Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-precision extraction of nearshore green tides using satellite remote sensing data of the Yellow Sea, China

ABSTRACT Since 2007, a massive floating green tide has occurred repeatedly in the Yellow Sea. The work involved in monitoring and clearing such a phenomenon requires highly precise spatial information. Satellite remote sensing data can provide such detail but they can be limited by long revisit periods and small-scale observational coverage. Therefore, in operational monitoring of green tides, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data have an important role because of their short revisit period (twice daily) and large-scale observational coverage (viewing swath width: 2330 km). However, errors exist in MODIS-derived areal detection of green tides because its coarse spatial resolution (250–1000 m) can lead to mixed-pixel problems (i.e. in many cases, the limit of spatial resolution results in single pixels covering multiple ground objects). In this study, a method for spectral unmixing was developed for remote green tide detection. This method is based on mathematical morphology, and it integrates both the spatial and spectral characteristics of the image in the process of endmember extraction. Experiments using simulated and actual MODIS images were undertaken to illustrate the advantages of the proposed method. Compared with traditional linear unmixing methods, the abundance and area of green tides extracted by the proposed method were closer to the ‘real’ condition. The average relative deviation of green tide area decreased from 84.0% to 21.0%. The results illustrate that the proposed method is able to work efficiently and that it can provide improved information on green tide abundance and area.
Qualitative Studies of Recent Floods and Sustainable Growth and Development of Cities and Towns in Nigeria

Extreme weather events have caused havoc to lives and properties in recent years. Research and development have also been focused on these global phenomena. The situation is getting alarmed in Nigeria. The aim of the paper is to study incidences of floods in Nigerian cities and towns. Topographical Maps of 25 cities and towns were studied. Floods, drainage channels, runoffs and effects of human activities on floods were observed and studied. Interviews were conducted with 20 professionals, urban dwellers and twenty Local Government Chairmen of the cities and towns. There was a questionnaire that was administered among 2,000 urbanites. It collected data about the frequency, sizes and havocs caused by floods. Some of the cities particularly Lagos, Warri and Port-Harcourt are under the sea level with average gradient of less than 1:100,000. Run-offs are increasing in volume and areas of coverage but relatively drainage channels are inadequate; and they have been blocked through the adverse living habits of the urban dwellers. Waste waters are contributing as base water to rain water in the drainage channels. These result in grievous consequences of flood. All forms of transportation are affected each time it comes; lives, farm lands and properties are lost; and economic activities are grounded. Human factors are predominantly the cause. More attention has to be paid to urban physical planning.
Interactions between rainfall, deforestation and fires during recent years in the Brazilian Amazonia

Understanding the interplay between climate and land-use dynamics is a fundamental concern for assessing the vulnerability of Amazonia to climate change. In this study, we analyse satellite-derived monthly and annual time series of rainfall, fires and deforestation to explicitly quantify the seasonal patterns and relationships between these three variables, with a particular focus on the Amazonian drought of 2005. Our results demonstrate a marked seasonality with one peak per year for all variables analysed, except deforestation. For the annual cycle, we found correlations above 90% with a time lag between variables. Deforestation and fires reach the highest values three and six months, respectively, after the peak of the rainy season. The cumulative number of hot pixels was linearly related to the size of the area deforested annually from 1998 to 2004 (r2=0.84, p=0.004). During the 2005 drought, the number of hot pixels increased 43% in relation to the expected value for a similar deforested area (approx. 19 000 km2). We demonstrated that anthropogenic forcing, such as land-use change, is decisive in determining the seasonality and annual patterns of fire occurrence. Moreover, droughts can significantly increase the number of fires in the region even with decreased deforestation rates. We may expect that the ongoing deforestation, currently based on slash and burn procedures, and the use of fires for land management in Amazonia will intensify the impact of droughts associated with natural climate variability or human-induced climate change and, therefore, a large area of forest edge will be under increased risk of fires.
Conference Evaluation of Changes Which Occurred in a Mild Protective Citrus Tristeza Virus Isolate in Pera Sweet Orange Trees by Using RFLP and SSCP Analyses of the Coat Protein Gene

The cross protection program to control citrus tristeza virus (CTV) in Pera sweet orange through the use of preimmunization with a mild isolate of CTV has been working satisfactorily for 30 yr with approximately 80 million preimmunized trees in the State of Sao Paulo (SP.), Brazil. Recently, however, 3- to 4-yr-old plants (daughter plants) grown from budwood selected from 20-yr-old vigorous preimmunized Pera sweet orange trees are showing severe CTV symptoms. The protective CTV isolate present in the mother trees was compared with the isolates occurring in the daughter plants that were showing severe symptoms by restriction fragment length polymor- phism (RFLP) and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analyses of the CTV coat protein gene (CPG). RFLP analyses detected no polymorphism between the CTV isolates of the mother trees and the original isolate maintained in stock mother plants in Cordeirópolis County, Sao Paulo, Brazil. However, the CTV in the daughter plants were quite different from the CTV iso- lates present in the mother plants. SSCP analyses revealed complex and different patterns in almost all the CTV isolates, including both groups of mother plants. The ramiﬁcation of these results are discussed in relation to symptoms in the daughter plants and with cross protection.
Current and future role of biomarkers in Crohn’s disease risk assessment and treatment

