Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The South Atlantic Ocean response to local and remote forcings

approved: Ricardo P. Matano The local and remote sources of variability of the South Atlantic Ocean are investigated using a set of numerical experiments and satellite data. A global, eddypermitting, numerical simulation is analyzed to investigate the dynamical links between the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and the Malvinas Current (MC). The model results indicate that the correlation between the transports of those two currents is degraded by the presence of high-frequency oscillations of the ACC at the Drake Passage. These anomalies, upon reaching the bifurcation point of the ACC do not follow the coast of South America, instead, they follow the part of the transport that flows along the Polar Front, and therefore, never reache the MC. A distinct oscillation with a period of ∼150 days is found. The oscillation seems to originate west of the Drake Passage and propagates along both branches of the ACC. It is shown that anomalies of similar period are also found in altimetry data. A Principal Estimator Pattern analysis suggests that the transport of the ACC and the MC are forced by wind stress curl anomalies over the South Pacific Ocean. It also suggests that the wind stress over the Indian sector might also be important to the variability of these two currents. A series of numerical simulations are run to investigate the influence of the winds over the Southern Hemisphere on the circulation of the South Atlantic Ocean. The analysis of the experiments reveals that the ocean anomalies of the South Atlantic Ocean forced by the local winds (’local’ refers to the winds over the South Atlantic Ocean) are restricted to the region north of the Polar Front. On the western boundary, there is a strong response of the Brazil Current (BC) to the local forcing, but the MC is not affected by it. The remotely forced sea surface height (SSH) anomalies that influence the variability of the South Atlantic Ocean are characterized by two SSH maxima over the ’hot spots’ of the Southern Ocean: the abyssal, resonant modes over the Australian-Antarctic Abyssal Plain and the Bellingshausen Abyssal Plain. These remote modes have a small effect on the variability of the BC. However, they have a strong influence on the variability of the MC. Lastly, connections between transport fluctuations of the Agulhas Current (AC) and the winds over the South Indian and neighboring basins are investigated. The AC does not show any response to wind oscillations over the South Pacific Ocean. This result, however, is not conclusive due to the lack of the Indonesian throughflow in the numerical experiments. The contribution of the winds over the South Atlantic Ocean is restricted to the annual cycle of the AC. The winds over the South Indian Ocean seem to be responsible for the interannual variability of the AC and the remaining part of the annual cycle. c ©Copyright by Antonio F. H. Fetter Filho October 2, 2008 All Rights Reserved The South Atlantic Ocean Response to Local and Remote Forcings
Differential expression analysis for sequence count data

High-throughput DNA sequencing is a powerful and versatile new technology for obtaining comprehensive and quantitative data about RNA expression (RNA-Seq), proteinDNA binding (ChIP-Seq), and genetic variations between individuals. It addresses essentially all of the use cases that microarrays were applied to in the past, but produces more detailed and more comprehensive results. One of the basic statistical tasks is inference (testing, regression) on discrete count values (e.g., representing the number of times a certain type of mRNA was sampled by the sequencing machine). Challenges are posed by a large dynamic range, heteroskedasticity and small numbers of replicates. Hence, model-based approaches are needed to achieve statistical power. I will present an error model that uses the negative binomial distribution, with variance and mean linked by local regression, to model the null distribution of the count data. The method controls type-I error and provides good detection power. I will also discuss how to use the GLM framework to detect alternative transcript isoform usage. A free open-source R software package, DESeq, is available from the Bioconductor project.
Closure of "Simplified Procedure for Estimating Dam and Embankment Earthquake-Induced Deformations"

The method uses the concept of yield acceleration but is based on the evaluation of the dynamic response of the embankment rather than a rigid body behavior. The yield accelerations, for a potential sliding mass, is estimated on the basis of the static undrained shear strength (with some reduction due to effects of cycling) using pseudostatic methods of stability analysis. The permanent deformations are estimated by numerical double integration of the time history of induced accelerations for various depths of the potential sliding mass. Design curves are presented that were developed on the basis of finite element response computations of embankments subjected to base accelerations representing earthquakes of magnitudes ranging between 6-½ and 8-¼. The simplified procedure is illustrated by an example computation. The permanent deformations are estimated for a 135-ft (40-m) high sandy clay embankment that was shaken by a magnitude 8-¼ earthquake and the results are compared with the observed field behavior.
Toward a more complete understanding of the association between a hepatitis C sustained viral response and cause‐specific outcomes

