Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Health related quality of life and psychological variables among a sample of asthmatics in Ile-Ife South-Western Nigeria

Background: Assessment of health related quality of life (HRQL) has become central to assessing the self-perceived impact of physical and mental impairment on patient's health. Studies have reported a high rate of psychological disturbances among asthmatics; however, the impact of these psychological factors on HRQL remains unexplored. Objectives: To assess the health related quality of life among a sample of asthmatics and to identify the psychological and clinical variables that affect quality of life among asthmatics. Method: A total of 81 patients attending the clinic were assessed using the Mini-Asthma Quality of Life questionnaire (Mini-AQLQ), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Sociodemographic and clinical variables were also obtained from the patients, the lung function was assessed using Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR). Results: Mean age of all the patients was 35.22 (SD±14.36) with a mean duration of asthma symptoms of 17.5 (SD±14.4) years. Mean peak expiratory flow was 336 l/min (SD±74.12). Anxiety was present in 44.4% of respondents, while 40% of respondents reported the presence of depressive symptoms, 48.1% of the respondents reported low scores on the asthma quality of life questionnaire. Poor quality of life was associated with the presence of psychological symptoms, female sex, and lower educational level. Conclusion: Psychosocial variables are just as important as clinical variables as determinants of health related quality of life among asthmatics.
A Hybrid Absorbing Boundary Condition For Elastic Wave Modeling With Staggered-grid Finite Difference

We proposed an efficient hybrid scheme to absorb boundary reflections for acoustic wave modeling that could attain nearly perfect absorptions. This scheme introduces weighted averaging of wavefields in a transition area, between inner area and the model boundaries. In this paper we report on the extension of this scheme to elastic wave modeling of displacement-stress formulations using staggered-grid finite differences. Numerical modeling results of elastic wave equations show significant absorption, which demonstrates the effectiveness of this scheme for elastic wave modeling.
Education for Sustainable Development and School Geography : Theoretical Considerations

Over the last three decades, the concept of sustainable development has enjoyed growing attention. Transporting sustainable development into all forms of education is connected to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Due to its role in society, formal education plays a special part in the process of ESD implementation. This paper takes a closer look at the interconnectedness between sustainable development, ESD, and formal education by focusing on school geography, a subject with special affinity to both concepts and topics of ESD.
Ecological impacts of selective logging in the Amazon: lessons from dung beetles

Selective logging is one of the main drivers of forest degradation in tropical forests, which makes the understanding of its biological consequences essential to inform conservation strategies associated to timber production in those forests. It is also important to examine whether the most frequently used study designs are likely to reveal the true impacts of human activities, thus provide reliable information to develop effective conservation strategies. This thesis aims to fill these knowledge gaps by using an experimental design known as before-after-control-impact (BACI) to quantify the impacts of selective logging on tropical dung beetles and their ecological functions. The first chapter (Chapter 2) compares to what extent space-for-time (SFT) and before-and-after approaches draw different conclusions regarding the relationship between selective logging intensity and dung beetle species richness and biomass. This chapter shows that SFT studies, the most frequently used approach, may underestimate the impacts of forest degradation on biodiversity. The Chapter 3 investigates the presence of thresholds in dung beetle responses to logging intensity, and whether those would be influenced by the spatial scale at which logging intensity is measured. The results from this chapter show that biological responses to selective logging can be non-linear and scale-dependent. The chapter 4 addresses the role of forest structure in mediating the responses of dung beetles and mediated faecal processes to selective logging occurrence. The results show that changes in the forest structure due to selective logging (here measured as canopy openness) not necessarily explain the negative and disproportionally stronger effects of this disturbance on dung beetle biomass and species richness. Therefore, while highlighting that selective logging did not influence two environmental variables (leaf litter and soil sand content) or dung beetle-mediated faecal consumption and soil bioturbation; this chapter shows that the linkages among these four components were modified after the selective logging. Finally, the last experimental chapter (Chapter 5) examines the amount of body fat of three dung beetle species to investigate for the first time in the literature whether selective logging could induce sublethal effects on tropical invertebrates. The results show that dung beetles sampled within selectively logged forests have a higher proportion of body fat than those from undisturbed forests, which matches with the negative impacts of selective logging on the relative abundance of each examined species. Overall, this thesis discuss about the challenges to conserve the biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in a world where forest degradation rates are increasing every day.
Eastern Bering Sea Ice Processes