Background: Crohn’s disease (CD), a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), occurs in genetically susceptible individuals who develop aberrant immune responses to endoluminal bacteria. Recurrent inflammation increases the risk of several complications. Despite use of a traditional “step-up” therapy with corticosteroids and immunomodulators, most CD patients eventually require surgery at some time in their disease course. Newer biologic agents have been remarkably effective in controlling severe disease. Thus, “top-down,” early aggressive therapy has been proposed to yield better outcomes, especially in complicated disease. However, safety and cost issues mandate the need for careful patient selection. Identification of high-risk candidates who may benefit from aggressive therapy is becoming increasingly relevant. Serologic and genetic markers of CD have great potential in this regard. The aim of this review is to highlight the clinical relevance of these markers for diagnostics and prognostication. Methods: A current PubMed literature search identified articles regarding the role of biomarkers in IBD diagnosis, severity prediction, and stratification. Studies were also reviewed on the presence of IBD markers in non-IBD diseases. Results: Several IBD seromarkers and genetic markers appear to be associated with complex CD phenotypes. Qualitative and quantitative serum immune reactivity to microbial antigens may be predictive of disease progression and complications. Conclusion: The cumulative evidence provided by serologic and genetic testing has the potential to enhance clinical decision-making when formulating individualized IBD therapeutic plans.
A framework for understanding ecological traps and an evaluation of existing evidence.

When an animal settles preferentially in a habitat within which it does poorly relative to other available habitats, it is said to have been caught in an "ecological trap. " Although the theoretical possibility that animals may be so trapped is widely recognized, the absence of a clear mechanistic understanding of what constitutes a trap means that much of the literature cited as support for the idea may be weak, at best. Here, we develop a conceptual model to explain how an ecological trap might work, outline the specific criteria that are necessary for demonstrating the existence of an ecological trap, and provide tools for researchers to use in detecting ecological traps. We then review the existing literature and summarize the state of empirical evidence for the existence of traps. Our conceptual model suggests that there are two basic kinds of ecological traps and three mechanisms by which traps may be created. To this point in time, there are still only a few solid empirical examples of ecological traps in the published literature (although those few examples suggest that both types of traps and all three of the predicted mechanisms do exist in nature). Therefore, ecological traps are either rare in nature, are difficult to detect, or both. An improved library of empirical studies will be essential if we are to develop a more synthetic understanding of the mechanisms that can trigger maladaptive behavior in general and the specific conditions under which ecological traps might occur.
Assessment of soil erosion in the Cesar watershed, an initial step toward the restoration of the Cesar River

The Magdalena River stands out as the largest contributors of sediment in South America. Although the Cesar River is one the main tributary of the Magdalena River, very few studies, if any, have focused on estimating soil erosion rates in the Cesar watershed. This contribution addresses this gap by presenting soil erosion rates calculated specifically for the Cesar watershed. It is based on the RUSLE-GGS (RUSLE-GIS-GLUE-SDR) erosion model at the watershed scale. The estimates cover a period from 1991 up to 2020, with a spatial resolution of 2.5 km. Different scenarios were modeled to assess and predict the variations in sediment yield and to fit the model to the sediment concentration data observed in local sediment gauging stations. By using the Getis-Ord statistical analysis, hotspots where soil erosion is most pronounced were identified. To the best of our knowledge, this contribution represents the first assessment of soil erosion in the Cesar watershed. In addition to providing a basis for future research, the results are expected to contribute to the formulation of appropriate scenarios to address the restoration of the Cesar River. Finally, the study triggers a discussion on the sustainable management of the basin to explore solutions aimed at preserving the integrity of this vital water resource.
Soil organic carbon maintenance in corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) as influenced by elevation zone

ABSTRACT: Landscape processes may impact the amount of carbon (C) required to maintain soil organic C levels. The objective of this study determined the influence of elevation zones on soil organic C maintenance and C-budgets. Research conducted between 1995 and 2003 in a 160 ac (65 ha) east-central South Dakota field measured spatial and temporal biomass [corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max)] production and changes in soil organic C and 13C isotopic discrimination (Δ). Results from this study showed that: 1) data collected through precision farming practices (yield and grid soil samples analyzed for soil organic C) can be used to determine soil organic C maintenance requirements; 2) the corn — soybean rotation may not return enough biomass-C to maintain soil organic C levels at all landscape positions; 3) calculated maintenance rates were dependent on the approach used to estimate below ground biomass; 4) footslope areas had higher maintenance rates than summit/shoulder areas; and 5) 1.84 percent and 1.21 percent soil organic C measure in 1995 (SOC95) were mineralized annually in elevation zones less than 527.3 and greater than 527.3 m, respectively. To maintain soil organic C levels, areas where mineralization is high (footslopes) will require higher biomass-C additions than areas where soil organic C mineralization is low (shoulders). The potential benefits of increasing biomass-C additions to footslope areas at the expense of summit/shoulder areas must be balanced against the potential effects on erosion.
Linking short and long-term effects of nature-based tourism on cetaceans.