Sustained viral response (SVR) is the optimal outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy, yet more detailed data are required to confirm its clinical value. Individuals receiving treatment in 1996‐2011 were identified using the Scottish HCV clinical database. We sourced data on 10 clinical events: liver, nonliver, and all‐cause mortality; first hospitalisation for severe liver morbidity (SLM); cardiovascular disease (CVD); respiratory disorders; neoplasms; alcohol‐intoxication; drug intoxication; and violence‐related injury (note: the latter three events were selected a priori to gauge ongoing chaotic lifestyle behaviours). We determined the association between SVR attainment and each outcome event, in terms of the relative hazard reduction and absolute risk reduction (ARR). We tested for an interaction between SVR and liver disease severity (mild vs. nonmild), defining mild disease as an aspartate aminotransferase‐to‐platelet ratio index (APRI) <0.7. Our cohort comprised 3,385 patients (mean age: 41.6 years), followed‐up for a median 5.3 years (interquartile range: 3.3‐8.2). SVR was associated with a reduced risk of liver mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR]: 0.24; P < 0.001), nonliver mortality (AHR, 0.68; P = 0.026), all‐cause mortality (AHR, 0.49; P < 0.001), SLM (AHR, 0.21; P < 0.001), CVD (AHR, 0.70; P = 0.001), alcohol intoxication (AHR, 0.52; P = 0.003), and violence‐related injury (AHR, 0.51; P = 0.002). After 7.5 years, SVR was associated with significant ARRs for liver mortality, all‐cause mortality, SLM, and CVD (each 3.0%‐4.7%). However, we detected a strong interaction, in that ARRs were considerably higher for individuals with nonmild disease than for individuals with mild disease. Conclusions: The conclusions are 3‐fold: (1) Overall, SVR is associated with reduced hazard for a range of hepatic and nonhepatic events; (2) an association between SVR and behavioral events is consistent with SVR patients leading healthier lives; and (3) the short‐term value of SVR is greatest for those with nonmild disease. (Hepatology 2015;62:355–364
Viscosity of Silicate Melts.

7 INTRODUCTION 8 TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF VISCOSITY 10 VISCOSITY OF BINARY MELTS 12 VISCOSITY MODELS FOR NATURAL ANHYDROUS AND HYDROUS SILICATE EMLTS 19 REFERENCES 42 III. PRESSURE DEPENDENCE OF THE SPECIATION OF DISSOLVED WATER IN RHYOLITC MELTS 51 ABSTRACT 5
Comparison of Groundwater Uptake and Salt Dynamics of an Oak Forest and of a Pasture on the Hungarian Great Plain

The forest area in Hungary has increased during the last century from 1.1 to 2.0 million ha. The European Union supports further afforestation so roughly 15 -18 000 hectares might be planted each year, mostly on the Hungarian Great Plain. Water uptake of forests from groundwater can be significant in shallow groundwater areas of the Hungarian Great Plain especially in drought periods. Therefore forests can induce water table depression and subsurface salt accumulation above saline water table in areas with a negative water balance. The impact of forests was examined by a systematic study on the Hungarian Great Plain. An oak forest and a pasture groundwater uptake and salt accumulation effect were compared at the stand scale. Under the forest the water table levels were roughly 0.5 m lower than under the pasture, and the groundwater uptake of the oak plot was more than twice as great. Larger forest groundwater use is not followed by a higher salt uptake. Therefore slight salt accumulation was measured both in the soil and also in the groundwater. Higher groundwater uptake may cause more significant salt accumulation under pronounced drought conditions of a warmer climate. evapotranspiration / shallow groundwater / diurnal fluctuation / salt accumulation / forest
Assessing Temporal Trends and Industry Contributions to Air and Water Pollution Using Stochastic Dominance

We employ a stochastic dominance (SD) approach to analyze the components that contribute to environmental degradation over time. The variables that are considered include countries’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water pollution. Our approach is based on pair-wise SD tests. First, we study the dynamic progress of each separate variable over time, from 1990 to 2005, within 5-year horizons. Then, pair-wise SD tests are used to study the major industry contributors to the overall GHG emissions and water pollution at any given time, to uncover the industry which contributes the most to total emissions and water pollution. We find that CO2 emissions not only contribute the most to the GHG emissions over time, but also increased within 15 year in the first-order SD sense. On the other hand, water pollution increased in a second-order SD sense. Pair-wise industry comparisons suggest that the major industry contributors to the CO2 emissions have always been the electricity and heat production sectors, while the transport sector has been the second contributor between 1990 and 2005. Finally, the food industry gradually became the major contributing industry for water pollution over time.
Reconfiguration Control of Dynamic Reconfigurable Discrete Event Systems Based on NCESs

