Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Combining two soil property rasters using an adaptive gating approach

Given the wide variety of ways one can measure and record soil properties, it is not uncommon to have multiple overlapping predictive maps for a particular soil property. One is then faced with the challenge of choosing the best prediction at a particular point, either by selecting one of the maps, or by combining them together in some optimal manner. This question was recently examined in detail when Malone et al. (2014) compared four different methods for combining a digital soil mapping product with a disaggregation product based on legacy data. These authors also examined the issue of how to compute confidence intervals for the resulting map based on confidence intervals associated with the original input products. In this paper, we propose a new method to combine models called adaptive gating, which is inspired by the use of gating functions in mixture of experts, a machine learning approach to forming hierarchical classifiers. We compare it here with two standard approaches – inverse-variance weights and a regression based approach. One of the benefits of the adaptive gating approach is that it allows weights to vary based on covariate information or across geographic space. As such, this presents a method that explicitly takes full advantage of the spatial nature of the maps we are trying to blend. We also suggest a conservative method for combining confidence intervals. We show that the root mean-squared error of predictions from the adaptive gating approach is similar to that of other standard approaches under cross-validation. However under independent validation the adaptive gating approach works better than the alternatives and as such it warrants further study in other areas of application and further development to reduce its computational complexity.
U–Pb isotopic constraints on diachronous metamorphism in the northern Monashee complex, southern Canadian Cordillera

U–Pb isotopic data from the northern Monashee complex, one of the deepest structural exposures in the southern Canadian Cordillera, indicate that the age of metamorphism varies according to structural position in a 6 km thick section. This metamorphism resulted in an unusual sequence in which rocks with the lowest‐grade mineral assemblage (kyanite–sillimanite–staurolite–muscovite) are underlain and overlain by higher‐grade rocks. Xenotime and monazite U–Pb dates vary progressively from 64 Ma in the structurally highest rocks to 49 Ma in the deepest rocks. Discordant U–Pb ages from Proterozoic and Cretaceous monazite and titanite are used to interpret the thermal significance of the early Tertiary dates. The discordant analyses define linear arrays with lower intercepts that broadly overlap with early Tertiary, and the amount of discordance varies with structural level; it is least in the deeper rocks and greatest in higher rocks. Electron microprobe work showed that the monazite discordance in the deeper rocks resulted from Tertiary mineral overgrowth and recrystallization rather than Pb diffusion. We use previous studies of Pb diffusion and the fact that Proterozoic monazite and titanite suffered only negligible to moderate amounts of diffusive Pb loss to contend that elevated temperatures (c. 600–650 °C are inferred from pelitic mineral assemblages) existed in the deeper rocks for a short duration, perhaps a few million years. The downwards younging 64–49 Ma U–Pb dates are interpreted as closely reflecting xenotime and monazite growth ages rather than cooling ages or substantially reset ages based on the lack of Pb diffusion in monazite and the previously obtained 40Ar/39Ar data which suggest that rapid cooling occurred immediately after the U–Pb dates. In addition, growth ages are interpreted as thermal peak ages based on U–Pb dates from coeval kyanite‐bearing leucosomes, the consistent nature of the U–Pb dates throughout the study area, and petrographic relationships which suggest that monazite grew before or during development of the syn‐metamorphic foliation. These interpretations lead us to conclude that metamorphism was diachronous according to structural level, with higher rocks attaining peak temperatures and cooling rapidly while deeper rocks were heating towards a thermal peak that was attained a few million years later. This thermal scenario requires that higher rocks cannot have been the heat source for the deeper metamorphism, as was previously proposed.
Measurements of the Cretaceous Paleolatitude of Vancouver Island: Consistent with the Baja-British Columbia Hypothesis

A previously unsampled outcrop of gently dipping or flat-lying Upper Cretaceous sedimentary strata in the Vancouver Island region, which contains unaltered aragonitic mollusk fossils, yielded a stable remanent magnetization that is biostratigraphically consistent with Cretaceous magnetochrons 33R, 33N, and 32R. These results, characterized by shallow inclinations, indicate an Upper Cretaceous paleolatitude of about 25 ± 3 degrees north, which is equivalent to that of modern-day Baja California. These findings are consistent with the Baja–British Columbia hypothesis, which puts the Insular Superterrane well south of the Oregon-California border in the Late Cretaceous.
TITLE: How do people with asthma use Internet sites containing patient experiences?

