Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Submarine permafrost depth from ambient seismic noise

Permafrost inundated since the last glacial maximum is degrading, potentially releasing trapped or stabilized greenhouse gases, but few observations of the depth of ice‐bonded permafrost (IBP) below the seafloor exist for most of the arctic continental shelf. We use spectral ratios of the ambient vibration seismic wavefield, together with estimated shear wave velocity from the dispersion curves of surface waves, for estimating the thickness of the sediment overlying the IBP. Peaks in spectral ratios modeled for three‐layered 1‐D systems correspond with varying thickness of the unfrozen sediment. Seismic receivers were deployed on the seabed around Muostakh Island in the central Laptev Sea, Siberia. We derive depths of the IBP between 3.7 and 20.7 m ± 15%, increasing with distance from the shoreline. Correspondence between expected permafrost distribution, modeled response, and observational data suggests that the method is promising for the determination of the thickness of unfrozen sediment.
Hotspots of gross emissions from the land use sector:patterns, uncertainties, and leading emission sources for the period 2000-2005 in the tropics

Abstract. According to the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), emissions must be cut by 41–72 % below 2010 levels by 2050 for a likely chance of containing the global mean temperature increase to 2 °C. The AFOLU sector (Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use) contributes roughly a quarter ( ∼ 10–12 Pg CO2e yr−1) of the net anthropogenic GHG emissions mainly from deforestation, fire, wood harvesting, and agricultural emissions including croplands, paddy rice, and livestock. In spite of the importance of this sector, it is unclear where the regions with hotspots of AFOLU emissions are and how uncertain these emissions are. Here we present a novel, spatially comparable dataset containing annual mean estimates of gross AFOLU emissions (CO2, CH4, N2O), associated uncertainties, and leading emission sources, in a spatially disaggregated manner (0.5°) for the tropics for the period 2000–2005. Our data highlight the following: (i) the existence of AFOLU emissions hotspots on all continents, with particular importance of evergreen rainforest deforestation in Central and South America, fire in dry forests in Africa, and both peatland emissions and agriculture in Asia; (ii) a predominant contribution of forests and CO2 to the total AFOLU emissions (69 %) and to their uncertainties (98 %); (iii) higher gross fluxes from forests, which coincide with higher uncertainties, making agricultural hotspots appealing for effective mitigation action; and (iv) a lower contribution of non-CO2 agricultural emissions to the total gross emissions (ca. 25 %), with livestock (15.5 %) and rice (7 %) leading the emissions. Gross AFOLU tropical emissions of 8.0 (5.5–12.2) were in the range of other databases (8.4 and 8.0 Pg CO2e yr−1 in FAOSTAT and the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) respectively), but we offer a spatially detailed benchmark for monitoring progress in reducing emissions from the land sector in the tropics. The location of the AFOLU hotspots of emissions and data on their associated uncertainties will assist national policy makers, investors, and other decision-makers who seek to understand the mitigation potential of the AFOLU sector.
Temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity of single-wall carbon nanotubes

The thermal conductivity of several single-wall carbon nanotubes has been calculated over a temperature range of 100-500 K using molecular dynamics simulations with the Tersoff-Brenner potential for C-C interactions. In all cases, starting from similar values at 100 K, the thermal conductivities show a peaking behaviour before falling off at higher temperatures. The peak position shifts to higher temperatures for nanotubes with larger diameters and no significant dependence on the tube chirality is observed. It is shown that this phenomenon is due to the onset of Umklapp scattering, which shifts to higher temperatures for nanotubes with larger diameters.
A few studies in youth link sleep deprivation and the development of metabolic syndrome components