Abstract During March 1979, hydrographic, meteorological and ice floe data were collected over the Bering Sea shelf. The ice pack extended to 59°however, there appeared to be little in situ freezing south of 62°N farther than 100 km from land. Hydrographic data from the southern margin of the ice (seaward limit) showed that a lens of less saline, colder water existed in the upper 20 m of the water column along the southern ice margin. During north-to-northeast wind events, floes were advected toward the south to southwest at rates as high as 0.5 m s−1 and rotted along the margin on the order of days. Little ridging of ice was observed over the open shelf. Rafting was prevalent among floes battered by wind and swell at the ice edge. Each year in the fall, northerly winds cool the water of Norton Sound and the Bering Sea north of St. Lawrence Island until the water column is isothermal and at freezing temperatures. Further cooling causes freezing. Under northerly wind conditions, ice is advected south into .
Observation and Parameterization of Ablation at the Base of Ronne Ice Shelf, Antarctica

Parameterizations of turbulent transfer through the oceanic boundary layer beneath an ice shelf are tested using direct measurements of basal ablation. Observations were made in the southwestern part of Ronne Ice Shelf, about 500 km from open water. The mean basal ablation rate was measured over a month-long and a year-long period using phase-sensitive radar to record the thinning of the ice shelf. Ocean temperatures were observed within about 25 m of the ice shelf base over the period of the radar observations, while the tidally dominated ocean currents were estimated from tidal analysis of collocated current observations from an earlier period. Ablation rates derived using these ocean data and a number of bulk parameterizations of turbulent transfer within the boundary layer are compared with the direct measurements. The ablation rates derived using a parameterization that explicitly includes the impact of ocean currents on the turbulent transfer of heat and salt match the observations to within 40%; with suitable tuning of the drag coefficient,the mismatch can be reduced below the level of the observational errors. Equally good agreement can be obtained with two slightly simpler, current-dependent parameterizations that use constant turbulent transfer coefficients,andtheoptimalvaluesforthecoefficientsatthis particularlocationon RonneIce Shelfaregiven.
In Vitro Investigation of Gelatin/Polycaprolactone Nanofibers in Modulating Human Gingival Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

The aesthetic constancy and functional stability of periodontium largely depend on the presence of healthy mucogingival tissue. Soft tissue management is crucial to the success of periodontal surgery. Recently, synthetic substitute materials have been proposed to be used for soft tissue augmentation, but the tissue compatibility of these materials needs to be further investigated. This study aims to assess the in vitro responses of human gingival mesenchymal stromal cells (hG-MSCs) cultured on a Gelatin/Polycaprolactone prototype (GPP) and volume-stable collagen matrix (VSCM). hG-MSCs were cultured onto the GPP, VSCM, or plastic for 3, 7, and 14 days. The proliferation and/or viability were measured by cell counting kit-8 assay and resazurin-based toxicity assay. Cell morphology and adhesion were evaluated by microscopy. The gene expression of collagen type I, alpha1 (COL1A1), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), integrin beta-1 (ITG-β1), and interleukin 8 (IL-8) was investigated by RT-qPCR. The levels of VEGF-A, TGF-β1, and IL-8 proteins in conditioned media were tested by ELISA. GPP improved both cell proliferation and viability compared to VSCM. The cells grown on GPP exhibited a distinct morphology and attachment performance. COL1A1, α-SMA, VEGF-A, FGF-2, and FAK were positively modulated in hG-MSCs on GPP at different investigation times. GPP increased the gene expression of TGF-β1 but had no effect on protein production. The level of ITG-β1 had no significant changes in cells seeded on GPP at 7 days. At 3 days, notable differences in VEGF-A, TGF-β1, and α-SMA expression levels were observed between cells seeded on GPP and those on VSCM. Meanwhile, GPP showed higher COL1A1 expression compared to VSCM after 14 days, whereas VSCM demonstrated a more significant upregulation in the production of IL-8. Taken together, our data suggest that GPP electrospun nanofibers have great potential as substitutes for soft tissue regeneration in successful periodontal surgery.
Interactions and Seismicity of Indian Tectonic Plate with its Neighboring Plates: An Overview

Understanding earthquakes and its prediction is most challenging tasks. Even though the earthquakes have been understood clearly, the prediction of earthquakes would take more time to come into reality. For this, collection of earthquake data and its interpretation plays a vital role. Its importance continues for few more decades in understanding the various aspects of earth structure and tectonic plate interactions. India, the second largest populous country of the world has experienced and is continuing to experience both inter and intra plate earthquakes, claiming life loss as well as damage to built environment. Apart from earthquakes, India has also experienced Tsunamis in both the directions; eastern tsunamis from Sumatra and western tsunamis from Makran. In this paper using past earthquake data, Indian plate interactions with its neighboring major (Eurasia, Africa & Australia) and minor plates (Arabia, Burmese & Sunda plate) have been understood. Upon clearly observing seven interactions, it is clear that interaction types, their lengths and thickness of plate play a great role in the occurrence of major to great earthquakes.
Modeling the Interaction of a Single-Cycle Laser Pulse with a Bound Electron without Ionization

