Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Global Conveyor Belt from a Southern Ocean Perspective

Recent studies have proposed the Southern Ocean as the site of large water-mass transformations; other studies propose that this basin is among the main drivers for North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) circulation. A modeling contribution toward understanding the role of this basin in the global thermohaline circulation can thus be of interest. In particular, key pathways and transformations associated with the thermohaline circulation in the Southern Ocean of an ice–ocean coupled model have been identified here through the extensive use of quantitative Lagrangian diagnostics. The model Southern Ocean is characterized by a shallow overturning circulation transforming 20 Sv (1 Sv 10 6 m 3 s 1 ) of thermocline waters into mode waters and a deep overturning related to the formation of Antarctic Bottom Water. Mode and intermediate waters contribute to 80% of the upper branch of the overturning in the Atlantic Ocean north of 30°S. A net upwelling of 11.5 Sv of Circumpolar Deep Waters is simulated in the Southern Ocean. Antarctic Bottom Water upwells into deep layers in the Pacific basin, forming Circumpolar Deep Water and subsurface thermocline water. The Southern Ocean is a powerful consumer of NADW: about 40% of NADW net export was found to upwell in the Southern Ocean, and 40% is transformed into Antarctic Bottom Water. The upwelling occurs south of the Polar Front and mainly in the Indian and Pacific Ocean sectors. The transformation of NADW to lighter water occurs in two steps: vertical mixing at the base of the mixed layer first decreases the salinity of the deep water upwelling south of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, followed by heat input by air–sea and diffusive fluxes to complete the transformation to mode and intermediate waters.
Different doses of intermittent theta burst stimulation for upper limb motor dysfunction after stroke: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background Upper limb motor recovery is one of the important goals of stroke rehabilitation. Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), a new type of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), is considered a potential therapy. However, there is still no consensus on the efficacy of iTBS for upper limb motor dysfunction after stroke. Stimulus dose may be an important factor affecting the efficacy of iTBS. Therefore, we aim to investigate and compare the effects and neural mechanisms of three doses of iTBS on upper limb motor recovery in stroke patients, and our hypothesis is that the higher the dose of iTBS, the greater the improvement in upper limb motor function. Methods This prospective, randomized, controlled trial will recruit 56 stroke patients with upper limb motor dysfunction. All participants will be randomized in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to receive 21 sessions of 600 pulses active iTBS, 1,200 pulses active iTBS, 1,800 pulses active iTBS, or 1,800 pulses sham iTBS in addition to conventional rehabilitation training. The primary outcome is the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) score from baseline to end of intervention, and the secondary outcomes are the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT), Grip Strength (GS), Modified Barthel Index (MBI), and Stroke Impact Scale (SIS). The FMA-UE, MBI, and SIS are assessed pre-treatment, post-treatment, and at the 3-weeks follow-up. The WMFT, GS, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data will be obtained pre- and post-treatment. Discussion The iTBS intervention in this study protocol is expected to be a potential method to promote upper limb motor recovery after stroke, and the results may provide supportive evidence for the optimal dose of iTBS intervention.
The contribution of volcanoes to the global atmospheric sulfur budget

A new assessment of the global volcanic emission rates of H2S, SO2, and SO42− is presented. The assessment is based on the development of a suitable classification of volcanic activity and its application to own measurements and measuring data given in the literature. Using this classification, the volcanic sulfur release is estimated to 1.18×107 t S/a total. This estimate must be regarded as a minimum since the data available for major explosive events are very uncertain. On the other hand the frequency of such events is comparatively low. We estimate a global volcanic emission of 1.52× 07 t SO2/a for the period 1961–1979. Our calculations show that in this period the total SO2 release during eruptive activities was at least 1.0×106 t SO2/a whereas about 14 times as much, namely 1.42×107 t SO2/a, were emitted during noneruptive activities. The importance of the contribution of the noneruptive activity has been neglected in earlier assessments. The average values for the global volcanic H2S and SO42− source strength are found to be around 106 t/a and 107 t/a, respectively. We conclude that during a period of very intensive volcanic activity around the world, like that which recently has started with the eruptions of Soufriere in 1979 and Mount St. Helens in 1980, the global sulfur release during eruptive events may become up to 1 order of magnitude higher than we have calculated but that nevertheless the sulfur emission during the noneruptive activity is dominating.
Excessive Use of Mobile Phones and Social Networks Among Colombian University Students

