Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
U–Pb geochronology and Sm–Nd isotopic composition of Proterozoic gneisses,Channel Islands, UK

Gneissic units of the Channel Islands, United Kingdom, have traditionally been considered to be Palaeoproterozoic basement to the late Neoproterozoic Cadomia terrane, based on lithological correlations and imprecise or ambiguous isotopic data. A new precise U–Pb date of 2061&2 Ma, based on analyses of single zircons, for the Icart granitic orthogneiss of Guernsey confirms a Palaeoproterozoic age of its igneous protolith. The Nd depleted mantle model age (TDM)of this gneiss is 2220 Ma, only slightly older than its crystallization age, indicating that it represents juvenile crust. Other gneisses from Guernsey have similar TDM ages ranging from 2210 to 2370 Ma, suggesting that they are also exposures of juvenile Palaeoproterozoic crust. A component from a penetratively deformed orthogneiss from Sark, previously correlated with Icartian gneisses on Guernsey, yields a U–Pb zircon date of 616+4 -2 Ma. This crystallization age demonstrates that the protolith was a Cadomian intrusion and that penetrative deformation and amphibolite-facies metamorphism in the northern Channel Islands were Cadomian in age. The use of gneissic features as a means of invoking the antiquity of many other undated gneissic units in the region is thus considered unreliable. The presence of 2170 ± 7 Ma zircon xenocrysts within the Sark orthogneiss, combined with its initial εNd(615)= − 9.5, are strong evidence that pre-Cadomian basement was a significant source component, and that documenting the extent and age of pre-Cadomian basement may be possible by indirect geochemical methods.
Perceptions of temperature, moisture and comfort in clothing during environmental transients

A study has been carried out to investigate the psychophysical mechanisms of the perception of temperature and moisture sensations in clothing during environmental transients. A series of wear trials was conducted to measure the psychological perception of thermal and moisture sensations and the simultaneous temperature and humidity at the skin surface, fabric surface and in the clothing under simulated moderate rain conditions. Jumpers made from wool and acrylic fibres were used in the trial. Analysis has been carried out to study the relationship between psychological perceptions of temperature and moisture and the objectively measured skin and fabric temperatures and relative humidity in clothing microclimate. The perception of warmth seems to follow Fechner's law and Stevens' power law, having positive relationships with the skin temperature and fabric temperatures. The perception of dampness appears to follow Fechner's law more closely than Stevens' power law with a negative relationship with skin temperature, and is nonlinearly and positively correlated with relative humidity in clothing microclimate. The perception of comfort is positively related to the perception of warmth and negatively to the perception of dampness. This perception of comfort is positively related to the skin temperature, which appears to follow both Fechner's law and Stevens' law, also non-linearly and negatively related to relative humidity in clothing microclimate.
Interference of tonic muscle activity on the EEG: a single motor unit study

The electrical activity of muscles can interfere with the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal considering the anatomical locations of facial or masticatory muscles surrounding the skull. In this study, we evaluated the possible interference of the resting activity of the temporalis muscle on the EEG under conventional EEG recording conditions. In 9 healthy adults EEG activity from 19 scalp locations and single motor unit (SMU) activity from anterior temporalis muscle were recorded in three relaxed conditions; eyes open, eyes closed, jaw dropped. The EEG signal was spike triggered averaged (STA) using the action potentials of SMUs as triggers to evaluate their reflections at various EEG recording sites. Resting temporalis SMU activity generated prominent reflections with different amplitudes, reaching maxima in the proximity of the recorded SMU. Interference was also notable at the scalp sites that are relatively far from the recorded SMU and even at the contralateral locations. Considering the great number of SMUs in the head and neck muscles, prominent contamination from the activity of only a single MU should indicate the susceptibility of EEG to muscle activity artifacts even under the rest conditions. This study emphasizes the need for efficient artifact evaluation methods which can handle muscle interferences.
Global and EU governance for sustainable forest management with special reference to capacity building in Ethiopia and Southern Sudan

