Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Atlantic-Origin Overflow Water in the East Greenland Current

Dense water masses transported southward along the east coast of Greenland in the East Greenland Current (EGC) form the largest contribution to the Denmark Strait Overflow. When exiting Denmark Strait these dense water masses sink to depth and feed the deep circulation in the North Atlantic. Based on one year of mooring observations upstream of Denmark Strait and historical hydrographic profiles between Fram Strait and Denmark Strait, we find that a large part (75%) of the overflow water ( ≥ 27.8 kg m−3) transported by the EGC is of Atlantic origin (potential temperature θ > 0°C). The along-stream changes in temperature of the Atlantic-origin Water are moderate north of 69°N at the northern end of Blosseville basin, but southward from this point the temperature decreases more rapidly. We hypothesize that this enhanced modification is related to the bifurcation of the EGC taking place close to 69°N into the shelfbreak EGC and the separated EGC. This is associated with enhanced eddy activity and strong water mass modification reducing the intermediate temperature and salinity maxima of the Atlantic-origin Water. During periods with a large (small) degree of modification the separated current is strong (weak). Output from a high-resolution numerical model supports our hypothesis and reveals that large eddy activity is associated with an offshore shift of the surface freshwater layer that characterizes the Greenland shelf. The intensity of the eddy activity regulates the density and the hydrographic properties of the Denmark Strait Overflow Water transported by the EGC system.
Analysis of Wind Vertical Profiles of Thunderstorm Events in the Mediterranean

The research on thunderstorms and their actions on structures has been a dominant subject in wind engineering since the last 30 years. Despite an impressive amount of work, a model for thunderstorm outflow is not available yet, and the evaluation of thunderstorm actions on structures is still based on the cyclone model developed half a century ago. This is because the dynamic complexity and unpredictability of occurrence of thunderstorms make it difficult to collect reliable and systematic measurements of this atmospheric phenomenon, which are definitely needed in an attempt to develop realistic and simple models. In the context of the two European projects “Wind and Ports” and “Wind, Ports, and Sea”, a complex anemometric monitoring network has been realised in the area of the Northern Tyrrhenian and Liguria Sea (North-western Italy) during the period 20092015. Since the years 2014-2015, this network is equipped by three LiDAR wind profilers that provide wind velocity measurements up to 250 m above the ground level. All the wind profiles measured until the end of 2015 have been analysed systematically in order to detect the ones that can be referred to thunderstorm events. Preliminary results of the analyses are reported in the present paper.
Carbonate rocks of offshore northern Zealandia

ABSTRACT Thirty-eight non-tropical carbonate rock samples with subtropical affinities, from northern Zealandia, were obtained from oceanographic dredging expeditions in the Reinga-Aotea Basin (2013), and the Norfolk, Loyalty, and Three Kings ridges (2015). Samples range in age from Pleistocene to Paleocene and were petrographically classified into five depositional and one authigenic petrofacies: (1) coarse, bioclastic grainstone to packstone, (2) coarse, bioclastic packstone, (3) coated grains, (4) fine, bioclastic packstone, (5) wackestone, and, and (6) dolomite. The coarse grainstone, packstone and coated-grains petrofacies are dominated by >mm-scale bioclastic components indicating deposition in high energy continental shelf environments. These petrofacies show similarities to non-tropical carbonates such as the onshore New Zealand Oligocene Te Kuiti Group limestones. Fine bioclastic packstone and wackestone petrofacies, consistent with bathyal deposition, comprise primarily foraminfera and micrite, similar to Eocene fine-grained carbonates outcropping in New Zealand. The dolomite petrofacies comprises diagenetic dolomite similar to Paleocene and Eocene rocks of the Mead Hill and Amuri Limestone formations. Other post-depositional features are also directly comparable to onshore New Zealand limestones. Despite no clear relationship between age, lithology, or geographic location, this study shows that non-tropical shelf carbonates with subtropical affinities extend north beyond New Zealand (southern Zealandia) to at least 23.7°S latitude.
Biogeochemical Dynamics in a Eutrophic Tidal Estuary Revealed by Isotopic Compositions of Multiple Nitrogen Species

