Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of climate change on natural resources and communities: a compendium of briefing papers

This report is a compilation of four briefing papers based on literature reviews and syntheses, prepared for USDA Forest Service policy analysts and decisionmakers about specific questions pertaining to climate change. The main topics addressed here are effects of climate change on wildlife habitat, other ecosystem services, and land values; socioeconomic impacts of climate change on rural communities; and competitiveness of carbon offset projects on nonindustrial private forests in the United States. The U.S. private forest offset projects tend to be less costly than European projects but more expensive to implement than those in tropical forests in developing countries. Important policy considerations involving any mitigation actions include effects on other ecosystem services, such as wildlife habitat, and determining baselines and additionality. Stacking of ecosystem services payments or credits with carbon offset payments may be crucial in improving the participation of private forest owners. Potential social impacts of climate change are discussed in terms of health effects on rural communities and climate change sensitivity of indigenous communities. Potential economic impacts on rural communities are discussed for agriculture, forestry, recreation and tourism, fisheries,water resources, and energy. Salient findings from the literature are summarized in the synthesis of the literature, along with identified research needs.
Coarse woody debris: Inventory, decay modelling, and management implications in three biogeoclimatic zones

To assess recent management practices, post-harvest levels of coarse woody debris (CWD) were measured in the Southern Interior and Northern Interior forest regions of British Columbia. A simple input and decay model was used to estimate the volumes of CWD that might be present at the end of managed forest rotations. In four ecosystems (Sub-Boreal Spruce [SBS] mk1 variant, Interior Douglas-fir [IDF] dm2 variant, Interior Cedar–Hemlock [ICH] dw variant, and ICHvk2/wk3 variants) that were sampled a few years after harvest, between 58 and 80% of the CWD volume came from pieces less than 6 m in length. Modelling of CWD decay and net new CWD input from the developing stand indicated that by rotation end (after 90 years), CWD volumes would have decreased to about 15% (SBSmk1) and 1% (IDFdm2) of the CWD volumes found in mature unmanaged stands.In the ecosystems studied, this research suggests that specific management guidance for deadwood will be required to maintain CWD (outside of reserves) in managed stands. Various techniques could be employed to manage the CWD resource. The purpose of this paper is not to present such techniques; however, the sampling and modelling methodology outlined here will help to formulate management approaches by allowing an assessment of CWD presence throughout a managed forest rotation.
Banking Corporation Dividend Policy – Evidence from ASEAN-6 Countries

Purpose : The study aims to investigate the effect of Return on Assets (ROA), Asset Turnover (Ast-Tvr), Leverage, Change in Earnings (ChE), and Size on dividend policy as measured by Dividend Increase (DIC) on banking companies in Asean-6 Countries. Method : We employed eight-year observation period from 2012 to 2019, thus the purposive method obtained 134 companies as samples. This study used regression analysis by Logistic Regression as the method and collected the secondary data from the annual financial statements of banking companies of ASEAN-6 countries which comprises of Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Findings : The results show that ROA, Ast-Tvr, Leverage, ChE, and Size have no significant effect on dividend policy. Novelty : To the best of our knowledge, there is no literature examining dividend policy in ASEAN-6 countries. Hence, we tried to fill the gap in terms of dividend policies in ASEAN-6 Countries. Further, this study contributes further research to provide evidence of what policies are set by banking corporations in ASEAN countries. This research also displays a better understanding for stakeholders and investors in interpreting the dividend related information prior taking the investment decision. Keywords : Dividend Policy; ROA; Asset Turnover; Leverage; Change in Earnings; ASEAN-6 Countries
Board Diversity and Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure in ASEAN Banking Industry

