Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coarse sediment dynamics in a large glaciated river system: Holocene history and storage dynamics dictate contemporary climate sensitivity

The gravel-bedded White River drains a 1279 km2 basin in Washington State, with lowlands sculpted by continental glaciation and headwaters on an actively glaciated stratovolcano. Chronic aggradation along an alluvial fan near the river’s mouth has progressively reduced flood conveyance. In order to better understand how forecasted climate change may influence coarse sediment delivery and aggradation rates in this lowland depositional setting, we assessed the contemporary delivery and routing of coarse sediment through the watershed; this assessment was based on a rich set of topographic, sedimentologic, and hydrologic data from the past century, with a focus on repeat high-resolution topographic surveys from the past decade. We found that most of the lower river’s contemporary bed-load flux originates from persistent erosion of alluvial deposits in the lower watershed. This erosion is a response to a drop in local base level caused by a major avulsion across the fan in 1906 and then augmented by subsequent dredging. The 1906 avulsion and modern disequilibrium valley profiles reflect landscape conditioning by continental glaciation and a massive mid-Holocene lahar. In the proglacial headwaters, infrequent large sediment pulses have accomplished most of the observed coarse sediment export, with exported material blanketing downstream valley floors; during typical floods, transported bed material is largely sourced from erosion of these valley floor floods. Throughout the watershed, we observe decadal-scale coarse sediment dynamics strongly related to the filling or emptying of valley-scale sediment storage over 102–104 yr time scales, often in response to major disturbances that either emplace large deposits or influence their redistribution. Paraglacial responses in large watersheds are suggested to be inherently complicated and punctuated as a result of internal landform interactions and stochastic/threshold-dependent events. We argue that, in combination, Holocene disturbance, storage dynamics, and human flow modification make coarse sediment fluxes in the lower White River relatively insensitive to decadal climate variability. Results highlight the degree to which river sensitivity to contemporary disturbance, climatic or otherwise, may be contingent on local and idiosyncratic watershed histories, underscoring the need to unpack those histories while demonstrating the utility of watershed-scale high-resolution topography toward that end.
Marketing Strategy in Political Competition: A Case of the Campaign Team Samahuddin and La ntau

This study aims to understand and explore the political marketing strategy of SAMATAU's campaign team in winning the political competition at the local level. Using a single Holistic interpretative case study (Robert K Yin, 2011), on the campaign team of Samahuddin La Ntau, in this case as, the incumbent challenger as well as the winner of the Regent Election in 2017. The results of the study show that although the Samahuddin-La Ntau couple was categorized as a newcomer to the political competition, the campaign team of SAMATAU had several conditions and strategies in winning the competition including surveying and grouping voters, understand the characteristics and nature of voters, target actions, political image formations (framing), and also implementation of political programs that include political products, political campaigns, political venues, and political capital. In order to control the political programs that have been designed by the contestant, then the SAMATAU team conducts scheduled and unscheduled monitoring and evaluation. The implication of this study is that political marketing strategies give information to politicians, where this strategy is a systematic approach to help competitors in winning political competition.
Can Computer-Based Learning Environments Mitigate Large Class Size?

: In this paper, we study the impact of class size in several schools in the United Arab Emirates using a computer-based learning environment as part of their regular classroom practice. Within this study, we compare larger and smaller classes in terms of both learning and time on task. Classes in the same school are compared directly, and a matching quasi-experimental study is also conducted, comparing students across schools. We find no evidence that the larger classes perform more poorly than smaller classes.
Interactive comment on “Optimised degradation correction for SCIAMACHY satellite solar measurements from 330 to 1600 nm by using its internal white

SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY) on-board the European Environmental Satellite (Envisat) provided spectrally resolved measurements in the wavelength range from 0.24 to 2. 4μm by looking into the Earth’s atmosphere using different viewing geometries (limb, nadir, solar and lunar occultation). These observations were used to derive a multitude of parameters, in particular atmospheric trace gas amounts. In addition to radiance measurements solar spectral irradiances (SSI) were measured on a daily basis. The instrument was operating for nearly a 5 decade, from August 2002 to April 2012. Due to the harsh space environment, it suffered from continuous optical degradation. As part of recent radiometric calibration activities an optical (physical) model was introduced that describes the behaviour of the scanner unit of SCIAMACHY with time (Krijger et al., 2014). This model approach accounts for optical degradation by assuming contamination layers on optical surfaces in the scanner unit. The variation of layer thicknesses of the various optical components is determined from the combination of solar measurements from different monitoring light paths available for 10 SCIAMACHY. In this paper, we present an optimisation of this degradation correction approach, which in particular improves the solar spectral data. An essential part of the modification is the use of measurements from SCIAMACHY’s internal white light source (WLS) in combination with direct solar measurements. The WLS, as an independent light source, gives, therefore, an opportunity to better separate instrument variations and natural solar variability. However, the WLS emission depends on its burning time and is changing with time as well. To use these measurements in the optimised degradation correction, the 15 change of the WLS emission in space needs to be characterised first. The changes of the WLS with accumulated burning time are in good agreement with detailed laboratory lamp studies by Sperling et al. (1996). Although the optimised degradation corrected SCIAMACHY SSI show still some instrumental issues when compared to SSI measurements from other instruments and model reconstructions, our study demonstrates the potential for the use of an internal WLS for degradation monitoring.
Evaluación de diferentes regímenes de alimentación para el acondicionamiento reproductivo de la ostra nativa crassostrea iridescens (hanley, 1854)

