Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GPU.zip: On the Side-Channel Implications of Hardware-Based Graphical Data Compression

—Compression is a widely-deployed optimization that reduces data movement throughout modern computing stacks. Unfortunately, it is also a well-known source of side-channel leakage capable of leaking (potentially) fine-grained functions of the underlying data. There has, however, been a saving grace. Compression is typically software visible. Thus, software can “opt out” of harm’s way by disabling compression when sensitive data is involved, and tailor mitigations to known, public compression algorithms. This paper challenges the above conventional wisdom by demonstrating the existence of, and exploiting, software-trans-parent uses of compression. Specifically, we find that integrated GPUs from Intel and AMD vendors compress graphical data in vendor-specific and undocumented ways — even when software does not specifically request compression. Compression induces data-dependent DRAM traffic and cache utilization, which can be measured through side-channel analysis. We show the efficacy of this side channel by performing cross-origin SVG filter pixel stealing attacks through the browser.
Model of electric charges in thunderstorms and associated lightning

An axisymmetrical electrostatic model of charges in a thunderstorm cloud at the mature stage is used to initiate a bidirectional vertical leader that develops into either a cloud-to-ground or an intracloud flash from the regions of maximum electric field. The principal result of this study is the determination of the physical and quantitative relationships among cloud charges, potentials, and electric fields, and the induced charges, currents, and electric field changes of the lightning channel from the numerical solution of the Poisson equation for a cloud charge model with lightning. An important consequence of the model is that the upper part of the cloud-to-ground leader and the lower part of the intracloud leader terminate inside the cloud.
DO MULTIFACTOR MODELS CONTRIBUTE TO ESTIMATE THE COST OF EQUITY CAPITAL IN BRAZIL?

This study investigates the contribution of well-known multifactor asset pricing models to estimate the cost of equity capital of Brazilian listed companies with the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), the three-factor model of Fama and French (1993), the Carhart (1997) four-factor model and a five-factor model that consists of an additional illiquidity risk factor. The sample are the returns of individual stocks comprising a portfolio of companies in the IBrX 100 stock index from July 2008 to June 2018. Distributions of individual company cost of equity capital estimates obtained with each model were compared among themselves in the full sample period and two sub-periods. The results suggest that adding extra risk factors to the CAPM does not always translate into different cost of equity capital estimates and significantly greater explanatory power. The practical implication is that the CAPM estimates may often be the same as those obtained by means of more complex models with the added bonus of the CAPM's simplicity.
Luni‐solar tidal influences on climate variability

A possible exogenous cause of some terrestrial climate variability on time scales of 1 to 100 years is examined. Luni‐solar effects, and especially the coincidences of New Moon with small perigee distance, produce important tidal perturbations. These influences have been resolved in two orthogonal directions, and the variability in the southern oscillation and sea‐surface temperature anomalies may be at least partly understandable as a reflection of these tidal components. The correlation between tidal components and these climate factors is significant. The predictability of tidal effects may make a contribution to improving the accuracy and lead time of climate forecasting. Copyright © 2002 Royal Meteorological Society.
Longitude variations of the solar semidiurnal tides in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere at low latitudes observed from ground and space

[1] We present an analysis of longitudinal variation in the solar semidiurnal tide observed in the nocturnal thermal structure of the low-latitude mesopause region (83–103 km), with a focus on two sites: Arecibo, Puerto Rico (18.3°N, 66.8°W) and Maui, Hawaii (20.7°N, 156.3°W). Localized observations made by lidars are combined with longitudinal measurements by Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) and compared with the Global-Scale Wave Model-2002 (GSWM-02) for 6 months: January, April, May, July, August, and October. In winter-spring, lidar-measured amplitudes are larger than those recorded by SABER, whereas in summer the amplitudes are similar and in autumn the lidars observe smaller amplitudes than SABER. GSWM amplitudes are between the lidar and SABER measurements for January, are comparable to the measurements in spring, underpredict for summer, and agree with the lidars in autumn. The phase structure is consistent among lidars and SABER for all of the months except January, when there is a large phase shift, and the local time of the temperature maximum is different between Arecibo and Maui. GSWM shows better agreement with phase measurements in winter-spring than in summer-autumn. Modal analysis of the SABER data indicates that the (2, 2) Hough mode is present throughout the year. In winter, it is joined by the (2, 4) mode, while in summer it is accompanied by the (2, 3) mode. This change in the predominant Hough modes may be related to the winter-summer phase difference.
Mismatch between community respiration and the contribution of heterotrophic bacteria in the NE Atlantic open ocean: What causes high respiration in oligotrophic waters?

