Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Energetic Topographic Rossby Waves in the Northern South China Sea

Topographic Rossby waves (TRWs) are reported to make a significant contribution to the deep-ocean current variability. On the northern South China Sea (NSCS) continental slope, TRWs with peak spectral energy at ~14.5 days are observed over about a year at deep moorings aligned east–west around the Dongsha Islands. The TRWs with a group velocity of O(10) cm s−1 contribute more than 40% of total bottom velocity fluctuations at the two mooring stations. The energy propagation and source are further identified using a ray-tracing model. The TRW energy mainly propagates westward along the NSCS continental slope with a slight downslope component. The possible energy source is upper-ocean 10–20-day fluctuations on the east side of the Dongsha Islands, which are transferred through the first baroclinic mode (i.e., the second EOF mode). These 10–20-day fluctuations in the upper ocean are associated with mesoscale eddies. However, to the west of the Dongsha Islands, the 10–20-day fluctuations in the upper ocean are too weak to effectively generate TRWs locally. This work provides an interesting insight toward understanding the NSCS deep current variability and the linkage between the upper- and deep-ocean currents.
The Sustainability of Free‐Surface‐Induced Supershear Rupture on Strike‐Slip Faults

While prior numerical simulations indicate that the Earth's free surface can induce supershear propagation on strike‐slip faults, copious observations of strike‐slip earthquakes have produced only a few instances of such supershear rupture. Our dynamic rupture simulations with varying initial normal stresses and fault strengths show that free‐surface‐induced supershear rupture on strike‐slip faults may return to sub‐Rayleigh speed as the rupture progresses. Such a phenomenon is defined as unsustained free‐surface‐induced supershear rupture, indicating that a rupture on a strike‐slip fault, even if it encounters the free surface, may not generate supershear rupture that is sustained long enough to be observable. The shape of the rupture front contour on the fault may also lead to a false impression about the rupture velocity, since the daughter crack may also propagate at sub‐Rayleigh speed, with near‐field fault‐perpendicular ground motion. Shallower hypocenter depths increase the likelihood of an unsustained free‐surface‐induced supershear rupture.
Impact of education on knowledge and attitude on HIV/AIDS prevention

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of education on the promotion of the knowledge and attitude of students on HIV/AIDS prevention in Tabriz, Iran. Methods: The study was conducted by selfassessment technique among university students before and after an educational training programme. Results: The findings showed that the knowledge of students increased significantly (P
The process-performance paradox in expert judgment - How can experts know so much and predict so badly?

A mysterious fatal disease strikes a large minority of the population. The disease is incurable, but an expensive drug can keep victims alive. Congress decides that the drug should be given to those whose lives can be extended longest, which only a few specialists can predict. The experts work around the clock searching for a cure; allocating the drug is a new chore they would rather avoid.
Population Dynamics of the Annular Seabream Diplodus annularis (Linnaeus, 1978) from the Maltese Islands Reveals a New Maximum Age Record

Age, growth, length-weight relationship (LWR), condition factor (K) and relative condition factor (Kn) were investigated for the annular seabream Diplodus annularis collected from noncommercial catches around the Maltese Islands between July 2012 and December 2017 (N=1661). The age distribution of the specimens was found to range between 0+ and 17+ years with a positive allometric growth. Average Kn was found to be 1.03 in males and 0.99 in females. The growth parameters of the von Bertalanffy equation were: L∞=21.38, K=0.123year and to = 5.40year for all individuals (males, females, hermaphrodites and unsexed). This study is the first reference for D. annularis on the length weight equation parameters, condition factor, relative condition factor and age around the Maltese Islands and establishes a new maximum of 17 years.
Equation of State for Shocked Fe‐8.6 wt% Si up to 240 GPa and 4,670 K

Using dynamic compression technique, the equation of state for Fe‐8.6 wt% Si was measured up to 240 GPa and 4,670 K. A least squares fit to the experimental data yields the Hugoniot parameters C0 = 4.603±0.101 km/s and λ = 1.505±0.037 with initial density ρ0=7.386±0.021 g/cm3. Based on the Hugoniot data, the calculated isothermal equation of state is consistent with static compression data when the lattice Grüneisen parameter γl =1.65(7.578/ρ) and electronic Grüneisen parameter γe=1.83. The calculated pressure‐density data at 300 K were fitted to a third‐order Birch‐Murnaghan equation of state with zero pressure the parameters K0=192.1±6.3 GPa, K0' =4.71±0.27 with fixed ρ0ε =7.578±0.050 g/cm3. Under the conditions of Earth's core, the densities of Fe‐8.6±2.0 wt% Si and Fe‐3.8±2.9 wt% Si agree with preliminary reference Earth mode (PREM) data of the outer and the inner core, respectively. These are the upper limits for Si in the core assuming Si is the only light element. Simultaneously considering the geophysical and geochemical constraints for a Si‐S‐bearing core, the outer core may contain 3.8±2.9 wt% Si and 5.6±3.0 wt% S.
Pore-water advection and organic matter mineralization in North Sea shelf sands