Estuaries sit at the land‐ocean boundary and act as natural reactors for nitrogen (N) transformations among numerous forms. Superimposing onto physical mixing, biological processes lead to nonconservative N behavior in estuaries. Under the coinfluences of biological alteration and multiple end‐members, however, some N species can exhibit apparent conservation. To explore N dynamics and potential mechanisms that modulate the mixing behaviors, we measured concentrations and natural isotopic compositions of multiple N species (nitrate: NO3−, nitrite: NO2−, ammonium: NH4+, and particulate nitrogen) in a typical eutrophic estuary in southern China. Additionally, N uptake and oxidation rates were measured by using isotope labelling techniques to evaluate processes potentially offsetting the conservative mixing of specific N pools. We found that NO3− followed conservative two end‐member mixing with dual isotopes varying in a narrow range (<1–2‰) due to low microbial preferences. Moreover, δ15N‐NO2− revealed a nonconservative pattern with an involvement of multiple end‐members. The dominant N transformation processes shifted downstream. In the upper estuary, ammonia oxidation (~20 μmol L−1 day−1) dominated NH4+ removal and was accompanied by NO2− accumulation. In the middle‐lower estuary, NH4+ uptake became dominant, with phytoplankton showing strong preference for it over NO3− and NO2−. Based on measured NH4+ uptake rates (9.1–12.5 μmol L−1 day−1 in the light and 0.9 μmol L−1 day−1 in the dark), short water residence time (<1 day) was required to maintain the conservative mixing. Coupling N isotopes in multiple nitrogen species with measurements of N uptake and nitrification, we successfully uncovered N dynamics and distinguished biological processes from physical mixing.
Establishing a Relationship between Coal Quality and the Enrichment of Radionuclides in Coal Combustion Residues

Coal-fired power plants (CFPP) provide approximately 40% of the world’s energy demand. Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) contained in coal become enriched in coal combustion residues as a result of the elimination of carbon during combustion. The fly ash and bottom ash produced from CFPP may be significant sources of exposure to naturally occurring radionuclides for the population near the combustion plant or ash dumps. Despite this fact, very few studies have actually addressed the relationship of the NORM enrichment factors and the quality of coal used. This paper aims to relate the quality of coal to the enrichment factors for the radionuclides of interest (K40, Ra226, Th232 and Po210) in coal combustion residues from three South African CFPP. The data from other CFPP was also taken into account to establish this correlation. The feedstock coal used in these CFPP is typically low quality, with ash content in the range of 25 - 45 wt%. The radionuclides investigated were determined by gamma spectrometry with the exception of Po210, which was determined by alpha spectrometry. The enrichment factors for the radionuclides of K40, Ra226, Th232 and Po210 in the fly ash and bottom ash (except Po210) was found to be directly proportional to the quality of coal. That is when the ash percentage increased (coal quality decreased) the enrichment factor decreased. The Po210 radionuclide in the bottom ash had an enrichment factor less than one. The relationship between coal quality and enrichment factors for the radionuclides of K40, Ra226, Th232 and Po210 in both the fly ash and bottom ash (except Po210 in the bottom ash) was demonstrated by the following mathematical equation: . This equation may be used as a good indication in obtaining an estimate in determining the enrichment of the mentioned radionuclides in coal combustion products such as fly ash and bottom ash.
Biogenic isoprenoid emissions under drought stress: different responses for isoprene and terpenes

Abstract. Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by biogenic sources depend on different environmental conditions. Besides temperature and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), the available soil water can be a major factor controlling the emission flux. This factor is expected to become more important under future climate conditions, including prolonged drying–wetting cycles. In this paper we use results of available studies on different tree types to set up a parameterization describing the influence of soil water availability (SWA) on different isoprenoid emission rates. Investigating SWA effects on isoprene (C5H8), monoterpene (C10H16) and sesquiterpene (C15H24) emissions separately, it is obvious that different plant processes seem to control the individual emission fluxes, providing a measure to which plants can react to stresses and interact. The SWA impact on isoprene emissions is well described by a biological growth type curve, while the sum of monoterpenes displays a hydraulic conductivity pattern reflecting the plant's stomata opening. However, emissions of individual monoterpene structures behave differently to the total sum, i.e., the emissions of some increase, whereas others decline at decreasing SWA. In addition to a rather similar behavior to that of monoterpene emissions, total sesquiterpene fluxes of species adapted to drought stress tend to reveal a rise close to the wilting point, protecting against oxidative damages. Considering further VOCs as well, the total sum of VOCs tends to increase at the start of severe drought conditions until resources decline. In contrast to declining soil water availability, OH and ozone reactivity are enhanced. Based on these observations, a set of plant protection mechanisms are displayed for fighting drought stress and imply notable feedbacks on atmospheric processes such as ozone, aerosol particles and cloud properties. With increasing lengths of drought periods, declining storage pools and plant structure effects yield different emission mixtures and strengths. This drought feedback effect is definitely worth consideration in climate feedback descriptions and for accurate climate predictions.
Global Health Implications of Nutrient Changes in Rice Under High Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