Heterotrophic bacteria have long been considered as the major respirers of the open ocean. During a survey in the eastern N Atlantic Subtropical Gyre we measured H-leucine heterotrophic bacterial production (BP), C particulate primary production (PPP) and the O2 community metabolism rates: gross primary production (GPP), net community production (NCP) and community respiration (CR). We estimated heterotrophic bacterial respiration (BR) from BP and literature models of bacterial growth efficiency [BGE BP/(BP BR)]. BP was an order of magnitude lower than PPP (integrated means of 17 2 and 207 29 mg C m d, respectively). Although volumetric PPP and GPP were significantly correlated (r 0.51; p 0.009; n 25), CR (1120 122 mg C m d) bore no significant relationship with either primary or heterotrophic bacterial production and exceeded GPP (578 117 mg C m d) at 5 out of 6 sampling stations. Integrated values of CR were only significantly correlated, but negatively, with chlorophyll a values (r 0.95; p 0.001; n 6). Integrated BR tended to decrease with increasing CR and, with a mean estimated BGE of 6%, it accounted on average for a much lower fraction of CR (33 7%) than currently assumed. By estimating the contributions of other trophic groups a large amount (48 10%) of the measured CR remained unaccounted for. This gap in respiration estimates casts some doubt on the magnitude of the net heterotrophic balance frequently observed in oligotrophic waters from changes of O2 over 24 h dark in vitro incubations.
Remote sensing of carbonaceous aerosol production by African savanna biomass burning

We present an estimate of the yearly flux of total and black carbon aerosols emitted by savanna biomass burning in Africa from satellite data and ground-based measurements. Smoke plumes are identified using visible, near-infrared, and thermal infrared derived information. In the savanna region of our study, these structures could either decrease or increase the visible albedo of advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR). It is hypothesized that variations of chemical composition and particulate size distribution may create such differences. The 5S model [Tanre et al., 1990] is used to simulate radiative transfer through smoke plumes and background atmosphere. The overall uncertainty of the derived aerosol optical depth (τa) is 75% and mainly due to the choice in particulate composition and size distribution aerosol. Impact of the aerosol mixture (internal versus external mixture) has been also tested. For smoke plumes a typical value of τa (at 0.55 μm) is 0.5, and 0.1 for the background atmosphere. Specific extinction cross sections are calculated using Mie theory applied to different representative aerosol models, allowing the retrieval of aerosol columnar concentrations from aerosol optical depth values and integrated aerosol mass loadings in fire plumes. The overall uncertainty on the determination of aerosol load is estimated to be lower than a factor of 5. The atmospheric carbonaceous aerosol flux from savanna burning in Africa was estimated to be 6.5 Tg C yr−1, which compares with that obtained from emission factor on-site measurements (13±5 Tg C yr−1).
Lipid‐induced polymorphic amyloid fibril formation by α‐synuclein

Many proteins that self‐assemble into amyloid and amyloid‐like fibers can adopt diverse polymorphic forms. These forms have been observed both in vitro and in vivo and can arise through variations in the steric‐zipper interactions between β‐sheets, variations in the arrangements between protofilaments, and differences in the number of protofilaments that make up a given fiber class. Different polymorphs arising from the same precursor molecule not only exhibit different levels of toxicity, but importantly can contribute to different disease conditions. However, the factors which contribute to formation of polymorphic forms of amyloid fibrils are not known. In this work, we show that in the presence of 1,2‐dimyristoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phospho‐L‐serine, a highly abundant lipid in the plasma membrane of neurons, the aggregation of α‐synuclein is markedly accelerated and yields a diversity of polymorphic forms under identical experimental conditions. This morphological diversity includes thin and curly fibrils, helical ribbons, twisted ribbons, nanotubes, and flat sheets. Furthermore, the amyloid fibrils formed incorporate lipids into their structures, which corroborates the previous report of the presence of α‐synuclein fibrils with high lipid content in Lewy bodies. Thus, the present study demonstrates that an interface, such as that provided by a lipid membrane, can not only modulate the kinetics of α‐synuclein amyloid aggregation but also plays an important role in the formation of morphological variants by incorporating lipid molecules in the process of amyloid fibril formation.
The Salinity Effect in a Mixed Layer Ocean Model

