Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Elastic and viscous anisotropy in Earth's mantle : observations and implications

In this thesis I address the topic of anisotropy – the directional dependence of physical properties of rocks – from two complementary angles: I use seismic anisotropy to detect deformation in the mantle, and I demonstrate the importance of accounting for rheological anisotropy in mantle flow models. The observations of seismic anisotropy in the Earth’s interior allow geophysicists to probe the direction and mechanism of deformation, through the detection of latticeand shapepreferred orientation and the derived elastic anisotropy. I capitalized upon this property when I investigated the deformation of the mantle underneath Eastern Tibet and compared it to the surface and crustal deformation. This work revealed an intriguing regional variation, hinting a change from north to south in the processes controlling the deformation of this complex region. Preferred orientations in rocks can change the rheology and lead to anisotropy of viscosity, a property often ignored in geodynamical modeling. I included anisotropic viscosity in a number of test flow models, including a model of shear in the upper mantle due to plate motion, a model of buoyancy-driven instabilities, and a model of flow in the mantle wedge of subduction zones. My models revealed that anisotropic viscosity leads to substantial changes in all the flows I examined. In the upper mantle beneath a moving plate, anisotropic viscosity can lead to localization of the strain and the extend of power-law creep in the upper mantle. In the presence of anisotropic viscosity, the wavelength of density instabilities varies by the orientation of the anisotropy. The thermal structure and melt production of the subduction zone mantle wedge changes when anisotropic viscosity is accounted for. It is thus crucial that geodynamical flow models are self consistent and account for anisotropic viscosity. Thesis Supervisor: Bradford H. Hager Title: Ida and Cecil Green Professor of Earth Sciences
A review of Silvanerpeton miripedes, a stem amniote from the Lower Carboniferous of East Kirkton, West Lothian, Scotland

ABSTRACT Previously described and new specimens of the anthracosaur Silvanerpeton miripedes from the Scottish Viséan of East Kirkton yield important new data which allow us to provide a more complete reconstruction of the skull roof, palate, braincase and lower jaw. A stout sacral rib and an incompletely ossified tarsus with a subquadrangular intermedium are also recorded for the first time. A remarkably well preserved humerus in extensor view shows similarities with humeri of immature specimens of the embolomere Proterogyrinus. A new cladistic analysis, built from combining characters used in two recent matrices, places Silvanerpeton in a basal position relative to embolomeres and more derived stem amniotes. Data from Silvanerpeton inform character polarity near the base of the amniote total group. We discuss some morphofunctional implications of character changes at the root of total group amniotes, acquisition of terrestrial habits, and patterns of early disparity in this clade.
Río de la Plata inner estuary (Argentina): main forms, sedimentary infill and Holocene evolution

Abstract The emerged part of the Río de la Plata estuary is characterized by striking coastal geomorphic features. Aerial and satellite images, field observations of the outcrops, shallow boreholes, radiometric dating of sand and shells and Ground Penetrating Radar surveys were analysed. The main sedimentary features are: a large coastal barrier (up of 220 km long), old coastal lagoons, attached beach ridge (about 210) sets distributed along 170 km, the Ibicuy sand body variously interpreted as a reworked shoal/island or delta, and cheniers. The tidal flats and the modern Paraná Delta are located in the centre and on the right side of the inner estuary. The height of the estuarine coastal barrier represents the maximum flooding surface (MFS) of the last transgression at about 6000 aBP. Other main sedimentary forms developed as a falling stage systems tract (FSST) during the sea-level drop between the aforementioned date and the present. The sea surface was about 5 m above sea-level in the inner part of the estuary during the middle-Holocene. This MFS was subsequently followed by a continuous and slow sea-level fall that controlled the generation of the large sedimentary forms developed in the innermost part of the Río de la Plata Estuary.
Factors associated with knowledge of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV/AIDS among young adults in Indonesia: Analysis of IYARHS

