Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigation of orographic features influencing spatial distribution of rainfall over the Western Ghats of India using satellite data

Using remotely sensed Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B42 rainfall and topographic data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Digital Elevation Model (DEM), the impact of oroghraphical aspects such as topography, spatial variability of elevation and altitude of apexes are examined to investigate capacious summer monsoon rainfall over the Western Ghats (WG) of India. TRMM 3B42 v7 rainfall data is validated with Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) gridded rainfall data at 0.5° resolution over the WG. The analysis of spatial pattern of monsoon rainfall with orography of the WG ascertains that the grade of orographic precipitation depends mainly on topography of the mountain barrier followed by steepness of windward side slope and altitude of the mountain. Longer and broader, i.e. cascaded topography, elevated summits and gradually increasing slopes impel the enhancement in precipitation. Comparing topography of various states of the WG, it has been observed that windward side of Karnataka receives intense rainfall in the WG during summer monsoon. It has been observed that the rainfall is enhanced before the peak of the mountain and confined up to the height about 800 m over the WG. In addition to this, the spatial distribution of heavy and very heavy rainfall events in the last 14 years has also been explored. Heavy and very heavy rain events on this hilly terrain are categorized with a threshold of precipitation (R) in the range 150 > R > 120 mm day−1 and exceeding 150 mm day−1 using probability distribution of TRMM 3B42 v7 rainfall. The areas which are prone to heavy precipitation are identified. The study would help policy makers to manage the hazard scenario and, to improve weather predictions on mountainous terrain of the WG.
Growth and Quality of Chinese Kale Grown Under Different LEDs

[Objective] This study was conducted to investigate the effects of light quality on growth and quality of Chinese kale(Brassica alboglabra Bailey). [Method]Chinese kale was grown in hydroponic under three different Light Emitting Diode(LEDs) conditions [red∶blue=8∶1(8R1B), red∶blue=6∶3(6R3B) and red∶green∶blue=6∶2∶1(6R2G1B), 12 h light, 50 μmol/(m2·s)]. Then its growth and quality indices including root and shoot fresh weight and dry weight, concentrations of soluble protein, vitamin C, nitrate, soluble phenols, flavonoids, soluble sugar, free amino acids, and activity of nitrate reductase were measured. [Result] There was no significant difference in plant height, diameter of flower stalk and leaf number among three LED treatments. The fresh weight of shoot, root and plant in 8R1 B and 6R2G1 B was significantly higher than in 6R3 B. The dry weight of shoot and plant in 8R1 B was significantly higher than in 6R3 B. The concentrations of vitamin C, soluble protein and soluble sugar in flower stalk of 6R3 B treatment were significantly higher than those in 8R1 B and 6R2G1 B, while there was no remarkable difference in concentrations of reducing sugar, soluble phenol, flavonoids and free amino acid among the three treatments. The nitrate concentration in flower stalk of 6R3 B was significantly lower than in the other two treatments, and the activity of nitrate reductase in6R3 B was significantly higher than in the other two treatments. [Conclusion] The LED treatment of red:blue=6:3 was more suitable for the growth of Chinese kale.
Wildlife Use of Open and Decommissioned Roads on the Clearwater National Forest, Idaho Author:

The impacts of roads on wildlife are extensive and can be especially harmful on U.S. National Forest lands where ecosystems are relatively intact. Access allowed by wildland roads can increase poaching, over-hunting, and over-trapping. Roads also increase negative edge effects, cause fragmentation, and facilitate or hinder wildlife movement. Forest Service managers are removing some roads to mitigate these impacts on wildlife, but few studies have addressed the effectiveness of this strategy. In this study, we tested if wildlife were using decommissioned roads more than adjacent open roads. The study was conducted on the Clearwater National Forest in the Bitterroot Mountains of north-central Idaho where they have removed and revegetated more than 500 mi of roads. From May to October 2006 we monitored wildlife use on open and decommissioned roads using remotely-triggered cameras and baited track plates. Wildlife monitoring was part of a larger citizen monitoring program where a trained volunteer coordinator lead trips into the field each week to collect data on decommissioned roads. Using t-tests, we compared the number of detections and rates of detection between open and decommissioned roads. Remotely-triggered cameras detected mammals at a higher rate on decommissioned roads than open roads for all species. However, on track plates there were about the same number of
Automated mapping of Earth's annual minimum exposed snow and ice with MODIS