Broodstock conditioning of Crassostrea iridescens was evaluated in six treatments each with six replicates during 30 and 60 days of conditioning. Three treatments: CHA (Chaetoceros gracilis 100%), TETRA (Tetraselmis maculata 100%), CIT (C. gracilis 33% + Isochrysis galbana 33% + T. maculata 33%) and starved group (SIN) was conditioning in hatchery. The fifth treatment (EST) was maintained in the reservoir of the CENAIM-ESPOL experimental station. The sixth treatment (MAR) was collected from the same original place monthly. Histological sections were made to know the gonadal stage of mature. They were made before and after de depuration. In the same way with oyster maintained during 30 y 60 days of conditioning. 30-day conditioning EST treatment (reservoir) reported the highest gonadal development with 34% in stage 3 (mature). CHA y TETRA treatments reported 17% in stage 3. The starved group (SIN) reported 33 % in stage 2 (late development). CIT and MAR treatments reported 66% and 17% in stage 2, respectively. 102-60 day conditioning, the oysters showed reabsorption more than 50% in stage 0 (indeterminate).
Gene prediction in metagenomic sequencing reads

Gene prediction is an essential step in the annotation of metagenomic sequencing reads. Since most metagenomic reads cannot be assembled into long contigs, specialized gene prediction tools are required for the analysis of short and anonymous DNA fragments. This work describes the metagenomic gene prediction method 'Orphelia'. It consists of a two-stage machine learning approach. In the ﬁrst stage, linear discriminants for monocodon usage, dicodon usage and translation initiation sites are used to extract features from dna sequences. In the second stage, an artiﬁcial neural network combines these features with open reading frame length and fragment GC-content to compute the probability that this open reading frame encodes a protein. This probability is used for the classiﬁcation and scoring of gene candidates. Orphelia is available to the scientiﬁc community as an intuitive web server application, and as a command line tool. Furthermore, a detailed evaluation of gene prediction accuracy of Orphelia and other tools with respect to sequencing errors an read length is presented. It is demonstrated that ESTScan, a tool for sequencing error compensation in eukaryotic expressed sequence tags, outperforms some metagenomic gene prediction tools on reads with high error rates although it was not designed for the task at hand. The integration of error-compensating methods into metagenomic gene prediction tools would be beneﬁcial to improve metagenome annotation quality.
Proximate causes of avian protandry differ between subspecies with contrasting migration challenges

In many migratory birds, males precede females during migration and arrival at the breeding sites. Three proximate mechanisms are proposed to explain this phenomenon of protandry: males 1) winter closer to breeding sites, 2) start spring migration earlier, and/or 3) migrate faster than females. So far, the relative contribution of these mechanisms to protandry is unknown. The present study investigated the importance of each of the 3 proximate mechanisms of protandry for a songbird migrant wintering in Africa, the northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe). Two subspecies co-occur in Europe on migration, of which the leucorhoa northern wheatears breeding from Iceland to Canada have to cross the North Atlantic, whereas the nominate form breeding in Europe does not face any significant sea barrier. We show that the leucorhoa subspecies had a significantly higher degree of protandry at stopover sites across Europe than the oenanthe subspecies (−6 vs. −2 days). Leucorhoa northern wheatear’s higher degree of protandry was associated with a larger age effect, in which old males preceded young males, and greater sex-specific differences in wing shape and refueling yielding higher migration speeds in males than females. In oenanthe northern wheatears, light-level geolocators revealed that males did not winter closer to the breeding sites or migrate faster than females, but initiated spring migration earlier. Our results demonstrate that the significance of the mechanisms causing protandry can differ between related taxa and highlight the importance of the advancement in male arrival date with age as a potential factor shaping the degree of protandry.
In vitro anticancer activity of Scrophularia amplexicaulis extracts on MCF-7 and WEHI-164 cell line