INTRODUCTION: Social networks facilitate interactions among individuals, organizations, and communities. Their usage, especially among young people, has become increasingly widespread. This surge in usage has been linked to various impacts on individuals' daily lives and well-being, particularly in academic and emotional aspects. OBJECTIVES: This study seeks to examine the extent to which excessive use of social networks (SN) contributes to social isolation among undergraduate students aged 18 to 35, residing in the departments of Cundinamarca, Boyaca, and Meta in Colombia. This phenomenon is primarily due to problematic cell phone use. METHODS: We administered two established instruments: the "Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS-10)" adapted by Foerster et al. (2015), and the "Addiction to Social Networks Questionnaire " developed by Escurra & Salas (2014). Statistical analyses included descriptive techniques, multivariate Henze-Zirkler normality test, univariate Shapiro-Wilk test, as well as non-parametric methods such as Spearman's correlation and the Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: Key findings of this study include: (i) the identified intervention and mitigation strategies in the literature predominantly focus on prevention programs and family support with an emphasis on bolstering young people's self-esteem; (ii) 15.46% of the sample exhibited problematic cell phone use, with 25.96% indicating high intensity of social network use; (iii) significant differences were observed in relation to age and geographic location, while gender and socio-economic stratum did not exhibit a statistically significant impact; (iv) the statistical analysis demonstrated a positive and significant relationship with the dimensions of the Escurra & Salas (2014) instrument, namely Interest in Social Media (ISM), concern about lack of control (LC), and Excessive use of SN (EU). CONCLUSION: The Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS-10) emerges as a concise and effective tool for identifying problematic cell phone use, and its association with excessive social network usage underscores the interconnectedness of these behaviours. This research sheds light on the prevalence of these issues among Colombian university students and provides valuable insights for targeted intervention and support strategies, emphasizing the importance of bolstering self-esteem in youth.
The importance of changing oceanography in controlling late Quaternary carbonate sedimentation on a high‐energy, tropical, oceanic ramp: north‐western Australia

The North West Shelf is an ocean‐facing carbonate ramp that lies in a warm‐water setting adjacent to an arid hinterland of moderate to low relief. The sea floor is strongly affected by cyclonic storms, long‐period swells and large internal tides, resulting in preferentially accumulating coarse‐grained sediments. Circulation is dominated by the south‐flowing, low‐salinity Leeuwin Current, upwelling associated with the Indian Ocean Gyre, seaward‐flowing saline bottom waters generated by seasonal evaporation, and flashy fluvial discharge. Sediments are palimpsest, a variable mixture of relict, stranded and Holocene grains. Relict intraclasts, both skeletal and lithic, interpreted as having formed during sea‐level highstands of Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 3 and 4, are now localized to the mid‐ramp. The most conspicuous stranded particles are ooids and peloids, which 14C dating shows formed at 15·4–12·7 Ka, in somewhat saline waters during initial stages of post‐Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) sea‐level rise. It appears that initiation of Leeuwin Current flow with its relatively less saline, but oceanic waters arrested ooid formation such that subsequent benthic Holocene sediment is principally biofragmental, with sedimentation localized to the inner ramp and a ridge of planktic foraminifera offshore. Inner‐ramp deposits are a mixture of heterozoan and photozoan elements. Depositional facies reflect episodic environmental perturbation by riverine‐derived sediments and nutrients, resulting in a mixed habitat of oligotrophic (coral reefs and large benthic foraminifera) and mesotrophic (macroalgae and bryozoans) indicators. Holocene mid‐ramp sediment is heterozoan in character, but sparse, most probably because of the periodic seaward flow of saline bottom waters generated by coastal evaporation. Holocene outer‐ramp sediment is mainly pelagic, veneering shallow‐water sediments of Marine Isotope Stage 2, including LGM deposits. Phosphate accumulations at ≈ 200 m water depth suggest periodic upwelling or Fe‐redox pumping, whereas enhanced near‐surface productivity, probably associated with the interaction between the Leeuwin Current and Indian Ocean surface water, results in a linear ridge of pelagic sediment at ≈ 140 m water depth. This ramp depositional system in an arid climate has important applications for the geological record: inner‐ramp sediments can contain important heterozoan elements, mid‐ramp sediments with bedforms created by internal tides can form in water depths exceeding 50 m, saline outflow can arrest or dramatically slow mid‐ramp sedimentation mimicking maximum flooding intervals, and outer‐ramp planktic productivity can generate locally important fine‐grained carbonate sediment bodies. Changing oceanography during sea‐level rise can profoundly affect sediment composition, sedimentation rate and packaging.
Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from tropical sequences: results from the Niah Great Cave, Sarawak, and their broader implications