Ultrashort light pulse research has led to the creation of laser systems generating pulses only a few cycles in duration (Couairon et al., 2006). Now that these ultrashort few-cycle EM pulses exist experimentally, the need for mathematical models to describe these short pulse interactions with matter becomes very important (Porras, 1999). Questions arise on what is the meaning of the index of refraction of a material during a single cycle pulse interaction. There is a growing need to model and to understand the interaction of single ultrashort pulses or a train of ultrashort pulses with matter below the point where strong field effects dominate. This need is driven by the advances made in femtosecond (fs) and attosecond (as) laser technologies. Applications of these ultra short pulses range from free space communications, 3D depth profiling in biological samples, optical communication, high resolution/precision atomic and molecular scale imaging, high speed electronics and optoelectronics in terahertz (THz) regime, behavior of electrons in quantum structures, relativistic physics, high-energy physics, astrophysics to medical applications. Furthermore, ultrafast few cycle lasers are expected to be a promising solution to probe the fastest events in atomic, molecular, biochemical, and solid state systems due to their unique property of being the shortest controlled bursts of energy ever developed (Corkum, 2007; Zewail, 2000; Niikura, 2002; Itatani et al., 2004; Krauss et al., 2009; Couairon et al., 2006; Yan et al., 1985; Steinmeyer et al., 1999; Akimoto, 1996). Basic physics of the pulse-matter interaction depends strongly on the ratio of the pulse duration and the characteristic response time of the medium (as well as on the pulse intensity and energy). This ratio is the key term in the polarization response of the medium from a classical point of view. The goal of this book chapter is to provide insight in the linear polarization response of dispersive materials to ultrashort single cycle pulses. This book chapter is concerned with the case where the electric field strength is low and thus would not produce ionization. Since the energy is below the ionization threshold of the medium, there is not any plasma effect during the interaction of the applied field with the material Understanding the linear polarization response is extremely crucial in order to formulate a realistic field integral. This realistic field integral will provide a more realistic propagation model of optical pulses through dispersive media (Joseph et al. ,1991; Dvorak & Dudley, 1995; Kozlov & Sazabov, 1997; Wilkelmsson, et al., 1995, Kinsler, 2003; Eloy &Wilhelmsson,
Landslide stability evaluation using high-resolution satellite SAR data in the Three Gorges area

Because of its centimetre-level precision, SAR interferometry (InSAR) has been widely recognized as an effective tool for large-area deformation mapping. However, applications of InSAR technology are limited by temporal–geometric decorrelation and atmospheric disturbance. Large-field displacement could be underestimated as a result of these limitations. A point-like target offset tracking (PTOT) method that solely uses SAR pixel amplitude information through highly accurate image matching can measure 2D displacements in the azimuth and range directions. This method is minimally affected by decorrelation and weather, and it is more suitable for mapping large displacements. In this study, landslide-prone areas were identified using high-resolution TerraSAR-X InSAR data pairs with short normal baselines and temporal baselines covering Zigui County in the Three Gorges area, and the PTOT method was applied to study potential landslides using image pairs with long temporal baselines. An estimate of the cumulative deformation was given. Time series displacements measured at corner reflectors and point-like targets were analysed. The feasibilities of landslide detection using DInSAR and PTOT methods with high-resolution SAR images were then evaluated and summarized.
Home Away From Home : Geography of Information and Local Investors ∗

We develop a 10K-based measure of spatial variation in the availability of value-relevant information that reflects the multi-dimensional nature of firm location. Spatially distributed information generates locationbased information asymmetries that affect institutional portfolio decisions and performance. Institutions overweigh firms with greater local economic exposure and earn superior returns on corresponding trades, even for firms not headquartered locally. These patterns are stronger among harder-to-value stocks. Consistent with local informational advantage, local investor performance increases with the local exposure of individual stock holdings and her portfolio as a whole, and more so when her portfolio is more heavily tilted toward local stocks. ∗Please address all correspondence to Johan Sulaeman, Department of Finance, Cox School of Business, 337 Fincher, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275-0333; Phone: 214-768-8284; email: sulaeman@smu.edu. Gennaro Bernile can be reached at +65-68085478 or gbernile@smu.edu. sg. Alok Kumar can be reached at 305284-1882 or akumar@miami.edu. We thank two anonymous referees, Aydoğan Altı, Brad Barber, Josh Coval, Doug Emery, Robin Greenwood, Michael Halling, David Hirshleifer, Zoran Ivkovich, George Korniotis, Toby Moskowitz, Chris Parsons, Sophie Shive, Kumar Venkataraman, Chishen Wei, Scott Yonker, and seminar participants at the 2011 FEA Meetings, 2012 AFA Meetings, Southern Methodist University and University of Miami for helpful comments and valuable suggestions. We are responsible for all remaining errors and omissions. This paper was previously circulated under the title “Home Away From Home: Economic Relevance and Local Investors”.
Around the World: New Theory and New Tests

