Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regional analysis of extreme precipitation events in the Czech Republic Regionální analýza extrémních srážkových jevů v ČR

Extreme high precipitation amounts are among environmental events with the most disastrous consequences for human society. Estimates of their return periods and design values are of great importance in hydrologic modelling, engineering practice for water resources and reservoirs design and management, planning for weather-related emergencies, etc. The L-moment based method of the regional frequency analysis of maximum annual 1to 7-day precipitation totals is currently being utilized for the area of the Czech Republic; daily precipitation amounts over 1961-2000 measured at 78 stations are used as an input dataset. The first step of the regional analysis consists in an identification of homogeneous regions. This contribution deals with a comparison of methods used in statistical testing for homogeneity of regions; they include the Lmoment X10 test, tests based on L-moment ratios and on the variation of L-moment statistics. Candidate regions were formed by the cluster analysis of site characteristics (including longitude, latitude, elevation, mean annual precipitation, and mean ratio of summer half-year [May to October] to winter half-year [November to April] precipitation), using the average-linkage clustering and Ward’s method. The final homogeneous regions enter the next steps of the regional frequency analysis which concern selection of the most appropriate distribution, and estimation of parameters and quantiles of the fitted distribution together with their uncertainty.
Neonatal Chylothoraces: A 10-Year Experience in a Tertiary Neonatal Referral Centre

Background Neonatal chylothorax is a rare condition, but has a high mortality. Study Objectives To analyse the outcomes of a series of neonates with chylothorax and review the literature to determine best practice. Design A case series review and a literature review using electronic databases including the key words neonates and chylothorax. Results Six cases of neonatal chylothorax were identified during a ten-year period, two had congenital chylothoraces and four iatrogenic chylothoraces after thoracic surgery or chest instrumentation. The neonates were ventilated for a median of 30 (range 13–125) days with a median maximum daily pleural fluid output of 218 (range 86–310) ml/kg/day. All the neonates were given medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) feeds which stabilised pleural fluid output in four and reduced it in another. Octreotide was used in three neonates, but the dosage used had no significant effect on pleural output. Two neonates required surgical intervention. The literature review demonstrated MCT feeds can reduce or stabilise pleural fluid output, but highlighted variable use of octreotide and inconsistent dosing regimens and outcomes. No consensus regarding indications for surgical intervention was identified. Summary and Conclusion Neonatal chylothorax is uncommon, but affected neonates require high healthcare utilisation.
Perceived Relationship, Reward and Brand Post as Antecedents of Customer Engagement in Social Networking Sites

The presence and focus of brand users are difficult to predict in the social networking sites (SNS) medium. Marketers are still compiling the tactics of administering customers and prospects due to the ever-present new challenges. Research on customer engagement confirms the importance of antecedents in the SNS platform. However, various theoretical and practical support were extremely difficult to obtain. This study intends to fill this shortage through the well-known partial least square (PLS) technique. The questionnaire data were obtained from 389 respondents who actively interacted with brands at a minimum of 2 years in the SNS channel. The findings have verified the contribution of perceived relationship, reward, and brand post as antecedents to customer engagement. In closing points, this manuscript discusses the conclusion and implications to strengthen future literature and industry blueprints.
Water quality evaluation of the Akumal aquatic ecosystem (SE Mexico)

The results of an initial research carried out in Akumal coastal aquifers are exposed. The studied area is situated in the southern part of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The study of the water quality of Yal Kú and Lagartos lagoon shows that the fecal coliform densities are conditioned by human activities (waste water discharge), and by natural processes. Variations in water quality will increase the stress on available water resources and valuable ecosystems, especially the adjacent coral reef.
Pricing Insurance Derivatives: The Case of CAT Futures

Since their appearance on the market, catastrophe insurance futures have triggered a considerable interest from both practitioners as well as academics. As one example of a securitized (re)insurance risk, its pricing and hedging contains many of the key problems to be addressed in the analysis of more general insurance derivatives. In the present paper we review the main methodological questions underlying the theoretical pricing of such products. We discuss utility maximization pricing more in detail. A key methodological feature is the theory of incomplete markets. Our paper follows closely the exposition given in Meister (1995). Catastrophe Insurance Futures
NITROGEN ATTENUATION FACTOR: CAN IT TELL A STORY ABOUT THE JOURNEY OF NUTRIENTS IN DIFFERENT SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENTS?

