Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Knowledge, Perceptions, and Practices: Mosquito-borne Disease Transmission in Southwest Virginia, USA

Disease emergence and persistence are inherently geographic phenomena, and programs to prevent both are most effective at the local-scale. Specifically, mosquito-borne disease can often be prevented with individual personal precautions; however, effective preventative action typically results from efficient public health programs that teach preventative measures. This study uses principles of disease ecology and the Health Belief Model to examine perceptions of mosquito-borne disease and preventative action in southwest Virginia, USA using a survey. Results suggest low knowledge of mosquito-borne disease among participants, despite recent cases of La Crosse encephalitis and the introduction of West Nile virus to bird populations. Additionally, gender, age, and length of county residence are significant predictors of knowledge, perceived effectiveness of preventative actions, and health seeking behaviors, respectively. These results support the application of the Health Belief Model within a disease ecology framework to study infectious diseases and assist in tailoring local public health programs.
Underwater measurements of a sonic boom

During a sea trial on the Scotian Shelf, acoustic signals from an unexpected sonic boom were recorded on several hydrophones of a vertical array. The array spanned the lower 50 m of the water column above a sand bank at 76 m water depth. Based on the event time and location, the source of the sonic boom was deduced to be a Concorde supersonic airliner in transit between Paris and New York, travelling at about Mach 2 (roughly 600 m/s). The airborne sonic boom was heard on the deck of the research vessel during a routine collection of ocean ambient noise samples; the water-borne sonic boom was recovered later during playback of the recording tape for that sample. The horizontal speed of a sonic boom waveform-which matches the aircraft speed-is lower than the speed of sound in the water if the aircraft speed is below about Mach 4.4; the associated water-borne waveform is expected to decay as an evanescent wave below the sea surface. This decay of the amplitude of the waveform is observed along the array. The very calm weather resulted in low ambient noise and low self-noise at the hydrophones, resulting in good signal-to-noise ratio on the upper hydrophones; however, the decreased signal amplitude is more difficult to detect towards the lower part of the water column. The period of the observed waveform is of the order 0.16 s, corresponding to a peak frequency of about 6 Hz. The shape of the measured waveform differs slightly from the theoretical N-shape waveform predicted with Sawyers theory [J. Acoust, Soc. Am. , 44, 523-4 (1968)]; this is possibly due to propagation effects caused by seismo-acoustic interaction of the infrasonic waves with the sediments underlying the water mass.
L 2 discrepancy of generalized two-dimensional Hammersley point sets scrambled with arbitrary permutations

where the so-called discrepancy function is given as E(x, y,P) = A([0, x)× [0, y),P)−Nxy, with A([0, x)×[0, y),P) denoting the number of indices 1 ≤ M ≤ N for which pM ∈ [0, x)× [0, y). The L2 discrepancy is a quantitative measure for the irregularity of distribution of P, i.e., the deviation from perfect uniform distribution. It was first shown by Roth [15] that for the L2 discrepancy of any finite point set P consisting of N points in [0, 1)2 we have
Short‐term rock surface expansion and contraction in the intertidal zone

Transverse micro‐erosion meter (TMEM) stations were installed in rock slabs from shore platforms in eastern Canada. The slabs were put into artificial sea water for 1, 6 or 11 hours, representing high, mid‐ and low tidal areas, respectively. The TMEMs were used to record changes in surface elevation as the rocks dried during the remainder of the 12 h of a semi‐diurnal tidal cycle. A similar technique was used on the same rock types at intertidal TMEM stations in the field, as the rocks dried during low tide. Argillite and basalt surface contraction was from 0 to 0·04 mm: there was little surface expansion. Sandstones contracted by up to 0·03 mm in the field, but there was almost no contraction in the laboratory. Argillite and basalt contraction tended to be greatest in the upper intertidal zone, and to increase with rates of longer‐term surface downwearing, but there was little relationship with rock hardness or air temperature and humidity. Changes in elevation at the same points at TMEM stations in the laboratory and field were quite consistent from one tidal cycle to the next, but there were considerable variations within single tidal cycles between different points within each station. The data suggest that contraction within the elevational zone that is normally submerged twice a day by the tides is by alternate wetting and drying. Short‐term changes in elevation are generally low compared with annual rates of downwearing owing to erosion, but they may generate stresses that contribute to rock breakdown. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The new tool of the portuguese cooperation : cooperation clusters o novo instrumento da cooperação portuguesa : clusters da cooperação

This work is part of the study conducted within the research work entitled “The cluster as a theoretical and practical tool of the Portuguese International Cooperation for the Development: the case of Mozambique, East Timor, Sao Tome and Principe and Angola” and the PhD thesis entitled “The influence of the clusters in the cooperation for the development at the level of aid effectiveness.
Modelling the bulk flow of a bedrock‐constrained, multi‐channel reach of the Mekong River, Siphandone, southern Laos