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Patient-reported outcomes after discontinuation of long-term topical corticosteroid treatment for atopic dermatitis: a targeted cross-sectional survey

Background: Topical corticosteroid (TCS) treatment is widely prescribed for atopic dermatitis (AD). However, TCS treatment is associated with tachyphylaxis, and discontinuation after long-term use may cause exacerbation of symptoms. Some AD patients are reluctant to use TCS. Objective: To evaluate patient-reported short-and long-term outcomes after discontinuation of TCS treatment for AD. Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to adult AD patients (n = 1,812) of doctors who did not recommend TCS as first-line therapy for patients who preferred to avoid TCS. Data collected included current TCS use, duration of TCS use, past discontinuation of TCS use, exacerbation of symptoms after discontinuation of TCS use, and limitations to daily activities because of AD. Results: Of 918 respondents, 97.7% had used TCS, of whom 92.3% had experienced discontinuation of TCS use. After discontinuation, 63.9% experienced their most severe AD symptoms ever. The severity of exacerbation of symptoms was significantly correlated with the length of TCS use ( P , 0.001). Although most respondents who experienced severe exacerbation after TCS discontinuation were not current TCS users, they generally had fewer current limitations to activities than when AD symptoms were at their worst. Conclusion: Adult Japanese AD patients who experience severe exacerbation of symptoms immediately after discontinuation of TCS use generally improve over time. We suggest caution regarding long-term TCS treatment in AD patients.
Mother's Perception of General Family Functioning and Sugar Consumption of 3- and 4-Year-Old Children: The East London Family Study

Frequent consumption of sugary foods is a common risk factor for chronic diseases such as dental caries and obesity. Dietary patterns are acquired at home during early life and form a blueprint for dietary behaviours in later life. A favourable family environment can provide a supportive context that enhances the adoption of healthy dietary habits. The aim of this study was to identify the contribution of general family functioning towards the frequent consumption of sugary foods by 3- and 4-year-old children in Outer North East London. The research question was explored with data from the East London Family study, which collected data through home visits from a representative sample of adults and children living in Outer North East London in 2008-2010. This study analysed data from 3- and 4-year-old children (n = 698) and their mothers and included logistic regression, conceptual hierarchical modelling and mediation analysis. The results showed that 17% of the sample consumed sugary foods more than 4 times per day, and that effective general family functioning may help reducing frequent consumption of sugary foods. There was a 67% reduction in children's frequent consumption of sugary foods with every unit increase in the general family functioning score. Mother's higher education may also help reduce the frequent consumption of sugary foods by children. The negative impact of mother's lower education was buffered by the effect of effective general family functioning. The study findings underscore the prospect of identifying factors that contribute to the acquisition of good dietary behaviours.
MERS-CoV: Identifying Viral and Host Factors Associated with Transmission, Pathogenesis, and Treatment Development

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a novel betacoronavirus that is associated with a high mortality rate (~36%) and is endemic in the Middle East. Since 2012, there have been 2100 laboratory confirmed cases and 730 deaths associated with MERS-CoV in 27 countries. Clinical manifestations of the virus range from asymptomatic to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), septic shock, and renal failure resulting in death. Bats are the natural reservoirs of MERS-CoV and can travel over long distances to transmit the virus to different intermediate hosts and humans. This, combined with the MERS-CoV spike (S) protein’s ability to undergo mutations that increase its transmission efficiency, gives the virus a pandemic potential. Currently there is a lack of knowledge on how viral and host factors contribute to the transmission and pathogenesis of MERS-CoV in humans. This article explores the different viral and host factors associated with MERS-CoV transmission and pathogenesis, and how this knowledge can aid in the development of therapeutics. MERS-CoV transmission is facilitated by interaction between the viral receptor binding domain of the S protein and the host receptor dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4). MERS-CoV can utilize multiple host proteases such as furin, transmembrane serine proteinase 2 (TMPRSS2), trypsin, and cathepsin to cleave the S protein, which facilitates membrane fusion. MERS-CoV has been shown to primarily infect cells in the lower respiratory tract of humans, but it can also infect immune and kidney cells. An overactive inflammatory response, induction of apoptosis, and cytokine dysregulation are vital factors that contribute to the high pathogenicity associated with MERS-CoV infection. Future treatment options for MERS-CoV include inhibition of virus entry, fusion, polyprotein cleavage, and replication by targeting both viral and host factors.
Manganoan vivianite in the bottom sediments of Lake Biwa, Japan

