Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Environmental variables regulating soil carbon dioxide efflux following clear-cutting of a Pinus radiata D. Don plantation

The regulation of soil surface CO2 efflux (Fs) from a dryland Pinus radiata clear-cut in New Zealand (658-mm annual rainfall, 50-mm soil water storage over 0.5-m depth of soil) was quantified using a multiplicative, soil moisture and temperature constraint model. Model parameters were determined from measurements of Fs by eddy covariance and by two portable CO2 analyzers equipped with soil chambers during 8 consecutive days in November 1995. Fs from the two chamber systems agreed consistently, but agreement between chamber and eddy covariance measurements was confined to a very small flux-range (1.5–2.5 μmol m−2 s−1). When the soil surface was wet and wind speed (u, a surrogate for static pressure fluctuations) was high, eddy covariance fluxes were >3 μmol m−2 s−1 (maximum 5.0 m−2 s−1), significantly higher than the chamber values. Including u as a third constraint in the model facilitated good predictions of Fs over the entire range of environmental conditions. Daily Fs during the study period ranged from 0.8 to 2.9 g C m−2. Driven by weather data from the forest fire station and subroutines for soil water balance and temperature, modeled Fs for the year ending in June 1996 was 0.37 kg C m−2. This year had below average (547 mm) rainfall. For a year with 640-mm rainfall, a significant increase of annual Fs (0.44 kg C m−2) demonstrated the severe restriction of soil microbial activity by moisture deficit at dryland sites. Moreover, when the soil was adequately watered, Fs was frequently restricted by low wind speed.
Liar ’ s Loan ? Effects of Origination Channel and Information Falsification on Mortgage Delinquency 1

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of mortgage delinquency between 2004 and 2008 using a unique loan-level dataset from a major national mortgage bank. Our analysis highlights two major problems underlying the mortgage crisis: a heavy reliance on mortgage brokers who tend to originate lower quality loans, and a high prevalence of low-documentation loans—known in the industry as “liars’ loans”—which results in information falsification by borrowers. While up to three-quarters of the difference in delinquency rates between bank and broker channels can be attributed to observable loan and borrower characteristics, all of the delinquency difference between fulland low-documentation mortgages is due to unobservable heterogeneity. We provide evidence that this unobserved heterogeneity results from income falsification among lowdocumentation loans. Further, we find little evidence that the loan pricing compensates for the high delinquency rates among the brokered and low-documentation loans. The recent crisis in the housing and mortgage debt market has drawn considerable attention from regulators and market participants. A decade-long boom in the housing market and related financial sectors was followed in 2007 by a market bust with falling house prices and a rapid increase in mortgage defaults and foreclosures. Those caught in the crisis included large financial institutions that experienced sharp expansion in, and profited from, their exposure to mortgage loans. The crisis that started in the mortgage market quickly spread to other financial markets and throughout the economy. We use the experience of a major national mortgage bank to uncover the determinants of the mortgage crisis and the evolution of the crisis at a micro level. The particular bank provides an ideal context for the study, presenting a representative and yet amplified version of the boom-and-bust cycle experienced by the national mortgage sector in the last decade. First, the bank was among the nation’s top ten mortgage lenders in 2006 and was one of the fastest growing players in the mortgage market; a majority of the loans they issued were for lowand no-documentation mortgage products (nicknamed “liars’ loans”). Second, the bank suffered some of the largest losses in the industry since the 2007 crisis; by 2009, loans issued by the bank since the beginning of 2004 reached a delinquency rate of 26%. Finally, the borrowers and properties underlying the bank’s loans during our sample period are fairly represented across all 50 states. Therefore, lessons from this particular bank have general implications for the national mortgage market. Our proprietary data set contains the most detailed and disaggregated information used thus far in the mortgage loan literature. The data set includes all 721,767 loans that the bank originated between January 2004 and February 2008. For each of these loans, we observe all information collected by the bank at origination, as
Coal and coal-bearing strata as oil-prone source rocks: an overview

Abstract Despite many advances in our knowledge over the last decade, understanding of why some coals and coal-bearing strata are oil prone, and our ability to predict such sequences ahead of drilling in petroleum exploration, is relatively poor. Here we review the current status of the knowledge, highlighting contributions made in this volume. Oil-prone coals are hydrogen rich. Those which are generally acknowledged to have given rise to significant oil accumulations occur either as low latitude Tertiary deposits or within late Jurassic-Palaeogene sequences of the Australian region. Oils derived solely from coals and other terrigenous kerogens can be recognized using geochemical criteria. Recognition of oil-prone coals and associated mudrocks visually or geochemically, however, is problematical. What controls the expulsion of petroleum in the liquid phase from coal-bearing sequences is probably the critical factor. Our knowledge of the botanical, depositional and diagenetic controls which determine the formation of oil-prone coaly sequences, and hence our ability to predict their presence, is currently empirical and lacks understanding of the inputs and processes involved.
The N-factor in Natural Landscapes: Variability of Air and Soil-Surface Temperatures, Kuparuk River Basin, Alaska, U.S.A.