Abstract A model of the thermally mixed layer in the upper ocean as developed by Kraus and Turner and extended by Denman is further extended to investigate the effects of salinity. In the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean rapid increases in salinity occur at the bottom of a uniformly mixed surface layer. The most significant effects produced by the inclusion of salinity are the reduction of the deepening rate and the corresponding change in the heating characteristics of the mixed layer. If the net surface heating is positive, but small, salinity effects must be included to determine whether the mixed layer temperature will increase or decrease. Precipitation over tropical oceans leads to the development of a shallow stable layer accompanied by a decrease in the temperature and salinity at the sea surface.
Comparative study of platinum-group elements in the Coto and Acoje blocks of the Zambales Ophiolite Complex, Philippines

The Zambales Ophiolite Complex (ZOC), Philippines, includes two geochemically distinct, ophiolitic assemblages: the high-Al chromitite-bearing Coto Block and high-Cr chromitite-bearing Acoje Block. This paper reports a comparative platinum-group element (PGE) study of these two blocks. The PGE data were obtained using Ni-sulfide fire assay preconcentration combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) measurement. Podiform chromitites in the Acoje Block have higher Cu, Ir, Ru and Rh contents than their equivalents in the Coto Block, although chromitites from both have similar Pt and Pd contents. The PGE mantle-normalized patterns of dunites from the two blocks are also different: dunites from the Coto Block are depleted in Pt, whereas those from the Acoje Block have a relatively flat pattern. The data demonstrate that Coto and Acoje Blocks have different origins in terms of their source region and partial melting processes. This study implies that the ZOC is a paired ophiolite belt formed in an island arc and back-arc basin environment.
Geochemistry, provenance and climate of the Upper Proterozoic Stoer Group in Scotland★

Synopsis Stoer Group red beds, filling the lower part of a Proterozoic rift in NW Scotland, rest unconformably on Archaean gneisses strongly depleted in Th, Rb and K. The lowest sediments, despite their evident derivation from the gneisses, are relatively enriched in these elements (and also in Mg), indicating an additional, undepleted source. An analysis of vitric tuff from a member within the Group also shows high Rb, K and Mg, suggesting that much of the sequence was deposited under an intermittent rain of fine volcanic ash, now present as clay and chlorite in the finer grained fraction of the sediments. This helps to explain the low crustal residence age (τ ≃ 2.2 Ga) deduced from Nd isotope studies of shales in the Group. Massive red siltstones and sandstones which appear at several levels in the Group owe their structureless nature to the seasonal wetting and drying of smectite. By analogy with vertisols the annual dry season was likely to have been 4–8 months, the rainfall 300–1200 mm and the palaeolatitude 10–30°, matching that deduced from the palaeomagnetism. Low rainfall is also suggested by the insignificant Ca depletion shown by certain tuff-free sandstones relative to the parental gneiss. The geochemistry of alluvial sandstones higher in the Stoer Group (Bay of Stoer and Meall Dearg Formations) indicates a mixed source of 75% amphibolite facies gneisses and 25% siliceous sediments. The alluvial sandstones show even less depletion in soluble components than the basal sediments, suggesting high relief on the rift flanks whence they came.
Petrologic Reconstruction of Magmatic System Variables and Processes