The purpose of writing this book was to produce information on and practical recommendations for informed decision-making on and capacity building for sustainable forest management (SFM) and good forest governance. This was done within the overall global framework for sustainable development with special emphasis on the EU-Africa relations and on Southern Sudan in particular. The case study on Southern Sudan focused on local, national and regional issues encompassing interviews and group discussions with local community members and government officials in Renk County in Upper Nile State. As a whole, this book attempted to link the global, regional, national and local levels in forest-sector development and especially to analyse how the international policy development in environmental and forestry issues is reflected in field-level progress towards SFM and good forest governance, for the specific case of Southern Sudan.
A Projection Free Method for Generalized Eigenvalue Problem with a Nonsmooth Regularizer

Eigenvalue problems are ubiquitous in computer vision, covering a very broad spectrum of applications ranging from estimation problems in multi-view geometry to image segmentation. Few other linear algebra problems have a more mature set of numerical routines available and many computer vision libraries leverage such tools extensively. However, the ability to call the underlying solver only as a "black box" can often become restrictive. Many 'human in the loop' settings in vision frequently exploit supervision from an expert, to the extent that the user can be considered a subroutine in the overall system. In other cases, there is additional domain knowledge, side or even partial information that one may want to incorporate within the formulation. In general, regularizing a (generalized) eigenvalue problem with such side information remains difficult. Motivated by these needs, this paper presents an optimization scheme to solve generalized eigenvalue problems (GEP) involving a (nonsmooth) regularizer. We start from an alternative formulation of GEP where the feasibility set of the model involves the Stiefel manifold. The core of this paper presents an end to end stochastic optimization scheme for the resultant problem. We show how this general algorithm enables improved statistical analysis of brain imaging data where the regularizer is derived from other 'views' of the disease pathology, involving clinical measurements and other image-derived representations.
Surface Fault Slip Associated with the 2004 Parkfield, California, Earthquake

Surface fracturing occurred along the San Andreas fault, the subparallel Southwest Fracture Zone, and six secondary faults in association with the 28 September 2004 ( M 6.0) Parkfield earthquake. Fractures formed discontinuous breaks along a 32-km-long stretch of the San Andreas fault. Sense of slip was right lateral; only locally was there a minor (1–11 mm) vertical component of slip. Right-lateral slip in the first few weeks after the event, early in its afterslip period, ranged from 1 to 44 mm. Our observations in the weeks following the earthquake indicated that the highest slip values are in the Middle Mountain area, northwest of the mainshock epicenter (creepmeter measurements indicate a similar distribution of slip). Surface slip along the San Andreas fault developed soon after the mainshock; field checks in the area near Parkfield and about 5 km to the southeast indicated that surface slip developed more than 1 hr but generally less than 1 day after the event. Slip along the Southwest Fracture Zone developed coseismically and extended about 8 km. Sense of slip was right lateral; locally there was a minor to moderate (1–29 mm) vertical component of slip. Right-lateral slip ranged from 1 to 41 mm. Surface slip along secondary faults was right lateral; the right-lateral component of slip ranged from 3 to 5 mm. Surface slip in the 1966 and 2004 events occurred along both the San Andreas fault and the Southwest Fracture Zone. In 1966 the length of ground breakage along the San Andreas fault extended 5 km longer than that mapped in 2004. In contrast, the length of ground breakage along the Southwest Fracture Zone was the same in both events, yet the surface fractures were more continuous in 2004. Surface slip on secondary faults in 2004 indicated previously unmapped structural connections between the San Andreas fault and the Southwest Fracture Zone, further revealing aspects of the structural setting and fault interactions in the Parkfield area.
Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition

David A. Wedin and David Tilman (Reports, 6 Dec.,p 1720) show that increased nitrogen inputs to terrestrial ecosystems might cause smaller increases in the capacity of those ecosystems to store carbon than expected. Their findings are important because nitrogen inputs have increased dramatically over the past decades through fertilizer production, cultivation of nitrogen-fixing legumes, and production of oxides of nitrogen associated with fossil-fuel burning (1). However, the simultaneous increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations caused by burning fossil fuels is likely to at least partially counteract the processes that limited carbon storage in Wedin and Tilman's experiment. CO2 enrichment generally increases the amount of carbon fixed by plants per unit of nitrogen taken up from the soil, particularly in carbon-3 (C3) species (2) such as those that invaded their nitrogen-enriched plots. Compared with the C4 species that thrived before nitrogen was added, the invading C3 species have relatively lower C-to-N ratios, limiting the amount of carbon stored in response to nitrogen input. However, with elevated CO2 tending to increase the C-to-N ratio of these C3 plants, N and CO2 enrichment in concert would likely cause greater C storage than observed by Wedin and Tilman. Rising atmospheric CO2 may also increase N inputs to terrestrial ecosystems, amplifying the direct human impact on the N cycle. CO2 enrichment often increases the growth of plants housing N-fixing bacteria in their roots, and this stimulation is relatively larger than non-N-fixing plants (3). Thus, in addition to the direct anthropogenic stimulation of N inputs to terrestrial ecosystems through agriculture and fossil-fuel burning (1), humans may indirectly increase N inputs to terrestrial ecosystms by increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The interaction between CO2 and N enrichment, as well as shifts in plant species, will likely influence future C storage by the terrestrial biosphere
Early Cretaceous magmatism and ore mineralization in Northeast China: examples from Taolaituo Mo and Aobaotu Pb–Zn deposits

The recently discovered Taolaituo porphyry Mo deposit and Aobaotu hydrothermal vein Pb–Zn deposit are both located in the Great Xing’an Range, Northeast China. Here we present new zircon U–Pb ages, whole-rock geochemical and Pb isotopic data, and molybdenite Re–Os ages for these two deposits. The Mo mineralization in the Taolaituo area occurred in quartz porphyry, which yields zircon U–Pb ages ranging from 138.5 ± 0.8 to 139.1 ± 0.5 Ma. Fine-grained granite representing pre-mineralization magmatic activity was formed at 145.2 ± 0.5 Ma. Molybdenite Re–Os dating indicates that Mo mineralization occurred at 133.8 ± 1.2 Ma. In the Aobaotu deposit, the ore-related granodioritic porphyry has a zircon U–Pb age of 140.0 ± 0.4 Ma. These geochronological data indicate that these magmatic and hydrothermal activities occurred during the Early Cretaceous. The mineralogical and geochemical features of the Taolaituo and Aobaotu granitoids suggest they can be classified as A1-type within-plate anorogenic granites and I-type granites, respectively. The Pb isotopic compositions suggest a mixed crust–mantle origin of the granitoids in these two deposits. The Taolaituo granitoids were formed by the partial melting of lower crust and crust–mantle interaction, with subsequent fractionation of apatite, feldspar, Ti-bearing phases and allanite or monazite. In contrast, the Aobaotu granites were derived primarily from lithospheric mantle that had been transformed or affected by the addition of subduction-related components. Combined with the regional geology, tectonic evolution and available age data from the literature, our results suggest that the Early Cretaceous (140–100 Ma) was likely to be the most important peak period for metallogenic mineralization in Northeast China. The Taolaituo and Aobaotu deposits formed under an extensional environment at an active continental margin in response to subduction of the Palaeo-Pacific oceanic plate.
Development and Testing of Cool-Season Grass Species, Varieties and Hybrids for Biomass Feedstock Production in Western North America