Background: The prevalence of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV/AIDS is increasing, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Most previous studies focused on pregnant women in antenatal care, but this study examined the early phases of non-married women, which are young adults. Objective: This study aimed to examine the factors associated with knowledge MTCT of HIV/AIDS among young adults in Indonesia. Methods: This study used secondary data from the Special Indonesia Demographic Health Survey (IDHS), also known as the Indonesia Young Adult Reproductive Health Survey (IYARHS). The unit of analysis in this study is a non-married young adult aged 14 to 24 from 34 provinces in Indonesia. The final samples brought into the analysis were 9,600 women. The univariate analysis, bivariate analysis using the Chi-Square test, and multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression were done using the STATA 17 version licensed by the Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University. Results: This study revealed that 33.75% of the respondents had poor knowledge of the MTCT of HIV/AIDS. Moreover, the factors found to be significantly associated with knowledge of MTCT of HIV/AIDS were age (19 to 24 years old), residence in an urban area, graduation from junior high school, senior high school, academy, and university, and also those who talked about sexual matters with friends. Conclusion: This study suggests supporting and encouraging related stakeholders in order to provide education about MTCT in the early years of adulthood so the prevention program can be applied more easily.
Spectral analysis and classification of metamorphic rocks from laboratory reflectance spectra in the 0.4-2.5 μ m interval: A tool for hyperspectral data interpretation

Laboratory reflectance (0.4-2.5 w m ) spectra of 41 samples of metamorphic rocks from the Precambrian basement of Madagascar were analysed on the basis of absorption band position and shape, and classified on the basis of recurrent associations of absorption bands. Petrographic analyses allowed us to interpret the absorption features in compositional terms. Spectral and petrographic classes coincided when the principal mineralogy was also spectrally dominant (e.g. in carbonate rocks). When the principal mineralogy did not produce diagnostic spectral features (e.g. in siliceous rocks in the visible-short wave infrared region), the classification was based on spectrally dominant secondary phases. The reflectance spectra were measured on both freshly cut and exposed surfaces of the samples. Apart from a few cases of spectral features obliteration due to kaolinization, or overall albedo change related to texture variation, the two sets of spectra did not significantly differ. The responses of airborne MIVIS and AVIRIS hyperspectral sensors were simulated from spectra representative of the spectral classes, showing that significant identification and classification of well exposed metamorphic rocks are potentially possible using remote instruments providing high quality spectra. Although at present there are no plans for a spaceborne instrument of this quality, TM simulations and band composite images showed that a preliminary gross discrimination of the rocks belonging to the different classes was however possible.
Mecanismos que liberan arsénico al agua subterránea de la Comarca Lagunera, estados de Coahuila y Durango, México

A fin de dilucidar los procesos que dan origen a las altas concentraciones de arsenico en el acuifero de la Comarca Lagunera (Mexico), se llevaron a cabo estudios geoquimicos del agua subterranea y los sedimentos. Los resultados de la geoquimica de los sedimentos indican que el arsenico disponible se encuentra principalmente adsorbido en los oxidos de Fe amorfos y cristalinos. Los resultados de la geoquimica del agua subterranea indican: 1) intercambio cationico entre el calcio y el sodio; 2) disolucion de calcita debido al intercambio cationico; 3) aumento del pH debido a la disolucion de la calcita, y 4) altas concentraciones de arsenico debido a elevados valores de pH.
Measurement and estimation of pore shrinkage and pore distribution in a clayey till during soil-water characteristic curve tests

The soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) of fine-grained soils is usually determined experimentally. In many applications, such as design of mine waste covers and landfill liners, the unsaturated permeability function, k(h), is often derived theoretically from the measured SWCC. Implicit in these derivations is the transformation of the SWCC to a pore-size distribution (PSD), typically assumed to be constant and mono-modal. PSDs of a clayey till compacted at various water contents were measured after compaction, after flexible-wall permeability testing, and during and after SWCC tests. The measurements show that the PSD changes significantly during permeability and SWCC testing. A method is advanced for predicting the observed changes in PSD during SWCC testing. PSDs are determined for soil samples subjected to the highest and lowest suctions applied during the SWCC test. The measured PSDs are transformed to account for pore trapping; the transform assumes that flow occurs through two sets of randomly d.
Distinct myofibrillar sub-proteomic profiles are associated with the instrumental texture of aged pork loin