Scrophularia amplexicaulis is an Iranian endemic plant belonging to the Scrophulariaceae family, which is used in traditional medicine to treat many diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro anticancer activity of S. amplexicaulis extracts against human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) and mouse fibrosarcoma (WEHI-164) cell lines. The ground aerial parts of S. amplexicaulis were soxhlet-extracted with n-hexane, dichloromethane and methanol. MTT assay exhibited that dichloromethane and methanol extracts remarkbly inhibited the growth of MCF-7 and WEHI-164 cancer cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner with little cytotoxicity on normal cell line HUVEC. Cell death ELISA, TUNEL assay, and the cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) uncovered that the cytotoxic effects of dichloromethane and methanol extracts were attributed to apoptosis in cancerous cells. Furthermore, quantitative real-time PCR revealed significant increases in the mRNA expression levels of p-53, caspase-3, caspase-9, Bax, and also a decrease in Bcl-2 expression. These results suggested that the extracts mainly induced apoptosis via a mitochondria-mediated intrinsic pathway. Notably, dichloromethane extract had higher cytotoxic and apoptotic activities than that of methanol extract, against both cancer cell lines, particularly MCF-7 cells. Our results indicate that S. amplexicaulis may serve as a promising source of potent agents for the treatment of human cancers.
CONVERSION OF DURIAN SHELL AGROINDUSTRIAL WASTE INTO VARIOUS VALUABLE PRODUCTS TO SUPPORT THE FOOD SECURITY DURING THE COVID-19 NEW NORMAL ERA: REVIEW

Durian ( Durio zibethinus Murray) is a tropical, delicious and expensive fruit with specific aroma. Indonesia is among the biggest and the best durian fruit producer in the world. There are various types of Durian in Indonesia, coming from different areas. Based on the data released by the Central Bureau of Statistic, it was demonstrated that the main provinces producing durian in 2019 were East Java, Central Java, West Java, North Sumatera, West Sumatera, Banten, South Sulawesi, and South Sumatera with the total harvest of 289,334 ton, 172,939 ton, 94,183 ton, 90,105 ton, 62,564 ton, 46,436 ton, 45,729 ton, and 42,048 ton, respectively. The high production of durian fruit is beneficial for the agroindustrial and economic sectors. On the other hand, it also results in the abundance waste during the harvest time which causes many problems to the environment. The percentage of durian flesh of fruit is only 20.52%, meaning that the 79.48% of durian is unutilized parts such as shell and seeds. The waste resulted from durian is about 556,360 ton per year. Durian waste, especially durian shell, is difficult to degrade. Hence, the proper waste management of the durian shell is crucial. The strategic way to manage the durian shell is by upgrading this waste into various valuable products. In this work, the innovation of the durian shell waste conversion into diverse product to support the national food security during the covid-19 new normal era is discussed. Durian shell is potential to be used for the production of food products such as candy, pectin, edible film, and crackers, flour, and noodle. It also has potency to be utilized in the production of products which support the development of food crop agriculture and animal husbandry, such as biopesticides, organic fertilizer, and animal feed, which strongly associated with the food supply security.
A Bandwidth-Enhanced Cavity-Backed Slot Array Antenna for mmWave Fixed-Beam Applications

A bandwidth-enhanced <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$8\times 8$</tex-math></inline-formula> cavity-backed slot array antenna for fixed beam applications is presented. The antenna consists of four <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2\times 2$</tex-math></inline-formula> subarrays fed by ridge gap waveguide and a modified bow-tie coupling slot in the cavity layer. The proposed bow-tie coupling slot provides additional <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{10}\%$</tex-math></inline-formula> impedance bandwidth as compared to the traditional rectangular coupling slot. The fabricated prototype demonstrates an <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$|S_{11}|\leq -10\,$</tex-math></inline-formula>dB fractional impedance bandwidth and a <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$3\,$</tex-math></inline-formula>dB gain-drop bandwidth of approximately <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{28}\%$</tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{25}\%$</tex-math></inline-formula>, respectively, with peak gain of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$26.4\,$</tex-math></inline-formula>dBi, aperture efficiency <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$>\text{60}\%$</tex-math></inline-formula> and cross-polar discrimination <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$>40\,$</tex-math></inline-formula>dB. Measurements show good agreement with simulations. Moreover, we show the impact of the dimensions and shape of the cavity coupling slot on the bandwidth enhancement. The bandwidth enhancement is explained by the double-ridge slot behavior of the bow-tie coupling slot, which shows a more wideband behavior than the traditional rectangular coupling slot behaving like a cross section of a waveguide.
The use of computer-based tools to support policy coherence and systemic thinking in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda: experiences with the SDG Synergies tool in Colombia