Purpose : First, to find the determining factors which affects CSR disclosure in the ASEAN banking industry by examining the effect of diversity from gender, board size, and education. Second, observe and analyze the level and variation of ASEAN banking CSR disclosures.Method : This study uses a sample of the ASEAN banking industry with an observation period of 2017-2019. The bank annual report was examined to analyze the bank CSR disclosures using content analysis and panel data analysis.Findings : The inclusive results of this study reveal that there is a positive and significant effect of board education diversity on CSR disclosure of bank. Meanwhile, the diversity for board size and board gender is not significant for bank CSR disclosure. Based on statistical calculations, the level of CSR disclosure of banks varies from 13.09 percent to 27.89 percent, with on average they report each is Thailand 27.89 percent, Philippines 13.09 percent, Malaysia 17.04 percent, Singapore 14.49 percent, and Indonesia 25.17 percent.Novelty : First, this study contributes to the CSR literature, because the banking industry is generally avoided from CSR studies. Second, this study offers empirical evidence of board diversity on CSR disclosure. Third, adopts a cross-country approach across ASEAN rather than just one country. Fourth, present the results of the analysis under the CSR disclosure indicators GRI-G4 : financial service. Keywords : Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure; Board Diversity; ASEAN; Banking Industry
Structure and origin of the 85°E Ridge

The submerged 85°E Ridge in the Bay of Bengal trends approximately N-S between 19°N and 6°N latitudes. Off the southeast coast of Sri Lanka it takes an arcuate shape and seems to terminate with the northward extension of the Afanasy Nikitin seamounts situated around 2°S latitude. The ridge is characterized by positive magnetic (100–400 nT) and negative free-air gravity (<−60 mGal) anomalies with variable widths of 100–180 km. Magnetic model studies revealed that the rocks of the 85°E Ridge are magnetized with reversed polarity. The well-defined geophysical anomalies and lack of magnetic polarity reversals together with the deep burial nature of the ridge may not favor a hotspot origin. Two alternative processes for the ridge emplacement have been suggested. Ridge emplacement may be (1) due to shearing of the lithosphere caused by stretching and compressional forces associated at the time of major plate reorganization immediately after the evolution of the early Cretaceous crust in the Bay of Bengal, more precisely at M0 isochron or during the middle Albian reversals within the Cretaceous long normal polarity (K-T superchron) epoch when the Earth's magnetic polarity changed from normal to reversed polarity, and/or (2) due to sagging followed by deformation produced by the buckling instability of the oceanic plate caused by horizontal compressional forces on the passive continental margin. However, more marine geophysical data are required to support the postulated coincidence of the ridge with a reversed polarity magnetic anomaly and their associated model. Further, the Rajmahal traps (normally polarized) and the 85°E Ridge (reversely polarized) appear to be associated with two different episodes of eruption that might have been triggered by the Kerguelen mantle plume. The 85°E Ridge seems to extend into the onshore West Bengal Basin as a subsurface ridge and merges with the reported NNE-SSW trending zone of strong geophysical anomalies east of Rajmahal traps up to 25°N latitude.
Improving Growth, Yield and Oil Productivity of Rosemary Plants Grown in Sandy Calcareous Soil by Using some Manures Organic Tea and Salicylic Acid

In order to study the response of rosemary plants grown in sandy calcareous soil to soil application of three organic manures tea namely, tea compost, pigeon manure tea and chicken manure tea and spraying with salicylic acid (SA) at 100, 200, 300 and 400 ppm, as well as their interactions. A field experiment was achieved in new reclamation sandy soil located at El-Shiak Fadl Village Beni-Mazar
Multicentury-Scale Records of Carbonate (Hydrographic?) Variability on the Northern Iceland Margin over the Last 5000 Years 1

Abstract The waters off northern Iceland are subjected to extreme hydrographic variability on annual to decadal timescales. In years when cold low-salinity water moves coastward and sea ice is prevalent (i.e., the late 1960s), marine productivity of surface waters is low because the water column is well stratified. In the opposite oceanographic mode, warm, salty Atlantic Water dominates the shelf and vertical mixing results in high productivity. We track these two contrasting modes by measuring the carbonate content of marine sediments, a proxy for productivity, in three cores from northern Iceland. The fjord record (B997-328PC) is anchored by eleven 14C AMS dates and has a resolution of one sample every 50 yr. Thirteen oscillations occurred over the last 4800 cal yr with an average length of 370 yr; these are superimposed on a long-term decrease in net carbonate accumulation. The Little Ice Age is marked by the largest decrease in carbonate content and in flux, with smaller minima at 2300 and 3000 cal yr B.P. Marked peaks in carbonate (optima) occurred at 2000 and 3800 cal yr B.P. The carbonate record from B997-328PC can be correlated with records on the inner shelf (B997-330PC) and midshelf (B997-327PC), indicating that significant regional changes in oceanography occurred at the southern margin of the Norwegian–Greenland Sea. The marine carbonate fluctuations closely track temperature reconstructions from the Greenland Summit site for the last 2000 cal yr and show similar, but slightly offset, oscillations between 2000 and ca. 4800 cal yr B.P.
Modeling study of ozone seasonal cycle in lower troposphere over east Asia