Breeding of native cool-season grasses has the potential to improve forage production and expand the range of bioenergy feedstocks throughout western North America. Basin wildrye (Leymus cinereus) and creeping wildrye (Leymus triticoides) rank among the tallest and most rhizomatous grasses of this region, respectively. The objectives of this study were to develop interspecific creeping wildrye (CWR) × basin wildrye (BWR) hybrids and evaluate their biomass yield relative to tetraploid ‘Trailhead’, octoploid ‘Magnar’ and interploidy-hybrid ‘Continental’ BWR cultivars in comparison with other perennial grasses across diverse single-harvest dryland range sites and a two-harvest irrigated production system. Two half-sib hybrid populations were produced by harvesting seed from the tetraploid self-incompatible Acc:641.T CWR genet, which was clonally propagated by rhizomes into isolated hybridization blocks with two tetraploid BWR pollen parents: Acc:636 and ‘Trailhead’. Full-sib hybrid seed was also produced from a controlled cross of tetraploid ‘Rio’ CWR and ‘Trailhead’ BWR plants. In space-planted range plots, the ‘Rio’ CWR × ‘Trailhead’ BWR and Acc:641.T CWR × Acc:636 BWR hybrids displayed high-parent heterosis with 75% and 36% yield advantages, respectively, but the Acc:641.T CWR × ‘Trailhead’ BWR hybrid yielded significantly less than its BWR high-parent in this evaluation. Half-sib CWR × BWR hybrids of Acc:636 and ‘Trailhead’ both yielded as good as or better than available BWR cultivars, with yields similar to switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), in the irrigated sward plots. These results elucidate opportunity to harness genetic variation among native grass species for the development of forage and bioenergy feedstocks in western North America.
The effects of channels and shoals on exchange between the Chesapeake Bay and the adjacent ocean

The role of bathymetric changes in determining the transport of water and salt in the lower Chesapeake Bay (LCB) was investigated using high-resolution acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and conductivity-temperature-depth profiles. A cross-channel transect was repeated eight times during neap tides on October 6–7, 1993, which illustrated the lateral structure of the longitudinal and transverse flow fields and the intratidal variations in the flow structure across the LCB. Amplitude and phase of the M2 tidal component, as well as the mean flow velocity, were calculated using least squares fitting at every point of a uniform grid obtained from the ADCP data. The results differ from the classical two-layer pattern of estuarine circulation modified by Coriolis effects but are consistent with recent hydrographic observations. Semidiurnal flow was highest over the navigational channels, and lateral gradients were strongest in regions of sharp bathymetric changes. The phase lag of the semidiurnal flow also showed lateral and vertical gradients that represented advances at the bottom with respect to the surface and over the shoals in relation to the channels. The section of the water column measured indicated a mean outflow of 0.7×104 m3/s and a mean inflow of 1.3×104 m3/s. The apparent gain of water by the estuary during the period of observation can be explained by meteorologically forced net barotropic inflow. The depth-averaged mean longitudinal flow consisted of inflow in the navigational channels and outflow over the shoals. The mean transverse flow showed near-surface convergence over the channels. We propose a possible explanation for the observed flow and density structure as follows: the barotropic and baroclinic forcing interact with the bathymetry to extend the inflow from the bottom to the surface, thereby inducing a transverse circulation that yields near-surface convergence over the channels.
Evaluation of Health-Related Quality of Life among Patients with Cervical Cancer in Indonesia.

BACKGROUND Evaluation of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in cervical cancer patients is important in order to design the interventions for improving patient outcomes. Reports of HRQOL among cervical cancer patients in Indonesia are limited. Moreover, measurement using EQ-5D-3L is to our best knowledge has hitherto not been performed. This study aimed to examine the HRQOL of cervical cancer patients in Indonesia using EQ- 5D-3L. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted by interviewing cervical cancer patients using the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire. Percentages of patients who reported having problems in each dimension of EQ-5D as well as EQ-5D index score (utility) were calculated. RESULTS Our findings indicated that the most frequent reported problems were pain/discomfort (67.8%) followed by anxiety/depression (57.5%). The mean of EQ-5D VAS was 75.8 (SD=17.0). The mean (SD) utility scores were 0.85 (0.19), 0.76 (0.20), 0.71 (0.21), and 0.77 (0.13) for cervical cancer patients in stage I, II, III, and IV, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Cervical cancer significantly affects patient HRQOL. Efforts should be made to improve the quality of life of cervical cancer patients especially in terms of pain /discomfort and anxiety/depression reduction.
The Weibull as a Model of Shortest Path Distributions in Random Networks