The general nature of bulk flow within bedrock single‐channel reaches has been considered by several studies recently. However, the flow structure of a bedrock‐constrained, large river with a multiple channel network has not been investigated previously. The multiple channel network of the Siphandone wetlands in Laos, a section of the Mekong River, was modelled using a steady one‐dimensional hydraulic model. The river network is characterized by a spatially‐varying channel‐form leading to significant changes in the bulk flow properties between and along the channels. The challenge to model the bulk flow in such a remote region was the lack of ideal boundary conditions. The flow models considered both low flow, high inbank and overbank flows and were calibrated using SPOT satellite sensor imagery and limited field data concerning water levels.
White mica 40Ar/39Ar age spectra and the timing of multiple episodes of high‐P metamorphic mineral growth in the Cycladic eclogite–blueschist belt, Syros, Aegean Sea, Greece

New geochronology from Syros in the Cycladic eclogite–blueschist belt, Aegean Sea, Greece, shows that 40Ar/39Ar geochronology consistently dates microstructural events in metamorphic rocks. We demonstrate that the age spectra depend on microstructure in a predictable and systematic way. Ages can be inferred by applying the method of asymptotes and limits to data from the step‐heating experiments. The results are consistent with previously published estimates for the timing of a sequence of distinct and discrete episodes of high‐P metamorphic mineral growth observed regionally across this belt. Arrhenius plots from these experiments imply that phengitic white mica is highly retentive of argon, and therefore (if these data can be extrapolated to the natural environment) the ages can be interpreted as recording the timing of episodic deformation and metamorphism. Porphyroblastic growth begins: (i) for omphacite–jadeite–eclogite facies parageneses at c. 53 Ma; and (ii) for garnet–glaucophane facies parageneses at c. 47 Ma. The Kini Shear Zone started as an extensional post‐epidote–albite‐transitional–blueschist facies shear zone that had completed operation by c. 31 Ma. The scatter in ages is due to the effect of deformation, recrystallization and multiple growth events in shear zones that continued operating for 3–6 million years from the start of each episode.
Validation of MODIS derived aerosol optical depth over Western India

[1] MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) derived aerosol optical depths (AODs) were compared against the ground based observations from Microtops sunphotometer over Ahmedabad (72.5°E, 23.03°N) in Western India. The region is semi-arid and poses challenge for the satellite remote sensing of aerosols. Besides comparing the ground truth with the Collection Version 4 of MODIS aerosol product, the paper reports the first ever validation of the updated Collection Version 5 of the MODIS aerosol product over India. The AOD data from Aqua platform is averaged over 0.5° × 0.5° centered at Ahmedabad and compared with the sunphotometer observation taken within half an hour to the satellite overpass time. The Version 4 data comparison showed a large scatter. Further, the comparison for 470 nm and 660 nm behave differently over different years. Overall, the comparison shows considerable improvement in the Collection Version 5 aerosol product. Among seasons, Pre-Monsoon (April to May) has the best correlation and Dry season (December to March) the least. The updated product has scope for further improvement as the correlations are less than unity, and the extent of underestimation for 470 nm is more during Dry and Post-Monsoon seasons whereas that for 660 nm is more during Pre-Monsoon and Monsoon seasons which are dominated by fine and coarse particles respectively. The results show a better surface reflectance parameterization by the MODIS Collection Version 5 algorithm as compared to Version 4 but the aerosol model used in the retrieval algorithm is still not adequate.
Petroclival meningioma as a cause of ipsilateral cervicofacial dyskinesias

Hyperkinetic movement disorders of facial and neck muscles such as blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, facial myokimia, and cervical dystonia have rarely been associated with unilateral brainstem or posterior fossa pathologies. We report a case of unilateral cervicofacial dyskinesias due to an ipsilateral petroclival meningioma. A 32 year old left handed woman complained about left sided facial dysaesthesia of the upper quadrant of her face for 1 year. In addition she had intermittent ipsilateral headache. A left sided facial palsy and hypogeusia developed. When progressive hearing loss and persistent ipsilateral tinnitus occurred she sought medical advice. She was referred to our department for further treatment after a large tumour in the left cerebellopontine angle had been demonstrated by MRI. On admission, the left corneal reflex was absent. There was marked hypoaesthesia of the first two divisions of the left trigeminal nerve and a mild left facial palsy. There was also hypogeusia of the left half of the tongue. Speech was slightly …
Deep Flow along the Western Boundary South of the Blake Bahama Outer Ridge

