Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Etude de la succession secondaire dans le cadre de la pratique des cultures sur brûlis au Menabe central, Madagascar

Madagascar forests are among the most biologically rich and unique ecosystems. Strong pressure from human activities causes, however, a rapid destruction of natural habitats and a massive loss of biodiversity. Slash and burn is one of the causes of this pressure. This is a traditional practice in many areas and predominantly in Madagascar, particularly in the South-West. Secondary vegetation that has developed on surfaces formerly burned and abandoned has an economic value for the local population, either as firewood, root crops, pasture or medicinal plants, or potential commercial uses. To limit the pressure on natural forest, re-use of previously burned and abandoned surfaces is necessary. The aim of this thesis is to study the potential of secondary succession for the practice of slash and burn in order to optimize its use. Different ages of culture abandonment were studied in plots ranging from 1 year of culture abandonment to more than 40 years, and classified into six classes (1-5 years, 6-10 years, 11-20 years, 21-30, 31-40 years and more than 40 years). In this region, farmers prefer to use yellow soils (name used because of their color) rather than red soils because pH is slightly basic in the yellow and the ratio C/N higher. The species richness increases with the age of abandonment and stabilizes at more than 40 years. Woody species increased from 10 years of culture abandonment and herbaceous species decreased slightly after 30 years.
A model for atmospheric CO 2 over Phanerozoic time

A new model has been constructed for calculating the level of atmospheric CO{sub 2} over Phanerozoic time which is much simpler mathematically than the BLAG model, but more complex geologically and biologically. Results suggest that there has been a notable pattern of varying atmospheric CO{sub 2} level over the past 570 my with high levels during the Mesozoic and early Paleozoic and low levels during the Permo-Carboniferous and late Cenozoic. Sensitivity analysis shows that, within reasonable limits of the principal governing parameters, this qualitative trend of varying CO{sub 2} is relatively insensitive to the actual values chosen for these parameters. Causes of the CO{sub 2} variation are multiple, and no single geological or biological process can be called upon to explain all CO{sub 2} variation for all time. The calculated trend of CO{sub 2} over time agrees well with independent estimations of paleoclimates. Thus, the greenhouse theory of paleoclimate on a long geological time scale is supported by the results of the present study.
Variability of geophysical parameters from aircraft radiance measurements for FIFE

Airborne multispectral images were collected on 2 days during the First ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE) to investigate the time and space variability of remotely sensed geophysical parameters over the study region. The data sets consisted of multiple overflights covering about a 60-min period during late morning on June 4, 1987, and shortly after dark on the following day. Image data from each overpass were calibrated and Earth-located with respect to each other using aircraft inertial navigation system parameters and ground control points. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values were generated from visible and near-infrared imagery to characterize the greenness of the vegetation, its spatial variability, and its variation with changing sensor-Sun-viewing geometries. Land surface temperatures (LST) were derived using a split-window formulation to investigate their spatial and temporal variability in relation to the NDVI values and other surface features and the variability between day and night observations. The results indicated that large variations in these parameters existed at small scales. Variability in NDVI values was large and was governed by the natural surface character and its use. Large variations of NDVI occurred with different sensor-Sun-vie wing geometries as a result of anisotropic reflection from the surface, atmospheric interference, and slope and aspect effects. LST was also highly varied. Positive land surface temperature changes, as a result of excess absorption of solar radiation, exceeded 4°C in 45 min over certain regions and were governed by land use and microtopography. Smaller negative temperature changes were observed at night. NDVI and LST values were inversely related, with fairly high correlations for certain surface features. The unique multispectral atmospheric mapping sensor (MAMS) measurements and the derived NDVI and LST data provided a better understanding of reflective and thermal properties within a heterogeneous region, as well as a quantitative description of their spatial and temporal variability, and served to better characterize important surface processes related to microclimate variability.
Módulo de consultas distribuídas do Infinispan