Catchment characteristics such as land use, topography, rainfall, soil texture and underlying geology may affect the transport and transformation of nutrients runoff and/or leached from farms to surface and ground waters. Therefore, it is important to identify these characteristics for an improved understanding of the spatial and temporal variations observed in nutrient concentrations and their influence on water quality at a catchment scale. A number of studies have investigated the relationship between catchment characteristics and surface water quality (mainly nitrate concentration). However, none of these studies have investigated the relationship between the nitrogen attenuation factor (decrease in nitrogen leaving the root zone, by different processes in the subsurface environment, to the river sampling site at the outlet of the catchment) and catchment characteristics. There is considerable interest in nitrogen attenuation in the „sensitive‟ sub-catchments of the Manawatu River catchment such as the Tararua Groundwater Management Zone (TGWMZ) covering 3192 km 2 on the eastern side of the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges. Few studies have calculated the for specific sub-catchments and there is no study which determines the spatial distribution of the throughout the TGWMZ. The main objectives of this study were two-fold; (1) to define and quantify the spatial variation of the throughout the TGWMZ, and (2) to evaluate the relationship between and catchment characteristics of the TGWMZ. A total of 15 surface water quality monitoring sites in the TGWMZ were used in ArcMap to delineate the contributing area „subcatchments‟ upstream of these sites. The shapefiles resulting from this delineation were then used to extract the key characteristics of each sub-catchment. The for each subcatchment was calculated based on the root zone nitrogen leaching (estimated by adding up the land use area multiplied by the average nitrogen leaching rate of each main land use in the sub-catchment) and the river nitrogen load (estimated by using the measured monthly soluble inorganic nitrogen concentrations and daily water flow) at the outlet of the sub-catchment. Finally, the relationship between various sub-catchment characteristics and the values was evaluated using regression analysis. We found that the varied from 0.29 (Makuri at Tuscan Hills and Kumeti at Te Rehunga sub-catchments) to 0.75 (Manawatu at Weber Rd and Raparapawai at Jackson Rd subcatchments) with an average of 0.58 for the whole of TGWMZ (i.e. the Manawatu River at the Upper Gorge monitoring site). The regression analysis between and sub-catchment characteristics showed that the fine textured soils (e.g. clay loam) has a positive relationship with the (R 2 =0.37, p <0.05). On the other hand, the has a negative relationship with
Diet Patterns and Incident Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

vii BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE . 1 PUBLIC HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE OF AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION . 1 PATHOLOGY OF AMD . 3 CLASSIFICATION OF AMD. 3 CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND DIAGNOSIS . 5 PATHOGENESIS OF AMD . 5 RISK FACTORS FOR AMD . 7 DIET AS A RISK FACTOR FOR AMD . 14 DIET PATTERNS/HEALTHY DIET . 17 RATIONALE . 27 SPECIFIC AIMS . 28 METHODS . 29 ANALYSIS . 34 RESULTS . 38 DISCUSSION. 46 REFERENCES . 56 TABLES . 63
The Characteristics and Experiences of CanadianStudents Receiving Special Education Services fora Learning Disability