[1] On the basis of three mountain sites (Mount Tai, Hua and Huang) newly founded in east-central China and several other sites from the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in east Asia (EANET) and WMO World Data Centre for Greenhouse Gases (WDCGG), we investigate seasonal cycle of ozone over east Asia and its budgets in east-central China by using a regional chemical transport model (NAQPMS). The observations show a striking ozone pattern of two sharp peaks in May-June and September–October at three mountain sites in east-central China which are higher than those observed at other mountain sites in Europe and North America. Ozone budgets analysis by the model confirms that maximum of net photochemical productions reaches 31.8, 15.1, and 11.4 ppbv/d at Mount Tai, Hua, and Huang, respectively. The net photochemical production dominates the formation of ozone maximums at Mount Tai and Hua in June, and the importing transport also plays a comparable importance at Mount Huang. In comparison with those in the western North Pacific, east-central China shows stronger net photochemical productions, which are comparable to anthropogenic sources regions in Europe and North America.
The effect of the administration of two different generations of antihistaminics on lingual papilla and taste buds of rats’ tongues.

Background: Medications administered to geriatric patients can account for their taste dysfunction. First and second generation antihistamines have been claimed to cause changes in taste perception. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of first and second-generation antihistamines on the ultrastructure of taste buds and lingual papillae of rats’ tongues. Methodology: Twelve adult male albino rats were randomly distributed into three groups. Control group: rats received distilled water daily, Histoloc group: rats received 4.8 mg/kg promethazine hydrochloride in distilled water daily and Zyrtec group: rats received 3 mg/kg of Cetirizine dihydrochloride in distilled water daily. After three weeks, all rats were euthanized and tongues were dissected into two parts, two halves. Specimens from the right halves of the tongue were prepared for Hematoxylin & Eosin stain for histological and histomorphometric evaluation. While specimens from the left halves were used to measure caspase-3 and inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression by qRT-PCR. Results: Histological examination of Histoloc and Zyrtec groups revealed distortion of normal fungiform papilla morphology with marked areas of degeneration in the taste bud. Although caspase-3 and inducible nitric oxide synthase revealed a statistically significant increase in gene expression in Zyrtec and Histoloc groups as compared to the control, the difference between Zyrtec and Histoloc was not significant. Conclusion: First and second-generation antihistamines resulted in various degenerative changes in rats’ lingual papillae and taste buds. However, these effects were more pronounced with antihistamines of the first generation than those of the second.
Torrefaction for Upgrading the Quality of Merbau Wood Waste Pellets

Recently, biofuels are intensively studied regarding the need of alternative renewable energy sources. Woody biomass has been one of the raw materials which are used in various ways including biofuels. As for biofuels, woody biomass has yet to possess some disadvantages such as bulk dimension, low density, non-uniformity, and high moisture content. Pelletizing has been one of the ways to improve the quality of woody biomass to be a proper biofuel. However, wood pellets also still offer downside such as hygroscopicity. Torrefaction is one of the methods to upgrade pellets quality such as high calorific value, fixed carbon, and hydrophobicity. In this study, merbau wood waste pellets were dry torrefied at a temperature of 200°C and 250°C for 15 and 30 minutes. The data obtained showed that torrefaction applied on merbau wood waste pellets could produce high quality pellets.
Identification of carboxymethyl (CM)-binding proteins derived from Lolium multiflorum pollen extract and antibody reactivity in Brazilian allergic patients