Global snow and ice have been diminishing during the Anthropocene but we still lack a complete mapping of annual minimum exposed snow and ice with a consistent, repeatable algorithm. The Global Land Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS) project has compiled digital glacier outlines and related metadata for the majority of the world's glaciers but inconsistency among product algorithms and time periods represented precludes the production of a consistently derived global data set. Here we present the MODIS Persistent Ice (MODICE) algorithm that leverages the time series of fractional snow and ice cover from the MODIS Snow Covered Area and Grain size (MODSCAG) algorithm. The end product of MODICE is a consistently derived map of annual minimum exposed snow and ice. Comparisons of MODICE with GLIMS glacier outlines derived from SPOT, ASTER, and Landsat Thematic Mapper show strong agreement with the higher resolution outlines subject to uncertainties with spatial resolution, deep mountain shadows, and GLIMS interpretation errors.
Association between trends in daily rainfall percentiles and the global mean temperature

Attributing changes in extreme daily precipitation to global warming is difficult, even when based on global climate model simulations or statistical trend analyses. The question about trends in extreme precipitation and their causes has been elusive because of climate models' limited precision and the fact that extremes are both rare and occur at irregular intervals. Here a newly discovered empirical relationship between the wet‐day mean and percentiles in 24 h precipitation amounts was used to show that trends in the wet‐day 95th percentiles worldwide have been influenced by the global mean temperature, consistent with an accelerated hydrological cycle caused by a global warming. A multiple regression analysis was used as a basis for an attribution analysis by matching temporal variability in precipitation statistics with the global mean temperature.
Evaluating the impact of assimilating CALIOP‐derived aerosol extinction profiles on a global mass transport model

Coupled two/three‐dimensional variational (2D/3DVAR) assimilation of aerosol physical properties retrieved from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Multi‐angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) and Cloud Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) satellite‐borne instruments is described for the U. S. Navy Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS) global aerosol mass transport model. Coupled 2D/3DVAR assimilation for NAAPS is evaluated for 48‐hr forecast cycles, computed four times daily in six‐hour intervals, versus stand‐alone 2DVAR assimilation of MODIS and MISR aerosol optical depths (AOD). Both systems are validated against AERONET ground‐based sun photometer measurements of AOD. Despite a narrow nadir viewing swath and more than 2700 km of equatorial separation between orbits, satellite lidar data assimilation elicits a positive model response. Improvements in analysis and forecast AOD absolute errors are found over both land and maritime AERONET sites. The primary impact to the model from 3DVAR assimilation is the redistribution of aerosol mass into the boundary layer, though the process is sensitive to parameterization of vertical error correlation lengths.
Trends in the water budget of the Mississippi River basin, 1949-1997

Printed on recycled paper This Fact Sheet is one in a series that highlights information or recent research findings from the USGS National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP). The investigations and scientific results reported in this series require a nationally consistent streamgaging network with stable long-term monitoring sites and a rigorous program of data quality assurance, management, archiving, and synthesis. NSIP produces multipurpose, unbiased surface water information that is readily accessible to all.
Business Environment and Firm Entry: Evidence from International Data

Using a comprehensive database of firms in Western and Eastern Europe, we study how the business environment in a country drives the creation of new firms. Our focus is on regulations governing entry. We find entry regulations hamper entry, especially in industries that naturally should have high entry. Also, value added per employee in naturally "high entry" industries grows more slowly in countries with onerous regulations on entry. Interestingly, regulatory entry barriers have no adverse effect on entry in corrupt countries, only in less corrupt ones. Taken together, the evidence suggests bureaucratic entry regulations are neither benign nor welfare improving. However, not all regulations inhibit entry. In particular, regulations that enhance the enforcement of intellectual property rights or those that lead to a better developed financial sector do lead to greater entry in industries that do more R&D or industries that need more external finance.
Embodiment in episodic memory through premotor-hippocampal coupling