A growing literature has documented that rising concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere threaten to reduce the iron, zinc, and protein content of staple food crops including rice, wheat, barley, legumes, maize, and potatoes, potentially creating or worsening global nutritional deficiencies for over a billion people worldwide. A recent study extended these previous nutrient analyses to include B vitamins and showed that, in rice alone, the average loss of major B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, and folate) was shown to be 17–30% when grown under higher CO2. Here, we employ the EAR cut‐point method, using estimates of national‐level nutrient supplies and requirements, to estimate how B vitamin dietary adequacy may be affected by the CO2‐induced loss of nutrients from rice only. Furthermore, we use the global burden of disease comparative risk assessment framework to quantify one small portion of the health burden related to rising deficiency: a higher likelihood of neural tube defects for folate‐deficient mothers. We find that, as a result of this effect alone, risk of folate deficiency could rise by 1.5 percentage points (95% confidence interval: 0.6–2.6), corresponding to 132 million (57–239 million) people. Risk of thiamin deficiency could rise by 0.7 points (0.3–1.1) or 67 million people (30–110 million), and riboflavin deficiency by 0.4 points (0.2–0.6) or 40 million people (22–59 million). Because elevated CO2 concentrations are likely to reduce B vitamins in other crops beyond rice, our findings likely represent an underestimate of the impact of anthropogenic CO2 emissions on sufficiency of B vitamin intake.
Acesso e cobertura na Atenção Primária à Saúde: uma análise dos indicadores de tuberculose no Brasil

Objective: To analyze the development model of the country and to relate to the coverage of the Family Health Strategy and indicators of tuberculo-sis. Method: This is an exploratory, descriptive, cross-sectional study using the official databases of the country. Results: The capitals with the high-est health coverage were able to identify the largest number of immigrants with tuberculosis. In capitals where the percentage of coverage was 40%, a higher percentage of abandonment and death occur. Above 40%, the death rate is stabilized, while the drop rate falls between 40 and 80% and then stabilizes. The highest rates of directly observed treatment (tdo) occur when the coverage percentage is around 60%. Conclusion: The study confirms the hypothesis that universal coverage is one of the key elements to achieve global development goals and better indicators of tuber-culosis.
Measuring and assessing the risk of metal contaminants in the Antarctic nearshore marine environment

A NTARCTICA is generally considered to be pristine; however, localised contamination around research stations is causing disturbances in the nearshore marine environment. Mixtures of metal contaminants enter the nearshore marine environment by leaching from historical waste during summer ice-melt events, in station wastewater discharge, and from anthropogenic activities such as fuel burning. To address these and other human impacts, the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty System came into force in 1998 and required more stringent environmental management practices from nations, such as cleaning up historical waste and limiting the impact of anthropogenic activities. Despite being in place for 20 years, very few waste sites have been remediated across the continent and environmental management practices lack defined guidelines and
Spatiotemporal Patterns of Chaos in the Atlantic Overturning Circulation

Examining an ensemble of high‐resolution ((1/12)°) North Atlantic ocean simulations, we provide new insights into the partitioning of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) variability between forced and intrinsic at low‐frequency (2–30 years). We highlight the existence of a basin‐scale intrinsic mode that shares similarities with the atmospherically forced signal. The RAPID‐MOCHA‐WBTS array is found to be part of this mode, such that we ascribe about 0.9 Sv (50% in our configuration) of its interannual variability as intrinsic. At decadal time scales, intrinsic variability is rather small (∼0.2 Sv) compared to the recently observed 2‐ to 3‐Sv AMOC downturn. This downturn is thus unlikely to be induced by locally generated intrinsic ocean dynamics. We interpret this intrinsic variability as “chaotic,” that is, somewhat unpredictable, providing an estimation of the quantitative accuracy of AMOC variability within eddy‐resolving numerical models.
Adressing Replication and Model Uncertainty: A Bayesian Averaging Approach Applied to Innovation Survey Data

Many fields of strategic management are subject to an important degree of model uncertainty. This is because the true model, and therefore the selection of appropriate explanatory variables, is essentially unknown. Drawing on the literature on the determinants of innovation, and by analyzing innovation survey data for France, Germany and the UK, we conduct a ‘large-scale ’ replication using the Bayesian averaging approach of classical estimators. Our method tests a wide range of determinants of innovation suggested in the prior literature, and establish es a robust set of findings on the variables which shape the introduction of new to the firm and new to the world innovations. We provide some implications for innovation research, and explore the potential application of our approach to other domains of research in strategic management.
Investigation of Students' Information Seeking Behaviour