Lacerra, I. D. Module that supports distributed queries in In nispan. 2012. Master thesis Instituto de Matematica e Estatistica, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, 2012. With the big amount of data available to computer applications nowadays, there is an increasing need for mechanisms that facilitate the retrieval of such data and improve data access performance. In this context we see the emergence of so-called NOSQL databases, which are databases that are typically non-relational and that give up ful lling some requirements previously seen as fundamental in order to achieve better availability and performance in big data environments. In this work we deal with the scenario above and implement a module that supports distributed queries in JBoss In nispan, a distributed cache system that works also as an in-memory NOSQL database. Besides presenting the implementation of that module, we discuss the emergence of the NOSQL movement, the characterization of NOSQL databases, and where In nispan ts in this context.
Thawing permafrost and thicker active layers in sub‐arctic Sweden

Observations of active‐layer thickness from nine sites with up to 29 years of gridded measurements located in the Torneträsk region, northernmost Sweden, were examined in relation to climatic trends. Mean annual air temperatures in this area have warmed and recently rose above 0°C. Active layers at all sites have become thicker, at rates ranging from 0.7 to 1.3 cm per year. This trend has accelerated in the past decade, especially in the westernmost site where rates have reached 2 cm per year and permafrost has disappeared at 81 per cent of the sampling points. Increased active‐layer thicknesses are correlated with increases in mean summer air temperature, thawing degree‐days and, in five of the nine sites, with increases in snow depth. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Spin-up Process of a Cyclone Vortex in a Tropical Cyclone Initialization Scheme and Its Impact on the Initial TC Structure

The scheme developed by Nguyen and Chen (2011) is used to produce 18 TCs (2004−2013) over the Northwestern Pacific that are well adjusted to the environment. The environment, including SST, in which the storm is embedded has a significant effect on the intensity and rainband patterns of these TCs. During the early season, TCs have a tendency to exhibit a “9” type asymmetric structure with an upper-level outflow channel extending southwestward from the southeastern quadrate of the storm. At low levels, the convergence area between the TC circulation and the southwesterly monsoon flow is a favorable location for the development of spiral rainbands. Late season TCs have a tendency to produce a “6” type storm structure with an outflow channel extending northeastward from the northwestern part of the eyewall, especially when an upper-level cold low or trough is present to the northwest of the storm. At low levels, the convergence of the northeasterly monsoon flow and the TC circulation is favorable for the occurrences of spiral rainbands. For intense TCs that underwent an eyewall replacement cycle, the scheme also shows considerable skill in reproducing the concentric eyewall structure. (Citation: Chen, C., Y. Chen, and H. V. Nguyen, 2014: The spin-up process of a cyclone vortex in a tropical cyclone initialization scheme and its impact on the Initial TC structure. SOLA, 10, 93−97, doi:10.2151/sola.2014-019).
Paleomagnetism of Archean rocks from northwestern Ontario: Wabigoon gabbro, Wabigoon Subprovince

The Wabigoon gabbro of the Archean Wabigoon greenstone belt in northwestern Ontario preserves a univectorial natural remanent magnetization (NRM) with D = 246°, I = 12° (k = 19.5, α95 = 10.5°, N = 11 sites). The precision is reduced if sample means are averaged, however (k = 9.3, α95 = 9.2°, N = 29 samples). The paleomagnetic pole falls either at 160°W, 11°S (δp = 5.3°, δm = 10.6°), corresponding to an age of ~1300 Ma on the Laurentian apparent polar wander path, or the reverse of this, 20°E, 11° N, corresponding to a late Archean age (~2800 Ma). No ~1300 Ma igneous or metamorphic event is known in the area; a major west-northwest-trending dike about 9 km south of the gabbro yields a virtual geomagnetic pole at 122°W, 45°N and seems to be of Abitibi age (~2150 Ma) rather than Mackenzie age (~1250 Ma). A few gabbro samples and some greenstones from the intrusive baked zone have hybrid remanences in which a higher blocking temperature Kenoran-age (~2600 Ma) NRM is superimposed on the gabbro characteristic N.
MPLNET lidar data assimilation in the ECMWF MACC-II Aerosol system: evaluation of model performances at NCU lidar station