Thi s article provides a description of the demographic characteristics as well as the social and academic experiences of a nationally representative sample of Canadian students receiving special education services for a learning disability (LD) and a comparison group without disabilities (NLD). Data summarized in this article were drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY), which contains information provided by teachers, parents, and students. Results indicate that the demographic characteristics of the LD group are similar to the NLD group. As well, no signifi ca nt diffe rences were found between the selfreports of children in the LD and NLD groups regarding school and social experiences. However, diffe rences exist in teachers’ perceptions of students’ educational potential, social skills, and motivation. The find ings inform school effor ts focused on reducing the drop-out rate of students with LD. Other implications for practice as wellas for future research are discussed.
Creative Class and Regional Growth - Empirical Evidence from Eight European Countries

We analyze the regional distribution and the effect of people in creative occupations based on data for more than 450 regions in eight European countries. The geographic distribution of the creative class is highly uneven. The creative class is not attracted to highly urbanized regions per se, but rather a climate of tolerance and openness seem to be rather important factors. We find that the creative class has a positive and significant effect on employment growth and new business formation at the regional level. Human capital as measured by creative occupation outperforms indicators that are based on formal education.
Finding Reasons for Trust where Formal Institutions Fail

This article takes an empirical point of departure in a longitudinal study in Tanzania that focuses on the trust formation process in its 'bare' form, i.e. in a context where formal institutions are of little help in curbing opportunistic behav- iour. The study's framework suggests a knowledge-based view of trust where the interplay between an individual's subjective knowledge or 'good reasons' for trusting others and inclination to take a 'leap of faith' explains his or her engage- ment in cooperative activity. The empirical findings show that people do not tend to be gamblers and take a big leap of faith when institutional prerequisites imply bad odds. On the contrary, people instead try hard and imaginatively to create reasons for trusting that are really good. In particular, they favour reasons that are related to control, such as those where sanctions or hostage-like measures come into play. As a result, the findings do not support the argument that the use of con- trol(s) signals distrust and casts doubt over a partner's good will.
The Standard Model: A Primer: Theoretical framework

List of illustrations List of tables Preface Acknowledgments Part I. Theoretical Framework: 1. Field theory review 2. The standard model: general features 3. Cross sections and lifetimes Part II. Applications: Leptons: 4. Elementary boson decays 5. Leptonic weak interactions: decays 6. Leptonic weak interactions: collisions 7. Effective Lagrangians Part III. Applications: Hadrons: 8. Hadrons and QCD 9. Hadronic interactions Part IV. Beyond the Standard Model: 10. Neutrino masses 11. Open questions, proposed solutions Appendix A. Experimental values for the parameters Appendix B. Symmetries and group theory review Appendix C. Lorentz group and the Dirac algebra Appendix D. xi-gauge Feynman rules Appendix E. Metric convention conversion table Select bibliography Index.
The German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) - Scope, Evolution and Enhancements

After the introduction in Section 2, we very briefly sketch out current theoretical and empirical developments in the social sciences. In our view, they all point in the same direction: toward the acute and increasing need for multidisciplinary longitudinal data covering a wide range of living conditions and based on a multitude of variables from the social sciences for both theoretical investigation and the evaluation of policy measures. Cohort and panel studies are therefore called upon to become truly interdisciplinary tools. In Section 3, we describe the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), in which we discuss recent improvements of that study which approach this ideal and point out existing shortcomings. Section 4 concludes with a discussion of potential future issues and developments for SOEP and other household panel studies.
Data Resolution Matrix Of High-Frequency Rayleigh-Wave Phase Velocities

High-frequency (≥ 2 Hz) Rayleigh-wave phase velocities have been utilized to determine shear (S)-wave velocities in near-surface geophysics since the early 1980s. For a given nearsurface geophysical problem, it is essential to understand how well the data, calculated according to a layered earth model, might match the observed data. It is also important to recognize that the match may only be possible for data in a certain frequency range because the sensitivity of Rayleigh-wave phase velocities due to changes in S-wave velocities varies with frequency. The data resolution matrix is not a function of the data, but only of the data kernel (the Jacobian matrix, determined by a geophysical model and a priori information applied to the problem). The data resolution matrix of high-frequency Rayleigh-wave phase velocities, therefore, offers a quantitative tool for design of field surveys and prediction of the match between calculated and observed data. We employ the data resolution matrix to discuss the resolving power of phase velocities at different frequencies and the advantages of higher modes. Our discussion provides insights into the inversion of Rayleigh-wave phase velocities. Because of restrictions of the data kernel of the inversion system, each near-surface geophysical problem can be resolved only with Rayleigh-wave phase velocities in a specific frequency range and higher modes normally possess higher resolving power than the fundamental mode.
Trophic niche of two co-occurring ophiuroid species in impacted coastal systems, derived from fatty acid and stable isotope analyses