Obesity causes more than 200 medical disorders including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea. In particular, the prevalence and rate of obesity in children and adolescents have increased with over 1/3 of the US pediatric population afflicted with overweight and obesity. Though there is a multifactorial etiology including complex biological and physiological mechanisms involved in energy regulation that may predispose toward an obesity phenotype, we highlight an often missed and overlooked etiology of obesity in clinical assessment in childrensleep disturbance and its causation to weight gain. We also highlight pertinent findings on clinical history and examination, with particular attention to the pediatric population, along with routinely used screening tools for sleep disturbances in the clinical assessment of the patient with obesity.
Empirical Study on the Relationships of Internet Banking Quality, Customer Value, and Customer Satisfaction

The purpose of this conducted study was to test the direct and indirect effects of internet banking quality and customer value to customer satisfaction. This study uses descriptive analysis and multiple regression analysis to examine these relationships. The study is based on a survey conducted with respondents who use internet banking in their day-to-day activities, and all questionnaire items are deemed valid and reliable. For data analysis, the descriptive analysis for the indicators, dimensions, and variables proved to be in a good category. Research findings and implications of the regression analysis show that internet banking quality and customer value had a greater direct impact on customer satisfaction, rather the partial relationships of these variables to satisfaction. In the partial relationships, customer value has a higher influence on customer satisfaction, than internet banking quality. As a research recommendation, banks should provide a more humanistic internet banking service for better consumer satisfaction. A major research limitation of the study is that it does not measure service quality of internet banking, and only focuses on customers of internet banking use of one single bank. The originality of this research relies on the insights of internet banking quality leading to customer satisfaction and increasing the value of a bank to its main target markets.
Botswana’s Public Health Crisis: The HIV/AIDS Epidemic : A Case Study of Botswana and Uganda

In this paper, I aim to answer the question: why are HIV rates in Botswana so high? The HIV epidemic in Botswana is a public health crisis that has dramatically affected the people of Botswana. Through comparative analysis with Uganda, a sub-Saharan African success story in terms of HIV, I argue that cultural and economic factors are responsible for high HIV rates in Botswana. Cultural norms such as oppressive gender norms, a lack of knowledge surrounding the HIV virus, and a lack of sex education contribute to why Botswana has been unable to confront this serious epidemic. Uganda has been far more successful in engaging women in politics and the work force than Botswana. I argue that the oppression of women in Botswana has exacerbated the health epidemic. Sex education and information surrounding safe sex practices are far better distributed and understood in Uganda than in Botswana. Mandatory sex education programs for the Ugandan youth have been very useful in promoting awareness and comprehension. The taboo nature of sex in Botswana creates a norm of secrecy, resulting in a young population that is uninformed about safe sex practices and disease contraction. The issue of unequal gender norms becomes prominent again as I argue that economic inequality between genders within the nation is responsible for phenomena such as transactional sex, increasing the spread of HIV. Because women are far less engaged in the professional sector than their male counterparts, many women feel reliant on the financial support of men. In Uganda, because women play an active role in the professional and political realms, they are able to feel empowered and avoid reliance upon a man for financial stability. Female politicians also have a vested interest in providing services that are beneficial for the health of other women. Women may remain an at risk group for HIV in Botswana until unequal gender norms in the nation are confronted. I conclude my argument by dismissing three common arguments used to explain high HIV rates; laws and stigma against homosexuality, general poverty, and biology. While these arguments are commonly presented as explanations for high HIV rates in sub-Saharan Africa, they each invoke glaring flaws. Biased and inaccurate data surrounding homosexuality in the region renders any explanation of this sort unsound. I argue that anti-homosexuality norms are very prominent throughout nearly the entirety of the region, and cannot be directly correlated to HIV rates. Data would seem to indicate that wealthier people are actually more at risk of HIV within a nation and that wealthier nations may have higher HIV rates, disproving the previously assumed stance that poverty and high HIV rates must be positively correlated. While certain different subtypes of HIV might have different levels of pathogenicity, I argue this has no effect on the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.
VISCERAL METABOLISM AND EFFICIENCY OF ENERGY USE BY RUMINANTS METABOLISMO VISCERAL E EFICIÊNCIA DO USO DA ENERGIA PELOS RUMINANTES