Atmospheric profiles of the optical aerosol properties through the retrieved backscattering or extinction coefficients by lidar measurements can improve drastically the MACC-II aerosol model performances on vertical dimension. Currently the MODIS Aerosol Optical Depth data (both from Terra and Aqua) are assimilated into the model. Being a columnintegrated quantity, these data do not modify the model aerosol vertical profile, especially if the aerosols are not interactive with the meteorology. Since 1999, the MPLNET lidar network provides continuously lidar data measurements from worldwide permanent stations (currently 21), deployed from the Arctic to the Antarctic regions and in tropical and equatorial zones. The purpose of this study is to show the first preliminary results of the intercomparison of MPLNET lidar data against the ECWMF MACC-II aerosol model, for a selected MPLNET permanent observational site at National Central University of Taiwan. Assessing the model performances it is the first step for future near-real time lidar data assimilation into MACC-II aerosol model forecast.
Acoustic and electrical properties of Mexican geothermal rock samples

Acoustic compressional and shear-wave velocities have been measured on a suite of ten sandstone samples obtained from wells in the Cerro Prieto geothermal field and on two rock samples from other Mexican geothermal fields. The samples were tested in both their dry and fully brine-saturated states at uniaxial stresses to 15 MPa. Electrical resistivities and associated phase angles have been measured on the same core samples as a function of frequency in the range 10 Hz to 10/sup 5/ Hz under drained conditions at hydrostatic confining stresses to 10 MPa. The electrical properties were measured on samples tested in their fully saturated state, using brines of two different concentrations.
The perfect debris flow? Aggregated results from 28 large-scale experiments

[1] Aggregation of data collected in 28 controlled experiments reveals reproducible debris-flow behavior that provides a clear target for model tests. In each experiment ∼10 m3 of unsorted, water-saturated sediment composed mostly of sand and gravel discharged from behind a gate, descended a steep, 95-m flume, and formed a deposit on a nearly horizontal runout surface. Experiment subsets were distinguished by differing basal boundary conditions (1 versus 16 mm roughness heights) and sediment mud contents (1 versus 7 percent dry weight). Sensor measurements of evolving flow thicknesses, basal normal stresses, and basal pore fluid pressures demonstrate that debris flows in all subsets developed dilated, coarse-grained, high-friction snouts, followed by bodies of nearly liquefied, finer-grained debris. Mud enhanced flow mobility by maintaining high pore pressures in flow bodies, and bed roughness reduced flow speeds but not distances of flow runout. Roughness had these effects because it promoted debris agitation and grain-size segregation, and thereby aided growth of lateral levees that channelized flow. Grain-size segregation also contributed to development of ubiquitous roll waves, which had diverse amplitudes exhibiting fractal number-size distributions. Despite the influence of these waves and other sources of dispersion, the aggregated data have well-defined patterns that help constrain individual terms in a depth-averaged debris-flow model. The patterns imply that local flow resistance evolved together with global flow dynamics, contradicting the hypothesis that any consistent rheology applied. We infer that new evolution equations, not new rheologies, are needed to explain how characteristic debris-flow behavior emerges from the interactions of debris constituents.
Elderly women and witchcraft killings among the Sukuma of northern Tanzania: from 1880s to present

Witchcraft practices and killings of elderly women have been a cause of many deaths and socio-economic problems among the people of Tanzania. For many years they have had major effects on peoples’ health, their right to life, their security, their feelings and the social well-being of their dependants. However, although these problems have affected many, there has been no thorough reconstruction of their history in Tanzania. Therefore, the goal of this article is to reconstruct the history of witchcraft practices and killings of elderly women in the country. This article is a modest attempt to address this theme in the context of Tanzanian women’s history.
Natural History and Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen (HBsAg) Spontaneous Seroclearance in Hepatitis B Virus e-Antigen (HBeAg)-Negative Patients with Inactive Chronic Infection: A Multicenter Regional Study from South Italy

Spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance has been mainly studied in populations from Asia, Australia, the Pacific Islands, and Polynesia. For the first time, we evaluated the spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance and its possible associated factors and the risk of disease progression in HBeAg-negative patients with inactive infection all coming from the same region in South Italy. In this multicenter retrospective study, 146 patients were selected after 18 months of observation and followed for a median of 82 months (IQR 60–107). For our analyses, they were divided into three groups based on their HBsAg levels: <100 IU/mL, 100–1000 IU/mL, and >1000 IU/mL. Crude and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for HBsAg seroclearance were determined. During the follow-up period, three patients (2.0%) showed a disease progression with an increased liver stiffness, whereas 17 (11.6%) cleared the HBsAg. Patients with HBsAg levels <100 IU/mL had the highest probability of HBsAg seroclearance compared to the other two groups (p = 0.009). In the multivariate analysis, the HBsAg level <100 IU/mL was the only parameter independently associated with HBsAg seroclearance (adjusted HR = 3.53; CI 1.29–9.69; p = 0.01). In patients with chronic HBV inactive infection, HBsAg levels <100 IU/mL predicted the highest probability of HBsAg seroclearance.
Genotyping Structural Variations using Long Read Data

Structural variations (SV) are characterized as genomic segments of a least 50 base pairs (bp) long, that are rearranged in the genome. There are several types of SV such as deletions, insertions, duplications, inversions, translocations. This kind of polymorphism have been shown involved in many
ESTIMATION OF DIRECT RUNOFF FROM URBAN WATERSHEDS

In the present paper, a quasilinear model of the rainfall-runoff transfer is developed by means of a regional dimensionless kernel function. The instantaneous unit hydrograph (IUH) for a specific storm on a specific watershed is obtained by rescaling the regional dimensionless kernel by using the peak discharge of the IUH, the time lag of the watershed and storm characteristics. The peak discharge of the IUH and the time lag of the watershed are obtained by the given regression relationships. The model is tested by predicting the direct runoff from an urban watershed, the data from which were not used for the calibration of the model. A nonlinear deterministic model involving two kernel functions is used to compute the direct runoff from the rainfall excess. The first and second-order kernels vary with the number of storms used. The regeneration performance of the nonlinear model was not as good as that of the quasilinear model. The runoff hydrographs are sensitive to errors in the second order kernel function. /Author/
Modelling the effects of shrub-tundra on snow and runoff

Observational and modelling studies show that the warming of the Arctic is leading to shrub expansion. This shift in vegetation cover is expected to significantly alter the distribution of snow across the landscape and the interactions between the land surface and the atmosphere. Shrubs capture wind-blown snow, increasing snow depth and decreasing winter water loss through sublimation, and bend beneath the weight of snow, affecting albedo. Snow is highly insulative and affects the soil hydrological and thermal properties. Therefore, as the snow-vegetationsoil interactions is expected to be at the core of feedback loops leading to further shrub expansion, there is a need for models to be able to simulate these processes accurately. Initially using the community land surface model JULES (Joint UK Land Environment Simulator) this study investigates the effects of shrub-tundra on snow and runoff. Alternative formulations of soil processes are proposed, which are better adapted to the representation of subgrid heterogeneity in cold regions than the current model formulation, and evaluated over the Abisko and Torne-Kalix river basins. In addition, a high resolution shrub bending model, which calculates the exposed winter shrub fraction, is developed and parameterised for use alongside the snow cover parameterisation in JULES in order to provide a better representation of shrub-specific processes. This revised JULES more than doubles the efficiency coefficient and halfs the negative bias between modelled and observed runoff in the shrub-tundra Abisko basin. However, the current structure of the model is found to be inadequate for use in investigating the effect of shrub-tundra expansion because it calculates a single energy balance for the snow-free and the snow-covered areas. To address this issue, a distributed three-source (snow-shrub-ground) model (D3SM) is developed. D3SM is evaluated against snow and energy flux measurements from a shrub-tundra basin in the Yukon, Canada, and is found to reproduce snowmelt energetics well. The effects of shrub expansion on the energy balance of the basin during snowmelt are then investigated by increasing the vegetation fraction and canopy height of the current shrub distribution, which is found to be positively correlated with topography. D3SM shows that the most significant effects of shrub expansion in the basin are to reduce the spatial variability of snow depth and to increase the sensible heat flux from the surface to the atmosphere.
Inshore/Offshore Water Exchange in Shallow Coastal Systems