Subsamples of charcoal from a number of different excavation contexts at the early modern human (Homo sapiens) site of Niah Great Cave (Malaysia) were accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dated. Samples were prepared using one of a number of different methods: untreated (control); acid–base–acid (ABA); and acid–base–wet oxidation with stepped combustion (ABOX‐SC) after Bird et al. ( 1999 ). The results show that for material younger than ∼25 ka BP there is little difference between the two chemical pretreatment methods and the control. For charcoal beyond ∼25 ka BP, however, there are differences of up to 4000 a, with ABOX‐SC ages being consistently older. This is argued to be a more effective pretreatment method for decontaminating charcoal samples prior to radiocarbon dating. For radiocarbon dating charcoals greater than ∼25 ka BP, the ABOX‐SC pretreatment and combustion approach appears to be the most rigorous method for developing a robust chronological framework for tropical sequences and should be more widely applied in contexts where the material being dated is likely to be ancient. The new chronology developed for Niah Cave based on this technique suggests that the earliest human evidence dates back to at least 45 ka BP and may extend significantly earlier than this based on the recent discovery of lithics 50 cm below the earliest dated charcoal. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stratospheric dryness - Antiphased desiccation over Micronesia and Antarctica

HALOE observations of water vapor and methane during the period 21 September–15 October 1992 are used to examine the role of Antarctic drying in the lower stratosphere. Zonal mean cross-sections of [2 CH4+H2O] show the probability of transport of Antarctic type dryness to latitudes as distant as 20°N, with major water vapor deficits evident between 10 and 100 mb to 10°S. Examination of monthly mean tropical 100 mb temperatures and of Antarctic temperatures suggests that the observations are consistent with stratospheric dryness being achieved by the combined effects of tropopause freeze-drying over the Micronesia region during northern winter and drying through the influence of the very low temperatures over Antarctica during southern winter. This paper presents these intriguing new results, and offers a possible explanation.
N2O emission from tropical forest soils of Australia