The n-factor, or ratio of the seasonal degree-day sum at the soil surface to that in the air at standard screen height, has been used for more than 40 yr in engineering studies to parameterize the temperature regime at the ground surface. Conceptually, this index represents the complex energy balance at the surface as a single dimensionless number and has applications in ecology, climatology, and geocryology. Although the n-factor has been used theoretically to represent the thermal regime of undisturbed natural surfaces, lack of empirical data has hindered its widespread implementation. Nine ground and one air temperature series (1995–97) from each of ten 1-ha plots on the coastal plain and Brooks Range foothills of north-central Alaska were converted to thawing (summer) n-factors and analyzed to address within- and between-plot spatial and temporal variability. Although substantial microscale variation exists, n-factors corresponding to natural vegetation/soil classes are discernable. Incorporation of n-factor values in a standard solution for the depth of thaw resulted in significantly improved estimates of active-layer thickness throughout the study area. The n-factor has considerable potential for addressing problems involving near-surface climate dynamics over extensive regions and long time periods.
Use of spectral analysis to detect changes in spatial variability of forest floor properties

Understanding how silvicultural interventions affect soil spatial variability will improve our ability to predict forest ecosystem function in response to different degrees of management intensity. We demonstrate the use of spectral analysis, a geostatistical technique, to understand how management interventions affect soil spatial variability. The technique was applied to determine whether an intensive vegetation control treatment modifies the spatial patterns of soil microclimate and soil quality indicators: microbial biomass C (SMB-C) and N (SMB-N) as well as net N mineralization rate. A secondary objective was to investigate the contribution of soil microclimate factors to the explanation of spatial patterns of microbial biomass (C and N). Measurements were performed on transects laid out in two plots: a plot that was undisturbed since clearcut and replanted 11-yr earlier with white pine (Pinus strobus L.) and another plot which was subject to annual herbicide application during 4 yr following reforestation with white pine. Forest floor temperature (TEMP) and water content (WC), net N mineralization rate and SMB-C and SMB-N concentrations were measured every 25 cm along each transect. Spatial patterns were assessed using spectral analysis. In the two plots, microclimatic variables and SMB-N presented complex spatial patterns with several scales of spatial dependency, whereas SMB-C and net N mineralization did not demonstrate a spatial pattern at this scale of observation. In the herbicide-treated plot, the spatial pattern of SMB-N was influenced by the plantation grid. Herbicide applications markedly decreased spatial variability of forest floor properties. In some frequencies, SMB-N was markedly positively correlated with forest floor layer WC but not with forest floor TEMP.
Influence of the E region dynamo on equatorial spread F

The integrated E region Pedersen conductivity can be an important parameter in determining whether the bottomside of the equatorial F layer will be stable against the Rayleigh-Taylor gravitational instability. The F layer is observed to become unstable when it rises to great heights after sunset. One effect of this height rise is to decrease the stabilizing influence of ion-neutral collisions at F region heights. It is shown here that the same eastward electric field that raises the F layer also decreases the Pedersen conductivity of the E region, which further destabilizes convective overturning. Because the conductivity of magnetic tubes that penetrate the main F layer is large compared to the E layer contribution, these effects are important only for the bottomside of the equatorial F layer.
Characterization of Regional Seismic Source Zones in and around India

Online material : Earthquake catalog; coordinates of source zones; list of events in each zone; frequency magnitude distribution plots. Identification and characterization of seismic sources are essential input for seismic hazard analysis. A complete and consistent catalog of earthquakes in a region can offer good data for studying the distribution of earthquakes with respect to space, time, and magnitude. Earthquakes are known to have occurred in the region of the Indian subcontinent from historic times. Most of the activities, including many great earthquakes, have occurred in the northern subcontinent and in the Andaman and Nicobar regions. In the southern peninsula, damaging earthquakes have occurred, but their frequency was less and magnitudes were lower than the plate boundary earthquakes. The tectonic framework of the Indian subcontinent—an area of about 3.2 million square kilometers—is complex and varied spatially. This necessitates identifying different regions of similar seismicity. In this study we attempt to identify and characterize regional seismic source zones based on a homogeneous catalog of earthquakes in and around India from 250 BC until 2010. We identified different regional seismic source zones and created separate catalogs for each respective zone. Most earthquake catalogs do not report earthquake magnitudes consistently over time, which may hinder defining seismicity patterns or assessing seismic hazards. The magnitude scales used for earthquake catalogs in India are not homogeneous. Compiling a complete catalog of earthquakes with uniform magnitudes is essential for defining seismicity patterns and assessing seismic hazards for a region (Chen and Tsai 2008). Hence the original magnitudes of earthquakes have to be converted to a common and reliable magnitude scale using appropriate magnitude correlations. In the raw catalog, many events can be dependent events that occurred in association with a mainshock in a cluster. These aftershocks and foreshocks have to be removed from the catalog using …
Chemical transport across the ITCZ in the central Pacific during an El Niño-Southern Oscillation cold phase event in March-April 1999