Abstract Fresh pork tenderness contributes to consumer satisfaction with the eating experience. Postmortem proteolysis of proteins within and between myofibrils has been closely linked with pork tenderness development. A clear understanding of the molecular features associated with pork tenderness development will provide additional targets and open the door to new solutions to improve and make pork tenderness development more consistent. Therefore, the objective was to utilize liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry with tandem mass tag (TMT) multiplexing to evaluate myofibrillar sub-proteome differences between pork chops of different instrumental star probe values. Pork loins (N = 120) were collected from a commercial harvest facility at 24 h postmortem. Quality and sensory attributes were evaluated at 24 h postmortem and after ~2 weeks of postmortem aging. Pork chops were grouped into 4 groups based on instrumental star probe value (group A,x¯ = 4.23 kg, 3.43 to 4.55 kg; group B,x¯ = 4.79 kg, 4.66 to 5.00 kg; group C,x¯ = 5.43 kg, 5.20 to 5.64 kg; group D,x¯ = 6.21 kg, 5.70 to 7.41 kg; n = 25 per group). Myofibrillar proteins from the samples aged ~2 wk were fractionated, washed, and solubilized in 8.3 M urea, 2 M thiourea, and 1% dithiothreitol. Proteins were digested with trypsin, labeled with 11-plex isobaric TMT reagents, and identified and quantified using a Q-Exactive Mass Spectrometer. Between groups A and D, 54 protein groups were differentially abundant (adjusted P < 0.05). Group A had a greater abundance of proteins related to the thick and thin filament and a lesser abundance of Z-line-associated proteins and metabolic enzymes than group D chops. These data highlight that distinct myofibrillar sub-proteomes are associated with pork chops of different tenderness values. Future research should evaluate changes immediately and earlier postmortem to further elucidate myofibrillar sub-proteome differences over the postmortem aging period.
Ring of Cenotes (sinkholes), northwest Yucatan, Mexico: Its hydrogeologic characteristics and possible association with the Chicxulub impact crater

A 180-km-diameter semicircular band of abundant karst sinkholes (Ring of Cenotes) in northwest Yucatan, Mexico, coincides approximately with a concentric ring of the buried Chicxulub structure, a circular feature manifested in Cretaceous and older rocks, that has been identified as the product of the impact of a bolide. The ring, expressed in Tertiary rocks, marks a zone of high permeability as shown by (1) the sinkholes themselves, (2) breaks in the coastal dune system and high density of springs where the ring intersects the coast, and (3) water-level transects characterized by a decline in water level toward the ring. Any direct relation that exists between the Ring of Cenotes and the Chicxulub structure bears on regional hydrogeology. If the layer or zone responsible for the ring is deeply buried, it may act as a barrier to the movement of ground water across the main flow direction. Shallower zones of horizontal permeability could result in less complete diversion of ground water. Through its influence on Yucatan aquifer characteristics, the ring may provide a link between modern environmental problems and astrogeology. Possible origins for the Ring of Cenotes are (1) faulting, perhaps reactivated by post-Eocene–mid-Miocene basin loading, (2) permeability in a buried reef complex developed in the shallow Paleocene sea around the crater rim, or (3) breccia collapse occasioned by consolidation or by solution of evaporite components. If the ring developed on ancient faults, it may outline hydrothermal systems and mineral deposits produced during Paleocene cooling of the Chicxulub melt sheet.
Geodynamics of the central South Atlantic conjugate margins: implications for hydrocarbon potential