The trophic niches of 2 common co-occurring ophiuroids, Ophiocomina nigra and Ophiothrix fragilis (Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea), in 2 contrasting coastal systems of Brittany (France) were investigated. We used a combination of fatty acid biomarkers derived from neutral lipids and stable isotopic compositions to explore the contributions of oceanic versus continental inputs to the ophiuroids' diet. We investigated 2 different systems with an inshore versus offshore comparison. We sampled potential food sources and surveyed organisms every 2 mo for 1 yr. Spatio-temporal variations in stable isotopes and fatty acid profiles of the ophiuroids were gener- ally low compared to interspecific differences. Fatty acid markers showed that both ophiuroids relied on diatom inputs. However, a more δ 15 N-enriched isotopic composition as well as a more balanced plant- versus animal-derived fatty acid composition in O. nigra suggest that a broader range of food sources are being used by this species irrespective of location or sampling time. The positive correlation between the 18:1n-9/18:1n-7 fatty acid ratio and δ 15 N values indicates a higher trophic position for O. nigra (suggesting an omnivorous feeding mode), whereas O. fragilis appears to be more herbivorous. Moreover, the low polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio associated with elevated bacterial fatty acid markers indicates that O. nigra preferentially con- sumes detritus, while O. fragilis relies more on fresh phytoplankton-derived material. Both stable isotope and fatty acid analyses suggest that terrestrial inputs do not contribute significantly to the diet of these ophiuroids. However, phytodetritus derived from decomposing green macroalgae contributed to the diet of O. nigra in the Bay of Douarnenez.
Trafficking and activity of rhomboid proteases in "Toxoplasma gondii"

The obligate intracellular parasite possess six rhomboid-like genes in its genome, five of which ares expressed in the tachyzoite life form. Among the products of these gene TgROM4 and TgROM5 are surface residents and are therfore candidates to be responsible for shedding activity of adhesins, that is crucial for parasites invasion. TgROM1 is a microneme resident, TgROM2 is a Golgi resident, and finally, TgROM6 is mitochondrial. This work is focused on the mechanisms controling the trafficking of the four seretase TgROMs to the microneme Golgi and surface. It has also been attempting to address the function of TgROM1, TgROM4 and to identify potential substrates.
Transcriptome analysis of ‘Sijihua’ longan (Dimocarpus longan L.) based on next-generation sequencing technology

ABSTRACT ‘Sijihua’ longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) blossoms throughout the year, and hence it is a useful material for studies on the mechanism of flowering. However, few genomic resources such as DNA sequences or markers are currently available for ‘Sijihua’ longan. To increase our understanding of the genetic control of important flowering characteristics in ‘Sijihua’ longan, we constructed a mixed cDNA library of ‘Sijihua’ longan using Illumina paired-end sequencing technology and obtained a total of 90,069,246 high-quality reads. Among the unigenes, 43.16% (59,588) had at least one BLASTX hit against the Arabidopsis thaliana sequence database and 42.83% (59,130) had significant similarity with proteins in the NCBI non-redundant protein database. Of these annotated unigenes, a total of 15,956 (11.56%) were mapped onto 271 pathways using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway database. Furthermore, 11,402 unigenes were converted into 13,236 potential simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Dinucleotide SSRs were the dominant repeat motif, with a frequency of 54.3%, followed by trinucleotide (34.6%) and tetranucleotide (4.7%) repeat motifs. AG/CT repeats (46.29%) were the most frequent motifs in the data set. We focused on gene discovery in the area of regulation of flowering, and transcripts were identified for almost every gene involved in the control of flowering. This study demonstrates that Illumina sequencing technology is a rapid and informative approach to gene discovery and molecular marker development in non-model organisms without a whole genome database. Our results provide a comprehensive sequence resource for investigating the mechanisms of flowering in ‘Sijihua’ longan, and will establish a platform for further studies on longan.
Mortalidade hospitalar dos recém-nascidos com peso de nascimento menor ou igual a 1.500 g no município de Fortaleza