The bottom sediments sampled from Lake Biwa, in the southwest of Japan, contain sand-size pellet grains which consist of diatom bodies, detrital quartz and small feldspar fragments with cementing material enclosing them. Vivianite grows in the fecal pellets. Vivianite content is loosely related to water depth as a whole, and there is a large fluctuation in it. The authigenic vivianite has a much higher manganese content than any other published vivianite composition, and Mn/(Mn+Fe) ratio in the vivianite reaches nearly 0.5 at its maximum. Manganese content in the vivianite increases with the water depth of sample localities.
Effect of Drought Conditions on Plankton Community and on Nutrient Availability in an Oligotrophic High Mountain Lake

Abstract Natural water level fluctuations (WLFs) are an inherent characteristic of Mediterranean inland waters, which are projected to be amplified by global climate change. La Caldera (Sierra Nevada National Park, Spain) is an oligotrophic high mountain lake (3050 m a.s.l.) that has experienced large fluctuations in water volume (13–100%) during the past 20 years due to irregular annual precipitation patterns (371–1816 mm). Because of the lake's cold and dilute abiotic environment, it is likely susceptible to projected increases in global temperature and represents an ideal sentinel of global change. We analyze the effect of WLFs on water quality and on plankton community in La Caldera to better understand the potential effects of recurrent droughts (3 droughts in a 20-year period) on lake ecology. We have found significantly positive effects of WLFs on total phosphorus (TP) concentrations. There was extreme variability in TP concentrations during three recurrent droughts (1995, 1999, and 2005) reflecting sediment resuspension. However, the data also suggest that this was not the only source of phosphorus. Extremely high P-enriched atmospheric dust inputs could have maintained the abnormally high TP in-lake concentrations measured during 2005. The data indicate that recurrent droughts have reduced lake resistance to TP changes but have increased lake resistance to total nitrogen (TN) changes, which supports the idea that a P-enriched atmospheric dust inputs during 2005. An increase in dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN)∶TP mass ratio after 2005 was observed, revealing a higher ecosystem homeostasis of this ratio.
A focus on zirconia : an in-vitro lifetime prediction of zirconia dental restorations

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Coincident anomalies of seismic attenuation and electrical resistivity beneath the southern Bolivian Altiplano plateau

Reassessment of local earthquake data from the ANCORP seismological network allowed the calculation of 3D attenuation (Qp) tomographic images of crust and upper mantle beneath the southern Bolivian Altiplano around 21° S. The images reveal a low‐Qp middle and lower crust and a moderate‐Qp upper mantle beneath the southern Altiplano. Beneath the recent magmatic arc, Qp is not significantly decreased at this latitude. The distribution of crustal Qp coincides with the variation of electrical resistivity, thus limiting the possible mechanisms causing the anomalies. Our findings support the hypothesis that partial melts in middle and lower crust beneath the Altiplano are present on a large scale. We see no evidence for a shallow asthenosphere beneath the southern Altiplano.
Sensitivity of flowering phenology to changing temperature in China

Plant phenology is one of the preferred indicators of climate change, and its variation potentially impacts community dynamics and ecosystem functions. To better understand the responses of plants' flowering phenology to rising temperatures, we investigated the temperature sensitivity (expressed as the date of changes in phenology per change in temperature in degree Celsius, d °C−1) of flowering phenology for more than 220 plant species at 59 sites in China during the period 1963–1988. Our results indicated that most flowerings in China were significantly sensitive to the temperature in the 2 months (60 days) prior to the flowering dates. Plants in warmer regions showed larger sensitivities to increased temperatures. Species flowering in the late spring and early summer were generally less sensitive to changing temperature than species flowering at other times of the year. For plants flowering in the spring, species that flower earlier showed higher temperature sensitivity; however, for plants flowering in the summer and autumn, species that flower earlier showed lower temperature sensitivity. The responses of the first and last flowering times to changing temperature were mostly consistent, so flowering durations were rarely (6.1%) sensitive to changing temperature. We hypothesize that plants in cold regions may have adapted to the more variable temperatures and thus showed lower temperature sensitivities than plants in warm regions. Overall, the responses of flowering phenology to temperature varied significantly among temperature zones and plant species, so it should be considered carefully when estimating the impacts of climate warming on the terrestrial biosphere.
Time Horizon and Cooperation in Continuous Time∗

We study interactions with different durations and termination rules in a (quasi) continuous-time prisoner’s dilemma experiment. We find that cooperation is easier to achieve and sustain with deterministic horizons than with stochastic ones; end-game effects emerge, but subjects postpone them with experience; longer duration helps cooperation. Static theories for continuous-time games cannot simultaneously account for these findings and miss the evolution of behavior across supergames. We propose a simple model – based on the replicator dynamics – that proves consistent with this evidence. The analysis of strategies and an additional treatment lend further support to the proposed explanation. JEL Classification Numbers: C72, C73, C91, C92, D74
Prehistoric Human Impacts on Waterbirds at Watmough Bay, Washington, USA

