Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rhamphicarpa fistulosa (hochst.) Benth. (scrophulariaceae) : new pest on lowland rice in bénin. results of a survey and immediate control possibilities

Rain-fed agriculture in inland valleys is less risky as water is more available compared to upland areas. In Benin, the government has reclaimed some inland valleys where farmers mainly grow rice. Few years after continuous rice production, farmers complained in 1996 about destruction of the crop by the parasitic weed Rhamphicarpa fistulosa (Hochst.) Benth. (family Scrophulariaceae). A survey based on an inquiry and field observations was undertaken in the infested area to assess the extent of the problem. Thirty-three farmers were interviewed over a total of approximately hundred farmers producing rice in the infested lowlands. Survey results indicated that R. fistulosa infestation on rice started in 1993 and gradually increased. The new pest inflicts 40 % to 100 % yield loss. Control options are limited, as hardly any research has been carried out in connection with this species. Many seed capsules collected from the field were parasitised by larvae of Smicronyx sp. , a coleopteran (Curculionidae). Immediate possible control options are suggested. Dans les vallees interieures, comparativement aux sites de plateau non inondables, l'agriculture pluviale comporte moins de risque du fait d'une disponibilite en eau plus elevee. Au Benin, le gouvernement a amenage des vallees interieures ou les paysans cultivent le riz. Apres quelques annees de production, les paysans se sont plaints en 1996 de la destruction de cette culture par la mauvaise herbe Rhamphicarpa fistulosa (Hochst.) Benth. Une enquete aupres des producteurs de riz, basee sur l'utilisation d'un questionnaire, et des observations au champ ont ete entreprises dans la region infestee pour apprecier l'importance du probleme. Trente trois paysans ont ete enquetes sur une centaine de paysans producteurs de riz dans les bas-fonds infestes. Les resultats de l'enquete indiquent que l'infestation du riz par R. fistulosa a commence en 1993 et s'est progressivement accrue. La nouvelle peste inflige 40 % a 100 % de baisse de rendement. Les options de lutte sont limitees parce que l'espece est tres peu etudiee. Plusieurs capsules de graines de R. fistulosa collectees au champ sont parasitees par des larves de Smicronyx sp. , un coleoptere (Curculionidae). Des possibilites immediates de lutte sont suggerees.
The Palaeomagnetism of the Gulf of Guinea Volcanic Province, West Africa

Summary Palaeomagnetic results are presented for 205 sites and over 600 cores from Upper Tertiary to Recent lavas and intrusions in the Gulf of Guinea volcanic area of equatorial West Africa. The island of Annobon is built up of a suite of reversely magnetized lavas about 18.4 My in age which give a mean direction of D = 189-2", I = 11.2" (N = 7, a95 = 153"). A younger phase of volcanism dated as 2.6My has produced lavas with a mean direction of magnetization of D = 337-1", I = -44.3" (N = 7, ag5 = 9.3"). The accessible parts of the island of SHo Tom6 are covered by young lavas of Pliocene and younger age with both polarities. Forty nine significant sites from this island combine to give a mean direction of D = 359-2", I = -7.0" (ug5 = 4.7"). The Island of Principe is an extensively eroded complex of lavas intruded by phonolites and tephrites believed to be Lower Miocene in age. Twenty five acceptable sites combine to give a mean direction of D = 187.2, I = - 3.2" (a95 = 8.9"). Both polarities are present in the lavas and intrusions on this island. All but two of 52 sites on Fernando Po0 are normally magnetized and the bulk of this island is believed to have been built up in the Brunhes epoch. The sites combine to give a mean direction of D = 3599, I = -3.0" (a95 = 4.4") and the derived palaeomagnetic pole is significantly different from the present pole implying that the field here has not approximated to an axial geocentric dipole in Brunhes epoch times. Thirty-two sites distributed through the volcanic area of Cameroun combine to give a mean direction of D = 4@, I = 4.3" (ag5 = 6.1"). The sites around li4t Cameroun are all normally magnetized and this volcano is believed to have grown in Brunhes epoch times. Analysis of the Upper Tertiary palaeomagnetic results from the African plate demonstrates no detectable movement of the plate relative to the geographic pole for about the past 25 My.
ANALYTICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF SIMPLE GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES

An analytical method is derived which gives the elastic response of a homogeneous rock layer to two-dimensional distributions of vertical displacement applied along its lower boundary. Displacement field, stress distribution, and distortional strain-energy density diagrams are presented for three types of displacement applied at the lower boundary of 5-km thick layers possessing average sedimentary rock properties. These three types of displacement are: (1) sinusoidal vertical displacement and no horizontal displacement; (2) an approximate step in vertical displacement and no horizontal displacement; and (3) sinusoidal vertical and horizontal displacement (horizontal displacement 90° out of phase with the vertical). Displacement fields and stress distributions for each type of applied displacement are nearly independent of the elastic characteristics of the layers. The magnitudes of displacement necessary to initiate fracture at some point in the layer are small (3.7–8.2 m) for the three types of applied displacement. For applied displacement (1) and (3), the initial fracture is a vertical tensile crack at the crest of the fold. For applied displacement (2), the initial fracture is either a vertical crack at the upper surface or a shear fracture at the lower surface. Displacement fields and fracture patterns for scale-model experiments of two problems similar to the analytical examples are presented. For a sinusoidal vertical displacement, the fracture pattern is a complex zone of normal faults which taper inward toward the axis of the fold and die out at depth. For a step in vertical displacement, the fracture pattern is (1) a series of reverse faults which start vertically at the base of the layer, curve, and intersect the upper surface at low angles, and (2) a series of normal faults dipping toward the convex side of the reverse faults. Of particular interest are the reverse faults which show that vertical movement at depth can generate low-angle faulting at the surface. Displacement fields found in the elastic analyses are good first-order approximations of displacement fields in the scale-model experiments. Points of initial fracture observed in the model experiments agree closely with those computed in the elastic analyses. The line of fracture for the curved reverse faults in the model experiments can be predicted on the basis of the Mohr fracture criterion and the stress distribution from an elastic analysis.
Microstructural changes accompanying the opal‐A to opal‐CT transition: new evidence from the siliceous sinters of Geysir, Haukadalur, Iceland

Opaline silica (opal‐A) has formed in marine, lacustrine and geothermal environments throughout geological time. During diagenesis opal‐A normally changes to opal‐CT, then opal‐C, and finally to quartz. Such changes commonly destroy the original fabrics and any fossils that opal‐A contained. The physical changes that accompany the opal‐A to opal‐CT transition, however, are known poorly. X‐ray diffraction analyses, electron microprobe analyses and high‐resolution, high‐magnification scanning electron microscope imagery of siliceous sinters from the Geysir geothermal area in Iceland show that opal‐A is formed of heterometric arrays of randomly packed microspheres (up to 5 μm diameter) with neighbouring spheres commonly being joined by small connection pads. In contrast, enlarged spheres, lepispheres, inverse opal (two types) and spindle frameworks with hexagonal motifs characterize opal‐CT. The textures in opal‐CT, which vary on a microscale, reflect the complex interplay between dissolution (e.g. inverse opal) and precipitation (e.g. enlarged spheres, spindle frameworks) that probably was mediated by groundwater in a near‐surface environment. The processes deciphered from these young rocks should, however, be applicable to sedimentary opal‐A and opal‐CT of all ages, irrespective of their origin.
Learning in a State of Confusion: Perceptual Aliasing in Grid World Navigation

Due to the unavoidable fact that a robot’s sensors will be limited in some manner, it is entirely possible that it can find itself unable to distinguish between differing states of the world. This confounding of states, also referred to as perceptual aliasing, has serious effects on the ability of reinforcement learning algorithms to learn stable policies. Using simple grid world navigation problems we demonstrate experimentally these effects. Although 1-step backup reinforcement learning algorithms performed surprisingly better than expected, our results confirm that algorithms using eligibility traces should be preferred.
Coral barnacles: Cenozoic decline and extinction in the Atlantic/East Pacific versus diversification in the Indo-West Pacific

The pyrgomatid coral barnacles, first appearing in the late Oligocene of the western Atlantic, underwent a Miocene diversification unparalleled by any other group of sessile barnacles. Diversification in the IndoPacific (eastern Tethys) coincided with retreat of the tropics from higher latitudes, especially in the Atlantic. Fragmentation of the tropics, due to the breakup of the Tethys seaway, and wholesale extinctions of their host corals beginning in the Oligocene of Europe, Mediterranean and eastern Pacific resulted in relictual distributions and regional endemism. This was followed by Neogene extinctions of many host coral genera in the western Atlantic which were not replaced by originations. The exceptional diversity of pyrgomatids now evident in the Indo-Pacific was tied to the survival and radiation of the corals found there. Curiously, our knowledge of pyrgomatid numbers and diversity has shifted from the Indonesian to peripheral centers of distribution.
Updated radiative forcing estimates of four halocarbons

[1] There is a large discrepancy (greater than 20%) between two recently published estimates of radiative forcing of four hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), two of which, HFC-23 and HFC-134a, are the most abundant HFCs in the atmosphere. We report an intercomparison, using two different radiative transfer methods, aimed at clarifying the forcing values for HFC-23 and HFC-134a, as well as HFC-227ea and HFC-32. The calculated global, annual mean radiative forcings differed by 12% or less and are within the expected errors in the radiative forcing estimates.
Mapping of the Topography of Continental Ice by Inversion of Satellite-altimeter Data