Lolium multiflorum grass is the major pollen allergen source in the southern region of Brazil, but most of its allergens remain poorly characterized. The aim of this study was to investigate antibody reactivity to L. multiflorum crude and carboxymethyl-ligand extracts in allergic patients and healthy individuals. Ion exchange carboxymethyl (CM) chromatography (CM-Sepharose) was used to isolate proteins (S2) from L. multiflorum crude extract (S1), which were assessed by SDS-PAGE. S1- and S2-specific IgE and IgG4 levels were measured by ELISA using sera from 55 atopic and 16 non-atopic subjects. Reactive polypeptide bands in S1 and S2 were detected by immunoblotting, and the most prominent bands in S2 were analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS-MS). Similar IgE and IgG4 levels were observed to both S1 (IgE median absorbance: 1.22; IgG4 median absorbance: 0.68) and S2 (IgE median absorbance: 1.26; IgG4 median absorbance: 0.85) in atopic subjects. S1 and S2 had positive correlations for IgE and IgG4 (IgE: r=0.9567; IgG4: r=0.9229; P<0.0001) levels. Homology between S1 and S2 was confirmed by IgE (84%) and IgG4 (83%) inhibition. Immunoblotting revealed that the 29-32 kDa band was recognized by 100% of atopic subjects in both S1 and S2. MS-MS analysis identified similarity profile to groups 1 and 5 grass allergens. This study revealed that carboxymethyl-ligand fraction played an important role for pollen allergy diagnosis by containing clinically relevant allergens and constituted a promising candidate for allergen-specific immunotherapy.
The seismic velocity and fault structure of the Erzincan basin, Turkey, using local earthquake tomography

SUMMARY We present a detailed 3-D seismic velocity model for the upper crust, beneath the Erzincan Basin using tomographic inversion applied to the bodywave arrivals of the 1992 March 13 Erzincan earthquake (Ml= 6.9) aftershock sequence. High quality digital data collected by various institutions is used, consisting of 1240 hypocentres with rms errors less than 0.10 s, recorded by 25 stations on average. This provides a total of approximately 21 000 P- and 10 000 S-arrival times. The final solution is well constrained and reveals sharp boundaries bordering the basin. The shape of the basin is found to be deeper on the north and narrower at the eastern border. The velocity contrast related to the basin extends down to a depth of 3 km, but is hardly perceptible at 6 km and completely disappears at 9 km. The thickness of low-velocity unconsolidated soft sediments (Vp < 2000 m s−1) is estimated to be shallower than 3 km. The hypocentres were relocated using the inferred 3-D model and correlated with the fault segments that were observed in field studies. In addition to the main segment of the North Anatolian Fault (NAF), on the north of the basin, we identified a secondary faulted zone located along the southern border of the basin and merging with the Pulumur Fault Zone. We observed that this southern zone has a limited extension towards east (∼20 km) and therefore played only a minor role in the evolution of the basin. Despite the complex interaction between the North Anatolian Fault, the Ovacik Fault and the Pulumur Fault Zone, it is clear that the Erzincan Basin has developed predominantly by the pull-apart mechanism. We conclude that the main continuation of NAF to the east is the branch on the north following the Euphrates valley, and constitutes, locally, the primary seismic hazard factor.
Gravity wave activity during recent stratospheric sudden warming events from SOFIE temperature measurements

Stratospheric Sudden Warmings (SSWs) followed by the formation of an elevated stratopause at ~70–80 km occurred in four of the five recent Arctic winters (2009–2013). We use global high‐latitude temperature measurements from the Solar Occultation for Ice Experiment (SOFIE) to analyze the gravity wave (GW) activity in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere (30–90 km) during different phases of the SSW events. We characterize GW activity in terms of temperature fluctuations and the growth of GW potential energy with altitude. At both 40 and 60 km, compared to the non‐SSW year of 2011, the GW activity in the SSW years of 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013 was reduced after the warming, during the occurrence of an isothermal atmosphere and an elevated stratopause. In contrast, at 80 km the GW activity was highly variable between the individual stratospheric warming events. A case study of GW activity during the 2013 warming event and coincident SOFIE observations of water vapor (H2O) from ~40 to 90 km indicate a correlation between increase in wave activity at each altitude and the time of descent of dry air. This study supports previous modeling studies' findings that enhanced GW activity is responsible for the downward transport of trace species from the mesosphere to the stratosphere following an SSW event.
Earthworm calcite granules: a new tracker of millennial‐timescale environmental changes in Last Glacial loess deposits