We examine interhemispheric transport processes that occurred over the central Pacific during the PEM-Tropics B mission (PTB) in March-April 1999 by correlating the observed distribution of chemical tracers with the prevailing and anomalous windfields. The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) had a double structure during PTB, and interhemispheric mixing occurred in the equatorial region between ITCZ branches. The anomalously strong tropical easterly surface wind had a large northerly component across the equator in the central Pacific, causing transport of aged, polluted air into the Southern Hemisphere (SH) at altitudes below 4 km. Elevated concentrations of chemical tracers from the Northern Hemisphere (NH) measured south of the equator in the central Pacific during PTB may represent an upper limit because the coincidence of seasonal and cold phase ENSO conditions are optimum for this transport. Stronger and more consistent surface convergence between the northeasterly and southeasterly trade winds in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) resulted in more total convective activity in the SH branch of the ITCZ, at about 6oS. The middle troposphere between 4-7 km was a complex shear zone between prevailing northeasterly winds at low altitudes and southwesterly winds at higher altitudes. Persistent anomalous streamline patterns and the chemical tracer distribution show that during PTB most transport in the central Pacific was from SH to NH across the equator in the upper troposphere. Seasonal differences in source strength caused larger interhemispheric gradients of chemical tracers during PTB than during the complementary PEM-Tropics A mission in September-October 1996.
Predicting Functional Role and Occurrence of Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) at Alpine Treelines: Model Accuracy and Variable Importance

At some alpine treelines in the Rocky Mountains, whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis)—a keystone species—plays a central role in tree island development through facilitation. Whitebark pine occurs both as a solitary tree and also as a component of tree islands, although relative importance of these two patterns varies geographically. We examine the utility of four predictive models to understand how the functional role of a keystone species varies spatially with biophysical conditions. We use a novel data set to predict whitebark pine's functional role, characterized by spatial association and relative position within a tree island at three North American Rocky Mountain treelines. For the study areas combined, and at a study area level, we compared prediction accuracy and variable importance among these modeling approaches: general linear models, classification and regression trees, random forests, and support vector machines. Results revealed that the keystone role of whitebark pine varied spatially. For the combined model, growing season temperature and slope curvature were the most important predictive variables for association and relative position, as revealed by overall agreement among the four models. Prediction accuracy and variable importance varied at the study area level, though, indicating that different conclusions could be drawn from each model, if examined independently. We advocate comparing results from different modeling approaches for complex, field-derived data sets because it might enable a better understanding of model and variable selection and appropriateness of input data resolution. Furthermore, comparative modeling enables assessment of the relative predictive and interpretive capacities of each modeling approach.
Effect of Endothelin-1 on Cell Viability of Human Periodontal Ligament Fibroblasts ผลของเอนโดทีลิน -1

The objective of this study is to clarify the effect of endothelin-1 on viability of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts. Primary human periodontal ligament fibroblasts were seeded in 96-well plate and treated with 0.1, 1, 10, 100 nM ET-1 for 24 hours. MTT assay was performed to determine percentage of cell viability compared with untreated control group. One-way ANOVA followed by Games-howell post-hoc analysis was used to analyze the difference between groups. The result showed that ET-1 in every concentration significantly decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner ( P <0.05). Further investigation is required to determine the non-toxic concentration of ET-1 for human periodontal ligament fibroblasts.
More Hedging Instruments May Destabilize Markets

This paper formalizes the idea that more hedging instruments may destabilize markets when traders are heterogeneous and adapt their behavior according to experience based reinforcement learning. We investigate three different economic settings, a simple mean-variance asset pricing model, a general equilibrium two-period overlapping generations model with heterogeneous expectations and a noisy rational expectations asset pricing model with heterogeneous information signals. In each setting the introduction of additional Arrow securities can destabilize the market, causing a bifurcation of the steady state to multiple steady states, periodic orbits or even chaotic fluctuations.
Subsurface Flow Patterns in a Riparian Buffer System