Abstract Satellite-altimeter data over ice sheets provide the best tool for mapping their topography and its possible climatic variations. However, these data are affected by measurement errors, orbit errors, and slope errors. We develop here a three-step inversion technique which accommodates the a priori information on the expected topography and correctly handles and propagates the data errors: it estimates first a large-scale reference surface, then maps the residuals related to undulations, and finally iteratively corrects the slope error. The method is tested on overlapping small fragments of the Antarctic ice sheet, using a sub-set of Seasat data. Finally, a topographic map of Terre Adélie is produced. Over areas of small slopes, the a posteriori error should be of the order of 0.4 m. Using ERS-I data, it is therefore expected that climatic variations in the ice-sheet topography since the introduction of Seasat will be observable.
Utilization of HIV Testing and Counselling Services by Men in the Bolgatanga Municipality

Background: In the absence of an effective vaccine and cure for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), testing and counseling for HIV remains an important intervention in the control of the infection. However, utilization of this service in Ghana is very low especially among men. This study assessed the utilization of HIV testing and counseling (HTC) and the associated reasons for use or non-use of the service among men in the Bolgatanga Municipality. Methods: The study was a population-based cross-sectional survey. A total of 610 men, aged 18– 59 years residing in Bolgatanga Municipality were randomly selected using a modified WHO cluster sampling technique. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire through home visits over a period of three weeks. Associations between the outcomes and each of the explanatory variables were assessed using bivariate Chi squares test. A p-value less than 0.05 was taken to be statistically significant. Results: Majority of the respondents (99.3%) knew of a test that could identify HIV in an individual; however, 63.6% felt they were at no risk/low risk of being infected with HIV. About 89.8% of those Original Research Article Apasera and Laar; IJTDH, 5(3): 209-220, 2015; Article no.IJTDH. 2015.023 210 who had heard of HIV test could locate at least one testing centre. Radio/television was the most frequent (68.4%) source of information. Only 27.7% of the respondents had ever tested for HIV of which 99.4% of them had received their test results. The annual HIV testing rates among the sampled men was 7.7%. Reasons given by respondents for use or non-use of testing and counseling services span socio-cultural and health service-related reasons, and personal beliefs. Educational and employment statuses of respondents were found to be associated with the utilization of HIV testing and counseling services (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Utilization of HIV testing and counseling services by men in Bolgatanga Municipality is low. Low perception of HIV risk, fear of stigma, and false positive results were the key reasons for not being tested.
Production of Lawyers in Israel – What Does Unauthorized Practice of Law Have to Do with it?

Discussions about the "flooding" of the legal profession have focused on jurisprudence and legal culture (how people resolve disputes); accessibility to legal education and the acceleration in the number of law schools; social and cultural factors (professional status), and structural entry barriers to the professional. This paper analyzes the reality of the growing number of lawyers in Israel with reference to an additional factor: the most extensive rules regarding Unauthorized Practice of Law, strictly guarded by the Israeli Bar Association. As law had become an accepted forum for resolving private and public disputes, any kind of activity entailing provision of legal advice, legal documentation or representation is restricted to lawyers only. Consequently, entry into the profession becomes the only way to take part and become engaged in the field of legal services.Los debates sobre la “inundacion” de la abogacia se han centrado en la jurisprudencia y la cultura legal (en la forma de resolver disputas); la accesibilidad a la educacion en derecho y el aumento del numero de escuelas de derecho; los factores sociales y culturales (estatus profesional), y las barreras de acceso estructurales a la profesion. Este articulo analiza la realidad del numero creciente de abogados en Israel, haciendo referencia a un factor adicional: la normativa mas amplia relacionada con la practica no autorizada del derecho, vigilada estrechamente por la Asociacion de Abogados de Israel. Esta asumido que el derecho es el foro en el que resolver disputas privadas y publicas, por lo que cualquier actividad que implique la provision de consejo legal, documentacion legal, o representacion, esta limitada unicamente a los abogados. De esta forma, acceder a la profesion se convierte en la unica forma de participar e implicarse en el campo de los servicios legales.
On the parameterization of mixing in three‐dimensional Baltic Sea models