Explosive volcanic eruptions constitute a major class of natural hazard with potentially profound economic and societal consequences. Although such eruptions cannot be prevented and only rarely may be anticipated with any degree of accuracy, better understanding of how explosive volcanoes work will lead to improved volcano monitoring and disaster mitigation. A major goal of modern volcanology is linking of surface-monitored signals from active volcanoes, such as seismicity, ground deformation and gas chemistry, to the subterranean processes that generate them. Because sub-volcanic systems cannot be accessed directly, most of what we know about these systems comes from studies of erupted products. Such studies shed light on what happens underground prior to and during eruptions, thereby providing an interpretative framework for post hoc evaluation of monitoring data. The aim of this review is to present some of the current petrological techniques that can be used for studying eruptive products and for constraining key magmatic variables such as pressure, temperature, and volatile content. We first review analytical techniques, paying particular attention to pitfalls and strategies for analyzing volcanic samples. We then examine commonly used geothermometry schemes, evaluating each by comparison with experimental data not used in the original geothermometer calibrations. As there are few mineral-based geobarometers applicable to magma storage regions, we review other methods used to determine pre-eruptive magma equilibration pressures. We then demonstrate how petrologically-constrained parameters can be compared to the contemporaneous monitoring record. These examples are drawn largely from Mount St. Helens volcano, for which there are abundant petrological and monitoring data. However, we emphasize that our approaches can be applied to any number of active volcanoes worldwide. Finally, we illustrate the application of these techniques to two different types of magmatic systems—large silicic magma chambers and small intermediate-composition magma storage regions—with particular focus on the combined evolution of melt …
The Study on Biodegradability Enhancement of Landfill Leachate by Fenton Oxidation

Backgrounds and Objectives: Leachate is one of the landfill products and also a wastewater bearing the most advers effects on the environment. Biological methods are usually employed for treatment of young leachate (1-2 years) wich is of high concentration of organic compounds with low molecular weight. However these methods are not approprate for mature leachate (5-10years) due to having high rate of compounds with molecular weight and the presence of materials resistant to biodegradation and toxic compounds . Advanced oxidation process such as Fenton reagent used in treatment or biodegrability improvement of strong wastewater. In the present study the degrability improvement of mature leachate through oxidation fenton process in bench scale and in batch reactor has been investigated. Materials and Methods: The samples have been taken from Ahwaz landfill and factors such as initial COD and BOD, pH, BOD5/COD were studies as degradability, the amount of Hydrogen Peroxide, Fe(II), optimal reaction time and optimal pH. Results: The highest amount of COD removal was observed in PH=3-3.5 and 90 minutes of reaction time. H2O2=29700mg/land Fe 2+=16500 mg/l in [Fe]/[H2O2]=1/14.8 molarity ratio were obtained as optimal amounts BOD5/COD was equal to 0.38. Conclusion: This study indicates that Fenton oxidation enhances the biodegradability of leachate.
Neoproterozoic tonalite and trondhjemite in the Huangling complex, South China: Crustal growth and reworking in a continental arc environment

The Huangling igneous complex in the central Yangtze Block of South China is composed of ∼850 Ma tonalite and trondhjemite, intruded by ∼820 Ma granite. Tonalites mainly consist of plagioclase and quartz with abundant hornblende and biotite, and contain fine- to coarse-grained hornblende-rich igneous enclaves. They have variably low SiO2 (56.4-67.5 wt%) and Sr (230-517 ppm), and high MgO (1.47-4.02 wt%) and high Y (8.87-15.7 ppm) with low Sr/Y (17-43), unlike Archean tonalites. Their whole-rock εNd values range from −8.3 to −10.3 and zircon εHf values from −3.9 to −12.6, similar to those of spatially associated Neoproterozoic mafic rocks. The tonalites are thus proposed to have been produced by three stages, involving partial melting of subduction-modified lithospheric mantle, 5 to 20 percent crustal contamination of hydrous basaltic magmas in the middle to lower crust, and fractional crystallization of amphibole + plagioclase + biotite ± magnetite. Trondhjemites are composed of plagioclase, quartz, and alkali feldspar with minor biotite and hornblende. They have high SiO2 (67.3-75.6 wt%) and Sr (340-840 ppm), and low MgO (0.09-0.78 wt%) and Y (4.8-11.2 ppm) with high Sr/Y (32-162), similar to Archean trondhjemites and high-pressure partial melts of mafic rocks. These rocks have extremely negative εNd (−18.7 to −19.9) and zircon εHf values (−18.9 to −49.2) with two-stage Hf-isotope model ages of 2.46 to 3.90 Ga, indicating their formation in the lower crust by melting of Archean amphibolites and granulites which were probably widely distributed beneath the Yangtze Block. Their highly variable chemical compositions also resulted from fractional crystallization of plagioclase + hornblende + biotite. Thus, the association of the tonalite and trondhjemite is different from the Archean TTG series. This difference may reflect different geothermal gradients. However, modeling using tonalitic and trondhjemitic samples of the Huangling complex suggests that mixing of the two magmas can generate a typical TTG-affinity series, suggesting that the origin of some TTG series may have involved both crustally-derived and mantle-derived melts. The generation of the Huangling igneous complex was linked to slab subduction beneath the northern margin of the Yangtze Block during the Neoproterozoic, similar to the Cenozoic arc magmatism in the Andes. Therefore, melting of metasomatized, hydrous mantle in arc settings can generate mafic magmas that not only under-plated and contributed to continental crustal growth, but also caused melting of thickened ancient crust and newly formed lower mafic crust.
Mauna Loa volcano is not a methane source: Implications for Mars