A complex and unresolved problem in wildlife management is detecting whether human activities, which superficially appear to be benign, have cumulative effects that are harmful to wildlife populations. For instance, current understanding of impacts of nature-based tourism on free-ranging cetaceans is far from satisfactory. To ensure the sustainability of the economically-important and rapidly-growing global cetacean-watching industry, there is a pressing need for sound scientific evidence on which to base management.
Numerical Simulation of A Prognostic Meteorological Model Using Four-Dimensional Observational Data Assimilation in Ohio

LIN, PENG, M.S., November 2007, Chemical Engineering Numerical Simulation Of A Prognostic Meteorological Model Using Four-Dimensional Observational Data Assimilation In Ohio (108 pp.) Director of Thesis: Kevin C. Crist The Fifth Generation Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU/NCAR) Mesoscale Model system (MM5) was applied to simulate precipitation in the Ohio region for summer season in 2004. Observational data were nudged in MM5 model using four-dimensional data assimilation (FDDA). Eight sensitivity runs were tested. The model results were compared with observational data in the fields of precipitation, temperature, wind and humidity. The combinations of the physics schemes and FDDA that most improved precipitation modeling performance among the sensitivity runs were applied to the rest episodes of the related month. The model results were compared against observed precipitation data retrieved from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Climatic Data Center and gridded precipitation analysis. The results showed that the model performance was significantly enhanced by introducing FDDA and that the combination of Kain-Fritsch cumulus parameterization scheme and Pleim-Xiu land-surface scheme provided the most improvement in precipitation prediction among all sensitivity runs. Approved: _____________________________________________________________ Kevin C. Crist Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Significant decline of mesospheric water vapor at the NDACC site near Bern in the period 2007 to 2018

Abstract. The middle atmospheric water vapor radiometer MIAWARA is located close to Bern in Zimmerwald (46.88∘ N, 7.46∘ E; 907 m) and is part of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC). Initially built in the year 2002, a major upgrade of the instrument's spectrometer allowed middle atmospheric water vapor to be continuously measured since April 2007. Thenceforward to May 2018, a time series of more than 11 years has been gathered, that makes a first trend estimate possible. For the trend estimation, a robust multilinear parametric trend model has been used. The trend model encompasses a linear term, a solar activity tracker, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) index and the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) as well as the annual and semi-annual oscillation. In the time period April 2007 to May 2018 we find a significant decline in water vapor by -0.6±0.2 ppm per decade between 61 and 72 km. Below the stratopause level (∼48 km) a smaller reduction of H2O of up to -0.3±0.1 ppm per decade is detected.
D 2 VR : High-Quality Volume Rendering of Projection-based Volumetric Data

Volume-rendering techniques are conventionally classified into two categories represented by direct and indirect methods. Indirect methods require to transform the initial volumetric model into an intermediate geometrical model in order to efficiently visualize it. In contrast, direct volume-rendering (DVR) methods can directly process the volumetric data. Modern 3D scanning technologies, like CT or MRI, usually provide data as a set of samples on rectilinear grid points, which are computed from the measured projections by discrete tomographic reconstruction. Therefore the set of these reconstructed samples can already be considered as an intermediate volume representation. In this paper we introduce a new paradigm for direct direct volume rendering (D2VR), which does not require a rectilinear grid at all, since it is based on an immediate processing of the measured projections. Arbitrary samples for ray casting are reconstructed from the projections by using ∗e-mail: cseb@iit.bme. hu †e-mail:{rautek|grimm|bruckner |groeller}@cg.tuwien. ac.at the Filtered Back-Projection algorithm. Our method removes an unnecessary and lossy resampling step from the classical volume rendering pipeline. Thus, it provides much higher accuracy than traditional grid-based resampling techniques do. Furthermore we also present a novel high-quality gradient estimation scheme, which is also based on the Filtered Back-Projection algorithm. Finally we introduce a hierarchical space partitioning approach for projection-based volumetric data, which is used to accelerate D 2VR. CR Categories: I.4. 5 [Image Processing]: Reconstruction—Transform Methods; I.4. 10 [Image Processing]: Volumetric Image Representation; I.3. 7 [Computer Graphics]: Three-dimensional Graphics and Realism
Contrast-Induced Nephropathy