Episodic memory (EM) allows us to remember and relieve past events and experiences, depending on cortical-hippocampal reinstatement involved during encoding. Although it has been claimed that EM is fundamental to establish a sense of self across time, this has never been shown experimentally. Here we combine immersive virtual reality and fMRI and report stronger hippocampal reinstatement for scenes encoded under preserved sense of self, reflecting later recall performance. We further link the sense of self to EM showing that hippocampal reinstatement is coupled with reinstatement in premotor cortex, a key sense of self region. We extend these findings in a severe amnesic patient (caused by bilateral hippocampal damage), whose memory and re-experiencing lacked the normal dependency on the sense of self. Premotor-hippocampal coupling in EM describes how the self at encoding is neurally reinstated during the retrieval of past episodes, enabling a sense of self across time. Teaser Premotor-hippocampal coupling reveals how the self is reinstated when retrieving past episodes.
Establishment of two oxaliplatin-resistant gallbladder cancer cell lines and comprehensive analysis of dysregulated genes

Abstract Acquired resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs in gallbladder cancer (GBC) results in therapy failure. This study is aimed to establish oxaliplatin (OXA)-resistant GBC cell lines and uncover their gene expression profiles. First, two OXA-resistant GBC cell lines (GBC-SD/OXA and SGC996/OXA) were established by gradually increasing the drug concentration, and the resistance index was 4–5. The two resistant cell lines showed slower proliferation and higher stemness, colony formation, and migration abilities. Epithelial mesenchymal transformation and increased levels of P-glycoprotein were also detected. Next RNA-sequence analysis identified 4,675 dysregulated genes (DGs) in resistant cells, and most of the 12 randomly selected DGs were verified to be consistent with the sequence results. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis indicated that several DGs were involved in resistance- and phenotype-related pathways, of which the activations of PD-L1 and ERK1/2 were both verified in resistant cell lines. In conclusion, this study is the first to report the gene expression profile of OXA-resistant GBC cells and provides a useful database for target development.
Escherichia coli adapts metabolically to 6- and 7-fluoroindole, enabling proteome-wide fluorotryptophan substitution

Nature has scarcely evolved a biochemistry around fluorine. However, modern science proved fluorinated organic molecules to be suitable building blocks for biopolymers, from peptides and proteins up to entire organisms. Here, we conducted adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) experiments to introduce fluorine into living microorganisms. By cultivating Escherichia coli with fluorinated indole analogues, we successfully evolved microbial cells capable of utilizing either 6-fluoroindole or 7-fluoroindole for growth. Our improved ALE protocols enabled us to overcome previous challenges and achieve consistent and complete adaptation of microbial populations to these unnatural molecules. In the ALE experiments, we supplied fluoroindoles to auxotrophic E. coli bacteria, exerting strong selective pressure that led to microbial adaptation and growth on monofluorinated indoles. Within the cells, these indoles were converted into corresponding amino acids (6- and 7-fluorotryptophan) and incorporated into the proteome at tryptophan sites. This study is a first step and establishes a strong foundation for further exploration of the mechanisms underlying fluorine-based life and how a formerly stressor (fluorinated indole) becomes a vital nutrient.
PDZ Domains from the Junctional Proteins Afadin and ZO-1 Act as Mechanosensors