The autonomous benthic chamber system SANDY has been developed specifically to study solute fluxes in permeable aquatic sediments in situ. In such permeable sands, that cover most of the continental shelves, advective pore-water transport can dominate solute exchange across the sediment water interface. Measurements of benthic solute fluxes by means of the SANDY system allow one to take the contribution of this advective exchange into account. The innovative features of the system include a unique mechanical chamber drive that permits gentle and deep penetration of hard consolidated sands with minimum disturbance and a programmable stirring mechanism that is able to generate well-defined pressure gradients at the enclosed sediment surface. Setting the stirring rate accordingly, these pressure gradients can be adjusted to mimic those occurring under natural conditions due to the interaction of surface topography and boundary layer flow. Solute fluxes, measured at a specific “advective stirrer setting” can be compared to those obtained at a “non-advective” setting where pressure gradients are absent and solute exchange is restricted to diffusion and bioirrigation. Rates of porewater exchange that have been measured at contrasting stirrer settings in natural coarse grained deposits demonstrate the feasibility of this approach and confirm that the SANDY chambers represent ideal model systems to study advection-related processes in permeable shelf sediments in situ. For the first time, the SANDY system allows a systematic investigation of fluxes of oxygen and other solutes in permeable shelf sands, which is crucial for an improved understanding of the role of the continental shelf for the global cycles of matter. 52 Chamber flux studies in permeable sediments
Estimation of water surface profiles using rating curves

ABSTRACT Water surface profiles (WSPs) are among the most valuable information in artificial and natural open channels. Most of the conventional methods for computing the WSPs in compound channels are based on the water surface calculated by the divided channel method (DCM) which is used by HEC-RAS. However, this approach cannot predict the water surface with good accuracy when dealing with compound channels. Therefore a new approach is implemented to calculate the WSP. This approach consists of two steps. In the first step, the rating curve is computed based on the newly proposed method by Maghrebi et al. In the second step, based on the governing equations for gradually varied flow including energy equation, the WSP is computed. The experimental results reported for three sets of measured WSPs in compound channels and WSP measurements of the Main River are used to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed technique can predict the WSP with better accuracy in comparison to the HEC-RAS and CES models.
Alteration to the shallow-water tides and tidal asymmetry by tidal-stream turbines

Tidal flow velocity asymmetry (FVA) plays a crucial role in residual sediment transport and has been shown to impact significantly on the amount of tidal energy that is technically extricable by tidal-stream turbines (TSTs). TSTs are known to alter tidal hydrodynamics locally, and large arrays of turbines do this on regional scales. However, less is known about the effect of TSTs on the FVA. This thesis explores changes to the FVA and therefore the shallow-water tidal constituents resulting from the deployment of TSTs. Numerical experiments in a uniform rectangular channel were undertaken, using the MIKE21 software package. The effects of single TSTs and multiple TSTs on tidal hydrodynamics were simulated, as well as those of a single TST on sediment transport. Flood-ebb asymmetry in the spatial distribution of current attenuation by the turbines altered the FVA. The overall attenuation of the current led to predictable changes in the total available tidal energy per tidal cycle, and the gross volume of sediment transported. The attenuation of the current by the TSTs was of greater importance to these aspects of the environment than any changes to the FVA that they caused. Changes in the FVA led to changes in the flood-ebb asymmetry of the available power, and the net volume of sediment transported, and were of far greater importance than the overall attenuation of the current in these respects. Multiple turbines deployed in a line along the channel, such that their areas of effect overlapped, had an additive effect on the FVA. When deployed as a row across the channel width, the total area affected by the turbines remained similar to that of a single turbine, so long as an inter-turbine spacing of at least three turbine diameters was maintained.
Patch Testing With Shoe Series In Suspected Cases Of Footwear Dermatitis

One hundred fifty nine patients with clinically suspected footwear dermatitis were patch tested to determine the frequency of positivity of common footwear antigens. Patch testing was done with 22 allergens of Shoe series (Chemotechnique Diagnostics AB Sweden) extended with neomycin, gentamycin, soframycin, paraben, cresol and lanolin. Forty- two percent of patients was sensitive to footwear allergen(s) whereas the overall positivity was 62%. Potassium dichromate. 2 mercapto- benzothiazole (MBT) and nickel sulphate were the frequent sensitizers followed by gentamycin, neomycin, gluteraldehyde, formaldehyde, diphenyl guanidine, diphenyl thiourea, dibutyl thiourea, para-tertiary butyl phenol and 4 aminoazobenzene. Dorsa of feet was the commonest site. potassium dichromate sensitivity was higher in males and the history was not always helpful in incriminating the antigen.
Validation of the 3D-MOHID Hydrodynamic Model for the Tagus Coastal Area