In order to satisfy system specifications persistently in the cases of component failure, partial communication blocks, or energy deficiency, safety-critical systems need to apply system reconfigurations at runtime. Such systems can be considered as dynamic reconfigurable discrete event systems (DRDESs) if their logic behaviors are concerned only. A reconfiguration of a DRDES includes the switch of system structures and the update of system states. Based on the assumption that all configurations of a DRDES are designed in advance and dynamic reconfigurations can be implemented only at a few predefined reconfigurable states, a novel reconfiguration control method is proposed in this paper. The aim is to implement a required dynamic reconfiguration smoothly and rapidly. A DRDES is modeled by net condition/event systems (NCESs) under the firing rule “maximal single spontaneous transition steps. ” An integer linear programming-based method is developed to compute a shortest legal firing sequence (SLFS) from the state where a reconfiguration requirement arises to a reconfigurable state. Accordingly, a virtual controller for guiding the system to evolve along the obtained SLFS is proposed. The proposed method is able to implement a required reconfiguration before the maximum permissible reconfiguration delay if an SLFS exists. A simple reconfigurable assembly system is adopted to illustrate the method.
Expanding Trade within Africa: The Impact of Trade Facilitation

This paper examines the impact of trade facilitation on intra-African trade. The authors examine the role of trade facilitation reforms, such as increased port efficiency, improved customs, and regulatory environments, and upgrading services infrastructure on trade between African countries. They also consider how regional trade agreements relate to intra-African trade flows. Using trade data from 2003 to 2004, they find that improvement in ports and services infrastructure promise relatively more expansion in intra-African trade than other measures. They also show that, almost all regional trade agreements have a positive effect on trade flows.
When Information Dominates Comparison: A Panel Data Analysis Using Russian Subjective Data

We propose a micro-econometric investigation into the relation between subjective life satisfaction and income distribution, using a balanced panel survey of the Russian population (RLMS), running from 1994 to 2000, including 4096 individuals. We show that in the context of the Russian very volatile environment, Hirschman? s (1973) ? tunnel effect? conjecture seems to be validated : variables reflecting income distribution do not influence satisfaction through social comparisons; individuals rather seem to use their informational content in order to form their expectations. The reference group? s income exerts a positive influence on individual satisfaction, which contrasts with other studies on the subject. Inequality indices do not affect individual welfare.
A mixed methods study of “English Corners” funded by the Taiwan Ministry of Education “Program for Promoting Teaching Excellence of Universities”

Abstract This investigation explored Taiwanese university students’ and professors’ perceptions of the effectiveness of “English Corner” in improving second language ability. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected through student attendee questionnaires (n=256); teaching logs (n=2); and teaching excellence university professor questionnaires (n=70). Item analysis and factor analysis was conducted to uncover factors affecting students’ perceptions of English Corner and qualitative content analysis using In Vivo and Emotion coding revealed themes affecting “English Corner” success or failure. Overall, findings indicate “English Corner” has the most influence on students’ willingness to speak in English and their enjoyment in speaking English. These results are encouraged by administration supported flexible teachers that apply various scaffolding techniques during lessons. However, analysis also indicated that success of “English Corner” is highly contextualized, with professors from teaching excellence universities possessing a dichotomized view of “English Corner” effectiveness.
Exchange Rates and Commodity Prices: Measuring Causality at Multiple Horizons