Professor, Departamento de Zootecnia, UFRGS.SUMMARYThe visceral system (liver and portal-drainedviscera) represents an interface between diet and the animal, andit acts as the main site of regulation of nutrients that are used formaintenance, growth, lactation, reproduction, and physicalactivities of animals. However the functions carried out byvisceral organs have, however, a significant energetic cost andare influenced by a variety of factors, such as the level of feedintake and diet composition, among others. As a result, variablequantities of substances are metabolized by them and, thus, thepattern and the quantity of nutrients available to the peripheraltissues can be quite different from those absorbed at the intestinallumen. Probably, the major source of variation in the e fficiency ofutilization of metabolizable energy among feeds is associatedmainly with visceral metabolism and it is unlikely that the ratioketogenic/glucogenic of absorbed substances has determinanteffect under physiological cond itions.Key words: portal- drained viscera, liver , metabolism, energy,efficiency.RESUMOO sistema visceral (figado e visceras drenadas pelaveia porta) representa uma interface entre a dieta e o animal eatua como o principal local de regulacao dos nutrientes utiliza-dos para a manutencao, crescimento, lactacao, reproducao eatividades fisicas dos animais. Contudo, as funcoes desenvolvidaspor estes orgaos tem um custo energetico significativo e saoinfluenciadas por uma serie de fatores, como o nivel de consumode alimento e a composicao da dieta, entre outros. Como resulta-do, uma quantidade variavel de substâncias sao metabolizadaspor eles e, deste modo, o padrao e a quantidade de nutrientesdisponivel aos tecidos perifericos pode ser amplamente diferentedaquele absorvido do lumen intestinal. Provavelmente a maiorparte da variacao na eficiencia de utilizacao da energia metabo-lizavel entre os alimentos esta associada com o metabolismovisceral e e improvavel que a relacao entre as substâncias ceto-genicas/glicogenicas absorvidas tenha um efeito determinante emcondicoes fisiologicas.Palavras-chave: visceras drenadas pela veia porta, figado,metabolismo, energia, eficiencia.
Estimation of Probability of a Particular Milch Animal to Pick Up Mastitis

Mastitis is the most important and expensive disease of dairy industry. The aim of this study was to investigate management and animal level risk factors that favour occurrence of bovine mastitis. The identification of risk factors is important for the design of mastitis control programs in dairy herds. The present study was conducted at the Large Animal Clinic of Madras Veterinary College (MVC) Hospital, Chennai. Out of two hundred and eighty milch animals examined during the study period, sixty cows were affected by mastitis. Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to estimate the probability of a particular milch animal to pick up mastitis and to model the relationship of incidence of mastitis with other explanatory variables. Results obtained revealed that increase in unit change of milk yield (one litre) would increased the incidence of mastitis by 1.658 times. The chance of getting infected by mastitis would be reduced by 2.5 times when the mastitis affected cows were milked last. Incidence of mastitis in non-hygienic farms were 11.675 times more when compared to farms maintained in hygienic manner. Overall, binary logistic model was 84.6 percent accurate in predicting the occurrence and non-occurrence of mastitis. Incidence of mastitis, having been associated with a variety of factors inherent in animals and factors resulting from improper farming practices, appeared to decrease when the management practices are proper and scientific. Well knit extension program is the need of the hour to effectively communicate the farming group about the importance of mastitis control strategies in dairy farming.
VIRAL DIABETES: VIRUS DIABETOGENICITY AND HOST SUSCEPTIBILITY