Abstract In June–July 1990, hydrographic, chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), and velocity observations were taken along the western boundary of the North Atlantic south of the Blake Bahama Outer Ridge from 30° to 24°N between the northern Bahamas and 71°W. The deep flow in the region, associated with the deep western boundary current, forms a pattern of strong, narrow currents and cyclonic gyres close to the continental slope with broad, slower southward flow offshore. The CFCs reveal that the most recently “ventilated” water (i.e., having the highest CFC concentrations due to more recent contact with the atmosphere in the northern North Atlantic) is found along the western boundary in two distinct cores between potential temperatures 4°–6°C and 1.9°–2.4°C. Geostrophic transport streamlines were constructed for the deep flow, referenced using direct velocity observations at 26.5°N and assuming mass conservation between closed areas bounded by the hydrographic sections. The tracers and transports are used together .
Interannual variability in water masses in the Greenland Sea and adjacent areas

Oceanographic data covering the period 1950–1998 are used to determine interannual variations in the convection intensity and water mass structure in the Greenland Sea and adjacent areas. Extremely cold winters throughout 1965–1970 assisted intensification of the water vertical exchange in the Greenland and Norwegian seas. As a result, cold and fresh Greenland Sea Deep Water (GSDW) production was extremely high in the central Greenland Sea while in the southern Norwegian Sea warm and salty water spread downwards. The recent rapid warming in the Greenland Sea Gyre interior from 1980 originates, we argue, from an increase in the Atlantic Water (AW) temperature due to the advection of warm waters into the region with the Return Atlantic Current. The negative water temperature and salinity trends in the upper 300 m layer of the Atlantic Water in the Norwegian Sea prevailed during 1950–1990, whereas during 1980–1990 the water temperature trends are indicative of warming of that layer. Observation series obtained onboard the Ocean Weather Ship Mike confirmed the existence of layers with advectiondriven high oxygen concentrations in intermediate and deep layers. The depth of oxygen maxima and the values of oceanographic parameters at this horizon can be regarded as indicators of the convection intensity in the Arctic domain. A simultaneous rise in NAO index and GSDW temperature points to a link between atmospheric and thermohaline circulation. Weakening in water exchange with the North Atlantic could be the reason for the Polar Water recirculation increase within the Nordic seas.
Crust and subduction zone structure of Southwestern Mexico

Southwestern Mexico is a region of complex active tectonics with subduction of the young Rivera and Cocos plates to the south and widespread magmatism and rifting in the continental interior. Here we use receiver function analysis on data recorded by a 50 station temporary deployment of seismometers known as the MARS (MApping the Rivera Subduction zone) array to investigate crustal structure as well as the nature of the subduction interface near the coast. The array was deployed in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Colima, and Michoacan. Crustal thickness varies from 20 km near the coast to 42 km in the continental interior. The Rivera plate has steeper dip than the Cocos plate and is also deeper along the coast than previous estimates have shown. Inland, there is not a correlation between the thickness of the crust and topography indicating that the high topography in northern Jalisco and Michoacan is likely supported by buoyant mantle. High crustal Vp/Vs ratios (greater than 1.82) are found beneath the trenchward edge of magmatism including below the Central Jalisco Volcanic Lineament and the Michoacan‐Guanajuato Volcanic Field implying a new arc is forming closer to the trench than the Trans Mexican Volcanic Belt. Elsewhere in the region, crustal Vp/Vs ratios are normal. The subducting Rivera and Cocos plates are marked by a dipping shear wave low‐velocity layer. We estimate the thickness of the low‐velocity layer to be 3 to 4 km with an unusually high Vp/Vs ratio of 2.0 to 2.1 and a drop in S velocity of 25%. We postulate that the low‐velocity zone is the upper oceanic crust with high pore pressures. The low‐velocity zone ends from 45 to 50 km depth and likely marks the basalt to eclogite transition.
Teshekpuk Lake Area Molting Goose Survey 2011-2013

This report summarizes the 30-32 annual Teshekpuk Lake Molting Goose Surveys, conducted on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, on 16-18 July 2011, 18-20 July 2012, and 17-18, 20 July 2013, respectively. Area-wide counts of adult Pacific brant (BLBR), greater white-fronted geese (GWFG), and snow geese (SNGO) all increased across years, while Canada Geese increased only in 2011. Counts for adults of these species (and goslings) by year, were as follows; 2011: BLBR 18,300 (260), CAGO 14,208 (3), GWFG 25,225 (6,747), SNGO 4,427 (665), 2012: BLBR 20,090 (1,058), CAGO 18,729 (27), GWFG 47,805 (8,770), SNGO 10,408 (618), and 2013: BLBR 23,725 (376), CAGO 14,708 (268), GWFG 48,850 (11,443), and SNGO 11,731 (50). Totals of tundra swans and (cygnets) were: 2011: 227 (112), 2012: 314 (33), and 2013: 355 (37). Counts of snowy owls throughout all areas surveyed in 2011-13 were 102, 76, and 2, respectively. We conducted ‘additional area’ surveys at Cape Simpson and the Piasuk River Delta (2011-2013). Total counts for adult Pacific brant observed in additional areas were 7,800 in 2011, 11,069 in 2012, and 15,936 in 2013.
Loss Given Default models for UK retail credit cards