The hydrodynamics of the TagusROFI (Regions of Freshwater Influence) is affected by the coastal upwelling, the estuarine tidal flow, the thermohaline circulation that is modulated by the Tagus freshwater discharge, and by its complex bathymetry. The use of numerical models is the best way to explain the processes that characterize this region. These models are also crucial to answer important scientific and management questions. Nevertheless, the robustness of the products derived from models depend on their accuracy and therefore models must be validated to determine the uncertainty associated. Time and space variability of the driving forces and of bathymetry enhance flow complexity increasing validation difficulties, requiring continuous high-resolution data to describe flow and thermohaline horizontal and vertical variabilities. In the present work, to increase the precision and accuracy of the coastal processes simulations, the sub-systems coastal area and the Tagus estuary were integrated into a single domain, which considers higher resolution grids in both horizontal and vertical directions. The three-dimensiosal (3D)-MOHID Water model was validated for the TagusROFI by comparing statistically modelling results with in situ and satellite L4 data. Validation with a conductivity, temperature, and depth probe (CTD), an acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) and satellite data was performed for the first time. Validation against tidal gauges showed that the model is able to simulate tidal propagation inside the estuary with accuracy. A very good agreement between CTD data and surface sea water temperature (SST) and salinity simulations was observed. The validation of current direction and velocity from ADCP data also indicated a high model accuracy for these variables. Comparisons between model and satellite for SST also showed that the model produces realistic SSTs and upwelling events. Overall results showed that MOHID setup and parametrisations are well implemented for the TagusROFI domain. These results are even more important when a 3D model is used in simulations due to its complexity once it considers both horizontal and vertical discretization allowing a better representation of the heat and salinity fluxes in the water column. Moreover, the results achieved indicates that 3D-MOHID is robust enough to run in operational mode, including its forecast ability, fundamental to be used as a management tool.
Validation of Airborne Hyperspectral Imagery from Laboratory Panel Characterization to Image Quality Assessment: Implications for an Arctic Peatland Surrogate Simulation Site

Abstract Calibration/validation (cal/val) practices applied to airborne hyperspectral imagery of Arctic regions were developed and assessed as an integrated up-scaling methodology that considers: (i) calibration of a laboratory reflectance reference panel; (ii) cross-calibration of multiple field panels; (iii) quality assurance checks of field spectroscopy data; and, (iv) comparison of results with airborne hyperspectral imagery. Overall errors of up to 27% were reduced to <4% using these methods. Calibration results of the laboratory panel provided an improvement of 1% in the visible, near and lower shortwave infrared regions with respect to best estimates achievable using manufacturer supplied calibration data. This improvement was transferred to field panels using an in-house cross-calibration approach that also allowed panels to be assessed for degradation that occurs during field deployment. Comparison of the field spectroscopy results of four cal/val targets with hyperspectral imagery following atmospheric correction identified discrepancies from 1% to 4% (absolute) between 450 nm and 1050 nm, with errors as high as 27% at lower wavelengths. Application of scene-based refinements using two cal/val targets reduced this error across the entire spectral range (<4%) with the most significant improvements below 500 nm. These methods also have important implications to satellite image analysis, especially in Arctic and northern regions.
Trends of Academic Failure and Its Demographic Determinants among Medical Students in Zanjan University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Study of academic failure can be helpful in identification of students at the risk of academic defeat and consequently leads to the prevention of material and human resource loss. As a result, this study was performed to determine the trends of academic failure and the determinants affecting it in Zanjan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, all undergraduate medical students’ (n=894) data including educational and demographic characteristics were collected through Student Recording System (SAMA), for a 19 year period. Then the association between demographic attributes and academic failure determinants was tested using Binomial logistic regression analysis. Descending and ascending trends of probation and failure were determined using ARIMA statistical test. Results: In total, 28.2% of students have experienced academic failure annually. The number of students and accordingly academic failure showed a reducing trend during the years 1991-2000 but students’ admission and dropouts have had a growing trend during the following decade. The most significant explanatory variables affecting academic failure are age, gender (male), and prior qualification criteria such as quota system. Conclusion: Trends of academic failure have been affected by admission rates of medical students during the last two decades and the main determinants are educational variables and university admission criteria. Considering policies for plans to increase the number of medical students during last years, the rates of academic failure without supportive measures focused on vulnerable students, will not be avoidable.
Nutrients, eutrophication and harmful algal blooms along the freshwater to marine continuum