ABSTRACT The well-preserved faunal remains from shell middens in the Pacific Northwest of North America provide a unique opportunity for investigation of the long-term history of human and animal interactions in coastal settings. Recent analysis of a large sample of birds from the Watmough Bay site (45-SJ-280) in the Gulf of Georgia reveals dramatic changes in hunting practices between ca. AD 300–700. Initially the site occupants hunted Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) chicks from nearby nesting colonies. Subsequently, diving ducks were hunted more intensively. The most likely hypothesis is that the cormorants moved their nesting colonies farther away from Watmough Bay in response to repeated human hunting, and people living at the site switched instead to hunting sea ducks, possibly using submerged netting technology. In addition to adding to our knowledge about the impacts of pre-industrial human hunting, the evidence from Watmough Bay provides data about past breeding distributions and relative abundances of bird species that may be of value in addressing biological conservation issues.
Scaling up flux measurements for the boreal forest using aircraft‐tower combinations

Fluxes of carbon dioxide, water vapor, sensible heat, and momentum obtained over the boreal forest from the Twin Otter aircraft and six tower-based systems are compared. These measurements were collected as part of the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) during three intensive field campaigns between May 25 and September 17, 1994. The representativeness of the tower-based measurements collected during BOREAS is discussed. Even though the net radiation from aircraft- and tower-based systems agreed well, in general, the aircraft tended to observe larger latent heat and smaller sensible heat fluxes than the towers. The CO2 fluxes from the aircraft were substantially less than from the tower, while the differences were relatively small for the momentum fluxes. The relationships between aircraft and tower-based flux measurements obtained by making repeated runs past various towers are used to scale up tower-based fluxes to a 16×16 km2 area near Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. It is demonstrated that except for a couple of cases primarily due to rapidly changing radiation conditions, this combination of measurements provides regional flux estimates of momentum, CO2, and sensible and latent heat similar to those obtained by flying a grid pattern over the area.
Growth and collapse of a deeply eroded orogen: Insights from structural, geophysical, and geochronological constraints on the Pan‐African evolution of NE Mozambique

This paper presents results of a large multidiciplinary geological mapping project in NE Mozambique, with a focus on the structural evolution of this part of the East African Orogen (EAO). It integrates field structural studies with geophysical interpretations and presents new geochronological data. The tectonic architecture of NE Mozambique can be subdivided into five megatectonic units on the basis of lithology, structure and geochronology: unit 1, Paleoproterozoic Ponta Messuli Complex in the extreme NW corner of NE Mozambique, which represents the local NW foreland to the EAO; unit 2, a collage of Mesoproterozoic metamorphic complexes, which forms the basement to unit 3, a stack of Neoproterozoic, NW directed imbricate thrust nappes named here the “Cabo Delgado Nappe Complex” (CDNC); unit 4, restricted Neoproterozoic metasedimentary basins; and unit 5, two exotic Neoproterozoic granulite mélange complexes. The units were assembled during a long and complex history of NW directed shortening, which commenced with nappe stacking and emplacement of the CDNC over the Mesoproterozoic basement terranes toward the NW foreland. It is proposed that the CDNC and the Eastern Granulites farther north in Tanzania are remnants of Neoproterozoic volcanic arcs and microcontinents formed “outboard” of the Mesoproterozoic continent after 596 ± 11 Ma. Field and potential field geophysical data show that the nappes were folded by regional‐scale NE–SW trending folds that formed in response to a later stage of the same shortening episode and this episode gave rise to the Lurio Belt, a prominent structural feature of northern Mozambique and a key element (often as suture zone) in many Gondwana reconstructions. The Lurio Belt is here interpreted as a structure generated during folding of the CDNC during later stages of the progressive shortening event. It is, however, a repeatedly reactivated shear zone, probably at the site of an older (Mesoproterozoic? ) discontinuity, with an intense pure shear deformation history. It is cored by strongly attenuated lenses of a granulitic tectonic mélange, the Ocua Complex (megatectonic unit 5) and is intruded by Late Pan‐African granitoids of the Malema Suite. The compressional phase of the orogen was postdated by NW–SE directed extension. New U‐Pb zircon and monazite dates show that extension was initiated at circa 540 Ma in the eastern Lurio Belt. It is argued that extension was the result of a major episode of orogenic collapse of the EAO, initiated by gravitational instabilities resulting from crustal thickening during the shortening phase.