Morck, Yeung and Yu (MYY, 2000) show that R 2 and other measures of stock market synchronicity are higher in countries with less developed financial systems and poorer corporate governance. MYY and Campbell, Lettau, Malkiel and Xu (2001) also find a secular decline in R 2 in the United States over the last century. We develop a model that explains these results and generates additional testable hypotheses. The model shows how control rights and information affect the division of risk-bearing between inside managers and outside investors. Insiders capture part of the firm's operating cash flows. The limits to capture are based on outside investors' perception of the value of the firm. The firm is not completely transparent, however. Lack of transparency shifts firm-specific risk to insiders and reduces the amount of firm-specific risk absorbed by outside investors. Our model also predicts that " opaque " stocks are more likely to crash, that is, to deliver large negative returns. Crashes occur when insiders have to absorb too much firm-specific bad news and decide to " give up. " We test these predictions using stock returns from all major stock markets from 1990 to 2001. We find strong positive relationships between R 2 and several measures of opaqueness. These measures also explain the frequency of large negative returns.
On the operating critical friction ratio in general stress states

Stress dilatancy provides a fundamental flow rule for constitutive models and several variations on the framework have similar operational performance. However, regardless of idealisation adopted for stress dilatancy, the scaling coefficient evolves and only attains the critical friction ratio at large strain. The scaling coefficient also depends on the proportion of intermediate principal stress. Data on stress dilatancy in triaxial compression and plane strain are reviewed. Based on these data, a simple function is proposed for stress-dilatancy scaling using an operational friction ratio Mi based on work-conjugate stress and strain invariants. The function is calibrated to soil properties measured in conventional drained triaxial tests (about three, suitably chosen, tests are needed in addition to those used to define the critical state locus) and predicts strength in plane strain to an accuracy of ∆η = ±0·03 at 80% confidence for the Brasted and Changi sands considered (i.e. about ± 3% of typical peak .
Asymmetrically zoned reaction rims: assessment of grain boundary diffusivities and growth rates related to natural diffusion‐controlled mineral reactions

This study explores garnet coronas around hedenbergite, which were formed by the reaction plagioclase + hedenbergite→garnet + quartz, to derive information about diffusion paths that allowed for material redistribution during reaction progress. Whereas quartz forms disconnected single grains along the garnet/hedenbergite boundaries, garnet forms ∼20‐μm‐wide continuous polycrystalline rims along former plagioclase/hedenbergite phase boundaries. Individual garnet crystals are separated by low‐angle grain boundaries, which commonly form a direct link between the reaction interfaces of the plagioclase|garnet|hedenbergite succession. Compositional variations in garnet involve: (i) an overall asymmetric compositional zoning in Ca, Fe2+, Fe3+ and Al across the garnet layer; and (ii) micron‐scale compositional variations in the near‐grain boundary regions and along plagioclase/garnet phase boundaries. These compositional variations formed during garnet rim growth. Thereby, transfer of the chemical components occurred by a combination of fast‐path diffusion along grain boundaries within the garnet rim, slow diffusion through the interior of the garnet grains, and by fast diffusion along the garnet/plagioclase and the garnet/hedenbergite phase boundaries. Numerical simulation indicates that diffusion of Ca, Al and Fe2+ occurred about three to four, four and six to seven orders of magnitude faster along the grain boundaries than through the interior of the garnet grains. Fast‐path diffusion along grain boundaries contributed substantially to the bulk material transfer across the growing garnet rim. Despite the contribution of fast‐path diffusion, bulk diffusion through the garnet rim was too slow to allow for chemical equilibration of the phases involved in garnet rim formation even on a micrometre scale. Based on published garnet volume diffusion data the growth interval of a 20‐μm‐wide garnet rim is estimated at ∼103–104 years at the inferred reaction conditions of 760 ± 50 °C at 7.6 kbar. Using the same parameterization of the growth law, 100‐μm‐ and 1‐mm‐thick garnet rims would grow within 105–106 and 106–107 years respectively.
Microfossils from the Aultbea Formation, Torridon Group, on Tanera Beg, Summer Isles

Synopsis A biota of sphaeromorph and nematomorph cryptarchs has been discovered in a grey shale unit of the Aultbea Formation, on Tanera Beg, Summer Isles. The grey shale unit is 4.9 m thick but microfossils are contained only within very thin fine grained intercalated laminae. The composition and lithological association of the biota suggests sedimentological control of its character.
Intra-Site Automatic Tunnel Addressing Protocol (ISATAP)

The Intra-Site Automatic Tunnel Addressing Protocol (ISATAP) connects dual-stack (IPv6/IPv4) nodes over IPv4 networks. ISATAP views the IPv4 network as a link layer for IPv6 and supports an automatic tunneling abstraction similar to the Non-Broadcast Multiple Access (NBMA) model. This memo provides information for the Internet community.