: SDG implementation requires systemic thinking and actions that harness synergies and minimise trade-offs. Approaches and tools are needed to support more systemic thinking and to facilitate the understanding of complex and interconnected issues. The SDG Synergies tool is based on a decision-support approach designed to guide priority-setting and policy coherence amongst key stakeholders. It aims to support decision-making processes that deal with multiple and often interlinked targets, such as with the SDGs. The methodology uses cross-impact analysis and a 7 point-scale to score interactions – the most positive linkages are scored as +3, while the most negative are -3. This scoring allows to identify trade-offs and synergies. Scoring is accompanied by a network analysis that helps to identify second-order interactions and clusters. The SDG Synergies tool, developed by SEI Latin America, speeds up this process, as it provides a user-friendly interface and allows the scoring of interactions in an online matrix – the web platform then creates graphics that enable a quick visualisation of results. The tool enables time-efficient analysis to support decision-making and systemic thinking in a learning-by-doing way. This paper present the results of applying the SDG Synergies tool with a broad set of stakeholders in two case studies in Colombia. It propose a discussion about the implications of using web-based tools in promoting policy coherence and in fostering systemic thinking amongst stakeholders, along with ideas for future tool development and uses.
The Utrecht Finite Volume Ice-Sheet Model: UFEMISM (version 1.0)

Improving our confidence in future projections of sea-level rise requires models that can simulate ice-sheet evolution both in the future and in the geological past. A physically accurate treatment of large changes in ice-sheet geometry requires a proper treatment of processes near the margin, like grounding line dynamics, which in turn requires a high spatial resolution 10 in that specific region. This leads to a demand for computationally efficient models, where such a high resolution can be feasibly applied in simulations of 105 – 107 yr in duration. Here, we present and evaluate a new ice-sheet model that solves the SIA and SSA approximations of the stress balance on a fully adaptive, unstructured triangular mesh. This strongly reduces the number of grid points where the equations need to be solved, increasing the computational efficiency. We show that the model reproduces the analytical solutions or model intercomparison benchmarks for a number of schematic ice-sheet configurations, 15 indicating that the numerical approach is valid. Because of the unstructured triangular mesh, the number of vertices increases less rapidly with resolution than in a square-grid model, greatly reducing the required computation time for high resolutions. A simulation of all four continental ice sheets during an entire 120 kyr glacial cycle, with a 4 km resolution near the grounding line, is expected to take 100 – 200 wall clock hours on a 16-core system (1,600 – 3,200 core hours), implying that this model can be feasibly used for high-resolution paleo-ice-sheet simulations. 20
Insilico interaction analysis of herbal bioactive molecules with Penicillin binding protein in staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen associated with asymptomatic colonization of the skin and mucosal surfaces of normal humans. Staphylococcus aureus isolates are often multidrug resistant. Antibiotics resistant Staphylococcus aureus is an emerging concern in the medical field. Due to their increasing resistance to numerous antibiotics, screening for alternate compound is required. Penicillin binding protein (PBP) was considered as an essential drug target for inhibiting bacterial growth. Molecular docking studies were performed to identify the lead molecule against Penicillin binding protein. Interaction of PBP with the plant derived compounds indicates the effective interaction of rosmarinic acid with highest fitness score and maximum number of hydrogen bonds (h-bonds). The study concludes that rosmarinic acid may be effective as an inhibitor for PBP and hence, can be regarded as a potential drug candidate for treating β-lactam resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Migration dynamics of an important rice pest: The brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) across Asia—Insights from population genomics

Brown planthoppers (Nilaparvata lugens) are the most serious insect pests of rice, one of the world’s most important staple crops. They reproduce year-round in the tropical parts of their distribution, but cannot overwinter in the temperate areas where they occur, and invade seasonally from elsewhere. Decades of research has not revealed their source unambiguously. We therefore sequenced the genomes of brown planthopper populations from across temperate and tropical parts of their distribution and show that the Indochinese peninsula is the major source of migration into temperate China. The Philippines, once considered a key source, is not significant, with little evidence for their migration into China. We find support for immigration from the west of China contributing to these regional dynamics. The lack of connectivity between the Philippines and mainland China explains the different evolution of Imidacloprid resistance in these populations. This study highlights the promise of whole genome sequence data to understand migration when gene flow is high – a situation that has been difficult to resolve using traditional genetic markers.
Executive Compensation & Companies’ Soft and Hard Investment

Executive Compensation is a critical issue today, since executives' decisions, motivated by compensation incentives, critically affect firms' value and stakeholders' interest. Consistent with prior literature, we have documented a positive (negative) relationship between Vega (Delta) from executive option holding and firm's R&D spending, which is a proxy for risk-taking. This paper incrementally documents that Vega will not only incentivize R&D, but also it will increase firm's capital expenditure on a relative weaker scale, because investment with more tangibility will be less risky. Moreover, the results denoted that top management team's (excluding CEO) compensation incentives contribute to the corporate decision in the same manner as CEO's incentive does. Lastly, the results for post-2006 period are qualitatively the same as pre-2006 period.