ABSTRACT Using a new margin restoration model for the central South Atlantic we highlight margin-opposed rift basin subsidence characteristics, reconcile important facies relationships and consider the associated processes responsible for contrasting basinward transitions to oceanic crust. We interpret these parameters as diagnostic of strain evolution during rifting. Pre-salt subsidence patterns and sequence isopachs of late syn-rift and early post-rift sequences are symptomatic of these complex extension behaviours. Inherited basement fault trends partition extensional strain during stretching with resultant rift-related structural styles recording the heterogeneity of the pre-rift crust. Correspondingly the seismic and gravity expression of the transition from continental crust to oceanic crust differs systematically along the length of the ‘conjugate’ basins. The presence of a conspicuous coast parallel positive linear gravity anomaly, referred to as the ‘terminal horst’, defines the basinward extent of attenuated continental crust in the more symmetrical Campos Basin and its interpreted conjugate. In the ‘asymmetrical’ Santos and Benguela Basins the ocean–continent transition at the present-day OCB (ocean–continent boundary) becomes equivocal with little gravity expression. Consequently the relationship of primary salt basin edges to the basinward extent of crustal extension appears more complex. Pre-existing crustal and lithospheric mantle scale heterogeneities are considered to impart a first-order control on whole crust deformation and ultimately ‘sag’ basin development. These structurally defined heterogeneities are believed to partition crustal strain and juxtapose end-member mechanisms of pure-shear and simple shear deformation styles as recorded by the complex distribution of syn-rift subsidence patterns within the pre-salt basins of the central South Atlantic. These conclusions challenge the necessity for invoking dominantly depth-dependent processes as a mechanism to explain apparent pre-salt, syn-rift subsidence anomalies. The complex interplay of structure and stratigraphy with an overlay of palaeoclimatic models provides important insights into hydrocarbon play fairways along the margin. In particular the impact on reservoir and source rock distribution and heat flow are discussed.
Public health risks of raw milk consumption: Lessons from a case of paediatric hemolytic uremic syndrome

Pasteurization of raw milk is mandatory before sale in Canada and has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of food-borne illness associated with milk consumption. Consumption of raw milk sparks urgent concern from a public health perspective since it has been linked to numerous outbreaks by enteric organisms, particularly Escherichia coli-related illnesses and complications in pediatric populations. The sale and distribution of raw milk is illegal in Canada, based on these significant health risks, but growing popular interest and trends in consuming raw dairy products reflect changes in consumer preferences. Although the consumption of raw milk has been an ongoing issue, this new trend is alarming and action is needed to prevent serious consequences as seen in children and other populations with reduced immunity such as the elderly and pregnant people. This commentary explores key issues identified by a local public health unit during the investigation of a recent paediatric case of hemolytic uremic syndrome related to an E. coli O157:H7 infection that occurred within the context of consumption of raw milk. The main objective of this article is to highlight that the health risks and sequelae associated with consumption of raw milk far outweigh any potential benefits, with severe consequences particularly among children. Data and health impacts, distribution, regulation, pasteurization and proposed practice recommendations are also identified and discussed.
Pharmacologic Stewardship in a Rural Community Pharmacy

Background: Pharmacotherapy is an essential part of patient care. In order to achieve optimal health outcomes, safe and effective prescribing and administering of medications is crucial, especially since the process of pharmacotherapy can cause serious problems, mainly adverse events and/or interactions, that often pass undetected. Objective(s): To investigate the feasibility of using community pharmacies as checkpoints to detect errors and failures in prescribing, as well as patients’ compliance with pharmacotherapy. To this end, analysis and recording of the prescribing process was carried out and error-prone points were identified. Methods: Patients and caregivers filling prescriptions during the first 4 weeks of November 2017 and February 2018 answered questions in order to evaluate their attendance of regular checkups and their compliance with prescribing instructions. All prescriptions filled at the pharmacy were examined for detection of prescription errors and drug–drug interactions. Statistical analyses, including calculations of the correlation coefficient phi (φ), chi-square, and confidence intervals, were carried out. Detected errors and failures were evaluated by application of the Health Failure Mode Effect Analysis (HFMEA) quality tool. Results: A significant number of patients (16.7%) failed to regularly attend checkups regarding known health problems (95% CI: 10.6–22.7%), a corresponding percentage (16%, 95% CI: 10.1–21.9%) did not comply with prescribed pharmacotherapy, and a significant proportion of patients self-medicated regularly (32%, 95% CI: 24.5–39.5%). A total of 8.6% of prescriptions included medication combinations with a potential for severe drug–drug interactions (95% CI: 7.1–10.2%) while 58.7% of the prescriptions included combinations that could lead to moderate ones (95% CI: 56.1–61.4). The HFMEA indicated that all problems recorded required immediate interventions, except for prescribing errors. Conclusions: Community pharmacies can be potential checkpoints for the detection and evaluation of prescribing errors and pharmacotherapy failures.
Facing Completely Occluded Short-Term Tracking Based on Correlation Filters