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is on the rise worldwide, and is associated with improvement in socioeconomic conditions, increasing wealth, high caloric and fat intake, and reduced physical activity. Accumulating evidence also suggests a causal/triggering link with environmental factors, such as toxins and viruses. A variety of viral infections have been associated with the development of diabetes. There might be no ‘diabetes virus’, but there might be a variety of ‘diabetogenic viruses’ that contribute to diabetes in people who are particularly susceptible due to genetic or physiologic conditions. Increasing evidence is showing that human enteroviruses (EVs) are prominent among possible causal candidates for type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). However, evidence for diabetogenicity of viruses is still missing. For a pathogen, causality should fulfill the etiologic criteria known as ‘modified Koch’s postulates’. Recently, we presented evidence that mutations of Tyk2 gene are responsible for diabetes susceptibility of mice infected with the diabetogenic D strain of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMC-D). Observations have been extended to identify the human polymorphism of TYK2 gene associated with increased risk for virus-induced diabetes in humans. An update is given on the possible diabetogenic role of EVs with reference to experimental work in animals and to human studies (viral serology, pancreas histopathology, virus detection in blood and in tissues of diabetic patients). For the identification of a diabetogenic virus, the development of a sensitive experimental model is imperative. In vivo assay systems should include an animal model appropriately simulating a susceptible human and carrying susceptibility genes or factors. This work summarizes current knowledge on virus-induced diabetes together with evidence from experimental models, susceptibility genes in mice, candidate diabetogenic viruses and susceptibility genes in humans. Perspectives on the identification of diabetogenic viruses - which may possibly lead to innovative strategies for the cure or prevention of diabetes – are also presented.
The distribution of snow black carbon observed in the Arctic and compared to the GISS-PUCCINI model

Abstract. In this study, we evaluate the ability of the latest NASA GISS composition-climate model, GISS-E2-PUCCINI, to simulate the spatial distribution of snow BC (sBC) in the Arctic relative to present-day observations. Radiative forcing due to BC deposition onto Arctic snow and sea ice is also estimated. Two sets of model simulations are analyzed, where meteorology is linearly relaxed towards National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and towards NASA Modern Era Reanalysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalyses. Results indicate that the modeled concentrations of sBC are comparable with present-day observations in and around the Arctic Ocean, except for apparent underestimation at a few sites in the Russian Arctic. That said, the model has some biases in its simulated spatial distribution of BC deposition to the Arctic. The simulations from the two model runs are roughly equal, indicating that discrepancies between model and observations come from other sources. Underestimation of biomass burning emissions in Northern Eurasia may be the main cause of the low biases in the Russian Arctic. Comparisons of modeled aerosol BC (aBC) with long-term surface observations at Barrow, Alert, Zeppelin and Nord stations show significant underestimation in winter and spring concentrations in the Arctic (most significant in Alaska), although the simulated seasonality of aBC has been greatly improved relative to earlier model versions. This is consistent with simulated biases in vertical profiles of aBC, with underestimation in the lower and middle troposphere but overestimation in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, suggesting that the wet removal processes in the current model may be too weak or that vertical transport is too rapid, although the simulated BC lifetime seems reasonable. The combination of observations and modeling provides a comprehensive distribution of sBC over the Arctic. On the basis of this distribution, we estimate the decrease in snow and sea ice albedo and the resulting radiative forcing. We suggest that the albedo reduction due to BC deposition presents significant space-time variations, with highest mean reductions of 1.25% in the Russian Arctic, which are much larger than those in other Arctic regions (0.39% to 0.64%). The averaged value over the Arctic north of 66° N is 0.4–0.6% during spring, leading to regional surface radiative forcings of 0.7, 1.1 and 1.0 W m −2 in spring 2007, 2008 and 2009, respectively.
Quantifying the Evolution of World Trade, 1870-1949