Tide, wind and buoyancy are the principal agents for the exchange of water and constituents (dissolved and particulate) between shallow coastal areas and the offshore shelf zone. The mixing processes are conditioned by topography and earth rotation. Mixing of inland and ocean waters is accomplished partly in inshore basins (lagoons or estuaries), partly around inlets and partly offshore on the coastal shelf. Depending on the type of coastal system considered the principal mixing zone is situated in one of these compartments. A classification of shallow coastal systems is discussed which relates major mixing zones to mixing agents and to geomorphological characteristics. Along coasts with strong tides important mixing takes place in inshore basins and inlet regions. Topographical structures form an essential element in tidally induced mixing. For large rivers mixing is accomplished essentially on the coastal shelf, often under the influence of wind and buoyancy induced processes. Following the lines indicated above a qualitative discussion of the most important mixing processes is presented. Conclusions are put forward concerning needs for future research.
L'archipel de Molène et « l'Autre bord »

Le projet de Parc national marin en mer d’Iroise revele les difficultes des insulaires (les Molenais) a accepter une intervention etrangere sur leur territoire terrestre et maritime. Cet article analyse le double rapport au territoire (du fait de la nouvelle gestion des espaces naturels) : d’une part, l’appropriation de l’espace par une communaute ; d’autre part, la volonte de le leguer aux generations futures, a la maniere d’un patrimoine. L’opposition existant entre iliens et gestionnaires continentaux vient de ce que ces derniers considerent comme naturel et menace un espace que les premiers ont gere eux-memes depuis longtemps.
Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology 318 Ground Movements in the Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt of SW Iran Measured by GPS and InSAR Compared to Physical Models

Nilfouroushan, F. 2007. Ground Movements in the Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt of SW Iran Measured by GPS and InSAR Compared to Physical Models. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology 318. 38 pp. Uppsala. ISBN 978-91-554-6918-4 This thesis uses geodetic satellite data to measure present-day crustal deformation in the Zagros fold-thrust belt (SW Iran). Geodetic-type measurements are also used in down-scaled models that simulate the surface deformations seen in convergent settings like the Zagros fold-thrust belt. Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements of three surveys between 1998 and 2001 indicate 9 ± 3 mm/yr and 5 ± 3 mm/yr shortening across the SE and NW Zagros, respectively. GPS results show that in addition to the different rates and directions of shortening on either side of the NS trending Kazerun fault, local along-belt extension occurs to the east. Differential SAR interferograms of ERS1 & 2 images between 1992 and 1999 detect 8 ± 4 mm/yr uplift rate across a newly recognized fault in SW Qeshm Island. This can be attributed to a steep imbricate thrust that may still represent the local Zagros deformation front. The salt diapirs in the Zagros rise from a source layer that acts as a low-frictional decollement that decouples the deformation of the cover sediments from their basement in the eastern Zagros whereas the cover to the west deforms above a high-friction decollement. Physical models were prepared to simulate cover deformation in the Zagros by shortening a sand pack above adjacent highand low-frictional decollements (represented by a ductile layer). The strain distributions differed above the two types of decollements; it was more heterogeneous above the salt where local extension in the shortening direction was dominant. A separate work also investigated systematically the role of basal friction on cover deformation in convergent settings. Accurate height measurements of the model surface by laser-scanner indicated a deformation front more distal than usual, particularly in the low-basal frictional models. The volume reduction in our shortened sand models correlated directly with their basal friction.