priority to the poorest households and those with children. " Authors' Abstract
Community, Inequality, and Local Public Goods: Evidence from School Financing in South Africa

"To examine how local income distribution affects both a community's ability to pay for schooling and the quality of that schooling, this research merges household and school census data from South Africa. Empirical results are twofold. First, while the median income and the average household income increase school fees, inequality inhousehold income (standard deviation) decreases school fees, which indicates that the lower tail of income distribution pulls down school fees. Second, an increase in school fees significantly improves school quality, decreasing the learner-educator ratio and increasing the number of nonsubsidized educators. The result is consistent with (1) strategic behavior of the low-income group and (2) optimal school fee determination with incomplete interhousehold income transfers. Empirical results and simulations demonstrate the possibility that income and asset inequality may reduce the quality of public goods, decreasing human capital and income growth for the next generation. " Authors' Abstract
Is greater decisionmaking power of women associated with reduced gender discrimination in South Asia

"Recent research has shown that improving women's decisionmaking power relative to men's within households leads to improvements in a variety of well-being outcomes for children. In South Asia, where the influence of women's power is particularly strong, these outcomes include children's nutritional status and the quality of feeding and health care practices. Focusing on nutritional status, this paper presents the results of a study investigating whether increases in women's power have a stronger positive influence on the nutritional status of their daughters than their sons. If so, then increasing women's power not only improves the well-being of children as a group, but also serves as a force to reduce long-standing discrimination that undermines female capabilities in many important areas of life as well as human and economic development in general. To investigate this issue, the study draws on Demographic and Health Survey data collected during the 1990s in four countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. The main empirical technique employed is multivariate regression analysis with statistical tests for significant differences in effects for girl and boy children. A total of 30,334 women and 33,316 children under three years old are included in the analysis. The study concludes that, for the South Asia region as a whole, an increase in women's decisionmaking power relative to men's, if substantial, would be an effective force for reducing discrimination against girl children. However, this finding is not applicable in all countries and for all areas and age groups of children. Indeed the study finds evidence that in some areas, for instance the northern and western states of India as a group, increasing women's power would lead to a worsening of gender discrimination against girls. This is likely the result of deeply embedded son preference associated with highly patriarchal social systems. The lesson for policymakers and development practitioners is that while increasing women's power is likely to improve the well-being of children, in some geographical areas it will not necessarily diminish discrimination against girls, which violates human rights and undermines the region's economic development and the health of its population. In these areas, to overcome son preference, economic returns to girls will have to be increased and efforts to change customs regarding marriage and inheritance associated with patriarchal kinship systems, which favor males, will have to be made. " Authors' Abstract
Constraints on the global marine iron cycle from a simple inverse model

A simple model of the global marine iron cycle is used to constrain the sources, sinks, and biological cycling of iron. The iron model is embedded in a data‐assimilated steady state circulation, with biological cycling driven by a prescribed, data‐constrained phosphate cycle. Biogeochemical parameters are determined by minimizing a suitably weighted quadratic mismatch with available dissolved iron (dFe) observations, including GEOTRACES transects. Because the effective iron sources and sinks overlap, current dFe observations cannot constrain sources and sinks independently. We therefore determine a family of optimal solutions for a range of the aeolian source strength σA from 0.3 to 6.1 Gmol/yr. We find that the dFe observations constrain the maximum Fe:P uptake ratio R0 to be proportional to σA, with a range that spans most available measurements. Thus, with either R0 or σA specified, a unique solution is determined. Global inventories of total and free iron are well constrained at (7.4 ± 0.2) × 1011 and (1.39 ± 0.05) × 1010 mol Fe, respectively. The dFe distributions are very similar across the family of solutions, with iron limitation in the known high‐nutrient low‐chlorophyll regions. Hydrothermal source strength ranges from 0.57 to 0.73 Gmol/yr and does not vary systematically with σA suggesting that the hydrothermal and aeolian parts of the iron cycle are largely decoupled. The hydrothermal dFe anomaly in the euphotic zone is ∼10% and concentrated in subpolar regions of iron limitation. Enhanced ligand concentrations in old waters and in hydrothermal plumes are necessary to capture key features of the dFe observations.
The ongoing adaptive evolution of ASPM and Microcephalin is not explained by increased intelligence

and Microcephalin is not explained by increased intelligence Nitzan Mekel-Bobrov, Danielle Posthuma*, Sandra L. Gilbert, Penelope Lind, M. Florencia Gosso, Michelle Luciano, Sarah E. Harris, Timothy C. Bates, Tinca J.C. Polderman, Lawrence J. Whalley, Helen Fox, John M. Starr, Patrick D. Evans, Grant W. Montgomery, Croydon Fernandes, Peter Heutink, Nicholas G. Martin, Dorret I. Boomsma, Ian J. Deary, Margaret J. Wright, Eco J.C. de Geus and Bruce T. Lahn*
Soil Carbon Inventory by Wet Oxidation and Dry Combustion Methods: Effects of Land Use, Soil Texture Gradients, and Sampling Depth on the Linear Model of C‐Equivalent Correction Factor

Monitoring C content is essential for carrying out surveys and inventories on C storage in soils under different land uses (LUs). The objectives of the present study, which was conducted in fi ve agro-ecoregions in Brazil with contrasting climates, LU managements, soil texture gradients, and soil depths, were to: (i) develop a C-equivalent correction factor (CF) between total organic carbon determined by dry combustion (TOCDC) and organic carbon by wet oxidation recorded by the Walkley-Black (OCWB) method, and (ii) assess the infl uence of LU, soil texture gradients, and sampling depth on a C-equivalent CF based on a linear model adjusted for each experimental location. The results indicated an effect of LU at almost all sites, except for one subtropical location where clay content and sampling depth were the most important factors. Additionally, there were LU × clay and LU × sampling depth interactions on the C-equivalent CF. The linear models computed to estimate the CF from this set of qualitative (LU) and quantitative variables (soil texture gradient and soil depth) differed among and within the agro-ecoregions and LU managements. The C-equivalent CF in subtropical sites ranged from 1.37 to 1.55, while for tropical sites ranged from 1.13 to 1.60. These models are site specifi c, and the results demonstrate the need to develop models calibrated for each site before extrapolating to other agroecoregions to recalculate past soil C inventories and to evaluate temporal changes of SOC stocks. (Resume d'auteur)