Intercellular adhesion complexes must withstand mechanical forces to maintain tissue cohesion, while also retaining the capacity for dynamic remodeling during tissue morphogenesis and repair. Most cell-cell adhesion complexes contain at least one PSD95/Dlg/ZO-1 (PDZ) domain situated between the adhesion molecule and the actin cytoskeleton. However, PDZ-mediated interactions are characteristically nonspecific, weak, and transient, with several binding partners per PDZ domain, micromolar dissociation constants, and bond lifetimes of seconds or less. Here, we demonstrate that the bonds between the PDZ domain of the cytoskeletal adaptor protein afadin and the intracellular domains of the adhesion molecules nectin-1 and JAM-A form molecular catch bonds that reinforce in response to mechanical load. In contrast, the bond between the PDZ3-SH3-GUK (PSG) domain of the cytoskeletal adaptor ZO-1 and the JAM-A intracellular domain becomes dramatically weaker in response to ∼2 pN of load, the amount generated by single molecules of the cytoskeletal motor protein myosin II. These results suggest that PDZ domains can serve as force-responsive mechanical anchors at cell-cell adhesion complexes, and that mechanical load can enhance the selectivity of PDZ-peptide interactions. These results suggest that PDZ mechanosensitivity may help to generate the intricate molecular organization of cell-cell junctions and allow junctional complexes to dynamically remodel in response to mechanical load.
Psychedelic 5-HT2A receptor agonism: neuronal signatures and altered neurovascular coupling

Psychedelics are attractive potential therapeutic agents for treatment resistant depression due to their rapid and sustained effects. These effects have been largely attributed to serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) receptor agonism, especially at the 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2AR). Recent human functional neuroimaging studies report dramatic 5-HT2AR-dependent changes in behavior and functional network organization that presumably reflect neuromodulatory effects. However, serotonin also has potent vasoactive effects that have not been assessed in prior imaging studies of classic (i.e., 5-HT2AR agonists) psychedelics. We assessed the neural, hemodynamic, and neurovascular coupling (NVC) effects of the hallucinogenic 5-HT2A receptor agonist, 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI), using wide-field optical imaging (WFOI) in mice during both awake, whisker stimulation and under awake, resting-state conditions. Under both task and resting-state conditions, DOI narrowed hemodynamic response functions and enhanced transduction of neuronal activity in the delta band. These effects were regionally specific and strongest in association regions. Co-administration of DOI and 5-HT2aR antagonist, MDL100907, reversed the effects of DOI on NVC. These DOI-induced NVC alterations imply a dissociation between neuronal versus hemodynamic signals and emphasize the need to consider the neurovascular effects of psychedelics when interpreting hemodynamic measures of neuronal activity.
ECOLOGICAL AQUACULTURE: THE EVOLUTION OF THE BLUE REVOLUTION

Part 1. The background of ecological aquaculture History of aquaculture in traditional societies The Ahupua'a aquaculture ecosystems in Hawai'i Part 2. The methods of ecological aquaculture Development and application of genetic tags for ecological aquaculture Aquaculture escapement, implications and mitigation: the salmonid case study Farming systems research and extension methods for the development of sustainable aquaculture ecosystems A market-driven, social ecological approach to planning for sustainable aquaculture: a case study of tilapia in Fiji Part 3. The context of ecological aquaculture village-based aquaculture ecosystems as models for sustainable aquaculture Development in subsaharan Africa silvofisheries: integrated mangrove forest aquaculture ecosystems An integrated fish and field crop system for arid areas Sustainability of cage aquaculture ecosystems for large scale resettlement from hydropower dams: an Indonesian case study The role of aquaculture in the restoration of coastal fisheries Part 4. conclusion Ecology as the paradigm for the future of aquaculture
Exchange Traded Funds: A New Investment Option for Taxable Investors

Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are a new variety of mutual fund that first became available in 1993. ETFs have grown rapidly and now hold nearly $80 billion in assets. ETFs are sometimes described as more 'tax efficient' than traditional equity mutual funds, since in recent years, some large ETFs have made smaller distributions of realized and taxable capital gains than most mutual funds. This paper provides an introduction to the operation of exchange traded funds. It also compares the pre-tax and post-tax returns on the largest ETF, the SPDR trust that invests in the S&P500, with the returns on the largest equity index fund, the Vanguard Index 500. The results suggest that between 1994 and 2000, the before- and after-tax returns on the SPDR trust and this mutual fund were very similar. Both the after-tax and the pre-tax returns on the fund were slightly greater than those on the ETF. These findings suggest that ETFs offer taxable investors a method of holding broad baskets of stocks that deliver returns comparable to those of low-cost index funds.
LES FACTEURS DÉTERMINANTS DE LA PERFORMANCE SOCIALE ET DE LA PERFORMANCE FINANCIÈRE DES INSTITUTIONS DE MICROFINANCE DANS LA RÉGION MENA : UNE ANALYSE EN COUPE INSTANTANÉE