Loss Given Default is an important measure of credi t loss used by financial institutions to compute risk within credit portfoli s, expected loss on individual loans and capital requirements. The Basel II Capital Acc ord gives banks the opportunity to calculate their own estimates of Loss Given Default . Based on UK data for major retail credit cards, we build several models of Los s Given Default based on account level data including Tobit, a decision tree model, a Beta and fractional logit transformation. However, we find that Ordinary Lea st Squares models with macroeconomic variables perform best for forecast o f Loss Given Default at account and portfolio level on independent hold-out data se ts. The inclusion of macroeconomic conditions in the model is important si ce it provides a means to model Loss Given Default in downturn conditions as required by Basel II and enables stress testing.
3-D symmetric sampling

Three‐dimensional seismic surveys have become accepted in the industry as a means of acquiring detailed information on the subsurface. Yet, the cost of 3-D seismic data acquisition is and will always be considerable, making it highly important to select the right 3-D acquisition geometry. Up till now, no really comprehensive theory existed to tell what constitutes a good 3-D geometry and how such a geometry can be designed. The theory of 3-D symmetric sampling proposed in this paper is intended to fill this gap and may serve as a sound basis for 3-D geometry design and analysis. Methods and theories for the design of 2-D surveys were developed in the 1980s. Anstey proposed the stack‐array approach, Ongkiehong and Askin the hands‐off acquisition technique, and Vermeer introduced symmetric sampling theory. In this paper, the theory of symmetric sampling for 2-D geometries is expanded to the most important 3-D geometries currently in use. Essential elements in 3-D symmetric sampling are the spatial propertie.
Risks and opportunities associated with change in the cruise tourism sector: community perspectives from Arctic Canada

Environmental, sociocultural, political and economic changes are ever present in the Arctic and these have immediate and wide-ranging consequences for the people who live there. In Arctic Canada, cruise ship tourism has emerged as an important sector that simultaneously contributes to, and is influenced by, wider forces of change. Growth in cruise traffic has in part been facilitated by improved access as a result of decreases in sea ice. This paper reports on research using a systems framework to understand how residents in three coastal Inuit communities located along the Northwest Passage view these changes and how they are adapting to developments in the cruise sector. Interviews were conducted in Ulukhaktok (n = 22), Gjoa Haven (n = 52) and Pond Inlet (n = 47). Each of the three communities has experienced different levels of exposure to the cruise sector, and each demonstrates a variety of risks and opportunities. Future actions and strategies they have, or plan, to adopt are explored. This research is important to help prepare communities, policy-makers, as well as the cruise sector itself, to be responsive to change in these remote locations.
self-rated health aspects among persons living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms (https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php). International Journal of COPD 2017:12 1163–1172 International Journal of COPD Dovepress
Capital Taxation, Long-Run Growth and Bequests

It has been shown that higher capital taxes can have a growth-enhancing effect when combined with a revenue-compensating cut in wage taxes or with an expansion in productivity-increasing public services. The present paper demonstrates that these results critically hinge on the existence of a bequest motive. It is shown that a wage-tax cut is no longer growth-enhancing when bequests are operative. By way of contrast, increasing productive public services may well boost growth. The theoretical findings are illustrated by numerical simulations based on US data.
Downward Nominal and Real Wage Rigidity: Survey Evidence from European Firms

It has been well established that the wages of individual workers react little, especially downwards, to shocks that hit their employer. This paper presents new evidence from a unique survey of firms across Europe on the prevalence of downward wage rigidity in both real and nominal terms. The authors analyse which firm-level and institutional factors are associated with wage rigidity. The results indicate that it is related to workforce composition at the establishment level in a manner that is consistent with related theoretical models (e.g. efficiency wage theory, insider-outsider theory). The analysis also finds that wage rigidity depends on the labour market institutional environment. Collective bargaining coverage is positively related with downward real wage rigidity, measured on the basis of wage indexation. Downward nominal wage rigidity is positively associated with the extent of permanent contracts and this effect is stronger in countries with stricter employment protection regulations.
Check in the Mail or More in the Paycheck: Does the Effectiveness of Fiscal Stimulus Depend on How it is Delivered?

Recent fiscal policies, including the 2008 stimulus payments and the 2009 Making Work Pay Tax Credit, aimed to increase household spending. This paper quantifies the spending response to these policies and examines differences in spending by whether the stimulus was delivered as a one-time payment or as a flow of payments from reduced withholding. Based on responses from a representative sample of households in the Thomson Reuters University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers, the paper finds that the reduction in withholding in 2009 boosted spending at roughly half the rate (13 percent) as the one-time payments (25 percent) in 2008.