The typical narrative regarding the evolution of world trade prior to World War II refers to a secular rise that started around 1870 and a subsequent collapse that began in 1914. This narrative, though, is based on measures of trade openness that do not fully take into account purchasing power differences across countries, as in the literature non-PPP-adjusted trade data are typically denominated by PPP-adjusted GDP data. The present paper seeks to resolve this inconsistency by constructing new trade share estimates for 51 countries spanning the period from 1870 to 1949 by combining historical import and export data with non-PPP-adjusted GDP values that we estimate via the "short-cut" method. Our estimates indicate a much more pronounced rise and fall of world trade over this period with trade shares being on average 32% higher than previously documented and the world's level of openness to trade in 1913 being comparable to that in 1974. In addition, performing a similar correction for purchasing power differences in the context of standard gravity regressions for the 1870-1939 period we find that the existing literature has overestimated the importance of income movements during this period relative to tariffs changes and the evolution of the gold standard.
Mapping WordNet to the SUMO Ontology

In this paper we will begin by describing the upper-level ontology SUMO (Suggested Upper Merged Ontology), which has been proposed as the initial version of an eventual Standard Upper Ontology (SUO). We will then describe the popular, free, and structured WordNet lexical database. After this preliminary discussion, we will describe the methodology that we are using to align WordNet with the SUMO. Finally, we will close this paper by demonstrating how this alignment of WordNet with SUMO will provide answers to the questions posed above.
IPS Promises and challenges in insect – plant interactions

There is tremendous diversity of interactions between plants and other species. These relationships range from antagonism to mutualism. Interactions of plants with members of their ecological community can lead to a profound metabolic reconfiguration of the plants’ physiology. This reconfiguration can favour beneficial organisms and deter antagonists like pathogens or herbivores. Determining the cellular and molecular dialogue between plants, microbes, and insects, and its ecological and evolutionary implications is important for understanding the options for each partner to adopt an adaptive response to its biotic environment. Moving forward, understanding how such ecological interactions are shaped by environmental change and how we potentially mitigate deleterious effects will be increasingly important. The development of integrative multidisciplinary approaches may provide new solutions to the major ecological and societal issues ahead of us. The rapid evolution of technology provides valuable tools and opens up novel ways to test hypotheses that were previously unanswerable, but requires that scientists master these tools, understand potential ethical problems flowing from their implementation, and train new generations of biologists with diverse technical skills. Here, we provide brief perspectives and discuss future promise and challenges for research on insect–plant interactions building on the 16th International Symposium on Insect–Plant interactions (SIP) meeting that was held in Tours, France (2–6 July 2017). Talks, posters, and discussions are distilled into key *Correspondence: David Giron, Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte (IRBI), UMR 7261 CNRS/Universit e de Tours, 37200 Tours, France. E-mail: david.giron@univ-tours.fr © 2018 The Netherlands Entomological Society Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 1–25, 2018 1 DOI: 10.1111/eea.12679
NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SOLITARY WAVE PROPAGATION IN A VEGETATED CHANNEL USING AN EXTENDED BOUSSINESQ MODEL

An explicit one-dimensional model based on the extended Boussinesq equations was established to calculate solitary wave propagation in vegetated and non-vegetated waters. This model adopts a hybrid solution combining the finite difference (FD) and the finite-volume (FV) methods. This hybrid model can also simulate wave propagation as the FV solution of a non-linear shallow water equations (NSWE) model by removing the higher order Boussinesq terms. The resistance force caused by vegetation is added into a source term in the momentum equation. The interface fluxes are evaluated using the Harten-Lax-van Leer (HLL) approximate Riemann solver with reconstruction technique, providing a robust method to track the moving shoreline. This model is used to simulate solitary wave run-up on a sloping bed with vegetation and to evaluate wave attenuation through a vegetation zone. It is found that the model reasonably predicts wave height attenuation in cases where there is combined vegetation in a flat bed, implying that vegetation may cause energy loss in solitary wave propagation. The larger wave height and the larger vegetation density cause the larger wave attenuation for solitary waves through vegetation water. A positive correlation is found between wave attenuation and wave height. Modeling vegetation through the use of a source term in momentum equations is proved to provide a reasonable estimation for the amount of wave height attenuation that may occur through wetland marshes.