Earthworm calcite granules (ECG) are secreted by several earthworm species, mostly Lumbricus terrestris and Lumbricus rubellus, which release them at the surface and in the upper part of soil horizons. For a long time, they have been found in various calcareous Quaternary deposits, but more recently in Western European loess sequences where they can be abundant in specific layers. In this study, we present the first continuous record of ECG abundance variations from two loess sequences in northern France dating from the last glacial period. The aim of this research is to evaluate the reliability of ECG as a new palaeoenvironmental proxy for the study of loess environments. ECG counts reveal a link between their abundance and the nature of stratigraphic units, i.e. very high abundances in tundra gley and boreal brown soil horizons and almost none in typical calcareous loess. These abundance variations are similar to those of terrestrial molluscs. The ECG signal thus suggests, along with sedimentological parameters (grain size index, calcium carbonate, total organic carbon), that milder climatic conditions occurred during the development of tundra gleys during the Upper Pleniglacial (∼20–35 ka), and of boreal brown soils during the Middle Pleniglacial (∼35–40 ka).
Optimal Trajectory and Positioning of UAVs for Small Cell HetNets: Geometrical Analysis and Reinforcement Learning Approach

In this paper, a dynamic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based heterogeneous network (HetNet) equipped with directional terahertz (THz) antennas is studied to solve the problem of transferring massive traffic of distributed small cells to the core network. To this end, we first characterize a detailed three-dimensional (3D) modeling of the dynamic UAV-assisted HetNet, by taking into account the random positions of small cell base stations (SBSs), spatial angles between THz links, real antenna pattern, and UAV’s vibrations in the 3D space. We then formulate the problem for UAV trajectory to minimize the maximum outage probability (OP) of directional THz links. Then, using geometrical analysis and deep reinforcement learning (RL) method, we propose several algorithms to find the optimal trajectory and select an optimal pattern during the trajectory. For a network with slow time changes, we also propose a deep RL framework to solve the joint optimal UAV positioning and antenna pattern control. The simulation results confirm that the UAV trajectory or antenna pattern control is not enough to achieve acceptable performance, and the UAV should control its antenna patterns during the trajectory to manage the interference.
Of tongues and ties: Surfacing inclusive strategies in linguistically diverse classrooms

Abstract This qualitative study examined the inclusive strategies in language teaching that teachers (ties) employed to cater to the different linguistic backgrounds (tongues) of the primary learners in the Philippines. It also explored the effects of these inclusive strategies on the pupils’ learning. Five teachers teaching in a classroom with linguistically diverse students and 16 linguistically diverse pupils from kindergarten to Grade 3 participated in the study. Findings from interviews, classroom observation, visual learning materials, and learning logs revealed that teachers utilized diversifying instructional materials, diversifying communication mediums, and diversifying activities strategies to cater to all the pupils’ needs despite their language differences, making inclusive education accessible. However, although these strategies were inclusive, they evoked maximized learning and minimized learning in the pupils. Because diversity is a constant in multicultural settings like the Philippines, the findings suggest that teachers must improve time management while using inclusive strategies to offset the minimized learning effect, i.e. the lack of time. Implications and recommendations are discussed.
Adaptive Active Anti-vibration Control for a Three-dimensional Helicopter Flexible Slung-load System with Input Saturations and Backlash

— This study investigates active anti-vibration control for a three-dimensional helicopter ﬂexible slung-load system (HF-SLS) subject to input saturations and backlash. The ﬁrst target of the study is to establish a model for a three-dimensional HFSLS. The second target is to develop an adaptive control law for a HFSLS by analyzing its ability to compensate for the effects of input saturations, input backlash, and external disturbances, while achieving the goal of vibration reduction. Simulation results of the numerical show that the proposed adaptive active control technology is effective in solving the oscillation suppression problem for the three-dimensional HFSLS with input saturations and