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a complication of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Promising biomarkers for the early prediction of CIN can significantly improve outcomes of these patients. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for studies. Trials reporting an area under the curve (AUC) for the utility of novel biomarkers in the early prediction of CIN in adults after PCI were included. In total, 42 studies comprising 11,984 adult patients undergoing PCI met the criteria. Four urinary biomarkers and four blood biomarkers were included. For urine biomarkers, the pooled AUCs for neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), interleukin-18 (IL-18), liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP), and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) were 0.91 (95% CI 0.89–0.94), 0.79 (0.75–0.82), 0.78 (0.74–0.82), and 0.79 (0.76–0.83), respectively. The blood biomarkers NGAL, cystatin C, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and C-reactive protein (CRP) had pooled AUCs of 0.93 (0.91–0.95), 0.92 (0.89–0.94), 0.78 (0.74–0.81), and 0.75 (0.71–0.79), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that blood NGAL in early CIN predictive time (<6 h) was more effective in predicting CIN. The efficiency of cystatin C in predicting CIN was reduced, whereas that of L-FABP was increased among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.
Community-Academic Partnerships in the Community Engagement Literature: A Scoping Review

This article contributes a novel dataset mapping the partnership literature in the community engagement field and invites scholars of community-academic partnerships in the community engagement field to participate in the development of scoping reviews as a way to effectively scan extant literature as they seek to build upon or critique it. This scoping review includes key article-level characteristics regarding the representation of community-academic partnerships within 141 published articles from seven peer-reviewed journals in the community engagement field.
Which Financial Frictions? Parsing the Evidence from the Financial Crisis of 2007 to 2009

The financial crisis of 2007-9 has sparked keen interest in models of financial frictions and their impact on macro activity. Most models share the feature that borrowers suffer a contraction in the quantity of credit. However, the evidence suggests that although bank lending to firms declines during the crisis, bond financing actually increases to make up much of the gap. This paper reviews both aggregate and micro level data and highlights the shift in the composition of credit between loans and bonds. Motivated by the evidence, we formulate a model of direct and intermediated credit that captures the key stylized facts. In our model, the impact on real activity comes from the spike in risk premiums, rather than contraction in the total quantity of credit.
Optimal Life Cycle Unemployment Insurance

We argue that US welfare would rise if unemployment insurance were to be increased for young workers and decreased for old. This is because young workers have little means to smooth consumption during unemployment, and want jobs to accumulate high-return human capital. So unemployment insurance is highly valuable to them while the induced moral hazard problem is mild. We consider a life cycle model with unemployment risk and endogenous search effort, that we calibrate to match US labor market institutions. We find that allowing unemployment replacement rates and other government transfers to decline with age yields sizeable welfare gains which amount to around two thirds of the gains attained under the constrained optimal scheme for unemployment insurance over the life cycle. ∗We would like to thank Manuel Arellano, Samuel Bentolila, Francisco Buera, Andrés Erosa, Hugo Hopenhayn, Enrique Kawamura, Per Krusell, Omar Licandro, Alejandro Manelli, Michael Manove, Andrés Neumeyer, Juan Pablo Nicolini, Josep Pijoan-Mas, Veronica Rappoport, Rafael Repullo and seminar participants at CEMFI, IIES, Collegio Carlo Alberto, UTDT, UDESA and IV REDg DGEM Workshop for helpful comments. A thank also goes to Raj Chetty for kindly making data available and promptly answering questions about them. Financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through grant ECO2010-16726 is gratefully acknowledged. Postal address: CEMFI, Casado del Alisal 5, 28014, Madrid, Spain. E-mail: c.michelacci@cemfi.es, hruffo@cemfi.es.
The Sources of Fluctuations in Residential Investment: A View from a Policy-Oriented DSGE Model of the U.S. Economic

This paper analyzes fluctuations in residential investment using an estimated DSGE model of the U.S. economy, which is current used to analyze policy questions and to produce forecasts on a regular basis. Importantly, the model is more detailed in its treatment of domestic spending and production decisions than most other models, allowing consideration of questions related to the housing sector and other macroeconomic developments. Our analysis examines the importance of various structural factors in determining the course of residential investment in the United States over the past two decades. We focus especially on developments in the last ten years, and examine in detail the relationship between monetary policy actions and residential investment within our model.
Proceedings - Limits of Acceptable Change and related planning processes: Progress and future directions

Experience with Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) and related planning processes has accumulated since the mid-1980's. These processes were developoed as a means of dealing with recreation carrying capacity issues in wilderness and National Parks. These processes clearly also have application outside of protected areas and to issues other than recreation management. This proceedings represents and attempt to learn from that experience and suggest means of increasing the future utility of these processes.