Matric potential was measured in a grass and forest riparian buffer system adjacent to a cropped field in the Georgia Coastal Plain. The soil in the adjacent cropped field is a Tifton loamy sand, containing an argillic subsurface horizon with plinthite at approximately 1 m which has been shown to restrict vertical infiltration and induce lateral flow. Two years of matric potential data and measurements of soil hydraulic characteristics were examined to evaluate and quantify unsaturated water flow in the riparian buffer. The lowest soil matric potential occurred at the grass/forest interface, and the greatest surface infiltration occurred within 10 m downslope of the same interface. The area of low matric potential was likely due to water uptake by trees. Water flowed laterally through the unsaturated soil into the riparian area from the upland field, apparently induced by low vertical conductivity in the subsurface and driven by the high water demand of the forest.
Use of Similar Media Scaling to Characterize Spatial Dependence of Near-Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity

Near-saturated hydraulic conductivity K ns reflects the presence of structural macropores and mesopores that, in turn, determine the pathways of water infiltration and solute fluxes in soil. Little is known about the spatial dependence of structural pore space in soil, although such information will be required by stochastic models of solute transport that account for preferential flow in dual or multiple pore domains. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the spatial dependence of K ns . Steady state infiltration rates were measured at supply pressure heads ranging from- 9.1 to -0.4 cm using tension infiltrometers. Twenty five measurement locations were sited on a regular 10 × 10-m grid with a 2-m spacing. An additional 12 measurement locations were placed in the center of the plot with the shortest lag being 0.5 m. Variability was expressed by a single parameter, the scale factor, strictly following the Miller and Miller similar media theory, and with the reference function defined by the Mualem-van Genuchten model. Hydraulic conductivity increased about three orders of magnitude across the pressure head range from --9.1 to 0.4 cm, confirming the strong influence of soil macropores on conductivity near saturation. However, the spatial variability of K ns did not depend on the soil water pressure head across the range measured. The scale factors were approximately lognormally distributed, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 53%. Variogram analysis showed a clear spatial dependence of the scale factors within distances of at least 8 to 10 m and an uncorrelated variance (nugget) of = 13% of the total variability. It was concluded that the macropores and mesopores, responsible for preferential water flow and solute transport near saturation, were not randomly distributed across the plot but showed a well defined spatial structure.
Designing optimal spectral indices: A feasibility and proof of concept study

Vegetation indices constitute a simple and convenient approach to extract useful information from satellite remote sensing data, provided they are designed to address the needs of specific applications and take advantage of the characteristics of particular instruments. Two factors motivate the development of better spectral indices at this time. The first one is the upcoming arrival of a new generation of advanced Earth observation sensors such as the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) on Envisat, the VEGETATION instrument on the SPOT-4 platform, and GLI on ADEOS II, among others. The second is the recent publication of methodological papers on the design and evaluation of optimal spectral indices. The present contribution describes preliminary results obtained in the definition of a spectral index optimized to monitor the state of terrestrial vegetation, where the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation in plant canopies is considered the key observable physical process. The.
Phylogeny and Classification of the Superfamily Scorpionoidea Latreille 1802 (Chelicerata, Scorpiones): An Exemplar Approach

S. A. Stockwell (1989, “Revision of the Phylogeny and Higher Classification of Scorpions (Chelicerata). ” Univ. of California, Berkeley) proposed a cladogram and revised classification for the superfamily Scorpionoidea Latreille 1802 (comprising the families Bothriuridae, Diplocentridae, Heteroscorpionidae, Ischnuridae, and Scorpionidae), based on 47 morphological characters and 35 supraspecific terminal taxa, representing genera whose monophyly was implicitly assumed. Given the widespread practice of defining scorpion genera on the basis of plesiomorphic character states, the assumption of monophyly implicit in supraspecific terminal taxa reduces confidence in Stockwell's cladistic findings and, consequently, his revised suprageneric classification. A re‐investigation of scorpionoid phylogeny is presented here, based on 115 morphological characters (including the characters used by Stockwell) and 71 exemplar species. The criterion of “maximal morphological diversity” was employed for exemplar selection. This approach provides a stronger test of monophyly than random exemplar selection. Sixteen cladistic analyses were performed on the scorpionoid data matrix, which varied in the use of equal, successive, or implied weights and in the additive or nonadditive treatment of multistate characters. The preferred hypothesis, a single most parsimonious tree obtained by analysis with equal weights and 13 ordered multistate characters, yielded the scheme of relationships: (Bothriuridae ((Heteroscorpionidae Urodacinae) ((Hemiscorpiinae Ischnuridae) (Diplocentridae Scorpioninae)))). On the basis of these results, revisions are proposed to the existing suprageneric classification of the Scorpionoidea, including new diagnoses, new descriptions, and an illustrated key to the families and subfamilies. Familial status is provided for the scorpionid subfamilies Hemiscorpiinae and Urodacinae.