Agricultural, urban and industrial activities have dramatically increased aquatic nitrogen and phosphorus pollution (eutrophication), threatening water quality and biotic integrity from headwater streams to coastal areas world‐wide. Eutrophication creates multiple problems, including hypoxic “dead zones” that reduce fish and shellfish production; harmful algal blooms that create taste and odor problems and threaten the safety of drinking water and aquatic food supplies; stimulation of greenhouse gas releases; and degradation of cultural and social values of these waters. Conservative estimates of annual costs of eutrophication have indicated $1 billion losses for European coastal waters and $2.4 billion for lakes and streams in the United States. Scientists have debated whether phosphorus, nitrogen, or both need to be reduced to control eutrophication along the freshwater to marine continuum, but many management agencies worldwide are increasingly opting for dual control. The unidirectional flow of water and nutrients through streams, rivers, lakes, estuaries and ultimately coastal oceans adds additional complexity, as each of these ecosystems may be limited by different factors. Consequently, the reduction of just one nutrient upstream to control eutrophication can allow the export of other nutrients downstream where they may stimulate algal production. The technology exists for controlling eutrophication, but many challenges remain for understanding and managing this global environmental problem.
Transportation of Diazotroph Community From the Upstream to Downstream of the Kuroshio

The Kuroshio is a strong western boundary current in the North Pacific, in which N2 fixation is an important source of new nitrogen. In order to understand the dynamics of diazotrophs in the Kuroshio, we used 454‐pyrosequencing of nifH gene amplicons to unravel and compare the diazotroph communities along the main path of the Kuroshio (23.44° N, 121.99° E–34.3° N, 140.1° E) with its adjacent waters. The diazotroph communities in the geographically distanced stations along the Kuroshio mainstream were highly similar, while those in the Kuroshio adjacent waters were highly varied, indicated that diazotroph communities were actively transported in the Kuroshio. Along the Kuroshio, the UCYN‐A1, UCYN‐C, and Gamma‐A were rather evenly distributed along the Kuroshio, whereas the UCYN‐A2 and Trichodesmium were mainly distributed in the Kuroshio upstream. The diazotroph communities shifted from cyanobacteria dominated in the Kuroshio upstream to proteobacteria (mainly Bradyrhizobium and sulfate‐reducing bacteria) dominated in the downstream. Among all cyanobacterial diazotrophs detected, UCYN‐A1 was the most sustained group in the Kuroshio with >103 gene copies per L and that may explain its extended distribution to higher latitude regions as compared with other cyanobacterial diazotrophs. Considering that the Kuroshio is a hot spot of unicellular cyanobacterial diazotrophs, we have adopted DNA‐directed RNA polymerase subunit beta (rpoC1) gene as a biomarker to further explore their phylogeny. Comparing the data set of nifH and rpoC1 gene fragments, we provided new insights into the phylogeny of the recently defined UCYN‐B2 and poorly understood UCYN‐C groups.
COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE GROWTH RESPONSE AND REMEDIATION POTENTIAL OF PANICUM MAXIMUM AND AXONOPUS COMPRESSUS IN LEAD CONTAMINATED SOIL

The global problem concerning contamination of the environment as a consequence of heavy metals is on the increase. Soil contaminat ion by heavy metals is a worldwide problem, therefore effective remediation approaches are necessary. Some plants can absorb these toxic metals and help to clean them up from the soil and sediment. This fact may be useful for developing rational forms of environmental safety management and innovative technology which more efficiently clean soils and improve their ecological condition with for agriculture. Phytoremediation is known as an eco-friendly and cost-effective way of reducing pollutants from the soil. Therefore, the present experiment was undertaken to investigate the comparative potential of two grasses, Panicum maximum and Axonopus compressus to bioremediate lead polluted soils. In addition, the impact of Pb on the antioxidant defense system of the plants was studied. Pb(NO3)2 salts were mixed with soil at various concentrations 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg in triplicates and control experiment was also setup. After 4 months, the plants were removed and their parts (root, shoot and leaf) separated. They were analysed for morphological, biochemical parameters and Pb concentration. Soil samples were also analyzed for Pb. The root length of both P. maximum and A. compressus generally decreased as the concentration of Pb in the soil increased. The least shoot length inhibition of A. compressus was 7.13 % (5 mg/kg) while the highest shoot length inhibition was 36.29 % (40 mg/kg). The least shoot length inhibition of P. maximum was 10.51 % exposed to 5 mg/kg and the highest shoot length inhibition was 42.46 % (40 mg/kg). There was more significant reduction of the heavy metals in vegetated soils for both P. maximum and A. compressus at the end of the study compared to the to the heavy metals in the soils at the beginning of the study (p < 0.05). A. compressus is a better removal of Pb than P. maximum, however, it was not significant. Glutathione (GSH) levels varied significantly (p ≤ 0.05) with respect to concentration of heavy metals as well as different part of the plants. A. compressus has more effects on the Glutathione activities than P. maximum. Pb caused a decrease in the metallothionein level (10.11 %) in P. maximum while A. compressus metallothionein level increased by 116.10 % in 5 % treatment.