Three different tropical rain forest sites (Kauri Creek, Lake Eacham, and Massey Creek) on the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia, were investigated for the magnitude of N 2 O emission from soils during different seasons, that is, wet season, dry season, and transition periods. Highest mean N 2 O emission rates were observed for soils derived from granite at the Kauri Creek site with 74.5 ± 25.2 μg N 2 O-N m -2 h -1 , whereas for soils derived from Metamorphics (Lake Eacham site) mean N 2 O emission rates were much lower (13.1 ± 1.1 μg N 2 O-N m -2 h -1 ). For the Massey Creek site, with soils derived from Rhyolite, a mean annual N 2 O emission rate of 46.2 ± 1.1 μg N 2 O-N m -2 h -1 was calculated. The mean annual N 2 O emission rate calculated for all three sites over the entire observation period was 39.0 μg N 2 O-N m -2 h -1 and thus at the high end of reports from tropical rain forest soils. N 2 O emission rates showed at all sites pronounced temporal as well as spatial variability. The magnitude of N 2 O emissions was strongly linked to rainfall events; that is, N 2 O emissions strongly increased approximately 6-8 hours after precipitation. Correlation analysis confirmed the strong dependency of N 2 O emissions on changes in soil moisture, whereas changes in soil temperature did not mediate considerable changes in N 2 O fluxes. Spatial variability of N 2 O fluxes on a site scale could be explained best by differences in water-filled pore space, CO 2 emission, and C/N ratio of the soil. On the basis of all published N 2 O flux rates from tropical rain forest soils we recalculated the contribution of such forests to the global atmospheric N 2 O budget and come up with a figure of 3.55 Tg N 2 O-N yr -1 , which is approximately 50% higher than reported by others.
GEOLOGY OF ALLUVIAL FANS IN SEMIARID REGIONS

An alluvial fan is a body of detrital sediments built up at a mountain base by a mountain stream. Bold relief is essential, moderately arid to semiarid climate favorable for the development of fans. The depositing agents are sheet floods, stream floods, and streams. Compound alluvial fans result from lateral coalescence of single fans. Development of alluvial fans is affected by changes in the course of a cycle, varying base level, climatic changes, tectonic movements, and slumping of fan deposits. Telescoped or superimposed structure may be developed. Fan deposits are arkosic or graywacke. Sorting and roundness of particles range widely. The matrix is primary or secondary. In general alluvial-fan deposits are stratified. Channel cut-and-fill is pronounced. Individual strata in fans are up to 20 feet thick. Particles in stream deposits are imbricated. Talus-slope deposits at the apex of a fan and floodplain deposits at its base can be separated from those of an alluvial fan by particle sizes, angularity and orientation of fragments, sorting, and original dip of strata. Mudflow deposits in an alluvial fan indicate certain climatic conditions during its formation. Many ancient fan deposits may have escaped recognition because of the common misconception that fan deposits are necessarily unstratified, composed of angular fragments, poorly sorted, and without distinctive sedimentary structures.
Recession characteristics of groundwater outflow and base flow from mountainous watersheds

The relationship between base flow recession characteristics in steep watersheds and geomorphologic and soil parameters is investigated. The formulation for the groundwater outflow was obtained by means of a hydraulic approach applied to a simple conceptual model for a hillslope. Long-term flow data of 19 representative basins in the Allegheny Mountain section of the Appalachian Plateaus were analyzed on the basis of this formulation. Results showed that the reaction factor, which is a time scale of base flow recession, is dependent on the mean land slope, the drainage density, and the ratio (K/f) of the hydraulic conductivity and the drainable porosity. On account mainly of the nonuniform distribution of the physical characteristics within a basin, the reaction factor for a given watershed is somewhat variable with time, but the adoption of a constant value is useful to represent average conditions for a recession period. Analysis of the (K/f) dependency showed that macropores and other structural features may greatly affect the watershed base flow. Evaporation from groundwater appears to constitute only a minor portion of overall basin evaporation.
Evaluation of Rutting, Fatigue, and Moisture Resistance of Low-Energy Asphalt Mixtures Modified by Crumb Rubber