The main purpose of this study is to investigate Students' information seeking behaviour in the area of computer science and to develop a customize search tool to support their learning activities. The customize search tool will reduce the time students studying a particular course spend on searching the internet for information related to their learning activity. In order to investigate this issue and to support learning, data was collected through questionnaire, Web browser log history and video capturing. Twenty three students participated in a survey in which screen recording software (Camtasia 7 Studio) was used to automatically capture their online searching activities. The participants were given an online quiz to freely surf the Internet and answer. The URLs used by each of the participants was collected from the web browser and analysis was carried out to obtain the common URLs. The other parameters measured include: The time spent in answering each question (Time), the number of times the mouse was clicked while searching the web for answers to each question (Clicks), the number of websites visited for each of the questions (NW), the Change Focus between the online quiz and browser in attempting each question (CF), the number of times a query is reformulated in attempting to answer each question (QR) and the performance of the participants in attempting each question (Score).
THE EFFECT OF A SPRING LOADED CANE ON UPPER AND LOWER EXTREMITY GROUND REACTION FORCES

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a spring loading cane mechanism on upper and lower extremity ground reaction forces during cane aided walking. Twentynine participants were fitted with a T-scope knee brace and a cane with four spring loading compressions. Each participant walked five times over two force plates to collect ground reaction force data. A mixed factorial ANOVA revealed a significant interaction effect between spring cane loading compressions and extremity on measures of ground reaction forces, F(1.68,94.18)=5.56, p=. 008, η2=0.090. This outcome suggests that ground reaction forces decrease at the upper extremity via the cane shaft as the spring loading compressions of the cane decrease. This result may have implications for injury prevention and rehabilitation in cane aided walking.
Mobility and hydrodynamic implications of the long neck in plesiosaurs

Plesiosaurs are extinct marine reptiles that lived during the Mesozoic, well-known for their unique body plan with two pairs of flippers and an elongated neck. What this long neck was used for is unclear. Various hypotheses have been proposed regarding its use, however biomechanical implications of these scenarios remain untested. Even the effects on locomotion are poorly understood. This thesis sets out to explore biomechanical implications of long-necked plesiosaurs. Interpreting results on range of motion (RoM) in extant taxa can help suggest biomechanical and ecological restrictions of the neck in extinct animals, such as plesiosaurs. RoM in digitized plesiosaur necks was calculated by digital manipulation using a method validated against physical and digital manipulation of an ostrich neck. Neck vertebrae from the posterior-most half of an ostrich neck were manipulated to determine dorsoventral and lateral RoM at successive stages of dissection. Neck vertebrae from four plesiosaur specimens were digitised to study RoM, and showed plesiosaurs potentially had large ranges of motion in the neck, highly dependent on the number of cervical vertebrae. Extreme examples need only small rotation between each bone to produce large overall rotation, even accounting for a reduction in flexibility due to soft tissue. Results showed the largest motions occurred laterally, rather than dorsoventrally. Computational fluid dynamics was used to investigate the hydrodynamics of plesiosaurs. Sensitivity analyses and validation of the software were carried out in a virtual flume using a sphere and cylinder with known flow responses. The virtual flume was then used for idealized plesiosaur models (three neck lengths and two neck thicknesses). The long-necked plesiosaur model did not meaningfully increase drag, implying no disadvantage to the hydrodynamic performance during forward swimming speeds of 1-10 m/s. Additionally, at low speeds, the feeding envelope would have increased greatly in long-necked forms. Neck thickness did alter drag, as the thick-necked plesiosaur model experienced lower drag compared with the thin-necked model at swimming speeds from 1-10 m/s. This could indicate thick-necked plesiosaurs reduced overall drag, and spend less energy on straight, forward swimming compared with thin-necked forms. In conjunction with soft tissue evidence, this would provide support for a more sea lion-like morphology. Bending the neck evenly in lateral flexion showed greatest turning radius and drag in long-necked plesiosaurs and least in short-necked forms, demonstrating short-necked plesiosaurs were more likely to make faster neck turns and have shorter turning radius, compared with long-necked forms.
Characteristic temporal variability and trend of annual rainfall series in Port Harcourt Nigeria, a tropical coastal location

Rainfall analysis over a locality provides useful information for sustainable water resources management over such an area. The paper is designed to examine the temporal variability of annual rainfall amount in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Using monthly rainfall amount for a period of 41 years, Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and other statistical tools were used to evaluate anomalies in the annual rainfall amount for Port Harcourt, Nigeria during 1972 to 2012. Simple statistical techniques were used to evaluate the trend and rainfall variability index over the period of the study. The trend in rainfall series is statistically defined by the function Y = 2.180x + 2392, indicating an increase of 2.180 mm per year. The year 1993 recorded the highest SPI value of +3.369 while the lowest SPI was -1.420 recorded in 1983. The city witnessed sequences of distinct cycles of wet and dry spells with dominant dry spells. The SPI values present mild to severe anomalies from the normal. The Port Harcourt annual rainfall series requires effective monitoring in such a manner that timely warnings and swift response actions are provided in the run–up to the occurrence of those extreme events and their associated risks and damning consequences. These are necessary to guarantee effective risk reduction and management in the area.