Thirteen years of continuous atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane measurements at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii are used to determine the methane emission rate from the summit of Mauna Loa volcano. We find no measurable methane emissions coming from the summit area, with a 95% confidence upper limit of 9 t CH4 yr−1. Recent studies have detected 10 ppb CH4 in the Martian atmosphere, requiring emissions of about 300 t CH4 yr−1. Volcanic activity has been suggested as a source of abiogenic CH4 on Mars, either by magmatic degassing or reactions in hydrothermal fluids heated by a magma intrusion. The most recent lava flows on Mars (2 My ago) are on the Tharsis shield volcanoes, which may still be active. If Mauna Loa is a valid terrestrial analog, our findings suggest that volcanic activity is not a significant source of methane to the Martian atmosphere.
Linear filtering of VLF dip-angle measurements

The suggested interpretation technique is based on discrete linear filtering of VLF data. The output of the described filtering results is expressed in terms of an equivalent current density at a specified depth that would cause the measured magnetic field. The most practical six-point filter gives an accuracy of 8%. The filter is an extension of the commonly used Fraser filter to process VLF dip-angle data. Filtering the same data set for various depths gives an idea about the change of current density with depth. Areas with high current-density correspond to good conductors. The conductor dip can also be determined. The use of the technique is illustrated on theoretical and field examples. In all cases a good correlation with original models and other types of geophysical measurements was obtained. As shown in the last example, the filtering technique is also applicable in interpretation of other electromagnetic methods.
Effect of Laser Etching Versus Self-Etching Adhesive and Conventional Acid-Etching Techniques on Shear Bond Strength, Microleakage and Penetration Depth of a Resin Based Pit and Fissure Sealant (An In Vitro Study)

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of enamel pre-treatment with: 37% phosphoric acid-etching or self-etching adhesive and Er:YAG Laser (2940nm) on shear bond strength, microleakage and penetration depth of a fluoride-releasing resin-based pit and fissure sealant applied to sound premolars. Methods: Seventy-two sound premolars were allocated randomly into 3 groups according to enamel pretreatment protocol. The experimental groups included: Group I: 37% phosphoric acid-etching, Group II: self-etching adhesive, Group III: Er:YAG Laser treatment. Each group was divided into two subgroups (A: shear bond strength, B: microleakage and penetration depth). Shear bond strength test was performed using Universal testing machine. Microleakage and penetration depth were tested after thermocycling (500×, 5-55°C, dwell time: 30s) and dye penetration method. Samples were assessed under Stereo-microscope with a magnification of ×40. One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test was used to analyze data. Results: Shear bond strength and microleakage results showed that there was statistically significant difference among different groups while penetration depth results showed there was no statistically significant difference among all groups. Conclusions: Conventional acid etching was the best pretreatment method prior to resin-based fissure sealants in terms of bond strength and microleakage.