We address the problem of characterizing shortest path histograms of networks in terms of continuous, analytically tractable distributions. Based on a recent model for the expected number of paths between arbitrary vertices in random networks, we establish the Weibull distribution as the corresponding distribution of minimal path lengths. Empirical tests with dierent graph topologies conrm our theoretical prediction. Our methodology allows for computing non-linear low dimensional embeddings of path histograms for visual analytics.
Social Inclusion through E-Government? Developing an Inclusionary Framework of E-Government Adoption

E-government applications specifically developed for people with disabilities are promoted as a great contribution towards social inclusion. However, research has pointed out that simply providing technology is not enough to guarantee the use of e-government applications. In the past, many systems developed for users with disabilities were neglected due to factors that are specific for this user group such as accessibility barriers or perceived stigmatization. Understanding the factors determining e-government use among people with disabilities can help to increase the inclusiveness of service delivery as proclaimed by government agencies. Goal of this research is to develop an inclusionary framework for e-government adoption with the intention to find determinants of use and non-use. Therefore, we combined functional value, usability, accessibility and stereotype perceptions as direct antecedents to use intentions and two disability-related constructs as external variables in an inclusionary adoption model, which aims to explain e-government adoption among people with disabilities.
Assigning search tasks designed to elicit exploratory search behaviors

The goal of this paper is to provide guidance to researchers investigating exploratory search behaviors and exploratory search systems. It focuses on the design of search tasks assigned in such studies. Based on a review of past studies, a set of task characteristics associated with exploratory search tasks are identified: exploratory search tasks focus on learning and investigative search goals; they are general (rather than specific), open-ended, and often target multiple items/documents; they involve uncertainty and are motivated by ill-defined or ill-structured problems; they are dynamic and evolve over time; they are multi-faceted and may be procedurally complex; and they are often accompanied by other information or cognitive behaviors, such as sensemaking. Recommendations are provided for the design of search task descriptions that will elicit exploratory search behaviors.
Prion disease induced alterations in gene expression in spleen and brain prior to clinical symptoms

Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders that affect animals and humans. There is a need to gain understanding of prion disease pathogenesis and to develop diagnostic assays to detect prion diseases prior to the onset of clinical symptoms. The goal of this study was to identify genes that show altered expression early in the disease process in the spleen and brain of prion disease-infected mice. Using Affymetrix microarrays, we identified 67 genes that showed increased expression in the brains of prion disease-infected mice prior to the onset of clinical symptoms. These genes function in many cellular processes including immunity, the endosome/lysosome system, hormone activity, and the cytoskeleton. We confirmed a subset of these gene expression alterations using other methods and determined the time course in which these changes occur. We also identified 14 genes showing altered expression prior to the onset of clinical symptoms in spleens of prion disease infected mice. Interestingly, four genes, Atp1b1, Gh, Anp32a, and Grn, were altered at the very early time of 46 days post-infection. These gene expression alterations provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying prion disease pathogenesis and may serve as surrogate markers for the early detection and diagnosis of prion disease.
Motor discoordination and increased susceptibility to cerebellar injury in GLAST mutant mice

To study the function of GLAST, a glutamate transporter highly expressed in the cerebellar Bergmann astrocytes, the mouse GLAST gene was inactivated. GLAST‐deficient mice developed normally and could manage simple coordinated tasks, such as staying on a stationary or a slowly rotating rod, but failed more challenging task such as staying on a quickly rotating rod. Electrophysiological examination revealed that Purkinje cells in the mutant mice remained to be multiply innervated by climbing fibres even at the adult stage. We also found that oedema volumes in the mutant mice increased significantly after cerebellar injury. These results indicate that GLAST plays active roles both in the cerebellar climbing fibre synapse formation and in preventing excitotoxic cerebellar damage after acute brain injury.