As mixing plays a dominant role for the physics of an estuary like the Baltic Sea (seasonal heat storage, mixing in channels, deepwater mixing), different mixing parameterizations for use in three-dimensional (3-D) Baltic Sea models are discussed. Within the Swedish regional climate modeling program, SWECLIM, a 3-D coupled ice-ocean model for the Baltic Sea has been coupled with an improved version of the two-equation k-e turbulence model using a corrected dissipation term, flux boundary conditions to include the effect of a turbulence enhanced layer due to breaking surface gravity waves, and a parameterization for breaking internal waves. Results of multiyear simulations are compared with observations. The seasonal thermocline (the main focus of this paper) is simulated satisfactory. During the stagnation period between 1983 and 1993, simulated salinity in the lower layer of the Baltic Sea decreases as observed. Unsolved problems of the k-e model are discussed. To replace the controversial equation for dissipation, the performance of a hierarchy of k models has been tested and compared with the k-e model. In addition, it is shown that the results of the 1-D turbulence submodel depend very much on the dimensionality of the hydrodynamic model. Using the same turbulence parameterization, vertical velocity shear and density gradients are simulated differently in 1-D column models compared to 3-D ocean circulation models. Finally, the impact of two mixing parameterizations on Baltic Sea climate is discussed.
Moho structure of the anatolian plate from receiver function analysis

S U M M A R Y Here we present first-order results detailing the Anatolian crustal from receiver function analysis of data from approximately 300 stations within Turkey. Seismic data from the Kandilli Observatory array (KOERI; KO), the National Seismic Network of Turkey (AFAD-DAD; TU) and available IRIS data from the Northern Anatolian Fault experiment (YL) for the period between 2005 and 2010 is analysed. We calculate receiver functions in the frequency domain using water-level deconvolution. The results are analysed using a combination of H–K stacking and depth stacking to determine robust Moho conversion depths and VP/Vs ratios across Anatolia. We detect a deep Moho in eastern Anatolia of up to ∼55 km, a generally normal Moho in Central Anatolia of ∼37–47 km and a thinned Moho in western Anatolia and Cyprus of ∼30 km. The VP/Vs ratio across the Anatolian Plate is generally slightly elevated; regions of extremely high VP/Vs ratio (>1.85) can be associated with recent volcanism in eastern and central Anatolia. High VP/Vs ratio measurements (>1.85) in western Anatolia may be indicative of partial melt in the lower crust associated with regional extension.
Moisture-Dependent Wettability of Artificial Hydrophobic Soils and Its Relevance for Soil Water Desorption Curves

Soil wettability is strongly affected by the soil water content. In turn, wettability infl uences water distribution in soil pores and thereby soil water retention characteristics. In this study, soil water desorption curves (SWDC) for naturally occurring hydrophilic sand, loam, and silt loam samples and for corresponding artifi cially hydrophobized sand, loam, and silt loam samples were measured in the pF range from 0 to 4.2. Moisture-dependent wettability was described with the contact angle (CA) method and the water drop penetration time (WDPT) test. One objective was to directly measure the phenomenological CA of the soils at different water contents and to compare the results with that from the WDPT test. A second objective was to show differences of soil water desorption curves for the hydrophilic materials as compared to the silanized hydrophobic materials. All experiments were done on soil samples with time-stable water repellency to study directly the impact of water content without further time dependent factors. Soil wettability as a function of water content was generally comparable, indicating that CA and WDPT could be used to indicate the moisture-dependent wettability. The SWDCs were separated into three domains. Domain I was characterized by the Wenzel wetting regime, and Domains II and III were described by the Cassie-Baxter wetting regime. Water repellency showed insignifi cant impacts on the SWDCs in Domains I and III, but it reduced soil water retention capacity in Domain II, which was supported by the monotonical increase of CA from zero to a maximum as soil water content decreased to a critical point near the permanent wilting point. Water repellency had clear and important infl uences on soil water desorption curves.
Complex metamorphic zonation of the Thaya dome: result of buckling and gravitational collapse of an imbricated nappe sequence

Abstract The metamorphic isograd geometry and dome structure of the Thaya tectonic window, which emerges through the Moldanubian nappe pile at the eastern margin of the Bohemian Massif, is interpreted as a result of large-scale buckling of an imbricated nappe sequence. This large-scale mechanical instability was initiated by the blocking of passively transported hot viscous rocks to shallow crustal levels. The wavelength and shape of the buckle fold is controlled by the greatest thickness of the uppermost nappe and by the low ratio of strong orthogneiss to weak micaschists in individual nappes. The steep inclinations of the thrust surfaces and the oblique movement of the crustal multilayer minimizes the role of gravity on fold generation. Medium-scale gravitational folds originated at the end of the buckling of the nappes and are associated with the late sliding of the nappes away from the core of the anticline during late exhumation. Thermal, rheological and fold calculations are presented which document and explain the mechanism of folding of large-scale crystalline nappes.