Accurate occlusion tracking is a difficult research in vision-based measurement. Most state-of-the-art (SOTA) approaches exploit suppression of templates learning of filters to avoid occlusion pollution. Such suppression strategies retard in the recognition of target obstruction and lack state processing during the occlusion phase. This article explores the precise and robust handling of the complete occlusion problem in the framework of discriminative correlation filters (DCFs). We propose a generative association approach by utilizing raw images of pixels as well as adjacent trajectories for generating robust target descriptors and observable cumulative sequences. The occlusion of the target is identified through the descriptors matching over the time series and estimates the transfer of the state by the generating function. Compared with suppression methods, our approach develops the apparent characteristics and cumulative state of the target, not relying on filter templates. This achieves a maximum gain of 5.0% of area under the curve (AUC) precision on the object tracking benchmark (OTB). Comprehensive evaluations are performed on six datasets: UAV123, TB50, OTB100, large-scale single-object tracking (LaSOT), VOT2018ST, and VOT2019ST. Our method establishes a new record score in distance precision (DP) on the TB50, by exceeding the other 19 SOTA trackers. Also, we reach the SOTA ranks on both the VOT2018ST and VOT2019ST datasets.
On the physical processes associated with the water budget and discharge of the Mackenzie basin during the 1994/95 water year

Abstract The Mackenzie River basin water budget and its discharge are investigated using the Canadian Meteorological Centre's Regional Finite Element/Global Environmental Multiscale (RFE/GEM) model‐based analyses and observations. A comprehensive water budget analysis for the Mackenzie basin illustrates that the annual convergence of moisture flux over the region is positive, and that the moisture available for precipitation originates mainly from moisture transport across the south‐west and north‐west boundaries of the basin. In the summer, however, the basin's moisture supply comes mainly from local evaporation. It is found that major atmospheric forcings for discharge are predominantly determined by 1) the nature of the circulation systems and the availability of moisture, and 2) the alteration of moisture gradients through horizontal twisting by the wind fields. The second process is dominant over most of the 1994/95 water year. The basin scale discharge in the autumn (spring) is, to a large extent, related to cyclonic (anticyclonic) circulation systems through moisture redistribution. This occurs due to the horizontal twisting of moisture gradients by the wind fields and the corresponding moisture advection with horizontally‐twisted moisture gradients. Over the southern Beaufort Sea, the overall storm frequency in the 1994/95 water year was very low compared with its climatology (Hudak and Young, this issue). However, this region was subjected to the highest percentage of Pacific‐origin storms on record during the 1994/95 water year. Synoptic scale weather systems associated with major snowfall and critical spring snowmelt events in the 1994/1995 water year are also examined. Results show that one particular storm in the autumn of 1994 produced much of the initial snowfall for the basin and it was associated with a deep low pressure system providing a great deal of moisture flux into the basin through its western boundaries. It is also shown that a rapid spring snowmelt event in April 1995 was associated with a shallow high pressure system. The descending motion associated with this high pressure system and strong horizontal advection induced by a south‐easterly low‐level jet were two major elements that contributed to the rapid heating of the basin surface and the subsequent rapid melting of the snow. This unusual snowmelt event was a contributing factor to the annual discharge peak being earlier than normal.