Objective: To obtain information on the hospital mortality of infants born in Fortaleza with birth weight less than or equal to 1,500 g, and to compare it with data from the Vermont Oxford Network, a center of excellence for neonatal care. Results: A total of 774 newborn infants were analyzed. The neonatal mortality coefficient was 477‰, and the postneonatal mortality coefficient was 35‰, taking the hospital mortality coefficient to 512‰. The coefficient of early neonatal mortality was 335‰, and the coefficient of late neonatal mortality was 142‰. Mortality coefficients were higher in Fortaleza for all weight ranges than on the Vermont Oxford Network and were also, with the exception of the less than or equal to 600 g weight range, higher than in Montevideo. Conclusions: The results demonstrate high rates of hospital mortality among very low birth weight infants, with a greater concentration during the first week of life, suggesting that not only the care provided at the neonatal intensive care units is deficient, but also that prenatal and delivery-room care is inadequate.
Prediction of painful temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis in juvenile patients using bone scintigraphy

The study aims to evaluate whether bone scintigraphy is effective in diagnosing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) osteoarthritis (OA) in juvenile patients. A retrospective study was conducted with 356 consecutive patients with TMJ–OA who were clinically assessed according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders. Patients were assigned to three groups based on their ages: Group 1: aged 12–16 years; Group 2: aged 17–19 years; and Group 3: aged 20 years. Additionally, we performed qualitative and quantitative analyses of bone scintigraphy images for the TMJ uptake ratio of the involved joint. The diagnostic rate of TMJ–OA (n = 356, 100%), and the overall presence of subjective pain (n = 282, 77.3%) was closest to the results of bone scintigraphy (n = 333, 91.2%). In addition, reported TMJ pain was significantly associated only with the results of bone scintigraphy and not with the results of panoramic radiography or cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in all age groups. With CBCT as the reference standard, the optimal cutoff values of the uptake ratio for the diagnosis of TMJ–OA were 2.171 and 2.017 in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (P value < 0.05). Our results suggest that bone scintigraphy can be considered a useful modality for diagnosing TMJ–OA in juvenile patients.
Sorghum grain as human food in Africa: relevance of content of starch and amylase activities

Sorghum is a staple food grain in many semi-arid and tropic areas of the world, notably in Sub-Saharan Africa because of its good adaptation to hard environments and its good yield of production. Among important biochemical components for sorghum processing are levels of starch (amylose and amylopectin) and starch depolymerizing enzymes. Current research focus on identifying varieties meeting specific agricultural and food requirements from the great biodiversity of sorghums to insure food security. Results show that some sorghums are rich sources of micronutrients (minerals and vitamins) and macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fat). Sorghum has a resistant starch, which makes it interesting for obese and diabetic people. In addition, sorghum may be an alternative food for people who are allergic to gluten. Malts of some sorghum varieties display α α α α-amylase and s-amylase activities comparable to those of barley, making them useful for various agro-industrial foods. The feature of sorghum as a food in developing as well as in developed countries is discussed. A particular emphasis is made on the impact of starch and starch degrading enzymes in the use of sorghum for some African foods, e.g. “to”, thin porridges for infants, granulated foods “couscous”, local beer “dolo”, as well agro-industrial foods such as lager beer and bread.