La microfinance se developpe progressivement dans la region du Moyen-Orient et d’Afrique du Nord (MENA) a travers des institutions de microfinance (IMF) tres variees. L’objectif de la plupart de ces IMF est de concilier la performance sociale (PS) qui vise a reduire la pauvrete et la performance financiere (PF) qui vise a assurer une rentabilite perenne. Y a t-il arbitrage ou compatibilite entre ces deux types de performances ? Une analyse factorielle en coupe instantanee sur un echantillon de 51 IMF dans 9 pays de la region MENA examine la relation entre ces deux performances. Il n’y a pas d’arbitrage pour certaines IMF qui conjuguent les deux performances, dont les facteurs determinants varient notamment selon le statut (ONG vs non ONG), la maturite, la methodologie de pret (solidaire vs individuel), la zone d’interven-tion (rurale vs urbaine), le niveau de transparence informationnelle, la locali-sation geographique et la reglementation des pays dans lesquels œuvrent ces IMF. Abstract - Microfinance is gradually developing in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region through a variety of microfinance institutions (MFIs), and the goal of most of these institutions is to achieve the best performance, which can be reached once an MFI is able to reconcile its social performance (SP), by reducing poverty, and its financial performance (FP), by trying to be profitable and sustainable. 1s there a trade-off between these two performances or are they compatible? Following a cross-section factor analysis, we examine the relationship between SP and FP on a sample of 51 MFIs in 9 selected countries of the MENA region: There is no trade-off for some MFIs, which achieve both performances; the determinants vary according to the status (NGO vs. non NGO), maturity, credit methodology (collective vs. individual), intervention areas (rural vs. urban), level of information disclosure, location and regulations of the countries wherein MFIs operate.
CORRELATES OF MENTAL DISTRESS IN JIMMA TOWN, ETHIOPIA

BACKGROUND: In low-income countries where malnutrition and preventable infectious diseases are common, mental disorders, which are regarded as non-life threatening, problems are not given due attention. It is well known fact that mental illness leads to poverty, malnutrition and disability consequently to the increased risk for mortality. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of mental distress and related sociodemographic and other risk factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional community based study was conducted in Jimma town, south west of Ethiopia, between January 8 and February 1, 2002. The study utilized self reporting questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) which was designed by WHO, and by multistage sampling, 1006 individuals were included in the study. Data analysis was done using
A synthetic peptide mimic kills Candida albicans and synergistically prevents infection

More than two million people worldwide are affected by life-threatening, invasive fungal infections annually. Candida species are the most common cause of nosocomical, invasive fungal infections and are associated with mortality rates above 40%. Despite the increasing incidence of drug-resistance, the development of novel antifungal formulations has been limited. Here we investigate the antifungal mode of action and therapeutic potential of positively charged, synthetic peptide mimics to combat infections by Candida albicans. These synthetic polymers cause stress to the endoplasmic reticulum and affect protein glycosylation, a distinct mode of action compared to currently approved antifungal drugs. The most promising polymer composition caused damage to the mannan layer of the cell wall, with additional membrane-disrupting activity. The synergistic combination of the polymer with caspofungin prevented infection of human epithelial cells in vitro, improved fungal clearance by human macrophages, and significantly increased host survival in a Galleria mellonella model of systemic candidiasis. Additionally, prolonged exposure of C. albicans to the synergistic combination of polymer and caspofungin did not lead to the evolution of resistant strains in vitro. Together, this work highlights the enormous potential of these synthetic peptide mimics to be used as novel antifungal formulations as well as adjunctive antifungal therapy.