Low-energy asphalt (LEA) mixture, as an alternative to hot mix asphalt (HMA) due to its lower mixing temperature, has advantages such as reducing energy consumption and environmental pollutants. LEA has poor performance characteristics due to the presence of water in its manufacturing process and low mixing temperature. All the studies about LEA have been focused only on investigating the performance of this asphalt mixture, and the effect of additives in its modification is one of the research gaps in this field. Therefore, the use of crumb rubber (CR) and determining its optimal percentage in modifying the performance characteristics of LEA is considered an innovation of this research. In this research, the performance characteristics of LEA modified by 10%, 15%, and 20% CR were evaluated. In order to examine the rutting behavior, moisture sensitivity and fatigue resistance, dynamic creep, indirect tensile strength (ITS), and four-point bending beam tests were applied, respectively. The results of creep curves and flow numbers (FNs) indicated that modifying LEA by 15% increased the rutting resistance by 1.92 and 2.3 times, respectively, compared to the HMA specimen at the stress level of 207 and 310 kPa. Moreover, the evaluation of the creep strain slope revealed that modifying LEA significantly reduced stress sensitivity. ITS test showed an increase in tensile strength ratio by 22% in the specimen with 10% CR compared to the unmodified specimen. In the evaluation of fatigue resistance, while LEA containing 10% CR had almost similar results to the HMA specimen, other specimens represented a shorter fatigue life, so that with the increase in CR percentage, the fatigue life decreased. Determination of fatigue life by energy ratio and Rowe and Bouldin criteria showed similar results. Finally, by determining the plateau value (PV) in the ratio of the dissipated energy change method, the lowest PV was assigned to the 10% CR-modified LEA and HMA specimens, respectively.
Zircon ages from an Archaean gneiss province in northern Sweden

Abstract U-Pb isotopic analyses for zircons from an Archaean granitoid gneiss west of the Tjarro supracrustal belt in northern Sweden are presented. Four size fractions showing different degrees of overgrowth on eu- to subhedral zircons are interpreted as reflecting a U-Pb isotopic disturbance during a metamorphic event between 2740 and 2694 Ma ago. Some indication of the primary zircon crystallization is given by the mean diffusion age (2834 ± 40 Ma, 18) of the core-dominated coarser fractions. Subsequent Proterozoic metamorphism, between 1900 and 1750 Ma ago, up to amphibolite facies has caused no significant imprint on the analysed zircons. Together with previous geochronological work, the result indicate the existence of large areas of Archaean crust between the Tjarro belt and the Caledonides.
Comportement du phosphore dans le sédiment des barragesde la partie aval du bassin versant d'Oum Rabiaa (Maroc)

L'etude du phosphore, facteur clef responsable de l'eutrophisation des eaux continentales, a ete entreprise afin d'evaluer les potentialites de mobilite de cet element dans les sediments de la partie aval du bassin versant d'Oum Rabiaa : Imfout - Ocean atlantique ; caracterise par la presence de trois retenues de barrages en serie (Imfout, Daourat et Sidi Maachou). La presence de ces trois retenues de barrages en serie conditionne la repartition du phosphore des sediments de ce troncon en reduisant les apports fluviaux vers l'aval. La speciation du phosphore des sediments montre que le phosphore se trouve majoritairement sous forme inorganique (68 %) ; la fraction CaCO3 -P etant majoritaire par rapport a celle de Fe(OOH)-P. Les fractions organiques representent 32 %. La mobilite mesuree du phosphate est de 20 % du phosphore total, les fractions du phosphore presentent une mobilite representant pres de 15 % du PT. La difference mesuree entre la mobilite consideree par fraction et la mobilite totale, observee lors d'un cycle annuel, s'explique par la mobilite interne, au sein du sediment, entre les differentes fractions. Les conditions environnementales (pH, oxygene dissous)en sont responsables puisqu'elles favorisent le relargage par une fraction en meme temps que le stockage par une autre.
Farm Sustainability in Lebanon: The Marjayoun Plain Case Study

Agricultural system sustainability is influenced by different factors related to local agricultural structure. The impact of these factors on the farm functionality may provide an estimate, albeit crude, of the agricultural system dynamism and weaknesses. The paper proposes a tool useful for territory planning and agricultural policies programs to assess the viability of an agricultural system in Developing Countries, focused on a farm scale. The methodology is based on some agricultural variables affecting farm functionality and stability. The analysis was applied to the Marjayoun Plain, a Lebanese agricultural enclave. The results clearly disclose the existence of some vulnerability areas in the Plain but also some positive elements in terms of sustainability. The results are mapped by Geographical Information Systems tools.