Understanding and measuring the relative roles of different causal channels between commodity prices and exchange rates has important implications in financial decision making, especially for market participants with short horizons. From a macroeconomic perspective, this can also be useful for interpreting exchange rate movements, financial market monitoring and monetary policy. Basic economic reasoning on currency demand suggests that the currencies of countries whose exports depend heavily on a particular commodity should be strongly influenced by its price, so commodity price movements should lead (Granger-cause) exchange rate movements (macroeconomic/trade mechanism). In contrast, the present value model of forward-looking exchange rates suggests reverse causation, i.e. exchange rates should Granger-cause commodity prices (expectations mechanism). We examine empirically the causal relationship between commodity prices and exchange rates, using data on three commodities (crude oil, gold, copper) and three countries (Canada, Australia, Chile), over the period 2000-2009. To go beyond pure significance tests of non-causality and to provide a relatively complete picture of the links, measures of the strength of causality for different horizons and directions are estimated and compared. Since low-frequency data may easily fail to capture important features of the relevant causal links in volatile financial markets such as foreign exchange and commodity markets high-frequency (daily and 5-minute) data are exploited. Both unconditional and conditional (given general stock market conditions) causality measures are considered, and allowance for dollar effects is made by considering non-U.S. dollar variables. We identify clear causal patterns: (1) Granger causality between commodity prices and exchange rates is visible in both directions; (2) it is stronger at short horizons, and becomes weaker as the horizon increases; (3) causality from commodity prices to exchange rates is stronger than causality in the reverse direction across multiple horizons: the ratios of causality measures in two different directions can be quite high (for example, as high as 5 or 10 in favor of causation from commodity prices to exchange rates), especially at short horizons; (4) eliminating dollar effects weakens causality from exchange rates to commodity prices, and reveals a more definite pattern where causality from commodity prices to exchange rates dominates across multiple horizons. In contrast with earlier results on the non-predictability of exchange rates, we find that the macroeconomic/trade-based mechanism plays a central role in exchange rate dynamics, despite the financial features of these markets.
Differential cell autonomous responses determine the outcome of coxsackievirus infections in murine pancreatic α and β cells

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease caused by loss of pancreatic β cells via apoptosis while neighboring α cells are preserved. Viral infections by coxsackieviruses (CVB) may contribute to trigger autoimmunity in T1D. Cellular permissiveness to viral infection is modulated by innate antiviral responses, which vary among different cell types. We presently describe that global gene expression is similar in cytokine-treated and virus-infected human islet cells, with up-regulation of gene networks involved in cell autonomous immune responses. Comparison between the responses of rat pancreatic α and β cells to infection by CVB5 and 4 indicate that α cells trigger a more efficient antiviral response than β cells, including higher basal and induced expression of STAT1-regulated genes, and are thus better able to clear viral infections than β cells. These differences may explain why pancreatic β cells, but not α cells, are targeted by an autoimmune response during T1D. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.06990. 001
The role and value of A-level geography fieldwork: a case study

Fieldwork has occupied a prominent position in UK geography teaching since the establishment of the discipline in the late nineteenth century, and remains a ubiquitous element of the geography curriculum for pre- and post- sixteen year-olds today. Utilising autobiography as a method of reconstruction and interpretation, the thesis explores the development of this central role for fieldwork and argues that, rather than arising from a legitimacy effected by a critical appraisal of fieldwork as a pedagogical device, fieldwork has developed pari passu in response to geography’s disciplinary shifts in philosophical and methodological orientation. As a result, varying conceptions of the purpose of fieldwork exist: as a parallel with practical 'laboratory' science in which theory is thought to be rendered more intelligible by the experience; as a means of teaching geographical enquiry skills; as a process of environmental engagement or immersion. The relationship between these educational objectives remains unclear, and a lack of educational research exists to clarify what is done on fieldwork, its intended educational function and effectiveness, and its place in contemporary geography. The study seeks to redress the balance by aiming to analyse the role and value of a residential fieldwork experience in geographical learning for advanced level geography students (i.e. students aged 16-19); to compare and contrast the respective assessments of the student and teacher of fieldwork’s purpose; and to explore frameworks and methods for evaluating the effectiveness of field instruction as a learning process. The research uses qualitative research strategies in a case-study to describe and analyse the holistic process of learning in action from the perspectives of its participants. Four themes are explored in depth: skills-based learning, affective learning, learning transfer, and geography fieldwork as environmental education. Results show that learning is affected by a tension of purpose between teaching for theoretical exemplification, technical competency and investigative skills, and environmental awareness. Stage-management in hypothesis-testing aimed at developing students' conceptual understanding is the predominant teaching method but despite this emphasis successful transfer of learning is low. The technical competency emphasis is propositioned as moving fieldwork towards utilisation of a technocentric ideology in addressing environmental issues in geography. This is regarded as devaluing an individual's environmental experience, personal commitment, and political obligation which are seen as important aspects of an environmental education. Fieldwork is seen to be most valuable in the affective domain: producing self- and subject-motivation through inter alia novelty of milieu, self-concept enhancement, productive role-modelling, and changing students' 'scripts' for learning. The links between these affective dimensions and fieldwork's role in students' cognitive development offer profitable avenues for further research.